God’s Pride

James had just met Russ while at a ballgame and hit it off right away.  They talked about the game going on and the players.  When they sat just watching the game for a couple of minutes and didn’t talk, James turned to Russ saying, “Hey, the opposing pitcher reminds me a little bit of Ashton Kutcher.  Did you know he is from Iowa?  He lived just down the block from me.  We went to school together in Clear Creek Amana and were best friends.”

Would you say that James is proud to know Ashton Kutcher? Of course he is and whenever he gets the chance he wants everyone to know that he and Ashton are friends.  He can always find a way to slip into the conversation the person he is the most proud to know.  Now let’s take a look at another conversation by someone who knows me.

Jesus was sitting on his throne beside God the Father while looking over the earth and all the people on it.  God turns to Jesus and smiles.  “Son, did you see that nova I just created in the Orion constellation?”

Jesus looks to the father and nods.  “It was beautiful and so bright.”

Then with a smile he adds, “Speaking of bright and beautiful, did you see David today?  He was teaching a Bible Study and asked for our help to make my truth known to the class.  I want to open up the hearts of those in the class more than usual in answer to his prayer.  He is wonderful and I love him so much.”

While Jesus is up in heaven Romans 8:34 says he is interceding for us.  He is constantly bringing to God our names and requests.  He is so proud of you that he is always slipping your name into the conversation.  He loves you and is never afraid to be associated with you.

How proud of Jesus are you?

Photo Credit: Christ as Judge 2 by Waiting for the Word

How to Write a Christian Blog

You can find a lot of sites telling you how to write a blog.  If you need to know how to write a simple blog then I suggest you just Google it, but if you want to know how to write a Christian blog then read on.  I think you will find a few pointers that too many Christians miss.

1. This blog is not yours but Gods.  If you want to glorify yourself and show off your great writing skills that’s fine but it is a blog written by a Christian and not a Christian blog.  Don’t just dedicate your blog to the Lord but give it to Him and let Him have control of it.
2. Let God speak.  It is so easy to find things we want to write about in a blog.  If this was your blog that would be fine, but it is not yours.  You are merely the vessel God is using to speak.  Prayerfully ask God what He has for you to write.  Read His word. Quietly listen for that still small voice to speak to you.  God will show you what is on His heart for you to write. Wait for Him.
3. Rightly divide the Word of God.  It is very easy to find a verse that will say what you want it to say.  All you have to do is ignore what it really says.  Even if the subject your talking about is Godly, that does not mean you can take a verse out of context to prove what your saying.  Today in my time with the lord I had an insight into a verse that I had never had before.  I was going to blog to everyone what God had shown me.  The first thing I did was study closely what that verse said and I found that I was not only wrong in what I  thought that verse said but the theology I had taken from it was totally wrong as well.  If you accidentally do blog something that is not scriptural then humbly admit it and correct or delete the blog post entirely.
4. Pray. Pray about your blog even before you set up your blog.  Be in His presence constantly as you set it up, before every post, when writing your post, and when posting it on your blog site.  This is God’s blog and you can not do this job without Him.  It is in His presence that you will find the answers to everything you need for the blog.
5. Forget the numbers.  One thing I find myself falling into is seeing how many people are reading my blog.  I take pride in how many there are.  Its fun to see the numbers going up.  When you start your blog, pray that God will bring the people He desires to read what you post.  If you have 2 people read your post, those 2 people are the ones God has brought to read and learn from what He has said through you.  Forget the numbers.  They are not important.  What is important is that you follow God’s leading in what you write and then rest in faith that He is in control of how He uses what is written.
6. You will make mistakes.  You probably already figured out that your not perfect.  Remember that as you work your blog.  What you write is not Scripture.  If someone criticizes something you posted, humbly consider it and see if what they say is true.  They could be God’s way of saying your post is not what He wanted to say.
7. Love. You are God's tool and His steward.  That means it is your blog to work but only as His representative. Anything you say must be out of His love.  If someone gets nasty with you about anything in the blog, you are to love them as Jesus would.  God is love and everyone must see that in the blog where you are God’s representative.

If you follow these 7 points you will be a blessing to our Lord Jesus, to those who read your blog post, and to all those in your life.  The greatest blessing of writing a Christian Blog is the fellowship you have with our Savior and Editor, Jesus Christ.

If you would like to get your feet wet and join others in posting in a blog check out Subversive Truth. If you agree with their Doctrinal statement they will be happy to talk to you about posting on their blog site.

Photo Credit: Year C: Second Sunday of Lent by Stephen Cuyos

What are Our Schools Missing?

My niece posted the above statement on Facebook.  This is the world we live in today.  This is the reality that our children see everyday.  Why is the world our children live in this way?  When did it all start to come apart?

1962 and 1963 Supreme Court ruled State sponsored prayer and Bible reading is prohibited in school.  1992 they ruled public prayer at school functions as unconstitutional.  God has been kicked out of schools.  The very foundation for Judeo Christian ethics has been erased from our schools.

If our children do not have any foundations for what is morally right, why would we expect them to live a moral life?  With no moral guidance in the schools ,where they live most of the day, is it no wonder that they have no hope in their lives for a bright future?  They see only the emptiness of a world gone wrong.

Paul wrote to the Christians in Ephesus saying “It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah.” Ephesians 2:1-6 (The Message)

There is still hope but it will not be found in any political or school programs.  The solution is not in rules and laws but in Jesus Christ and the Word of God. God has the answers to how we should live.

Knowing True Hope From False Hope

Last night I was watching an episode of NCIS where there was a scene of a Navy destroyer at sea during a big storm.  It started with two men being tossed around in a cabin as if they were on the Bridge of Star Trek’s Enterprise during a Romulan attack.  They then stumbled outside to the bow section of the ship where a body was laying on the main deck.  Water was splashing over the bow and rain was blowing around the men as they went to check on the body.

My wife was laughing at me during  this because I was pointing out how fake this all was.  I had served in the Navy on a Navy destroyer. I knew that this scene was fake because I had lived for years on a destroyer.  I had experienced real storms.

Sailors are not tossed around like that during a storm.  We live on that ship and we know how to handle the ship’s rolling and pitching.  The men were on the bow of the ship being tossed from side to side, but the bow should also be plunging into huge waves, pitching forward and back.  The water should not have been splashing over the bow; it should have been pouring over the bow in huge waves, moving that dead body around, if not sweeping it off the deck entirely.  The men would not have been able to talk outside in a storm as big as they wanted us to believe it was,  they would have had to scream at each other to be heard.

Ok, I know.  It was only a TV show.  Nothing to get upset about.  They couldn’t really put the destroyer into a real storm and film the scene.  That would be ridiculous to expect.  Yet, I had to this feeling of being short changed simply because I knew the real thing from experience.  If I had never been on a ship I would have thought the scene was accurate and happily accepted it as what was depicted.

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Matthew 24:24

People in the world today are placing their hope for eternal life in false Christs and false prophets.  Muhammad is a false prophet.  People are afraid to say that for fear of offending someone, but it is the truth.  Bahá'u'lláh, Buddha, Joseph Smith, and any other spiritual leader, besides Jesus, are false prophets or false Christ.  Putting your hope in them will only lead to destruction and eternal death.

During these last days there will be other false Christ and prophets coming.  Eventually the Anti-Christ will appear and many will be deceived.  There is only one way to know that they are fake.  You must experience the true Christ who is Jesus.  I do not mean just accept Jesus as your savior and you will be fine.  I mean you must experience him everyday in your life.  You must live with him like I lived on that destroyer. 

I ate, slept, worked and played on that ship.  I was on board in port and out at sea.  I rode it in calm weather and in the biggest storms.  I knew it inside and out.  You must know Jesus the same way.  You must experience Jesus 24/7 in all kinds of environments.  Then you will know the true from the false.

True hope is known only when you experience the true Christ in your life.   

Photo is of my first ship, USS Lloyd Thomas DD 764.

Following the Crazy, Foolish Jesus

I wonder if people called Jesus names like “Crazy Christ” or “Madman Messiah”  He did and said things that made no sense at all.  His friends thought he was crazy and wanted to carry him away in Mark 3:21. In the next verse (Mark 3:22) it tells how the Scribes believed him to be possessed by demons. 

Jesus said things like "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” in Mathew 5: 43,44. Everyone knows an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.  Get revenge against your enemy.  You don’t do good for those who hate you.

And one time he told a man named Nicodemus that he had to be “born again” in John 3:3. Another time, in John 6: 53  he tells his disciples that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood.  Doesn’t that sound like a madman to you? 

Many of his disciples couldn’t handle some of the crazy stuff he said and they left him. So why should we follow this madman who ended up tortured and executed?  Even many of those who followed him ended up killed by the government or the people of the lands.  It is outright foolishness to follow this man.

“Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Corinthians 1:25

From a human point of view God’s wisdom is foolish.  It does not subscribe to our normal human wisdom.  The bible seems so contrary to what seems sensible, because God’s wisdom is so much wiser then ours.  Jesus was God’s own fool, but that foolishness was far supreme to our greatest wisdom.

We want to look wise in the sight of man.  When people point at us and laugh at our belief in Jesus we feel rejection.  Hollywood is full of man’s wisdom and it brings heartache and pain in people’s lives.  The Government does its best to manage our country with human wisdom and we are going bankrupt. Schools teach safe sex and children are giving birth to babies. 

Sometimes we simply have to take God at his word.  We do not have the wisdom to understand everything God says, but know this; When God speaks He speaks wisdom and truth.  Never doubt God and you will be seen as the wisest of all men in Heaven, and the most foolish in all the world.

Photo Credit: INSANITY copy by Jeanette Goodrich

Don’t Base Your Faith on Experiencing God.

Sometimes I like to think back when God showed Himself to me in some way.  Those experiences help to boost  my faith in Him.  I can say, “See, God is real!  He worked in my life and showed His power to me.”  I hope you don’t do this.  I have come to realize that basing my faith on my experiences is a very poor foundation for faith.

Johnny Christian enjoyed going to church.  He would raise his hands as he sang praises to God.  When the preacher was giving his sermon, Johnny would give out a loud, “AMEN!” or “Yes Lord. That’s true.” Johnny could feel the lord’s presence and it excited him.  He was one of the most outspoken men in the Church.

One day Johnny Christian lost a loved one.  He became depressed and his sorrow seemed to have no end.  He was confused that God should take someone he loved so from him.  That Sunday he went to church and sat in his pew.  Everyone was singing praises but he felt no song in his heart.  They raised their hands but Johnny just hung his head.  He barely heard the sermon and when he left the sanctuary he never came back.

Johnny didn’t feel the lord’s presence so either the lord didn’t really exist or, if He did, God had rejected Johnny.  Johnny was not experiencing God in his life, but instead experienced only pain in his heart.  God was dead to him.

If we base our faith on what we experience, then when we do not experience God in our lives we will lose faith. God might show Himself to you and heal you from a mortal illness but the next time your sick and God does not heal, will you reject God saying, “He didn’t hear you so He must not love you anymore” or perhaps that “He does not really exist.”?

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17

The only true and solid foundation for your faith is in God’s Word.  We can trust what God says to us.  We can base all we believe on the fact that the Scriptures will not fail us.  When you hear what God says to you in His word, you can know that God will stay true to it and fulfill His word.  Experiences can fail you, but God’s word is eternally faithful.

Photo Credit: untitled by le vent le cri

Sins of Man and Sin of the Heart

God hates sin, but if you compare different religions you find that the view of sin and the payment for sin is different than the Christian teaching.  Other religions only go skin deep, while Jesus Christ goes down to the root of the problem.

Islam teaches that Allah weighs your good deeds and your bad deeds.  If your bad deeds outweigh the good then you are eternally punished in the fires of Jahannam (Hell).

Buddhist teach that sin is anything that transgressions against the universal moral code.  But some Buddhist disagree saying that there is no such thing as sin.  Your actions, whether they are good or bad have their own inevitable result for good or bad towards you.

Hindu’s are trying to achieve union with Brahman.  Once this is achieved the cycle of life, death and rebirth ends.  Then they are finally released from the suffering of  this world.  To attain this union with Brahman they must lead moral lives.  When they commit any acts of sin or good it affects their Karma which determines their future incarnation.

All three of these and other beliefs have one thing in common concerning sin.  Each act of sinning is paid for by the individual in some way.  Not sinning is the only answer to attain any type of salvation.

Christianity does not deal with just the individual sins, but goes to the source of sin.  Jesus Christ’s death is the solution to the Sin Nature and not just payment for our sins.

“Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.” Romans 6:6

The old man, our sin nature, died on the cross with Jesus.  It is destroyed so that we no long have to serve sin.  Sin no longer has the power over us it once did.  We only sin when we decide to rebel against God.  All other religions leave you powerless against that sin nature.  They deal only with the sins of man and not the sin within the heart.  Only in Christ is there victory.

Photo Credit: SEVEN SINS TO BE AVOIDED IN LIFE by Diganta Talukdar

Science Quiz

This quiz is meant to be fun and help you to learn something surprising.  The quiz consist of 5 multiple choice questions.  Write down your answer on a piece of paper and see how many you get right.  Good Luck.
1. When was it found that the earth did not ride on the back of a turtle but actually hung in space?

1. 1500 BC
2. 600 BC
3. 1650 AD
4. 1800 AD

2. When did man find that the earth is round?

1. 700 BC
2. 300 BC
3. 1492 AD
4. 1600 AD

3. When did man know that air had weight?

1. 600 BC
2. 100 AD
3. 800AD
4. 1500 AD

4. When was if found that the best ratio for shipbuilding is 30:5:3

1. 2348 BC
2. 50 BC
3. 1609 BC
4. 1900 BC

5. When were the underwater paths of the continental currents found?

1. 800 BC
2. 200 AD
3. 1400 AD
4. 1850 AD

Do you have your answers written down?  Below you will find the answers and brief explanation for why it is the correct answer. 
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1. When was it found that the earth did not ride on the back of a turtle but actually hung in space?
Correct Answer: 2. 600 BC.  Science didn’t know about it until 1650 but God spoke about it in Job 26:7 saying that God “…hangeth the earth upon nothing.”

2. When did man know that the earth is round?
Correct Answer: 1. 700 BC.  Isaiah 40:22 talks of the circle of the Earth.  Aristotle suggested it around 350 BC but it was almost another 2000 years before mankind stopped believing in a flat Earth.

3. When did man know that air had weight?
Correct Answer: 1. 600 BC.  Science didn’t discover that air had weight until the 16th century but God told Job in Job 28:25,  about the weight of the winds.

4. The best ratio for shipbuilding is 30:5:3?
Correct Answer: 1. 2348 BC.  The dimensions for Noah’s Ark where using the ration of 30:5:3.  It was not until 1609 AD that a ship built in Holland, with those dimensions, revolutionized shipbuilding.

5. When were the underwater paths of the continental currents found?
Correct Answer: 1. 800 BC.  Matthew Maury (1806 – 1873 is the father of Oceanography because of his discover of the continental currents.  He found them by reading Psalm 8:8 and saying, “If God said there are paths in the sea, I am going to find them.”

I hope you enjoyed the quiz.  Many people think the Bible is counter to science, when in reality true science and Scripture are in agreement.  The ones who are counter to science are those who are counter to the one who created all science in the first place.

If you liked this, please add a comment and tell me how you did.  Should I do more quizzes?

Photo Credit: From "Pursuit of Light" - Perpetual Ocean by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

My Perfect Wife

My wife Kathy is not the perfect wife, but she is “my perfect wife”.  “Ahh, how cute”  you are thinking.  “He is such a sweet husband to say that.”  I don’t think you understand.  I do not mean that as something nice and cute to say about my wife.  It is not meant to be hyperbole, but a statement of fact.

How can someone be perfect?  It is impossible of course unless God is involved.  He can take an imperfect woman and make her my perfect wife.  Kathy still makes wrong decisions at times.  She does not love me in ways I want every single moment of the day.  She doesn’t peel my grapes as fast as I would like.  She is not the perfect wife but she is the greatest gift, outside of Jesus Christ Himself, that God has given me; my perfect wife.

My number one desire in life is to be like Jesus.  Everything else is secondary.  Kathy was given to me to help me become the man of God which I was designed to be.  Everything about her helps me to grow spiritually.  All of her positive, Godly traits; as well as her negative,ungodly traits.

Kathy is a great cook.  If you come to our house for dinner you would find a home cooked meal from scratch.  Many of the ingredients could be freshly picked from our garden.  It taste heavenly and there is always more then enough.  We do not eat frozen dinners in our house.  The microwave is only used to warm up leftovers.  Even popcorn is cooked on the stove in a sauce pan and real butter is poured on top.

She is such a great cook that I am now on a diet.  I have lost almost 20 lbs and hope to lose another 20.  I am learning about self control from my wife.  Thankfully she helps and doesn’t cook as much or as fattening foods as she se to.  Still great food which I could stuff myself so full of I would look like a candidate for “The Losers” TV reality show.

Her good traits help me learn godly traits.  I won’t speak of anything bad she does (very few to mention anyway) but let me just say she is not perfect.  Those negative traits are wonderful for me.  God gave her to me, negative traits and all, because everything about her helps me to grow.  God works miracles in my life using Kathy’s flaws.  I could get frustrated and mad at her but God uses all that to make me more like Him.

Yesterday was Kathy’s birthday which caused me to think about her and thank God for her.  She is perfect for me.  I would never want to marry anyone else.  I wouldn’t even want her as my wife without her imperfections.  It is her, as she is, that makes her my perfect wife.

My Refuge, My Fortress: My God.

“I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.” Psalm 91:2

For those who dwell in the secret place, (see previous post on Psalm 91:1) God is their refuge and fortress.  It is Him that they will go to in times of trouble.  When the world seems to be falling apart, they don’t go to God as a last resort but as their first and only solution.

I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease a little over a year ago.  I was rather stunned when the doctor told me the diagnosis.  I knew it was a possibility but I didn’t really think it would be PD.  The doctor told me it was the beginning stages and if it got worse we could see about medications to help me cope with the symptoms.

I left the room in a slight daze.  What could I do about this?  This was not a curable disease.  I was going to get worse and not better.  At this point my hands didn't greatly trembling like some with PD do, but would I get worse so that I couldn't do things myself?  Do I really want to tell others and have them feel sorry for me?  What would they think? I had all sorts of questions and fears.

As I walked to the car I mentally stopped and looked to the lord.  “Jesus, I don’t know what to do.”

I then realized that He was there with me.  He had always been there with me.  He was not surprised by the diagnosis like I had been.  He knew more about PD than the doctors did.  He also knew what my future held.  He held my future in His hands and I had nothing to fear.

By the time I got to my car, I knew I would be alright.  I didn’t care what the doctors said because God was my primary physician.  They might not be able to heal me but He can.  I would leave it all in his loving hands and not worry about it.

So what does my future hold? I don’t know but I am not worried about it.  I only want my lord to use me, PD and all, for His glory.  If God can use the Parkinson’s to make me more Christlike, then that is what I want.

God is my fortress and refuge.  I will trust Him in this situation and not medications, doctors or anything else.  It doesn’t matter if PD should eventually bring the worse into my life, I will still trust and praise Him.

Photo Credit: "Trust in the LORD..." ~ digital paint effect by Sharon

Finding the Secret Place

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalms 91:1

I have always loved secrets.  Secrets inherently have a power for those who know them.  When I was a child I loved to hear peoples’ secrets.  When I grew up and was in the Navy, and later in the CIA, I enjoyed the fact that I was able to know things others could never know. 

The Bible speaks of different secret places but this one, found in Psalm 91:1, seems to hold the secret to a power we should all desire.  Where is this mysterious place located?  How do we find it?

The blessings spoken of in verse one, and the following verses, are not for all believers.  It is written to all believers, but not all believers will dwell in the secret place.  This is a blessing which depends upon the choices of the individual.  Do you really want the blessing?  Are you willing to dwell and not just visit the secret place of God?

The Temple in Jerusalem was for all who trusted God and worshipped Him.  That does not mean that everyone could go into the temple.  The gentiles worshipped far from the temple and the women’s court was still outside the walls where sacrifices where made.  Jewish men could enter closer, but only the Levites could actually enter the main temple and the Court of Priest.

Every day, one Levite man was chosen to go into the Holy Place, but he dared not enter the Holy of Holies where God dwelled.  That responsibility was only for the High Priest who could enter it once a year on Passover.

The secret place is the Holy of Holies.  It is where the presence of God resides.  This is where God’s power is found.  This is where God manifest Himself to the believer who dwells there with Him.

But the Temple was destroyed so how can we dwell there.  And even if it was around, there is no way we could all go there.  We would never be allowed even close to the Holy of Holies.

When Christ breathed his last breath, the curtain dividing the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place was torn from top to bottom.  No longer is God’s presence only for one man, once a year.  God is now calling upon all believers to come into His presence.  There is no more segregation of Jew and Gentile, man and woman.   We are all called into His presence.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

The secret place is available to all who know Jesus as Savior.  You are God’s temple so God’s presence is within you.  He is available to you at any time, in any place.  You just need to call upon Him.

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” 1 Corinthians 6:19

The blessing is for all who dwell in His presence.  Those who spend time with God, and seek to know Him.  The believer whose heart is always in touch with God’s heart.  The person who sits in God’s presence and learns from His Spirit is the one who dwells in the secret place.

Does this sound difficult?  It can be very difficult.  But it is really very simple.  Place Jesus first in your life.  Sacrifice time to be with Him. Give God some of that TV time so you can dwell in His presence.  Desire God more then you desire comfort, entertainment and pleasure. What is God’s fellowship worth to you?

“And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:23

Photo Credit: The Ark of the Covenant by  Michael Li

MyT2Save

I believe the Christians living in my county are about to undertake the most powerful venture possible.  This is not just one church, but a coalition of churches and ministries who are bringing their resources together for serving God in the Cedar Rapids area. This group, called Serve the City, plans to pray for every person in Linn county by name, in one year.

This undertaking, called MyT2Save, will consist of 187 prayer partners who will pray out loud 5 minutes a day (one minute per name), 5 days a week, for 50 weeks a year. In one years time approximately 289,500 souls will be prayed for.  What will God do when His people gather to pray?

This is exciting.  God’s people uniting to pray as one for the salvation and growth of every soul in Linn county. Once we pray through the whole list, we do it again and again until Jesus comes.  I expect to see the Holy Spirit moving with a greater power then ever before.

Photo Credit: Day 250 - No More Sorrow... by Rachel Titiriga

Reasons to Rightly Rejoice

Wouldn’t it be thrilling to spend the night laying your hands on people and seeing them healed?  Would you be excited if a demon possessed person was freed when you ordered the demon to leave?  If you reached down to a dead man and pulled him to his feet, alive and well, wouldn’t you be telling everyone about it?

“Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”  Luke 10:20

You have every right to be joyful and excited when God uses you.  The problem occurs when we make these things our destination instead of merely a means to the end.  Our goal is not the spiritual gifts or being able to experience God working in our lives.  Our goals are to be found in eternal fruit.

If you were to be used to bring someone back to life, it would be absolutely awesome.  If that person was able to live another 30 years, but in all that time never accepted Jesus as their savior, what was gained? 

“…rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”  The only true eternal treasure in this world is a soul.  Experiencing God using you is thrilling, but it is hollow compared to a soul coming to know salvation through Jesus Christ.

Photo Credit: GBI Kenisah Praise and Worship part 2_08 by Antonius Prayudiaska

Will the Syrian Trouble Become the War of Gog and Magog?

The situation in Syria is in the news daily.  The world is worried that this could escalate into the war of Gog and Magog, or even Armageddon.  If you are part of those groups, let me just say, “God is in control.”

First off, it is way to early for Armageddon.  To many events have to occur before Armageddon happens.  The Bible has set out in order, events which will happen.  It is safe to say, Armageddon will be a no show for at least a few years yet.

Gog and Magog war is a possibility, but I doubt it.  The countries listed in Ezekiel  38 & 39 does NOT include Syria.  In fact it does not include any countries immediately surrounding Israel.  I would think that if this was the war with Gog and Magog the scripture would list the country that is initiating the trouble.

Another thing that needs to happen before the Gog and Magog war is that Israel has to be dwelling in safety. (Ezekiel 28: 25-26)  I think we can safely say that Israel is not dwelling in safety today.

So will something happen in Israel because of what is happening in Syria?  I think this will be one of the most significant times in the history of Israel.  Israel will have to dwell in safety in order for the Gog and Magog war, so perhaps this present situation will bring about a conflict which will end with Israel once again being the victor.  This time the victory will put an end to the surrounding nations threats and to Palestinian terrorism.  I even think this could make if possible for Israel to build the Third temple.

Does this sound like a far fetched idea?  I guess it is but only from our human stand point. I think many people who talk about fulfilling prophecies are usually deceived, but each day I come to believe more firmly that we are in the very last days.  The tribulation is in sight.  God is moving and it is a wonderful and terrifying sight to see.  I might not have the details all correct, but I think the signs and God’s word point in this direction.

I am writing this only to show you that no matter what happens, you must remember that,  “God is in control.”  This situation does not surprise Him.

Photo Credit: A Syrian man inspects the destruction in his house in the Bab Amro neighbourhood of Homs on May 2, 2012 by Freedom House

Bargaining with God 101

Bargaining with God.  I have tried it.  You have tried it.  Everyone at some time, in some way, has attempted to bargain with God.  We go before God offering, “If you do this for me, I will do that for you.”

Is this wrong?  What is wrong with giving God something we own if He gives us something in return?  Why shouldn’t we give to God some sort of payment for what He does for us?  How can giving God something of ourselves, showing God how desperate we  are for Him to answer our prayer, wrong?

We can even make our bargaining with God sound righteous and good.  “Father God, if you will heal me of this sickness I will go tell everyone of the miracle and how great and loving a God you are. I will say how you are the great physician who healed me of this.  I witness to the world so that they will know you.”

Is that really wrong?  Can bargaining with God truly be sinful?  All we are trying to do is persuade God how much we desire Him to step into our lives and help us.  We are reaching out to Him saying “I am willing to sacrifice this if you will simply answer my prayer.”  That can’t be sinful, can it?

There lived a man on the streets of a large city.  He had no home, but slept in a trash filled alleys.  His clothes were dirty and smelled of urine and cheap beer. All the possessions he owned were held in a three wheeled shopping cart which he pushed around all day.  His meals were half eaten bits of food found in dumpsters behind restaurants.  His body was covered in sores and his health was so bad that he was doomed to die soon.

One day a rich man saw him and felt great compassion on the homeless man.  Out of love for this man in rags, the rich man took him into his home.  The poor man was bathed and dressed in a fine suit.  He was given a suite of rooms to call his own.  He ate healthy meals and was given the medical care he needed.  He was given an allowance and charity work to do where he felt fulfilled and useful. There was no need which was not provided for by the rich man.

The rich man gave out of his love for the poor man.  There was nothing sexual between them.  There was only pure love for the man.  Everything that was given was out of that love and nothing was asked for in return.

One day the poor man went to the rich man and said, “If you would give me a car, I would be so grateful.  I will give you 10 percent of my allowance back to you and tell everyone how generous you are to provide me with a car.  I will even put in more hours of work if only you give me this.”

The rich man gave a heavy sigh.  “Is there anything you need which I have not provided? The clothes on your back, the home you live in, the work you do, the money you spend and even your own life is due to the love I have shown you.  Is there anything you have which is not from me?

“I only expect you to love me and others you meet in return.  There is nothing else you can give me because all you have is mine.  You can not buy my love.  To bargain with me is to say that my love is only worth this much.  Is my love for you only worth a few dollars or a few hours of work?”

How much is God’s love worth to you?  What are you offering Him so that He will show His love to you?

Photo Credit: Comfortable by juicyrai

Who Uses the Power of God in their Life?

Who is utilizing the power of God within them?  Everyone? All Christians? Watch this video.

20 Videos of Worship to God

This is a collection of 20 videos of praise to God which I have found full of heart changing truth about my lord.  If you have a video you think should be among these, please comment and tell me. 

 

Who am I? The Answer is Within Your Heart.

Who am I?  Who made me what I am?  Who or what determines my true identity?  That’s type of question young people asked back in the 60s and 70s and many still ask today. Its the kind of questions I was asking myself back then without really putting it in words.  Who am I?

Who we are determines what our actions will be, and not the other way around.  Many believe that when you do something bad, you are then bad and are identified as a bad person.  The truth is, we are who we are before we commit any actions.  Our actions come from the heart of our beings.  What people see on the outside is only the results of who we are on the inside.  “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:…” Prov 23:7a

You will find the true soul of who a person within their heart.  Man’s heart is not filled with the goodness and love we would hope to see.  Mark 7:21 says “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,” and in Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

Any sin you commit in your life was first a seed in your heart which grew until it came to fruition by your committing the sin physically. The problem is not in the sin being performed, but in the your heart holding that sin within your soul.  You are a murderer because in your heart you hate someone. You hate them and want revenge.  You want them to hurt as much as they hurt you.  In fact you want them to hurt even more because they deserve it.  You get angry whenever you think of them.  If they hurt you again, your anger builds and you strike.  Your heart is so full of hate that it takes over and you actually kill them.  You didn’t plan to but it happens because your heart overflowed with hatred.

You are who you are and nothing can change that.  You can not become a good person any more then a cat can become a dog.  Your nature is a sinful nature which resides deep in your soul.  There is only one solution to this problem of a wicked heart .  The only answer is for you to die.

You must place your wicked heart upon an alter of sacrifice.  You must die to self and let God birth a new life within you.   God can give you a new nature which desires to follow Him and do what is right and good.  God bestows you with a new identity.  You are no longer the old nature you once where but are a new creation.   2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

The battle for your soul begins in your heart.  Give your heart to Jesus today and change who you are for all of eternity.  Check out this page to find out how to accept Jesus into your life.

Photo Credit: I am who I am because of everyone ... by CharlieCe

The Most Important Part of the Bible

I was asked by a friend on Facebook, “David, what part of the Bible you think is the most important? I heard a very interesting reply from clergymen on this subject. I'm interested what your opinion is.”

That is a very interesting question.  Immediately, verses and subjects popped into my head, but I somehow knew they were all wrong.  I stopped and listened to that still small voice and  I think God answered.

The most important part of the Bible is that which you need for your life right then.

For someone who has lost a loved one and is in great emotional pain, they need to know the comfort of God.  When you do not know Jesus as your personal savior, you need to know that salvation comes only through trust in Jesus’ sacrifice for your sin.  When your lonely and feel like the world is against you, you need to know that Jesus loves you and will never leave you.

We are all in different stages of our lives physically, emotionally and spiritually.  What you need to  hear from God is not necessarily what I need to hear.  Where God would take you in the Bible is not going to be the same  place God takes me.

Pray to the lord and tell Him where your heart is.  Allow Him to lead you in your Bible reading and pray for His wisdom to understand it.  Then quiet your heart to listen to that still small voice of God as He teaches you the most important truth you need in your life.

Photo Credit: Bible Study 2 by George Bannister

Love vs. Hate and Love vs. Selfishness.

The opposite of emotional love is hatred.  Love is a feeling of euphoria, attracting you to someone, while hatred is a feeling of disgust and loathing towards someone.

The opposite of God’s love, which we are called upon to embrace in our lives, is selfishness.  God’s love can manifest an emotional sense of love, but never confuse the emotion for the true substance of love.  God’s love does not depend upon emotions.  It depends upon our willingness to give ourselves to God and place His will above our own.  It is sacrifice.

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." 1 John 3:16

Everyday God calls upon His followers to lay down their lives.  Everyday you are called to a sacrificial life for the sake of others.  This is love.  Love is sacrifice of self.  Love is placing others interest above your own. It means being a servant to all.

It doesn’t matter how you feel about someone.  You could hate that person emotionally and yet love them with the Love of God.  You need to sacrifice your hatred on the alter of God and love them for the sake of their eternal soul.  That is not easy, but it is what God calls us to do.

Is there someone in your life you hate?  Someone you would love to see in some sort of pain?  Whatever they have done to you, God calls you to love them.  He does not call upon you to stop feeling emotionally negative towards that person, but you are called upon to love them.  Put them first before your own desires. 

Loving someone does not mean you let them hurt you again.  Loving another person does not mean demeaning yourself or exposing yourself to that person’s negativity towards you.  Perhaps, you can not be around them without enduring some type of harm.  In that case you do what you can.  Pray for them.  Pray for God to bless them and take care of them.  Do whatever you can to be a positive force in their life.  That is the love God calls you to.

Photo Credit: PRAYERS & PROMISES FOR EVERY DAY - Corrie ten Boom by Corrie ten Boom

John 3:16 “…that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

“Whosoever” does not exclude anyone. Let me make this perfectly clear.  This means you, as you are, warts and all.

“Believeth” Does not mean head knowledge.  You can know a chair will hold you up but to sit in that chair is true belief that it will.  Knowing God exist is one thing but believing in God means trusting Him with the full weight of your life and soul.

“Not perish”  Yes there is a Hell.  It is a real place where people who do not know Jesus Christ as their savior will go.  Why send them to a place of torment?  Actually God sends them where they have choose to go.  People choose to trust God in their lives or trust themselves.  Those who choose to go without God will be sent to Hell where God does not exist.  Being without God will be true torment and pain.

“Everlasting life” Those who trust God for their salvation will live forever with Him in paradise.  The greatest part of this is not the streets of gold or mansions.  It will be the opportunity to get to know God face to face.  The greatest being in all the universe was willing to die so that you and Him could be friends and have the universe for a playground together.

Other post on John 3:16:
For God
so loved
the world
that he gave his only begotten son
that whosoever believeth in him should not parish, but have everlasting life.

Photo Credit: Pearly Gates by Andy Hares

Discerning the Movements of the Spirit

How do you know if something is from God?  Read this excellent post from Travis Kolder.  He is a man of Godly wisdom.  Click on the link below.

Discerning the Movements of the Spirit

John 3:16 “…that he gave his only begotten son,…”

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Before we look at the word “gave” lets look at what God gave to the world. God gave what was “his”, so it belonged to Him. God can create anything and as many as He wants too. For God to give something to the world is no great sacrifice, except in this case where the gives His “only” begotten son. There is no other son like this one. He is unique and irreplaceable. This is a true sacrifice on God’s part.

This son is the only “begotten” son. That means God and the son are related by nature and not by adoption. It does not mean that God created the son, since both live in the realm of eternity. Neither of them have a beginning. This is simply talking about a relationship between the two.

The “son” is under the father’s authority by choice. The son placed himself under the authority of the father. They have the same nature of love and trust, and out of that love and trust the son placed himself under the father. The son is the perfect son of God and there is no one like him in all the universe. He is obedient to the father out of choice.

Now lets go back to the word “gave”. The only way for the world to receive the gift of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was for God to give him to us. How can we ever pay for having Jesus? Is he worth all that we own? Sorry but we don’t own enough to purchase him even if we owned the whole world. Can we work hard and do enough good deeds? Your works are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). We could work ourselves to death doing good deeds and never do enough.

To sell the son would be to say his worth is only so much. It would be insulting to put a price tag on the life of God’s only begotten son. If God wanted to save the world He had to give the greatest gift that He possibly could give. Out of His love for the world, God sacrificed what only He could give. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.

Other post on John 3:16:
For God
so loved
the world
that he gave his only begotten son
that whosoever believeth in him should not parish, but have everlasting life.

Photo Credit: Jesus on the Cross by fa73

John 3:16 “...the World...”

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

I am sure you noticed that this verse does not say “For God so loved ‘most of’ the world”.  God means what He says and we need to believe Him.  It is amazing how so many people think that there is an exception to the word “world”

God loves every race of humans.  If we discriminate against someone based on race or color then we are discriminating against someone God created and loves.  God did not make a mistake when He made someone a different color then we are.

God loves rich and poor.  When we lift someone up because they are rich, or promote someone over another because they are poor, we are saying God was wrong to give that person the station in life that they hold.

God loves you.  He knows all the wrong you have done.  God saw every evil thing you ever did and yet He loves you and accepts you.  There are no strings attached to God’s love.  He does not require you to change before accepting His love.  He only requires you to accept it and believe it. He wants to hold you even if you’re all muddy and dirty with sin.

Read this verse again but this time put your name in place of ‘world’. For God so loved you, even when you were in the deepest, darkest, most despicable pit of sin.  God’s love is greater then your sin.  God’s love is for you.  He is ready to embrace you as soon as you come to Him

Other post on John 3:16:
For God
so loved
the world
that he gave his only begotten son
that whosoever believeth in him should not parish, but have everlasting life.
.

Photo Credit: Vortex new year 2000 party by mallix