October 2018 – CHOOSE YOUR ETERNITY

How GREAT is Our God

(originally posted 10.02.2011)

If you need encouragement today, this one’s for you.

I was updating my prayer list the other day, and I realized that I know so many people right now who are struggling big-time in one way or another – some, in many ways all at once. Whether its health issues, financial stress, job loss and/or bankruptcy – sometimes, such trials can cause us to question whether God hears us when we pray, or whether he even exists at all.

It reminds me of several times in my life when I’ve had the rug pulled out from underneath me, and I was forced to turn to God because I had nowhere else to go in dealing with my distress (in actuality, it should have been the first place that I turned). Looking back on those times now, I realize that they were some of the best times in my life because my relationship with God reached a much deeper level when I was forced to rely on him, and not so much on myself and my capabilities. It was during these times that I developed greater character, and a much greater faith in God and His abilities. If we approach them correctly, the trials of life can be a breeding ground for spiritual growth, and yes, even emotional and spiritual peace.

Acts 16:16-34 tells us the story of Paul and Silas in prison. They got into trouble when they performed a miracle by calling out the spirit of divination from a woman. Can you believe that? It turns out this woman was a slave, and her owners were using her for making money and telling other people’s fortunes. (Side note: The owners of this woman were Romans, and they knew she was possessed by an evil spirit which allowed her to foresee the future, and they purposely left her in that condition to manipulate and use her for their own benefit. Talk about evil – sheesh!). Anyway, when the owners of this slave girl realized their revenue stream was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities. A crowd had gathered, and they joined in on the attack on Paul and Silas. The magistrates ordered Paul and Silas be stripped and beaten with rods; then they were thrown into prison and shackled. However, about midnight, they were heard praying and singing hymns to God. Then there was a violent earthquake and all at once all the prison doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailor woke up, and when he saw what had happened, he was going to kill himself because they had all been freed while on his watch and he would have been severely punished. But Paul stopped him, telling him that all the prisoners were still there. To make a long story short, the jailor had a change of heart and he, and his family, were saved because they believed on the Lord Jesus. It’s a great ending, but the point I wanted to make was, it was when they were praying and worshipping God that the miracle took place and they were freed.

Through praise, we are elevated into God’s presence and power. It changes our perception of our situation, and by doing so, looses the power of God to move on our behalf in ways we often don’t expect. Praise is the secret to lifting your heart above your troubles. It reminds us of how truly small and insignificant our problems really are in the larger scheme of things, and how very, very big God really is. I mean, He is the Creator of the whole universe, right?

I like the way Dr. Dale A. Robbins explains it on his website (The Power of Praise & Worship). God inhabits the praises of his people (Psalm 22:3). In other words, God is the praise of Israel – it’s one of the quickest vehicles to get into His presence. As explained by Dr. Robbins, “praise is not merely a reaction from coming into His presence – praise is a vehicle of faith which brings us into the presence and power of God!”

Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter His gates with praise, His courts with acclamation. Praise Him! For the Lord is good; His steadfast love is eternal; His faithfulness is for all generations.”

Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” This is often made evident during praise and worship at church when a body of believers come together in worship to God and you begin to see/feel the presence of God moving in their midst. I tell you the same is true when it’s just you and the Holy Spirit who dwells within you (if you are saved = you have asked God to forgive you and come into your heart to be your Lord and Savior). You + Holy Spirit = two people. When you are feeling overwhelmed with your circumstances, take some time to purposely enter into the presence of God through praise, with thanksgiving for all he’s done on your behalf, and then lay those burdens at his feet. Even when you don’t feel like it.

Dr. Robbins explains it best: Praise “is an expression of humbling ourselves and centering our attention upon the Lord with heart-felt expressions of love, adoration and thanksgiving. High praises bring our spirit into a pinnacle of fellowship and intimacy between ourselves and God — it magnifies our awareness of our spiritual union with the most high God. Praise transports us into the realm of the supernatural and into the power of God. “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.” Psalm 89:15

All that being said, I wanted to share one of my favorite artists and songs with you in the hopes of encouraging you today – whatever you’re facing. The artist is Chris Tomlin, and the song is How Great is Our God. When I am truly seeking to be in God’s presence, this song never fails in transporting me there because it gets my attention off myself and everything I’m struggling with, and reminds me of who God is, and how very great and awesome He is. It is my prayer that as you close your eyes and listen with your heart, that you will feel and experience the very presence of God and how very much He loves you (How Great is Our God – Chris Tomlin).

Until next time – be blessed!

Some Thoughts on Eternity (from a NY Perspective)

(originally published 09/27/2011)

I had the opportunity to be in New York City on business the week of Sept. 11 – and it was the 10-year anniversary this year of that fateful day when Islamic terrorists struck the Twin Towers and killed 2,983 people. Since 2008 I’ve found myself in New York at least 3 times a year, so I’ve been eagerly watching the re-construction as it progressed. In fact, I had been making plans to stop by the 9/11 Memorial once my plane landed since they would finally be opening it up to the public. To make things even better, my hotel was right across the street from the Memorial itself, so I wouldn’t even have to re-arrange my schedule or catch a cab to make the fateful trip.

You can imagine my disappointment when, the day before my flight, I heard that you needed to apply for a (free) visitor’s pass before you could even get in through security. Oh and by the way, they were booked into mid-October. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed. But being the strong-willed, independent person that I am, I thought I’d just check out the website anyway and see what information I could glean from it.

To make a long story short, I believe that God miraculously provided a single opening for me at just the right time in my schedule to allow me to go. How else could you explain it – they were completely booked that whole week. To say the least, the experience surprised me more than I thought it would.

Although I didn’t know anyone personally who died that day, as I wandered around the two memorial pools reading all the names, I found myself getting overwhelmed with the numbers. It’s one thing to see “2,983″ in print knowing that a lot of people died. It’s quite another to wander the memorial and read all those names, realizing that all these people were important to someone else who was left behind and forced to suffer their loss. They were mothers, fathers, wives, husbands, children, grandparents, brothers, sisters, friends, etc., etc., etc. Some were even pregnant mothers whose unborn children perished with them that day. The sudden realization on the loss of life, and loss of potential, from such a heinous act was almost too much to bear.

I found I had to sit down for a while to absorb this understanding, and I spent some time just watching other people who were there. It was pretty easy to spot those who were directly affected. There was the airline pilot, in uniform, somberly taking pictures of the section of the memorial with names from United Airlines Flight 93. There was the man in a business suit, who just kept laying over on a portion of the memorial weeping silently – I can only assume it was perhaps his wife, or someone else who was terribly important to him. My heart truly went out to these people.

I found myself asking God, “Why me? Why did you allow me the opportunity to come here today to experience this?” I felt him saying, “Because it was important to you. And, because each one of these people was very important to me. I loved them all with an everlasting love, but many of them didn’t know me. And now it’s too late; and this breaks my heart.” And that was the crux of it. No one is promised a tomorrow. God yearns that his creation, that’s you and me, would turn to him and acknowledge his love through Christ’s crucifixion and accept him as our Savior, before we run out of time and it’s too late. I’m sorry to break it to you, but the concept of purgatory does not exist in the Bible.

In the Book of John, chapters 13 and 14, Jesus is telling his disciples about his soon-to-come betrayal, and the fact that he’ll only be with them a little longer. The disciples are upset and ask him where he’s going, and why they can’t follow him. Jesus comforts his disciples by saying, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. My Father’s house has plenty of room; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:1-4

Then Thomas pipes up and says, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:6-7

So we find out that in order to get to the Father (aka heaven), we don’t need to whip out a map to know where we’re going. We only have to “know” Jesus and accept him for who he is. But we need to establish this relationship while we’re alive on earth, before we run out of time. The alternative is to wind up in Hades (Hell) with no means of escape.

Luke 16:19-31 tells us the story of a rich man, and Lazarus (a beggar covered with sores). Each day the beggar would lay by the rich man’s gate, longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side [this was the concept of heaven prior to Jesus’ death]. The rich man also died and was buried, but he found himself in Hades [Hell] where he was in torment. He looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side [so he could see from Hell into “heaven” and could witness the comfort that Lazarus was receiving – someone whom he had thought was unworthy and wasn’t worth a second glance while he was alive. That’s some form of torture in and of itself, regardless of the constant physical agony.]. So the rich man calls out to Father Abraham asking for pity and to send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water so that the rich man might cool his tongue because he was in agony in the fire. But Abraham tells him he cannot for there is a great chasm that has been set in place, so that those who want to go from heaven to Hell to comfort others cannot, nor can anyone cross over from Hell to heaven.

Where would you go if you were to die suddenly today, or if Jesus were to come again as he said he would? Something to think upon and be honest about (with yourself, and with God).

NOTE: The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hoshanna) begins at sundown on September 28th this year (at the time of this posting, that would be tomorrow). I, for one, believe that the Church will be “gathered up” to meet the Lord in the air sometime during the Feast of Trumpets – maybe not this year, but some year. It is consistent with his fulfilling of the 4 Spring Feasts of the Lord through his first coming to Earth. And if we know anything about God, it’s that he’s consistent and unchanging (the same yesterday, today and forever). I pray you are ready to meet him when he comes. If you feel you are not, and yet you want to be, please repeat this prayer:

Heavenly Father, I know that I have sinned against you and that my sins separate me from you. I am truly sorry. I now want to turn away from my sinful past and turn to you for forgiveness. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died for my sins, that He was raised from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become my Savior and the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You and to convict me when I sin. I pledge to grow in grace and knowledge of you. My greatest purpose in life is to follow your example and do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

If you have just prayed that prayer, then I rejoice with you, as do the angels in heaven! Please tell someone about it and get plugged into a Bible-believing church so you can “grow in the grace and knowledge” of God.

Until next time – be blessed!

God Forgives, and God Forgets

If you’ve never truly had an encounter with God, His forgiveness can be extremely difficult to comprehend. In Ephesians 3:16-19, Paul says, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

So then, how do I adequately describe an encounter with God such as this? I’ve primarily experienced it during worship, when my mind is focused on Him, how wonderful and loving He is and how much He loves me and how intimately He knows me, and then He touches my heart and I just melt, poured out before Him and crying; I realize how truly undeserving I am of his love and mercy and I freely acknowledge all the mistakes I’ve made that would separate me from Him. Then, when I am broken open and vulnerable, His unconditional love and mercy comes rushing in to fill me to overflowing, and I feel a level of love, peace, compassion and acceptance I cannot possibly find anywhere else on earth with anyone else. No condemnation, only love, forgiveness and acceptance.

A couple of weeks ago at church, we were singing one of my newer favorite worship songs, How Beautiful, and I was having another encounter with God as I describe above. I’ve been praying for a while now that God would help me learn how to forgive myself. You see, I’m still carrying the weight of a grievous sin I committed about 30 years ago before I knew God, and in my mind and heart I know that He has forgiven me, but subconsciously I still find it difficult to forgive myself. And it was during this intimate experience with God that I heard him speak into my mind and heart:

Is not my sacrifice enough? Is not my blood, spilled out for you, enough?

Well, that just broke my heart wide open because I never thought of it that way before. By not forgiving myself, when God already had, I was essentially saying that I didn’t think his sacrifice was enough to cover my sin and that the blood he spilled on my behalf was somehow insufficient! “Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar.” Romans 3:4.

Friends, let me be an encouragement to you today. There is no sin so great that God cannot forgive! Read Psalm 103 – it tells us the benefits of loving and knowing God:

The Lord forgives all your sin (just some of them? No, ALL of them.)
He heals all your diseases (just some of them? No, ALL of them.)
He redeems your life from the pit
He crowns you with love and compassion
He satisfies your desires with GOOD things
He works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed
The Lord made his ways and his deeds known to mankind, and this is passed down to use in the Bible
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in love
He does not treat us as our sins deserve
He does not repay us according to our iniquities (sins)
As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear (worship) him
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions (sins) from us
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion (to show mercy, to love) on those who fear (worship) him
From everlasting to everlasting (throughout eternity) the Lord’s love is with those who fear (worship) him, and his righteousness with their children’s children (grandchildren), with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts

The Bible even tells us in Isaiah 43:25 that God “blots out” our transgressions and remembers them no more. Talk about a ‘do-over’!

And in Hebrews 10, it is explained how ritual sacrifices and blood offerings are no longer required to atone for sin – that we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all. In fact, in Hebrews 10:17 the Holy Spirit testifies to us about this:

“Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”

Friends, I encourage you to take action and choose your eternity today. Take your hurts and your sins to God and ask for his help – do not wait another moment! There is healing and forgiveness with God, and grace, mercy, compassion, peace and eternal life to boot!

Until next time, be blessed!