Knowing God – CHOOSE YOUR ETERNITY

Do You Have God’s Protection and Provision?

“Because they love me.” says the Lord, “I will rescue them; I will protect them, for they acknowledge my name.”

Most people have heard of, and acknowledge, the unconditional love of God. For those of us who believe that God exists, we know that God created mankind for fellowship with him, that we are created in God’s image (on multiple levels), and that he loves everyone and desires that none would perish in hell, but that everyone would come to repentance (see 2 Peter 3:9).

So, we have heard that God is love, that God loves everyone and we take comfort in that – but here’s where most people stop in their scriptural pursuit of understanding. They believe that, if God loves them, and they are going through a difficult time, they can pray to God and then one of two things happens: 1) God intervenes and solves their problem and they go on their merry way, or 2) God doesn’t intervene with their problem, God is blamed for this, and those people then move further and further away from God into resentment against God. Does this sound familiar?

I’m here to tell you that God DOES INDEED LOVE EVERYONE, and his love is truly UNCONDITIONAL in that it doesn’t matter what you’ve done in the past – even murder – He still loves you and wants you to have eternal life after death. He loves you so much he sent his only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to come to earth in the flesh and to die for you as a sacrificial lamb so that YOU can be reconciled to God and have eternal life (rather than eternity in hell).

But it may surprise you to learn that God’s protection and provision appear to be CONDITIONAL – they require an on-going relationship with God. Note all the conditional statements in the scripture that follows:

Psalm 91 Text	My Comments
¹Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.	How do we “dwell in the shelter of the Most High”? How do you dwell in your home? You live there daily (spend lots of time there), you find rest there, you go from that place out into the world. If we live our lives from the standpoint that God’s shelter (his word, his presence) is our safe home base, he promises that we will find rest there. You make a willing choice to continue to dwell in your home and to go back there every day – make a willful choice to continually dwell with God.
²They say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust. ³ Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. ⁴ He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.	If we acknowledge that God is our refuge, that we trust in him, we are promised that: he will save us from those who want to entrap us, we will save us from deadly pestilence, he will hide us from our enemies. His faithfulness will be our protection (and it is unending).
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, ⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.	If we place our trust in him, and we acknowledge that he is sovereign over everything (verse 2) – including over our fears, then we will have his peace and our fears will become less.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. ⁸ You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.	If we acknowledge that God is our refuge, that we trust in him (verse 2), God promises that we will not be punished like the wicked – it will not come near us. Note that the wicked – those who are disobedient to God – will be punished (more on that in another post).
⁹ If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, ¹⁰ no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. ¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; ¹² they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.	If we acknowledge him and his authority in our lives, and if we continually make our dwelling place in him, he promises us that no harm will overtake us – note he doesn’t say that harm will never come to us, but that it won’t overtake us (it won’t be more than we can bear, with his help, because he is our shelter) – and he promises to send his angels to guard us in all that we do.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.	If we acknowledge him and his authority in our lives, and if we continually make our dwelling place in him (verse 9), he promises us the upper hand in dealing with Satan and his influence in our lives.
¹⁴ Because they love me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue them; I will protect them, for they acknowledge my name. ¹⁵ They will call on me, and I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will deliver them and honor them. ¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy them and show them my salvation.	If we acknowledge him and his authority in our lives with love in our hearts, he promises us: that he will rescue us, that he will protect us, that he will answer our prayers, that he will be with us in trouble, that he will deliver us and honor us, that he will bless us with a long life and show us his salvation (grace).

But, what if . . . .

But, what if we don’t acknowledge him, and if we don’t dwell/live with him – then we have no relationship with him and we are not assured of his protection and provision. Would a loving father bless and provide for a stranger over his own children? I think not. And so it is with God and his children.

John 1:11-13 says it this way, “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

We are not all “children of God” simply because we exist as human beings. Yes, he loves us all as his creation, but God defines “children of God” as only those who receive his son, Jesus, and who believe in his name (believe that he IS the son of God and has the authority to redeem you from your sins). It is a free gift that is offered, but you must accept it and believe – THEN you are part of God’s family and can claim certain rights as a result of that familial relationship.

Psalm 91 holds great promises we can cling to if we are in proper relationship with God, but those promises are conditional upon your relationship with him. If you have not yet made the decision to accept Jesus into your heart and life, I would encourage you to do that today while you still have the chance. For further information, please check out the page on my website for the Prayer of Repetance.

Until next time, be blessed!

No One is Promised a Tomorrow – Or Are They?

In May of this year our family suffered a terrible tragedy. My young nephew, all of 21-years-old, was involved in a motorcycle accident. To the best of our understanding, there were no other vehicles involved and he was only going about 35 miles an hour. But he hit the curb of a median and rolled the bike several times. He was not wearing a helmet. To our heartbreak, he did not survive his injuries.

In situations like this, we’re often left asking, “Why, God? Why would you take the life of a young man with his whole life ahead of him? He had barely even begun to live.”

But it is my belief that God did not take my nephew. I have read the Bible and been a Believer for many years, and because I, personally, have been touched by God, spent time with God, and have worked along side God in serving others, I’ve seen what He has done in the lives of those who seek after Him. I’ve caught just a glimpse of His character, and He is loving, ever patient, kind and faithful. He is not deaf, spiteful or indifferent. But He is a gentleman; and He will not force Himself on you. If you seek Him, you will find Him. But the reverse is also true – if you do NOT seek Him, you may not find Him – and THAT is a tragedy.

But you see, we live in a broken and sinful world, and tragedy happens to innocent people every day. And unfortunately, death is a part of our experience in this life. I do not believe that God had plans to cut my nephew’s life short, or to deprive his family of his love and attention. That is just not God’s character. There are natural consequences to our actions. People get sick. Accidents DO happen. And mankind has an enemy that hates God SO much, he seeks to destroy God’s cherished creation (in mankind) by releasing death on the world while whispering lies in our ears and to our hearts that it’s all God’s fault, or we deserved it.

It is my hope and prayer that when tragedy touches your life you would take some time to draw near to God and release that pain to Him. He knows you intimately and wants to be in close relationship with you. God cares about you and wants to take care of you and to provide for your needs. He wants what’s best for you and those you care about. But if tragedy were to happen to you today and you were to die, do you know where would you spend eternity? It brings me peace of mind to know without a shadow of a doubt that we have the promise and assurance of eternal life after death IF we are in relationship with God when we die.

John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”

And John 14:6, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'”

And finally, Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”

There are many more scriptures I could quote, but I’m wondering if you are beginning to see a pattern. Notice it doesn’t say that you will have eternal life IF you pray all the time, or go to church regularly, or do more good things than bad things. The Bible teaches us that the only things necessary to have eternal life with God after death are the following:

A – to Admit that you are a sinner and are in need of God’s salvation;

B – to Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is who he says he is (the Son of God), that he was sacrificed on your behalf to atone for your sins and reconcile you to God, that he was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead; and finally

C – to Call on the name of the Lord to be saved, or Confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. This means trusting with all your heart that the gift of eternal life that Jesus provides is yours for the taking, and not based on any works you might do to attempt to earn eternal life. It is a (free) gift to you – Jesus already paid the price for you.

That’s it. It’s really very simple. If you have not yet taken the opportunity to accept Jesus into your life and heart, I would encourage you to do that today, before it’s too late. Because accidents DO happen, and no one is promised a tomorrow. But I can assure you that if you accept this gift that Jesus wants to give you, you will have the promise of eternal life with God when all is said and done, and that makes this life here on Earth a little easier to bear, and even blunts the fear of death in many ways.

Until next time – be blessed, and be saved!

A Prophet Without Honor

Have you ever wondered about the story in Mark 6:1-5, where Jesus goes back to his hometown, but is unable to effectively minister there?

The Bible tells us that, as Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, many were amazed at his wisdom and the remarkable miracles he performed, yet they took offense at him. Why? Verse 3 gives us some insight: They were remembering their familiarity with him, how they knew his family and knew him when he was young.

So, what was the outcome of this?

Jesus said to them, “Only in their hometowns, among their relatives and in their own homes are prophets without honor.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. Mark 6: 4-5

So what do we take away from this story? If someone you know personally is trying to minister to you and share something that God wants to say or do, don’t let your familiarity and/or preconceived notions about them hinder what God can do through them, or you will miss out on his blessings.

Jesus tells us elsewhere in scripture that it is our faith (in God and what he can do) that allows God to move in our lives, even faith as tiny as a mustard seed. Your blessings and miracles are not based on the perfection of the one being used by God to minister to you; they are based on the perfection, mercy and grace of the Creator of the Universe, and no other. And while we are ALL sinners and in need of a savior, God still uses ordinary (fallen) people to minister to others.

It’s a bit difficult to see this truth in this story because we know that Jesus WAS perfect (sinless), and he WAS God incarnate in the flesh. But the perception of his friends and relatives wasn’t focused on his identity in that regard. They saw him as an ordinary person, potentially remembering his mistakes of youth and the fact that he was a tradesman, a carpenter’s son (not someone groomed and instructed by the religious leaders of their day), so they labeled him in their minds-eye as incapable of being used by God to correctly interpret scripture and perform miracles. And because their focus was on the vessel that God was using rather than God himself, it hindered their faith and what Jesus could do in their presence.

May we strive to seek our heavenly Father in whatever methods of delivery he wants to use in order to reach us. As long as what is being taught or exhibited is not in violation of scripture, then we should attempt to remain open to it to see what God will do.

Until next time, be blessed!

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!

Disappointment in Organized Religion

(originally published 09/11/2011)

I was reminded yet again yesterday one of the reasons why I started this blog – and that would be to educate the believer and unbeliever alike about the truthfulness of God’s Word, and the never-ending patience of God in drawing all men unto Himself. Allow me to explain . . .

I was attending the funeral of a friend’s mother, who happened to be Catholic. So I was attending a funeral Mass in her memory, and trying to be supportive for my obviously distraught friend. And while I’m there I hear repeatedly during the service that Jesus is the Christ and is the only way to heaven (which I agree with, of course). But I also hear prayers to the “Holy Mother” and St. Bernadette, asking that they watch over and pray for the deceased (which I don’t agree with). The Bible says that Christ is our intercessor, and apart from God the Father, Jesus the Son, or the Holy Spirit, I pray to none other. I see the priests going through much fanfare in their man-made formalities with incense and holy relics. And then, upon preparing Communion, the priest invites those attending to receive, but only if you are Catholic.

Let me start by saying that I have several close friends who are Catholic, as well as several work friends who are Catholic. I also have several friends who are no longer practicing Catholics, but have chosen instead a more non-denominational approach in their relationship with God. I also know Catholics who no longer have a relationship with God. Truly, I mean no offense to my Catholic friends, but I have to say that, as a practicing non-Catholic Christian, I was truly offended yesterday by the Catholic Church. Please know that I have made every attempt to communicate this experience without malice or anger, but instead, strive to “speak the truth in love” as commanded in Ephesians 4:1-6:

“ . . . I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” Ephesians 4:14-15

It is my sincere prayer that the Catholic Church refrain from its arrogance and realize that you don’t have to be Catholic to go to heaven, and you don’t have to be Catholic to receive Communion. You do have to be a believer in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Redeemer of mankind, and the Lover of our Souls. Stop making it more difficult than it needs to be.

It grieves me, and I’m sure the Holy Spirit as well, that organized religion would forbid any true believer to receive Communion in remembrance of Christ. It was Christ himself that instituted the act of Communion, not the Catholic Church. And by the way, it was conducted amongst Jesus and his Jewish disciples at (what many Biblical scholars believe) the Seder meal during the Jewish feast of Passover – the Catholic Church was nowhere to be found at that point in history. And I’m not even going to address here the Catholic arguments about transubstantiation. Suffice it so say, while I’m well aware that many find comfort in the traditions of organized religion, we must all be continuously on guard that we remain true to the Word of God and what it teaches us about how we are to live as believers in Christ Jesus, and not what some organized religion teaches us from the pulpit. As I’ve encouraged you before, read your own Bible, pray about what you learn and seek God’s wisdom in everything. Talk about your questions and concerns with someone you trust in your faith to be honest with you. God promises us that if we seek His wisdom in this manner, He will answer us.

“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding – indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs 2:1-5

Have you done any “treasure hunting” today? Until next time, be blessed!

You Can Be Certain Christ Will Come Again

(originally published 08/31/2011)

Most people know of Christ’s first coming to Earth through the traditional Christmas story – the virgin giving birth to a child in a stable because there was no room in the inn, laying him in a manger, the angelic visitation to the shepherds, the star in the sky leading the magi to visit from afar bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, myrrh, etc. But did you also know that the Bible assures us He will come to Earth a second time?

A recent Gallup poll reveals that 66% of Americans believe that Jesus Christ is coming back to Earth in the future. That is at least 25% more Americans than those who claim to be born-again Christians. So it is not only Christians who necessarily believe it. A lot of people are beginning to sit up and take notice, and they believe Christ is coming back again.

But aside from personal opinion, Tim LaHaye points out that the second coming of Christ is mentioned eight times more frequently in the Old and New Testaments than His first coming was. This leads us to believe that “Christ’s second coming is evidently the second-most-important doctrine in the entire New Testament, for the only subject mentioned more frequently is that of salvation!” Tim LaHaye, Understanding Bible Prophecy For Yourself. I would venture to say that the two doctrines are inter-related, since Christ tells us in John 14:1-7:

“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.” Thomas said to him, “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.”

The underlines in the above passage are my own emphasis, pointing out that Jesus himself has promised us that He will return again to take us to be with Him in heaven (i.e., his Father’s house). He didn’t say if he should come back, He said, “I will come back.” So the key to making it to Heaven is knowing Jesus – really knowing Him – having a personal relationship with Him, not just head-knowledge about Him. In fact, Matthew 7:21-23 tells us:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”

So we see that our salvation is not based on our works (what things we may do in the name of God), but on a personal relationship with Christ. The people mentioned in this scripture knew about Jesus, and evidently knew the power in his name, but they did not know him – and he did not know them. It’s not a head issue (knowledge about God), it’s a heart issue (have you surrendered your pride and your heart to him).

This is where your choice in the matter comes into play. Many people have asked, “How can a loving, forgiving God send people to Hell?” The point is, He doesn’t! THEY CHOOSE to go themselves by denying His Son, Jesus, as their Savior. God has given us a tremendous gift in the exercise of our free will. He doesn’t desire mindless robots or slaves to worship and fellowship with Him. He desires that we choose to love him. Anyone who is married, or has children, will tell you that love, true love, is a constant choice that we must make. Emotions are fickle; they wax and wane by the day, and the people we care about will say and do things that hurt us deeply. They will repeatedly fail to meet our expectations and will let us down. But if we truly love them, we choose to overlook their faults and forgive them, and make the choice to love them anyway. This is what God does for us, repeatedly. We don’t deserve His love. We are sinful by nature, and deserve nothing but His wrath and damnation – but for Jesus.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”John 3:16-18

So the outcome comes down to what you choose to believe. It is my sincere prayer that you would choose today to believe in Jesus and the salvation He offers you through His death on the cross. The choice is yours on where you will spend eternity – God has already made a way for you, but you must choose to accept it – so choose wisely while you can.

Next time, we’ll look at numerous scriptures that describe the second coming of Christ so we can know what to look for – very exciting! Until then, be blessed!

You Are No Victim

I want to encourage you today and speak God’s truth over you and over your life:

I am No Victim (Bethel Music)

You are no victim.

You are covered by the greatest force of LOVE in the whole universe!

You are covered in your Savior’s blood (if you’re a Believer in Jesus).

You are no orphan. You’re not a poor man (woman).

The Kingdom of God is now your own and you have a home with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

He is not JUST reviving and restoring you – greater things have yet to come (in your life)!

God is your Father – and you are His child!

You were bought with a price (the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross, for you)! He died in your place so that you can have eternal LIFE!

You don’t have to wonder if His plans for you are good, or if He’ll come through for you like He should! He will never leave you or forsake you! If you are a Believer, then He abides within you and you take Him with you everywhere you go.

He is your provision, and gives you enough wisdom, to usher in your brightest days, to turn your mourning into praise.

You ARE who He says you are!

He IS who He says He is!

You are defined by ALL His promises and shaped by EVERY word He says, NOT by the mistakes you’ve made in the past!

Amen!

Until next time, be blessed!

It’s All About Communication

(originally published August 19, 2011)

I’m sure you’ve heard it said that communication is a 2-way street. And if you’ve been around on this planet long enough, I’m sure you’ve figured out that’s true. In order to communicate with others effectively, you have to be able to listen, as well as to talk to them. Let’s take it a step further. In order to develop a relationship with someone (i.e., a friendship), you need to spend time with that person, communicating with them on that 2-way street. This is how we come to recognize a friend or loved-one’s voice, by frequently communicating with them.

But did you know these principles also apply with God? People have asked me, “But how can I know that it’s God talking to me, and not my own thoughts?” My answer: By spending time with God and frequently communicating with Him. How do we get to know Him (i.e., His character, what He’s like, what’s important to Him, what He expects of us)? By reading the Bible, which is His Word. How do we come to recognize His voice? By spending time with Him in prayer (i.e., communication). This would include talking to Him, just like you would talk to your best friend, but it also includes spending some time listening. Often times, He will speak to my heart when I’m reading a particular scripture. Or, when I’m speaking with others, and they might say something that immediately speaks to my heart. I can’t explain it other than to say that when this happens to me, I just know-that-I-know-that-I-know that it’s God’s voice, and not my own thoughts – because I’ve spent time with Him. You can also test what He says by the Bible. He will never say anything to you that violates His character or the principles found in scripture.

I hope that makes it a little bit easier to understand, and I hope you take some time today to spend with God and get to know Him better. Believe me when I say He will not let you down. He’s just been waiting for you to give Him your undivided attention.

Until next time, be blessed!