Speaking Up for Faith in God

Read It

2009-06-26T17:17:00.007-05:00

I remember growing up how I hated to read anything but fiction. Science books? Ugh! American History? Blah. Getting me to read anything that didn't grip my mind was met with much angst as a child, even as a young teenager. However, action books, espionage, murder mysteries, now these were mind gripping books that held my attention. I would read through a John Grisham book in a few days. Tom Clancy novels? I ate them up.

When I first became a follower of Jesus Christ, my fist Bible was the King James version. Now that's a tough translation for a 13 year old kid to grasp. There were certain things I could understand, but most of the Old Testament was just too rough to read in the old English style. It made reading the Bible feel like a science book or American History. The style just lulled me to sleep. I lost interest. I have nothing against the King James Version of the Bible. I used it to teach and preach from on occasion. It just used to make me feel like a zombie because it was so difficult to comprehend. Who really speaks like that now days? That translation was written in the language of the people in the 1600's. Even King James himself was not a fan of it. He read the English Standard Version of the Bible. Anyway, I digress. Forgive me.

Once I found a version of the Bible I could understand, which was at that time, the New International Version (NIV), I began to have a fondness for reading the Bible. I understood it. It was written in a language I could understand. I think that's one of the important things in purchasing a Bible, find one that is written in a language you understand, otherwise, what's the point? I read from several different translations now, like the New Living Translation, The Amplified Bible, Today's New International Version, The New King James Version, The Message Bible, and a few others. God did not design the Bible for it not to be understood. He wants us to understand what we are reading because He wants to be known.

Now, God wants to be known and one of the important ways to know Him is by reading the Bible. His character is in there. His promises are in there. The helps for life are in there. The way of salvation is in there. How creation became created is in there.

Studies show that less than 15% of Christians read their Bible every day. Only 19% read the Bible more than once a week! Is it no wonder that most Christians don't know how to explain their faith? Is it no wonder that many follow false teachings without even knowing it? They simply take what the preacher says as fact without ever researching it themselves.
Women read the Bible more than men, almost 5 to 1. Is it no wonder many homes lack male leadership when it comes to spiritual things? Comparatively, in the 1970's almost 73% of Christians read their Bible at least occasionally. Today only 39% say the read it occasionally (occasionally, meaning monthly). Time Magazine reports, 50% of Christians ages 65 and up say they read the Bible weekly, while 15% of Christians ages 18 to 64 read it weekly.

One time while teaching a Bible Study I asked participants to open up their Bibles to 2 Hezekiah Chapter 3. I was amazed that pages actually started turning. Another time at Bible College, I asked during a chapel service for everyone to open up to 1 Hesitations Chapter 13. Of all places I did not expect to hear pages turning, this was it. To my major disappointment, pages turned! The American church is not knowledgeable of Scripture. We need help!

I am sure we all have people we like to spend time with and are very dear to us. In order to know someone we must spend time with them on a regular basis. One way to get to know God, along with prayer is reading the Bible and reading it daily. Don't we who are married spend much time with our spouses? How can we no do that in the most important relationship we will ever have? It's mind boggling!

I knew a man who read the Bible cover to cover every year for decades. When he reached his mid forties, he lost his vision due to diabetes. For the rest of his life, he was able to quote chapter and verse of the entire Bible. This really challenged me to read the Word daily and get it inside of me. We never know when our eyesight may go, or if we will later in life, have access to the Bible. God forbid there be a time in America's future that reading the Bible be outlawed or we become overcome by a foreign nation that excludes the Bible.

I'll close with this quote from American novelist John Steinbeck, "Give me a used Bible and I will, I think, be able to tell you about a man by the places that are edged with the dirt of seeking fingers."

We need to read and know our Bible in order to know God, the plan of salvation, His promises and to know how to defend our faith.

The Bible..... Read it!

Pray, Tell?

2009-05-27T17:48:00.006-05:00

The number one problem in marriage is communication. Statistical studies prove the truth of that fact and statement. Communication is also a problem for families, businesses, and friendships. Is it any wonder than that we find this same problem within prayer?

Here are some statistics on prayer:
- An average prayer lasts under five minutes.
- 10% of Christians pray daily.
- 52% of people who pray do so several times a day.
- 59% of Christians are not satisfied with their prayer life.
- 21% have extended times of prayer with other family members (spouse, children, relatives).
-33% of Christian adults regularly participate in a prayer group or other meeting that has a focus on prayer.
-29% of Christians say grace before every meal.
- a 2005 Gallup Poll found that 15% of church goers are committed spiritually to prayer and service within their church community.
- a 2007 Barna Poll revealed 37% of Christians claim no one modeled for them how to pray or received only limited teaching on prayer.
- In 2006 Christian Life Today polled 150 Protestant churches, a study revealed that in 69% of the churches that only the Pastor or Leader prayed during corporate prayer time.

How can a marriage survive if there is no communication between the bride and the groom? It can't, plain and simple. We, the Christian Church are the Bride of Christ. Jesus Christ is the Groom. As believers, we are in a marriage covenant with Christ Jesus. We seldom take this to heart and keep this fact at the forefront of our minds.

Prayer is our conversation time with our beloved Lord. It is where we pour out our hearts to Him. Where we confess our sins, our wrongs. It is where we learn and discern His voice. It is where He speaks to us and reminds us of His love, provision, protection, receive His forgiveness. It is an interactive conversation. Many believers have only one way conversations and seldom tarry or wait in prayer to hear what His voice says. Oh the troubles we can avoid by waiting for direction and healing! Many see their relationship with God as a big Santa Claus in the sky when they pray. Think of it this way. If you hardly ever talk to your spouse throughout the year and spend time with them, do you think if you give them your Christmas list that you'll receive anything special? Yes your spouse may love you and you may get a gift or two, but how much more and special would the gifts be, had the relationship been nurtured on a regular, daily basis?

Think about this believer in Christ, someone prayed for your salvation. Someone prayed for the seed of faith to grow in you. Someone prayer for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit for you. Was not God faithful? Were not those answers special, refreshing and meaningful?

American Christians have unsatisfying prayer lives and seldom see miraculous events because we don't know how to wait on the Lord in prayer. We treat God like a fast food restaurant. We want to place our order and have it our hands in two minutes otherwise our eye is on the exit door to go somewhere else and get served quicker. If God answered like that, how would our faith grow? Yet, that's how we act in prayer too. "Lord bless my day and give me a parking spot right in front. Amen." There's seldom the thought, "God, what do want me to do today for you?" Or a prayer like, "Jesus, I invite you into my day. Help me do YOUR will today. Empower me with Your Spirit and empty of my will today?"
God help us. Holy Spirit bring us to our knees before You. Let our hearts hunger for You.

Saints of God, Family of God, let us fall down together on our knees. Let us hear the voice of God in prayer. May we yield our will to His. There is much power in prayer and therefore much we miss out and deprive ourselves of because we fail to give ourselves to prayer.

This quote by Corrie ten Boom tore into my spirit and agreed with my soul, "Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees." May we all take heed. Amen and Amen.

Let's communicate with God every day.

Low and Lifted Up

2009-04-30T16:06:00.015-05:00

Today we see many people who promote themselves, trample on others' feelings, shoving others out of the way to get to the front of the line. Kinda like Black Friday at an electronics store. We see many who manipulate others to get their way behind the backs of innocent people. Any CEOs from Wall Street around? Some gossip and slander the good names and reputations of others, making themselves look good and the innocent persons bad. I don't want to dis lawyers, but isn't this one of their key tactics? This is personified on today's reality shows like The Apprentice, Survivor, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor, Big Brother, and the whole genre. Some cheat their way to the top. Steroids anybody? Some kill their way to the top like former Cuban Leader Fidel Castro, current North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Il, just to name a few of dozens who have done so. This is the "ME" generation we're living in. We are a society of narcissists. It's all about "ME" being high and lifted up, speeding "MY" way to prominence while bludgeoning over others. It used to be divas were women but we now have male versions too. It's a crazy self absorbed world we live in. These warped and self centered attitudes have become apparent in church through the years. All of a sudden everything has become about us and how comfortable we are and not about humility and lifting others up, even if we are uncomfortable and out side of our comfort zone. God help us!

Jesus didn't give us the example of a comfortable, me first life. He humbled Himself and became man. He washed the feet of His disciples. He gave up His will for the will of His Father, God. Nah, I don't see anything comfortable in being born in a manger where animals lived. In growing up and living in Nazareth, a low income village, a town where nobody wanted to be known for living in. A town where no one thought anything good could come from. After all He was God who became man. He could have chosen to live in Jerusalem instead, but then, how could he be acquainted with every type of person in every type of circumstance? I don't think it was very easy and comfortable knowing one of your inner core of friends was going to betray you and rob the till. How comfortable could it be when people ridiculed Him and cursed Him? It surely wasn't comfortable and easy to be whipped, beaten, punched, blindfolded, stripped naked, mocked, have your beard plucked from your face, forced to carry a cross in public, bleeding, skin bare to the bone, tripping and falling, thrown down and nailed to a cross and publicly humiliated. Yeah, that sounds pretty safe and comfortable to me.

He did it all for love. Even though He knew many would neglect Him. Many would make promises to Him and break them a thousand times over. He did it out of love even though many would choose not to believe in Him but let's them make that choice on their own. Yeah sounds pretty selfish to me.

Nah it all sounds to me like the way He taught was all about humbling ourselves in service to Him and others through actions. It's not really about us and how comfortable we feel. It's not about getting all the glory for ourselves. But if we follow His lead, He will lift us up in honor. Wouldn't it be a great experience to be lifted up and exalted by the One who loves us so much and created all things! What an awesome reality for those who follow through!

1 Peter 5:6

"So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor." -New Living Translation

We misunderstand the word humility. If we didn't get it yet by the example of Jesus, let's take a look at how E.M. Bounds defines humility, "In humility there is the total absence of pride, and it is at the very farthest distance from anything like self-conceit. There is no self-praise in humility. Rather it has the disposition to praise others. "In honor preferring one another." It is not given to self-exaltation. Humility does not love the uppermost seats and aspire to the high places. It is willing to take the lowliest seat and prefers those places where it will be unnoticed."

In other words it is not today's mantra of being high and lifted up, which is what God is, so in essence today's mantras are putting man in the place reserved only for God. Our mantra for ourselves should be "Low and Lifted Up by God," just like Jesus.

I'll end with this powerful statement also from E.M. Bounds, "God puts a great price on humility of heart."

Interview with The Shack Author

2009-03-21T16:58:00.005-05:00

Click on the subject title: Interview with The Shack Author to read the full interview.

Porn Kills

2009-03-21T12:15:00.004-05:00

I have just been amazed lately by the staggering numbers of people who struggle with pornography. Not just those in the secular world but even within the church.

Here's some staggering info for you:
March 20, 2007: At a men's summit in Oregon before 2,000 men, Shelley Lubben of Shelley Lubben ministries challenged those who were struggling with porn addiction to stand. 30% rose to their feet. She immediately challenged them a second time, with the result that some 70% were standing.

April 6, 2007: 70% of Christians admitted to struggling with porn in their daily lives. From a non-scientific poll taken by XXXChurch, as reported by CNN.

August 7,2006: 50% of all Christian men and 20% of all Christian women are addicted to pornography. 60% of the women who answered the survey admitted to having significant struggles with lust; 40% admitted to being involved in sexual sin in the past year; and 20% of the church-going female participants struggle with looking at pornography on an ongoing basis.
From the results of a ChristiaNet poll reported by Marketwire.com

In December of 2000, the National Coalition to Protect Children and Families surveyed 5 Christian Campuses to see how the next generation of believers was doing with sexual purity:
48% of males admitted to current porn use
68% of males said they intentionally viewed a sexually explicit site at the school .

A 1996 Promise Keepers survey at one of their stadium events revealed that over 50% of the men in attendance were involved with pornography within one week of attending the event.

In 2008: Out of 81 pastors surveyed (74 males 7 female), 98% had been exposed to porn; 43% intentionally accessed a sexually explicit website.

In his book, "Men's Secret Wars", Patrick Means reveals a confidential survey of evangelical pastors and church lay leaders. Sixty-four percent of these Christian leaders confirm that they are struggling with sexual addiction or sexual compulsion including, but not limited to use of pornography, compulsive masturbation, or other secret sexual activity.

A 2007 poll showed: 34 percent of female readers of Today's Christian Woman's online newsletter admitted to intentionally accessing Internet porn in a recent poll.

In March of 2002 Rick Warren’s (author of the Purpose Driven life) Pastors.com website conducted a survey on porn use of 1351 pastors: 54% of the pastors had viewed Internet pornography within the last year, and 30% of these had visited within the last 30 days.

72 million: The approximate number of unique visitors to adult websites in 2006, per month, worldwide.
420 million: Total number of porn pages.
40 million: The number of U.S. adults who regularly visit porn websites.
Internet Filter Review

2007 Survey of divorced people: Of the 50% who get divorced in America, 70% of those marriages had one spouse who struggled with pornography at one time or another.

Please pray for those addicted, those whose marriages are torn apart by porn, those in the industry, and for those who are leaders. Pray for our nation.

Shalom,
Frank

The Thanks Tank

2009-02-11T16:23:00.006-06:00

There's been a lot said of the marriage love tank being full, and whether or not an individual's love tank is full. For those who may not know the love tank measures just how full of love you feel and receive from others. This may include love from family, spouse, friends, God, co-workers, teachers, etc. This is a great topic and one we could go deeply into, but I'm going to put that aside for now.

Back around Thanksgiving I wrote a bit about thankfulness and I just want to address that subject again. It's something we all tend to run short on from time to time. Just as we have a love tank we also have a thanks tank. Only this tank measures what goes out and not what we receive from others. This tank wells up from the attitude of the heart.

How is your thanks tank doing? Is it empty? Is it full? Is it somewhere in between?

There are so many things for which I am thankful to God for. I am alive today. I have good health, I am saved by the grace of God. I am filled with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. God loves me. Jesus loves me. All my prayers have been and are being answered. My church family loves me and receives me. My wife loves me and she is faithful. She's my hero!! I am thankful for being able to read the Bible any time I want in several different translations. I am thankful for the spiritual gifts God has given me. I am thankful for God using my gifts. I am thankful for toilet paper. Not every country has it. I am thankful that I live in the United States according to the providence of God. I am thankful that I am not in any financial debt. I am able to pay my bills. My name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. All my sins are washed away. There are angels all around me. Nothing can separate me from the love of God. God's peace permeates my entire being. My life is in His hands. I am in my right mind (though some would argue). I have relatives whom I know I will see again in heaven. People laugh at my jokes. God has plans to prosper me and not to harm me. Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world! I am redeemed. I have clothes to wear. I have a family that loves me. I get along wonderfully with my In-Laws. God has protected me in many dangerous situations. He sings songs of deliverance all around me. His promises are true. He Has Never Failed Me!!! I am in love with my Heavenly Father. He knows my name. I am not forgotten. I will never be abandoned. I am thankful that He doesn't treat me as my sins so rightly deserve. Thanks for mercy Lord! God gives me things I don't deserve. Thanks for grace Lord!

These are just some of the many, many things I am thankful for. Being thankful helps us to love and appreciate those around us, especially God.

Make a list of some things you are thankful for. Fill up that thanks tank and pour it out.

The Desert Song: Blesseings While Waiting

2009-01-30T16:40:00.006-06:00

The Lord truly knows how to send encouragement your way! I am so thankful for those He uses to speak life to my soul. The past few days I've been feeling a little beaten up waiting on the Lord to open some doors in my life. Waiting on a perfectionist is never easy, especially when He is the Creator of all things. Even though I know the things He is going to do and is doing will be perfect for me, that doesn't make me any more patient.

In comparison though I believe the waiting periods we modern believers go through are no where as long as in ancient times. Noah waited 120 years for a flood to come. Abraham waited several decades for Isaac to be born. We American believers pare in comparison. We live in the moment. Everything is now. A quick fix. A rapid reply. We have express toll lanes so we don't have to wait in line.

Waiting is hard. It's is harder when God promised you something and it hasn't arrived yet. However, Psalm 119:49-50 give me great hope, and I can actually remind God of His promise to me. Yes, we have permission to remind God of His promises.

The verses say this:

Psalms 119: 49-50

"49 Don't forget your promise

to me, your servant.

I depend on it.

50 When I am hurting,

I find comfort in your promise

that leads to life. "

From the Contemporary English Version

To drive this point home, a precious sister in the Lord shared this song with me today and it so spoke into my life. It's called, "The Desert Song," bu Hillsong. Click on the title topic above (The Desert Song: Blessings While Waiting) and it will take you to a short video I know will bless you. Be Ye encouraged!

Funny Jokes from Joel Osteen

2009-01-26T16:59:00.008-06:00

If not for commenter Peter, I would not have found some of these jokes. So in honor of Peter and to bring us all some fresh, clean humor. Here we go. Just click on the topic title above and it will bring your right to the youtube link. Get your funny bone ready!

How's Your Serve?

2009-01-22T16:17:00.008-06:00

Every August on New York everyone starts playing tennis, whether they're amateurs, average or beyond. Doesn't matter if you're young or old. The courts are full of people mimicking their favorite professional players. In August every year in New York, the U.S. Open Tennis Championships are played. It tends to bring out the tennis player in everyone.

I have had the pleasure of teaching a Bible Study recently on the topic Serve as in service. Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45 tell us that Jesus did not come to be served or be a slave master, but to serve others. He has given us an example of a servant's heart. We, the followers of Jesus Christ are called to serve others, whether they are nice or not, believers or not, task masters or not. We are to serve others, period. Sorry to say, this is a lost concept in the American church. We go by the mantra, "It's all bout me and how comfortable I feel." Apathy.

As I thought about the word serve, tennis came to mind. The serve in tennis has purpose, it is done with energy, it has a specific aim, it is watched by others, it can cause others to be humbled, it can inspire others, it can be done as an individuals (singles matches), with another teammate (doubles), or as a team (team tournaments).

Serving others has a purpose, to please God, to encourage/bless the person being served, to win the lost. Serving others takes energy. Service is watched by others, whether they are see or unseen. Serving others may humble you or the person(s) being served. Acts of service can inspire others to serve or seek salvation in Christ. We can serve alone, with others, or in a group.

If you aren't serving, you're faith is not being lived out. Very few will notice your witness for Christ.
Get your serve going. The game is not yet over.

Praise Kills?

2009-01-07T18:23:00.010-06:00

There was a movie out recently called something to the effect, "Snakes and Planes," which starred Samuel L. Jackson. I didn't see it but I believe the premise was that there was a killer snake on a plane which he was on. The idea was to kill the snake before it took down the plane. I've never really heard of snakes living tens of thousands feet above the earth in a pressurized plane. There comes a point that life ends at certain heights in the atmosphere. If snakes were meant to live at those heights, wouldn't they have wings?

Last year I had to take a Theology class as part of my curriculum in graduate school. So, I took a Systematic Theology class. I had a wonderful professor named Omar Ortiz. In one of the classes we were discussing how the devil tries to discourage us and how he uses worship in his fight. He told a story of a pilot and co-pilot taking off in a loaded 747. As they were lifting off the ground the co-pilot saw what he thought was a snake crawling in a nook above his head. He was right, it was a snake. He told the pilot. The pilot, who as relaxed as could be, simply said, "wait." The co-pilot couldn't understand, surely this thing will bite one of us or both of us, he thought. The pilot kept ascending upward as calm as sitting and watching a beautiful sunset. They've been flying about five minutes now still climbing upward. The co-pilot saw the snake now thrashing around and told the pilot in a shout, "Aren't you going to do something?!!!" The pilot calmly responded, "just wait, it'll be all right." Well, they were just about at their peak before they leveled off and the snake up and died in the blink of an eye. The pilot looked at the co-pilot and said, "see, I knew we'd be all right. Snakes can't survive at this height. The pressure is too much for them."

The next time that snake the devil keeps lying in your ear and bringing you down, take him for a ride. Let your praise arise to the heavens out of a heart of thanksgiving. Keep going higher and higher in your praise and watch him turn away. Higher praise kills the attempts of the enemy to keep us from being who God created us to be and live as His rightful child. Pressurize your life with praise.

Psalm 22:25a, "From you comes the theme of my praise."
Psalm 33:1, "Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise Him."
Psalm 42:11, "Why so downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God."
Psalm 52:9, "I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name will I hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints."
Hebrews 13:15, "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise- the fruit of lips that confess His name."

To Santa or Not to Santa? That is the Question.

2008-12-22T18:06:00.014-06:00

To tell the kids that Santa is real or not has long been a dilemma for parents, especially true Christian parents. Santa is part of the culture of the world we live in. Stores are geared toward a Santa theme in their decor. From pre-school to high school Santa is seen in the decorations, plays, in "Secret Santa," and "Kris Kringle," gift giving celebrations. Some parents leave out Christmas cookies and milk for Santa on Christmas Eve. Some dress up as Santa delivering gifts. You can see Santa at the mall starting Thanksgiving Day. You can see him at every department store ringing a bell. How can that be? Can he be everywhere at that same time? Even the myths concerning Santa juxtapose that somehow Santa shares some attributes of God to see everything, know everything we do, judge us as good or bad, and be at so many places at once. There are so many things about carrying on these myths that are so damaging to children.

The foremost thing is that when children find out that Santa does not exist after so many years of indoctrination by their parents that trust is destroyed. The child is in disbelief. What they believe about Santa was all a lie all that time and Mom and Dad were the ones who said it was all true. It is statistically proven that children who grow up believing in Santa and then find it's not true have more difficulty in life believing their parents when they insist something is true. Children who grow up knowing Santa is not real fair much better in trusting their parents. Children who grow up believing Santa is real and find out he is not, deal with unintended humiliation at the hands of their parents. They feel like a sucker played out through their parents. There's an immediate traumatic scar that helps build a defensive wall around their heart and emotions. In severe cases some children have needed counseling to work through trust issues with their parents and the humiliation they felt at the instance they found out the truth. Think of how humiliated a child might be who finds out Santa does not exist from kids at school who ridicule the child for believing in Santa. That's a tough situation for the child. Peers gain more respect of their words than parents. Should they trust peers or their parents? This is a tough dilemma for the child. What else can their parents be telling them that isn't true? Even if the parents are telling the truth about everything else, the damage is done. Peers now have a stronger hold than parents do/will. The pattern is set.

Statistics don't lie. New York Magazine (February 2008) recently had an article in which showed that when children lie, they are copying what they see their parents do. The study showed that the number source of where children learn to lie is from their parents! A study was done by Family Central (July 2007) on parents lying to their children. 67% of parents surveyed said they lied to their children growing up. Out of the 67% who lied, 52% of those children had trust and relationship issues. 9% of those children had juvenile criminal records. Be careful parents. The values you model before your children are the ones they will adopt.

Am I being overly dramatic? That depends on your perception of truth and how much you value truth. Deuteronomy 4 is very descriptive in commanding us to teach our children God's truths. Proverbs 11:15 tells us, "the godly are directed by honesty (New Living Translation)." Psalm 26:3 intimates that followers of Jesus Christ are to live according to God's truth.

Believe it or not, it can all start with Santa as innocent as that myth may seem.

Truth is everything. "Be careful little ears what you hear. Be careful little eyes what you see."

Have a blessed Christmas everyone.

The Greatest

2008-12-10T17:03:00.011-06:00

There's a verse I've been meditating on for over a month now. It's 1 Corinthians 13:13- "Three things will last forever- faith, hope, and love- and the greatest of these is love (The New Living Translation)." The three are all interrelated, but I kept wondering why love would be the greatest. Another translation, the New International Version, uses the word remain instead of the words, last forever. Either way these three things will endure throughout all eternity. That's pretty awesome to think about. Then I wondered why will faith be needed in heaven? Perhaps we will be interceding for those still living. Perhaps we will need faith just to get over the fact we made it to heaven as unworthy of receiving it as we are. Perhaps hope will be needed too because when you have faith in something there is a hopeful expectation tied to it. Having faith in God gives us the hopeful expectation of seeing Him face to face. There's the hopeful expectation of answered prayers we laid before the Lord in faith. For instance, my wife and I are praying in faith for children, so we have a hopeful expectation of the pattering of little feet around the house.

What does love have to do with this, you ask? I think love is the goal of the first two, faith and hope. Faith brings hopeful expectation. Hopeful expectation fires love up. It stokes the flame of love. When the expectation of something is fulfilled, there is a deeper love and appreciation for the one who fulfilled it. I think of it as a child who has faith in their parent to get them a birthday gift they wanted. They have hope the parent they love will do it. Upon receiving the gift, the child has a greater love and appreciation for the parent.

How does love prevail over faith and hope? Well, this thought just occurred to me recently through a recent event. Sometimes we may not have much faith in God. Sometimes we may not have much hope in anything. Combined, these faith and hope deficits lead us to give into those sins that so easily besets us (Hebrews 12:1) and thus we may even hurt those we love most by our actions, even God. But love endures.

Love remains. God still loves us. In spite of what we have done, nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38-39). The enduring love of a mother hurt by a child she loves and continues in faith to pray for their salvation. The hopeful expectation that God will hear and answer her prayer. The love and adoration of God who saves the child in answer to her prayers. Love prevails over faith and hope and faith and hope deepen and enliven love.

I am so thankful that nothing can separate me from God's unconditional love. I am thankful for my wife's enduring love. I am thankful for the love of my family and friends. I am so blessed. The greatest of these is LOVE!

Thanks for What?

2008-11-26T17:16:00.004-06:00

Gobble. gobble, gobble. Loads of tryptophan flooding our systems and making us sleepy after enjoying some turkey. Bellies that are full but still have a little room for something else. Meals shared with family and friends. Conversations in every part of the house. Football games on TV all day long. Snoring men on the couch holding their stomachs. Women sharing recipes and chatting away. Long parades in large cities with marching bands and giant balloon characters. The aromas of food, food and more food filling the house. Laughter at familiar stories we've heard around the table often throughout the years. Cameras clicking as bribery photos are taken. Some people playing dominoes, spades, monopoly, chess, or video games. Some planning their early morning visits to the stores in Black Friday.

What is this day of Thanksgiving all about? Is it about spending time with loved ones and sharing some good food together? Yes. Is it about socializing? Yes. Is it about football games? This one really depends on who you ask. But for many it is a tradition, while for some it is utter nonsense. Is it about big balloons of cartoon characters and marching bands? Not really, but for many this too is a traditional thing to watch or partake in. Is it about making a plan of attack for getting up at 3am in the morning to be at the stores when they open up at 4am for Black Friday? No. But for many this is their best chance to get everyone affordable Christmas presents, it's become a tradition as well for many.

Many can't really tell you much about this holiday other than the traditions they uphold and maybe mention the pilgrims without much more detail given. When was the last time you thought about all the things you're thankful for? Are you breathing? You can be thankful for that. Do you have fresh drinking water? can you think clearly? Can you see and hear? Do you have a bed to sleep in at night and a roof over your head? Do you live in a country where you are free? Do you have a job? Do you have a comb or brush for your hair? Do you know that more than a third of the world don't have combs or hair brushes? More than half the world does not have a mattress to sleep on. More than 40 percent of the world does not have fresh water to drink. More than half the world is not able to bathe every day. More than a third of the world does not know what a tooth brush is. More than 35 percent of the world does not have a regular home to live in. Tens of millions of people live in countries where they have no freedom or security.

We have an awful lot to be thankful here in America. Those who are devoted followers of Jesus Christ have so much more to be thankful for. Yet we forget because we are blinded to how blessed we are. God forgive us.

I am thankful for: salvation, for God's mercy and grace, for the gift of the Holy Spirit in my life, for the gifts and talents the Lord has given me, for my wife, for my family, for my friends, that I can read the Bible in my home, car, and a public place; I can eat, read, run, hear, see; I have a roof over my head, a bed to sleep on, fresh drinking water, a shower, tooth brush, soap, deodorant, clothing, shoes, electricity, a car; I can preach the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ anywhere without getting arrested or imprisoned! I can go to school. I am thankful for air; the stars; the moon; the oceans; for laughter, tears; I can share my emotions with others; I can feel the emotions of others; I can write whatever I feel like writing; I have a cell phone. There is so much I am thankful for that I could keep writing this blog post for the next dozen years or more. God is so good and I love Him. If He were to never do another thing for me again, I still have so much to be thankful for.

I want to take a second and encourage all devoted followers of Jesus Christ with these two verses from Colossians 2:6-7:

"And now, just as you received Jesus Christ as your Lord, you must continue to follow Him. Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him. Then, your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness."
-New Living Translation

These verses beg the question, what is the condition of your faith? If it is not growing, then there will be little thankfulness and probably more bitterness. Faith that grows will always bear the fruit of thankfulness.

Many years ago I listened to the Christian rock group Petra and fell in love with one of their songs. The title is, "Thankful Heart." Here are the lyrics. Let it be your prayer.

Thankful Heart:

I have a thankful heart that You have given me
And it can only come from You

There is no way to begin to tell you how I feel
There are no words to express how you've become so real
Jesus, You've given me so much I can't repay
I have no offering

There is no way to begin to tell you how I feel
There's nothing more I can say, and now way to repay
Your warming touch that melts my heart of stone
Your steadfast love - I'll never be alone

I have a thankful heart that You have given me
And it can only come from You
I have a thankful heart - Words don't come easily
But I am sure you can see my thankful heart

Help me be a man of God
A man who's after Your own heart
Help me show my gratitude
And keep in me a thankful heart

Is the Potter Creating or has He Created Everything Already?

2008-11-13T18:07:00.008-06:00

Not long ago I was in class my good friend was teaching. We were talking about God and creation. During the course of our time together we talked about God having created everything already that will ever exist. Good points were made supporting that theory. However, a verse came to my mind about God being a Potter. Isaiah 64:8 says, "Yet, O Lord, You are our father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are all the work of Your hand." I began thinking about a potter as an artist, which they are. I'll share my thoughts with you.

I've actually taken a few pottery classes earlier in my life. Yes, it's true. though a potter works with clay, the potter is always creating, just like an artist. An artist never paints or creates the same thing over and over again. Where would we be if all Michaelangelo painted over and over again was the Sistine Chapel?How boring it would be if all Leonardo Da Vinci painted everywhere was Mona Lisa? What if all we saw around us were Vincent Van Gogh's "Starry Night?" How boring and redundant that would be. Its splendor and magnificence would be lost.

If very person from the past, present and future were all alike, what would that be like? There would be no individuality. We'd all be the same height, weight and color. We'd all sound the same. We'd all have the same personalities and mannerisms. All our clothes would be the same in style, color, and size. There would probably be only a few types of perfumes and colognes. There would be nothing to distinguish us from one another. But yet, we're all different.

What if, like the movie "Groundhog Day," every day was exactly the same? What if each sunrise and sunset were exactly the same every day? What if every single moment of every day was exactly the same as the previous one? Some people like predictability, but even that would drive the sanest person crazy. Think about the Tom Hanks movie, "Cast Away," where he was isolated and alone on an island after a plane crash. Every day the same. Boredom everywhere you look. Mundane life. Unhappiness. Melancholy.

Could you picture God bored? If He is the Creator God, then He must be always creating. The universe is ever expanding, even scientists agree on that one. How is that possible? Simple, there must be a Creator. No two sunsets or sunrises are the same. No two people are exactly the same, even identical twins are the same. Their DNA is similar but distinctly different. Their fingerprints are different. People from Africa are different in language than British people are. There are various sizes, colors, and shapes of all peoples from the same country and even from other countries. Unborn babies will look different from anyone ever born before. Tomorrow's day will go much differently from today for all of us. We'll see someone new in our day as we travel. A child may walk for the first time. We might see a sunset we've never seen before. Perhaps a star will fall from the sky, which might not have happened today. Perhaps a woman will get pregnant for the first time. Perhaps a doctor will perform a routine surgery in a new and revised way.

God is always creating because He never slumbers or sleeps (Psalm 121:3-4). He's always working. A Creator creates just as a painter paints. Never the same thing created the same way twice. God doesn't use molds, He makes everything fresh.

Good Samaritan-itis

2008-11-06T16:49:00.006-06:00

There are many things that all human beings have in common. We all get sick at one time or another. We all die, as a matter of fact one out of every one persons die. We all grow from the moment we are born, emotionally, physically, intellectually, and spiritually. We all feel horror of watching someone get mugged and beat up. Whether you live in the rain forests, the mountains, jungles, or big cities, we all poop the same way, out of the same part of the body. We all need air to breath. We all feel pain. We all need water to drink. We all cry. We all laugh. We all feel the grief attached to the death of a loved one. We are all the same on the inside, physically, lungs, heart, veins, organs, blood, no matter what ethnicity you are, black, white, brown, yellow.

We all feel compassion when a tragedy happens like the horrors of the 9/11 attacks on the United States, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the Tsunami that hit India, the earthquakes that hit China, Hurricane Ike that hit the coastal cities of Texas, etc. All of a sudden people from all over the world want to help. I remember when the attacks of 9/11 happened and firefighters from all over the world went to New York City to help out. These are people from other races, ethnicities, religions, all coming together to help. Even enemies came to help out. I remember growing up in the late 1970's when New York City was hard hit by a major power outage. Neighbors who didn't get along were helping each other. It was strange to see blacks and whites helping each other without regard to racial tensions or differences. Everyone treated one another as equal and with compassion.

It seems at times like this that it is somehow inside of all mankind to forget what separates them politically, religiously, racially, and in other ways, in order for acts of compassion to flow through them and towards those in distress and in deep need. I wonder why that is.

If mankind evolved out of a chaotic event, and chaos is seen in everything around us, how can all mankind have the same reactions to these events? You don't see animals reaching out to help those in need. I mean if we evolved from apes, wouldn't apes then be helping us in times of distress? There would be some kind of feeling in them to help us, wouldn't that be a logical assessment?

I think it is way simpler than that, but harder for many to believe. I believe that God, the Creator has built the capacity for compassion and love into all mankind. Why would all human kind have compassion like this and not each and every species of animal? Since some believe that we are linked to and have evolved from animals? How could compassion, so uniform in all humans come out of chaotic event that caused evolution, according to scientists? They are unable to explain this. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an animal hater. I've had several dogs throughout my lifetime. I've rode horses and swam with dolphins. I saw my own dog save my mother's life once. I've heard of heroic acts by dogs and dolphins, but, they do not have the compassion of human beings. It's just that I've never seen a dolphin walk in dry land to save someone from being mugged. I've never seen a cat moved by compassion to start raising funds to meet the needs of the people in New Orleans. I've never seen a horse swim in the ocean to save someone from drowning. I've never seen or heard of a discovery of half human, half animal hybrids walking around. Where's the linkable evidence?

I believe it was God who gave human kind the great capacity for love and compassion. I believe God built some scriptural instincts in us to do these things. The scriptural instincts come from Proverbs 24:11, "rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering to slaughter." Proverbs 25:21, "If you enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink." Ephesians 4:32a, "Be kind and compassionate to one another..."

Could you do me a favor? If you ever see a dolphin walking on dry land and helping someone, a cat raising funds for the needy, or a horse swimming to rescue someone, would you let me know? While you're at it, take some pictures and you'll be a millionaire in no time!

Does God help those who help themselves?

2008-10-30T12:33:00.002-05:00

Does God help those who help themselves? Well, first let's see if this is a biblical principle. Ok, let's open up our concordance of the bible and see if we can find the location of these words in scripture. As I fumble through my concordance I find all of these words in the bible but I can't seem to find them all together in one particular verse. Let's see. I've heard this quote for most of my life, hundreds of times over. It seems pretty popular since I even hear it among followers of Jesus Christ. I remember even seeing this quote on a plaque in High School. I've heard it quoted by politicians, actors, religious leaders, some very good people. Surely they must be taking it right out of the Bible. Some very educated people have quoted this statement. Many of them much more educated than me, surely they must know more than me, they must have experienced this quote as a real experience because they quote it with such conviction.

I have scoured the Bible, commentaries, concordances, on line resources, talked to pastors and theologians, and I cannot find this quote anywhere in the Bible. Even as a biblical principle I do not find it in scripture. It is never even hinted at in the Bible and most importantly by Jesus himself.

The quote itself comes from none other than Benjamin Franklin, a learned man. Benjamin Franklin was one of America's founding fathers and has had an enduring impact on many American philosophies. He was not, however, a follower of Jesus Christ. I can only surmise that he based his statement on his worldly knowledge without a personal active relationship with Jesus Christ, on his impersonal, imperfect, worldly knowledge and wisdom. It sounds great to all those who are unaware or not knowledgeable in the Holy Scriptures. I believed it for many years, even as a young follower of Jesus Christ. It even sounds logical. However, it is not scriptural nor even correct in principle.

The truth is that God helps those who are totally dependent upon Him and are fully devoted to Him. Think about this, followers of Jesus Christ (True Christians) are children of God. Think of yourself as a child. Did your father ever tell you to do something yourself when you were say ages 3-4, knowing you could never do it on your own and stand and watch you frustrate yourself? As imperfect as my earthly father is, he never did that. Now seeing yourself as a child of God, would He (God) tell you to do that? God wants us totally surrendered and dependent upon Him so He can get all the glory and do things perfectly and in ways we could never imagine. He wants to take the burden and stress from us so we can be at peace in His perfect peace knowing that He does all things well, even what is impossible for us. What a wonderful and loving God!! All we have to do is give it all to Him. There are times when we do need to do the things that God calls us to do in order to take part in the help He is offering, but never will we ever have to do it alone, in our own strength and resources.

...... I just had another thought. If God helps those who help themselves then Satan would be on God's throne. Satan wanted to help himself to God's throne but God did not help him accomplish that. God is the only wise, powerful, loving, pure and holy God.

Below are just four of dozens of scriptures that address this issue and may encourage you regarding God's help:

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Psalm 55:22

22 Cast your cares on the LORD
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall.

Matthew 11:28-30 (The words of Jesus Christ)

28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

1 Peter 5:6-7

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. 7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Be blessed my friends.

Two Stalkers You Want

2008-10-08T11:03:00.000-05:00

Ever get the feeling you're being followed? I remember back in the 80's and seeing the movie "Nightmare on Elm Street." I was walking home from the theater with my friend Paul, we were about 14 or 15 years old. Every time we walked past a dark alley way I got the distinct feeling Freddy Krueger was going to jump out and cut me to pieces. It took us forever to walk home and it was less than a mile!! That was scary to say the least. What a horrible feeling it is when you think someone is following you intending to harm you.

I also remember a time when I was young and riding a bicycle in my neighborhood. I guess I was about four or five years old. The training wheels on my bike were recently removed and I was doing fairly well. Every now and then I would peer over my shoulder and see my mother walking not far behind me. It gave me a warm feeling and let me feel a little more adventurous knowing she was near. I wasn't paying too much attention to what I was doing one time and I was about to take a nasty crash into a fire hydrant. Before I could even hit the fire hydrant, my mother who was behind was now in front of me and stopped me from hitting the hydrant thus prevented me from destroying my bike and injuring myself. Although one time she wasn't around and I did hit the very same hydrant, flying over the handle bars and landing on my side and hands. OUCH! This was before helmets and gloves, when it was safe to nearly kill yourself. Anyway, that time my mom saved me because she has following behind me was awesome. I was so proud of her and it warmed my heart to know she was always looking out for me. It gave me confidence to go forward knowing she was around to help me out.

Let me tell you a little bit about two guys who are always following me around. One guy never gives me my just punishment, what I deserve, whenever I treat him badly. I'm astounded all the time by him. I get some punishment and ramifications when I act badly, but never what I fully deserve. I appreciate this guy a lot. He's a merciful Stalker! Then, there's this other guy who follows me around and he is always giving me things I don't deserve, like gifts. He's a gracious Stalker! Who wouldn't mind having a stalker like that around? These guys I can never get rid of no matter how often I try to run from them. If I try and hide they sneak up on me. When I want to shrink in fear from something in front of me they come up behind me and support me and give me supernatural strength. They are always encouraging and looking out for my good. When I want to quit, they remind me of all the times I made it when I thought I couldn't. As a follower of Jesus Christ I can honestly say these guys are always around. Let me introduce you to goodness (grace) and mercy:

Psalm 23:6-
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (New King James Version)

These are definitely two stalkers you'll always want with you. They will ever remind you of God's faithfulness, goodness, and mercy towards you. They'll help you move forward. They'll strengthen your faith by reminding you of all the times God enabled you to make it when you thought you couldn't move another step.

Battling to Move Forward

2008-10-01T17:59:00.000-05:00

Moving forward is something most people struggle with including myself. Making changes are hard for some of us, especially if you're a creature of habit and structure like me. Change can feel like an intruder when you're set in your ways, as happens to me from time to time.

I often wonder when God told Abram (Abraham) to leave his homeland and to go where God was going to lead him blindly, if he struggled with leaving. Did he have strong emotional ties to his family and friends who he was leaving behind? Did he cry? Did he wonder what job he would have when he got there? Where exactly would they live, in a house, an apartment, or a cave? How would he purchase property without a job? Who would give him a loan to get started? Did he talk everything over with Sarai (Sarah)? Were they in agreement? Were any family members going with them? Did he ever think, "God what are you doing?" Was there ever a time he wanted to give it all up?

If we look at Abraham's life we can see that though God called him out of the land of Ur, there were many fierce trials along the way to seeing God's plan played out in his life. Following God's will is never easy. We will make mistakes just as Abraham did, concealing the true identity of his wife on a few occasions, for example. Abraham was able to humble himself and admit his wrongs. God was faithful to forgive him and give him the grace and strength to go on. There were also times he followed God blindly and God blessed him for it. When he as called to sacrifice his only son Isaac, he did so without hesitation only to have God stop him at the last second in honor of his faith. Sometimes God calls us to sacrifice relationships in order to follow Him and He rewards us with many better relationships. Following God's will entails making sacrifices. The good thing about God is that He gives way better blessings for following His will than whatever we try to reward ourselves with for doing things our way. Abraham became the Father of many nations because he followed God's will. The disciple Peter won thousands of souls for the Kingdom after he left everything behind to follow Jesus. God gives great blessings that only bring the honor and glory back to Him. And, as followers of Jesus, I don't use the term Christian much any more because it has such a broad meaning now days, our very lives are to be lived in giving glory and honor to God our Father. So, wouldn't be joyous and fulfilling to live that way? Though life is hard and has many unexpected surprises we have the Lord as the glory and the lifter of our heads. We have the One who rendered death and hell powerless over us watching our backs all the time! We have eternity in heaven to look forward to! After all compared to eternity, this life is just a whisper in the wind. Here for a second and then gone. Moving forward in faith has eternal rewards beyond compare. It is hard? Yes! Is change and growth in faith worth the sacrifice? Undoubtedly Yes! So as you face your challenges be comforted that the Holy Spirit resides within you. The Lord's eyes are ever upon you. His angels are all about you. He gives us the full armor of God to wear for the battle. He's got your back. What an awesome God! Keep pressing onward and upward for the Lord Your God is with you, never to leave you nor forsake you.

Jail House Rocked

2008-09-16T14:29:00.000-05:00

First of all my heart and prayers go out to all those effected by Hurricane Ike, especially my friends in the League City, Texas area. May the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3) meet all your needs and bring His perfect peace to your souls. Amen.

These are certainly troubling times we are living through right now. Loss of life, property, employment, financial security, world stability, peace and happiness are all around us. Lawlessness is alive in some southern cities devastated by one of the worst hurricane seasons in a long time. There's lawlessness in Darfur with severe loss of life for political reasons. Russia invaded Georgia and killed many for political reasons. Tensions are rising in Korea as nuclear weapons are being tested. Iran is building nuclear weapons. Wall Street is seeing high profile companies fall like dominoes one after another. Things don't seem to be much improved in Iraq or Afghanistan. The unemployment rate is nearing all time highs. What is going on in our world? Peace and security seem attainable but never lasts or it's just out of reach. We have short seasons of stability. Like, the price of gasoline drops under $4.00 a gallon. We breathe a sigh of relief and feel like we can make it again. All of a sudden the market goes crazy and the prices rise again. The temporary relief is gone. Back comes all the stress, wondering if we're ever going to make it. All hope seems lost and the future bleak. The glass is no longer half full or half empty. It's just empty. Bone dry. Despair has taken over. We're on survival mode. We're numb, just surviving. We feel imprisoned by our despair and sense of hopelessness. There is yet hope for a hurting world, a hurting and severely wounded soul.

I want to tell you about two guys who, by all outward appearances was up the creek without a paddle. As a matter of fact they didn't even have a boat. These guys was arrested and beaten by the police for talking about historically proven, eye witnessed truths. Why would anyone want to hurt these guys for simply speaking about absolute truths is beyond me, but it happened. They didn't start a revolution or riot. No one was physically hurt or property damaged while they spoke. As a matter of fact all they did was help a young lady who was troubled in mind. But now here they are suffering from police brutality and wrongful imprisonment. If anyone had reason to give up all hope, these two sure did. They were in a high security prison with guards all around them. They were facing the death penalty with no appeal system in place. Most of us, put in their shoes, would give up. We'd probably be put on suicide watch. All hope of rescue would be lost. We would be numb from the trauma of the events taken place. We would feel as though we'd been mortally wounded. "What's the point? Just kill me already and put me out of my misery!" I must admit those words would probably go through my mind even if I wouldn't verbalize them. The feelings of abandonment and resignation would be there. However, these guys started praying and singing songs to the astonishment of those around them. The earth shook and chains literally fell off!! They had faith and hope that carried them through a difficult storm.

It's a true story. These two guys, Paul and Silas, had hope and faith in the One in whom has all power, Jesus Christ. The songs they sang were ancient hymns of praise. Even in the midst of certain doom Jesus is able to save, heal, and deliver. However, there is a catch for this hope, peace, and security to be apprehended by you. You need to know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. All it takes in asking Him to come in and cleanse you of your sins, the things you've done wrong. Ask Him to be Your Lord and Savior. You can have peace, hope, and security you never imagined. Your eternal fate will be secure.

Feeling Forgotten

2008-09-09T18:43:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I wonder if anyone thinks about me. It's usually those lonely isolated times when life is rough and I'm questioning my purpose in life or wondering why I was even born. It's definitely not easy livining life with the state of the world is right now. The econmy in the United States is taking a beating. Gasoline is higher than it was last year and with the hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico it doesn't look like prices will drop much in the near future. Unemployment is at an all time high. Inflation is up and salaries remain the same, no raises. More and more Americans are moving back home to live with their families to save and sometimes just to sustain themselves. Banks are closing. Mortgage lenders are being taken over by the government. Homelessness is up. Crime is up. Loss of life in the Middle East is up. Cuba is devastated by hurricanes as is Haiti. Loss of life is all over the news. It's getting hard to live and get by now days. It's easy for people to forget about others and concentrate on their own problems and worries. It's easy to feel forgotten and all alone amidst all the chaos around us.

I'd like to let you know, even though you may question his existence or why bad things happen, God is looking for you. You are on His mind. He's trying to get the world's attention and yours too so people will turn to Him and experience His love and grace. Ever have a yearning from within that tells you there's more to life than what you have experienced? That's God drawing you to Himself. Ever look at the beauty of the sky and have a warm feeling in your heart? That's God letting you know He exists through creation. Ever feel bad when you do something wrong? That's a conscience God has given all humankind reminding us that there are absolute wrongs and rights. It's God's reminder that He created us. That longing for more feeling is what the Bible calls eternity and God has placed eternity in the hearts of all humankind so that we would always long for something more and that something more is a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ His Son. You are not forgotten, ever. God longs to be in relationship with you. All it takes in asking Him to come in and cleanse you of your sins, the things you've done wrong. Ask Him to be Your Lord and Savior. You will never be alone again.

God is in love with you!

2007-11-11T15:57:00.000-06:00

You may not believe this but you are created in the image of God to be in relationship with Him. He has given you the choice to receive His undying love for you or to reject it. Regardless though, He still loves you the same. Now that doesn't mean that if you reject Him that you will live with Him forever in Heaven. It means that of you reject Him, he still loves you. It's like a father who loves his adult son but allows him to make his own choices and receive the rewards and consequences of his decisions. Regardless of the decisions the father's love remains the same. God will never force you to receive his love but He will remind you of it and you will feel the absence of it in your life should you reject Him. And, nothing in your life will ever be able to take the place of His love, no matter what you replace it with. Everything we cherish and pursue in this life apart from God, will perish: loved ones, money, cars, women, possessions, etc. When you die someone else receives them. But with God's love received through His son Jesus Christ and the many blessings that come with receiving God's love, they will never perish. I invite you to search your heart and its pursuits, see how happy you are, see how empty life has been without God, try God and see if He won't reveal Himself to you in ways you never experienced nor imagined. He loves you and desires to spend time in relationship with you. His promises are true. He will never disappoint you.