Burden Of The Cross

One of the scariest things to me as I look around today, and something that I talk about with fellow believers is how frequently children turn away from God when they’re exposed to views, morals, and beliefs different from their Christian beliefs. Putting a “once saved, always saved” theological debate aside for this discussion, it’s a reality that this is a problem. Children and young adults, and even older adults are turning their back on God in favor of Science, Humanism, Atheism, Agnosticism, Islam, and many other false and destructive religions.

Do you know any kids that grew up in your church, where you watched them pray with the other kids, you saw them reading their Bibles, you witnessed their baptism, you watched them grow in their faith, but they went off to college and changed? You may hear about them changing from their parents. You may hear about it from their friends. You may even get exposed to their anti-God venom on a social website. They’ve become deceived by the same Satan that deceived Eve into believing she could be like God knowing good and evil. (Genesis 3:5). They begin to buy into the lies that science has proven there is no God. They start to believe that they can live their life however they please and there is no eternal God to answer to for their sins. They believe that they simply live until death and once they close their eyes, that’s the end or some say that since they lived a “good” life, they’ll get into heaven. They’re going to be in for a rude awakening in that moment because it’s very contradictory to what The Bible says!

New religious viewpoints say that you can be “spiritual” and still get an eternal life in heaven. They say you can just pick and choose what fits your personality and views best because all religions worship the same God and lead a good life and you’ll gain entry into heaven. There’s a range of beliefs out there that are disturbing.  They detest the thought of an Almighty God who’d be so unkind as to say “Obey me, or suffer the consequences” (paraphrased). Why? Because we’ve toned down the scriptures. In my opinion, it’s because we’ve watered down the Scriptures by not telling the whole story. It’s kinda like our mother telling us that not telling the whole truth is still telling a lie. Today, parenting is about letting your children do as they please so that they may express themselves without hindrance. Church is about not offending anyone and getting them to return love to a loving God. They’re not teaching to fear God. They’re not teaching the very real reality.

Not all pastors are watering down Scripture. Some pastors are preaching the Scriptures as they are leaving the “bad” (ie. consequences) things in.  Some of you may want to stop reading here, because I’m about to offend some folks.

Hell is real. Hell is a dark place filled with all the souls who were disobedient toward Gods laws and commands. YOU don’t get to tell God what He can and cannot do. He made you. He made the world we live in and the universe that this world is in. You didn’t create Him. Who do you think you are to tell the Almighty creator of this earth what’s possible or impossible or what he can or cannot do? He nor some man created Hell to scare you into submission like many would like you to believe. God created hell as an eternal time-out for disobedience and defiance of his laws/commandments and He gives YOU the choice to of obedience or disobedience.

Scientist can break down the planet all that they want to, but even they can’t tell anyone how it was done besides a laughable “big bang” into existence. Some “intelligent” folks find that easier to believe there was a big explosion and everything magically appeared than an intelligent designer. All of the explosions I’ve seen are destructive and not creative. Carbon dating? Earth layers? A God that can make our planet and several others rotate around a big star called the sun in perfect timing, with perfect angles, and perfect resistance can’t put something in the earth and make it whatever age he wants? Of course He can. He can create something that carbon dates millions of years old and put it in a 2011 Honda steering wheel if He wants.

Where does the hatred (also known as indifference, pretending He doesn’t exist, etc.) toward God come from? Right from our nature. We’re all about ourselves. We want to selfishly serve ourselves. God doesn’t condemn us to hell. He bridged the great divide between heaven and earth with his son Jesus Christ so that we can be with Him for all eternity. But, he has rules/laws just like we have. Here on earth, if you murder, you go to jail. If you steal, you go to jail. Some of our laws condemn us to life behind bars until death. We don’t seem to have a problem with these laws. But, when God says that you can’t disobey his laws, or you don’t get freedom from pain and suffering, we suddenly start saying that’s not very loving. We don’t want to spend eternity with a God who’d make rules that we have to obey. We’re like little rebellious children. And God loves us forever, but still laid out a plan of Salvation from an eternity away from Him.

We need to protect our own faith and the faith of our children. Fathers and Mothers, it is your responsibility to love your children and put God’s word on their hearts. I don’t have to explain what happens when they leave the cozy protected nest you’ve created for them. The real world is a deceitful place. Here’s what the Bible says:

Ephesians 4:14: “As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;”

And it’s repeated again here:

2 Peter 3:17: “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness,”

Sounds like a warning about the world we live in right? We live in different times than these guys, but we live in the same world. I’ve had conversations with people challenging my faith. Some people really provide some good points that are anti-God. That’s the first and most important sign that they’re trying to trick/deceive/pull me away from the truth. These deceivers come in the form of friends, co-workers, acquaintances, family, teachers, websites, books, and many other places I’m sure. I’m an intelligent human being by many standards. I’ve had my questions, and I have some questions for God, but I’m not going to completely ignore God and pretend He doesn’t exist over a few minor details. I feel God. I talk to God. I have prayers answered.

God didn’t leave us without information to defeat the deceit. Let’s read a little more in Ephesians 4 and 2 Peter 3:

Ephesians 4:15-16 “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

2 Peter 3:18 “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

How Can We Grow In Christ?

We’ll continue to talk about this point throughout my blog entries, but for now, let’s talk about protecting what we have already. If you do not know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I’d like to encourage you to stop everything you’re doing. Stop reading this. Close your eyes for a moment and talk to God. He’s listening. Repent from your sin. Ask Jesus to come into your life and make you new. He will. He can. He doesn’t care what you’ve done, where you’ve been. He can save the worst of mankind because he created you!  Once you’ve accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you’ve got to get to know Him. Build a relationship through prayer and reading the Bible.

Having faith and not protecting it would be like having a huge treasure, but keeping it in the back of a truck where anyone can pluck away at it. God gave us something special to protect our own faith. I believe we can help our children, and our fellow believers using the same protection. God didn’t leave us hanging, it’s talked about just a little further in the book of Ephesians:

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, 15 and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

Put on the full armor of God and protect yourself in this world. Don’t fear the world, fear the One who can give you life or death. Get out there and spread the Gospel. This cold world needs the message you were given freely.

Tags: Armor of God, Bible, Christian Life, faith, Love
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Wow! Here we are. If you’re reading this, you’ve survived the end of the Mayan calendar apocalypse! Congrats on that!

Another year is here. I want to reflect on some highlights of 2012 for myself for the first part of this post before I go into 2013.

For all of 2012, I have been a member of Cornerstone Christian Fellowship. I have met many great families and have become part of the Church family there. I am thankful for all the friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ I’ve met there.  I have been able to use talents God has given me to help with the tech stuff at my Church (Setting up a PC and software to project the songs, videos, and Bible verses onto screens to help the congregation follow along in worship and the sermons!)

I joined a group of guys at the Church in a Bible study group that we lovingly call “Tool Time – Equipping God’s People with the Tool of life”. We have read the entire New Testament and studied it together one day a week for several months. We prayed together, studied together, and grew together. We each want to serve God with all our hearts. We’ve worked together to help some people with projects. We have put together some movie nights at the Church as well as simulcast watching. These guys are an awesome bunch, and it’s been such a blessing spending time with them every week.

I read the Bible in its entirety to learn more about the God I serve. I followed a 90 day reading plan available on YouVersion. I talked about it in my post on How To Create A Good Bible Reading Habit. I encourage everyone to read their Bible.. daily. It’s food for the soul. It’s a look into the diary of our God. He wants us to know Him.

I was able to be involved in an online Bible Study Discussion with my brother and some friends. Videos can be found on YouTube. I hope we can continue to produce these.

I feel like I’ve been blessed and have grown tremendously throughout 2012, and certainly not on my own. God has been faithful as always and strengthens me each step of the way. I am eternally grateful to serve a mighty God.

A door has opened for me to attend seminary. I am VERY excited about it! I start on January 20, 2013 and can’t wait.

So, for 2013, I resolve the following:

• To seek God more. I want to be in His will, because I believe it to be the best for me, and any Christ-follower.
• To Share Jesus more per the instructions Jesus gave to his followers in Matthew 28.19 – And, it’s more than just sharing the Gospel with unbelievers, it’s sharing the Word of God with them. Letting them in on the commitment to take up their cross and follow Jesus. That it’s more than a simple little prayer and you’re no longer doomed to hell. I truly want to spread the good news of Jesus to anyone who will hear. If I love my friends, neighbors, and folks I come in contact with, I will desire them to know Jesus. And, I do.
• To love God more. To love people more. To be a better husband, father, and neighbor (co-worker, friend, stranger, etc.) to people.
• To study the Bible more. (in my personal time, Seminary, in Bible study groups, with other Christian and non-Christian friends).
• To pray more. I pray throughout the day now, just being thankful for what God has given me. I pray for friends that request prayer. I pray for friends who are lost–that God will open their hearts and minds to Him and put whatever roadblocks necessary in front of them to lead them to Him.

I would love to make some traditional New Years resolutions, but the more I look out the windows of my own life into the lives of other people in the world, the more need I see for people to know Jesus. So many peoples moral compass is facing themselves, or their idols, rather than facing Jesus. We know by reading the Bible how this all ends. What we don’t know is some of the details like whose names are getting written in the Book of Life.  Is yours? Is your neighbor’s? Are there people you DON’T want to see in heaven? That’s a problem. God loves them in spite of themselves, and we Christians should too. I think it’s part of our job to LOVE God enough to love other people and desire them to live for all of eternity in heaven.

My public prayer for all of 2013 and I ask that you pray for me: Heavenly father, show me how to love you with all that I am. Use me and my talents for your glory and not mine. Teach me how to teach others about you so that more people come to know you and how much you love them. Work on my heart until the day I leave this earthly life. Help me to be all that you want me to be and grant me the strength to endure until the end. Give me the courage to be bold for you. Make any influence I have in others’ lives point them toward you. My prayer above all is to keep my faith strong in you so that Holy Spirit is strong in me. I love you, God. You are more awesome than I can even imagine. Amen.

What’s your New Years Resolution?

Tags: Resolutions
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A few weeks ago, I read an article that talked about less than half (about 48%) of Americans are Protestant. Click here to see the different percentages.

After reading this, I was telling the men in the Bible study group that I’m in about the article. And I mentioned that it probably won’t be long before other countries are sending missionaries right here in America where we have the freedoms no other country has to worship freely. I was informed that there already are missionaries sent here.

If that doesn’t bother you, you may need to “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! ” (2 Corinthians 13).

There is so much complacency in the Christian church in 2012. In our lives, we are so used to checkboxes on websites, forms, applications, and all… It’s like believing in Christ is something you checkbox, but I don’t find the Bible saying this is how it works.

Christians are afraid to talk about our faith with co-workers. Christians are afraid to talk about our faith with their Church. They’re afraid to talk about our faith with their friends. We try so  hard to be “politically correct”, that we’re failing to relay the message that we claim to believe. That is that while this world is so evil, and so prevalent  and we have wars, murders, rapes, stealing, idols, and many other sins that would make God not want anything to do with us, that Jesus is God (not the minimized, silly little man sitting on clouds with little puppet strings watching his little creations run about killing each other… but the POWERFUL, omnipotent, MIGHTY creator of all things who requires your love and obedience), was born of a virgin (oh.. taboo subject there.. How can a person be born from a virgin. That’s not something you can talk about right? It is IMPOSSIBLE for her to have gotten pregnant without first having sex with a man. Don’t want to look silly talking about this one.. But remember, on another topic, but still an answer to this, “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”” ~ Mark 10:27).

Jesus lived a perfect life without sin, he was killed at the hands of the Romans on the Jewish Pharisees request. His blood shed on the cross fulfilled the requirement for a blood offering to God for our sins from that moment on for those that believe in Him.

The first followers of Christ, devoted their lives to spreading this good news, and making other disciples for Christ to spread the message. Today, many will bug our friends and strangers to get them to join us in Amway, Scentsy, Energy companies, Diet MLM’s, etc., but we don’t want to share the taboo, politically incorrect message that a loving God has given them a way to live for all of eternity in spite of all the things they’ve done wrong against Him. Be BOLD Christians! We serve a mighty God.

Do not be cold or lukewarm. Be on FIRE. Fires spread. Let God work in and through your life. God knows the hairs on your head. He knows what your strengths and weaknesses are. He can change you and make you a mighty warrior for His kingdom. He took a farmer and turned him into the leader of an army (Gideon). He took a murderer of Christ-followers and turned him into an apostle to the Gentiles (Paul).

America needs to see the light of Jesus shining from the Bride of Christ. If they see the REAL Jesus through us, they will have to work really hard to deny Him. Amen?

Let’s stop being complacent and start actively pursuing the lost like we’re called to do. Put on the armor of God, and go to battle! Don’t be afraid of the persecution! Life is SHORT! Eternity is FOREVER. Which should we be more concerned over?

Have no fears because you “can do all things through Christ who strengthens you!” ~ Philippians 4:13

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James and I have been talking about light lately, and being examples, and living a life that is a witness and testimony to others. I’ve been thinking a lot about “light” in particular.

   “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” ~ Matthew 5: 14-16

Have you ever washed your car late in the afternoon, racing to finish before the sun goes down (thinking you did a job well done) only to discover all the places you missed in the light of day?

Light does two things: light allows us to see what is before us, and it illuminates what we’re doing for others to see. As Christians, we are called to *be* light. But what kind of light? A spotlight, bright and garish? A penlight, dim and soft? What about one of those interrogation lamps from one of those cop movies, abrasive and harsh? I suppose it depends on what your purpose is. The right light for the right purpose.

Our light, our purpose, is to illuminate the truth, to reveal Christ to those around us, by our actions and our faith, so that others may see the truth of God’s glory as well.

    “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake.For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” ~2 Corinthians 4: 1-6

We need to be a light that illuminates the full truth, does not distort it, is not overly harsh but does not shy away from it, does not add to it, and simply reveals what is there for others to see.

Black light is created by filtering out most of the visible light so that only invisible ultraviolet light remains, the purplish hue coming from a small amount of visible light which escapes through the dark blue filtering glass. Blacklights are used to identify counterfeit money, reveal the “messy” truth in “clean” bathroom surfaces, reveal fingerprints and blood residue in crime scenes, identify mechanical leaks and test for various skin conditions.

Interestingly, this invisible light reveals invisible truths, things that cannot be seen with the naked eye in visible light.

We need to be like blacklights to the world.

Applying the filter of Christ to our lives, our job is not to condemn or judge but to simply speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Do not add to it, or take away from it, distort it, misrepresent it, hide it, or overexpose it. In the right light, the truth is simply revealed for all to see.

Speaking the truth in love is hard. Disagreeing without judging is hard. (Conversely, hearing the truth in love and hearing disagreement without feeling judged can be equally difficult.) But as Christians, if we take Jesus’ command to heart, to be the salt and the light, to point others to Christ, to reveal God’s glory–then our goal is not to reveal truth for the sake of judging or convicting or being right.

Our goal as Christians is to light the way in the hopes that we might follow Christ more closely and bring others along with us. It’s that hope that should encourage us to be light, more gently, with truth, and love.

    “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.  For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.  But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” ~John 3:16-21

I’ve only scratched the surface here; this is barely the tip of the ice berg. What I really hope that we take away from this object lesson is this: We can only do this through Christ. It is Christ in us that allows us to be the kind of light that we need to be to the world, the escaping glow of Christ’s light bringing forth the luminescent truth of God.

If we remove the “visible light,” ourselves, from the equation we can let Christ’s light shine through us for all to see and thus give all the glory to God.

~ Amber

Photo Credit: Some rights reserved by Lost Cheese

Tags: black light, Jesus, salt and light, truth
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“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” ~ Romans 15:4

I think one of the first thing that we must understand is that God wants us to read the Bible for encouragement, knowledge, wisdom, and love. If you truly have a desire to be closer to Christ, reading the Bible is a way to get to understand him. Too many times, we make the mistake of not reading the Bible for ourselves (on a daily basis) and coming to our own conclusions about what the Bible says. It was written for US, not for only pastors, preachers, teachers to dictate to us their view points. Having said that, there is reason to be in fellowship with your pastors, fellow Christians, church members, etc… To make sure you’re not deviating from the truth of The Bible.

Having said that, here’s how I got into a good practice of reading the Bible daily… I found an application for my phone on a website.. This application has a lot of “Plans” for reading the Bible to choose from. I started at a fast pace (90 days through the Bible) but to create a good habit, a year plan would be great and not require as much time each day.

Once you have chosen a plan, it will keep you on track each day with what you need to read to stay on target. You can read ahead a little if that helps you to stay ahead. Whatever works for you.

I read in the mornings. As soon as I wake up, I reach for my phone, clear out e-mails, check other messages, and then I pray that the days Bible reading will be written on my heart and set into my long term memory which has a hard time absorbing anything, and to bring me closer to Him. Next, I open the Bible application and read what is setup for me to read that day. Once I’m done, I’m encouraged, and set for the day most days.

Once I finished the 90 days, I chose a slower paced plan (21 days) of devotionals. This freed up time to read other books that I’ve been putting off for a while by some of my favorite Christian authors.

You do NOT need a phone to get into a good reading plan. The plans are available from the website where I got the application (www.YouVersion.com) and you can print them off and know what you have to read. Since you won’t have notes available in the application, be sure to have a notepad and pen near you when you read to jot down notes for studying up on later. You could also just read on another device (Laptop, PC, tablet, iPad, etc) on the website and it will track you and let you know where you are in the plan and how far you’ve come along.

Hope this helps someone out in their walk with Christ. Reading His words, and studying them will lead you to being closer to Him. By being closer to him, you guide others closer to Him and that is what we’re called to do!

God bless all of you!

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“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.” ~ Matthew 28:5-6

I have not wanted to write this post and I’ve been putting it off because it seems so cliché to write a post about Easter today, Easter Sunday 2012. My heart yearns for people to know Jesus. I feel like so many who claim to know Jesus aren’t really, and I mean really making the time to get to know Jesus. For many years, I thought I knew. I was a lukewarm Christian running around saying the right things, reading my Bible periodically, and studying topics of interest to me. What I’ve come to find out is that if I want to be a Christ-follower, I have to be obedient to the Scriptures that God has laid out for me. I can’t do it my way. I can’t live my life my way and Christ’s way at the same time.

Over the last 78 days in reading the Bible from (digital) cover to cover in a 90 day plan, I’ve come to the aforementioned conclusion. So many times throughout the Scriptures, people have tried to do things their way and fail miserably again and again. In order to do things God’s way, we have to know what God says, for ourselves. You really need to open the Bible and read it. Don’t take what you’ve been told to be the truth because the truth shows through by reading yourself so that you’re not misled.

Here’s my concern for myself — and for everyone as far as that goes — is this scripture that I heard a pastor talk about in a sermon I’ve watched in the past couple of years: Revelation 3:16 – “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.” I believe he’s talking to the Church. That’s people claiming Christ. And, then, when I think about that Scripture, my mind wanders back to Matthew 7:21-23 where Jesus says to his disciples, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

Crazy huh? We have these folks out there who are actually prophesying in Jesus’ name, casting out demons in his name and have actually done and seen wonders in his name and yet, he still says “I never knew you. Depart from me.” I don’t want Jesus to look at me and say he never knew me. So, I’m doing my very best to know him better. I want to be one of the folks who “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” ~ Matthew 7:13-14.

The facts are, Jesus gave us the information we need to have eternal life during his life and ministry while he was walking around teaching. Then, just like he said would happen, he was given to the Romans, and at their hands severely beaten with a flesh tearing whip, mocked, spit on, and finally put to death on the cross. Before his last breath, he cried out, “It is finished.“. His mission was fulfilled. His blood was shed for the sins of those that accept him as their Lord and Savior and are born again. This was our atonement for sin. But, that couldn’t be the end.

At that point, it stirred even more confusion in his followers. How could this man, whom they’d seen perform so many miracles, teach with such authority, command the wind and waves to stop, and seemingly be the Messiah die?! That ruined EVERYTHING! He was supposed to be a great king. And then, on the third day, (Friday, Saturday, Sunday morning), some ladies who followed Jesus went to his tomb to dress the body and what did they find? An empty tomb. And they freaked out! Probably hysterically freaked out wondering what had happened to Jesus. Then, they saw an angel and he said  “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” (Luke 24:5-7) and then they remembered what Jesus had said.

Then, Jesus went on to make several appearances to not only the disciples, but other accounts are recorded before finally, he ascended into the clouds.

Jesus’ Resurrection is our assurance that he lives and IS who he said he is. Without his overcoming death, he would simply be another man.  Easter is an AWESOME celebration for people of the Christian faith. We should look forward with anticipation to being able to celebrate our Lord’s death and then resurrection.

If you believe what the Bible says is true, you have to be eager to want to know Jesus. It’s not about us and what we want. It’s about the glory of God and obedience to Him. If you want to stand in front of God for all of eternity when life on earth is over, friends, you need to be sure you’re right. I lived my life how I wanted to for many years, and at this point, I’m not so sure I wouldn’t have been one of those that Jesus looked straight at and told me he never knew me. I was lukewarm. I feel like I’m on fire now. I share Jesus with anyone who wants to talk about Him and sometimes with those that don’t.

I saw so many pictures of Churches and see so many talking about their Church buildings being packed today on Easter Sunday. I fear for you guys and gals that are living your lives however you want to and not really giving yourselves over to Christ but showing up in His house on a special celebration Sunday because that’s just what you’re supposed to do. The Jesus I’m reading about wants commitment. He tells me to take up my own cross and follow him. He tells me to love my neighbor. He tells me to BE a disciple and to disciple others. How can I do that if I’m not equipped in knowing him? I know there are many Sunday-Christians as well. Jesus called us to be a light to the world 7 days a week, 365 days a year no matter what our friends, family, and people we don’t even know think. We cannot live our lives 6 days a week like we want, and blend with the world and then show up on Sundays to do our service to God. From what I’m reading, it doesn’t work that way. I’m scared for you folks.

I’m scared that you’re going to come before God, and stand in front of his awesome presence, and smile. And when you give account, Jesus will tell you he never knew you and to depart from him. Guys, if you’re not going to heaven for all of eternity, the Bible is clear of the alternative. I implore you to know Jesus. To study his life, his ministry, his commands, and learn from those that followed him. There may not be the tomorrow you believe you have. You may not have a second after reading this that you believe you have. That I believe I have. You can chuckle if you want, but there are a lot of people who didn’t know that final second was a minute away. You need to get it straight right now. Be a daily Christian. Live your life like the light you were called to be by your creator. You are so special to him that he knows how many hairs are on your head. He knows more about you than you know about yourself. He knows your secret sins. He knows your outright sins. He wants you to know him. God says he’ll forgive you if you just let him be the Lord of your life. If you want to know how to do that, don’t take my word for it. Take His and His alone.

Today, we celebrate as a Church the resurrection of Christ from the grave. Tomorrow, let’s celebrate a loving Savior who died for our sins by submitting ourselves and being obedient. Get acquainted with Jesus. My next post will be on how I started my daily habit of reading the Bible. I want to encourage you to make sure your life matches up to what you’re called to be. Don’t take what your pastor says, don’t take what I say, your parents, your brother or anyone says to be your guide. Read for yourself on how to measure up to what you’re called to be. You’ll be glad you did.

Would love your thoughts. Please comment with them! I love discussion! God bless all of you.

Tags: Christian Life, Easter, Easter 2012
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“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” ~ Matthew 28:18-20

Really, Amway has nothing to do with Christianity but we can learn from them. It just seemed like a good title when talking about spreading the message and discipleship of Christ.

In January, I decided to make a commitment to read the entire Bible in 90 days. I didn’t really realize how much reading that would entail, but here I am on day 26 of reading and learning more about the Bible and the God I serve. If you’re a believer in Christ, and the one true God, I encourage you to follow Jesus teachings in Matthew 4:4 where he says “… It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.” I realized that as an adult, I’d not read the Bible in it’s entirety from cover to cover. I have read it many times growing up in Christian schools primarily, but I’d not actually been able to say that I’d read it cover to cover as an adult. I’m not saying everyone should rush out and read the Bible in 90 days, but maybe commit to a smaller amount of reading. There are a lot of plans available for reading the Bible in a year. That’s a much smaller portion that should be fairly easy to commit to without getting discouraged for missing a day. There are a lot of different plans that you can find on YouVersion.com where I found the plan that I’m following with an “App” on my phone.

I say all that to say that I’m really reading a lot and learning a lot. It’s intriguing what people have been through since the beginning of time when we accept the reality of a living, loving, just, yet merciful God.

The thing that got me to thinking about this post, and mulling it over for a while now, is the historical account of Gideon’s Army.

The Lord called Gideon to lead 300 men to end the oppression of the Midianites who were attacking Israel due to their sins against God. They even defeated them with unconventional weapons. You need to read this starting around Judges 6.

The Problem

So many times, we look around at our society and wonder how we got to where we are today. In my reading, I’ve discovered that it’s not something new that’s crept up on us. Even those that were witnesses to the miracles of God during the time of Moses were still sinful to their very core and turned their back on the one true God. The God who delivered them out of the hands of the Egyptians and across a parted red sea. The God who allowed them to be fed every day by mana and who brought water out of a ROCK when they were thirsty. They turned their back on this all powerful God and started to worship powerless gods. It just shows how deep rooted our sin really is.

We look around and wonder what can we do, as an individual or Church to change the world we live in and those around us. I read recently that 70% of the United States claims to be Christian. I look around and possibly see the same, but I have to wonder what percentage of that 70% will be seen in heaven. I’m not being judgmental. Jesus said  “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’” ~ Matthew 7:21-23 – So, what I’m saying is Scriptural. Jesus knew there would be many who would claim his name, but not really follow him like he commanded.

I think it’s critical, as in an eternal matter, to test ourselves to see if you’re in the faith like Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:5.

What Can We Do To Change The World?

This is where Amway comes into this conversation piece! Amway was a company who popularized a social marketing method. People were trained on how to have in-home meetings and show people the Amway products (soaps mostly at the time) to their friends, family, etc. and earn money for selling the soap to these said people. They could also earn commissions for teaching the same folks how to do the same thing they’re doing, to make themselves some money on the side. So, they had basically streamlined a marketing duplication method. Amway grew into a multi-billion dollar organization and made a lot of people rich. In the long haul, many people grew poorer as well.

Here is what I believe we can do as Christians to make real change in the world we live in… This is something that can only enrich lives. Much like the Amway organization started with just a few people, so can your discipleship. I believe that it starts with our own hearts and our seeking Jesus in everything we do. When you know Jesus, it is your desire to follow his commandment to follow him. Once you know you are right with God, and you’ve checked yourself in faith, you need to disciple someone. Jesus says to. He doesn’t say to just go to Church on Sundays and maybe Wednesdays and work in the nursery every third Thursday. Maybe you start with your children, or you start with a brother in your church to minister to each other and grow in your faith.

If you disciple 2 people, and that’s it, and they each disciple 2 people, and that’s it, then those 4 go disciple 2 people, and that’s it.. and those 8 disciple 2.. and so on.. It doesn’t take long before you’ve strengthened the body of believers and made them strong warriors going out with the full armor of God and making real change in the world we live in. I’m not saying limit yourself to 2 disciples. But, make sure to give a solid foundation to those you do disciple and grow them strong for Christ. Don’t have your disciples accept Christ, and then send them to the lions den of the world and expect them to not be devoured. Nurture them, read The Word with them, hold them accountable and ask that they do the same for you. If Gideon can defeat an entire army with 300 men and unconventional weaponry, how much more could God use a strong body of Christ to create real change in this world? We have the example of Christ to go by. We have God’s words to live by. What more do we need?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, don’t be defeated! We serve a mighty and powerful God! He delivered those in the Old Testament from their oppressors on many occasions, he delivered David from King Saul. God delivered Israel from the Midianites using again, just 300 men and unconventional weapons. He can deliver us from the oppression of those that don’t believe in him that are overtaking the country we live in. He can deliver people from the false beliefs that stand today. He can change the mindset of those who say that he doesn’t and has never existed. He can correct those with false ideas of who He really is. He can show that He is the God if we just let Him.

I want to encourage you as you read this post to strengthen yourself in Christ. Give yourself completely to Christ. Let go of the things you know you’re holding onto that are keeping you from really trusting God  in your life. I don’t know what that is. That’s between you and God. Seek Him in all things. Once you have let Christ take over and he’s in control of your life, seek Him in who you can disciple. If they reject you, pray more. Pray for that person. Ask God to open the door where you can best work for Him.

I feel like many times, Churches are just looking for people to accept Christ, or at least say that they have. Then, these baby Christians are left without discipleship and are easily devoured by the lies of the world we live in. They can be confused so quickly. I think this may have been what Jesus was talking about in his parable of the sower. If you don’t have room in your personal discipleship group, perhaps one that you’re discipling has room in his or hers. Or someone else in your church can disciple them. But, don’t let them go into the world without knowing Jesus and all that he commanded.

I am praying for anyone reading this that somehow God used me to say something to you that you needed. I pray that no matter where you are, who you are, or what you believe that something here helps you know Christ better.

I also pray that if you’re reading this and you don’t know Christ as your personal Savior, that some day before it’s too late, you’ll see whatever you need to see to know that God is reaching out to you.

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” ~ John 14:6

God bless y’all!

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“36 But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[f] but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

42 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

45 Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. 47 Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. 50 The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. 51 He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24:36-51

Courtesy Of My Daughter

Greetings Believers! I’m personally looking forward to 2012. I don’t know exactly what it holds, but I see God working in the lives of a lot of people around me. If you consider yourself a believer, please use this year to begin taking your faith seriously. I’ve started to realize that we need to be bold in our beliefs in Jesus Christ. The more I read, the more I study, the more I realize that I had it all wrong. And, I believe a lot of others do as well. I think this is why our world is in the current God-suppressing state that it’s in right now.

There’s no good way to put this, so I’m going to come out with what I feel and share the short version of my story because I am far from perfect. I became a believer in Christ when I was 6 years old in a little church in Dallas, TX. I distinctly remember climbing under my desk in Sunday school and praying to Christ to come into my heart. I was baptized there. I grew up in Christian schools for the most part. I read the Bible several times throughout school as part of the curriculum. I passed tests. I believed and I thought that was enough. I met my wife when I was almost 21 years old. I started attending a Church with her. I started reading my Bible again and studying after several years of not. We got married and moved. I couldn’t find a Church that I liked in the Irving/Lewisville area after trying out 1 or 2 once. So, I stopped attending Church. When we moved back to our home area of Glen Rose, my wife started going back to the Church we’d once gone to. I went a couple times, but just wasn’t happy there with the new pastor. I knit picked it to death. Then, the church merged with another. They were more of a “reformed” church, and I could not and still cannot accept that theology. I’ve read the debates, I’ve studied countless websites, I’ve ready the Scriptures for both sides of that coin, and I still do not get the same message from what I read. So, I didn’t attend Church with her or my children there.

It wasn’t until the couple years or so that I started looking around on social sites, the news, forums, stores, and all around me and realized that Christians are losing! We’re being suppressed while religions like Islam and humanism is growing.  Shortly after, I began attending Church again. My family and I have tried a few different congregations in the last 18 months. We’re attending a church now that we all enjoy. I read my Bible just about every day. I pray every day. Sometimes while driving down the road, other times, in the quiet of my office. Other times just as I’m waking up to thank God for the future day and to give me the courage and strength to love my fellow humans as much as God does. I want to be a better disciple of Christ.

My new years resolution is to be more Christ-like. I want to be a better example of what a Christian can be so that others can see Jesus light shining through me. I want to be bolder in my convictions and beliefs. I want to love God more than the world I live in or myself. I want to be an encourager to fellow believers to be all that they can be for Christ. I want to be an encourager to non-believers so that they feel the love of Christ. I want to love my family more and better. I want to read the entire Bible again this year. I want to do what Jesus did and not judge but rather see every person as God’s creation that He loves. To not preach, but teach. Do my best to be a real disciple for Christ rather than a hinderance for people to believe. I see “Christians” as one of the biggest  hinderances to a non-believer. “Christians” tend to be hypocrites and that’s a turn off to people who don’t believe in God. I don’t want to be that person anymore.

I want to work harder in my businesses and use whatever talents God has given me to benefit my clients, my business partner in one company, and my family in a way that Glorifies God. I want to write more on this blog and share my thoughts as I’m led to. I want to help you, whoever you are, to grow in your relationship with Christ, our Lord and Savior. I want to live each day thankful that I am living my life according to what I’m called to do (Matthew 28:16-20).

Lastly, if you are a believer, please please take a few minutes to really evaluate your life as a Christian. Even Paul suggested that you test yourself to see if you are in the faith in 2 Corinthians 13:5. This is VERY important. I posted the Scripture above because we do not know the hour or minute that Jesus is returning. This could happen before I finish this post. Since you’re reading it, I guess it didn’t happen (the rapture)  :) But, live your life in a way that’s pleasing to God. Don’t put off for another minute repentance for your sins, submission to God, and changing your life to match what Christ calls you to be. If you don’t know what that is, study, learn, pray!! Read my blog. I’m going to tell you what I think a Christian can be. The first Christians’ faith and encouragement and determination to spread the Gospel is why myself and many other people believe in Christ! We have so much more than they had for the commission set before us with the internet, cars, planes, and many other technological advances! I may be wrong in my blog posts sometimes, but, I’m sure people will tell me. I may be corrected, or I may correct someone.

If you are NOT a believer, God loves you more than you know. He’s there for you when you’re ready.

God bless everyone in 2012!! I am so thankful you’re here on my blog reading my thoughts!

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“And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” ~ Luke 2:7

The picture above is from The Promise in Glen Rose – A musical drama portraying the life of Jesus Christ. The show takes place every Friday and Saturday night in September and October.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to say Merry Christmas to anyone reading this blog. I hope you’ll remember the reason for celebration. His birth was only to fulfill prophecy. His life did the same. His death on the cross is critical to our eternal life.

God bless you all! Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to comment below!

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‘Do not fear, for I am with you; 
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. 
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, 
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ ~ Isaiah 41:10

I don’t follow football, but recently, I’ve been seeing a lot of people talking about Tim Tebow. Until I decided to write this, I couldn’t have told you what position he played. Now, I know he’s the quarterback for the Denver Broncos. I know, I’m lost when it comes to sports. It’s never been my thing. I’d rather watch a video on writing a piece of code or marketing than a sport!

I bring up Tim Tebow because  I’ve found he’s catching some heat from both sides of the believer/unbeliever fence. It’s sad to me. “ Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” ~ 2 Timothy 3:12 – So, the Bible clearly says that we’ll be persecuted because of Christ. It’s to be expected I guess from unbelievers. They’re following the enemy of Christ. The Bible also says: “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you…”  ~ John 15:18-19

I guess the troubling thing is the “Christians” who are saying he shouldn’t be doing what he’s doing. I’ve seen him compared to the Pharisees who prayed in the streets and synagogues in front of everyone ARROGANTLY. Tim Tebow doesn’t appear to be doing this from what I’ve read or seen in a few videos I’ve watched. He’s thanking his creator. He’s giving thanks in everything. (“Rejoice always; .  pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ” ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). There’s a massive difference in spirit in what Mr. Tebow is doing what what the Pharisees were doing.

Do you think that Peter, Paul, John, or any of the early church didn’t pause to pray to God and thank him? He alone allows you to take your next breath. He alone allows your brain to send messages to your heart to keep beating, to your arm to move, to my fingers to type this message. I’m thankful for that. Are you thankful that you were able to open your eyes this morning? How about that when you did, your eyes were able to see color? God allows that. Be thankful in all things. If you get a phone call that something went your way, is it wrong to pause and thank your awesome creator for allowing you this time on earth and the small win you just had? I don’t think so. I’m as guilty as anyone else at not being incredibly grateful to God.

Tim Tebow is setting an example for us in how to walk the Christian walk and NOT be ashamed that he’s a follower of Jesus. I’ll even go as far as to say he’s blessed because the Bible says ““You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.” ~ Matthew 5:10.

True Christianity is losing ground in the United States and around the world. People ran away from other countries to the U.S. to not be persecuted because of their faith. Right here at home, unbelievers are working hard to squash Christianity. These unbelievers exist in the church buildings and outside the church buildings. We see it in the television shows, we hear it on the radio, we read about it in the news, we see it in social media sites. It’s not just the unbelievers making the church look bad. It’s many of us Christians making the church look bad. We are supposed to be representatives of Christ here on earth, but are we acting like it? In many ways, we are, but in many others, we’re simply not. Satan wants us to fail. Plain and simple.

For Tim Tebow and to everyone standing up for their belief in Christ and not hiding it, I offer this Scripture: “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” 2 Corinthians 12:9 – 10

Guys, a good life isn’t good enough. I believe if you truly are a believer. If you truly believe that there is a God in heaven and that he sent sent his Son to die on a cross, live your life accordingly. Study Christ. Your perceptions of what a Christian should be, may not be what a Christian could be. Read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John), then read about the early church in Acts and the following books. Study them. See what they did. See how they treated and respected God. These guys had nothing but a few animals and their feet with a mission from Christ: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” ~ Matthew 28:19-20. Guys, we have the internet, airplanes, cars, buses, printing presses, and many other things at our disposal for our calling. Are we using it?

I’d like to challenge my Christian brothers and sisters, and myself to know Christ better and give your very best to follow Christ. I’d encourage you to really think about everything in a way that acknowledges that God created it with intelligent design. Be thankful to Him in everything. I don’t mean bow your head and pray with each breath, but thank God publicly for your small wins and just for allowing you to live in this world He created. To take part in the life of others, and the honor of serving such an awesome God that would go as far as He has to love us, is worthy of our thanks. Don’t ya think? If you’re ridiculed for serving God, remember, he became human and walked on this earth too. He went through the life we have and set the bar for us all to strive for.

God bless you all!

Tags: Christ Follower, Christian Example, Christian Life, tebow, Thank God, timothy tebow
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