With God, Without God

I'd like to remind you all of the immense love God has for each of you. Whether you are a Christian, Catholic, Gnostic, Atheist, Muslim or part of any other religion or belief system, God loves you so much. 

Listen, You could have it all together right now - great career, a nice home, cars, money in the bank, disposable income that allows you to enjoy certain luxuries in life, or you could be scraping pennies to try and make ends meet - worried about how to pay your rent. You could have the greatest relationships - family and friends, or you could be on the outs with everyone and be all alone. I could easily go on.

The point is, God is no respecter of person. No matter where we are in life today, a day will come when we leave these mortal bodies and face God, at which time we will be judged. And only one of two destinies awaits our eternal fate (Yes, we have a soul, one that will go on after our physical bodies are no more - please believe this) eternal life with God in heaven, enjoying the splendor of the King, or eternal separation from God, where even a drop of water to quench our souls thirst will not be granted.

This is serious! Whether you choose to believe this or not is up to you, but I am here to attest to the fact that the Word of God is reliable and accurate. I would stake my life on what it says. And it says what I just mentioned.

The Bible is clear - disregard it, think it foolish, don't take it seriously and we will suffer the consequences of eternal separation. But, if you regard it, if you take it seriously and understand that God wants you to live an amazing life here on earth and spend all eternity with Him - you will! And it all begins with Jesus.

The Bible teaches that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life and that no one gets to the Father (God) except through Jesus. Jesus is our mediator to everlasting life.

God loves you so much He sent Jesus, His Son to take upon Himself the penalty of sin we all deserve. He says, confess you are a sinner and receive my Son Jesus into your heart, and He will come. God says, turn around from the things you know are wrong in your life (lying, stealing, cheating, anger, jealousy, hate, etc.) and see the glory of the Lord shine brightly in you.


Pray: God, I believe you sent Jesus to die and take my place at the judgment seat. I confess, I am a sinner. I believe Jesus is alive and I receive Him into my heart. Help me turn around from the things I do that dishonor you. Amen.

Won't you decide today to really think about your life, and of the lives of those you love. We are all going to meet God one day, let it be on His terms because - Daddy truly knows best. God bless.

Children's Prayers

Here are three prayers my wife and I modified for our son, use them joyfully.

Morning (anytime) Modified Lord's Prayer

Our Father, in Heaven
Blessed be your name
Your Kingdom come
Your will be done
on earth as in heaven
Give us today all we need
and forgive us our wrongs
as we forgive those who wronged us
keep us safe
In Jesus Name We Pray, Amen

Meals

God you are great
God you are good
Let us thank you
For our food
In Jesus Name We Pray

Bedtime

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
I cannot wait
to see my family
when I wake up
in the morning
God bless Mom and Dad (or who ever you'd like)
and everybody that I love
Especially You Lord
In Jesus Name We Pray, Amen

Enjoy, God Bless.

A Disciple of Christ

What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ? Jesus Himself tells us in passages such as Luke 9:57-62. It means to follow Christ. If you think that is easy, remember that the condition is to be willing to set everything aside for the sake of Christ: dreams, possessions, family, ambitions, even life. Discipleship has to do with abandonment, denial, and even death. And for what? In order to gain Christ. The reward of the gospel is God Himself, the greatest treasure one can ever possess. So, when you think in terms of this reward, then the requirement is insignificant.

Listen to what Elisabeth Elliot wrote about her husband killed in trying to take the gospel to a tribe: “Jim’s aim was to know God. His course, obedience-the only course that could lead to the fulfillment of his aim. His end was what some would call an extraordinary death, although in facing death he had quietly pointed out that many have died because of obedience to God. He and the other men with whom he died were hailed as heroes, ‘martyrs.’ I do not approve. Nor would they have approved. Is the distinction between living for Christ and dying for Him, after all, so great? Is not the second the logical conclusion of the first? Furthermore, to live for God is to die, ‘dayly,’ as the apostle Paul put it. It is to lose everything that we may gain Christ. It is in thus laying down our lives that we find them.”
Help us Lord to count to cost, take up our cross and follow You. Amin.

Professor Mihaila - Liberty University

God Loves You

As I think about the frailty of life, I am reminded that at the end of the day, all we want as human beings is to be loved. We work so hard at trying to live lives that are full of what seems to bring us joy, but we cry more than we laugh. We think the worst more than the best. We lie more than we tell the truth, especially to ourselves. We hurt, and then hurt; because that's what hurt people do. We don't trust more than we trust.

There are people who spend a life time accomplishing this thing or that thing with the hopes of changing the world, when in fact, all that have made contributions to society have only ever wanted one thing - love. How about all the evil people that have committed such atrocities? They were missing love. But not all evil people lacked love, you say. Yes, they have.

We were built to love and be loved - that's it! That's why men work. That's why women work. That's why we have what we have around us today because someone, somewhere, loved someone else. Think about this world of ours and how it is built. Do you honestly think that we as a race are smart enough to have accomplished all we have without help? Why is it that most of what we enjoy today has come just in the last four or five decades? Because we are evolving to meet the need for love, or maybe technology is moving forward at such a rapid pace to keep us from figuring out we need love.

I don't know, seems to me we either miss love, need love, give love or take it. But we sure don't know how to handle it. But somewhere along the line, we will never be happy unless we have the greatest love of all. That's why we damage each other! That's why fathers run out on their kids. That's why marriages are so quickly and easily broken. That's why we do drugs, and drink and gamble and prostitute and kill and lie and cheat and steal and are gay and are corrupt and the rest of it - because we don't have love! At least most of us don't.

Some of us think we have real good love. Shoot, brought up right, been given good homes, not necessarily rich homes, although I imagine that's not too bad, lol; but an environment conducive to good growing up and good social living. Nonetheless, even that is not enough - even that won't prevent a husband from cheating, or a wife for that matter. Or a Business person from causing havoc. You think Bernie Madoff had a good upbringing? How about G W Bush or Obama?

We are such fools to think we can make a life for ourselves without true and real love; a love that we are simply incapable of giving or receiving without the key to it. God, through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit! Girls will always be hungry for real love and will look for it anywhere they can get it. Boys will always look for real and true and trusting love and will go anywhere to get it. FOOLS!

And the world thinks that Bible believing, true and honest Children of God are the fools. Have you read the Bible? Yes! It is full of war and violence and discrimination! No, it's not - it's full of love. You can't skim through a biophysics textbook in thirty minute and think you know all there is to biophysics! So why do some many people, some that have never even picked up a Bible think they know what it is all about?

God loves us! He truly and deeply loves us! He loves us more than we can ever know. With a sweet and tender love, with a firm and disciplinary love (to keep knuckleheads like me on the right path), with an endearing love, a protective love, with an affirming love, with an EVERLASTING LOVE -just ask His Son!

I don't have this love thing down, that's for sure - I lack in all kinds of ways, but one thing I know to be true - God loves me. And I know He loves you too. If you're hurting, or lost, or lonely, or depressed, or confused, or angry, or hungry, or not sure if life is worth living, or just need to hear the words - I love you - God is waiting to receive you and hug you, and kiss you and show you His amazing love.

Believe Jesus is His Son and that He came to die in your place. Confess you have lived contrary to what God wants for you. Receive Christ into your heart. Turn from the kind of living that hurts God, and watch how LOVE will overcome you. He's waiting, He loves you so much. He gave His Son for you. His love will bring peace and joy in your life.

God bless.

Are You Sure You Belong To God?

To truly know if one is or to become a child of the Living God through Jesus Christ, I believe there are four elements necessary in starting this amazing journey with God.

1. Believe: Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He came in the form of man to, through His redemptive work on the Cross, take upon Himself the sins of man - past, present, and future. Acts 16:31, 1 John 2:2, 1 Peter 2:24

2. Confess: Confess you are a sinner. Breaking the laws of God - use the Ten Commandments as a guide - Are you lying? Are you stealing? Are you looking at a man/women with lust in your heart? Are you committing murder? (Jesus said being angry with someone is as committing murder) etc. If so, then confess it - tell God, I am a sinner and I need your Grace. 1 John 1:9, Ephesians 2:8, Romans 10:9

3. Receive: Receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, and allow Him to be Lord of every area of you life - Heart, Mind, Soul, and Strength.
Colossians 2:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:9

4. Repent: Repent of sin. Stop doing the things you know are against what God wants for you (You learn this through reading the Bible, going to a solid faith based Church, and fellowship with other believers.) Acts 3:19, Acts 20:21, Colossians 3:16, Romans 12:10

**The Scriptures above are but a few examples to glean from, good Bible study reveals much.**

Do these things and you are well on your way to an abundant (not always easy) but absolutely abundant (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, thoughtfulness, goodness, self-control, just to name a few) life!

A Simple Prayer Can Begin to Change Your Life...

God, I realize that I have done wrong by not listening to what you ask me to do with my life. I have sinned against You and I confess my sin. I believe You sent your Son Jesus Christ to take upon Himself all my sins, and through Him, I can be made right with You. I believe He died and rose again and is alive! If I ask for forgiveness, I can receive it and become Your child. Please forgive me God, I receive Your Son Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for setting me free! Help me to turn from sin and live my life, Your way. In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.

Tell Your Story

We all have a story to tell, especially as Children of the Most High God. TELL YOUR STORY. Tell of the pain and the heartache. Tell of the sadness and the hurt. Tell of the disappointment and rejection. Tell of all the mistakes you made and thought you were never going to get out of. Tell of the lying, and the cheating, and the stealing. Tell of being a drug addict. Tell of being abused as a child. Tell of the times you ran from God. And when you are done with that, TELL YOUR STORY! Tell the story of how Jesus came into your life and swept you off your feet! Tell of how He came in and cleaned house in your heart! Tell of how through His redemptive work on the Cross you ARE SET FREE! Tell of how you will spend all eternity with God, Jesus, Holy Spirit and those you love who are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb! We all have a story to tell, tell yours today and believe God to send Holy Spirit to save a life. God Bless

The Lost are Important to God

Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach.
This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such despicable people -- even eating with them!
So Jesus used this illustration:
"If you had one hundred sheep, and one of them strayed away and was lost in the wilderness, wouldn't you leave the ninety-nine others to go and search for the lost one until you found it?
And then you would joyfully carry it home on your shoulders.
When you arrived, you would call together your friends and neighbors to rejoice with you because your lost sheep was found.
In the same way, heaven will be happier over one lost sinner who returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven't strayed away!
"Or suppose a woman has ten valuable silver coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and look in every corner of the house and sweep every nook and cranny until she finds it?
And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors to rejoice with her because she has found her lost coin.
In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God's angels when even one sinner repents." LUKE 15:1-10

God is teaching us here that as the lost sheep and lost coin are important to the Shepherd and the Woman, so are lost people important to Him. As the two go to great lengths to find the lost sheep and coin, so God goes to great lengths to find the lost of this world. And finally, as the two take great measure in rejoicing over finding that which was lost, God and His angels rejoice when a lost person (unsaved / back sliden) is found! If the lost are so important to God (remember, we were once lost ourselves) shouldn't they be important to us too? God Bless.