Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Restoration

From the beginning of time, mankind has searched for peace. He has joined peace movements. He has marched for peace. He has awarded prizes for peace. He has even gone to war for peace. And when you hear of someone being arrested for disturbing the peace, you wonder where they found any to disturb.
There are people today who put bumper stickers on their car that say, “Visualize world peace.” Then they cut you off on the freeway.
One day there will be peace. But it won’t be brought about by the United Nations. It won’t be brought about by any nation. It will be brought about by God Himself. It will happen when the Creator Himself returns, takes possession of what is rightfully His, and hangs a sign over this war-weary planet that says, “Under new management.” Christ will return, and He will bring lasting peace.
God’s perfect plan, according to Ephesians 1:10, is to “bring everything together under the authority of Christ.”
Peter preached in Acts 3:21 that Christ “must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.” God is going to make earth into heaven and heaven into earth. Just as the wall that separates man and God was torn down as a result of the Cross, so too will the wall that separates heaven and earth be demolished.
Have you ever seen a completely restored classic car cruise down the street? It catches your eye. You think, That is awesome! That is beautiful! That is incredible! That is because you love to see something restored to its original condition.

  God is into restoration. He is into restoring lives. He is into restoring bodies. And He is even into restoring our planet.

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

What is Faith?

Faith is a word that we use a lot, but sometimes we can make it too complicated. Faith simply means 'belief or absolute trust'; the word also implies loyalty and commitment. 

Faith isn't a huge, complicated concept that we have to stress over. Genuine faith in God simply acknowledges that the message of Jesus' death and resurrection is absolutely true. It happens when we say, "Not only does it make sense to me, but I'm willing to stake my life on it."

The Bible says that the uncompromisingly righteous shall live by faith and faithfulness. One way to think of the uncompromisingly righteous is to think of those who are made right by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. 

Through faith we are made right, and God treats us as His own beloved children.

I encourage you to get back to the basics of faith. Know that when you put your faith in Him, you are made right. Live by your trust in the God who reaches out to you with loving and open arms, ready to receive you and love you just as you are.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

WWIII

If you run out of topics to talk about at your next gathering, just ask this question: What currently known conditions could trigger World War III? North Korea or Iran firing at someone? The collapse of a nuclearized state like Pakistan, with atomic bombs going to the highest bidder? Militant groups using weapons of mass destruction? A global economic crisis that emboldens an adversarial nation? The Middle East erupting in conflagration? An assassination? An errant missile?

The world is held together by fragile threads, and Jesus predicted that wars and rumors of wars would characterize the last days. But unrest in the world will eventually come to an end. Christ is coming for His Church, the Great Tribulation will run its course, the Battle of Armageddon will be won by the King of kings, and the peace of God will rule in our hearts forevermore. Without God, our world would be doomed and our lives would be pointless. But He is in complete control, Christ is coming, and His agenda is unfolding every hour

.

Monday, July 29, 2013

Standup and Walk the Talk

It bothers me when I meet people who profess to be believers, but they are engaging in extramarital or premarital sex and have rationalized it somehow. They say that God is cool with it. But God is not cool with it. It is a sin against Him.

When you are spiritually lethargic, you are more vulnerable to these sins. Case in point: King David. He was plucked from obscurity as a shepherd boy to become a giant killer in the valley of Elah and later the great king of Israel. He was a wonderful, powerful, and godly man. But after years of walking with the Lord, David put his spiritual life on cruise control, and we read that “late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath” (2 Samuel 11:2). That woman, by the way, was Bathsheba.

Interestingly, this was the time when wars were being fought. David’s troops were out on the battlefield, and David, the warrior-king, should have been leading them as he always did. Instead, he was kicking back. He was taking some time off. But you don’t feed lust—you starve it. The moment you back off in the spiritual battle, you will be vulnerable. The moment you fall asleep, you will be weak. You can’t take a spiritual vacation.
That is why Paul wrote to Timothy, “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts” (2 Timothy 2:22).

This is the warning: Stay away from those things. Stay away from anything that would encourage immoral living. God knows that it's not easy to do these things in the world we live in right now BUT that's why we must renew our minds to HIS way of thinking. Standing up for what you believe in today, can loose friends and family members but remember salvation is not in their relationship - it's in Jesus!

Monday, July 22, 2013

Character

char·ac·ter

  [kar-ik-ter] 
noun
1. The aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature
    of some person or thing;
2. One such feature or trait; characteristic;
3. Moral or ethical quality: a man of fine, honorable character.
4. Qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity
5. Reputation: a stain on one's character.
The quality of a person is his character. What is he made of? What makes him tick? Jesus said that the treasure of a man is what is in his heart and therefore what is in his heart comes out of his mouth accompanied by action or the lack thereof. What comes out of his mouth can create a reputation which can be good or bad.
Have you ever known anyone who every other word is foul language? I had a Lieutenant on my police department who was always saying "f..." this and "f..." that. It was so noticeable that officers would make fun of him even though they themselves swore but not to that extent. It was amazing that when his wife came down to headquarters, you never heard him swear but the minute she left he would start right up again. This obviously tells me that he made a clear choice not to swear. If using swear words is bad then why use them? Why use them at all? Does using these words create better character or gives a person a more prominate position in life?
The Bible has much to say about swearing. It says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." 

Clothes

Most of us pay at least some attention to the way we look, and there is nothing wrong with that. But have you ever noticed how some people, instead of wearing an outfit, their outfit is wearing them? We don’t want attire like that. When we put on our clothes, we expect them to do what we do, to go where we go.
That is the idea of Romans 13:14, which tells us to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” This refers to a practical, day-by-day repetition of putting on of Christ. We embrace Him again and again.
To put on the Lord Jesus Christ is to have him be a part of everything we do. He goes with us where we go. He is a part of our decision-making process. He is Lord every day of our lives. He is not only our Sunday Jesus, but He is our Monday Jesus, our Tuesday Jesus, our Wednesday Jesus, and our Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Jesus.
He is Lord when we go to church. He is Lord when we go to the movies. He is Lord when we go out to dinner. He is Lord when we go to work. He is Lord when we go on vacation. He is Lord of all. And if He is not Lord of all, then He is not Lord at all.
I like the J. B. Phillips paraphrase of this verse: “Let us be Christ’s men from head to foot, and give no chances to the flesh to have its fling.”
Putting on the Lord Jesus Christ—that is what we need to focus on. Let’s focus our energies on becoming like Jesus.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Think and Talk Positve

God wants to lead you into your promised land...after all, you have been recreated in Christ, born anew, that you might live the good life that God prearranged for you. But to follow God into that life, He will have to prepare you first, and that means some things will need to change.

Now, don't be afraid of the word change; it just means that you stop doing some things you've been doing and start doing some things you haven't been doing. For example, stop thinking negative thoughts and start thinking positively, stop settling in your comfort zone and step out of the boat, stop procrastinating and start taking the opportunities that arise.

It's not enough to just read about and talk about the Promised Land. Decide that you are going to possess your promised land. God is good; He will lead you there. Just be willing to follow and accept the positive changes that God wants to bring to your life as He prepares you to be a blessing to others.

Friday, March 22, 2013

What's Done is Done!

What do you do with your failures? Could you do it all over again, you’d do it differently. You’d be more patient. You’d control your tongue. You’d finish what you started. You’d get married first. But as many times as you tell yourself, “What’s done is done,” what you did can’t be undone.
That’s part of what the apostle Paul meant when he said, “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23). He didn’t say, “The wages of sin is a bad mood.”  Or “The wages of sin is a hard day.” Read it again.  “The wages of sin is death.”  Sin is fatal.
What do you do?  Don’t we all long for a father who will love us?  A father who cares for us in spite of our failures? We have that kind of a father.  A father whose grace is strongest when our devotion is weakest.  Your failures are not fatal, my friend! - Max Lucado

Friday, March 1, 2013

What Do We Do?

In the world we live in, we are going to have all kinds of problems, frustrations and difficulties. That's just life. So knowing this, what do we do? 

We must remain steadfast and persevere. In other words, the answer is never give up! No matter what's going on in our lives, the victory is in refusing to quit.

Keep in mind that in the heat of our struggles, the Holy Spirit is probably doing His greatest work within us. He is not moved by the circumstances. If you and I really trust Him, we shouldn't be either! He's not in our lives for good times only, but for the difficult times as well.

He will lead us through anything if we'll just hang in there and follow Him. This means being diligent in prayer, relentless in our resolve, unwavering in faith, and determined to stand firmly on God's Word and His promises to us.

So many times we can be sidetracked by how slowly things seem to be going. In fact, the enemy loves to point that out! But remember, that's when God may be doing some of His greatest work. You see, it's not all about you and me. The Lord's work in us is preparation for the work He wants to do through us!

I know life can be hard sometimes. But I also know that God will help us if we remain steadfast. Let's stand on Galatians 6:9: "So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up" (NLT). It's never easy but you must stay strong!

So let me ask that question again: What do we do? My answer is, never give up! What's your answer?

Monday, January 21, 2013

Freedom of Choice

Today Barack Obama was sworn in again as President of the United States of America. His presidency has been very controversial. Our nation is now quite split between conservatives and liberals. Congress is constantly fighting over proposed laws. The gay community seems to be more visible. Schools are now a target for violence. Iran and Israel are about to go to war. North Korea is trying to create a nuclear missle to be able to hit our country. So one may ask, where is God in all of this mess?

God has never left the scene and will never leave. People don't "see" God because they don't look for Him. I compare it to trying to see air. You can't see air but you can see the result of air by the wind! You can't see God but you can see His result in life. When people put God into their lives, you see the result. When you look around this earth, you see the awesome wonders that He created. Only an open heart and true desire will God be open to you.

We are now embarked on another 4 years with President Obama and whether you like him or agree with his policies, he still is the president and God requires us to respect that office as hard as it may be for us. God will always be in charge but He has given everyone freedom of choice even when we make the wrong ones. 30 years ago I decided to make Jesus Christ the Lord of my life and that act absolutely changed me. I will always stand up for what I believe even in the midst of controversey.

Our country was founded upon Christian Biblical principles. There are people who no longer want to follow those principles and are trying to change our country for their own desires. Mant presidents in the past have stood upon these principles. Here are a few quotes from Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the USA:

I am exceedingly anxious that this Union, the Constitution, and the liberties of the people shall be perpetuated in accordance with the original idea for which that struggle was made, and I shall be most happy indeed if I shall be an humble instrument in the hands of the Almighty, and of this, his almost chosen people, for perpetuating the object of that great struggle.
--February 21, 1861


Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in our bosoms. Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands, everywhere.
--September 11, 1858


Nevertheless, amid the greatest difficulties of my Administration, when I could not see any other resort, I would place my whole reliance on God, knowing that all would go well, and that He would decide for the right.
--October 24, 1863


The will of God prevails. In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be, wrong.
--September 1862


All the good the Saviour gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man's welfare, here and hereafter, are to be found portrayed in it.
--September 7, 1864


. . . so that truth, and justice, and mercy, and all the humane and Christian virtues might not be extinguished from the land; so that no man would hereafter dare to limit and circumscribe the great principles on which the temple of liberty was being built.--August 17, 1858

In the very responsible position in which I happen to be placed, being a humble instrument in the hands of our Heavenly Father, as I am, and as we all are, to work out His great purposes, I have desired that all my works and acts may be according to His will, and that it might be so, I have sought his aid -- but if after endeavoring to do my best in the light which He affords me, I find my efforts fail, I must believe that for some purpose unknown to me, He wills it otherwise.
--on October 26, 1862

There are many more quotes I could put here but from the above you can understand where his heart was at. There comes a time in all of our lives when we must make serious decisions about where we stand on various issues the most important being where you will be spending eternity. God gave us the ability to make choices. In four years we will have another choice for president. You may not be here tomorrow for no one knows what will happen tomorrow. The Bible is either right or wrong. You have the freedom of choice to seek the truth.



















Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Satan calling you?

Can you imagine spending time with Jesus when He suddenly turns to you and says, “Oh, by the way, the devil has been asking for you by name.” “The devil? You mean, like . . . Lucifer himself?” “Yeah. That’s right.”

That is what happened to Peter. He and the other disciples had just celebrated the Last Supper with Jesus when He dropped this revelation on them: “Tonight all of you will desert me. For the Scriptures say, ‘God will strike the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ But after I have been raised from the dead, I will go ahead of you to Galilee and meet you there” (Matthew 26:31–32). But Peter replied, “Even if everyone else deserts you, I will never desert you” (verse 33).

So Jesus essentially said, “Well, since you brought it up, Rock, let me tell you something. Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you ever knew Me. And listen to this, Peter: Satan has been asking excessively that you would be taken out of the care and protection of God.”

The good news is that Jesus was praying for Peter. And Jesus is praying for you. Romans 8:34 says, “Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.” Jesus is in your corner. He is interceding for you. Bible commentator Robert Murray McCheyne said, “If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million enemies. Yet distance makes no difference. He is praying for me.” Were it not for the prayers of Jesus, I wouldn’t stand a chance. Neither would you. I rely on Him everyday. Who do you rely upon?