Merry CHRISTmas season everyone! This is such a wonderful season. I love the weather, the food, the music, and all the joy that goes with it. But there is one thing that my wife and I are not too fond of during this time of year-commercialism. Buy, spend, charge, stress, yell, speed, no parking, hurry, argh! That is the drain that takes all the fun and true meaning out of CHRISTmas. And then come the credit card bills. And then there is Santa. Here is why, as we always say, “We don’t do Santa”.
First, do I believe that believing in, the telling of, and following Santa is a sin and offensive to God? No. Because CHRISTmas is not a God ordained holiday (as is Passover, which is a God ordained “Holy day”). CHRISTmas is actually a man made holiday designed to honor and remember the birth of Jesus Christ. It actually is plastered all over pagan holiday customs (such as the Christmas tree). No one actually knows the true day when Christ was born. December 25th is just an estimated guess. I don’t even believe that if a Christian did not celebrate CHRISTmas that they would be offending God. We should honor Jesus all the time, from birth to death…and life again.
We choose to emphasize the miracle that is the birth of Jesus Christ. We keep our gift giving to each other in our household to a minimum and choose the wise men bringing gifts as the reason why we do it. Although many would say that gift giving is in honor of St. Nicholas, which I will get to in a minute. We also put a large emphasis on the importance of helping those less fortunate. Some of what we involve ourselves in are Operation Christmas Child, Gospel for Asia, and donations to The Rescue Mission. When we purchase the toys for other children, and when we donate old toys to make room for new, we tell our children that it is for children who don’t have any toys. And they understand this and don’t cry because they want all the toys in the world. All because we follow the path of Jesus and give gifts (especially those who don’t “get”), instead of the path of Santa which is to expect and receive gifts.
Growing up my parents did the Santa thing. I sat on his laps. I sent the letters. I stayed up all night on CHRISTmas eve and even thought I heard reindeer on the roof (which I later found out was my parents radio in their room playing CHRISTmas music). I always got what I asked for. I expected it, or else! But when I was eight, I didn’t get a single thing I asked for. This is when I stopped believing. After this I though CHRISTmas was all about presents. “The more the merrier!”; “This is what I want.”; ” What? That’s not what I asked for!” I remember one time when I was nine or ten I got into a fight with my Dad because I got a “learn to draw” set, and I already knew how to draw. What a brat! I was actually happy that my parents were divorced because it meant more gifts. I didn’t know what this Jesus guy was all about and what He has to do with CHRISTmas, the holiday designed for getting gifts. I didn’t know what Jesus had to do with CHRISTmas until my late teens. Wow! Talk about a childhood of being deprived.
When the question of “Who is Santa?” arrives, we are honest with our children and tell them that he is a make believe person that some people believe is real. We also tell them not to EVER tell other children that he is not real. Everyone has their beliefs. We believe that if we tell them that he is real and lead them to believe this, then we are lying to them. I shudder to think that we teach them to believe in something so miraculous that they cannot see, then they find out he is not real. Then we expect them to believe the same thing about Jesus. They may not trust that he is real either, considering that trust is compromised when they find out you have been lying to them for years. However, we are willing to share the story of St. Nicholas. Although Santa and St. Nick are the same, they are very different. One did great things for the poor because he served Jesus. The other just spoils kids and does things that no human can ever do in one night. One is real, one is a myth derived from the one who is real (although some historians believe that there isn’t enough evidence to support the existence of St. Nicholas either). St Nicholas is actually a good example of giving. He teaches to give to the poor and not worry or whine about what toys you will be getting. Santa teaches that everyone automatically gets whatever they want. So kids expect it. I know many kids who were strongly led on to Santa, and every December 25th you almost want to pack them up and send them to the North Pole for Santa to deal with because of all the “me, me, I want!”. Just kidding! UPS won’t pick up packaged kids.
The choice is “Do we emphasize the birth of Jesus and teach about Him and His love?“ or “Do we teach about a magical man with magical reindeer who will drop down the chimney at midnight and bring all the gifts that you asked for?“ The story of Jesus and His reason probably isn’t as fascinating to a child as the story of Santa and his sack of toys. Most children will just concern themselves with Santa and not pay much mind to that Jesus guy. It’s kind of like offering them broccoli or cake…for dinner.
I know many Christian families do both Santa and Jesus, hoping that they will eventually pick Jesus as the reason for the season. Many believe that we should do that with our children too. But if you give a child a choice between broccoli and cake for dinner, they will probably choose the cake. Broccoli is better for you than cake, so that’s what we feed to our children.
Love in CHRIST!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Be Thankful Always
Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. (1 Chronicles 16:8).
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. (Psalm 95:2). Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. (Psalm 100:4).
Thanksgiving! One of my favorite holidays. Not just because of the great food, family, and four day weekend, but because it is a time that we should take to reflect on what we are thankful for. The pilgrims were thankful for God’s grace and blessings that had seen them through the beginning of their new life here in America. What is it that you are thankful for?
I am thankful first and foremost for a God who loves all of us and who is always there when we need Him. Who is all powerful, merciful, and just. I am thankful for His son Jesus Christ who is God in the form of man. Who came to Earth in a humble fashion and who lived a life by an example that we should follow for our Father God in Heaven. Only by Christ’s example can we glorify God. He shed his blood so that we would be forgiven and the veil would be torn that “separated” us from God. Now that Christ has bridged the gap between man and God, I thank the Holy Spirit that convicts me and others alike. It is a voice far greater than my own conscience. It, along with the Bible, is Christ within us. The disciples had Jesus with them to teach and to give evidence of God’s presence, we have the Holy Spirit, along with faith and the most important ingredient, prayer.
I am also thankful for my wonderful wife. She is the perfect helpmeet for me. I may be the head and spiritual leader of this family, but she is most definitely the engine that keeps it going. She supports me and listens and offers a different point of view to some of my ideas and how I go about doing things (most of which is better than what I had in mind). Sometimes I have found that God will speak through her in these times. And in times where I didn’t listen to her, I wish that I had. She is a wonderful mother to our children. I am thankful knowing that our children are in good hands with someone who raises them in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). She is beautiful with a wonderful and passionate heart for this family and God. Not to mention she is an awesome cook!
Then I am thankful for my two sons. They are blessings from the Lord. Words cannot express what they mean to me. My oldest son is almost four and already has a heart for the Lord. He prays on his own, understands forgiveness, and loves many. We are teaching him that there are many out there who are less fortunate and there are others who are lost sinners and that we need to pray and be compassionate for them. Even at a young age he is beginning to understand. Our youngest son is just over one year old. He obviously doesn’t understand the things that his older brother understands, but he’s a comedian. He loves to make you laugh and does more laughing at himself. I pray and have a feeling in my heart that all (yes, we pray God blesses us with many more) of our children will serve the Lord and make a difference in this dark world.
Then I am thankful for the rest of my family. Parents, siblings, grandparents, in-laws, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends. You know who you are and I am blessed to have each of you in my life. Also my job, my health, my home, and my talents that God has given me and that I choose to glorify Him with. I am a blessed man and am thankful for all He has given me and done for me.
Now I know somewhere there are people who are broken hearted. Maybe you are one of them. Maybe this Thanksgiving and coming CHRISTmas season is feeling bitter. Maybe this will be the first season without a loved one. Maybe you are going through a divorce. Maybe you have become estranged from a family member or have recently parted ways with a friend. Maybe it has become hard to be thankful and find joy because of finances or because you may have lost your job. Maybe you just cannot beat this addiction and you are feeling defeated. Understood. You are human and it is only natural to feel this way. You just may not be feeling thankful for anything anymore.
But, my friend, there is something to be thankful for. It was the first thing that I mentioned that I was thankful for. Did you catch it? It was The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. What can He do for you?
I no longer see my Grandma Doris. She passed away from cancer on my Grandpa’s (her husband) birthday in March 2001. She and I were very close. She provided the love that my heart needed as a child growing up. We spent many nights talking on the phone for hours and I spent many summers at her house. She was a very joyous person and loved everyone. If she didn’t know you, she sure was going to. She obviously had the Lord in her life and concerned herself with the salvation of others. She admitted in the last days that she was ready to meet God. Wow! How we can look forward to death! Knowing we are getting ready to meet Him. I unfortunately never got to say goodbye to her. She never got to see me get married or hold my children. But I have what she had. I have the same Father, Son, and Spirit that she had. I know she is in Heaven. I am not bitter because I no longer get to see her on the holidays. Thank you Jesus! My wife and I are actually married to another person. His name is Jesus. I can tell you now that we have never broken each others hearts, split, or even considered divorce in our 11 years together. We are as happy and passionate now as we were in our younger days and continue to strengthen by our walk with Him. Our hearts are one. The word divorce is treated as a curse word in our home. Never will we split until death because of what binds us. Thank you Jesus! I had many friends in my younger days that did drugs and alcohol (although I didn’t partake). Had my heart not been discerning and I followed those friends, instead of walking my own path, I never would have met my wife and probably would not know Him. I have parted ways with these friends and no longer see or speak with them. Thank you Jesus! If you know my wife and I, then you know that we are no stranger to financial difficulties. It’s our shadow sometimes. It is the result of our choosing to have ONE income so that she can stay home to raise and teach our children in the love and instruction of the Lord. Instead of paying a total stranger to raise our children for us so that we can have more money. Money is not worth losing our children over. But no matter what we face, it always passes. We have never lost a home, a vehicle, power, phone, food, or clothing. The only thing that we lost due to hardship was the devil’s plaything- cable TV. That was worth losing. He has always provided. You can see further testimony on this by reading my first blog post “Can God Be Glorified In A Car Accident?” from July 2010. Thank you Jesus! (Adult) Pornography. That was my addiction years ago. It ran into my marriage and tortured my soul beyond definition. It was a constant temptation that Satan would throw into my face. But when I was saved and the Sprit descended upon me, I was convicted. What was once pleasurable became painful. What was once innocent became guilt. What I thought was clean became filthy. What was fun became devastation in my life. “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14, also known as Commandment 7). It was this gut wrenching shame that I felt that caused the death and burial of this sin and a new life for me. The Spirit convicted me. His word taught me. Jesus saved me. God forgave. Thank you Jesus! Thank you Jesus Christ!
That is what He has done for me. Above the missing loved ones, the relationships, the finances, and the sinful addictions, that is what he has done for me. That is why He deserves all the glory and thanksgiving. I was not born or raised a Christian. I did not sprout out of the ground what I am now. I was just like you with the same heartaches and heartbreaks. The same vices. I was once so depressed I wanted to take my own life. I have died to myself and buried that old man. Now my life belongs to Him.
He parted the Red Sea to allow His people to escape the Egyptians. He brought Lazarus back to life after four days. He healed a woman just by her touching Him. He healed the sick and restored sight to the blind. He even turned a man who persecuted, beat, and killed Christians into one of His greatest apostles and one of the biggest writers of the New Testament. He has done these for many, as it is written in scriptures.
He can do the same for you my friends. He wants to. All you have to do is open the door and invite Him into your heart. Accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Surrender your life to Him. Read His word and allow the Spirit to speak to you and teach you. Salvation is just a prayer away. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” (Revelation 3:20).
Always be thankful. Not just for the holidays, but always.
Love in Christ!
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song. (Psalm 95:2). Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. (Psalm 100:4).
Thanksgiving! One of my favorite holidays. Not just because of the great food, family, and four day weekend, but because it is a time that we should take to reflect on what we are thankful for. The pilgrims were thankful for God’s grace and blessings that had seen them through the beginning of their new life here in America. What is it that you are thankful for?
I am thankful first and foremost for a God who loves all of us and who is always there when we need Him. Who is all powerful, merciful, and just. I am thankful for His son Jesus Christ who is God in the form of man. Who came to Earth in a humble fashion and who lived a life by an example that we should follow for our Father God in Heaven. Only by Christ’s example can we glorify God. He shed his blood so that we would be forgiven and the veil would be torn that “separated” us from God. Now that Christ has bridged the gap between man and God, I thank the Holy Spirit that convicts me and others alike. It is a voice far greater than my own conscience. It, along with the Bible, is Christ within us. The disciples had Jesus with them to teach and to give evidence of God’s presence, we have the Holy Spirit, along with faith and the most important ingredient, prayer.
I am also thankful for my wonderful wife. She is the perfect helpmeet for me. I may be the head and spiritual leader of this family, but she is most definitely the engine that keeps it going. She supports me and listens and offers a different point of view to some of my ideas and how I go about doing things (most of which is better than what I had in mind). Sometimes I have found that God will speak through her in these times. And in times where I didn’t listen to her, I wish that I had. She is a wonderful mother to our children. I am thankful knowing that our children are in good hands with someone who raises them in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). She is beautiful with a wonderful and passionate heart for this family and God. Not to mention she is an awesome cook!
Then I am thankful for my two sons. They are blessings from the Lord. Words cannot express what they mean to me. My oldest son is almost four and already has a heart for the Lord. He prays on his own, understands forgiveness, and loves many. We are teaching him that there are many out there who are less fortunate and there are others who are lost sinners and that we need to pray and be compassionate for them. Even at a young age he is beginning to understand. Our youngest son is just over one year old. He obviously doesn’t understand the things that his older brother understands, but he’s a comedian. He loves to make you laugh and does more laughing at himself. I pray and have a feeling in my heart that all (yes, we pray God blesses us with many more) of our children will serve the Lord and make a difference in this dark world.
Then I am thankful for the rest of my family. Parents, siblings, grandparents, in-laws, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends. You know who you are and I am blessed to have each of you in my life. Also my job, my health, my home, and my talents that God has given me and that I choose to glorify Him with. I am a blessed man and am thankful for all He has given me and done for me.
Now I know somewhere there are people who are broken hearted. Maybe you are one of them. Maybe this Thanksgiving and coming CHRISTmas season is feeling bitter. Maybe this will be the first season without a loved one. Maybe you are going through a divorce. Maybe you have become estranged from a family member or have recently parted ways with a friend. Maybe it has become hard to be thankful and find joy because of finances or because you may have lost your job. Maybe you just cannot beat this addiction and you are feeling defeated. Understood. You are human and it is only natural to feel this way. You just may not be feeling thankful for anything anymore.
But, my friend, there is something to be thankful for. It was the first thing that I mentioned that I was thankful for. Did you catch it? It was The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. What can He do for you?
I no longer see my Grandma Doris. She passed away from cancer on my Grandpa’s (her husband) birthday in March 2001. She and I were very close. She provided the love that my heart needed as a child growing up. We spent many nights talking on the phone for hours and I spent many summers at her house. She was a very joyous person and loved everyone. If she didn’t know you, she sure was going to. She obviously had the Lord in her life and concerned herself with the salvation of others. She admitted in the last days that she was ready to meet God. Wow! How we can look forward to death! Knowing we are getting ready to meet Him. I unfortunately never got to say goodbye to her. She never got to see me get married or hold my children. But I have what she had. I have the same Father, Son, and Spirit that she had. I know she is in Heaven. I am not bitter because I no longer get to see her on the holidays. Thank you Jesus! My wife and I are actually married to another person. His name is Jesus. I can tell you now that we have never broken each others hearts, split, or even considered divorce in our 11 years together. We are as happy and passionate now as we were in our younger days and continue to strengthen by our walk with Him. Our hearts are one. The word divorce is treated as a curse word in our home. Never will we split until death because of what binds us. Thank you Jesus! I had many friends in my younger days that did drugs and alcohol (although I didn’t partake). Had my heart not been discerning and I followed those friends, instead of walking my own path, I never would have met my wife and probably would not know Him. I have parted ways with these friends and no longer see or speak with them. Thank you Jesus! If you know my wife and I, then you know that we are no stranger to financial difficulties. It’s our shadow sometimes. It is the result of our choosing to have ONE income so that she can stay home to raise and teach our children in the love and instruction of the Lord. Instead of paying a total stranger to raise our children for us so that we can have more money. Money is not worth losing our children over. But no matter what we face, it always passes. We have never lost a home, a vehicle, power, phone, food, or clothing. The only thing that we lost due to hardship was the devil’s plaything- cable TV. That was worth losing. He has always provided. You can see further testimony on this by reading my first blog post “Can God Be Glorified In A Car Accident?” from July 2010. Thank you Jesus! (Adult) Pornography. That was my addiction years ago. It ran into my marriage and tortured my soul beyond definition. It was a constant temptation that Satan would throw into my face. But when I was saved and the Sprit descended upon me, I was convicted. What was once pleasurable became painful. What was once innocent became guilt. What I thought was clean became filthy. What was fun became devastation in my life. “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14, also known as Commandment 7). It was this gut wrenching shame that I felt that caused the death and burial of this sin and a new life for me. The Spirit convicted me. His word taught me. Jesus saved me. God forgave. Thank you Jesus! Thank you Jesus Christ!
That is what He has done for me. Above the missing loved ones, the relationships, the finances, and the sinful addictions, that is what he has done for me. That is why He deserves all the glory and thanksgiving. I was not born or raised a Christian. I did not sprout out of the ground what I am now. I was just like you with the same heartaches and heartbreaks. The same vices. I was once so depressed I wanted to take my own life. I have died to myself and buried that old man. Now my life belongs to Him.
He parted the Red Sea to allow His people to escape the Egyptians. He brought Lazarus back to life after four days. He healed a woman just by her touching Him. He healed the sick and restored sight to the blind. He even turned a man who persecuted, beat, and killed Christians into one of His greatest apostles and one of the biggest writers of the New Testament. He has done these for many, as it is written in scriptures.
He can do the same for you my friends. He wants to. All you have to do is open the door and invite Him into your heart. Accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Surrender your life to Him. Read His word and allow the Spirit to speak to you and teach you. Salvation is just a prayer away. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…” (Revelation 3:20).
Always be thankful. Not just for the holidays, but always.
Love in Christ!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Trick Or Treat? The Choice Is Yours.
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (1 John 2:15). …Don’t you realize that friendship with this world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again, that if your aim is to enjoy this world, you can’t be a friend of God. (James 4:4).
…What the pagans sacrifice is to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot take part in the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we really stronger than he is? (1 Corinthians 10:20-22). No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other…(Matthew 6:24).
Jesus answered: "Watch out that no-one deceives you. (Matthew 24:4).
For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. (Romans 7:11). If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8).
Here we go again! October 31st-“Helloween“. It is this this time of the year when Autumn shows it’s wonderful colors as God once again paints beautiful sceneries. The air gets a little chilly as we break out our long sleeves and jackets. Retail stores across the land anticipate revenue from costumes of characters of both cute and hideous. Candy sales are up as well. But amidst all this “innocent fun” is a larger picture. A deception if you will. There is a puppet master. His name is Satan, and you my Christian friends are the puppets. You have been tricked to lose the treat of Jesus Christ.
Now at this point in the blog I have either lost you as a reader, or I have upset you and yet sparked a curiosity that has prompted you to keep reading. If you are still with me then let’s continue…
Halloween, or “Helloween” as I call it, is known worldwide as a holiday that has roots and continued traditions in paganism. I should not have to quote any research on this. Any person over the age of five should know this. It is a holiday in which the dead and other paranormal things such as ghosts, werewolves, vampires, demons, zombies, witches, mummies, etc. are honored and celebrated. Many love to watch horror movies where people are butchered to death by demonically possessed psychos. Adults dress as sexy and scary as can be and attend parties where there is usually a LOT of alcohol consumption. And children are dressed either as something cute, or something that will give them nightmares later that night, and sent out into neighborhoods to beg for food from strangers. What a disturbing concept this is. Yet Christians have been so deceived that they participate in these activities, or try to cover up the evil by having “Trunk or Treat”. Where is Jesus in all of this mess?
Now, if the main objective of the New Testament is to teach us how to imitate Christ, which is what He has asked of us, His church, then why would you believe that He would be pleased if we spent one night imitating Satan and preparing for one month to do so? That is one night that we could be witnessing, praying, worshipping, fellowshipping, etc. in His name. Instead we choose to do what the world does and what Satan wants us to do. Even for one minute God would not excuse this “innocent fun”.
Recently I was on a job in a nearby city when our contact asked me what ideas I had for Helloween with my children. The guy who I was delivering with said “Let me answer that for Chris-he doesn’t do Halloween. Something about it being the devil’s holiday.” Then the contact said “With the evil stuff aside, what about all the fun?” I just said “Nope. Not at all.” FUN! That is the main reason why so many Christians celebrate Helloween. Because it is fun. But does that make it right? I am sure when a group of guys go partying at the bar that they are “having fun”. I am sure when the man pursues his mistress that he is “having fun”. I am sure he is having “a lot of fun” when he succeeds. I am sure that teenagers smoking dope are “having fun”. Those car thieves down the road are having a “real thrill”. In all of these situations Satan’s hands are at play. But because it is “fun”, does that transfer it to God’s hands and therefore excuse the matter? No. Of course not! Sin feels good and is fun and pleasing to the flesh, but God most certainly does not accept and approve of it. His Word says so. So why would celebrating and honoring pagan ways be acceptable to a God that said “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”? (Exodus 20:3, Deuteronomy 5:7).
So I ask this of you my Christian friends. Do you feel that you are pleasing God when you dress up and party on Helloween? Do you feel like he is happy with you when you dress your children up and send them door to door to be tricked to lose the treat? Not to mention you encourage them to keep the cycle going for their children down the road. When they are taught to excuse God on Helloween night for fun, then what? Excuse church? Excuse prayer? Excuse the walk altogether until nothing is left but an adult who once knew Him, but is now lost? Hey, at least he/she is having fun while they are lost. Right? Isn’t that what is most important? “Innocent fun”?
Celebrating Helloween in an option. It is not forced. I know many Christians feel that they are obligated to celebrate it because it is “the norm”. Well the ways of the world are always “the norm”. Even Jesus said that He was “not of this world” (John 18:36). When we seek to do what the world is doing, we do it to appease our flesh and fellow man. Man is full of folly, but God is perfection and is above mankind in holiness. He was able to come to Earth as a man to show us how to live and to love. God and His Kingdom needs to be our focus. Through Jesus we can know Him. Through Jesus we can know what we should be doing every year on October 31st. The time has come to repent and seek His direction and destroy worldly customs and traditions.
So this year will you be praying for the crowd, or playing for the crowd?
Love in Christ.
…What the pagans sacrifice is to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot take part in the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Or are we trying to provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we really stronger than he is? (1 Corinthians 10:20-22). No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other…(Matthew 6:24).
Jesus answered: "Watch out that no-one deceives you. (Matthew 24:4).
For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. (Romans 7:11). If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8).
Here we go again! October 31st-“Helloween“. It is this this time of the year when Autumn shows it’s wonderful colors as God once again paints beautiful sceneries. The air gets a little chilly as we break out our long sleeves and jackets. Retail stores across the land anticipate revenue from costumes of characters of both cute and hideous. Candy sales are up as well. But amidst all this “innocent fun” is a larger picture. A deception if you will. There is a puppet master. His name is Satan, and you my Christian friends are the puppets. You have been tricked to lose the treat of Jesus Christ.
Now at this point in the blog I have either lost you as a reader, or I have upset you and yet sparked a curiosity that has prompted you to keep reading. If you are still with me then let’s continue…
Halloween, or “Helloween” as I call it, is known worldwide as a holiday that has roots and continued traditions in paganism. I should not have to quote any research on this. Any person over the age of five should know this. It is a holiday in which the dead and other paranormal things such as ghosts, werewolves, vampires, demons, zombies, witches, mummies, etc. are honored and celebrated. Many love to watch horror movies where people are butchered to death by demonically possessed psychos. Adults dress as sexy and scary as can be and attend parties where there is usually a LOT of alcohol consumption. And children are dressed either as something cute, or something that will give them nightmares later that night, and sent out into neighborhoods to beg for food from strangers. What a disturbing concept this is. Yet Christians have been so deceived that they participate in these activities, or try to cover up the evil by having “Trunk or Treat”. Where is Jesus in all of this mess?
Now, if the main objective of the New Testament is to teach us how to imitate Christ, which is what He has asked of us, His church, then why would you believe that He would be pleased if we spent one night imitating Satan and preparing for one month to do so? That is one night that we could be witnessing, praying, worshipping, fellowshipping, etc. in His name. Instead we choose to do what the world does and what Satan wants us to do. Even for one minute God would not excuse this “innocent fun”.
Recently I was on a job in a nearby city when our contact asked me what ideas I had for Helloween with my children. The guy who I was delivering with said “Let me answer that for Chris-he doesn’t do Halloween. Something about it being the devil’s holiday.” Then the contact said “With the evil stuff aside, what about all the fun?” I just said “Nope. Not at all.” FUN! That is the main reason why so many Christians celebrate Helloween. Because it is fun. But does that make it right? I am sure when a group of guys go partying at the bar that they are “having fun”. I am sure when the man pursues his mistress that he is “having fun”. I am sure he is having “a lot of fun” when he succeeds. I am sure that teenagers smoking dope are “having fun”. Those car thieves down the road are having a “real thrill”. In all of these situations Satan’s hands are at play. But because it is “fun”, does that transfer it to God’s hands and therefore excuse the matter? No. Of course not! Sin feels good and is fun and pleasing to the flesh, but God most certainly does not accept and approve of it. His Word says so. So why would celebrating and honoring pagan ways be acceptable to a God that said “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”? (Exodus 20:3, Deuteronomy 5:7).
So I ask this of you my Christian friends. Do you feel that you are pleasing God when you dress up and party on Helloween? Do you feel like he is happy with you when you dress your children up and send them door to door to be tricked to lose the treat? Not to mention you encourage them to keep the cycle going for their children down the road. When they are taught to excuse God on Helloween night for fun, then what? Excuse church? Excuse prayer? Excuse the walk altogether until nothing is left but an adult who once knew Him, but is now lost? Hey, at least he/she is having fun while they are lost. Right? Isn’t that what is most important? “Innocent fun”?
Celebrating Helloween in an option. It is not forced. I know many Christians feel that they are obligated to celebrate it because it is “the norm”. Well the ways of the world are always “the norm”. Even Jesus said that He was “not of this world” (John 18:36). When we seek to do what the world is doing, we do it to appease our flesh and fellow man. Man is full of folly, but God is perfection and is above mankind in holiness. He was able to come to Earth as a man to show us how to live and to love. God and His Kingdom needs to be our focus. Through Jesus we can know Him. Through Jesus we can know what we should be doing every year on October 31st. The time has come to repent and seek His direction and destroy worldly customs and traditions.
So this year will you be praying for the crowd, or playing for the crowd?
Love in Christ.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Delilah Always Had Nice Legs!
But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it. (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:13).
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24).
See also Judges 13:1-16:30
It has been awhile since my last blog post. The month of September has been a very busy month for our house. Everything from our youngest son’s 1st birthday party, to a kitchen and bath makeover. I have found that time had seemed to slip through my hands each and every evening after work. I had begun to feel an empty void in my life. Something was not right. When storms came during this time, I had doubt and fear within my heart. My heart had actually grown cold. A Christian with a cold heart is not a good thing. I had felt defeated by life itself.
It took attending bible study at my wife’s grandparents house for me to figure out what was missing. Being in a room with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and reading His Word answered my questions. It hit me like a ton of cinderblocks. During late August and most of September I had no relationship with The Lord. I didn’t even crack open my Bible. Prayer was stretched very thin. I was simply distracted.
This reminds of a story in the Bible. Way back in the Old Testament, in the book of Judges, is a man who epitomizes distraction. Although there were many in the Bible who got distracted, I would like to talk about Samson.
Samson was quite an interesting character. He is known for being ridiculously strong and for having long hair. He might have been mistaken as a competitor in the WWE. But looks aside, we are introduced to Samson telling his Father to go fetch a Philistine woman that he had been eyeing. You see, Samson had the google eyes for this Philistine woman, yet he was an Israelite. Philistines were known for paganism and that’s a big “no no” in Israel. Samson and the Philistines went on to making life miserable for each other through riddles and quarrels.
Anyway, many moons and one torched first wife later we meet Delilah. Samson fell head over heels in love with Delilah. They spent much loving time together. One day Delilah is paid off by the Philistine mob to bind Samson so they could capture him and have their way. ‘Cuz no one messes with tha “Philly Mob”. She tricks Samson three times, and each time he breaks free before the mob could get him. I think after the second time I would suspect something was up. But not Samson! He was blinded dumb by his love for Delilah. Finally, with his head in her lap, she asks “Mmmm, honey? Where does your strength come from?” he replies “Baby, my long flowing hair is what gives me my strength. If you cut it, I am as weak as a baby.” Enter Flowbee, Exit God.
Nonetheless, Samson gets tied up, has his eyes plucked out, and is tossed into prison and made to work. They occasionally bring him up from prison so that he can entertain them. “Dance for us Samson! Dance for us you fool! Ha Ha!!!” they would say. Until one day Samson asks the guard who had been watching over him to place his hands on the pillars of the temple. He asks God to give him the strength one more time…then he “brings down tha house!” Every Philistine died including Samson himself. Scripture tells us that he killed more in that single move than in any battle.
In this story we see a man (Samson), and his distraction (Delilah). Someone so beautiful that he lost sight of the prize and submitted what God had given him. Then he lost it all. So let me ask this- What or who is your “Delilah”?
Is your “bills to be paid” stack twice higher than your “paid bills” stack? Is college football getting to be your number one passion? Are you striving and fighting to impress your boss so you can get that big promotion? Are your children forgetting your face because of those late nights? Are you compromising yourself? That big test getting you out of whack? Is it something more or something less?
Is your “Delilah” the bottom of the bottle? Maybe you see her face in every exhale of smoke. Is she the face that pops up on your computer screen when no one is looking? Is she starring in the vile movie or singing in that secular song you like so much? Is she driving that car that just cut you off, and now you want to kill her? Maybe, just maybe, she isn’t the woman that you are married to. Just another set of arms to give you temporary solace, only to lead you further into your Hell. And now you stand…weak and blind.
What is it that has caused you to stumble and fall? What has caused your walk with our Savior to be weakened, or completely forgotten? What is your “Delilah”? We all have one, had one, or will have one. Even if we “had one”, she will be back. She always comes back. She may not look the same every time, but she comes back. Our options are to let her in, or lock the door. Although she is beautiful, she can be defeated. You may say “I have tried, but I cannot win”. Instead change the theme of your song:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13).
Through the blood of Jesus Christ can we have the strength to defeat our “Delilah”. Only He can save us and bring us to God. Only He can show us how to live. Only through His words can we have the strength to win. All you have to do is ask for forgiveness for you letting Delilah get to you. Ask for that redeeming blood to cover you. Ask to be saved if you haven’t already. Come to Jesus! Cry out His name!
I cried out His name again two weeks ago and came running back to Him. He gave the forgiveness that I asked for. I felt that weight lift from me as He touched me. Then my heart was set ablaze once again. Just like an old furnace started back up to warm the home once more. Thank you Jesus!
So here you are. Weak and blind. You can’t see those who are mocking you. “He was once a strong Christian, now he’s a joke.” Maybe it’s your co-workers. Your neighbors. Your spouse. Your children. Yourself.
Step up to the pillars. If you are too weak ask Jesus to place your hands upon them. After all, He is the guard who has been watching over you. Then ask for the strength again, and bring the house down on all of them and yourself. But not physically, no. That would be murder. But spiritually. Let that house of sin, guilt, distractions and unforgiveness fall and kill you and those who mock.
Samson died physically. But because of Jesus Christ you will rise again. Your mockers that I mentioned will too. Their views will change:
“He is a good Christian man. He laid his ‘Delilah’ to rest. She was such a joke!”
Remember the scene from “Wizard Of Oz”, when Dorothy looked down and the house had landed on top of the Wicked Witch? Remember seeing those legs sticking out from underneath the house?
Delilah always had nice legs;-)
Love In Christ!
Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:13).
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24).
See also Judges 13:1-16:30
It has been awhile since my last blog post. The month of September has been a very busy month for our house. Everything from our youngest son’s 1st birthday party, to a kitchen and bath makeover. I have found that time had seemed to slip through my hands each and every evening after work. I had begun to feel an empty void in my life. Something was not right. When storms came during this time, I had doubt and fear within my heart. My heart had actually grown cold. A Christian with a cold heart is not a good thing. I had felt defeated by life itself.
It took attending bible study at my wife’s grandparents house for me to figure out what was missing. Being in a room with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and reading His Word answered my questions. It hit me like a ton of cinderblocks. During late August and most of September I had no relationship with The Lord. I didn’t even crack open my Bible. Prayer was stretched very thin. I was simply distracted.
This reminds of a story in the Bible. Way back in the Old Testament, in the book of Judges, is a man who epitomizes distraction. Although there were many in the Bible who got distracted, I would like to talk about Samson.
Samson was quite an interesting character. He is known for being ridiculously strong and for having long hair. He might have been mistaken as a competitor in the WWE. But looks aside, we are introduced to Samson telling his Father to go fetch a Philistine woman that he had been eyeing. You see, Samson had the google eyes for this Philistine woman, yet he was an Israelite. Philistines were known for paganism and that’s a big “no no” in Israel. Samson and the Philistines went on to making life miserable for each other through riddles and quarrels.
Anyway, many moons and one torched first wife later we meet Delilah. Samson fell head over heels in love with Delilah. They spent much loving time together. One day Delilah is paid off by the Philistine mob to bind Samson so they could capture him and have their way. ‘Cuz no one messes with tha “Philly Mob”. She tricks Samson three times, and each time he breaks free before the mob could get him. I think after the second time I would suspect something was up. But not Samson! He was blinded dumb by his love for Delilah. Finally, with his head in her lap, she asks “Mmmm, honey? Where does your strength come from?” he replies “Baby, my long flowing hair is what gives me my strength. If you cut it, I am as weak as a baby.” Enter Flowbee, Exit God.
Nonetheless, Samson gets tied up, has his eyes plucked out, and is tossed into prison and made to work. They occasionally bring him up from prison so that he can entertain them. “Dance for us Samson! Dance for us you fool! Ha Ha!!!” they would say. Until one day Samson asks the guard who had been watching over him to place his hands on the pillars of the temple. He asks God to give him the strength one more time…then he “brings down tha house!” Every Philistine died including Samson himself. Scripture tells us that he killed more in that single move than in any battle.
In this story we see a man (Samson), and his distraction (Delilah). Someone so beautiful that he lost sight of the prize and submitted what God had given him. Then he lost it all. So let me ask this- What or who is your “Delilah”?
Is your “bills to be paid” stack twice higher than your “paid bills” stack? Is college football getting to be your number one passion? Are you striving and fighting to impress your boss so you can get that big promotion? Are your children forgetting your face because of those late nights? Are you compromising yourself? That big test getting you out of whack? Is it something more or something less?
Is your “Delilah” the bottom of the bottle? Maybe you see her face in every exhale of smoke. Is she the face that pops up on your computer screen when no one is looking? Is she starring in the vile movie or singing in that secular song you like so much? Is she driving that car that just cut you off, and now you want to kill her? Maybe, just maybe, she isn’t the woman that you are married to. Just another set of arms to give you temporary solace, only to lead you further into your Hell. And now you stand…weak and blind.
What is it that has caused you to stumble and fall? What has caused your walk with our Savior to be weakened, or completely forgotten? What is your “Delilah”? We all have one, had one, or will have one. Even if we “had one”, she will be back. She always comes back. She may not look the same every time, but she comes back. Our options are to let her in, or lock the door. Although she is beautiful, she can be defeated. You may say “I have tried, but I cannot win”. Instead change the theme of your song:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13).
Through the blood of Jesus Christ can we have the strength to defeat our “Delilah”. Only He can save us and bring us to God. Only He can show us how to live. Only through His words can we have the strength to win. All you have to do is ask for forgiveness for you letting Delilah get to you. Ask for that redeeming blood to cover you. Ask to be saved if you haven’t already. Come to Jesus! Cry out His name!
I cried out His name again two weeks ago and came running back to Him. He gave the forgiveness that I asked for. I felt that weight lift from me as He touched me. Then my heart was set ablaze once again. Just like an old furnace started back up to warm the home once more. Thank you Jesus!
So here you are. Weak and blind. You can’t see those who are mocking you. “He was once a strong Christian, now he’s a joke.” Maybe it’s your co-workers. Your neighbors. Your spouse. Your children. Yourself.
Step up to the pillars. If you are too weak ask Jesus to place your hands upon them. After all, He is the guard who has been watching over you. Then ask for the strength again, and bring the house down on all of them and yourself. But not physically, no. That would be murder. But spiritually. Let that house of sin, guilt, distractions and unforgiveness fall and kill you and those who mock.
Samson died physically. But because of Jesus Christ you will rise again. Your mockers that I mentioned will too. Their views will change:
“He is a good Christian man. He laid his ‘Delilah’ to rest. She was such a joke!”
Remember the scene from “Wizard Of Oz”, when Dorothy looked down and the house had landed on top of the Wicked Witch? Remember seeing those legs sticking out from underneath the house?
Delilah always had nice legs;-)
Love In Christ!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
“3 nails + 1 cross= 4given“ Makes A good T-shirt slogan.
"If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15).
“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." (Mark 11:25).
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:13).
One of the hardest things to do in this world is to forgive. We simply want to get back at the other guy. Punch his lights out for that remark. “Flip the bird” to the driver that just cut you off. An eye for an eye. It’s human nature.
I am sure that there is no one on the face of this planet who has never been hurt by someone else. Maybe it was a girl friend who stole a boyfriend. Maybe the boy next door who broke your favorite toy. The co-worker who got the raise instead. The neighbor who damaged your property. The wife who lied. The husband who cheated. The uncle who abused you…etc.
I am sure that in most cases the offending party was forgiven. But what if that wasn’t the case? What if we hold grudges? What if we just cannot forgive him or her? What if we cannot forgive ourselves?
What I would like to put into context here is the ultimate act of forgiveness- the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Let’s go back about 2000 years to the Middle East. There was a man who was born to a virgin by the Holy Spirit. He was not born in a palace, but in a farm animal’s feed box. The smell of hay, feed, and animals filled the air. There was probably a chill in the air. This baby grew into a young man who worked hard and helped out his father Joseph. In his adult life he went out into the wilderness for forty days and fought temptation by Satan. He went to go “find himself” so to speak. When he returned, it was “on“. This was God’s “throw down” time.
For three years this man walked, shocked, and amazed. His teachings changed lives. He showed love to people who otherwise would have been shunned. He healed people who otherwise could not be healed. He even brought a few back to life. He befriended tax collectors and wandering fishermen, who would follow him and who’s writings would forever change mankind…done through the Holy Sprit that this man delivered unto them. He revealed to us how to live in a way that was pleasing to God. He gave us hope. He gave us love. He gave us eternal life.
Faith has killed cancers. Murderers have confessed. Prostitutes have confessed. Abusers have confessed. Drunks have confessed. Pornographers have confessed. They have confessed their sins and now confess He is Lord. Greed has died. Lust has died. Hate has died. Depression has died. All because of the blood that this man has shed. His ministry turned the world on it’s head and forever changed the world. He knew what to do and what to say at all times. He owned wisdom. He knew men more than they knew themselves. Even before they knew themselves. He was God incarnate. His name was Jesus Christ. The name above all names.
One Sunday He was welcomed with open arms and shouts of joy in Jerusalem. After all, look at what He did in three years. Wouldn’t you be shouting too? In less than a week He was betrayed, tried, and crucified. A stab in the back by the same people who welcomed Him. They despised Him so much they wanted a vile criminal to be set free amongst them instead. They spat on Him, beat Him, and shouted insults at Him. For this moment they forget all that He did…and wanted Him dead. Kind of like when we forget all He has done for us and chose to sin against Him. Ironic, huh?
He was whipped. His olive flesh split wide open to reveal the saving crimson. Flesh torn from bone. Pain surging through His whole body. Beaten again. How many thorns do you think was on the crown of thorns? How many do you think cut into His skull? One would have been enough. Then the ultimate insult-”Carry your own cross, boy!.” It’s like having the man getting ready for the electric chair cleaning the chair first. The man getting hanged tying the knot in the rope. The man facing the firing squad handing the guns to the shooters. I am sure as He is walking to Calvary, He looks over to see Mary Magdalene shouting “Someone stop them!”, and His mother Mary screaming “Why?”
Then the fun begins. Two nails separating the bones in the center of His hands. No bones were broken in His body, so they could have only shifted and embraced each nail that passed through. In one side and out the other. Then one strategically placed through His feet. Just so much that He has to hold himself up or suffocate. Then the cross becomes erect for all to see.
As grotesque as Jesus’ crucifixion was, it was actually the most beautiful sacrifice ever made. The epitome of God’s love for us. So much that He would allow this to happen to his only begotten Son so that we would be saved from our sins. So that we may be forgiven. But how much love and how much forgiveness?
Jesus performed many miracles through the power of God. He could have come off the cross. He could have had lightening come down and burn the cross up and not consume Him. The nails could have popped out “on their own”. But God would not allow this. He would have nothing to do with it. Jesus’ death was sin and God washed his hands of that sin on that day. God wants nothing to do with sin. Jesus had to die. It was necessary. It was the only way. Christ’s resurrection three days later was symbolic to our being saved and starting over with Him. Death to sin. New life to us in Christ Jesus. That is how much God loves us.
Now back to the crucifixion. Jesus could have sent fire to kill all of His accusers. He could have spat the vinegar back into the face of the soldier who fed it to Him. He could have yelled obscenities at everyone who spat on Him. I’m sure He could have managed to “flip the bird” with His hands held back by nails. Pay back!
But NO. Through all that these people put Him through, all He could do is say “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34). He only concerned Himself with forgiving them. He even had time to forgive another criminal who was crucified with Him. That is how much God forgives. That is how important forgiveness is to Him. No matter how much pain they put you through…forgive them.
God will forgive us for our trespasses if we confess our sins to Him and ask for forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. Whether it is to be saved/born again, or to be brought back to Him. All we have to do is ask. He is waiting.
The ministry of Jesus that I talked about earlier can be ours too if we let Him into our hearts and come to know and walk with Him.
But Christians may experience trouble with peace and God’s blessings if they fail to forgive (Matthew 6:14-15). May we forgive others as He has forgiven us?
So who is your “them” that needs to be forgiven? Is what they did to you worse than nailing Our Lord and Savior to a cross after hours or torture?
Love in Christ!
P.S. If you would like to know more about the life and times and teachings of Jesus Christ, I suggest reading the four gospels in the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) if you haven’t already.
“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins." (Mark 11:25).
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:13).
One of the hardest things to do in this world is to forgive. We simply want to get back at the other guy. Punch his lights out for that remark. “Flip the bird” to the driver that just cut you off. An eye for an eye. It’s human nature.
I am sure that there is no one on the face of this planet who has never been hurt by someone else. Maybe it was a girl friend who stole a boyfriend. Maybe the boy next door who broke your favorite toy. The co-worker who got the raise instead. The neighbor who damaged your property. The wife who lied. The husband who cheated. The uncle who abused you…etc.
I am sure that in most cases the offending party was forgiven. But what if that wasn’t the case? What if we hold grudges? What if we just cannot forgive him or her? What if we cannot forgive ourselves?
What I would like to put into context here is the ultimate act of forgiveness- the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Let’s go back about 2000 years to the Middle East. There was a man who was born to a virgin by the Holy Spirit. He was not born in a palace, but in a farm animal’s feed box. The smell of hay, feed, and animals filled the air. There was probably a chill in the air. This baby grew into a young man who worked hard and helped out his father Joseph. In his adult life he went out into the wilderness for forty days and fought temptation by Satan. He went to go “find himself” so to speak. When he returned, it was “on“. This was God’s “throw down” time.
For three years this man walked, shocked, and amazed. His teachings changed lives. He showed love to people who otherwise would have been shunned. He healed people who otherwise could not be healed. He even brought a few back to life. He befriended tax collectors and wandering fishermen, who would follow him and who’s writings would forever change mankind…done through the Holy Sprit that this man delivered unto them. He revealed to us how to live in a way that was pleasing to God. He gave us hope. He gave us love. He gave us eternal life.
Faith has killed cancers. Murderers have confessed. Prostitutes have confessed. Abusers have confessed. Drunks have confessed. Pornographers have confessed. They have confessed their sins and now confess He is Lord. Greed has died. Lust has died. Hate has died. Depression has died. All because of the blood that this man has shed. His ministry turned the world on it’s head and forever changed the world. He knew what to do and what to say at all times. He owned wisdom. He knew men more than they knew themselves. Even before they knew themselves. He was God incarnate. His name was Jesus Christ. The name above all names.
One Sunday He was welcomed with open arms and shouts of joy in Jerusalem. After all, look at what He did in three years. Wouldn’t you be shouting too? In less than a week He was betrayed, tried, and crucified. A stab in the back by the same people who welcomed Him. They despised Him so much they wanted a vile criminal to be set free amongst them instead. They spat on Him, beat Him, and shouted insults at Him. For this moment they forget all that He did…and wanted Him dead. Kind of like when we forget all He has done for us and chose to sin against Him. Ironic, huh?
He was whipped. His olive flesh split wide open to reveal the saving crimson. Flesh torn from bone. Pain surging through His whole body. Beaten again. How many thorns do you think was on the crown of thorns? How many do you think cut into His skull? One would have been enough. Then the ultimate insult-”Carry your own cross, boy!.” It’s like having the man getting ready for the electric chair cleaning the chair first. The man getting hanged tying the knot in the rope. The man facing the firing squad handing the guns to the shooters. I am sure as He is walking to Calvary, He looks over to see Mary Magdalene shouting “Someone stop them!”, and His mother Mary screaming “Why?”
Then the fun begins. Two nails separating the bones in the center of His hands. No bones were broken in His body, so they could have only shifted and embraced each nail that passed through. In one side and out the other. Then one strategically placed through His feet. Just so much that He has to hold himself up or suffocate. Then the cross becomes erect for all to see.
As grotesque as Jesus’ crucifixion was, it was actually the most beautiful sacrifice ever made. The epitome of God’s love for us. So much that He would allow this to happen to his only begotten Son so that we would be saved from our sins. So that we may be forgiven. But how much love and how much forgiveness?
Jesus performed many miracles through the power of God. He could have come off the cross. He could have had lightening come down and burn the cross up and not consume Him. The nails could have popped out “on their own”. But God would not allow this. He would have nothing to do with it. Jesus’ death was sin and God washed his hands of that sin on that day. God wants nothing to do with sin. Jesus had to die. It was necessary. It was the only way. Christ’s resurrection three days later was symbolic to our being saved and starting over with Him. Death to sin. New life to us in Christ Jesus. That is how much God loves us.
Now back to the crucifixion. Jesus could have sent fire to kill all of His accusers. He could have spat the vinegar back into the face of the soldier who fed it to Him. He could have yelled obscenities at everyone who spat on Him. I’m sure He could have managed to “flip the bird” with His hands held back by nails. Pay back!
But NO. Through all that these people put Him through, all He could do is say “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34). He only concerned Himself with forgiving them. He even had time to forgive another criminal who was crucified with Him. That is how much God forgives. That is how important forgiveness is to Him. No matter how much pain they put you through…forgive them.
God will forgive us for our trespasses if we confess our sins to Him and ask for forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. Whether it is to be saved/born again, or to be brought back to Him. All we have to do is ask. He is waiting.
The ministry of Jesus that I talked about earlier can be ours too if we let Him into our hearts and come to know and walk with Him.
But Christians may experience trouble with peace and God’s blessings if they fail to forgive (Matthew 6:14-15). May we forgive others as He has forgiven us?
So who is your “them” that needs to be forgiven? Is what they did to you worse than nailing Our Lord and Savior to a cross after hours or torture?
Love in Christ!
P.S. If you would like to know more about the life and times and teachings of Jesus Christ, I suggest reading the four gospels in the Bible (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) if you haven’t already.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
I’m going to Hell when I die! Yeah!!! Woo Hoo! Do you want me to bring you back anything?
Scriptures to Observe:
(1:18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness…(1:21) For although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give Him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened…(1:25) They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. (Romans 1:18,21,25).
(13:41) The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather from His kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers…(13:50) and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:41,50).
(20:14) Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death – the lake of fire. (15) If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14,15).
“It doesn’t matter…I’m going to Hell anyway!”; “If only they knew the things I’ve done, they’d never let me in.”; “I’ll see you in Hell! Ha Ha!!!”
I am sure that we have all heard these sayings before. Whether it was spoken by family, friends, co-workers, or just total strangers. I hear it all the time. It is a shame that there are so many people walking this planet who feel that for one mistake, or for many, that they are destined and locked in for a date with fire. What many of these people who haven’t heard (and some have heard) the Gospel of Jesus Christ realize is that Hell is a choice. Let me repeat that. HELL IS A CHOICE! (See Romans 1:18,21,25 above).
But before I get into mankind’s choices, let me illustrate for a moment what Hell is really like. I want to illustrate this because the many people who I hear the above quotes from see humor in their destination. Almost as if they want to go to Hell. I can understand why they want to go there. Many probably think that Hell is a place about 256 miles below the Earth’s crust, somewhere around the Equator. When you get there you stand before Satan and he tells you “Job well done. Come into my kingdom and enjoy eternity”. Then you walk around a place that is about 99 degrees with 94% humidity. Soon you come upon a room just for you. It is full of naked women ready to please, 45 big screen TV’s tuned to any sport you want, unlimited beer and cigarettes, and any drug of your choice. All for eternity. But the heat doesn’t bother you because soon you and your brothel girls will dive into the Olympic sized swimming pool that’s over in the corner. (Please note that I used a male as the model for the illustration above).
I can see why one would be disillusioned and want to go to Disney Underworld. They must believe that the tools that Satan uses here on Earth to lure you in are the same pleasures you will get in Hell.
In reality Satan doesn’t have a party awaiting you. His will isn’t to please you in the afterlife. Satan is like the abusive boyfriend who kills his girlfriend that just dumped him, saying “If I can’t have her, then no one will”. Satan doesn’t want you in Hell to party down with him. His kingdom is a lake of fire (Revelation 20:14,15 above). He just doesn’t want God to have you in Heaven. He uses worldly pleasures to lure you away from God so God can’t rejoice in you coming to Him and receiving His Kingdom. Satan could care less about you. He just hates God.
The truth is that Hell is a “lake of fire”. You will be cast down and consumed by fire. But what kind of consumption? Will it be consumption where you are burnt to ash and nothing left? Or the kind where it covers your body and you suffer for all eternity, begging for just one drop of water? “…where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched (Mark 9:48)…that person will also drink of the wine of God’s anger that has been mixed undiluted in the cup of his wrath, and he will be tortured with fire and sulfur in front of the holy angels and in front of the Lamb. And the smoke from their torture will go up forever and ever, and those who worship the beast and his image will have no rest day or night, along with anyone who receives the mark of his name.”
(Revelation 14:10,11).
Picture this if you will:
I think we have all seen a good action show or movie. Gun fights and car chases. Manly stuff! I’m sure we have all seen the scene where someone gets set on fire and goes running around in a panic like a ball of fire with extremities. We can assume that the natural response of the flaming man, after panic, is “Someone help me. Get an extinguisher!”. Then the response many be something like “I will die soon. The pain will end then.” Remember when you touched a hot pan and how much it hurt? Or got a nasty blistering sunburn? Amplify that by a lot. Then cover your whole body in that pain. And then face the realization that you will not die from it. You will feel this pain for eternity. No relief or comfort. No medicine or doctors. No one to save you.
But you can be saved now before it’s too late. You may wonder “What can I do to keep from going to hell”? “What other choice do I have”? ”Who can save me?” The answer is Jesus Christ. No, not the action figure Jesus Christ. I am talking about the Son of God who shed His own blood on the cross so that you can lay your sins (a.k.a “tickets to Hell”) down. Also known as “The Redeemer“.
You have two trains. A nice white sleek one heading for paradise, and another black one heading into a fiery furnace. It doesn’t look like a fun ride, being that this black train has no windows. You will be totally lost on your journey. You will have no idea where you are going and when you will finally end up crashing into the furnace. You know which train your ticket is for. By the way, it’s a one way ticket. Once you crash, it is all over and done with. You notice the conductor of the white train. It’s Jesus! He is saying to you “Come to my train and allow me to take you somewhere better. All you have to do is redeem your ticket with me.” “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).
So which train will you choose? I pray that you will chose wisely and someday we will see each other standing before His throne shouting “Praise God!”
Until next time…
Love in Christ,
Chris
(1:18) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness…(1:21) For although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or give Him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened…(1:25) They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. (Romans 1:18,21,25).
(13:41) The Son of Man will send His angels, and they will gather from His kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers…(13:50) and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:41,50).
(20:14) Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death – the lake of fire. (15) If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14,15).
“It doesn’t matter…I’m going to Hell anyway!”; “If only they knew the things I’ve done, they’d never let me in.”; “I’ll see you in Hell! Ha Ha!!!”
I am sure that we have all heard these sayings before. Whether it was spoken by family, friends, co-workers, or just total strangers. I hear it all the time. It is a shame that there are so many people walking this planet who feel that for one mistake, or for many, that they are destined and locked in for a date with fire. What many of these people who haven’t heard (and some have heard) the Gospel of Jesus Christ realize is that Hell is a choice. Let me repeat that. HELL IS A CHOICE! (See Romans 1:18,21,25 above).
But before I get into mankind’s choices, let me illustrate for a moment what Hell is really like. I want to illustrate this because the many people who I hear the above quotes from see humor in their destination. Almost as if they want to go to Hell. I can understand why they want to go there. Many probably think that Hell is a place about 256 miles below the Earth’s crust, somewhere around the Equator. When you get there you stand before Satan and he tells you “Job well done. Come into my kingdom and enjoy eternity”. Then you walk around a place that is about 99 degrees with 94% humidity. Soon you come upon a room just for you. It is full of naked women ready to please, 45 big screen TV’s tuned to any sport you want, unlimited beer and cigarettes, and any drug of your choice. All for eternity. But the heat doesn’t bother you because soon you and your brothel girls will dive into the Olympic sized swimming pool that’s over in the corner. (Please note that I used a male as the model for the illustration above).
I can see why one would be disillusioned and want to go to Disney Underworld. They must believe that the tools that Satan uses here on Earth to lure you in are the same pleasures you will get in Hell.
In reality Satan doesn’t have a party awaiting you. His will isn’t to please you in the afterlife. Satan is like the abusive boyfriend who kills his girlfriend that just dumped him, saying “If I can’t have her, then no one will”. Satan doesn’t want you in Hell to party down with him. His kingdom is a lake of fire (Revelation 20:14,15 above). He just doesn’t want God to have you in Heaven. He uses worldly pleasures to lure you away from God so God can’t rejoice in you coming to Him and receiving His Kingdom. Satan could care less about you. He just hates God.
The truth is that Hell is a “lake of fire”. You will be cast down and consumed by fire. But what kind of consumption? Will it be consumption where you are burnt to ash and nothing left? Or the kind where it covers your body and you suffer for all eternity, begging for just one drop of water? “…where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched (Mark 9:48)…that person will also drink of the wine of God’s anger that has been mixed undiluted in the cup of his wrath, and he will be tortured with fire and sulfur in front of the holy angels and in front of the Lamb. And the smoke from their torture will go up forever and ever, and those who worship the beast and his image will have no rest day or night, along with anyone who receives the mark of his name.”
(Revelation 14:10,11).
Picture this if you will:
I think we have all seen a good action show or movie. Gun fights and car chases. Manly stuff! I’m sure we have all seen the scene where someone gets set on fire and goes running around in a panic like a ball of fire with extremities. We can assume that the natural response of the flaming man, after panic, is “Someone help me. Get an extinguisher!”. Then the response many be something like “I will die soon. The pain will end then.” Remember when you touched a hot pan and how much it hurt? Or got a nasty blistering sunburn? Amplify that by a lot. Then cover your whole body in that pain. And then face the realization that you will not die from it. You will feel this pain for eternity. No relief or comfort. No medicine or doctors. No one to save you.
But you can be saved now before it’s too late. You may wonder “What can I do to keep from going to hell”? “What other choice do I have”? ”Who can save me?” The answer is Jesus Christ. No, not the action figure Jesus Christ. I am talking about the Son of God who shed His own blood on the cross so that you can lay your sins (a.k.a “tickets to Hell”) down. Also known as “The Redeemer“.
You have two trains. A nice white sleek one heading for paradise, and another black one heading into a fiery furnace. It doesn’t look like a fun ride, being that this black train has no windows. You will be totally lost on your journey. You will have no idea where you are going and when you will finally end up crashing into the furnace. You know which train your ticket is for. By the way, it’s a one way ticket. Once you crash, it is all over and done with. You notice the conductor of the white train. It’s Jesus! He is saying to you “Come to my train and allow me to take you somewhere better. All you have to do is redeem your ticket with me.” “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).
So which train will you choose? I pray that you will chose wisely and someday we will see each other standing before His throne shouting “Praise God!”
Until next time…
Love in Christ,
Chris
Friday, July 9, 2010
Can God be glorified in a car accident? A lesson in faith and honesty.
"All things work together for good to them that love God" (Romans 8:28).
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).
"Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me" (Psalm 50:15).
The answer is yes. He allows things to happen in our lives for His reason that we will grow and He will receive the glory. Case in point- my car accident on June 10th. Let me actually first back this story up to last February so that I can bridge the gap between two events that I feel The Lord used to strengthen my faith in Him.
In February of this year I got a letter in the mail to be called for jury duty. I did not think too much of this and I was kind of excited to go sit on a trial for a day. Well the county in which I live jury duty is a month long jury term. My term was the entire month of March. There were five trials that I was to attend. This all taking place when things were so slow at work that they were begging for us to go home (without pay in my case). Luckily I was excused from all trials that month, but I did miss a considerable amount of time from work waiting at the courthouse to be excused. I could not figure out why God would send this to me considering what we were going through financially. Then one day driving home from the courthouse I felt overwhelming peace come over me. "Have faith" He said to me. His voice alone gave me faith that this was for a reason and everything would work out.
Because of the lack of work and jury duty, we fell behind on our van payment. Then again....and again. By May we were almost three months behind on our payment and constantly getting calls throughout the day of repossession threats. I prayed and prayed for deliverance...but it seemed like all I heard was the wind and crickets. His "Have faith" was sounding more like "Yeah, right!".
Then it hit me. An idea? No. A green 1993 Ford Ranger? Yes. It hit me so hard that my back felt it...and the van's back REALLY felt it. Obviously the other guy's insurance handled the repairs and medical expenses. I was actually hoping it was totaled so that we could just walk away from it and the three months behind that we were. I was sure this was the reason why God allowed this to happen. WRONG. The van was not totaled. So now we were three months behind on a van that was in a body shop. Can they repo a vehicle when it is locked up in a body shop? Not to mention I missed time from work because of my injury. Now we REALLY couldn’t pay on our van.
But for some strange reason, in a situation that stresses and depresses most people, I was at peace the entire time. I even announced on Facebook before I knew the outcome of all this that "God would be glorified". I had faith and I knew this was for a reason, that we would not fall for it, and that the glory would be His. Then God said "I told you to have faith. Now watch me work."
We received a phone call from the medical division of the other guy's insurance. They wanted to pay my medical bills up to July 2nd (I had already been “OK’D” by the doctors at this point), pay for my two days that I missed, and pay me a settlement fee. The settlement fee was the exact amount we needed to pay up on our van. At this point I realized that through an odd way, God answered our prayers. I was in tears and speechless. I couldn't even thank God because I was so shaken up by His power. The glory was His. Praise The Lord!!!
That was my lesson in faith. Faith was something I have always had trouble with. Doubt was always Satan's tool for me. Not anymore. Thank You Jesus!
I think that the ultimate reason that we were blessed with this victory and God was glorified was because we did exactly what we all should do when we are faced with storms and trials. We announced the presence of God before the battle began. Did not David announce the presence of God and that he would be delivered against Goliath? “The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” (1 Samuel 17:37, NLT)
Now for a little lesson in honesty. Right after the accident I heard it all. From "Sue him!", to "DO NOT settle with his insurance company. Get as much as you can out of them...even thousands of dollar$$$$." Chris....milk them for everything. Fake your injuries. Roll over and die. Get rich quick. Blah! Blah! Blah! Thanks for the friendly advice, but I am so glad I listen to The Lord Almighty and not worldly people. Why would I take this answer to my prayers and tell God "Thanks for answering my prayers, but it's not good enough. I want more money?" The other driver made a simple mistake that many drivers make. I was hurt with minor injuries, checked out, OK‘d, and that was that. His insurance done everything they were supposed to do without trying to weasel out and were honest. So why should I repay honesty with dishonesty? For greed? Isn't that what’s wrong with the world today? Greed? Why should I beat the situation to death and beat this other driver to death over a mistake that I know he wishes we both could take back? I know that if I were in his shoes I would not want the other guy to take advantage of me and my insurance company. Shouldn't we "Do unto others as we would have them do unto us?" I think If the people who wished me dishonesty would read the "words in red" in the New Testament, they would understand where I am coming from. God had already proven to me and shown to me His will in this matter. He had shown me that His will said "It is finished".
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).
"Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me" (Psalm 50:15).
The answer is yes. He allows things to happen in our lives for His reason that we will grow and He will receive the glory. Case in point- my car accident on June 10th. Let me actually first back this story up to last February so that I can bridge the gap between two events that I feel The Lord used to strengthen my faith in Him.
In February of this year I got a letter in the mail to be called for jury duty. I did not think too much of this and I was kind of excited to go sit on a trial for a day. Well the county in which I live jury duty is a month long jury term. My term was the entire month of March. There were five trials that I was to attend. This all taking place when things were so slow at work that they were begging for us to go home (without pay in my case). Luckily I was excused from all trials that month, but I did miss a considerable amount of time from work waiting at the courthouse to be excused. I could not figure out why God would send this to me considering what we were going through financially. Then one day driving home from the courthouse I felt overwhelming peace come over me. "Have faith" He said to me. His voice alone gave me faith that this was for a reason and everything would work out.
Because of the lack of work and jury duty, we fell behind on our van payment. Then again....and again. By May we were almost three months behind on our payment and constantly getting calls throughout the day of repossession threats. I prayed and prayed for deliverance...but it seemed like all I heard was the wind and crickets. His "Have faith" was sounding more like "Yeah, right!".
Then it hit me. An idea? No. A green 1993 Ford Ranger? Yes. It hit me so hard that my back felt it...and the van's back REALLY felt it. Obviously the other guy's insurance handled the repairs and medical expenses. I was actually hoping it was totaled so that we could just walk away from it and the three months behind that we were. I was sure this was the reason why God allowed this to happen. WRONG. The van was not totaled. So now we were three months behind on a van that was in a body shop. Can they repo a vehicle when it is locked up in a body shop? Not to mention I missed time from work because of my injury. Now we REALLY couldn’t pay on our van.
But for some strange reason, in a situation that stresses and depresses most people, I was at peace the entire time. I even announced on Facebook before I knew the outcome of all this that "God would be glorified". I had faith and I knew this was for a reason, that we would not fall for it, and that the glory would be His. Then God said "I told you to have faith. Now watch me work."
We received a phone call from the medical division of the other guy's insurance. They wanted to pay my medical bills up to July 2nd (I had already been “OK’D” by the doctors at this point), pay for my two days that I missed, and pay me a settlement fee. The settlement fee was the exact amount we needed to pay up on our van. At this point I realized that through an odd way, God answered our prayers. I was in tears and speechless. I couldn't even thank God because I was so shaken up by His power. The glory was His. Praise The Lord!!!
That was my lesson in faith. Faith was something I have always had trouble with. Doubt was always Satan's tool for me. Not anymore. Thank You Jesus!
I think that the ultimate reason that we were blessed with this victory and God was glorified was because we did exactly what we all should do when we are faced with storms and trials. We announced the presence of God before the battle began. Did not David announce the presence of God and that he would be delivered against Goliath? “The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” (1 Samuel 17:37, NLT)
Now for a little lesson in honesty. Right after the accident I heard it all. From "Sue him!", to "DO NOT settle with his insurance company. Get as much as you can out of them...even thousands of dollar$$$$." Chris....milk them for everything. Fake your injuries. Roll over and die. Get rich quick. Blah! Blah! Blah! Thanks for the friendly advice, but I am so glad I listen to The Lord Almighty and not worldly people. Why would I take this answer to my prayers and tell God "Thanks for answering my prayers, but it's not good enough. I want more money?" The other driver made a simple mistake that many drivers make. I was hurt with minor injuries, checked out, OK‘d, and that was that. His insurance done everything they were supposed to do without trying to weasel out and were honest. So why should I repay honesty with dishonesty? For greed? Isn't that what’s wrong with the world today? Greed? Why should I beat the situation to death and beat this other driver to death over a mistake that I know he wishes we both could take back? I know that if I were in his shoes I would not want the other guy to take advantage of me and my insurance company. Shouldn't we "Do unto others as we would have them do unto us?" I think If the people who wished me dishonesty would read the "words in red" in the New Testament, they would understand where I am coming from. God had already proven to me and shown to me His will in this matter. He had shown me that His will said "It is finished".
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Welcome
Hello World and welcome to my blog. I hope to encourge myself and you in your walk with Christ. More to come soon.
God bless
God bless