Archive for the ‘Heaven Bound’ Category

When will YOU decide to become disciples?

Posted: July 24, 2013 in Heaven Bound, Inspirational
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993638_698774176803550_1674023202_n (1)Pastor Jeremiah Steepek (pictured left) transformed himself into a homeless person and went to the 10,000 member church that he was to be introduced as the head pastor at that morning. He walked around his soon to be church for 30 minutes while it was filling with people for service….only 3 people out of the 7-10,000 people said hello to him. He asked people for change to buy food….NO ONE in the church gave him change. He went into the sanctuary to sit down in the front of the church and was asked by the ushers if he would please sit in the back. He greeted people to be greeted back with stares and dirty looks, with people looking down on him and judging him.

As he sat in the back of the church, he listened to the church announcements and such. When all that was done, the elders went up and were excited to introduce the new pastor of the church to the congregation……..”We would like to introduce to you Pastor Jeremiah Steepek”….The congregation looked around clapping with joy and anticipation…..

The homeless man sitting in the back stood up…..and started walking down the aisle…..the clapping stopped with ALL eyes on him….he walked up the altar and took the microphone from the elders (who were in on this) and paused for a moment….then he recited…

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?

When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?

The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.
After he recited this, he looked towards the congregation and told them all what he had experienced that morning…many began to cry and many heads were bowed in shame…. he then said….

Today I see a gathering of people……not a church of Jesus Christ.

The world has enough people, but not enough disciples…when will YOU decide to become disciples? He then dismissed service until next week…….

Being a Christian is more than something you claim. It’s something you live by and share with others.

Until next time guys…

It takes Guts to say NO…

Posted: June 30, 2013 in Heaven Bound, Inspirational, Tough Times
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imagesHave you ever heard the expression “if you give him and inch he will take a mile”? I know we have all heard that one once or twice before. But why does it matter? Here is why…I want to talk briefly about that first inch that you give up, that you concede, that you compromise. You see, the expression “give him an inch” indicates from the very beginning that you gave in…or you gave up…something…that you thought maybe you had to, in order to improve the situation. What you did was compromise. Now, please don’t get me wrong here. Compromise in a relationship is crucial for it to last, Am I right? We do not agree with our spouse’s or our friends all the time. Have you ever “agreed to disagree” and hopefully still maintained the relationship? Good debate is healthy and promotes independent thinking and I think is the key to long-lasting friendships however compromise in other areas of our life is what I am focusing on today.

I am reading a new book by Dr. David Jeremiah called, The Writing on the Wall, and it talks about the prophet Daniel who while captive in Babylon for 70 years, Daniel did not compromise his God ever, no matter what his circumstances, even in the face of death. His consistency is astounding and frankly a model for all of us to follow. But Dr. Jeremiah makes a point here that I want to illustrate with you which is simply that it takes guts…real guts, to say no, even with God on your side. Daniel was resolute in his defiance in Babylon and for you and I, no matter where we are in life, we do not “have to bend the rules to be blessed of God. Success is NOT dependent upon our compromise”. Everywhere a compromise is worked out in the Bible…bad things happen…

From the very beginning, we see compromises;

  • Adam, who fell right in line with Eve’s sin by compromising and eating the forbidden fruit… Well, he lost Eden.
  • Sarah’s lack of faith in God caused her to compromise and send her husband Abraham in with Hagar, who gave birth to Ishmael. As a result, life in the Middle East will never be the same.
  • We all remember Esau who compromised his birthright because he was hungry.
  • King David, who was a man after Gods own heart, compromised Gods morality by sleeping with Bathsheba and then killing her husband Uriah. He lost his son…

The list goes on and on with Solomon, Judas and Ahab. All of them compromised something significant in their lives and it cost them. To think all they would have had to do was to just say NO…I am going to stand on what my God has promised me and take whatever comes my way.

I want to finish with a story Dr. Jeremiah shares in his book about an exchange in a high school class between some students and a godless professor.

In one of his lectures he said, “will all of you who believe the myths of the Bible please stand.” Several stood.

 Then he added, “now this semester I am going to free you from this religious Bible nonsense. I have read the Bible, and it is certainly written by a bunch of mixed up men.”

 One young Daniel stood up and said, “Sir, the Bible is God’s letter to Christians, and if you are confused it’s because you are reading someone else’s mail.”

Guys, I pray that all of us can stand firm and NOT compromise in the face of this kind (or worse) of adversity against your faith or yourself. I will tell you this, this life and its “adversity” will continue to get worse and you are going to be in circumstances where you will be asked to “give an inch”. What’s an inch you say? In our case as Christians, it is truly the difference between a life spent with God in Eternity or the alternative…Hell. It is that simple

You get to make that choice…

My advice, choose Daniel…no compromise…

Until next time Guys…

Would you really walk away from God?

Posted: March 29, 2013 in Father, Heaven Bound, Husband
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mind_gears-300x300To whom it may concern…this blog post is not one for the faint of heart. I plan to be very honest and truthful about what the Bible says about a very important topic that we all need to remember as we journey through this life. The truth may hit you painfully…but that is kind of the point isn’t it? Please consider my words as they will apply to both mine and yours eternal futures…

Is it possible for the “New” to wear off as a Christian? Can you let the things of this earth overwhelm your thoughts and dreams to take you further and further away from the presence of the Lord?

One easy answer…Absolutely…

As a new Christian, you must consider the fact that Satan will begin to attack you with even more ferocity than before to try to shake you from your new commitment to Christ. As a young Christian, you are an infant needing spiritual sustenance from both the church and your own personal commitment to growing yourself more in His word and ways. If that growth does not happen consistently, then yes it would be easy to fall back into ones old ways before your salvation…

But let us consider a person who has had a longer relationship with God. Someone who has served Christ faithfully for many years or even participated in outreach for the church like missions. Someone that you could count on to be there if you needed help. Someone that you consider a rock…Would it be possible for this type of person to fall victim to the calling sounds of sin?

For those of you who have never heard this term, I want to introduce you to something called Personal Apostasy which when translated from the original Greek, means to turn away or to fall away from what one has formally turned to.

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. Hebrews 3:12

What I am speaking about here is an actual severing of one’s relationship with God whereby one literally withdraws from the personal union as well as no longer having faith in Him. Now please understand what I am saying here; you can only experience personal apostasy if you have previously received salvation or the regeneration of the Holy Spirit…a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 1 Timothy 4:1

For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 2 Timothy 4:3

The Bible is very clear and issues warnings about apostasy designed to both alert us to the deadly danger of walking away from Christ as well as to motivate us to persevere in our faith and obedience to Him. These warnings are the reality of our life and must be heeded as Christians in order to attain our heavenly goals. In other words, do not ignore them…take heed and listen and most importantly…apply them in your own life so that you or your family will not be swayed by the enemy, Satan.

We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. Hebrews 2:1-3

Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also. As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he promised us—eternal life. 1 John 2: 22-25

These are just a couple of the many verses that are explicit in their description of the fatal dangers of personal apostasy. It is also important to note that this is a process. In other words, this is not an example of simply touching a switch and a person has changed. No, this is not the case at all, it takes time for the deadly sin virus to take hold in a person’s life. It reminds me of the song by Casting Crowns called Slow Fade which describes in detail the “slow fade as you give yourself away”:

Be careful little eyes what you see
It’s the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it’s the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

The ramifications of this are truly deadly and the Bible is very clear about this as well. More importantly, this process or slow fade as mentioned above, is a personal choice this person makes over time. They choose to walk down the road and leave their family and salvation behind. Yes, I did say, leave your salvation behind. If this apostasy continues unchecked in one’s life it is entirely possible whereby a person reaches a point where a second beginning is impossible. In other words, if there is a deliberate hardening of ones heart to the voice of the Holy Spirit but worse yet, a refusal to repent, there is an actual point of no return according to God’s Word.

It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. Hebrews 6:4-6

You cannot call yourself a Christian and be indifferent to the word of God. The demands and the warnings of the Holy Spirit tell a different story. Remember the possibility of self-deception is always there and for those who claim to be Christians, Paul reminds us all to “examine ourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves” 2 Corinthians 13:5.

If you ignore the obvious and continue down the same path, as mentioned before, the decision you make will be eternally fatal. I assure you, that is one you will regret.

If I were the Devil…

Posted: March 23, 2013 in Father, Heaven Bound, Husband, Inspirational
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As I have told you before, this blog will never be political. It’s only purpose is to encourage all of us as we navigate the path we walk each day which we all know, can be very difficult at times. But I have to tell you, when you read these words and learn at the end when they were written, it will be a strange feeling for all of you to see how accurate Paul Harvey was in predicting what he would do if he were the devil. Paul Harvey broadcasted from the 1950s through the 1990s, Harvey’s programs reached as many as 24 million people a week. He was beloved my millions for his anecdotal related broadcasts that would touch your heart. This particular broadcast however, was more of a prediction rather than commentary but as you will see, it is scary accurate…

thinking_manIf I were the Devil . . . I mean, if I were the Prince of Darkness, I would of course, want to engulf the whole earth in darkness. I would have a third of its real estate and four-fifths of its population, but I would not be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree, so I should set about however necessary to take over the United States.

I would begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: “Do as you please.” “Do as you please.” To the young, I would whisper, “The Bible is a myth.” I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around. I would confide that what is bad is good, and what is good is “square”. In the ears of the young married, I would whisper that work is debasing, that cocktail parties are good for you.

I would caution them not to be extreme in religion, in patriotism or in moral conduct. And the old, I would teach to pray. I would teach them to say after me: “Our Father, which art in Washington” . . .

If I were the devil, I’d educate authors in how to make lurid literature exciting so that anything else would appear dull an uninteresting. I’d threaten television with dirtier movies and vice versa. And then, if I were the devil, I’d get organized. I’d infiltrate unions and urge more loafing and less work, because idle hands usually work for me.

I’d peddle narcotics to whom I could. I’d sell alcohol to ladies and gentlemen of distinction. And I’d tranquilize the rest with pills. If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellects but neglect to discipline emotions . . . let those run wild. I would designate an atheist to front for me before the highest courts in the land and I would get preachers to say “she’s right.”

With flattery and promises of power, I could get the courts to rule what I construe as against God and in favor of pornography, and  thus, I would evict God from the courthouse, and then from the school-house, and then from the houses of Congress and then, in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion, and I would deify science because that way men would become smart enough to create super weapons but not wise enough to control them.

If I were Satan, I’d make the symbol of Easter an egg, and the symbol of Christmas, a bottle.

If I were the devil, I would take from those who have and I would give to those who wanted, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious. And then, my police state would force everybody back to work. Then, I could separate families, putting children in uniform, women in coal mines, and objectors in slave camps.

In other words, if I were Satan, I’d just keep on doing what he’s doing.

Paul Harvey, Good Day.

Just so you know, this speech was broadcast by legendary ABC Radio commentator Paul Harvey on April 3, 1965…He could already see then what we all know now…

So I do not show you this to depress you, I show you this to remind you that you need to protect your families from this world by continuing to focus on Christ in your homes. God promises to never leave us nor forget us. All we need to do is to look His way and NOT get distracted by everything we see each day…the very same distractions that Paul Harvey saw and talked about on his radio show 47 years ago…

Until next time guys…

5 Reasons for Us to Have HOPE Right Now…

Posted: January 22, 2013 in Heaven Bound, Inspirational
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imgresOur God is still on the throne (Psalms 47:8) – The God of the Bible…well…He hasn’t gone anywhere. He is still alive and at work in our world. I know it is very easy to look at what happens in this world and say God is dead or may he is just sleeping…(I have heard that before) But I assure you…He is alive and very well.

With man, things are impossible…but with God, ALL things are possible (Matthew 19:21). It is so very easy to just give up and give in to all of the adversity that is constantly thrown in our direction because we simply forget Gods promises. Bottom line, God has NO limitations. His ways are NOT our ways and therefore he will not react or think as we do…our response needs to be to ask and to trust.

I don’t have to understand everything – I’ve come to realize that my trying to understand the why’s of this world? that is NOT my job. The more I try to understand, the more frustrated I become. My job is to completely trust in Him…even though I don’t understand why (Proverbs 3:5-6). Do you remember the story of Peter when he got out of the boat and started walking on the water to meet Jesus? (Matthew 14:29-30) He was actually walking on water until he took his eyes off of Christ and then what happened? He started sinking fast…and what was his reaction? He cried, “Lord save me!” which is exactly what we are supposed to do…

All of what you are going through right now is only temporary (2 Corinthians 4:18) – We need to remember that what we see is only temporary and what we cannot see…well that is eternal. Even though things may look very dark in the night remember that weeping may last for the night…but joy comes in the morning. (Psalms 30:5)

I know how this story ends – All of the difficulty and adversity we face every day sometimes can be overwhelming. In fact, it may seem like the bad guy is winning…But let me assure you with an overwhelming confidence…I know who wins in the end.

 

Until Next time Guys…

The Best Gift Ever

Posted: December 28, 2012 in Heaven Bound, Inspirational
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As I sit back and watch this Christmas season play itself out, I am reminded of a verse I read recently in Ecclesiastes of all places; it says,

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11.

What does this verse have to do with Christmas? Nothing and yet everything, because I believe it provides a glance at the magnitude of God as well as something we have talked about before in this blog…eternity in heaven. And what does that have to do with Christmas? Well, frankly everything, because if you really think about it, we have already been given the greatest gift of all, the gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus. What could possibly be better than that?

So why do I pick now, the middle of Christmas season, to remind you…? Because, as this Christmas Season continues to progress with the scramble for gifts, fighting crowds, traffic jams, music, decorations and the like I just can’t help wonder what God thinks about all of this? Well, actually, I already know what God thinks. He doesn’t care…What I mean is…He doesn’t care about the business of decorating, or gift giving, or Christmas Carols, What He cares about…is your heart (and…I have proof). Do you remember back in the Old Testament when God was looking for a new King to replace Saul? If you recall, God decided on David for many reasons but when He sent Samuel to find him He said;

…Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him (Saul). The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

1 Samuel 16:7.

Guys, if there is one thing I hope you understand it is that God is NOT like you and me. He doesn’t think or act like a human being. As mentioned above in Samuel, He does not care what you look like on the outside, but rather what your heart looks like on the inside. The only way you can gain access to the “eternity that is set in your heart” as stated above in Ecclesiastes, is to set your eyes on Him…especially during Christmas.

Christmases will come and go, for years and years and one thing will still stand true throughout…You CANNOT get to eternity in your own. However, 2000 years ago, God came in the form of a baby to save you and me from certain death. All you have to do is to…trust and believe with all of your heart…God will do the rest.

Let me leave you with one more thought:

Recently, some kindergarten students were asked to share their definition of love at Christmas time…This one from Bobby, age 7, was my favorite…

Love is what is in the room at Christmas when you stop opening presents and just listen…

From all of us here  @IronmanStrength,

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year…

Is “good enough”, good enough, to get to Heaven?

Posted: November 17, 2012 in Heaven Bound
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I came home from work the other day and my wife and 10-year-old son were discussing a boy in his class at school. The subject of the conversation was this young man was apparently very intelligent to the point of being a prodigy. He leads by a large margin in every fourth grade category that exists. Moreover, he is an excellent little athlete which in our world today, kind of completes the “package”…if you will. My wife was commenting on how he won’t really have any barriers growing up because he is so smart. He will be able to pick and choose what and where he wants to go in his life…my comment back to her was, “you are absolutely right, according to this world’s standards this boy has the opportunity to be very successful and go as far as he can achieve…but will all that intelligence get him into heaven” and the reality is…absolutely not. No matter how smart you are, or how good of a person you are…none of that matters when we finally get to meet God face to face. So the question is, “when is good enough, good enough to get to heaven?”

The easy answer is never and this blog is over…but there is an intelligent answer as to why this is so. You see like the young man I described above, some of us are smarter than others or have more athletic talent than someone else. The fact that science recently confirmed the existence of Higgs boson, or “the God Particle” reinforces the fact that science is expanding at a very rapid rate in our lifetime. In other words, we are getting smarter exponentially everyday. Additionally, the mere existence of every different kind of professional sports today and the rapid advancement of our athletes incredible abilities on the field of play also shows all of the barriers we humans are continually breaking…

But yet through all of these amazing accomplishments my question is, “how do we know they are amazing accomplishments?” Aren’t we simply comparing them to human feats of the past? In other words, we only have each other to compare one another against. We don’t compare ourselves to God because that is kind of impossible…yet with God, the bar is raised higher than we can achieve. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So that means no matter how far we reach up and work to make ourselves amazing before God, we won’t get there on our own. Our “good enough” isn’t good enough.

Christ is speaking in Mark 7:20-23, He went on: What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.

We are born into this sinful, unclean world with no way of saving ourselves and people who rely on their “goodness” only as a way forward, are deluded.

Mark 10:17-23: As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’” “Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.” Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!”

Bottom line is we need rescuing from this world we live in but we can’t simply go along in life thinking good enough is good enough. God is after the faithful or good friends…NOT good rebels. Whose side are you on?

The opposite can be in fact, true. Good people do go to hell; bad people go to heaven but those who think they are “good” and rely on that alone, will be lost. The key is, knowing you are lost. By recognizing that you can’t get to heaven on your own and that you need to receive forgiveness from Christ first…well that my friend will ensure your stay at Gods Heavenly Hilton…and your own eternal life.

Until next time guys…

Why would a good God send people to hell?

Posted: October 7, 2012 in Devotional, Heaven Bound, Inspirational
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I am Not a theologian and never will be and for that reason, I get frustrated when I don’t know answers to certain questions raised about God. The title of this blog post is, ”Why would a good God send people to hell’? I have heard that question brought up to me many times before and for years it has frustrated me to no end. I mean really? How could God allow that to happen? Good people in hell makes no sense. But then as time has passed, I have begun to understand more about who our God is, which in turn has clarified some answers.

When you ask questions using the word “why” you need to go back to the original source and determine what you don’t understand…How could God allow good people to go to hell? To me, we need to begin with God and who HE is to try to answer this question. There must be reasons why He acts and behaves as He does rather than just what I see here on Earth. What I’ve discovered is there are reasons which cause God to be who He is…I’ve just never investigated them before…

Let’s start with Holy. I never really understood this word but yet when applied to God, our creator, all the reasons are completely clarified. Here is what I mean; God is completely Holy and good and it is His character that decides what is right and wrong. That perfect character He puts forth is what dictates our world and how we are to behave. In other words, that is how inherently we know that killing is bad and helping our neighbor is good. It is in our DNA. Yet why is there so much killing in this world? The answer is simple… Satan is alive and well and he seeks to devour all that he can:

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

Satan is working just as hard to distract you as God is trying to get your attention.

Moreover…God is a very Holy being and He is bound by that holiness to react in a certain manner…that means He HATES sin… He hates to see it, smell it or even be around it (read Mark 9:42-47). But yet you and I reek with it? We are born into it and without the saving salvation of Jesus Christ, stink to the outskirts of heaven of it…Have I made my point?

Let’s summarize quickly at this point:

1. We learned God is Holy

2. Holy means God must behave according to His perfect character.

3. Holy means God can’t be around sin.

Now, for those of you who did not know, God did solve the problem of sin for us by sending His blameless son Jesus, to take our place as a sacrifice for our sin committed.

So try to understand things this way, because God is holy, He MUST judge everyone according to His perfect character and because He is perfect, His judgments are fair and right.

Let’s keep going. As mentioned previously, Jesus came to this earth to solve the sin sacrifice issue but He is also the most loving person who ever lived, but yet it is He who teaches us the most about the reality of hell. Why? because Jesus knows hell is a very real thing and He doesn’t want us to suffer the inevitable consequences of our rebellion against God. What is that rebellion you ask? Rebellion is having sin in your life and NOT doing anything about it…living in sin is rebellion against God…why? Because God is holy…

Are you beginning to see a pattern here?

Heaven and hell are actually defined by a relationship. Heaven is enjoying the amazing gifts of a Father and more importantly, being with Him. Hell is the absence of His blessings; love, communion, presence, beauty etc.

Simply put; Heaven is being with our holy God and Hell is being apart from Him.

Think about that for a moment. The closest thing to Heaven on earth is to have a relationship with Him and to feel the His presence in our lives.

Hell on earth is simply the opposite of everything GOD.

So now that we understand a little more about the God we serve I must make this statement to you and ask this question;

If we truly understood how absolutely holy God is, we shouldn’t be asking the question why would a good God send people to hell…the real question should be…

How can God allow anyone into Heaven?

Bottom line…going to heaven or hell is a choice WE get to make while here upon this earth. God doesn’t send good people to hell…they get to make that decision for themselves…

Until next time guys…

Hardwired for Heaven…

Posted: September 29, 2012 in Heaven Bound, Inspirational
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We are strangers, we are aliens, we are not of this world…Petra
Do you remember all those years ago when we were dating because, like the ladies, we were looking for just the “right” person we could connect with and spend the rest of our lives with? But in order to find this “perfect” match we had to spend time dating a variety of different girls to find the one that fit who we thought we were matched with right?. For some of you, that decision may have been very easy because you knew from the very beginning that the girl you chose was the right one, but yet other guys had to work very hard searching for their perfect mate.

Fast forward, and many BAD dates later, to the present…where God hopefully blessed you with the spouse you have today…but the question I ask is do you remember those dates where you knew right away that she was so NOT the right person for you? Do you remember that total LACK of chemistry, no compatibility, and absolutely no connection whatsoever?

It was hard just to have a simple conversation with her.
She was the complete opposite of you…
Keep that thought in mind.

Every single day, you, me and millions of other Christian folks get up and proceed with our daily routine all the while surrounded by activity, advertisements and media that we completely disagree with and frankly, not want to have any exposure to but yet we are immersed in it like a blanket. That total lack of interest is the disconnection we feel with this world. Remember the reverse polarity effect with magnets? North attracts with North and South with South but North with South cannot be connected. As Christians, that “out of sync”  or disconnect feeling you have is NOT by accident, it is by design. For the very same reasons we spoke above when  you knew this girl was definitely “not” the right future person for you…that is the same disconnect you have to this world. Peter said,

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:11

Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 1 Peter 1:17

The “here” Peter refers to is Earth. When you receive the salvation offered by Christ, you become a different person. A person who looks the same on the outside but radically different on the inside. God actually adjusts some wiring in your heart that causes you to long for moments with Him rather than what is around you. This change inside affects the way you see the world around you. It causes you feel like a stranger in places that have nothing to do with Christ and yet very comfortable in places with folks that believe as you do.

If you feel this way and were concerned, be of good cheer my friend. You are a stranger and an alien while here on Earth and by accepting Christ, you have been Hardwired for Heaven…
Until next time guys…


Satan can Hinder my Prayers…?

Posted: August 25, 2012 in Devotional, Father, Heaven Bound, Husband, Inspirational
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Guys, I have been writing to you on this Iron Man Strength blog now for almost two years and during that time, I have worked to encourage and provide support to you as you walk down the path of being a Dad and a Husband. As we all know, this path is not an easy one but through Gods amazing grace, we all have access to power through Christ Jesus…all you have to do…is believe.

But I have a sense of urgency now that I need to begin to share in this blog that some of you may or may not appreciate but I must press on. This blog will never be political, but only encouragement about our lives and our relationship to our God, but I tell you now that we are living in an extraordinarily turbulent time now in America and there are powers at work that you and I cannot control but through prayerful persistence. We are told in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing and my friends, now more than any time in your life, I pray that you heed my words.

We learn back in the Old Testament in the book of Daniel, that there are powers and principalities that are unseen that you and I must consider as Christians. I am not trying to scare you or blow your mind with crazy talk but yet the truth is the truth and I ask you to listen. There is an unseen battle going on right now in America and the unrest and nervousness that you and your neighbors are feeling is because of that battle. It is not just simply we are struggling to make ends meet or the economy is bad, look at what is happening around you…people are reacting by killing one another all over the world. I find myself afraid not for me, but for my children. What does the future hold for them in this world? How will they live and support themselves? You and I…well…we can only pray and pray and pray and while you are praying, please consider this…

In Daniel chapter 10, we learn that Daniel had been fasting and praying for 21 days and had not received any word from the Lord. At the end of that time, we learn from an Angel who came and met with him that during the time he was praying, there was a battle like I am referring to above, going on which prevented Daniel’s answer from getting to him. Only when the Archangel Michael, a really large and powerful stud Angel squashes the Prince of Persia, does the answer reach Daniel.

So what does this story mean to you and me? Believe it or not…Satan was able to hold up that answer to Daniel’s request for 21 days and he can do the very same thing with our prayers. Read 2 Corinthians 2:11 where Paul tells us:

In order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are NOT aware of his schemes.

Guys, he seeks to devour and thwart our efforts when we are seeking a relationship with Christ and if you are an, on-again off-again, inconsistent, I’ll get around to it eventually kind of guy, you may not realize that your prayers maybe held up or slowed before they reach Him. Jesus tells us in His own words in Luke 18:1-8 about persistence in prayer…He says in verse 7, “and will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night?“

My advice to all of you is very simple…If your relationship with God is good or not so good…I urge you to continuously and persistently seek God each day and pray to Him for both yourself and your family. Gods desire is to have a relationship with you that is eternal but the only way that will happen is through YOUR efforts while here on earth…so right now, while things here are more turbulent that ever before, seek God with all your heart because I assure you…

When you seek Him, He will find you…and that my friend will have very Heavenly implications…

Until next time guys…I leave you with this…

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