Posts Tagged ‘Faith’

Eternal Life – What is it?

Posted: February 3, 2024 in Kingdom Living
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The Bible talks plainly about eternal life, which is, simply put, living forever with God as His saved people. This means that only those who have a saving relationship with God; meaning one that is active and fruitful, are identified as people who will receive eternal life.

Humanity, of course, has taken the concept of eternal life and added its dose of limited understanding to bring it down to a level where they can understand it in their terms and not in Gods. They have watered eternal life down to a point where either the concept is so ridiculous that they do not believe it, or they adjust what is required to get there so that they can live their life as they want to. Kind of the “have your cake and eat it too” mentality. I have seen this and I am sure you have as well.

Maybe you don’t believe in Eternal Life yourself…

I will be honest with you, Eternal life, without faith, is hard to understand. The idea of living forever is something we only see in the movies. Our collective reality is we are surrounded by death and even though living forever sounds amazing, it is hard to think that could happen. When your loved one passes, they are physically gone and until you die yourself and find out where they went by then it is too late.

Guys, I want to give you some help with this topic so we can better understand…but I have to warn you…this topic does require faith in what you cannot see. Remember, the author of Hebrews said it this way,

        Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for and CERTAIN of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

First of all, eternal life is more than some endless existence floating around somewhere. I am sure you have seen the cartoon of the guy floating around on a cloud playing the harp…that is NOT eternal life.

Eternal life will be a special quality of life that we as believers receive when we partake of the essential life of God through Christ His Son…all this means is you have an ongoing active relationship with Christ. And that eternal life I am speaking about is a present reality while you live on Earth. Jesus said it very plainly this way,

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10:27-28

As I said, the present possession of eternal life requires a living faith…meaning at your very core, you believe. I must make clear that Eternal life is not just secured and maintained merely by repenting and having faith from a long time ago. But rather it involves the present living connection with Christ…Because there is NO eternal life apart from Him.

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:12

Finally, there is our FUTURE Hope…

We have a hope that lives in us because of our salvation in Him. The bottom line for you and me is that our Eternal life is directly connected with the future coming of Christ for all of His faithful believers. We have been given hope, through many scriptures that He will return and fulfill His promises.

..which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:10

How can I sum this up for you? I specifically kept this post separated from the topic of Heaven as that is the “where” and I am referring to the “what”. Eternal life can begin on Earth with a saving salvation in Christ Jesus. That is living by the Spirit daily and something that you participate in like going to the gym. Yes, it is like exercising your spiritual muscle.

That daily and faithful relationship produces eternal fruit for you. But the easiest way to understand is to use the same verse we all learned as children:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only son so that whosoever believes in Him would not die, but have eternal life. John 3:16

I know this was short, but hopefully, this helped you grasp eternal life a little bit easier. Your walk in faith takes effort and time but the relationship you develop with Christ is the beginning of eternal life and will be the most rewarding thing you have ever experienced…that I can assure you.

Until next time, guys-

Hope is NOT a Strategy…

Posted: January 29, 2024 in Strength for Today
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Over the last few years, we have seen this phrase trotted out constantly in the media through political campaigns as a reminder that the idea of Hope is actually a bad idea. Why? Because Hope should not be counted on as something that will happen. But, if this were true, then why would anyone feel good about hope in the first place? 

Today, I hope to change your mind about this topic because if your hope strategy is actually Biblical Hope, then it is by far the best strategy any of us can count on or put our faith in.

One of the most powerful emotions we can experience as humans is the feeling of Hope. I have experienced this personally as I am sure most of you have too. To go through a situation that is painful or difficult at whatever level, grief or loss or something, and to come out of that ordeal with a solid Hope for the future is a feeling that is hard to describe. Hope not only makes you feel better, but it also makes you feel better also. What I mean is…Hope is healthier for your body because when you are full of hope, you are not full of stress. 

Think about this; Hope and Stress do not peacefully coexist in the same body.

I am writing about Hope today because, by its very nature, Hope concerns the future and when I watch the news, the future looks to be very disconcerting. Yet Hope involves so much more than just a desire or a wish for something better in the next week, month, or year. If you haven’t already noticed, I wanted to introduce you to a different kind of Hope and one that is a far more solid version. 

Yep…you guessed it, Biblical Hope. Here are two hope verse examples below:

But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose Hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. Psalms 33:18-19

Then you will know that I am the Lord, those who hope in me will not be disappointed. Isa 49:23b

Can you imagine hoping for something and not being disappointed? This is what I mean… Biblical Hope is a whole different level of Hope because it consists of assurance of the heart and firm confidence about the future of things on this earth. Why? Because these “things” are based on God’s promises. 

In other words, Biblical Hope is inseparably linked to a Firm Faith and a strong confident trust in God.  These all work together to provide you with a foundation that cannot be shaken. You can be navigating the largest and most difficult situation you thought possible, but because of Biblical Hope…everything changes. I am not blowing smoke here. Biblical Hope can feel physical and can provide the foothold you need to make it to your next step…and the one after that.

Guys…I cannot emphasize enough how many promises are made in the Bible that are mentioned for no other reason than to give you and me HOPE. God didn’t leave you on an island called Earth without a lifeboat. He filled up an entire book with reasons why you should hang on and not give in to whatever tidal wave you think is coming.

Bottom line for you and me…Hope is, without a doubt, a strategy if your Hope is in Him…

Until next time Guys-

Is Good Enough, Good Enough to Get into Heaven?

Posted: January 28, 2024 in Kingdom Living
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Over the last year, I have found myself in conversations with different friends discussing Heaven and the different journeys we are taking to get there. What is clear to me is each of them has a very different viewpoint on how to get there and the direction we each are going is also very different. I think the most concerning takeaway I have gleaned from these conversations is the fact that many of them have a diluted idea of what God says in His word about this very topic. They believe strongly in the idea that being Good Enough, is good enough, to get to Heaven. 

You have probably heard this a thousand times but how could God send a good person to Hell?

If you live your life well, meaning you haven’t killed anyone or you haven’t wronged anyone, and although you are apart from Christ, why would living “that kind of life” sentence you to Hell?

Let’s begin this short blog by ensuring we are all on the same page with this one fact. You, me, Billy Graham, even Mother Teresa; there is absolutely no path available for any human being to earn their way into Heaven. With ALL of the amazing things that Mother Teresa did, literally saving thousands of children’s lives through her efforts…those actions were not good enough to get her into Heaven.

Billy Graham preached for over 50 years and I would say millions of people came to know Christ through his many years of ministry. Do you think that punched his ticket into eternity?

Think of it this way…No matter how amazing of a person you are on this Earth, there is NO version of a “better me” or a “better you” where we can achieve something that earns our gift of Heaven. All of us are born into this sinful, unclean world with no way of saving ourselves, and people who rely on “goodness only” as their life plan are going to be disappointed. Trust me.

Paul said, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” He also said, the wages of sin is death” Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23

The bottom line is, that is why Christ came. God knew we couldn’t do this on our own, so He sent Christ to pay the price we couldn’t pay. When we think that just being good enough is enough, there is an arrogance to that mindset which is the opposite of what is needed. God requires humility from us. We need Him, He doesn’t need us. But, He loves us and that is the difference.

If you hear just one thing from me today, please hear this, our human version of “good enough” is NOT good enough. Being just a good person is NOT good enough.

You and I need rescuing from this world but we can’t simply go along in life thinking good enough is good enough, because it isn’t. 

You are probably NOT hearing this from many people but please hear me today-

The key is, recognizing that you can’t get to Heaven on your own and that you need to receive forgiveness from Christ first…if you do, it will help ensure your stay at God’s Heavenly Hilton…and your own eternal life. I know these are hard words, but please know they are the truth.

Until next time Guys-

Friendship with this World

Posted: January 6, 2024 in Kingdom Living
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Do you think it is possible for a Christian Man or Woman to “ride the fence” so to speak with their relationship to this world and then with God? Can we do what we want Monday through Saturday and then make it all up to God on Sunday? I don’t know about you, but I have a work friend that does exactly that. He knows how I feel about what he is doing and so now he just avoids me.

So I thought about this issue recently on my way home from work and I realized that all I can do for this person is to NOT judge him, but rather just be there and be me. What I mean is, to show him that I can live in this world by creating boundaries for myself that I choose not to cross. As far as our friendship goes, I can and I WILL continue to be his friend but I just don’t approve of his choices.

My dad used to tell me right before a spanking, “I love you, son, I just don’t love what you did”…and that is where I am now with my friend.

Because of this situation, however, I went back and looked at what Scripture says about a Christian’s relationship with the world, and what I found was God has a lot to say on this subject. In fact, scripture is crystal clear on how we are to cohabitate while we are here on this earth.

Without preaching to anyone, here is how God feels about our relationship with this world. Again…He does not mince words and He starts with this statement below-

Friendship with the World is hatred toward God

Secondly, James had some very strong words for his audience when he spoke these scriptures below about their friendship with this world.

You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity (hostile) with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 

Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?  But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.    James 4:4-8

I get it. This is STRONG scripture but I think the important points to recognize are:

  1. If we are focused on anything ELSE other than Him. 
  2. If we are spending time on something that is a distraction from our relationship with Him.
  3. If we choose to not attend church to enjoy an activity outside regularly

Guys, the list goes on and on. But the reality is that if you find yourself compromising your walk or your relationship, then these scriptures, HOPEFULLY, can help bring you back to center so you can prioritize what is really important for your eternal future.

You, me, we have to separate ourselves from this world…just like scripture says

Jesus said it this way, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”  Matthew 6:24

My intent in writing this to you today is simply a reminder that because life does indeed go on, it is VERY easy to lose focus and compromise your faith. And the reality for us is that just because we are not focused on our walk with Him…HE STILL IS… and compromise is the first step towards a fall.

I care about you guys and want each of you to experience eternal life with Christ. Let me end with what the Apostle John says-

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 

1 John 2:15-17

Please stay strong-

Until next time Guys-

The Temptation of Jesus

Posted: January 2, 2024 in Strength for Today
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Before Christ began His 3-year ministry on earth, he was led by the Holy Spirit out into the Desert where He was subjected to temptation from Satan. This lasted 40 days and during that time,  Jesus did not eat. 

I don’t know about you, but I am confident I would not last even a few days without sustenance before pure weakness set in… but Jesus did it. I want to remind you that at this point, He was just like any other man, which means His body would have started to break down due to a lack of nourishment just like yours and mine would.

Compounding that fact, was that He was being subjected to temptation from Satan, who was and is, the Prince of this World, which made this entire ordeal even more difficult. But, let me be clear, this encounter was not by accident. Christ did not go to the desert to hide but rather He was led to this confrontation by God. Why?, Because as Erwin Lutzer states in his book, God’s Devil, “God wanted to prove that Christ would win in the very arena of temptation where Adam failed”.

In case this fact slipped your mind, Jesus already knew Satan. How? Because He created him. Lucifer, as was his name, was one of the highest-ranking angels ever. He led worship in Heaven and had a direct connection with God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. However, evil was found to be in his heart so God cast him out of Heaven along with one-third of the angels he had corrupted. 

Today, I wanted to take a couple of minutes to add some color to these “temptation” events and try and bring the supernatural perspective that the Bible only tells us in 2D. What Satan presented to Christ would have been truly amazing and frankly would have blown you and me away.

Temptation #1

And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” Matt 4:3

First of all, Christ could have turned the stones into bread in a second. In fact, He basically did the same miracle just a few weeks later when He fed the 5,000 but, we know Satan does not play fair. As Lutzer states, “The essence of this temptation was to show the needs of the body are more important than the needs of the soul.” This was low-hanging fruit and he knew Jesus was hungry, famished, and even starving. But Christ saw through his plan and would not give Satan the disobedience he wanted.

Temptation #2

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone”. Matt 4:6

This temptation is far more sinister because if Christ quotes scripture, then so does Satan. Lucifer knows the scripture better than you and I. But think about this, Satan quotes scripture to entice Christ into sinning. He literally tried to hamstring Christ by using scripture against Him.

Next, consider this; Satan somehow takes or carries Christ to the apex of the temple in Jerusalem…using his demon power. We know that Christ would NOT have allowed him to do this without His consent. 

Thirdly, do not be misdirected here. Satan was deliberately trying to misuse God’s word just as he will do with you. Are you ready for when you hear the word of God used in the wrong way? Can you discern the difference? Remember when I mentioned this temptation is the most sinister by far?

Finally, Christ simply responded, “DO NOT put your Lord God to the test”. Christ did not fall into the trap that Satan set. He wanted Christ to choose sin even while pointing to a verse and Christ would not.

Let me remind you of Martin Luther’s words from many years ago when he said, “The devil is God’s devil. We have forgotten that only when we know who God is can we know who the devil is. Blessed are those who are convinced that the prince of this world has become a slave to the Prince of Peace.“

Temptation #3

The devil led him up to a high mountain and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” Matt 4:8-9

Again, Christ is taken or carried up to a very high mountain on earth using the demon power of Satan. In an instant, He is shown all of the Kingdoms of the world. Think about that for a second. Christ witnessed Rome in all of its splendor or Ancient Greece or Egypt with the Pyramids. Consider the amazing supernatural experience of ALL these kingdoms displayed to Him at the same time.

Now, I realize that these are earthly kingdoms and NOT Heavenly ones but the sheer power of this should not escape you. Why did Satan do this? It was his last act of power with Christ. He was providing Christ a “shortcut to the kingdom”. He was offering all the authority of the world if He, Jesus Christ, would bow down and worship him.

As we know, Christ did not deviate from the will of God and told Satan to go pound sand. Sorry, that was my paraphrasing. He told him that “you shall worship the Lord your God and him only you shall serve”.

This Case is Closed…

What is the point of writing and sharing this post today? You and I can follow the very same example that Christ set for us by refuting and resisting the enemy using God’s word. Frankly, that is exactly what God wants us to do with it but with one caveat…you must know God’s word well enough to discern when it isn’t… 

That is my challenge to you today-

Until next time Guys-

Lutzer, Erwin. (2015) God’s Devil, Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.

The Story of Satan – part 4

Posted: January 22, 2022 in God Perspective
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We have learned in the first 3 parts of this story that Satan has been very busy since he was cast out of heaven. He was there at the beginning disguised as the serpent that caused Adam and Eve or really, the entire human race, to fall into sin. We also learned that he is the god of this age which gives him authority over certain things like his fallen angels as well as the unrepentant human population. 

But, we also learned that he also has some very specific limitations on him as well. This includes the FACT that he is NOT omnipotent, which means he cannot read your mind. All of this plays right into the 4th installment of this series which talks about what Satan is up to currently. In other words…what is Satans strategy?

What is Satan doing right now?

In a nutshell, Satan is at war. He is presently at war against God and His people and just so we are clear, God’s people are you and me. His main purpose; is to try and draw you away from your loyalty to Christ. Literally, that is the main focus right now…how many people can he lead astray? And let me assure you…he is really good at his job which is why there is so much scripture to remind you to be on your guard.

But for those of you who are skeptical that Satan is at war…read this verse please:

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12 ESV

Have you ever heard of a guy named Job (pronounced jōb)? He has a very long book in the old testament inside the Bible that tells an interesting story about how Satan went and challenged God about Job by telling him that the only reason Job served Him was that he was blessed and had everything. As a result, God took on that challenge and allowed Satan to take away all of Jobs’s earthy possessions including his health, his family, his wealth…and yet ultimately, throughout the entire epic,  no matter what happened to him, Job would not curse God. It even drove Job to proclaim in 13:15…Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him…

Guys, realistically, not everyone is like Job with his unwavering commitment to his God through his adversity…which is why I write this to you.

Satan is your enemy and his strategy is that he wants you to fail and fall. That is why the Bible focuses so much scripture to inform us to protect our minds and NOT be led astray.

But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 2 Co 11:3 ESV

(For more information on this idea that you need to guard your thoughts, please read a previous blog on Ironman-Strength called, Guard your Mind, published in February of last year. This will better explain why Satan focuses his attack on your thoughts)

What is Satan’s goal for his non-stop attack on you and me?

His # 1 goal is, and always has been, to draw you and me into a sin and bondage relationship with him and this present world system. (Emphasis on the present). He wants to squash you like a bug. By the way, as the leader of your home, if you fall, so might your wife and family. That is why you must resist.

For some have already strayed after Satan. 1Ti 5:15 ESV

If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life–to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 1Jo 5:16 ESV

What are we supposed to do to thwart this constant attack?

  1. As believers, we MUST RESIST and pray constantly for deliverance from Satan

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Matt 6:13 ESV

Guys, in this instance, I cannot emphasize the importance of the word, “constantly”. This has never been a “one-and-done” type of defense against the enemy. It is a daily response (meaning a conscious effort using prayer) from you and what your intent is for that day to defend yourself and your family. Don’t forget that.

  1. YOU must be on the alert concerning his schemes and temptations

Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 

Eph 6:11 ESV

If you recall, the very first paragraph mentioned to you in part one of The Story of Satan was about knowing your enemy. Be prepared and resist, because the attack is coming…you just need to know how you can defend yourself.

  1. Resist him through spiritual warfare

Guys…here are the famous verses that talk about putting on the armor of God. Although this looks like symbolism, it truly means putting on armor each day. If you don’t take this part seriously, you give the enemy a foot in the door so I recommend that you take just a second to read them.

13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, Eph 13-18 ESV

  1. Remain firm in the faith

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 1Pe 5:8-9 ESV

Guys, the book of Hebrews puts it this way:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Heb 11:1

I do hope that after reading part 4 you recognize you can’t do this yourself. There have been many who have tried and ALL have failed. And by the way, there is no such thing as trying to ride the fence and be in BOTH worlds at the same time. Jesus calls that being “lukewarm” and He says, ” I will spew you out of my mouth”.

Finally, guys, you and I have very specific resources in this fight against Satan and all of them only will work when we are plugged into Christ as repentant Christians. Without repentance, you are just another dude proclaiming you are a good person…which won’t get you into heaven.

We are getting close to the end…Part 5 is next-

Until next time guys

Though He Slay me, yet I will Hope in Him…

Posted: October 24, 2020 in God Perspective
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Though He slay me, yet I will hope in Him; I will surely defend my ways to His face. Job 13:15

This is one of the most astounding declarations of faith about the goodness of God that was ever spoken. Whatever God allowed to happen to Job, whatever burden He laid upon Him, whatver pain he suffered, even if God should decide to “slay” him, Job ultimately believed that God would NOT fail him. Think about that.

He had complete and TOTAL reliance upon God. Contemplate the fact that it was NOT even a possibility to Job that God could fail him so therefore he never even considered it even though his so-called friends pressed him too.

I find his statement more exacerbating due to the timing of when he said it. He found himself right in the middle of the most agonizing experiences any human being would ever have to go through. He lost his family, his wealth, his land, his livestock, his house, and finally, his health…and none of this by his own hand.

If you were in Job’s circumstance, could you still have faith in someone that has deserted you? 

If God seemingly abandoned you and then you fell into the series of misfortunes like Job went through wouldn’t it be easy to just say, “to heck with this!” and give up and disown God? Why didn’t Job do that?

What kind of relationship did Job have with God that he not only had faith in Him but knew God’s very nature well enough to know that whatever, was happening to him, whatever this looked like visually, was NOT the God he was connected to and knew. I find that incredible.

Just consider with me for a moment the idea of having someone in your life that will not fail you, will not stop supporting or encouraging you, or will not walk away from you even at your ugliest moments.

When you have failed someone or yourself. When you are having real trouble just loving yourself…that is the low point I am referring to. That is the specific spot that when you reach it…is where Jesus meets you. Right when you feel the most alone possible. He is RIGHT there with you.

Job knew it because he had experienced something with God that he didn’t want to lose. That inner peace is simply the love of the savior towards you and me. Job believed that to his core and that faith gave him the strength to say, “though he slay me, yet I will hope in Him”.  Can you imagine being connected to Christ where you could say that AND believe it even during the worst of times? 

Can you imagine trusting Christ SO much that nothing in this world really mattered? Why? because this is all just “STUFF”…just things we leave behind. 

The only thing that matters is your journey on this Earth to get to Him, AND…who you touch along the way. Your wife, your family, your friends, and everyone else.

Guys, I encourage you today to build your faith during these extremely difficult times. Be prepared so that if the time ever came, walking away from God could NEVER be an option.

You would simply say, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”, Joshua 24:15

Until next time Guys…

Are you too Preoccupied?

Posted: January 11, 2020 in God Perspective
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friends gather

Jesus said to his disciples in Luke 18:8, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?

Guys, as we approach our collective futures, the question for each believer is… Am I persevering in faith, continuing steadfast in prayer, and calling on God so that justice may be done and his righteous cause may triumph completely and forever?

Or am I so preoccupied with this life, my life, that I am not looking forward to Christ’s return and his eternal kingdom?

Which one are you?

If you are too busy to remember what Christ did for you on the cross, then this short reminder is for you… I encourage you, my brother, to stop and hit the reset switch for yourself and your eyes back on Christ and not on what you see in front of you or on your phone.

All of the distractions…well, those are Satan‘s traps he has set for you. Think about this, by distracting you, he can persuade you into believing that what you see around you is all there is to YOUR life… But that is NOT THE TRUTH, your life and your future life is to live with Christ having an eternal future…that is His plan for you.

Guys…Don’t lose your focus. Put your phone down for a minute and don’t become preoccupied with what is on this earth. It is only TEMPORARY.

In His word, Christ encourages us to seek him every day, all the time, so that our faith stays strong…In Jeremiah 29:13 we are told, you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 

At the beginning of this blog, I gave you a verse in Luke that talked about even Christ having concerns that when he returns to this earth will there be any faith left?

I ask you today… Is your faith still there?…or are you preoccupied?

Stay strong-

Until next time guys…

 

5 reasons why ALL OF US should not Worry

Posted: June 18, 2016 in Standing firm in Trials
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I have found that we “Humans”, by far, are the best “worriers” on earth. I think this is true because our list of things to worry about always seems to stretch into infinity.

We worry about our health; and if our doctor says we’re okay, we worry that he has missed something. Worrying about money is arguably second on our list which causes us to worry about gross income, net income, deductions, and taxes and on and on it goes. We also constantly worry about whether our job will still be there for us tomorrow and…We worry about our children…worry, worry, worry.

Guys, the reality is that most of the things we worry about will actually never come to pass, but yet we worry about them anyway. So here is my question for you today…

What does that say about your faith?

 Do you trust God to ACTUALLY take care of you, or is that just lip service?

For you, and me, I have put together a small list of 5 reasons why we should not worry that are taken straight from the Bible and Christ’s own words in order to remind you and me of what God told us to do when we become anxious. So I give you…

 

5 reasons why ALL OF US should not Worry

 

  1. Worry is inconsistent  – Matthew 6:25

If we can trust Jesus to provide us with our very life, why can’t we trust Him to provide for us our daily needs? 

Its easy to give God control over areas of our lives that aren’t to dangerous or where the fallout of failure wont be too great for us to fix…but isn’t that just lack of faith altogether? If we can trust and believe that He can handle the smaller things then there isn’t any reason not to believe He can handle EVERYTHING for us?

  1. Worry is irrational – Matthew 6:26

If our Lord cares for the birds, will He not also care for us, since we are more valuable than they are?

I understand the fear we feel when we are riding to close to the guardrail of life knowing full well that if we lose control, even for just a moment, we may lose all or a part of what we have. Guys…it truly is called faith for a reason. God has you in circumstances specifically to find out what you will do when you are close to the edge. Will you walk away and just give up? Or will you TRUST HIM and let HIM provide for you?

  1. Worry is ineffective – Matthew 6:27

Who among us can add one cubit to our stature by worrying?

There is no such thing as worry points. We do not become better men because we worry, we become worse. Even Christ asks the question do we somehow get better or grow in stature if we worry? We do not…in fact, we will only make ourselves miserable as well as all of the people around us.

  1. Worry is illogical  – Matthew 6:28-30

If God so clothes the lilies of the field, can He not also clothe us?

Trusting God means we trust Him to take care of us…period. We can’t have it both ways whereby we only trust Him some of the time and not others. Let God work in your life and see where He takes you.

  1. Worry is irreligious – Matthew 6:31-32

When we worry, we act like those who don’t know God.

When we worry, its like we put handcuffs on the God we say we believe in but don’t trust Him enough to pull us through this particular tough event in our lives. Moreover, what do we show unbelievers about following God when at the first point of adversity we take the reigns back from God and say, “I can do a better job than Him”?

One final thought about worry before we end today. When Christ spoke about worry, He just didn’t say “don’t worry” and then He was finished…NO…He also told us How NOT to worry as well which for all of us, is extremely helpful. You will find His answer in Luke 6:33-34 where He says:

But, SEEK FIRST the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Honestly guys, that is all there is to this process…seek HIM first, then trust and watch Him work in your life. Let me give you 2 more verses on trust:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;

 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.   (Proverbs 3:6 NKJV)

 

Until next time guys…

5 Reasons for ALL OF US to have HOPE right now…again

Posted: November 21, 2015 in Strength for Today
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Very near 3 years ago, I wrote this post based upon what I sensed and felt going on in the world at that time; sadness and destruction. As I listen and watch the world news over the last few days, with all of the horrific death and destruction in France, Belgium and the Middle East, I once again seek God for the very same thing…hope.

I cannot provide anyone with the reasons why all of this is happening other than simply the Bible talking about “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4, John 12:31, 1 John 5:19) prowling around seeking to devour (1 Peter 5:8) those who don’t resist him. Believe me my friends, NOW IS THE TIME TO RESIST HIM. Don’t give up but rather look to Him for your hope.

God’s word is clear…”I will never leave you or forsake (forget) you” (Joshua 1:5)

So here again, are my 5 reasons we can have HOPE right now…

By its very nature, the word hope concerns the future, our future. However, I am not referring to a simple hope such as, “I wish I had a nicer car or bigger house”, but rather I am talking about Biblical hope, which is very different. Biblical hope consists of an assurance inside your heart or better yet, a firm confidence about future things because of Gods promises and His revelation to us. Guys, real Biblical hope in Christ Jesus is something that is never failing when you place your trust in Him. In fact Paul tells us in Romans 15:13;

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In other words, Biblical hope is inseparably linked with a firm faith in Him. They go hand-in-hand with one another. As a result, what is yielded is a confident trust in God that is unshakable when the adversity of life hits you like a wave….(Like right now).

So with all of the chaos our world is throwing at you every single day, I wanted to give you some actual reasons why you can still have faith and HOPE that things are going to still be alright…So here are my 5 reasons for all of us to have HOPE right now…

  1. God is still on the throne – 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 because I have heard that before. But I assure you He is alive and well and knows exactly what is happening on this earth.
  2. With man, things are impossible…but with God, ALL things are possible (Mark 10:27) 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 simply ask, to trust, and to hope in Him.
  3. You Are Not Alone – As we are told in Joshua 1:5, He will never leave us nor forsake us and I’ve come to realize that me trying to understand the why’s of this world is NOT my job. My job is to completely trust in Him…even though I don’t understand. LET GOD DO THE HEAVY LIFTING. 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…
  4. All of what you are going through right now is only temporary – Weeping may last for the night…but joy comes in the morning (Psalms 30:5). It is easy to “get caught up” with what we SEE. But I am here to remind you that Jesus has prepared a place for all of us IN HEAVEN (John 14:2) and this place we see around us, will all pass away. It is only temporary. Heaven is eternal.
  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 in this world may be winning. But let me assure you with an overwhelming confidence. Have you ever read Revelation? Because I know who wins in the end. You and I will be victorius.

But you MUST STAY THE COURSE. Don’t give up. Have faith and put your trust in Him and He will give you reason to HOPE…

 

Until next time guys…

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