Posts Tagged ‘heaven’

Top 5 reasons You should Consider becoming a Christian

Posted: October 11, 2013 in Kingdom Living
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
0

top-10-list1Lists. The top 10 “this” and the top 10 “that”…We are surrounded by them. Some of them are great information or funny and I might even find them compelling now and then…but in thinking about “lists” it got me thinking about something else. What if I could create a list that was more eternal in nature? Maybe I could create a list why I think you should consider making a free choice that would affect your personal forever? So that is what this list is about…Give it a read and maybe even give it some consideration…so here are my:

Top 5 reasons you should consider becoming a Christian

1. It’s free…and YOU get to make the choice…

In this day and age of self empowerment, freedom of choice, self-help and the “just do it” mentality…Christianity offers YOU, the individual, the ultimate Free choice of your personal lifetime…You get to choose where you would like to spend eternity.

2. Salvation is an amazing thing…it gains you eternal life.

As mentioned above, you make a very free choice and personal for salvation and that choice gains you citizenship inside a heavenly kingdom…unmatched and incomparable to anything mankind could ever imagine…

3. When everything around you fails…Jesus never does

News Flash: You are surrounded by failure. The washing machine fails, the car fails and even your spouse fails now and then. But what if I told you that one person will never fail you even in the worst of times? Would you consider listening to me? This is a very simple answer to a very tough question…Jesus Christ will NEVER fail you…

4. We are never alone…especially during the tough times

Loneliness is the worst feeling. It will suffocate you if you can’t control it…With Christ you are NEVER alone. We are promised that He will never leave us or forget us…When the going gets rough (and it will get rough), sometimes we find ourselves all alone, deserted…It is right then and there that Christ will meet you…He will NOT desert you because He is your anchor during your storm.

5. It doesn’t cost you your life…it just saves it.

Do you know where you are going when you die? I mean definitively? Not what you hope…but what you know…? Can you answer that question honestly to yourself? If you say yes to salvation you not only saved yourself from a painful existence here on earth, but also guaranteed a forever that can’t be compared to anything you could ever think of on your own…

So that is my top 5. Simple, but hopefully effective. I hope you will take a moment to look at your own future and determine for yourself if my simple list above might be worth examining closer…

Until next time guys…

Am I really Intolerant?

Posted: September 14, 2013 in Kingdom Living
Tags: , , , , , , ,
2

tolerance-2

There is a word the media is using today that is beginning to drive me crazy. It is a word that we all know and have used throughout our lifetimes but in the last few years it has come to be known as the mantra for everyone who chosen, as I call it,  a life of gray. The word I am referring to is tolerance, and if you aren’t tolerant, then you aren’t a good person…or at least, that is what we are being led to believe.

I actually had this conversation recently with a coworker who called me intolerant when I had the audacity to say, “that is wrong” about the subject we were discussing. As I queried him further, I realized that right and wrong were NOT definitive in his life…they were simply guidelines. In other words, if someone came along saying they believed in Zombies, rather than tell this person how ludicrous believing in Zombies really is, he simply says OK…if that’s what you believe then I am tolerant of that fact. I know this may come across as harsh, but I don’t believe in Zombies and in my life, there is a very clear black and white line in this world that equates to wrong and right…there is absolutely no gray involved.

As a Christian friend, if I share the truth with you as a brother about your life as I see it…about how you are moving away from God and going in the wrong direction, is that is an intolerant viewpoint? Because according to this “tolerance” way of thinking…that is not “being loving” towards you.

In my opinion, this “tolerance mentality” began with people only wanting to believe certain sections of the Bible rather than taking it as a whole.  We don’t like the part about judgment, or sin, and condemnation because some of it uses very strong language and frankly, it makes us uncomfortable…But we do like the part about love…only rather than the type of love Jesus refers to when He says “Greater love hath no man than he lay down his life for another”, we change that version of love into what we believe about God…not that God is Love but rather, love is god and when that happens (and it is happening), we also change how we define love…love becomes more tolerance than real love.

We Christians need to be careful that our definition of love is not like above, but rather, full of the examples of Jesus and what He did for us.

Remember that God loves us and He welcomes us to Him JUST AS WE ARE but His love is so great for us that He can’t let us remain that way. The “way” I am referring to here is “being in sin” which God hates but yet He loves you and me…and as we begin to experience His amazing love, we begin to change inside. God’s love doesn’t just tolerate us…it changes us. We become something that we couldn’t be on our own…someone who recognizes right and wrong yet can love unconditionally.

Believe it or not, those two can coexist…and when they do…there is real change.

Remember guys, it is NOT that I’m intolerant, but rather I only want the best for you…and when I call something out to you…It’s because I want you in eternity…

Until next time guys…

Satan has a plan for you…Part 2

Posted: August 26, 2013 in Kingdom Living
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

the-stranger1(Continued from previous post)

We, you and I, can only grasp small fragments of who He is.

As I mentioned previously, what we see being put on display before our very eyes is NOT a mistake…it is a part of Satan’s master plan in the process of being unfolded. Did you know he has also has a plan for this world? It is a plan that you and I have the advantage of watching from ringside seats…and we are right in the center of the action. (Please note: I refer to above as an advantage simply because I believe I know how this story ends.) Let me just say very clearly that his plan does NOT have your best interests in mind. Remember what Peter said:

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

I don’t know about you but the word, “devour” is very clear to me what the end looks like for someone who stays on the path of least resistance, or in other words, the path that has no accountability. Guys, what do you see each night on television that gives you hope in this world? I am NOT trying to be negative but from my vantage point, there does not appear to be very much “positive” going on out there…and for that matter, coming in the future. So far, it looks the same to me. Has what I see now happened before?

Is History is repeating itself? Do you remember the Children of Israel?

Have you ever heard the word crescendo? Its definition is “the peak of a gradual increase.” Crescendo is seen mostly in musical pieces where the orchestra will start softly and gradually grow louder as they crescendo to the finish. If I were to apply the “gradual increase” to what I see going on today, I would say (and I think we would all agree) we are seeing the speed of the world-changing to a rapid pace. Look around you…Why is this happening?

A.W. Tozer quote from the “Spiritual Warfare” book:

“How different it is today. The fact remains the same, but the interpretation has changed completely. Men think of the world not as a battleground, but as a playground. We are not here to fight; we are here to frolic. We are NOT in a foreign land; we are at home. We are NOT getting ready to live; but we are already living, and the best we can do is rid ourselves of our inhibitions and our frustrations and live THIS life to the full.”

As mentioned above, we are all in a spiritual battle and frankly, if you don’t see that I am worried for you brother. Things may be going well for you now and I say, “good for you” but I also know, “This too shall pass”. Unfortunately, “things going well” may only be for a season and when the good is gone, then what? My response to you is look up and see what God has for you especially during this time of certainty. Jesus said, “if you seek me you will find me…knock and the door will be opened unto you” Please remember this;

This earth is NOT Gods plan for you!

Pastor Rick Warren said, “Earth is simply preparation time for Heaven” which means that Earth is not your final destination. There is something far more fantastic in your future than your existence upon this earth.

Right now, in the middle of all this chaos of the world, God is trying to get your attention but guess what? So is Satan…

I will end this post with another A.W. Tozer quote:

“There is a glorified Man on the right hand of the Majesty in heaven faithfully representing us there. We are left for a season among men; let us faithfully represent Him here.”

Guys, I know I gave you a whole lot in these last two posts or in other words, a whole lot of “meat” to chew on. I pray that His words will rest upon your hearts so the Holy Spirit can use them to soften your mind to His what He has for you…

What He offers is Eternal Life…

Until next time guys…

Satan has a plan for you…Part 1

Posted: August 22, 2013 in Kingdom Living, Standing firm in Trials
Tags: , , , , , ,
1

the-stranger1

NEWS FLASH…If you think that Satan is a myth…you are sorely mistaken. If you think Satan is a pacifist, you are dead wrong. If you somehow think that Satan doesn’t know who you are…that will be the death of you…

Do I have your attention?

What I am about to share with you is not a new revelation. These are NOT new ideas or concepts because I have found them written in the Bible. They are however, very important because they profoundly affect all of us. In the past, I have written about these topics in posts but today finds me more passionate and frustrated with the direction I see our country moving. To be honest with you, and please pay attention to me here because this is becoming more clear to me everyday why America is not mentioned in the book of Revelation…why?

Because, when Revelation finally happens…America is NOT relevant…

Does that matter to you? Have you ever heard someone say that before? Guys I have a sense of urgency as I write this to you. I believe that from my vantage point, America appears to be in some sort of trance. Things that should matter to all of us…things that we know are wrong…continue because there is no resistance.

So why don’t we wake up? What will it take before we care?

My diagnosis; this is all a part of Satan’s plan. Right now, he has man completely transfixed with himself. A.W. Tozer said, “The concept of Majesty has all but disappeared from the human race. The focal point of Man’s interest is in himself” as evidenced by the nineteenth century poet Swinburne who wrote, “Glory to man in the highest! For man is the master of things” we have become a race of self-absorbed, narcissistic humans with no other focus other than ourselves. We are so smart, talented and athletic that it almost seems like we don’t need God or maybe God isn’t the same as He was before. It almost seems like the smarter we get, the dumber God gets…like His power has been diluted.

Has God changed since I became an adult?

I believe that part of the reason is that man is trying to make God look like himself. As we continue to gain more insight into the world that is around us, we become more and more egotistical rather than humble. We try to fit God into something that He isn’t…Conceivable. I see this every time I hear an atheist speak. Because God does not humble himself down to their level whereby they can comprehend Him, then he does not exist.

God doesn’t need us…we need Him.

The God of the Bible cannot fit inside the human mind nor does He want to. Isaiah said, “His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.” Psalms 50:21 says, “You thought I was altogether like you?” God’s job is not to bend down to us, but rather for us to reach up to Him. The Bible says “Humble thyself in the sight of The Lord and He shall lift you up.” NOT the other way around. The Bible also says “Pride goes before the fall.” Again, mankind’s view of himself is the reason why the relationship between God and man is broken. He is God and not us.

Please understand that I speak of a God who is the Majesty in the Heavens, God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, the only wise God, our Savior. Not the picture version inside the pages of your kids Bible.

(Continued in 2 days…stay tuned)

It happens in a Blink…

Posted: May 11, 2013 in Fatherhood, Strength for Today, Strong Husbands
Tags: , , , , ,
0

it_happens_in_a_blink__by_jsf22x35-d3c4oejYesterday, I attended a memorial service for the wife of a former business owner/ friend of mine who recently passed on and has gone to Heaven. The service was great. I say “great” because it was NOT one of those very dull, dreary experiences where the person who passed had no hope and we will never see them again. Everyone in that service knew where this woman was…Heaven…no doubt about it. But yet at the same time, the service was incredibly sad because my friend’s wife was gone. Physically, she is no longer here anymore to participate in her life doing the she things she loved like running, riding bikes or spending time with her husband and her kids…instead, she went to Heaven and it happened in a blink.

 

This coming June 21st, my own daughter Kylie, will have been in heaven for 9 years but yet it only seems just like yesterday to me when she passed. She was a very happy 12-year-old girl who truly loved her family and her life but yet one day, God decided to take her up to Heaven and live with Him…and that too happened in a blink.

 

Now, I will be honest with you here..I am not one of those guys who believes that Kylie is up there watching over our family.  That has never been one of those things told to me that ever gave me comfort. I will also tell you that this post isn’t about wrestling with God or bitterness or anything like that….It’s about recognizing what is right in front of you and possibly losing your pride and being the man and asking for forgiveness…The people we know and care for can be gone in a blink and then what? Well, the hard truth is you must live without them for the rest of your lives…and for some of you, that may mean living with a mountain of regret. The “I should have talked to him/her sooner” conversation that should have happened…never happened…only now it is too late.

 

I can’t tell you how many times I have spoken to friends who were angry at their kids or their wives or their parents and that anger or pride caused them a broken relationship and then as I have experienced first hand, that special someone is gone in a blink and now they live with this bitter pill regret at never reaching out to them and mending that relationship…

 

Remember: Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18

 

Guys, if you haven’t picked up on the theme of this post…It happens in a blink…It’s because it does. The unexpected can happen before you blink and I assure you there isn’t anything you can do. One minute, all is well in your world and the next, someone YOU LOVE is gone. No matter how hard we try to hold on to someone, we can’t.

 

What I am saying is simple…don’t wait to save your relationships. Please consider taking the high road and do it now…because truly…life can change in a blink. I encourage you to please don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today…

 

Until next time guys…

 

The Best Gift Ever

Posted: December 28, 2012 in Kingdom Living, Strength for Today
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

imgres

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 Kingdom Living
Tags: , , , , ,
0

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 Faith Journey, Kingdom Living, Strength for Today
Tags: , , , , , , ,
1

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 Kingdom Living, Strength for Today
Tags: , , , ,
0

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…


Rock Solid Faith

Posted: August 11, 2012 in Standing firm in Trials, Strength for Today
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

Have you ever sat down and thought about why God created Earth and why He decided to create all of us? Do you ever wonder if He regrets making that decision? I often wonder about things like that because collectively, we only seem to give the God of Heaven grief. But yet even as I have found out the hard way…God is still faithful to us even when we are not. Paul makes this exact point in Romans 3:3-4. So just to quickly reset the issue here…He still loves us (you and me) and is faithful to us even when we ignore Him? But let us this statement a giant leap forward and ask this question; With all of the sin and shame we continually drag around each day…With all of the horrible things that man has done throughout history…why did He, the omnipotent, omnipresent, Creator, create this opportunity for you and me to be with Him forever in Heaven?

David asked the same question when he said in Psalms 8:4, what is man that you are mindful of him?

The answer to this question is actually very simple..He loves us…that is the reason…and if you read the Bible, you will see evidence of that because it is filled with examples of His love for all of us and all His creation. But what kind of God is He that He would allow the sacrifice of His own son for a group of people who are so sinful? But yet, that is what Christ did and because of that ultimate act of love, you and I have an opportunity for this amazing thing called salvation.

The Apostle Paul tells us that to obtain salvation, we can be saved by grace through faith. God extends His olive branch of grace down to us knowing full well we can’t get to Heaven on our own, but because of Christ’s sacrifice, we can….all we have to do is believe. True salvation starts with belief in your heart. He asks us to seek, to trust and to believe in Him…but to believe in something we do not see with our own eyes.

The author of Hebrews in Hebrews 11:1 said it this way:
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said ” All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all that I have not seen”

Faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is the only condition God requires for salvation. But you still have to believe in what you cannot see…

So as I sit and contemplate this I begin to understand my part in all of this process. We live in a very difficult world, and frankly, getting more painful by the day. Every second of the day, We are bombarded by everything this world has to offer. There is no way we can avoid its influence hitting us in the face. God’s plan is for you and me to navigate this life journey by trusting in Him, by believing in Him…a God that we cannot see.

We are presented with countless stories from the bible about amazing faith like David when he defeated the giant Goliath. It never crossed his mind that the giant would or could defeat him…his faith was so strong that he trusted in God to help him get victory…and it happened. But David believed in God yet he could not see Him…


Do you remember the story of Abraham? God promised him to be the father of nations and yet at 100 years old he still had no son of his own. But yet he still believed that God had the power to do what He had promised. That was true faith. Faith that could endure, trust, obey and still grew stronger.

But why is faith so important for us as believers? Why does the plan of God for us to get to Heaven require faith in Him, the unseen?

Hebrews 11:6 says,

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Seek Him…and believe…

True faith in God means you are trusting in Him to help guide you through the narrow path in this world. When you are trusting, you are not consciously trying to do things yourself, you are relying on God the Father to give you direction. True faith, as hard as is this is to swallow, is being obedient to Him, just like Abraham was. Obedience is not really a word this generation likes to hear but yet true obedience, is what leads us to this powerful faith and trust in Him. Simply put, this is how God created the path to salvation.

The only way we will make it to Heaven is to believe in God even though we cannot see Him.I know I have emphasized that point throughout this post but I want to make sure you realize what is expected of you. Faith in God means to stand strong and endure no matter what the cost. Faith is a day by day commitment to Him. Faith is trusting in a God that promises to never leave us not forget us. This kind of Faith, this kind of never say die commitment to Him…will earn you your personal set of keys to Gods Kingdom…

So I tell you this…be strong, persevere, and don’t lose your grip on Him because He will NOT lose His grip on you…

Until next time guys…

Older Entries
Newer Entries