Jehovah's Heart Breaks

As you view this picture of Christ weeping, I would like to ask you this question, Why is He weeping over the world?  I want to answer this question the best I can, but you must consider the reality of the tears and the pain that Christ must be feeling.  Christ came into this world because His Heavenly Father sent Him, He came to do the will of His Father.  He accomplished that will on the cross and before He gave up His life, He said "It is finished."  Why then does He weep for the world today?  (If you don't want the music, scroll down to the lower picture and click on the pause button under Crystal Tears)

Let me take you into a father's joy and a father's pain, something almost all father's experience when they begin to raise their families.  When I got married I became an instant father, my wife had been married once before, and through that marriage had a son.  It was a joy to have a son and all the expectations of raising him.  My wife and I brought two more children into this world, another son and a daughter.  I felt very proud having this family and wanted everything to be just right.  All my children brought me much joy as the years began to go by, but I must say they also brought me days of frustration and pain also.  You see, as they began to grow up they also were developing their own independent way of thinking.  Not that this was all bad, children are supposed to do this, but I also seen the seeds of the world's view being planted in them.

We went to church regularly, my children attended Sunday school classes and were involved in youth groups. They learned about God, Christ and the Holy Spirit.  Every Wednesday night we would attend the mid-week bible study and the kids would attend another youth oriented meeting.  We stayed involved in church and kept our children involved also.  My children seemed to enjoy going to church and having fun in their youth groups.  As they got older I began to see changes in their attitudes and some of their actions were not always so pleasing.  A rebelliousness had crept into their lives.  I overlooked some of this just believing that it was just their age, you know, those teenage growing up becoming independent thinking years.  

When we were at home we did the normal activities, played games, helped with homework, prayed over our meals and and at bedtime closed the day with a prayer, we read stories, went camping, fishing, and had many get together's with family and friends.  As my boys were growing up I had many struggles with them about doing the right things.  We even had some calls from their school about situations that came up.  Some of these were because of problems that they had created and some because of someone else's influence.  This was not an easy time when dealing with these type of troubles or should I say rebellious attitude's.  My daughter was the easy one, she kept her mind on the right things and put an effort into her activities.  Although she did confess while in middle school that she was having a bit of rebellious attitude that came out of her mouth as such, she still remained faithful to her convictions, for the most part.  Fortunately she had a teacher that believed in Christ and guided her in her way of thinking.  She as all do still made mistakes and some wrong choices, but she determined to stay faithful to the values she had been taught and to the Lord Jesus Christ.

As my boys were finishing up with their high school years the rebellious attitude and actions began to show up more prevalent.  After our oldest son turned eighteen we gave him the freedom to chose if he wanted to go to church or not, we would no longer force him to go.  He was quite pleased with this, and stayed away from church for awhile attending on an occasion when something special would come up.  I could see that the influence's of the world and the friends that he had chosen were taking him in a different direction than I had planned, a direction that would bring him heartache and trouble.  I could only pray for him and hope that he would turn the other way and find his way back to the values he was taught and back to God.  The hope and prayers are still going on.  I want you know that I love my oldest son very much, but I as his father could not persuade him to come back to God and instill back into his life those godly values.  He still is fighting this spiritual battle.  My middle child as he continued to grow up began to take the same path as the oldest.  Drinking alcohol had entered into his life as did the oldest.  After he graduated from high school he joined the Marine Corps following the footsteps of his Dad and his grandfather.  I knew this decision would bring some good discipline into his life, but I also knew that the influences of that lifestyle would not necessarily be the best.  When he left to become a Marine, I wept for a few days not only for knowing what he was going to face, but because of the emptiness that was created when he left.  

My children know the ways of the Lord and they know the consequences of not following after Him.  But for now, only my daughter and her family are taking the path of the Lord.  It is not speak ill of my boys, it is that they have taken a different path that has lead them away from the Lord.  It is a path that has brought them much heartache and pain.  There lives are good and they are good men now, but, they are still continuing down a path that does not bring them happiness or peace.

This is just a brief summary of my children's journey, I say this not to highlight their mistakes or wrong decisions, I say this for the benefit of the father's that are going through the same things, I say this to relate to you the hurt I have felt as a father when my children would turn away from what I was trying to teach them about following the ways of the Lord.  There were many sleepless nights, many tears, and many hours of prayer for them.  The disappointment that a father feels when his children rebel against him by turning away from righteousness, good moral's and deciding to follow the ways of this world knowing how much pain they may well face.

When you look at the picture above you see Christ weeping over this world.  Even though He came to free us from sin and rebellion, we continue to turn our backs on Him.  God looks on this world not so much with anger, but with a heart that says I love you no matter what you have done.  He looks at all His lost children that continually rebel and tell Him by their actions that they will do it their own way.  He sees His children making bad choices and wrong decisions and continually refusing to follow after Him and do it the way of their Heavenly Father.

What God sees are murders, lies, thieves stealing from anyone that has what they want.  He sees broken families and children being cast aside as trash.  He looks on a world that has followed the way of His enemy and claiming they have the answer's to life.  As Christ looks on a world that He gave His life for, He hurts for those who are still suffering from illness, poverty, children starving for the lack of food because of greed of their government's and evil people who only look out for themselves.  He sees the jealousies, the hatred, and the debauchery that goes on.  Christ looks on a rebellious people who just won't come to Him for salvation, who instead follow after man made idols, man made religion, and say that the world was not created by Him but evolved into what it is today.  He sees a world system that is destroying His creation because of selfishness and greed. So Christ weeps over a world that has turned away from Him and continues on a journey that brings pain and suffering throughout every nation, every country, every village and throughout every family.  Christ still offers His love to the lost and dying world, He still weeps for those who are lost and cannot find their way.  He still cares for those who are suffering under the enemies rule over this world.  Christ still offers the way of salvation to all who will turn to Him.  Through all the tragedy the human race faces today, Christ still calls out, "I am the way" "come, take my yoke, my burden is light." "follow me." Yet, the world goes to war, it follows after evil and determines that man can solve its own problems  So Christ looks on this world and weeps as a father weeps after his own children, beckoning them to come back where there is love and safety, back to a place where peace is found and a place where hope is alive and well.

Because of the cross that He was crucified on, we have a way to come back to our Heavenly Father and that way is through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Christ told those that would listen to Him that "He is the way, the truth and the life, no one can come to the Father except through Me."  John 14:6

In Romans the Apostle Paul states that we are all sinners, and "no one is righteous," we all are full of iniquity.  Romans 3:9-18

Look now what God is saying to us today, yes, even you.  In the book of Romans Paul explains that the entire world is without excuse.  He says the law that Moses gave us made us aware of our sin and that the law cannot save us.  "For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands.  The law simply shows us how sinful we are."  Romans 3:20

"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.  Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous.  He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.  For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin.  People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood.  this sacrifice shows that God was being fair when He held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for He himself is fair and just, an He declares sinners to be right in His sight when they believe in Jesus."  Romans 3:23-26

Yes Christ weeps for this world, He weeps because of our turning away from the love that He offered us on the cross.  He still loves mankind, and His sacrifice is still active for us today.  If He had to, He would do it again, but thank God, He does not have to do this again and again, the sacrifice was final, he said it on the cross, "it is finished."  The blood that He shed was His own, and it paid the price to redeem you and give you the opportunity to come back to the Heavenly Father and be a part of His Kingdom here on earth.  Won't you stop whatever you are doing right now and say this prayer; "Father in heaven, I am lost and have sinned against you.  I repent of my sins and confess to you that Jesus Christ is your only begotten Son.  I believe in Him and that He died on the cross for me, forgive me of my sins and come into my life and renew my spirit so that I might have a new life formed and modeled after your Son Jesus Christ.  Thank you Father for saving me, help me now to live a life for you and to follow your ways and not the worlds, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."  If you prayed that prayer and meant it sincerely, you are now a child of God.  You need to get a bible and start reading it, also it would be good to find someone who is a Christian or believer and ask them to help you in your journey.  Tell them that you have accepted Christ as your savior.  Spend time daily praying and asking God to guide you in this new chapter in your life.  It won't always be easy for satan will try and trip you up continually and lie to you about your salvation, but don't listen to him, he is just that, a liar.  Trust in God and He will help you every step of your journey.  May God bless you richly and protect you, may He shed His love on you through His Son Jesus Christ.

The pictures are paintings by Erik Hollander, if you would like to view them and or purchase one go to this sight; I am not promoting his work but have used it in this blog post and feel obligated to point you in his direction.  http://www.christcenteredmall.com/stores/art/hollander/hollander.htm

Jesus weeps for you, no matter what you are doing right now, He loves you very much and wants you to experience His peace, the only true peace that passes all our understanding.

I leave you now with a poem by TulsaButterfly - paintings and poetry

CRYSTAL TEARS

 CRYSTAL TEARS FALL FROM HIS EYES

WHEN HE LOOKS UPON THE EARTH.

FOR WHAT HE SEES BREAKS HIS HEART,

WE LIVE IN ABJECT DEARTH.

 HE DIED ON THE CROSS SO ALL COULD SEE

THE GLORIES HE CREATED FOR YOU AND ME,

BUT IF WE DO NOT BELIEVE HE DIED FOR US,

THEN HE CRIES, AND CRIES FOR US.

THE CRYSTAL TEARS ROLL DOWN HIS CHEEKS,

THEY DROP ON HEAVEN'S FLOOR,

HE DIED AND ROSE AGAIN FOR US,

HE IS THE ONE AND ONLY DOOR

INTO THE PRESENCE OF THE FATHER,

THE RULER OF ALL, ON HIGH.

IT IS THE NAME OF JESUS ALONE

THAT GETS US TO HIM NIGH.

OH, FRIEND, PLEASE LOOK TO JESUS,

HE DIED UPON THE CROSS,

AND ROSE AGAIN THE THIRD DAY

SO WE WOULD NOT BE LOST.

WHEN WE BELIEVE IN JESUS

AS THE RISEN SON OF THE LIVING GOD,

OUR FUTURE IS SEALED IN HEAVEN,

AND THE GOLDEN STREETS WE SHALL TROD.

THE CRYSTAL TEARS FLOW DOWN HIS CHEEKS

BECAUSE OF HIS GREAT, MAGNIFICENT LOVE.

HE WANTS US ALL TO LIVE WITH HIM

IN THE HEAVEN HE CREATED ABOVE.

This Picture Was Painted By Erik Hollander
The Title Of The Picture Is As Follows: "JESUS WEPT"
Art of the Covenant - Jesus Wept Products - ORDER PRINTS at
 Art of The Covenant
Poem by: Tulsabutterfly - Paintings and Poetry
Tulsa Butterfly's Poems & Paintings Page

Hanging On The Edge

Have you ever found yourself just hanging on the edge and can't find a way to get off safely?  We face many edges in our life and find ourselves just hoping for a hand to reach out and pull us back.  I was watching the news the other day and heard the story of a man who had crashed over a guardrail on an overpass of a major highway.  His vehicle had jumped the rail and became stuck by its back wheels on the railing.  This man had been hanging in the air inside his vehicle for about an hour before the rescue team had arrived.  The man had been under heavy influence of alcohol and of course lost his senses way before he crashed his vehicle.  The point is he was hanging on an edge of which by his own means could not escape.  It was only until someone came along to rescue him that he was saved.  Link to video of vehicle hanging on the edge; http://news.yahoo.com/video/firefighters-rescue-oregon-man-dramatic-181016006.html

We as humans make a lot of blundering and stupid mistakes throughout our lives.  We think we have all the answers to life's most important issues.  We come up with all sorts of reasons for our existence, we question whether there is a creator, we rebel against things that we don't like, we listen to other humans who say they have the answer's to life only to find that they don't have all the answer's.  We find ourselves hanging on a cliff's edge not knowing how far down the bottom is, we don't know whether to let go or wait for help.  Some of us just stay on the edge because we don't know what to do. I wonder sometimes if we human's are as smart as we think we are.  We claim we believe in God, yet we rebel against this God or we claim to believe in some sort of god that we created with our own hands out of our own human minds and believe this man made object is going to answer us and give us hope. Do we really think we have all the answer's?  Are we really so into ourselves that we will not even listen to reason?

If we take a good look at ourselves as human's, do we really understand our purpose?  Every year we look forward to a day called "Black Friday" to find good deals for our loved ones, or for ourselves. Nothing wrong in trying to save a little money, but do we stop and consider just why we do this.  The department stores want our business so they supposedly lower their prices on some things to lure us all into their stores in hopes to make their profits for the entire year.  So we like mad animals rush to these places in the name of Christmas to find the best deals.  We will even go as far as fighting and brawling with each other over a sale of some item or a place in line.  Has our lives come down to acting like starving animals on one day to devour our fellow humans and beat them to the best cut of meat, or should I say sale?  Have we so insanely forgotten what this time of year is all about?  Do we not know that on this day the Savior was born into this world to redeem us and give us a way back to the Father's Kingdom and His presence (not presents)?  How sad we humans have become, we have neglected the very one who came into this world so we can have not only a way back to God, but a "peace that passes all understanding." Philippians 4:7.  Have we not turned our backs on the very purpose of why God sent His Son to us?

So what does this have to do with hanging on the edge?  Let me share with you for a moment.  The human race is headed for a destructive end and is hanging on the edge of a very large chasm and their is no hope for humanity unless someone comes along and saves it.  In Matthew 24:3-44 Christ gives a very descriptive outline of what is going to take place just before He returns back to this earth to claim and establish His kingdom here on earth.  He tells us what state the human race is going to be in during that time.  Some may ask at this point, just who is this Christ anyway?  Look at John 3:16-17, there you will find the reason for the Christ coming into this world.  It says that "God sent His only son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him."  Then the question arises why did he send His Son?  The answer is simple, He loved mankind more than anything, man was His creation and He created us for fellowship with Him.  God, by sending His Son to us is giving us a chance or choice to come back into His presence by believing in His Son and following His ways.

Mankind, like the man hanging over the edge in his vehicle is hanging by a thin guardrail over a very long drop that will bring destruction to him.  But, because God loves mankind, His creation, so much, He has sent the rescuer to reach out His hand so that we can reach up and take it.  God, through Jesus Christ will pull anyone up from the edge if we just reach out and take His hand of salvation.  So how is this done?  Just before Christ laid out what the signs would be before His return He was talking to a man named Nicodemus.  Nicodemus was a Pharisee, a learned man of the Jewish law and a Jewish leader.  In John 3:1-21 Jesus explains to Nicodemus how one becomes a believer or follower of Christ. In John 3:3 Christ says; "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God."  Then in John 3:5 He goes onto to say; "I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit."  The world is in turmoil and it seems mankind is surely lost its way, we fight among ourselves, we hold bitterness in our hearts, we don't want to forgive those who have harmed us, we continually turn our backs on the very one who came to pull us back from the edge, yet we scream for someone to come and help.  God is reaching out His hand to save us, even while we rebel against Him.  Are you one of those who is standing on the edge and can't find anyone to help?  Are you one of those who goes through life looking for the best deal and neglect's the warnings of trouble ahead?  There are many cliff edges that lie ahead throughout our life, but if we don't listen to the warnings of the destruction that is around the next corner we may find ourselves standing or hanging on one of those edges.  

What kind of edge are you facing today?  Maybe you are facing a financial crises and don't see any way out, or you are finding yourself in the middle of a family crises whether it be some sort of sickness, marital problems, problems with your loved ones, or you just can't handle life anymore.  I want to give you hope at this time, there is a way off the edge, you don't have to face your problems alone.  Most people want peace in their lives, but nothing seems to bring it to them, it alludes them and no matter what they try, they just can't find the peace they need.  Let me share with you how you can have the same peace that Nicodemus had opportunity to have.  Reread John 3:3 again, then talk to God and ask Him for forgiveness of your rebellious nature toward Him.  Ask Him to forgive you for all your sins in your life.  In order to be born again as Christ told Nicodemus, you must first of all believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent by Him to redeem mankind.  You see, Jesus Christ gave His life as a sacrifice for us so that we would not have to face judgement by God.  Christ stands in our place and takes our punishment.  This is what He did on the cross, He shed His blood so that we could have life. Look at John 10:1-18, here he is talking about the good Shepherd and His sheep.  Pay attention to the John 3:10 telling us that He came to give life more abundantly.  Philippians 4:7 tells us that we can have peace that passes all our understanding through Christ the Lord.

Now I ask you, do you want to continue living on the edge where there is no real peace or any direction that brings you hope of a better life?  I would hope that you would want something better, so step back from the edge and take hold of the hand of Christ by asking Him to take over your life and restore you to the place God intended you to be, in His presence.  Christ says to everyone, every where, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except by me," John 14:6.  Like the man hanging on the edge in his vehicle, he had no hope of escape unless someone came along to rescue him from certain death, you must reach out to the hand God is extending to you, His Son Jesus Christ.  You can live in turmoil the rest of your days like those in the video, looking for something that will make them happy, a better deal, a moment of satisfaction, only to find that the turmoil is still there, the good deal faded away, the happiness did not last, or you can turn to God's Son and invite Him into your life to take control and give you the peace you have been looking for.  Which will it be   for you?  I highly recommend turning to Christ Jesus and let Him take you away from the edge and bring you into a much better way of life.  Why not turn to Him now?  Why not allow Him to bring you back into the presence of the Heavenly Father and back into His kingdom?  You can keep making excuses, but one day, you may find it to late to cry out for the help you need, don't put it off, Hebrews 9:27-28.  He is patiently waiting for your hand to reach up to His, it is your choice.

May God bless you richly while you put your trust in Him.

Dry leaves/Dry Life

I love the first few weeks of the Fall season.  The temperature begins to change from the hot dry part of the year into the cool nights and warm days.  There is just a different feel in the air, a change that has been long awaited.  I notice the leaves begin to turn different colors and as the breeze rustles through them they flutter one by one to the ground.  I used to wonder why the leaves change at this time of year until I read articles on the why of this change.  Basically the days are shorter and the water supply is hard to reach so the process of photosynthesis stops, or the chlorophyll is no longer being made.  When the light is no longer available and the water supply is at its minimal, life begins to fade into the long winter nights.

The dry leaves of fall is a reminder to us all that life is dependent upon certain factors, a delicate balance between life and death faces everything living.  Without light we could not exist, without water nothing can survive. Two basic elements that can determine whether life goes on, or life ceases to exist.  The fall colors are beautiful and are one of the wonders of this created world.  I thoroughly enjoy this time of year because of the transforming process that takes place before our very eyes.  

There is  a process that takes place within the human species that can be very noticeable if one is aware of the process.  We, like the changing of the seasons can go through many changes in our lives. During one period of time in our life span we can notice changes easily, other times they are subtle and hard to see, but changes do take place within us.  Besides the natural process of growing older, and our bodies become more frail, there is a dryness in our spirits, and an emptiness in our souls. God in the beginning after He formed the human species breathed the breath of life into man (the human species) and gave man life, life filled with freshness like an early spring day when new growth sprouts out with new leaves that form a canopy over the forest.  A freshness like coming out of the darker, colder and dreary winter days.  God placed His Spirit within us to give us life.  The problem is we didn't appreciate this life, we thought it wasn't enough so we took charge of things and tried to do things on our own.  We separated ourselves from the life source that kept us alive and well. Since this was God's creation, He couldn't have His created beings try to set themselves above Him, so God cast man out of that beautiful place called the garden of Eden.  Now man had to face the world on His own, alone and void of Gods Holy Spirit.  Man now would go through many changes and must face death for the first time, his physical body would begin to deteriorate.  Man would now feel pain and hunger for the first time and would have to solve problems on his own.

Like the leaves during the fall season when they loose their connection to their life source and fall to the ground, man had lost its connection to the  life source that gave them eternal life.  Man would go through many changes throughout its life span, and death would be waiting in the shadows of the very life source that created them in the first place.  Yes, fall is a wonderful time of year, but it is a reminder that everything that is separated from the life source will die.  A long, cold and dreary winter faces all of us for sure, but for those who look ahead and know that there is always a newness in the spring season find the hope and joy of that season with a new refreshing of life sprouting fourth from the life source that brings the hope of better days ahead.

Man has that same life source that will bring new life to its deteriorating soul and spirit.  God in His infinite wisdom had already set in motion His plan to reconnect man to its life source, namely, Himself.  This plan would be a painful and sacrificial process.  Man had separated from the life source by rebelling against the God of creation, in doing so he allowed sin to enter the world thus bringing destruction not only on himself, but on the entire world.  God, not willing to let His creation to be completely destroyed by man's rebellion set in motion His plan to redeem His creation back to Himself. One needs to read for themselves this plan.  God left us with His instruction book on how to reconnect back to the life source, God the Creator.  Look at Gen. 2:1-25 for the story of Adam and Eve.  Notice how blessed they were, how connected to God they were.  Now continue reading in chapter 3, Gen. 3:1-24. This chapter relates the winter of man's life, the disconnecting from the life source, God the Father. Man like the leaves of fall would now have to return to the ground from which they were formed. Man's spirit would face judgement for its actions in rebelling against its creator.  If you notice in Gen. 3:14-15 when God cursed the serpent, He said that He will put enmity or a hostility between the serpent or the devil, an opposing force would come against the serpent and crush his head.  Gen. 3:15 gives us indication that there would be someone coming to take back Gods kingdom.  It says "He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."  This is the first place that God tells us that He was going to send someone to reconnect us back into His presence and His kingdom.

No longer would man be empty and dry like the leaves of fall once they disconnect from their life source, no longer would death have its way.  The question that we must ask at this point is, just who is this He?  Who is it that God was going to send to us to reconnect us to the life source?  All through the Old Testament of the Bible God gives us a symbolic picture of the one who was going to come.  We will find man stumbling along the way, continually rebelling against that which would reconnect them to God.  Yet, God never changed course, never changed His method, but kept leading man back to the point when He would send the one who would reconnect mankind back to Him, the life source.  As you approach the New Testament of the bible we find the spring season has come again, the long, cold and dreary winter of man's life was coming to an end bringing new hope, new life, and a refreshing that would offer mankind new life, a reattachment to the life source, God.  Let's examine this new life and how we can obtain it.  Looking into the New Testament we find the person of Jesus Christ, sent by God the Father, entering the scene.

Way back in the time of Isaiah we will find reference to the one who would be coming onto the world scene to deliver Gods people from their sins.  Isaiah 53:5 reads like this; "But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed or our sins.  He was beaten so we could be whole.  He was whipped so we could be healed."  God was continually telling man that a savior would be sent to them to redeem man and set them free from the slavery of sin. Isaiah 7:14 foretells that a specific sign would be given and just what His name would be.  In the New Testament we find God fulfilling His word about the savior by telling Mary and Joseph just what the child's name would be.  Luke 1:26-33 relates the story to us and brings the Savior into the picture now.  In a short time Christ would be born, the one God said would come ever since man's first rebellion against the creator.  Now new life would be brought back to man, an attachment to the life source would be available for anyone who wanted it.  Just like the leaves of spring that come forth from the life of the tree, man's spirit would now have the ability to be attached to the vine and have life flowing through his veins once again.

Yes, the fall season is a beautiful time of year, it is a time of change, the leaves change colors and eventually fall to the ground, separated from their life source.  Even though it is a wonderful time of year to behold, it is a stark reminder that death is just a moment away.  When the leaves become detached from the vine they become dry and useless.  Once one sins, or rebells against God, our life source, death has begun, our spirits become dry and useless like the leaves in the fall season.  God left us with hope that a new spring day will come to those who stay attached or reattach to the life source and new life will spring forth for those who accept it.  John 15:4-6 reminds us of how important it is to remain attached to the vine.  We like the leaves will be useless if we become detached from the vine, we must have the source of life flowing through us if we want to remain useful and productive.  The problem we face, every single one of us is that we were detached from the life source from the very start when Adam and Eve broke away from the source that gave us all life.  "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."  The penalty for man's sin is death, but God's gift to us is eternal life brought to us through the death of His only Son, Jesus Christ.  All throughout the scriptures God painted us a picture of how He was going to bring us back into His presence.  Don't let the beautiful fall colors of the worlds view fool you into believing that it has the answer's to eternity, only God can give you that.  Yes, fall is a beautiful time of year, but at the end of fall comes the long, cold, wet and dreary winter, a reminder that death lurks in the shadows.  For those who believe in Christ the Lord and allow Him to be the Lord of their life, winter is just a reminder of the spring that gives us life and hope as we live within Gods kingdom while here on this planet.  Someday we will be with Him for eternity, but until then, stay attached to the source of life, Jesus Christ.

May the Lord bless and keep you today and forever as you walk this earth.  Your journey is brief here so make the best of it by living in the presence of God through His Son Jesus Christ the Lord.

Christian??

I have been seeking the Lord on just what to write in this post.  It seems that for a period of time now I have been going through one of those empty periods where thoughts and ideas seem to be few and far between.  There has been one area that I believe the Holy Spirit has been revealing to me for quiet some time now.  It is my hope that this message will bring not only healing to your soul and spirit as an individual but also healing for your loved ones and a reuniting in Christ.

God has been revealing to me a brokenness in the lives of those who have once followed Christ with a passion, but now are following at a distance or at a convenience.  There seems to be a willingness to reject all or parts of Gods word as truth.  This being coupled with an attraction of the things of the world, and the lifestyle of the world has brought discontent, hurt, anger and even bitterness to family members, whether they be one's immediate family and/or the family of God.  Let me share with you just what I mean.  

First of all let's discuss for a moment just what a Christian is.  Maybe before we describe a Christian, let's look at what a Christian is not.  If you are going to follow after someone or something then you must adapt to that person's way of life, way of thinking, and way of actions.  If you are going to follow after an idea or a philosophy then you must accept and adapt to that idea or philosophy.  You become what you accept into your life.  So, when we look at the scriptures to determine what a Christian is not, we need to accept the scriptures as truth.  God's Word, the scriptures is what I will base my evaluation of what a Christian is and is not.  A Christian cannot be a person of the world, or follow after the ways of the world.  What do I mean by the world?  The world is described as that which is against or the enemy of God.  In Gen. 6:11-12  we find God describing the world as very corrupt.  By the implications of what He is saying, we can conclude that He is not talking about the physical world or the planet in and of itself.  In these verses we have to conclude that He is talking about the human beings that were now occupying the planet.  So in His description of humanity He calls them evil. What is evil then?  Evil is that which is contrary to Gods laws.  Basically the inhabitants had corrupted the ways of God, they brought evil into the world or into their lives turning Gods way into something other than what He intended.  Looking at Eph. 2:1-3  we find the Apostle Paul telling the Ephesian followers of Christ that we all were like that of the past, following the ways of the world or the desires of our fallen spirit, or plainly stated, we followed after satan and his evil ways.  James 4:4 tells us that if we are friends with the world we are enemies of God.  So the ways of the world are basically the opposite of the ways of God.  Matt. 15:19 gives a pretty good description of what is in man's heart. What comes out of your mouth gives a real good indication of what is in your soul (heart) Mark 7:20-23.  So, I believe that we can conclude that a Christian is not a person who lives according to the ways of the world, a Christian is not a person who lives with slander, sexual immorality, is a liar, has bitterness, jealousy, debauchery, or any other form of worldly conduct playing out in their lives on a continued basis.  So, with this in mind, what about those who live good lives, seem to do everything right?  Rom. 3:10-18 gives us a very clear picture of humanity.  None are without sin and fall short of God's glory.  So just living a good life doesn't make one a Christian.

What exactly would a Christian be then?  When we look at the scriptures to determine just what a Christian is we have to look at the whole picture.  But, I do not want to go into a whole lot of detail at this point.  Let me first show what the scriptures tell us about being a Christian.  John 3:1-26 gives a very clear description of how one becomes a Christian.  Very simply, your spirit must be born again. In order to be born again we must follow the instructions given, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as the one and only Son of God.  This requires a faith or trust in Him as to who He says is He is.  That being said, we become followers of Christ or His disciples by accepting and believing in Him.  This is what makes us Christian or Christ like.  We are given instructions throughout God's word as to how we are to conduct ourselves.  2 Cor. 5:17 tells us that we no longer are under the condemnation of the law, but we are a new creation and are not to be conformed to the ways of the world, but conformed to the ways of God.  Look at the entire chapter of 2 Cor. 5:1-21 for a fuller description of being a new creation in Christ.  To be a Christian one must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and let Him be the Lord of your life.  You cannot do anything to earn your way into heaven, Christ paid that price for us all, but after we have believed in Him, then we must strive to become more like Him so that we can show the world through our lives the love that God has for all. We become the light on the hill, the salt of the earth.  

Now, comes the hard part.  I believe today to many people calling themselves Christian are not living up to the example that Christ set before them on how to conduct their Christian lives while they remain on this earth.  To many Christians are living under the perception that it is okay to continue in sin such as adultery, or any other type of sexual immorality, that they can lie, cheat, or even steal. Many seem to think they can hold grudges, not forgive, be jealous, or a continuing of the same old way of life before they came to Christ.  Let me just ask a few simple questions; should we as an ambassador of Christ reflect the world's way or that of Christ?  As a Christian, is it okay to sin?  If I as a Christian reflect a worldly image have I truly repented of my sins and let Christ be the Lord of my life?  We need to answer these questions and back up our answers with what Gods word says.  For example, what does the Apostle Paul say to those who are involving themselves with worldly ways?  In Col. 3:1-10 Paul is speaking to the church in Colosse, telling them to rid themselves of such practices such as sexual immorality, lust, greed, adultery, etc.  Christ called His disciples by saying to them, "Come, follow me."  These disciples made the decision to follow Christ.  In that decision they dropped everything, gave up career's, and even family.  Following Christ meant a complete abandonment from the previous way of life into a completely new way of life.  Total abandonment to the world was not an easy decision then, and it certainly is not easy today.  But, when one chooses to follow after someone, this is what is required, you accept that person's way of thinking, way of life.  Not only do you change to that person's ways, you begin living the lifestyle they are promoting, and you tell other's about this person.  So, to do contrary to this, then it would be safe to say, you really don't agree, trust or even like this person's ways.  A Christian who reflects the world may have a hard time convincing other's that they are followers of Jesus Christ, or that they are Christian. 

Here's the predicament.  To many times we have heard from people outside the church about the hypocrite's and they don't like organized religion.  I have to say, I can't argue with them, they are right.  A hypocrite is someone who says one thing and does another.  What we reflect in our daily lives is what we believe or follow after.  To call myself Christian, but live like the world is not reflecting Christ. Christ did not mix words when He spoke to a woman caught in adultery, he first pointed out that all have sin, even her accuser's.  But what a lot of people tend to overlook is what He told this woman. John 8:3-12 gives us the details of His encounter and left the woman with some instructions for her life, "go and sin no more."  When we are confronted with sin in our lives, what is our response to be? Most would say, oh, that's alright, we're all human and make mistakes.  This is true, but when confronted with God's word and our sin is pointed out, then we must face our sin and decide on what to do with it.  Christ tells us to "repent" and don't do it any more.  It doesn't matter what form that rebellious attitude takes, if we don't repent, then we are telling Christ I don't agree with you and I can live my life the way I want to.  Changing from an old worldly way of life is not easy, it is a life long process.  Christians are not perfect except in Christ.  We are made perfect through Him, but we will battle our fleshly desires until the day we die.  This does not give us permission to live our lives like the world, but it gives us the means to get rid of those things in our lives that are not pleasing to God.  

Let me share with you some scriptures that speak to this subject;  Gal. 5:16 (freedom in Christ); Gal. 5:17-21 (sinful nature); Gal. 5:22-25 (Spirit led); Eph. 5:1-2 (Imitator's of God); Eph. 5:3-17 (things to avoid).  Take time to read the above scriptures, allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you concerning these things.  If we are to be imitator's of Christ then we must conduct our lives as if we were walking right beside Him. In fact, the scripture tells us that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor. 6:19. Remember, if you have received or let Christ be the Lord of your life, and you believe in Him as the one and only begotten Son of God, that He came to earth and dwelt among us, was crucified and buried, on the third day rose from the grave, you are a disciple or follower of Christ, a Christian.  You have a responsibility now to set the example Christ set for us, to imitate Him and "go into the world and proclaim the good news to others, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, making disciples of those who believe."


Remember the story of Nicodemus, where Christ told him that he must be born again.  This is where it starts, then the rest of the journey is following after Christ the Lord.

If you are living a life contrary to God's word, if you are unhappy in your present situation, or you are plagued with guilt for how you are living, then turn your life over to Christ and let Him take control. Maybe your are experiencing some heart ache, problems within the family, or you are just tired of the ritualistic form of Christianity, then take your focus off the problem and focus on Christ and live your life according to His will for you. 

Please leave your comments below or at least check one of the reaction boxes?  Your comments are valued.

The Wind of Change

I have noticed over the past few years a change in some of our church's.  Change such as declining attendance in some of the major denominations, a restlessness in those that have stuck to traditional ways of worship.  Questioning of the position of the church today in our society, and in some cases folks have just given up on the church all together.  When I talk about the church I am referring to the local body of believers or any given denomation in any given location.  There seems to be a trend that is growing throughout our community of church's that may be disturbing to some, only to be refreshing to others.  Let me try to explain what it is that I am referring to.  I, like many, have to admit that I do not claim to have all the answers, or that I am 100% right.  This is an observation I have made and am becoming more and more convinced that God is causing a wind of change to blow through our church's today.  This wind of change is known in the traditional sense as the "moving of the Holy Spirit."  Follow with me and see if you see what I see.  Prepare for the "Wind of Change" that only God can cause to blow.

It has been a historical fact that when the Holy Spirit moves over or into a body of believers, or over a city and even a nation, something begins to stir.  You can hear the wind blowing in the trees and see the bows rock back and forth giving sign that the wind is blowing.  Just like the natural wind, the Holy Spirit causes a disturbance in the hearts of people, something begins to stir, emotions are escalated and people begin to seek change from their current condition to something new and exciting.  The rustling of the leaves are signaling us and the bows of our hearts are swaying in the wind, change is not only coming, it is already upon us.  Are you ready for the change? Are you willing to change?  If you are, then listen closely, a subtle wind is already passing through many congregations, the old is going to be replaced with the new, but only if you seek it.

When Peter spoke to a crowd after receiving the Holy Spirit, great and exciting things began to take place in the hearts of all those who heard what he had to say.  Look at Acts 2:1-47 and see what took place with the first encounter with the Holy Spirit.  People finally got the message about Christ being the Messiah and they recognized the sin that was controlling their lives, repentance and forgiveness of sins was flowing through the crowds. People began to see how God intended for His kingdom to function.  The selling of possessions took place and those who were in need, their needs were meant. People would go to their synagogue or gather in groups and worship God as one.  Then consider what took place, God added to the church daily.  Now pay attention, when the Holy Spirit came upon them He came like a mighty rushing wind which signified the presence of God in their midst.  Then He baptized them with the Holy Spirit and tongues of fire fell on them signifying a cleansing or purifying taking place.  You really need to read and study this chapter of Acts and get the feel for how the Holy Spirit of God can and will move to bring about change.

There have been several era's that witnessed the powerful moving of the Holy Spirit when people sought after God and repented of their sins.  Look at the list of just the ten greatest revival's in history;

THE TEN GREATEST REVIVALS EVER

1. The Revival of 1904

2. The Great Awakening, 1727-1750

3. The Second Great Awakening, 1780-1810

4. The General Awakening, 1830-1840

5. The Layman’s Prayer Revival, 1857-1861

6. The World War II Revival, 1935-1950

7. The Baby Boomer Revival, 1965-1975s

8. The Pre-Reformation Revivals, 1300-1500

9. The Protestant Reformation, 1517

10. Pentecost, the Beginning of Revival, A.D. 30

Look these up and read about what happened during these times.  Many times people gathered at their churches wanting God to visit them and change their hearts. People prayed, fasted, sought after God so that God would visit them.  There were no mandates, rules, programs, professional's or some special entertainment, just people wanting God.  I ask you again, Are you ready for change?  Are you ready for God to come and visit?  Do you want your congregation to be more like what took place in Acts 2:1-47?  If so, then know this, there is a subtle wind blowing and it is only the beginning, in time, God's time, a mighty rushing wind will sweep over our churches and for those who receive it, change will happen.  I want to share briefly what I believe the kind of change that is coming.  This change will be difficult for some, but change of any kind can be difficult.  Follow me now and listen for the whispers of change around you. It has been my experience in all the churches I have attended that structure was always present.  Not that structure is all bad, it just seemed to be prevalent. 

Let me share what I experienced when entering a church.  Enter the building, greet friends and strangers, make your way to your seat, which generally is the same every week, introduction's, announcements given, worship through singing, maybe some special entertainer's, time of prayer, more praise and singing, passing of the collection plate, people who need prayer brought up to be prayed for, pastor gives sermon, invitation sometimes, closing song, people stand and are dismissed, people visit with each other and then go home.  Sound familiar, structure, rules, mandates, follow the plan for service as programed.  In and of itself, there is nothing wrong with this, most would go home feeling good or maybe convicted in some way.  What is wrong with a lot of churches today is that they are not living up to how God established our gathering together through that first moving of the Holy Spirit.  So what are we missing in all this, why is what we do so out of touch with how God wants us to serve Him? Let me explain, again briefly.  Looking at the way we conduct ourselves in worship services seem to be more on the receiving end.  We come to church, take in all that is going on, receive the message, maybe spend time at the altar in prayer, go home and wait for the next gathering.  Of course there are instructions for us to reach out to the community which entails inviting people to church. Some go as far as helping out in some volunteer type ministry. Again, not a bad thing, just doesn't seem complete, maybe a little empty.  Let's examine a few other scriptures now and see if we can find what might be missing. 

Ask yourself these questions, am I going to church to receive God's word?  Or, am I going to church to reproduce God's Word?  Let me share a story that may put things into perspective.  This story comes from the book "Radical' by David Platt.

Imagine being in Sudan.  You walk into a thatched hut with a small group of Sudanese church leaders, and you sit down to teach God's Word.  As soon as you start, you lose eye contact with all of them.  No one is looking at you, and you hardly see their eyes the rest of the time.  The reason is because they're writing down every word you say.  they come up to you afterward and say, "Teacher, we are going to take everything we have learned from God's Word, translate it into our languages, and teach it in our tribes."

They were not listening to receive but to reproduce.  Now journey with me to a contemporary worship service in the United States.  Again from the same book "Radical."

Some people have their Bibles open, while others don't have a bible with them.  A few people are taking notes, but for the most part they are passively sitting in the audience. While some are probably disengaged, others are intently focused on what the preacher is saying, listening to God's Word to hear how it applies to their lives.  But the reality is, few are listening to reproduce." 

"We are by nature, receiver's," says David Platt.  In other words, what can I get out of this or what's in it for me?  Now take a look at what Christ told His disciples just before He ascended to heaven;  "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  Matt. 28:18-20.

We are to reproduce what Christ has given us.  We are to be in the world reproducing God's Word making disciples of All nations.  Now the question arises, is your church doing this?  If the place you have chosen to worship is not doing this in a very serious manner, then I would question rather it is fulfilling this great commission.  The reproduction of disciples is Jesus' megastrategy.  Making disciples is slow, difficult and messy at times.  It requires us to be in it for the long haul, not just a one time encounter.  It is not just getting them to church and let the professional's do the messy work.  It is about relationship, time spent with each potential disciple.  Again I ask you, "Are you ready for change?"  "Are you ready for the wind of the Holy Spirit to blow across your life?"  If you are, then prepare for the wind of change to come your way, and if you let it, it will bring a refreshing and a real purpose to your life today.  There are two key factor's in living your life like they did in the book of Acts.  Without them, the wind more than likely will not blow in your direction.

You must take into account that before the Holy Spirit came upon these disciples, they followed Christ's instructions to gather together to pray and wait for the comforter to come.  They did this for many days, they did it with oneness of heart. The other factor you see in in their lives is that they were completely sold out to Christ.  They were in complete abandonment to Him.  These disciples knew that they had to give everything over to God so they could follow Christ wherever He goes.  Our commission has not changed from the time Christ sent His disciples into the world.  We are to "make disciples" and this is the means by which we will not only impact our community, but the whole world. According to David Platt, author of the book "Radical," "Jesus has invited us to join with Him in the surprisingly simple journey of spreading the gospel to all nations by spending our lives for the good of others and the glory of God."

We all must examine ourselves and begin seeing what God sees.  If we are going to "take up our cross daily" for Christ then we must decide what is holding us back and what we must let go of.  If we want to reach a lost world with the gospel of Christ we must get up off the pews of our church's and venture out into the world that Christ commanded us to go.  "Every year in the United States, we spend more than $10 billion on church buildings.  In America alone, the amount of real estate owned by institutional churches is worth over $230 billion.  We have money and possessions, an we are building temples everywhere.  Empires, really.  Kingdoms.  We call them houses of worship.  But at the core, aren't they too often outdated models of religion that wrongfully define worship according to a place and wastefully consume our time and money when God has called us to be a people who spend our lives for the sake of His glory among the needy outside our gates? (quote: David Platt)

If the rushing wind of the Holy Spirit is going to move across this nation again, then the church must begin to seek Him in all earnest by abandoning our religious way of thinking and follow Christ with complete abandonment to Him.  "Are you ready for the winds of change to blow across your face?  Are you ready to follow Christ and give Him not only your possessions, but your very life?  There really is no other way, the commission Christ gave His disciples was not just for those few,  it is for all throughout the generations that came after that time.  Jesus said "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves." This means we are not to spend our time in the sheepfold, we are to get out there and show the world by our actions how much God loves them.  We must meet the world on their turf if we want them to know God's love.  That means we must get dirty and leave the safety of the church.  Are you willing?  Are you ready for the wind to blow?  The Holy Spirit is waiting, and He is ready to blow your way. The winds of change are coming, can you feel the subtle winds whisper?  The bows of many hearts are beginning to sway in the wind, how about yours?

I invite you to join many other's in this journey of reaching out and touching lives all around you.  Let Christ shine through you and the world will see Him.

Please feel free to leave a comment or check the reactions box, I appreciate so much your feedback, Thank You!!

What in the World?

I am sure you, like myself have asked the question, what in the world is going on?  You asked this because your world seems to be spinning out of control.  There just doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to anything.  The media has very little good news.  You hear of wars, conflicts, terrorism, earthquakes, mega hurricanes and tornado's, economy woes and many other depressing news worthy stories.  So, what in the world is going on?  Sometimes all the bad news around us doesn't even affect us because our own personal world is out of whack.  Can't find a job, bills piling up, marriage has or is failing, children are rebelling, house falling apart and can't afford to fix it, job is one of those that just doesn't have any meaning other than paying the bills.  The list could go on and on, the truth of the matter is, your world is spinning out of control and you can't seem to get off of it.  Let me suggest something that might just either help you get off the spinning world you are on, or find meaning in the world you live in.

When our world begins to fall apart around us and we can't figure out what is going on, who do we turn to for the answer? Do we turn to someone who seems to have their life together, or maybe someone else's philosophy on life and apply that to our lives?  Or maybe we turn to something like alcohol or drugs to ease the pain we are living.  You might even go so far as to find a church or become involved in a religion to help you find these answers and ease your pain.  You may have tried one of these methods and you may even have found what you think is the answer.  Your life may even seem to be less confused and some form of order has come into your world, but you still can't sense the peace that you seek.  You can't quite overcome the guilt that haunts you.  The philosopher's ideas worked for awhile but didn't last, so you tried another, the drugs or alcohol eased the pain for a time, but they wore off and you found yourself needing more, the religion or church you got involved in just didn't have the answer either.  So what is it that can help me in this time in my life that will bring a peace that lasts?  What is it that will bring meaning to my life so I can make a difference not only in my life but in the lives I come into contact with?  Or can my world even change at all?

What is it that could possibly make my world stop spinning and give me some form of control in the life I am living now? Let me suggest to you not a new drug, or another alcoholic beverage, or another church or religion, and not another philosopher.  What I want to suggest to you is a relationship with someone who understands exactly what you have or are going through.  At first you may think that I am suggesting another religion, but I am not.  I am suggesting a relationship with someone who has suffered as you have suffered, only far more.  This person understands every pain, every emotion, every put down, every form of suffering that man can imagine.  Before I introduce you, let me explain why you need this relationship.  Without this relationship you cannot find the peace you seek, you cannot find the stable world you want to live in.  Without this relationship your world will remain the same no matter how many different people you listen to, no matter how many philosopher's ideas you follow, or how many  things or devices you try.

When I was young I did not have peace in my life.  I was confused, no direction in my life, and did not like myself at all.  I became very introverted and shy.  I attended church for sometime, but the feelings of inadequacy never left.  My life on the outside seemed normal and average, but on the inside, I was miserable.  When I was sixteen years old I discovered through a pastor's message at the church I was attending a relationship with the Son of God would change my life.  Although I did not step forward and find more about this relationship, I knew this is what I wanted, this is what would bring peace into my life and give it purpose.  This is what was missing in my life.  One night not to long after I heard that message, I prayed to God and told Him about my life and ask Him to forgive me for all the wrongs I had done in my life.  I told Him that I believed in His only Son and that He came to this earth to set me free.  He came through the virgin Mary, was born, lived and died for me.  After that prayer, I have never felt so free from the burden I was under.  My world stopped spinning, there was control in my life, and the weight of my sins had been lifted.  I saw myself running into the arms of God's Son and embracing Him.  I to this day have never regretted turning my life over to Him and making Him the Lord of my life.

The relationship I am introducing you to is the same person I came to know, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  You too can have this relationship if you want it.  It is not forced on you, you must accept it.  It is up to you.  Let me share from God's word, the Holy Bible, what God desires for your life.  


If you have a Holy Bible please use it, look up the scripture verses I am giving you.  If you do not have one and are able to get one, please do so.  If you do not have one and cannot get one, let your cursor hover over the scripture verse and the verse should come up for you, if you click on the verse it will take you to a sight that has the verse.

First of all you need to realize that God loves you, no matter what.  After all, He created everything there is, even you.  In the book of John we will see where God states His love for us, John 3:16.  From the very beginning God created us to not only have a family relationship with Him, He also gave us responsibility while we are here on earth, and that is to spread His love and glory to the rest of the world.  As we continue in God's word we see in John 3:18 that when we believe in God's only Son, Jesus Christ, we are no longer condemned, but forgiven.  Once you believe in Him and confess that He is the Son of God, we find that the Father's (God) will is that we have eternal life and will be raised up in the last day, or the day we die.  We no longer have to fear death, John 11:25.  Not only are we redeemed from our sins, we are adopted into the family of God, 1 John 3:1.  It still strikes me that God loved me even when I did not believe in His Son, but God showed His love for me by sending His one and only Son to take my place in death by being crucified on the cross and paying the penalty for me, 1 John 4:9-10.

Here's the thing, there is a condition to having your sins forgiven and inheriting eternal life.  That condition is that we believe in God's Son for who He is.  Look at John 3:18 again, if we do not believe we stand condemned already.  John 6:40 says it is the Father's will that anyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life.  You can't get any better than that.  So, if your world has gone bonker's and you just can't find the peace that stays with you, then why not try Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  I know that many in parts of the world have not even heard the name of Jesus Christ, and those that have believed in Him suffer much for it.  If that is the case then consider these words from the heavenly Father, Matthew 10:18.  It is not easy to follow Christ, but, this is what we must do. If we are going to believe in Him, then we must also commit to following Him and spread the good news to those we come into contact with so that they too can have the peace that passes all understanding, Matthew 8:20; Philippians 4:7.

If you really want peace then look to God the Father because through His Son He is offering us peace within ourselves.  The world will not know this peace until it recognizes God's Son, Jesus Christ, but you can experience this peace, right now.  Romans 10:9 tells us that we can have eternal life by confessing that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  Repenting is turning your life around and going the other way, so the best way I can tell you to do this is to pray this simple prayer;  pray this out loud to God, God, I am a sinner and need your forgiveness.  I believe that you sent your Son Jesus Christ to die for me.  I believe in my heart that you raised Him from the dead and now He is with you in heaven.  I ask you to forgive me of all my sins and accept me where I am right now.  Help me to follow and obey His commands as you reveal them to me.  Make me that new person you want me to be.  Thank you Father for loving me and forgiving me.  Amen.


I know this is simple, but it is where you must start.  Your world will change, but it will change within you first.  Seek out someone who truly knows Christ and does their best to follow Him, tell them about how you prayed the above prayer and ask them to help you with your journey.  The road may not be easy as a follower of Christ, but the rewards are eternal.  May God richly bless you with your new found life in Christ.  The world around you may still be in turmoil, but the new life within you will be at peace.

I Want To Be Like My Dad

My dad was and is a good man.  Growing up I found myself trying to be like him and gain his approval.  My dad did not smoke, drink or even curse as far as that goes.  He was not a Christian nor did he really hold any other religious belief.  Yet, he seemed to have good morals.  My dad worked hard in all that he did.  He worked in various places doing what was needed to make a living.  I looked up to my dad while I was growing up and found myself trying to be just like him.  The problem was that I just did not have the skills he possessed.  Of course I was very young yet and did not realize that only time would develop some of those skills.  Because of my dad's back ground and the need to make a living, he did not spend much quality time with his family.  In some respects he was a bit self centered when it came to his time and money.  This I did not realize until I was much older.  I wanted his love and affection as a child and tried to gain it by doing things for him around our home.  Yes, my dad is a good man, but he has some flaws.  He is not perfect.  I knew as a child that I wanted to be like my dad, but as I got older, I found that there were some things missing in our relationship.  My dad was not a hugger, nor did he express his love for us very often.  I also came to learn that my dad worked the swing shift to avoid dealing with family matters.  I still in many respects wanted to be like my dad and gain his approval.  You see, I was not the sports minded person, nor was I into other so called manly sports.  I was more into just being outdoors and having fun.  I just didn't connect with my dad.  I sensed his love, but never really felt it.  


When I was in High School my dad and mom got involved in a church near us and through this church my dad gave his heart to the Lord.  You could see some changes take place in him, but the showing of love and affection seemed to still be missing or hidden within him.  The church became very important to him and he devoted a lot of time to it.  I noticed that gardening, painting landscapes, and church involvement seemed to be what he loved to do.  My dad worked swing shift throughout our school years and he stayed on swing shift until he retired.  This did not help in building a relationship with him because we could only see him on the weekends while in school. When he was off for the weekend he spent a lot of his time gardening, or painting.


I learned from my dad how to garden, how to pound a nail, and how to work.  These things I still carry with me, even today.  What I missed from my father was a close relationship when growing up. I wanted more than anything to experience or feel his love for me.  I wanted to know he approved of me and the accomplishments I did.  Even though my dad changed over the years as he grew with the Lord, I came to realize that my dad did not have these things in his life when growing up either.  So, he did not know how to express his love to his family.  My dad, deep down loved us, he just did not know how to give it.  I still meet with my dad on occasion and visit with him.  He is 94 years old now and his body is not able to function very well anymore.  His mind is still sharp, his love for the Lord is still strong, and his love for the church is also still there.  He expresses his love for his children more now, but, it is still a bit distant.  


I always looked up to my dad, but found that I must look further than the love of my dad if I wanted to feel and experience a true love that my dad could not give.  I had given my heart over to the Lord when I was sixteen, but struggled in finding my way.  Only time would help me find a love that I knew would always be there and approval would not have to be sought after.  Yes, I wanted to be like my dad, but now I want to be more like the Lord who shows me His love no matter what.  


This is just a brief sketch of my life, the details are not so important.  What is important is that I found not only acceptance for who I was and have become, I have found a love that never fails and I can truly feel it in my being.  There are some good qualities in my dad that rubbed off on me, but to look back and say I still want to be just like my dad, I would have to say, not in every aspect.  My dad had flaws and some of those rubbed off on me also, but as I look at myself, I see that I have many of my own flaws which had nothing to do with my dad.  


Now my journey in life is not to be so much like my earthly dad as it is to be like my heavenly Father (dad).  Every father wants their children to emulate them.  They want their children to be a point of pride that brings honor to not only their name, but to who they are.  I know that I disappointed my earthly dad many times.  I knew I could not do those things that would make him proud, I just did not have the skills for it.  I hated disappointing my dad, it made me feel unworthy and unacceptable.  


After I grew up and got married, I carried with me many of those feelings of inadequacy, I was always looking for approval. When my children came along I hoped to convey to them all my good attributes and show them the love of God.  In the back of my mind, like every other good parent, I wanted my children to be like me and represent me with honor.  I wanted my children to look up to me and respect me for who I was.  Overall, I can say for the most part, they do that.  But, my children like all children disappointed me in some ways.  Even though I love them for who they are, I longed for them to continue on with my standards, beliefs, and dreams.  It took time for me to realize that each one of us is created different and have in us those gifts and talents that God places in us.  I can say with all honesty that my children are not disappointing to me.  They may do some things that disappoints, but as a person, they are loved, and not disappointing.


This brings me back to my heavenly Dad, our heavenly Father.  When He sent me here to live for awhile, through my parents, He sent me with gifts and talents that I could use to further His kingdom. I was to, like every one else, bring Him honor and spread His kingdom into the part of world I live in. I must say, I know I disappointed my heavenly Father many times.  I am sure I broke His heart when I disobeyed Him and failed at doing those things He sent me to do.  But, even though I disappointed Him by not obeying Him, He was not disappointed in me as one of His children.  He still loved me no matter what.  Unlike my natural father who did not know how to express his love for me and pick me up when I failed, my Heavenly Father never stopped expressing His love for me, even when I let Him down.  God, our Father, never left me or abandoned me just because I was not perfect, instead He showed His love for me by sending His only Son to die for me and take my place in death.  When I accepted Christ into my life and repented of my sins, my Father looked upon me and forgave me, of everything.  I am accepted by my heavenly Father and have a place with him through Christ the Lord.


You can have this too.  If you have already accepted Christ as God's only Son, and allowed Him to become the Lord of your life, repented of your sins, then know this, you are not a disappointment to Him.  You are loved and accepted as one of His. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, then you need to.  All you have to do is ask Him to forgive you of your sins, ask Him to come and dwell in your spirit, make you a new person.  If you do this sincerely, then He will do just that. God is not disappointed in you as a person, He is only disappointed in the disobedience that you show Him.  Disobedience to His word is sin.  We all are born into sin and only you and God can undo it.  God loves you very much, but He wants you to follow Him so you can have a full and meaningful life.  


Read these scriptures and meditate on them allowing them to reach into your spirit and soul.  


Deut. 31:8; Heb. 13:5; John 3:16; Jeremiah 32:40: 1 Corinthians 1:9: 2 Timothy 2:13; Romans 8:38


There are many more passages in God's Word that tell us that God loves His creation, and you are a part of that creation, in fact you are as a human being, the high point of His creation.  You can disappoint God by your actions, but you cannot disappoint Him as one of His creation.  Yes, He loves you very much, in fact He loves you so much He sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay for your sins with His life.  That's how much God loves you.  All He wants you to do is accept His Son as your savior and believe in Him.  


Yes, I disappointed my dad many times, and I disappointed God the Father many times, but I know this, even if my earthly father never loved me, I know that my Heavenly Father loves me eternally. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."


May God forever bless you as you journey with His Son Jesus Christ.  He has already given you the skills and talents you need to complete the mission that He has given you.  He is not disappointed in you as a person, He is only disappointed when you turn your back on Him and try to make it on your own, this just breaks His heart.  Follow His ways and be blessed.

Spirit and Soul

A note to my readers:  Although this is not a complete study on this subject , I believe it will help in finding an answer for why we act like we do, even if we are followers of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Also, when you see a scripture reference, place your cursor over the ref. and it should bring up the full scripture.  Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and please feel free to comment at the end.


Have you ever wondered why you keep doing those things that you don't want to do?  What drives someone to continue going back to those old habits, old issues, old way of life?  Are we just doomed to have a battle within ourselves that doesn't seem to end?  Is there really a way to live without being so unhappy and always on the verge of destroying our lives? 


Questions like these need to be ask of ourselves daily.  We seem to live in a world that is bent on destroying itself from within and we don't know what to do to change it's direction.  I would like to lay out an idea that may seem foreign to you, but may just be what is needed to change not only the direction of your life, but could change the direction of everyone else.  It is not a new concept, just a forgotten one, or at least one that is ignored.  Mostly this concept or idea is directed towards the believer's in Christ, for without Him, this idea won't work.  Let me share with you briefly, well hopefully, this concept.  In other words, I am going to plant the seed, you will need to make it grow.


There are a few key words we need to become familiar with if we are to understand what is going on in our inner beings.  I have to give credit where credit is do.  Dutch Sheets published a book called 'Roll Away Your Stone' and in it he lists several Greek and Hebrew words that I am going to use.  Dutch Sheets lays out in this book just what happens to us when we give control of our lives over to Christ. We all need to be aware of this process so we can make the changes that are necessary for us to become totally given over to the very Spirit of Christ and live a victorious life.  


Let's look at these words and there meaning.  The first word we need to become familiar with is "ZOE."  Zoe from the Greek means "God's Life."  From the Hebrew context we have the word "Chay Nephesh" and from the Greek "Zoe Psuche." Therefore God breathed His life into Adam.  Both of these references mean the same thing. Looking at Genesis 2:7 and 1 Corinthians 15:45 for instance gives us the meaning as "living soul." In other words, when you gave your life over to Christ, God's Life, eternal life, Zoe entered into you.


"PNEUMA" is the word used to describe "spirit."  "This can be a difficult term to define, and is usually hazy to most Christians.  The biblical Greek word for the human "spirit," pneuma, is the same word used for the Holy "Spirit." Spirit is the part of our being that is God-like, or as the Scriptures state, was made in His "likeness," Genesis 1:26.  The Hebrew word for "likeness" means "comparable to."  At the creation, Adam's spirit was comparable to God's.  Our spirit is the part of us that God intended to relate to Him and the spiritual realm in which He exists.  The spirit was what God intended to be dominant--in charge.  We were to be led and controlled by our spirit, which most scholars believe also houses our conscience and intuition.  The spirit is what distinguishes us from the animal world."  (D. Sheets)


Now lets take another word, "PSUCHE".  From this word we recognize our english word Psyche. "The psyche, or psuche, is the mind (intellect), emotions (feelings), and will (volition).  It's the crux of where humanity veered from God's intended way and it's the part of us that has become the problem. Breaking this down we would be looking at this:  The mind (or intellect) reasons, thinks, forms logic, processes, and stores information. Next, the emotions give us (feelings), such as joy or sadness.  The will (or volition), based on what we've put into our mind and emotions, makes the decisions--the will determines our course of action.  We can look at it like  a processing mechanism, the computer main frame, the translator.  The soul is not what God intended to dwell and communicate with, our spirit is intended for that.  According to Dutch Sheets in his book mentioned above, "Adam's soul could receive and process information directly from the natural, visible, world around him; and from the spiritual, invisible realm, but only via the spirit."  The soul's function was not to control or lead the spirit, but to serve the spirit:"  (D. Sheets)  Proverbs 20:27 relates to this.


"LOGOS"  is the next word we must become familiar with.  This word you have heard many times when you hear someone refer to Christ as the Word, John 1:1-2.  "Logos carriers with it the meaning of "word, logic, and understanding."  In the earlier passages of Genesis we see that God regularly came and talked with Adam.  They were friends and family.  During this very close relationship God gave His favorite creation His own understanding---of life, creation, the laws of nature, Himself, etc. In the New Testament the "word" of God is linked to logic.  "Word" is translated from logos, the same Greek word for logic. Logos includes written or spoken words, but it also includes the message those words are communicating.  This is why Jesus is called the Logos, the Word of God, He is God's message to us.  Adam did not have to have the written Word, Adam had the Author, the Maker, personally sharing with him His logos (words of wisdom, understanding, logic)."  Greek scholar Spiros Zodhiates defines logos, in the context of God's Word, as "God's reason or intelligence expressed in human speech."  (D. Sheets)


This now brings us to "PNEUMATIKOS" or "spirit-controlled."  To put it simply, the spirit is in control.  Now we are not talking about the Holy Spirit, at least not yet.  Mankind's spirit was created to be in control.  When God gave man dominion over the earth it was through his spirit that God would communicate.  The Holy Spirit dwelt within man's spirit and communicated God the Father's desires. The soul of man (psuche) would take in information from it's visible surroundings and feed them to the spirit.  The spirit of man would make the decision based on God's input from the spiritual or invisible realm via the Holy Spirit so the decision would be based on God's words of wisdom, understanding and logic.  This way the very glory of God would be expanded through man to the earthly kingdom.  


Finally we want to examine the word "PSUCHIKOS."  This word refers to "soul-controlled."  In other words the soul is in control and is making the decisions.  This is not what God intended from the beginning.  When the soul is in control all the decisions man makes is based on his own intellect and logic.  The spirit takes a back seat.  We have a verse that relates to this kind of control and makes very clear the distinction. Christ was talking to his disciples about watching and praying, saying that the spirit is willing.  In other words, the spirit wants and knows what is right to do, but the flesh or soul of man is weak and will yield to temptation very easily.  The soul (psuche) wants to exalt itself and feed its desires without the spirit (pneuma) influence.  Matthew 26:40-42.


To bring this all together we need to look at the intention of God from the beginning when He created mankind and placed him in the garden with dominion rights.  God gave man the authority to rule the earth and everything in it.  God would visit man through his spirit.  Man would take in the information he received from his soul and filter it through his spirit.  Man's spirit would receive God's input via God's Holy Spirit and then make his decisions.  This would be a truly "spirit-controlled man.  


Then came the part of man that would decide on his own what to do, his "soul" or "psuche."  When Adam made a decision on his own he became soul-controlled.  This act of treason and rebellion allowed sin to enter the soul of mankind and set man on a course of destruction for a very long time. No longer were the decisions filtered through his spirit for input from the Father, but only the input of the soul would be considered and decisions based solely on the souls reasoning.  


As you can see a big mess followed.  Man was no longer making decisions based on God's "words of wisdom, understanding and logic, he was basing his decisions on his soul's wisdom, understanding and logic."  As the world became more and more corrupt, the image of the Father was more and more distorted.  The soul could only see his surroundings through it's own eyes and had nothing to compare right and wrong to.  God with His wisdom and understanding knew that there would have to be a method to redeem His creation and bring mankind back into right standing and position that he was created for.  God the Father with all His love for His creation would set in motion the one act that would offer mankind a way back to God's Kingdom and have direct communication with Him.  His Son Jesus Christ would be sent to pay the price of redemption for mankind.  This is why Christ said; I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except by me." John 14:5-7.


When you receive Christ as your savior your spirit is given back its rightful place of authority and the Holy Spirit is now back in communion with you through your spirit.  Your spirit has been saved from the results of the fall.  You are now back in right standing with the Father.  Your eternal destiny has been set.  In other words God's very life force that was breathed into Adam is now breathed back into your spirit giving you God's motivating force; His existence, purpose, impetus, all the influences of life are now coming from God.  


Now comes the journey of getting the soul back in its right place, that of serving your spirit, your soul has to be saved from the world.  You see when you got saved your spirit is what got saved, not your soul.  We think that our soul is what gets saved, this is not true.  The soul and spirit are two separate things as noted earlier.  Here lies the problem, years of avoiding, rebelling, and going the way of the psuche (soul) without the influence of our spirit (pneuma) and the Holy Spirit, we built up habits, wrongful ways of thinking, strongholds that still want to be first.  Our soul wants to remain in charge so it can fill its desires for those things that it is used to, "The lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life" (1 John 2:16).  This is what our soul seeks and it will do anything to remain in charge.  These things are not from the Father but from the world and remain in our soul's even after we have given our lives over to Christ.  The removing of these barriers as we walk with the Christ are a life long journey and will only be removed as we take them to the cross and crucify them there.  This is why we find ourselves doing those things that we don't want to do and the things that you want to do, you don't. (Romans 7:15)


Here are some other scripture ref. on this subject:  Galatians 5:17, Genesis 3:6, Proverbs 27:20, Romans 13:14, Ephesians 2:3, 1 Peter 2:11.  Without going into great detail, let me leave you with the first step in overcoming our souls desire to be in charge and attempt to fulfill the world's lust that have taken hold of our lives.  Christ said "follow me" to all of His disciples.  He did not mean just to follow Him as they walked with Him, He meant "follow me" all the way to the cross.  He also said "take up your cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23.  What it means to take up your cross is to deny yourself all those lustful desires of the soul and crucify them at the cross, daily.  How do we crucify them at the cross?  We take up His Word (Logos) and apply it to our fleshly desires, daily.  As we meditate on His word and apply it to our souls desires, we begin the process of crucifying each and every one of them as  they crop back up trying to take control.  Sometimes this happens quickly, other areas may take several applications of His Word.  Isaiah 55:11.  


We have a battle that goes on within us.  It is a battle between spirit and soul, the one who wins is the one you feed.  The more you feed the spirit with God's word, the less the soul will flourish.  The more you feed the soul what it desires, the more the soul will flourish.  "Our soul loves to bring up old conditions, habits, and mindsets." (D.S.)  "It's not easy to change. Our psuche is a raging beast that's been pampered in the wild for thousands of years.  Every time we've sinned against God and exalted our desires above His, we've fed the soulish animal.  Yet Christ offers us all the same rest from this fallen psuche."  (D. Sheets).  "Take  my yoke upon you,"..." and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:29.


"The psuche, confined in the prison of our old nature, will never be able to experience the growth, maturity, and ultimately the rest Christ offers.  However, when we take His yoke and allow Him to establish true rest and freedom within us, our soul can develop to God's intended, bountiful growth. For when we place the uncomfortable, ultra-restrictive yoke on our fallen soul, when we place psuche at the cross and recognize our Savior's lordship, transformation begins.  Not just minor renovation, but lasting, permanent change that molds us more into the image of Jesus, whom we were meant to look like in the first place." (D. Sheets).


I highly suggest you get a copy of Dutch Sheets book, "Roll Away Your Stone" and fill in the details that I could not give you in this blog.  It is worth the time and expense if you really want to win the battle between spirit and soul.  Remember, God loves you and wants you to have a full and meaningful life.  May God bless you as you begin the journey of putting your spirit back in charge.