A Saved Life

It Is Written, John 3:16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.
I must tell you about an incredible experience on Jesus birthday. I was relaxing and listening to a Christmas album I have. The usual, silent night, come all ye faithful, O holy night, etc. Then of course you can throw in Handel's Messiah. I sat there and cried like a schoolgirl at an Elvis concert in the 60s. The music touched my heart so much.
It was a combination of realizing what Jesus did for me, and the words of the hymns that tore me up. The words can really get to you if you pay attention. I feel touched even as I write this.
Now to get to the point. As we, myself included, go about our daily lives, we have a tendency to take our salvation and blessings, and the price Jesus paid for them, for granted. Oh  we think about it sometimes, but the heart, even though it is thankful, doesn't quite have the same level of joy it once had. We can meditate on a verse or two, and feel some joy, but not quite the tear provoking kind.
I have a suggestion for you, and I give you this suggestion because I am going to follow my own advice. I think you'll see for yourself what I mean. On the first of every month, I'm going to sit quietly for an hour or so, and listen to Christmas music that mentions the Lord.
Sound corny? I believe it will give you a boost just as it makes me feel better. It really is a great reminder, and helps you put things in perspective. I guess we need this sort of thing because we are human, and we still have faults even when we are saved. I pray that everyone who reads these messages has a blessed year in every sense of the word. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

God's Greatest Gift

It Is Written,1 Thessalonians 5:9, for God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
You may talk to someone who will try to tell you that God has particular people He has chosen for salvation, and everyone else does not have a chance. You and I know that that idea is nonsense. It just shows they don't read the Bible.
There are many verses of Scripture that give you the way to obtain salvation. There are countless verses concerning forgiveness, and the love of God. If someone doesn't believe what God promised in His word, they probably don't accept the reality of hell. My own opinion is, if that's the case, why are they concerned about what God does or thinks? For instance, why does an atheist fight so hard against the God he believes doesn't exist?
Another quick point. If you mention the name of Jesus, and someone gets upset, angry, or doesn't want to hear about Him, who made that decision other than the one that did want to hear about it?
I think that the underlying problem concerning Jesus and salvation, is accountability. People look at accepting Jesus as a hindrance to their lifestyle.
Many people don't understand, that just because you refuse to accept a truth, it does not eliminate that truth. We live in a world were very few people accept responsibility for their actions. Placing blame on someone else is a way of life for many people. They use the excuse that since God has already picked people for salvation, why should they worry about how they live or what they do, because they won't be saved anyway.
Another problem that is very big with a lot of people, is that they have led such a sinful life, that they can't believe that they can be forgiven. That again is nonsense.
It is written, Galatians 1:4, referring to Jesus who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present age, according to the will of God and father.
Again it is written, Romans 10:9, if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. I believe, as I said earlier, that there are many many verses in the Bible that refutes the argument that only God's favorites have salvation. Praise the Lord.
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Your Calling

It Is Written, Proverbs 20:24, a man's steps are of the Lord; how then can a man understand his own way?
Jesus birthday is over now, and we look forward to a new beginning with the coming of the new year. People start listing what we call new year resolutions. We do it, even if we have failed every year that we tried. We have misplaced faith in our own abilities.
In this message we will look at it from the eyes of a believer. As I often do, I will use myself as an example for two reasons. I have had many setbacks and disappointments in the past, and second, many people have gone through similar times.
When I became a Christian, I wanted to do great things for God. I didn't know what or how, but I wanted it. I saw preachers on TV, read their books, and lamented the fact that age and circumstances prevented my bringing people to Jesus, or so I thought.
I heard many times that God has a perfect plan for each of us. So I started to pray about that plan, but I still had my own idea of how it would go. I don't need to tell you what happened, because you probably can guess, but I'll tell you anyway.
Every time something started to happen, I rejected it. So here you have me praying for God's plan, He starts to work, and I reject it. You can't get any dumber than I was. So it is no surprise that I failed, time after time.
After what seemed like years and years of this type of thing the Holy Spirit put the basic truth on my heart. Choose to believe what He is doing, and to keep my opinions out of it. Well, little by little, things got better. The Holy Spirit put more and more on my heart, and I listened more and more.
So the short version is that He taught me plenty. Each of us is given a job to do, and a set of circumstances to deal with, all for our good and His glory if we listen.
The lowliest person in the world can be one of the greatest in God's eyes. God has different standards. The fact is, you and I might be on this Earth just to say a couple of words to someone that will eventually open their hearts to Jesus and salvation. And that could be our whole purpose here.
I am at the point that I just do what I am led to do, and don't concern myself with anything else. We pray, follow the plan as we are led, and the Holy Spirit does the work.
No believer who puts his trust in God is insignificant. The greatest evangelist is no better than someone who loves and trusts God. So embrace what God asks you to do. Be thankful and joyful because He chose you to do it. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Prayer Answers Manifested

It Is Written, Psalm 91:15, he shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.
Many people pray on a fairly regular basis. They pray for themselves or someone they love in most cases. Some pray in desperation. Whatever the reason or circumstance, they all hope for the answer they want.
In order to get answers to prayers, there are some do's and don'ts. There is no magic prayer that always moves God to do your bidding. You can't make deals with God. You cannot make Him do anything. Even begging doesn't work, neither does looking for sympathy.
So how do you get prayers answered? There our some things God looks with favor on. Prayer with a clean heart. No anger or unforgiveness. Prayer from the heart, backing it up with what is written in the word concerning what you are praying for. Claim the answer, receive the answer, and believe completely. Remember doubt or fear no matter how little, are prayer blockers. Make sure that your definition of doubt or fear, is the same definition the Lord goes by. I say that because sometimes we are in denial about it.
I believe that after a sincere prayer, you must thank God for the answer. You don't need to keep asking. If you truly believe, just give thanks that He heard your prayer and has given you the answer. Once really is enough when praying for something. After all, if you have something, do you keep asking?
Another thing the Holy Spirit put on my heart is planting a seed of thanksgiving. Ask the Holy Spirit to tell you what kind of seed, money, service, fasting. Do what He puts in your heart.
This is important. The seed is showing faith and thanksgiving for something that may not even be manifested yet. One more thing to remember, God cannot be bribed, so don't plant the seed to get an answer.
Prayers from a believer  are always heard and answered in some way. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Joy To The World

It Is Written, Luke 1:35, and the angel answered and said to her, the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that holy one who is to be born will be called the son of God.
The vast majority of people in this world, have been raised with the idea that Christmas is Santa and presents. Advertising has reinforced that image for the last couple of hundred years.
Don't get the idea that I am saying that this is sinful. I believe as many people do, that Christmas is a time when even crabby people are less crabby. Most of us are nicer to each other, and show love for others in the thought we put into the gifts we give.
God does the same thing to some extent. He gives us blessings, even though sometimes we don't recognize or appreciate them. The greatest of all gifts ever, was His son Jesus, and through Him forgiveness, and salvation if we accept it.
 My family, and a number of our friends, now celebrate Jesus birthday. We have a birthday cake, happy birthday Jesus paper plates, and wish Him a happy birthday. It would be nicer if we knew the actual birthday, then it would not get mixed up with Christmas. I guess the important thing is that we remember what the day really means, regardless of when it is.
This Christmas season, take a few minutes to realize what the gift of Jesus cost His father. His only son suffering as He did for us. To get a good picture of what He really went through, read Isaiah chapter 53, the whole chapter.
If not for Jesus birth on earth, and what He did, none of us would escape what waits for satan. Rejoice and praise the Lord on His birthday. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

God's Master Plan

It Is Written, Jeremiah 10:12, and He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, and has stretched out the heavens at His discretion.
Before man was created, God had the Angels for company. I assume the Angels had some degree of free will, or satan and his followers would not have done what they did.
God had man in mind, before He created the universe, and the earth in particular. As I said, I don't know if the Angels had free will, but God planned for man to have it. He wanted His creation to love Him by choice. Man and how he acts was not a surprise to the Lord. God knew the nature of man is weak, but He loved man anyway, and wanted man to love Him.
Starting with Adam and Eve, man was sinful. As man populated the earth, God tried to guide them. Man however only got worse, so God decided to start over, only this time he would destroy the earth, except for one man and his family who walked with God.
It didn't take long after the flood, and the next batch of man, was back to their sinful ways. God spoke to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and those after them. He chose the Hebrews specifically as His people, but they were still human. Next came Moses and the law. The law showed people that they weren't as good as they thought they were.
Prophets were sent to them with words from God. They ignored or killed many of these messengers. Their history bounced between repentance, sinfulness, and punishment.
God realized from before creation that man would need a Savior. This Savior would have to be really special in order to calm God's anger. The Savior would have to teach, show God's love and power, as well as pay for all of mans sins. The sins covered past present and future. Only one person was good enough to do that, that person was God's own son, Jesus Christ.
None of this was a surprise to God, He knew it all before creation, and He did it anyway. His plan included salvation for all who love and accept His son and what His son did for them. God has everything worked out to the smallest detail. He has planned countless blessings for those who will follow His plan. God even knew before creation, each person and the kind of life they would live and whether or not they would accept His son. So you see, nothing is by chance. Read the Word, and find your place in God's plan.
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Prosperity Glorifies God

It Is Written, Psalm 35:27, let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.
Many people over the years have had the opinion that Christians should be poor. If Jesus was poor, His followers should be too. I guess they didn't read the Word, or they would've seen many times that God wants His people and you to prosper. His people includes Christians as well as Jews.
If you were God, and you wanted people to come to you, would you prefer to show them blessings, or absolute poverty? Prosperity is good for a couple of reasons. It shows blessings, and it makes God happy to bless.
Prosperity God's way, requires a few concessions on our part. God is number one. He gives us prosperity to share with others. We are to share in love as He did. The more we give in love, the more we get from Him.
When we help those in need, the people we help see Jesus love reflected from us. People come to a God they feel loves them. If we pass out this prosperity to others with a joyful heart, we in turn receive joy and  prosperity. Our joy, and the joy of those we help, praise the Lord.
When we realize that we work for God, as Jesus did on earth, it just can't get any better than that. If you get a good job in life, that is good. When you have even a menial job from God, nothing in life can come close. When I wrote this, something that happened 40 years ago came to my mind as a life example of what I'm talking about.
I was working for a family company. I purchased a beat up old car to drive back and forth to work. I parked it near the front door of my company. One day I was having coffee with the man that owned the company. He asked me if that beat up wreck was mine. I told him yes it was. He then told me that he would like it if I didn't park in that spot, because he didn't want people to think that he didn't pay his help a decent salary. Then he laughed. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Dream Or Fantasy

It Is Written, Ecclesiastes 5:7, for in the multitude of dreams and many words, there is also vanity. But fear God.

Dreams and visions are common all over the world. They have been around for centuries. People used to make decisions based on dreams. You even read about dreams and visions in the Bible.

All people dream every night, whether they know it or not. Dreams are necessary for our well-being. When someone says that they don't dream, it just means that they don't remember the dreams. Dreams in the present time are usually passed off as nonsense, because we can't figure out what they mean.

Now we come to a different kind of dream. This kind of dream occurs while we are awake, and in control of them. Some people call them fantasies. Regardless of what they are called, they reflect our desires.

Maybe you would like a mansion on a vast estate, a certain kind of car, or your own business to mention a few. Almost all people have something that falls into that category.

While many of these dreams seem harmless and good, sometimes they can lead us the wrong way. We may become so obsessed with them, that we end up doing things that hurt us. We put God out of the picture, and do it our way. Bad choice.

satan loves to play with our minds. He puts things in our heads that paint a picture to deceive us. He works on our patients, and other vulnerabilities. He wants to separate us from God, as well as destroy our lives. As he did with Eve, deceitfulness is his favorite weapon in most cases.

Dreams can be good, if the Holy Spirit is involved. He does put desires in our hearts. If these desires are not contrary to the Word, and we have faith and trust, the Holy Spirit will open good doors, and block harmful ones. Pray that your desires are from the right source. It wouldn't be a bad idea, to read Ecclesiastes all the way through, to get a good idea of what you are dealing with. Praise the Lord!

Remember Jesus Loves You

Prayer of Salvation

Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.

Thank You

Amen

Prodigal Son

It Is Written, in the parable of the prodigal son, in Luke 15:11 – 32.

The story of the prodigal son is one most of us have heard many times. We look at the son and we probably think that he had a lot of nerve asking his father for his inheritance while the father was living. Maybe we thought the father should have hit him with something. Then of course there is the father's forgiveness and rejoicing and his sons return.

Have you ever noticed when you read the Bible, how many times you see yourself? We can all look at the Old Testament Hebrews, and criticize the things they did. The same way with the apostles. We say things like, how dumb were they? For instance, when Jesus was going to feed the second crowd, they didn't know what would happen or how they would feed the people.

People in those days saw Jesus, heard His teachings, and saw the miracles. They had such short memories that most of them forgot what they saw 10 minutes earlier. The Exodus was a classic example of short memory.

The point of all this is that times have changed, but people haven't. Just pick up a Bible and see yourself in the parables. We are all the same. We see miracles every day, and don't recognize them. We unconsciously follow the world view, and pass off miracles as luck, coincidence, or any other number of excuses for what happened.

Jesus said many things to the apostles, and His word was good. Many times they either forgot, or didn't believe. Everything Jesus said was true. Everything the Bible says is true.

Given the truth of so many things, prophecies being fulfilled, why do we have such a hard time believing? Just one example out of thousands "by His stripes we were healed". All we have to do if we are sick in any way, is to claim that healing we already received when Jesus died on the cross. Realize that all of the blessings for us are in the spiritual world, and all we have to do is claim them.

I believe when the average Christian gets to heaven, he will see thousands of blessings with his name, that he never claimed. So when you read the Bible, see your self rather than the chosen people, and you'll probably find, as I did, that I am no better than they were. Praise the Lord!

Remember Jesus Loves You

Prayer of Salvation

Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.

Thank You

Amen

Learning To Walk

It Is Written, Ephesians 4:15, God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love, like Christ, in everything.
When a person is a baby in faith, satan likes to target that person. It becomes vital that a person grow in their faith. The Holy Spirit guides, but we must learn to follow.
A lot of people have a hard time understanding that statement. To put it another way, look at a baby anything. Whether human or animal, they are helpless when they are born. Their mothers protect and teach them. When we are baby Christians, the Holy Spirit teaches and protects us.
As we grow, and we slip or fall, the parent is right there to help, just as the Holy Spirit is. The parent does not scold a child that falls while learning to walk. The parent helps the child up, offers encouragement, and keeps watching. The Holy Spirit is the same way. He does not condemn us when we fall, He is there to help us.
 As we learn, we become responsible for what we do. We can practice what we learned to that point, or we go in another direction. There are blessings or consequences, depending on if we follow God, or our own plans.
Here is a comforting thought, Psalms 34:22, the Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.
Just as no one or nothing can be a baby forever, you must grow for your own good. Incredible blessings await those who call on the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Value Everything

It Is Written, Psalm 50:14, offer to God Thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the most high.
When we thank God for something, it has no value to Him if the thanks are not sincere. Instead of praising God, valueless thanks are an insult. I started to look at things in my own life a while back. There were a number of things I was not particularly happy with. As a matter of fact there were a couple of things I really didn't like.
One day during my prayer time, I got a very warm feeling in my heart. The fact that I had a nice comfortable prayer room really made me feel thankful. It was at that point that I realized that to be truly thankful, you need to value what you are being thankful for. I started to look at where I live for instance. I would like to live in Alaska, and as a result, I really didn't like living in the big city. As a matter of fact I hated it.
The Holy Spirit laid a couple of things on my heart. God has a plan for my life, and that includes where I live. Because of that, I now see that where I live has value to me. I realize that I cannot pray to do God's plan for me, and then reject the parts I don't like. It is like slapping Him in the face. It then becomes my plan not His.
I decided to rethink everything in terms of value. To me salvation is number one, my family is number two, and probably health comes next. After that comes all of the other priceless gifts from God. And yes, that is exactly what they are, gifts from God.
One way to determine if something has value to you, is to make a list. Put down everything you can think up. If you have an old car for example, list it too. Now next to each item write a simple yes or no. Would the item be missed if it was taken away. Those simple yes answers show you what has value in your life. Then of course, you can also take a look at the 90% of the world, that is not as well off as you are. After I did all of this, my house in the city, started to look like a palace.
If you start thinking about all of your blessings and their value to you, you can then be truly thankful. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Don't Worry, Be Happy

It Is Written, Colossians 3:15, and let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
We all face situations in life that are common to all of us. The difference is in how we handle it. I could go on and list dozens of every day occurrences that cause stress and aggravation, if we allow them to.
We have many decisions to make every day. Some are big, and some aren't. Other people can cause a problem for us. Things like a washer or a car that doesn't work, can aggravate us. I am sure that anyone you talk to can add to this list.
What do all of these things have in common? In about 95% of these cases, there is nothing you can do to change them. We do not know what is going on everywhere, but God does. Maybe the guy in front of you is there because if he wasn't, maybe you would be going a little faster and have an accident a mile down the road. So just relax, it might be saving a life, maybe even yours.
If you follow the Lord, and talk to the Holy Spirit about all decisions, and listen, He will guide you. So just do it and have peace. God considers worry and complaining to be sins. They are prayer blockers. He gave us the Holy Spirit to help us to have peace and joy, not worry and complain.
You can pooh-pooh this, but I suggest you make the decision to follow the Lords peace in your heart. Once you decide to do it, you will be amazed at how bumps in the road disappear. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Don't Forget God

It Is Written, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
This message concerns a subject that most of us don't even think about. I have been guilty of this a number of times. Every time I slipped, satan was right there to condemn me.
When you are at home, chances are you have a routine that includes God. Maybe you get up early and read a chapter in the Bible, or listen to CDs on the way to work. You do these feel good things, because you love God, and you realize how much He loves you.
When you go away for the weekend, or take a vacation, you usually break your normal routine. You end up feeling guilty, and satan condemns you tries to tell you that God is upset with you, and guilt takes over.
Well here's the good news. God does not condemn you or punish you. When you give anything to God, money, time, kindness to others, He wants it from your heart, not because you have to.
Think about how you feel when your child gives you a gift, or does something for you, because they love you. How would it feel if they did it because they thought you would be upset with them. If you know they love you, and they forget sometimes, you don't get upset, do you? How much more does God care about us and how we feel.
Now when I am on vacation and my routine is messed up, I know God still loves me. When I enjoy the scenery,  or just being alive and healthy, I make it a point to sincerely thank God for what He has given me , which amounts to everything.
I have a routine only because it helps me set aside time to talk to the Holy Spirit, listen to what he says, and read the word of God. I follow this routine because I feel like a very large something is missing if I don't. I hope this helps.
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Surviving Life

It Is Written, Psalm 138:8, the Lord will perfect that which concerns me.
Everyone has times in their life when they feel like they can't go on. Life is too tough, and I need a break.
At this point in their lives, many people turn to drugs, alcohol, and various other vices in an attempt to get some happiness. This does not work. Things usually get out of control, and they hit bottom.
Hitting the bottom can also occur in other ways. For instance, the marriage can be a source of stress that causes bad choices to be made. Maybe the kids are a problem because they don't act like they should. Maybe there are feelings that the whole situation was a mistake, and the single life is better.
Then of course you have the job situation. Maybe you regret that you didn't go to college. Maybe you think that you studied the wrong field if you did go to college. Maybe at home and/or at work you feel unappreciated.
Your boss is not very nice, and is always looking over your shoulder. You don't make enough money. Here are a few thoughts that may help in one or all of the examples.
God did not cause these problems. Bad choices did. God has a plan for each of our lives that is much better than the way we think. If you choose not to believe that, that is your choice, but it does not change the fact that there is a plan.
God loves everyone, and allows each of us to have a free will to decide for ourselves. If we decide for ourselves and things go bad, God didn't make them go bad, we took our chances in the world system and lost.
Every example can be changed, and peace come into our lives, by accepting Jesus as our Savior and following Him. You ask, He answers. Listen for His voice and you will hear it. It is never too late.
As a reminder. If you think that Jesus is nonsense, or you don't want to hear about Him, that as I said doesn't change the truth, It just means that you made another bad decision.
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal. Praise the Lord!
Thank You
Amen

The Lord's Guidance

It Is Written, Proverbs 3:6, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.
This message is perhaps a little unusual, but it illustrates a point. It helps paint a picture of trust.
First a little set up by means of a few short comments. We have all run across Proverbs 3:5 – six, at one time or another. We have to ask ourselves if we have really given it serious thought.
For a long time, I thought I was in control of my life. I had to be, because God would not have made all of those mistakes. Unfortunately it can take many years to figure that out. Much simpler, and less stress, is to follow the proverb from the beginning.
Picture this. Look at the world as completely filled with mines, and booby-traps. You have things you want to do, what do you do? Then one day, a very reliable person you know, tells you that he has a map that shows the locations of these deathtraps. You can believe him or not. On your own, you will die sooner or later. If you trust his map, you will survive. It all depends on whether you trust or not
if you don't know God, you are on your own. You are out there taking your chances, with no hope. If you know God, you talk to Him. When you pray you must have patience and trust, because everything counts on God's timing. God has a complete picture of your whole life. He will direct you one step at a time. Sometimes He may wait to tell you the next step, because He is getting things ready, like clearing obstructions from your path.
If you get tired of waiting, you can do it your way, but that would be an incredible mistake. There are all sorts of booby-traps set by satan to keep you from your ultimate goal, Heaven.
The sure way to Heaven, is to trust in the Lord at all times. You may slip once in a while, but He understands. When you are saved, you have the Holy Spirit guiding each step. Listen and take advantage of that, and no amount of traps or anything satan does will keep you from God.
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

The Holy Spirit Within

It Is Written, Galatians 5:22, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
For some unknown reason, quite a few people get nervous if you tell them that the Holy Spirit can dwell in them. They think that the Holy Spirit will make them do all sorts of things that they don't want to do. I guess they really don't know the Holy Spirit.
First of all, you can talk to the Holy Spirit if you have experienced salvation. Talk to Him all of the time. What many people don't realize is that "something told me" could have been the Holy Spirit. Once you get familiar with His voice, you will realize just how real He is. You could be doing something and talking to him as if he was in the flesh, sitting right next to you.
Perhaps you are one of the people who have trouble believing the Holy Spirit is in you. Well my friend, let me explain something. If you love, have peace, joy, patience, kindness, are gentle, you have experienced some of the gifts from the Holy Spirit.
Another benefit of the Holy Spirit may surprise you, but it is true. If something is troubling you, or you don't quite know how to pray about it, when you go to sleep, ask the Holy Spirit to pray through your spirit while you sleep. If you want a very powerful prayer, that is it. Don't expect to feel something, just trust, it will happen. Possibly without even realizing, you will get a knowing in your heart that tells you your prayer has been answered.
Don't be nervous about the Holy Spirit. He is here to help us with all things. Get to know Him and you will probably be surprised at the pure joy He brings to your life. The benefits are what God wants us to have because He loves us.
When you walk with the Holy Spirit, you are walking with God, Just the way, Jesus promised. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Religion Is Not A Crime

It Is Written, Romans 10:9, "if you confess with your mouth to the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved".
Over the years, there has been a lot of confusion, because of various religions claiming to be the way. Religions for the most part, are like the Pharisees in Jesus time. They started with Moses law, and they added so many laws and rules, that they couldn't keep it either.
After Jesus came and established His church, men again resorted to rules upon rules. Finally a new sect or religion was founded by people who didn't accept what was being taught, and so, on it went.
Jesus made it simple. As it says in Ephesians 2:8-9, "for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Over time many of these religions forgot about Jesus because they were too busy coming up with new rules.
Many people are comfortable with rules, and law in their church. It makes them feel like they are doing something. If you have accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, and go to a church that teaches the Bible, I believe you will still get to heaven, but the trip will be more difficult. The trick is, that you must always remember that you are saved by grace, and not your works.
If you do choose to follow a religion, I would be very careful if I were you. Most people get sidetracked trying to do that. I would strongly suggest a good Bible teaching church period. God bless you!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

The Bible, A Challenge?

It Is Written, Proverbs 8:17, "I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me".
Reading the Bible is difficult for many people. As a matter of fact, reading any book is a challenge. It usually comes down to understanding what was just read. I believe this problem is more common than we realize. Here are a few suggestions that you can pass on to a family member or friend that has this problem.
One reason for difficulty, is the way a person reads. For example, if you read one word at a time, it is difficult to put the thought together. Reading a sentence or two, and then thinking about it, usually helps a lot.
Another good way to learn the word, is to use a good daily devotional. I like Kenneth Copeland best, but there are others that are pretty good. Take the time to look at several, and go with what is easier for you.
Another good way to learn is to listen to CD's. The preachers on TV all sell CD's. Pick a preacher you like and check their website Andrew Wommack has a very large selection, that covers many subjects from the Bible. Many can be downloaded free from his website. As with any preacher, just put their name in search, and you will find.
Of course the most common way of learning, is to belong to a Bible teaching church. If you can't find one, most preachers on TV are good teachers.
Just remember that Jesus loves you, and if you seek, the Holy Spirit will guide you, and help you understand. The bottom line is this. You must be saved by accepting Jesus and what He did for you. Confess your sins and invite Him into your heart.
How you study His word, is up to you and the Holy Spirit. There is no condemnation for which ever way you study. God bless you!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Fight For Jesus

On My Soap Box Again
Every year at this time, I fight occasional depression. It starts in September when many stores start getting ready for Christmas.
When you go into a store these days, all you hear are songs without Jesus. Happy holiday signs as well as seasons greeting signs are prominently displayed. The people who work in the stores are told to tell customers happy holidays, and don't offend anyone by saying Merry Christmas. Why do they do things like this? They say they don't want to offend anyone.
They take Jesus out of Christmas just as they take Him out of everything because they don't want to offend anyone. It seems that the common idea is, if you're going to offend somebody, offend the Christians. They never say anything. They just turn the other cheek I guess. You don't have to worry about them. They may not like it, but they will still give us their money.
This yearI decided to fight back in my own little way. I'm talking to people and attacking the only God that most store owners recognize as being theirs. What is their God's name you might ask? It is simple. Money. It drives everything. That's what counts. Sound hopeless? No it isn't.
If I walk into a store that I don't see or hear anything connected with Jesus, they will not get my money. It's that simple. If I'm the only one that does it they won't even notice, but if a lot of people do, things will change.
Tell everyone you know, write to vice Presidents of sales for the bigger stores. Tell them how you feel, and how you are affected by their policies toward Christmas. Write to your representatives and state and national offices and tell them you are tired of godless politicians and will not vote for any that are standing for election. If they get enough letters like this they will pay attention because they have to cover their own little greedy selves.
Christians make up a large part of our population. When you quietly accept injustice, you are agreeing with it. Majority is supposed to rule. If you say nothing, every crackpot group has a chance to do what they want at your expense.
We must realize how much power we have and  exercise it. Vote with your dollars, your vote, your letters. We have developed a slave mentality and don't even know it. Our God is everybody's punching bag and so are we. Remember disasters and lawlessness happen when good men say nothing.
If I am the only one who does what I'm saying, I will still do it. Put Jesus back in Christmas, and our country. Praise the Lord!.
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Speak Life

It Is Written, Proverbs 18:21, death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Speaking life is a part of using faith filled words. People in general don't seem to realize what they are saying. They don't realize the power in words.
Most of what people say in certain circumstances is really said in a reflex kind of way. You say what you have been conditioned to say. Other people just plain don't stop to think about their words. Sometimes the wrong words just come out in a conversation, like when two people compare illnesses. It usually turns into who can come up with the worst story. They are in effect accepting and feeding their illnesses.
Words don't just affect illness. They affect everything in your life. If you are supposed to go to the gym to work out, you can tell yourself that you are too tired to go, and you will be. On the other hand you can say how good you feel, and the workout will make you feel even better. It will.
The big thing you have to keep in mind, is to put a positive spin on everything. Think before you speak. Rehearse what you will say when a subject comes up. It may be difficult, but don't give up, work at it, because it is important to your quality of life. It will get to be like a positive reflex. The Lord felt it was important enough to put the verses in the Bible. We all need to look at it in that light. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, by your death and resurrection you brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

The Exciting Holy Spirit

It Is Written,1 Corinthians 2:9 – 10, but as it is written:"eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him" but God has revealed them to us through His Holy Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes the deep things of God.
I have written many messages so far. As I have said many times, I believe I was led by the Holy Spirit. Everything I wrote about was true as far as I know it.
A short time ago, the thought came to me that I was missing out on a lot of blessings. I inquired of the Holy Spirit, and just that quick He told me the problem was that I did not ask for His wisdom or help. He said He listens and helps with even the smallest thing 24/7.
That same day I was fixing something, and after getting nowhere for a couple of hours, I finally smartened up and asked for His help. A tiny little voice told me what to do, and 10 min. later it was done. As days and weeks went by I began to ask for His help before I did anything. Even if I knew how to do something I still asked for His help. It got to the point where I started saying to Him okay Holy Spirit, what should we do, or how should we do this?
I can only tell you this. The Holy Spirit answered every time within minutes. It was always right. I'm so convinced of His faithfulness, that I have total faith in the outcome when I listen. I have seen the impossible happen and I'm so excited about Him in my life, that words can't express it.
If you saw Him do what I have seen him do, you would never doubt if you live to be 100.  As a byproduct, I feel I finally have a real relationship with God.
Ask the Holy Spirit about something you aren't sure about. Then choose to see the result you want, and it will happen.
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Another Thanksgiving

It Is Written, Ephesians 5:20, give thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving, as we all know by now, is a traditional day of thanks to the Lord. I would like to put the following thoughts out there for all to think about. First of all I suggest thanking God every day. We ask Him for something every day, yet most of us thank Him once a year. What is wrong with that picture? Think about this. If your family asks you for something every day, and thank you once a year, and still complained that you weren't fast enough in giving them what they want, how would you feel? By the grace of God, he is not like most of us.
Second. We all have our traditional list of things we thank God for. It is a list of things we don't have to think about. Sound sincere? How about we give thanks to God for what He does for us every day. Most good does not happen to us because we are clever. When you take a breath, is it your effort, or God's grace? Get the idea?
Third. Have you ever thought about thanking God for what didn't happen?For instance an argument with your spouse that didn't get ugly. How about an accident that didn't happen, or a sickness you didn' get. You didn't lose your job, things like that.
This last group takes a little time to figure out because the facts are unknown. When something bad or unpleasant happens to someone, remember it could've been you.An expression I use quite often when I see someone who appears to be unfortunate, such as a homeless person, I say to myself, but for the grace of God there go I.
God has a job for each one of us. If you happen to get a good job, live in a peaceful place, don't look down on someone else. That other person's life could have been yours. We each play a part, according to God's plan. He decides, and gives us a part for His reasons, not because we are so good are so bad. God is the creator, He gets to decide.
So put your heart into your thanks, and do it every day, it really doesn't hurt. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

If God Said It, It Is True

It Is Written, Joshua 21:45, not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel.
Most homes have a Bible. Some have a big family Bible. Most of the time, it is used to record births, deaths, and marriages. A lot of times, it is just like the nick nacks and lays on a table.
A lot of times, even people that occasionally read it, don't understand its true significance. They often say that they don't have time to read it, and pass it off as just another storybook. They usually take some incident in it to question the fairness of God. Usually all of the killing in the Old Testament is used as their chief argument. The problem is they took something out of context, and never read the reasons.
Then you have the other group of people, who again take things out of context, and will tell you about everything they cannot accept about what they read, even though Jesus may have said it. They usually try to explain what they feel God was thinking, or what He really meant.
The Bible is the Word of God, period. He knew what He was saying, and He meant what He said. The Bible is not open to opinions. You must believe it all. You don't get to create your own version. If you study it with a good study Bible, you will find yourself understanding it, and possibly even keeping your opinion out of what is said.
After reading the Bible a number of times, I see how much God loves me by what is in the Word. As you study you begin to see God's plan. I believe if a person started young, and lived by what the Bible teaches, he or she would live a very contented, productive life, because they would more than likely have a true relationship with God.
Believing the whole Bible is a choice. I made up my mind that I believe everything the Bible says, even though my human brain sometimes tries not to accept certain things. I admit there are a few things I will ask Jesus to explain to me. You must forget your pride and believe as a little child just the way it is written in the Bible. The big thing you must always remember is if God said it, it is, regardless of what anyone says. Do not be misled by people you think might be smarter than you. Trust God.
The Bible was written to help us get back to heaven. God's word is not foolish. Life is made up of rules for everything we do. Just as in a game, if you don't follow the rules, you lose. The Bible is one set of rules, that none of us can afford to ignore. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Signs Of The Times

It Is Written, 2 Timothy 2:12, if we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.
It Is Written Matthew 24:13 but he who endures to the end shall be saved.
Both of these verses are good to keep in the back of your mind, because times are tough and getting tougher. I start this message by saying I am not a gloom and doom person. I also want to make it clear that I am not predicting the future or when the end times will begin.
The other day I was watching a couple of news programs. I don't normally do that, because the news makes me angry at times. In a nutshell, innocent people at prayer were hacked to pieces. Then they showed people dancing in the street to celebrate this horrific occurrence. One of the people proclaimed that the murderers are heros, and are in heaven.
A bit later, another network showed tapes of speeches made by the top government guy, containing dozens of out right lies. Another key individual on a number of occasions proclaimed that the voters are stupid . He came right out and said people could not handle the truth, so they had to be lied to for their own good.
The next video showed a person that is in Congress, as well as a few others, making inflammatory speaches that amounted to inciting violence. The rule of law, and the entire justice system, as well as the Constitution, are all being trampled on, by the very people who are supposed to ensure law and justice.
So by now if you are still reading, you are probably wondering what this is all about. satan thought that by killing Jesus, that he would be higher than God. He was wrong.
If you look at the world today, all you see is chaos and unbelievable violence. satan seems to be trying again. He just might be making another gigantic mistake. People generally like to leave God on a shelf somewhere out of sight. There is something pretty predictable about humans. When things get really bad, and are getting worse, the survival instinct kicks in, and they call out to God. Even self-proclaimed atheists have been known to do that.
It seems logical to me that satan really messed up again. Because of all the turmoil, there is a good possibility that more and more people are turning to God.  Somehow that is a comforting thought. One thing we must all keep in mind, is that the story has already been written, and satan loses. All we have to do is trust God, and hang in there. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my life as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

The Holy Spirit And Us

It Is Written,1 John 4:13, by this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

The average person seems to be unaware of who the Holy Spirit is, or what He does. The idea of the Trinity baffles a lot of people. They have a tendency to ignore, or not believe in something they don't understand. Faith is strange and even foolish to most of them.

When Jesus was on this Earth, He worked many miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus himself said He only did what His father said, and He could do no miracles on His own. Don't forget that Jesus time on this Earth was as a man. His faith is what the Holy Spirit acted on.

When Jesus rose from the dead, it was the Holy Spirit that made Him rise. Before Jesus went back to heaven, He told the apostles that they were to do everything He did and more in His name. He also said He would send the same Holy Spirit that was helping Him. The Holy Spirit would guide, teach, and give them wisdom and power to do what Jesus did.

Through the years, all of that was passed down to us. Everything Jesus and the apostles were able to do, we can do. We have the same Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit talks to everyone, to bring them to God. Many people don't hear His tiny voice, or they ignore it. With the passing of time that little voice gets quieter and eventually goes away, when it is ignored. If however one of these people eventually seeks Jesus, the Holy Spirit will act.

Many times people will talk about a feeling, or what they call intuition. That is probably the Holy Spirit trying to help them. When you listen and act on that voice, you will see amazing things. You avoid trouble, you make good decisions, and sometimes it will even save your life. The Holy Spirit is always with you. If you have to make a decision, ask Him for wisdom. He will tell you, and you will have peace in your heart.

Believe me when I tell you that what I said is true. I lived every day. Put so-called common sense away and go with Holy Spirit sense. Praise the Lord!

Remember Jesus Loves You

Prayer of Salvation

Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.

Thank You

Amen

Wake Up Christians Revised

My Friends:
Yesterdays post had a typo in it.  This is the revised post.
The highlighted part is the revision.
My apologies for the problem.


I'm not in the habit of writing editorials, and I certainly am not a politician. I'm just an ordinary Christian that thinks it is time to wake up Christians everywhere.
Every day people all over world, including the USA, live in societies that condone murder, accept violence, and persecution just to name a few of these outrages.
Ungodly people run everything from countries, to schools. Courts designed to protect citizens, forget what justice is. Instead of interpreting a constitution, they rewrite laws to fit the way they think. People in charge of various things take care of themselves, not the people who elected them.
It doesn't stop there. God and Jesus have become extinct in some places and endangered in other's. Even the USA, founded on biblical principles,has  forgotten God, and has headed down, like other godless countries. Now for instance good is bad, and bad is good. The moral decline is outstanding.
People have gone to jail or have been killed for saying Jesus name in many countries. Chaplains in the military have been ordered not to use Jesus name when they pray. To get even more ridiculous if that's possible, a cemetery refused to allow the name of Jesus from being inscribed on a new tombstone. The reason? Someone might be offended. Well thank God they finally gave in this after a lot of pressure.
Well fellow Christians, I could go on and on. I don't know about anyone else, but I am offended we are treated this way. My initial thoughts were anger when I heard things like this. Now I see it in a new light.
Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. That is the answer. With all of the Christians in this world, our combined, sincere, constant prayer, can change the world.
When elections come, find out what people's records say about them. Talk is cheap. Vote according to Biblical principles. If you don't act, don't complain. If things get worse, and they will, don't be surprised. If you didn't make your voice heard for God, you deserve it. I heard it said not too long ago, that we all get the leadership we deserve. I think we all need to put ourselves in the position, that deserves better. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Wake Up Christians

I'm not in the habit of writing editorials, and I certainly am not a politician. I'm just an ordinary Christian that thinks it is time to wake up Christians everywhere.
Every day people all over world, including the USA, live in societies that condone murder, accept violence, and persecution just to name a few of these outrages.
Ungodly people run everything from countries, to schools. Courts designed to protect citizens, forget what justice is. Instead of interpreting a constitution, they rewrite laws to fit the way they think. People in charge of various things take care of themselves, not the people who elected them.
It doesn't stop there. God and Jesus have become extinct in some places and endangered in other's. Even the USA, founded on biblical principles,has  forgotten God, and has headed down, like other godless countries. Now for instance good is bad, and that is good. The moral decline is outstanding.
People have gone to jail or have been killed for saying Jesus name in many countries. Chaplains in the military have been ordered not to use Jesus name when they pray. To get even more ridiculous if that's possible, a cemetery refused to allow the name of Jesus from being inscribed on a new tombstone. The reason? Someone might be offended. Well thank God they finally gave in after a lot of pressure.
Well fellow Christians, I could go on and on. I don't know about anyone else, but I am offended that we are treated this way. My initial thoughts were anger when I heard things like this. Now I see it in a new light.
Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. That is the answer. With all of the Christians in this world, our combined, sincere, constant prayer, can change the world.
When elections come, find out what people's records say about them. Talk is cheap. Vote according to Biblical principles. If you don't act, don't complain. If things get worse, and they will, don't be surprised. If you didn't make your voice heard for God, you deserve it. I heard it said not too long ago, that we all get the leadership we deserve. I think we all need to put ourselves in the position, that we deserve better. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Jesus Idea Of Sin

It Is Written, James 4:17, therefore, to him who goes to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
It Is Written, Matthew 15:19, for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornifications, thefts , false witness, blasphemies.
People have known about the 10 Commandments from the time they were very young. Most people do not realize there were over 600, not just 10.
Even today, if you ask the average person if they keep the Commandments, you'll get a yes answer. You will even get this answer from the great number of people who can't even name three of them.
God gave the law to show men that they were unable to keep the law. The general idea up until then was, no law equals no sin. When Moses presented the people with the law, they all said they could keep it.
The fact is, no one could keep it. The people judged their behavior by their standards, not God's. Since no one could keep the law God sent a Savior to the people, Jesus Christ His son.
Things are no different today. We cannot keep any of the laws either. By God's grace in Jesus death and resurrection we are saved. We became righteous because of Jesus. Gods standards really are impossible for us to keep. As Jesus said, if you break one commandment you broke them all. If for instance you lust in your heart, you are guilty just as though you physically did it. As far as God is concerned, if you hate someone, it is the equivalent of murder.
The fact of the matter is, you cannot judge whether or not you are keeping a commandment, by what you do physically. Perhaps what is in your heart is what you really need to pay attention to. Many times people look to find out if what they are doing is a sin, so they check the Bible. They feel that if the Bible doesn't say it's a sin exactly, such as abortion, then it is no sin. As it says in the other verse James 4:17, you can also add, that if the Holy Spirit is telling you something that you are doing is wrong, if you persist in doing it, then it is a sin.
I think it is obvious to the average person, that with these impossible standards, salvation through Jesus grace is the only way we can be saved. Praise the Lord, He forgave all our sins on the cross, and when we occasionally slip, we are forgiven.
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

A Measure Of Faith

It Is Written, Romans 12:3, for I say, through the grace given to Me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

God gives each man a measure of faith. Each person has the same size measure to begin with, but some people appear to have more. How come?

Let me start out with an example to set up what this message is about. Suppose two people were given an identical saw and hammer. After a while, a couple of months or even years, you would normally find that one person makes simple boxes, and the other makes furniture.

There is an obvious difference that cannot be accounted for by the tools. If you examine further, you would probably discover other reasons for the big difference. Perhaps imagination, or effort.

Faith is basically the same way. Jesus told the parable of the sower. A perfect way to explain the process. Faith given to the believers, even though both are saved, the results are different.

My personal belief is that the amount of faith perceived by a person, is directly associated to the time and effort spent seeking God. I am not talking about works. They are both still saved, but one has a relationship with God, and knows Him intimately. The other knows about God, but doesn't have much of a relationship.

With the relationship, comes more trust and dependence on God. The result is more blessings. I guess this is where the idea of a larger portion of grace, or faith came from. If you want to be more like a preacher you have seen, you must be prepared to do what he did. Most people can't. If you can't, don't condemn yourself, because the Holy Spirit probably wants you to do something else. Everyone has the same measure of faith, but each of us uses it differently.

Remember Jesus Loves You

Prayer of Salvation

Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.

Thank You

Amen

Forgiveness

It Is Written, Matthew 6:14, "for if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you".
In today's world there is a lot of pressure on everyone. The news is generally bad. You read about it, you hear about it, and you see it all around you.
Injustice is commonplace. People do strange things, or have no regard for the law or each other. You run into crabby people, who take out their frustrations on everyone they meet. It seems like everything you buy doesn't work, or is just plain junk. You can't get any help, because people just don't seem to care about what they do. Throw in satan, and you have a real recipe for disaster.
Does any of this sound familiar? It sure does to me. Under these conditions many people turn to God in desperation, or they are looking for a bit of magic or something to straighten it all out. The real answer presents a real dilemma to many people, because they are uncomfortable accepting it.
Well my friends, God is the only answer, but when someone has so much trouble, the last thing most want to hear about is God. Whether you believe it or not doesn't change the truth. Call on the name of Jesus and mean it. If you think there is no good news, you haven't read the Bible, the word of God.
Try this. Stop dwelling on bad news. Don't even listen to a weather report. Read the Bible every day, for the same amount of time you used to spend on the bad news. Study it. Meditate on it. Believe it.
When you accept Jesus in your heart, and live according to biblical ways as defined by Jesus, He will work in your life. He does however, require you to trust in Him, and makes it mandatory for you to forgive everyone for what you think they did to you. When you forgive others, God will forgive you. Don't judge anyone, and you won't be judged.
When you dwell on things of God, instead of the world, God will never let you down. Forgive others and don't judge, and God will hear your prayers. I'm not saying you should walk around in a stupor and not recognize what is happening, I am just saying when you hear the bad news, or suffer some type of injustice, realize that you must forgive, and know in your heart that God has things under control.
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.

God Does Not Abandon

It Is Written, Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave you nor forsake you"
Many times in our lives, we experience times that we do not feel as close to God as we would like. Sometimes we feel sorry for ourselves. We may go through periods of real depression. If you read the Bible, you'll find many famous characters that went through the same things. Read Lamentations if you don't feel like finding them all. Many think it was written by Jeremiah the prophet, "the weeping prophet". David was another good example. In our times, there are many preachers that go through even more.
We go through this stuff because of attacks by satan. As we all know satan is always condemning us and trying to pull us away from God. In his hopeless situation he wants us to feel hopeless too. He hates God and wants to hurt him by using us.The closer we get to God, the harder satan tries.
 You may think I am wacko, or have been in the sun too long, but read on anyway, and think about it.
The closer you get to God, the harder satan tries. That tells me that I am on the right track.
If you realize that God will never abandon you, you know that even a very rough patch is okay, because you have the ultimate prize in your future.
God allows problems in order to help our faith grow. However He does not allow more than we can handle.
God is always with us. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding".
God does not want us to go by how we feel, He wants us to trust Him always, no matter what.
If you really meditate on what I just said, I think you'll find out as I did, that maybe things aren't as bad as they look, and you really can count on God to help you. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed,  your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Power From God

It Is Written, Mark 16:17–18, "and these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover."
Today we will try to explain what being a conduit of God's love and power means.
In order for the apostles, or any Christian to perform the works that Jesus did, they had to believe that He gave them that power. Being simple people, they probably just believed, and didn't give it another thought. If you asked them to explain how it worked, they probably couldn't explain.
We've all heard it explained in various ways. A wire from a plug carries power to a radio, for instance. Then you have an example of the policeman having the power of the law behind him.
If you have ever managed people, you have a good idea of how it works. The company says that you are the boss of the department for instance. When the company does that, they are telling everyone in the department that you represent the company. When you speak, you are taking the place of the company. The people you speak to understand that, so they do as you direct. Failure to do so, invites consequences. This goes for all levels of management.
Okay, so where does that leave us? There are some important differences between working for a company and working for Jesus.
When you are Christian, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are in your heart. You are dealing directly with the top guys. No layers of people between you and the top. You have immediate access to everything you need immediately.
When you are the boss, you speak the words to someone. You have to come up with the answer in the first place, and follow through to make sure it was done correctly. If a problem comes up, you have to figure it out.
When you work for Jesus, you have the greatest, most rewarding job there is. Jesus and the Holy Spirit know everything. You are taking Jesus place on earth. He tells you what to do. For instance" lay hands on that person and pronounce them healed in My name".
Pretty simple. He gives you the easy part. You say it and your job is done, He makes it happen. What was pronounced in Jesus name, has no choice, it must be. The power comes from Jesus who is living in your heart, and makes that short trip, through you to the person you are praying for. I think you'll agree, that exercising the power from Jesus, is much easier, with no fear of failure. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Is It Fear

It Is Written, Isaiah 54:14, " in righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you."
We all know what fear is. Each of us in our lifetime has more than likely experienced what we will call paralyzing fear. Paralyzing fear can actually cause you to be unable to make any kind of a move whether physical or mental.
Each of us has decisions to make every day. Sometimes we may ask the Holy Spirit to guide us, and sometimes we don't. Normally we hear a small voice in our hearts, telling us what to do. The typical person, usually starts to wonder, is what I feel the right answer?
As you keep asking yourself that question, you usually get more confused. You can confuse yourself so much, that you are totally unable to make a decision.
Two questions usually pop up. Are you afraid of the possible outcome of your decision, or as in the case of a Christian, are you afraid God will not answer? Either way, fear is not  good. When a non believer faces such a decision, common knowledge tells them to go with their "instinct" or the first thing they thought of, because delay will usually make things worse.
The normal believer, goes about it another way. He prays about it first. He asks the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance. He waits for an answer, and most of the times he gets it instantly. Next he makes sure that what he wants lines up with the Word of God. Does the answer line up? If it does, he ignores any other voice or feeling, and waits for the manifestation.
Depending on where you are in life, believer or unbeliever, it will either make sense, or be foolishness. If the believer really believes in his heart, he shall have what he asks. Jesus said so. Remember that fear or doubt will block prayers and answers. Prepare yourself with the Word of God to believe, and step out like the winner He has made you.
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

God First

It Is Written, Luke 12:20 – 21, concerning a rich man, "God said to him,  This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will all those things be which you have provided? So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God".
Jesus spoke many parables to the apostles. Many of them concerned rich people. Many people look for excuses for their wealth. Some come right out and say, that Jesus basically wanted everyone to give away what they have worked for. They missed the whole point of the parable.
In Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells of the conclusions he has reached regarding his lifetime. He had everything he ever thought he needed. There is practically nothing worldly you can name that he didn't have. However, later in life, when he was King he abused the super wisdom God gave him, by using it to gratify his pride, and even allowed idols, and use the excuse that it was important for him to learn about other gods. But that is another story.
The whole point of these parables was what could happen if money, wisdom, power, or many other things became an idol to you. Riches have deluded many people. They count on themselves and what they have rather than God. All of us need to search your hearts, because it is easy to get caught up in wrong things.
It is written, Lamentations 3:40, "let us search out and examine our ways, and turned back to the Lord".
There is nothing wrong with money, possessions, the finer things in life. They become bad when God is replaced by them. When we have security in what we have, instead of God being our security.
When we are told to seek the kingdom first, it does not mean that you should read the Bible day and night, or giveaway absolutely everything you have. It simply means living as Jesus taught, with God as number one. God is the source for everything, and so are unlimited blessings.
Remember this. Earthly possessions including money, are passed on to someone else at some point. We can only take our love for God, and especially His love for us. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Ambassadors For Christ

It Is Written,1 Corinthians 6:17, but he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
You may be asking yourself what this is all about. It is simple. I have a theory that is not mentioned in the Bible as far as I know. Don't think I am trying to rewrite the Bible, I am not.
I think we were all spirits with God from the same time God was. He was God, and we were us. Everyone that came to earth before Jesus, didn't know what to do.
God sent his only son to the earth to save it, and bring people back to him. Jesus showed us the way. After Jesus ultimate sacrifice, He went back to heaven and left ambassadors to represent heaven and the father. These were the apostles and new Christians.
We came from that line of ambassadors. Just as ambassadors for countries represent their countries to the rest of the world, we are to represent heaven and God's policies to all we meet. To help us get God's, instructions right, we have the Holy Spirit to help and to guide us.
Just as a worldly ambassador has to do his best for his home country, we have to follow the first ambassador to mankind, Jesus Christ. We are to be a reflection of Him.
Just as worldly ambassadors try to maintain peace and harmony to avoid making enemies, we must represent God according to what He tells us. We are here to recruit new citizens for heaven.
Maybe this is a simple idea, but I like to think that I am one of the ambassadors. Our actions on this Earth, must at all times, reflect what Jesus did for everyone. We all have that responsibility. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

The Most Ignored Person

It Is Written,1 Corinthians 12:6, and there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.
The average person has heard about God and Jesus many times, in many ways. They hardly ever hear about the Holy Spirit, and if they have, they usually aren't aware of who He is or what He does.
When a person is saved, the Holy Spirit enters their heart. All believers have heard this, but once again even the average Christian hardly gives it a thought. Most do not know how important the baptism in the Holy Spirit is, or that there even is such a thing.
Some time ago, I heard a preacher talking about praying before you do something important, and letting the Holy Spirit guide you and help you. I started to do that, and when I let Him do it, I was never disappointed. It became a habit that grew.
As time went on, I began to realize a few interesting ideas. It is written, that Jesus came to save us, not to condemn us. If this is true, and it is, it stands to reason that God had all people in mind. So that presents a very interesting idea.
When I look back at my life, I now see what really happened. I have heard the Holy Spirit's voice for most of my life. The only time I didn't, is the years I totally ignored God.
Every time something good happened, I thought it was my doing, intuition, or just plain luck. I couldn't explain the fact that my life was literally saved several times, except by exceptional luck. When I went against the voice, I didn't pay the price I deserved.
What I didn't realize was that the Holy Spirit was working to bring me to God. I got chance after chance. As I drifted further and further away from God, the voice became less and less, till it stopped. After a few years I called on God in desperation, and He heard me.
I think that everyone has had similar experiences. The one we didn't know, or care about, tries to lead us to Christ. It is our decision to listen or not. Call on the name of Jesus, He will answer.
I must tell you this because it really made me see how much He, the Holy Spirit does care. Two days ago I took my lawnmower out. It didn't even try to start. It was making all kinds of clunky clanking noises when I was pushing it so I figured this sucker isn't going to work. I let it sit a while, then I tried again. It still wouldn't start. Went through the same routine two more times. My wife came out and asked me if I had asked the Holy Spirit to make the lawnmower run. Boy was I dumb for not even thinking about that. So my wife and I held hands and asked the Holy Spirit to make it start. I pulled the cord, and it started like a brand-new mower. It ran the rest of the day like there was no problem at all. I guess that will teach me to always remember to talk to the Holy Spirit. Praise the Lord!
What have you got to lose, try it.
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Take Up Your Cross

It Is Written, Matthew 10:38, "and he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me."
If you are like a lot of people, you have heard this verse many times. Chances are you probably didn't stop and think about it. You may not have even known what it referred to.
I think the best way to describe our cross, is by comparing it to the world. The world is a pretty heavy cross. A look at some of what we are referring to.
Let's start out with what to me is a heartbreaking part of our cross. The United States was founded as a republic, built on Godly principles. Our laws were written by what was in the Bible. Our founding fathers were God-fearing men. This country was blessed.
After the second world war, we started to go downhill morally. Little by little, God was taken out. As a matter of fact it seems like God is a dirty word now. Good has become bad, and bad has become good. Murder has become legal, and the traditional family as described in the Bible is in jeopardy. What is called free speech has gotten so ridiculous it is positively sickening. Christian values are under attack daily.
It is become very difficult to teach your children God's way, when so many teachers, especially at college-level, are atheists preaching there is no God. They preach the theory of evolution, with no regard to the absolute nonsense and impossibility of it.
It is hard to teach your children ethics, when they see politicians who are in some cases as bad or worse than some of the people in prison. When you read the Bible about the end times, it is like reading your daily newspaper.
Rather than belaboring the point, because I think we all know what the world is really like, I will only say this. Jesus showed us the way. All we have to do is what Jesus did. Pray to our father in heaven and do what he tells us to do. He will never leave us or forsake us. Never forsake him. We need to give it all back to the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive all my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

Live As Jesus Did

It Is Written, John 6:38, "for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him who sent me".
This verse really gives us a guideline to life. If you take a good look at what it says, and meditate on it, it really applies to us too. Let's examine what I just said.
Jesus was sent by His father to rescue a fallen world. God gave His only son to teach people how to live. If God didn't love us so much, He wouldn't have sent His only son. God the father could have taken the easy way, and just destroyed the whole world. He could destroy the world as often as He wanted to, until He got what He wanted. He didn't because He loves us.
Jesus spent his life on this Earth in the body of a man. He felt all of the same things we feel. satan tried anger, greed, lust, selfishness, and all the rest. Jesus however did not fall for any of this, because He was focused on His father. Being a man He knew what pain and hunger was like.
Jesus spent His life serving others. He taught them the way to salvation. He healed the sick, cast out demons, worked miracles. Finally He died for us, so we could be saved. He rose again conquering death and satan. He gave the apostles the great commission, before He went back to heaven.
So let's see where we are at this point. Whether you believe each person is a spirit with God from the beginning, or created in our normal human birth, it is immaterial. The fact is that God the father sent us just as He sent His son. The mission we have is the same one Jesus had. Salvation gave us the same father Jesus had. We received the same Holy Spirit that was the power behind Jesus miracles, and resurrection.
Jesus and his father knew exactly what we would face, because Jesus did it. In the great commission, Jesus told the apostles and us to do what He did, and greater. He gave us His helper, the same Holy Spirit. We received the same amount of faith Jesus had.
It seems pretty clear to me, that we really were created in His image in all aspects. As we exercise our commission, and seek the kingdom, we will be more like Jesus. We have everything He had. Faith is the key. The more we believe, the stronger the faith. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive all my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen

God Is In You

It Is Written,1 Thessalonians 5:9, for God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is written,1 Timothy 2:4 God speaking, He desires all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
One of the comments that you hear quite often is that God picks who He wants to be saved. He is arbitrary in His decisions, and is totally unfair. Another is, that many people have never heard of God, so again He is unfair.
Here are a few points to ponder. People living before the patriarchs, worshiped a God they didn't have a name for. Many of these people believed in "he who has no name". They had no use for idols, and lived their lives according to what they felt was right or wrong. How can that be, you may ask. They followed what was in their heart. What was in their hearts was a seed from God.
Every person has that little seed of God in their heart to begin with. This  seed  allows them to see themselves and the world as a creation of an Almighty. They may not start out knowing God, but they certainly knew of Him.
People today have that same seed in their heart. The problem is, many people choose to ignore an Almighty who created them and everything else. If they recognized God, they would have to obey Him. Most cannot do that. They want to do what they want to do.
They choose not to recognize God, heaven, or hell, in an attempt to avoid responsibility for their actions. They hide their heads in the sand so to speak. They want God out of everything, because they don't want to be reminded of Him.
I believe that many of these people are in a real dilemma. Some of them still have that little voice inside, battling satan and the world in their lives.
The good part is that God is fair and loves everyone. I believe that He is so loving and just, that He takes everything into account. No matter when people lived, or where, or what their circumstances with the knowledge of God, is totally just, and considers all the facts.
Since God is the creator, He gets to decide. We all have the same chance to be saved. There are no options to what His word teaches. Praise the Lord!
Remember Jesus Loves You
Prayer of Salvation
Lord Jesus, I thank you for what you did on the cross for me. Your blood washed away all my sins, by your stripes I was healed, your death and resurrection brought me salvation. Please forgive all my sins, and come into my heart as my personal Savior.
Thank You
Amen