Tuesday, December 3, 2019

MOVE LIKE YOU HAVE A PURPOSE

Many runners get offended when someone calls them a jogger. Runners don't want to be thought of as someone who goes out for a casual jog on the weekends just to burn a few calories. To them, running is their passion and they are fully invested in their training. As athletes they're running with purpose, determination and endurance. Their life is all about the finish line.

Hebrews 12:1b tells us to "...lay aside every obstacle, and the sin that so easily entangles us, so we can RUN  the race set before us."  Let me be the first to admit that I have been jogging through my spiritual life, barely breaking a sweat, so when I came upon this passage again the gravity of the message caught me off guard. Here are a few of my thoughts.

Obstacles and sin are like eating junk food before a marathon, the calories are useless and only serve to slow us down and trip us up. The fast food I'm thinking of could be anything from curling up in front of the TV to binge watch our favorite mini series (night after night) or randomly surfing the internet looking for what we can order on Amazon and when that gets boring spending long wasted hours checking our social media. The list goes on and on. I know these seemingly innocent pursuits are not bad in themselves as long as we monitor our usage but if these little distractions are left unchecked they will pull us away from studying the word of God and keep us from focusing on the finish line. Spiritual nourishment is necessary so we don't wake up one day to find ourselves watching the race instead of participating in it.

The next challenge to staying in the race are secret sins. These tasty indulgences are always stuffed away in our duffel bags. Christians are not immune to temptation and we all mess up...a lot. I'm sure you are aware of your own transgressions, as I am of mine, so there is no need to list the many possibilities that can entangle us. Fortunately, God expects our obedience not a perfect track record. Jesus is always interceding for us and helping us to overcome our weaknesses. Prayer and faith are our energy source.

So what's my point and why should we care? The book of Hebrews was written to believers who were getting tired of fighting. Like us they faced trials, persecution and opposition from people who opposed the Gospel message. It was easier to just go with the flow and drop out of the race. They lost their victory mentality and began to retreat. Complacency leads to compromise and over time we become fat, flabby and lazy spiritually, easy prey for the enemy.

Christianity was never meant to be a spectator sport. Instead of dropping out of the race we need to strip down, start running-and never quit!  "You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You're after one that's gold eternally." 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 ( Message)

 Decide what holds you back and let it go. God is calling you to greatness.

THE WAY YOU RUN YOUR RACE IS YOUR DEFINING MOMENT. 



Resources: Running with the witness
John Piper

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

WEEDS IN THE GARDEN OF LIFE

Summer finally made it in spite of the constant rain and crazy weather we experienced across the country this year. In my neighborhood everyone is playing catch up with their flower beds and lawn mowing. I jumped on the band wagon, rolled up my sleeves and planted flowers and mulched the beds in the cool air enjoying the sunshine after a dreary spring season.

It is always such a joy to stand back and admire your handiwork until, like a midnight invader, the carnage starts. It doesn't take much. One or two hot humid days and sticky nights to turn that beautifully landscaped paradise into a nightmare of...WEEDS.

 I have been studying about weeds in the book of Matthew 13: 24-29. Jesus talks about weeds being planted alongside good seed. Both crops start to grow together and you can't tell the good from the bad...at first glance. "When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds appeared."

The parable goes on to say the servants asked the owner of the field why he planted such a bad crop. Jesus tells them it was the enemy that planted the weeds among the wheat but to leave them alone. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers to gather the weeds first and burn them... then take the wheat into my barn.

God is showing us his spiritual wheat field. He is patient with believers and unbelievers alike as he lets us grow side by side while we decide to follow Christ or fall in step with the ways of the world. It's also evident there are two types of people in God's garden, disciples and rebels, and a time is coming when God will separate one from the other. Don't be deceived. Satan planted the lies that keep many people from believing the authoritative word of God.

My take on this lesson is to patiently warn people of the coming judgement. Know what the Word of God says so we are not swayed by opinions that are half truths or outright lies. Evil will grow and thrive alongside the truth but God has the last word and will ultimately have a harvest.

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

WHAT SHOULD WE FEAR?



SCIENCE IS CLEAR 

WE ARE OUT OF TIME!







 The leading climate scientists warn there is only a dozen years before global warming will worsen and completely devastate the earth.

The urgency of the situation has become the defining challenge of our time. The entire planet is at risk of extinction. Many of us are living in fear of the future but most people are missing the bigger picture. 

  Science continues to confirm what the Bible warns. In the Book of Revelation the prophet John, who wrote the book over 2000 years ago, called climate change the 'four winds'. He talks about angels blowing trumpets. Trumpets in the bible are a warning to unbelievers and a call to action for those who believe scripture.
Trumpet 1,  one third of the trees, grass and crops are burned and destroyed creating panic and famine.
The first angel sounded the trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down upon the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the grass was burned up. (Revelation 8:7)
Trumpet 2 affects one third of the ocean. Something like a fiery meteor falls into the sea killing marine life and destroys ships.
The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, a third of the living creatures of the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. (Rev. 8:8,9)
Trumpet 3  a star falls from the sky and poisons our rivers, streams, and our drinking water with excessive heat.
The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and springs of water, the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the bitter water. (Rev. 8:10,11)
Trumpet #4 strikes the sun, moon and stars creating darkness.
The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so a third of them darkened. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night. (Rev. 8: 12) Some scholars think the heavenly bodies represent our political rulers.
Does this sound like global warming? Our leaders in the days ahead have no control over what God has set in motion.
Is God responsible for climate change? 
God created the earth and everything in it for our good. He is in total control of the entire universe and has a plan to destroy the heavens and earth by his design. Humanity will have no control over End Time events once God puts his plan in motion.
Why will God destroy the world?
Many people today believe God is a myth. Some believe Jesus is a nice guy who loved everyone but his teachings are no longer relevant. God has issued a warning! He is giving us time to repent of our sins and turn back to him. God loves us but he is going to judge each person on the basis of their belief. No matter how far we have stayed from our Godly roots he still holds out a forgiving hand.  The world as we know it will end. We don't know the date or the time but the signs of disaster are all around us.We might not have time to stop global warming and we can't escape the coming judgement but we do have time to ask God to save our souls.

"Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." (Acts 16:31)
"Repent and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15)
HOW TO RECEIVE JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOR
Father,
You loved the world so much that you gave your only Son to die for us so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but will  have everlasting life. Your word tells us there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. We are given this gift of salvation when we confess Jesus with our mouth and believe he died on the cross taking our punishment for sin upon himself. I am a sinner and I am sorry for my sins and I ask you to forgive me. By faith I receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am saved and will spend eternity with You! Amen.

If you prayed that prayer for the first time or decided to return to Jesus you are sealed with the Holy Spirit. No matter what the future holds you are safe for eternity.












Wednesday, February 6, 2019

BE A GLADIATOR IN THE 2020 POLITICAL COLOSSEUM

"How long will I be allowed to remain a Christian?" The article  published by Douglas MacKinnon in April of 2018 struck a nerve with its readers but made no waves. Until now!

Each law Congress passes proves that shocking question is no longer a far fetched assumption but a disturbing reality. If you are open about your faith in Jesus Christ it is only a matter of time before you are a target of reproach and suspicion at work, in school and sometimes in your own home. We have felt oppression growing in the United States for a long time. Christians are mocked, belittled, smeared and attacked by those who oppose the Bible. We are labeled divisive because we stand behind a Biblical world view that does not promote same sex marriage, abortion or lawlessness. The left and the media push hard against anyone who aligns themselves with the Republican Party and a conservative world view in an attempt to diminish our platform. Make no mistake, this election is a spiritual war that our country can't afford to lose. If we don't speak up today and make our voices heard the policies we don't want or agree with could become a prison sentence for those who oppose it.

In a calculated way we are being transported back to the Colosseum of Rome but the ferocious lions in the arena are the lawmakers who are hell bent on wiping all traces of God out of America's future. Too many of us are worshiping at the altar of political correctness. WAKE UP! We can not stand by and watch our values be stripped away by the left as their campaign works to weaken our faith and turn us from the truth. God warned at the end of the age many people would call evil good and good evil.(Isaiah 5:20)

If you align yourself with the Christian faith there can be no compromising with the world's interpretation of justice and social reform. In this age of hatred and deception we need our minds and affections shaped by the Bible. Many politicians and church leaders try to sound like Jesus but they are false prophets. Jesus said, "Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other!" (Luke 12:51) The church of God needs to set a standard against sin. If you are unrepentant - unrepentant is key since we all sin in many ways- sin holds you captive and you are not a Christian.

" Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. ( 1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

As we approach the 2020 elections the people of God need to take a hard look at who they follow...God or the opinion of man. 

Where will you stand?  Have you fallen in line with the mockers that celebrate the murder of innocent babies and embrace the homosexual revolution. Maybe you bought into the lie that you can worship yourself and your own accomplishments so you have no need for God. Have you become ungrateful for the freedom our country provides? It's not too late to turn back to our spiritual roots. "Then I confessed my sin to you; I did not conceal my wrongdoings. I decided to confess them to you, and you forgave all my sins." (Psalm 32:5)

Only God can bring peace, justice, security and happiness. "If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved, For it is by faith you are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved, (Romans 10:9-10)"


RESOURCES:
The Criminalization of Christianity by Janet L. Folger
Articles by Douglas MacKinnon
The Bible



Thursday, January 3, 2019

WORSHIPING OUR OWN OPINION

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinion. Proverbs 18:2


You don't have to be a physic to see into the future of 2019.

It's hard to go anywhere and not hear people talking passionately about politics and religion. Don't get me wrong. I am a firm believer that each person has a responsibility to speak up and save our land, its the American way. What I don't agree with is the way we are using our words to get our point across.

The Universal Law of Cause and Effect tells us that every thought we have, action we take and word we speak is full of energy. God tells us in the Bible that our words have incredible power. The tongue has the power of life and death. What you say can preserve life or destroy it, so you must accept the consequences of your words. Proverbs 18:21 (ESV)  and Proverbs 18:21 (GNT)

 Dale Carnegie's first principle in his best selling book How to Win Friends and Influence People is don't criticize, condemn or complain. It's timeless wisdom for anyone who wants to be a positive influence in changing the world. Our country and our freedoms can't survive in an atmosphere of hate. We need to speak our minds in these tumultuous days but we can say what we have to say without shaming and belittling each other. Let's take the Word of God and the Universal Laws seriously in 2019. What's more important, our opinion or our brother?

 "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, fighting and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as God forgave you." Ephesians 4:31-32