Take Back.

It's time we as Christians take back. Take back our Christianity. Take back our faith. Our boldness for The Lord. We have become sugar coaters of His Word. Telling people what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear. When did we become so sissified in our faith. So afraid to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm tired of being told I can't say something about Jesus, you might stir the pot. Well if talking about Jesus and proclaiming His Gospel is stirring the pot, than I am going to stir away!

Romans 1:16 (NIV)
¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Matthew 10:33 (MSG)
³² “Stand up for me against world opinion and I’ll stand up for you before my Father in heaven."

Jesus is calling us to stand up for Him no matter what the world brings against us. Christianity is being attacked on all fronts. Seems like the whole world is against us.

John 15:19 (MSG)¹⁹ “If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me. If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you.

We need to stand together, stronger than ever before. Keep speaking the truth. Stop worrying about if we are going to offend anyone. I don't think that Jesus cared if he offended anyone. He told it like it was. He loved all and cared for all, but He let them know that there is only one way to Heaven.
Not many or several, just one. Through Him.

John 14:6 (NLT)
⁶ Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

We need to repent of our sinful nature. Jesus will be coming back soon. We need to get right with Him.

Matthew 3:2(NLT)

² “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.

 

We need to keep telling others about the reality of hell. The Devil is real and isn't playing around. He wants your soul. This isn't a game with a reset button on it, or a do over. It's a matter of life or death.

 

Ezekiel 3:19 (NLT)
¹⁹ If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me.

 

Heaven is real and Jesus is wanting us to spend eternity with Him. We need to start living for Him, obeying Him.

 

2 Peter 3:9 (MSG)

⁹ God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.

 

I pray that we as Christians stand up and take back everything that has been taken from us. Continue to be bold for Christ. He died for us, so that we may live for Him. Let us not water down or diminish the work that He has done for us.

They Had Time.

It's amazing what God will reveal to me when having conversations with co-workers. A guy was telling us a story of something that happened the other night. He was talking about how he witnessed a car going down the road when it came upon a family of ducks crossing the  road. The mom, dad, and all the little ducklings were trying to cross. The driver had plenty of time to stop, but instead, the driver floored it and proceeded to mow down several of the ducklings and one of the parents. All my co-workers were abhorred by this. They could not believe that someone would do this intentionally. I thought the same thing, but also started thinking, "how come they're not this upset when a women aborts her baby?" The intentional ending of her pregnancy. They were all upset about these ducks being run down, which is indeed sad, but a woman having an abortion is just another normal day. That makes me sad.

Just like this driver had plenty of time to stop from hitting the ducks, a woman has plenty of time before deciding to end the life of her baby. I don't believe that she just wakes up one morning and decides to end her child's life. When a woman becomes pregnant she has three options.
1. Parent. She could choose to carry the baby to term and be a parent.
2. Adoption. Maybe knowing that she can not give her baby the life that she would like, she could choose adoption.
3. Abortion. She can choose to end the life of her unborn child. This what the enemy wants. The first part of John 10:10 tells us,

John 10:10 (NLT)
¹⁰ The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.

Some of our states are doing very well at proving this verse true. Passing pro-abortion bills that allow late term abortions or even partial birth abortions. The state of Illinois just passed one of the most extreme abortion bills in the country.
Gods word says this to us,

Psalm 82:2-4 (MSG)

^2-4 “Enough! You’ve corrupted justice long enough,
    you’ve let the wicked get away with murder.
You’re here to defend the defenseless,
    to make sure that underdogs get a fair break;
Your job is to stand up for the powerless,
    and prosecute all those who exploit them.”

He wants us to be a voice for the voiceless. To stand up and defend the unborn. He wants us to pray for abortion minded women. Pray that they choose life over death. Pray for those who have aborted and now may have some regrets about it. Pray continually.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT)
¹⁷ Never stop praying.

This is what I intend to do!

 

God Still Loves You.

This is my encouragement for you today. No matter what has happened this past week, or even today. God still loves you. I know a lot of people are thinking that with what they have done, there is no way that God could still love them. I have had a rough week and half myself. I have yelled at someone and said some not so nice things. It definitely was not pleasing to God, and it did not lift up or encourage whom I was interacting. I apologized to them, and then asked God for forgiveness for my attitude.  At work we use a acronym for certain products that are still being worked on. (WIP) Work in Progress. I see that I am a WIP with The Lord. I am still a work in progress. He isn't finished with me yet. So I turn to His word for direction and instruction. What better place to go for guidance.

Psalm 119:105(NLT)
¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
    and a light for my path

Romans 3:23(ESV)
²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

He knows that we all sin, and fall short of what He wants for us. Everyone of us. There isn't one person better than the other. God loves us all.

Romans 5:8(ESV)⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

That's right. God knew that we would still sin, but He still sent His son to die for us. So that we may spend eternity with Him. How awesome is that!! When we stumble and fall, we just need to ask for forgiveness and repent from our sin. Once God has us in His hand, no one can take us out of His grasp.

John 10:28-29(NLT)²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, ²⁹ for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else.^[a] No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.

Although we still sin and do stupid things, we have a Father who loves us unconditionally. He will never leave us or forsake us.

Nehemiah 9:31(NLT)
³¹ But in your great mercy, you did not destroy them completely or abandon them forever. What a gracious and merciful God you are!

Thank You Lord, for Your Grace and Mercy towards us sinners! Amen!

Ending Up on The Floor.

I was drying dishes the other night like I have many, many, many times before. When I was finished drying, I did something that I have done a million times ever since I was old enough to do chores: I threw the drying towel towards the counter. Like 1/2 million or even 3/4 million times before, it hit the edge of the counter and ended up on the floor. I grumbled under my breath a little saying, "so I see how this is going to go tonight." Sure enough, a few minutes later, I tossed a piece of paper towards the garbage can. You guessed it. It ended up on the floor. Except these two times were a bit different than all the other times. I could sense God trying to tell me something. He was saying to me that He wants all my life, not just my feeble attempts to get near Him. He wants me, just like when I pick up the towel or garbage, to take the extra step to make sure I get to where I need to be. He wants me to place my life in His ever loving arms, not to just throw some of myself His way and hope that I connect but end up on the floor instead. He wants me to intentionally seek Him in everything I do.

Romans 3:23(NLT)
²³ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

That's what I felt when the towel & the garbage fell to the floor. That I know that I still sin and fall short of God's glory. No matter how much we work and try, we can still end up on the floor.

 But there is good news.  

Ephesians 2:8-9(NLT)
⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

That's right. No matter how hard we work or try to attain our salvation, it's only by God's grace that we achieve it. We can not take credit for it or boast about it. It is a gift from God.

 Romans 8:38-39(NLT)
³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Once I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, I am His forever! Nothing can separate me from Him & His love for me. One of these days, I will no longer have stuff ending up on the floor.
 

One Nation, Under God!

This is my prayer for the U.S. of A. That we will come back to being one nation, under God! I am not a political person, not by any stretch of the imagination. Lately I have been watching a lot of videos about our government, and the division amongst the parties. I never really knew what each party stood for. I really didn't care. But God cares. So He started opening my eyes to what has been going on since Trump was elected president. This country seems more divided than ever before, and that is a shame. It seems like one side wants to put the blame for everything that happens in the world on the president. I am not a supporter of his, but this can not be. He is not to blame for every single thing that happens in the world. No matter what one side of the political aisle thinks. The other night during prayer time for our country, The Lord put these scripture verses on my heart, and gave me this vision.

Luke 19:41-44 New Living Translation (NLT)

⁴¹ But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. ⁴² “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace. But now it is too late, and peace is hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ Before long your enemies will build ramparts against your walls and encircle you and close in on you from every side. ⁴⁴ They will crush you into the ground, and your children with you. Your enemies will not leave a single stone in place, because you did not recognize it when God visited you.”

 

I saw Jesus coming towards the East Coast in a boat. When He saw what is going on, across the land, He started weeping for The United States. Weeping for our lack of morality. The wickedness & evil that is taking place within our boarders. Calling evil good, and good evil. The killing of the unborn, the racial divide, hatred towards other people that are not like us. Not loving each other the way that Jesus loves us.

 

Isaiah 5:20 (NLT)

²⁰ What sorrow for those who say
    that evil is good and good is evil

 

There are people who are already in public office that are trying to take down our country from the inside. Trying to institute their own agendas that fly directly in the face of the US constitution & freedoms. We need to be united once again. Band together and fight against these attempted changes against our government, and American way of life.

 

1 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV)

¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.

 

We need to put God back, Everywhere! He is in control of what happens to our country. 

Oh to be, One Nation Under God. Once again!

 

Philippians 2:10-11 (NLT)

¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
¹¹ and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.

Up To Par.

I had a co-worker ask me the simplest question today, that sent my mind into deep thought. He asked me if I thought that a pallet that  he was going to use was up to par? The board on one end of it was coming loose from the board below. I told him that if he didn't think that it was up to par, to get rid of it. That's when my mind started brewing! My goodness the places it went. I started to think about Hitler and the Jews, and how he thought that the Jewish people were not up to par. Just like that pallet, that was thought to be undesirable and tossed away, the Jewish people were also thought of as undesirable to the German dictator, and were to be tossed away like garbage. He tossed (exterminated) away 6 million Jews, just because they were not up to par for him. Then I started thinking about Jesus. How He accepts me as I am. A sinner in need of a Savior.
Romans 3:23(NLT)²³ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
I don't have to clean myself up to go to Him.
Ezekiel 36:25(NLT)²⁵ “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away.
Thank You Lord for thinking that I am up to par for You, and that You will not toss me away, or get rid of me.
Deuteronomy 31:6(NKJV)⁶ Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Romans 8:35(NLT)³⁵ Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?

John 10:28 (NLT)²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,
Thank You Lord. Your word tells me again and again that I am loved by You!

My Two Cents!

My wife and I attended a private showing of the 'controversial' anti-abortion movie "Unplanned" last weekend. This is going to be my attempt at a review of the film. Just to give you a little back ground, it's a movie about a woman named Abby Johnson, who at the start of the movie had became Planned Parenthood's youngest director. Then one day she was asked to assist on a procedure, and what she saw being performed on the ultra sound screen, changed everything for her. What she saw was horrific and disturbing. It finally opened her eyes to what was being done at Planned Parenthood. The movie received an "R" rating from the MPAA. They gave this rating for violent and bloody images. What I saw on the screen, I couldn't believe the rating. I have seen more blood and violence in a PG-13 movie. To me it was just a ploy to try and cut down on the people that would be able to see it. Then after that a whole bunch of cable t.v. channels didn't promote the film either. Wouldn't air the trailer or say anything about it. To them the movie just did not exist. Sad! Then Twitter blacked out their account for a little while before re-instating it. To me, the worst of it all was that K-Love, a Christian radio station wouldn't not promote the film either. Can you imagine, a Christian radio station not supporting a pro-life movie. Wow! They said that they don't advertise for "R" rated films, even though they supported "The Passion of The Christ", which by the way was rated "R". This whole scenario with the rating and lack of media support reminded me of the first part of John 10:10 ¹⁰ The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. The Devil was sure trying his hardest to get this movie suppressed. But you know what? My God is bigger than all of this. He has no equal or rival. The second part of John 10:10 My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. God has made this movie rich. It really surprised Hollywood with it's opening weekend. I believe that it finished in 4th place over all with a total of a little more than 6 million dollars. How great is our God! I pray that this movie has far reaching effect. That hearts will soften, eyes will see, ears will hear and feet will respond to the plight of the unborn. I pray that abortion will become unthinkable!
Psalm 139:14(NKJV)¹⁴ I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT)¹⁴ Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land