Job said it around 2500 years ago "That which I feared came upon me". (Job 3: 25)

There have been many sincere Christians who have prayed against something undesirable happening to them, without understanding that when you concentrate on the negative you create the probability of its occurrence. Every thought that you entertain carries with it certain results -good or bad.

People who live fear-filled lives are opening the door to disaster, while people who live optimistic and positive lives create their own good environment. It is vital to approach the next 352 days with faith and the absence of fear. That will make 2008 a great year for you. There are many uncertainties that face our world, and more so with a drastic political change in our country. No one can accurately predict what 2008 may hold for us.

There is one certainty that we can claim in faith -our God is still around. That is what gives us great confidence. In 2008 don't just sit around and take whatever life sends You. Make your plans now for making it a great year. Look over into the Promised Land and claim the blessings that are there for you. Remember that the Biblical 'Promised Land' is not Heaven (that is a greater reality than this world) but living in this world enjoying everyday the great blessings that God has for you, just as He had it for the people of Israel.

The trouble was that the people of the Old Testament forgot their dependence upon God and turned to religions and other forms of false living. They forgot God and sought out their own sensuous pleasures. That created disasters.

Your most basic need is a very close relationship with God. The closer you live to God the greater your life will be. God is the Creator and He wants to create new blessings in a partnership with you.

In 2008 make it your most conscious effort to grow spiritually. Keep God centered in your thoughts. Spend more time aware of His presence and talking life over with Him. Spend more time in studying the Bible -particularly the New Testament. Let it's message fill your life.

Approach 2008 in the faith that the closer you are with God the greater will be your year. Faith conquers the problems of life.

January 6, 2008

Do you realize that the type of year you will have in 2008 is entirely determined by you? Your fate is not in the tea leaves, tarot cards, the stars or any other mechanical machination. It is determined solely by you. As in most of life your attitude is the determinant. If you have the right attitude 2008 will be great. With the wrong attitude 2008 will be just the continuation of all previous years. One characteristic of mental problems is to keep doing the same thing time after time expecting different results. The Bible makes it clear: " As a person thinks in his/her heart so is he/she" (proverbs 23:7). "According to your faith, be it unto you" (Matthew 9: 29).

The Bible challenges you to be the very best person that you can be. There is no room for being average or mediocre. God has put within you the capacity to excel, but the utilization thereof is up to you. It is such a waste to be just like everybody else when you can be someone special. .

In 2008 make the determination that you are going to be the very best person you can be. You do not do this by attacking the whole year as one, but rather being your best self one day at a time. Make it your determination every morning when you wake up "Today I will be the very best person I can be. I will do the very best job I can do. I will reach out to those around me in love."

Your responsibility is to be always be in charge of yourself. You do not let others determine for you what kind of person you will be. Don't be mean to others because they have been mean to you. Whether or not they have been kind to you, you be kind to them. Don't let their illnesses contage you.

The goal that you are reaching for in all of life is to be the very best person you can be. That is why God has put you here with all of your talents and abilities. You are a gold mine of potential -don't waste it. Allow God's Holy Spirit to work within you as both inspiration and facilitator. That is why He is here to help you to be your very best self.

Make this your New Year's resolution: "In 2008 I am going to be the best person I can be. I will always reach for the highest. I will live each day with God as my partner. I will live before others to set an example of God's blessing in my life".

December 30, 2007

In the Christmas season we have seen wondrous events - angel choirs, shepherds seeking their Messiah, Wise Men traveling a thousand miles following a star -a trip that probably took two years.

Isn't it fun to wonder? Did the Wise Men ever hear more about the baby they visited? It was 33 years later that He was crucified and then rose from the dead. By that time the Wise Men themselves could have died as the shepherds too may have.

They, as we often do, visit momentous events in their ~ inception, but then go on to live routine lives. The most transforming event that ever occurred, the event that has changed millions of lives, was the great God of all the ages coming into our world in the person of Jesus Christ. Yet so many in our modern world totally ignore that event to live their own monotonous lives seeking artificial happiness, joy, and excitement. In their thirsty conditions they drink from fountains that can never quench their thirst.

What about you and the path you are traveling? Now that you have been to Bethlehem, now that you have seen the Christ, how has it changed you?

Jesus Christ is far more than a mere moment in history. Seeing, even worshipping, Him at Christmas is only the beginning and never the end. You have just been through a colossal experience. Where do you go from here? We know so much more than the shepherds or the Wise Men. We have a Bible that they never saw. We know about the redemption of Calvary and the Risen Christ. Millions have acclaimed Him as Lord and Savior.

Does Jesus Christ truly live in your life? Have you ever acknowledged Him as your Lord and Savior? It is so easy. Just talk to Him and give yourself more fully to Him than ever before. Allow Him to be the master of your life. Walk with Him everyday and be aware of His presence. Then share Him with others. The shepherds, after leaving the Christ-child, went and told others all the good news. The Christ within you can help other lives also. They too can be lifted to the abundant life that Christ has for all.

What on earth are you doing for Heaven's sake? Live everyday so that God is working through you to touch others for Him.

December 23, 2007

People have the ability of taking holy things and turning them into something evil. God has given us a great world that started out as a garden, but we have turned it into a swamp of hatred, pollution, religion and evil.

Even in the Christian faith the theologians have taken the holy events of Christmas and made it into a complexity of conflicting dogmas, theology and denominational controversies.

The basic truth of Christmas in so very simple. God was undoing all the evil that people have perpetrated, forgiven all sin, and offered to open a new relationship with Himself and people. We call that new relationship 'salvation'.

God saw the mess that people have made of the world and said "1 have to go down there and help them". The word "Emmanuel" means "God with us". God took upon Himself a human form so that humans might be able to lift themselves to a higher level in and through God. All of this was accomplished by

the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ.

We make being a Christian so complex when God made it so simple. We list all the things that people must do, and the things they can't do. We make it more complex by trying to decide what is the right church to attend and also saying that if you belong to the wrong church you are headed for Hell.

What is Christmas? The word "Bethlehem' means 'the place where God meets my needs'. The manger reminds us that the great things of God start out in the simplest of ways. The poverty of humanity opens to us the riches of God. The wholeness of Christ overcomes all of our sicknesses and leads us to Life. The efforts we make to manufacture an artificial life are nothing compared to the exciting abundant life that Christ gives.

What is a Christian? It is a person who has opened his/her life to God and acclaimed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

When Mary and Joseph arrived at Bethlehem the inn was already crowded by the host of people that were traveling there to register for the Roman census. The Scripture says "There was room for them at the inn".

Is there room in your life for Jesus Christ. This Christmas open your life anew and more widely than ever before and allow your Lord and Savior to fill your life to overflowing. Being a Christian is so simple. Just pray "Lord Jesus, I thank you for coming to help me and right now fill me anew with your presence and power as I give myself totally to you".

December 9, 2007

People create crises - God never does. God creates solutions to crises. That is the history of the world since creation. People cause problems and God has to solve them. That is what Christmas is all about.

God creates our world and gave it a good start but people turned to evil, religion, and false gods. Things went from bad to worse. God gave them spiritual leadership but they turned that into religious hypocrisy. God gave them the sacrificial system to teach them about the seriousness of sin but they turned that into meaningless formality. He sent them great prophets and spiritual guides but some were persecuted and some put to death.

God finally said there is only one way I can straighten this out -I've got to go down there and give them one more chance. That is the meaning of Immanuel- "God with us". Sometimes people think that Christ came into our world to save us from sin. WRONG. Sin is only a symptom of the problem but it is not the problem.

The problem is that people need to be restored into fellowship with God. People need God and no substitute will ever be found for God. Augustine, the great teacher of 1600 years ago, prayed: "0 God, You have created us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find rest in you".

The reason that there is so much evil (of all types) in our world is that people have turned to physical things to try and placate spiritual needs. The human heart will never be satisfied unless and until it turns back to God.

Jesus Christ (God in human form) came into our world to reunite us with God. He is the bridge that will takes us from where we are to where we can be in God. "I am the way, the truth, and the life- no one comes unto the Father but by Me".

Christ died for the sins of the world -so that problem was solved 2,000 years ago on Calvary's cross. Your sins, my sins, the sins of the entire world are all forgiven and the prodigal son or daughter is now free to go home where the Father eagerly awaits them.

Christmas is God's way of saying "All is forgiven -come home". Our response is to accept the invitation and to be restored into fellowship with God. "Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling - come home.”

May 28, 2007

There is general confusion about sin in most people's minds. Under the old covenant, and there were several in the Old Testament, people had to do something to pay for their sins. Sometimes they had to make sacrifices and other times they had to do various deeds to cover their sins. Unfortunately, as history has shown, people took what was to be a spiritual activity and made a religion out of it. We still do it.

Many people, even some Christians, believe that all the good people go to Heaven and all the bad people go to Hell. Some people believe that it is alright to commit little sins, such as gossip, jealousy, envy, hatred, etc. but murder, child abuse, blasphemy, etc. will send you to Hell. Some people believe that a certain number or sins can be forgiven but if you go over that number you are headed for Hell. The trouble is that no one knows what that number is.

Some are confused that some sins are forgiven if you do more good deeds than bad deeds. Some believe that God has an old-time scale (balances) and He weighs your sins/good deeds and whichever way the scale goes is the way you go. People do not go to Heaven because they have been good (or done few bad things) and people don't go to Hell because they have been bad.

Since the crucifixion of Christ on the cross the sin problem has been solved once and for all time. Jesus Christ and His death on the cross brings redemption from all sin for all people. Romans 5:18 says "Christ's one act of righteousness makes all people right in God's sight and gives them life."

Sin is no longer the barrier between God and people. How much or how little sin people have committed is no longer the question. The question now is -"How do you plan to be right with God?" You can still try it your way, whatever that is, or you can try it God's way. The trouble is that any way devised by people, including religion, has never worked and it will never work. Human efforts can never make people right with God or bring forgiveness for sin. Religion will never do it.

In the Book of Romans, Paul makes it very clear that Christ has died to cover all sin, but the only people for whom it will be effective are those who through faith accept God's way. Those who come to God through Jesus Christ and faith in what He has done, God declares them righteous and forgiven.

Simply stated -sin is no longer the problem. For those who open their lives to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, all sin is forgiven and God gives them His righteousness.

February 24, 2007

It is an interesting phenomenon to watch how few people really take advantage of the opportunities that God offers people. Too many people really are not serious about life. They seem to exist rather than live. They have not yet learned the basic truth -life will be what you make it.

In Luke 11 Jesus Christ talked about a person who had unexpected visitors in the night, and because they were unexpected, there was no food in the house to serve them. The host goes next door to borrow some food from his neighbor and his inquiry at first was ignored. Due to his persistence the neighbor finally came through.

What do you expect to get out of life? How hard are you working for it? Do you have to accept whatever life sends you? Can you order what you really want?

It is rather interesting that Christ includes His comments in an instruction on prayer and that was in response to a request by the disciples -"Lord teach us to pray".

If you are not serious about maximizing your life, you will miss out on the great blessings that God has for you. People who lack desire, visions, and high expectations are not going to live the true and fulfilling God-blessed life.

That is why Christ said "...Ask,...Seek,...Knock". Even when you pray, if you are not serious about your prayers, God can't be either. Prayers that mean nothing to you will mean the same to God.

D. L. Moody, the great Bible teacher and evangelist, used to say "Pray as though it were all up to God and work as though it were aD up to you and that will be the winning combination. "

Casual prayer is no prayer at all. Learn to pray in a persistent way. It is not that you have to get God's attention but rather that God needs your attention.

The Bible clearly teaches that the blessed life comes from your life being open to God. In the partnership that God offers to people you will discover the secret of successful Christian living. The key is your involvement. When life for you is a spectator sport, lacking your direction and input, then others will be receiving the blessings that you will never receive.

Get involved in life - your life - in a partnership with God and you will be amazed at why it took you so long to get there. The greatest life that anyone can live is lived everyday with God. Rather than being boring, it is exciting, challenging, and fulfilling.

ASK - SEEK - KNOCK Get serious about life -your life - and God will get serious with you.

February 18, 2007

Any parent wishes his/her children to be successful and live a fulfilled life. In Matthew 20 the mother of James and John came to Christ asking if her sons could sit with Christ when he took over. The idea was that Christ was the Messiah (and that is what the word means) and that soon He would exert His power, overthrow Roman rule, free Israel from slavery in their own land, and set up a new world order with Israel at the head of all earthly power. She saw in her sons abilities that would qualify them for such power. There is an old adage that everyone needs a jewish mother. The other disciples exploded when they heard about this request and Jesus had to calm them down by discussing what it means to be a leader. He promulgated a spiritual law -that the way to power a11d greatness was found in serving others. The people of Israel had seen enough of the phony politics and power portrayed in their religious leaders. Many years ago we had an interesting confrontation in Washington when a newspaper reporter had caught a senator in some illegal activity .At a hearing the senator turned to the reporter and said "Don't you realize that I am a senator of the United States?" To which the reporter replied "Don't you realize that I am a citizen of the United States?" Christ made it quite clear that the way to power was found in serving others. He pointed out that He Himself was there as a servant and not a master. True spirituality is not found by lording it over others and being self-important. Spirituality is found by how much you invest your time and efforts in helping others. Service to others is the key to success and not imaginary power and position. Too many church leaders are interested in being seen and 'being at the top' when all such thinking glorifies self rather than Christ. The greatest service is done by those who do things quietly and what they do is never seen by others. They are interested in the results and not the glory. Ideas of self-glorification undermine spirituality. Truly spiritual people will do many things of which others are totally unaware. They have understood the words of Jesus that when we do things in secret that God sees it and rewards us openly. Praise from people is illusory and is seen forgotten while spiritual blessings endure through time and eternity. In serving others you serve God. In serving yourself all such gain is soon diminished,

February 11, 2007

Are you guilty of whining and complaining to God about the way He has treated you unfairly? Many people do- even some Christians.

Your relationship with God is based on His love for you and not on how much or how little you have done for Him. Salvation and/or blessings are not earned- they are bestowed.

In Matthew 20 Christ told a parable about a landowner who hired people at different hours of the day, but then paid them all equally at the end of the day. Those who had worked all day complained that they should have been paid more than those who worked for only a few hours. Matthew 20: 15 has the landowner replying "Can't I do what I want with what is my own? Is your eye evil because I am good?"

Some people became Christians in their childhood while others met the Lord later in life. God loves all people equally. The Bible makes it clear that God does not discriminate. This parable adequately describes many people today.

Some people simply like to whine and complain. Not even God can please such people. Because they are so self-centered they believe that God should cater to their whims. It has been well said -"Any person wrapped up in himself (herself), makes a very small package".

Some people are constant criticizers. They may never do anything themselves but they think when others do something that they did it wrong. It is always easier to destroy than it is to create. Christians should be people of creative genius because the power of the Holy Spirit is available to them.

People often look down upon others thinking that they themselves are superior people. Christians should always treat others as their own equals even when there are points of difference. We are all equal -it is just that some are more equal than others. Instead of looking at our differences, we should look at our similarities.

The basic teaching of this parable is that salvation and blessings are things that God bestows freely and they are not earned. You do not pay for your salvation either before or after you receive it. All of God's blessings are freely given gifts, and they are based on God's love and not your efforts.

Freely accept the blessings of God and do not waste your time by making comparisons between your blessings and those received by others. The more you appreciate what God has done for you, the more your life will be open to even greater blessings. Each person’s blessings are individually designed by God for that person and you should never intrude between God and anybody else. Live your life to the maximum because that is the key to the greater things that God has for you.

February 4, 2007

The story that we are studying today is not technically a parable, yet in some ways it is.

Lazarus was a young man -probably in his late teens. He was the young brother of Mary and Martha and all three were close disciples of Christ. In the absence of Christ, Lazarus became ill and died. The sisters had tried to summons Christ so that He could heal him as He had healed many others. Several days later Christ arrived and received rebukes from the sisters for not getting there before Lazarus had died. He asked to be taken to the tomb and an interesting confrontation took place there. On the way we have the shortest verse in the Bible -John 11: 35 "Jesus wept". The people thought Christ was weeping over the loss of Lazarus but He was weeping over the lack of faith in His powers.

At the grave Christ called Lazarus back from the dead and he was restored to his family.

Have you ever thought that Christ still weeps over people -even over you?

Christ still weeps when He sees the way that many people waste their lives. After all -the greatest power in all the world is the power of faith when it is exercised in harmony with God. Look how the early church changed the world and they were no different than people today. They just believed more in the power of God and faith. Christ weeps when He sees how we are less than the people He has created us to be.

He weeps over our lost opportunities. He weeps over the way that some Christians so easily surrender to their problems. He weeps when we let our problems control us rather than our controlling our problems.

He weeps when we fail to take seriously the matter of life. He weeps when we refuse to live more closely in harmony with Him. Christ offers each person the pleasure of His presence and power everyday yet we often ignore and neglect that opportunity.

The greatest life that can ever be lived is lived in a daily relationship with Christ. Christ weeps when people are religious rather than enjoying His strength and power. The offers He has made to all the world is so great yet many, maybe even most, choose to live their own lives apart from His presence and power.

Christ offers to the world the opportunity of daily having a partnership with Him. In that partnership we have available to us divine wisdom, guidance, strength and victory. This is the greatest offer the world has ever seen. Accept it for yourself. It is only through experiencing it that you come to understand it. The Christian life is 'on the job training'. Don't waste the opportunity that Christ offers you.

January 21, 2007

One reason that our Lord taught in parables that alluded to nature was because of the people's closeness to nature. Many of His parables were lessons in farming. In Matthew 13, He talked about a farmer who sowed good seed but during the night an enemy sowed weed seeds throughout the field. As the crop grew some of the servants wanted to go among the growing good seeds to pull up the weeds, but the farmer told them not to do that because they would trample the good seeds. After the crops were ready for harvest then they gathered the weeds and harvested the crop.

No matter how strong your faith is you will always have a problem with the weeds. By that we refer to doubts, worries, fears and many other weeds that will grow in your life. The Bible says that we walk by faith and not by sight. Weed seeds may be sown by so- called friends who give bad advice and doubts. Many believers have had real answers to prayer but some 'friend' will come along to tell them that God doesn't work in that way. Other times the weed seeds will be sown by people whose lives are filled by fear or 'unfaith'. There have always been those scoffers who mock people of faith.

In Hebrews 11 the writer says that God uses your faith to bring into your life the things that you desire.

It is human to suffer doubts and fears because we want the blessings of God in our lives but we live in earthly bodies that are prone to change, not all of which is for our good. It is easy to have faith when things are harmonious and peaceful but no so easy when we experience setbacks.

The secret of spiritual success is to concentrate on the end results and not the intermediate circumstances. The farmer in the parable was looking to the harvest while his laborers were looking only at the circumstances.

The harvest view is that of who you are in God. You are a child of God and therefore part of His family. Your destiny is always the blessings of God -both here in this world and in eternity. Along the way you will have setbacks but they cannot defeat God's will or blessing upon you.

The life that is 'faithful' will also have doubts but the seeds of doubt will be crowded out by your faith. Look to Christ as your Savior and Lord and refuse to even hear the dogs that nip at your heels. Keeping your mind on Christ and who you are in Him will overcome all the doubts that will try to grow in your life.

January 14, 2007

In the Biblical period, and especially during the time of Christ, the greatest fellowship people could have would be in eating together. It got to the point where eating together became a spiritual experience. A tremendous amount of hypocrisy was also involved as a devout Jew was forbidden to eat with a gentile, and 'spiritual leaders' would not eat with the common people.

Because of the spiritual explanation of eating together many of our Lord's parables or miracles centered around food. This was also caused by the poverty of that day where many did not have enough to eat. Christ met peoples' needs whatever they might be. The ultimate relationship in Heaven was to have a banquet that was prepared for His family by God.

In Luke 14, Christ told a parable about feasting in eternity with God. The real brunt of this parable was directed at those religious leaders who felt that they were closer to God than anybody else and so they were excluded from the banquet while others, far less 'worthy' were admitted to the feast.

There are some great lessons from this parable. The first is the foolishness of thinking that we are closer to God than others simply because of some imagined superiority about ourselves. The second lesson has to do with the love of God that invited those to the feast who weren't fully prepared. There are no categories of superiority with God. All are 'sinners saved by grace' as opposed to some being 'holier' than others.

We have long since left any idea that eternity is one long food orgy. (Unfortunately there are those religious beliefs that teach that eternity is one long sex orgy.) There is another aspect of this parable that usually goes neglected and we must emphasize this. In this life as well as in eternity people of faith can 'feast' on the riches and the goodness of God. Too many Christians still believe that God denies to His children the things that they need in order 'to toughen them up'. God is neither a tightwad nor a 'scrooge' who delights in making it tough on his family.

A creative harmonious relationship with God prospers the believer in many ways. God is not in the business of bad advertising. He wants His family to succeed and enjoy life. The Bible says that "God has given us all things richly to enjoy". Feasting on the good things of life are God's plan for you. That is why the Christian life is the greatest life anyone can live. Live with God each day and enjoy life. Exclude God from your life and you miss out on time and eternity.

January 7, 2007

There is always a romance with the beginning of a new year. It is uncluttered, unspoiled and unexperienced. That is why we like it because we have a chance (in our minds) to start all over again and this I time 'we will get it right'.

2007 will be no different from 2006 unless we will it to be. Just I because the calendar has changed It doesn't mean you have changed. There must be a determination that it will be a good year for you, and it is up to you.

Your mind is the greatest tool God has given you to shape your destiny. Just as the sculptor from a rough stone creates a masterpiece, you can shape and reshape the year 2007 so that it will be the best year of your life. That is all within your power and you can make it work.

The secret of success in the Christian life is using correctly the power of faith. You use faith every day but sometimes faith can be negative. "I think I am getting a cold" and "This is going to be a bad day" are two among many possible examples of negative 'faith'. Because of all the Bible teaches about faith and its power, every person should be practicing positive faith. God is a good God and you are part of the family of God so turn on the positive power of faith.

Resolve that during the year 2007 you will be a more positive person than ever before. Rule out any idea that your personality and habits are etched in stone and you cannot change. God has already given you the ability of life-transforming power, but you have to claim it and utilize it for yourself. Please don't pray for God to change you because it is up to you and not God. He has created the possibility of change but like the Biblical promised land you must claim it on your own.

Greet 2007 as a golden opportunity. In this year you can live a more exciting life reveling in the power of God, looking forward to every day as a new opportunity to discover all that God has for you, or you can simply relax and take whatever it is that life hands you. The latter is a formula for disaster and disappointment while the positive approach will guarantee far better results.

Accept 2007 in your own mind as the challenge of discovering the greater joy of living every day with God. In your growing partnership with God you will discover how great are your powers in God. Take charge of each day and yourself because God has already given you that possibility. The greatest life that can ever be lived is here for you in 2007. Positive faith brings and creates the joy of living. It is yours for the taking. Do so in 2007.

December 31, 2006

Every person needs to advance far beyond any ideas that deny to him/her the freedom of choice in life. Life is not handed helplessly to you and you are far more than a mere pawn on the chessboard of life.

God has placed within each person the ability to decide for him/her self what quality of life they wish to pursue. A clear teaching of the scripture is "According to your faith, be it unto you.". Your destiny is not decided by cruel fate, tea leaves, tarot cards or anything else other than you.

One of the greatest problems that anyone ever has to face is to set God-honoring goals concerning life. God is not honored by small thinking and small ideas. Our God is a great God and we owe Him great ideas, dreams, goals and ambitions.

What are your plans for 2007? Please let it be more than to survive for another year. It does not honor you or God to settle for just getting by. It is not in your best interest to live life in mediocrity, being average, just getting by, or simply being like everybody else.

It is your challenging opportunity to have noble goals for the coming year. Look up the definition of 'noble' in the dictionary and see if that describes you. It should because you are a child of God and have the right to expect high things.

Some Christians may suffer from delusions of grandeur but far too many Christians suffer from low self-esteem. They do not realize the high calling to which God is calling them. You are not just anybody for you are someone special to God. H you are a child of God than you deserve the very best in life so why not claim it?

In 2007 set high expectations for yourself. Claim the promised land that God has for you. Step out on faith and live expectantly because that is what God wants you to do. Expectant faith creates the opportunities through which God can bless you. Look for greater happiness and success than you have ever experienced before.

Be determined that in 2007 you will make the world around you better just because YOU are in it. Make a contribution that will influence the lives of your family and others. If you settle for mediocrity that is what you will get but if you accept nothing less than the spectacular than you will move up to greater things.

Get away from any idea that you're your future is behind you and that you are just waiting for the Lord to call you home. As long as you are in this world God has a job for you -responsibilities that you can fulfill -lives that you can touch for Christ Accept nothing less than the NOBLE because God is calling you to NOBILITY IN CHRIST. In 2007 be all you can be in GOD. Surprise yourself and step out on faith. Be the person God has created you to be.

December 17, 2006

As your pastor you will notice that I never preach theology, doctrines or dogmas. I am more interested in helping you increasingly to be aware of who you can and should be in God. Empty theology does nothing for people. Practical and successful Christian living is what the Bible is all about.

The one exception I honor to the above is during the Christmas season because it is vitally essential that all of realize the meaning of "Emanuel- God with us". The clearest verse in the Bible on this theme is I Timothy 3:16 where Paul writes "God was manifested in the flesh". Next week we will talk about the 'who' of Christmas and this week it is the 'why' of Christmas.

God never violates the integrity of anyone's life. He created you and gave you freedom but what you do with it is entirely your choice. The history of the world is rather clear. People have the freedom to fellowship with God or they can choose to live without God. Over millennia the condition of people went from bad to horrible. They chose debauchery, religion, and other excesses, all of which led to terrible circumstances. Finally God said "I have to do something to help them" and He came down into our world to offer Himself as the sacrificial Iamb that would forever free people from sin.

The death of Christ on the cross is that redemptive act, but it had to start with God coming into our world in human form.

Christmas was the beginning of 'the drama of redemption' and it was necessitated by the sinfulness of people. Jesus Christ is the way back to the right relationship with God. Without that relationship there is no other way of salvation.

God came into our world to show us how much God loves people- all people. He loved us so much that He came to us as a personal gift. Don't try to find God through religion and don't think that being religious will solve people's problems. God came into our world in the person of Jesus Christ to redeem us from all that holds us back from God.

The death of Christ on the cross is God's sin offering for all the sins of the world. Since the cross sin is no longer the problem because God has solved that problem. Now the problem is getting people to accept God's love rather than to continue in their self-destructive ways. If only the entire world could understand what God did in Christ, and how that the answer to all the world's longing is here for the taking, everybody would gladly accept God's offer and be a Christian.

October 29, 2006

We are studying the parables of Christ. Remember that the old understanding of a parable is 'an earthly story with a heavenly meaning'.

Too many Christians are inseparably tied to the past. All of us should have a deep appreciation, even reverence, for history because where we are is a direct by-product of where we have been. However, as times change and people change we learn from the past but history should never keep us entombed in the past

In one of His parables Christ taught that new wine should be put in new wineskins, not old wineskins, because as the new wine began developing the old wineskins could not hold it

Christ was saying that all the blessings of God, the new blessings that come each day, requires us to be new people. The blessings that God has for you today are greater than anything that you have experienced in the past Each blessing, as it is received in your life, helps you to grow and makes you a stronger and more blessed person. Your life needs to expand each day to receive the new things that God has for you.

If you try to fit the new blessings into your past life they will not fit Everyday you should become a newer and wiser person for whom God has greater blessings God is constantly moving on to newer and greater things and the attempt to fit them into the old lifestyles just will not work.

The things that met the needs of your parents and grandparents are no longer adequate to meet your needs. Times have changed -people have changed - God has newer blessings for you than anything that blessed Christians of 75 or 100 years ago. No one wants to go back to the days before central heating, air conditioning, modern transportation or all the medical advances that have blessed us. God has given our world great advances and we are blessed by them. What met the needs of Christians of the past are not longer adequate to meet the needs of Christians today and thanks to God they don't have to.

When God moves on, it behooves us to move on with Him. There are new approaches to reaching people today. The ministry of our Lord proves that The religious leaders of His day were so tied to the past that they could not see God doing something new. What had blessed the people of Israel for 1,000 years was "good enough for them".

The Christian church needs to remember that no matter how great the past God has even greater blessings today. The new wine that God has for us today can not be contained in the old wineskins of the past

Don't deny yourself the new blessings that God has for you by being blinded, or confined, by history. God has greater blessings for you than you have yet received. New wine needs new wineskins.

September 24, 2006

In John 2 is the story of Jesus cleansing the temple of the commercial interests really speaks to everyone of us. The Apostle Paul writes to the church at Corinth and asks them "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

Your body, the temporary housing of your spirit, is also a holy place. It is the temple of God, and like the temple in Jerusalem in Jesus' time, it is so easy to allow it to be cluttered by unworthy things -ideas, thoughts, worry, sin, and other personal practices or things.

Have you ever been away from home for an extended time and when you get back you are appalled by the dust and other things that have collected during your absence. What do you do? You have a good house cleaning.

In your temple it is so easy to become cluttered by worry, fear, anxiety, sickness, and a host of other undesirable things. Yet it is your house, and only you can cleanse it Your life is inviolate and not even God can cleanse it for you.

Remember the definition of sin -anything that keeps you from being the person that God created you to be. God never created you for worry, fear, weakness, or anything else that prevents the will of God for you from being fulfilled in you.

Please do not think you have to be immoral to sin. You can be a very moral person and still not be the person God created you to be. When you allow negativity, fear, worry, depression, loneliness, low self-esteem, or other self debilitators to dominate you then your temple needs a good cleansing.

Obviously, you can talk to God about it, but it is up to you to cast out that demon that indwells you. Your really do not have to worry as much as you do. In fact, you don't have to worry at all. When negative things occupy you then switch over to positive things that )'OU will enjoy much more. Think about how many blessings you have had in life. Think about the fact that God is your constant companion in life. Think about what you can do to make life better for yourself as well as others. Actually when your mind is filled with negativity you are pre-occupied with yourself. You can be released from that by thinking of others -how you can help them, how you can lift their load.

This cleansing of your temple may have to be repeated over and over. Just because you cleansed your temple last month doesn't mean that other demons haven't moved in. Each day gives you the opportunity to be God's person or to settle for less. Cleanse your temple often, whenever needed, by asserting your authority over your life and your mind.

September 10, 2006

Every Christian has the right to live the victorious life - that is promised in the Scriptures.

Yet the quality of life that you live is determined by you and not by God.

Many of us grew up with the mistaken idea that what we had in life, or did not have, was all determined by God. People believed that God determined everything and that the role of the Christian was simply to accept whatever God sent. This philosophy, whether we know it or not, blamed everything on God. It led to a great deal of jealousy and resentment on the part of those who supposedly were not chosen to be blessed by God.

This may come as a shock to some people but God loves everybody equally. He never prefers anyone over anyone else. What you have or lack in life is up to you and not up to God. God makes the blessings available to all but not all know how to receive them

The key to the blessed and victorious life is determined by your attitude. A positive attitude creates the opportunity through which God can bless you while a negative attitude slams the door in God's face so that nothing good can come to you.

People who constantly gripe and complain, who are negative in their actions and thoughts, who go around criticizing others, can never be blessed by God and their attitude prevents blessings from flowing to them.

The Christian life should always be the victorious life even when things are going badly because the Christian has his/her priorities in order. He/she knows that out of all the chaos God will still turn around all things for their blessing. The true Christian, living in a daily positive faith with God, knows the difference between a temporary set-back and a ruinous situation.

Back of any storm that may touch your life is a loving Heavenly Father who works with you to bring you to the victory.

Do you run your life or do you let the circumstances run you? You are to be in charge of your life and live it in a way that will honor and glorify God. God is not interested in your failure and He is opening before you the door of success. When you surrender to the evil around you, whether that evil is physical or spiritual, you are blocking the corrective and blessing power of God.

Faith is the greatest force in all the world. When your faith is harmonized with the righteousness of God a combination is formed that can never be truly defeated. You and God working together will always have the ultimate victory. With God, you can live in victory and not defeat.

September 3, 2006

It is utterly amazing how many people think that God denies them things and takes things from them, as though God is a 'Scrooge' or a tightwad. If only people would realize how much God wants to bless them and fulfill them. Too many people don't realize how involved God already is in their lives. He has placed in each life unbelievable potential and abilities. He already is your creator and He knows you better than you know yourself.

In John 2 we have the marvelous story where Jesus turned water into wine after the host had run out of wine for a wedding reception. This would be a most embarrassing situation. Jesus Christ does not go around embarrassing people. If anything He would keep from embarrassing people. If only more of His followers would follow that practice the Christian Church would reach more people.

There are many examples of faith in this story. The servants were told to do whatever Jesus ordered. At His direction they filled water pots with water and then served them to the guests. The host was relieved but he got blame from the master of ceremonies because he had used the cheap stuff first and saved the best until last (Usually it was done the other way around.) Mary knew that her son would not fail them. The disciples learned a valuable lesson about Christ's power. The gossip that must have gone through that town should have been interesting.

Put very plainly, Jesus Christ is in the needs-meeting business. No one should be reluctant to talk with Christ about their needs. Let's face reality - every person has many needs everyday and Jesus Christ is there to meet those needs.

Perhaps you don't think that Christ knows your needs but He does. He is just waiting for you to ask Him for His assistance. He is more anxious to help you than you are anxious to be helped. Get off the humility kick that you are not good enough or that you aren't important enough to receive divine help. Remember that in the Sermon on the Mount Christ said that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without God seeing it and that people are worth more than many sparrows. Remember this contrast -people are in the religion business but God is in the people business.

Have you talked lately with God about your needs? He already knows them but He is waiting for you to come to Him. When you open the door for divine help it will be there. Jesus Christ still meets people's needs and He will meet your needs if you give Him the opportunity. This week take time to talk with Him in private. You will be amazed at the results.

August 27, 2006

One of the most interesting stories in the entire Bible is when Christ raised Lazarus from the dead. You can read the entire story in John II.

Lazarus was the young brother of Mary and Martha - all three were followers of Christ, and properly called disciples. Lazarus was just a young man, probably 16-18, although that is only a guess. We know that his sisters doted on him as older sisters would. Because their parents are not mentioned in the Scriptures it is safe to assume that they had died, which would further emphasize how Mary and Martha would care for him. Lazarus became ill and his sisters sent for Christ to come. After all, they had seen Christ heal many people. Christ deliberately delayed His arrival until after Lazarus's death.

After His arrival Christ was berated by Mary and Martha for not getting there before Lazarus died. He asked to be taken to the tomb. Once there Christ asked that the tomb be opened, to which the sisters had objections because he had been dead four days. Then Christ in a loud voice said "Lazarus come out here". To everyone's amazement Lazarus got up and Christ ordered the people to unwrap the burial cloths and set him free.

Many people are imprisoned by their circumstances. In one sense they have died to the potential that God has created for and in them. It becomes like a tomb for them. Is a tomb holding you? It can be worry, fear, anxiety, hypochondria, sin, low self-esteem, jealousy, resentment, or any of a thousand other ills. You do not have to be there. Jesus Christ stands before you and basically says "You don't have to stay in there - come on out."

Lazarus could have said (as many people do) "No thanks, I like it here." Jesus Christ is truly the liberator. "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. " What is your response to the call of Jesus Christ. He is calling you to greater things. God has something better for you than you have yet received

He is calling you to be more fully His disciple. He is calling you to even greater things. Just being a Christian isn't enough when God has greater things for you in His fellowship. He wants to be your partner in all that you do every day. He wants to inspire and fulfill you. He is looking for people who will make a difference. You have that opportunity.

The response is yours. You can heed the call of Christ and go on to greater things or you can maintain your status quo and nothing will change. A Christian is a person who hears Christ's call and responds. The tomb offers security but it can't compare with God's blessing.

August 13, 2006

As Christians live their lives, sooner or later, they will experience times when they are down. Sometimes those downers will result in depression. Often the depression can be very controlling, even debilitating.

During these times yon have to face the question "Do my circumstances control me or do I control them?" The situation is very simple. Each person needs to be in control of his/her circumstances whether the circumstances are good or bad. Then you ask "If I can control bad circumstances they would not be bad." False. Perhaps your circumstances may require some medical correction, even surgery. Yet you control them because you make the decision to have the surgery. <P>Too many people allow their circumstances to drag them down. In the training for Water Safety Instructor one of the emphases when rescuing a drowning person is not to allow them to drown you with them. In life the same rule applies. Don't let your circumstances drag you down but rather rise above your circumstances to become the victor and not the victim.

When you are down be sure you are looking up. In the Book Of Hebrews the author was recounting how that many Christians looked around them to see terrible things. (At that time many Christians were being tortured or put to death for being Christian in a very un-Christian world.) Yet he encouraged them not to look to the circumstances but to look beyond them to see Jesus Christ, and then to take comfort in the way that Christ faced His horrible death because of the greater life that was His in Heaven. Please bear in mind that God knows exactly every problem you face. Nothing is hidden from God's eye. Too often when people offer 'pity prayers' it sounds like they are telling God something He does not know. You can either look at your problems or you can look at God. When you look at your problems you actually make them worse. When you look beyond your problems to see God, your problems will diminish, even disappear.

Your attention is like a fertilizer -whatever you put it on will grow. You actually help your problems to grow when you concentrate on them. When you look beyond your problems to see God, your relationship with God will grow.

When things are going bad, when you are truly down, then it is time to start looking up. When you focus on God, you open your life to His solution to your problem. Don't let your circumstances control you. Exercise your God-given rights and powers and control not only yourself, but also your circumstances. When you are down, start looking up. Help is already on the way.

August 6, 2006

As we celebrate communion the first Sunday of each month, we are reminded once again of the basis of God's salvation.

Too many Christians are confused about what it takes to be a Christian. Many people think that salvation is something that they earn by being good and/or living the Christian life. Some believe that salvation is determined by what church you attend and how often you attend there. Some believe that salvation is something you receive because of the family in which you were born, unless you really foul up and lose it. Others believe that they have received salvation from God but they have the responsibility of avoiding any action that would cause them to lose their salvation.

You might think that this is not a good analogy but when Noah and his family were in the ark the Bible says that "God nailed the door shut". He did not tell them to hang on to ropes over the side and if they held on long enough they would survive the flood.

Romans 5 makes it quite clear that salvation is something totally arranged by God through Jesus Christ and nothing we can do can make it better. All that was necessary for salvation was accomplished by Jesus Christ on the cross and our input is to accept it for ourselves. That and nothing more is our role in being Christians.

What is a Christian? A Christian is a person who has opened his/her life to God. Being religious is not good enough -in fact it might block you from being a Christian. Our world is full of religious people who are all killing one another, even in their own religion.

In Communion we are once again aligning ourselves with God's plan of salvation. We are acknowledging that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer- our Lord and Savior. We are thanking God for ms perfected plan of salvation and rededicating ourselves to Him.

In the beautiful hymn "Rock Of Ages" we have these words: "Could my tears forever flow, Could my zeal no languor know, These for sin could not atone -Thou must save and Thou alone. In my hands no price I bring, Simply to the Cross I cling."

On the Cross of Calvary Jesus Christ paid the price for all sin and unbelief. The person who opens his/her life to Christ is the recipient of God's salvation. You live the Christian life, not to earn your salvation, but to thank God for all He has done for you. In Communion, we commune with God through Jesus Christ and we open our lives once again to receive Him and to thank Him.

July 23, 2006

Time after time Jesus Christ rebuked ffis disciples and others for their lack of faith. That's another problem with religion. Rather than instilling faith in people it teaches blind allegiance to doctrines and dogmas. The ministry of Christ was designed to get people to see the opportunities that were offered to them by God and spirituality.

True Christianity is working in a daily relationship with God. It is understanding how much God loves all people and offers to everyone the greatest possible life -the life lived in fellowship with Him.

Unfortunately too often Christianity is interpreted, not as an experience, but as a theology. The message of Christ is about living daily in The Promised land. It is living now in a personal relationship with God who energizes people rather than withholds from people.

Your faith is the key to the fulfilled life. It is easy to know that faith works. How often have you said to yourself "1 feel like I'm getting a cold?" What happens - you get the cold. When you concentrate of what is negative, you are obviating your relationship with God. God is positive and dynamic, and the closer you are to God you will be positive and dynamic also. Don't go through life like you've been sucking on lemons as many people do. In some people's lives doom and gloom are more prevalent than hope and peace.

The writer of The Book Of Hebrews defines faith as "the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen." When you set high goals, standards, and expectations you are creating the framework upon which God will answer your prayers. Most people never expect God to do anything special for them and when they have that attitude there is nothing that God can do for them. In Hebrews 11 it refers to God as "the rewarder". God is not the punisher - He is the Rewarder.

Faith works if you work it. It takes your involvement and high goals. Why be just like everybody else when God has created you for better things? The herd instinct that possesses too many Christians is what holds back many from receiving greater blessings.

This week keep this thought in mind -"God has something better for you than you have yet received!" Look for that which is positive, creative and fulfilling because that is what God wills for you. Being God-like is not being religious. It is being faith-full.

July 2, 2006

O, say, can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets read glare, the bombs bursting in air Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O say, does that star spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

O thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved homes and the wars desolation! Blest with vict'ry and peace may the Heaven rescued land Praise the power that has made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must when our cause it is just, And this be our motto "In God is our trust". And the star spangled banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the. free and the home of the brave.

We are not among those benighted persons who believe that you Cannot serve both God and country. The closer you are to God the more you will protect and serve your country.

From its founding days this nation was built on an everlasting belief that God had His hand in forming this nation to be a light to the entire world that life is lived best when it is lived with God. There are those voices that would make this nation strictly secular with no need for a spiritual basis. This country has been the strongest when it was/is close to its spiritual roots. It is the weakest and most corrupt when it forgets its spiritual roots. Look at the developments since World War II.

From its founding days - George Washington praying at Valley Forge - various founding fathers like Patrick Henry ("Give me liberty or give me death") made their appeal to Almighty God as the basis for all freedom. They further emphasized that spirituality was the guiding light for America.

We have forgotten our roots. Our schools no longer teach about those who formed this nation. They deny the spiritual origins of this land. We stand at a crossroad. Either we reaffirm our spiritual heritage or we drift into further moral decline and inevitable destruction.

Spiritual people must stand up for what is right. We must elect people with spiritual orientations. The voices in Congress must trust in divine providence to lead us into our future. We must reaffirm our motto "In God is our trust". This November we must stake our claim for God or by default we acquiesce to godlessness. There is no middle ground.

June 25, 2006

How do you judge or gauge your own spiritual growth. Many people make their decision on the basis of the good that they do and the bad that they avoid. Some base it on how often they are in church, how much they give to the church, or how much they pray, etc.

All of the above are misleading and really are self-centered. How about trying something new that maybe you have never considered before.

Try thinking with God. That is not as presumptuous as you might believe. Think of God's characteristics. He is never morose, negative, or fearful. Among many other things, God is positive and creative energy. He thinks BIG. His ideas are wholesome and creative.

Too many Christians practice small ideas and settle for the commonplace in life. They resign themselves to the status quo, expecting nothing new or different in life. This is one of the delusions that Satan uses on Christians -"You are no good", "You are a nobody", "God doesn't even know that you are around". So we have no great expectations, and nothing spectacular happens. It is not because God has cut us off but because we disqualify ourselves.

God is a big God and has big ideas. Judge your spiritual growth by the size of your ideas. Christians should be like God and think big. Believe it or not -it is just as easy to have big ideas as it is to have small ideas. It takes no more labor to have big ideas than to have little ideas, and people with big ideas do so much more.

You have far more potential than you have ever imagined. God has put tremendous potential within you through the act of creating you. You are an unexplored gold mine of opportunity waiting to be developed. God put it there but He cannot develop it for you. That is your responsibility.

There are many things that you would like to do in life but timidity holds you back. Release yourself from that prison and try to be the person that God created you to be. Come out of your shell in a partnership with God. Start thinking of new things that you can do for and with God. Think of the change that you can make in your church, your community, or your home. Think creatively and allow the ideas of God to fill your mind.

Don't think that your productive days are behind you. God has greater blessings for you than you have yet received. In a partnership with God you can discover these greater things. Let His power be at work within you.

This week pray about this. Ask God to lead you into these greater things. When He opens the doors, and He will, be willing to step in. Go in faith with God and discover His great power.

June 18, 2006

Some of the great words of the Old Testament are found in our Scripture lesson today from Isaiah 40. It challenges the believer to "mount up with wings like eagles".

Where are you in your own spiritual growth? Are you often feeling run down and run over? Do little things depress you? H any or all of the above are true then you need to understand what Isaiah promises to you.

It is very clear that they who "wait upon the Lord" are the people who rise above disappointment and failure to be victorious in all of life.

If that was true before the time of Christ, how much truer should it be today because of the victory that is already in the possession of believers through the cross of Christ and His resurrection. Read Paul's letters to the early Christians where he proclaims that all Christians are already seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

There is no room for depression or defeat when you realize who you are in Jesus Christ. Rather than being under the circumstances you are over the circumstances. When the storms of life roll in you have the ability to fly over them through Jesus Christ.

John writes to his church and proclaims "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world". H you want to feel discouraged or depressed it will happen, but why do that when all the promises of the Scriptures show us that God has made us victors and not victims. When you are a son/daughter of God then you are a very special person. You have the authority to rise above all problems in and through the power of God.

Christians are not nobodies -they are somebody special in God.

What is the secret -"They who wait upon the lord ". How close are you to God in your own mind? When you let problems pre- occupy you then there is no room for God. Each day you should think about your great God as being with you in all that you do. Because God is with you each day, you have extra-ordinary powers. Dwelling in God's presence will lift you to a higher level- a level where you can literally soar with the eagles. I have often stood on high mountains in the Rockies and watched eagles soaring below me. I was physically higher than they were. Spiritually every believer has that same opportunity in and through the power of God within you. When problems seem formidable in your life let the power of God in your mind lift you to a higher level and let yourself fly with the eagles.

June 11, 2006

It may seem strange to talk about negative faith but many Christians practice it every day. Yet, positive faith accomplishes so much it is a wonder why anybody would fail to use it.

How many Christians that you know talk more about what they don't like than what they do like. Some Christians never seem to have creative idea but they like to tell other people what is wrong with the ideas. Some Christians like to constantly grumble and complain. They seem to think that nothing is any good.

In the Book of Acts the early Christians were positive, vibrant and enthusiastic. The great contrast of that day was the power of the ear Christians as opposed to the sterile, empty, hypocritical 'preachments' I the religious leaders. People grow tired of religion that can not deliver that accomplishes nothing good or transformative for anyone.

The early Christians were overflowing with the joy of the Lord. They believed and even practiced miracles. For the first time the people I Jerusalem saw a positive faith that not only gave people something to live for but which also gave them the power to live a new, different all victorious life.

Negativity seems to be the mantra of today. Notice how much more bad news you see on television than good news. Horror stories grip more people because they are inclined toward the bad rather than the good.

What Christianity needs today is people who live in the powerful, vibrant, joy of Jesus Christ. People whose lives are overflowing with the positive faith that stirred the early Christians.

Negativity destroys and impedes progress and growth. Being positive creates the framework upon which God can send blessings to H family. Negative people are often sick people in that their minds influence their bodies. Over the years of my ministry I have seen hundreds 4 churches. The churches that are dominated by negative people are churches that cannot grow, while the churches that are filled with positive, people are growing and flourishing.

In your own life, positive faith will fill you with joy an expectations, while negativity perpetuates the status quo. God is a positive and vibrant source of energy who truly wants to bless people but negativity is slamming the door in God’s face.

Start practicing positive faith each day and see the differences that God has for you/. Negative faith destroys but positive faith brings miracles. Positive faith is God's way. Get in tune with God in your life if you want to see greater blessings coming to you.

May 28, 2006

Whether you know it or not you are engaged in spiritual warfare. Spiritual warfare is the eternal conflict between good and evil and yes, you are involved.

Here is something to think about because it involves you and it shows the aforementioned conflict. Have you really ever kept any new year's resolution? How about that weight you have been taking off for years? Why is it easier to put on weight than to take it off? The point is very simple. Evil is everywhere and we are all involved in it.

The global situation is very obviously evil. There are sick minds in our world. The Bible has emphasized the power of evil since the Garden of Eden. Jesus Christ came into our world once and for all to show that evil can be defeated by the power of God. The cross and the empty tomb reveal that.

The early church lived in a world that may have been even more evil than our world. We would hope that the Gospel of Christ has made some impact over the past 2000 years.

In Ephesians 6 Paul talked about the source of evil in our world. It is not just evil people doing evil things. It is spiritual evil (an interesting term) that rules and motivates all physical evil

Paul gives us the secret of success in this conflict. You don't have to do it on your own because that won't work. You must do it in the power of God and wearing spiritual protection. He compares a Christian to a soldier in conflict and lists the armor that a soldier of his day wore. No soldier would go into combat without his armor and we as Christians need the armor God has already provided us to win the victory over evil

Have you ever realized and put on all the armor God has for you? Read Ephesians 6 to discover your resources. You don't have to live the Christian life on your own because God has already given you the victory. The power of God energizes and strengthens you. Then you can joyfully face and overcome all the problems that life throws at you.(You can even lose weight or keep those resolutions.) You can be the victorious and happy person that God has destined you to be.

Paul says -"Once you have your armor on -take a stand" Don't run from the enemy and never surrender to your problems. Evil is all around you but it can not defeat you. I John 4:4 "Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world".

The spiritual evil that is in our world is truly powerful, but the power of God is even greater. We need to know about it, realize the nature of the conflict, and use all the power of God to overcome all the evil we face. Christians stand for what is right and with God.

May 21, 2006

There is still great misunderstanding in the Christian faith as to the basis of individual salvation.

Some people believe in corporate salvation -that is, that salvation is based upon belonging to the right church. Like it or not the Bible does not teach corporate salvation.

The Bible teaches individual salvation - that is, your personal relationship with Jesus Christ is what brings salvation.

There are those people (both in the church and outside the church) who believe that all the good people go to Heaven and an the bad people go to Hell They believe in salvation by works or deeds. The Bible makes it very clear that salvation is not based on what a person does or does not do but rather on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8,9 says clearly "By grace you are saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God - NOT OF WORKS, LEST ANYONE SHOULD BOAST".

A Christian is a person who has opened his/her life to God. That means that person has turned away from his/her own plan of salvation and accepted God's plan - the death of Jesus Christ On the cross.

In the great hymn -"Rock of Ages" - the writer says: "Could my tears forever flow - Could my zeal no languor know - these for sin could not atone, Thou must save and Thou alone -In my hand no price I bring - Simply to Thy cross I cling."

Isn’t it great to realize that God has done for us what no one could ever do for himself/herself - the forgiveness of sin. Since the time of the Cross of Christ, sin is no longer the problem because Jesus Christ died on the Cross to forgive the sins of the entire world. John 3:17 says it all.

You no longer have to work for your salvation because God gives it freely to the person who accepts God's way. You don't pay for salvation before you receive it or after you receive it. You simply open your life to Jesus Christ and accept Him as your Lord and Savior.

Too many Christians still don't think they are good enough for salvation or they believe they have sinned too much to receive salvation. Just look up and see God offering you His open arms and know that God receives you through what Jesus Christ did for you on the Cross. All Sin is forgiven and the way to God is through understanding that and opening your life to accept all the blessings that God has for you in and through Jesus Christ.

Your soul hope for salvation is not anything you can do but rather what Jesus Christ has accomplished On your behalf. Thank God for that.

May 7, 2006

Communing with Jesus Christ is the greatest blessing anyone can have. It is the secret of the fulfilled and happy life. It is also offered to everyone, but not everyone is open to accept it.

Please remember who Jesus Christ was and is.

The physical Jesus Christ was born a little over 2000 years ago. About the age 30, He began His ministry which only lasted for three years. Once again the conflict between religion and spirituality rears its ugly head. Christ taught a spiritual relationship with God but it varied so much from the teachings of the religious leaders that He was put to death by the religious leaders. They thought that they had rid themselves of a great threat, but Christ, through the power of God, rose on what we call Easter Sunday. He ministered to the disciples for approximately forty days and then commissioned them to take the Gospel to the entire world. Then he left them to return to Heaven, from which He had previously come.

Today He still ministers to people through a spiritual presence. He appeared to many in the early church on various occasions and this practice still occurs. Remember the great line from the song "He lives" - "You asks me how I know He lives; He lives within my heart." Many years ago a great church leader wrote a little tract called "Practicing The Presence Of Christ". This is the secret of successful living. If you only think of the presence of Christ when you are in church or in times of great need, you fail to understand the daily presence of Christ in your life.

Every day Jesus Christ is available to you. He is there to bless and fulfill you. He is there in both good and bad times. This is because of how much He loves you and desires to be with you. You don't have to be perfect or even good to experience Christ. Just be aware that as your Lord and Savior He never leaves you. You may shut Him out through many techniques but He never leaves.

Each day be aware of His presence. Feel Him beside you. Know that He is there as a friend and not as a spy. He wants to fill you with victory.

Learn to talk with Him. That is what prayer is. You are "picking up" the phone and having a conversation with your best friend. We do that so easily on a human level and it is just as easy to do it on a divine level. Ask Him for wisdom as you make decisions, guidance as you are looking for the right approach, strength to be the person He has created you to be.

Remember how close Christ is to you. Practice His presence. That is the secret of the fulfilled, happy Christian life.

April 23, 2006

Since you have opened your life to be more complete in God, how have you grown?

This is a vital question because too many people think that the Christian life is the difference between Heaven and Hell. Jesus Christ is far more than just a fire escape from Hell He is the key to a happy and fulfilling life lived in the power of God.

The early Christians also had this problem. The Apostle Paul was constantly berating the churches because they had not grown much as Christians. He referred to them as 'babies in Christ'. Yes, they had been born again - born into the family of God -but they had let it end there and had not developed a maturity or even a plan to mature.

A close study of the Bible reveals that the people of the first century had basically the same problems as we have today. The were torn by racism, greed, jealousy, gossip, strife, theological divisions, elitism and many other problems. Yet look how God used them to change the world. That should convince you that God can use YOU to have a positive impact on our world. You don't have to be perfect to serve God -you just have to be serious about it.

Many times in your life you have been serious about something. You wanted to master a new skill, a sport, or to finish a project. To reach your goal took dedication on your part. You can have the same determination to advance in your spiritual life as well Neglect is not the key to spiritual success.

In the Old Testament God said to His people "You shall seek me and find me when you shall do it with all your heart". The greatest thrill in all the world is in understanding the partnership that God offers to people. God honors YOU by offering you His wisdom, power, guidance and energy. It is there for your acceptance.

Don't settle for being an immature Christian when God offers you the opportunity to excel in Christ. Mature Christians are people who are serious about their relationship with God and want each day to be another opportunity to grow closer to Him.

How do you do it? A good question and a simple answer. 1. Each day take time to think about God. 2. Talk to Him, and particularly when you have to make a tough decision or need guidance. 3. Thank Him for His presence in your life. 4. Take time each day for reading the Bible and/or other spiritual literature like 'The Upper Room'. 5. Try to help others find the same hope in God that you have found. Don't let your spiritual life be a secret Share it in love.

Easter, April 16, 2006

Spring is such a great time of the year. After a winter of sleep nature is bursting forth with new life and new colors. The freshness of the air and the warmth of each day are both reminders of how blessed life can truly be.

What is your life like? Is it vibrant, happy and fulfilled or does it seem like something is missing?

The greatest life that can be lived is live with God as your partner each day. It is not a matter of being religious because that is a dead-end street. Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ God is inviting you to the new life that is found in a spiritual relationship with Him.

Christ has broken the bars of death so that you too can come alive to the greatest life anyone can live. The Christian life is both exciting and fulfilling. Jesus Christ is able to fill that void or emptiness that you feel within yourself.

Remember when you worked jig-saw puzzles and you were down to the last few pieces. You were certain that that piece would fit into that hole. You would be so convinced that you took your fist and tried to hammer it in. Then you gave up and picked up another piece and it fell right in.

When God created you He left a craving void within you - a void that only God Himself can fill. People try to fill that void with adventure, fame, excitement, things but to no avail. The only thing that can really satisfy us completely is a personal relationship with God. Nothing else can truly satisfy people.

God came in the person Jesus Christ to show you how much He loves you. He willingly gave His life to bring you into a new fellowship with Himself. He died on the cross and rose again to show all time and eternity that nothing can ever defeat God. Not even death can hold back the power of God.

Just as spring brings new life to nature, God brings new life to people. There is a 'you' inside of you that is waiting to spring forth into new life.

During this wonderful time of the year, take time to thank your Creator for all that He has done for you and renew yourself into a greater partnership with God. Ask Him to fill and fulfill you as never before. The 'you' inside of you yearns to be free and fulfilled. Let the power that brought Christ out of the tomb liberate you into all that freedom that God has for you.

Take a deep breath of God's presence and allow all that God is to make you all that you can be in Him. Your relationship with God is the secret of success, happiness, and fulfillment.

Spring into life with Jesus Christ.

April 2, 2006

As we approach the Easter season we have to remember the gracious love of God given to us in Jesus Christ. The death on the cross is an unbelievably cruel death. The victim dies from pain as well as dehydration. It may be the cruelest form of death that ever was devised by the sick mind of sick people.

The message was very clear to all- this will happen to you if you defy Rome and its rule over you.

Jesus Christ willingly headed for Jerusalem even though He knew that his death lay ahead. It was willingly that He died on the cross for the sole purpose of solving the sin problem once and for all. This was the sole purpose of His birth -to redeem the world.

To the religious leaders as well as the Romans, the death of Christ was the simple solution to their problems. Here is a man who threatens 'our system' so let's get rid of him.

It is a glory to behold how God turns the foolishness of people into things that bring many blessings to others.

People just genuinely foul up and make mistakes. Yet God in His patience and love turns those things around so that good comes out of evil.

Let's interpret "Jerusalem" as not being a place but the ultimate acceptance of your relationship with God. Where do you meet God? Some would like to think that they meet God in church. For others meeting God may be in nature -looking at a beautiful sunrise or sunset -beholding the majesty of lofty mountain peaks. The important thing is not where you meet God but rather that you do meet Him. That you experience Him in your own life and that it is something that totally changes you.

More than anything else -God is not met through or in religion. God must be met in the privacy of your own life and in the realization of how much He loves you and your openness to receive that love.

Your personal relationship with God is the true Jerusalem. It is the beginning of the greatest life that anyone can ever live. People try to find satisfaction in things but what they are looking for is found only in God. That God came into our world in human form to lift us into divine status -being part of the family of God.

Think of Jesus Christ as the bridge that takes us from where we are in ourselves to being accepted in God. Christ referred to Himself as being "the way" and He is for He is the one that brings us back to our relationship with God. People who are truly looking for life can find it only in God. All other searches are futile. This Easter season draw closer to God than ever before.

March 26, 2006

Despite the cooler temperatures, the calendar says it is spring. Already flowers are breaking through the ground, after a winter of steep, and the trees are breaking out with the glorious ~olors of spring. Such things are happening because of the potential that is within them.

ARE YOU READY TO ALLOW THE POTENTIAL THAT GOD HAS PLACED WITHIN YOU TO BREAK OUT?

God has put tremendous potentials within you. You have far more potential within you that you have ever realized. There is within you the desire to be more than you have ever been, the desire to ~'ork with your Creator, the desire to have more of an impact on our world, and the desire to rise to greater heights than ever before. BY GOD, YOU CAN DO IT. Many people, because of frustrations. disappointment, and low self esteem, when they feel these magnetic draws, break up. They don't break out.

Think of the impact of the Easter message. The Savior had died and His disciples were torn by fear and anger. What they had hoped for will now never be possible. All their dreams and plans were shattered. Then the Risen Christ appeared to them and now their plans paled in comparison to the greater plans that God had for them.

There is a 'you' inside of you that needs to break out. For too long most people keep that 'you' as a prisoner because they neither know it or understand it Yet your Creator has created you for greater things than anything you have yet experienced.

Easter is God's way of saying that it is time to leave the tomb and break out into the world that God has destined you for. Why live a dismal life when you can live in a Garden of Eden with God.

The vast majority of people live unfulfilled lives. They exist but they do not live the abundant life that Christ promised to His disciples. Be honest with yourself and break out into that greater life that is yours as part of God's divine creation. Never settle for mediocrity or even being average when God's excellence is inviting you to a greater and higher life.

How do you do it? Simply by coming to terms with yourself and knowing that it is time to break out into the new spring that God has for you. Ask Him for guidance and wisdom. Ask him to assist you in freeing yourself from the tomb that holds you back and break out into the greater life that He has for you. If your life is not complete and full then ask God to guide you into a greater quality of life. You don't have to pack up and leave here to go anywhere else. This is a spiritual trip and not a geographical one.

Don't allow life to make you break up. Instead break out and enter that partnership of living everyday witb God.

March 19, 2006

Last week I asked you the sobering question "What do others see when they see you?" This is a theme that all Christians should be aware of every day, for others should see Christ through you Every life that you touch can be better off for your involvement with them.

Why are many Christians easily defeated, dejected, and unhappy? There is no reason for us to be this way when we have already been guaranteed the victory through Jesus Christ.

You have the privilege as well as the obligation of showing before the world a radiant and positive life. When the world sees that in others they want to know the secret of success. That is the glory that is ours through Jesus Christ.

Most of us spend a great deal of time making the external look good and this is proper and to be commended. We pick out clothing that makes us look good. We want our hair styles to be attractive- both men and women. We want the world to see us at our best and that is the way it ought to be. But too often we forget one vital ingredient. Have we forgotten to put on our happy, smiling, positive and radiant faces?

BEAUTY IS SEEN EXTERNALLY BUT IT STARTS AND COMES FROM THE INNER SELF.

Often when people feel good and are happy, they forget to tell their faces.

Christians should be positive, radiant, and hopeful. After all - everything that Jesus Christ did He did for us. We are the beneficiaries of His wonderful salvation and blessing. We have received great blessings and we need not hide it. Let others see God's blessings on you through your own positive image before the world.

People are radiant - who shine before others the 'good news' are people who preach sermons simply by the look on their faces. They don't have to preach because what they are shines through them to others. Don't forget the old adage- "What you are speaks so loud I can't hear what you say."

Many people are pessimistic about life in general and their lives in particular. Once Christ is lord of your life He will lead you into the greater blessings that He has for you but only if you let Him.