Praise God for fruit in the ministry. I was able this morning to lead a teenager to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ so I was just reflecting on what God has done and what He has allowed me to be a part of. It sure is great to see fruit in ministry!
Salvation is such a great gift and every time someone places faith in Christ, it excites me because it excites God so much. God is so great and we are so undeserving,yet even still, He went to the cross and took our place so we could live eternally with Him!
16Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. (John 15:16, King James Version)
Truly, God wants all believers to bring forth fruit in our life and ministry. Not for our glory or for others to look at our ministry, but rather for the Glory of God! We work, serve and live for His Glory and pleasure. The verse says that He has chosen us, ordained us and (a key part of the verse) He gives the fruit!
We must make sure that we seek to please the Father, and let Him send us the fruit as He so pleases. I think of my Bible college friends, classmates and roommates...we are spread all over the world, doing what God has chosen and ordained for us to do...Some are pastors, while others are missionaries, some serve in churches in the states, others teach in Christian schools...may we always praise the Lord when He chooses to bless others and their ministry, rather than possessing a spirit of discouragement that it's not happening like that in our ministry (if this is the case). I remember one of our Bible professors mentioning a similar case...If my memory serves me correct, he said he was a recent graduate from Bible College/seminary at the same time as a friend/classmate and both went to pastor at separate ministries, he recalled that nearly every week, his friend was seeing souls saved and his friends' church was growing by leaps and bounds, but it wasn't like that at the church where my professor was serving the Lord. He said he wrestled and sometimes struggled with the question: God, why are you blessing his ministry so much more than you are blessing mine? The answer he arrived at was basically, the Lord chooses when, how and where to bless as He so fits, and our feelings about whether or not we think it's fair don't matter and shouldn't cause us to lose focus on the reason we are even in the ministry...for Him and because of Him.
Rather than looking around and wondering why others seem to have more fruit when we are serving just the same (which could allow attitudes of envy, jealousy and covetousness to eventually become a stronghold in our life and even a hindrance in our ministry), let's stay focused on what He has chosen us to do! If we are where God has chosen us to be, than let's continue doing the work of the ministry to honor and glorify God. When we keep our eyes on Christ, we will see how He really is working on our behalf. Let's keep our eyes on the Lord and when we hear of fruit in other people's ministry, let it serve as a reminder that God is still in the life changing and soul saving business. We can and should take the opportunity to praise the Lord for His blessings and that He's still saving and changing lives; but we must remain faithful to keep working for the Master.
We just need to keep doing our part and He has promised to take care of us and do His part!
Some water...some plant...but God gives the increase! (1 Cor. 3:7)
In due season, we will reap what we sow. (Gal. 6:7-9)
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
13 Lessons, part 2
So, last week I posted part one of this and I continue now with more lessons I've learned in 13 yrs on this journey with Christ as my Lord. I've developed these lessons into a sermon series and am preaching this to our Grace Alive Youth Ministry on Wednesday nights at Grace Baptist Church, Belleview, FL.
Before I proceed with more lessons I've learned, it's worth noting that life is full of lessons and with each lesson comes an opportunity for us to either learn and grow from the experience or fail to learn and remain the same. I must be honest, I haven't always taken the former route, and quite frankly, I've taken the latter route too often. Let's remember that it's best to look at the experiences we go through as opportunities to become more experienced in life. Allow me to create an illustration that will hopefully clear that up: an employer seeking to hire an experienced professional is looking for someone with experience for one reason: they've most likely learned what to do/what not to do over the course of their years working in the field. In the same way, I believe that when God saves us, as we mature in our faith, we too will become more experienced and know what to do or not to do as it relates to our walk with God. So, many of these lessons have been learned the hard way, nonetheless, I am thankful I have had the opportunities to learn them and believe I have grown as a result of each experience.
Following are lessons 7-13 of the 13 lessons learned (see part 1 for the first 6):
7. OBEDIENCE TO GOD DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T HAVE FUN!
8. GOD IS ALWAYS IN CONTROL AND GOD IS FOR ME (AND YOU)!
9. THE BIBLE WILL KEEP YOU FROM SIN OR SIN WILL KEEP YOU FROM THE BIBLE! (this was a quote a preacher mentioned while preaching probably 10 yrs ago, and I wrote it down in the front of my Bible and have remembered it since...it's also very true.)
10. WORSHIP IS A LIFESTYLE, NOT JUST A MUSIC STYLE!
11. THE GOSPEL MESSAGE NEVER CHANGES, BUT OUR METHODS MUST IN ORDER TO REACH NEW GENERATIONS OF PEOPLE!
12. AGE DOESN'T MATTER IN CHRIST'S SERVICE...GOD CAN USE YOU NO MATTER HOW YOUNG (OR OLD) YOU ARE!
13. WE ARE SAVED TO GOOD WORKS, NOT BY GOOD WORKS! (Another way to say it: "We do good works because we're saved, not to get saved."
These lessons are not the only things that I have learned (as some of our teens have said: "wow, you only learned 13 things in 13 yrs" - LOL), however, they are thoughts that have stuck with me throughout this spiritual journey. These have become guding principles in my life, and knowing these lessons has allowed me to get a clearer picture of God and what He expects/desires of me.
My prayer is that each of you come to the same realization that I have: We serve an AMAZING GOD who wants to do AMAZING THINGS in our lives...but not just in our lives, He wants to do AMAZING THINGS through our lives to touch those around us in AMAZING WAYS.
Salvation is an AMAZING miracle and being able to serve the God of my salvation is an AMAZING opportunity. We believers must understand how great a responsibility we have and take our service to Him seriously.
I shall elaborate a little more in future post, but until then, I remain grateful to be in His service!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
13 Lessons Learned in 13yrs with Christ, pt 1
The following is an account of a miracle that took place in my life:
The date was August 10,1997.
The place? Southland Baptist Church, meeting at Gateway High School's auditorium, Kissimmee, FL.
The "normal Sunday morning worship service" I attended that morning was not the EVENT! What is the Event? A Miracle took place in that public school auditorium where our church met at the time. What kind of miracle? A miracle of salvation! That's right, 13yrs ago I got saved! The term Saved is a familiar term that is often thrown about in "religious" circles. So much so that we may not even realize that when someone accepts Christ as their personal Savior (gets saved), a heavenly miracle has occurred in their life. No, Angels didn't come and visit me and the heavens didn't open up to reveal a bright light shining down on me. Physically, nothing out of the ordinary happened; but spiritually, an extraordinary miracle took place in my life. The very moment I gave my life to Christ, my eternal destiny was changed forever. Pre-salvation, I was on my way to eternal punishment in Hell, which was created for the devil and his demons. Post-salvation, I am now on my way to Heaven where I will enjoy eternity with my Savior and my God! I began a spiritual journey on August 10, 1997, and as with any journey, we have opportunities to learn and grow.
Over the next few days, I will post 13 lessons I've learned over my 13 year Journey with Christ.
Here are the first six:
1. GOD IS FAITHFUL
2. GOD IS GOOD...ALL THE TIME...ALL THE TIME...GOD IS GOOD
3. FORGIVENESS - CHRIST FORGAVE US SO WE CAN KNOW HOW TO FORGIVE OTHERS
4. JEHOVAH-JIREH: MY PROVIDER...GOD WILL SUPPLY MY EVERY NEED.
5. WITHOUT GOD'S WORD, OUR FAITH IS HINDERED. (Romans 10:17-Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God)
6. FREEDOM IN CHRIST MEANS WE ARE FREE FROM SIN, NOT FREE TO SIN.
Tommorrow I will post the other seven and begin posting personal meaning from my experiences and application from God's Word.
I praise the Lord for all He has done in my life, stay tuned!
The following is an account of a miracle that took place in my life:
The date was August 10,1997.
The place? Southland Baptist Church, meeting at Gateway High School's auditorium, Kissimmee, FL.
The "normal Sunday morning worship service" I attended that morning was not the EVENT! What is the Event? A Miracle took place in that public school auditorium where our church met at the time. What kind of miracle? A miracle of salvation! That's right, 13yrs ago I got saved! The term Saved is a familiar term that is often thrown about in "religious" circles. So much so that we may not even realize that when someone accepts Christ as their personal Savior (gets saved), a heavenly miracle has occurred in their life. No, Angels didn't come and visit me and the heavens didn't open up to reveal a bright light shining down on me. Physically, nothing out of the ordinary happened; but spiritually, an extraordinary miracle took place in my life. The very moment I gave my life to Christ, my eternal destiny was changed forever. Pre-salvation, I was on my way to eternal punishment in Hell, which was created for the devil and his demons. Post-salvation, I am now on my way to Heaven where I will enjoy eternity with my Savior and my God! I began a spiritual journey on August 10, 1997, and as with any journey, we have opportunities to learn and grow.
Over the next few days, I will post 13 lessons I've learned over my 13 year Journey with Christ.
Here are the first six:
1. GOD IS FAITHFUL
2. GOD IS GOOD...ALL THE TIME...ALL THE TIME...GOD IS GOOD
3. FORGIVENESS - CHRIST FORGAVE US SO WE CAN KNOW HOW TO FORGIVE OTHERS
4. JEHOVAH-JIREH: MY PROVIDER...GOD WILL SUPPLY MY EVERY NEED.
5. WITHOUT GOD'S WORD, OUR FAITH IS HINDERED. (Romans 10:17-Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God)
6. FREEDOM IN CHRIST MEANS WE ARE FREE FROM SIN, NOT FREE TO SIN.
Tommorrow I will post the other seven and begin posting personal meaning from my experiences and application from God's Word.
I praise the Lord for all He has done in my life, stay tuned!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Renewals
Recently, I've heard nightmares of people experiencing problems at the DMV when it's time to renew their license, or even replace a lost card. This year I have to renew my license by my birthday. In case you live outside of FL, as of January 1st, our state has made it a requirement that in order to renew your license, you need to visit the drivers license office, show proof of ID, proof of social security #, and show 2 proofs of residency(ie utility bill or some forms of mail addressed to you) in addition to the much higher fees enacted just to balance the budget. The point is, I think renewals should be smoother and not all these over the top measures that could make one go crazy. Thankfully for me, I know this ahead of time and don't need to renew until July! But lately, my thoughts have been about a spiritual renewal as I am seeking for God to renew both my life and ministry. We all go through the ups and downs of life, and I think it's great that God takes us through everything, no matter what it is, and makes it good for us (Rom. 8:28, 31)
I love how Paul wrote in Romans 12:2 - be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed (HOW?) by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Certainly, our spiritual renewals are a much smoother time when we allow God to renew our minds, to make them new again - or even to have our minds refreshed and refilled by Him. God offers us FREE REFILLS! He will empty us of our old mind and refill it with the mind of Christ. This ultimately leads to a clear understanding of God's will for our lives, during which time He enables us with the ability to prove or demonstrate in our lives so that we can live acceptably in His perfect will.
Praise God for the renewing times he brings in our lives...and we can especially be thankful that he's not like the government and that when He gets done renewing us we will definitely look better than the pictures on our licenses. (we'll be transformed into the image of His Dear Son) Now that's something to PRAISE THE LORD about!
As I think about renewals, I wish to renew my desire to share my thoughts on a more regular basis and I, as always, invite your thoughts too.
I love how Paul wrote in Romans 12:2 - be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed (HOW?) by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Certainly, our spiritual renewals are a much smoother time when we allow God to renew our minds, to make them new again - or even to have our minds refreshed and refilled by Him. God offers us FREE REFILLS! He will empty us of our old mind and refill it with the mind of Christ. This ultimately leads to a clear understanding of God's will for our lives, during which time He enables us with the ability to prove or demonstrate in our lives so that we can live acceptably in His perfect will.
Praise God for the renewing times he brings in our lives...and we can especially be thankful that he's not like the government and that when He gets done renewing us we will definitely look better than the pictures on our licenses. (we'll be transformed into the image of His Dear Son) Now that's something to PRAISE THE LORD about!
As I think about renewals, I wish to renew my desire to share my thoughts on a more regular basis and I, as always, invite your thoughts too.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
74 yrs: A LIFETIME LEGACY of LOVE
This week, I have been in Iowa visiting my wife's extended family. The main purpose for the trip up here is to celebrate Abby's grandparent's 74th wedding anniversary along with her grandpa's 94th birthday. During some free time this week, I pondered what an incredible and nearly unbelievable accomplishment it is to have been married for such a long time...literally, being married an entire lifetime. As a result of this accomplishment, I would like to dedicate this entry to Floyd and Beatrice Bridges as a way to celebrate their lifetime together and the legacy of love they have demonstrated to friends and family alike!
Grandpa was born July 21, 1915 and Grandma was born April 16, 1920. Their lives were joined together in Holy Matrimony on July 20, 1935. Through the past 74 years, they have lived through many things together. No doubt, they have faced many challenges, and they've had their fair share of difficulties along this amazing journey. However, no matter what circumstances they faced, it is obvious to me that they faced them together and faced them with an unending and unconditional love for each other and for God. It came as no surprise to me that when I asked Abby's Grandpa (Emma's Great Grandpa) what his favorite Bible verse was, he came back with two:
- John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life"
- 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness"
The reason I wasn't surprised by these two selections, is that he has been married to the same woman for 74 years and in order to accomplish that there has to be 2 things present in the marriage: First, a Love that Gives (John 3:16) and secondly, A Love that Forgives (1 John 1:9).
Over these last 74 years, it is obvious that both Grandma and Grandpa have displayed this Godly love by giving to and forgiving each other and those around them.
I would like to share with you a little of the legacy that is the Bridges family.
Grandpa and Grandma Bridges have: 5 Children (4 boys and 1 girl), 14 Grandchildren (8 girls and 6 boys) and 24 Great Grandchildren (12 girls and 12 boys - ranging in age from 14 months to 22 years old - Emma is 19 months old).
Amazingly, there are over 400 years of marriage in this legacy. I find this particularly astounding, because in our society, families don't exist and last like they once did. The family unit and marriage (which were both designed by God) are both under assault like never before. Being in youth ministry, I see first hand the difficulties families go through. Husbands and wives just can't find it in them to make things work. Many times these struggles lead to decisions to split apart which adversely effects the children involved. Divorce has become so commonplace that the divorce rate is nearly the same in the church as outside the church. This is especially sad, because as believers, we have the Love of God in our lives. We ought to be leading the way in demonstrating God's Love (giving and forgiving) to the world by the way we live and by the love we show those near us - our families. In other words, because God has loved us, given to us and forgiven us, there should not be anything in our life that we can't give or forgive. Remember, God gave His all...and He forgave us ALL our sins! (A love that gives all and forgives all can withstand all!). Therefore, I believe each and every person can learn a lot from Grandma and Grandpa Bridges. The love they share with each other is Love given from God. As a result of their faithfulness to the Lord, their love of God and each other, God has blessed them with a Legacy that will most certainly last for many generations.
What can we learn? I believe Grandpa Bridges summed it up in his verses: We need to have a giving and forgiving love! God first displayed this love and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to marry into this family and see it displayed again by Grandma and Grandpa Bridges!
Congratulations Grandma and Grandpa on a LIFETIME LEGACY of LOVE!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
DEATH OF A CELEBRITY LIFE
The recent barrage of celebrity deaths certainly has members of the media running around trying to find the latest rumors and celebrity gossip about what killed who... and how they lived their final moments...and who gets their stuff... custody of Jackson's children was even questioned... all of which is certain to lead to long, drawn out legal cases and bitter disputes between surviving family members over the estates of these celebrities. These are my thoughts on celebrities, the lives they live, the deaths they die and the celebration they receive.
According to www.dictionary.com (my preferred online dictionary), the word celebrity means famous one, fame, renown and derives from the word celebration, like a festival. We as a society have elevated these "celebrities" to lives that we feel should be celebrated. Many people grow up seeking the fame, fortune and star power of having their names flashing in lights outside theaters and stadiums. If you don't believe me, watch the next season of American Idol or most any other reality show. Hollywood has generated a lifestyle that many millions would love to live. It is this lifestyle, the lifestyle of the rich and famous, that many seek after in throngs on these TV shows which provide an opportunity, regardless of how slim a chance, to become the next big star, act, dancer, whatever. [Let the record be clear: I am an avid viewer of Idol & America's Got Talent and believe them to be wildly entertaining-my DVR doesn't miss an episode of either] That being said, I see the need to point out that while society idolizes, worships and celebrates these stars as some type of super human personalities, we must remember they are humans...Besides the lifestyle they live and the $$$ they have, they are just like each of us. They were born, they breathe the same air and as the last 2 weeks have served to remind us, they also die. All people will face death one day(Heb. 9:27).
The following question was posed by Jesus: For what shall it profit a man if He shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36, also ref. Matt. 16:26) So, while we may seek after the glamor and wealth that our celebrities have attained here on earth,-when life is over for us, does any of it even matter? I'm just like you and while I never thought about such a comparison before, I'm also like Michael Jackson, Farah Fawcett, Billy Mays, Ed McMahon and all human beings on this earth. None of us know the eternal destiny of any of these stars. However, one thing is sure: they are experiencing eternity right now (2 Cor. 5:8). Regardless of how Michael Jackson lived his life, he is in eternity and He knows the truth now. As someone said, "Even the 'King of Pop' must bow to the King of Kings" The Bible says that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father(Phil. 2:9-11). You see, Christ is higher than all, He is above all things and all people, including celebrities of this world.
Each of these celebrities was talented and entertaining. Truth is, if you were to break down their life into chapters, we'd find that their life was full of choices - just like ours. Due to the nature of their lives being followed by the media and paparazzi, their choices were on full display to the world, and the results of those choices were magnified. Sadly, some of their choices resulted in tragic chapters of their lives and in some instances, shorter lives. All people have many different choices to make in life. My daily choices may be different from yours and are certainly different from most Hollywood celebrities'. However, everyone, yes even Hollywood's celebrities, must make a choice about Christ in this life. The entire human race finds him or her self in one of two categories. While ethnically, culturally, geographically and religiously diverse in many different ways, scenarios, lifestyles and circumstances, we are each one of 2 kind of people: Believers or unbelievers in Christ. We've either accepted Christ as our Savior, or we haven't. That's it! If you haven't, your soul is lost and without Christ. If you die with your own soul lost, there is no profit. That's why Jesus asked rhetorically, For what shall it profit a man if He shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? He's basically saying when we go to the grave, we will take nothing with us from this earth. We will meet our Maker and only one thing will determine our destiny: What we chose to do with Christ! I know this much, I'd much rather miss out on the riches and profit of this world in exchange for the riches of Christ for all eternity. Choose today, right now, to settle your eternal destiny so you can know for sure that even after physical death you can have eternal life with God through Christ.
How can you know for sure that you have Eternal Life? By trusting in Christ today, you can rest secure in knowing that no matter what happens in this life, you will end up in Heaven with your Maker, and your Savior!
The central theme of the Bible is that we can know for certain no matter when death comes, we will live in the presence of God forever. How can we know this for sure?
It is as simple as A-B-C:
Admitting... You are a sinner.
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."-Romans 3:23-
Believing...Jesus Christ died for your sins.
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."-Romans 5:6-
Confessing... Receiving Him into your life by faith and trusting Him as Savior.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." -Romans 10:9-
You can receive Christ as your Savior by praying something like this:
Dear God, Thank you for working in my life. I know that I have sinned and violated your law. I cannot deal with the consequences of my sin on my own. I believe that you sent your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to die on the cross and pay for my sins. I believe you rose Him from the dead. I repent of my sins and believe in my heart that you will save me. As best I know how, I am placing my faith in Jesus Christ and inviting you into my life as Lord and Savior. In Jesus Name, Amen!
In closing, society and this entire world system has things all backwards. We, like celebrities live and then die - the only things that matter are what we do with and for Christ. I submit to you that a life given to Christ is a greater cause for celebration. As a matter of fact, Luke 15:10 says, the angels rejoice when one repents. Truly, a celebrity is not one who gains much on this earth, but rather one who chose to make Christ Lord of his/her life!
According to www.dictionary.com (my preferred online dictionary), the word celebrity means famous one, fame, renown and derives from the word celebration, like a festival. We as a society have elevated these "celebrities" to lives that we feel should be celebrated. Many people grow up seeking the fame, fortune and star power of having their names flashing in lights outside theaters and stadiums. If you don't believe me, watch the next season of American Idol or most any other reality show. Hollywood has generated a lifestyle that many millions would love to live. It is this lifestyle, the lifestyle of the rich and famous, that many seek after in throngs on these TV shows which provide an opportunity, regardless of how slim a chance, to become the next big star, act, dancer, whatever. [Let the record be clear: I am an avid viewer of Idol & America's Got Talent and believe them to be wildly entertaining-my DVR doesn't miss an episode of either] That being said, I see the need to point out that while society idolizes, worships and celebrates these stars as some type of super human personalities, we must remember they are humans...Besides the lifestyle they live and the $$$ they have, they are just like each of us. They were born, they breathe the same air and as the last 2 weeks have served to remind us, they also die. All people will face death one day(Heb. 9:27).
The following question was posed by Jesus: For what shall it profit a man if He shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36, also ref. Matt. 16:26) So, while we may seek after the glamor and wealth that our celebrities have attained here on earth,-when life is over for us, does any of it even matter? I'm just like you and while I never thought about such a comparison before, I'm also like Michael Jackson, Farah Fawcett, Billy Mays, Ed McMahon and all human beings on this earth. None of us know the eternal destiny of any of these stars. However, one thing is sure: they are experiencing eternity right now (2 Cor. 5:8). Regardless of how Michael Jackson lived his life, he is in eternity and He knows the truth now. As someone said, "Even the 'King of Pop' must bow to the King of Kings" The Bible says that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father(Phil. 2:9-11). You see, Christ is higher than all, He is above all things and all people, including celebrities of this world.
Each of these celebrities was talented and entertaining. Truth is, if you were to break down their life into chapters, we'd find that their life was full of choices - just like ours. Due to the nature of their lives being followed by the media and paparazzi, their choices were on full display to the world, and the results of those choices were magnified. Sadly, some of their choices resulted in tragic chapters of their lives and in some instances, shorter lives. All people have many different choices to make in life. My daily choices may be different from yours and are certainly different from most Hollywood celebrities'. However, everyone, yes even Hollywood's celebrities, must make a choice about Christ in this life. The entire human race finds him or her self in one of two categories. While ethnically, culturally, geographically and religiously diverse in many different ways, scenarios, lifestyles and circumstances, we are each one of 2 kind of people: Believers or unbelievers in Christ. We've either accepted Christ as our Savior, or we haven't. That's it! If you haven't, your soul is lost and without Christ. If you die with your own soul lost, there is no profit. That's why Jesus asked rhetorically, For what shall it profit a man if He shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? He's basically saying when we go to the grave, we will take nothing with us from this earth. We will meet our Maker and only one thing will determine our destiny: What we chose to do with Christ! I know this much, I'd much rather miss out on the riches and profit of this world in exchange for the riches of Christ for all eternity. Choose today, right now, to settle your eternal destiny so you can know for sure that even after physical death you can have eternal life with God through Christ.
How can you know for sure that you have Eternal Life? By trusting in Christ today, you can rest secure in knowing that no matter what happens in this life, you will end up in Heaven with your Maker, and your Savior!
The central theme of the Bible is that we can know for certain no matter when death comes, we will live in the presence of God forever. How can we know this for sure?
It is as simple as A-B-C:
Admitting... You are a sinner.
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."-Romans 3:23-
Believing...Jesus Christ died for your sins.
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."-Romans 5:6-
Confessing... Receiving Him into your life by faith and trusting Him as Savior.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." -Romans 10:9-
You can receive Christ as your Savior by praying something like this:
Dear God, Thank you for working in my life. I know that I have sinned and violated your law. I cannot deal with the consequences of my sin on my own. I believe that you sent your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to die on the cross and pay for my sins. I believe you rose Him from the dead. I repent of my sins and believe in my heart that you will save me. As best I know how, I am placing my faith in Jesus Christ and inviting you into my life as Lord and Savior. In Jesus Name, Amen!
In closing, society and this entire world system has things all backwards. We, like celebrities live and then die - the only things that matter are what we do with and for Christ. I submit to you that a life given to Christ is a greater cause for celebration. As a matter of fact, Luke 15:10 says, the angels rejoice when one repents. Truly, a celebrity is not one who gains much on this earth, but rather one who chose to make Christ Lord of his/her life!
Be a celebrity for Christ!
This is reason to celebrate in life and in death!
Click to check out this music video of "Lose My Soul" by Toby Mac, featuring Kirk Franklin & Mandisa
Click to check out this music video of "Lose My Soul" by Toby Mac, featuring Kirk Franklin & Mandisa
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Being a Biblical Daddy
This may be a few days past Father's Day - but the thought just came to me and I wanted to share it
So, just a few minutes ago, I got to go and lay my precious 18 month baby girl down, we prayed and I kissed her good night. This is a daily ritual, (or probably a better word: routine). It's something that I get to do every night of the year, and something I thoroughly enjoy. Most nights she cooperates - others, not so much, (i.e. fussing, crying, wiggling, babbling). She is, after all, only a year and a half. Nonetheless, I hold her, kiss her, pray with her and for her every single night like clock work before she goes to bed. I do it because I love her so much that I want to do like Proverbs say, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." So, on a practical side, what does that verse really mean?
Maybe you have heard the Phillips, Craig and Dean song, "I want to be just like you". It's a good song, and it highlights the relationship a father shares with his children, and the great responsibility he has for them. See, we as dads can get so busy with work providing for our family- which is certainly honorable, good and noble . However, we can easily spend so much time providing for them and fail to spend time with them as a result. I pray that the role of being a provider doesn't outweigh the responsibility of being a father.
As the aforementioned song says, "I want to be just like you, cause he wants to be just like me - let me be a holy example for his innocent eyes to see..." Like it or not, fathers, our children are following our footsteps - they are watching our actions. We need to be a holy example for them to follow because they do have the desire to be just like us! This thought alone should compel us to be as good an example for them, so that they can see Jesus in us and grow up to pass Him on to their children (our grandchildren) by the way they end up living their lives.
The song continues, "Help me be a living Bible, Lord, that my little boy can read" Truly they are reading every figurative page we write with our life. They can read the way we treat mommy. Our children need to see us doing our best to live out Eph. 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." They can tell if we are loving to them and to others, and they are reading every page we write. Let's try as fathers to love our wives the way Christ loved the church - Even though the church is not perfect (made up of sinners) Christ still loved us enough to suffer and die and take upon Him our sins. Sure, mom and dad will have disagreements from time to time, but they should never be to the point where our children could misinterpret what either of us say in an argument and question our love for each other or our love for them. Did Christ ever treat us that way? I think not. Rather, He came to us, and we received Him not - He showed us unconditional love, forgiveness, and compassion yet we still rejected Him! Let's model Christ so that our children see His Love displayed through our lives. We are encouraged throughout the New Testament to "speak the truth in Love" (Eph. 4:15) and "let nothing be done in strife or vainglory(pride), but in lowliness of mind(humility) let each esteem others better than themselves" (Phil.2:3)
The song finishes with a phrase "Right now from where he stands I may seem mighty tall; but it's only cause I 'm learning from the best Father of them all" Let's make it a point as dads, to model our lives after our Heavenly Father. There is no better example to follow! The eighth chapter of Romans and Galatians chapter four mention that our hearts cry to God, "Abba, Father." This is simply calling out to God as our "Daddy." He has shown us Fatherly love that we must duplicate and show to our families. As her dad, I love it when Emma cries, "Dadda" to me...It reminds me that I am responsible for her protection and provision. She is completely dependent on me - and she trusts me entirely. There is not a care in her life. She doesn't worry about anything! On the contrary, sometimes it feels like I'm carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. Trying to take care of her...provide for her...make sure she has every thing she needs to survive. Do you ever feel that way? Maybe it's time I/we depend on God and trust Him with that childlike faith that our children trust us with. Maybe it's time we cry "Abba, Father" to our Heavenly Father and rely on Him to help us be the spiritual leaders we need to be for our families. We as dad's have no greater responsibility than to love our wives as Christ loved the church and train our children the way they should go. I have faith that God will bless our homes as we, the leaders trust Him to lead our homes Biblically.
So, just a few minutes ago, I got to go and lay my precious 18 month baby girl down, we prayed and I kissed her good night. This is a daily ritual, (or probably a better word: routine). It's something that I get to do every night of the year, and something I thoroughly enjoy. Most nights she cooperates - others, not so much, (i.e. fussing, crying, wiggling, babbling). She is, after all, only a year and a half. Nonetheless, I hold her, kiss her, pray with her and for her every single night like clock work before she goes to bed. I do it because I love her so much that I want to do like Proverbs say, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." So, on a practical side, what does that verse really mean?
Maybe you have heard the Phillips, Craig and Dean song, "I want to be just like you". It's a good song, and it highlights the relationship a father shares with his children, and the great responsibility he has for them. See, we as dads can get so busy with work providing for our family- which is certainly honorable, good and noble . However, we can easily spend so much time providing for them and fail to spend time with them as a result. I pray that the role of being a provider doesn't outweigh the responsibility of being a father.
As the aforementioned song says, "I want to be just like you, cause he wants to be just like me - let me be a holy example for his innocent eyes to see..." Like it or not, fathers, our children are following our footsteps - they are watching our actions. We need to be a holy example for them to follow because they do have the desire to be just like us! This thought alone should compel us to be as good an example for them, so that they can see Jesus in us and grow up to pass Him on to their children (our grandchildren) by the way they end up living their lives.
The song continues, "Help me be a living Bible, Lord, that my little boy can read" Truly they are reading every figurative page we write with our life. They can read the way we treat mommy. Our children need to see us doing our best to live out Eph. 5:25 "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." They can tell if we are loving to them and to others, and they are reading every page we write. Let's try as fathers to love our wives the way Christ loved the church - Even though the church is not perfect (made up of sinners) Christ still loved us enough to suffer and die and take upon Him our sins. Sure, mom and dad will have disagreements from time to time, but they should never be to the point where our children could misinterpret what either of us say in an argument and question our love for each other or our love for them. Did Christ ever treat us that way? I think not. Rather, He came to us, and we received Him not - He showed us unconditional love, forgiveness, and compassion yet we still rejected Him! Let's model Christ so that our children see His Love displayed through our lives. We are encouraged throughout the New Testament to "speak the truth in Love" (Eph. 4:15) and "let nothing be done in strife or vainglory(pride), but in lowliness of mind(humility) let each esteem others better than themselves" (Phil.2:3)
The song finishes with a phrase "Right now from where he stands I may seem mighty tall; but it's only cause I 'm learning from the best Father of them all" Let's make it a point as dads, to model our lives after our Heavenly Father. There is no better example to follow! The eighth chapter of Romans and Galatians chapter four mention that our hearts cry to God, "Abba, Father." This is simply calling out to God as our "Daddy." He has shown us Fatherly love that we must duplicate and show to our families. As her dad, I love it when Emma cries, "Dadda" to me...It reminds me that I am responsible for her protection and provision. She is completely dependent on me - and she trusts me entirely. There is not a care in her life. She doesn't worry about anything! On the contrary, sometimes it feels like I'm carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. Trying to take care of her...provide for her...make sure she has every thing she needs to survive. Do you ever feel that way? Maybe it's time I/we depend on God and trust Him with that childlike faith that our children trust us with. Maybe it's time we cry "Abba, Father" to our Heavenly Father and rely on Him to help us be the spiritual leaders we need to be for our families. We as dad's have no greater responsibility than to love our wives as Christ loved the church and train our children the way they should go. I have faith that God will bless our homes as we, the leaders trust Him to lead our homes Biblically.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Whatever You're Doing
I am so thankful for a God who is so interested in a relationship with us on a personal and intimate level. I was just browsing facebook and noticed a video on one of my friends page. The video is of a song by Sanctus Real titled "Whatever You're Doing (Something Heavenly)" Great song - describes "stepping out by faith" and surrender in a great way: "It feels like chaos, but somehow there's peace" I couldn't have put it any better. You know the feeling inside of you that God is telling you to do something, that He is calling you to step out by faith and trust Him - even if everything doesn't yet make sense to us. Even if we can't see how we could afford to do it. Even if there is no possible way humanly to see this as a viable option for your life.
Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter of the Bible starts out with: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for - the evidence of things not seen" God has called us to lives of Faith. Living by Faith and Faith alone is certainly not an easy thing to do by ourselves. It requires total dependence on GOD, and GOD alone...taking Him at His Word, and trusting that He will take care of everything that doesn't seem to make sense. I know God is doing a great work in my life...I know He has brought me through everything I've been through so that I can be best able to be used by Him in the capacity and role that He has for me. He's a great God who is "able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think" All we have to be is available and He will enable us to "move mountains" by our faith.
My prayer: Lord, thank you for not giving up on me, for bringing me to where I am now, and for beginning a new work in me - I 'm ready and I believe You are up to something BIG in my life...SOMETHING HEAVENLY. I surrender to whatever you're doing!
What's your prayer?
Click Here to see the video
Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter of the Bible starts out with: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for - the evidence of things not seen" God has called us to lives of Faith. Living by Faith and Faith alone is certainly not an easy thing to do by ourselves. It requires total dependence on GOD, and GOD alone...taking Him at His Word, and trusting that He will take care of everything that doesn't seem to make sense. I know God is doing a great work in my life...I know He has brought me through everything I've been through so that I can be best able to be used by Him in the capacity and role that He has for me. He's a great God who is "able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think" All we have to be is available and He will enable us to "move mountains" by our faith.
My prayer: Lord, thank you for not giving up on me, for bringing me to where I am now, and for beginning a new work in me - I 'm ready and I believe You are up to something BIG in my life...SOMETHING HEAVENLY. I surrender to whatever you're doing!
What's your prayer?
Click Here to see the video
Friday, October 3, 2008
I'M A BLOGGER?!
That's right, I've finally entered the world of blogging!! Look out bloggers, you have some new competition in the field! Well, there are many reasons I chose to begin a blog... I have been wanting to do so for a long time now, and I thought, it's about time I start a blog so I started the blog you are now reading... I've actually always had a desire to be an author, and have set as one of my life goals to get a book published. So, I figured I can be "honing my writing skills" in this blog! Meaning, you, the readers of my blog are test dummies! Not really, b/c there are actually other purposes for this blog. My primary focus is to Praise God for life and encourage others to do the same. Life is a gift that we have from God, and we should embrace it, thank God for giving us life and ALWAYS live our life knowing that God is the creator of life. I also started this blog to connect with others, friends of mine from my past, my present and maybe I'll meet some friends for my future! I want to be a blessing and help to people in need. This will also be a great way for my teens to keep up to date info about youth group, special events and just to share life with me. I believe we should be praising God for all His many blessings, not the least of which is LIFE!
I'm especially grateful for life today, and thinking more about life at this time in my life. As I type, my grandma is in a hospital room in Ohio fighting for her life. She was taken to the hospital on Wednesday night after not having any movement in her legs. As I understand it, she had a clog in her leg, which cut off circulation to other organs. The doctors have said she will not be alive for very long. Her kidneys have failed and if she does make it, she will be paralyzed. Please pray for her and my mom, cuz its her mom. I will be traveling up there later tongiht with my dad, brother and sister-in-law. Pray also for our safety while driving. This all came as a shock to me. We were definitely not expecting it, however, we take comfort in knowing that Grandma has accepted Christ as her Savior, and will be in Heaven soon! She will soon be with her husband, my grandfather whom I never knew. He died young (while my mom was still a teenager). What a reunion of two lives who fell in love on earth that will be in Heaven! Not to mention that Grandma will be with Jesus!!
One last thought to remember: Our life will come to an end at some point. It happens to everyone. Some people die young, some people last a long time, but all people will die one day and meet the Creator of Life. When you do, will you be ready? We don't know when it will be, but we know it will happen, so we should be ready for it to happen to us ANYtime. How can you know for sure that you have Eternal Life? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt not die, but have everlasting life! By trusting in Christ today, you can rest secure in knowing that no matter what happens in this life, you will end up in Heaven with your Maker, and your Savior!
The central theme of the Bible is that we can know for certain when death comes, we will live in the presence of God in heaven. How can we know for sure we will go to heaven?
It is as simple as A-B-C.
Admitting... You are a sinner.
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."-Romans 3:23-
Believing...Jesus Christ died for your sins.
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."-Romans 5:6-Confessing... Receiving Him into your life by faith and trusting Him as Savior.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." -Romans 10:9-
Jesus came on this earth to seek and to save those who were lost. Believe by praying and asking Jesus to be your Savior, and heaven will be your eternal home. You can pray something like this:
Dear God, Thank you for working in my life. I know that I have sinned and violated your law. I cannot deal with the consequences of my sin without your help. I believe that you sent your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to die on the cross and pay for my sins. I repent of my sins and believe in my heart that you will save me. I am placing my faith in Jesus Christ and inviting you into my life as Lord and Savior. In Jesus Name, Amen!
If you just prayed and trusted Chrsit as your Savior, please let me know! I would like to be in prayer for you and hope that you will be growing in Christ!
Keep on checking back, cuz I'll have more articles coming!!
In His Service,
Jared
I'm especially grateful for life today, and thinking more about life at this time in my life. As I type, my grandma is in a hospital room in Ohio fighting for her life. She was taken to the hospital on Wednesday night after not having any movement in her legs. As I understand it, she had a clog in her leg, which cut off circulation to other organs. The doctors have said she will not be alive for very long. Her kidneys have failed and if she does make it, she will be paralyzed. Please pray for her and my mom, cuz its her mom. I will be traveling up there later tongiht with my dad, brother and sister-in-law. Pray also for our safety while driving. This all came as a shock to me. We were definitely not expecting it, however, we take comfort in knowing that Grandma has accepted Christ as her Savior, and will be in Heaven soon! She will soon be with her husband, my grandfather whom I never knew. He died young (while my mom was still a teenager). What a reunion of two lives who fell in love on earth that will be in Heaven! Not to mention that Grandma will be with Jesus!!
One last thought to remember: Our life will come to an end at some point. It happens to everyone. Some people die young, some people last a long time, but all people will die one day and meet the Creator of Life. When you do, will you be ready? We don't know when it will be, but we know it will happen, so we should be ready for it to happen to us ANYtime. How can you know for sure that you have Eternal Life? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt not die, but have everlasting life! By trusting in Christ today, you can rest secure in knowing that no matter what happens in this life, you will end up in Heaven with your Maker, and your Savior!
The central theme of the Bible is that we can know for certain when death comes, we will live in the presence of God in heaven. How can we know for sure we will go to heaven?
It is as simple as A-B-C.
Admitting... You are a sinner.
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."-Romans 3:23-
Believing...Jesus Christ died for your sins.
"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."-Romans 5:6-Confessing... Receiving Him into your life by faith and trusting Him as Savior.
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." -Romans 10:9-
Jesus came on this earth to seek and to save those who were lost. Believe by praying and asking Jesus to be your Savior, and heaven will be your eternal home. You can pray something like this:
Dear God, Thank you for working in my life. I know that I have sinned and violated your law. I cannot deal with the consequences of my sin without your help. I believe that you sent your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to die on the cross and pay for my sins. I repent of my sins and believe in my heart that you will save me. I am placing my faith in Jesus Christ and inviting you into my life as Lord and Savior. In Jesus Name, Amen!
If you just prayed and trusted Chrsit as your Savior, please let me know! I would like to be in prayer for you and hope that you will be growing in Christ!
Keep on checking back, cuz I'll have more articles coming!!
In His Service,
Jared
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