The God of Another Chance

Romans 5:3-6

"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."

Sometimes your burdens may seem endless. You repeatedly go through the same trial, making the same mistakes. The last time through, you thought you had truly mastered this area of your life. However, now you realize that it continues to cause you pain.

You question if God has abandoned you or if you have displeased Him so greatly that He would allow this suffering to persist. You wonder if you will ever learn the lesson God desires to teach you. Take heart; the Lord loves you, He is with you, and He will never forsake you (Heb. 13:5). He allows the trials in your life because He desires to give you freedom through them and show you His love.

James 1:2-4 teaches, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."

Through your troubles, God develops perseverance, character, hope, and the ability to accept His abundant love. It is said that those who were closest to Christ our Lord were those with the greatest trials.

He is drawing you close through this repeated problem. Do not despair. Cling to Him and He will fill you with His love.

Consider this illustration:

A lecturer raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 20 ounces to 100 ounces.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."

And that's the way it is with a burden. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on.

A word of caution, you can put the burden down for a while and rest before holding it again. You may feel refreshed momentarily, but the weight of the burden will continue. Imagine carrying that burden with you month after month, and year after year. I dare say that some of you have been doing exactly that. Now imagine that what you're holding in that glass isn't water but poison; you may be nursing it, sipping it, gulping it and refilling it. And that's exactly what's happening when that burden is anger or bitterness.

You can carry on with the burden alone or you can turn it over to Jesus, who said "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”  Matt. 11:28-29

Other Scripture to encourage you includes,

Psalm 55:22 “Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

and,

I Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

So, Reader, put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Be still and know that He is God. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. In a world of inconstancy, it's good to know that Jesus is the Eternal One who changes not.

Come to know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour: I Want Jesus to Give Me A Chance

portion of this post courtesy of Dr. Charles Stanley

When All Else Fails, He Will Never Fail You

Psalm 27:10
"When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up."

A mother is estranged from her son, whom she has not spoken to in over a year. She finds him on Facebook and requests to be a friend. He refuses and she sends him an e-mail, "You're a worthless piece of ----. I never should've had you." The young man gets angry, but quickly resigns himself to his state, reasoning, My mom has always been this way. She hasn't changed one bit.

Even though a person you love might have abused you, mistreated you, or given up on you; even though a parent may have disowned you; even though you may be out on your own, alone and without friends, I want you to know something. Jesus Christ loves you.

But, you say, I've made a mess of my life. Jesus knows, but He still loves you.

But, you say, my family disowned me because I stole from them, abused them, mistreated them, took advantage of them. Jesus knows, but He still loves you.

But, you still don't understand, you might say, I am a drug addict and have burned many bridges. Jesus knows it all and He still loves you.

But, you say, I'm not worthy. You might even think you're a worthless piece of ----. Jesus doesn't think so. He sees your worth. Why else would he die for you on the cross at Calvary?

There are so many "But's" you could interject to keep you from coming to Christ. Here is a truth: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Roman 5:8

That means Jesus didn't wait for you to get your life together and make things right. He took the first step by dying on the cross for your sins. All you have to do is take the next step and believe by faith that what Christ did at Calvary was for your sins and ask Him into your life (Rom 10:9-10).

Then what happens next is another miracle: Christ's Spirit comes to indwell in you (Acts 2:38)! How incredible is that! And to think, you did nothing to warrant this wonderful gift. God not only saves us from our sins but equips us to live for Him through His Spirit (Gal. 2:20).

Indeed, according to God's word, we who are born again in Christ are new creatures (I Cor. 5:17).

To wit, Galatians 4:4-6 states, "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."

Don't you get it? Once you are His, He is yours as well.

Therefore, comfort yourself in knowing that when you think no one else cares for you or loves you, think on this good report: Jesus loves  you with an eternal love that cannot snatch you away from Him once you are His. Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Only trust Jesus Christ.

Come, every soul by sin oppressed,
there's mercy with the Lord;
and He will surely give you rest,
by trusting in His Word.

Only trust Him, only trust Him,
only trust him now.
He will save you, He will save you,
He will save you now.

To God be the glory!

The Plan of Salvation

Your Worth to the Father

Isaiah 49:16
"Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands;"





A well-known preacher began his sermon by holding up a $100.00 bill.

In the auditorium of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $100 bill?"

Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this $100 to one of you, but first, let me do this. He proceeded to crumple up the $100 dollar bill.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?"

Still, the hands were up in the air.

"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?"

And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?"

Yet, the hands went into the air.

"My friends," he said, "There's a valuable lesson in this illustration. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $100. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and by the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened, what is happening or what will happen, you will never, never ever lose your value in God's eyes. Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to your Heavenly Father. The worth of your lives comes not in what you do or your social standing in life or what political influences you wield. The life is worth very much - indeed, worth more than gold - because you were purchased with the most precious commodity there is in life. You were bought with the blood of His Son Jesus Christ at Calvary. You are special to God and the proof is there at the cross. Christ's outstretched hands are ready to receive you."

Romans 8:35-39

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Jesus knocks on the door of your heart (see Rev. 3:20) with his nail-scarred hand. Answer Him now!

For Jesus shed His precious blood
rich blessings to bestow;
plunge now into the crimson flood
that washes bright as snow.

Only trust Him, only trust Him,
only trust Him now.
He will save you, He will save you,
He will save you now.

Here's how: The Plan of Salvation!

A Father's Helplessness

Psalm 23

One early morning in 2006, when my daughter Amelie was just 4 years old, my wife and I heard a blood-curdling shriek no parent ever wants to hear coming from their child. It was about 4 o'clock in the morning. When I heard my daughter's high-pitched scream, both my wife and I shot out of bed and ran to her bedroom, which was next to ours. She writhed in her bed as she cried, clutching her right side.

When she saw me, she yelled, "Daddy, make it stop!"

My wife asked her, "What's wrong?"

"It hurts!" she screamed as tears ran down her face.

I scooped her in my arms and took her to the car. My wife followed behind. She drove her to the emergency room. I stayed behind because we had four other small children. As my wife sped away in the dark morning, all I could remember was my little girl pleading, "Make it stop!"

In the living room, I fell to my knees and cried out to God, pleading with Him to save my little girl and to have the doctors find out what was wrong with her. I had never felt so helpless. My daughter needed me and I couldn't even help her. In that moment of begging for God's favor and mercy, I couldn't think of Scripture to guide me through my prayer.

After waking up the other children and getting them off to school, I drove to the hospital. In the emergency room, my wife told me that they thought it was appendicitis. She was very young and the doctors said that while uncommon, it happens. The pediatric surgeon explained the risks involved in the appendectomy and the risks of general anesthesia. She could die from complications from the burst appendix, or go into a coma from the anethesia, or possible die from the sleeping gas. As they wheeled her into the surgery room, my wife and I prayed over Amelie and then kissed her.

My wife and I hugged each other as we saw our daughter disappear behind the surgery doors.

We sat in the E.R. lobby for what seemed an eternity. Nothing was said. My wife had her eyes closed as she prayed. I couldn't pull my thoughts together, so I pulled out my pocket Bible from my jacket and began reading Psalm 23. I whispered it to myself, "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."

When I heard my own voice, it sounded shaky, broken. I didn't realize how scared I truly was at the possibility of losing my daughter.

As I repeated verse 1, it occurred to me that I had never considered the phrase, "I shall not want." until that moment in the hospital's E.R. waiting room.

My Father in heaven knew what I wanted; I wanted my little girl back in my arms. I wanted her healthy. Yet, in the first verse of Psalm 23, David says that the LORD is his shepherd, he shall not want or lack because God the Father provides for him.

You see, I knew that God was a provider (of food, health, safety, etc.). But up until then, it had been an intellectual understanding. It wasn't a matter of the heart. Until that very morning of February 2005. When I suddenly realized how God provided life and was the giver and taker of life (Job 1:21) that I realized that Amelie wasn't mine; she belonged to God (Psalm 127:3).

It was then that I prayed outloud to God and, as I did, I cried to Him and told Him that I loved Him, that I acknowledged that Amelie belonged to Him. I asked that He let her live, but that if He took her home to be with Him, I would understand. I told Him that I would continue to love Him no matter what His decision was, but to please consider giving her back to me because I loved her. I ended my prayer but saying, "In Jesus' name. Amen."

Friend, the previous paragraph might've been easy for you to read, but it was the hardest prayer to pray for me. In my selfishness and pride, I wanted Amelie with me. Yet, I had to surrended my desires to God to let Him that His will, and not mine, came first. You see, once you recognize who God is in all His power and glory, you really have no choice but to submit to authority.

If for some reason you are angry at God because things didn't turn out your way then, I'm sad to say, you really don't know Him at all. In Isaiah 55:8-9 , He says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

When the surgeon came out from behind the swining doors of the O.R., he told us that Amelie was in post-op recuperating just fine. I looked up heavenward and said, "Thank You, Jesus!"

We thanked the doctor and as soon as we were allowed, we rushed in to see our four year old daughter. As she slept, there weren't traces of tears on her face or any contorted expressions of pain, only the placid rest of a tomboyish girl who liked to collect ants, ladybugs and praying mantises and then bring them into her bedroom unbeknownst to us.

I was (and continue to be) a powerless father. But, I have a Father in heaven who is omnipotent. For when I am weak, I am strong through Him (II Cor. 12:10). God can do all things. And He does them well (Mk. 7:37).

How about you, Reader? Have you put your trust in God? The only way to a real and meaningful relationship with God is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

Here's how to have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ His Son: The Plan of Salvation

The Heart of the Father

Ephesians 6:4

"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

God is the Father who sent his Son to seek that which was lost (Luke 19:10), to redeem that which was perishing (Gal. 4:5). Sadly, we take our own personal experiences with our earthly fathers, or lack thereof, and project them unto God. Here are some examples:

1. The angry, unpredictable father instills fear in his children and teaches them that God is a tyrant who lashes out unexpectedly.

2. A critical, demanding dad makes his kids feel inadequate. They see God as a strict taskmaster who's never pleased.

3. The uninvolved or absent father sends the message that his children are unimportant, and both he and God are too busy for them, or too disengaged and distant.

4. A macho dad's tough, uncaring nature leads his children to feel unloved and conclude that the Lord doesn't love them either.

5. A fault-finding or abusive father conveys that his child is worthless and God is full of condemnation.

                                                                                 (courtesy of Dr. Charles F. Stanley)

The Christian father is really an instrument in God's hand. A father’s first responsibility is to acquaint his children with Scripture. The whole process of instruction and discipline must be that which God commands through His holy word. God's authority begins and ends with the Bible. Indeed, God's word should have ongoing contact with the mind, heart, and conscience of children. How is this possible? The human father should never present himself as the ultimate authority to determine truth and duty. It is only by making God the teacher and the authority of every facet of life, public and private, in social settings and in solitude, that He truly becomes our Father.

So, the charge for those who are fathers is to put full faith and obedience to God's word. To trust and obey. And, the admonition for those who never knew their fathers or never had a relationship with their father is this: Forgive. Yes, forgive them.

Don't carry the weight of bitterness and anger with you (see Job 21:25; Heb. 12:15). If you're a man, an angry disposition will slowly turn you into the very father you hate. If you're a woman, an unforgiving spirit will eat you up and destroy every relationship you have with men.

Yes, forgive them and remember God's love toward you through Jesus Christ his Son:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." I Peter 1:3-5

Thus, we're born again by the resurrection of Christ, who died for your sins and your father's sins. It is a living hope and will not diminish. He will keep you by His awesome power through your faith in Christ Jesus.

Oh, how marvelous! Oh, how wonderful! And my song shall ever be: Oh, how marvelous! Oh, how wonderful! Is my Savior’s love for me! And for you, too!

If you seek a relationship with God the Father, here's how! The Plan of Salvation

The Happy Man

"Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate." (Psalm 127:5, KJV)

This message could be considered a belated Father's Day message, but I couldn't wait until 2011 to write about the happy man who has many children. Recent events have caused me to ponder about this matter. You could say, three little blessings arrived quite suddenly in our home and that made me stop and take in the reality of parenthood. You see, any man can sire a child. But, it takes more than a hombre to raise a child, let alone into a godly one. From where I stand as a father, the view is a long one, arcing over the next meal, bedtime stories, prayers, and scraped knees and into the eternal question: What kind of child do I want him to be? Parenthood is a lifelong state of existence because you never stop being a parent; you never stop hoping the best for them; you never give up in believing that things will be better for them; and on and on and on. It never stops. This isn't a complaint; it's a fact of life.

There's a song by Randy Travis that clearly points out what the parent, the father in particular, has to face:

"I’ll provide for him,

Walk beside of him,
I am strong enough.
'Cause it's time he knew
What a son can do
With a father's love:

He could change the world."

[from "Raise Him Up" lyrics found in "Rise and Shine" album, released: Oct 15 2002 ]

Because children are a heritage from the Lord (Ps. 127:3), they are not ours to keep. We are simply their stewards. So, if children are a gift of the Lord, what are we to do with them?

1. We are to teach them who God is. Gen. 1:1; Ps. 139:14-16
2. We are to teach them about God's Law. Deut. 6:1-9; Exo. 20:1-17
3. We are to discipline them. Prov. 22:6, 15; Eph. 6:4
4. We are to teach them about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jn. 1:1-4; Jn. 14:6

These are just a few Scriptures I'm quoting. There's more to be sure because God's Word is a treasure and inexaustible.

If you have children and you are not training up your kids according to God's Word, you will be called to account your time with them when you meet God, assuming you're a born again believer. If you're not, then you've got an entirely different problem; that is, you are spiritually dead and in need of salvation through Jesus Christ. Applying the principles of the Bible will not get you anywhere with God unless you are born again (John 3:3,5).

One final thought: Training up a child is NOT easy. It requires a strong commitment to God, placing faith in His awesome grace, and involves a lot of prayer, especially as they grow older and began exercising their will. There will be a lot of things you will not like in their choices, but take heart that they will have the Word of God in them. Once they become adults, they are out on their own and will have to live with the consequences of their choices. My heart goes out to those parents who have wayward adult children who have walked away from God. My only advice to you is to keep your faith and know that what is impossible for man is possible for God (Luke 18:27). Happy is the man whom the Lord blesses with children!


See here for more information: The Plan of Salvation

The Man In the Rearview Mirror (Part 1 of 3 in the MACHO! Series)

On one particular fall morning, I drove my children to their school and I was in no rush, enjoying the crisp autumn air. As I pulled out of the driveway, I noticed that a red Jeep Cherokee sped down the street, towards us. I figured that the man in the Cherokee would slow down for us. Wrong. Instead, he began to honk at me as I put the car into direct and drove. You would think that because I was moving along that the honking would have stopped. Wrong again. I looked at him through the rearview mirror and saw that he was yelling and could tell from reading his lips that he wasn't wishing me a good morning. The angry man pounded his fist on the steering wheel and yelled some more; his face was unshaven but it was red. Instead of ignoring him, I chose to slow down the car a little and enjoy the show a little bit longer. All the while, I stared at him through the rearview mirror. At the four-way stop, I waited longer than I should have before turning and waited. Keep in mind, all of this was happening in a matter of seconds, but everything seemed like slo-mo. In the gool ol' days I used to have a little protection under the car seat (you never knew what you were going to come across on the lonely stretches of blacktop in Texas). I thank God that those days are over and that the only things under my car seat nowadays are hamburger wrappers, old receipts and a coffee-stained Bible. I had no idea what I was doing with a car full of kids, taunting an angry man while waiting for him to make a move. I know it was stupid. But, in just that instant, I was back to my old self, my old ways.

Here are a few thoughts of popular wisdom on anger:

1. "Speak when you're angry and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret." - Unknown

2. "A man is measured by the size of things that anger him." - Geof Greenleaf

3. "Whatever is begun in anger ends in shame." - Benjamin Franklin

Here is the wisdom of the Bible on anger:

1. He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly; (Proverbs 14:17a)
All impulsive, reactionary anger ends up in foolish choices (ie, dealings). We handle matters best when calm and under control. Can you think of a time when you've made a great decision in a time of rage?

2. He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly. (Prov. 14:29)
Again, slow to anger and quick to listen are better approaches to understanding the matter at hand than just reacting angrily and suddenly, which demonstrates a foolish character.

3. A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. (Prov. 15:1)
He who is soft-spoken can deflate anger, even if the truth is being spoken; unlike provocative words which add fuel to the fire.

4. He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls. (Prov 25:28)
Someone who can't control his anger is someone without boundaries. Watch out for this fella.

5. An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression. (Prov. 29:22)
All angry men do is cause trouble for themselves and others, and a man who rages is someone who is in sin and neck-deep in breaking the law.


What does this kind of anger say about you?
It says that you have no self-control; thus, you have no inner strength to overcome your own emotions and reactions to situations. Your internal life is a mess and you're not even at peace with yourself, let alone with others around you. And, because you have no strength to rein in your anger, you are really weak. By blowing up, you think you are tough; all you're showing to the world is that you're like a diseased tree. Tough on the outside, but possessing shallow roots, and hollow and empty and rotting (with anger) on the inside.

Anger can shatter relationships; it ruins both the joy and health of many. Sadly, people tend to justify their anger instead of accepting responsibility for it. It's always someone else's fault. Yeah, sure, bud. That's why YOU end up beat up and holed up in jail, even though it was THEIR fault. Huh! That's why you lose friends, right? THEY shouldn't have said anything to hurt your teeny-weeny feelings. And that's why you get cut loose at work, because THEY caused YOU to lose your anger. Everyone but you controls those worn out knobs to your emotions, right buddy?

I thank Jesus that the Holy Spirit held me back that morning. I am no longer that man, even if I still look the same. The Bible says that I am a new man in Christ (II Corinthians 5:17). In fact, the more you study the Bible, and I mean all of it, the more Scripture will come to your rescue in times of trial and troubles. On that fateful morning, this is what came to mind:

"Be ye angry, and sin not." (Ephesians 6:26)

Instead of continuing on my foolish track to confrontation, I turned on my blinker and turned toward the school and got out of the way of the raging man behind us. After I dropped off my children, I pulled over on the next street and asked God for forgiveness of my behavior. In prayer, I remembered this Bible passage:

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21).

So I continued in prayer for the angry man in the rearview mirror and asked for him to come to know the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, who is the only One who could change him. After all, He changed me. And everytime I see myself in the mirror, I'm reminded about what Christ gave me that I didn't have before.

Peace.