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 Four Year Old's Interpretation of Psalm 23

Psalm 23:1
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want."

A Sunday school teacher asked her children if anyone could quote the entire 23rd Psalm. In the back of the class room, there was a golden-curled, gum chewing four year-old girl who was among those who raised their hands. A bit skeptical, the teacher asked if she could really quote the entire psalm.

The little girl walked up to the front of the room, faced the class, spat the gum into her hand, curtsied, and said, "The Lord is my Shepherd, that's all I want."

She popped the gum back in her mouth, curtsied again and went and took her seat.

Sometimes the simplest interpretations are the best interpretations. Check out Matt. 21:16. This version of the 23rd Psalm may just be one of them. Jesus is all we need!

Click here on how to have a relationship with Jesus Christ! The Plan of Salvation

Acts of Worship

Mark 12:29-31
"And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."

There's a difference between an act of worship and worship. In Mark 12:33, Christ acknowledges that what the scribe said was true: loving God with all the heart, with all understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. You can find this principle working in the Old Testament; in I Sam. 15:22 -

"And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."

In Matt.23:26-28, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees and scribes. Let's read -

"Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres,which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity."

What Christ was pointing out was this: There's a BIG difference between an act of worship and worship. Do you know what that difference is? The answer is: It's a matter of the heart, according to what Christ confirmed to the scribe in Mark 12:33.

Jesus also taught that true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth (Jn 4:23).


Another way of looking at this question is like this: The difference between an act of worship and worship is the former is just an ACT; that is, the person is acting, pretending to worship. True worship comes from the heart. See I Cor. 13.

Dear Reader, the questions remains: Are you an actor or true worshipper?


In order to worship God, you must be saved. Are you? If not, here's how: The Plan of Salvation

When Is Life Life?

Leviticus 17:11a, 14

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood"

"Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof"

The answer to the question posed in the post title is this: Life is life when there is blood in the flesh.

During the week after fertilization, the fertilized egg attaches itself to the uterine wall. This marks the week where the embryonic period begins According the medical experts, the fetus is connected by the umbilical cord to the placenta, the organ that develops and implants in the mother's uterus during pregnancy. Through the blood vessels in the umbilical cord, the fetus receives all the necessary nutrition, oxygen and life support from the mother. Note that it's through the blood vessels.

Children are a heritage from the Lord (Ps. 127:3) and are not meant to be thrown away or killed. Even God warned the children of Israel not to pass their children through the fire as sacrifices to Molech (Lev. 18:21; Jer. 32:35).


Consider this picture:

In the picture, ten models, approximately life-sized, represent eight weeks of embryonic development, at the end of which main organ systems, limbs and features have taken shape. The heart takes shape through stages represented by 4 to 10 of this series of models. Microvessels continue to exchange respiratory gases and nutrients between different tissues throughout embryonic and fetal development, through birth, and then life-long. The heart, ever-responsive to changing organic demands, maintains fluid communication and unity amidst the complexity of the tissues, day and night, year-in, year-out, life-long.

Are you still convinced that this little being is just tissue?

Reader, choose life! It's so precious in God's sight. Take a stand against those murderers by praying for God's merciful hand to open their eyes of understanding so that they'll repent. Also, pray for the women who are duped into believing that they're only recourse is abortion. The repercussions of abortion are life long for these women. Pray that they'll find forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

Unborn children around the world need your prayers! So, pray without ceasing!

Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani Still Alive - UPDATE!

II Timothy 4:5

"But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry."

By Jordan Sekulow

American Center for Law & Justice [ACLJ]

As of Saturday afternoon, March 3, 2012, the ACLJ’s sources in Iran have confirmed that Christian Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani is still alive.

Reports that his execution occurred earlier today are false, and images being circulated purporting to be from his execution are outdated and demonstratively false.

The ACLJ still believes that the execution order has been issued, but we can confirm that as of today Pastor Youcef is still alive. International pressure continues to build on Iran.

Please continue to pray and Tweet for Youcef, as we fight for his life.

A Simple, Yet Profound Depiction of Salvation

I Thess. 5:9
"For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,"

Here's a cartoon of the concept of salvation. Enjoy and the may the Lord Jesus Christ bless you!



(Mat 7:13) Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide gate, and broad the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

(Psa. 38:4) For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

(1 Cor. 1:18 ) For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

(Prov. 14:12) There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

(Jas. 4:4) Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

(Prov. 16:25) There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

(1 Sam. 15:22b) Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

(Gen. 4:4) And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: (Gen 4:5) But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

(Matt. 16:24) Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

(Gal. 6:7) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

(Rom. 8:34) Who is he that condemneth? Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

(1 Tim. 2:5) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (1 Tim. 2:6) Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

(John 14:6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

(John 3:5) Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (Joh 3:6) That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (Joh 3:7) Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.



To learn more about how to be saved, click here: 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 Year of the Bible

John 8:47
"He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God."

Pennsylvannia atheists and PA lawmakers have been battling after the state’s House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution calling 2012 the “Year of the Bible.” At the time, a staff lawyer from the Freedom From Religion Foundation called the act “shocking.”

Now, two other groups, American Atheists and Pa. Nonbelievers, are being accused of invoking racial themes after posting a Bible-inspired billboard against the designation. Their sign, which tackles the issue of slavery, was erected in an area of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with a large African American population.

State Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland (D-Delaware), a black legislator, was one of the many voices objecting to the now-removed billboard, which featured a shackled slave. The image of the individual in shackles appeared below the words, “Slaves, obey your masters.” Kirkland supported the Bible resolution and has claimed that the billboard took the Bible out of context and that it portrayed both racism and hatred.

“I’m a Christian,” Kirkland said. “My master is Jesus Christ, so I obey Him.”

When it comes to the billboard, Ernest Perce V, of the American Atheists says that he and his group would like the House to repeal the Bible resolution. “We want Christians to accept all of the Bible and to accept the wicked parts as well,” he said. “The bible was used as an excuse for many very bad things, including American slavery.”

source, www.WGAL.com

Godless men are at their worst when attempting to usurp the will of the believers. Like Satan, they will twist, abuse and misquote God's word in an effort to confuse and condemn Christians. The above-noted story is a good case study of how these godless people work. It's also a prime warning to believers to read, study and believe God's word on a daily basis, so that when the enemy or the world distorts God's word, we are ready with the Gospel of peace and the shield of faith (Eph. 6:15-16).

Notice that Colossians 3:22 is taken out of context (plus the quote is from a non-KJV Bible):

"Slaves, obey your masters."

The King James Version of Colossians 3:22-24 gives a better - and correct - perspective:

²²Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh; not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God;

²³And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

²⁴Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Servants of Christ are called to serve their masters (ie, bosses) as to the Lord Jesus. In other words, everything we do, we are doing for the Lord. Whether it is washing dishes, mowing the lawn, filing paperwork, cooking a meal, performing heart surgery, driving a delivery truck or standing in the grocery line (which I really hate, especially when the coupon lady is in the front line pulling out each single piece of coupon from her baggy purse). AND, we are to do it "heartily", meaning merrily, joyfully.

Also, notice that the atheists stated , “We want Christians to accept all of the Bible and to accept the wicked parts as well,”

Of course, Christians accept ALL of the Bible! The wicked parts are Adam's disobedience; Cain's hatred of Abel; Abraham's unbelief in Egypt; Jacob's trickery; David's adultery; Solomon's polygamy & worldliness; Saul's bloodthirsty zeal for killing Christians; and on and on. Of course we accept the wicked parts because the Bible mirrors our hearts because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23).

Another statement the atheist made: “The bible was used as an excuse for many very bad things, including American slavery.”

Yes, the Bible was used to excuse and condone very evil actions in the world. This doesn't mean that the Bible promoted slavery. Just a quick reading of the Book of Exodus will tell you how God emancipated the Hebrew slaves from bondage. By the way, His dear Son Jesus Christ can do the same for you and me (Luke 19:10; Rom. 10:9-10).

Finally, every year is the Year of the Bible as far as I'm concerned. In 2011, it marked the 400th anniversay of King James I commissioning the translation of the Bible into the English language. No matter what king, principality, political group, nation or era has done to destroy the KJV Bible, it has withstood the attacks and the test of time.

God's word truly endures forever!

For those not acquainted with the wonderfully poetic and beautifully translated King James Bible, I am attaching a link (right here: The King James Bible 400th Celebration) for your perusal. Enjoy and may the Lord richly bless you today.

To find out more about having a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, see here: The Plan of Salvation