A Cosmic Accident Waiting to Happen

Acts 17:24-25
"God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;"

Today our young people in public school and in colleges are taught that they are but the product of blind chance & luck without God having planned them.

Psalm 139:14-15 indicates, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth."

They are taught that they are but an accident of nature, the result of undirected natural forces coming together, that they are alive for but a while and then, upon death, will break down into basic elements and will no longer be.

According to the ungodly, there is no God. But, we know what they are; they are fools (Ps. 14:1). In this mental schema, nobody cares for them or loves them; there is no future existence and no meaning or purpose to life. Life is bleak, short and chaotic.

With this outlook on life is it any wonder that today there is an epidemic of depression and emotional issues among young people? Or again, is it any wonder that crime and anti-social behavior is so prevalent? After all, if I am here but for a few years, why shouldn’t I get what I want, when I want it? The attitude - which is found also in antiquites (I Cor. 15:32-33) - is of the world and not of God. What they have been told to believe, directly affects how they think and behave and, of course, because they assume it to be true they don’t check out what science really reveals.

I wish I had the time to delineate how science reveals, and not rejects, God's hand in nature and creation. I wish you had the time, Reader, to read about it, too. But, we're always on the go and short on time. Alas, comfort yourselves in knowing & believing that we are not on this earth by luck. This is no cosmic casino we're living in. We are here by design, God's design.

The bleak message of atheism allows a society to slide into further corrupted thinking; it is a gateway to socialism, communism, Nazi-ism, genocide, euthanasia, abortion, gay marriage, and on and on and on. All sorts of deviant lifestyles are promoted under the banner of godlessness.

Listen up, many atheists express a strong hatred of God. If you're an atheist reading this post, can I ask you something? How can you strongly hate Someone you don’t believe in? How can you stamp your feet and shout down those who believe in the true & living God? Mr. Atheist, you might ask, "Since when do I stamp my feet and shout?" Well, sir, in a manner of speaking, this happens every time when nativity scenes are displayed during Christmas or when a cross is erected as a monument or when a person opens up a meeting, sporting event or other gathering in the name of Jesus. Oh, my Mr. Atheist! By then, you are hissing at the Christians with threats of lawsuits and removal of sign or semblance of our faith unless we sit down and shut up!

The reality is that many atheists have their own personal agenda and bias for not believing in God and it has nothing to do with scientific research at all. They are angry at God or at their parents or both for some let down. However, God doesn't want the atheists to perish (John 3:16; II Pet. 3:9). Whether or not atheists believe it, God loves them, too!

Don't be fooled by scientific claims that the world came to be through a long series of accidents, coincidences and sheer luck. Christian, it takes more faith to believe in man's belief system than to trust in God Almighty's promises. This is what Isaiah 1:18 invites you to consider -

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

As the influence of Christians wanes - not because the Gospel is impotent - it wanes because the world has blinded those who refuse to believe in God (II Cor. 4:3-6). Think about this way: God doesn't believe in atheists, either. One day, there'll be a pay day for the unbelieving (Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:11-15).

Don't be one of them. Don't take a chance with eternity, and settle your account now and see that God good and merciful! I Want Mercy, Jesus! 

Years I spent in vanity and pride,
Caring not my Lord was crucified,
Knowing not it was for me He died
On Calvary.

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty,
At Calvary.

By God's Word at last my sin I learned;
Then I trembled at the law I'd spurned,
Till my guilty soul imploring turned
To Calvary.

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
Pardon there was multiplied to me;
There my burdened soul found liberty,
At Calvary.

Giving Your Love Away

Matthew 22:39

"And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Our Savior’s teaching, while it is practical, is also always evangelical. He calls believers away from being content with the mere decencies of life and the routine of outward religion, and challenges them to seek after the highest degree of holiness—indeed, after that excellence of character which only His Grace can give. Loving our neighbor is not a condition of salvation, but as a fruit of it. Thus, we give our love away in service.

Jesus’ instruction is also new because it raises the standard. Loving others as ourselves means following the pattern He set for us, and putting the needs of others above our own. That is, loving ALL others, not just friends & family, but everyone. Talk about taking it to a new level of Christian living!

Thing about it in these terms, which Christ taught through the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) -

1. THE WORLD IS FULL OF AFFLICTION. This story is just one among thousands of modern stories that you chance upon, glance or gloss over as you scan the newswpaper, news websites or on television. These are unfortunate occurrences. The happen on short jaunts to the grocery store or on long treks. Life can be lost on the road. We are never secure from trouble—it meets us around the family hearth, walks into our work place and follows us on the road. Again, the daily news attest to this reality.

In the case of the assault victim in the parable, the thieves confronted him and demanded his money, and that when he made some little resistance they wounded him, stripped him and left him half dead. How could he be blamed? It was to him a pure misfortune. Believe me, there is a great deal of sorrow in the world. Some of it is caused by our own doings; other instances, it arrives just because it is part & parcel of living.

The man in the parable was quite helpless. He could do nothing for himself. There he lay dying. Those huge, gaping wounds must've been draining his life away as he bled from his injuries. He probably couldn't even groan, let alone speak, to call out for help. He couldn't even dress his own wounds, much less arise and seek shelter. He was bleeding to death among the pitiless rocks on the descent to Jericho and his was left there for the buzzards and crows to feed upon unless some one came to his help.

But who, pray tell?

2. THERE ARE MANY WHO NEVER RELIEVE AFFLICTION. Our Savior tells us of two, who at least,who passed by on the other side and I suppose He might have prolonged the parable so as to have mentioned 2 dozen or more souls who just walked on by if Christ had chosen to do so.

Note that 2 religious men - a priest & a Levite - pass by the suffering man on the opposite side of the road. Notice that these two men were on the same road going in the same general direction. If the  one couldn't offer aid then certainly 2 could've rendered assistance. Think about that for a minute, Reader! When you're not able to help someone in need, look around because there might be a fellow believer passing by who can help make the difference.

Friend, to know to do good and not do it is a sin (James 4:17). What a tragedy of eternal proportions! Here you have an opportunity to glorify God and instead you become a turtle, tuck your holy head inside your shell and walk on by, doing nothing. Can I ask you something, Reader? Do you even bother to pray for these lost souls? Do you even do that?

We are to relieve real distress irrespective of creed, as the Samaritan did. Let this thought settle in your mind for a little bit. The Samaritan, whom the Jews considered dogs, crossed the invisible line of cultural differences and help the Jew.

Wait!  How do I know that the poor victim was a Jew. In verse 30, he's referenced as traveling from Jerusalem (where the Holy Temple was) to Jericho (probably home). The priest and Levite also both traveled down from that same route. However, the Samaritan journeyed. You see, the Samaritans did not worship in Jerusalem. They were nature lovers, so to speak, and erected altars out in the mountain sides. Even Christ told the woman at the well that the Samaritans did not know what they worshipped (John 4:5-26)

Thus, the Jews were great haters of the Samaritans and, no doubt, this Samaritan might have thought, “If I were in that man’s shoes and he in mine, he would not help me. He would pass me by and say, ‘It is a Samaritan dog, let him be accursed and die like a dog.’” The Jews were accustomed to curse the Samaritans, but it did not occur to the good man to remember what the Jew would have said. He saw him bleeding and he bound up his wounds.

Our Savior has not given us, for a golden rule, “Do unto others as others do to you,” but “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The Samaritan went by that rule in spirit and though he knew of the enmity in the Jewish mind, he felt that he should help, that he can help and that he must help. What motivated him to do such a thing? There must've been something that moved his heart to show compassion on another human being. And so, he went straight away to his relief.

Listen, Believer, the poorest of the poor can help the poor. Even those who feel distress, themselves, may manifest a generous Christian spirit and give of themselves what little they have. Because a little bit in your hands is more than sufficient in the hands of the Almighty God. Do so as you have the opportunity.

Read the last part of verse 34, "...and took care of him."

Admire that little sentence, because in it you see what little he had, he gave. Once he had taken care of the poor soul then he sought the inn keeper to "take care of him.” What you do yourself, you may exhort other people to do.

3. WE HAVE A HIGHER EXAMPLE - JESUS CHRIST. Jesus saw our own sin-racked bodies and the condition of our heart (Jer. 17:9) and had compassion on us. God gave us His Son so that whoever believes on Him will not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

I had asked earlier who, pray tell, will help?

Reader, it's you. It has to be you. You cannot wait another day. Reach out, Believer, to a dark and dying world. Someone needs to hear about Jesus Christ today.

Seek, then, to be true followers of your Lord by practical deeds of kindness and if you have been backward in your thinking about whom to approach, draw a needful reproach from the Master. Don't with-hold blessings from those who are different from you. Take the initiative by praying for grace to cross the racial, ethnic, cultural, political, socio-economic, etc. barriers. The biggest gap of all - the sin chasm which Christ bridged for you at Calvary - has been closed. So, these other gaps are nothing in comparison for the Lord.

The goal in loving is not to evoke the response you want from another person, but to do what the Lord commands you do. Your willingness to love must never depend upon another person’s ability to give love back to you.

Your challenge as a Christian is to love others even if they don’t love you back. So, you are never without someone to love. Reciprocity is not required for this kind of love. The only thing that is required is your willingness, your desire, and your commitment to open up and give others the love of Christ that dwells in you.

There's someone out there right now as you read this post who needs to know that somebody loves them unconditionally. Christ loves you that way. I'm sure that brings a comfort to your heart, doesn't it? Isn't it time you took that next step of faith to reach out to someone who needs that same comfort? Yes, it's time.

Finally, if you're not saved, Friend, you are missing out on the greatest love known to human kind. Make that decision today and know that Jesus Christ loves you. The proof is at the Cross!

Jesus Paid It All For Me Because He Loves Me!

Was it for crimes that I had done
He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give my self away
’Tis all that I can do.

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away,
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!

The Excusers & The Accuser

Luke 14:16-20

"Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:  And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come."

No sooner does anyone begin to preach the Gospel than men and women begin “to make excuses.” It is an old, old story. There is not an unsaved person here but has got some excuse. If I were to go to each of you and ask why you do not accept God’s invitation to the Gospel feast - after reading post after post about the majesty of His love and the miracle of His mercy - you would have an excuse ready on the end of your tongue; and if you had not one ready, the devil would be there to help you to make one. And if the excuse could be answered he is ready to make new ones. He has had six thousand years’ experience, and he is very good at it; he can give you as many as you want.

Do you know the origin of excuses? You will find it away back in Eden. Read all about it in Genesis 3.

When Adam had sinned, he tried to excuse himself. “The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” Not only did Adam blame the woman, but he also had the chutzpah to try and lay the blame on God. Talk about biting the Hand that feeds you!

And, little ol' Eve tried to lay it on the serpent; and down to the present time, men and women, with one consent, begin to make excuses.

Finally, the old serpent has no one to blame, so he accuses. He accuses the elect (that is, the believers) all day and night (Rev. 12:10).

Here's the thing: On that Great Day, YOU - and no one else - will stand before God and give an account for your life (Rom 14:12). At the Great White Throne, the unsaved will stand before the Righteous Judge (Rev. 20:11-15)  and face the wrath appointed to the unbelievers (John 3:36).

Where will you stand on that Day, Reader? As one of the saved? Or, on the precipice of eternal damnation?

The choice is yours to make today. On that Great Day, there will be no excuses. None.

So, Friend, what's holding you back? After all, you're being invited to a Feast of all feasts! The admission has been paid already. All you have to do is RSVP.

Read what Jesus Christ did for you at Calvary: I Want to Get Right With God Today!

Oh, for the wonderful love He has promised—
Promised for you and for me!
Though we have sinned, He has mercy and pardon—
Pardon for you and for me!

Come home! come home!
Ye who are weary, come home!
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing—
Passing from you and from me;
Shadows are gathering, death-beds are coming—
Coming for you and for me!

Come home! come home!
Ye who are weary, come home!
Earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
Calling, O sinner, come home!

For Whom Do You Grieve?

Proverbs 24:11-12
"If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?"


I encountered an interesting article on grief and loss on the internet the other day. The discussion centered around the source of people's grief. And the question came up: For Whom Do You Grieve? There were poignant and touching comments made. I'm including some of them here, hoping that it will cause you to ask yourself that very question.

Rebecca J.
He lays in Plot 190 A-1 in the Garden of Eternal Life Cemetary, the man in prearrangements explained and provided me with a map. His headstone is black granite with the words, “Beloved Husband and Father” etched into it in all caps and in a classic font. A life summed up in only four words. It is a single headstone, not the double kind with the wife’s name engraved on the right side, just waiting for her to die. I was glad I didn’t also have to see my mother’s name, the reminder that one day she too would die. After sixteen years, soft grass had grown over his plot, but today, was hidden by snow. My tears made it difficult for me to read, but there I stood. Plot 190 A-1. It had been sixteen years since I stood in that spot, in my only dress, staring at the audience of my father’s friends and business acquaintances. Short of breath, I dropped to my knees and let the snow seep through my jeans. I laid down on the wet earth, resting my cheek on top of the snow, imagining my father’s rotting bones six feet below. He was in a maple casket, his bones decaying inside his best suit. I wondered what his body looked like, if the skin on his face had turned to leather, or if his bones protruded from his rotten flesh. I wondered what stench filled the casket. The smell of death, I imagined, the formal-dehyde slowing fading away. His body has been locked inside that casket for sixteen years. Sixteen long years of being fatherless. Sixteen years, six feet below the soft grass and cold snow. I sat up and punched the hard, winter ground. He was supposed to teach me how to make asparagus soup the morning he died.

Reader, even in the everyday-ness of life, death visits a loved one. Can you imagine that your one last conversation with the one you love could be about the minutae and routineness of life? If you knew that it would be the last time both of you would speak to one another, how would your conversation change? The Bible says, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" (Heb. 9:27). But, there is One who is risen. There is only One who can save. Christ alone is the Hope of Glory (Col. 1:27).

Grady Mc.

The father no one even told me about until I was 40 years old which was several years after he died. Although I always ‘knew’ something wasn’t right because I didn’t look at all like my brother, sister or the man who was supposed to be my father, they held onto their well rehearsed stories until it was too late for me to look a the person whom I probably most resemble in the world. So I grieve the man I never knew and the loss of the family who kept the secret for all those years. I imagine how different our relationships would have been & how different I might be if I would have been let in on my own life.

Relationships are the most valuable possession people have. Your very first relationship with your family will impact you - positively & negatively - in your future interactions with others, from friends, spouses, co-workers and the world at large. If you look at how Isaac and Rebekah raised their twin boys, Jacob and Esau, it was unhealthy because each parent had their favorite (Gen. 25:20-34). Probably Grady's parents meant well, but now he is left with more questions than answers. I won't even pretend to know what it's like to have unresolved grief like Grady's. But, this I do know: Christ is our Comforter and peace (John 14:26-27) and will never forsake us or abandon us (Heb. 13:5).

Jen S.

I grieve for children who have been abused, ignored, unloved. I grieve for those who are waiting for a family to call their own, to love them like no one has. A family to make them feel safe, and allow them to smile and have dreams. They are waiting, waiting for someone to say “You are good enough for me to invest in. You are good enough for me to love. You are not broken, you are not unlovable.”
I also grieve for those who are stuck where they are. They have no voices loud enough to get help. They might not know that they need help, because this is reality, this is what happens in families. I grieve for those who are waiting to be rescued. And I’ve learned that it is not enough to grieve. My silent grief, inside my comfortable house will not do the rescuing. I must move, I must act, I must be a part of the rescuing.

Our true Rescuer is Jesus Christ because what profits a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul (Mark 8:36)? There's a hymn that entitled, "Rescue the Perishing". Consider these lines -

Rescue the perishing,
Care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o'er the erring one,
Lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save.

Rescue the perishing,
Care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful,
Jesus will save.

Dear Reader, are you rescuing the persishing with the Gospel of peace? If not, why not? I pray that you will be moved by the entries to reach out to a lost and dying world. People are hurting. They need to know that Jesus Christ cares for each soul out there. Jesus died on the Cross and is the embodiment of John 3:16.

If you aren't saved then, Friend, I need you to make a decision right now that you can't overlook or postpone. Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for your sins. Without Him, you are condemned to go to hell. Please consider the weighty matter before you. Choose wisely, choose Christ.

Click here: Jesus, Rescue Me Now!

I Love To Tell the Story

Jonah 3:1-4

"And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown."

Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, which was situated on the eastern bank of the river Tigris. It was about 280 miles north of Babylon. The city was not only very ancient, but also very great. According to ancient texts, Nineveh extended 20 miles long and 60 miles in circumference (courtesy, Naves Topical Bible Dictionary).

When the Lord sent Jonah to preach to the Ninevites, they were much hated by the Jews because they were brutal, oppressive, idolaters and wicked. Indeed, consider this passage of the thinking of the military leaders of that time:

“I destroyed, I demolished, I burned. I took their warriors prisoner and impaled them on stakes before their cities. …flayed the nobles, as many as had rebelled, and spread their skins out on the piles [of dead corpses]… many of the captives I burned in a fire. Many I took alive; from some I cut off their hands to the write, from other I cut off their noses, ears and fingers; I put out the eyes of many of the soldiers."

               from Assyrian War Bulletin

Pretty brutal, huh?

But the truth for Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire is true of practically every nation on earth. If you think about it, haven't we encountered our own Assyrias in Nazi Germany; Cambodia's Killing Fields; China's Mao Zedong's regime; Stalin's USSR regime; and the Rwandan Massacres to name a few of the 20th Century? Yes, we have and if you notice, these regimes have been godless.

Yet, within these nations, there were many kinds of people - everyday people - doing the best they could on a day-to-day basis to raise their children, survive and prosper. Plus, they had no knowledge of God.

And so, this is what Jonah saw as he walked into that great city of Nineveh. God through Jonah showed great mercy on its people because they repented upon hearing the word of God.

There are so many points to draw on from this Bible passage, but the one I want to focus on for this posting is this: Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Rom. 10:13). We aren't responsible for saving people; that's God's job. Our task is to faithfully present the Gospel to everyone we can - family, friend and foe - and pray for their salvation.

What Jonah did was to proclaim the word of God to the Ninevites as he entered and walked about their city. Jonah was a street preacher, if you will.

With that being said, how many of us can boldly proclaim the Gospel in an open air setting out in public?

Two of my sons and Christian brothers from their church in Seattle do this just about every week. I'm including their March 2012 report for your edification and encouragement. I hope and pray that it will be a blessing to you as much as it was to me. To God be the glory!

March 7, Downtown Seattle

Bob the Barker was there - He listened to Efrain's message but was quiet. We silently praised and thanked God for bringing him to hear another message. While Efrain was preaching a young man tried to interupt him, then a young lady did the same thing. He directed them to me with their questions. The man wanted to know if we were living "in the revelation". I'm not sure what he meant by that but he seemed like a troubled individual. The young woman had a hook in her nose.

She asked "What are you doing?" I told her we were giving people the Gospel message. She repeated her question and I repeated my answer. She said that she used to be an athiest but now was going to church and that she found street preaching offensive and that we should "just love people to Jesus". I asked her "What did Jesus do?"

While I was talking with her, a young man (Chris) asked "What about Muslims?" "Are they going to hell?"

I said that we shouldn't limit his question to Muslims and asked him "What about Buddhists, Hindus, and all of the other religions? What happens to them?" Then I asked him if he was going to heaven. He said he thought so. I asked him if he was a good person. He said yes. We went through some of the commandments and he admitted that he was a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer at heart and on his way to hell. (I know how that must sound but it was actually a friendly conversation). He was concerned about his state so we went through the Gospel. Afterwards he thanked me and I encouraged him to repent and receive the Saviour. The girl with the hook in her nose had been listening to our conversation. She also said thanks and it seemed like she wanted to say more but then she left suddenly.

March 11, Downtown Seattle

Our Christian brother Kirk was there. It was cold and windy. A young woman with many tattoos happened by and stayed for the whole message. She thanked me for being there and commented that most Christians don't share their faith. Also a man from Ethiopia, who barely spoke English, made a lot of gestures about how happy he was to see Jesus being preached.

As Kirk and I were about to leave the preaching area an older man crossed the street to where we were standing. This fellow always makes it a point to walk close by and swear at us. Today he was dressed in a tuxedo and I commented on how sharp he looked. He said the tuxedo was old but he used to wear it when he worked at Paramount Movie Studios in Hollywood. Turns out he was a voice-over singer for actors who couldn't sing but who were in musicals. After about 5 minutes of talking about music he seemed to realize who we were and began to curse and blaspheme the name of Jesus. We responded "If you knew Jesus you wouldn't talk that way about Him."  He doubled his efforts and again was told "If you knew Jesus you wouldn't talk that way about Him."

He went his way. Kirk and I prayed for him before we left and when we looked up Roger was standing there. Roger is in his 50's and homeless. He is a friendly sort but also a bit confused from years of drinking alcohol. We've talked with him many times over the years. Today when we looked up he had a reverent look on his face, which is most unusual. You just never know what will touch a person.

Dear Reader, I don't know where you're from; what language you speak; or, what troubles you have. This I do know: Every nation, like every human life, has an hour glass with grains of sand flowing through it. When those grains expire, death comes. For some, life will end all too quickly; for others, unexpectedly & tragically. Please know that to every man and woman is appointed to die once and after this, the judgment (Heb. 9:27).

Babylon has come and gone. Assyria has come and gone. As time marches on, only their memories will exist. For a while. We all need to look beyond the everyday-ness of our lives and past our busy-ness because one day our nations will pass; one day our lives will end. And the only thing left to us will be our relationship with God, standing either in our own righteousness, or in the righteousness provided as a free gift in Jesus Christ.

Have you trusted in Him today? If you haven't time is slipping. Please don't wait any longer! Click here: I'd Like to Know About Jesus and His Love!

I love to tell the story; ’tis pleasant to repeat
What seems, each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.

I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love.

A Lullaby for Believers

John 15:1-5
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
⁴Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."

These verses are among my favorite verses in the Gospel of John. It references our inability to fight the good fight and live for the Lord in our lowly, sickly flesh. And, yet, it also encourages us to live and walk in the Spirit (Gal. 5:16). Plus, obedience brings blessings (James 1:25).

So, if you're struggling in your Christian walk, all I can say to you is, Welcome to the club, Pilgrim!

The poem below highlights the Christian's daily struggle. And, if you aren't struggling, dear Believer, then it might be you aren't walking straight!


In the Stillness of the Night

In the stillness of the night
As I lay in bed and try to sleep,
I remember how I blew the fight
And all Your commands I didn’t keep.

I tried, O God, I tried
To strengthen my soul against the dark.
I felt so confident that I would abide.
But when temptation came, I had missed Your mark.

But then as I slept that night
You came to me in a dream.
You said to me, “Try as you may, try as you might,
You will fail, despite what it may seem,

It is not your job to see you through,
It is not your job to feel strong.
I just want one thing for you to do:
Give Me what you tried to do all along.”

So that morning as I awoke
And I knew my sleep was worth its while,
For as I remembered the words that You spoke
I gave to You my temptations and my trials.

I finally admited I was too weak
To face the day without making a mistake.
So to You I lay my life so meek
And I asked You that me You would not forsake.

Day by day You guide me on
And my strength I get from You alone.
All my battles have been won
For in Your strength I have been sewn.

by Geoff Lemke


And, II Corinthians 12:10 rejoices in this Biblical fact: "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

When Christ indwells in you (Gal. 2:20), He does all the heavy lifting and you're just doing all the believing.

Finally, Christ said, "...[B]e of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Jesus has indeed overcome the world because He is risen!

Look no further than I John 5:4-5 to settle all your doubt, worries and fears:

"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"

You see, Reader, faith is the victory:

On every hand the foe we find
Drawn up in dread array.
Let tents of ease be left behind,
And onward to the fray.
Salvation’s helmet on each head,
With truth all girt about,
The earth shall tremble ’neath our tread,
And echo with our shout.

Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory, that overcomes the world!

It's up to you to believe what Jesus said and did. Do you trust Him today? If you don't, why don't you, Reader? You've read and considered other religions and philosophies. Instead, why not try a relationship with the the Prince of peace, Jesus Christ? Come and see what hope, love, peace, truth and mercy is all about!

Read all about here: I Want A Fresh Start!

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