A Christian author helping people come to Jesus, helping people understand the Bible, ministering to a lost and hurting world, and speaking truth to power.
Hello from snowy Colorado! We got hammered with over a foot of snow last night and this morning. It was a bit rough shoveling all of it off the driveway, but my wife helped me and it was nice having the two shovel tag team. Our kids had a great time sledding down our homemade luge on the side of our house too, which they have loved doing ever since they were little. We love playing in the fluffy powder the Rockies bring to Denver! I told the kids I would do a post for them, so just sharing a few photos and a couple Bible verses today, enjoy!
Victory!!! So much fun! Great job on the snow track kids! You have mastered the Callahan luge! Watching my kids play in the snow reminds me of the Bible verse about going out and leaping like calves when we get to Heaven. It is going to be so beautiful and joyful that we will leap for joy like children!
“But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.”
Malachi 4:2
Always remember that God is love and He showed His love for all of us by dying on a cross to set us free from sin and death. Someday we will pass on from this life to eternity and those who believe in Jesus will live forever in the glory and peace of Heaven. We will have new glorified bodies free from disease and injury and we will go out and leap!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Photo by Ryan, Young bucks sparring behind our home
I had an interesting conversation on Twitter today with a guy from Cape Town, South Africa. He is an atheist and he took issue with an answer I posted to someone’s question regarding salvation. My answer of course was that you can only go to Heaven through faith in Jesus Christ. He didn’t like that. It was a serious question and I posted a serious answer using God’s Word. If you have been on Twitter, then you know it is full of scoffers and mockers. It is heartbreaking when someone’s response to the truth is to scoff at it and mock the person speaking the truth. I look past the insults and I truly feel sorry for them. We must love even those who hate us as we share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
I have been called many things for following Jesus. Today, I was told that I was an idiot for believing in Jesus. He wanted to know why I believed the Bible was true, so I sent him a link to the post I wrote titled “Remember that time when…” about my testimony regarding the demon, the angels, and the miracle God did to save my life when I stopped breathing. He read it and told me I needed professional help. That actually made me laugh. If he only knew!
If he had only lived in that demon possessed house with me and my family for 4 years when I was in high school! If he had only been there during the angel encounters in 1998! If he had only been there when I stopped breathing and came back to life in the powerful wind of the Holy Spirit in 2012! I preached the truth of God’s Word to him and shared my testimony, and his response was that I am an idiot and I’m crazy. I am neither and I told him the truth.
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit.”
1 Peter 3:15-18
I let him know I would pray for him. He told me, “Ok, cool…enjoy everlasting life in that big theme park in the sky!” I let him know I will enjoy Heaven and I hoped to see him there. I gave him several Scripture pins and preached the Gospel to him using John 14:6, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9, John 5:24, John 6:40, and John 10:28. With every insult he threw at me, he read more of God’s Word in my responses. He has heard the Gospel now and he knows about my testimony. That is what matters.
He knows why I believe and he knows I am living proof and a living testimony that Jesus Christ is Lord and everything the Bible says is true! God cut through the darkness today and He is reaching out to another human soul that He loves! My job is to get out of the way and let God do His thing through me! It doesn’t matter how many times I am insulted, scoffed at, or mocked for believing in Jesus! May His will be done!
I am praying that the Lord reveals Himself to this man. I prayed this morning for the Lord to reveal to him that the spiritual realm is real and everything I told him is true. I asked the Lord to open up his mind and heart and reveal the truth of His Word to him. I have also asked God to prepare his heart to know these things and I asked Him to use this man to preach the Gospel. I pray blessing over this man and I pray the Lord saves his soul! Like I told him, I hope he doesn’t die without Jesus. Heaven and hell are very real places and that is no joke. I told him he will find that out when he takes his last breath someday. I also told him none of us are getting to Heaven without Jesus.
“First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:3-9
This man reminds me of a guy I shared the Gospel with in college. He was a philosophy major and he called me a fool for believing in Jesus. A year later, he came running up to me on campus and enthusiastically told me he had accepted Christ! He thanked me for sharing Christ with him and told me, “I understand now man!” It was beautiful!
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, keep preaching the Gospel and keep loving people, especially when it is hard and you encounter resistance or persecution! Keep going and don’t give up! We will reap a harvest of righteousness and Jesus will be glorified!
You have been chosen for this recognition because of the encouragement and inspiration you bring to your readers!
I want to thank my brother in Christ Stu from Something To Stu Over for nominating me for The Barnabas Award! Stu is a deeply honest man and he speaks God’s truth in love as he ministers to people with a humble loving heart. I have known him for over a year now and he has become one of my closest and respected friends and fellow soldiers in Christ. I recommend checking out his blog! I also want to thank my sister in Christ Jenny from Of Progress and Purpose for nominating me as well! I have known Jenny for several months and have enjoyed reading her uplifting blog. She is a loving mother and wife and she shines the heart of Jesus! Thank you both! I am humbled and honored and all the glory goes to Jesus!
Who Was Barnabas in the Bible?
Barnabas is an Aramaic name meaning “son of consolation.” Barnabas was a first century disciple of Jesus Christ and a fellow missionary with the Apostle Paul. He was a great encouragement to the brothers and sisters in Christ and he was filled with the Holy Spirit. He was there in Antioch with Paul where the disciples were first called Christians.
Quick Bible Fact:
You will notice in the verses below that Paul is still called Saul. Dual names were common in first century Jerusalem and Paul was still using his Hebrew name “Saul” at that time. Paul was also a Roman citizen since he was born in Tarsus and he started using his Roman name Paul as he went further into the Gentile world preaching the Gospel. We see him called Paul for the first time in Acts 13:9 when Paul and Barnabas preached on Cyprus. He is called Paul in every chapter after that. It is a common misunderstanding that Jesus changed Saul’s name on the road to Damascus. He was still called Saul after his conversion in Acts 9 until he and Barnabas are sent off on their missionary journey in Acts 13.
“Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought of the Lord.
Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.”
Acts 11:19-26
I love Biblical history! Now you know who Barnabas was and the important role he played in the encouragement of the church and the spread of the Gospel around the world. Hence, the Barnabas Award!
The Barnabas Award Rules:
Thank the person (or people) who nominated you and share their blog(s).
List 5 things about yourself
Answer the 5 questions you were asked
Think of 5 bloggers who encourage and inspire you and nominate them
Ask your nominees 5 questions
5 Things About Me (5 little paragraphs anyway)
#1 and always #1, I love Jesus Christ with all of my heart! He is my Lord and Savior and I submit to Him and His will for my life! Jesus Christ is Lord and only He can save our souls!
I love Colorado and have lived here most of my life. I grew up in Littleton, which is just a few miles from Denver driving south on Broadway. I lived off Littleton Blvd. just west of Santa Fe. I love the mountains and I’ve had many great days fishing, camping, and snowboarding in the high country. Winter Park is my favorite ski resort, especially the Mary Jane side of the park. With over 330 days of sunshine per year and amazing outdoor opportunities, Colorado is a beautiful and encouraging place to live and raise a family.
I have had a very strange supernatural life that has included living in a demon possessed haunted house, 2 angel encounters in Denver in 1998, and dying and coming back by a miracle of God on 4-28-2012. I wrote a book about it all and published it on Amazon. It is my personal testimony of how I came to Jesus and the supernatural life I have lived following Him. It is called One Man’s Very Strange Supernatural Life. If you live in the U.S. and you would like a free eBook, please let me know through my contact page and I will send you a free copy directly from Amazon.
I have been married for 18 years to the woman I fell in love with in college (University of Northern Colorado), and we have two beautiful awesome kids, our 9 year old son and our 12 year old daughter.
My main mission in my life and for this blog is to preach the Gospel to the world unashamed in fulfillment of the Great Commission, which the Lord commanded in Matthew 28:18-20. Romans 1:16 forever!!!
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9
Stu’s Questions:
Which song picks you up the minute you hear it?
Christian songs, especially TobyMac and Lecrae and the Reach Records crew. I’ve been really enjoying Kanye’s new Gospel album too (p.s. Speaking of encouragement, any haters out there need to stop hatin’ on the brother and pray for him. He is young in the faith, lift him up!).
In your short time on this Earth who has been your biggest inspiration?
Jesus!
Who is your biggest encourager blog wise?
There are so many brothers and sisters in Christ who encourage me on my blog every day. I couldn’t pick just one. Thank you all for your encouragement and prayers! It has helped me more than you know!
How can you be a better Barnabas to those around you?
By always being prayerful and mindful of speaking life to everyone, especially my family. God’s Word tells us that whatever is excellent and praiseworthy we should think about such things. Sometimes I get really discouraged from fighting Celiac every day and I can fall into a negative funk. Filling my mind and heart with God’s Word and staying in prayer empowers me in the Holy Spirit to be an encouragement and glorify Jesus!
How do you encourage that friend who is going through a hard time?
By just being there for them, listening more than talking, and comforting them with prayer, kindness, and understanding. It’s all about sharing the same comfort I have received from Jesus.
Jenny’s Questions:
Who in your life is your biggest encourager?
That would be Jesus again! He also encourages me through my wife and kids every day!
How do you see yourself as being an encouragement to others?
God gave me the INFJ personality type, which is very rare and even more rare for a man. God gave me a deep empathy and intuition and He has always used those gifts to help lift people up. I care about people and what they are going through to the point that I feel it inside my soul. I will always offer an encouraging word and prayer and a hug too. I will also stand up for people and protect them if necessary.
When was the last time someone gave you words of encouragement?
Today! My son said, “I love you Daddy.”
When you are down, what encourages you to get back up and keep pressing on?
The loving fire of Jesus inside my heart to do everything I can to help people get saved! God has done great and miraculous things in my life and I have a great responsibility to tell the world what He has done for me! Thank You Jesus!!!
Who was your greatest encourager when you first accepted Christ?
My friend Roberto from college! He was one of my best friends and roommates and several years older than me. He was like a big brother to me and he still is! We have been friends since 1997 and we are still friends to this day. He just had a birthday and I sent him an ecard of a little dancing animal in a Scottish kilt singing Happy Birthday with a Scottish accent. He loved it! He was a great friend to have after first accepting Christ. He read the Word with me, helped me with questions, and inspired me to preach the Gospel and be strong in the faith. That is the kind of friend everyone needs! Love you brother!
I love the questions that Stu and Jenny asked, so I’m sticking with those! Feel free to answer 5 of those or all 10 if you like. Have fun with it!
Thank you again Stu and Jenny for the nomination! I pray this blog is an encouragement and blessing to everyone who reads it! Thank you all for your encouragement! Don’t ever forget, Jesus loves you!
This weekend kicks off Thanksgiving break here in America! My wife and kids get the entire week off, which is a huge blessing. We are really looking forward to spending time together. That is what Thanksgiving is all about! Loving each other and being thankful to God for everything!
Aren’t those wild turkeys great?! They live here in our neighborhood and they roam wherever they please. They are usually down near the Cottonwood trees at the bottom of the little valley we live in, but sometimes they wander through everyone’s yards. We even had them in our backyard once. My Mom took that photo when she was out visiting one year. The mama was leading the babies across the street we live on. So cute! God’s creation is amazing!
Thanksgiving goes all the way back to the pilgrims, as so many of us American kids depicted in our elementary school plays. What they didn’t tell us was that those pilgrims most likely would have died if the Natives had not helped them. I am sure they were very thankful indeed to sit down at that first feast with the Natives who saved their lives.
As many of you know, I love history. In keeping with Thanksgiving and American history, here is a fun fact: I have Native American blood in my family line from my Mom’s side. My Mom’s ancestry is from Germany and my Dad’s side is from County Cork, Ireland (hence the name Callahan). My Mom researched our genealogy and found out that my Great (times 6) Grandfather (Johann) Jacob Steinkoenig (later changed to Stoneking), immigrated from Mutterstad, Germany to America in 1747 (29 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence). In 1748 he married a famous Native American Princess from the Seneca tribe named Summer Eve Aliquippa. Summer Eve’s mother was the famous Queen Aliquippa, a Chieftess of the Seneca people. Her father was the famous Oppaymolleh Straight Tail, a Seneca Spiritual Chief. Jacob and Summer Eve had two children and from that blood line I was born about 230 years later. Summer Eve was my Great (times 6) Grandmother, and that is just really cool to me!
Check this out! I even found a photo of Summer Eve Aliquippa online! The daughter of Queen Aliquippa! Truly incredible!
Summer Eve Aliquippa, 1726-December 23, 1774 (Photo from FamilySearch.org)
I encourage you to look up her mother Queen Aliquippa. She is quite famous in American history. George Washington even met with her and she was instrumental in the Colonial wars in America. She also founded the Seneca community known as “Aliquippa’s Town.”
It is a great honor to be a descendant of Queen Aliquippa, Oppaymolleh, and Summer Eve! If it were not for the Seneca people in America, I would not be here writing this today. May the Lord pour out blessing and reveal Himself to the Seneca people and all the Native tribes in America! I most likely have cousins among the Seneca that I have never met and I pray blessing and peace over you all in the Name of Jesus, our only God and Savior.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
Jesus speaking in John 3:16
Here is a quote from the Seneca Nation of Indians website sni.org:
“Nya:weh sgeno
Welcome,
The Seneca Nation of Indians has a proud and rich history. We are the largest of six Native American nations comprising the Haudenosaunee or Iroquois Confederacy or Six Nations, a democratic government that pre-dates the United States Constitution.
We are known as the “Keeper of the Western Door,” for the Seneca are the westernmost of the Six Nations. In the Seneca language we are also known as O-non-dowa-gah, (pronounced: Oh-n’own-dough-wahgah) or “Great Hill People.”
Today, the Seneca Nation of Indians has a population of over 8,000 enrolled members. We are the fifth-largest employer in Western New York, creating thousands of new jobs and investing hundreds of millions of dollars to bolster the region’s and New York State’s economy.
We invite you to explore our website to learn about our rich culture and traditions, our diverse and strong sovereign economy and the quality of life that makes us proud to be Seneca.
Nya-weh,
Rickey L. Armstrong Sr., President, Seneca Nation of Indians”
Seneca Longhouse Village
I love learning about my family’s history and I am very thankful to be a part of the rich history of the Seneca people. What an amazing life my Great (x6) Grandpa Jacob had! He ended up living through the American Revolutionary War time period and he died in 1785 in Washington County, Pennsylvania. I don’t know if he fought in the War, but he and Summer Eve lived in the East, so they would have been right in the thick of it. Summer Eve was born in Bedford, Pennsylvania in 1726 and she died on December 23rd, 1774 in the town of her birth. I don’t have any further information about Summer Eve and Jacob, but their children sparked a big family tree that is still going today through my children, my sister’s children, and all my cousins. Praise God!
I am so thankful for family and I love you all! Loving God and loving each other is what life is all about! May we always take care of each other and love like Jesus loves us!
What are you thankful for this year? As we approach Thanksgiving day, may we think about all God has done in our lives and praise Him with hearts full of thankfulness! God is so very good and faithful to us and He is worthy of our praise!
Grace and peace to you all and Happy Thanksgiving!
Most of you know that I am from Colorado. I enjoy taking photos and I enjoy sharing them, so tonight I would like to show you some recent Rocky Mountain sunset shots from earlier this month. I am posting this late because I had a dentist appointment today, so I figured I would just share a few photos and a couple verses from God’s Word. God bless you all, enjoy!
“Praise the LORD, O my soul.
O LORD my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
He wraps himself in light as with a
garment;
he stretches out the heavens like a tent
and lays the beams of his upper
chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds his chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.”
Psalm 104:1-3
Praise the Lord! God reveals his splendor and majesty in His creation and it is beautiful! Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for our sins!
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I received a message from WordPress the other day with a little pin letting me know there are now 1,000 people subscribed to my blog. All I can say is praise God! Somewhere in-between all my suffering and breaks from writing over the last year and three months of blogging, the Lord has continued to use this blog according to His will and purpose. I am very grateful and it is so cool to see how God is using it to spread the Gospel around the world! Thank you all for coming to my blog and giving Jesus and His Word a chance! Thank You Jesus!
I don’t write this post as some kind of trophy of numbers. That is not at all what this blog is about and it’s not what I’m about. There are currently 1,016 people (including email subscribers) from 136 countries around the world reading my blog. Those are not just numbers on a page as if we are keeping score in some insane social media popularity game. That is not why I started blogging and that is not why I wrote my testimony and published it. Those numbers represent actual people and Jesus is all about loving people!
The Lord has done many miracles in my life and He told me to share what He has done for me and preach His truth to the world! This blog is about loving people and souls getting saved! This is a calling and a mission to preach the Gospel in fulfillment of the Lord’s command in Matthew 28:18-20!
“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior in October of 1996, and I have been preaching the Gospel here in America for 23 years now. Back in early 2018, the Lord told me He was going to use me to preach the message of the Gospel to the world, and that is exactly what He has done with this blog and continues to do to this day. May His will be done!
“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:22-24
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:23
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Ephesians 2:8-9
That is why God called me to write this blog! Each and every one of those numbers in the 1,016 represent a human soul that God created and loves! They represent all of you! Beautiful souls that Jesus died for to set free from sin and death! That is what this blog is about! Just like my mission statement says at the top of my blog, this site is about helping people come to Jesus, helping people understand the Bible, and ministering to a lost and hurting world.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Jesus speaking in John 3:16
And the world is lost and hurting, is it not? Very much so! We all need a Savior and His Name is Jesus. He is the only One who ever died for our sins to reconcile us back to God. There is no other Name by which we can be saved. That is why this blog is all about the hope, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love of Jesus Christ! Only Jesus can wash away our sins and save us! Jesus Christ is Lord!
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Acts 4:12
Thank you to all of you who have stuck with me since I started the blog on August 10th, 2018! It has been an amazing journey of God’s grace and I am just thankful to be a part of it. All of you encourage and inspire me every day to stand up strong and keep going and I pray this blog is a source of blessing and encouragement for all of you as well! I truly pray people will come to know Jesus because of something they read here. My entire purpose and heart for this blog is to preach the Gospel to the world unashamed.
“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…”
Romans 1:16
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9
“for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:13
That is the truth and power of the Gospel! Jesus can save anyone at anytime and you are never too far gone for Jesus to save you! That forgiveness and salvation is offered to every single human soul on earth no matter where you are in the world, amen! Call on Jesus to save you and He will save your soul!
I also want to say welcome to all the new folks that subscribed to my blog while I was taking a long break in October and the first part of November! Thank you all for reading my blog! I look forward to getting to know you all! I pray this is a place of rest where people can get to know Jesus and learn from God’s Word in peace.
As writers, we always have to consider our audience. When I write now, I think of all of you and all the countries you are from. I read your blogs and enjoy learning about your interests, cultures, and beliefs. I pray for you as I read about your troubles and challenges as well. Part of my ministry is also sharing things about my life, my suffering, and my walk with Jesus, and I hope that helps people get an inside look at how God works in the lives of those who love and follow Him.
The Lord has done mighty miracles in my life and He can do the same for you! God still sends angels (and yes, they most definitely exist), He still casts out demons (yes, they exist too), and He still does Lazarus miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit! I am living proof of all those things and I am here to tell you that nothing is impossible for God!
It is so exciting to see God’s Word go out into all the world! If any of you ever have any questions or need prayer, please let me know! Also, if you have accepted Jesus by faith as a result of reading my blog, please let me know! I would love to rejoice with you and pray for you! I am here to help as an Ambassador of Christ and I freely give what He has freely given to me. I am just a servant of the Most High God, the One and Only, King of kings and Lord of lords and I am here to bring glory to His Holy Name…the Holy Name of Jesus!
Photo by Ryan: Pretty morning snow October 24th, 2019
Hello everyone and God bless you all! I have been having trouble writing the last few days because I am in pain again. I have been fighting it all morning and I am exhausted. I honestly don’t know what to write today and I have been praying about what the Lord would like to say, but all I can think of is “be honest about the pain.” So, here I am doing just that.
Yes, I am in pain, but I will press on. I am leaning into Jesus and resting in Him. More like, I am totally exhausted and He is carrying me. And you know what? That’s okay. Sometimes, all we can do is fall into the arms of Jesus and let Him hold us and comfort us.
I have been asking the Lord for mercy today. I have prayed that He would pour out His Holy Spirit on me and heal me. I know He can do miracles. He has done them in my life before. I am also asking for strength to endure. I know the Lord will work all of this out for my good because I am His and He loves me. I love Him and I have been called according to His purpose. May His will be done!
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
The Lord brought this verse to my mind yesterday and I prayed that He would empower me to do what it says:
“So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”
1 Peter 4:19
Amen! I know the Lord is faithful and I know He still has good plans for me and my family! The Christian life is not a life void of suffering. On the contrary, many of us bear a cross of suffering and we must press on for Jesus. There is a reason. He has not left us and He never will! God has a will and a purpose and it will all be revealed in time. May we overflow with hope as we trust in Him!
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13
Jesus Christ is Lord! May His will be done in all things!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
The sun is going down here in Colorado and it will be traveling to the other side of the world now giving heat and light to my friends overseas. Enjoy it! It was almost 60 here today and I enjoyed it very much. This post is a bit late, so I will keep it short and sweet. I have been trying to write a post all day, but errands must be done at times. As I watch the setting sun tonight, I just want to say that I am so thankful to God for everything He has done in my life! He is the God who performs miracles and wonders and He is worthy of our praise!
Despite Celiac and all I have suffered, the joy in my heart from knowing Jesus and being filled with the Holy Spirit is all consuming! I just want to stop and give the Lord some praise! Thank You for another day Lord! Thank You for the breath in my lungs! Thank You for saving me when I stopped breathing! Thank You for never leaving me! Thank You for being merciful to me even in Your discipline! Thank You for treating me as a son You love! Thank You for Your forgiveness and grace! I am forever grateful to You Lord, may Your will be done, amen!
I love worshiping the Lord! I did a post about Kanye yesterday. I have been listening to his album all day and giving Jesus big praise. Here is an awesome video of Kanye and his Dad on Kanye’s 4,000 acres in Cody, Wyoming. That’s not too far from us actually. This is a really cool music video and I love his outdoor toys and watching them play in the snow. I love ATVs, trucks, and all that, so this is fun to watch. The vehicle with the giant tires is awesome! Kanye is like us mountain men! His Dad is a strong believer and has been for a long time. So cool to see their family’s joy. It’s amazing how Jesus changes people’s hearts! The song is called “Follow God.” I love the honesty in the song and the beat is sweet, enjoy!
“Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy
name.”
Psalm 103:1
Thank You Jesus for everything! Thank You for saving my soul! Thank You for dying for the whole world!
Have a beautiful blessed evening, and for those of you catching the sun now, have a beautiful blessed day!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
During my break from blogging in October, there was a lot of drama about Kanye West coming to Jesus and his new album titled “JESUS IS KING.” I saw some believers accepting him and welcoming him, and I saw others judging and condemning him. I wanted to hear it from the man himself, so I bought his album and I have been watching interviews where he shares his testimony. I believe this man has had a deep encounter with Jesus and I praise God for it! The Lord can save anyone and I give Jesus big praise for saving Kanye West! As I tweeted to Kanye the other day, welcome to the family brother!
No, I don’t know Kanye personally and he doesn’t know me. He has about 30 million followers on Twitter, so he might not ever see my tweet, but I wanted to welcome him and let him know I am praying for him. He is my brother in Christ now! I prayed for him to come to Jesus many times. I pray for all kinds of famous people to accept Jesus. Nothing is impossible for God!
I can relate to Kanye and the worldly life he lived before coming to Christ. Everyone that knew me before I came to Jesus thought I was the last person that would ever be preaching about Jesus. I was all about the girls and the parties. I was all about my sin and feeding my flesh every pleasure and desire it wanted. I hated God and I hated Christians. God reached into that darkness and saved me and He did the same for Kanye! Jesus Christ can save anyone!
I have never purchased one of Kanye’s albums before this. I got saved in October of 1996 when I was 18 and I haven’t listened to worldly music since then. God convicted me early on to get rid of all my old music and from that day on I have listened to only Holy Spirit filled Christian music for the last 23 years. It is so amazing and powerful that God saved Kanye! It has been encouraging and uplifting listening to his born again album! JESUS IS KING is a beautiful testimony of a man who understands what he has been saved from and he gives all the glory to Jesus!
I grew up listening to rap and hip-hop and you all know I love artists like TobyMac and Lecrae and the whole Reach Records crew. I know not everyone is into rap, but Kanye’s new album is not what you would expect in rap. It is a beautiful Gospel album fully centered on Jesus. It’s amazing I am even saying that about an album by Kanye West! The beats, piano, choir singing, horns, and rapping all glorify God! Praise God!
When I hear people judging him and doubting his salvation, I think of the verses in Titus chapter three. I think about what God saved me from and how vile I was in my sin before I came to Christ. I think about how merciful and loving God is and I wonder if those who are judging him have forgotten just how much grace was poured out on them.
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”
Titus 3:3-7
Give this brother grace to grow and learn and pray for him. He gave his life to Jesus less than a year ago and look at what God is already doing with him. I take a man at his word. Kanye is proclaiming Jesus Christ is King and Jesus Christ is Lord and I rejoice in that! I am praying blessing and protection over him and his family and I pray all my brothers and sisters in Christ do the same. Welcome him into the family and rejoice like the angels in Heaven over his salvation!
Jesus Christ is Lord, and Kanye West is preaching that to the world now! He has encountered God’s love and forgiveness and it shows! He really is walking with Jesus and He is filled with the Holy Spirit, amen! Like he says in his songs “Closed on Sunday” and “God Is”:
“Follow Jesus, listen and obey, no more livin’ for the culture, we’re nobody’s slave. Stand up for my home, even if I take this walk alone, I bow down to the King upon the throne. My life is His, I’m no longer my own.”
-Kanye West, “Closed On Sunday” from “JESUS IS KING”
“King of kings, Lord of lords, all the things He has in store, from the rich to the poor all are welcome through the door. You won’t ever be the same when you call on Jesus’ Name. Listen to the words I’m sayin’, Jesus saved me now I’m sane, and I know, I know God is the force that picked me up. I know Christ is the fountain that filled my cup. I know God is alive, yeah!”
-Kanye West, “God Is” from “JESUS IS KING”
Thank You Jesus for saving this brother! Use Kanye for Your glory! Protect him and his family from the evil one! Strengthen him in Your Holy Word and anoint him with wisdom and discernment in the Holy Spirit! Fan into flame the gifts You gave him Lord and may He love you and fear Your Name for the rest of his life! Give him strength to preach the Gospel and bring Your light to the darkness, amen!
Listen for yourself:
Jesus saved me, He saved Kanye, and He can save you too! Don’t ever think you are too far gone in your sins! Jesus died for you on that cross to set you free from sin and death! Come to Him and He will save your soul and set you free! Jesus Christ is Lord and only Jesus can save you! Jesus is your forgiveness from every sin and He loves you more than you could ever imagine! He is the lover of your soul!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Jesus speaking in John 3:16
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”
Jesus speaking in John 5:24
Check out this 49 second song called “Jesus is Lord” where Kanye preaches truth out of Philippians chapter two:
“Therefore God exalted him
to the highest place
and gave him the name
that is above every
name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth
and under the earth,
and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is
Lord,
to the glory of God the
Father.”
Philippians 2:9-11
Grace and peace to you and your family brother Kanye! You have crossed over from death to life through your faith in Jesus and God is glorified! You are one of His children now and you are an heir to eternal life! May He continue to use you for His glory!
Grace and peace to you all in the Name of Jesus, the Name above all names!
Hello friends and family! I am still here and this disease is not going to beat me! I feel like I have been in a back alley brawl for the last month. I haven’t even written a blog post since September 30th! I celebrated my one year blogging anniversary on August 10th and everything was going great, then I got hit again and I kept getting hit, but God is faithful to fight for me every time. Thank you so much for praying for me! Your prayers and your messages of encouragement lifted me up! Jesus has been giving me the strength I need to carry on and He is helping me get back up after getting knocked down hard. I never took my hand from the plow. I’ve just been resting on the plow and I never left the field.
Thank you to all of you on Twitter who have been praying for our family as well! During my break from blogging due to suffering, our daughter got sick again. She ended up having strep twice in October and she has it again right now. She is actually home with me again today. I sent out a prayer request yesterday for her on Twitter and I thought maybe a couple people would see it. God had other plans and He blessed it huge and it went viral! So far almost 500 believers have liked it, 83 have retweeted it, and the prayers just keep coming in! It is so amazing how much God loves us! I had been feeling so dismayed and discouraged and the Lord showed me His love and faithfulness yet again. I am so humbled and encouraged by all of your prayers! She is actually feeling great today with no fever and no sore throat, praise God!
A big part of my prayer request tweet going viral was because my friend Lizzie retweeted it on her Twitter and she has almost 17,000 people on her account. She is the brave woman who spoke out about the problems in California and she ended up on Fox News. I wrote about that back in August. Thank you so much Lizzie for retweeting the prayer request for our daughter! I have never had an outpouring of support like that on Twitter before!
I want to let you all know that Lizzie just started a blog here on WordPress too! Please check out her blog and welcome her to the fellowship! Lizzie loves Jesus with all her heart and she preaches the truth unashamed with boldness and grace. You can find her at: The Concrete Rosebud (concreterosebud.com).
So, you can imagine, October was a tough month for us. I tried to get back to blogging several times, but I was going through so much pain and nausea that I just had to rest. Winter came early here in Colorado too and we had quite a bit of snow. On top of that, I was taking care of our daughter through two bouts of strep (and now a third time). I felt so hopeless when she got it a third time a couple days ago right at the start of the very next month. Thankfully we caught it early and she has a different antibiotic this time that is working great. Please continue to pray for her. Celiac disease lowers her immune system and it is nuts that she has had strep three times in less than two months. Thank you all for your prayers of healing for our family!
I was really beat down and discouraged by all the suffering in October. I also dealt with some anger and I had some more strong conversations with God. I wasn’t even sure if I was coming back to blogging at one point. I didn’t want to discourage anyone and I was feeling very angry and broken about my pain and the pain our daughter was going through. When I am hurting I tend to go totally reclusive like an old bear in a cave, but God always climbs in there and pulls me out in His loving grace. I praise Him and thank Him that He is so gracious and merciful to us.
Through the pain, God put it on my heart to read Psalms. That is pretty much all I read during this last month away from blogging. The Lord led me to Psalm 57 and Psalm 77 shortly after I wrote the post “Giving Him My Brokenness.” It was very encouraging and the Lord let me know that He was right there with me in the pain. We must always stay in God’s Word no matter what we are going through. There is so much light and power and joy in God’s Word! Praise God for the wisdom and understanding He gives us in the Holy Spirit! The Lord is so comforting and loving to us! Don’t ever give up seeking the Lord no matter how bad the pain!
“I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
When I was in distress, I sought the
Lord;
at night I stretched out untiring
hands
and my soul refused to be comforted.
I remembered you, O God, and I
groaned;
I mused, and my spirit grew faint.
Selah
You kept my eyes from closing;
I was too troubled to speak.
I thought about the former days,
the years of long ago;
I remembered my songs in the night.
My heart mused and my spirit
inquired:
“Will the Lord reject forever?
Will he never show his favor again?
Has his unfailing love vanished forever?
Has his promise failed for all time?
Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has he in anger withheld his
compassion?”
Selah
Then I thought, “To this I will appeal:
the years of the right hand of the
Most High.”
I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of
long ago.
I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your mighty deeds.
Your ways, O God, are holy.
What god is so great as our God?
You are the God who performs miracles;
you display your power among the
peoples.”
Psalm 77:1-14
“Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy
on me,
for in you my soul takes refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.
I cry out to God Most High,
to God, who fulfills his purpose for
me.
He sends from heaven and saves me,
rebuking those who hotly pursue me;
Selah
God sends his love and his
faithfulness.”
Psalm 57:1-3
Those verses spoke to my heart in a deeply profound way. There have been times during my suffering that I have felt rejected. There have been times where the pain put me in a state of mind where I wondered if God was with me at all. Many times I have been too troubled to speak. Many times I have been so discouraged I refused to be comforted. Many times I have cried out to God. Through it all the Lord has never left me! He has always shown me that He still loves me and He is with me! His love, promises, mercy, and compassion never fail!
I remember the miracles He has done in my life and the amazing ways He has revealed His power to me and I rejoice! I take refuge in Jesus and He is merciful to me. I know He will fulfill His purpose for me, amen! I celebrated 23 years walking with Jesus in October and I look forward to being with Him many more years and into eternity! He has never abandoned me and He never will!
The pain I was in has subsided for now and I pray it doesn’t come back. As many of you know, I have been fighting Celiac for almost eight years now and sometimes it really knocks me down hard. Just remember, this disease might knock me down, but it is not going to keep me down! In the power of the Holy Spirit I can take a hit and just keep going! God most definitely always sends His love and faithfulness!
I really missed having fellowship with you all while I was gone. I missed reading everyone’s blogs too and I look forward to talking with you all again! Thank you for all the encouraging comments, tweets, and emails you sent while I was in my bear cave of suffering! I appreciate all of you who reached out to me and prayed for our family!
I give it all to Jesus and I will continue in the purpose He has for me to preach the Gospel (John 3:16, Romans 10:9, Ephesians 2:8-9) and share His Word with the world! May His perfect will be done! Here I am Lord, send me!
Grace and peace to you all in the Beautiful and Powerful Name of Jesus!
Ryan Callahan's Blog 
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