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.
I was surprised and humbled to receive the Sunshine Blogger Award yesterday from Vickie at Vickie’s Book Nook and Meditation Corner! Vickie loves Jesus with all of her heart! Check out her site for wisdom and inspiration from the Lord! Thank you Vickie! All glory to God!
My whole purpose in life is to reflect the glory of Jesus and glorify His Name! It is His light within me by the power of the Holy Spirit that shines through me! Jesus is the Light of the World and it is His “Sonshine” that we all desperately need in our souls! God bless you all! This award goes to Jesus for His glory! Jesus is Lord!
Here are the rules for the award:
Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to him/her.
Answer the 11 questions provided by the blogger who nominated you.
Nominate 11 other bloggers and ask them 11 new questions.
Notify the nominees by commenting on one of their blog posts.
List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo on your post
Here are the questions that Vickie asked:
Q: Who is your best friend and what do you have in common?
A: My best friend is my wife, but Jesus is our best friend always and forever! We have so many things in common because we are unified through the power of the Holy Spirit! I am so thankful for my wife’s friendship and love!
Q: What is your favorite place to go and why?
A: I love going up to the mountains to chill and fish. The peace and serenity of the high country here in Colorado shines in God’s glory and it is magnificent!
Q: If you watch television, what is your favorite show?
A: I don’t watch a lot of TV because I don’t have the time, most of it is not worth it, and it is so worldly and disgusting I can’t stand it. I pray for Hollywood. I like the Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel mostly. I love the peaceful nature and I enjoy watching the brotherhood and joy of hunting and fishing. Those are the only channels where the men regularly give glory to God, pray, quote the Bible, and speak the Name of Jesus boldly on their shows! So cool! We also like Expedition Unknown with Josh Gates. I sent him an email and a tweet and I am waiting prayerfully to hear back from him! I pray my book can help him in his search for truth!
Q: What is the book that you would recommend that everyone read?
A: Without a doubt I recommend everyone in the whole world read the Bible! It is literally God’s instruction manual for living life victoriously in His power and love! Jesus died for all of us and He wants you to go to Heaven! John 3:16, Romans 10:9, Acts 4:12!
Q: What is your favorite thing to do on a daily basis?
A: Talk to my Lord and Savior Jesus, read His Word, and share the Gospel! Romans 1:16!
Q: Share an interesting fact about your life.
A: I lived in a haunted house possessed by a demon all through my high school years. I got saved my Freshman year in college in October of 1996, went back to my parents house and cast the demon out in the power of the Holy Spirit over Christmas Break in December of 1996, had two angel encounters in 1998, and then on 4-28-2012 I stopped breathing due to anaphylactic shock, I was with Jesus on the other side for a short time, and the Lord saved me by a miracle of the Holy Spirit! It’s all in my book: “One Man’s Very Strange Supernatural Life” on Amazon! Contact me if you would like a free copy!
Q: What is one word that describes you best? Explain.
A: Passionate! I am passionate about Jesus Christ and helping people come to know Him. Sometimes that can make me seem intense, but I am just pumped up in the Lord!
Q: If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be and why?
A: Celiac Disease. Because it is a chronic illness and part of the fall and I fight it every day.
Q: What do you consider to be the priority of your life?
A: Fulfilling the Great Commission of Jesus Christ that He gave us in Matthew 28:18-20!
Q: Tell us your favorite author and why.
A: The Apostle Paul! Because he wrote the majority of the New Testament and he wrote it in the power of the Holy Spirit!
Q: What is one thing that you wish everyone knew about you?
A: I have a tender heart and I am an introvert by nature, but I am also a lion for the Lord with great boldness and strength from the Holy Spirit! I want everyone to know Jesus! He loves you more than you could ever imagine!
My Nominees!
There are so many awesome blogs and I have met so many great brothers and sisters here that it is very difficult to choose only 11…so I chose 23! I love you all and you have been a great encouragement to me in my walk with Christ! God bless you all!
I am going to stick with the 11 questions that Vickie asked me because they are great questions! God bless you all! Have a blessed and encouraging Friday!
I am really encouraged to be writing this post today! I have been wanting to talk about John the Baptist for a long time. He is a very interesting person in the Bible and he was prophesied about in Isaiah! His main mission from the Lord was to prepare the way for Jesus, so it is very important to know about him!
In order to get the clearest picture of who John was we must start in the Old Testament Book of Isaiah. Isaiah was written some 700 years before Jesus Christ was ever born, but it contains many prophecies regarding Jesus being the Messiah! Before I get to the prophecy regarding John, let me share the prophecies regarding the birth of Jesus:
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
Isaiah 7:14
“Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan–
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”
Isaiah 9:1-7
“Immanuel” is a Hebrew name, which means “God with us.” This is confirmed in the Book of John when the Apostle John wrote:
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14
It is also confirmed in Matthew:
“This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.””
Matthew 1:18-23
Side note: To learn about how Jesus came from Abraham through the covenant of Isaac please read my post “Nothing Is Impossible.” Jesus was also born through King David’s line (Matthew 1:1-17)!
Jesus is the Messiah, our Lord and Savior! Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace and He reigns forever as King of kings and Lord of lords! There are many more prophecies about Jesus in Isaiah and I cannot cover them all in this post. The name Isaiah literally means “salvation of the Lord” and Jesus fulfilled all of the prophecies in Isaiah regarding the coming Messiah! Read Isaiah chapter 53! By His wounds we are healed!
The Israelites during the time of John the Baptist and Jesus knew the Scriptures in Isaiah and they were waiting for their coming Messiah. So, when John the Baptist showed up on the scene to tell them He was coming, it was exciting and powerful! Let’s jump into the book of John!
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.”
John 1:1-9
The Word is Jesus Christ. He is the life and light of men! John the Baptist was a witness to Jesus and he testified that Jesus is Lord!
By the way, before I go further, did you know that Jesus and John were cousins? Yes! Elizabeth (John’s mother) and Mary (Jesus’ mother) were cousins! Elizabeth’s son prepared the way for the Lord and Mary’s son is the Lord! John’s birth was also a miracle because Elizabeth had not been able to have children and she was very old. When Mary was visited by the angel, Elizabeth was already in her sixth month of pregnancy, so Jesus and John were very close in age. What a powerful family tree! You can read about that in Luke chapter 1! Check out what Zechariah, John’s father, said about his son after he was born:
“And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him…”
Luke 1:76
Isaiah prophesied exactly what John would say, again, some 700 years before John the Baptist and Jesus were ever born!
“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.
A voice of one calling:
“In the desert prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.””
Isaiah 40:1-5
This is what John the Baptist had to say when he was questioned regarding his identity:
“Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Christ.”
They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.'”
Now some Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.”
John 1:19-28
That is one powerful testimony! John boldly proclaimed that he was the voice preparing the way for Jesus that Isaiah had prophesied about!
Jordan River
Matthew records the coming of John the Baptist and the picture he paints is one of a man passionately living for God wild and free:
“In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
“A voice of one calling in the desert,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.'”
John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.”
Matthew 3:1-6
Here is what John had to say about his baptizing:
“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Matthew 3:11-12
The next day after John is questioned, Jesus comes to him to be baptized!
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
John 1:29-31
Matthew records what happened when John baptized Jesus and it is mighty!
“Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Matthew 3:13-17
That is incredible! Heaven opened and they saw the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus and they heard God’s voice telling them who Jesus is!!! John the Baptist was blessed indeed!
“Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”
John 1:32-34
You see, that was John’s entire purpose in life! He prepared the way for the Lord and made straight paths for him. He did that by his testimony that Jesus Christ is the Son of God!
After Jesus was baptized, John was nearing the end of his ministry and his life. He was around 30 years old and he was soon to be imprisoned and killed by King Herod. Some who where John’s disciples questioned him because people were now going to Jesus to be baptized instead of John. John is quick to remind them that he is not the Christ and they should look to Jesus now.
“To this John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.”
John 3:27-30
“The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”
John 3:35-36
Right after Jesus was baptized by John, the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the devil for forty days and forty nights (Matthew 4:1-11). At some point during that time, John the Baptist was arrested. Jesus found out John had been arrested after His temptation by the devil. It was at that time that the prophecy in Isaiah 9:1-2 was fulfilled! Check it out!
“When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he returned to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali–to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:
“Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles–the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
Matthew 4:12-17
Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee
That prophecy was fulfilled because Jesus Christ is that “great light” and He lived among them! Praise God! From that time on Jesus began His ministry. John the Baptist prepared the way for the Lord and he became less while always pointing to Jesus in everything he said and did!
Jesus even talked about John the Baptist in Matthew 11:1-19. After being imprisoned John seemed to have doubts that Jesus was the One to come. He was not able to see all that Jesus was doing, so Jesus comforted him and assured him that He had completed his work for the Lord.
“When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”
Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”
Matthew 11:1-6
Jesus then says this about John:
“This is the one about whom it is written:
” ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.”
Matthew 11:10-13
Before the miracle where Jesus feeds 5,000 people with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, John was beheaded by King Herod. You will find that history lesson recorded in Matthew 14:1-12.
John the Baptist did his duty for the Lord all the way to death. The Lord created him to fulfill a prophecy that was written hundreds of years before his time, so he could prepare the way for Jesus, and that is exactly what John did!
My prayer is that all of us who believe would be like John the Baptist and always point to Jesus as we become less and He becomes more! It’s all about Jesus because Jesus is Lord! Jesus is our salvation and that is the number one truth John wanted the world to know!
That is one beautiful Colorado hawk! We see them flying around here every day, and sometimes they land on the tops of our big Austrian pine trees. We back up to open space, so they love to hunt for snakes and mice here, which we appreciate greatly! That is quite a question the Lord asked Job! After everything Job suffered, the Lord speaks to him in chapters 38-41. The Lord asks him a series of amazing questions that reveal God’s sovereignty over all of creation. I am writing this today because I needed to be reminded to trust in the Lord and I want to share how He did that.
I have been struggling with discouragement, so this morning the Lord brought to mind a familiar verse that He has used to speak to me many times. This is what I heard:
“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
Psalm 43:5
When God speaks to my heart like that I stop, listen, and have a conversation with Him. I let Him know how I am feeling and I give Him my heart. He already knows right where we are at in life and He already knows every issue we are struggling with in our hearts, so it is best to be honest with Him.
The Lord has been speaking to me about trusting Him and putting my hope in Him for the last couple weeks. He knows I have been discouraged about many things regarding this disease and what it has done to my life. When I saw the photo of the hawk this morning, I looked up verses about hawks and God led me to the Book of Job. He has used Job many times since I was diagnosed with Celiac on 1-6-2012. Indeed I felt like Job for many years during the worst of my suffering. I felt like Job and Hezekiah.
I have had more tough conversations with God than I’d like to admit over the last 6 years and 10 months. I have asked God many hard questions, some of which I still don’t have answers to. I was angry for a long time and just like Job I despised the day I was born. I was angry at being created at all. Even after the experiences with the demon, God’s angels, and the Holy Spirit miracle where God let me live, sometimes that anger and hurt still rise up and I wish I had never been born. However, through the power of the Holy Spirit I rise up higher and praise God for giving me life!
Suffering is not something any of us want to go through, but I must trust that He is sovereign over every part of my life just as He is sovereign over all of creation. That is what the verse about the hawk says to me. It is not my wisdom that causes the hawk to take flight and spread his wings to the south. It is God’s wisdom that does such things in His creation!
God loves us and He cares for us even when we don’t understand. Even when we are hurting and angry. God carries us and comforts us with His great wisdom and love! Yes, I feel broken. My heart is broken. My body is broken. But I am strong in Christ! My life will never be the same again, I know that, but I also know the plans God has for me are going to be more than all I could ask or imagine.
Like Job, I must trust the Lord despite the loss. Despite the loss of health, despite the loss of employment and income, and despite the loss of strength. I have questioned God way too much during my time of suffering and I have said things in anger that I had to repent for many times. I praise Him that He is slow to anger and we can approach Him with freedom and confidence. If not, I would have been struck down a long time ago! Praise the Lord for His grace and mercy through Jesus!
My heart feels as Job’s did when He replied to the Lord’s questions:
“I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.”
Job 42:2-3
“You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
Job 42:4-6
May the Lord accept that from my heart as well and may the Lord’s will be done!
Our daughter had a choir performance last night, so I had to pick up our son from school yesterday. As I drove west heading out of our neighborhood the sky was lit up beautifully and the rays of sun were shining down through the clouds. I looked up at the magnificent brightness and I saw a cloud that looked just like an eagle soaring through the sky! Check it out! Do you see it?! The sun is the head and the wings stretch out to the left and right with a perfect tail at the bottom! I literally stopped my truck in the middle of the street (thankfully nobody was coming down the road) and I snapped that photo with my phone. God is amazing! My son said it also looks like an angel. Either way, angel or eagle, it is so cool! What do you think?!
Right when I saw it yesterday I thought of the verse regarding soaring on wings like eagles! Celiac makes me very tired and weary at times and I have been fighting this disease every day for almost 7 years. I have been feeling angry about the disease again lately, and that can make me feel angry at God. Yes, even preachers get mad at God sometimes. We are running out of money and I have no way to make a living due to the disease, so anxiety can creep in along with the anger too. When I saw that image in the sky yesterday, the Lord reminded me to hope in Him and renew my strength! I was laughing and praising God when I saw that because it was like He was speaking directly to my heart! He knew I was struggling and I wasn’t really talking with Him about it either. So what does God do? He puts a big shining eagle in the sky to snap me out of it and speak to me! God is so awesome!
“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40:30-31
It is awesome how God gets our attention and He will even use the sun and clouds to speak to us at times! This life on earth is hard. It is painful and sorrowful and it can knock even the strongest of us to our knees. We must remember to put our hope in the Lord and He will renew our strength! When I focus on Jesus and I put my trust in Him and lay down all my worries and fears at His feet, my heart and soul soar “on wings like eagles” and I am no longer tired or weary! When I try to carry those burdens on my own they weigh me down and I begin to stumble and fall. So, I will choose to give my heart, mind, and soul to the Lord today! I want to soar high above all of my troubles and watch the Lord work it all out for good! I know He has good plans for me! The Lord is faithful and we can trust Him!
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
Trust in Jesus today no matter what you are going through! He is trustworthy, faithful, and true, and He loves you!
Lecrae is one of my favorite Christian artists! He is bold and courageous in speaking the Truth of the Gospel and in tackling social issues of our time. I even gave him a shout out at the end of my book! I respect him for his strong stance in Christ! His recording label “Reach Records” includes many talented Christian artists that make up the 116 crew (named after Romans 1:16). This song called “The King” is a song that pumps me up every time I hear it! It gets me up on my feet praising the True King! It is from one of his older albums called “After the Music Stops.” Now I know not everyone likes rap or hip-hop music. I grew up with it and I love how God has broken through the darkness of the music industry with rap and hip-hop that glorifies His Name! This is Holy Spirit anointed music right here! Enjoy!
Yes, I bump this in my big black Chevy as I roll through town! I’m not ashamed of Jesus! So, turn this one up, and listen to the truth these men are preaching! They rap quick, but it is smooth and they glorify Jesus all the way through! This is for you Lord–you are the King of kings and Lord of lords and I willingly kneel before you and say, “Jesus is Lord!”
“Jesus Christ rule this thing!”
“Call Him the Messiah, Anointed One, the Savior, bro!”
-Quotes from “The King” by Lecrae (feat. Flame)
“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
I love that verse in Romans and I think about it often! It is famously known as the “more than conquerors” verse, and it is very important to know what you have conquered if you believe in Jesus! These promises are for every believer in Jesus Christ and they are offered as a free gift to anyone in the whole world who will believe in Jesus, so let’s take a look at the encouraging things the Word of God has to say about it!
Here is the section of Scripture Romans 8:37 comes from for context:
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:35-39
That is a powerful description of many seemingly impossible challenges we have conquered in Christ! Nothing is impossible for God and nothing can separate us from God’s love–not even death! No spiritual warfare, trouble, hardship, or anything else in this whole world can ever overcome our victory in Jesus!
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Jesus speaking in John 16:33
So, because Jesus overcame the world, those who believe in Him also overcome the world!
“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
1 John 5:1-5
That is awesome! What is “the world” exactly? The world is satan’s kingdom. It is a place filled with sin and death and we see this in the world every day!
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.”
Ephesians 2:1-3
Did you know that? Before you believe in Jesus, you are an object of wrath, which God will pour out on the earth in the end. Take a look at what Jesus said in John 3:16 and pay attention to the two verses after that famous verse.
“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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”
Jesus speaking in John 3:16-18
When you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you escape that wrath and you are saved and made alive in Jesus!
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 2:4-7
Did you catch that?! Through Jesus Christ you overcome the world and God raises you up and seats you with Him in Heaven! What a kind and gracious Creator we have! We escape His wrath through Jesus and we are not condemned! That is a mighty spiritual blessing and free gift from God!!! Through Jesus you are no longer under the bondage of sin and death that satan enslaves people with in this world! You are free!
“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death–that is, the devil–and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”
Hebrews 2:14-15
I was most definitely afraid of death before I knew Jesus, but through Jesus I conquered death, the devil, and this world and so did every other person who accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior! You see, Jesus came to destroy what the devil has done to us! He also came to crush him under our feet! Talk about overcoming the world!
“He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”
1 John 3:8
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Jesus speaking in John 10:10
“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
Romans 16:20
Check out what happens to you when you believe in Jesus Christ!
“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
Do you want to cross over from death to life and be delivered from the bondage of satan?! I sure hope so, and Jesus is the only One who can do that for you! Receive that free gift of eternal life today!
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6
“In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
John 3:3
You are “born again” by the power of the Holy Spirit when you choose Jesus by faith! The Holy Spirit is the “streams of living water” Jesus talked about and the Holy Spirit guarantees our salvation inheritance!
“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
Jesus speaking in John 7:38
“By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive…”
John 7:39
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory.”
Ephesians 1:13-14
“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
All of those amazing truths combined are the reasons the Apostle Paul wrote “…we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37)! Through Jesus Christ you overcome the world, which means you overcome satan and all the trouble he causes, you overcome sin, and you overcome death! The fear of death has no hold on those who are free in Jesus! We are no longer slaves to the evil one! We are more than conquerors!
“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
Hebrews 9:27-28
Amen! Come Lord Jesus! Hallelujah!
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Jesus speaking in Revelation 1:8
“On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Revelation 19:16
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23
Hold onto your hope brothers and sisters! Jesus is faithful and He will will remain faithful to the end! The redeemed in Jesus are more than conquerors!
Grace and peace to you all in the Name that is above all names, the Name of Jesus!
The Book of Jude is a very short letter in the Bible right before Revelation. It is only one chapter with 25 verses, but it is a beautiful letter of calling believers to perseverance in their faith. It is also a warning regarding ungodly people, and Jude wasted no time getting right to the point.
Jude is warning the believers about certain ungodly men that had slipped in among them and were causing trouble for the Gospel and the church. Here is how he started his letter:
“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James,
To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ:
Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immortality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.”
Jude 1:1-4
Here is what he had to say about these trouble makers:
“Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.”
Jude 1:14-16
“But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.”
Jude 1:17-19
That is why Jude wrote what he did in verses 20-21. Take another look at the Scripture pin. He was encouraging the believers to stay strong in their faith and he gives them three practical ways to do this:
Build yourselves up in your faith!
Pray in the Holy Spirit!
Keep yourself in God’s love as you wait for Jesus to bring you home to Heaven!
There are many ways we can build our faith up and the biggest one is to read God’s Word! Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, and our faith is rooted in Him!
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
Jesus speaking in John 15:5
So, be in God’s Word every day! That will also help you stay in God’s love. Fellowship and serving others are also great ways to build your faith up. Jesus came to save us and He also came to serve in love, so when you enter into the same kind of work that He did, your faith will be built up!
“On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:12-13
Praying in the Holy spirit is a big one and that will most definitely build up your faith and keep you in God’s love until the day we see Jesus in all His glory! The Holy Spirit is powerful and God’s Spirit is our direct link to conversation with Him!
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
Ephesians 6:18
God wants a deep relationship with each one of us, so build up your faith, pray in the Spirit’s power, and rest in God’s love! This world is going to throw all kinds of problems and challenges at us, even people within our churches that wish us harm at times, but we can overcome them all through Jesus!
Check out how Jude ends his short Holy Spirit power packed letter! It is God who will see us through and He will be faithful to the very end! The Gospel has been entrusted to us and He will empower us to contend for the faith as we stand up for Jesus in our time!
“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy–to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”
Jude 1:24-25
Jesus will usher us into the presence of God where we will stand before Him without fault and with great joy! Jesus is Lord!!! Give Him praise!!! Hallelujah!!!
I love the truth TobyMac preaches in this song from his new album! Following Jesus is awesome! God bless you all! Be at peace in Jesus!
“You are opening my eyes Lord to brand new possibilities!”
-TMac, Edge Of My Seat
Keep your hope flowin’ brothers and sisters! My Dad tells me, “God has your back,” and he is right! God has it all taken care of and He most definitely has us in His hands and nothing can snatch us out of them!
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39
I can testify to the absolute truth of that verse! Jesus is Lord! Grace and peace to you all!
This verse in Ephesians is intense! We are to live our lives wisely and make every opportunity count. Why? Because the days are evil! That gives me serious pause to stop, reflect, and pray whenever I read this! May the Lord give us wisdom and empower us to make the most of every opportunity that He gives us! Amen!
I was doing some research this morning on the ancient Roman amphitheater you see above. It resides in Caesarea, Israel right off the Mediterranean coast. It is still being used today for concerts. I would not want to see a concert there though because I know what kinds of evil things were done in that place. Caesarea was King Herod’s city!
Consider this history lesson from Touryourway.com (Israeli Tour Company):
“Caesarea is the ancient Roman capital of Judaea, housing impressive ruins on a fully-fledged Roman town. And no Roman town would be complete without an amphitheatre in which to enjoy the sadistic spectacles that were so popular at the time. The city was built by King Herod in 22 BC, and with it the amphitheatre that served as a venue for a mass execution of Jews who had revolted against the Romans between 66 and 70 AD. The thousands of captives were taken from Jerusalem where they had unsuccessfully defended the city, and killed en masse in Caesarea for the crowd’s entertainment. 65 years later, 10 sages who had been taken during the famous Bar Kochba revolt were tortured center stage, to the public’s delight.
Every five years, Herod’s port city hosted the gladiatorial games, sporting competitions, and performances. The amphitheater was the foremost venue of entertainment, and going to see people fight to the death was the equivalent of going to see a movie.
This is the oldest Roman amphitheater still standing east of the Mediterranean. It measures 100 meters across and seats 4,000 spectators, a huge number for the time. It is situated by the sea in pride of place in the south of the city. For 500 years, the amphitheater was the center of entertainment in the region. It was home to classic Greek & Roman theatre, and later the genre of pantomime developed, and mime plays were performed which made jokes about the local Jews.”
So, that amphitheater was a place of sin, violence, death, arrogance, and mockery. Yes, the days were indeed evil in their time and they are just as evil in our time! Have you been on Twitter lately? It is nuts! There is so much violence and sin in the world right now most of us believe we are in the end times! By reading the Scriptures in the Word of God and witnessing so many signs of the times, we might just be! I don’t know the times or the dates of the end, but I am keeping watch brothers and sisters!
So, the Apostle Paul warns us in his letter to the Ephesians that we need to make the most of every opportunity. Sometimes opportunities only come once and we never see them again. When those God given opportunities show up, we should take it and give it everything we’ve got in the Lord! Of course we always pray about all things and submit to God’s will in everything. The Lord makes it clear when we are to move and we are to move forward in faith. When the Lord opens doors it is exciting!
That brings me to something I want to share! There is a Christian radio station I listen to here in Denver called WAY-FM. The morning show helped me so much during my suffering with Celiac! The host Brant Hansen is hilarious and witty and it was always very encouraging to listen to him. He also has a co-host named Sherri who is also hilarious and their conversations were always uplifting to listen to when I was hurting so badly.
Two years ago in October of 2016 I emailed Brant regarding a question he talked about on his show. This was back during the political madness of the big Presidential election (that madness is still going on). He had asked about how people deal with the stress from it at work. I had seen a funny bumper sticker on a mini van at church, so I bought the same one online. I had it on my truck leading up to the election. The photo below is what I emailed to Brant. I am really not that cynical. I was just tired of it all back then and I wanted to make people laugh and ease the stress. I did see a guy laughing one day in my rear view mirror as he leaned forward to read it. He was laughing hard too! So funny! Welcome to my sense of humor.
I never heard back from Brant…until a few days ago! Yes, he emailed me back exactly two years later! It was funny because when I got his email it was like I had just emailed him and I remembered the whole thing. I am really encouraged that he wrote back and what he said was encouraging! He apologized about the delay and joked about how he had finally gotten help getting organized. Funny dude!
I did not have a published book or a blog back in 2016, so I told Brant about it in my reply. Through that, I met his assistant who was a very nice and very helpful sister in Christ! She was excited to hear about the book and the blog and she also said encouraging words. I offered to send free copies of my book (you know me, I always do). She accepted the free offer and gave me the station address where they broadcast out of Florida, so I mailed it this morning!
I don’t know what the Lord is going to do with this. He has opened a door and created an opportunity out of an email I sent two years ago! Amazing! I have been praying daily for the Lord to deliver me from this disease and bless me to be able to provide for my family. I have asked Him to allow me to earn an income somehow with my writing. Not through this blog, this will always be free, but somehow. Maybe the book is just for Brant to encourage and strengthen his faith, or maybe he will talk about it on his show. I don’t know. Either way, I am blessed and encouraged right now for just having the opportunity to send it! Please brothers and sisters pray for me and pray over this opportunity in the power of the Holy Spirit! May the Lord’s will be done with it!
I want to be even more open with all of you. The days are evil and I am working for Jesus! I have prayed that the Lord would use my book (which is my testimony) for His glory! I have prayed that it would go out into the world and bear fruit! I will always give away my book for free to anyone who wants one and my purpose in writing it was not to make money. I hate money and I hate talking about it. I wrote it and published it on Amazon because that is what the Lord told me to do. If the Lord wants it talked about on a nationwide radio station and a bunch of people end up buying it, then I will accept that blessing, praise Him for it, and tithe it accordingly. Then I’m paying some bills and taking my kids out for ice cream! The most important thing is that people hear the truth God wrote through me! I preached the truth of the Gospel in love in my book and I testified to the supernatural things God has done in my life with joy! Again, may His will be done! Thank you for your prayers and encouragement!
What opportunities has God brought your way? Let me know if I can pray about anything for you too! I pray for all of us that whatever the Lord might be doing in our lives, we would be faithful and make the most of every single opportunity He blesses us with!
I have been reading the Word this morning, as I do every morning, and this is the single verse that the Lord had me focus on. He gave me the nudge to make a Scripture pin, so I prayed and asked which picture I should use. That zoom shot of the moon I took last year in June is the one He led me too. Check that out! Anything is possible for God! How does He do that?! How does the moon just hang there? Sure all the scientists can give their answers, but it is God who holds the moon in place! All things are possible with God!
It is God who holds everything in place! When I look up to where my help comes from, I see a mighty God who can do all things! Nothing is impossible for God! He can save any soul and He can perform countless wonders and miracles! He can send angels to help us, which I have experienced twice! He can drive out demons, which I have done once through His powerful Holy Spirit! He can even prevent you from dying and give you your breath back after it has stopped, which I also experienced once!
He is the God of all creation and nothing is too hard for him! Remember that today! No matter what you are facing in your life, God is so much bigger and more powerful than anything in this world and He can deliver you from it all! He has given us access to great love, power, joy, and healing through Jesus Christ! His Holy Spirit is real on earth and the Lord is moving in power every day! Jesus is alive and the promise of salvation through Him still exists as much in our time as it did back in Bible times!
“Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”
Jeremiah 32:26-27
No Lord, nothing is too hard for You and You have proven that to me many times and I will testify! Jesus Christ is Lord! God has not given us any other name that can save us. Only Jesus died for us, so we could be reconciled back into a holy relationship with God!
“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
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men–the testimony given in its proper time.”
1 Timothy 2:5-6
Wherever you live in this world, go outside and look up today! You can know the God who made all of this and have a deep personal relationship with Him! This has been accomplished by God through Jesus Christ. When you receive Jesus by faith, you enter into a reconciled relationship with your Creator who loves you deeply! There is nothing you could do to earn this free gift from God. It is something you must individually choose on your own as an act of your free will.
The God of all creation is offering you grace, mercy, and forgiveness through Jesus! Will you accept that free gift or reject it? The choice is yours! I pray you choose Heaven and turn away from the sin, idolatry, and wickedness of this world! There are no other gods or lords. Jesus Christ is God in human form and He is the only One who died to forgive our sins. Every other religion on earth is based on works and keeps people in bondage to their sin. Jesus Christ is the only One who can set you free! There is power in the Name of Jesus and I have witnessed it with my own eyes and experienced it in my very soul! I hope and pray that the Lord will reveal Himself to you all in mighty and personal ways that are undeniable to your hearts! The God who created the moon, which hangs in the sky by His great power, knows you intimately and He wants to spend eternity with you in Heaven! Take that free gift of salvation while you still have breath and let God’s peace wash over your soul!
Grace and peace to you all in the Name above all names, Jesus Christ our Lord!
Ryan Callahan's Blog 
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