Tag: Forgiveness

I was reading tweets this morning and I came across a few things that really made me stop, shake my head, and ask the Lord to spread revival.  I feel so much sorrow and compassion for our society.  It is truly sad what is happening in this world.  Here in America and all over the world, people are calling evil good and good evil just like the Word says the world will do in the end.  It also says people will not put up with sound doctrine as the end draws near, and we see that in our time too.  People want to twist God’s order and they call out for more and more sin to be accepted as normal.  It seems many who do not believe in Jesus want to shake their fists at God as they march in the streets and demand for immorality and depravity to rule the day.  They are on a rampage as they try to do everything they can to stamp out God’s truth from society.  Believers in Christ, do not let it discourage you!  Jesus is coming back soon!  Stand strong in Jesus and don’t back down!

Don’t fret when you see the wicked succeed.  The Lord knows their end!  Just pray for them, speak the truth in love, and keep moving forward with the Lord!  Listen to this wise encouragement from King David’s writings in Psalms.

“Do not fret because of evil men

or be envious of those who do

wrong;

for like the grass they will soon wither,

like green plants they will soon die

away.”

Psalm 37:1-2

“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;

do not fret–it leads only to evil.

For evil men will be cut off,

but those who hope in the Lord will

inherit the land.

A little while, and the wicked will be

no more;

though you look for them, they will

not be found.

But the meek will inherit the land

and enjoy great peace.

The wicked plot against the righteous

and gnash their teeth at them;

but the Lord laughs at the wicked,

for he knows their day is coming.”

Psalm 37:8-13

The wicked would do well to consider the words of Isaiah:

“Woe to those who call evil good

and good evil,

who put darkness for light

and light for darkness,

who put bitter for sweet

and sweet for bitter.”

Isaiah 5:20

We should not be surprised when the world hates us.  Jesus told us the world will hate and persecute those who believe in Him:

“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.  Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”

Jesus in Matthew 10:16

“All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Jesus in Matthew 10:22

“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.  As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.  That is why the world hates you.”

Jesus in John 15:18-19

“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 in John 16:33

The wicked plot against those of us who love Jesus.  They despise that we hold to God’s Word.  They gnash their teeth at us and they want us and the Bible banned from society.  They want us seen as backwards bigots because we speak God’s Truth.  Brothers and Sisters in Christ, do not fret!  It has been this way for followers of Jesus since the very first 12 disciples followed Him!  This is nothing new for God and He laughs at the wicked because He knows their end.  It is our calling to stand firm in Jesus no matter what!  At times it feels as though the world is closing in on us and we are standing all alone against the tide of sin and evil, but take heart!  He will sustain us and we have already overcome the world through Him!

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

2 Timothy 3:12-13

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 1:18

Think about all the persecution the Apostle Paul went through!  Imprisonment, torturous beatings, and ultimately being killed for preaching the Gospel!  Through it all, Paul stood his ground and stood up for Jesus!  Even when everyone had left him out of fear of the Romans, Paul stood unashamed for Christ!

“At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me.  May it not be held against them.  But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.  And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.  The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.  To him be glory for ever and ever.  Amen.”

2 Timothy 4:16-18

Did you catch that?  Paul was in a Roman court being tried for preaching the Gospel and they were deciding whether or not to feed him to the lions!  Nobody showed up in Paul’s defense.  No other Christians came to his side.  Paul was the last man standing and still he stood up for Jesus!  As the hatred of society against Christians got worse, he remained unashamed of Jesus.  As society persecuted Christians, cast them out of society, and became violent against them, he remained unashamed of Jesus.  Paul remained unashamed of Jesus all the way to his death because he knew Jesus is the power of God for the salvation of the entire world!

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

Romans 1:16

Yes, it is getting worse and we are seeing some crazy things in this world.  Here in America, they are persecuting us on social media and trying to destroy everything in our culture related to Christianity.  They hate us, but they are not yet burning Christians on poles to light the night as the Romans did, nor are they feeding us to the lions…not yet anyway.  There are Christians who go through such persecution in other parts of the world and may we never forget to pray for them.

We don’t know the times or dates of the end, but we are definitely seeing the signs of the times.  Just remember, God is in control and He sees us all!  Remember the warnings and encouragement Paul wrote to Timothy as we see more and more godlessness and wickedness in our time.

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God–having a form of godliness but denying its power.  Have nothing to do with them.”

2 Timothy 3:1-5

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:  Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction.  For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

2 Timothy 4:1-5

That sounds just like the time we are living in now!  Especially the part about people being lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.  When Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, persecution was raging against Christians.  Paul knew his time was coming to an end.  He knew the times were going to get worse and he encouraged Timothy to press on for Jesus.  He did not want Timothy losing his peace when he witnessed the wicked succeeding in their evil plans.  Paul wanted him to trust in Jesus and keep preaching the Gospel!

“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

2 Timothy 4:6-8

Shortly after Paul wrote that letter, the Romans beheaded him by sword.  He kept his faith in Jesus to his very last breath and the Lord was glorified through him!  As we see the times getting darker, stand strong in Jesus!  Keep your peace in Jesus, endure this crazy world in the strength Jesus gives us, and speak the truth in love as you shine His light through the darkness!

“So do not be afraid of them.  There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.  What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.”

Jesus in Matthew 10:26-27

“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.  But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”

Jesus in Matthew 10:32

Remember what Jesus told us!  The times will get worse, but He will never leave us and He will be with us to the end!

“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.  And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Jesus in Matthew 24:12-14

“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

Jesus is Lord and only Jesus can save us and that is the truth we preach no matter how much the world hates us!  As the love of the world grows colder every day, keep His love burning bright in your hearts and keep loving people by sharing God’s truth!

“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 the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

“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

Fight the good fight!  Finish the race!  Keep the faith!  No matter how dark this world gets, nothing can take away what the Lord has in store for us!  Even if you are the last one standing, stand your ground in Jesus and keep preaching the truth!  He is with us always and He will bring us safely to His Heavenly Kingdom!

Grace and peace to you all!

 

 

 

 

Thank you all for praying for my Mom!  She had her knee surgery early this morning and she is already back home.  She told me she feels great and her knee already feels so much better!  The surgery went perfectly, praise God!  The surgeons and the entire medical team helping my Mom were great to her and she was amazed at how fast and easy it was.  She was at peace the entire time and she has the big joy from the Lord!  We love you Mom and we are so thankful it went so well!  We give the Lord big praise!  Thank You Jesus!

We appreciate your continued prayers as she heals in the weeks to come.  Thank you all again for praying for her!  The Lord truly does fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in Him, so that our hope overflows by the power of the Holy Spirit!

Have a blessed weekend!

Grace and peace to you all!

Hello everyone!  My Mom is having knee surgery tomorrow (Friday June 21st) and I am asking my brothers and sisters in Christ to please pray for her.  She will be unconscious under anesthesia as she will be undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery.  I am praying that the Lord guides the hands of the surgeons and my Mom is completely healed.  I also pray a hedge of protection around my Mom and pray the Lord gives His angels charge over her and the medical team helping her.  God is with you Mom and He loves you and everything is going to be okay.  I pray His peace washes over you and gives you strength.  You will have a lot of Christians all over the world praying for you!

Thank you all for your prayers!  Praying to Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit is powerful and effective and His peace is all we need as He leads us to victory over the troubles of this world!

Grace and peace to you all!

Love you Mom!

 

Hello everyone and God bless you all!  The blogging issue I was having with my comments being sent to people’s spam has been fixed, praise God!  I chatted and emailed with WordPress support yesterday and they said they fixed it on their end.  They were very professional and helpful and I am thankful for that.  Thanks again WP Support Team!  I also want to share the tips the support team gave me as they apply to every blogger here on WordPress.

Apparently the system thought I was a spambot because I was leaving so many comments on all of your blogs.  Funny, I guess I need to slow down a bit.  I am coming up on my one year blogging anniversary on August 10th.  I am home due to Celiac, so I do this full time.  The readership on my blog passed 700 a few days ago (including email subscribers), glory to God, so I keep very active working for the Lord all day.  I read a lot of blogs and leave a lot of comments and I receive a lot of comments on my posts.  This is a full time ministry and I take each comment to heart.  I always try to respond in a timely manner.  I love chatting with you all!  Just don’t want to make the system freak out!  Here is what they emailed me after resolving the issue:

“Hi Ryan:

Thanks for filling that form out – I was able to make a few changes on our end that should help fix the issue.  Please note that any comments you’ve left prior to this will still need to be found and moderated by each blog owner.

In the future, you should slow down the rate of which you’re commenting on various blogs – that behavior does mimic a spambot and was why you got caught by our automated tools in the first place.

I hope that helps!  Let me know if you have any questions or need help with anything else.

Best,

Carolyn S.

Akismet-Jetpack-Automattic”

Good advice for all of us who blog our hearts out!  You don’t want the system to think you are a spambot!  We all take time to communicate with each other and it’s important that our comments go through correctly.  I appreciate everyone’s help in checking your spam folders!  Thank you for caring!

It’s a beautiful sunny day today, so I was finally able to mow the lawn after all the rain.  While I was outside, I kept thinking about the verses I read this morning regarding not worrying.  One verse stood out the most to me as the Lord spoke it to my heart:

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Jesus speaking in Matthew 6:33

You see, it’s been a trying week.  I have been concerned and praying about financial issues and I beat myself up sometimes about not being able to work a normal full time job anymore due to Celiac.  Although I have lifted it up to the Lord, He knows it has been heavy on my heart.  God loves us so much more than we could ever fathom!  He knows exactly what we need and He has never failed to provide for us.  When there has been trouble, He has delivered us from it.  Where there has been a need, He has provided and He has done so abundantly!  It is beautiful how the Lord speaks to our hearts!  He is our loving Father and He cares for us!  Thank You Lord!

Whether it is trouble with my blog or my health or our finances or whatever, God is in control and all I need to do is seek Him first!  Brothers and Sisters in Christ, is your heart heavy today?  Give it all to God is my advice!  Let it go and lift it up!  Whatever it is that is weighing you down today, give it to Jesus!  He loves you and He will lift you up!

Grace and peace to you all!

 

 

Good morning everyone and God bless you!  We have been getting some rain the last couple days and we had a pretty good storm yesterday.  It is chilly this morning, so I spent some time with the Lord next to our little fire pit out back.  I also took some photos with my good Canon PowerShot camera that I’d like to share with you.  During my time enjoying the stillness of the morning, a set of verses came into my mind regarding the attitude Jesus had and I’d like to share those with you too.

I love being outside in the early morning.  The crisp air from the Rockies is so refreshing and I love hearing the little sparrows sing their morning tune.  Even though it is overcast, it is still a beautiful morning.  I have a wood burning fire pit under the deck, but this little propane fire pit is nice and puts off a good amount of heat.  The kids like roasting marshmallows over it.

Here are some photos of our neighbor’s tree.  I love the pretty flowers that bloom in early summer.  They look like bunches of grapes and they smell so sweet.  Sometimes a good wind will catch it just right and the beautiful fragrance swirls through the air.

Our peach tree made it through the spring snow storms and it is full of peaches!  I had to prune two big branches near the bottom due to the heavy snow damage, but it is strong and thriving.  Take a look at all the new peaches!  Callahan organic peaches make great smoothies!  And they are Non-GMO and pesticide free too!  You know my all natural style!

Our rose bushes are starting to bloom too!

There were no deer in the open space behind our house this morning, but we did have another mountain lion sighting yesterday.  This time it was in the field just behind the houses across the street from us on the other side of the open space.  They have been spotted walking through our open space in the past.  Having dangerous predators around is just a normal part of life here in Colorado, even when you don’t live in the mountains.  We live in an area that used to be a Native American hunting ground complete with bison, elk, rolling hills, a stream, and woods.  We don’t have bison and elk here now, but a lot of wildlife lives in our neighborhood.  We get black bears and mountain lions coming through at times, and there are plenty of resident deer, coyotes, foxes, snakes, hawks, owls, and little critters that call our area home.

Here is the open space.  There is a lot of tall grass back there now and it is real easy for a cougar to hide in it.  Our kids ride their bikes on the trail through there, so I am always vigilant about watching them and I have a .45 on tap to take care of any threats.  Mountain lions are elusive and most of the time people don’t see them, but we know they could be around anytime.  We don’t live in fear, but we are very aware at all times.  Here are some photos of the open space.

The open space is a pretty large area at about 500 yards long.  There is also a connected trail system throughout the entire 300 acres of our neighborhood that links to trails leading into town.  The builders kept it very open and wild, which is cool.

Here are some photos of mountain lions I found online.  The first one is of a mountain lion sitting in some tall grass at a state park here in Colorado.  If these big cats crouch down, they would just disappear in the tall grass in our open space.  A lion could be there and we wouldn’t even know it.  They can get up to 150 pounds and can jump 15 feet high and leap 40 feet.  They have powerful jaws and sharp fangs and they are just as deadly as any jaguar or leopard.

Definitely not something you want to tangle with!  Welcome to Colorado!  It is both beautiful and dangerous.

So, while I was outside by the fire taking pictures, a set of verses from Philippians ran through my mind.  I love these verses because Paul talks about Jesus’ attitude and encourages us to have the same attitude.

“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God

something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant

being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a

man,

he humbled himself

and became obedient to death–

even death on a cross!

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 2:1-11

That is a lot different than the “me, me, me” attitude the world says we should have!  The world tells us to be selfish and fight to “get yours.”  Paul exhorts us to be humble like Jesus and love each other.  To serve and not be selfish.  To have compassion for others and not be vain.  In this crazy world we live in, we need to have the humble loving attitude of Jesus more and more!  It is the absolute best attitude we could ever have!

When we are mocked, love.  When they hate us, love.  When they persecute us, love.  Jesus made himself nothing.  He took the very nature of a servant and humbled Himself to the point of dying on a cross for the forgiveness of our sins!  May His Name be glorified forever!  His Name is above all names and every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, in Heaven and on earth and even the evil one and his horde under the earth!  Jesus is exalted to the highest place sitting at the right hand of the Father in Heaven and He is coming back soon!  Wait for Him, look for Him, and rest in Him and may we keep His attitude and love people the way He does forever!

Grace and peace to you all!

 

 

 

 

 

I don’t usually do two posts in one day anymore, but something is really bugging me here on WordPress and I need help.  It seems many of my comments to your blog posts are going to your spam folder.  That happens to me with your comments sometimes too.  Most of the time I check my spam folder it is filled with spam, but sometimes there are comments in there from people I communicate with daily.  It is strange and I don’t know why it happens.  One day the comments are fine, and then out of nowhere they end up in spam.  When that happens, the comments don’t show up in the notifications either, so you don’t even know there is a comment unless you check the spam folder.  Anyway, I have a request.  If you could please take a moment to help me out and check your spam folder, I would really appreciate it.

Most of my comments are getting through and I have chatted with many of you today.  However, several of you are not seeing my comments to your posts.  I have been reading your blogs and posting comments all day.  A couple of you let me know that my comments had ended up in your spam folder, and I appreciate you letting me know.

Also, I have sent emails to a few of you through your contact page.  When you have the standard WordPress contact form on your contact page, sometimes the emails people send you through your blog don’t get sent to your email like they should.  Instead they go to the “Feedback” page.  That is like the spam for your contact page.

If you are new to WordPress, or you don’t know how to check your Comments spam folder or the Feedback page, I can help.  Here are some pictures of the back office for my blog.  I pay for my site and my domain name, so my back office might look different if you have a free site.  I hope these pictures are helpful!

Here is my blog’s back office.  The two choices in the upper left are “My Site” or “Reader.”  To get to the Comments spam folder and the Feedback page, click “My Site.”

The comments and feedback links are under “Site,” so click that next:

Click Comments to check your blog’s spam folder or click Feedback to check for messages that came through your contact page.

And here is what the Comments folder looks like:

Right now you are looking at my Approved list of comments.  To check the spam on your blog just click Spam.  You can approve or delete comments in the spam folder.  There is even a bulk edit feature, which is nice.

I hope that helps!  Thank you for taking the time to help me out!  I care about the conversations I have with all of you.  I check my spam folder throughout the day to make sure I’m not missing your comments.

Before I go, none of my posts would be complete without some Scripture, so remember:

“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

If you missed my post from this morning, here is that link:

A Further Explanation of Repentance

Grace and peace to you all!

 

 

I have seen a disturbing trend on Christian sites here on WordPress of believers not understanding the word repentance.  Some actually claim that telling people to repent is adding works to salvation and some say we can accept Christ, but we don’t have to turn from sin.  That is not what God’s Word says!  Let me be clear here, repentance is not a work for salvation and we definitely need to turn from sin!  Telling someone to repent is not adding a requirement to salvation!  If you have followed my blog for awhile, then you know I preach that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, just like Jesus and Paul preached.  However, Jesus saved us so that we would live righteous lives that please God!  I don’t want anyone to misunderstand me when I talk about repentance and people need to understand the difference between salvation and sanctification.

We are saved by faith in Jesus alone and not by works. That is clear in Ephesians 2:8-9 and Romans 10:9-13 and that is what I have preached for the last 22 years I have followed Jesus.  We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus and there are no good works we could ever do that would ever save us.

“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 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.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile–the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Romans 10:9-13

The New Testament was originally written in the Greek language.  Repentance is the word “metánoia” in the Greek, which means “a change of mind.”  It also means “a change in the inner man.”  Jesus Himself preached that people needed to repent for the kingdom of Heaven is near (Matthew 4:17).  Yes, we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, but He saved us that we would die to sin and live for righteousness, not to continue living a sinful life.

“From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

Matthew 4:17

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”

1 Peter 2:24

Here is the Strong’s Concordance definition of the Greek word metanoia:

Strong’s Concordance

metanoia: change of mind, repentance

Original Word: μετάνοια, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: metanoia
Phonetic Spelling: (met-an’-oy-ah)
Definition: change of mind, repentance
Usage: repentance, a change of mind, change in the inner man.

To repent most definitely means to have a change in the inner man.  We must turn from sin and live a new life for Christ!  Once you confess faith in Jesus, you receive the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22), who empowers us to live righteously.  We most definitely need to turn from sin.  We are saved by God’s grace and His salvation is a gift to us through faith in Jesus, but God will not allow us to actively and willfully live a sinful life after we are saved.  We will go through a life long process of sanctification (that is being made holy) after being saved where the Lord works in us by the power of the Holy Spirit to be more like Jesus every day.  We may fall at times, but we must turn from sin and live for Christ to be in a right relationship with the Lord.  A person can be saved, but if they are being rebellious and willfully living a sinful life, that person will not be in a right relationship with the Lord and the Lord will have to discipline them.

“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

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ.  He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

If a person continues to live in sin after they are saved, yes they are saved, but they will be under God’s discipline until they turn from it.  Hebrews 12 is very clear about how God disciplines His children.

“In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.  And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

“My son, do not make light of the

Lord’s discipline,

and do not lose heart when he

rebukes you,

because the Lord disciplines those he

loves,

and he punishes everyone he accepts

as a son.”

Hebrews 12:4-6

Consider what the Apostle Paul said in Romans:

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

Romans 6:1-4

The Apostle Peter also admonishes us to not use God’s grace as a cover up for sin.

“Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.”

1 Peter 2:16

The other day, I read a blog where the person said that to repent means to change your mind about sin, but not turn from it completely.  That is not accurate at all!  Jesus said to repent for the kingdom of Heaven is near!  To repent most definitely means to turn away from sin and turn towards God and go His way.  Yes, it means to change your mind and that means a person must change their mind about living a sinful life and not live a sinful life anymore, hence turning from sin completely!  For example, someone living a homosexual lifestyle who receives Jesus by faith will have to turn away from that homosexual lifestyle.  God will not allow them to continue living that way after they are saved.  If the person does, then he/she will be disciplined by the Lord until they repent and turn back to God.

Salvation and sanctification are two different things.  We are saved by grace through faith, then the Lord sanctifies us (makes us holy) by the power of the Holy Spirit He gave us.  A person can be saved and they may fall into sin, but the Lord will discipline them and bring them back.  He will go after that one sheep who wanders off and He will never leave us nor forsake us.  We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus and we cannot lose our salvation once we truly believe in Him, but we must die to sin and live for righteousness once we are saved.

“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.  They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.  Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

You, however, did not come to know Christ that way.  Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.  You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Ephesians 4:17-24

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

2 Corinthians 5:17

The way some believers explain repentance makes it sound like it’s okay to keep living a sinful life after you are saved, and that is not true.  Some of them even say telling people to repent is false preaching!  What?!!!  It is not false preaching to tell someone they must turn from sin!  If a person will not turn from sin, then how can they turn to Jesus to be saved in the first place?  When Jesus told people to repent for the kingdom of Heaven is near, He was telling them to turn from sin and believe in Him.  Telling someone to repent is not adding a requirement for salvation!  We are clearly saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus and not by works.  Telling people to repent is simply following the example Jesus set in telling people to turn from sin and believe in Him.  Repentance alone, that is changing your mind about sin and having a change in your inner person to turn away from sin, does not save you.  Jesus Christ saves us and it is repentance that leads us to salvation by faith in Jesus.

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

2 Corinthians 7:10

Telling someone to repent (turn from sin) and accept Jesus by faith is the most loving thing you could do for them!  If a person comes to you and tells you that you can believe in Jesus and just keep living a sinful life, that person is a liar and they are not sharing the true Gospel!  Once you believe in Jesus, you are filled with the Holy Spirit and God makes you a new creation in Christ!  The old person you were in your life of sin is dead and gone and you now live a new life in the righteousness and holiness that has been given to you by God’s grace!  You will not be able to keep living a sinful life after you accept Jesus.  The conviction of the Holy Spirit inside of you will lead you forward in righteousness and you must turn away from a life of sin!

“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.  For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.  They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, orgies, and the like.  I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Galatians 5:16-25

“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.  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.”

Ephesians 2:1-5

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

Please don’t ever misunderstand my preaching or take me wrong.  Yes, we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus and that salvation was purchased in full through Christ’s blood and we cannot lose it, but we must turn from sin and live for righteousness!  Sin leads to death and Jesus did not die for us to continue living in sin!  He died for us, so we could be reconciled with God and made holy and righteous before Him!  Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you don’t need to turn from sin.  Preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ includes telling people to repent for the kingdom of Heaven is near just like Jesus did!  Change your mind about living a sinful life that leads to death, turn away from sin, and turn to Jesus and live!  That is what repentance means!  True godly sorrow about your sins leads to repentance, which leads to salvation in Jesus!  Once you are saved, the power of the Holy Spirit inside of you will empower you and give you the desire to stay away from sin and not live that way anymore!

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is not hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.  Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.  You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.  But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.  Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.  Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Colossians 3:1-14

If you believe in Jesus, then you are a new creation in Christ and your life is now fully in Jesus!  Your old self died and you have crucified your sinful nature, so live by the Spirit and die to sin and live for righteousness!  Preach the true Gospel of Jesus that includes repentance of sin, and exhort people to turn from sin and turn to Jesus!  The world wants to water down the Gospel and exclude telling people they are sinful.  The world doesn’t want to hear the truth that we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God, but if they don’t understand that crucial truth, then they won’t understand they need a Savior.

“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.  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 3:21-24

Every single one of us on this earth has sinned and we need to repent of our sin (change our inner man and turn from sin) in order to turn to Jesus and be saved by faith in Him!  May the Lord’s will be done in all things and may He give us an undivided heart to fear His Name and love Him first.  May He create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us.  May He hide His Word in our hearts, so that we will not sin against Him.  May He give us a great hunger and thirst for righteousness and may we fully embrace the new life He has given us through faith in Jesus!  Jesus is our salvation, holiness, and righteousness and we live to please Him, not our sinful nature!

Grace and peace to you all!

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there!  Being a Dad is a great honor and gift from the Lord!  God bless you all in your journey of fatherhood!

The above photo is what I woke up to this morning.  My wife made her special gluten free cinnamon doughnuts for me.  They are delicious and the cinnamon is great for regulating blood sugar.  They are also made without soy, dairy, or eggs.  Thank you honey for becoming an amazing gluten free chef!  My daughter made me the card in the middle and my son made me the bag with the mountain scene drawing on it.  Awesome job kids, I love it!  They also packed the bag with a bunch of doughnuts wrapped in a cloth.  I feel very loved and my heart is full!

I love my kids with all of my heart, but as much as I love them, I am an imperfect father.  The greatest gift I could ever give to my kids is to help them develop a strong relationship with their Heavenly Father.  God loves us perfectly and He loved us so much that He died for us, so we could be with Him in Heaven forever!  God’s love for my kids is perfect and He knows them and what they need completely.  We can trust in God’s love for us and His love is never failing!  When you believe in Jesus, you are adopted by God and you become one of His children!  You become a son or daughter of the Lord and you become an heir to Heaven!  That is the incredible love God the Father has for us!

“For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.  And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

Romans 8:15

“You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

Galatians 3:26-29

Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”  So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.”

Galatians 4:6-7

No matter who you are, you have a Father in Heaven who loves you and wants to be with you forever!  God is a perfect Father and His love can heal your heart and soul!  Our earthly fathers are not perfect and I know many people had bad fathers or grew up without a father.  I want to encourage you that God is not that way!  God will never leave you nor forsake you!  Once you belong to Jesus, you are God’s child forever!  His love for you never ends and nothing can snatch you out of His hand!

“…God has said,

“Never will I leave you;

never will I forsake you.”

Hebrews 13:5

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.”

Jesus speaking in John 10:28-30

“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

If you don’t know Jesus, come to Him today and become a child of God!  Receive forgiveness of all of your sins and the salvation of your soul!  Your Father in Heaven who created you and loves you more than you can imagine wants to give you eternal life!  Accept God’s great love for you and receive the inheritance of Heaven!

“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

Our Heavenly Father is the perfect representation of how a father should love.  I want to love my kids like God loves me.  He is kind, compassionate, patient, and forgiving.  God’s love sets the bar for what defines a good father.  It is through His love alone that I can be the loving father He has made me by the power of the Holy Spirit!  I want my kids to be totally covered in God’s love every day!  It is His love that has set them free; it is His love that has set us all free!

To all the Dads out there, love your kids like God loves!  Have a blessed Father’s Day!

Grace and peace to you all!

“He who fears the Lord has a secure

fortress,

and for his children it will be a

refuge.”

Psalm 14:26

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

Ephesians 6:4

“Train a child in the way he should

go,

and when he is old he will not turn

from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Ephesians 5:1-2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Did you know God gives His people wings to soar?  It’s true!  By the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord empowers us to rise above any trouble this world throws at us!  Don’t ever forget that great encouragement!  When you believe in Jesus you are one of God’s children and nothing in our lives is impossible for God to overcome!  Wait on the Lord and He will lift you up!  Your way is not hidden from the Lord.  He loves you and you can trust in His love!

“Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

and his understanding no one can

fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

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 40:28-31

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, whatever you are going through today, remember to wait on the Lord and hope in the Lord and He will renew your strength!  He is the Creator of the ends of the earth and we cannot fathom His understanding!  It is far too great!  We must trust His plan and will for our lives.  The prayer that has given me the greatest peace amidst trials and suffering is simply, “may Your will be done Lord.”  The Lord is everlasting and He does not get tired or weary.  He sees you and He loves you!  He will give you strength, He will increase your power, and you will soar on wings like eagles as you follow Him to victory!  May Your will be done Lord Jesus, Amen!

Grace and peace to you all!

Hello everyone and God bless you all!  I am really soaking up the sun and enjoying summer with the fam!  It’s going to be 81 degrees today!  I’m sitting on the porch right now typing this on my laptop and the kids are riding their bikes.  I wanted to tell you about a conversation I had yesterday with the stylist who cuts my hair.  It’s cool when God opens up doors to speak about my faith in Him!

I have been going to this stylist for years and she is great.  My wife and kids go to her to.  Her Mom has Celiac too, so we have always had a lot to talk about.  She knows we believe in Jesus and we have talked to her about our church too.  She also knows how terribly I suffered as she witnessed it firsthand with the drastic weight loss I had.  We have had many conversations and she has always been caring and understanding about Celiac.  She is not a believer (yet), but she has always been respectful of our faith too.

As we started talking while she began to cut my hair, she asked me about the food I have to eat.  We talked a little bit about it and then she asked, “Don’t you get sick of it?  How do you stand it?!”  I let her know that I definitely get sick of eating the same thing all the time and that sometimes I feel like a prisoner in my own body, but then I said, “I rely on my faith in God.”  I told her I cry out to Him and I give Him my frustration about it too.  She was just quiet and nodded respectfully.  After that, we just kept on talking like we always do.

That was it.  No big sermon or 2,000 word Bible study like here on my blog.  Just a simple acknowledgement that my strength comes from God alone and that is how I am able to endure this disease.  I hope and pray that the joy and encouragement the Lord gives me to keep a good attitude is a witness in itself because it is only through the Lord that I have any joy or encouragement at all.  I pray our stylist comes to know Jesus and I pray that all the conversations we have had will somehow help her make that decision.  It is the most important decision a person can make regarding their eternal soul!

The Apostle Peter encourages us to always be prepared to talk about our faith in Jesus.  At any moment someone may ask us to bear witness, so be prayed up and ready wherever you are and whatever you are doing.

“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.”

1 Peter 3:15

I only have hope today in spite of Celiac disease because of Jesus!  His Holy Spirit inside of me is what gives me the hope, joy, and encouragement to press on!  Jesus is the reason for the hope that I have, period!  If I did not have Jesus, I would have died from this disease at age 33 on April 28th, 2012!  He gave me my breath back and let me live and I am forever grateful!

May the Lord use us and the gifts He gave us as He sees fit and may His will be done in all things!  Jesus is Lord and He is coming back soon!  May He give us the strength to stand up for Him at all times!

Grace and peace to you all!