Tag: Forgiveness

Good morning everyone and God bless you all!  The storm was not as bad as they said yesterday.  The snow is already melting and we are right back to bright sunny blue skies today.  I was contemplating a verse this morning that kept running through my mind.  I kept seeing the first part of the verse that goes like this: “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.”

That sentence is from a verse in the Book of 1 Corinthians:

“Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.  Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.”

1 Corinthians 1:26

I think it is important to remember where we came from and the same is true for Christians.  Not to beat ourselves up about the past, but to praise God for the abundant grace that has been poured out on us.  Folks, the man you know here on this blog that writes about Jesus all day every day is not the same man I was before Jesus called me.

If you had known me when I was 18 in 1996, you would have been praying hard for me.  I hated Christians.  I would actually get angry and cuss at them when they tried sharing the Gospel with me.  I said the “F” word all the time in just normal every day conversation. I was a fornicator and a drunkard and I loved to party.  I had no intention of ever accepting Jesus and I sure didn’t think I would spend the majority of my life preaching about Him, but I praise God that He had other plans for my life.

“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

I was most definitely dead in my transgressions and sins, and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, that is the evil one, had a grip on me.  I followed his #1 rule, which is to do whatever feels good and do whatever you want.  That way of living leads to death–plain and simple.

I praise God every day for saving me!  I remember the darkness of following the ways of this world and the pain, loneliness, and hurt that come with it.  I remember the evil we lived with and how terrifying death was to me.  I remember the drunken nights every weekend and the confusion and sorrow that caused.  I remember the one night stands that left my heart broken and raw.  I remember what it was like to follow the evil one’s way in this world and all he ever tried to do was kill me!  Praise God for the victory that He gives us through Jesus Christ!  Praise God!!!

“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

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

Romans 6:23

God has been so kind to me and I rest every day in His incomparable grace!  It is incredible that God will call us when we are so messed up we hardly know right from wrong anymore, and then He raises us up with Jesus and anoints us with a spiritual blessing of being seated with Him in the heavenly realms!  That is, those who receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior by faith are protected by the power of His blood shed for us on the cross!

“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

I could have died in my sins so many times, but the Lord saved me and I will never forget that!  He had mercy on me, He poured out His grace and kindness on me, and He showered me with forgiveness and love.  He wants to do the same for you and He is calling you!  Do you hear Him?

“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

No matter where you are in life right now, do not ignore His call!  God can save anyone no matter how deep in the darkness they might be.  He is calling you out of that darkness this very moment!  Reach out and take His hand!  He will save you and set you free just like He did for me!

“It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God–that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”

1 Corinthians 1:30

I was definitely not wise, righteous, holy, or redeemed before I accepted Jesus by faith!  I only preach about Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit inside of me that was given to me when I received Him (Ephesians 1:13-14).  Let us always remember that we never were, never are, and never will be righteous in ourselves.  Those who follow Jesus are only made righteous, holy, and redeemed through their faith in Him.  We are justified through His sacrifice on the cross alone!  Remember what you were when you were called and let us never forget the grace, mercy, and kindness that has been poured out on us!

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

Romans 8:1-2

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 5:1

“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 promising eternal life in John 3:16

Thank You for rescuing me Lord!  Continue to make me the man you want me to be and may Your will be done!  Jesus is Lord!  Come to Him today and He will make you brand new by His power and love!

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them.  And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Not counting men’s sins against them!  You can only find that through Jesus!  From a fornicating drunk party animal to an ambassador of Christ.  Only God can create a new creation like that!  Jesus loves you and He wants to make you brand new!  Accept His love and forgiveness today and be reconciled to God!

Grace and peace to you all!

 

Hello everyone!  I wrote a post this morning titled “Of Spring Storms & Souls” and part of that post was talking about a tornado I filmed back in August of 2008 and how I was interviewed by our local Fox 31 news about it.  This morning I was not able to upload the video of the news interview with the footage of the tornado, but I just did it and it worked!  For those of you who already read the post this morning and missed the video, I am also posting the video here, so you can all see the tornado.

Nobody was hurt in this tornado and there was only minor damage to a few homes.  I had just turned 30 that summer of 2008 and I had not been diagnosed with Celiac disease yet.  It was fun being on TV and I’m really glad I filmed that tornado!  Praise God nobody was hurt or killed!

“He stilled the storm to a whisper…”

Psalm 107:29

Enjoy and God bless you all!  P.S. The video faces the correct way once you hit play.

Ryan’s Fox 31 Denver News Interview with Jon Bowman:

One reality those of us who live next to the Rocky Mountains have to deal with is the ever changing weather, especially in the spring.  It was in the 70s the last couple days and the sun was shining, but today we are due to get another blizzard.  Yes, we have snow storms in April and even May and I have even seen snow hit in June.  June is rare, but it happens.  The cloud cover is so thick today we can’t even see the mountains.  They are saying this could be another “bomb cyclone” blizzard where we get an intense pressure drop with high winds.  We had category two hurricane winds in the last one.  This is normal life in the high desert Rocky Mountain region of the United States and we take measures to prepare for every storm our beautiful state throws at us.

In early spring we get blizzards, then come the lightning storms with hail, then the tornado warnings.  On August 24, 2008 (back when the DNC was here), I actually filmed a tornado that was just a couple miles west of our home.  I called Fox 31 News Denver and Jon Bowman (a well known reporter to Coloradoans) came out to our house and his camera guy downloaded my footage.  Jon did a live interview with me for the news that night.  That was cool.  The news people sent me a video of my interview too.  That’s the only time I’ve ever been on TV.  I don’t ever want to be in a tornado, but they are fascinating to watch as long as nobody gets hurt and nothing is damaged.  The one I filmed was in an open field and disappeared quickly.  A few homes had minor damage, but nobody was hurt.

The video is old and it’s on a DVD, so I took a video of it playing on my computer and uploaded that to the blog.  I had just turned 30 that summer of 2008 and I had not been diagnosed with Celiac disease yet.  I hope the video plays right for you all, enjoy!

 

 

In case you missed the rooftop picture, here is what that same view looks like on a clear day:

We get a lot of sunny days here and most of the time we have bright blue skies, but the storms of the Rockies are no joke and we have to be prepared at any moment for the weather to change.  Believe me, you don’t want to get caught in a mountain valley or peak in a pouring thunder storm with lightning–you better get out of there quick!  After my friends and I climbed Long’s Peak (14,259 feet) in 1998, we got caught in a lightning storm in the Boulder Field at 12,670 feet on the way back down and it was like having canons going off all around us!  The bolts of lightning were crashing all over the place and we could hear rocks exploding!  We ran for our lives all the way back to timberline (because Long’s is above timberline in the alpine tundra).  You don’t want to be caught in a Colorado hail storm or tornado either or be hiking the high country when the temperature drops suddenly and you are not prepared.  Many people die in our state due to poor planning and a lack of knowledge.

“…my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge…”

Hosea 4:6

Life is just like that.  Everything is going fine and sometimes you almost touch what could be described as a perfect day, then out of nowhere you are surrounded by dark clouds of trouble.  This is the way it is for all of us no matter where we live on earth, but we do not have to be defeated by the storms!  God has given us the knowledge to be victorious and overcome this sinful world!

What is this knowledge?  It is the knowledge that God loves us and He became flesh to die for us and save our souls!  There is no higher knowledge than that of God’s saving grace!

“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

We must be prepared for the storms of life and we must ultimately prepare for that most certain of final storms called death.  I have lived in Colorado for most of my life and based off that knowledge I prepare myself and my family for the storms.  So it is with my soul and the souls of my family.  God has given us everything we need for our souls in His Word, the Bible.  It is through that life giving knowledge that we are not destroyed, but we have to individually choose to believe in Jesus in order to overcome this world and be saved.

“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

Going further into this knowledge about Jesus:

“This is the one who came by water and blood–Jesus Christ.  He did not come by water only, but by water and blood.  And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.  For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.  We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.  Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart.  Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.  And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

1 John 5:6-12

That knowledge is powerful and can save your soul from being destroyed!  If you want to visit Colorado, my advice would be to not come in the spring due to the crazy storms.  If you do come in the spring, stay out of the rivers that are too high and fast from the high country’s winter run off.  People are hurt and killed trying to go tubing in them every spring.  I would also advise that when visiting in the summer be sure to get off the mountain peaks before the afternoon thunder and lightning storms hit.  If you want advice on how to overcome this world and save your soul, I would advise you to run to Jesus and put your faith in Him!  He is the only One who ever died to forgive your sins and give you eternal life!

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Jesus speaking in John 3:17

Jesus will give you victory over the storms of this life, you will overcome the world through Him, and He will save your soul!  Just some straight forward advice from a mountain man who loves the Lord.

Grace and peace to you all!

 

 

 

 

 

This world is stressful and that is an understatement.  There are a great number of fears and worries that can grip us and keep us from living the abundant life God wants for us.  What are we to do when anxiety strikes and stops us in our tracks?  The Bible is clear, get rid of it and give it all to God!

When the anxieties of this world fill our minds and hearts, immediately cast all of them onto the Lord!  Why?  Because He cares for you!  We were never meant to carry those burdens.  God wants to carry them for you, so please let Him!

I love to fish for Rainbow Trout.  When I think of casting all my anxiety onto the Lord, I think of casting my line into the water.  I must cast the line out and away from me in order to move forward into a good day of fishing.  It is the same with anxiety.  Cast all your anxiety onto the Lord and move forward in the great rest of His loving and caring embrace!

When you believe in Jesus, you have an unlimited source of power and strength to overcome any anxieties this world throws at you.  Whatever anxiety may have hit you today, cast all of it onto the Lord!  Cast it out and let it go!  God knows you and your situation better than anybody else, even better than you.

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:6-7

If you do not know Jesus, come to Him today and let Him wash over you with His grace, peace, mercy, and forgiveness!  Jesus wants to save you and lift you up!  Give Him all of your troubles and let Him care for you.  I can say from experience that it is eternally better than being dominated and controlled by the anxieties of this world.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God; trust also in me.”

Jesus speaking in John 14:1

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Jesus speaking in John 14:27

Cast all of it onto Jesus and rest in Him!  He is more than capable enough to carry it and deliver you from it all!

Grace and peace to you all!

 

I was chatting with our good friend Caralyn at Beauty Beyond Bones this evening regarding her post tonight about her spiritual battle outside Planned Parenthood in NYC.  I highly recommend you read the post as it will compliment this post–plus she is a cool sister in Christ who loves Jesus with a big heart!  What she experienced on Saturday reminded me of a spiritual battle I had back in February of 2018 just a month before I published my testimony.  I want to share what I wrote to my neighbors via Nextdoor.com.  The police also posted it on their Nextdoor page, which was awesome.  Keep in mind, this happened at a time when God was really working on my heart and calling me to write my testimony, which became “One Man’s Very Strange Supernatural Life” published on 3-30-18 on Amazon.

Here is the message I wrote warning my neighbors about the violent man I had an encounter with on 2-27-18.

Message on Nextdoor written 2-28-18:

“Hello Neighbors, I wanted to take a minute to warn everyone about a strange and aggressive encounter I had at the Hilltop 7-11 gas station yesterday.  My wife and I have lived here for almost 12 years, and I have never had anything like this happen before.  My wife is a well known and respected teacher in the community as well, and this has always been a peaceful place for our family. 

I had picked up my kids from school and I stopped at the Hilltop 7-11 for gas.  It was just about 4:00 on the nose and it was packed as usual.  Every pump was being used, so I circled around a couple times and waited.  When the next spot opened, I pulled in.  There was a man who had just pulled into the lot who had circled around and I guess he thought I took his spot even though I had been waiting in the lot before him.  My 7 year old son says, “Daddy, that guy looks mad.”  When I looked up as I was getting out of my truck, I saw this angry looking guy staring at me.  I just ignored him and started getting the gas pump.

As he circled in front of my truck he yelled “F*** you!!!” at me.  He was only a few feet from me.  I was pretty shocked because this is my neighborhood and I go to that gas station all the time and I couldn’t feel safer.  I turned towards him and stepped a couple steps towards his car and said, “What did you say?  I have my kids in the truck man!”  He started mouthing off about the pump, and I said, “Hey man, I was here first fair and square.”  Then the guy says, “Don’t get in my face!” “Don’t get in your face?!” I said, “you are the one cussing at me man!”, to which he replied, “F*** you, I’ll kick your a**!”

I remembered Scripture at that point in Proverbs where it says, “A harsh word stirs up anger, but a gentle answer turns away wrath,” so I listened to God even though I was fuming mad, and I just kept my mouth shut and let him have his last angry word.  I stood my ground the entire time and he never saw my back.  My gas was still going at this point and I didn’t know what the guy was going to do, so I prepared to defend myself.  I locked the doors to my truck for the kids, and my adrenaline was peaking.  Kind of felt like being at the top of a huge run on my snowboard.  Massive butterflies and I was ready. 

Let me just say that I absolutely hate violence, but folks, this is OUR neighborhood and OUR community!  I grew up near Federal Blvd. in Littleton and spent High School near Chicago.  Don’t ever let anybody try to intimidate you here or anywhere else!  These are OUR homes, OUR streets, OUR schools, and WE are the ones raising OUR kids here!  We are the ones who support and pray for our police officers too! 

Just so you know, I am not some tough guy looking for trouble.  I am not that guy at all, but I am not going to be threatened or bullied and I will fight back.  I grew up playing ice hockey, so I can take a hit and give one when needed.  I love snowboarding, I love the Lord Jesus, I have a peace sign on my truck, and I just want to be left alone.  I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease (no sob story here, just for a visual) in 2012 and it messed me up bad.  I am 6’1″ tall and only weigh around 140 pounds now.  I use to weigh around 160.  I am a very skinny sickly looking dude, but I manage in God’s grace.

The guy who was harassing and threatening me had a beanie, dark sun glasses, and a biker guy beard that was braided at his chin.  He looked to be about mid 50s and his beard was dark with a mix of grey.  He was driving a white sedan, maybe a Ford.  I didn’t get the make and model or the plates because I had tunnel vision on the threat and kept my eyes on the guy.  Adrenaline does that during fight or flight mode.

He circled around to the far pump and got out of his car.  He never came over to me.  He looked to be about 6 feet 180 pounds with a muscular biker guy build.  He thought he was real tough with his beard and his biker guy look.  I called the police when I got home and they will be looking for him.  You can’t just threaten to attack someone and get away with it.  What makes me the most angry is that the guy did that when my kids were in the truck!  He didn’t scare me (he’s just another coward Goliath ready to be defeated by one of God’s children), but he scared my young daughter and son, and that is why I am writing this even though my wife said let it go.  I am letting it go by putting out a warning regarding this violent man.

If you know this guy or you have seen him, call the police.  They want to talk to him.  Again, he is about mid 50s, 6 feet tall, 180 pound muscular build, with a dark and grey beard that is braided at the chin.  Looks just like a typical biker gang guy.  Drives a newer model white sedan with shape like a Ford.  I guess he thought he could mouth off to some skinny guy that looks weak, and he was pretty shocked when I wasn’t scared of him.  He didn’t know what to do and he never came over to me either.

I will be 40 this year. I have suffered Celiac Disease for 6 years, I survived torturous anaphylactic shock on 4-28-12, and I grew up in schools filled with violent gang members.  I was even stabbed in the chest with a good ol’ #2 pencil in High School.  Not much scares me anymore…except for the occasional giant wolf spider that gets in the garage! 🙂  Be safe out there my fellow neighbors and remember to stand up for yourself and each other and always always always protect your kids!

I told the police officer that I am sick of all of this violence and craziness.  People have lost their minds like its the end times or something.  It wasn’t until I got home that I thought what if that guy had a gun?  You just never know anymore!  People get shot for a lot less these days.  I pray the cops find the guy before he really does hurt someone.  It really makes me mad that he scared my kids.  I also told the police officer that if he had gotten out of his car and come at me, I would have defended myself and my kids like a lion.  The officer agreed, and said he was glad it didn’t come to that.  I said me too.  God bless you all!  Don’t ever live in fear!  Fear of man proves to be a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be kept safe.”

It was so cool that our town police forwarded that message to the whole town on their Nextdoor page!  The evil one did not want me writing my book, but what the evil one intended for evil, the Lord turned around for good and I ended up preaching to our entire town!  Praise God!

What happened to Caralyn on Saturday was definitely an attack from the evil one and so was that guy cussing at me while my kids were in the truck.  Like I told Caralyn, when you follow Jesus and decide to truly live for him, you will experience resistance.  Her example and my example are just two in a long list of spiritual battles Christians go through.  There are many more examples in my life and they are all testimonies of how God delivered me and gave me victory over it all!  The guy coming at me with the knife in Denver and the angel rescuing me is a big one!

Those who belong to Jesus are covered and protected by His blood and no weapon formed against us shall prosper.  Even in the heat of battle, we must stand strong.  Even if we are attacked, or hurt, or even killed, we know that we will be with Jesus forever and we keep our eyes fixed solely on Him.

To my friend and sister in Christ Caralyn: Well done praying outside the abortion building called Planned Parenthood!  Your courage is inspiring!  You stood your ground in the courage, grace, and love of Jesus!  I’m so sorry you had to deal with that stinky bird freaking out and flapping around in your hair.  What a day!  Thank God we have overcome the world through Jesus and He gives us the victory!

“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

“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 speaking in John 15:18-19

“…The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”

1 John 3:8

Don’t ever be afraid brothers and sisters!  Be strong and courageous!  The world will hate us when we follow Jesus, but we press on!  Set your face like flint and take up the sword of the Spirit!  Keep fighting the good fight until your very last breath!

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Ephesians 6:10-12

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Jesus speaking in Acts 1:8

Grace and peace to you all!

 

 

Good morning and God bless you all!  I love watching the sunrise and I watch it rise just about every morning.  I would love to see the sunrise over the Dead Sea from Masada someday!  That is Israel folks.  That whole region is where forgiveness of sins through Jesus was first proclaimed!  What a beautiful land and the most beautiful message the world has ever received!

Forgiveness of sins.  What a powerful phrase!  Jesus is the only One to ever offer that to us.  Followers of Jesus, it is a simple, powerful, and eternal message and all we have to do is proclaim it!  The Word of God speaks for itself and it is very clear there is only one Way to be saved and that Way is through the only One who can forgive our sins.

“Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.”

Acts 13:39

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

May we proclaim the Gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit until our very last breath!  We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus and there is no other way!

“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

“But he was pierced for our

transgressions,

he was crushed for our

iniquities;

the punishment that

brought us peace was

upon him,

and by his wounds we are

healed.”

Isaiah 53:5

You receive His forgiveness by faith:

“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 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

“Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.”

Acts 13:38

It is such beautiful good news for us all!  Proclaim it everywhere you go!

Grace and peace to you all!

 

I have excellent news for you today!  No matter what you have done and no matter who you are, God can and will forgive you!  Don’t ever think you are too far gone or you are too dirty and used up for God to love you.  God created you and He loves you and He wants to shower you with grace and peace!

Grace and peace can be yours in abundance no matter what you are going through in life.  The storms may rage and you may find yourself in a hard place, but when you walk with Jesus nothing can remove His grace and peace from your heart.  We have peace with God through Jesus and we can truly rest in Him!

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.  And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”

Romans 5:1-2

“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 3:23-24

“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

Amen, rejoice in His salvation!  I am rejoicing in Jesus today and nothing can remove His peace from my heart even as my daughter is home yet again missing school due to illness.  This time she has pink eye.  Thankfully, it is easy to treat and the drops are working perfectly.  Her left eye looks much better already.  Prayers for her complete healing are always appreciated.

It has been a very hard winter for our family (on top of everything with Celiac) and we have suffered some kind of illness almost every two weeks since December.  Most of it has hit our daughter and it is upsetting.  I was angry about it this morning and I had a rough talk with God about it, but He calmed my heart and His peace washed over me as I gave it all to Him.

My daughter and I had a good lunch together and a nice time talking.  She is growing up and I’m learning to adjust and grow as she matures into the woman God is raising her up to be.  It is amazing and beautiful to witness and it is always fun hanging out with my kids.

After lunch, the Lord moved in my spirit and brought to my attention that I had not lost my peace even though my little girl was hurting again.  We are enjoying the day and are at complete peace.  Then He spoke a phrase to me that I use on every blog post.  It is a phrase that the Apostle Paul was fond of using in his writings and it is the core of our salvation in Jesus: “Grace and peace.”

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and we have peace with God because of His gracious gift of salvation.  God offers that grace and peace to every person on earth!  Whatever burdens you are carrying, lay them down and give them to God.  Let His grace and peace flood your heart and set you free!

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

Jesus speaking in John 14:27

“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

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.”

Ephesians 2:14

Nobody is too far gone to come to Jesus!  Let Him forgive and wipe out all of your sins and remember them no more!

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

Hebrews 8:12

“Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”

Romans 4:7-8

“For as high as the heavens

are above the earth,

so great is his love for

those who fear him;

as far as the east is from

the west,

so far has he removed our

transgressions from us.”

Psalm 103:11-12

I truly pray you rest in His abundant grace and peace.

Jesus calls everyone to come to Him and He is calling you too!

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

Matthew 4:17

Grace and peace to you all in the Beautiful Name of Jesus!

 

 

 

 

I took that photo of Pike’s Peak yesterday close to sunset.  It is an amazing blessing to see God’s majesty in the Rockies every day.  Several months ago I talked about wanting to get on top of the roof of our house and take some pictures.  Well, today I did that.  When I came back down, I opened the Word to Psalms and my eyes fell on Psalm 90:1-2.  Before the beauty and splendor of the Rocky Mountains ever existed, God was and always will be everlasting to everlasting!

Here are the photos I took from the rooftop just about 10 minutes ago:

More photos of Pike’s Peak from yesterday:

The majesty and beauty of the Lord is greater than any of us can imagine!

Glory to Your Holy Name Lord Jesus!

Grace and peace to you all!

“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

One of the most famous and well known verses in the Bible is John 3:16.  In that verse we discover three crucial truths that can save our soul: God loves all of us in the whole world, God gave us His Son, and whoever believes in His Son has eternal life.  The first part is very important to understand, “For God so loved the world.”  Jesus did not just die for one group of people in one land.  He died for all of us and people from every country in the world will be in Heaven together!

Our different cultures are something to be appreciated and celebrated.  I have had people say to me, “Christianity is a Western religion,” or “Jesus only died for the Jews.”  Neither of those two statements are true.  Jesus Christ and Christianity started in Israel (Nazareth and Jerusalem to be exact).  It is not a Western religion and it certainly did not come from my country of America.  Jesus died for all of us, every single person in the entire world, because God loves us.

“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

Let’s take a look at the Book of Revelation and catch a glimpse of what it will be like in Heaven as people from all over the world worship Jesus together!

“And they sang a new song:

“You are worthy to take

the scroll

and to open its seals,

because you were slain,

and with your blood you

purchased men for God

from every tribe and

language and people and

nation.

You have made them to be

a kingdom and priests

to serve our God,

and they will reign on the

earth.”

Revelation 5:9-10

That is beautiful and awesome, Amen!  Sometimes people think that when Christians share Christ around the world we are trying to oppress their culture or they look at us as “colonialists” or “imperialists.”  When I share the Gospel message of Jesus with you, I am not trying to oppress you and I definitely do not want to oppress or take over your culture or your country.  I am simply sharing God’s Truth because I want you to be free from sin and death and I want you to go to Heaven.  That’s it.  There is nothing in it for me.  We are not saved by works.  We are saved by grace and out of the overflow of that grace, through God’s love, I preach the Gospel to you by the power of the Holy Spirit.

No matter what country you live in, I respect, love, and value your people, your culture, your way of life, your heritage, and your very precious lives on this earth as fellow human beings created in God’s image.  When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, it does not mean you throw away your tribe, language, people, or nation.  I am still an American, but I am no longer a worldly American living for my sinful desires.  I am an American who has loved and followed Jesus Christ since I was 18 in October of 1996.  I was born and raised here and I love my country, but Jesus is set apart in my heart as Lord and my allegiance is to Him first.  I do not throw away my nation, but I throw away the sinful ways of my nation and choose to follow Jesus.

Jesus does not want to take away your tribe, language, people, or nation and neither do I.  Jesus wants to forgive you of your sins and set you free and it’s my great honor to be an evangelist for Him who spreads that message around the world.  Keep where you are from deep in your heart.  God created you and put you where you are on this earth for a reason.  When I share Jesus with you, I am not telling you to become a Westerner or be American.  I am telling you to flee from sin and death and receive eternal life through faith in Jesus!  Sin and death are on this earth no matter where you live.  Eternal life through faith in Jesus is available to you no matter where you live too!

“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Romans 3:22-24

I love all the colors in Indian clothing and celebrations.  I love African praise and worship music.  I love hearing people praise God in different languages.  Those are just a few examples.  Can you imagine what it is going to be like in Heaven with people from all over the world living in perfect peace and harmony?!  It is hard to imagine in our divided world, but it is going to be so beautiful I don’t even have the words!

Wherever you live in this world, please remember that Jesus died for you too.  God came to earth as a man and paid the price for our sins that we couldn’t pay.  Jesus did not just die for one nation.  He died for the entire world, so that we could be reconciled with God and live with Him in Heaven forever.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8

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

Romans 6:23

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

You can receive Jesus by faith right now no matter what country you live in!

“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

“…So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”

Acts 11:18

There is no difference between us folks!  God created all of us in His image and He loves all of us!  He created every tribe, language, people, and nation and every single one of us who believes in Jesus will worship the Lord together in the perfect peace of Heaven forever!

“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

“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.  And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.  For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”

Jesus speaking in John 6:38-40

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 8:1

Don’t ever forget, God loves everyone in the whole world and He wants everyone to come to Him, and that includes you!  He does not want you to perish!  He wants to give you eternal life!

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

2 Peter 3:9

Grace and peace to you all in the Name of Jesus who loves you!

 

 

Take a look at that photo.  That is the Weminuche Wilderness in the San Juan Mountains of the Rockies here in my home state of Colorado.  It stands as a testament to the majestic beauty of our Creator.  Guess who was there when God created it?  Jesus was!  Jesus was right there with God when He created every last rock of the Rocky Mountains and everywhere else on earth and it was all created through Him!

Check out this cool fact about Weminuche:

“Spanning nearly 500,000 acres in southern Colorado, the Weminuche Wilderness is Colorado’s largest Wilderness Area.  From the Continental Divide and the headwaters of the Rio Grande on the east side, to the craggy peaks known as the “American Alps” on the west side, to the dark, vast interior where you may go days without seeing another human, one could spend a lifetime exploring its secrets.  These are the San Juan Mountains, Colorado at its wildest, legendary among backpackers for the pristine mountain scenery and potential for solitude.”

-R. Scott Rappold, OutThereColorado.com

Amazing!  So, who is “the Word?”  The Word is Jesus Christ.  Jesus was in the beginning of all creation and He was with God and is God!  He was there when God created all 500,000 acres of Colorado’s largest wilderness area through Him!

“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.”

John 1:3-5

Everything in all creation was made through Jesus.  Nothing here would exist without Jesus.  We would not be here without Jesus!  Jesus is life and He is the light for every human being on earth!

“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.  Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God–children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

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 1:10-14

Jesus came down to earth and became flesh to save us!  Jesus loves you and He offers you the right to become a child of God!  Receive His love and salvation today!  Believe in His Name and become the child of God that you were created to be!

“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

Grace and peace to you all!