Did you know there is historical evidence that backs up the three hours of darkness, the great earthquake, and the dead people coming back to life that all happened on the day Jesus was crucified?  Yes, ancient historians Africanus, Thallus, Phlegon, and Tertullian wrote about these amazing events!  It is recorded history that backs up the Bible!

The picture above is Golgotha hill in Jerusalem, Israel.  That is the place where Jesus was crucified and died to forgive the sins of all mankind!

“They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull).

Matthew 27:33

Let’s take a look at those incredible events that happened during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ:

“From the sixth hour until the ninth hour darkness came over all the land.  About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”–which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Matthew 27:45-46

In the next verses we read about the great earthquake and the miracle of the tombs breaking open and dead people coming back to life!  Remember, Jesus is the resurrection and the life, so when He gave up His Spirit and died, a bunch of people came back to life and started walking around!  We also read about the curtain of the temple being torn, which was also a supernatural event from God (that signified a new covenant where we can approach God with freedom and confidence through Jesus).

“And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  The earth shook and the rocks split.  The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.  They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

Matthew 27:50-54

Historical Records

That is one incredible day!  Total darkness over the earth for three hours, a great earthquake, and dead people coming back to life!  Surely that would be recorded outside the Bible because so many people experienced it!  That’s right, history records it!  The historians don’t mention the curtain, but they talk about everything else that happened that day!  Here is research done by ChristianEvidence.net.  Listen to how these men try to explain what happened that day in history.  They thought it was an eclipse, but that did not make sense because it was not the right time for that.  Africanus knew it was supernatural.

Africanus wrote a five volume History of the World around A.D. 221.

“On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down.  This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun.  For the Hebrews celebrate the passover on the 14th day according to the moon, and the passion of our Savior falls on the day before the passover; but an eclipse of the sun takes place only when the moon comes under the sun.  And it cannot happen at any other time but in the interval between the first day of the new moon and the last of the old, that is, at their junction: how then should an eclipse be supposed to happen when the moon is almost diametrically opposite the sun?

Let opinion pass however; let it carry the majority with it; and let this portent of the world be deemed an eclipse of the sun, like others a portent only to the eye.  Phlegon records that, in the time of Tiberius Caesar, at full moon, there was a full eclipse of the sun from the sixth hour to the ninth—manifestly that one of which we speak.  But what has an eclipse in common with an earthquake, the rending rocks, and the resurrection of the dead, and so great a perturbation throughout the universe?  Surely no such event as this is recorded for a long period.”

-Julius Africanus, Extant Writings, XVIII

“Thallus wrote a history of the eastern Mediterranean world since the Trojan War.  He wrote his regional history in about AD 52.6.  Unfortunately his original writings have been lost, however he is specifically quoted by Julius Africanus as in the quote above, and Africanus was a renowned third century historian.  Africanus stated, ‘Thallus, in the third book of his histories, explains away the darkness as an eclipse of the sun—unreasonably as it seems to me.’  Thallus attempted to give a naturalistic explanation to the darkness during the crucifixion.”

-ChristianEvidence.net

“Phlegon was a Greek historian who wrote an extensive chronology around A.D. 137.  Phlegon provides powerful confirmation, identifying the year and the exact time of day.  In addition, he writes of an earthquake accompanying the darkness, which is specifically recorded in Matthew 27:51.”

-ChristianEvidence.net

“In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (i.e. AD 33) there was ‘the greatest eclipse of the sun’ and that ‘it became night in the sixth hour of the day (i.e. noon) so that stars even appeared in the heavens.  There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicaea.'”

-Phlegon

“An additional possible reference to the Darkness, is related by St. Tertullian (160-220), in his Apology addressed to the “rulers of the Roman Empire”.  He also writes of the Darkness at Christ’s Crucifixion:”

-ChristianEvidence.net

“And yet, nailed upon the cross, He exhibited many notable signs, by which His death was distinguished from all others.  At His own free-will, He with a word dismissed from Him His spirit, anticipating the executioner’s work.  In the same hour, too, the light of day was withdrawn, when the sun at the very time was in his meridian blaze.  Those who were not aware that this had been predicted about Christ, no doubt thought it an eclipse.  You yourselves have the account of the world-portent still in your archives.”

-Tertullian

The Bible is recorded history of events that actually happened, and even ancient historians back that truth up!  Pretty cool if you ask me!  There is plenty of evidence that God’s Word is true.  The world just doesn’t want you to know that!  Well, now you know!

Stand strong in your faith in Jesus Christ!  Grace and peace to you all!

I love these little guys!  They are everywhere here in Colorado!  They dig burrows in just about every open field available here in town.  They bark as we drive by their little villages.  The kids like to roll down the windows and bark back.  They are so cute!  I love this picture, well, because sometimes we just need a hug!

My 8 year old son was having a hard time this afternoon.  He just seemed down and that is not typical for him.  I said, “what’s wrong buddy?”

He said, “I don’t know, I just feel sad.”  I said, “well, is something wrong or do you need to talk about something?”  He said, “no, I don’t know why.”

I said, “come here buddy!” as I opened my arms wide to him, “you don’t need to feel sad, you need a hug!”

My son got up and walked right into my arms for a big warm Daddy hug!  He had a big smile on his face and after I hugged him I put my left hand on his back and my right hand on his chest and gave him the “feelin’ the Spirit” shuffle!  I move my hands back and forth quickly and say “are you feelin’ the Spirit now?!”  I also prayed for him and let him know God is with him and everything is okay.

After that my boy was all smiles!  He just needed a hug ya’ll!  Sometimes this world gets us down and we don’t even know why, and sometimes we just need a hug!  Who could use a big hug in your life right now?  Maybe it’s you!  Maybe it’s your loved ones!  Maybe it’s both!  Go give and get a hug and have a great night resting in God’s love tonight!

God bless you all!  Grace and peace to you all!  In the Loving Name of Jesus!

 

 

One day Jesus was teaching in the Synagogue in Capernaum where He lived.  The ruling Jews known as the Sadducees and Pharisees were always questioning Jesus because they wanted to trap Him in His words.  These men were always hungry for power and they desperately wanted to stop Jesus and His ministry.  On this particular day, they asked Jesus which commandment is the greatest.

“Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words.”

Matthew 22:15

They thought they were so wise and they had come up with a question that would stop Jesus.  I’m sure they thought Jesus might answer “do not murder” or one of the other ten commandments, but Jesus did not give them the answer they assumed.

I will tell you the answer Jesus gave them in a moment, but first, enjoy a trip to the Synagogue in Capernaum where this conversation took place!  I want to visit this place right now!  This is the area where Jesus lived and ministered from A.D. 30 until He was crucified in A.D. 33.  What a beautiful land!

So, this is where Jesus was when He gave His answer to the Pharisees who questioned Him with ill intent:

“Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.  One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Matthew 22:34-40

The Pharisees had nothing left to say after that, so while they were all gathered together in the Synagogue Jesus took the opportunity to ask them a question in return.

“While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, “What do you think about the Christ?  Whose son is he?”

“The son of David, ” they replied.

He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’?

For he says,

” ‘The Lord said to my Lord:

“Sit at my right hand

until I put your enemies

under your feet.” ‘

If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”

No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.”

Matthew 22:41-46

That is just awesome!  His answer and question were so powerful that it left the whole group of men who were supposed to be the wisest in all the land totally speechless!  After that, He didn’t have to answer any more of their sinful questions.

Do what Jesus said.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind!  Love your neighbor as yourself!  The entire Bible hangs on those two commandments! Remember, Jesus is Lord, and that is what He was explaining to them!

Those are three Truths that everyone needs to know!

1. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind!

2. Love your neighbor as yourself!

3. Jesus is Lord!

That was quite a moment of teaching in the Synagogue that day!  Powerful enough to leave a person speechless indeed!  Praise the Lord!

Grace and peace to you all!

 

 

This is how we deal with snakes here in Colorado!  We strap our boots on and crush those suckers!  I have killed at least 7 or 8 snakes in the 12 years we have lived in this neighborhood.  We back up to an open space.  We have bull snakes mostly, which look and act just like rattlers.  It is hard to tell the difference.  They even shake their tales like rattlers.  Bull snakes are not poisonous or venomous, but they have a nasty bite!  They get into our backyard and even our garage sometimes in the summer and fall!  Do you know what God is going to do to that ancient serpent the devil?  He is going to crush him, that’s what!

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.”

Romans 16:20

You see, you never know which kind of snake it is, so my advice is to always assume it is a rattle snake!  Getting bit by a rattler is a whole different day than getting bit by a bull!  They are both so fast, you usually don’t have time to check for the rattle on the end of their tale!  I chop their heads off with a shovel or I crush their heads first, then chop it off!  Then I bury the head and the rest of the body.

That is what God is going to do to satan!  He is going to crush him and he will be no more!  No more lies, no more hurt, no more pain–no more!

“And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown.  They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

Revelation 20:10

The fate of the evil one is already sealed.  Don’t ever forget that!  Jesus Christ defeated Him when He died on that cross and it is most definitely finished just like He said!  And guess what?  He is coming soon to crush that evil serpent!

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

 

I prayed something last night that I don’t think I have ever prayed.  I was brushing my teeth before bed around 10:30 p.m. and the Spirit came over me and I was filled up with prayer and started praying.  I was praying for protection over my wife and kids for the night’s sleep.  I asked God to command His angels to protect us and asked that they would sit on the roof all night and be stationed at their posts as long as we needed them.  Then I started praying for our angels!

I asked God to encourage them and strengthen them and that they would be faithful in protecting us.  I asked God to give them a new song in their hearts and prayed that there would be “a new song in Heaven tonight.”  It was one of the coolest prayer times I have ever had!  I have always prayed for angelic protection, but I don’t think I have ever thought of actually praying for our angels!

We can pray about absolutely anything and God hears us!  Did you know that?  Yes, the Bible says to pray on all occasions about everything.

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”

Ephesians 6:18

That is so cool!  When the Holy Spirit fills us up and we sense an urgency to pray, then pray, and pray about whatever it is the Spirit wants you to pray about!  It doesn’t matter if you are driving down the road or you are at home in your quiet place.  You can always pray and nobody can ever take that from you!  You could be in the darkest prison like the Apostles Paul and John, but you can still pray!

“In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Ephesians 3:12

Did you know that?  Through Jesus Christ we can approach God freely with confidence knowing that He will receive us and listen to us!  You can pray to God about anything and everything that is on your heart and mind!  Folks, that is exciting!

I just prayed for my angels last night, and I didn’t even know I could do that!  I love the Lord!  After almost 22 years following Him, He is still showing me new and wonderful things!  Thank you Jesus!

Remember that today!  God loves you!  Lift up your heart to Him today!  You can pray about anything when you know Jesus and He will receive you in love and listen to you!

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:7

Grace and peace to you!

P.S.

I wonder how encouraged and excited our family’s angels were last night when God answered my prayers for them!  Amen!  Yes, they are real!  I encountered my angel that protects me two different times back in 1998!  They are huge, strong, and very beautiful–and they most definitely minister to those who believe in Jesus Christ!

“For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

Psalm 91:11

“Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”

Hebrews 1:14

 

Hello everyone!  I know many of you appreciate art and you enjoy visiting galleries.  Would you like to visit an art gallery today?  Well, c’mon in!  There is one right here in my house!

My wife and I love art.  We bought many of the pieces on a cruise we took many years ago.  Others were purchased in other countries, and we picked up some pieces at places like the summer art festival in our town park and cool shops here in Colorado.  We love visiting the different booths of all the talented artists!

I apologize for any glare that is on the paintings.  I took these photos with my phone.  Welcome to my home!  Enjoy!

The picture above is of our entryway foyer.  We have the hallway lined with several ocean themed pieces from the cruise.  We have the certificates of authenticity for all of the art somewhere.  I can’t remember the names of all the paintings.  They are all signed and numbered.  We picked out most of the frames and had them framed professionally.

I would like to show you my wife’s piano studio now.

I hope you enjoyed the piano studio!  Now I would like to take you up stairs. 

First here is a painting in the hallway leading to the powder bath just off the foyer.

There is some art in the kitchen too, so let’s go!

I bought that painting of Jesus directly from Akiane Kramarik’s gallery.  She painted that by a miracle of God when she was only 8 years old!  That is the painting of Jesus that the little boy from the book/movie “Heaven is for Real” looked at and said, “Yep, that’s Him!”  I had some guy freak out on me on Twitter once and tell me that painting is idolatry.  Let me be clear, NO it is not!  That is what ridiculous legalistic people think!  It is a painting of Jesus that happened by a miracle.  It is not an idol!  It is not some graven image I bow down to like a golden calf for crying out loud!  It is a beautiful miraculous painting done by the power of the Holy Spirit through a little girl.  God told her He wanted her to paint it and that He would help her do it and it would help people.  Indeed He did and indeed it does!  It encourages our family every day!  Yes, I believe the miracle, and yes, I believe that is what He looks like!  No 8 year old kid I know could ever paint like that!  It is miraculous!

Well, that about does it!  I hope you enjoyed your tour of our home art gallery!  It’s nice to stop and enjoy some aesthetic beauty now and then.

I appreciate all of you and I pray for all of you!  God bless you all!

Grace and peace to you all!

 

 

 

I think the whole Bible is really cool, but I want to focus on one particular Scripture that really lifts me up every time I read it.  It is found at the very beginning of the Book of Hebrews.  Let’s take a peek!

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.  After he provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Hebrews 1:1-3

That is a powerful description of Who Jesus is!  Do you want to see the radiance of God’s glory?  Then look at Jesus!  He is the exact representation of God’s very being!  The whole universe was made through Jesus!  He is heir over all and He is sustaining everything in the whole universe!

And how did Jesus provide us with purification for sins?  He died for us, and it’s that simple and beautiful.  Salvation is a free gift from God!

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.  It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope–the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

Titus 2:11-14

God made Himself a man, Jesus, and He died for us, so we could be forgiven of all our sins and be with Him in Heaven forever.  That is why Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory!  That is why Jesus is worthy of praise!  He is the King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 20:16), and no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6)!

Remember, the men who wrote the Bible in the power of the Holy Spirit were eyewitnesses to Jesus.  These are not distant memories for these men.  The New Testament is a collection of letters they wrote, which provide detailed accounts of their time with Jesus and their time after Jesus was crucified, dead and buried, rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father.  They also wrote about what they experienced in the power of the Holy Spirit on their evangelistic missions!  We are reading these letters almost 2,000 years later, but these men wrote first hand accounts of what they saw and experienced while following Jesus in their time!  The places in the Bible still exist and you can visit many of them still today!

Don’t let anybody tell you that the Bible is outdated or irrelevant because it is old!  The entire Bible is full of first hand eyewitness accounts of what God can do, and nothing is impossible for Him!  It is still very relevant in our time and it will stay relevant for eternity!

“We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.  For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”  We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.”

2 Peter 1:16-18

Can you imagine hearing God’s voice from Heaven?!  They witnessed first hand the radiance and majesty of Jesus!  The Bible is full of amazing personal testimony like that!  May the radiance of God’s glory shine on you always!  In the Name of Jesus Who loves you!  Amen!

Grace and peace to you all!

 

 

 

I have a cool answer to prayer to share!  It doesn’t rain much here in Colorado.  We are classified as a high desert plain.  Denver is the Mile High City after all.  It is very dry and hot most of the time.  Don’t forget, we are very close to New Mexico and Arizona, and not too far from Mexico either.  Southern Colorado is real hot!  Just yesterday I asked the Lord specifically to make it rain.  It has been so dry and we are having forest fires again in the Rockies.  I said, “Please Lord, make it rain.  In Jesus’ Name make it rain please!”  You know what happened late yesterday afternoon around 4:30 p.m.?  God brought moisture down from the mountains in big puffy clouds and it started raining!  It rained through the night and it was still drizzling this morning.  Praise God!  It is overcast in the sky and it is wet all over!  It is very refreshing!  Thank you Jesus!

I just took that picture this morning from my daughter’s room.  That is Pike’s Peak off to the left.  The bumpy ridge in the middle is where we fish the Platte River in the Decker’s corridor.  We love to go camping out there!  Watch out for bears and mountain lions!

 

I am so glad it rained!  The cool moist air is beautiful!  We hardly ever see overcast skies like this.  I’m not complaining about the 330+ days of sunshine and blue skies we get, but it is just really nice to have some rain!

Our souls need refreshing too don’t they?  Most definitely!  When Jesus was in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights being tempted by the devil, He told the evil one “man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”  Bread can feed your body, but it will never feed your soul!  The only food that can do that is God’s Word and every human soul on earth needs that to live in God’s refreshment!

“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”

Matthew 4:4

“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.  He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”

John 6:35

That is some serious refreshment for your soul!  Do you know what brings that refreshment?  Repentance.  Whoa!  I know, tough word, but bear with me.  If you read my post titled “A Strong Promise” then you know that “repentance” means “changing your mind” in the Greek root of the word.  We study the Greek root words because the New Testament was written in Greek.  If you missed it, here is that information on the Greek root word from the Strong’s Concordance again:

Greek root of the word “repentance”:

“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)
Short Definition: repentance, a change of mind
Definition: repentance, a change of mind, change in the inner man.
HELPS Word-studies

Cognate: 3341 metánoia – literally, “a change of mind” (“after-thought”); repentance. See 3340 /metanoeō (“repent”).”

Repentance, or metánoia in the Greek, literally means a change of mind.  Jesus called us to repent or change our minds about our sinful ways and turn to Him and go His Way.

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

Matthew 4:17

That is what repentance means and it can’t be any more clear.  Repentance in itself won’t save you.  Jesus saves you and you must turn to Him for that.  He is the only One that ever died for the forgiveness of our sins.  That is good to repent or change your mind about your sins and living life for yourself, but you must take that good decision to completion and then turn to God and receive forgiveness through believing in Jesus Christ.

Repentance leads you to salvation in Jesus Christ.  I just want to be very clear here.  Repentance is when you change your mind about living your own sinful way and you decide to turn to God and go the Way He said to go, which is to believe in Jesus Christ.  Repentance is an act of our free will as we choose to turn away from sin and turn to God for forgiveness and salvation.  I hope that is clear.  I don’t want anymore trouble with anybody misunderstanding me about the word repentance.  We cannot work our way into Heaven.  Repentance is a choice.  We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus alone and not by works.  Repentance leads us to salvation in Jesus!

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

2 Corinthians 7:10

“Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

John 6:29

“For its 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

 

So, how do we get times of refreshing from the Lord?

In the Book of Acts there is an account of Peter healing a crippled beggar by the power of the Holy Spirit.  The people who saw this happen were amazed, so Peter started preaching about Jesus to help them understand Who he got the power to heal people from.

“By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong.  It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.”

Acts 3:16

After Peter makes it clear that his power comes from Jesus and that is how the man was healed, he tells the crowd how they too can be saved and receive refreshing from the Lord!

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord..”

Acts 3:19

Do you see?!  Repentance and turning to God wipes out your sins through Jesus Christ and brings times of refreshing from the Lord!   Hallelujah!

Do you want that today?  Do you want God to wipe out your sins and pour out His Holy Spirit on you as He showers down times of refreshing all over you?!  Then please, with all my heart I plead with you, repent (metánoia, change your mind) about going your own way and turn to God!  Receive His Son Jesus as your Lord and Savior and feed your soul on God’s Word!  I can promise you that just as God’s Word says, times of refreshing will come from the Lord!

Grace and peace to you all!

 

 

When God called Jonah to preach to the town of Nineveh, he did not obey the Lord at first.  He tried to run away from the Lord even though he was one of God’s prophets.  Would you like to know just how far it was that he went to try and get away from the Lord?  Let’s take a look!

“The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.  He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port.  After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.”

Jonah 1:1-3

Nineveh was and still is in current day Iraq.  It is surrounded by the city of Mosul.  Yes, where a lot of the war fighting happened.  There was even an ancient statue of Jonah there, but the terrorists destroyed it when they took over Mosul.  Jonah is well known in that area.

“Nineveh, the oldest and most-populous city of the ancient Assyrian empire, situated on the east bank of the Tigris River and encircled by the modern city of Mosul, Iraq.  Nineveh was located at the intersection of important north-south and east-west trade routes, and its proximity to a tributary of the Tigris, the Khawṣar River, added to the value of the fertile agricultural and pastoral lands in the district.”

-Max Mallowen at britannica.com

 

 

Joppa was a city in Israel famous for its port just like it is today.  The town is known by the name Jaffa in our time.  It is in the oldest section of Tel Aviv.

Good morning to all you beautiful souls out there!  I have been praying for you all and reading your blogs this morning!  Such amazing talent and gifts abound on WordPress!  It encourages me each day as I read your stories, poems, and outpourings of your hearts!  Most of us might be introverts and we prefer our quiet writer’s dens, but we are all impacting lives and changing the world!  The pen is mightier than the sword indeed!  God bless you all in the Precious Name of Jesus!

I just want to open up some more about my life and be real with everyone.  Yes, I am a preacher, but I am also just a man.  A 40 year old man with two awesome kids and a wonderful wife of 17 years.  I wasn’t always a Christian.  In fact, I have probably sinned way worse than you ever have in your life!  I loved to drink and party and that leads to all kinds of sin.  I am so thankful Jesus saved me!

This morning I was thinking back to when I was 18 years old before I had accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.  I did not want anything to do with God and I especially hated Christians.  They annoyed me and I thought they were a bunch of self righteous people who just needed a crutch in life.

I am 6’1″ tall and I used to weigh around 160 pounds.  I grew up tough playing basketball with the big guys, ice hockey with the bruisers, and I loved lifting weights.  I loved playing hockey on the frozen Fox River in St. Charles with my friends too!  That is one thing I miss about the Chicago area–really good outdoor ice all winter long!  I still prefer the mild winters here in Colorado where it can be 75 in January out of nowhere!  Yep, we get blizzards in April and May and summer days in the winter.  It’s all because of those Rocky Mountains!  I miss those days playing hockey though.  Hey Chi-Town homies, Go Blackhawks!!! P.S.–I grew up with Eddie Belfour, Jeremy Roenick, Tony Amonte, and Chris Chelios in the 90s at the old stadium!  Man that place would get loud and nobody could sing the national anthem like that singer!  Incredible!  Chicago is a cool city folks!

I remember thinking that laying down my life to Jesus was weak.  I remember wanting to hold onto my life and not let it go.  I wanted to be tough and not show any weakness.  I didn’t want to think that I needed God or anybody else.  I thought I could do it all on my own by my own strength and I wanted to do my own thing on my terms.  Even after living with a demon for four years through high school, I still didn’t repent!  Craziness!

It wasn’t until I went to college and heard the Gospel clearly preached to me for the first time that I understood what Jesus had done for me and why I needed Him.  I also understood that it was not weak, but it was the most courageous decision a person could make!

When I arrived on campus at the University of Northern Colorado fresh out of high school, I was one messed up dude.  My mind and soul were distorted from alcohol and partying and I had just spent the last four years of my life being tormented by a literal very real demon that lived in our house.  I did not know it, but I desperately needed Jesus and He was coming to rescue me!

This is how I heard the Gospel for the first time as a Freshman in college in 1996:

I met some great Christians who became my friends.  They invited me to the campus ministry called Campus Crusade for Christ and introduced me to Jim.  Shortly after that, Jim, who would later become my discipleship mentor and great friend for my entire 4 years in college, sat down with me and shared a little booklet called the “Four Spiritual Laws.”  Jim was the Director of Campus Crusade for Christ at that time.  A student leader named Brock was with Jim and so was my friend Willie as we were in his dorm room.  Jim started by asking me, “Bro, if you were to die tonight, how certain are you that you would go to Heaven?  Just give me a percent bro.”

I was shocked as I had never been asked that in my entire life!  I said something like 80 or 90% sure I would go based off the fact I believed I was a “good guy.”  He accepted my answer with grace and said, “would you like to be 100% sure bro?”  That just brings a big smile to my face right now.  I just love Jim bro!  He always called everyone bro, so we called him Jim bro!

I said, “Yes, I want to be 100% sure.”  He said, “Okay, bro, here is how to be 100% sure.”  Jim opened up the little booklet and proceeded to go through it with me explaining it step by step as I looked at the pictures and listened with fascination to every word he said.

Here is that booklet that Campus Crusade for Christ used to evangelize on campus in the mid 90s called “The Four Spiritual Laws”:

1. God loves you and created you to know Him personally.

God’s Love

“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.” (John 3:16)

God’s Plan

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3)

What prevents us from knowing God personally?

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2. Man is sinful and separated from God, so we cannot know Him personally or experience His love.

Man is Sinful

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his own stubborn self-will, he chose to go his own independent way and fellowship with God was broken.  This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference, is an evidence of what the Bible calls sin.

Man is Separated

“For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) [Death is spiritual separation from God]

“(Those) who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus…will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord…” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)

This diagram illustrates that God is holy and man is sinful. A great gulf separates the two. The arrows illustrate that man is continually trying to reach God and establish the personal relationship with Him through his own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion – but he inevitably fails. The third principle explains the only way to bridge this gulf…

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3.Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin. Through Him alone we can know God personally and experience God’s love.

He Died in Our Place

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

He Rose From the Dead

“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, then to the twelve.  After that, he appeared to more than five hundred…” (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).

He is the Only Way to God

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf that separates us from Him by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.

It is not enough just to know these truths…

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4. We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know God personally and experience His love.

We Must Receive Christ

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

We Receive Christ Through Faith

“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)

When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth! (Read John 3:1-8)

We Receive Christ by Personal Invitation

[Jesus speaking] “Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)

Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self, which is repentance, and trusting Christ to come into our lives to forgive us of our sins and to make us what He wants us to be.  Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins is not enough.  Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience.  We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of our will.

These two circles represent two kinds of lives:

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Which circle best represents your life?

Which circle would you like to have represent your life?

The following explains how you can receive Christ:

You Can Receive Christ Right Now by Faith Through Prayer

(Prayer is talking with God)

God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart.  The following is a suggested prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally.  Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins.  I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord.  Thank You for forgiving me of my sins and giving me eternal life.  Take control of the throne of my life.  Make me the kind of person You want me to be.  Amen.”

 

When Jim showed me the little pictures of the life where SELF is on the throne, Christ is outside the life, and the pieces of life are all over the place in discord and frustration, that is exactly how I felt when I was 18 without the Lord and without hope.  It hit me big time!  It also hit me big that we cannot work our way into Heaven through good works, philosophy, or religion.  At that time I thought people went to Heaven by being a “good person.”  Praise God we don’t have to work our way to Heaven!  The free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is so much better!  Man’s efforts to reach God will always fail.  The only way to God is through Jesus Christ.

Jim asked me, “which circle best represents your life bro?”  I pointed quietly to the picture where SELF is on the throne.  Then Jim said, “which circle would you like to have represent your life bro?”  I pointed to the picture where Jesus is on the throne, self is yielding to Christ, and the pieces of life are in harmony with God’s plan.

After that, Jim said, “good bro, you can receive Jesus through faith right now.  Would you like to do that bro?”

I freaked out inside when I was faced with that decision!  I was amazed that God came down to pay the penalty for our sins Himself and I had never heard it like that before.  I understood now that I was separated from God and I knew deep down that I had sinned against the Lord.  I had even mocked Him and His followers.  I also realized that the Bible had the answers to the demon we lived with in St. Charles, but I did not know what to say!  I desperately wanted the salvation and peace that Jesus offered me, but the decision was huge!  I needed time to think, so I did not accept Jesus at that moment with Jim.  However, just a few weeks later in October of 1996 I gave my life to Jesus Christ while standing alone in the parking lot of a church!  I prayed that salvation prayer above and I was filled with the Holy Spirit and great joy like I had never known in my life!

I celebrated with all my Christian friends from Campus Crusade that Friday night and we all praised God and celebrated my salvation in Christ!  It was awesome and it is a beautiful memory I will never forget.  That is how my walk with Jesus started.  I heard the Gospel explained to me clearly out of a little Gospel tract booklet, and I have been preaching the Gospel ever since!

I hope sharing this has helped you like it helped me!  That is how I shared the Gospel on campus for 4 years from 1996 to 2000.  I know it is hard to hear about Jesus and sin and salvation.  Believe me, I know!  I used to get so angry anytime a Christian would share Christ with me.  You know what though?  That is the most loving thing a person could do for you.  To have courage and invite you to Heaven is not an easy thing to do in this wicked world.  Thank God for the Holy Spirit helping us!

If you have any questions about faith in Jesus or you prayed that prayer to receive Jesus, please let me know!  If you need prayer or just need to talk, please let me know that too!  Jesus saved me, so I could in turn help others come to Him with the gifts He gave me.

Don’t hang on to a life of hopelessness.  It is not weak to admit that you need God and His love.  We were created to be loved by God and we all have a God shaped hole in us that only He can fill.  We all know this and feel this deeply within us because He has set eternity in the hearts of men.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Ecclesiastes 3:11

You know deep inside that you are eternal and that your soul will live on after you die.  Make sure you live forever in Heaven!  Don’t lose your soul over some broken life here on earth!  Let God take over the throne of your life and bring you peace!  I gave my broken life to God almost 22 years ago and He made me brand new!  He will do the same for you!

So, which circle represents your life now?  Which circle would you like to represent your life?  I hope and pray it is the one where Jesus is on the throne and you are at peace in His love and forgiveness!

Grace and peace to you all!