Tag: Love

After the anointing at Bethany and the triumphal entry into Jerusalem, there was an amazing miracle of God that happened as Jesus was predicting His death.  It was also witnessed by the same crowd of people who had witnessed Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead and who were with Him when He entered Jerusalem.  Although the miracle happened as Jesus was speaking, He made it clear that the benefit of the miracle was for the people.  May this miracle encourage your heart and benefit your soul with faith in Jesus!

Let’s take a look at what happened after Jesus entered Jerusalem in chapter 12 of the Book of John:

“Now the crowd that was with him when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word.  Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.  So the Pharisees said to one another, “See this is getting us nowhere.  Look how the whole world has gone after him!”

Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast.  They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request.  “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”  Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.  But if it dies, it produces many seeds.  The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be.  My Father will honor the one who serves me.

Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’?  No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.  Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”  The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.

Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine.  Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.  But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”  He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.”

John 12:17-33

It is a miracle in itself that Jesus predicted His death and then on top of that God spoke to Him from heaven and the whole crowd heard it!  Praise God!  Just imagine that scene in your mind for a moment–it is incredible!  What would you have done if you had been there and you heard God’s voice from Heaven?!  An actual audible voice!  Again, praise God!

This miracle happened two other times to Jesus.  The first time was when He was being baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-17) and the second time was during His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13).

“And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:17

“While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.  Listen to him!”

Matthew 17:5

It is beautiful that Jesus and the crowd of people heard God’s voice just days before Jesus was crucified.  I love how Jesus doesn’t ask to be saved from His coming suffering, but instead cries out for God to be glorified!  And just at that moment, God spoke from Heaven!

Jesus knew why He had come to earth, He knew His mission, and He was fully prepared to finish it!  Three times Jesus heard God’s voice from Heaven and three times there were witnesses present to hear it!  Many times people overlook the miracles of the Bible.  Please don’t!  These are historical accounts that were written for the benefit of those who read them!  These true stories lead to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and they are available to read worldwide!  No matter where you live in this world, truly think upon these things.  Consider the historical record of Jesus and come to Him!  Even now He is drawing everyone to Himself and that includes you!

Jesus has defeated the prince of this world, that is the evil one.  Jesus has your freedom from sin and death!  Jesus is the key to unlock the chains of the devil’s work on this earth!  Do you want to be free?  Do you want eternal life?  Maybe this Easter, its time to look past the bunnies and chocolate eggs and consider what Jesus truly did for you when He died on that cross.

Jesus proved He was the Son of God many times while He was on earth.  There are many more miracles to read about and I hope the fact that God spoke to Jesus audibly from Heaven three different times sparks an interest in you to learn more.  Jesus loves you, He died for you to forgive all your sins, and through faith in Him you will be saved from death and have eternal life!

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

Romans 3:22-24

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

Romans 6:23

“For 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

Amen Lord Jesus, may Your Name be glorified!

Grace and peace to you all!

 

 

 

 

 

As we get closer to Good Friday, I have been thinking a lot about the cross.  In the time of Jesus, the cross was the most brutal form of execution done by the Romans and it was a symbol of death and suffering.  It was the most humiliating and agonizing capital punishment of the time, but Jesus took that rugged cross and transformed it into a symbol of hope!

And I don’t mean hope like you hope to go to Hawaii someday, but you know it might not ever happen.  I am talking the kind of hope that fills your heart when you know that your sins have been forgiven and your soul is saved through the Blood Jesus shed for you on the cross!  It is a hope that is secure by God’s grace through faith in His Son!  A hope that brings joy, peace, and rejoicing!

“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 not stand.  And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”

Romans 5:1-2

Hope beyond the grave!

Hope to see loved ones again!

Hope to live in perfect peace in Heaven where there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain!

Hope to start another day!

Jesus defeated the brutality of the cross and turned it into a beautiful symbol of true hope!  That when you believe in Jesus you cross over from death to life and that life is eternal in Heaven forever!  That great salvation is available to everyone on earth by faith in Jesus!  No matter who you are or what you have done, you can turn to the Lord and be saved!

“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

When I see a cross, it reminds me that Jesus defeated sin and death and I have great hope because of His forgiveness and love!  It reminds me that death does not have the final word, Jesus does!

Have you crossed over from death to life?  If your answer is no, I suggest taking another look at the cross and the true hope Jesus offers you.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.”

1 Peter 1:3-5

“And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

Romans 5:5

Grace and peace to you all!

P.S.

Please pray for Colorado today.  My wife and kids are home today because all of the Denver metro area schools are closed due to a woman traveling here from Florida who made threats regarding shooting kids at our schools.  The FBI and police are on a statewide search for her.  She bought a shotgun yesterday, then disappeared into the Rockies.  They said she is obsessed with the Columbine High School shooting (which happened 20 years ago on 4-20-1999) and she made threats about committing a similar attack on our schools.  She came all the way from Florida to commit violence against our kids during the infamous anniversary of Columbine.

Coloradoans take these threats very seriously.  I was in college when Columbine happened and I still remember all the people on campus who were standing around the campus TVs crying as they watched the footage.  The next year I met a girl who had been in the shooting and she had bullet hole scars on her arms.  Please watch the news about the woman they are looking for and call the FBI if you have any information about her.  Please pray that they find her and pray protection over our kids and schools.  I am glad they closed the schools and I’m glad my wife and kids are home safe.  I will be enjoying spending time with them today.  God bless you all!

News update this afternoon: The young girl from Florida was found deceased at the base of Mount Evans.  We are praying for her family.

 

Many of you know that a dream of mine is to visit Israel.  It would be a great blessing to be able to walk where Jesus walked!  Continuing with Easter week, the Lord has had me focused on the town of Bethany today.  Jesus had friends in Bethany and He stayed there often.  Six days before the Passover, they prepared a dinner in His honor.  It was at that dinner Jesus was anointed in preparation for His final battle.

To be clear, the Bethany I am speaking of is the town less than two miles (1.5 miles approx.) east of Jerusalem on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives.  The other Bethany, where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew 3, John 1:28), is beyond the Jordan just north of the Dead Sea.

“Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem…”

John 11:18

“This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.”

John 1:28

Bethany next to Jerusalem is the town where Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary lived and it is where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44).  It is known today as the West Bank city of al-Eizariya, which is Arabic for “Place of Lazarus.”  It is also in Bethany where we read about Martha opening her home to Jesus and having a certain famous conversation with Him about her sister Mary (Luke 10:38-42).

Let’s take a look at that very special dinner held in honor of Jesus.  Remember, just before this time, Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead and it caused quite a scene.  There was such a commotion among the people and so many putting their faith in Jesus because of the miracle that the chief priests decided right then and there to devise a plot to kill Him (John 11:45-57).  This was also when Caiaphas, high priest at the time, unknowingly prophesied that Jesus would die for the people (John 11:49-53).  Jesus knew this, so until it was His time He stayed in Ephraim until the time of the Passover and then traveled back to Bethany to be with His friends.

“Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.  Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor.  Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.  Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.  And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?  It was worth a year’s wages.”  He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied.  “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.  You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

John 12:3-8

It’s so cool that Lazarus was sitting at the table with Jesus!  The Lord had just recently raised him from the dead and now they are eating together–incredible!  Mary was doing a beautiful thing for Jesus.  The disciples, namely Judas, didn’t understand what she was doing and thought it was a waste.  Far from it!  When Mary poured that perfume on His feet and wiped His feet with her hair she was blessing Jesus as her King, Lord, and Savior in preparation for His coming death and burial!

It was the very next day that Jesus left Bethany and traveled through Bethphage (where he acquired the donkey and her colt) and the Mount of Olives on His way to triumphantly entering Jerusalem on what we know as Palm Sunday.  See my post from yesterday titled, “Hosanna In The Highest!” for more about that.

I’m really glad the Lord had such a nice meal with His friends before He entered Jerusalem.  The anointing Jesus received at Bethany was beautiful and it was given out of a heart full of love for Him.  Jesus knew His time had come and He was willing and fully prepared to die for us.

Grace and peace to you all!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy and Blessed Palm Sunday!  God bless you all!  This is a beautiful day of celebration for Christians all over the world.  It is the day we remember when Jesus, our King and Lord and Savior, rode into Jerusalem to ultimately complete His mission of defeating sin and death and proving to the world once and for all that He is the resurrection and the life!

Before I get to the historical account of Jesus entering Jerusalem, I want to dive deeper into that beautiful word “Hosanna.”  As Jesus rode into Jerusalem and the people placed their cloaks and palm branches on the road, the crowd of people going ahead of Him and following Him used the word “Hosanna” as they gave praise to Jesus.  If you are like me, I like to know what words mean, so I study the Hebrew and Greek root words of the Bible.  The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek.  From there it was translated into Latin and then into our modern English.

Hosanna is a word with Hebrew roots and understanding its meaning truly helps us gain a full understanding of what the people were saying to Jesus.  Here is an excerpt from some research I did today:

“Hosanna is often thought of as a declaration of praise, similar to hallelujah, but it is actually a plea for salvation. The Hebrew root words are found in Psalm 118:25, which says, “Save us, we pray, O LORD!” (ESV). The Hebrew words yasha (“deliver, save”) and anna (“beg, beseech”) combine to form the word that, in English, is “hosanna.” Literally, hosanna means “I beg you to save!” or “please deliver us!”

-GotQuestions.org

So when the people were shouting “hosanna” or “yasha anna” to Jesus, they were literally crying out to Him to save them!  They were giving Him glory as their King and giving Him glory as the only One who could save them!

Let’s take a look at the Scriptures with this understanding in mind:

“As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her.  Untie them and bring them to me.  If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

“Say to the Daughter of Zion,

‘See, your king comes to you,

gentle and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey.'”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.  They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.  A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

“Hosanna in the highest!”

Matthew 21:1-9

As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the people were praising Him and asking Him for salvation and deliverance and that is exactly what He had come to do!

Going a little deeper into history: That photo above is the Eastern Gate in Jerusalem.  The original gate that Jesus entered through is actually buried underneath that, but this is the location where Jesus rode into Jerusalem almost 2,000 years ago.

“The Eastern Gate of Jerusalem is also called the Golden Gate or the Beautiful Gate (Acts 3:2).  In Hebrew, it is Sha’ar Harahamim, the “Gate of Mercy.”  It is currently the oldest gate in the Old City, having been constructed in the 6th or 7th century AD.  Also, it is the gate that gives the most direct access to the temple mount—if a person could pass through the arches of the Eastern Gate, he would be very close to where the Jewish temple used to stand.  When Jesus entered Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives in Matthew 21, He used a gate in the same location as the current Eastern or Golden Gate.

The Eastern Gate was sealed shut in AD 1540–41 by order of Suleiman the Magnificent, a sultan of the Ottoman Empire.  It’s believed that the reason for the closing of the Eastern Gate was to prevent the Jewish Messiah from gaining entrance to Jerusalem.  Jewish tradition states that the Messiah will pass through the Eastern Gate when He comes to rule.  The Muslim Suleiman was attempting to thwart the Messiah’s plans with sixteen feet of cement.  The Eastern Gate has remained sealed for nearly the past 500 years.”

-GotQuestions.org

“The Eastern Gate of Jerusalem is not the same one that Jesus rode through in His triumphal entry.  The modern Eastern Gate was not constructed until centuries after the time of Christ.  The original gate that Nehemiah built (and possibly dating to the time of Solomon) is underground, below the current gate, as documented by archaeologist James Fleming in 1969.  It was through the lower gate (now underground) that Jesus would have entered Jerusalem.”

-GotQuestions.org

It’s sad that the Ottomans thought they could stop the Messiah by sealing the gate shut with concrete.  Not only would they never be able to stop Jesus from entering Jerusalem, they were over 1500 years late in sealing it shut.  Nothing in this whole world would have stopped Jesus from fulfilling His mission to save our souls and He alone is our salvation!

Hosanna in the highest!  They were saying, “Lord, we beg you, save us and deliver us in the greatest of ways!”  Thank You Jesus for saving us in the highest by dying for our sins and giving eternal life to all those who believe in You!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Jesus speaking in John 3:16-17

Grace and peace to you all!

 

 

Most of you know by now that I am a big Reach Records fan.  That is Lecrae’s record label and it includes Christian hip-hop artists: Lecrae, Tedashii, KB, Trip Lee, Andy Mineo, GAWVI, WHATUPRG, and 1K Phew.  The 116 crew are on their 2019 Unashamed Forever Tour right now and last night at a show in Orlando, Florida Lecrae announced that he signed Wande Isola!  They also released her first single as a Reach Records artist called “Blessed Up” and it is awesome!  This song is anointed in Holy Spirit joy and power and it had me smiling, dancing, and praising God all day!

Wande was born in Nigeria and was raised in Austin, Texas.  She loves Jesus and she is using the gifts the Lord gave her to bring glory to His Name!

“At the core [I] love Jesus and will always tell you about the truth and [am] not afraid to represent that,” Wande testified.”

-The Christian Post

I sent a couple tweets to Wande and Lecrae today letting them know I loved the song and I’m praising God for it, and Wande liked my tweets!  Thank you sister!  You made my day!  Wande is a humble sister of Christ and I hope you show her some love and encouragement!  I bought her song today and I look forward to seeing how the Lord moves through her in power with Reach Records!

You can check out Wande’s website at:

OmgItsWande.com

And her Twitter is: @OMGitsWande

Check out the Unashamed Forever Tour at: UnashamedTour.com

Lecrae said last night before he announced Wande’s signing that Reach Records has been going strong for 15 years now.  It has been really cool to see how God has worked through them to reach the world for Christ!  I grew up with hip-hop and I love how the Lord is using Reach Records to break through worldly barriers by sharing the Gospel with poetic rhymes and sweet beats!  The 116 Unashamed comes from Romans 1:16 and I am 116 Unashamed for life!

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…”

Romans 1:16

I pray the Lord blesses the Reach Records ministry and the entire 116 crew!  Grace and peace to all of you brothers and sisters!  Keep going strong for Jesus unashamed!

“Gotta stay prayed up, yeah I’m talkin’ ’bout the Spirit.”

-Wande, Blessed Up

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

 

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!