Gettin people's attention OR Why can't people handle the truth of The Gospel?

Inspired verse: Hebrews 12:10(b)

      God makes himself know to everyone by his creation. Whether it be mountains, trees, animals, the ocean or people (the list could go on and on), God reveals himself in his creation. Whether we acknowledge this or not is the individuals issue.
    God puts that "Christian" neighbor who tells you about Jesus, but instead you ignore him because you think he's off his rocker and sounds too much like Ned Flanders, to reveal God. Or how about that nut that you chat with on Facebook who discusses God with you but you choose to dismiss his words as that of a crazy religious person. These are just a couple of examples of how God makes himself known to unbelievers in today's time.
   The writing is on the wall, people. JESUS IS COMING BACK!!! Plain and simple. I believe this with everything that I am.
   Why do people continue to dismiss God? If I knew the answer to that question, I probably wouldn't be writing this, but instead, there would be many more saved people in the world than there is right now. I believe that people refuse to open their eyes to the truth.  I was once this way. I cussed like a sailor, told lies that make tall tales look like the truth in comparison. I did it all. But he used people and events to get my attention. It didn't happen instantly. It happened over a period of time. I thank God for those people and life events that led me to his saving grace.
   My prayer is for those reading this who do not believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior, that they will come to know him, confess their sins and pursue him with every ounce of strength they have.

The Holy Spirit Living Inside Me

 Inspired verse:Acts 2:38

Today's blog is short,hopefully sweet and straight to the point.

       How does one have the Holy Spirit living inside him or her?
       For starters, he has to be invited. Peter says in Acts 2;38 to "repent and be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
  All one has to do is call on Jesus. He hears the words of repentance. Then one can experience the glory of his goodness. When this happens, he changes ones despair to hope. That hope then becomes praise for him and his glorious presence.
   i urge all who are reading this to call on the name of Jesus. Repent of your sins and ask him into your heart. It's that simple.

Jesus>than worldly things

Verse of inspiration: Philippians 4:8


   In today's entry, I am going to continue to write about keeping Jesus as the focal point of my life.
   There is a constant bombardment via the media for my attention on a daily, even hourly basis.
    What am I spending my time doing when I'm not working? I believe fun and games are fine, but when it blocks me from thinking about Jesus, spending time praying and reading my Bible, it can be a potentially dangerous problem for me somewhere down the road.
   I believe these following statements> If I am watching a TV program or movie, reading a book, listening to music or surfing a social media site that is not rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then I am willingly setting myself up for trouble or attacks from Satan. I have to learn to focus on Godly things as much as possible. This can be easier said than done if Christ Jesus is not guiding my every step.
   My prayer is that I will keep my attention on Jesus and not on the things of this world.

Eyes on Jesus

Passage or verses of Inspiration: Galatians 1 and Revelations 5


  It's all about Jesus. Everything good. Everything praise worthy. Everything God has made radiates his goodness. That is what God made man  to do. Radiate his goodness. Instead, we believed the lies of Satan and went and did things man's way. That's when it all went to hell. However, God sent his son, Jesus, to redeem mankind of his sinful nature.
   We are to radiate the goodness and love of Jesus Christ and bring glory and honor to him. That is man's purpose. That is my purpose. Yet, I get sidetracked by the things of this world. I take my eyes off Jesus and find myself immersed in the cesspool that is this fallen world. I fall for Satan's schemes every time.
  What do I have to do to avoid the sins of this world? Keep my eyes on Jesus. Pray to God the Father and stay rooted in his Holy Word-The Bible. That's a step in the right direction.

A Reminder of God's redemptive love.

Inspired passage: Acts 9:1-31


    The conversion of Saul to Paul is one my very favorite stories in all the Bible.
     It tells the story of how Saul, the persecutor of Christians, met Jesus on the road to Damascus. After his miraculous encounter with Jesus, he was left blind for three days. This entire story is told in Acts 9. I highly recommend that you read if you have never read it before or if it's been a while since you've read it. It's a wonderful reminder of the gift of redemption given freely by Jesus.
    Why do I bring this up? Because it is one of the most powerful stories of redemption ever told. If Saul can be redeemed by Jesus, then we all can. All we have to do is turn from our sinful ways, confess our sins to God and turn to his son Jesus for our ultimate redemption-the forgiveness of our sins. This story gives me hope and inspires me daily to pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
   I hope and pray that it will be a reminder of Christ's redemptive love for all who read this.

Focusing on the lies of Satan or Promises of God?

 Deut. 31:6


   Jesus is with me where ever I go. Sometimes I find myself walking in fear instead of walking in the confidence and loving assurance of Jesus.
   Why do I do this? Because I fall into the devil's trap of focusing on his lies. Fears placed in my mind from the devil are completely different than having the fear of God in you. Fears placed  in the mind by Satan are false images that have no truth. Yet I find myself focusing on those lies instead of focusing on the promises of God and focusing on the love of Jesus Christ. One such promise that we can all cling to is from Deuteronomy 31:6-"be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you." That is a solid promise from God himself. I must focus on Jesus every second of every day and not on the lies of Satan.
  Thank You, Father God, for your unforsaken love and promises that I can cling to throughout my day. 

How to love those you hate or Loving like Jesus.

Verses that inspired today's entry: Matthew 5:43-45,19:19


   I'm called to love everyone, just as Jesus loves everyone. What about the people who I don't love like my brothers and sisters in Christ? Am I to love them as well? Yes. Jesus has a ton to say about  loving others, especially one's that I find hard or impossible to love.

 In Matthew 5:43-45, Jesus says "You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven."

  According to Jesus, I have to "love" my co-worker who talks about me behind my back or another who plots against me. Not only am I to love them, I'm to also pray for them.

  I try to look at it like this-Jesus loved me so much despite all of my flaws and all the sins I have committed against him(and my future sins) that he died a horrible death on the cross for me and for you.

  In conclusion, I must love those whom I find impossible to love. How do I do this? Love them like Jesus loves me. Unconditionally and without limits.

Friends with Unbelievers

Verses that inspired this entry :Acts 26:17-18


   Yesterday I wrote about my brothers in Christ Jesus.
    Today I am writing about being friends with Unbelievers. I know the Bible has much to say about being friends with unbelievers, but I have to start somewhere. So allow me to being on a personal level.
  First, let me pose a question. Do I turn my back on those who don't believe in God? I say no. Jesus never turned his back on me, so why should I? I have two good friends who are atheists. Some would say to run far away from them and that you can't be friends with such people. Once again, I point to Jesus who was and is friends of sinners. We are all sinners. All of us. Those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and have ask for forgiveness for their sins are referred to as born again.
I am called to be a light to a world in darkness. I am not perfect, but I do my best to be an example of Christ to my two unbelieving friends. I am called to pray for them daily and love them unconditionally just as Jesus loves me.
  What about the people I don't love? Or those that I have a difficult time of showing the love of Jesus to?
                                                             To Be Continued....

Brothers in Christ

Book that inspired this entry:Philemon


    I am blessed with many brothers in Christ. The list is too many to name. God uses these men to strengthen my walk with God on a daily basis, their love for Jesus inspiring me to seek Jesus more and more everyday. when I get off track, my brothers in Christ help guide me back on the straight and narrow path.
   The good Lord knows that I can be stubborn to my brothers viewpoints. These men are patient with me just as Jesus is patient with me every second of the day. Along with patience, my brothers provide  me with kindness and understanding. They get what I deal with on a daily basis and I do my best to give back to each of them in return. Once again, God has blessed me with tremendous Men who hold me accountable and I thank and praise the Lord for them. They know who they are so there is no need to list them by name. May God bless them all.
 

Thankful in suffering?

Scripture referenced or inspired for this writing:
Psalm 95:1,Matthew 5:12,Acts 5:41,1Peter 4:13,16

How often do I thank God for anything that he has done for me?
How often do I thank God for answering my prayers?
How often do I thank God for sending his son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins?
How often do I thank God for the suffering that I go through on a daily basis? I bet that last question was an unexpected one. Should I really thank God for suffering? Yes. Want proof? Let's look at The Bible for the truth.
  In 1 Peter 4:16, Peter says "if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name." In 1 Peter 4:12-19, Peter talks about persecution for being a Christian. He's thanking God when he comes under fire for believing in Jesus Christ. In Acts 5:33-42, the Apostles were flogged for proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ and were soon released, ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus.(Acts 5:40)
 Verse 41 says "The Apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." So yes, even when suffering, I am to praise God. I will rejoice and be glad and thank God for all that he has done for me and all the suffering I have gone through for the cause of Christ because it makes me a stronger person in Jesus.
  That's not to say that I will never wine or complain when things are bad. I am a sinner who happens to be born again in Christ Jesus, living in a fallen world that chooses darkness instead of the light of Christ. When I start to complain, I must remember all the blessings of God. That is when the pain becomes bearable.


 

A Commitment for November

  Last week, I was challenged by a fellow writer to enter a writing challenge that would have me writing every day for the month of November. If you know me, I will accept  just about any challenge put in front of me. Whether you think this is foolish on my part remains to be seen. I accepted the challenge with no idea in mind to write about. Today, with God's guidance, I have found the forum to write about. This here blog, which I seldom ever post anything. I have challenged myself to read my Bible every single day for the month of November without fail and then blog about what God reveals to me. I hope that you will check back every day and see what God has inspired me to blog about. I hope and pray that what I write will glorify God and inspire someone out there to seek God and change his or her life for the better.
  Consider this entry as my first entry for the month of November and at least twenty nine more to go.
The goal, at least for this month, is to write every day. I like to set my goals high, so why not write about my relationship with Jesus Christ and what is revealed to me through God's Holy Word.