Tag Archives: Lord

Citizens of Heaven

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But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, Philippians 3:20

 Do you ever feel out of place in this world? Well that’s because you are, your true home is in heaven.    The afterlife is a subject most of us don’t want to talk or think about; but it’s reality. The good news is that death is not the end for us thru Jesus Christ.

As Jesus promised in this scripture he has already prepared a place for us in (John 14:1-3 “”Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. 2“In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3“If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

 What will this place be like? I think Revelations 21:4 sums it up best “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”   Think about all disease and sin are gone, we can once again live in perfection again as God intended.  As we remember Jesus conquered death on the cross so we can have eternal life.

One story in the Bible always intrigued me, referred to as the transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17:1-9). During this story Jesus takes his disciples up the mountain. During this time Jesus becomes radiant and they meet Moses and Elijah. The reason I love this story is because it proves there is an afterlife with Moses and Elijah reappearing. During this time God also confirms Jesus is the “Son of God”

I also love the scripture from  2 Corinthians 5:6-8 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord  While we are on this Earth we are away from our true home because we are “Citizens of Heaven”

 Remember what Jesus said to the sinner next to him on the cross. (Luke 23:43) Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  Jesus not only promises him eternal life but describes heaven as paradise.

So remember heaven is awaiting you, don’t be discouraged or fearful of this world. As Jesus promised one day you will be a “Citizen of Heaven” in Jesus Name Amen

 

 

Love is Sacrifice

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Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; Ephesians 5:25
What does love mean to you? Have you ever been in love or in love now? Most people would say yes, but do you really know what love is? Do you love as Jesus loves us?
Jesus loved us unconditionally; he sacrificed himself to save us not knowing if we would even acknowledge him. This is true love to give of yourself without expecting anything in return.
Love is probably one of the most overused words in our society; people will say this on a daily basis but don’t even know what love entails.
I would bet most of us in this world love conditionally. When things are going good everyone is happy, but as soon as one partner has to sacrifice or give more than the other, then most people break up. This is why we live in a society with such a high divorce rate, majority of these people were never really in love to begin with. They were in lust with each other until the good times ended.
As it tells us in 1 Corinthians 13: 4Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 6does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;…
You can generate a theme after reading these scriptures, Love is Sacrifice! There’s a reason why a lot of parents will say “I never knew love until I had my children” it’s because of the sacrifices they committed because they loved there children
Most of us today when we think of love, we think selfishly. We think about the needs we want fulfilled rather than the needs we can fulfill to your spouse.
1 Peter 4:8” Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins”. Another reason love fails is because people have unreal expectations of their spouse to be perfect. As it says in this scripture thru love we learn to accept each other as “works in progress”.
So when therefor when you truly understand the meaning and responsibilities of love; we can have a loving and successful marriage.
By following Jesus and studying the Gospel, we can learn and understand what true love is in Jesus name Amen

Man of God

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But you, Man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 1 Timothy 6:11

 Recently I just finished reading the book “Man of God” by Dr. Charles Stanley. It’s a very inspirational book and I highly recommend it to anyone. It got me to reflect on myself and journey as a “Man of God”

What does it really mean or require to be a “Man of God”? I believe the qualities you would observe are integrity, accountability, compassion, courage, and humility.

The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them. Proverbs 11:3. To have integrity means to be blameless. Honest, and having strong morals. It’s important that your family and others can trust and respect you. Unless you have integrity this can’t be accomplished.

“So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God” Romans 14:12 To be Godly we must be accountable for our actions. When we make mistakes we confess them. We also need to accept our responsibilities as Christians, Spouses, and Parents.

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 1 Peter 3:8  Having compassion towards each other is essential. We all have faults and make mistakes, we need to be patient and kind. As it says in Proverbs 10:12 “Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers all wrongs”

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13 Being a “Man of God” is going to take courage. When you refuse to conform to the ways of the world, you will receive a lot of opposition. That’s why you must grow “deep roots” of faith and always trust in God. Then you will be a strong role model for your family.


 “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6  Pride can become our worst enemy. It can make us harden our hearts and resist knowledge. This is why God opposes pride, it’s a act of selfishness and vanity.

As you can see being a “Man of God” is no easy task. And we probably don’t posses all these qualities yet. But thru our journey we should strive to obtain these traits.

Following Jesus and studying the Word of God are good blueprints we can build on. It’s important for our families and ourselves that we make the commitment to become “ Men of God: In Jesus name. Amen

Teach your Children

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Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
Being a parent is probably the toughest yet more rewarding thing you can ever do; It is important that we teach our children values, morals, and most importantly about God
If we don’t teach our Children about God, who will? The world? Most parts of the world including America you’re not even allowed to mention God.
Recently Arkansas State University football team was forced to remove the symbol of the Cross on the back of their helmets because lawyers determined it’s unconstitutional to display a Cross in public
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2014/09/10/arkansas-state-removes-memorial-crosses-from-helmets/15402697/
Rick Santorum says 62% of all college students who enter with a faith leave as an Atheist. And it’s no surprise since Colleges are not allowed to talk about Creationism or Intelligent Design due to Atheist groups suing the Colleges. They teach Evolution and Big Bang Theory, forcing kids to follow there agendas.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/rick-santorum-left-uses-college-for-indoctrination/
So we can’t expect the outside world to teach our Children about God, Morals, Values, Integrity, Family, this all needs to be done in our homes. This is our responsibility to build our Children’s foundations on “The Rock” so when they encounter storms they will still be standing.
As it says in Deuteronomy 6:6,7 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
We should reflect on the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32) The son became rebellious, wasted his fortune, lived a sinful lifestyle. But eventually after being stuck in the pit of life, which sin eventually leads us to. He returned his Father, and he welcomed him with open arms .
No matter how far the Son fell in his ways he did not depart from his family. Because even though he was making poor choices his foundation was built on “The Rock”. A lot of people like to complain about the younger generation but the only people to blame is ourselves. We are responsible for bringing up the next generation. We can’t expect them to just be born with knowledge.
I pray that parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, guardians, we all take the responsibility to teach our Children so they will not depart from God and know the truth thru the Word of God Amen

Return to God

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‘Return to me,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you,’ says the LORD Almighty. Zecheriah 1:3

Throughout history the nation of Israel has left God , then returned to him, then left him again, and so on. What we learn from the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah, is that God is very merciful however if you don’t want him in your life then he won’t be there.
God has giving us the not only the gift of life but also free will. As this was displayed with Adam and Eve. Even though they were told not to eat from the forbidden tree, they were able to by their choice.
It’s the same with us today, even though God is our creator nobody is required to follow him. If you choice to be an Atheist and disregard all of God’s commandments, you have the free will to do so.
However you can’t serve two masters. If you’re not following God then you’re following Satan. There really are no other options. Those who say there is no God and don’t follow any are then making themselves a God which is Satanic. Do you create yourself? How could you possibly be above your maker?
I believe America is in the trouble we are because the majority of America has left God. Past generations are living the good life and get complacent. When times are good most people forget God exists only when there is a tragedy.
So then Parents forgot to teach their children about God, and they don’t teach their children. Eventually you have a Godless nation. Without the Word of God there are no morals, no standards by which to live by. So Man begins to create their own standards and morals, which most likely are corrupted.
This is what we’re seeing today in America, most of Gods standards are out the window. Anything goes in America today. But just as we saw with the Greek Empire, and the Roman Empires, the Empires eventually fall apart. As I talked about in a previous post, a nation divided among itself will fail.
But there is hope. As God said to the prophets of Israel , return to him and he will return to you. Jesus paid the price for our sins, now we need to do our part, repent our sins and follow the Word of God.

Love your Enemy

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“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” Psalm 110:1
It’s easy to pray for your family and friends, but what about your enemies are you praying for them? Most likely were not which is understandable, however you might be doing yourself a disservice by not.
God tells us he will make our enemies our footstool, this is referenced several times in the Bible (Psalms, Luke, Acts, Matthew, Hebrews) but what does it actually mean?
As it says in Exodus 14:14 “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” We don’t need to fight our enemies, God will take care of them for us. He will either change their hearts or move them.
As God did for Moses and the Israelite, he hardened the hearts of the Egyptians until they finally released them from slavery without a fight. The when the Egyptians decided to attack them he saved them by parting the Red Sea. He made the Egyptians there footstool by just following him.
We need to remember God is in control; no force is greater as it says in Deuteronomy 3:22 Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God himself will fight for you.”
What about forgiveness? It says in Matthew 6:14 “ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Sometimes you need to learn to let things go and let God take over.
I think Romans 12:17-21 sums it up best Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Notice it says when you stay in peace with you enemy it just agitates them more; sometimes your best weapon against your enemy is to just love them.
As it says in the scripture we need to learn not to repay evil with evil. Let’s rise up and have Christ living thru us and show our enemies that they won’t and can’t break us in Jesus Name Amen

Happy Birthday Tanner

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Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:16
Today is a special day because it the birthday of our oldest son Tanner, he is a gift from God and we are truly blessed.
As we learn throughout the Bible, we are not mistakes, we are not coincidences, we didn’t just appear out of luck
We were handpicked by God and chosen to be giving life to; because we have a greater purpose to fulfill a divine destiny. It’s sad today in this world that there are many people who believe they exist just by coincidence or mistake.
Anyone knows our son Tanner, can tell he was special automatically. I believe he was hand picked by God for us. His unconditional love and brilliant mind continue to fascinate me. I learned a lot about life just by being the Father of our kids. They show us and teach us things others can’t, and I don’t believe that is a mistake.
Consider what the prophet Isaiah said in 49:5 And now the LORD says– he who formed me in the womb to be his servant to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself, for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD and my God has been my strength—
Isaiah basically saying the same thing David said in Psalms, God knew them before they were even born. How about the prophet Jeremiah
Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
We see a pattern of what these “messengers of God” are telling us, WE ARE NOT A MISTAKE!
So we rejoice at the birth of our son Tanner as you should rejoice about your birth also, for you were made and called by God for a greater purpose. Don’t let anyone tell you different.
Happy Birthday Tanner! Amen

The Name of God

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One of the most interesting and controversial topics is what is the real name of God. I thought it would be informal to do a brief overview on the” Name of God” The original translation of God’s name was YHWH
Since the original Hebrew language doesn’t have vowels, nobody knew how to pronounce YHWH. Because of this the Jews refused to try to pronounce it in fear they would break the 2nd Commandment using God’s name in vain by not pronouncing it correctly.
Therefor in the King James translations of the Bible you see the word “The Lord” or “Adonai” in place of YHWH.
However other translators added vowels to the name and came up with Yahweh. Although this name is accepted by most Christians nobody is 100% sure it’s the accurate name since the original Hebrew language doesn’t have vowels.
Then came the hybrid form of the name “Jehovah”, even though this name has become popularly acceptable in English languages however experts claim that this translation is “grammatically impossible”
The reason is there is no J in the Hebrew language therefor the correct pronunciation would probably be incorrect. Even the Jehovah Witnesses admit this on their website JW.org that Jehovah is not the most accurate name for God but they kept it because it’s widely accepted in the English language.
In the book of Exodus Moses asks God directly what his name is and he responded And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
I found it interesting God didn’t identify himself as YHWH, Yahweh, or Jehovah. If God wanted this to be known wouldn’t he have revealed it to Moses?
Here’s my take on it. As humans we need to identify things for we don’t understand the supernatural. As Jesus said in John 3:12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?
Our humans minds can’t comprehend what God is or who is it; were not capable. God is above all things, the source of life to all things. The Earth is his footstool and the Heavens his dominion, we can’t possibly begin to fathom what level God is at. Therefor God doesn’t need a name, he’s above all names. We essentially try to humanize him for our human brains to comprehend him but we can’t.
Just know this he is the Alpha and Omega, our Heavenly Father, and the Creator of all Amen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yahweh
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah
http://www.jewfaq.org/alephbet.htm
http://www.jw.org/en/publications/bible/nwt/appendix-a/tetragrammaton-divine-name/#?insight%5Bsearch_id%5D=08424389-afe1-44aa-85c1-0a0b075dacb1&insight%5Bsearch_result_index%5D=3

What Inheritance are you leaving?

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A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children Proverbs 13:22
When we talk about leaving your children an “inheritance” what are we referring to? Are we just talking about money or are we talking about much more?
The definition of inheritance is “ the acquisition of a possession, condition, or trait from past generations” So let’s break down the three areas of inheritance.
Possession is the state of having, owning, or controlling something. Wouldn’t it be great if your children possessed self-confidence, integrity, and most importantly love. It’s important as parents we build our children up and love them so they have the emotional security to face the world.
Condition is the circumstances which affect the way a person lives. Wouldn’t it be a great inheritance to give our children a home, free from chaos and full of love? How many adults lives are effected by the conditions of there homes growing up?
Trait is a distinguishing quality or characteristic belonging to a person. We often hear the expression the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Kids mimic their parents, If you’re a bad example for your children they will learn these bad habits and carry them on. It’s important to be a just influence in your home and to you Children.
This is why, especially for parents, that we must follow the word of God and walk with integrity. As a parent you are the head of the household and can declare “As for me and my house we will server The Lord”
So as you can see leaving an inheritance is more involved than dropping some money in a bank account. You are ultimately responsible for the foundation and structure of your children. If you fail to provide a Godly example for your Children then most likely they will fail.
As it says in Proverbs 1:8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
Let’s give our Children a great inheritance so they can thrive and prosper thru there lives in Jesus name Amen

Beginning of Wisdom

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The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Proverbs 9:10
What does this scripture mean to you? How can wisdom come from fear? How can understanding come from knowledge?
When people don’t acknowledge the greatness of God or his abilities, they become fools. As it says in Romans 1:22 “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,”
People who believe they are greater than their creator; or who believe they can live reckless life with no consequences or authority are simply fools.
As God said in Jeremiah 4:22 My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.”
When we understand God breathed life into us and made us in his image; he gave us this life as a gift; we then start to obtain the wisdom of his Word in the scriptures. But until you can accept God as your master, you can never accept wisdom or understanding.
You do have a choice though. You have the freedom of free will and you can follow Satan’s path of sin. However when you decide to walk that path you will end up in the same destination as Satan, the Lake of Fire. As it says in Matthew 7:19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
So if you want to know if you or somebody else is really living a Christian lifestyle, check there fruit. Are you producing good fruit? Is your family broken or blessed? Is your personal life a mess? Are you drowning in debt? These are a few areas you can check your fruit.
When they say “Fear the Lord” it’s out of respect, honor, and most importantly love. Just as you would “fear” a parent or guardian. It’s not a dictatorship because you have the choice. You can follow Jesus to Eternal life or follow Satan to destruction.
I pray that everyone receives and understand the greatness of God; therefore thru Jesus and the Holy Spirit you can begin to obtain wisdom and knowledge that will lead you to your divine destiny Amen