WOULDN'T IT BE NICE?

Wouldn't it be nice if peace broke out and spread over the entire world? Till God wills that, let's remember the divine peace we find in Christ. We are upon this earth to fulfill God's will for good. Let us pray that the world eventually finds its peace in Christ as we do. I hear the word impossible, but God is capable of accomplishing the seemingly impossible such as world peace. It never hurts to ask. It beats asking God for material riches. Never doubt the power of asking God then patiently waiting to see how creative his solutions are to our requests.

OPPORTUNITIES

     I was thinking how, as a Christian, I have no right to be bored when each glorious day God presents us with so many opportunities. He surrounds us throughout each day with a variety of opportunities to share his Good News. I see many people in my church, but wonder how many could explain what the Good News is and proclaim it to others. After all, proclaiming the Good News to those opportunities God presents to us each day is our assignment as faithful Christians.

     The Good News or Gospel simply put is proclaiming that Jesus Christ died on that cross to pay the penalty for our sins and allowing us the divine honor of becoming children of God, our Father, through faith in Jesus Christ. In John 14:6, Jesus states without exception, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."(NIV). 

     Wouldn't you think that we, as Christians, would be so excited in knowing this truth and so concerned about the well being of others that we would go through hell and high water to make sure everyone had the opportunity to hear the Good News or, at least, to be given the opportunity to think about it and ask how to learn more? The opportunity to be true children of God, our Father, is something Jesus wanted everyone to be offered, Jew and gentile alike. There is no mistaking what Jesus told us, He is not just a way, but The WAY, the only way, to the Father and life everlasting.

     Make our Lord's sacrifice worth it.

    

A GREAT TIME IS UPON US

     We all miss the mark, sin, at times, but the key in that situation is to extend your hand to God asking for help getting back up and the strength and wisdom to do better. If we are not calling out to God for help when we fail, we are not relying and trusting him to be our savior as he promised. We need to be practiced in calling out for his helping hand and strength for a great time is upon us when God calls out for our action. Will you be one of those answering the call?

     We cannot and should not go it alone. As Christians, we are living in one of the most exciting eras in our history since our Lord Jesus Christ walked this earth, himself. It seemed as if Muslims, secularists, and apathy within the church itself were about to destroy Christianity. But God cannot and will not lose. God is winning. He brings Muslims fleeing in great fear from members of their own faith to Christian borders. Muslims by the hundreds of thousands within their Muslim dictatorships are fleeing into Christian arms for mercy and compassion, our great strength and their great weakness. Let us not fail our God. Let us show what our Lord Jesus taught us by example; love, forgiveness, compassion, mercy, and all that is good. It is a difficult assignment for those with losses to the Muslim world's brutality toward their loved ones. Let us shine. Pray for strength and a stronger back. He never promised us that it would be easy, that we would have no losses or would not be persecuted, but he did promise that he would be right there with us offering his strength. God will not lose to his divine love's enemies. It is a time of choices and a time of shedding our meekness to stand up and be counted. God's blessings, mercy, and strength to you all.

EXCEPT...?

      I cannot find evidence of our Lord using the word "EXCEPT." Therefore, I do not read any of  his commands such as to love our enemies (for what accomplishment is it to love only those who love you) as love our enemies- except Muslims, etc.. Love our enemies to glorify God for delivering to you an opportunity to be an example of our Lord Jesus Christ by giving comfort when none is deserved, showing kindness when none is deserved, feeding and clothing our enemies when it is not deserved. Do all this in our Lord's name so that your actions will be a glory to him and will show the  mercy and love he gave to us when we did not deserve it, and to encourage conversion of that sinful soul before you that so very much resembles your soul when you stood before our Lord asking for his divine mercy in previous times.

     We Christians are being asked to put on display for the world of our enemies just how committed we are to the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. I admit that it is perplexing and overwhelming at times, but we cannot fail when we are given the big assignment we have all yearned for deep within our hearts. Love, my brothers and sisters. Comfort and give, my fellow Saints. Let us use our Spiritual Gifts to show our enemies the love and comfort we know through our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us be a loving and shining example that shows the only way to the Father is through the Son. Let us plant the seed of faith through our Christ-like example.and give birth to new children of Christ.  Amen

LET THE FLOOD BEGIN

     As I stated in an earlier post, I have spent the summer months being refreshed and inspired by God's great beauty and talks with him. He has revealed in his divine wisdom to me, whose understanding is so wanting, what I have suspected for some time that he is up to something. Oh yes, God is always "up to something" but this time he is really up to something. He is always exciting and loving, but always up to something, my brothers and sisters.

I and the world have watched as Islam spread its violence combined with its signature forced conversions across the Middle East and the world to build a new Caliphate and control the world.  I have overheard Christians here and there say Christianity is dying or losing to Islam. But knowing that God doesn't lose, my thoughts have always been, "what is God up to by allowing such events?"

I was curious to understand why God would let Muslims spread in such strength and vehemence throughout his world; killing his children and defaming his name and that of his son, Jesus Christ.  This is what I have come to understand with such clarity that he is allowing Islam to show its true face, that of violence and forced conversions. Did not Jesus tell us that the only way to the Father is through the Son, and yet they reject his son? Bringing into the light the true face of Islam, our Father knows that it will bring his sheep toward our Lord Jesus Christ, his son, and in turn, to him.  The truth shall set us free.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, our God is bringing Muslims in incomprehensible numbers to Christian borders to escape the Muslim-on-Muslim violence. For the past few years, I have been reading articles written by Christian missionaries in the Middle East that state, "the church isn't ready for the massive numbers of converts that God is to going to send from a Muslim community fleeing from the violence of the Muslim world."  My fellow Christians, "The Flood" is upon us and we are not prepared. I'm hearing and easily imagining that this could be the largest conversion to Christianity in the history of the world; according to records, the last ten years have seen the greatest number of conversions to Christianity worldwide in history, and we ain't seen nothing yet.  We need to open our minds and prayers to this very fact. God is driving his flock toward us to shepherd them to his son, Jesus Christ. Drop the fear of Muslims entering our lands. We are commanded to look at this as the greatest opportunity ever given by God to Christians to be a loving and giving example of Jesus Christ and aid Muslims which act will be a glory to our Father and bring unfathomable numbers into his arms.

This may be the greatest opportunity in history.  Let us not hate but love. Let us not turn away but welcome and give comfort to those Muslims. When people come to our Lord, they are usually at their lowest ebb in life and ready to surrender. If we turn a fearful and rejecting eye to "The Flood", the fleeing Muslims may turn to the only other option...militant Islam and its violence and terror.

Let us act toward Muslims with nothing but love, compassion, empathy, and forgiveness just as our Lord Jesus commands. Muslims populate the poorest regions in the world.  God has showered worldly wealth upon his Christian children just so that they will be prepared when he sends "The Flood."  Remember my brothers and sisters in Christ, all we have is given by God and therefore, his to give as pleases Him.  Let us give in a way that pleases him. Also, let us use Love as our weapon of choice for it pleases our loving Father. Only love can destroy hate.  Let "The Flood" begin, and pray that we will not miss this, the greatest opportunity ever given by God to add to his flock.  They are massing on the borders of Christian Macedonia by the hundreds of thousands, they are coming by sea in dilapidated boats these children that calls to him.  All glory to God, our Father, we shall meet this head on with love, comfort, and no forced conversions or senseless violence for our God is a loving and compassionate God.

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.      Galatians 3:28 NIV

I'M SORRY

     The first thing you want to say to God everyday is, "I'm sorry...sorry for all the hurt I've caused you. Sorry for all the things I've done wrong when I knew better. Sorry for keeping silent and lacking courage while those around me scoffed and made fun of you. Sorry for not grabbing the opportunity to tell that person in distress yesterday about how loving, forgiving, and comforting you are.  Sorry for not leaning on you when times are tough.  Sorry for being so human and missing the mark in life."

     It isn't easy and God knows this. Just get by yourself and tell him how sorry you are and ask to know him better...to be able to feel his presence and strength everyday and all the time.  My friend, nobody else loves you more, cares more, wants a close personal relationship more with you than our Lord Jesus Christ.

     The next time you are full of remorse and sorry for thinking only of yourself go to our Father and let it all out. Tell him that is so very, very good to be back with and talk with him. He knows what it's like here in this world. After all, he spent about 32 years walking through this world and being dealt all the pain imaginable. He understands and loves you the more for talking with him.  Let God fill you with his Holy Spirit. Let him refuel and refresh your beaten soul once again. He gave his life for you and me and in turn gave us the gift of eternal life for what price?  Merely for having faith.  The least we can do for him is to talk with, love, lean on him, and have faith.

I"M BACK!

Many, many miles traveled this summer, and so very blessed to be able to get away from the city and all the man-made structures and to live for a time surrounded by God's divine and beautiful creation. Will be back on schedule soon with new projects inspired by my time spent much closer to our Father.  Always keep in your mind that God is winning in this world no matter what you see, hear, or think. Did you really think God could lose?