Paul Walker's Tragic Car Crash in 3D By Dan Delzell

"In Hollywood, good guys don't typically die at the end of the movie. In real life, good guys and bad guys all die at the end of their time on earth. Movie star Paul Walker certainly seemed to be one of the good guys.

Tragically, Paul was killed in a horrific car crash on Saturday. The young man who shot to fame in the 'Fast and Furious' movies about car racing, lost his life as a passenger in a friend's Porsche about 30 miles north of Hollywood..."

Read the rest at Christian Post.

Repent and believe before it's too late

 

Genius - The Movie

 

The OliveTree Bible App

The iPad is a phenomenal tool to help in studying the Bible. That's right, it's not just a toy to browse the web and play games with. As each day goes by, more and more app developers are coming out with new tools that make studying the Bible more effective and easier than ever. The hard part is in finding the best apps or in knowing where to look. So I thought it would be a good idea to highlight a few of my favorite Bible apps that I use on a daily basis.

As always, I'm eager to hear from you. If you have an app suggestion, or you want to give feedback concerning one reviewed, I would love to hear them. Anything we can do to bring about a better study of God's Word is awesome.

So without further ado, here's the first app review.

BibleReader by Olive Tree Bible Software

This is one of the best Bible applications out there due to its diversity and selection. The app itself is free, but you have to pay for the individual Bibles, commentaries, and such. The only draw back is their pricing. Some of the Bibles and miscellaneous items can be quite expensive compared to some of the others out there. However, the overall usability of this program surpasses most other apps, making it worth the money.

Some key features are:

• Cross platform usability - The program works on Mac, PC, iOS, and Android devices. By making an account on the OliveTree website and using their online store, not the in-app store, for all your purchases, you can sync your notes, highlights, reading plans..., with all of your devices. So for those with iPads, a PC, and Android phones, you can take your Bible study with you wherever you go.
• Resources - Olive Tree has the largest assortment of resources for mobile devices. They have Bibles, both study and basic, commentaries, dictionaries, atlases, devotionals, reading plans, and more.
• Free Resources - They also have a good assortment of free materials to get you started studying the Bible right away. This also helps you to get acquainted with the software before making any large purchases.
• Resource Guide - While reading the Bible, you can easily navigate through the various tools by using the resource guide feature built into the app. Once activated, you simply tap it to open it and every resource that has information about the current Scripture your studying will be just a tap away.

Why I use this Bible app - This is my primary Bible application. Its interface is the best and easiest to use when dealing with actual Bible study. I don't have to switch between apps to find out more on any given subject and to me that's the biggest plus for this app. They have some of the leading commentaries out there including; John MacArthur, Warren Wiersbe, and Max Lucado. They also carry the classics like Matthew Henry, the James, Fausset, and Brown commentary, and many more.

There are only two cons that I have.

1. The pricing of the material... I understand why as it takes a lot of programming to get everything to be in sync with one another and for all the enhancements to flow so smoothly. Every Bible, commentary, dictionary, and book, interact with one another to help you gain the most out of each resource.
2. The in-app purchasing... I never have an issue with having in-app purchasing. In fact, I enjoy being able to buy everything using my iTunes account. The issue comes in when going from device to device. Unless you purchase through the OliveTree store online, the material will not sync among all the different devices, i.e. iPad to Android. So I cannot stress this enough, if you decide to use this app, purchase the materials through their online store and not through the App Store or the Google Play store. That way you sync it by using OliveTree's personal cloud system.

As you can see in the screen shots, this is a top notch application and I highly recommend it. I give this Bible study app a four out of five stars.

Repent and believe before it's too late

 

Sometimes I Struggle

Written by my wife Joy.

Sometimes it's hard to see Your hand in my life. Sometimes I feel like You've abandoned me. I look for Your will... for a clear sense of direction but life is cloudy with mistakes and indecision.

Sometimes it's hard to hear Your voice. I'm struggling in the wilderness when I long to be on the mountaintop with You where the air is clear and Your Word fills my lungs with ease. Down here in the valley, I feel vulnerable to attacks and defenseless.

Sometimes I struggle with Your map. Just when I've followed a road that I'm sure is the right one, I question whether I've taken a wrong turn... again. Your paths are not easy to follow and are sometimes overgrown with thorns and thistles of the world and it is a challenge just to get to them. These are the roads less travelled. Sometimes the directions don't make sense and I know I have to trust that all the squiggly lines on my map are ordained by You, meticulously drawn by my Shepherd's hand... tailor made for me. This is what you tell me, but sometimes I struggle anyway.

Sometimes I turn away... I know the right thing to do and I can clearly see Your perfect will in choosing the right way, but I look the other direction and plunge ahead. I am a wayward sheep sometimes... bent on doing my own thing and straying out of reach of Your staff, intent on the patch of grass just beyond Your protected boundaries. This happens less often than it used to... but sometimes... I struggle.

You never struggle, Father. Your will is perfect and Your love never fails. You are the light shining in the darkness and You are gracious and long-suffering even when I turn away. Your staff is long and worn with unending love for prodigal sheep like me. I am simply a traveler passing through Your world and I thank You for Your Word to guide me when I lose my way and Your comforting Spirit to calm me when the squiggly lines on the map don't seem to make any sense.

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photo source: Map

 

The Seed Of Salvation

Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” Luke 8:8 (NLT)

We are all sinners, (Romans 5:12). We're born in sin, (Psalm 51:5), and we are, by our very nature, "children of wrath," (Ephesians 2:2-3). Through the fall of Adam and Eve, sin entered into this world and corrupted it (Romans 5:12–21). But, by the grace of God, we are not left without hope. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we can find forgiveness and mercy and have all our sins washed away by His cleansing blood on the cross (Isaiah 1:18). All we have to do is confess our sins, (1 John 1:9), repent of them, (Acts 3:19), and place our faith and trust in Christ, (Ephesians 2:8). Jesus bore our sins on the cross, (1 Peter 2:24), so that we will die to sin and live to righteousness. We become a new creation, (2 Corinthians 5:17), justified by faith (Romans 5:1). The Holy Spirit indwells us (Romans 8:11) and continues to work in us to bring about sanctification (Romans 15:16).

In Luke 8, Jesus tells us a parable of a farmer scattering seed. The seed is the Gospel being preached and the different types of soil represents the hearer. Out of those who hear the message preached, only one of the four soils will produce a crop, while the rest, due to one reason or another, will walk away.

So how do we know what type of soil we are?

Out of the four types of soil, three of them represent the false convert while the fourth represents the soundly saved.

➢ The first seed in verse 5 is the easiest to spot. This person will hear the Gospel and walk away unchanged.

➢ The second seed in verse 6 represents someone who hears the Gospel and initially receives it with joy. But as soon as temptation strikes they become disinterested and walk away.

➢ The third seed in verse 7 receives the Gospel but after a time they turn back to the pursuits and passions of the world and walk away.

As you can see, the first three seeds have the same thing in common. The false convert will eventually walk away if death doesn't take them first. It doesn't matter how long you've been "in the faith" either. If you walk away, you show yourself to be a false convert.

➣ However, once the seed is planted in good soil, it will continue to grow and mature because the soundly saved have the perfect gardener, the Holy Spirit, tending it. This is the true test of salvation. If you are continuing to grow in your relationship with God, continuing to repent of your sins, becoming more sensitive to your sins, growing in your knowledge of God and His Word, then you can have assurance in your salvation. Philippians 1:6 says, "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns."NLT

The problem is in not caring if you sin. When you are saved, the Holy Spirit brings conviction, John 16:8, so if you're not being convicted of your iniquity, then you need to worry, seek God, and repent. Only those who were not saved to begin with will walk away, 1 John 2:19, while the soundly saved will never walk away from Christ, John 10:28.

So which soil are you?

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photo source: One and Two

Seeing Clearly

2 Corinthians 5:16, "So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now!" NLT

At one point in my life I worked as a janitor for a Methodist Church in Orlando Florida. The hours were from three to eleven at night. My wife and I haven't owned a car for most of our seventeen years of marriage and at that time I would take public transportation. So after work, I would walk downtown Orlando to get to the bus stop to head home. It was a very interesting time in my life and I met some very interesting people. Some of them were the homeless, making there way to wherever it is they slept at night. Joy and I thought it would be a good idea to make little sack snacks for them as a ministry opportunity. They were little brown bags filled with things like crackers and canned Vienna sausages, among other things. It was an opportunity for me to share the love of Christ with them along with the Gospel. It was great talking to each of them and one in particular would end up teaching me.

I never knew his real name so I called him Moses. He was a tall man with long grey hair and just as long beard. I found out that at one time he was pretty successful in life. He had been married and even served in ministry. But at some point, he had lost his job and that's when his life took a drastic turn. Months went by without any change. He couldn't find a job, his marriage began to fall apart and his whole world began to crumble before his eyes. Things went from bad to worse... First he lost his marriage, which he said was devastating, she had always been the love of his life. Then he lost his home and with no other options, he went into his first shelter. All of this took place eight years before I met him.

At first he said he felt that God had abandoned him. He couldn't understand why He would let him fall so far. God was his protector and look at him now, he's homeless, his wife left him and it seemed that he had no opportunity to get back up on his feet. He continued looking for a job, but everyone said he had to have an address in order to apply. But he couldn't get an address without first getting a job. He felt lost and without hope. Then one day he began talking to another man and shared with him about God. The end result was the man came to Christ. That's when Moses said his eyes were opened. He began sharing the Gospel with all the homeless he came into contact with. He found that they would listen to him, a fellow homeless man, while others they would reject. God began to provide for him in a miraculous way. For example, he was sitting at a bus stop and a random car pulled up and a man told him that he was the pastor of a local Church and he felt God wanted him to stop for some reason. What shocked Moses was the man ended up inviting him to his house, allowing him to shower and get some new clothes and a pair of shoes. Moses said he had only prayed for a pair of shoes. "What a glorious God I serve," he said. He was even invited to give his testimony to the man's Church.

By the time I met Moses, he was a full time missionary in the streets of Orlando. He took no money for his efforts, all he asked was for three meals a day, which God always provided for him. At first glance, he was just another homeless man, someone to easily dismiss and snicker at. He smelled, his back was arched from sleeping on park benches, and he walked slow from the pain in his legs. Most would stay away from him and they would miss out on meeting such a great man of God.

I write this with many tears and I'm thankful to have the honor to tell his story. It's been over a decade since I had the pleasure of meeting Moses and I have no idea if he's still in the streets or at home with his Lord. I think and pray about him and I'm so thankful that he helped teach me so much about how I view others. I can't wait until I get to meet him again in our Father's house.

Hebrews 13:2, "Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!" NLT

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photo source: one and two

 

The Reflection of Marriage

Several years back I was in a Christmas play at my local church. It was a lot of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I played one of four Nutcrackers and before each performance began, we would stand in the foyer, opposite one another, and pretend that we were statues. Of course, the children liked to come up and poke us to try and get us to move. We would remain motionless until it was time for the play to start, at which point I would yell like a soldier and march toward the platform. It was great to be on stage and I'm glad I was a part of it. Just like the play I was in was meant to represent God's love for us in sending His Son into the world, our marriages are God's play to the rest of the world.

Marriage for a Christian is not only a blessing, if done right, it should also be a great representation of the relationship between the Church and God. The blessing, of course, is that God unites us as one and we get to share our lives with the person we love. And I am so thankful that God bestowed such a huge blessing on me, that He gave me such a wonderful wife. But as great a blessing as it is, I must never forget that it's also God's cosmic play to represent Christ and His bride.

When the outside world looks at us, they should be able to see what it is like to have a proper relationship with God. In this play, the man represents Jesus and the woman represents the Church. How you play your role is critical to the development of the story. Let's take a closer look to get a better understanding of our "roles".

"For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything." (Ephesians 5:22-24 NLT)

This passage has been very controversial over the ages as husbands have abused and twisted what this Scripture is saying. They believe submission is domination and that can't be further from the truth.

Think of it like this, Jesus submits to the Father and He did so even to the point of death on the cross (Philippians 2:8). Jesus is in no way lesser than the Father as they are equal in all things (John 10:30). Jesus submits to the Father without losing His equality, and the wife does so in the same way. Jesus is a willing participant, there is no power struggle between the two because, and I can not stress this enough, they are equal. Jesus submits to bring ultimate glory to God, in which He is a part of, and so brings glory to Himself. The submission of the wife is a reflection of the Church's submission to Christ. So wives, by allowing the husbands the leading role, you are giving others a sight into what it means to be a Christian.

"For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her." (Ephesians 5:25 NLT)

Husbands, the greater responsibility is on our shoulders. To love our wives as Christ loves the Church is impossible, and yet, it is required of us. There is no greater love than that of God, for God is love (1John 4:8). We are to love them so much that we give up our lives for our wives, to devote ourselves to the ministry of marriage. The reason...

"To make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault." (Ephesians 5:26, 27 NLT)

It is our duty to ensure that our wives have every available resource to grow in her relationship to God and to not be a hindrance. Being the spiritual leader in the home is not about dominance but about love, we are to love our wives as ourselves.

"In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man who loves his wife actually shows love for himself. No one hates his own body but feeds and cares for it, just as Christ cares for the church." (Ephesians 5:28, 29 NLT)

In every way our wives are our first and primary ministry. We must love them, cherish them, and spend more time with them than our hobbies and friends. We must put our wives needs first. Repent of pornography and the sin of lust (Matthew 5:28). We must listen to them. Being submissive does not mean that our wives have no say or authority. They are equal to us in every way and God has so much for our wives to teach us. We can not be foolish in this. Remember, this ministry is a reflection of the love between Jesus and the Church. It is evangelism to the world around us and believe me, the world is watching you. If the world around you can not say, "Wow, Jesus loves me that much!" than you are not fulfilling your role in God's cosmic play.

"So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." (Ephesians 5:33 NLT)

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photo source: First and Second

 

Are Jehovah's Witnesses Christian?

There are a good amount of people who have come across, or have had a visit from, a Jehovah's witness. Most simply tell them that their not interested and close the door, or walk away. But have you ever wondered who they are? Whether or not they are a Christian organization? If you have, then watch the below video will help. Mat Slick, who is the president of CARM, answers those questions.

 

Here is one more video that will give you an overview of their beliefs. It's great to stay informed on the various cults. That way, the next time a witness comes knocking, you can be prepared.

 

Repent and believe before it's too late

 

The Beauty Of Marriage

My wife and I have been married for just over seventeen years now. But if you ask me, it seems like it was only yesterday that we said our vows before God, our families, and our friends. I cherish every moment I have with her and I am beyond thankful to God for bringing us together and making us co-heirs (1 Peter 3:7) of eternal life. Marriage is beautiful in itself, but it can also be a reflection for others to see what a proper relationship with God is like. That's why this is going to be broken up into two posts. This post is going to take a look at the gift of marriage, while the second post will look at how marriage glorifies God.

Lets take a look at Genesis 2:18;

"Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.'”(NLT)

What is so striking to me is the fact that at the conclusion of the sixth day of creation (Genesis 1:31), God surveyed all that He had made and declared it to be good. Everything was perfect except one thing... man was alone. It's the first thing that God declared was "not good" in all of creation. Adam had perfect fellowship with God, work in the garden, and plenty of animals to tend to, but he had no one he could relate to. God knew that Adam needed that special someone, a "helper", to make him whole. While it may look like an oversight, you can rest assure, God had planned this before He even started creation. After all, God is omniscient and nothing takes Him by surprise. Let's continue reading;

"So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one. He gave names to all the livestock, all the birds of the sky, and all the wild animals. But still there was no helper just right for him." Genesis 2:19-20 (NLT)

There's no denying that there is a special connection we have with animals. We grow extremely attached to them over the years, some even call them their children. But a relationship with an animal can never bring us true love, companionship, or help. It's interesting to me that God brought the animals to Adam before creating Eve. It seems that God was making the point that no animal could compare to His next creation.

"So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening." Genesis 2:21 (NLT)

This is a very symbolic action, God took a rib out of the side of Adam... Notice that it was from the side, showing the equality of man and woman, not from the head as if women are superior to men, or from the foot as if men are superior to women. Remember this, it's very important and will come into play in the next post. For now, let's read on.

"Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and He brought her to the man. 'At last!' the man exclaimed. 'This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” Genesis 2:22-23 (NLT)

After all the animals passed by, Adam must have been ecstatic to see such a perfect compliment of his very being. His excitement is evident as his first recorded words are celebratory words regarding Eve, a celebration of what women bring to men.

Creating Eve from Adam is covenant in nature. It represents the union between a man and a woman. "Bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh;" bone representing strength and flesh representing weakness. This is a "sickness and in health" or a "strength and in weakness" type of vow. As we can see, the best thing that God wanted for man is woman... not another man and certainly not ourselves. The sexual union between a man and a man, or a man and himself, goes against the union God originally set for us, one man and one woman.

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:24 (NASB)

"For this reason..." This is more covenant language. It is the breaking of the parental covenant between the parents and children and the making of a new covenant between a man and a woman. "Shall leave" is best represented when the Israelites would break their covenant with God, and to "be joined", is best represented as a cementing of, a for all-time type of covenant. God intended for marriage to be unbroken from the very beginning.

This next part is very strong covenant language, "and the two shall become one flesh." Until brought together by God, we are just individual parts, waiting to be made whole. This is not just talking about procreation. It's talking about solidarity. Each part of the one flesh relationship is a compliment to the other; physically, spiritually, mentally, and sexually. The other brings fulfillment to the unfulfilled and a balance to the short comings that the other might have. My wife and I like to tell each other that we love "meyou" a lot because we know that we are one, co-heirs of the promise. Marriage is a very beautiful gift from God.

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photos: My son and his new bride!

 

Obliterating The Obstacles That Keep You From Praying

I'm a school bus driver in the heart of Texas. My job requirement is to "simply" transport students safely to school and home again. I enjoy being a bus driver immensely and I'm very thankful to God for providing it. It gives me quality time with my wife, whom I love spending every moment with. It also gives me time to write, especially during the summer, and I'm not stuck behind a desk all day.

As a driver, I have been trained in defensive driving tactics that help you to be proactive on the roads instead of reactive to any given situation. I have to look ahead, to always be mindful of the various obstacles trying to stop me from getting the students to their destinations. It can be a big job trying to make sure you drive safely on the roads and pay attention to, not only the traffic, but to the kids on the bus as well. There is no room for error, and just like driving a school bus, prayer has its own sort of obstacles trying to deter us away from conversing with the Almighty. When we take the time to bring these obstacles to light, to reveal them for what they truly are, we can then take the necessary precautions against them.

One of the safety tips taught to bus drivers is the acronym IPDE which stands for;

• Identify
• Predict
• Decide
• Execute

Using this same acronym, we can also root out those nasty obstacles that are keeping us from having a devoted prayer life.

1. Identify - First we must identify the problem. Whether it's sin in our lives, distractions that make us lose focus, or we're just not quite sure how to pray... Look at what is hindering you from praying. Examine yourself to see the root cause of the problem. It might even be a need for salvation.(2 Corinthians 13:5)
2. Predict - Once you have identified the culprit you can then predict how best to avoid the problem. You will be able to know ahead of time and prepare. For example, if you know that distractions are a problem, seek an isolated place, a "prayer closet"(Matthew 6:6), so there is nothing that can come between you and the Father.
3. Decide - Now that the problem has been identified and the plan of action has been put together, you must make a conscious decision to pray. To want to pray is easy, it takes no effort at all. But to actually set your mind to pray is altogether different.(Colossians 4:2)
4. Execute - Now it's time to put everything into action and pray. The best thing you can do as a Christian is to read God's Word and to pray! Make it a daily habit. I like Ray Comfort's morning motto. "Don't feed until you read and don't play before you pray." These are words to live by!

 

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photo: Source

 

Peace in the storms of life!

I read this story a number of years ago. It was a real blessing to me back then and I hope it blesses you now.

"A farmer on the Atlantic seacoast constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic because of the awful storms that wreaked havoc on the buildings and crops. One applicant for the job was a short, thin man, well past middle age.

“Are you a good farm hand?” the farmer asked him.

“Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well and kept busy from dawn to dusk. The farmer felt satisfied with the man’s work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, “Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!”

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No sir. I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. He hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.

When you’re prepared, spiritually, mentally and practically, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life? The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm against the storm.

Christian, we secure ourselves against the storms of life by soaking ourselves with the Word of God, being obedient to it and by placing our faith and trust in God. We don’t need to understand, we just need to hold His hand to have peace in the midst of our storms."

 

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photo sources:

One

Two

Three

 

Worship is a Stepping Stone to Prayer

I was walking home from the store the other day and I had my headphones on listening to some worship music. It was a beautiful breezy day and no one was around so I felt comfortable singing out loud rather than mouthing along to the music. As I sang praises to God, I looked around at the fields surrounding me with its tall sun burnt grass swaying in the wind. I watched the birds flying around from tree to tree, playing with one another, and I'm quite certain, singing their own praises to God. I saw puffy white clouds dancing their way across the deep blue sky and I began to get choked up as I sang the song, "Open The Eyes Of My Heart LORD." It was a time of true worship and I was overwhelmed with the majesty of God and His love for me. As I walked I noticed that I transitioned at some point from singing praises and worshiping God to tearfully praying and seeking His wisdom and guidance. The change was so seamless that I didn't recognize it until it had already happened.

Worship is an awesome springboard for prayer because it takes us away from self, redirects our attention to the Almighty, and makes our focus the glory of God. We are submitting ourselves to His Lordship and revealing the simple truth that it's not about us.

"Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is He!" Psalms 99:5(ESV)

Worship helps us to pray by giving us a reason to pray. When we look beyond our circumstances and gaze at His holiness, we can't help but be in awe of His Majesty! Look at His creation...

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." Psalms 19:1(ESV)

"Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!" Psalms 95:6(ESV)

If that's not enough, look at what He has done for us...

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8(ESV)

Worship helps us to pray by building our faith. We acknowledge His sovereignty and Lordship over us and place our trust in His care, no matter what is going on or what we may hear.

"He is not afraid of bad news; his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord." Psalms 112:7(ESV)

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.' For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence." Psalms 91:1-3(ESV)

The book of Psalms is a great example of worship leading to prayer. It is one hundred and fifty chapters of worship and praise to God that fills your heart and prepares you for prayer. If you haven't spent a lot of time there, I highly recommend you do. Read a Psalm a day along with your regular Bible reading. You will not be disappointed.

"Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness! Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!" Psalms 150:1-6(ESV)

Repent and believe before it's too late

Photo 2: Source

 

Father, Son, or Holy Spirit; Who do you pray to?

Recently, my wife and I were having breakfast with friends and the question was asked, "Should we pray to the Father, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit?" It's a good question and one that many of us seem to wonder about at some point.

The Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are God. They are a trinity of persons and are equally deserving of prayer, praise, and worship. So to say you can not pray to one of them is wrong. But...

Throughout Scripture, there is an underlying subordination to the Trinity. The pattern we see in the New Testament shows us that we pray to the Father(Matthew 6:9), in the name of the Son(Ephesians 2:18), by the power of the Holy Spirit(Ephesians 6:18). The Spirit brings glory to the Son(John 16) and the Son brings glory to the Father(John 17:4).

So the primary method, or pattern, shown is praying to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit. But to pray, "Maranatha; come Lord Jesus," is not wrong. To ask the Holy Spirit for guidance, or to seek wisdom and a fresh baptism in His Spirit is not wrong either. Showing the personhood, and your love, for each member of the Trinity is good and should be done. However if you begin to pray to either Jesus or the Holy Spirit almost exclusively, you would be out of pattern with the New Testament. We should always look to the Bible for guidance in how we pray. To be out of sync with the Bible is to be out of sync with God.

A word of caution before I go...

Praying to any member of the Trinity isn't wrong but we have to make sure we know who it is we are praying to. The Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Spirit. Just like you would not like to be called by another name, neither does God. I've heard it prayed, and seen it on other blogs, thanking the Father for dying on the cross. The Father did not die on the cross. So when praying, make sure you give glory and praise in the right order.

I know the Trinity doctrine is a difficult one to comprehend. Here are a couple of sites that may help you better understand it.

C.A.R.M.

What is the Doctrine of the Trinity? by Matt Perman

Photo: Trinity Shield

Repent and believe before it's too late

 

Where Did The Time Go?

Over this past couple of weeks, my son got married. It was a joyous time and a perfect day for it. The sun was shining and there wasn't even a hint of a storm cloud on the horizon. I was the best man and my wife was the photographer, two very important jobs when it comes to weddings. I am so happy for him and my new daughter as they begin their own journey into marriage.

I've heard it said that it seems like our kids grow up so fast and honestly, I thought they were crazy. There seemed to be plenty of time to do all the things we wanted to do, the future was bright and endless. But that's changed now that I'm older. Now I see what they mean and I guess my son will have to deal with hearing me say the same thing when he, God willing, has children of his own.

So what happened? Where did all that time go? I mean, either senility is already kicking in and I'm losing memories, or I was foolish in my thinking. When we are young we see our days as though we will live forever, but that is a mirage only youthful eyes can see. As we age, we come face to face with our own mortality and those youthful eyes dim with clarity. For those of us who live long enough, wisdom slips in and blocks out the ignorance of youth. For some, this is a time when we hit a mid-life crisis. We try to fight off the aging process and run around with reckless abandon, acting as though we are still in the prime of our lives. Of course, we only make fools of ourselves and, in time, we may come to our senses. But somehow, this makes sense to the walking dead. Those who have not placed their trust in Christ and repented of their sins have no hope after this life so this is all they have and if I were in their place, I too would be scared of aging. But I'm not in their place.

As Christians, we should welcome this new found wisdom and embrace it. Look at what the Psalmist says;

Psalm 39:4-5(ESV) “O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Selah"

This is a prayer I aim to memorize and claim as my own. I don't want my life to pass by without doing the things that matter most. I would rather my "mid-life" crisis be spent seeking after God, and telling those around me about the precious Gospel of Christ, rather than wasting time on frivolous pursuits. While I'm alive there is work to be done! "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21(ESV)

Interestingly, Moses asked for the same thing in Psalm 90:12;

"So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom."(ESV)

I now see the wisdom in knowing that this life will pass away like a mist, James 4:14, and I don't want every opportunity that God gives me to dissipate in the same way. By acknowledging our limited life here on earth we are not giving up, as some would reason, we are only showing true wisdom and can make the most of the time we do have for the glory of God.

Repent and believe before it's too late

 

How Can We Pray Without Ceasing?

Which of these best describes your prayer life?

A. Active duty: you are committed to praying everyday.

B. The weekend warrior: you pray on Sunday's and before meals.

C. The captive: you pray when you need something.

Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to "pray without ceasing..." So how does your prayer life look now? Intimidated? So was I until I stumbled across something that really opened my eyes to this text. The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary reads,

"The Greek is, 'Pray without intermission'; without allowing prayerless gaps to intervene between the times of prayer."

To pray without intermission is to open up our lives, completely, to our Father. Imagine it like this; instead of giving you a telephone to communicate or a camera to share snapshots of your life, He is giving you a camcorder with a live feed. He's asking you to share, not just the beautiful snapshots that a camera would bring, or the occasional phone call, but every aspect of your life.

Beloved, this is most encouraging! God, our Father, wants to be a part of every aspect of your life. Of course, you could say that He already is. After all, He is omniscient and omnipresent right?

Dear Saint, this is so much more than that. He's wanting you to have a relationship with Him, one that is constant and engaging, unfettered by distraction. But if we're honest with ourselves our relationship with God often resembles a phone call that a parent receives from their college kid wanting money.

most of us would admit that our time with God is, at best, like a parent down the street and at worst, like a long distance relationship that we call on only when we feel required to or in need of something.

Our Father wants so much more than that. He's wanting us to share our hobbies, our friends and family, He wants us to share everything with Him. To pray without intermission is to have Him on your mind throughout the day. When excitement comes, look up, smile and know that He is there. When heartache and pain occurs, close your eyes and be comforted with the assurance that He is there right beside you.

Yes, this also means that He will be on your mind when temptation strikes. When sin occurs. When you are at your worst. Beloved, do not fear, He already knows of your failures, your weaknesses, and your sins. This is not a negative thing, for when we feel He is near, we will be less inclined to betray Him in sin. Remember, He is conforming us into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). Also keep in mind that there is not a sin hidden from His eyes (Hebrews 4:13, Proverbs 15:3). We should not try to hide ourselves from God, but diligently seek to rid ourselves of everything that is contrary to Him and His will (1 Thessalonians 5:22). This is evidence to our salvation. If we are saved, everything in our life will be heading in the direction of bringing glory to God (1 John). If that's not the case, then we need to examine ourselves, to see if we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).

It is a conscious effort to always have God at the forefront in our minds. I encourage you to take this Scripture this week and run with it. Every thing you do, do it with the knowledge that God is with you. Make a devoted effort to include Him into every event, no matter how small. If your engaged in a hobby of some kind, show it to God like you would a spouse or parent. God is the ultimate designer, artist, story teller, and He created you with a talent for you to display and share with Him. Show Him, so He can show you how proud He is of you. And if you find yourself doing something that you feel God doesn't want to be a part of, cut it. It's better to enter heaven without it (Mark 9:43-47).

Finally beloved, tell me your story. How has God blessed you in prayer this week? Are there questions about prayer that we can seek an answer to? I will do everything I can to answer it, or connect you with someone who can. Don't forget to sign up to the blog. There are several ways you can do that, from email to rss feed. You can find all of these in the right hand column.

Until next time, may the God of mercy bless you and I pray this week you will find yourself inseparable from the Father who loves you dearly.

Repent and believe before it's too late

 

Father To The Fatherless

In Matthew 6:9, Jesus begins one of the greatest lessons on prayer with these simple words, "Our Father...". For some, to think of God as our Father can be a radical life changer. For others, sadly, the view they have of a father is tainted by experiences with their own earthly fathers. The word father can draw a blank stare from those who have never met their father and for others, it can bring about fear from the abuse they endured growing up. But whatever the case may be, you can rest assure that the Father Jesus refers to is unlike any father you have ever known.

For example:

He's a Father to the fatherless.

"Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation." Psalms 68:5 (ESV)

There are many who have never had the pleasure of having someone they can call Dad. As the years progress we see more and more fatherless children due to the rise in divorce and extra marital sex. To not have a father can leave a void in your life that may never be filled. Unless, that is, you allow God to take that role in your life, and He is more than willing to.

Now that Fathers day is here, being without a father, it just becomes another day, or worse, it becomes a reminder of what you've missed out on. It may even be a day of dread because your father was abusive, physically or mentally, and this is just another day to remind you of him. But this time, it doesn't have to be that way. God is calling out to you, He wants nothing more than for you to come running into His loving arms. He's waiting for you. He's made the way for you to come to Him today, as well as, any other day. Understanding two things can help change your entire life this Fathers day.

Number one, you must have a correct understanding of the sin in your life and repent from it.



"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard." Romans 3:23 (NLT)

We have all broken God's law and stand condemned as criminals. The best way to understand this is by looking at the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20. Here are a few examples.

1. Have you ever told a lie?


2. Have you ever used God's name in vain?


3. Have you ever stolen anything?

That's just three of the Ten Commandments and already we see that some laws have been broken. With that in mind, let's look at James 2:10; "For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws." Now we're at the heart of the matter. By breaking one law we become guilty and are therefore law breakers and deserving of punishment under God's legal system. The Bible declares that we must repent, to turn away from, our sins.

"And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God." Luke 13:3 (NLT)

Thankfully, God has made a way for us to be set free, and that's not all, but to also become children of God!

That brings us to number two, you must have a correct understanding of who Jesus is and what He's done for you.

"In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:9-10 (ESV)

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16 (ESV)

God sent His Son to take the punishment we rightly deserve by dying on the cross. The Bible shows us that;

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 (NLT)



Now, because Jesus has payed our fine, we can legally be set free and declared righteous before God. We are adopted as children of God!

"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:12-13 (ESV)

"But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” Galatians 4:4-6 (ESV)

Now what you have to do is come to God, confess and repent of your sins, then place your trust in Jesus. If you do that, you will be forgiven of all your sins. You will become a child of God!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

The big question is, when are you going to do that? Don't wait because you never know how long you have. Every day, 155,000 people die in this world. I don't want you to be one minute too late. Repent of your sins and put your trust in Jesus and you will never again be fatherless.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Just leave a comment below and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Jesus Is Our Only Mediator

"For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus," 1 Timothy 2:5 (NASB)

First, lets define exactly what a mediator is so we can have a clear picture of what that means to us and how it effects us.

"A mediator is one who mediates, who acts as an intermediary, or go-between to work with opposing sides in order to bring about a settlement. A mediator attempts to influence a disagreement between two parties with the goal of resolving a dispute." Taken from GotQuestions

A great example of a mediator is a defense lawyer, and just like a defense lawyer, Jesus mediates between us and the Father. He's our representative before the Judge. But this begs the question, why do we need a mediator? The answer is simple.

"Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God." 1 John 3:4 (NLT)



All who sin, that's everybody (Romans 3:23), are law breakers and the penalty for breaking God's law is death (Romans 6:23), and not just an earthly death. It also refers to the second death in Revelation 20:11-15, the eternal lake of fire.

God's dispute with us is over sin and without a mediator we are only destined to be judged and if we stand before the throne on our own merits, our own works, we will be condemned to the lake of fire. (Hebrews 9:27, Isaiah 64:6, Revelation 20:15)

But glory to God, we do not have to come before Him on our own merits! Jesus died on the cross, rose from the dead and defeated death's sting. (1Corinthians 15:54-57)

If you have placed your trust in Christ and have repented of your sins, then you can find great comfort in the fact that Jesus mediates on your behalf, just like a lawyer does, and says, "My client is innocent of all charges against them." However, unlike the defense attorney, Jesus adds, "I've paid the penalty Myself."

"For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance." Hebrews 9:15 (NASB)

Now we can come before the Throne of Grace boldly (Hebrews 4:16). Satan, the accuser, wants nothing more than to hinder the saints in their prayers but Jesus provided the way to the throne so we can come, in His name, without fear.

This should give us joy in our heart, praise on our lips, and a skip to our step. May we sing with joy like King David did in Psalms 32:1-5;

"Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, ”and you forgave the iniquity of my sin." (ESV)

 

Jesus The Son Of God

Walking down the street, you could ask 97% of Americans if they believe in God and they will say yes. Most likely, anyone reading this blog will say yes to believing in God. That does not mean that we believe in the same God though, it simply means that we believe in God.

But let's narrow it a bit and just go with those of us who profess to be Christian. To be a Christian and not believe in God makes no sense, so let's step it up a notch. Most people in churches, depending on the church, will agree with me when I say Jesus is God. In fact, in many evangelistic circles it's a test of not only the sincerity in a person's salvation prayer, but a litmus test to an understanding of God. But the question must be asked, by believing that Jesus is God, does that automatically mean that we are in agreement with each other? To say that Jesus is God doesn't necessarily mean the triune God. The misconception that we are automatically speaking about the same Jesus just because we both believe He is God is detrimental to our understanding of who God is and ultimately to our prayer life.

For example, do we believe in the same God as the Jews?

If you say yes, as many do, and just simply chalk it up to us having a different view of Jesus... than you need to ask yourself if you believe God is Jesus. If you believe that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is Jesus, then we do not believe in the same God as the Jews. The Hebrews have an incomplete view of God, as do those who lower Jesus' standing in the Godhead whenever they try to justify the differing views of Jesus.

As I said in starting this series, having a correct view of God is paramount to prayer, and our understanding of Jesus as God is just as crucial.

So how do you answer the above question? Do you believe God is Jesus? How does just asking the question make you feel?

"Philip said to Him, 'Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.' Jesus said to him, 'Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?" John 14:8-9 (NASB)

There are many passages that show the oneness of the Father and Jesus as God. Like the one above, John 10:30 is easily the most revealing of the Trinity doctrine. “I and the Father are one.” (NASB)

The religious leaders were so enraged that they picked up rocks to stone Him because He was claiming to be God. There is no doubt that Scripture reveals Jesus to be God. I want to leave you with that thought in mind. In the next post we will take a look at Jesus again but through the eyes of prayer.