Hosanna to the King!

Matthew 21:9 (New International Version)
The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,"Hosanna to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hosanna in the highest!"

As the week unfolded, prophecy was again being fulfilled as Jesus, riding a colt, hearing the cheers of the crowd, walking along a road covered in palms, entered Jerusalem. You have to wonder what was on His mind as He saw those cheering people and looked them in the eye knowing that many of the very same ones who were cheering Him, at the end of the week, would be crying out for his crucifixion.

Yet, in He rode. Certain, horrible, painful death loomed in front of Him. However, He knew that death was necessary so that the sins of the very ones who would call for his death and those of all of us could be forgiven. It's the very reason He came down from heaven.

Romans 5:8 (New International Version) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Cast Your Anxieties on HIM!

Life sometimes gets overwhelming, doesn't it? Worries get the best of us sometimes with job insecurity or loss, the economy going so badly, maybe you have an issue with a wayward child or family member, or you or someone close to you is battling a serious health problem. Life has its ups and downs and sometimes those downs can be pretty low and it seems like it is all piling up on you while you are down there. And, by the way, if you are a Christ follower, you are not immune, I repeat, you are not immune from this.

Thankfully, we have a God who loves us. A God who is big enough to carry our burdens for us. And, oh, He is not only able, He wants to do that for us!

Peter writes in 1 Peter 5:7, "Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you."

Of course the "He" Peter writes about is God. The Rock is telling us that we can toss all our cares, anxieties, worries on God and He'll carry them for us. We don't have to bear those burdens ourselves. Isn't that a great promise?

With this promise, however, we have to do something. That is often the case. God promises to bless us in some way, IF we'll do it HIS way! So, what is it we have to do? We have to "cast" our anxiety on Him. That's an action we have to take. The word cast means to throw. That means you must let go of those worries. By throwing them to God, you have to let them go. Be done with them. Move on and let God be God. God loves you.

Today we are facing many new perils from within our own country and from outside it also. More and more we hear of threats from North Korea, Venezuela, Iran and others who just plain hate us. After 9/11, I think everyone's anxiety level went up.

God wants to relieve us of that worry. He assures us that He will take care of us. He cares for us! After all, if God did not care for us, Jesus would never have come to die for our sins.

Romans 5:8 says it all, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

God doesn't wait for us to clean our lives up. He didn't wait for you to stop this sin or that sin before His Son died for you. Doesn't that show you that God indeed does care for you? It should.

When you give up your life to Christ, this is the kind of care you get from the King of kings and the LORD or lords.

Please, if you are not a Christ follower, talk to Him. Ask Him to come into your life and invite His Holy Spirit into your heart. This way, you'll be able to cast all your cares on Him! And Peace, the peace that goes beyond all understanding will be yours.

If you are a Christ follower and worries have been getting the best of you, this is a reminder. Let them go and throw them to the Father. He's big enough to take your worries from you and restore that peace to you.

Today, Christ is the answer. He's the Hope we have.

Won't you trust Him with your life today? He died for you. He died so you can live your life to the fullest. And one way that happens is when we let go and throw our worries to Him and allow Him to bear them freeing us to live our lives to the fullest extent for Him and others.

God bless you.

May God have mercy on America.

Marriage: One Man, one woman. It's Biblical, not Political!

What's Different About You?

A minivan goes zipping by you on the highway doing a brisk 70 MPH (in a 55 MPH zone). And the one thing you notice as you are able to steady your vehicle from the "jet wash", it's got that Jesus fish on the back.

The SUV you are following seems to be meandering down the road. The driver, who has a cell phone glued to his ear, doesn't seem to have a destination in mind, nor a particular lane picked out. As you go to pass, you spy the "Got Jesus?" bumper sticker on the back.

As you walk onto the beach searching out just the right spot, you see an open spot and plop yourself down. The music is blaring all over. You hear hip hop, rap, rock. All the usual music genres. And, to your right, the music blares sounding like all the other radios blasting away, except you see some of the teens in mohawks and others wearing "WWJD" tee shirts.

At work, there's that guy that says he's a Christian. He prays before his meals. He seems nice. He's a pretty cool guy because when you're joking around the water cooler about, you know, women and stuff, he laughs right along with the rest of you. He's so not judgmental.

That Christian lady business owner meets with her accoutant. It's tax time again. Times are tough and when her accountant asks about deductions and gives her a wink, she just goes along, because she needs the money, the government already gets enough of her money, and, hey,everybody does it.

If you ever visit New York City (Manhattan, for those out of towners), you can always tell the tourists. They are the ones with their necks craned looking up at all the tall buildings. They stand out like sore thumbs. They are different. Visitors from other states and foreign lands who you can tell don't live there. They are just visiting.

That's how we are to be as Christians. We are to stand out, even if it annoys others. We should be those "slow pokes" in the right lane with their blue tooth devices in their ears. We should be the ones stubbornly sticking to morals and ethics in our personal lives and business lives. Though nice to listen to, our music should also be different. At the very least, it should have a different message, told in a different and reverential way.

Peter writes in 1 Peter chapter 2 verses 11 and 12:

11 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.

12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

We should stand out. How else will the Gospel be effectively spread? If we aren't different, then why, oh why, would anyone want God in their lives? Why would they even ask us about God? If we don't have peace through troubles. If we don't have impeccable moral standards. If we don't help those in need. If we aren't exemplary employees. If we aren't the best bosses. If we aren't the most loving parents. If we aren't the most respectful citizens. If we aren't forgiving.

We'll suffer for it. Like Christ suffered. Peter chronicles that in the following verses:

20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.

21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

We need to do the right thing and not worry about the consequences because God will care for us.

Or do we blend in to avoid that suffering? Peter tells us later in this letter in chapter 3:

14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened."

15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

Again, Peter gives the promise that God will take care of us when we live as God wants and do the right thing. Why, then, would we not want to stand out? Why then would we not want to be different? All we have to do is live our lives as God directs us to and let Him handle the consequences. He will. He promises that. These scriptures prove it. He proved with with Miss California. That is a real example that you can hold on to. If He'll do it for her, He'll certainly do the same for you.

We have to be prepared to give that answer when asked.

Look at Miss California, Carrie Prejean and how she suffered for doing the right thing. She, however, was prepared to give her answer and let God take care of the consequences. Look at the result. She's still Miss California. She's still got her integrity. She was different. She didn't modify her answer or compromise her beliefs to "do the right thing" in the world's eyes. She did the right thing in God's eyes. I believe she proved to the world she truly is an alien in this land.

We have to get out of this mentality that we have to blend in and be like those around us to get along. Jesus didn't get along. The apostles were effective because they preached something different than was being preached by everyone else. They lived what they preached. They stood out. They were effective. Paul, stood out. Peter and John stood out. James stood out. Steven stood out. All stood out. They were different.

If you were in a crowd, would you stand out or blend in?

Are you an alien in this land or a resident?

These are questions we all need to ask ourselves.

God bless you.

May God have mercy on America.

Does Standing Up for Christian Values Really Matter?

I have been wrestling with this question. Does it really matter, in the long run, if we Christians stand up for Christian values, speak out on issues like abortion and traditional marriage, and get politically active? In the long run, since it seems like we are losing all these battles with more states legalizing homosexual "marriage", no real progress being made against abortion and more and more of America tending towards secularization, are we just wasting our time and energy with these things? Can our time, talent and energy be better spent?

I am torn. As much as it bugs me to no end when I see another state fall to the homosexual pressure and pander to a very vocal minority or I see organizations like Planned Parenthood, who admittedly are one of the nation's largest abortion providers or enablers bankrolled by your tax dollars getting even more of my money (in tax dollars) or I see the country voting for more and more liberal candidates by a wide margin, I wonder if I should be fighting even harder against these things. Or should I be praying more? Or should I be more faithful to living out the Gospel every day? Or should I be loving those around me more and showing them who God is through what I do and say? And just let God take care of the rest?

It's hard to sit and do nothing about these issues. It's hard to see our country ravaged by people who hate who we are and what we stand for. It's hard to see God smeared and mocked and believers persecuted and made fun of. It pains me to see people like Bill Maher hate God and those who love Him. I find it difficult to watch a news report about someone like Miss California, Carrie Prejean, getting vilified in the media and then all Christians getting raked over the coals because, after all, we're not perfect, even though we don't claim to be. This is all hard for me. I find myself getting angry. Wanting to yell and pound my fist and shake someone so they'll WAKE UP. Then, I wonder what God would have me do and I have to tell you that I just don't know. I want to do something. I want to make a difference. That's why I do this. Hopefully, this blog will impact someone somewhere for the good; for God and for our country. But, in the end, when Jesus returns, will all that effort have made any real difference? Will the world have been a better place because of what I and others have done or is the slide of society an inevitable thing that just signals the more imminent return of our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ?

It's a question I hope that I can answer someday. Right now, I don't have the answer.

What do you think? Leave a comment.

God bless you.

May God have mercy on America.

Marriage: One Man, One Woman; It's Biblical, not Political!

But, Is He God?

I bet the majority of people believe that someone named Jesus Christ lived at some time about 2000 years ago. They know what's been said about Him. They probably know the basics. He was born to Mary and Joseph in a manger in Bethlehem. Mary was a virgin. Christmas is the celebration of His birth and many probably think that's when He was born, but that's not the case. Most probably can identify that He had twelve Apostles. I'm certain that a great number of people can tell you that Easter is about when people claim Jesus was crucified, although Easter is when we celebrate his resurrection, not death. That's Good Friday. I'm guessing that's about all that most people can tell you about Jesus.

All of that, of course, is true. But, there's so much more. Jesus is God. He, the Father and the Holy Spirit are all God. Three in one. We call it the trinity, although you won't see the actual word trinity in the Bible. It's one of those God things that's hard to explain.

Well, we know that Jesus was a human man. He was born to a woman, which is one of the prerequisites of being human. He grew up and became a man. At about thirty years old, Jesus started what's called his public ministry. That means He started talking to people about God and life. He went from town to town telling people how God wanted us to live. He talked about love. He talked about not being judgmental. He talked about being honest. He talked about trusting God and having faith. He performed miracles. He healed people's illnesses. He raised some people from the dead. All these things He did, but I'm sure people just thought He was just a good guy. A good teacher. No one really could think of anything negative about Him, because there wasn't anything to tell. It's not like he was telling people to do one thing and He did the opposite. You know and I know, if someone had dirt on Jesus, it would have come out. That's the way people are. No, this Jesus, was perfect, because, after all, He is God and God is perfect.

Admittedly, all of this, except the miracles of course, could have been done by any common man. However, there was one event that proved beyond a shadow of doubt that Jesus was who He claimed to be. He proved He was God by dying on Friday and coming back to life on Sunday. His resurrection is the defining moment of His life as well as Christianity. Without the resurrection, there is no Christianity. And in all these years, approximately 2000 of them, no one can dispute His resurrection. There's no evidence to the contrary. There are no credible claims to discredit the accounts of His resurrection. No one has or can prove that Jesus Christ did not come back to life that glorious Sunday morning.

Jesus is God and that means that His teachings, His views, His life are to be dealt with by every living human because He came to earth to seek and save the lost. Who are the lost? You and me. What does being lost mean? It means that you and I do things our way instead of the way Jesus taught. We don't live to make God look good. Even when we might do a good thing, we don't give God the credit. We take it ourselves. In essence we live a selfish, self-centered life with God nowhere in sight.

We need to accept the gift Jesus offers. The gift made possible by His death and resurrection. That gift is the cleaning or forgiving of our sins which keep us from having a relationship with Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Look at the evidence. You know for sure Jesus is a real person, who is also God because of the perfect life He led, the miracles He performed and His resurrection from the dead. It's overwhelming evidence as to who Jesus is.

He is God.

He has a gift for all who will accept it.

Now you know.

What will you do with Jesus?

God bless you.

May God have mercy on America.

Reborn to do Good Works

Many people think you can work your way to heaven. Unfortunately, that's simply not the case. This may be shocking to say, but there are going to be a lot of people in hell who did good things on earth. That's pretty harsh to say, but it is 100% accurate.

In the book of Ephesians 2:8-10 we see what God says about this. We see that "works" don't get us to heaven, but the grace of God does. We cannot give enough to charity, volunteer enough time to a worthy cause or give enough of ourselves to anything on this earth to earn a spot at the table of the LORD. That's because all the work of salvation (or having a relationship with God and spending eternity in Heaven with Him) was already accomplished by Jesus Christ and only Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

However, that doesn't mean once you give your life over to Christ that we just sit back and wait for His second coming. On the contrary, Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:10 that there are tasks waiting to be done by all who are saved. These are tasks or works that God has preplanned for everyone to do once they accept the gift of grace He offers us. If we are to be little Christs (Christians), then we must take on the same attitude that Jesus had. And Jesus said in Mark 10:45, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." He was the ultimate servant giving His life so that we could live eternally with Him in heaven. We are to do the same for those around us.

Now you might think you're unqualified to serve anyone, but all this means is that we help those around us. Is there an elderly neighbor who needs groceries? Go shopping for them. Is there a physically challenged person you know who needs a ride somewhere? Offer a ride. Does the local food pantry need someone to stock the shelves? Go help out and pack those shelves! And what about the church you attend? Just like your home, the physical building and grounds have needs. Is there a repair you can do? Can you shovel snow? Can you pull some weeds? How about painting? Is there some cleanup that needs to be done? How about helping on a retreat or mission trip? All of things only require a willingness to help.

It's called serving, but what it really does is show that you love God and love people. You love God by doing just what He tells us we should do and you love people by helping them out. In the end, you are showing those who have no relationship with God the same love that God showed you and thus you are showing them God and that's the best way to spread the Good News to those who need to hear it!

God bless you and may God bless America.

A New Year, The Same God

Someone who I know does not have a relationship with God once remarked to me while discussing some hot button topic that "times have changed and I cannot believe that what was written so long ago can actually apply to today". That was a comment directed at Biblical teaching and how the Bible and its contents really weren't relevant.

Thank God, that's not true. Could you imagine if the teachings of God changed on His whim or just according to how man deemed necessary or relevant? What a horrible picture that would be. How could anyone know how to live? What was true one day would be false the next. Who determines that? Even if it were true, how would believers be told of these changes? If this indeed is true, how do we know what's changed and what has remained the same?

The answer is simple and it is found in Hebrews 13:8. Isn't it comforting to know that God never changes? When we wake in the morning, we don't have to wonder what is right and what is wrong. It has all been laid out for us in the Bible. Sixty-six books written over many, many years by many writers that never met. Yet, it is so cohesive. It's consistency is amazing. It shows that the Bible is truly "God breathed".

So, in the uncertainty of today with the economy, world violence, plunging moral values, know this for sure, that God never changes. He still loves you. His son's atoning death still stands as the payment for your sins. There's still only one way to a relationship with Him and that is through Jesus Christ. And, it still is simple to have forgiveness and everlasting life and that is by giving your life over to Christ. It's the same as it was yesterday, today and forever.

To God be the glory!

God bless you and may God bless America!