Category: Truth

“Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.” Psalms 119:140

God is good on his word. When God spoke to Abraham about his future he spoke as if it had already happened because in his mind it was done. Abraham could only see the problems. He was childless, he was old, and his wife was too old to have a child. Nothing is impossible for God though. God knows the beginning and the end of our story. He knew everything happening in Abraham’s life because they were God’s plans and he would bring them to pass precisely as planned. David was anointed as king years before it came about and it looked hopeless with everyone trying to kill him. But when he was ready God came through. He may be working on getting us ready also. His plans are perfect and they sometimes take time. When we are in the middle of crisis and trials it is very hard to see how it will all work out. I have watched God working in my life for years and he has always come through. Maybe not as fast as I would like but he is right on time every time. I pray for needs at my church and so many times in the back of my mind I’m thinking man this is bad and seems hopeless but God proves me wrong every time. People die but I do know that for those that know God there is no better place to be than in paradise with Jesus. Life really begins at death. This is one promise we don’t really think about. The promise of eternal life is a game changer. Christ was the first to raise from the grave but everyone with eternal life is also going to raise to life ever after. The human body doesn’t want to give up. But God has told us he has overcome death, hell , and the grave. That is the past, Satan wants us to believe it’s over but he isn’t in charge. God has always proven faithful. Can you think of any promises he hasn’t kept? No! Look at all the prophecies ever told and they happen precisely. That should at least convince people there is a God. A God who is patiently waiting for us to one day come to live forever with him.

“God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:24

David knew one thing well. That praise and worship brought power. In front of his army he had worshipers. Because God is a Spirit we need to do things in his realm. We need that power 24/7 because we are dealing with principalities and powers that want bad things for us. They never sleep either. The more I have grown in my relationship with the Lord the more he has opened my eyes to the unseen world all around me. Life as a Christian can be very exciting as you see God working. He is always working and doing something good. First through prayer, we have so much power. He has said to ask what you will and not doubt and you can have what you are praying for. That does not make God a genie that answers all your wants but as we pray Gods will he will do what is best in every situation. I see so many miracles everyday and it just makes me pray more and about everything. Part of the power we seek is actually the armor he has given us to protect ourselves against the attacks of our enemy. The helmet of salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the belt of truth, the shoes of peace, and the most important is the sword of the Spirit because again the spirit is our power. When Christ died on that cross he took power from Satan and gives it to us and that is because we need it in this world if we want to overcome. The next thing we need is to know his words because they are truth and the more we know the more we can follow them and be in God’s will for us. He speaks to you with wisdom when you are seeking to do all he asks. People just don’t know how much more that you can get out of this life when you know how to live abundantly. It’s not just weakness and a crutch but so much more.

“And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:18

Jesus is our King and our leader he has shown us how to live to make a difference in this lost world. After his death on the cross and his resurrection he overcame the powers of evil and took the keys back from Satan to death, hell and the grave. Because all things are possible for him we no longer need to fear because he is in control and he knows what is best, always. Whenever we fear we need to pray. Paul was in prison and death could come any time to a prisoner. But he wrote that we are to fear nothing and to pray always. He knew that they could take his life, but that would just send him home to live with Jesus forever in paradise. That sounds like a win to me. After the Holy Spirit fell upon the people at Pentecost the church began with boldness. He was the very first to rise from the grave but now we too will rise when we go to the grave. Life forever with them in perfection. God was so excited when his son offered to die for the dying world in our place. And he was so proud of his son when he went through everything without sinning. What parent wouldn’t be. He was so excited he gave all power and authority to him. Everything and everyone would praise him for all eternity. Everything he spoke into existence in the very beginning was now reconciled, it was made perfect again. The blood Christ shed on the cross bought back so many things for us. And the son of God became our Princess of Peace. Our leader and King purchased it all for us.

“Jesus said, Father forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing’.” John 23:34

Forgiveness is such an important thing for our own wellbeing. Holding onto unforgiveness doesn’t do anything to the other person. They probably have long ago forgotten about everything. They may not have even realized they hurt someone. It also gives yourself time to convince yourself that it might have been your fault and that you did play a part in it second guessing yourself. And holding on to hurt causes a chain to tighten around your neck becoming heavier and heavier Al the time. They say it is like drinking poison and hoping that it will eventually kill them. While the entire time you are dying a slow excruciating death. Jesus forgave everyone who ever treated him badly That is saying a lot because he was actually murdered for something he didn’t do in an extremely inhumane way. Roman crucifiction was designed to be the worst punishment you could experience, on purpose. He went through this of his own will. He could have bailed on us but he thought of each and everyone of creation and how much he loved us. He knew it was the only way that his Father could justify completely forgiving us. Something perfect had to die. Nobody is perfect! He has told us that if we forgive someone when we don’t want to then he can forgive us. His Father does. Do you want to risk not being forgiven by God. That penalty would be more than we could bear. And if Jesus hadn’t agreed to go through with it, where would we be? He even gives us the desire and strength to do the right thing. That doesn’t mean you will forget what was done to you but you will eventually not dwell on it constantly. It will no longer be able to torment you. And you can have peace about it. Do you want others to forgive you for your mistakes? Mistakes that may not have been intentional. God knows our thoughts and if we have forgiven or not. He doesn’t want us suffering needlessly so he tells us to forgive so we can be more like him and have peace. Peace with ourselves and with God.

“Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” John 12:25

I love watching people. It’s amazing what some people live for. Things they just have to have in this life to make them happy. Things that aren’t even good for them and they can bring an early death. Such as drugs, drinking, smoking and over eating. Or just eating the wrong foods for a healthy life. People can spend so much time on their phones and spend so little time with people they say are important to them. This life is only so many years and really we don’t know when it will end. I almost died when I was just 45. I had a very severe stroke and was unable to speak or move anything but my eyes. Locked in was how they described it. They didn’t give me much hope of surviving or having any quality of life. But God wasn’t done with me and my life really began when I had almost lost it. I had plenty of time to think about it. Laying there flat on my back. Before my stroke I had been living for myself, doing whatever I wanted. Drinking and hanging with my friends I was a wild one. Now I can see how stupid it all was. But at the time I thought I was living for the moment. People tend to think they just have to have what they want but most often we are dining on scraps when God has a feast just waiting for us. He tells us he has an abundant life waiting for us but until you take him up on his offer you will never know. I learned to fly and even had my own plane. I had a well paying job that I could do when I wanted so I could fly wherever I wanted. Compared to now I’m living in a nursing home and my body physically doesn’t work very well any more and I’m in a wheelchair but I have an amazing and wonderful life that I wouldn’t trade. It is more learning to be grateful for all that you do have and not focusing on what you don’t have. I have learned to live every moment to the fullest. And people are very important to my life. It doesn’t matter which people just how important relationships are. Especially family and I talk to them all throughout my day and every day. Same with good friends. God has become so real and vital for the best life and it is so fulfilling.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of his hand.” Psalm 19:1

Either people are physically blind or they choose not to see what is right in front of their faces. Many people only believe what they have been told to believe. They don’t question life. God said you need to become as little children to see the kingdom of heaven. We need to have questioning minds and hearts. Children want to know things because at birth they don’t know things and are always learning something new. They do believe what they are taught but it needs to make sense to them. What is good and what is bad. What’s right and what’s wrong. Why, is a very big question to a child. Things are simple to a child, they don’t really understand complicated. You can ask a child if something is good or bad and they will tell you. A puppy? Very good! A cookie? Good. Falling down, not good. Burning your finger, not good. What if we go farther. The sun rises like a clock every morning. Rain comes to water plants and gives us water to drink. These things are good and important even though rain might spoil our plans. You still wouldn’t want it to never rain. A ripe strawberry, a beautiful red rose, the sun setting over the ocean. Millions of stars in the sky at night. Could they just come from nothing? People are all so different and we all have different personalities and dreams and desires. We all think and reason and understand. I know I’m not a plant that just popped out of the ground. I’m too . God’s complex. I couldn’t have come from an ape or a fish because they can’t think or reason. And nothing begins without a seed that has everything inside of it to create exactly what the seed has inside it. So where did seeds of everything come from? Evolution only explains how one thing becomes another thing, sort of, but something has to start evolution. A big bang? Not technical enough to explain life. Sorry! I loved camping as a child and I can sit on a mountain overlooking an awesome view and sit for a long time there is just so many awesome places and things to discover. I could never see it all in 100 years. So why is it so hard for people to believe that there is something that created everything? Something bigger than us? Why are we here? Where do we go when we die? You need to question life and how you fit into it. Keep searching for answers until you find answers. I love to read and I learn so much by reading everything I can. God’s word is a good place to begin, you may be surprised what you find.

“Therefore keep watch, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” Matthew 24:42

We have been waiting for thousands of years and at times it seems like we have all the time in the world. But this life is very short in comparison to eternity. Not a thousand years, not a million, but forever. Do you know where you will spend forever? Good or horrible we will one day see the face of God and eternity will be here. We may die tomorrow in an accident or Jesus may come to take his children home. Will you be ready? It is very easy to be sure and know without a shadow of doubt. It all depends on the life you live right now. Today. Does that mean you have to be perfect? No. Nobody is perfect. And our loving father knows that and he doesn’t care because he loves us. But he hates sin. So how do we as sinners get anywhere near God. We just believe that his precious son Jesus Christ did die to take all our sins away. It was the ultimate plan and though it was a horrible plan for God and his son, they did it anyway because we are so important to him. He wants everyone to spend eternity with him in paradise but many won’t take him up on his offer. They think they don’t need it. Such a sad mistake which lasts forever. Once you are banished from his presence there is no light and no goodness ever again nothing that you used to enjoy on God’s beautiful world. So think long and hard about tomorrow.

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lore has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Job 1:27

So much can be learned by reading Job. I’ve studied it many times since my stroke because it gives so much insight to suffering and pain. There is a reason for everything. Sometimes only God can understand the reasoning at the time but I do believe that he works all things for the good of those who love him and are called to his purposes. They don’t always have to be pleasant to be good. If there was no pain then how would you know you felt good? If there was no dark why would you need light? If no evil would we know how much we enjoyed good things? I know that I can’t fix meals and I want to eat so I get what they serve me and it isn’t always something I might choose. The other day I had a donut and I was so excited. Well I hadn’t had one for a few years but it was Thanksgiving so it was a special occasion. It tasted so good. I don’t see my family much because they live out of town so when they come it’s a celebration. If they were here all the time it would be less exciting. I have had my share of pain since the stroke because physically my body has lost a lot of abilities. My mind however has never been better but I do things all day to strengthen my brain muscles. My body won’t get better and I’ve given up on it. I’m ok because I always seem to be able to do things I need to or want to do. Others do most everything for me. Kind of cool because I don’t have to clean, cook, do laundry, or go to work. I can read, play games, or sleep whenever I want. Something I have noticed is that I have had pains that doctors have found cures for and now I’m grateful to be out of the pain. But I am stronger and can tolerate even more than previously because I got used to the pain. You can see things as bad when things change but after time they don’t seem so bad anymore. It is what you get used to. When you have people to talk to it can brighten your day as long as you still have time to be alone so you can enjoy spending time with people again later. Too much of a good thing gets to be not so good after a while. Like I may love donuts but every day and I probably won’t like them for long. One thing I never get tired of is the presence of the Lord. The more I get, it seems the more I want. It is never enough. I could never do without it anymore. He gives me the strength I need to live every day to the fullest.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” Matthew 13:44

The kingdom is not something just anyone can see. It doesn’t make sense to many people until it is revealed to you and you begin to see it for what it is. But it is not something you have to purchase, but is the most valuable thing you could ever have. Until you find it and open up, the gift that is just lying there for anyone to find, you don’t realize what is right before your eyes. You can’t truly appreciate what is in front of you till you study it. I was razed up in the church so I knew God and my family was in church every week from the time I was born. Every week it was required that I would be in church. I knew the Bible stories well and won many contests throughout vacation Bible school growing up. My father would read a Bible story book after dinner every evening. I knew those stories well, but I didn’t really know God. Until I began to seek for him and all he had for me personally did I find him. It took reading everything I could about God, I committed to pray regularly and read my Bible every day. I also started going back to church with a friend every week. Slowly he became so real to me. The peace and comfort I felt was so overwhelming and the Bible started to come alive. It had always been a little confusing at times to me. All my life I thought I was a Christian but it didn’t change anything about my life. I just lived as good as I could and didn’t think about God much. Well once I realized what I had found. I realized that I could never ever live without what I found. I would do anything to never lose it and to get more of it, it became my every obsession. God knows us so well and he is drawing us to himself because he loves us so much. He knows just how we think and what it is going to take to wake us up. I know several people were used by God in my life to help draw me to him. Devine encounters made just for me. Well I have never been happier or more at peace and calm. Pain and troubles can annoy me at times, but they can’t shake my peace. That treasure is just waiting to be found so open your eyes it’s right in front of you.