Repent

Mar

2023

The Purpose of the Law

We often strive to earn God’s favor by doing good works or following a set of rules. However, as we learn from Romans 3:20, this is not the way to be declared righteous in God’s sight. No matter how hard we try, we will never be able to achieve righteousness through our own efforts. Instead, the law shows us our sin and points us to our need for a savior.

The good news is that God has provided a way for us to be declared righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. When we believe in Jesus and accept the gift of salvation that he offers, we are no longer under the law but under grace. This means that we are no longer judged by our works, but by our faith in Jesus.

This is a humbling truth that should lead us to a place of gratitude and surrender. We can never earn our salvation, but we can receive it as a free gift. As we live our lives in light of this truth, may we be motivated not by a desire to earn God’s favor, but by a desire to love and serve him out of gratitude for what he has done for us.

Mar

2023

Be Still

As we journey through life, we often find ourselves caught up in the hustle and bustle of the world around us. We are constantly bombarded with noise, distractions, and busyness, and it can be challenging to find a moment of peace. However, the psalmist reminds us to be still and know that God is God. (Psalm 46:10)

In our stillness, we can find a deep sense of peace and connection with our Creator. It is essential to take the time to quiet our minds and hearts and to focus on the presence of God in our lives. When we do this, we open ourselves up to receive the love, guidance, and wisdom that God wants to impart to us.

As we go about our daily lives, we should remember to take moments of stillness to reconnect with God. Whether it is through prayer, meditation, or simply being in nature, we should seek out these opportunities to be still and know that God is God. By doing so, we will find that we are better equipped to face the challenges of life with grace and strength.

Let us take the psalmist’s words to heart and embrace the stillness that allows us to connect with our Creator. As we do so, we can rest in the knowledge that God is, and will be, exalted among the nations and in the earth.

Mar

2022

Results of Christian Apathy

When a nation 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝗱; that nation gets exactly what they wanted. We now are witnessing the results of years of “𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆”.

𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲; 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺.

A 𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵; more interested in its own survival than with the advancement of a 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺; a church more interested in 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁; a church that 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗴𝗲; a church that has 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗼𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, but which lacks any power whatsoever; 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆.

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗯𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴; 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱, 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼!

I hear a ringing in my heart and is goes like this:

“𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝘆 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲, 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆; 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗠𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀; 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻, 𝗜 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻; 𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗜 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱!”

Is it too late to repent, and turn your; so-called “Christian” Heart to God?

𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁!

Nov

2021

Turn

Nations that turn away from God, inevitably embrace that which is evil; and historically, those nations have ceased to exist. God, in His anger, brings judgement, followed by destruction to that nation and it’s people.

However, God in His mercy and grace, offers a solution to the problem; turn away from that which is evil. This “turning” always begins with the people who are called by His Name; the Christians.

The lost people of this world; which all Christians were once a part of, are prone to do evil; it is the Body of Christ; His Church, that is responsible for the fallen state of a nation.

Will the church (you) turn?

Jeremiah 18:8

Apr

2020

Repent or Perish – You Choose

A few words today, about the issue of repentance. There is an interesting passage tucked into the Book of Luke that we need to examine.

Luke 13:1-9

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ² Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? ³ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

⁶ Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. ⁷ So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’

⁸ “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹ If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

In this amazing passage we see Jesus helping us understand that without repentance, we will most certainly perish.

The folks who were there with Jesus, brought up the fact that Pilate had killed some Galileans who were offering sacrifices to God. This was most likely an attempt to bait Jesus. The persons who brought this question were not disciples, but were mostly antagonists who wanted to show the injustice of God; after all, these Galileans were offering sacrifices to God, but apparently God was not able to protect them.

Jesus, knowing their intent, answers with a question, followed by another incident that everyone would have known about. Jesus then shared the parable of the fig tree.

This short parable is a warning to everyone who will listen to it. Just before sharing this parable, Jesus told those listening that if they did not repent, they would also perish; and he said it twice!

In the parable, the owner went out to see if his fig tree had any fruit on it; it did not. The owner was upset and wanted to cut it down; why should it waste good dirt. The fig tree did not bear any fruit for 3 years!

One hears John the Baptist’s voice echoing; Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. Luke 3:8

We could argue that the owner is God Himself, and He sees no repentance, no fruit and He is ready to cut down the tree! However, there is a Gardener, perhaps Jesus, who speaks out on behalf of the fig tree; maybe you are the tree!

The Gardener says; let me have one more go at it! Give me one year; I will dig around, I will fertilize the tree, and I will do everything I can to get this to produce fruit; if it produces nothing after one year; then go ahead, cut it down.

In this little parable we see both the mercy and patience of God; but we also see there is a limit. A time comes when that tree, which has been fed, watered, and tended to for years, is determined to be of no value and is destroyed. The window of grace and mercy closes, and that chapter ends. What a sad ending indeed!

So, we need to repent, while there is still an opportunity to do so!

Definition of Repentance

METANOEO – compunction (anxiety arising from awareness of guilt) – reversal of thought, or change of mind.

Biblical repentance means to change your mind about sin, to have hatred towards it, and turn away from it. When the Spirit of God convicts you of sin, you have a feeling of compunction, a sense of OH BOY, I’m in trouble, and I know why!

At this point you have two choices, either agree that you have been nabbed (confess) or resist, and dig in your heels.

You may recall John the Baptist coming along, proclaiming the Way of the Lord. Repent; He declared, calling people to sorrow over their sin. What John was saying is this; the Lord is coming, He will be here soon, and you are NOT ready for Him. You are still in your sins, repent, recognize sin for what it is, recognize that you are a sinner . . . feel it! Know it! And repent!

Many of the people coming to John the Baptist did recognize it, and they came from all over the place to be baptized by John.

Let me ask you . . .

Have you ever felt the need to repent?
Have you recognized the seriousness of your sin condition?
Do you KNOW you are a sinner?
Does it bother you?
Have you repented?

Please remember this; if you are still willfully engaging in known sin, you have not repented, and you are still in need of a Savior, who longs to help you, as soon as you come to your senses, and repent.

NO REPENTANCE – NO SALVATION

When true repentance happens, a change of heart and mind sets in that actually changes the entire nature of the individual affected.

False repentance is when a person is “caught” in a sin, and they feign sorrow about it. They might even weep over the situation that has unfolded. However, as time progresses, you may notice the actor will begin to minimize the indiscretion. They may say things like; “It was not as bad as it seemed” or “What I did was wrong, but not all that bad.”

Some will say; “Well, God seems to be blessing me.” Remember this; God makes the rain to fall on the good and the bad, the just and the unjust!

This is false repentance, which is no repentance at all.

What folks are trying to do is minimize their wickedness in the sight of man. They do not want others to think less of them because of a sin they committed, so they minimize it, and deflect responsibility, often pointing to the sins of others, declaring that there are not as bad as them..

Jesus shares another parable to help illustrate this very concept.

Luke 18:9-14

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰ “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹ The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

¹³“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner. ¹⁴ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

When we try and deflect, when we try and minimize our sin, we exalt our own righteousness and goodness and it is, quite frankly, a stench to God.

True repentance happens when we take complete responsibility for our actions and humble ourselves before God. If someone was responsible for bringing to light our sin, we would thank them as one saving our very life!

True, heartfelt repentance, brings about a dramatic change and a sense of God’s Spirit in a way that was never felt before. For the truly repentant, when opportunities to sin present themselves in the future, an entirely different scenario unfolds, one in which we see things from God’s perspective and not from a carnal, or earthly perspective.

It is time for true repentance to happen; or risk being cut down, and thrown into the fire; which will it be for you?

On this Day, Good Friday, many years ago, the same crowd who was previously chanting Hosanna, would be shouting “crucify Him.” When they realized that Jesus was not going to lead a revolt, that He would not miraculously deliver Israel from the Romans, they quickly turned, and followed the religious rulers of the day.

None of this deterred Jesus, He was on a mission, a mission that would lead Him to the Cross, where He would willingly lay down His life for all of humanity. He would do it for His friends, and for His enemies alike.

Jesus was on a mission to change forever the power structure in the heavenly realms. The devil who had so deceived and tormented humanity, was about to be crushed. The victory that Jesus would bring through His death and resurrection would not only affect that current generation, but would echo throughout eternity, to every generation, the same. Praise the Lord!

Have you been looking for a deliverer?
Are you tired of playing the same old “religious” games?
Are you looking for real transformation?
Are you ready for a change in the power structure of your life?
Do you feel as though your life is being held in bondage to sin?
Jesus is still the great deliverer! He is the same yesterday, today and forever, and the powerful work of the Cross is still having an effect today.

God loves you so much, that He sent Jesus, His only begotten Son, to take upon Himself a penalty for your sin, that you are unable to pay. Turn away from your sinful life to Jesus and LIVE! The window of opportunity is closing rapidly, don’t wait another day!

The choice is yours . . . choose well.

Mar

2019

Do NOT Quench the Holy Spirit

One of the things I love to do is preach! It seems to be the one thing that is always on my heart and has been burned into my spirit! I long to see the “church” come alive and experience all it should, and could be! Indeed, anytime people of faith come together to hear the Word of God proclaimed; amazing things can happen.

There is however, an element of great danger, for some who casually saunter into a place where the Word of God is declared . . . so much is at stake!

Every time we come together and share God’s Word; which by the way the Bible says is sharper than ANY two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) we have choices to make; some of those choices determine the fate of our eternal soul!

I have a background in metal working and there is a process by which you can make iron very hard. First, you need to get the iron extremely hot; and when the conditions are right, you quickly quench the iron bar, either in water or in oil, depending on the hardness desired.

There is a rather short window of time whereby the heated metal is thrust into the cooling medium; once this is done, the metal becomes quite hard.

Similarly, over hardened metal, can be softened again by heating and allowing the metal to cool slowly; this process is called annealing.

Spiritually speaking, the danger lies wherein the power of God, through His Word, is touching your heart. Often the heart is strangely warmed, heated by the Holy Spirit if you will, to the point of becoming altogether new; the composition is about to change.

Too often, it is at this critical point, the flesh rebels and quenches that fire; causing the heart to become excessively hard, and brittle. The Bible warns us about this . . .

1 Thessalonians 5:19-20

Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophetic utterances. But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil.

We live in a broken world that is dying and swirling in an ever-increasing state of despair. Hopelessness abounds and our own nation is getting angry, frustrated and on the brink of destruction!

People in our country are calling for revolution; should we not cry out to God for a revolution in the Church!

How did the church become so sleepy, so apathetic, so unconcerned about the current state of our world? It seems like we have been asleep at the wheel, only to begin waking up to a terrible mess, wondering how we got here!

It did not happen overnight; but rather by many years of complacency and disregard for the demands of the Gospel. The church once held a position of high esteem; those who joined the ranks of the church were, seen as upright and noble people; and getting your name on the rolls was important.

It is easy to join a church; go down to the river and be, baptized telling everyone you love God and believe in Jesus, take communion when it is, offered. Be sure to give a little bit of your income and smile a lot; imagining that is well with your soul, do this, and in most churches you will be, viewed as a spiritual person.

You now have now successfully acquired a form of godliness; you have respect in the church and with your peers. The growing numbers of people, whom you see, are just like you. A sense of self satisfaction grows, and you truly believe that you are quite safe and secure in Christ . . .

But what of the Power of God?

Listen to what noted preacher Charles Spurgeon; often referred to as the Prince of Preachers, had to say about this subject in a message preached Sunday morning, June 2nd, 1889:

I do not doubt that a form of godliness has come to many because it brings them ease of conscience and they are able, like the Pharisee, to thank God that they are not as other men are. Have they not been to Church? Have they not paid for their pew? They can now go about their daily business without those stings of conscience which would come of neglecting the requirements of religion.

These people profess to have been converted and they are numbered with Believers. But, alas, they are not of them. Of all people these are the hardest to reach and the least likely to be saved. They hide behind the earthworks of a nominal religion. They are out of reach of the shot and shell of Gospel rebukes. They fly among the sinners and they have taken up their quarters among the saints. Sad is that man’s plight who wears the name of life but has never been quickened by the Holy Spirit.

What then is the power of God which is lacking?

True godliness happens on the inside, and works its way to the outside. The true power of God comes when a sinful wicked heart, infected with the curse of Adam, is “re-created” and made new, restored to its intended condition; now that’s the power of God!

Remember the promises of God to Ezekiel. . .

Ezekiel 11:19

I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:25-27

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

At the conclusion of Peter’s message in Acts 2, Peter gives the key to the Spirit-filled life, the way to be baptized in the Holy Spirit; it comes by repentance and baptism, and by baptism I mean being immersed, covered with Jesus.

The key is repentance! Without it, there will be NO SALVATION and NO SPIRIT-FILLED life. None!

We all want “Godliness with Power” we all want to live victorious Christian lives, but we cannot unless we have repented. What produces repentance?

2 Corinthians 7:10

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

“Godly sorrow” produces repentance. I have to ask you if you have ever felt godly sorrow. Have you ever felt the need to repent, and then actually do it!

Because if you have not ever repented, you are NOT redeemed, and you are still in your sins, and are as lost as ever; even more lost, because you have deceived yourself into thinking you are redeemed, when in fact you are not.

Jesus said these stunning words . . .

Matthew 7:21-23

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

The most revealing and frightening aspect of this passage is that the people were, so convinced that they knew Jesus; when in fact, He did NOT know them!

What can be said of you?
Are you holding to a form of godliness, are you the real deal?

Deep inside your heart you know the answer.

Will you resist still?
Will you quench the Holy Spirit one more time?

This is your chance; for some . . . this could be your last chance!

Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones puts it this way . . .

You do not decide for Christ, the sinner FLIES to Christ in utter helplessness and despair.

His arms are open wide . . . run to Him!

Jun

2018

Coffee with God

In an ever increasingly distracting world, it is easy to get off course. The constant chatter on TV, social media, radio, and a host of other venues, beckons us into the world of chaos.

Once distracted, we ramble on down a pathway we should never have embarked on and we get in trouble. Too often, once there, we begin to justify our stay, and our trouble only worsens.

Now confused and struggling, we wonder what to do; then God suggests an amazing solution . . .

One of my favorite passages in the Bible . . .

Isaiah 1:18-20

“Come now, let us reason together,”

says the LORD.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red as crimson,

they shall be like wool.

If you are willing and obedient,

you will eat the best from the land;

but if you resist and rebel,

you will be devoured by the sword.”

For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

I just love this Scripture; God says; “Come now, let us reason together.” It is as if God has just poured a cup of coffee for you, and invites you to the table, One on one, to see if there can be a solution. God is awesome!

Even though you have rebelled, God wants to forgive you, but there is a condition, you must be willing and obedient. You have to be both.

It’s not enough to be willing, and it’s not enough to be obedient, you must be willingly obedient.

Settle this one before you start the day!

Mar

2018

A Second Touch

There is a sense today that the church; the people of God, are somewhat weary, tired and maybe even a little confused as to what to do in the face of ever increasing evil in this world. We are certainly living in what the Bible declares to be, “the last days.”

It is easy to drift off and lose sight of our anchor; when this happens, we need help, so today we ask God for that help.

Mark 8:22-25

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. ²³He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

²⁴He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

²⁵Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

Before meeting Jesus, we were all very much like this blind man. Oh, we could see with our eyes all right, but spiritually speaking, we were quite blind! We may have known a thing or two about God; we may have known that Christ was God’s Son.

Most of us know about Christmas and Easter, for some of us, it was the only two days of the year, that we really stopped for a moment to consider Christianity; even going so far as to set foot in church on one of those two days!

For most of us, that was the extent of our knowledge of God! We were quite blind . . . and for good reason; the Bible declares that the god of this age (satan) had blinded our minds . . .

2 Corinthians 4:4

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

You see, satan did a wonderful job of keeping us in the dark; while we were without Christ and in unbelief, we could not see the truth, no matter how many times we heard it!

Then something miraculous began to take place. We began to feel something stirring inside; our heart touched in ways, we could not understand. The mention of God and the work of His Son Jesus began to spark an interest in us.

Maybe you heard a message on the radio or TV, perhaps at one of those annual church events you reluctantly attended.

You heard the dramatic message concerning your sin, and about Jesus mission to come to this earth and give His life as a ransom for yours; offering forgiveness for your life of sin. Drawn to Christ, you could not explain it. The Bible reveals an interesting truth about this . . .

John 6:44

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

As God drew you in, you realized that you were a sinner, not in a generic sense, but you felt it and knew it, to the point where you wanted to hide from God, yet He kept pulling you near. The Bible declares to us . . .

Romans 3:23

. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

This glaring truth stared you in the heart, and you knew that without some intervention you would be eternally lost and that there would be a high price to be paid for the sin you were enveloped in!

You became aware that if you persisted in this sinful state, you would be forever lost, with no hope of redemption! Again, the Bible reveals more truth . . .

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

It was at this crucial point that you decided to go “all in.”

You risked everything and trusted in Jesus! You went to Him burdened with guilt and perhaps shame for the way you lived your life. You fell at His feet, sorrowful for the way you lived your life, you told Him that you would repent and live for Him! You asked Jesus to come into your heart, into your life . . . and He did!

Romans 10:9-10

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

This you did, openly and freely, unashamed of your allegiance with Jesus. The people around you knew; there was no mistake, you changed, and not just a little, old habits discarded and new ways began to unfold!

The joy you began to feel was awesome; the reality that your sins, which were many; completely forgiven! You had fellowship and friendship with Jesus. You developed an unquenchable hunger for the words of God. You dove into the Bible like a starving man who just sat down for a Thanksgiving dinner!

Your hunger and passion to know more about this Jesus would cause you to skip meals, just so you could read, pray and learn more about Him! Nothing was about to come between you and Him!

Do you still have that desire?
Do you still hunger and thirst for His Word?
Have you lost any of that first love?

Does your heart still burn with the fire it once had, or are you like the man in the opening Scripture who saw people, but they looked like trees walking around. Is your vision blurred? If so, then you, like that man, may need a second touch from Jesus!

I know firsthand how this happens. At an early age, I came to believe in Christ; through a Sunday school, teacher my heart opened to the things of God, and I believed.

As God began to reveal Himself to me, I started reading the Bible daily. The Bible is not an easy Book to read, especially for an 11-year-old boy, but I was determined to know more about God.

As the years passed by and I became a teenager, I began to drift away from those moments with the Bible.It was not a sudden falling away, but a gradual, gentle slipping away; I hardly noticed it happening.

Then one day a handful of us, young teenagers at the time, decided to camp out one night. As we were getting ready to go camp, we decided that we would swipe a 6-pack of beer from my friend’s dad . . . and we did!

I recall with clarity, sitting under the train bridge in near the village we lived in, and as the sun was going down, we all guzzled down that 6-pack; it was awful, but we pretended that it was good! When I grabbed that beer, something stirred inside, there was a powerful voice beckoning me not to do it.

I realized later that it was the Holy Spirit of God who was trying to prevent the problems that were about to arise in my life! The peer pressure was too great and I gave in, just like the rest! That evening, I grieved the Holy Spirit of God!

As He gently tried to woo me back in His direction, I resisted. I wanted to spend my time the way I wanted, and I did not want God interfering! I wanted to be with my friends, I wanted to experience what they experienced!

Over the next few years, alcohol was not enough, and I found new and interesting friends, who had other things I could try . . . and I did! By the time I was 18 years old, I was a wreck!

However, even then, God was trying to get through to me, but I continued to resist Him. Each time I resisted, my heart would be hardened just a little bit more!

The farther from God I drifted, the worse I began to feel. The devil began to whisper in my ear, things like; “see, you are bad and God will never forgive you” or “you will never be good enough for God, so why try.” The Bible declares that satan is a liar . . .

John 8:44

“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Satan is a formidable foe, and he is always looking for ways to distract you from God. He will tempt you in a thousand different ways; his goal is to get your eyes off the things of God and onto the things of this world; if he can accomplish this, then he is well on the way to destroying your life.

There is great temporary pleasure in sin; the excitement and adrenaline it can produce are addictive. The spiritual side of sin is deadly. The feelings of guilt, shame and frustration can cripple you.

Sin is fun until you drink too much and while driving home, you hit a small child on a bike, taking a life. Sex is fun until you find out from the doctor that you have aids, or you find out you are pregnant and now you need to decide what your next steps are, taking a life, or allowing one to live! Drugs are fun until you see your friend lying dead from an overdose.

As I continued through life, I began to believe the lie that God was done with me. I can still vividly remember sitting in a bar Jamestown New York one night. The bar tender was flipping through the channels; he stopped briefly on a station long enough, for me to see Billy Graham with that striking pose of his; arms crossed and one hand under his chin, and he declared; “what you need in your live is Jesus.”

I remember running out of that bar in tears; as much as I wanted Jesus, I thought I had sinned too much and had resisted Him too long!

Do you feel beyond forgiveness?
Do you feel like you will never live up to His expectations?

If you feel this way, then I have some good news for you! You see, after 18 years of running from God, He kept drawing me back to Himself. When I finally stopped long enough to turn around, He was standing right there, arms open; ready to forgive . . . and boy did I need forgiven!

Just like the blind man in the opening Scripture, I received a second touch from Jesus and I could see clearly.

How about you . . . is your vision blurred?
Are your spiritual eyes seeing clearly?
Do you need a second touch?

Perhaps, the hand of Jesus has never touched you, if so; this is your Day! Maybe you can relate to my story; you wandered off, never intending to go too far, but you lost your way and now you are hurt, confused by life, wondering where God is, and if He even really exists; He is here and would love to have a conversation with you!

If you want salvation, if you want restoration, if you want healing, whatever the case may be, please take a moment and talk to Him about it; it will be a turning point for you!

Satan wants you to miss the opportunity, he wants you to believe his lies, he wants you to wait until the next time, today is not right, he wants you to believe that God will not forgive you, remember, he is a liar!

Listen to the words of God Himself from the Book of Isaiah . . .

Isaiah 1:18

“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Jan

2018

Busted!

The day started with a doctor’s appointment, which set me back about an hour and a half from my usual scheduled work time. I am accustomed to starting my secular job, driving an 18-wheeler, at around 10 am.

The time for me to be working is not set in stone, so I can go in an hour earlier, or I could go a couple hours later if I needed to. Like many folks, I am a creature of habit when it comes to working, so I prefer to leave at a set time each day.

I am traveling a little faster than I should today, and I know it. Since I travel this road five days a week, I know the spots where police like to hide, running radar traps, so I am constantly on the lookout.

As I come down over this one hill, where I know the police are prone to wait for speeders, I’m watching my speedometer, I know I’m going a little too fast, but there’s fresh snow on the ground, certainly not a day anyone will be running radar.

Heading down this very familiar slope, the road drops sharply, followed by a nice wide-open area; you can see clearly in every direction. I knew I was going faster than I should, but again, I was sure no one would be running radar on a day like today. I let my car drift faster than normal, as I came down off that incline and into the sweeping corner at the bottom.

After I careened around the corner at the bottom of the hill, satisfied I made it undetected, I took a quick glance in my rear-view mirror, and there, approaching quickly, the familiar silhouette of a State Police car; a quarter-mile later, his lights came on and I pulled over.

The trooper was pleasant and all business, issuing me a ticket for $221, I was going 61 miles an hour in a 45 mile-an-hour zone. I told the officer I was guilty, I knew I was going too fast, no reason to argue with him, or make excuses.

I went on to work that day, an extra half hour later now, due to the stop, and a couple hundred bucks in fines that I would have to explain to my wife soon, Oh boy!

I began pondering what happened, it certainly was no accident. I did not have to be to work that soon, another couple of minutes would not have made any difference at all. I knew I was breaking the law, and I thought I could get away with it.

I was actively looking across the landscape, to see if I could find out where the police were. I was wrong and deserved the fine.

That got me thinking about my spiritual walk, my daily spiritual drive if you will. I wondered how many times have I broken God’s will, or how many times I tried to skirt one of His directives, knowing that I was wrong, sometimes trying to outwit God.

I wondered how many times I made lame excuses to God for my bad behavior. I wondered how many times I knew ahead of time I was going to do something God would disapprove.

I began to wonder what the consequences of those actions are going to be for me. Disregarding God’s commands is a very dangerous thing, and the consequences have eternal implications. You cannot just write a check to God and pay a fine.

I recalled the Scripture about giving an account for the actions we have done in this life, whether good or bad; a wave of conviction flooded over me!

2 Corinthians 5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

The next scripture that came to my mind was the one where God declared that if we confess our sins to Him, he would forgive those sins; but more than that, He promises to purify us from ALL sin!

I spent the rest of the day talking to God as I drove my truck around my route. I remembered things I had said or had done, that I knew were displeasing to Him and I began confessing them.

His forgiveness washed over me that day, and since then, I am more aware of my actions and thoughts; keeping short accounts with God.

Perhaps the $221 fine had greater value than I thought. God was using this encounter with the police as a way of getting my attention, a way of reminding me that my Father in heaven always has His eye on me!

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

I wonder if I am alone in this endeavor, or if perhaps this rings a bell in your own Christian journey. If it does, then take time to think about your own life, avoid making excuses for the sin that you commit.

Do not ignore it, go straight to God and tell him what you have done, and perhaps He will show you grace and mercy and forgive you still; He did it for me that day.

Do it now, before it costs you more than you can pay!

Repent

The Purpose of the Law

Be Still

Results of Christian Apathy

Turn

Repent or Perish – You Choose

Do NOT Quench the Holy Spirit

Coffee with God

A Second Touch

Busted!

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