Just a thought

When have you had the chance to observe the night sky and its starry host? What emotions
did you feel?

No condemnation, now that's really beautiful news.

The beauty is also that in the gospel there is no place for boasting. Jesus Christ the righteous one died for your sins, He rose again in fulfillment of the scriptures, eternally triumphant, so that there is therefore now no condemnation for those who believe. It’s all about God’s glory. “God's greatest glory is manifested in his grace that he shows to those who deserve the very opposite.” Modern Reformation

That’s why we can say there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus but only everlasting joy for those who believe. It’s all about Him.
It is clearly shown to us in the scriptures by God.
But you won’t see it until he lifts the veil from your eyes.

Simplicity in a trusting relationship

The most beautiful things also tend to be the simplest and best things. The simplicity of the gospel is that He did it all. The beauty is in surrendering to Jesus Christ through simple trust in His ability to save us from the wrath to come.

"Dead Or Alive?"

At a debate one of my colleagues attended on the existence of God, there was a rather vociferous atheist who sported an unforgettable jacket. Monogrammed on the back of the jacket were the words of a familiar verse, yet with a surprise ending...

MORE!!!

What Kind of Hero?

Though I am not by any stretch of the imagination a fan of video games, articles on the subject do from time to time catch my eye. I was intrigued once by the descriptions given by a video game creator who developed a game that casts the player as a character in a world of choices. The game is now a few years old, but the character customization system it employs is still reasonably unique. It is based on the idea that everything the character does will affect him...

MORE!!!

What Do You Want?

"Wait a minute; what do I really want?" a friend asked himself in my presence as if speaking the language of epiphany. He found himself initiating new interests in things, filling his time with pastimes--pining after that new thing that would change everything--when suddenly he realized that there was a search behind all of his searching...

MORE!!!

The Taste of Joy

Like Augustine, C. S. Lewis was aware of deep human emotions that point to a dimension of our existence beyond time and space, a deep and intense feeling of longing ...

MORE!!!

It's All About Me

WATCH!!!

Matters of the Heart

Have you ever given or received the advice, "Trust your heart?" It is a motto we hear often, in various forms and across various mediums. Flipping through an old high school yearbook where well-meaning friends offered a mark of wisdom beside their signature, I was nearly convinced the expression was a requirement...

MORE!!!

Arriving and Leaving

(A night in the San Francisco International Airport exposes the emotional nature of departures and arrival.)

Watching a long overdue greeting at an airport is amazing. It is full of excitement and tenderness and relief.

The same thing can be said about leaving a place. What about when you leave but you aren’t ready to leave?

Isn’t it an instant tearjerker? I can remember when my wife and I were single,we were dating from a long distance. When I would leave after visiting her I tried to hold my tears back every time. Of course one or two would escape but it wasn’t enough to even begin to demonstrate what I was feeling and thinking.

So as I begin planning for my next flight I have been thinking about other emotions associated with airports, like anxiety. I think it begins before you even arrive at the airport. I t slowly increases as you get closer to the terminal and then you have to go through security and eventually reaches it’s height during takeoff into flight.

I think airports can capture a large range of human emotions. Imagine if they could capture your thoughts. What impact would that have on security and anxiety?

Here’s how it would work. Suppose there was a way to put a device in your brain that would record all your private thoughts… and then as you get ready to travel they could be reviewed by airport security professionals. So if someone had been thinking of any sinister plans before flying they would be known ahead of time and stopped beforehand.

But would anxiety be decreased or increased? I mean your private thoughts to be seen by others. Wow, I think that would make us keep a constant watch for what we are thinking.
So then imagine your thoughts are in some airport security computer and a hacker takes those thoughts and displays them on Youtube or something like that. All your friends and family and strangers would be able to see them.

That brings me to something much more important. While this technology may or may not be available someday or even legal to apply, do you think that God knows your inner most secret thoughts?The bible says, “God knows the secrets of the heart” (Psalm 44:21) So then, if this is true there is nothing that we can hide from God.

It is true that 10 out of 10 people die. Think about this, every second approximately three people die. By the time you lay your head on your pillow tonight over 150,000 people will have died in a 24 hour period. The bible says, “it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27). On judgement day how will you do?

So some people go to bed everyday living by the scales. Asking the question, “did I do more good than bad today?” (To find out take: The Good Person Test). They think that by doing more good than bad they will have access to eternal life. Some try to live “a good life” or are religious or they follow an ethical philosophy, or that they must workout all the “negativity” that is within them through some sort of esoteric “cleansing” practice, and yet others say they are not sinners.

This is what Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” (John 14:6).

You can’t earn eternal life. It is God’s gift to all who humble themselves and come to Jesus.

The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ provides full and free deliverance from the power and penalty of sin. It is the grace of God alone through faith in Jesus Christ alone that salvation is given.

1 Corinthians 15 1-4 ,gives a summary of this good news.

As we go through life experiencing anxiety… keep in mind that we have all been born as sinnners and that none of us deserve to be forgiven of our sins by God. It is only through the mercy and grace of God through Jesus, that there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus but only everlasting joy. (Romans 8)

Will you be the judge?

Incredible performance, his gift shines on throughout the performance as he stands confident in his craft.
But this video also points out something very interesting.
What great example of how man judges the outward appearance.

Like Bob Dylan sings,
“All he believes are his eyesAnd his eyes, they just tell him lies.”

The judges in this video had made a decision of “no”, before Paul even sang a letter.
We obviously know this because they admitted to their surprise and shock.
And they even go on to criticize the performance afterward.

I don't know about you but I've done this before.
How eager we are to ‘like' someone or on the flip side 'dislike’ someone, based on what is on the surface, because we “had a feeling”, that “she” or” he”, was a certain way...

We do this with books and movies and in real life all the time. We are drawn to the characters. We connect with them and identify with them. The characters may not be real or some may be real, like in this video with Paul.

And then we are shocked and surprised!

Again, man judges the outward appearance, God judges the inward person.

Jesus said the heart is deceitfully wicked who can know it out of it springs forth sin. Mark 7:21-23 “For from within,out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness,an evil eye, blasphemy, pride,foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."

But until you see that we are sinful,the mercy and grace that God offers seems foolish to those that are perishing. But it is God's power to those who are saved.
(see 1 Corinthians 1:18.)

Mercy is not getting what you deserve and grace is getting what you don't deserve.

God has made a way to show both perfect justice and loving patience toward us. Jesus Christ, was crucified for your sins. He died and was buried. He rose again in fullfilment of the scriptures.

In his great mercy, God has provided a way for us to escape the punishment we deserve. “Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:3-5).

There are those who think they are great thinkers and reasoners, and yet they deny that sin is real. They deny that it is something that God will punish wherever it is found. They suppress the truth and choose their flesh over God. They want to do things their own way.

The Bible says God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud. So we must humble ourselves place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as the one and only payment for our sins.

I leave you with a quote from George Whitfield's sermon,
“The method of Grace” (1714-1770)
“Our hearts are so cursedly wicked, that if you take not care, if you do not keep up a constant watch, your wicked hearts will deceive you, and draw you aside.”

Going, Going, Gone!

It's only been it's only been four months since this blog's inception but it's finally happened. According to TheGreatFirewallofChina, my Blog has been banned in China.

“A ship is safe in harbor, but that's not what ships are for.”
—William Shedd, theologian

New Computer

What an amazing computer. We have come a long way in computing technology.

You have to check this out.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid932579976?bclid=932553050&bctid=933742930

HT

Justice is demanded.

God is Holy. We are not.

Who could ever claim to be as holy as God?

There have never been any gods before Him nor there be any after Him. God is the only Supreme Being in all existence, places, and time.

“God is perfectly holy. Holiness is moral perfection. It is being perfect as God is perfect. It is being completely righteous... If we sin once, then we could never regain the status of being perfect again. Once you drop and shatter a vase on the floor it can never be made perfect again, no matter how much glue you use. So God requires that we be perfectly holy.” -Dr. C. Matthew McMahon

What I want to get into right now is something called the good test. And the purpose of this test is to find out if you are a good person or not according to God’s standards. Answer the following questions with a tender conscious to determine if you are good enough to go to heaven.

Have you ever told a lie? According to the bible all liars will have their part in the lake of fire, a.k.a hell (Revelation 21:8). Have you ever stolen anything, regardless of the value or how long a go it was? Well the bile says that no thief shall inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:10). The next question is have you ever looked at someone and had lustful (sexual) thoughts. Jesus said if you have ever looked at someone with lustful thoughts that makes you an adulterer (Matthew 5:28), and the bible says that no adulterer shall inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Have you ever used God, Jesus or Christ as a cursed word? If you have taken God’s name in vain, what you’ve done is taken the name of the God who gave you life, who gives you every good thing and brought it down to the level of a four letter filth word. The bible calls that blaspheme and if you have done it that makes you a blasphemer and the bible says he who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death (Leviticus 24:16).

So how are you doing so far? Did you answer yes to the above questions? If so, then by your own admission you are a liar, a thief, an adulterer, and blasphemer and those are only four of the 10 commandments. Have you made a God to suit yourself and your sins, saying something like, "My god is a loving god and he would never send people to hell"? If so, then your god doesn't exist and you've broken the second of the 10 Commandments. Have you ever dishonored your parents? Have you kept the Sabbath day? Have you ever wanted something that belongs to someone else?

If you are honest, then you will admit that you have committed some, if not all of the above sins. We will all stand before God in judgment. You have broken God's Law many times, and God will find you guilty on the day of judgment. And your punishment for your crimes against God will be eternity in hell!

“The bow of God's wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood. Thus all you that never passed under a great change of heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon your souls; all you that were never born again, and made new creatures, and raised from being dead in sin, to a state of new, and before altogether unexperienced light and life, are in the hands of an angry God.” From Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, by Jonathan Edwards

'It would be dreadful to suffer this fierceness and wrath of all mighty God for even one moment. But you will suffer it for all eternity. There will be no end to this intense and horrible misery. When you look ahead you will see along forever and unlimited length of time before you. This will swallow up all your thoughts, it will amaze your soul and you will be in absolute despair of ever being delivered of ever coming to an end or ever receiving any reduction of torment or any rest at all. You will know for sure that you must wear out long ages, millions and millions of ages, in struggling and fighting against this merciless vengeance. WHEN YOU HAVE STRUGGLED AND FOUGHT THROUGH ALL THESE MANY AGES, YOU WILL REALIZE THAT HARDLY A SECOND HAS GONE BY AND ALL ETERNITY REMAINS. Your punishment will be infinite. Oh, who can express the horrible state of a soul in that condition!' paraphrase from Jonathan Edwards’, Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God.

But God has provided a way for you to be forgiven even when you didn’t want that forgiveness.
He sent Jesus Christ, the righteous one, to suffer and die for your sins. He took the punishment that you deserve and He rose from the dead triumphantly, so that there is no condemnation for those who believe but only everlasting joy.

If you want to receive that forgiveness, repent, that means turn from your sins, and trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation. Don’t put it off. If you don’t know what to pray, read Psalm 51 and make that your prayer. But whatever you do don’t wait until tomorrow because there may not be a tomorrow.

If God is holy, really holy, and perfectly righteous and the righteousness he requires of his creatures is perfection, what are we going to do? How can an unholy creature stand for a minute in the presence of a Holy Creator? The only way to be saved is through righteousness. What faith does is plug us into the righteousness we absolutely have to have to stand in the face of God.

If I approach God on my own, I am naked. And the metaphor that the bible uses with respect to Christ righteousness is that God covers me with the robe of the righteousness of Christ. So I either stand before God with my own righteousness which is filthy rags or dressed in the righteousness of Christ which alone is sufficient.

Christ lived a perfectly holy life and on the cross transferred that righteousness to us who believe, to our account. I can either stand before God naked in my own righteousness or clothed with Christ’s.

So if you want to stand before God on the strength of your own perfection go ahead, but it's a fool’s error. You will perish before a Holy God.

What is the Truth.

If you were to say to my wife, “congratulations I hear you are expecting.” And if she says yes and I say no, what would you do with that?

You might try to come up with a reason to what is happening here… “either he is lying or maybe he is delusional or maybe she is not pregnant” …etc.

Why do we go through that process?
It’s important to find reality.
My wife can’t be pregnant and not pregnant at the same time.

Two contradictory statements can’t be both true and false, at the same time, in the same sense. To deny this is only to affirm it. You can say that this statement is not true but if so you will be assuming that the denial is true and the statement is not. But that is precisely what the statement says-that two contradictory statements cannot both be true. There is no way to get around this. Folks, truth by definition is exclusive. Either my wife is pregnant or she is not pregnant. Not both in the same way and at the same time.

Therefore, when Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father except through me," He was making a very reasonable statement by affirming truth's exclusivity. The question one may legitimately ask is whether He demonstrated that claim rather than just stating it.(1)

You may have heard of a former police sergeant that was charged with inappropriate sexual contact with two 12-year-old boys. Of course, everyone involved swears in to tell the truth before they testify. But we all want to know who is telling the truth. Is it the accused or is it the alleged victims. It can’t be both that are telling the truth, either the police sergeant was telling the truth that he is innocent or the boys are telling the truth that he is guilty. But he can’t be both innocent and guilty of the crime at the same time in the same sense. By the way, the sergeant in this story was recently acquitted, that means he was found to be “Not Guilty”.

How important is the truth? Imagine you were the accused in this case, or the parents and family members of the boys, how important would the truth be to them?

It’s important to find reality. Some say that truth is relative (postmodernism).

[Postmodernism] affirms that whatever we accept as truth and even the way we envision truth are dependent on the community in which we participate . . . There is no absolute truth: rather truth is relative to the community in which we participate. (2)

With this in mind, let me ask you a question, when is it justified to rape someone?
The answer should be obvious to you. If people don’t get reality right, reality has a way of bruising people who don’t take it seriously. I wrote a post in March about truth being exclusive called The opposite of False.

As I’ve said before, I’m not interested in a leap of faith against reason. I’m looking at trying to figure out what the truth of the matter is and then investing my intelligent faith in that so that I can live right. And this is the same type of Christianity, religious view, which Jesus offered. Truth is very meaningful to our lives.

(1) Ravi Zacharias, The Inextinguishable Light (1996).
(2) Grenz, S. J., A Primer on Postmodernism (Grand Rapids: Cambridge University Press, 1995), p. 8.

For further study see, Francis J. Beckwith and Gregory Koukl,
Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 1998)

Recapturing The Wonder

"Wonder is that possession of the mind that enchants the emotions while never surrendering reason. It is a grasp on reality that does not need constant high points in order to be maintained, nor is it made vulnerable by the low points of life’s struggle. It sees in the ordinary the extraordinary, and it finds in the extraordinary the reaffirmations for what it already knows." Ravi Zacharias, Recapture the wonder

I have a small 2 door vehicle with two small side windows in the rear. I have seen them countless times, looked at them, lookd through them... you get the point. Today I learned something new about them that I never thought twice about before. They are triangular in shape. It took the wonder carried by a child to point this out. "Triangle ... the window!", was what I was heard from a sweet soft voice repeatedly. I almost dismissed it, or better yet missed it. I'm glad I didn't. How awesome to be a witness of a child in wonder.

When we were children, so many things made us say, "Wow!" But as we become older and smarter and increasingly cynical, the things that "wow" us not only become more scarce but it takes more for us to find that wonder in the ordinary.

Quoting from Ravi's "Recapture the Wonder": "There are somethings in life, and they may be the most important things, that we cannot know by research or reflection, but only by committing ourselves. We must dare in order to know. Life is full of situations to which I can respond not with part of myself but only with commitment of my whole being."- A guy named J.H. Oldham.

Are we challenged by commitment?

Let me close with this challenge for some to wonder.
"Wonder enriches you when you take the time to reflect and to ponder the greatness of our faith in Jesus Christ," writes Zacharias.

Transformation!

James, the half-brother of Jesus, who once hated everything his brother stood for, and was embarrassed of him. Then he saw Jesus Christ in a post resurrection appearance. He went on to call himself a bond servant of Jesus Christ (James 1:1). He became the leader of the Jerusalem church and was martyred for his faith. James was thrown from the pinnacle of the temple and then stoned.

I really think there is one question that you have to ask yourself ,
what would it take for you to willingly die for the notion that one of your family members is God?
It could only be the resurrected Christ to account for that.

Jesus Christ the righteous one, died for your sins. Rose again eternally triumphant over all his enemies, so that there is therefore now no condemnation for those who believe but only everlasting joy!

Does God Desert Us?The answer may surprise you...

I haven't posted a blog in a while. I've been rather busy. What I really mean by that is that I have been overworked and overwhelmed with the busyness of life. But a good friend of mine raised some points and got me thinking about an article I have read in the past at A Puritan's Mind, (www.apuritansmind.com ), titled "Desertion: Does God Ever Desert His People?" So without delay delay please take a few moments to read it as I have posted it below.

Desertion: Does God Ever Desert His People?by Dr. C. Matthew McMahon
"Desertion." Webster’s Dictionary defines the word in this manner: Abandonment without consent. When a man or woman desires a divorce, and they walk out on their spouse without advanced notice or communication, that is desertion. When a mother leaves her one month old child in the alley trash can, that is desertion. When a soldier defects from one country to another during the war, that is desertion. But does God desert His people? Can the same be said of Him? When desertion is applied to God, it is not applied in the same manner as the three illustrations above. When God deserts someone, He is not mentally incapacitated, or anxious, or in a state of sin. But it must be noted that in a certain sense, God may at times, desert His people. This is God's withdrawing of Himself in areas of empowering for service, rescuing the distraught spirit, or comforting the soul. This idea may be new to you, the reader. You may be holding onto Christ’s words, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” However, you have not taken in the entirety of the Biblical picture. Some may read this and be distraught. People do not realize that God may desert His people; but for reasons which may be to mysterious and incomprehensible to us, He does. The purpose of this article is to illustrate how He does this, why He does this, observations about those who have been deserted, and offer some cures to dejected souls.

First, it is important to accept the truth that Scripture demonstrates examples of God's desertion to His people. A powerful illustrative passage is Isaiah 54:6-8, "For the Lord God has called you, like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a youthful wife when you were refused," says your God. "For a moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I will gather you. With a little wrath I hid my face from you for a moment." God may hide His face from us and forsake us for a time (e.g.. Ps. 42:7-9; 88:6-9; 2 Cor. 4:16ff). He did this for a little time with Israel. For a moment they were forsaken. For a short time they were without His comfort, help and solace.

How or in what sense does God desert us? It is important to note that God may seem to have deserted someone when this is not really the case. It may be only in appearance and not really in truth. This is where people, in their emotional distress and trails, believe themselves to have been deserted by God. They may be in some desperate situation which seems insurmountable, and where they think God is not listening to their prayers or rescuing them from tribulation in a timely manner. There seems to be no deliverance in sight. Nevertheless, we must never let our emotions deceive us. Our faculty of emotions may mislead us thoroughly. Teenagers believe they are in love, when in fact, they have no idea what love is all about. Emotions are a very tricky animal. Emotional deceptions may also manifest themselves through besetting sins in the life of a believer. This raises a feeling of doubt that God is near. Our doubt and emotions should not be allowed to overwhelm us. They cause us to believe that God has departed, when in fact, He is still very near. Still, sometimes a frowning providence draws near to us and God may desert us for certain reasons for a time.

Desertions are not the interruptions of God's love, but the acts of His love. When God deserts a believer, He withholds those acts of love which bless them in their spiritual growth. He never deserts us in our salvation, justification or adoption. Our salvation is secure in Christ. Once the eternal decree is set for our election in Christ, it is irreversible. Philippians 1:6 states, "He who began a good work in you will continue it until the day of Christ Jesus." Our salvation is not at risk, for we have the promises of God to stand on in this matter. But empowerment may be withheld, comfort may be neglected and the need for rescue in troublesome times may not come quickly. This is desertion for the Christian.

Though God deserts us, He never deserts us totally. 1 Samuel 12:22, "For the Lord will not forsake His people for His name's sake." He will never leave Israel in the wilderness. He will never allow David to live forever among the Philistines. He will not leave the Christian wandering aimlessly for all time, but He does for a season.
Desertions are of two kinds: 1) the withdrawing of grace, and 2) the withdrawing of comfort. When God withdraws His grace, it is not that He is taking grace out of you, but rather, He is not putting needed grace into you. This kind of grace would be called, "assisting or sanctifying grace." God may withhold His mercies for a time, and withdraw this grace that the Christian hungers for it. By withholding this grace God creates a tribulation in the Christian's life. It is a tribulation of learning and teaching, for God does not desert us just for His amusement, but for specific purposes; He does this to teach us to utterly rely on Him and to remember afresh our desperate need of Him. When God withdraws comfort, it is a comfort which is needed while in tribulation. The soul is in dire need of grace because it is in a perilous situation, but God does not bring the comfort. This is when turmoil, distress, dryness, spiritual declension and complacency of the soul results because God does not comfort us as we need His everyday grace while we live in the world. This is desertion.

When God is pleased in withdrawing and refusing His grace from us, He is keeping the Spirit from further sanctifying us. But though He gives us this cup of affliction, He is earnestly desiring to bring us through to the end, where there is a cup of consolation. Again-God never deserts us forever. And though, on the surface, it may seem to us that it is detrimental to our sanctification to be deserted, God will ultimately use this for our greater good.
God deserts His people for very good reasons. The needs and desires of the soul are widened and enlarged in affliction. Heavenly communion with God is sweetest after an evil day, and after tribulation. It is sweetest because after the soul longs after Him for such a lengthy time, it may find all the supply and grace it lacks in the world in the Lord Christ. When people are deserted, they quickly try to fill themselves up with the world instead of God. When this happens, they see their need for God unlike at any other time, though this make some time to find out. Then, they have such a hunger for Christ, that the world becomes as dark and black as night. They desire it no more, and they cling to the light of Jesus Christ and His cross as the Morning Star.
The regaining of grace is a task to be taken up by a Christian who has been deserted by the Lord. There are some important observations to make about those who seek to remedy their situation. 1) There cannot be true comfort without the quickening of the Spirit of God. You will labor in vain unless the Spirit quickens you into a higher degree of grace. Without this gracious quickening, there is no cure for desertion. Prayer, then is key. 2) Sometimes, when a man is deserted, he becomes complacent about spiritual things. This is the last place you want your soul. It is a dreadful disease that takes up a hardened form of laziness and procrastination. If a soul desires to stay complacent in its desertion too long, that soul will shrivel up and wither into a sick spirit. It is so much harder to regain grace when a soul is in the state of complacency than in any other sin. Complacency sets the mind at ease in the sin and thus continues to build up more sin. It is, in and of itself, a sin. A deserted soul must wage heavy war against such thoughts and lack of action. 3) When a soul is deserted, sometimes it will not see God as its end when God must be its end. The desire of a Christian is to follow Christ. Many times a deserted soul will not see Christ after the soul has been deserted, and thus, it does not see Him as important. Desertion by God often moves us to sin. That does not mean God is the author of sin, but by His withdrawal or lack of comfort through grace, the soul always finds itself looking to something other than God because grace has diminished and is not seen as very important. 4) Desertions can be handled by a soul in three ways, a) hypocritically - which is when a man intends something other than what he does. Here a man will never get himself back to receiving God's grace. For his complacency makes him hypocritical in His action. He goes to church out of duty instead of desire, and so is hypocritical in his action. b) Conscientiously a soul may try to escape his desertion. This means that the good things he needs to do (pray, read Scripture, or the like) is done out of a sense of duty instead of a sense of need. The prayer is prayed, but still, the soul is no better off than before since he is only conscientious instead of spiritual. The last sort is c) spiritual. When a man spiritually does some good, it is accomplished so they may please and enjoy God as their aim and goal. When a man enjoys walking with God, God is his whole life. Christ is his all and all. The deserted soul desires to regain lost grace again, and desires to be filled up with God. The last observation is this, 5) those who are deserted by God often deserve to be deserted in order that they go through a time of testing for the regaining of grace again. Deserted people are those who go through a time of harsh instruction and correction by the Lord. Many times, these souls are deserted for good reason: a prideful heart, or carelessness in some besetting sin. Here, Christ allows them to experience this tribulation and this desertion for a good end (cf. Romans 8:28).

Keeping these five observations in mind will help you when God deserts you for a time. For there is no Christian who remains on the same level of spirituality day in and day out. Varying degrees of grace are always at hand and desertion is not far from any one of God's children. The experience of the Shulamite woman in Song of Songs in 5:2-6 should be a constant reminder, "He knocks saying, "Open for me my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one..."I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had turned and was gone. My heart leaped up when He spoke, I sought Him, but I could not find Him. I called Him, but He gave me no answer." Christ comes, and if we are not ready for Him, He turns and goes to another house to knock. We may search and seek for days, weeks, months, maybe even years, and still not find Him. The Shulamite was not ready, and so He left and was not found by her. But Christ is always ready to receive a soul that seeks Him in earnest.

Though we may be deserted, there are cures and remedies for this ailment of the soul. 1) Fly to prayer and the promises of God. Prayers are presenting our desires to God, and the one who is full of desires is full of prayer. Go, run quickly into your prayer closet and speak forth all your hearts desire to the Lord. Do not do this one or twice or three times, but do it until He answers without doubt. Pray without ceasing until the throne room of heaven itself resounds back to you in grace and comfort; and remember the promises of God. His word is true and steadfast. He has promised to return to you after a time. Trust with all your heart that He will fulfill His word, for He is a faithful God. Guard your mind with the Word for emotions and feelings can often shoot us down. They deceive us, where the promises build us up and make our desires into strong towers. 2) Remember that God is your end, and that you are to do all you can to make Him your end. Glorify God in your satisfaction of Him. Our desires for Him will call forth grace to rain down from heaven upon our souls. 3) Quicken your desires after God. The more you labor the more you will receive. The more you reap in Christ, the more you will sow through His grace. It is imperative that you find the cause of your desertion, which may be a sin you have committed. Find the root of that sin and despise it. Pursue your desertion to the birth of that condition and you will find a sin lying there. You may have blatantly sinned, or you may have neglected to do something God pressed you to do. Whatever it is, find the root of it and tear it from your life by the power of the Spirit of God. Many times Christians must retrace their steps back to the place of departure to get back on the road towards the Celestial City. Finally, 4) It is a vain thing to think God will help you if you do not endeavor to help yourself. Christians think sanctification is a free ride. They think this until they are deserted and then find themselves scrapping for bits of grace. But if a soul desires to do the will of God with all its might, God will bring grace to his doorstep once again. You must strive to be the one who runs the race instead of being a spectator.

Desertion is a weighty matter. If you are deserted, do not stop looking for the grace of God until you have found it. The Scriptures exhort us to continue to labor in our work before God, "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart (Gal. 6:9)." And we should be constant to "work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12)." Our desertion is for our good; that we may once again be back into the arms of the Father. Though rain comes today, and the day is miserable, it cannot last. God will move away the clouds and allow the rays of His grace to shine through. But let Him not catch us off guard. Let us be ready before the door to open it quickly before He moves on to another house again. © A Puritan's Mind, All Rights Reserved, 1998-2007

Cultivation

Have you ever seen a garden that is well maintained? It is a wonderful site indeed. Part of the process in maintaining a flourishing garden is pruning, that is, the act of trimming off part of a plant. An excellent example of pruning can be found at a flourishing vineyard. Grapes are one of the oldest fruits in cultivation. Some reasons for pruning these flowering plants are:

To keep them at a manageable size.
Pruning is done to direct the energy of the vine into producing fruit instead of stems and leaves.
Prune to keep the fruit growing close to the main stem. This way the sap doesn't have to travel far to produce fruit.
In order for fruit to ripen, pruning needs to be done in order to let in sunlight. Unlike most other fruits, grapes do not continue to ripen after being picked from the vine. Thus, it is essential for the grapes to get enough sunlight on the vine to fully ripen.

So there are apparently many reasons for pruning. Pruning rejuvenates by allowing the vine to produce new growth rather than spending its nourishment on gangling branches that are no longer fruitful.

In chapter 15 of John Christians are compared to the branches of a vine, Jesus used pruning as a metaphor for the way God interacts with us: "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful" (John 15:1-2).

There are times when God ends an endeavor that has been truly fruitful. It can be confusing and even make a person second-guess the good work that has been accomplished or even doubt God's faithfulness. So one may ask, “If a work is bearing fruit, why would He allow it to end?” We may think that just because something is good God will allow it to go on forever. But you see, God is the one who "changes times and seasons" (Daniel 2:21). He prunes us and everything in our lives, from our relationships to our occupations, so that they can become even more fruitful in a new season. Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit." (John15:5) Apart from him we are like branches that wither, needing the vine but having turned from the source, cutting ourselves off from the gardener.

Stop and Enjoy

What captures the attention of our hearts and minds?
The Washington Post conducted an experiment of sorts. It involved a master violinist, Joshua Bell, playing impromptu on a $3.5 million violin during rush hour in the Washington D.C. area.
In 43 minutes he performed various master pieces but according to the Post there was never a crowd, not even for a minute.

This is very interesting. Sometimes we wonder 'where has the time gone?' Some of us might even feel like the days are blurring into one and we grasp onto yesterday as if we could regain the time. What is the busy-ness in our lives that makes it easy for us to miss out on something like a master violinist playing masterpieces on a $3.5 million violin?
Read the Washington Post article here

This experiment reminded me of a transcendent experience I've had watching and listening to a guitarists rendition of Pachebel's Canon. I'm not sure that some may appreciate the talent and gift that this person has been given. They might just miss out on it too? Perhaps the artist himself doesn't recognize where his talent comes from? Maybe he does?

Either way I think there are some questions that need to be answered here:
Are we too rushed to stop to recognize greatness in others that flows from Christ Himself? Are we perhaps too busy to miss the Savior altogether?
Can we stop and enjoy the persons, places, things, sounds, words, treasures...
HT:(B.Mann)

Guitarist

Broken Hearts

Question?
What’s at the heart of murders?
ANSWER

WARNING!

Fun

MORE

Just Thinking

I have come across this article and thought it might interest some readers.

Ravi Zacharias International Ministries - Just Thinking Dying Beliefs and Still Born Hopes
Ravi Zacharias 1996 - Winter

This article is excerpted from a chapter in Ravi' s book, Deliver Us From Evil.
Truth is stranger than fiction, it is said, but as Chesterton has appropriately declared, that may well be because we have made fiction to suit ourselves. There is possibly a more disturbing reason for our estrangement from truth, particularly if that truth signifies a reality that is terrifying and unchangeable. Our inability to alter what is actual frustrates our grandiose delusions of being sovereign over everything. And that may be at the heart of why we find truth to be so strange. Remorse-filled situations that are irreversible offer no relief to the one seeking escape from them, because any hope that it was all a dream, or that it is all erasable by merely wishing the opposite, dissipates in the face of a stern concrete certainty.

A heartrending story of such dimensions was shared with me by a friend some years ago--the truth of which seemed much stranger than fiction. To do full justice to the poignancy of the incident necessitates the description of the very surroundings that occasioned my being privy to it. We were sitting in the parking lot of a historic building, an edifice symbolic of the gathering of the gatekeepers of society. There was an air of sophistication about all who entered. I was preoccupied with the theme of an address I was to deliver on the problem of emptiness that stalks our younger generation, growing up in a time of such moral confusion. Just then, the arrival of a rather prominent individual prompted my host, a minister, to recount the story in very somber tones.

"There goes our federal prosecutor," he said, "a fine man whom I met under very tragic circumstances." As he labored through the details in recounting their first contact, I knew this was not just another crisis in a minister's routine, but an ineradicable scar on his pastoral heart.

He told me of a young couple he had married some years ago, who had represented to him every ideal worth emulating. They were the mascot of excellence held up before the youth of the church. Both were in preparation for the practice of medicine, and were on sizable scholarships of merit. As he had driven away after performing their wedding ceremony, he had rehearsed in his own mind what a grand occasion it had been, and that in all his years of ministry he had not seen a more radiant couple. He thrilled at the prospect of all that lay ahead of them.

But then like a shattered dream, only a few months into the marriage there was a dreadful awakening...

For the full article click here!

Ravi Zacharias International
Website: www.rzim.org
Phone: (770) 449-6766
Fax: (770)729-1729
Email: rzim@rzim.org

Who's to say?

I recently heard a promotional spot on the radio by LifeLine Productions. It went something like this; a student speaks to a "wise" teacher, Dr. Shami, in regards to a fellow student, George, who stole his pencil. “What should I do about it?” asks the student. The teacher retorts by saying, “are you standing in judgment of your fellow man?” The student asks, “but teacher isn't stealing wrong?” The teacher says, “Morality is not an absolute, morality is relative, there are no absolutes. You can't force your morals on someone else!” The student then asks, “I thought stealing was wrong?” The teacher responds, “There are no rights and wrongs, but if you'd wish I'll talk to George.” The student says, “I don't think so, he just took off with your car.” The teacher responded with concern, “what? He stole my car, he can't do that!” The student then figured out what the teacher was saying to him all along and asks, “so there are no rights and wrongs, unless you're the one that's wronged?”. The teacher reponds, “Stop philosophizing and call 911”. There are rights and wrongs.

In a survey conducted by authors James Patterson & Peter Kim they compiled on the belief systems of 2,000 Americans who they considered to accurately represent a cross-section of the United States' population.
These are some of the results they found out:
91% of Americans lie about trivial matters
86% lie on a regular basis to their parents
75% lie to their friends
33% lie about important matters
70% married people lie to their spouses
The Day America Told the Truth, by James Patterson & Peter Kim

Charles Swindoll wrote on Day 14 of a little devotion booklet, “Today, at the slightest offense we are ready to retaliate, defend ourselves, and fight back. Yet at His greatest moment of agony, Jesus sincerely prayed, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

“Forgive them.” What an amazing request! If someone pressed a crown of sharp thorns on your head, stripped you naked for all the world to see, brutally punched you in the face, drove nails into your hands and feet, and lifted you up on a cross to die – would you pray that kind of prayer?"

I have a question if you would like to answer:
Is Anything Beyond Forgiveness?

Prayer of Continual Repentance

This is a prayer from the puritan prayer book "The Valley of Vision.
Please enjoy.

O GOD OF GRACE,

You have imputed my sin to my substitute,
and have imputed his righteousness to my soul,
clothing me with a bridegroom’s robes,
decking me with jewels of holiness.

But in my Christian walk, I am still in rags;
my best prayers are stained with sin;
my penitential tears are so much impurity;
my confessions of wrong are so many aggravations of sin;
my receiving the Spirit is tinctured with selfishness.

I need to repent of my repentance;
I need my tears to be washed;
I have no robe to bring to cover my sins,
no loom to weave my own righteousness;

I am always standing clothed in filthy garments;
and by grace am always receiving change of raiment,
for you always justify the ungodly;

I am always going into the far country,
and always returning home as a prodigal,
always saying “Father, forgive me,”
and you are always bringing forth the best robe.

Every morning let me wear it,
every evening return in it,
go out to the day’s work in it,
be married in it,
be wound in death in it,
stand before the great white throne in it,
enter heaven in it shining as the sun.

Grant me never to lose sight of the exceeding sinfulness of sin,
the exceeding righteousness of salvation,
the exceeding glory of Christ,
the exceeding beauty of holiness,
the exceeding wonder of grace.

Broken?

I was asked by a very good friend of mine, one of my best friends, why is the title of my blog called “Broken”? I decided to turn that question into today’s post.
We live in a world of broken promises.
Have you ever experienced being hated for no apparent reason? Have you ever felt "used" by someone? Has there ever been a lie you told that has hurt someone? Have you ever "used" anyone foryour own selfish purposes? Have you ever abandoned-ship because of something your “friend” did or said? Has someone else told a lie that hurt you? Have you ever hated anyone? Have you ever felt sorry and wished you could take back what you said or did? Have you ever experienced the scars left behind from a divorce? Have you ever felt the pain of drug abuse?
Have you ever felt like there’s no way out? Have you ever been weary and burdened, looking for rest for your soul? Have you ever voluntarily taken someone else's punishment? Or has someone taken yours?
We're all broken people.

To me Brokenness is when we humble ourselves before God knowing that our sin is what separates us from Him and we lay it down at His feet, realizing that it is God alone through Christ that provides the solution.
But will proud people admit that?
John Piper describes being prideful.
Proud people don't say thanks. And so I have laid before you three very humbling truths for the sake of your thankfulness.
The first truth: nature teaches us that an infinitely marvelous, eternally powerful Being created us and all we have. Therefore we are his creatures. He owns us. Our life, our breath, and everything we have is a gift. Our duty is simply to be thankful to him from our heart and to cherish his glory.
The second humbling truth is that all of us have fallen short of this duty. We have not consistently prized the diamond of God's glory with an affection anywhere near its value but have exchanged it again and again for the cracked marbles that in our great "wisdom" we have determined are more valuable.
The third humbling truth is that God, in his great mercy, sent his Son to suffer the judgment of people who are broken and contrite in spirit and who trust in him.
Proud people don't say thanks. But people who believe these three truths do, from the bottom of their heart. The truth that we are utterly dependent creatures. The truth that we are depraved sinners. And the truth that we are redeemed and utterly forgiven through contrite faith. If these three truths penetrate to your heart this morning, they will empty your heart of pride and fill it with thankfulness to God.*
*Source(John Piper)

Have you ever felt such joy that it brought you to tears of unexplainable gratitude that it renders everything from pursuits, to goals, to questions, empty and shallow by comparison? Something that is more relevant than the "latest and greatest" fashions or technology, more deeply satisfying than all of the riches and treasures of the world, and more liberating than all of the greatest collection of music. Don’t get me wrong I like fashion and technology and treasures and music. But there is something that is infinitely more valuable.

So I titled this blog “Broken” because it is a reminder to me of how much God loves me in Christ. Nothing else can even compare to what my God has done for me.
Jesus said 28“Come to me, all of you who are weary and loaded down with burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Place my yoke on you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is pleasant and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30
So will you go to Him?

Weber State Q & A

Have you ever wondered about the doctrine of the Trinity? I would encourage you to take only ten minutes to listen to how Ravi Zacharias defended to an audience in a Q&A at Weber State Univervity.

Justice

April is “Child Abuse Awareness Month”. An estimated 39 million survivors of Child Abuse in America today. One in four girls is sexually abused before the age of 18. One in six boys is sexually abused before the age of 18. Nearly 70% of all reported sexual assaults (including assaults on adults) occur to children ages 17 and under. Where is the justice?

Lately I have been having some very good conversations that I am very grateful for. Some believe that the world is an illusion. And we are all interconnected as one. But the problem with the claim of the world being an illusion, if it's true, is that our environment is an illusion. It's Maya. It's not really there. So how can we get true information from something that doesn't really exist?
If this is true, how can we know anything at all?

Something else that comes up if you can't know anything at all then you can't know anything moral. Consequently, if you can't know a moral truth then there is ultimately no distinction between good and evil. But what of these crimes against our youth? Is that not because of evil?

The bible tells us that God is good by nature, and because of His goodness He will make sure that justice is eventually done. For example, there were more than 150,000 unsolved murders in the U.S. during the last 20 years — however, those unpunished murderers will receive justice by being sent to God's "prison" — a place called "Hell." But God is so good He will also punish rapists, thieves, liars, adulterers, blasphemers, and fornicators (those who have had sex before marriage).

Another question. Does this belief in Maya offer forgiveness? You might say “yes”. Well as you know this type of thinking also includes the belief in “karma”. If this belief provides forgiveness than why is there karma? Because it does not provide for true forgiveness. And if the world is an illusion why should anyone care?
I can tell you that there are people who do care.

Is it possible that what the Bible says about God and Heaven and Hell is true? The Bible says that God wants to have a personal relationship with you. Jesus said “I am the way the Truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but through me” That is a strong claim. It’s either true or it’s false, but you need to find out for yourself. Trust, in relationships is developed with time. While you think about this you might want to pick up a bible and read the Gospel of John. Look at the character of Jesus. Ask yourself, “Can I trust Jesus?” Think about if Jesus is the Unique Savior he claims to be. Think about what this might mean to you. Please consider why I’m writing about this. What can be more important than your eternal salvation. Thanks for your time.

The opposite of False

I've been doing some thinking lately. And here's my thought: if something is true it can't be false. How simple. And some may say that they can't know when something is true. Well if that were the case you would probably not survive one day. Just getting up out of bed would prove to be difficult. You might go out through a window instead of a door. Shaving could be deadly. I think you get the point.
Speaking of truth certain facts are essential and vital. Jesus said "I am the way the truth and the life." John 14:6). One definition of faith says it is a trust in something you have good reason to believe is true. Does this definition resonate with you?
So let me ask you a question with this in mind.
And I got the following from Greg Koukl at Stand To Reason.
...Here’s the question: Does faith save you? To help you think carefully about the answer, let me suggest an illustration. Pretend for a moment that you are a diabetic on the verge of diabetic coma. Pretend also that I present you with a hypodermic syringe and a small vial that I said was insulin. Would
you trust me to give you an injection to save your life? I think you already see the thrust of my illustration. First,you know (or at least have heard) that the Bible teaches salvation
by faith. Second, the illustration shows a clear contrast between mere belief and active trust (the point I’ve just been making). You already believe that insulin can give you relief. But you remain in danger until you take a step of faith and actively entrust yourself to my care. So I suspect you would
assent to my offer. If you did, however, you would be dead for your effort because all the sincerity of your childlike trust could not change the fact that the vial in my illustration does not really contain insulin. It is only saline. You had genuine faith to be sure – fiducia, belief in action, trust. But you are dead, nonetheless. Now let me ask the question again: Does faith save you?
Clearly, the correct answer is no. Faith cannot save anyone. To be sure, accurate knowledge in itself cannot save. But genuine faith in itself cannot save either. Muslim suicide bombers overflow with authentic faith. Trust can be misplaced, and often is.
Christian salvation is when accurate knowledge is combinedwith active trust. The thing you put your trust in must be capable of doing what you’re trusting it to do. If Jesus is
not insulin, but only saline, the Christian is lost in her sins no matter how strong or how genuine her faith is. Faith cannot save you. Only the One you’re trusting in –
Jesus – can save. But Jesus can only save if He can really, actually,
truly do what you are trusting Him to do. In other words, Jesus cannot save unless your beliefs about Him are accurate, unless they are true. Therefore, if there is no
truth, there is no saving faith. And if there is no saving faith, there is no Christianity.
Further, when Jesus calls for faith, He expects belief and trust. But to have belief is to actually hold that certain things about Jesus are true. And if someone is possessed of the conviction
that nothing really is true, then the kind of faith Jesus requires will be impossible for him. Thus it will be impossible for him to be a Christian. I want you to see – in fact, it is absolutely vital for you to see – that there is a prior foundation that makes genuine biblical faith possible, and that foundation is objective truth. If there is no truth, then Christian faith is a mere placebo. It
soothes, but it cannot heal...
There is alot more to the article and it would be very worth your while to read it. I do know that this is alot to wrap our heads around but I encourage you to take the time and think about it as you continue your search.

One more thing, I know that we feel guilty about our sins. What we have done in the past and aare doing in the present. At this point I make a suggestion. "Maybe we feel guilty because we are guilty. Is that a possibility? If it is, then denial is not going to solve the problem. Only forgiveness can do that. This is where Jesus comes in."

God came to earth to rescue us.
You see, God has provided a way for mercy. God sent His Son to die on the Cross for you. Jesus took your punishment, and then defeated death by rising from the dead. If anyone receives the pardon God offers through Jesus, they will not be punished as they deserve but will instead receive the kindest mercy of all, complete forgiveness. That's Love!

He now offers us eternal life. We don't earn this. It is a gift from God offered to us, which we receive when we ask Him to enter our lives. "The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus." Romans (6:23) If we repent of our sin and turn back to God, we can have the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. It's pretty simple. "God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son of God has not life." (1 John 5:12) He wants to enter our lives.
Do you know how to receive that forgiveness?
The Bible says God gives grace to the humble but resists the proud.
First you must repent (turn from sin) today confess your sins to God and acknowledge that He is the Holy God of the universe and that you need His forgiveness.

Second we must place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as the one and only payment for our sins. He was the debt payment to God on our behalf. Just as you wouldnt jump out of a plane merely believing in parachutes but not putting one on, you must not jump into eternity without the one thing that can save you from the plunge into Hell. Jesus Christ!

When you have humbled yourself this way before God you will be born again and God will give you a new heart with new desires.

Trust in him and he will act for you!
Trust in the Son of God and you will HAVE the Son of God.
And God himself is witness: he who has the Son has life!

INTIMACY WITH OTHERS

At what point does a friendship with a person of the opposite sex cross the line for those that are married? Do we share our struggles and concerns in our personal lives with other people’s husbands and wives?

The response that “We’re just friends!” doesn’t make it right. Husbands and wives have an exclusive right to verbal intimacies with their own spouse. These intimacies with a man are reserved exclusively for his wife, and vice versa. If someone engages a person other than her husband with such matters it takes something away from his wife because the focus is on us rather her.

Keep in mind that even an innocent friendship with another women’s husband can change into an affair. It could happen to any of us. Thinking it won’t happen doesn’t stop it from occuring. Probably very few affairs just happened out of nowhere. They started with a conversation, a shared laugh, lunch or perhaps an intimate verbal moment that should have been exclusively shared with their husband or wife.

Please think about this and guard your thoughts and actions for they could lead to destruction.

YES or NO

Just wondering. Do you agree or disagree?: "God knows that no one is perfect but looks on the heart to see who truly loves and seeks after him?"

FINALLY WE LEARN 'WHAT IS SPAM...'

Since my youth I have been curious about SPAM. And now we can all know what is SPAM?
HT(PowerofChange)

IT'S A SMALL WORLD!

One of these days just take at look up and examine the expanse of the sky.
God is wilder than our wildest imaginations and greater than anything we could ever think of. He made things surrounding us that we can't even begin to describe.
Like Lou Giglio says, day after day and night after night the heavens are our billboard about God. The heavens show us two things: 1. How huge God is; and 2. How really, really, really tiny we are!" scientists tell us there are billons of galaxies beyond ours--again showing us how huge God is and how tiny we are. It's amazing how much we can see with our eyes just by looking up at the sky with scopes.

Speaking of eyes -- I like what Ray Comfort has written in the "Curved Illusion" at http://www.livingwaters.com:
... imagine if you were offered $1,000,000 for an eye for the purpose of eye transplants. It could be taken out painlessly, and you would be given a new glass eye which will look as good as your other eye, but it just won't look as good as your other eye. Would you sell an eye for $1,000,000? How about both for $20,000,000? No one in his right mind would. Your eyes are priceless, yet they are merely the windows of your soul. Jesus said that your eyes are worth nothing, when compared to the value of your soul -- "If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you, for it is better to enter Heaven without an eye than to go to Hell with both eyes" (Matt 18:9).
He asked, "What shall man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt. 16:26) There is nothing as important as your salvation. Here's what to do: Judge yourself by the Ten Commandments -- Have you lied (even once), stolen (value is irrelevant), committed adultery (Jesus said, "Whosoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart" Matt. 5:28), killed (hatred is considered murder by God -- 1 John 3:15), have you loved God above all else? Be honest. On Judgment Day you know you will be guilty, and therefore end up in Hell. Today, repent (confess and turn from your sin) and trust in Jesus Christ. He died on the cross to take our punishment, and then He rose from the dead. He showed how much God loves us. Then read the Bible daily, obey what you read -- God will never fail you.

Oh the wonderful grace of our God. That the same God who showed us such power in creating a universe bigger than what we can possibly imagine is the same God who chose to bring forgiveness to us by sending his son, Jesus, to earth as a servant to die for our sins. Not forsaking you nor me.