Category: Encouraging

I am the One

Image by Tamal Mukherjee from Pixabay

A Blind Man’s Story

He was blind. There was no doubt about it. His parents even testified that he was their son and was blind.

Life was different back then. There were no social programs to help those with disabilities. If you were blind, then there was a good chance you were going to beg for your livelihood.

That’s how it was for him. He sat and begged others for help.

Sitting in His Blindness

We don’t know his name, but it doesn’t matter. He was born blind and knew no other life. And this is how he was found, blind and oblivious to the life waiting for him, just like the rest of us.

Jesus Christ found him, sitting in his blindness as he went about his life. The difference between him and us is that he knew he was blind. And in typical, Jesus’ fashion, He had compassion and healed this man who had been born blind.

After Jesus left, no one believed he had been blind. His neighbors and those who had seen him begging debated whether he had been the blind beggar or just looked like him.

He kept telling them, “I am the one.” John 9:9

Two Groups

Jesus healed the blind man on the Sabbath and this is the reason why. He was separating those who believe or will believe in Him from those who resolutely refuse to believe in Him.

Because of this man’s healing, the leaders debated among themselves.

Some said, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” John 9:16 They were saying that Jesus Christ could not be from God because He was breaking the law by healing on the Sabbath which was a day of rest. A pitiful excuse to deny the miracle before you.

Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” John 9:16 They saw the miracle of healing and believed.

Now which of the two groups were truly blind?

The Truth About That Life

The blind man who was healed spent the afternoon being grilled by the rulers. The rulers refused to believe the man had been blind, repeatedly asking him how he had been healed.

His answer? “I was blind but now I see!” John 9:25 NIV

After lecturing the rulers then being kicked out by them, Jesus found the man, revealing His true nature to the man He had healed.

The man worshipped Him, revealing his faith in the One who had healed him. He realized that he had been blind physically and spiritually, but had now found the One who had opened both sets of eyes.

Jesus said to him, “For judgment I came into the world, that those who do not see may see; and that those who see may become blind.” John 9:39 What Jesus is saying is that those who realize they have been blind about eternal life will be able to see it, but those who trust in themselves will become blind to the truth about that life.

You Will Find Rest

Friends, Jesus Christ said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

If Jesus Christ were standing before you today, He would tell you, I am the One who gives you life that lasts through eternity. He wants you to know that, “God our Savior, desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:3-4 partial

And finally, Jesus Christ says, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

The question before you today is, do you see?

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A Man Born Blind Receives Sight

¹ Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. ² And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

³ Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. ⁴ I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. ⁵ As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

⁶ When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. ⁷ And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

⁸ Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”

⁹ Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.”
He said, “I am he.”

¹⁰ Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”

¹¹ He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”

¹² Then they said to him, “Where is He?”
He said, “I do not know.”

The Pharisees Excommunicate the Healed Man

¹³ They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. ¹⁴ Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. ¹⁵ Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”

¹⁶ Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.”

Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.

¹⁷ They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?”

He said, “He is a prophet.”

¹⁸ But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. ¹⁹ And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”

²⁰ His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; ²¹ but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.” ²² His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. ²³ Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

²⁴ So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.”

²⁵ He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”

²⁶ Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?”

²⁷ He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”

²⁸ Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. ²⁹ We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”

³⁰ The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! ³¹ Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. ³² Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. ³³ If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”

³⁴ They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.

True Vision and True Blindness

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”

³⁶ He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”

³⁷ And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”

³⁸ Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.

³⁹ And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”

⁴⁰ Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”

⁴¹ Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains. John 9:1-41

June 1, 2024
Calling…Heaven to Earth

Image by Victoria from Pixabay

Can You Hear Me?

Why doesn’t God come down to earth to speak directly to you?

Indirectly, He has already done that. In the days of the Creation, God spoke with mankind, face to face. But it didn’t take long for people to stop believing in Him and go their own ways.

The book of Genesis sums up how quickly mankind turned away from the God who created them, even though they knew Him as their Creator and even though they spoke with Him directly. Would it really be any different for you or me?

The First Sin

We are a sinful people at heart and it is because of our sin that the path to heaven was broken. We broke that path to heaven. When I say “we,” I understand that the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, committed the first sin that officially broke our path to heaven, but honestly, would it be different for you or me? Would we have behaved any differently?

We have all sinned, so it is not any one person who is at fault, but it did create a problem.

What Man Broke

God came back to earth to speak with us, but this time was different. This time God needed to fix what man broke, so He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to do what no one else could do.

When Jesus Christ came to earth 2000 years ago, it accomplished 3 things.

First, God learned what His creation endured in temptation. The Bible says that Jesus Christ was tempted in all things, like us, but was without sin. “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15

Jesus Christ knows what you are going through. He knows your struggles with temptation and sin. He knows you have an enemy who wants to make you fall. He knows you have an enemy who is actively trying to separate you from Him and your life in heaven.

That is why you will not be judged by your sin, but by what you do with Jesus Christ.

Come Back to Jesus

Second, in His time on earth, God demonstrated repeatedly that He loves His creation and wants them to be healed and whole. Throughout Jesus’ life, He continually heals everyone. There are too many examples of Jesus Christ healing in the Bible to share here, but one stands out in my mind.

Jesus Christ healed 10 men who were lepers. These men were doomed to live life away from others. Their illness also carried an emotional stigma with it because they had to warn others of their condition. But when Jesus healed them, only one of the men returned to thank Him and give Him the credit due Him for the healing He had accomplished.

I think Jesus did this work and left this example to challenge you and I. Are we the ones that come back to Jesus to thank Him for the work He has done and is doing in our lives? Or are we of the 9 who either take Him for granted or simply avoid and ignore Him?

Preoccupied with our Physical Life

And when it came to hungry people, he fed the multitudes. There are two direct stories of Jesus Christ feeding very large groups of people. One group is listed as 5000 while the other is 4000. But he didn’t want us so preoccupied with our physical lives that we ignore our spiritual lives.

This is obvious when Jesus Christ said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”

Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” John 6:26-29

That They May Have Life

Like the multitudes, we may be content with being fed for a day and miss the opportunity of a lifetime. The goal of Jesus’ time here on earth was not to just heal a person or feed a person for a day. It was to give them a hope and a future.

In speaking about His creation, Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

An Enduring Path

Three, God created an enduring path to heaven for all His creation, from Jesus Christ, forward.

The problem was complex because people didn’t and don’t understand the rules. We think we understand the rules because we may have mastered an understanding of work and life here on earth. But those things cannot touch the deep things of heaven and life in the spirit. We can never truly understand in the flesh what life is like in the spirit until we live in the spirit. And we can’t do that until this life is over and we take our final breath.

But God understood the ramification of the choice of our sin and its impact on our life in the spirit. And that is why it cost the death of the most innocent Man to ever live. Jesus Christ gave His life willingly to make it as easy as possible for us to spend the rest of eternity in heaven where God wants us.

When This Life is Over

So, why doesn’t God come down to earth to speak directly to you?

He’s been there and done that. It didn’t work and ultimately created a problem that resulted in the death of His Son. That is quite a cost when your Son is innocent.

But in His life, Jesus Christ left an example of who He is and what we could expect from Him. Through the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, we find a God who has done His best to prove that He is a God of love and wants us with Him when this life is over.

What You Do with Jesus Christ

God is love and His love covers a multitude of sins. It is because God loves you that He will not judge you by your sins, but by what you do with Jesus Christ. The cost for your sin has been paid by Jesus Christ on the cross. Now it is up to you to either believe in Jesus Christ or not believe.

God, the Creator, is calling to you. He wants you. He loves you. He has made a home in heaven for you that is beyond all compare. This life has its challenges, but not heaven. In heaven He has stored up treasures of blessings and rest that you could never imagine.

Do the work of God and believe in Him whom He sent. You will never regret it.

May 25, 2024
Final Promotions
Image by Frantisek Krejci from Pixabay

A Believer’s Story

A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself. As the ruler over his country, he put people in charge of his business until he returned, giving each of them a mina, or money to do business with while he was gone.

For reference, a mina in bible times was worth about 3-4 months wages for an average person.¹

Upon returning, the nobleman called those he put in charge of his business to get an account of their work while he was gone.

The Nobleman Promoted Him

The first person came to him and reported that the mina left with him had grown to 10 minas. The nobleman was pleased with his work and promoted him over 10 cities.

The second person approached him and said that his mina had grown to 5 minas, so the nobleman promoted him over 5 cities.

The third person came near and surrendered the mina which the nobleman had given him, explaining that he was afraid of the nobleman and apparently afraid that he would lose what was given to him to work with while the nobleman was gone.

The nobleman replied, asking why he didn’t put the money in the bank so that he would have received interest on the money when he returned?

Jesus Christ and His Kingdom

Unlike the first two who applied themselves while their master was gone, this third person hid what was given to him and went about his own business as if he had never been asked to do anything. The result is that his master was upset with him for neglecting the command given to him to trade and do business in his absence.

In Jesus’ time, people thought God was returning immediately, so Jesus illustrated through a parable that the time was not yet ready and that God’s people should continue growing His kingdom in His absence. This parable refers to Jesus Christ and His kingdom.

After rising from the dead but before His departure, Jesus told His disciples, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

I Woke Up Feeling Empty

Long have I pondered this third person as he relates to myself. I have imagined the first two as preachers and pastors of our day who have multiplied believers in a mighty way. People like Billy Graham, Charles Spurgeon, Dwight Moody and so many others. But this third person I am sad to say is most like me.

I have always been shy and carried insecurity like a blanket everywhere I went, so there is no way I could draw people to Jesus Christ like many of my brothers and sisters. And like this third person, I have gone about my business, doing my own thing, and thinking that one day maybe I could participate in growing God’s kingdom. That is, until I woke up feeling empty because I was doing nothing.

Sure, I was reading my bible and praying every day, growing in my heart and faith, but I had no outlet. And this is the mistake, I believe our third friend made.

James’ letter says, “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” James 2:26 This means our faith in Jesus Christ will naturally produce fruit reflecting that faith.

The Fruit of Your Faith

Not too long ago, Jesus Christ opened my eyes to the reality that so many people are dying without Him. Like a brick between the eyes, it hit me hard that people everywhere are going to their grave and missing the goal of heaven. Friends, let me tell you, eternity is a long time. It just won’t do that people miss Jesus Christ and all He offers.

It takes all the people of God to minister to a dead world and witness of the life to come. We don’t need to be mighty preachers but we do need to let our faith in Jesus Christ shine around us.

I am not going to tell you how to be a light in a dark world. That is between you and Jesus Christ. Ultimately, each of us will stand before Him alone to answer for what we have done in this life.

My encouragement to you today is to let your light shine, no matter how little it is, so that the fruit of your faith may be evident on the day you stand before Him.

Resources
1. https://www.answers.com/Q/How_much_is_a_Mina_worth_in_the_Bible
The Parable of the Minas

“Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’

“And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. ¹⁶ Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’

And he said to him, Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’ Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’

“Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.

For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ And he said to him, Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’

“And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’ (But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’) ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’” Luke 19:11-27
May 18, 2024
The Thoughts of Many Hearts

Image by Be Ba from Pixabay

Mary’s Story

Have you ever spoken to an angel? Well, Mary did. If you or I have spoken with an angel, then I doubt either of us knew it, but Mary’s interaction is well documented and she was completely aware that she was talking with an angel.

The Virgin Mary

Now don’t tell me that you don’t believe in Mary. There is an entire faith built on the Virgin Mary, so we are going to assume for the sake of argument, that if you are reading this you probably believe that Mary truly existed.

After Mary finished speaking with the angel, she rushed to be with her relative Elizabeth who was pregnant in her old age. They spent 3 months together before Mary came home.

In time, Mary delivered her Son, and the story we all know so well. According to Hebrew law, Mary and her husband, Joseph, came to the temple to present Jesus to the Lord. During this visit they met a man named Simeon.

Behold, this Child

Simeon was an old man who knew he would not die before seeing God’s salvation. On the day that Mary came with her Son, Simeon was there and met the young family. He took Jesus in his arms and blessed Him before sharing a final word with Mary.

Simeon said, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2:34-35

God’s Mighty Gift

As we follow Mary through Jesus’ story, we find her at the very end, standing before the cross watching her firstborn Son die. You might wonder if Simeon’s words came back to her from all those years ago.

Surely, Mary must have felt her own soul pierced as she watched God’s Mighty Gift perish before her. When she was first pregnant, Mary exalted the Lord in His greatness and goodness for the mighty work He was doing in her life. How could she reconcile that blessing with what was happening now?

The Thoughts of Many Hearts

So then, what was the point of His death? Was it simply to wound His mother down to her soul? No.

Jesus Christ’s death happened to make you and I talk. 2,000 years later, Simeon’s words are still coming true. When Simeon said Mary’s Son would be a sign “that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed,” he was referring to you and I and everyone else.

God wants to know what is in our hearts. And while He knows what is in our hearts, He still wants us to profess the faith that resides there.

The apostle, Paul, said, “For with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” Romans 10:10

There Will be a Day

Jesus Christ’s death is our salvation, but how many people will take advantage of the great gift that Jesus Christ has offered through His death on the cross? And what happens to those who choose not to believe in Jesus Christ and what He has done?

There will be a day when all of the commotion of this life is over and every act of human will is finished. What happens then?

Do you want the bottom line? Here it is… The Book of Matthew says the righteous will go into eternal life. Can we finish right there? I wish.

Unfortunately, that is not the complete answer for when this life is over. Let us back up to the beginning of that verse in Matthew.

What Are Your Thoughts?

“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:44-46

What are the thoughts of your heart about Jesus Christ? There is a very good chance you have already spoken your feelings about Him. If you believe in Him then that is amazing. But if you do not believe yet then let me tell you there is still time to believe!

ALL Who Believe

Mary’s story didn’t end with Jesus’ death. You see, Mary was a mother. Not only was Jesus her son but she did have other children. Jesus’ brothers did not believe in Him when He was alive, but they came to believe that their brother, Jesus, was the Son of God and that He came to earth to offer up His life willingly so that ALL who believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.

My friend, God is real, Jesus Christ is real, angels are real, heaven is real, and eternity is real.

The gift of Jesus Christ is still available. I urge you to give your life to Christ today!

Resources

Just in case you are not aware of the virgin birth and Mary’s true story.

Behold the Maidservant of the Lord!

“Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”

And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”

Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.” Luke 1:26-38

Christ Born of Mary

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Glory to God in the Highest

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. Luke 2:1-20

May 11, 2024
The Tides of Heaven
Image by Quang Nguyen vinh from Pixabay

An Observation

Ocean tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon. While we see the sun and moon, we don’t directly see their effect on the ocean. We take it on faith that their gravitational pull creates the tidal waves we see by starting in the middle of the ocean and making their way to the shore morning and night.

It is the same with heaven. We don’t see the pull of heaven on our lives but it is there.

Tides

“Tides are very long waves that move across the oceans. They are caused by the gravitational forces exerted on the earth by the moon, and to a lesser extent, the sun. When the highest point in the wave, or the crest, reaches a coast, the coast experiences a high tide. When the lowest point, or the trough, reaches a coast, the coast experiences a low tide.”¹

What are the tides of heaven? The idea is simple. Just as we see don’t see gravity, we do see its effects on the oceans. We don’t see heaven, but we can see its effects on people’s lives. All it takes is paying attention and just a little faith and we will be able to see the tidal effect of heaven on those lives.

Evidences of Heaven

Heaven affects countless lives every day, but we either aren’t involved in those lives or are not paying attention. Life is busy and too often, if someone in our sphere of life is touched by heaven, we are inclined to believe it is a coincidence. And the reality is, who is teaching us to see heaven’s signs? If you saw a miracle or the effect heaven had on a person, would you believe that is from heaven?

We right things off, finding earthly excuses because we don’t understand what we just witnessed.

My mother taught me to see evidences of heaven and the unseen world. At first, there were simple things, like dreams that came true, or the morning she was delayed and late to work. That morning, she missed being in an accident because of the delay.

Coincidence

I learned to see that there is no such thing as a coincidence. A coincidence is an effect of the unseen world. As an adult, I realize there are many things I never understood as a younger man and wrote off as coincidence. Now I see those “coincidences” speaking to me.

It is the words of a song, spoken at the exact moment I needed to hear it. The same goes for words from a friend or person spoken that changed my decision and made a huge difference in my life. There are words of encouragement and direction we receive at the perfect moment we either need them or are ready to listen to them.

Miracles are another tide of heaven. You may or may not believe in miracles, but they happen. And with miracles, we do see their effect on the people who experience them. If you think that miracles are a coincidence, then how many coincidences does it take before it is a miracle?

If you don’t believe in miracles, then let me tell you that no amount of disbelief in miracles will stop them. Disbelief is a personal problem. Generally speaking, we are not taught to believe in things we can’t see or touch. And yet, you can’t see or touch gravity but still believe in it.

See Its Effects

Then there are the end-of-life experiences. It is very common for those where death is imminent to see either loved ones who have passed away, angels, or other visions. I am no expert on these, but I have seen them happen in my own life.

Before my aunt passed away, she saw her father, my grandfather, who had been gone for almost 30 years.

A friend related a story about her father passing then coming to her uncle before he passed.

In surgery, my mother died briefly and saw golden, warm, and vibrant colors as well as people, before coming back to her own body.

We don’t see gravity, but we do see its effect on ocean tides.

In just the same way, we don’t see heaven, but we do see its effects on the people in our lives.

Seek Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ came from heaven to speak to His creation and tell them the path to heaven was broken. We don’t just get into heaven when we die. We need to believe in Him and His sacrifice on the cross to get to heaven.

2,000 years ago, Jesus said to the people of His time, “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.” John 14:11 It is past time to believe in Jesus Christ and surrender your heart to the knowledge of Him.

If you resolutely refuse to believe in Jesus Christ, instead seeking after worldly truths, then I need to tell you that is a dead end. Like the deep magic in C.S. Lewis “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” there is deep truth in the universe that we do not know about, but still exists. Do not seek after earthly truth, trying to find heavenly truths.

Seek Jesus Christ. Ask Him if He is real and if heaven is real. He will reveal heavenly truths to you if you give Him a chance.

May the tides of heaven lead you to Jesus Christ and eternal life in heaven with Him.

Resources
1. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/tidefrequency.html#:~:text=Tides%20are%20very%20long%20waves,coast%20experiences%20a%20high%20tide.
April 6, 2024
I Got Nowhere to Go

Image by Leroy Skalstad from Pixabay

A Homeless Story

It was 4:30am and 21° outside. I sat inside my toasty warm truck on the way to work. As I got off the freeway and pulled up to the light, I saw him standing there. When I asked what he was doing outside at this time of the night, he said, “I got nowhere to go.”

He didn’t have to tell me he was freezing. I figured that out for myself.

The week before I saw this man standing in the frigid cold, the heater in my truck went out. It was 32° outside but I sat freezing in my truck because I didn’t have any heat. It is unbelievable how the cold cuts right through to your bones. I was able to fix my heater and it worked better than ever. But I could not forget how cold I was without it.

I have struggled giving money to those standing on the street corner. Often, there are so many of them I just don’t think I can help each one. Sometimes I wonder if I am perpetuating their circumstance by giving them money when, if they spent the same amount of effort, they could be paid for working.

The Break-in

Then there is a part of me that believes some of those guys standing on the corner are the ones committing crimes.

A coworker’s home had been broken into, we believe, by a former coworker. The former coworker apparently found living on the streets better than working.

One day, the former coworker came to where he used to be employed and told a crew member that he knew where he lived. It was at this point the crewmember’s home was broken into. Not long after the break-in, the former coworker came back into the store he had worked at, but this time he was wearing very nice clothes and a smirk to go with it. It was as if he was gloating over the crewmember’s loss.

The theft may not have been from the former coworker and if you are inclined to believe my speculation is wrong, so be it. Let us just say then that I have a lot of reasons that have clouded my willingness to give another person money because they are standing on the corner asking for it.

A Fellow Traveler

But on this particular morning, having personally experienced the misery of the bitter chill, there were no excuses to prevent me from helping.

It didn’t matter how this stranger arrived at this point in his life. I realized that I was not his judge. The only thing that mattered was that a human being was standing outside, in severely cold temperatures at 4:30 in the morning.

If this guy was looking for a sympathy vote, then he got it from me. Along with it, he taught me we are all on this journey called “Life” together and I can afford to help a fellow traveler out.

March 30, 2024
A Serpent of Slaves
Image by Silke from Pixabay

John’s Story

It was March 21^st, 1748, a day he would never forget. The storm ravaged the ship, ripping the sails and splintering the wood on one side of the ship. John was too exhausted to man the pumps which removed the water threatening to sink the ship, so he was tied to the helm and did his best to hold the ship to its course.

In Those Moments

Through the next 11 hours, John compared the devastation of his life to that of the ship. He couldn’t speak without profanity, his heart was hard as he sold men and women for profit, he drank like the proverbial sailor that he was and his lust for women were all in stark contrast to the hopes his mother had for him.

When he was a boy, John’s mother had prayed for him and taught him scripture, some of which he recalled during his time at the helm. The book of Proverbs came to mind as he thought about the words which paralleled his life in his present circumstance, “When your terror comes like a storm, and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you…” Proverbs 1:27. Although John had rejected his mother’s faith and was critical of anyone else’s faith, he wanted to live and could not help but see the connection between the Word and his life. It was in those moments that his faith was born.

Faith and Change Were Slow

At first, John could not believe he was worth saving. The words from Proverbs were clear that God would laugh at him. How could he live so far apart from God and still believe that God would save him? Eventually John read the bible verse, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:13

Faith and change were slow for John. He continued slave-trading but eventually changed his work, and sought to build up other’s faith. He also married Mary, the daughter of the family that took him in when his mother died and his father was gone at sea. It is said that at the end of his life John wrote their love “equaled all that the writers of romance have imagined.”¹

His Mother’s Prayers

At age 39, John Newton began his life in ministry preaching what he once tried to destroy. His mother’s prayers all those years before were finally being answered.

John spent 43 years of his life preaching the Gospel. During that time, he wrote 280 hymns, including “Amazing Grace”, was involved in abolishing the slave trade and ministered to people whether they were the poor, working class or wealthy.

His Word as a Light

Although John felt he was beyond saving, it is abundantly clear he was not. Perhaps you feel you are beyond saving, that you have sinned so much there is no way God could possibly love you enough to save you. That would be no truer today that it was on March 21^st, 1748.

In his life, John Newton certainly would have read the following verses. I share these with you as proof that God cares about you and wants you with Him in heaven when this life is over. The world can be a dark place. God, “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth,” 1 Timothy 2:4, has left His word as a light for us to follow:

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” Romans 10:13

“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Luke 5:32

I Remember Two Things

We are on an epic journey through life. When the time comes, there are only two ways this life will end. Either we will go to heaven, or the other place. Please take the time today, right now, to consider that Jesus Christ came to save each one of us. It is not so difficult to believe that God came in the form of a Man who died on a cross 2000 years ago to pay the price for sin. Jesus Christ came to repair our path to heaven that Adam damaged.

I leave you with the words of John Newton, a former slave trader and vile man who was near the end of his life:

“My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: That I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a Great Savior.” John Newton

I too must confess that I am a great sinner and Jesus Christ is my Great Savior who delivered me from death to life.

Resources

Story taken from: https://www.bethelripon.com/life-stories/2020/4/18/john-newton-the-great-blasphemer-behind-amazing-grace
1. https://www.bethelripon.com/life-stories/2020/4/18/john-newton-the-great-blasphemer-behind-amazing-grace, paragraph 9.
Additional Resources
1. Library of Congress, The Creation of “Amazing Grace”
  1. https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200149085/#foot1
2. “Amazing Grace” by Steve Turner
March 21, 2024
Jesus Commands Us to Go!
Image by Mario from Pixabay

This man’s story is one I am not qualified to write. Both he and his music bring me to tears. I first learned about him through a woman who is no longer in my life. Immediately, his music touched me and spoke to me.

Everything is taken from two resources listed at the bottom. If I have missed notating credit, please forgive me.

Keith’s Story

Keith began writing and singing his own songs at the very young age of 6. Sure, there was music in his blood through the influence of his parents and grandparents, but still, 6 years old?!

He learned to play the guitar and piano at an even younger age. The piano was his favorite instrument, but he became bored playing classical music, so Keith would memorize the classical pieces and pretended to read the sheet music during his lessons.

Confusion and Misunderstanding

At age 11, Keith signed his first recording contract, singing only his own material. With photos in the Teen Magazines but only minor success with his music, Keith became disappointed. By age 14, Keith “felt like a total failure”.¹

At age 14, most of us have barely thought about what we want to do when we grow up, but Keith was more than a decade into his musical career by that time, if you include his singing baby songs before the age of 2 when his mother realized he had perfect pitch.

When Keith was 15, he ran away from home. That day, he started a journal, keeping track of his musical life as well as spiritual truths.

Like so many people, confusion and misunderstanding drove him to drugs and a broken life. For anyone, once in that hellhole, it is very difficult to escape, but Keith did escape and at age 19 met, Melody.

The two married a year later, both musicians and both seeking spiritual truth.

By age 21, Keith found the Rock he had been looking for all those years. That Rock is Jesus Christ.

The Greenhouse

It took a while after accepting Christ, to really understand and believe that Jesus was and is the One True God. When this point finally sank in, both Keith and Melody were baptized in the Pacific Ocean.²

They immediately became involved in ministry on the beaches and boardwalks where they lived.³

Still newlyweds, Keith and Melody opened their home for a pregnant woman in need.⁴ But it didn’t stop there. This couple invited so many people into their home that they needed more space.

Keith and Melody bought another home and rented even more to help house “the homeless, hippies, people fleeing cults, troubled youth, and more.”⁵ Their home affectionately became known as “The Greenhouse.”

Top of the Charts

Keith’s musical career took off. He went from “concerts of 20 or less, to stadiums of 12,000 people.”⁶

Keith and Melody, often gave their time and resources, including albums, away for free. At one point, the count of over 200,000 albums had been sent into prisons and the poor.⁷

By age 28, Keith’s music was at the top of the charts.

Incredible and Unbound Power

Keith and Melody had 3 children and a 4^th on the way. Hosting some friends, everyone decided to take a ride in the plane the ministry owned. Melody didn’t want to go and stayed behind with their one-year-old daughter.

The group hadn’t been gone long, when Melody got a call that the plane had gone down. “Too much weight in the small plane prevented it from taking off properly.”⁸ There were no survivors. Keith, along with his friends, the pilot and two of his own children perished.

As I write this today, it has been more than 40 years since I first heard Keith’s music and determined faith. Perhaps you have heard of him. His name is Keith Green.

Keith’s deliverance from drugs and his life beyond the path of darkness and the shadow of death are an amazing testament to the incredible and unbound power of Jesus Christ.

The Last Days

There is so much more I can say. If you are interested in reading more about Keith’s life, I would encourage you to visit the ministry Keith and Melody started many years ago. It is called Last Days Ministries and can be found at LastDaysMinistries.org.

I believe we are truly in the last days. The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is so near. Please take time today to discover who Jesus Christ is. May you find a like faith as Keith Green.

“The Lord says to us tonight, He gave us His Son, why won’t we give Him our life in return, all of it? Why not? He loves us.” Keith Green, final words in “Song for Josiah” lyrics.

Resources
1. https://lastdaysministries.org/Groups/1000008700/Last_Days_Ministries/Keith_Green/Bio/Bio.aspx, paragraph 3.
2. https://compelledpodcast.com/episodes/melody-green, Ministry Begins, first paragraph.
3. https://compelledpodcast.com/episodes/melody-green, Ministry Begins, first paragraph.
4. https://compelledpodcast.com/episodes/melody-green, Ministry Begins, first paragraph.
5. https://compelledpodcast.com/episodes/melody-green, Ministry Begins, second paragraph.
6. https://lastdaysministries.org/Groups/1000008700/Last_Days_Ministries/Keith_Green/Bio/Bio.aspx, paragraph 16.
7. https://lastdaysministries.org/Groups/1000008700/Last_Days_Ministries/Keith_Green/Bio/Bio.aspx, paragraph 13.
8. https://compelledpodcast.com/episodes/melody-green, The Tragedy, paragraph 8
9. Information for this story was taken from the following two resources:
  1. LastDaysMinistries.org
  1. CompelledPodcast.com/episodes/melody-green
March 2, 2024
A Step of Faith

Image by Ilo from Pixabay

Peter’s Story

A Touch of Heaven

He took a step of faith, but it didn’t work out so well. Jesus was standing outside the boat and Peter asked to step out and meet Him there, on the water. He left everything he knew and trusted, the comfort and security of friends and familiar surroundings and expectations for a taste of the unknown. Peter went to stand with the Creator of the universe in a place mere mortals never dared!

At first, it was a touch of heaven and majesty. Peter walked on water! What an amazing feeling it must have been to defy gravity and do the impossible. The guys in the boat must have been jealous.

The Old Knowledge

It didn’t take long for fear to strike his heart, though. Peter looked at his circumstances and remembered that people can’t walk on water! Old knowledge and old emotions swept through him and replaced his faith with fear.

It was the old knowledge of life without the power of God that caused Peter to remember his circumstances were impossible. It was the old knowledge of past failures that drove Peter to doubt the living God standing before him.

Isn’t that what paralyzes the rest of us and keeps us from doing great things for the Lord? The fear of losing everything scares us into doubting He can and will save us.

As Peter began to sink, the Lord lifted him up. He asked, “Why did you doubt?”

The Place of Impossible

Are you in the middle of it? Is there nothing but water as far as your eye can see? Do you feel alone out there working to make a difference in other people’s lives? Then remember, Jesus is not going to stay in the boat and yell to you, “Hey! Are you alright? Do you need a line?” He will be in the water with you.

Do you know why He will be with you? It is because He dwells in the place of impossible. As with everything else, He created it. It is His nature. With Him, all things are possible.

Jesus Christ would not ask you to do something He has never done. When He said, “I will be with you always,” there was never a “but” there. He meant what He said, that there will never be a time when He leaves you.

What Great Thing

I am not sharing these words having never taken solemn steps of faith. It is frightening to risk it all, but risk is the key. It’s like moving out of your parent’s home. You may struggle a little but eventually you get your feet on solid ground.

I just have to say, thank you to Peter for his courage in trying. He became to all of us an example of what a step of faith looks like. It was also that step of faith that revealed the Lord would never let him sink.

What great thing would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?

The Wealth of His Abundance

I can’t tell you what the Lord’s will is in your life, but I can tell you that He has prepared a place for you in Heaven. Have you ever thought about Heaven and what it looks like? The Bible says there are many mansions. It also tells us the city and streets are made of pure gold, like clear glass. The wall is made of jasper and every kind of precious stone. There are 12 gates into the city and each of them are made of a single pearl. It is a place of great wealth and abundance. You will have a place to live and food to feast on. And the best part? None of it will cost you a dime!

If God has spared no expense for your time in Heaven, then is it a small thing for Him to provide for you here on earth? At what point in Jesus’ life did He charge anyone for what He gave? In every example, Jesus Christ covered the cost completely. He spent His life so that you could share in the wealth of His abundance.

That Deep Intimacy

Are you living in yesterday? Are you looking at yesterday’s results and expecting the same today?

We all have failures as well as ups and downs, mountain peaks of certainty and valleys of doubt and fear. It is what every Christian who seeks God for their needs and desires will face. But it is our blessing to walk this path. It is the path of walking on water with Jesus Christ. It is being on the water with Him and watching Him work in our lives whether we are building a new home, looking for a new job or struggling with a serious health condition. And it is a blessing.

The world does not get to enjoy that deep intimacy of being with Jesus Christ on the water. It is God’s children who will see Him working in their lives and recognize that it is Him moving. We get to see His hand moving in our lives.

It is hearing the songs that speak to our heart at the exact moment we need it. It is hearing another share words that we need at the exact moment. It is witnessing miracles, big and small, in our lives and knowing where those come from. It is moments of deep intimacy with the Lord, knowing and feeling that He is right there with us, standing next to us, filling us with His presence and reminding us that this life is not forever and that one day we will be with Him and never suffer or need again.

Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert. Isaiah 43:19

February 24, 2024
Feed My Sheep

Image by 12019 from Pixabay

Suzy’s Story

God Was for Her

A friend asked her if she wanted to go to church. Suzy could care less about church but went for her friend’s sake. She had decided that afterwards she would get high. Suzy was a drug addict and had been for many years.

This visit to church was going to be different for Suzy. She didn’t know it but Suzy was about to be moved by the world she could not see.

During the message, Suzy was touched by the Holy Spirit. She saw the barren path of life she had been walking in her drug abuse and all that came with it. When Suzy realized that God was for her and not against her, she could not contain her faith. In tears, Suzy ran to the front during the alter call.

Petrified

Suzy had her own place to live but rented an apartment with her friend so the two could be close. Being in the lower end of town, the rooms were small and the appliances old.

At her first Thanksgiving as a child of God, it was Suzy’s friend that suggested they make a Thanksgiving meal for their neighbors. Suzy was petrified! She could not cook and was afraid they would not be able to take care of a lot of people. Her friend told her to relax. They would make the dinner together and everything would be alright.

Suzy and her friend began telling everyone about the Thanksgiving dinner that was being planned. Many contributed to the dinner and soon their little apartment was filled with bags and bags of food.

Don’t Worry

On the morning of Thanksgiving Day, Suzy and her friend got up early to get things started. Opening the bags of food, they began sorting the groceries and making their preparations. The two had not gotten far in their work when Suzy’s friend announced that she was going to see her son. “Don’t worry,” she said, “I will be back in time to finish and serve the dinner.”

Those words did not come true. Suzy, a 26-year-old recovering drug addict with no ability to cook a big Thanksgiving meal for a family, let alone an entire building of people, was left alone with all the preparations for this ambitious endeavor.

Suzy prayed. She was overwhelmed and asked Jesus Christ for help. He answered her prayer.

The Biggest Meal

Suzy began cooking. Because of the volume of food, much of it was cooked in different apartments. Suzy asked her neighbors if she could use their ovens and stoves to cook the Thanksgiving meal. They consented and so Suzy ran from apartment to apartment, cooking the biggest meal she had ever made with barely the experience to pour a bowl of cereal.

In her preparations, Suzy said that she even baked homemade bread. Without knowing beforehand what to do, Suzy said the knowledge just came to her.

Hours later, the food was ready and people were showing up in numbers far greater than Suzy or her friend had expected. The line of people went out of the apartment and around the building. She was terrified that there was not enough food.

Suzy prayed again. “Lord, there isn’t enough food for all of these people.”

His response came back to her. “There is enough.”

A Valuable Lesson

Suzy opened her apartment and set up tables with the food. The line of people came in her door. After getting their food, the line squeezed out the same way. Plate after plate of food was taken by the waiting crowd. Suzy worked hard to keep the food filled.

Somehow, Suzy made it through the meal. When everyone had been fed, she was surprised to see that there were a lot of leftovers. Like the miracles of feeding the multitudes in the Gospels, God took Suzy’s meal and multiplied it to meet the needs of the hungry.

From that Thanksgiving meal, Suzy learned a valuable lesson. She learned that people are hungry. Suzy began buying groceries and taking them to impoverished neighborhoods. Sometimes, Suzy had a truckload of food including cold foods like butter and even ice cream. When Suzy married Mike, they both worked to get food to hungry people.

Faithfully Ministered

Each time praying for guidance and protection, Suzy would enter different neighborhoods. Each time, God directed Suzy’s path and connected her with a person in the neighborhood who would take the food and distribute it to their neighbors. Even during the hot summer months, the food was distributed before the perishable foods spoiled.

When Suzy connected with a person in the neighborhood, that person became her contact for that neighborhood. For example, one day, Suzy had her children with her as she took a load of food to a new neighborhood. She prayed for safety for herself and her children. God led her to Sister Jean.

Sister Jean was a Christian who ministered to her neighborhood with a friend. These two women faithfully ministered the goods that Suzy brought.

The Veil of This Life

There are more stories, but more time would be needed to discover the work that God has done through one faithful woman.

Do you believe that God speaks to you? Suzy does. God told Suzy that He was sending her to feed the multitudes. She didn’t understand it at the time, but looking back on her life, Suzy realizes that indeed, God was feeding the multitudes through her, one car load or truck load of food at a time.

Time and again God has spoken to Suzy and fulfilled His words. Time after time, He has answered her prayers. Is she special? No more than you or I. But she believes.

Suzy believes in the God who created the Heavens and the earth and everything in them. She understands there is life in the world that she cannot see. And Suzy knows that one day, when the veil of this life is removed, she will see the God who saved her and has used her to do His will all these years.

February 17, 2024