Spiritual Food for Thought

11/08/2023

November 8, 2023

What question would stop you dead in your tracks?

I never really thought about it before but if I had to come up with one right now I would say “Why are you a Christian?”. Sounds like a simple question, but is it? I mean the easy answer most people would probably come up with is that they were born into a Christian family and that’s what they learned from their parents. But does that make you a Christian? Well, technically yes. Your Baptism, regardless of what denomination of Christianity you partake in, Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, etc. makes you a Christian. And in some faiths, like Catholic, you are asked to “confirm” your commitment to God that your parents and God Parents made for you at your Baptism. But, how many kids at that age, really know and fully understand the “commitment” they are making? I would say not many. So, if that is true, how well could they answer the question, “Why are you a Christian?”. And if we really can’t answer that question with anything more than simple generalities, then are we really Christians?

I think to answer this question meaningfully, we have to go way back in time……back the Adam and Eve. God put them on the earth and provided everything they needed to exist here. He only asked one thing……don’t eat the fruit of a specific tree. So what did they do, they ate the forbidden fruit…….and at that moment, the entire existence of mankind on this earth changed. The first sin was committed. And because of this, every person ever born from that time forward would commit sin in their lifetime. Everyone of us are sinners every day of our lives.

As sin occurred more and more, God knew He needed His people to understand that sin was not His plan for us, but, that He also needed us to understand that He was a compassionate, kind and forgiving God. So He sent His only son Jesus to show us how to live, and to offer forgiveness to all who welcome Him into their life.

Jesus lived 33 years without committing a sin. But He knew we could not do what He was able to do. So His Father sent Him to pay the price for our sin and offer us eternal salvation. Jesus picked up His cross and carried it to Calvary. There, He WILLINGLY laid down and allowed his hands and feet to be nailed to that cross. Imagine the pain He suffered. And after His crossed was raised on Calvary, He hung there for three hours until He took His final breath. He willingly died so that you and I can have eternal life with Him and His father in Heaven. But the story does not end there. Unlike all the prophets who came before Him, death was not the end. Then came Sunday morning. The stone on His grave was rolled away and He had risen. And by His resurrection from the dead, He shows us, that if we just accept Him as our Lord and Savior and ask for forgiveness of our sin, that His father will welcome us into eternal life with a him in Heaven. Jesus is the door to Heaven. And to open that door you just need to say “yes Jesus” I want to be with you in Heaven. He has paid the price for your entrance into Heaven by His death on the cross. And by His resurrection He shows us we too will be resurrected when He returns on the final day. Who can offer you anything more?

So when you ask me why I am a Christian I will tell you this. No one loves me more than Jesus. He climbed on the cross and died for me. He opened the door to eternal life with Him and His Father. He paid the price for my sins willingly. Christians are not perfect people…..just forgiven people. And by the grace of God, I am saved.

Don’t miss your opportunity to say Yes Lord…….I want forgiveness and eternal salvation. God Bless.

09/28/2021

September 28th, 2021

“Have You Died Yet?”

Silly question? Maybe not.

I will try and keep this post short since I already posted another topic today.

If you are reading this post, obviously you are not dead. But I’m not talking about your physical human death. I’m talking about your spiritual death. As I stated in my earlier post today, Jesus climbed on the cross willingly and died so that our sins would be forgiven. But have we accepted that action in our lives? Have we denounced sin, and given our lives to God? Have we “died” and let go of the modern world that constantly pulls us away from God and said Yes Lord, I accept you in my life?

Do we get presents for Christmas or our birthday and let them sit there forever and never open them? No. Most of us can’t wait to tear those packages open and see what we got.

So, I ask you, have you opened your present from God (Jesus’ death to forgive our sins)? Or is it still sitting there unopened, all wrapped up and waiting for you to accept it? Only you can denounce sin and accept Salvation. Do it now……. before it’s too late.

God Bless.

09/28/2021

September 28, 2020

“Turn the Page…..Give up the Guilt……Accept God’s Forgiveness”

How to move forward in our lives is often a challenge that many people face. It’s hard for them to see or understand how life going forward can be brighter, or more joyful. Perhaps there is something in your life that continually “nags” at you. Something you did in the past that you knew you did wrong and now you just can’t see hope for the future.

Fighting these battles alone is like trying to swim upstream against a very strong current. No matter how hard you try, the water keeps pushing you back. Your efforts seem hopeless, and you begin to wonder, “why bother”, I’ll never succeed.

A lot of people in this world who are good people have made mistakes in life. Bad decisions that they regret. Maybe they committed a crime. Maybe they cheated on their spouse. Maybe a couple decided on an abortion because they just couldn't take on a child in their life. Whatever the case may be, the burden can be so heavy, that we look at these situations and wonder, how can I ever be forgiven for these actions. And very possibly with all this going on in your life, you may also be running away from God…..for fear of His judgement of you.

So, what I want you to do now is stop. Take time and remember what God has already done for you. He has given you His son Jesus who walked on this earth and willingly climbed on the cross, allowed himself to be nailed to that cross, and hung there until His death. Why did He do it……because He loves you. He did it because He knew that every human who walks this earth will sin. And by the death of His son Jesus, our sins were forgiven. All God asks of you now is to ask for forgiveness. And here is the amazing part of the story. When you ask for that forgiveness God will not only forgive you of any sin you committed, but He will forget it as will. In His book, it’s like it never happened.

So, looking forward in your life you need to understand that you can have a happy and joyful life. Just confess your sins, turn the page of your life, give up the guilt, and accept God’s forgiveness.

Yesterday is a closing door. You don’t live there anymore. Don’t let it haunt you. Grasp the hand of God and move forward and be the best person you can be starting today. Don’t look back……look towards your bright future.

God Bless.

05/05/2021

May 5th, 2021

“The Rusty Gate”…….

Over time things tend to wear out and become unserviceable any longer. Many fence gates have their hinges rust up which often makes them squeak, or not close correctly or even just lock up and no longer move. And the more they sit there and don’t get used, the situation gets worse.

Have we become a rusty gate in our faith? Have we gotten so wrapped up in our materialistic life that we take our spiritual life for granted? Has our relationship with God lost its intimacy? Is that relationship still growing, or has it plateaued and just become a bit stagnant?

Our relationship with God is a life-long journey…….we never “get there” and think okay, that’s where it needs to be. Because once we come to that decision in our minds, we no longer desire to keep building that relationship into something better. Our relationship with God has to be one where we desire to know more about Him each and every day of our lives. Just like any relationship, communication lines need to stay open. We need to talk daily. We need to ask for help when we are in need and we need to give thanks for all His blessings.

If we reach a point in life where we think God is happy with us and there is nothing more to do, then we have reached the point where we are beginning to block God out of our lives. And before you know it, we find ourselves drifting further and further away from Him without even recognizing it. We must keep God first at all times in our life.

Don’t become the Rusty Gate that hasn’t moved in years. Keep growing your relationship with God. Keep asking Him where we go next……He will lead you.

May God Bless and keep you and your family safe.

05/04/2021

May 4th, 2021

“What can we learn from nature?”……….

Actually, if you think about it, the answer to that question is quite a lot. Here’s one example. A gentleman by the name of Mark Moffert always loved insects as a kid. He was particularly interested in ants. He received a doctorate from Harvard and traveled the world studying ants and teaching the world about them. But even long before Professor Moffert embarked on his study of ants, King Solomon knew the characteristics of ants and in fact would call out the lazy people around him and compare them to ants. He would tell them to “Go watch the ants. Consider its ways and be wise. The ant as no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in the summer and gathers it’s food at harvest” (Proverbs 6: 6-8).

The marvels of God’s creations are beautifully illustrated as God uses His creatures to instruct us. God built spiritual lessons in nature for us to learn from. How well are we doing at learning from God’s gifts to us. Do we even “see” the gifts or are they simply overlooked in our lives?

Consider the tree. It goes through many phases each year. The tree is showing us the cycle of human life. As it buds, it represents our birth. As the leaves are in full bloom and beautifully green, it represents the best year of our lives…….we feel great…..and we can do anything. As the fall arrives the leaves turn yellow and red. This represents the final years of our life. Our time to move on has come. But even in the final phases of life, those red and yellow leaves are beautiful and that shows us that while we may be old and nearing the end of our stay on this earth, we are still beautiful and loved by all. And finally, the baron tree in the winter represents the end of our life. God has shown us the phases of our life in the tree. Some take many years to pass through each stage of life. Others, sadly, pass through each phase very quickly.

If we look around us we can learn so much from nature and the creatures God has created for us. Consider the opossum. Most of us would consider this to be an annoying pest. But in reality it eats insects and all types of bugs and can keep your property bug free. A picnic without ants, flies or mosquitos isn’t a bad thing now is it……the opossum can help you with that.

The point here is that God, through His Son Jesus, may not still be walking among us at this point in time (in the flesh) but He has left us a lot of things to learn from. Do we even see these opportunities to understand God’s will and messages to us? Yes, God does work in mysterious ways. But maybe now you can begin to understand more about your own life and His expectations of us, by learning from what He has given us.

One last thought. How many of you have a dog? My dog is a kind and loving being. She is patient. She is loving. She is forgiving……even if we stay out too late and her dinner is late. She loves to cuddle and kiss. She is always at the door waiting when we get home……so happy to see us. She cherishes every second of our time with her. Aren’t they all good virtues for us to live by? Do you think our dogs may be in our life to be a constant reminder of how God wants us to live? Think about that one. As you live your life, consider that everyone you meet and everything you experience may be a message from God to help you live a better life. God and all his creations (us and nature) are here for us to learn from. Open your eyes, ears and heart and follow the guidance of the Lord.

God Bless.

05/03/2021

May 3rd, 2021

“Invest more….get more”…..

We all know this concept. We know if we work hard at our relationship and really get to know our partner and love and respect them, that our relationship will become strong and everlasting.

We know if we devote our time to our job and do it well, most times we will be rewarded, both financially and with increasing responsibility.

We see that there are benefits to doing things the right way. We know that if we invest more, we will get more in return.

So how about with God? Many times, as Christians, we think that going to church on Sunday and being a “nice guy” sets us up pretty good with God. We are not out there blatantly sinning or doing harm to others, so we see ourselves as “doing our part” to please God.

But how much do we invest in God. How well do we really get to know Him? How well do we understand the EXTENT of His love for us? Most of us in life have a best friend. We spend a lot of time with that person because we enjoy being with them. We talk to them often and share everything with them…..the good and bad of our lives. Do we do that with God? Do we forget to thank Him when things are going well and just take the credit and say, “I got this all worked out”? And when things are not going our way, do we blame God and ask why instead of talking to Him and seeking His help?

God loves us and wants to be a part of every aspect of your life. He wants to help you fix the problems in your life. He wants to celebrate with you as great things happen in your life. He wants you to see that He is ALWAYS there for you 24/7 and that nothing will never change that. He doesn’t have an answering machine to take calls when He is busy. He is there for you always…..day, night, weekend…..it doesn’t matter. He is there for you…….He just wants you to include Him as your partner in life……so He can rejoice with you in good times and pull you through troubled times. But He will never force Himself on you. You need to reach out to Him. You need to decide how much God will be a part of your life. Is He there only in times of crisis…..and if so are you blaming Him or asking for His help? Or do you include Him in every second of your life and talk to Him like He is truly your best friend? God is waiting to shower you with rewards in life. Welcome Him in. Reach out to Him many times a day……to give thanks or to seek guidance and help. Invest more to get more. And I don’t mean that in a selfish materialistic way. It’s not about “Hey, we can get a BMW instead of a Chevy……God will show us how”. That’s not what we are talking about. We are talking about learning and living the virtues of God……love, peace, kindness, forgiveness, mercy, hope, trust, faith, comfort, joy, happiness……etc., etc., etc.

Invest some time with God. See what He has to offer you. You may find the return on the investment far more valuable that anything this world could every offer you.

May God’s peace be with you today and always.

04/30/2021

April 30th,2021

“Do we need to toughen up?”………

There are trees out in the western part of the United States that live to be thousands of years old. One scientist placed a tree that he researched to be over 5,000 years old. And the odd part of this story is that these trees only exist in the most severe weather conditions in our country. They only live at elevations above 10,000 feet. They survive artic temperatures, fierce winds, thin air and extremely little rainfall. The question arises as to how they can exist in such horrid conditions. The answer is quite simple, the same conditions that make it almost unbearable to exist in are the reason they are still here. Over time, the trees adapted to their conditions. They grew sturdy to withstand the high winds. They grew deep roots to find water and massive trunks to help survive the artic temperatures. They “learned” their environment and how to survive in it. If they could not have done that, they would have never survived.

Our lives are full of challenges too. How well do we handle them? Do we complain and say “why me” or do we learn how to adjust our reactions to the things that happen to us and get through them? Do we learn from them so that we are better prepared for the next challenge in life? In Romans 5: 3-4, Paul tells us that perseverance produces character. Adversity is part of the process God uses to produce good results in our life. It leaves us dependent upon Him, and that is how He wants us to be.

So, we should pray not just for relief from our troubles in life, but also for the grace to turn them into greater openness with God and His will. Then and only then can we be at peace in the place where God has planned for us.

Accept the challenges in life. Don’t complain about them. Turn to God and trust that He will get you through and toughen you up for future challenges. Learning from your troubles will help make your future easier to deal with and more peaceful. Know that God has you traveling the road you need to be on to find your way back to Him.

Have a blessed weekend. And may God reach out to you and shower you with His grace and peace.

04/29/2021

April 29th, 2021

“Time for a Second Look?”………..

I like watching car shows especially ones where nice hot rods are being updated to look or perform even better……to modernized it a bit and give it a fresh look. Usually, the owner of the car brings the car to a shop with a list of things they want done. The shop and the owner agree on the work to be done and the shop begins by doing an overall assessment of the car. And yes, you probably know what’s coming next. Nothing is ever as clear cut as we might like them to be and before you know it, problems are found in the cars inspection and the job just got a whole lot bigger. The most common problem is rust which requires a lot of metal replacement and welding. Maybe they found a ton of body filler under that beautiful paint and had to tear it all out, correct the body panel and do it right. Or maybe the brakes were undersized for the car or the transmission can’t support the load the massive engine under the hood can put on it. But in every case, the owner gets that dreaded call and finds out that his dream car just isn’t what he thought he purchased. The good news is always that it can be saved. It can be made right…..for a price.

So, let’s compare this scenario to our relationship with God. How are we doing? Do we have a great relationship with God? Are we a good person? Do we treat others well? Do we serve the Lord and honor Him regularly? Great. Then I guess we are doing okay. But hold on. Let’s now take our story about our life into God’s Repair Shop and let’s have God give us His professional assessment of how we are doing? Do you think He might see some flaws with our life that we did not see……..like the mechanic did when he did an assessment of that beautiful hot rod? Do you think He could find some things to improve in our lives that we may not have considered or chose to overlook? I think God has a pretty keen eye for evaluating what we are doing with our lives and I am pretty sure that He too (much like the car mechanic) can make a list of things that need to be done in our lives that is much longer than we might expect or hope for. We all know we are not perfect. But we also know that there is always room for improvement in how we conduct ourselves in this world every day. Can we be kinder? Can we do a little less judging of others? Can we reach out with a helping hand a little more? Can we make the effort to heal broken relationships? Can we take more time to simply pray for people we know need help in their lives? What do you think God would put on your list? How would He like to see your life change so that when your day comes and you meet Him face to face for your judgement day, He will welcome you with open arms?

Look, I know God doesn’t expect perfection from us. Thankfully, He has endless mercy for those of us who welcome Him into our lives. But that should not be a gift we abuse. We can’t take the attitude that no matter what I do, God will forgive me or that I’m doing my share, I am living a good and holy life, because we all know, we can always do more.

Consider this. Sit down and talk with the Lord. Pray formally for His help or just talk to Him as you friend. Ask Him to guide you on how to live a more Christian life and then be quiet and listen to His answer. Make a list of things to work on. Don’t go nuts and try and do everything at once. Just take one thing at a time and start making just minor changes in your life that will please God. And slowly work your way through that list. It’s not a race. It’s the effort that counts. Show God that you are willing to continue to grow in His image and likeness so that you can please Him more and more each day. How far your get on that list before you meet your Lord face to face does not matter. Just show God that with His help you are making the effort to get closer to His definition of a god Christian. Just like the car, your life can always be fixed……no matter how old and rusty it is or if it just needs some sprucing up.

Are you ready to take “A Second Look”? Don’t be afraid. Trust God and believe in yourself and as always, just do your best.

God Bless.

04/28/2021

April 28th, 2021

“Just Jump”……

Sorry for the late post today, but I had another funeral to attend this morning. Today I am going to be a thief and steal a message that I have found to be valuable in my life. It’s from Steve Harvey. You probably know him from the TV shows he hosts.

Here’s the link to today’s message. It’s on YouTube so there may be adds…..just skip them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSSMsTaJiZ0

Enjoy.

See you tomorrow.

Amazing message

04/27/2021

April 27th, 2021

“How does God see us”……

I once read a short message explaining how God sees us. I think it might be best if I just copy and paste that text right here rather than me trying to interpret and give you my view on it. So, here it is.

You are troubled by fear and failure, but My love for you will never fail. Let me describe what I see as I gaze at you, beloved. You look regal, for I have clothed you in my righteousness and crowned you with glory and honor. You are radiant, especially when you are looking at me. You are beautiful as you reflect My Glory back to Me. In fact, you delight me so much, that I rejoice over you with shouts of joy. This is how you appear through my grace filled vision.

Because I am infinite, I can see you as you are now and as you will be in Heaven – simultaneously. Viewing you in the present, I work with you on things which you need to change. Seeing you from a Heavenly perspective, I love you as if you were already perfect.

I want you to learn to look at yourself – and others – through the lens of my unfailing love. As you persevere in this, you will gradually find it easier to love yourself and others.

Isn’t it amazing how God sees us? He looks at us with glory and honor. He sees us as we will be in Heaven…..even though we are not perfect in this life. And he wants us to look at ourselves and others though His grace filled vision……not with judgement and condemnation. He wants us to be able to forgive ourselves of our mistakes and imperfections and see ourselves as He sees us……through His merciful eyes.

It’s nice to know our God is so loving and merciful. Bask in His light and vision of you and become a better soldier for God. Work to be the person He sees you as when He envisions you with Him in Heaven.

Have a wonderful Tuesday. May God Bless us all today.

04/26/2021

April 26th, 2021

“Finish the Race”……..

Life is a journey. For many it is a long hard journey. Money, illness, relationships (just to mention a few) can all add complexity to our lives. Staying focused on what to do each and every day of our lives becomes increasingly more difficult.

As Christians, we know we are here to serve the Lord. We do that by learning about God, how He fits into our life, living a life that would make him proud of us and by helping others a long our way. And while that doesn’t sound too difficult, somehow it is.

Many things in our daily life distract us from what we really want to do with our day. No matter how good intentioned our days plans were, somewhere along the line, life just interferes with our plans. We get distracted by the “worldly” events happening in our day to day life and we find that over time, we might be drifting away from our plans of living a life that pleases God.

Life is not a sprint, but often as new Christians we treat it that way. Once we commit our lives to God we become fully absorbed in our dedication and service to him. And as time goes on, we begin to look back at our lives and we see how we have drifted away from those good intentions we had on the first day we said “yes” to our Lord and Savior. We see that maybe we need to re-assess priorities in our lives in order to keep us going on the right track each day.

Once we accept God into our lives, we need to look at this new relationship with Him with a long term viewpoint. Just like there are sprinters and marathoners in running, the same is true on our relationship with God. Some start strong and die off over time. Others see the longer range goal and make sure their life’s plan will get them to the day when they see the Lord face to face. They understand that it’s not about getting out there and being better than everyone else, but rather, about still being there at the end to receive our eternal reward.

So, on your journey back home to the Lord, take time and read scripture. Learn about our Father and His son Jesus. Understand how the gates of Heaven have been opened for you. Learn how God wants us to live our lives and assess your success each and every night before you fall asleep……did I do well today, or did I falter. Either way, it’s okay. Just get back out there again tomorrow and keep serving the Lord. Stay committed to God and live your life to serve Him. Help your fellow man throughout your entire life and try to bring them along on the journey home.

Jesus paved the way for us to see His Father…….just keep going…..Finish the Race.

God Bless.

04/23/2021

April 23rd, 2021

“So, let’s do a little math”……

They say that math is one of the most import things to learn in school because numbers are used in almost everything. If we shop for clothes, we check for sizes (numbers). If we buy a car there are all kinds of numbers (price, taxes, fees, horsepower rating, miles per gallon). In cooking we often follow a recipe which tells us how much of each ingredient to use (numbers).

Our life cycle is somewhat like math too. Think about it. When we are born we are totally dependent on our moms and dads. The day we come into the world we know no one. Then we begin “Adding” people into our lives, mom, dad, sisters, brothers, relatives and as we grow, friends, school mates, fellow workers, etc. But all too soon in life we find out that there are people that we decide maybe not be the best people for us to hang out with…..and we begin “Subtracting” people from our world so we can stay focused on living a good life and not falling into ways that we know are not the right things for us.

Ultimately, most of us get married and have children. Our family extends and as our kids grow and they become active in sports and other events our circle of friends begins expanding. Yes, you got this one…..we are “Multiplying”.

Most recently, we are going through a phase in life that most of us hoped we would never see. We are experiencing hatred, rejection, further separations in races and ethnic groups, and we find that it has triggered a lot of doubt about where our world is going today. Sadly, we are now in “Division”.

So where do we go now? That answer is simple. We go to where we always go when we are in trouble or in need of help. We go to God. When I look at the word today I believe we are living in a modern day version of the Tower of Babble. We have people who have given up on God and who are now pushing their own agenda for their own good. The people building the Tower of Babble didn’t want to wait on God. They wanted to build their own tower to Heaven and try and get there long before God’s plan for their life would get them there. In today’s world, the goal is not so righteous. Today, we see people who think only about “me”. They don’t care how their actions affect others. If it’s good for me, the heck with everyone else. We see total disrespect for any form of law and order, and we see organizations (political and non-political) trying to impose their vision of what the world should be on everyone else.

I have been on this earth a long time. I can tell you that with every decade that passes, this world has shown less respect for God, less respect for our fellow man, and that mankind has become more self-centered and greedier. And now we are at a major crossroad in the history of humankind…….can we go on? Or is the Lord going to say, “You have destroyed every beautiful thing in and about your life that I have given you” and choose to end it all. My belief is that we are very close to option two.
So, what do we do……..like I said above, we turn to God. Pray that He will help us get our world back on track. Satin is very much alive in our world today and he has been gaining ground on stealing souls for years and years. He will not win but he can inflict heavy loses. God will prevail. When He has seen enough our poor decisions and worship of this materialist world He will once again send Jesus to bring home all of us who love Him, serve Him and honor Him.

To “Sum” it all up……here is what we all need to do.

1) Pray….ask God for help and guidance
2) Believe……that He will answer our prayers (pray without faith is no prayer at all)
3) Save everyone you can……don’t miss an opportunity to help someone who is lost
4) Pray for the sinners….yes, that’s right. We must pray for everyone. They need God’s help.
5) Prepare yourself…..if it comes to the final day soon, be ready.

God loves you and will never abandon you. While things seem dreadful right now, remember that it is always darkest before the dawn. Whether that dawn comes in the form of a rejuvenated world focused on love, kindness, mercy and peace or if it comes as in the Rapture and we live eternally with God our Father in Heaven……we win. I have told thousands of people in my life, “our rewards are not in this world”. Be ready for your eternal reward, whether you live to be 105 or if it comes tomorrow. God will take care of us.

Sorry this Friday’s message was long. I usually try to keep Friday’s message short. But this is where we wound up today.

God Bless, pray and enjoy your weekend.