God blesses his children with both hands. Stop trying to work to earn God’s favor and rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ. He knows what you need and He promised to provide.
Author: ForChristsSakeFellowship
Golden Rule the Promise of Love
Especially in today’s world, we all need to remember the golden rule. Do unto others the way you would have them do unto you. They are not only the words of Christ, but of every major religion in the world. There’s a reason why it is so important.
Connect With God Through His Amazing Love
It’s hard to wrap our heads around this whole “Jesus thing” sometimes. You can easily get caught up in all of the history in the Bible and some of the confusing rules in the Old Testament. You might even say, “How does that affect me now” or “What do I need to do to be on God’s good side?”
In short, God doesn’t need all of the little religious details to make our lives meaningful. The most important word in the Bible is love. All the other details in the Bible are important, but just as any good parent, God our Heavenly Father is more focused on our connection with Him. Those biblical details were put there for our benefit, to help break down barriers and foster that parental connection. God wants a relationship with us, pure and simple.
To help us into that relationship, there a just a few basic things to keep in our minds:
In the beginning, God created the heavens, the earth, and everything in between. You and I are not here because of some one-in-a-zillion random chance. You and I live because God wants to be loved. And because of that need for love, He gave us the freedom to choose Him or reject Him. Love is a gift, and a gift that is forced is no gift at all.
Unfortunately, our ignorant selves often pull away from God’s desires for our lives. We all do bad things, called sins. Those sins can’t just disappear, or else what have we learned from them? There must be a just and legal transaction. You get paid back for what you do, and the Bible says that the wages of sin is death. To put it bluntly, if you commit evil, you can’t get into Heaven.
That’s why there is Jesus Christ.
Jesus is God in human form. Fully God and fully man. God lowered Himself from His heavenly throne and was born of the Virgin Mary. She needed to be an untouched virgin to let there be no doubt that it wasn’t of human means, but of God’s. Jesus was humanly born not only to experience what God’s children experience, but to show us that there’s a better way to live the life He’s blessed us with. However, remember earlier when I said that the wages of sin is death. We deserve punishment because of our bad choices, but Jesus took that punishment for you and I on the cross. It was a legal transaction where Christ paid every penny of what we owe due to our sinful nature. Then, just to show that God has power even over death, Jesus rose from the grave. Life, death, and eternity; nothing is too far out of God’s reach because it’s all His.
When we accept Jesus and His finished work on the cross, we are accepting that payment and telling Him yes, please take our sins away. He can have them all. All of the sins we’ve done and all we will ever do, He has washed them away by His blood. In dying, Jesus destroyed our death. In rising, Jesus restored our life.
So remember, Jesus loves you. He wants to be first place in your life. His promise to you is that He will work all things for the good for those who love Him. Let Him go before you in all that you do so that you may prosper in every area. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, because if you do, you will be forgiven of your sins and experience a love so complete and wonderful that it will take all of eternity to show you just how much God truly loves His children.
God’s blessings to you.
DH
Imagine a Boat on a River
It can be tough to live the Christian life, but today we discuss how Jesus Christ can help you navigate those those rough waters.
Saved by Faith and Not by Works
Pastor Daniel shares insights to the question, “How can I work and do more things for God?”
Be the Face of God
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ as though God were making an appeal through us.” – 2 Cor. 5:20
My Granddad was a traveling hat salesman. Many people nowadays don’t know or at least don’t really remember back to the times of traveling salesman. It was a long and lonely life out on the road, but he did it to take care of his family. There was another, less acknowledged reason for his travels though. My Granddad was also an associate pastor at his church. He was raised in a Christian family and grew up learning the need for a savior, forgiveness, and the love of God. Anywhere he went to sell hats, he had the opportunity to connect with people of all kinds. That gave him the opening he needed to share Jesus with many people far beyond the borders of his church building. He was in essence an ambassador of the Most High God; the face of the Lord. Hats were what he was selling, but the true payoff for him came when he gave them the gift of getting to know Jesus Christ through his words and through his actions.
We have a God who created the heavens and the earth and everything in between. He didn’t just create it and run, He’s still here walking with us. Whether we acknowledge him or not, He’s still here guiding our steps. Sometimes as the disobedient children that we often are, we like to take control of our own steps and be that so-called self-made man. God will still find his way to push our lives in certain directions, just as any good parent will. So my question for you is: where has God led you to right now? What circumstances, personal or professional, are you in right now? Whatever it is good or bad, ask yourself daily, “How can I use this situation to glorify God?”
The answers that come from asking that question may surprise you.
I’ve spent a good portion of my adult life in the business world. I’m grateful for that because it’s given me the chance to not only provide for my family, but it has given me the chance to connect with many people of different races, nationalities, and backgrounds. I have gotten to know people on various levels that I wouldn’t have had the chance to otherwise. As I did, those people got to know me just as well. They saw me as a man, as a coworker, and especially as a Christian. I tried to live my life in front of them just as I do in front of anyone, because I believe that you play like you practice, so to speak. If you live a lie, that will catch up to you someday and people will see through it nine times out of ten.
You can’t give what you don’t have. You need to walk the talk. You may be the only definite Christian that a person meets in their lives, and they will base their trust or belief in God off of what you show them at that moment. Whatever you’re trying to show someone else, especially when it comes to your spiritual views, will be quickly lost among the lies and all the fluff in your life. Theres an old saying that goes, “The best sermon is a life well lived.” And although I admit that I could definitely live my life better in many ways, the people who got to know me in my various travels have hopefully seen a real person with real struggles, but also with a real joy that comes from knowing Jesus Christ.
If you are a Christian, you too should display that joy. No matter what comes in life, we should have an unmistakable joy in knowing the Lord. Not just a fleeting happiness, but a true lasting joy from Christ’s love. We should have peace in knowing that the bad is passing quickly and the good is coming to stay, sooner with each passing day. You should display hope in the midst of the storms of life, knowing that it’s Jesus who is calming your storm.
Just as the Bible says, we should be ready with an answer for the hope that lies within us. Trust me, if you show true hope and true joy, people will ask. I’m not telling you to have some goofy smile on your face all the time; kind of an “ignorance is bliss” kind of thing. You should hold yourself with a certain peace and calm, giving off more of an internal smile. A smile from your heart feeling the hope that comes from being loved by the Lord.
People need hope in this fallen world. They need that light that ushers away the darkness. They need the love that comes through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We can now truly love because God first loved us. Jesus loves us though the cross, and because of that, we are empowered to love one another through anything that life puts before us.
I know of a tow truck driver who worked long hours, but he enjoyed it because he found that his role allowed him to assist people of all kinds during some of their most stressful situations. Situations where those people thought that the world was against them and that nothing could go their way. Whether it was helping to change a tire or driving them to the nearest mechanic’s garage, this tow truck driver found that the kindness he showed these people during such a tough time was just the glimmer of hope many of them were looking for. Those times allowed this man to share the Gospel of Jesus and show a bit of God’s love to each of them. His attitude and positivity made all the difference in the lives of many people from many different walks of life.
No matter your state or place in this life, let your main objective be to show other people, through word and through deed, the love of a true and lasting relationship with our Heavenly Father. Your business or personal pursuits may have brought you to someone’s door, but let Jesus walk through it and into that person’s life. When you see some of those same faces in Heaven one day, you’ll then know exactly why you had that specific job or went through that certain set of trials and circumstances. Whatever you’re going through, whenever you go through it, ask God, “How can I glorify you and show the love of your son Jesus through this situation?” Be the face of God in someone’s life today. When you do that, I believe and declare that you are paving the way for God to bless you and those around you in amazing ways.
God’s blessings to you.
DH
Live the Life You Were Intended
Do your choices in life make you happy? If not, you deserve a change and God has provided the way!
What To Do When The Devil Says Thank You
Admit it, you have times where you give into temptation. You have times where because of anger, frustration, depression, or loneliness you make a bad decision. You do something that you know is wrong (or at least you know it’s not right), but you go through with it anyway. Those choices sometimes start with the phrase, “What the hell…” and even end with that same phrase as a question, but in a more somber way like, “What the hell did I just do?”
There’s a reason why the word hell is surrounding those choices. You can be sure that every time we purposefully make a bad decision, the devil himself is saying, “Thank you.” You’re doing exactly what he wants you to do. But it’s so easy to give in to temptation, isn’t it? It’s easier to give in than it is to fight it. After all, sinning is something we naturally want to do anyway. It’s more seductive and sometimes even fun, but understand that with that fun also comes consequences. We trade a moment of pleasure here and there for a life filled with pain. That’s not at all what we were created for, but it’s easy in the moment to forget that.
The Bible says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. We are God’s masterpiece, each of us a singular work of art. We oftentimes don’t feel like it though. This world beats us down to where we forget how special we are. When we forget our worth and we allow ourselves to succumb to those temptations. It’s as if we are unlocking the front door of a great mansion just to allow the devil to come in and take whatever he wants.
We need to stand guard over our “gates”, such as our eyes, ears, mouth, and especially our heart. Be careful what you let in. You and your soul are items of great price. Don’t think that’s true? Realize that nobody fights so hard for something that is worthless. Why rob a bank for pennies? The devil is sly and knows what he’s doing. If he gets you to believe you are worthless, your guard comes down. That’s when your soul is ripe for the picking.
Remember the acronym HALT. Whenever you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, we tend to make bad choices. Start recognizing certain warning signs within yourself so you won’t be as able to make bad choices, and when you see those signs, do something else quick! The Bible says that choosing what is wrong sends us down a certain path. That path is wide and there are many people that are on it. That path almost calls out to us and becomes a part of us over time, but it is a road straight to hell, both on earth and for all eternity. Even if you have reasoned with yourself thinking that what you are doing isn’t really hurting anybody, realize that sin always hurts somebody. And when you think that it’s not hurting anyone, then it’s hurting you twice as badly.
The devil wants you to hurt and to be in pain emotionally, mentally, and physically. Sin can’t add to your life, it can only take it away. To tell his dirty little secret, the devil really wants God to hurt. However, if he can’t have that, he will settle for someone God loves, YOU!
The Bible proves that God loves you. John 3:16 says that God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. That tells you right there what you are worth. You are worth everything to God. He’s proven that. The same God who created the universe also created you and loves you so much that He would do anything to have you in Heaven with Him for all eternity.
You deserve the best and highest things, no matter what this world makes you feel like sometimes. That best and highest thing is Heaven. True peace, true joy, and a comfort like you’ve never known awaits us there. Don’t settle for anything less and please don’t settle for the wrong choices now that can sacrifice your forever home. Remember that whatever you are going through, you have a Savior who has been where you are and has made it through.
Are you lonely? Jesus Christ knows what it’s like to have everyone, even His own Father, turn away from Him in His hour of need.
Are you hurting? Jesus Christ knows about true pain and suffering, the suffering that he took for us on the cross.
Are you depressed and cutting yourself just to feel something again? Jesus Christ was lashed by whips and cut to ribbons so that you don’t have to be.
Are you wanting to kill yourself because of the sin and the overwhelming pain in your life? DON’T!!! Jesus Christ died for your sins so that you wouldn’t have to. You can have life and have it more abundantly.
It’s done! it’s over! Jesus Christ said it is finished! Your sin and pain can stop right now!
When you turn from your sins and give yourself to Jesus Christ, accepting His finished work on the cross, He takes your sins away. They are buried with Him, and just as He was raised again, so shall you be. Born anew, completely free from that sin. Free to live again for God and not the devil. Free to live in peace.
The Bible says that whoever the Son sets free is free indeed. Completely, eternally, free. Accept Jesus Christ into your life and be free!
God’s blessings to you.
DH
How to Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. – John 14:6
One of the last words Jesus said while he was physically here was for us to go into the world and make disciples. Known as the Great Commission, it is a command from our Creator to preach the gospel to all people. Why is this so important? Because all people struggle with sin. The Bible says that we all sin and fall short of God’s glory, but Jesus offers us forgiveness through His finished work on the cross. Through His life, death, burial, and resurrection, we are offered the free gift of eternal life in Heaven. This is the Good News or Gospel. There’s nothing more important than this.
So why is it so hard to talk about this with strangers? Why is it even harder to share the Gospel with friends, coworkers, and especially family? How do you do it right?
First off, understand that many people don’t want to think about change. We naturally find a comfort zone that we live in. Anything that interferes with that comfort is an enemy, even if we have found comfort in pain. When we are challenged by the gospel of Jesus Christ, it provokes us to do something. Once you learn something, you can’t unknow it, you must deal with it somehow. Knowing that Jesus is Lord and Savior changes our game. You must accept it or reject it, knowing that there are consequences either way. You WILL lose something of yourself when you choose, either you need to turn away from your sins or you turn away from your Creator and any hope for a Heaven.
While that sounds like a simple choice, it isn’t. There will never be a more important one. It’s something that people have a tough time with due to what the Bible calls a sin that so easily besets us. We all have struggles with sins that harass ourselves. It is so much easier just to give in, but Jesus says that the road to hell is wide and there are many who travel it. It is a much harder road we travel when we do what’s right. That statement is true for the Christian and non-Christian alike. Sin is not something that just goes away when we accept Christ. The stain of sin is blotted out, but the cravings remain in many cases. Just like a nail in a board, you can remove the nail, but there will be a hole that needs filled.
When we try to share the gospel, the devil attacks us, bringing the memory of our sins to mind. We think to ourselves that we are not worthy because we, too, are sinners. That uneasiness translates into a barrier to sharing the good news of Jesus. We get concerned that we might offend someone or cause a fight. We get concerned because what if they ask a question that I can’t answer about Jesus or Christianity? What if they ask about my own sins? We relate a rejection of the gospel to a rejection of ourselves, and humans have a hard time with rejection. This is especially true when it pertains to sharing the gospel with family members. We can talk effortlessly with our family, but if you become a believer in Jesus, you suddenly stand out. You’ve changed. You’re not the same old person they knew and now on top of that, you maybe come off somewhat hypocritically. “Who is this person telling me to turn from their sins? Do they think we’ll forget all the stuff they did?”
Don’t ever let your own insecurities get between a soul and Jesus Christ!
Jesus takes the old and broken, then makes it new. That works to our advantage, because who better than a former alcoholic, for instance, to tell people of the dangers of alcohol abuse? You can trust a witness who has faced the problem and lived through it. Jesus healed you and He can do the same for anyone. If you love your family members, you want healing for them. You would effortlessly tell your family member to seek medical treatment if they had cancer or something wrong, so why not the gospel of Jesus as well? Through sin, a member of your family is rushing headlong off a cliff. Don’t just tell them, scream it at them! They are family, so don’t stop unless they are safe. Also, and here is a significant point, as a human being we all have a common creator. That makes all people of all races and creeds our family. Jesus died for all people to take their sins away. Jesus is for the whole world. God is our Creator and our Heavenly Father.
Understand that just as a sculptor or artist signs their work, you and I bear the marks of our creator. We have a God-sized hole in ourselves that can only be filled with Jesus Christ. We try to fill our lives with all kinds of excitement, sex, drug and alcohol, or even food, but we can’t consume enough of what we think is “the good stuff” to fill that hole inside. We need Jesus. He truly is “the good stuff” that our bodies, minds, and souls crave. We need His Holy Spirit to take up residence within ourselves, because nothing else will do. When you realize that fact, it becomes easier to share the gospel with others, knowing that they need Jesus worse than they need water. The Bible says that Jesus is living water and whoever drinks of that water will never truly thirst. Indeed, the water He gives us becomes in us a spring of water welling up to eternal life. People need that eternal life, so don’t deny them their Jesus.
In closing, there’s an old saying that goes “the truth sells itself.” Jesus said He is the way, the truth, and the life. As a born-again Christian, you always have that truth with you. The Bible says don’t worry about what to say, because the Holy Spirit will speak for you. The words you will use when sharing the gospel are not your words at all, they are God’s words. When the time comes, just open your mouth and start talking. Plant the seed knowing that God will give the increase. I’ve shared Jesus with a lot of people, but I’ve never saved anyone’s soul. That’s not something you or I can do, but God alone. So, share Jesus with everyone you can. In short, we are to be disciples making disciples. And on that glorious day when time gives way to eternity, you will walk into the throne room of Heaven, see some of those same faces gathered there, and our precious Lord will say, “Well done! Well done, my good and faithful servant. Now at last, enter into the joy of your Master’s house.”
God’s blessings to you.
DH
Social Distancing From Jesus
“Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” – Psalm 105:4
Do people know that you’re a Christian without having to say it? Is your walk with Jesus obvious? People we meet for the first time might get to know what we do for a living, our favorite sports team, or maybe how many kids we have all within the first few minutes of meeting us. But do they know that you have been redeemed by the blood?
In your simple eating, working, walking around, every day life, it should be obvious that there is something different about you. You are a somebody living for Christ, not for the riches of this world. That’s where the word Christian started, it came from the Romans and Jews calling people “those Christ-ones.”
The Bible says to be ready with a reason for the hope that is within you. How is somebody going to know you have faith inside of you unless you live that faith out loud?
Your walk with Jesus should stand out. I’m not talking about some crazy holier-than-thou smacking people over the head with the Bible kind of standing out. I’m talking about walking upright. Holding your head higher, smiling more, not shaken by the events and the circumstances around you. That’s because you have your eyes firmly fixed on Jesus Christ rather than those worldly circumstances.
If you are a Christian, you should be the best worker, the most reliable spouse or parent, or the most trustworthy child. You should be the rock that people look to for the answers when the ground gets shaky. That’s because you have built your life upon the true rock that is Jesus Christ. Jesus said that upon this rock I will build my church. He was referring to himself as the rock of ages, but as a Christian, you are the church. The church is not so much a physical building as it is truly the temple of the Holy Spirit. When you gave your life to Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit came and set up residence in your heart. That Spirit lives in you and through you, changing you daily to be more like Jesus. Anywhere you walk is holy ground. The only way to build a foundation upon the rock that is Christ is to spend time with Him. Spend time in meditation on His words, making sure to plant that seed deep within you so it takes root. That seed of faith should grow and be noticeable to everyone you meet.
Unfortunately, there are many of us that will demonstrate many things before we demonstrate that we are Christians. If somebody is arguing for something that goes against the Bible and good Christian values, do you say something or keep silent as not to offend anyone? If somebody in your group is cussing up a storm, telling dirty jokes, and constantly taking the Lord’s name in vain, do you let them know what they are doing is harmful and inappropriate? Hopefully you don’t engage in those actions as well, but don’t just turn a blind eye to them either. Granted, it is so much easier to turn around and walk away, but is that the right thing to do? as Christians, we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. If you see a friend heading straight for a cliff, you would hopefully stop them before they fell off the edge. Don’t just walk away. This is more than just saving a life, it’s saving their eternal soul.
We may think that everybody has heard of Jesus, but that is not the case at all. There are people that we interact with daily that don’t know the gospel. You may be the only Christian that a person meets all day long and I promise they will remember you. They will remember your good deeds and your bad deeds, all of them, and they will think about those things next time they hear the word Christian. So if you as a Christian are not any different in a positive way because of staying close to Christ, there would be no reason for anybody who sees you to want to become a Christian like you. There would be no difference between Jesus and the secular world at all. Why should they change the course of their lives?
It’s good to practice social distancing during these times of Coronavirus sickness in the world, but realize that there is an even worse type of sickness in this world going on. That sickness is sin. The one and only cure is Jesus Christ and His blood upon the cross. Don’t distance yourself from Him at a time where this world needs Him the most.
God’s blessings to you.
DH
For Christ's Sake Fellowship Church 