Tag: Bible

You Are The Key

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“I am the living one. I died, but look–I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.” – Revelation 1:18 NLT

Aren’t keys funny little things? They are small jagged pieces of metal, but when they are used for their maker’s purpose, there’s nothing else that would do the trick. If the key was rounded or smooth, it would be useless and wouldn’t work where it was needed.

My family would tell you that I can be a little rough around the edges. I am far from perfect, but I am just as useful to God when I allow myself to be fully utilized by Him. Even a broken paintbrush could be used to make a beautiful painting in a master’s hands. The brush just has to be available. Unfortunately, I allow my brokenness to take me out of commission now and then through sin. When I engage in the bad things, I don’t allow myself to be used for good.

God wants us to be instruments of good here on earth. He wants the best out of us because in His eyes, we are worth it. We are His children, and even when we are not exactly at our best, He still looks at us and says, “This is my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased.” How can God say that, especially about people who are inherently broken? The reason is because God doesn’t just see us how we are at this moment; He sees us from a forever type of viewpoint. He sees what we are to become rather than the mess that we act like sometimes.

There’s a reason why we go through our trials. We can’t just be born and just stay there. Our lives were meant to be lived. God wants us to get out there into the world and to grow into the people He created us to be. Make no mistake, this is a fallen world that’s full of evils. We aren’t to partake in those evils, but God knows we will occasionally screw up. It’s going to happen. We make some bad choices now and again, but the Bible says that God will use all things for the good of those who love Him. That means just what it says, ALL things.

Take King David for example. He’s not exactly portrayed in the best light, but it’s real. The Bible shows David’s good sides and bad sides. Lust, jealousy, and murderous intent does not sound like someone who would be called “a man after God’s own heart,” but he is that man. It’s not how you start, but how you finish that matters. That doesn’t mean that you can just plan to live like you are straight from hell right now and expect to get into Heaven later. You can indeed be forgiven for a life not-to-well-lived, but that is only if you truly want the forgiveness. God knows what is in your heart. It doesn’t mean that He is happy with your actions right now, but it does mean that He will look beyond the ‘now you’ and see the ‘forever you’.

You are shaped by your experiences and that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Nothing is for nothing. You will be pressured and cut down by this world, but God allows it. He’s not OK with evil, but He will occasionally allow it to occur in order to bring about a greater good from it. Look at the cross. It was an extreme form of punishment that was reserved for the worst of the worst criminals, and yet we find our Lord Jesus right there. We read in 2 Corinthians that even though Jesus did not sin, He was made to be sin so that we could become the righteousness of God. Through evil, the greatest good, our salvation, came from it.

You may have a hard time at life and feel like you get cut down by everything in this world, but Jesus tells us to take heart, for He has overcome the world. God did not just entrust us with the keys to His kingdom, we actually become the keys when we become more like Christ.

Keys symbolize such things as security and freedom, but a key won’t work until it is cut and shaped into its final form. Allow God to form us into what He needs us to become. Embrace the struggle and let the Holy Spirit chip away at your rough edges. Don’t get down on yourself when you make a bad choice, just learn from it and rise above it.

You may feel rough and unusable, but just like a key, you are shaped exactly the way God needs you to be. Leave yourself open and available to God’s good will. When you do that, I believe and declare that He will show you some amazing things that He has in store for your life and the lives of others.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Paying the Price for Jesus

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“If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” – Romans 14:8

Being a Christian isn’t all happy and rainbows and laughter. There are some great parts to it, but if you think that following Jesus means taking the easy road, you are sadly mistaken. Jesus Himself didn’t take the easy way out and you should be glad He didn’t. Through His suffering and death, He took our sins from us. Through His resurrection, we have life eternal. There was a cost to be paid for our sins and Jesus paid every penny. Now to follow Him and to be partakers in God’s eternal glory, we must believe and receive Jesus and His finished work on that cross. There is no other way to God than through faith in His Son Jesus. That faith does have its own cost in this world.

There’s a lot of people don’t want to come to Christ, because they don’t want to pay the cost involved. Turning away from your sins is tough. Even being willing to turn away from your sins is tough, but it’s Jesus or sin. One or the other. God does not negotiate. You come to God through Jesus and you come to him by grace and by repentance. God created us all and it’s his rules. You come to him his way or not at all. That doesn’t sit well with a lot of people. Some people find it hard to release themselves in their lives and their sins to a Lord wants to take them away. Some people want to sow their wild oats before they come to Christ. They’re afraid they’re not gonna have any more fun. Well yes, sin can be fun for a time, but the ways that seem right to a man leads to death and destruction.

God has laid out exactly what you need to do. They aren’t tough rules, but they will force you to make a choice between the good that the world calls good and the true good that comes from the creator himself. Here’s a hint, only one is the real thing. Jesus says that broad is the path and wide is the gate that leads to destruction and many people who decided that the world’s kind of fun was worth pursuing more than God’s But Jesus says that narrow is the gate and straight is the way that leads to righteousness, peace, and Heaven most of all. There are unfortunately only a small number that choose that path. It’s available to everybody, but not too many people take it. They have questions, they have comments, they have concerns, and they try to reason with their minds rather than their hearts and their souls. Somethings you just can’t reason things out.

I can’t show you God or put him into a test tube or a laboratory and say, “there’s God.” Certain things aren’t going to make sense. I’m a preacher and I don’t understand the whole Bible. But that’s where faith comes in. You’re not gonna understand God‘s ways. His ways are so far above our ways as the heavens are above the earth. You would have to have the mind of God to understand God. If you could, there would be no need for faith because you’d understand everything already. You would know everything and so there wouldn’t be a choice except Heaven which would be the only logical choice.

But faith doesn’t care about logic. Faith is faith. It’s the substance of things not seen and the evidence of things yet to come. You must come to Christ by faith to be saved, not by works lest any man should boast. If you could get there through works, there would be no need for Christ. You could stand in Heaven before God and say, “Look what I did. Hey look at me I’m so wonderful.” God doesn’t want that, just as any father wouldn’t want their child boasting and bragging and making a show of themselves in a bad way. God wants you to be humble. He wants you to understand where you got that breath that you took just now. He wants you to understand that it’s Him who woke you up today, not just your alarm clock. How else should you come to the creator of literally everything, but in humility?

In short, have respect for God because He is God. If a firefighter told you how to get out of a burning building, you wouldn’t second guess him and think he’s lying. You’d follow his directions. Well here we are in the burning building called modern day life. Hell is all around us and God is pointing the way out. What will you do? Will you follow Jesus or follow this world. They both come with a cost to follow them, but one will truly pay off well in the end.

Jesus died for us, now live for Him. Jesus isn’t free, but He is truly worth the price.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Why Worry?

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“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” Matthew 6:27

I admit it, sometimes I worry. Sometimes I just can’t get things off of my mind. I know I’m supposed to be a good Christian and “let go and let God”, but I just can’t seem to do that all of the time. I want to, I really do, but I feel like I’m just wired to worry about some things.

The Bible says not to worry. Jesus Himself said, “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” The answer is a resounding NO. God holds my life in His awesome hands, not me. I can’t add to it at all, but I can sure take it away through bad living, and that includes worrying. We can stress ourselves into a very early grave if we try hard enough, but that is not the life God wants for us.

If you are like this, I understand what you are going through. You are not alone in this struggle or any type of struggle for that matter. Life is full of difficult circumstances that our minds tend to dwell on. The really bad part is that most of the things we end up worrying about never come to pass anyway. Have you ever noticed that? How some circumstances you just can’t get off of your mind end up going a totally different direction when they actually occur? That’s God!

It’s not that we don’t trust Him to do good for us. It’s more about doubting ourselves. We feel as though we have made poor choices in our lives and we will reap what we sow. But there’s a catch to that. We do make bad decisions, but God loves you. Hear that again, GOD LOVES YOU.

The Bible says that God knows what we need before we even know we need it. The birds don’t need to plant crops or store away in barns, but their Heavenly Father gives them exactly what they need day by day. How much more important are you compared to birds? Your worth to God is beyond measure. He’s proven that through sending His Son Jesus to die for us on the cross. If that doesn’t prove that God loves you and wants the best for you, I don’t know what will.

Yesterday’s choices are done and over with. Tomorrow has its own problems. Don’t worry about those things. Today is the day you’ve been blessed with. God will sustain you and bring you through. He promised he will give you what you need for today. Even Jesus Christ prayed, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Today, you will be taken care of.

Leave yesterday to God’s mercy and tomorrow to God’s providence.

God forgives you of all wrongs once you put your faith into Jesus Christ. The Bible says that God will work all things for the good of those who love Him. That means absolutely all things. Even your bad decisions, or at least what you think are bad decisions, are in God’s hands and in His plan. Nothing is a surprise to God. Anything that happened yesterday will be taken care of.

God has forgiven you. Now please forgive yourself of what you believe are bad choices and just learn from them. Do all the good you can today. God promised to take care of the rest.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Three Steps to Enjoy a Peaceful Life

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Have you gone through hard times recently? Do you feel the exact opposite of peace in your heart and mind?

The good news is that God didn’t give you this life just to struggle through it. Now is the time to break free from those chains. Enjoy a peace and a freedom better than you’ve ever felt.

Here are three points that are certain to bring the peace that God wants for your life:

1. Follow in the Steps of Jesus

Love one another and help one another. Live a life according to the way Jesus lived, compassionate and caring. Think of others before ourselves. The Holy Spirit helps us to live that lifestyle. It gives us a life of peace, gentleness, patience, all the fruits of the spirit. We must remember that we communicate the Gospel through our lives as well as our lips. We live before a watching world. This world is waiting to see how followers of Jesus Christ will live out what we say in our lives. We must be living and walking in the power of the Spirit. We must be men and women that are pure vessels of God’s message. Do everything you can to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

2. Read the Word of God Every Day

The Bible is God’s love letter to you. I know it is very difficult for some, but you have to start somewhere. I suggest you start with the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament. You’ll become closely acquainted with Jesus Christ. I suggest in the Old Testament you start with the very first verse in the Bible, “In the beginning, God…” if you get those first words, the rest will come much easier. Study Bible passages. Make the Bible your source and your authority. Quote It frequently. Make its message your message. Study it, meditate on it, memorize it, trust its promises. The word of God itself has power. Internalize His word, let it take root and watch the fruit grow in your life.

3. Go to Your Knees and Pray

Do this until you and God have become intimate friends. I cannot describe to you the joy and the peace He gives you as a result of that daily routine that you have in prayer. Is there a lack of power in your life? Perhaps you’ve neglected the preparation of your life with neglected prayer? you wouldn’t go a week without eating or drinking. We have neglected God’s word and the feeding of our own souls. Is there sin in your life that is holding you back from that intimacy with God? Whatever it is, confess it, forsake it, repent of it, and then walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and gain victory over it!

If you follow these three things, I believe and declare that you will feel fresh and peaceful, no matter what this world throws at you. Though the waves might look rough on the surface, the waters of your soul will be calm.

May God today lift our vision to Him. I pray that the power of the Holy Spirit break upon our world with fresh force as we hold tight to the saving cross of Jesus Christ.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

The Gift of God Through Jesus Christ

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“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.” – Isaiah 1:18

We all try to lead good lives. We want happiness and joy, but sometimes we do wrong. None of us are perfect. Sin creeps into all of our lives. Nobody is immune, even the best of us.

The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. That means that you get the death penalty for every time you lie, disrespect your parents, get angry at someone, or even look lustfully at person you’re not married to. And those are just a few of the things God says is wrong. If you break just one of God’s commandments, you are found guilty, like in a court of law. It won’t matter how many good things you’ve done.

Just because a car thief helped an old lady across the street that day, it doesn’t change the fact that he stole a car and has to pay for his crime.

You can’t do enough good things to outweigh the bad. It doesn’t work like that. We still continue to be plagued by sin everyday. However, the Bible says that God is our judge and that He loves us and is rich in mercy. He provided a way out for you and I, which is His son Jesus Christ.

Jesus paid the penalty for our crimes through His own blood on the cross. We deserve punishment for what we’ve done, but our judge provided that payment for us so we can be legally set free. Jesus Died for our sins so that we don’t have to. It is an absolutely free gift to us. We can have an abundant and blessed life because Jesus took all of our bad and exchanged it for all of His good.

What we need to do now is admit that we are sinners and accept the payment that Jesus paid. Through his life, death, burial, and resurrection, we are allowed forgiveness of our faults and a life of joy here and in Heaven for all of eternity.

If I try to give you an expensive gift like a watch, you can’t have it unless you accept it. I’m handing it to you, but you still have to reach out and take it. The same thing goes with the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. He’s giving you eternal life, all you need to do is take it.

So what’s your choice? Do you accept His gift?

I’m praying for you, right now, to make the right decision!

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Imagine a Boat on a River

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It can be tough to live the Christian life, but today we discuss how Jesus Christ can help you navigate those those rough waters.

Are Pictures of Jesus Graven Images?- Since You Asked Q.2

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“I see Jesus everywhere in a bunch of paintings and statues. Doesn’t that break one of the Ten Commandments when it says not to make any graven images or idols?”

‘Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the Lord your God.’ – Leviticus 19:4

This is an excellent question and one that I hear frequently. If we aren’t to make graven images, why are there an enormous amount of statues and paintings of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and etc.? Aren’t we making idols for ourselves to worship?

To begin this conversation, you need to know what an idol really is. An idol by definition is the object of worship. We never want to worship a created object in any way, thinking that the object is the source and origination of some godly power. However, having a picture of Jesus around is not a bad thing in and of itself.

Do you have any pictures of your mom or dad, or maybe some of your spouse and children? I know I do, a bunch of them in fact. Do I love those pictures? I may say that, but what I really love are the memories and the images of what they portray. I wouldn’t throw my kids away in favor of their picture, that would be insane. In truth, I love my wife and kids, but I keep their pictures around as a visible reminder of them.

The same thing can be said for a picture of Jesus Christ. I don’t truly love the picture. That picture didn’t die for my sins. That picture isn’t the son of the Most High God. That picture simply reminds me of a love that I share with my Creator and reminds me of the person and works of Jesus Christ.

We are both spiritual beings and physical beings all at once. We connect spiritually through such things as love, compassion, and other feelings. However, we also connect through the visible manifestations of those feelings. I can tell my wife I love her all day long, but she connects with it more when I do something to show her love, like a hug or a kiss. Does that mean the feeling is not needed? Certainly not. Once agin, we are souls and we are bodies, and one needs the other in this world.

One thing of note, and I touched on it before, is that when the visible object replaces the true and real object, that’s when you have an idol. We may look up to sports and movie stars, and that’s ok within reason. But you can eventually start to look to those stars as the end all-be all of your life. That’s when you have an idol problem. An idol is something, anything, that you can’t live without. That can be a person or a drug or even a feeling. Any creation that you raise above the Creator Himself is an idol.

To put it another way, if you are a Christian, you are housing the Holy Spirit within you. You are His temple. And just as I wouldn’t want some strange man in my house living there, God doesn’t want strange idols or anything ruling his house but Him. In short, God wants to be number one in the house.

In closing, a picture or a statue of our Savior is not a bad thing. It doesn’t mean we are worshipping a picture and making it into our idol. If you see something like a painting or even a Bible and it reminds you that you are loved by the God of the universe, that’s a good thing. Just don’t put that picture or that Bible above the Savior it refers to. Reminders are important, but the real thing is better by far.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Never Ending Prayer

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“O Jerusalem, I have posted watchmen on your walls; they will pray day and night, continually. Take no rest, all you who pray to the Lord. Give the Lord no rest until He completes His work, until He makes Jerusalem the pride of the earth.” – Isaiah 62.6-7 NLT

There are so many problems in this world. Hunger, war, disease, anger, and the list goes on. Since the time of Adam and Eve, there has been an evil in this world that none of us are immune to. Unfortunately, we all are subject to many of those types of evil.

The question gets posed, “What can I do. I have a job, and a family, and obligations, and…and…and…” While I understand not having a moment to yourself, what I don’t understand is why can’t we do more for the kingdom of God in our own everyday lives? At work, at home, or wherever we are, we need to look for more opportunities to do good for others. And whether or not we can do something physically for someone, we can and should always pray for them.

If you are a Christian, you have taken on the responsibility of showing Jesus Christ to this fallen world. We need to empower rather than cut down and build up rather than destroy. I once saw a man in a truck stop bathroom who was taking a paper towel and lightly cleaning around the dirty sink. He didn’t work there, so I asked him why he was cleaning. The man replied, “My Savior, Jesus, left this world better than what He found it. I should do the same.” Those words rang in my ears like a church bell.

Granted, it’s sometimes hard to model Christ for others, especially when we feel angry or offended by someone, but it is our duty children of the Most High God. And frankly, it is those times when we see someone that is full of anger or sadness that we need to pray for them the most. I know what my Lord and Savior has done for my life; how selfish that would be for me to want to keep the love of God all to myself.

Many people work with others and talk with them in the course of their day. You may talk with them for 20 years about their kids, sports teams, their social habits, and a number of other things. The one thing that people seem to have trouble sharing is the word of God. Even if your job banned all religious speech, you can still share the love of Christ through your actions and reactions to business situations. Your faith is something that you should be living out loud. If you are a Christian, you should be the most ethical and most reliable person there. You may not get it all right all the time, but there should still be a certain joy that you bring there. A joy based on your God and not your circumstances. Once people see your joy, they will have no choice but to ask you the reason why.

The point is to never give up, no matter what the fight looks like. We as Christians need to walk straighter and hold ourselves to a higher standard than the rest of this world. Even when the devil throws all he has against you, you should be able to look him in the eye and smile, knowing you are protected by the blood of Jesus. When the devil tries to condemn you, know that the King of Kings has already given you His seal of approval. God loves you and wants the best for you and all of His people, so keep fighting the good fight. Model Jesus to everyone and never stop praying for them.

No matter the country, color, or circumstances, people are not so different. We all need prayers to not only find Jesus, but to walk with Him closer and closer everyday. We fight against the sin in this world and the wickedness in ourselves, but through God’s saving grace, we shall find our rest with Him in Heaven for all eternity.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Faith Healers

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“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

I have a relative way back, I think my mom’s uncle, who was a bona fide faith healer. Some of the stories of how he mended bones and manifested great miracles blows my mind. He wasn’t the only one in my lineage that was strong in the Lord, but he really stands out. The unfortunate part is that I don’t even know his name. I can’t even pass along a name to my kids when they ask about him. It’s sad that so much faith and power and circumstance that went into this man’s life, and we don’t even remember his name.

That being said, a man like that with that much faith wouldn’t be interested in us knowing his name as much as he’d want us to know Jesus’s name. Any person who walks with God daily truly knows that it is God’s power that makes all the difference. Much like the moon reflecting the sun’s light, the best we can do is simply reflect as much of Jesus to this world as we can.

The Apostle Paul said, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” How many of us can truly say that? Are you living for Jesus? Do you do everything not for the here and now, but for the joy that awaits you in Heaven? It hurts me to say that even I have days where I’m being selfish and do things that help nobody but me. Granted, you need to keep yourself healthy and safe, or else you can’t help others. But to who’s comfort do you seek, others’ or your own? A great person is not made through selfishness, but through sacrifice for others. You can amass wealth and fame and have it all, but it’s all for nothing if you lose your soul to get it.

The memory of my mom’s uncle and so many like him live on in our minds and hearts because of their close connection to Jesus. It’s about what they gave and not what they took from this world. And although this generation forgot much about them, we are stronger in the Lord because of people like him and that’s what really matters. Will the next generation say the same about you? If not, now is your season and time for change.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Most Needed Verse

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“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” – Philippians 4:6

When I was growing up, my mom always had a Bible sitting on the coffee table in the living room. I liked picking it up and seeing all of her handwritten notes in there.  One thing in particular stood out to me.  She had Philippians 4:6 written down next to big, bold, underlined words saying, “MOST NEEDED VERSE.”

To anyone who knew my mom, you would understand just why she wrote this verse down with such importance. Mom was a worry-wart; in fact, she was the queen mother of worry-warts.  If she would have gotten paid for worrying, even my great-grandchildren would never have to worry about their next meal.  However, no matter how much she worried, most of the things she worried about never came to pass anyway.  The very few things that did happen, her worrying couldn’t have changed them at all.

Many of us spend our lives concerned for what the future holds. We sometimes “what if…” ourselves literally to death.  Worry doesn’t keep bad things from happening, it only wears us down and saps every bit of joy from today.  Jesus knows how prone to worry that we are, but He puts it plainly when He said, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?”  Almost the entire 12th chapter of Luke shows Jesus talking about worrying being a waste of time.  He is speaking right to each of us when He says to consider how God provides for animals who do not plant but are always fed; flowers of the field that do not labor or spin and yet they are arrayed in more beautiful clothing than King Solomon was in all of his glory.

This life is tough sometimes. Becoming a Christian doesn’t take away the pain and the problems, but it does help you to deal with them better.  By being close to Jesus, you are setting yourself up against an immovable pillar.  The weight of the world may come crashing down on you occasionally, but you are always supported.  You are not alone!

Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” How true that is.  His Holy Spirit is living in you and through you, helping you every step of the way.  We may not understand all of God’s plan and frankly it’s not for us to understand, but just know that our Heavenly Father is caring for us always.  Much like the old “Footprints in the Sand” poem, Jesus carries us through the trials and difficulties in life.  In short, if you walk with Jesus, you will never be alone.  God is bigger and stronger than any problem that you could ever have.

During the last conversation I ever had with my mom, she seemed more at peace than any other time that I knew her. Honestly, I was more concerned than she was.  Her cancer had eaten her away to nothing and we both knew there wasn’t much time left.  But, out of all of those heart-wrenching anxieties, this woman who would have normally worried about anything looked at me and said, “My darling baby boy, please don’t worry.  You and I love Jesus.  I promise, we’ll be together again.”  She taught me more at that single moment than she taught me throughout my entire life.  She taught me her most needed verse as well as the next one after that which states, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  At that moment, she showed me the true peace of God.

I miss my momma.

If there’s anything she’d like for me to tell you right now, it’s that you can’t worry yourself to Jesus. Instead, cast your worries upon His mighty cross of salvation.  He has you in His arms.  You’re safe now.

God’s blessings to you.

DH