Jesus Taken For Granted

A friend of mine grew up in Scotland before he came to the states. When he went back on vacation, him and his wife toured a couple of the castles that were actually just down the road from where he grew up. He told me that they were beautiful and that he never really paid attention to them when he lived there. He was so used to seeing them there that he forgot your beauty.

Christians are often that way with God. The majesty and the creativity of God surrounds us daily, and we don’t take notice until something bad like a storm or a flood happens. Then, we miss what we once had.

Do you remember when you can honestly say you excepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? Do you remember what it felt like? All of that weight from sin lifted off of you for the first time. That moment when you felt God’s face shining upon you.

If you haven’t thought about that for a while, it’s time to think about it again.

You have been granted a great and wonderful gift. You have been brought into God’s family when you excepted Jesus Christ. You were no longer at odds against the Lord, but rather connected with Him in a pure and beautiful way as only a child can be with their loving Father.

Don’t take that for granted any longer.

If we were to live every moment as if it was that first moment of perfect saving grace, all of the pains and worries of this world would wash away quickly. We would all have a joy and a shining light about us that the devil could never take away.

Keep God first place in your life and in your mind. Focus your heart more upon Jesus rather than your circumstances. When you do this, I believe and declare that you will not only see things differently, but you will truly be able to partake in the eternal love that the Creator has in store for each one of His children.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

If you have not excepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I beg you to do so now. This world is evil and fallen. There is only one path to peace and that is through Jesus Christ, the one who offers you freedom from the chains of sin. Lay your worries down at the foot of His cross. You are forgiven. Be renewed by His love.

Jesus Christ is Risen

“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” – Acts 4:12

Since it is Easter, we are reminded today more than most times of the year that Jesus was crucified and died for our sins. It was horrible for all who looked upon the face of the Jesus hanging there on the cross. It is where we get our word ‘excruciating.’

Many people at that time thought that it was the end of their hope of salvation, but Jesus rose again just a few days later. What started as a miracle birth could have been reduced to just campfire stories had Jesus not risen again after his fall.

That is what made all the difference. Jesus rose again after his death. This life that we know will pass away soon enough, but when we accept Jesus as our Savior and put our trust in Him, we are promised that we shall be raised again with Him. We no longer need to fear death, because our Lord has complete power over death and not the other way around.

Over the years, there’s been many people that have said their way was the answer to life, but they all died; all but one, Jesus. Jesus backed up every claim He made through fulfillment of scripture prophecies as well as the miracles He did. The biggest miracle of all was the empty tomb on Sunday, because in dying He destroyed our death, and in rising He restored our life.

I don’t need a dead savior. I can die on my own just fine, thanks. What I need is the risen savior. I need Jesus Christ.

You and I will fall to our sins, but the real tragedy would be if we didn’t rise again from it. Only one thing separates us from God and keeps us out of heaven and that is our sin. That is why our greatest need is to have our sins forgiven. Only then can we be reconciled to God and have the opportunity to be with Him for all eternity. The Bible says in Acts 4:12, “There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Jesus is the ONLY way.

Happy Easter, my friends. It is not just the resurrection day of our Lord Jesus Christ, but it is the day of our resurrection as well. As He was raised, so shall we be raised with Him forever.

Happy Easter everyone! God’s blessings to you.

DH

The Celebration of Christmas

Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. In a single word, Christmas is a time of love. John 3:16 sums it up: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

When the world needed peace, Jesus was born unto us. When people were scared, angry, self-absorbed, and looking to the wrong things to bring themselves happiness, God arrived on Earth.

By all rights, that description sounds a lot like now. Wars and rumors of wars, protests and infighting at every level, and a pandemic that has affected the world. Nothing about this year was easy or was helped by any of our supposed plans.

We need peace, we need a forever love, and we need hope for the future. In short, we need Jesus. Now more than ever, we need The Savior. We need Jesus Christ in our lives and in our hearts. He is the only way to where we need to be.

Whether you believe in Him or not, Jesus Christ has changed the world forever. Our common year is based off of the life of Jesus Christ. Even if some people changed the acronym, it’s still before Christ’s birth and after. Phrases we use every day, such as “Go the extra mile,” “blind leading the blind,” “wolf in sheep’s clothing,” or “straight and narrow” are all words straight from Christ’s mouth. This whole time of year especially is because of Jesus. You can say happy holidays all you want, but the truth of the matter is that Christ is the reason for the season.

Even in places that are cynical of Christian values, I have heard Christmas music playing. Take the time to listen to those songs. Those are songs of praise and worship and they are being played all over the place and even all over the world this time of year.

To paraphrase the book of Acts, if this whole Jesus thing was just of men, it would turn to nothing. However, if this really is of God, there’s nothing in this world that can stop it. It’s been over two thousand years since the birth of Jesus and there is no silencing the believer, no matter what heretical laws are passed and no matter how politically correct this country becomes.

Why is that? Because the person who has been forgiven of much shows the most love for the Lord. I have been forgiven of many wrongs in my life and, if by chance I am ever rendered mute, my actions and my very soul would still sing out in praise of the God Most High.

That’s why there was a bright and shining star that showed the way to Christ’s crib that fateful night. Even the universe showed praise to the Creator with a glow that could never be equaled.

That shining star stood for peace and hope to the ones in need of a savior. It also stood as a warning light to those who thought they were doing fine by their own ways. It was a green light to love and a red light to evil.

We all have our faults, even the best of us. There’s nobody good enough to earn Heaven. The Bible says that we all fall short of the glory of God. We sin and the payment for those sins is death.

But thanks be to God that He has sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to pay for those sins. When we accept that payment on the cross, we can be freed and forgiven for our wrongs. Completely and totally erased from our record.

Jesus paid the cost we can’t pay. He died for us so that we can live eternally in Heaven with Him.

That’s why we celebrate Christmas. It’s the birth of the Savior of all of us who accept Him.

So please remember this time of year, it’s Christmas and not just another season. Revive your love for our Savior this Christmas. Praise Jesus for His wonderful life and His death upon the cross for our sins. A believer’s future is sealed by complete and boundless love. That infinite love is not a something, but a someone. His name is Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas and God’s blessings to you.

DH

Know Jesus Christ

Saint Paul was the most religiously schooled person of all the apostles. He learned under highly regarded Jewish leaders, read and memorized many of the scriptures, but to use his words, he counted all of this as garbage when compared to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

To Paul, Jesus was the one and only thing worth knowing.

We, too, should have that aim in our lives.  This world can be a tough one at best.  We are bombarded daily by temptations and evils of all kinds, and if we don’t have our eyes focused on the right things, we can easily succumb to the devil’s wicked ways. 

In short, keep your eyes on Jesus.  We can try to be good people and we can even try to be as religious as possible, but unless we have Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are fighting a loosing battle.

Don’t get me wrong, church and religion is a good thing, but it cannot be the only thing in your life.  You can be a regular at Bible study and may be able to spout off hundreds of verses at will, but my question is, “Are you living those verses?” 

The Bible is an important book; really, it is THE most important book.  That being said, it is only a collection of words and stories without the Holy Spirit helping you along. 

If you have not accepted Christ and His finished work on the cross, you do not have the “necessary equipment” yet to really understand what the Bible has to say.  It all starts with Jesus Christ.

No level of supposed holiness can save your soul.  No matter what anyone says, paying massive amounts of money to a church will not give you eternal life or get you a better seat in heaven.  Positive thinking is a good thing, but it can’t get you into heaven either.  Facing east five times daily or hopping up and down on one foot singing kumbaya doesn’t get the attention of God any faster. 

The one and only bridge between God and man is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, suffered and died on the cross, was buried and raised from the dead to remove your sins so you can get into Heaven.  Strive to know that truth more than anything else. 

If you have accepted that, you have been born again and are destined for Heaven.  

There’s a lot of other details to this life, but they are just that, details.  Jesus Christ is the source, the center, and the summit of life.  Jesus alone saves us and not the details.

Throughout eternity, God spoke but one word, “Jesus.”  He has nothing more to say.

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.  For I determined not to know anything among you, except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” – 1 Corinthians 2:1-2

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Clothe Yourself with Christ

It’s nice to get comfortable after a long day. When I get home from work, I usually take off my work clothes and get into something like my sweats or maybe jeans and a t-shirt. As long as I have my work clothes on, I know I’m not home. However, I am encouraged because I know I’m on the way. Before long, I’ll be able to come home and be at peace.

While we are here on earth, it seems like it’s a day-to-day struggle just to keep your head up. This world tends to weigh pretty heavily on each of us. Between the pressures of our jobs and the stresses we face in our private lives, it’s a wonder why we don’t all look like we are 150 years old. I know that I’ve earned each one of these grey hairs; I just wish there was more wisdom that came along with them.

When I look in the mirror nowadays, I see this grouchy old guy that’s been beaten up by this world. That isn’t how our Creator sees us though.

God sees us for what and who we truly are, the beautiful children that He wanted to make. The world does its damage, but Jesus says, “Take heart, for I have overcome the world.”

The Bible says that right now, we don’t even completely know ourselves and that is thanks to all of the trials that this world puts us through. One day though, we will know fully just as we are fully known by God. When we accept Jesus into our lives and hearts, we too shall one day overcome the pain, the stress, and the heartaches of this world.

You might ask why God wants us to go through hard times. The answer is in the cross of Jesus. No struggle, no pain, no trial that you will ever go through will be for nothing. Jesus suffered and die, then was raised from the dead to give us the gift of eternal life in Heaven.

We too will have our own crosses to bear in this life. Those crosses aren’t only for our own benefit, but for other peoples’ as well. We learn how to lift each other up during hard times and show each other how to appreciate the good times. Those crosses we bear for Jesus are for the greater good of all.

That being said, some of our crosses are self-imposed. Our lives aren’t perfect and if you are struggling to make it perfect, you are in a losing battle. We think we can bring ourselves peace and work ourselves into Heaven, but it’s never enough.

Jesus Christ is the only thing that will bring us peace. When you accept Jesus as your Savior, He begins to live in you and through you so you can have that peace that you’ve worked so hard for.

No more reason to be ashamed of all of your sins. You have a place in Heaven waiting because God doesn’t see you anymore, He sees Jesus.

“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” – Galatians 3:27

Don’t be discouraged and don’t loose heart. Just know that you are destined for Heaven. Peace and joy for all of eternity awaits. You may not be there yet, but you are on the way. Thanks to Jesus, you have a new change of clothes when you get there.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Pathway to Peace

In Romans 3:23, it says that everyone has sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. Whether you think of yourself as a good person or not, none of us measures up to a Godly standard. There’s just no way to do enough good to help this fallen world.

The words ‘sin’ and ‘fallen’ don’t need to be what define us though. God has placed a remedy before us to bridge the gap between Him and us. That bridge is the cross of Jesus Christ.

Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection paid the penalty for your sins and mine. The Bible says that “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:24).

However, just because the bridge is there doesn’t mean that we automatically get saved. We have to accept that saving grace. We have to cross the bridge and we do that when we accept and receive Christ through His personal invitation.

It’s much like taking an airplane. We are able to take that flight if we have a ticket, but it’s no good unless we get on the plane. It will leave without us if we don’t climb on board. To partake in the peace and abundant life of Jesus Christ, you must accept and receive it.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” – John 1:12

Romans 10:13 says, “Whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That word “whosoever” means anyone. You and me.


To receive Christ you need to do four things:

  • ADMIT your spiritual need. “I am a sinner.” Just like in any problem, the first step is admitting you have one.
  • REPENT and be willing to turn from your sin. You have to pick a path. One leads to death, the other to eternal life. You at least have to be willing to turn down the correct path, but make no mistake, you can’t do it alone. You need Jesus’ help and that’s what He’s offering.
  • BELIEVE that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross. Romans 10:19 says that if you declare with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
  • RECEIVE, through prayer, Jesus Christ into your heart and life. Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in” (Revelation 3:20).

Whether you are a non-believer in search of peace in your life or even if you are a lifelong Christian who doesn’t feel like they have had that connection with Jesus, now is your chance to come to Him. He’s waiting for you.

Please pray this prayer with me:


“Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died for my sins and I want to turn from them now and forever. I want You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior.”

Friends, if you prayed that prayer with me, I believe that you have just been saved, what the Bible calls being born again. If you didn’t ask Jesus into your heart, then what are you waiting for? The Bible says that today is the day of salvation; now is the accepted time.

I know that if I had a single doubt as to my eternal salvation, you couldn’t drag me away from here without accepting Jesus Christ.

Now, get into a good bible based local church, if you are physically able, and come to know more about the God who loves you and wants to be with you forever. You are now no longer at odds against Him, but instead you have returned to Him as His child who was once lost, but now is found. His arms are outstretched to welcome you home.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you always.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Ten Promises From God Never to Leave nor Forsake You

Do you ever feel alone? Do you think maybe God forgot about you and your problems?

God is a god of promises and He makes good on every one of them. He cannot lie because He is truth itself. He loves you. You can trust your Heavenly Father.

Here are just 10 verses from the Bible that tell of God’s unwillingness to leave our side.

  1. Deuteronomy 31:6 – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
  2. Joshua 1:5 – “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
  3. 1 Chronicles 28:20 – “David also said to Solomon his son, ‘Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.’”
  4. Psalms 94:14 – “For the Lord will not reject his people; He will never forsake his inheritance.”
  5. Deuteronomy 31:8 – “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
  6. Hebrews 13:5 – “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”
  7. 1 Kings 8:57 – “May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us.”
  8. Isaiah 41:17 – “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the Lord will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.”
  9. Psalms 37:28 – “For the Lord loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones.”
  10. Isaiah 42:16 – “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.”

These are just a few of the promises that God makes to those who love Him in return. Rest assured that He is with you now and forever more.

How do we know God loves us?

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

You are important enough for Jesus Christ to die on a cross for your peace and forgiveness. All of your bad washed away so that you could be in Heaven with Him for all of eternity.

Accept Jesus into your heart today. He’s with you always because He loves you. God promises He will never leave you nor forsake you. You can count on Him.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

At Face Value

Why does life look so wonderful and easy for everybody on social media sites like Facebook? Especially when it comes to Christians, we see nothing but smiles and perfect families in perfect pictures. Let me let you in on a little secret: Those pictures you see are nothing but a highlight reel.

Some people think that when you give your life over to Jesus, everything is going to be wonderful and easy and suddenly make sense. Sorry to say, but reality couldn’t be further from the truth.

Let’s face it, life on this earth wasn’t easy for Jesus himself. He was born in a stable and grew up a carpenter like His adopted daddy, and that was back in the days where they didn’t have a Ford F-150 to haul lumber. We don’t think of it, but Jesus had grow up to be physically tough to endure the kind of life He grew up with here.

Jesus didn’t lead a picture-worthy life. He was schooled mentally in the scriptures and He was schooled physically through good old fashioned back breaking hard work. Not something worthy of a king, let alone the King of Kings.

Then, in what we would call midlife, Jesus changed job roles in a manner of speaking. He started His preaching career. His time had finally come, but things just got harder for Him. No matter what He did, for some people it was never enough.

One measure of Jesus’ preaching success was how fast the religious leaders of the time wanted Him dead. Jesus didn’t care what the present times called good. Jesus was more interested in the state of peoples’ hearts than what their lives looked like to others.

At the end, Jesus finally endured the pain and suffering of the cross. At face value, it looked like death had won. Satan struck the final blow, but that wasn’t the end.

Jesus went to the cross so that we could have our sins taken away and be allowed into Heaven for all eternity. Jesus paid the cost for us. It’s called grace. It’s a free gift to us only because Jesus paid every penny of it through His blood. Quite the high cost indeed.

That was how our Lord went through life and we shouldn’t expect everything in this world to be kind and easy for us either. There will be easy times and there will be hard times. But please stay strong through it all. The cross wasn’t a loss for Jesus or for us, even though it looked like it on the outside. Truly, it was the greatest victory!

If you have been blessed not to have suffered in this world so far, I say to you, “stay tuned.” A servant is not greater than the master. Jesus went through trials and so will we. The key is that Jesus persevered and made it through those trials. He kept true to what is right no matter what the world said or thought.

What I’m asking you is to keep moving forward in love and holiness, and not just on the surface. Don’t just live well in the pictures.

Our goal and ultimate desire should be Heaven. Anything less than eternal life is eternal death. In the end, forever, you and I will be in Heaven or Hell, period. There’s no getting around that truth and we only have one shot to get it right.

This world drags people into mediocrity, and if you aren’t going forward in life, you’re going backward. Just as Saint Paul said, we are to keep pressing on, moving towards the prize of the high calling of God through Christ Jesus.

Keep fighting and stay true to God’s Word. Yes, it is going to be tough at times, but I promise that the destination is worth it. In fact, it’s absolutely Heavenly.

“For the Lamb on the throne will be their Shepherd. He will lead them to springs of life-giving water. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes.” – Revelation 7:17

That’s what awaits us. Not just a highlight photo reel that’s Facebook-worthy, but true peace, true love, and an eternal joy that could only come from the our Savior, Jesus Christ.

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Just Add Water

My daughters would get these little color change books to draw in. They were like coloring books, but you would simply add water to a brush and “paint” in the book. Suddenly, the colors would come to life! Beautiful, vibrant colors would now show up where there was nothing but dull paper before. All it took was the water.

When a believer in Jesus Christ gets baptized, it may seem simple enough. A person gets dunked in water. Then what?

Baptism is an outward showing of an inward commitment. The Bible says that when you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are “born again” into a new, eternal life. Just as we pass through water during our natural birth, we must pass through the waters of our supernatural birth as well. It may not make sense to non-believers. Sometimes it doesn’t even make sense to us, the ones actually getting baptized.

It doesn’t have to make sense. The Bible says that this is all foolishness to people who are dying, but to us, it’s the power of God for our salvation. I don’t need to know how electricity works to turn on a lightbulb, I just need that light to shine my way through the darkness.

My children didn’t know how the colors on their book would just come to life, they just knew that when they used the water on the paper, their picture would eventually come into a new, brilliant view. That same thing happens when new believers are baptized. Things don’t just get great and wonderful immediately. You don’t suddenly see Jesus in everything, but it’s a start.

Through baptism, your sins get washed away form your soul, much like dirt is washed away from your body during a bath. Someone who is very dirty will look and feel completely different after a bath. They’ll know it and see it, whereas if you didn’t think that you had a lot of dirt on you to begin with, you may not recognize much difference after getting out of the bathtub. The trick is that we all have a lot of dirt on our souls, we may just not recognize it very well.

At my baptism, it was like I stepped through a doorway into Heaven itself. I felt joyful and almost launched out of the water!  But when I came home, I looked just the same as before. I kept making many of the same mistakes. My favorite sins were still hard to stay away from. I outwardly looked like I did before, but inside I felt like something had happened. I didn’t see the whole extent of it immediately, but day after day, I started to come closer to the Jesus that made my salvation possible.

The colors started to show out more in my life. I made conscious efforts to be more kind and helpful. I started to at least try and do better. I felt like I wanted to stay clean and finally felt like that was possible. That doesn’t mean I didn’t still mess up, it just meant that I recognized it when I did and even stopped sometimes before I could. It has been a long process and that process is not over. It won’t be over until the day I pass from here to eternity. However, I do have the complete assurance from God Himself that I will be going to Heaven. He promised.

Jesus paid for my sin on the cross. When I was baptized, it showed the world that I let Him have it. Since then, God’s brilliant colors have started to shine forth more and more in my life. No more of the sad and dull greys of this world. My picture is starting to come together for people to see, and what they see in my life is a picture of Jesus Christ. That’s the greatest picture of all.

Your life can shine forth the colors of Jesus Christ as well. Just add water!

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Jesus Christ Needs You

Each of us are a unique blessing to this world. The Bible says we are unrepeatable, fearfully and wonderfully made. There aren’t even two sets of fingerprints alike, even among identical twins.

If we are so special, why do we let ourselves get caught up in daily drama and the so-called rat race? Aren’t we meant for more than a hum-drum life that doesn’t amount to anything?

The Bible says that you are God’s masterpiece and that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. The same creator of the universe created each of us. It wasn’t by some chance or some cosmic ‘oops’, but purposeful. You are here for a glorious reason. That reason, in a single word, is love.

Jesus loves you! All of your goods and bads, all of your wins and losses, all of you is loved completely. It’s so hard for us to forget that or to dismiss it, especially in the face of what goes on in this world.

This world is full of hard knocks, full of hate and disgust. That’s all the more reason why you must keep the love of Jesus Christ in your heart, so that it may be poured out upon this sick and sinful world.

This hurting world needs hope. It needs to know that the suffering is not for nothing. God ensures that nothing you go through will be wasted. God will use it all.

If you have gone through such things as drug or alcohol abuse, then you are specially equipped to be able to witness to someone about the dangers and evils of drugs or alcohol abuse. If you know what it’s like to be homeless, then you are well-abled to lift up the spirits of the homeless and to truly help them because you know that their needs are not just physical, but emotional and mental as well.

Do not let this life take you away from your true calling. When you look at yourself in the mirror, remember that God has a plan and that it involves you. You are meaningful. You are special. Nobody is equipped to do the things that God has in store for you. So don’t let an angry boss or a bad day in traffic steal away Christ’s message from your heart. That message needs to be spread to everyone.

The Bible tells about a time when Jesus was coming into Jerusalem. He needed transportation, so he sent his disciples to get a donkey from town. Jesus said to them, “If anyone asks, ‘Why are you untying that colt?’ just say, ‘The Lord has need of it.’” (Luke 19:31).

Jesus needs you and I to bring Him to our families, our businesses, our friendships, and our entire world.

You are called to share the love of Jesus Christ. When this world ties your soul down, away from it’s true calling, just look at yourself in the mirror and say, “The Lord has need of you.”

You are redeemed by His blood on the cross to share the love of Jesus Christ. That’s something we all have need of.

God’s blessings to you!

DH