Do your choices in life make you happy? If not, you deserve a change and God has provided the way!
Tag: Jesus
Are Pictures of Jesus Graven Images?- Since You Asked Q.2
“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
For God So Loved The World
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” – John 3:16
With the upcoming year upon us, I wanted this sermon to be the gospel in a nutshell. I wanted to make this sermon brief, but bold, in order to keep Christ at the front of your mind this next year.
In the beginning, God created the heavens, the earth, and everything in between. I know that because I’m here too. 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.
As ignorant humans, we often pull away from God’s desires for our lives. We do bad things, called sins. Those sins can’t just disappear, or else what have we learned from them? The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. Plain and simple, if you commit evil, you can’t get into Heaven. That’s why there is Jesus.
Jesus is God in human form. 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 God’s. Jesus was born to not only experience what God’s children experience, but to show us 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. 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 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.
This upcoming year, keep Christ first in your life. Let Him go before you in all that you do so that you may prosper in every area. His promise to you is that He will work all things for the good for those who love Him. 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
The Hell There Is
“Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.” Luke 12:5
Few people today seem to believe in the devil or in hell. It would seem as though it would be easy to believe in the devil since there are so many devilish things happening today. All the time we hear in the news about gruesome acts far beyond what the human mind by itself could conceive. And behind it all is the evil one, pulling the strings.
I hear comments to the tone of “If God is a loving God, He wouldn’t make a hell or the devil.” Yes, God is definitely a loving and merciful God. He instilled in us free will, which is the complete freedom of choice and God indeed respects that choice. In fact, God’s love is so boundless for us that He will allow us to even choose a bad road, if that is truly what we want. In short, God has never sentenced anyone to hell, we sentence ourselves there. God hates it and He hurts when His children go astray, but He loves us enough to allow our decisions to stand, even if they are poor decisions. But there is the crux of the matter, which is in order to make a choice, there must be something to choose. If the only way was Heaven no matter what, then what consequences are there for leading an evil and deplorable life? What would the reason be for repentance? God loves us and wants us to love Him in return, but if there is no choice, there can never be true love. Love is a gift, but a gift that is forced is no gift at all.
The most powerful argument for the existence of Satan is the fact that Jesus Himself talks about him and even to him in the Bible. We read in Matthew chapter 4 that Christ was tempted by the devil. We read later in Luke that Jesus “saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven.” In fact, the devil is spoke of frequently throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. So what about hell then? Jesus speaks of hell as a place of eternal fire that was prepared for the devil and his angels. He also calls hell a place of outer darkness set apart from God where there is great wailing and gnashing of teeth. That should be enough for any Christian. Our Lord said it, therefore it is true.
It’s horrible to think of, but the devil and hell are spoken of as a real warning for us to stay on the straight path to the narrow gate. Two paths, one leads to love and one away from love. The choice is yours, but make no mistake, there is truly a choice. Don’t get fooled by the watered-down version of today’s gospel that preaches nothing but happiness and prosperity with no effort to repent of our deeds on our part. This is all a part of Satan’s master plan. When you start doubting the existence of the enemy, you won’t put up any kind of fight against him. And when you stop fighting against evil, Satan’s already won. Don’t let the devil win in the battle for your soul! If you think there’s no other way but to Heaven no matter what you do, then think again. The hell there is.
God’s blessings to you.
DH
Never Ending Prayer
“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
“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
A Star Is Born
“Behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We saw His star as it rose and we have come to worship him.” – Matthew 2:2
One the night Jesus Christ came into this world, there was a particular star that shined brightly above His birthplace. That star was many things to many people. To the wise, it was a symbol of hope and freedom. To the sinner, it was a stop sign. To the kings and Pharisees, it was an eviction notice. To the entire world, that star was a sign that nothing would ever be the same again.
Whether you believe in Him or not, Jesus Christ has changed the world forever. Our common calendar is based off of Christ’s birth. Phrases used 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? 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. Even the universe shows praise to the Creator. So remember this time of year, Christmas time. Praise Jesus for what He has done and for the promises He’s given us. A believers’ future is sealed by complete and boundless love and it all started because a star was born, and His name is Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas and God’s blessings to you.
DH
On This Rock I Stand
“And I say also to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” – Matthew 16:18
In the Bible, Peter was one of the closest disciples of Jesus Christ. Whenever Jesus would go somewhere to pray or to reveal something special to just a select few, Peter was right there at the top of the list. And when Jesus left His earthly ministry, Peter was the head of the newly established church. Granted, Peter had his failings just as all people do, but the difference was that he kept pushing through them and came out better because of them.
Peter didn’t start out as being called Peter. His name was originally Simon, which actually means ‘hearer or listener’. Peter listened to Jesus and took His teaching to heart. Even when Jesus said that He was going to be offered up and die, Peter rebuked Him saying, “Not so Lord,” even though Christ had a larger plan that needed enacted. By all rights and accounts, Peter loved Jesus. He staked everything on Him. When Jesus asked His disciples if they would leave Him, it was Peter who said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of life.”
Not only did Peter believe in Jesus, but Jesus believed in Peter as well. Even though Peter in a moment of weakness denied that he knew Jesus 3 different times, Jesus knew that Peter was the right person to continue His earthly ministry. A little before Christ was taken up to Heaven, Jesus kept asking Peter if he loved Him. More than that, Jesus made sure that Peter would continue Christ’s work to take care of His people. Jesus asked Peter 3 times, “Do you love me?” And each time that Peter affirmed his love, Jesus would tell him to ‘feed His sheep or lambs’, meaning to take care of His people. Jesus knew that Peter could do it, but He really wanted Peter to know that Peter could do it. Three times a denial conquered by three times a confirmation.
One last thing about Simon Peter. Simon was the earthly name that his parents gave him. Peter was the Heavenly name that Jesus gave him. Simon means listener and Peter means rock. In order for you to be firm in your service of the Lord, you first need to listen to Jesus. Once you stand upon God’s solid foundation, you will never be lost again.
God’s blessings to you.
DH
For Our Law Enforcement Brothers and Sisters
With the one year anniversary of the July 7th Dallas ambush just days ago, I thought it fitting to repost our sermon for those fallen officers and their brothers and sisters behind the badge. We’re just as proud of you all today. God’s blessings to you all.
– To all of our law enforcement brothers and sisters:
When darkness falls, remember what you are here for. You mind the gap between good and evil. You stand guard and protect those who cannot protect themselves. You wear a shield, behind which we are all protected because of the daily sacrifices that you make.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) Remember that you are a peace officer and so much more than that, you are a child of the Most High God. You have been endowed with physical, emotional, and spiritual traits that most do not possess. You are made strong by the Lord for a purpose and that purpose is to care for His flock. Few are chosen to do such a task, but those who are chosen magnify the love of God upon His people. You greatly serve the Lord through your protection.
We want you to know that no matter what this fallen and wicked world says, you are desperately needed. You will never know about the countless lives you safeguard, because you can’t quantify what your very presence actually does for our society. You will never realize the crimes you stop just by being there. Unfortunately, you may never get the thanks you deserve because most of the people you come in contact with daily are the bad people who never wanted you there in the first place. Rest assured that there are still people in this world who care and who are absolutely grateful for what you do.
The events of July 7th are deplorable and plunge our already fallen world into further darkness. However, the darker the night sky, the brighter the stars of Heaven shine and you are those stars! The darkness cannot stand in the presence of the light. Evil will occasionally gain a foothold in society, but good will soon triumph. Read the back of the Bible, we shall be victorious in the end. Be confident in that fact that you are on the winning side.
Remember the words of Jesus Christ who said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13) We pray that no other officers are called to lay down their lives in the line of duty, but we know that to ensure peace and justice, you will not hesitate to do your duty to protect us. For that, we cannot be grateful enough. Thank you for showing us the great and true love of God. Your faithful service shall be rewarded in the form of a crown granted to you when you enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
We fervently pray that you stay safe and protected by Almighty God, now and forever. God’s blessings to you all, our brothers and sisters. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
DH
All Sins Start With I
“Love thy neighbor as thyself.” – Mark 12:31
Love is the greatest of God’s creations. Out of love, God made Heaven, the earth, and you. He loves you and wants you to love Him in return. However, when we sin and do evil in our hearts, it takes some of our love and our heart away from God. We no longer have the ability to focus on the Lord and the things that He holds forever dear. We are instead focused on ourselves and our sins which only can make us happy for a short time. We are left longing and being more unsatisfied than before.
Imagine that your heart is a box. You can pack that box with good things or bad things, but either way, there is only so much room in that box. The more of the wrong things you put into your heart, the less room you leave for Jesus. Your heart is made for love, but love for the right things rather than loving sin. Saint Augustine said that our hearts are restless until they rest in the Lord. How true that is! Our hearts have a need for love that only God can fill. Anything else just isn’t enough. You can’t eat enough food or buy enough things to satisfy yourself. I promise you that it doesn’t work. It isn’t what God had in mind for you when you were created. The Bible says not to focus on the passing things in life, but to keep your eyes fixed on things which are above. One day, the fast cars will rust and the money will be all spent, but what does remain are those things which are done in service of others. God’s love comes from many places, but it is the most apparent when it comes though His servants.
I met a former business man that said no matter how far up the ladder he went, the emptier he felt. While he was working on how much money he could make, his family, his friends, and his home life eventually passed him by. It was the love of the wrong things that led to his pain. This person’s problem was that he focused his love on his own greatness rather than God’s greatness. He let his desire for status get in the way of him caring for his family. He has now turned his eyes to the Lord and has found what he terms as a new lease on life. He’s reconciled with his family and is making up for lost time. He also says that he derives more fulfillment from helping out at a local children’s hospital than he ever did being a boss at a big company. We all have love, but where we put that love can mean the difference between happiness and hurt.
There’s a sign up in our home that reads, “Whatever you do today had better be important, because you are trading a day of your life for it.” You can either positively or negatively affect generations by what you focus on today. If sin rules your life, don’t expect anything positive to come from it. It may be fun for a little while, but it never lasts and you aren’t helping anyone by committing evil. Pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth; these are the so-called seven deadly sins. Notice how all of them come back to ourselves. We become ego-centric and think about our own needs rather than the needs of others, but that’s not why we were made. Ego means Edging God Out. The more your heart seeks after your own comfort and your own pleasure, the less your heart will seek out God. To truly love my wife, I have to want the highest and best thing for her, and that is Jesus Christ. I want my wife to go to Heaven. I want my kids to go to Heaven. Therefore, I must make some sacrifices to help get them there. My comfort level must be a distant second when compared to the health, safety, and eternal security of my family. Anything less is unacceptable.
All sins start with “I.” It’s a good thing to love yourself, but there is a big problem when that self-love comes between you and God’s love for us all. The devil wants you to be self-focused. If you are experiencing God’s love and showing it to other people, you are taking your soul and the souls of others away from him and handing them back to God. To get right with God and to help serve humanity, pay attention to the needs of others. Put God first, everybody else second, and yourself last. The alphabet is the only place where “I” should come before “U”. Remember that Jesus Christ wasn’t thinking of His own comfort when He died on the cross. He was only concerned with our eternal salvation. Don’t let your anxiety or comfort level get in the way of feeding a homeless person or sharing the Gospel with someone you just met. You are here for a purpose and that purpose is love. Sin is selfish, but true love means caring for others.
The love of God reaches far and wide, but the love of sin dies with that sin. True love can only be given away, not kept for yourself and the more you give, the more you shall receive.
God’s blessings to you.
DH
For Christ's Sake Fellowship Church 