Tag: peace

Cast Off Your Hand

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“And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” – Matthew 5:30

Temptations abound in this world. You can’t turn on the tv or even drive down the road without being bombarded by beckoning sin. Even the smart phones we hold in our hands create an open doorway for all kinds of evils. What is a good person to do?

In His sermon on the mount, Jesus said that if your eye or your hand causes you to stumble, it would be better for you to pluck the eye out or cut off your hand and cast them away rather than to have your souls to end up in Hell.

What Jesus is saying there is not about hurting yourself, it’s about being willing to do whatever it takes to keep your eyes and your mind on Heaven. Aim for your righteousness and it will help yourself and others.

I do say “yourself and others” because you have more power and affect on other people than you realize. There is truly no such thing as a personal sin. Sin hurts and people who think much of you will follow your lead. You will take many souls with you wherever you go, either to eternal peace in Heaven or to eternal death.

Jesus mentioned the right hand for a reason. It is an example of your strong side. For most people, you get the greatest benefit from using your strong hand. That being said, even if something is benefitting you, it may also be what is doing the most damage to you in the long run.

There are many things in this world that are OK to do, but are they leading you somewhere good? Has the Holy Spirit been knocking on your door recently about something? Do you pray? Do you spend time in the scriptures? Do you use your tone wisely to help others?

I like to fish and I enjoy watching TV now and then. A few little relaxing pursuits are OK, but not when they consume my time. Even OK things, lawful things that benefit us, can get in the way of our eternal salvation. Moderation is key in many cases, but some things, even small seemingly insignificant things can take you away from the life God has called you too.

Jesus Christ suffered and died so that you can be free from sin. All of those bad things you’ve done are gone when you accept His payment on the cross. He died and rose again to give you an abundant life not only in Heaven for eternity, but here on Earth as well.

Use your abundance, whether it is food or money or strength or whatever, to help other people. Don’t use your time and earthly pursuits to chase sin. And make no mistake about it, if you are not actively chasing Heaven, you are slipping back down farther towards hell.

Jesus said there are only two roads. There is a wide one with a large gate that’s pointed in the wrong direction. Many people are on that road, heading for destruction. However, there is another road, a straight and narrow path that leads to an eternity of love and peace. Few find that road.

Which one are you on right now?

Once again, I’m not telling you to ACTUALLY cut off your hand. Please don’t! But I am telling you that we must be ready and willing to cut things out of our lives to gain God’s kingdom and blessings. Even if those things in our lives are OK and lawful, maybe they even benefit us sometimes, but if they harm us and cause others to stumble, then those things must be done away with in our lives.

If you do this, God has promised blessings and peace for now and forever. So stay on that straight and narrow path. It’s worth it.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:8-9

God’s blessings to you.

DH

Is There a God?

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

Do you know God? Do you even believe there is a God? Maybe you were once a believer because of your parents, but now you’re just not so sure?

The Bible says that the the heavens proclaim the glory of God and the skies display his craftsmanship. They speak without a word, but they make God’s presence known. You have to be willing to look rather than just give a passing glance.

This world is not an accident, just as an explosion in a junkyard wouldn’t accidentally make a jet plane. You can look at a building and know for certain there was a builder, even though you didn’t see it being built. And what about you? You are thinking with a brain and feeling emotions with a soul that was carefully and wonderfully made.

Need more proof? Have you ever seen the Disney movie Toy Story? The main characters find happiness and meaning in their lives through interactions with their owner, who cares about them so much that he (Andy) has written his name on the soles of their feet.

We have a Creator God who has written His name in our souls. We find meaning and happiness when we are interacting with God, because it is what our hearts long for. Like Saint Augustine said, our hearts are restless until they rest in the Lord. To put it into simple terms, we have a God sized hole that can only be filled by Him.

There has never been a culture or people found in the world, not even in the deepest parts of the jungle or desert, that doesn’t believe in some sort of higher power or deity. Our entire human race searches for its meaning outside of itself. We instinctively know that there is much more to life and existence than what we can find in and of ourselves.

So which is the right path? There are so many religions to choose from, and if I don’t like any of those, you can make up your own nowadays. However, even all of the world’s major religions are simply shadows of the real thing. At man’s best guess, all we can come up with is to do good, avoid evil, and seek the meaning to life and the afterlife.

What is good, or at least what is good enough? Man thinks he can work his way to Heaven. God says that only perfection gets in there and we are definitely not perfect. All of the major religions in the world say if you work hard enough and do enough good, things will be better someday. Maybe the next life or maybe a few more after that, you never know.

Unfortunately, there’s no way we can be good enough to work our way into a perfect afterlife, but there’s one thing that you need to know more than anything else. God loves you! He made you and He loves you just the way you just the way you are. He knows you can’t work enough or do enough good to earn Heaven. So God chose to bless and take care of His children just as any good father would. Although we deserve punishment for our bad choices, God said that He would pay the penalty.

God revealed Himself in the life and works of Jesus Christ. Born of a virgin, He lived the sinless life you and I can’t. But He still took the punishment and even the death upon the cross that you and I couldn’t. He did it so we could be forgiven of our debts, our sins. The punishment was paid in full so we could be set free of our evil and imperfections. Because of that, we can be allowed entry into Heaven for all of eternity. It is a free gift called grace. Just as any gift must be accepted, we must accept Jesus and His payment for our sins. Our God, our Creator, wants us to be with Him forever, but He won’t force it on us. It is a gift that can be accepted or rejected.

That in itself shows a mind and a plan to existence. Not because of random happenstance. Not because of us working our way to perfection, which would never happen. No. We are saved only because of Jesus Christ. Love: demonstrated.

God, our Creator, has a plan and it includes you because He loves you. Love is not some random accident, it’s purposeful. Love demonstrates a knowing and caring entity. That’s how I know there’s a God, because when I walk with Him and do His will, I feel His love and I’m able to share that love with others. God is love.

Is there a God? Undeniably, absolutely, YES!

God’s blessings to you!

DH

The Reason for the Season

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“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” – Luke 2:11

When the world needed peace, Jesus Christ was born. At a time when things didn’t seem that they could get any worse, Jesus arrived. When people were scared, angry, self-absorbed, and looking to the wrong things to bring themselves happiness, God arrived on Earth.

By all rights, this description sounds a lot like 2020. 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 occurred by any of our supposed plans.

We need peace, we need complete 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 for n 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.

So please remember this time of year, Christmas time. 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 and it all started because a star was born and His name is Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas and God’s blessings to you.

DH

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

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

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