Tag: peace

For God So Loved The World

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“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

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“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

A Star Is Born

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“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

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

For Peace With God

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God’s plan is for peace in your life, but in this crazy, confused, and fallen world, it seems like all we have are difficulties and pains. Once one goes away, another takes its place. It is the furthest thing from peace, but we need to realize that being at peace is not automatic.

Our problem is that we are separated from God. We are strangers in a strange land and that becomes more apparent with each passing day. Sin abounds. It’s all we see around every turn in this world. After a while, we find we jump right into that sin with both feet. But don’t think that you are alone in that mess. In Romans 3:23, it says that ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. How right it is.

The words ‘sin’ and ‘fallen’ don’t need to be what define you 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 can’t just take a flight if we have a ticket. That plane will leave without us if we don’t climb on board. We have to cross the bridge and we do that when we accept and receive Christ through His personal invitation.

“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

“Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” – Romans 10:13

To receive Christ you need to do four things:

  1. ADMIT your spiritual need. “I am a sinner.” Just like in any problem, the first step is admitting you have one.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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 Lord 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. If you didn’t, than 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 the peace of 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 His blessings be upon you forever.

DH