Toss out Your Presumptions.

The world is full of presumptions or judgements.

I bet even you make presumptions on people by the way they dress, talk, walk, or act.

Presumptions cause us to act out of personal judgements instead of fact. Presumptions of others limit enrichment in our lives. It causes us to put up walls and barriers instead of welcome mats.

I am not saying make a buddy with everyone you see… common sense should tell you that - but ask yourself if you are acting "this way or that way" to someone based on presumption or fact?


Jeremiah 1:4
"The LORD gave me a message. He said, "I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world."
"O’ Sovereign LORD," I said, "I can’t speak to you! I’m too young!"
"Don’t say that," The LORD replied, "for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and take care of you. I, the LORD, have spoken!"
Then the LORD touched my mouth and said, "See, I have put my words in your mouth! Today I appoint you to stand up against the nations and kingdoms. You are to uproot some and tear them down, to destroy and overthrow them. You are to build others up and plant them."

You see if we make presumptions about God and ourselves how can we build up others and plant them in the faith of Christ Jesus? How can we stand up for what is right and stand up against what is wrong? How can a person live according to God’s will if they don’t trust what God says?


Pride and presumption - Jonah suffered from pride and presumption. He didn’t want to go to Nineveh because of his own pride and presumption. His presumptions of God caused him to run away and his pride only made him think about himself and not God’s plan for mercy for the people of Nineveh.

"I knew that you were a gracious and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. I knew how easily you would cancel your plans for destroying these people. Just kill me now, LORD! I’d rather be dead than alive because nothing I predicted is going to happen." Jonah 4:2


People make presumptions of others based on blessings and tragedies. Take the story of Job for example. Job lost all his children and riches and came down with a terrible case of boils and had to leave his home and sit outside the city where people dumped their trash. His friends thought God was cursing Job because he had sinned against God but they were wrong.

Job 42:7 "After the LORD had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite; "I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not been right in what you said about me, as my servant Job was. Now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve, for you have not been right in what you said about me, as my servant Job was."


Just because this or that has happened to a person don’t make presumptions and especially not about God.

Isaiah 55:8 "My thoughts are completely different then yours," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher then your thoughts."

Here are two other warnings to keep in mind when it comes to presumptions about ourselves.


1 Corinthians 10:12
" If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall into the same sin."

James 4:11
"Don’t speak evil against each other, my dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize each other and condemn each other, then you are criticizing and condemning God’s law. But you are not a judge who can decide whether the law is right or wrong. Your job is to obey it. God alone, who made the law, can rightly judge among us. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to condemn your neighbor?"

So presumption ends with God’s wisdom and we build up and plant others in Christ Jesus as we live in that wisdom.

"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness." James 3:17

The Devil is a punk and why say more and give him the satisfaction.

The Spiritual Reality We Don't See and Waiting For Our Answer to Prayer

Do you know there are individuals out there that can see the spiritual realms around them?

Sometimes I can sense evil but I can’t literally see the source of it. Sometimes I feel God but can’t literally see God. I bet you have felt it too a time or two in your life. Some however can actually see not just feel the presence of evil that lurks or possesses an environment or a person’s life. Some can also actually see God’s angels, the river of God flow through a place, and even Jesus in visions and dreams, - not just feel the presence of God that lives or surrounds an environment or a person’s life. Not saying that feeling the presence of God isn’t powerful enough because it is very powerful and maybe just AS powerful.

We as Christians often think of two levels. The level we live in right now and the level where Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us but we hardly think of the level in between. The level where unseen battles are played out between angels and fallen angels. (I think God’s angels like it that way for they only want to glorify God and not themselves. That is the way it should be for Christians too, that our works and actions would glorify God and not us.)

"When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of the sheep, he doesn't just sit down and eat. He must first prepare his master's meal and serve him his supper before eating his own. And the servant is not even thanked, because he is merely doing what he is supposed to do. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, 'We are not worthy of praise. We are servants who have simply done our duty.'" Luke 17:7-10

Some may think, why bring up this unseen reality where battles are fought between angels and fallen angels for it isn’t mentioned all the much in the church today. What is the purpose in bringing it up?

Well this is my reasoning. Do you pray and when you pray does it seem that your prayers don’t get answered? Does it seem at times that it takes a long time for your prayers to get answered? Do you start to wonder and search for reasons why God might not be answering your prayers? Do you ask God, "Have I done something to upset you?"

Sometimes our prayers don’t get answered for a lot of reasons. Reasons beyond our understanding. Reasons that only God holds. Reasons that have to do with perfect timing and the perfect will of God.

It’s often frustrating when your prayers don’t get answered immediately. It’s even more trying when the situation you are praying for is pounding on your heartstrings. We cry out, "Father God why aren’t you taking care of this?"

It’s like our prayers are in this prayer chrysalis and we are just waiting and waiting for this beautiful monarch answer to burst forth and so we can feel that everything is how it should be once again.

Some may think that being a child of God means instant answers to prayer. Heck our brother Jesus is on the right hand of the Father, making intercession for us. We are allowed to come bounding into the throne room whenever we want because of Jesus spilt blood on Calvary. Our Father, creator of the universe, made us from the dust of this earth so nothing is impossible with Him. And both our Father and our brother Jesus have got plenty of angels to watch over us. Why the hold up?

When I get headed in this mindset I have to remind myself of what it says in the book of Daniel, Chapter 10.

"When this vision came to me, I, Daniel, had been in mourning for three weeks. All that time I had eaten no rich food or meat, had drunk no wine, and had used no fragrant oils. On April 23, as I was standing beside the great Tigris River, I looked up and saw a man dressed in linen clothing, with a belt of pure gold around his waist. His body looked like a dazzling gem. From his face came flashes like lightening, and his eyes were like flaming torches. His arms and feet shone like polished bronze, and his voice was like the roaring of a vast multitude of people.
I, Daniel, am the only one who saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing. But they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. So I was left there alone to watch this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. When I heard him speak, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground.
Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling to my hands and knees. And the man said to me, "O Daniel, greatly loved of God, listen carefully to what I have to say to you." When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling with fear.
Then he said, "Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for the twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia. Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come."

Paul writes in his letter to the church in Thessalonica, "We wanted very much to come, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us. After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what is our proud reward and crown? It is you! Yes, you will bring us much joy as we stand together before our Lord Jesus when he comes back again. For you are our pride and joy." 1 Thessalonians 2:18

We must continue to believe that God hears our prayers even though it seems nothing is happening. Armies of angels are fighting to ensure your prayers are answered in accordance to God’s will and to bring you to the full assurance of God’s love for you. Remember our prayers may be answered in ways that are unconventional in our ways of thinking.

Here’s an example. An evangelist and his family were traveling on the road from one church to another. They had no more money and just the gas in the gas tank. They prayed that God would see them through. They were on a highway when very angry man flagged them over to the side of the road. They pulled over to see what was wrong and the father got out. The angry man marched over to their car and pulled out his wallet and said, "I don’t know who you are or why I am doing this but I have to give you this!" The angry man gave the father one hundred dollars and before the father could thank him, the angry man marched back to his car and speeded away.

May you stay strong in the faith of The Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Jeff Johnson

What Do You Allow to Define You?

The Anvil
by Jeff Johnson

In a barn sat a large heavy block of iron. Its top was flat and smooth and on one side stuck a cone like shape. A man saw the unique piece of iron sitting along side the road at one time and thought it would be useful somewhere around his farm so he brought it home and set it his barn. It had sat there gathering dust until one day a new owner of the barn began using it to rest his saddle on after ridding his horse. This continued for sometime until the barn began to settle unevenly and needed to be propped up by something underneath one of its back corners. The owner of the barn looked around and saw the strange block of iron. He thought the block of iron was exactly what was needed to make the back corner of the barn level again. The owner of the barn jacked up the corner of the barn up and set the large block of iron under the corner and then slowly let the barn’s corner to rest on the iron block. The large block of iron sat there for sometime again until the barn burned to the ground in an unfortunate accident. Now another man had seen this block of iron in the ashes of the barn and took it. This same man owned a house on a large lake. Eventually the man became very wealthy and bought a large boat but the dock he had wasn’t big enough so he built a larger dock and used the large block of iron as a dock anchor for his big boat. The iron block sat there many years tied to one boat after another. The wealthy man that owned the dock then went bankrupt. Eventually the dock began to rot and fall apart sending the block of iron to the lake bottom. It sat there with no particular purpose in the dark depths.
There then was a long harsh drought at the lake. The lake level dropped drastically exposing the iron block. Four young men seeing it sticking out of the muddy muck brought it to the lakeshore. There they rinsed it off and scrubbed it down. Needing cash, one of them got the idea to sell the iron block on ebay. They all agreed.
A man who worked metals saw the block iron on the Internet. It reminded him of a block of iron he had made for a particular purpose. It somehow found it’s way off the back of his pick-up. He had never forgotten that block of iron for it was perfect for what he made it for. With the sweat and blood money of life he bought the block of iron. When the man saw it he shook his head, it was his block of iron but he could tell it was used for a lot of things it wasn’t intended for. He brought the iron block into his shop. Placed it on a hard rock of stone and said, “Now I’ll show and remind you what you were intended for.” He took black rod of steel out of a glowing orange burning furnace and laid it on the flat smooth surface of the block of iron. The end of the hot redden rod radiated. The man hammered the rod with his heavy steel mallet and as he did sparks of unstable metal retreated to the ground below. Back and forth from mallet to furnace, the rod began to flatten and soon took the shape of a blade of a sword. When the man was done shaping the sword with his mallet, he baptized the blade of metal in a bath of water. The bath filled with hot bubbles and then discharged a cloud of steam vapor. Immersed in water for a while the blade cooled. The man then took the blade out of the water and looked back at the block of iron and smiled, “You see you were born to build with me.”
The man then went to a moving sharpening stone and as the two worked together, the blade became sharp enough to show a reflection of the master.

What do you allow to define you? Is it the possessions you own? What you dress like? Is it your friends you hang around with? Is it your current job? How others treat you? How you feel about yourself or what emotions you feel?

What do you allow to define you? When you allow something to define you, you are being controlled by that something.

The Spirit of God had our pastor say this statement. You see if it makes sense to you.

“Fear not man (that includes yourself) who can destroy your body but fear He who can destroy your soul in hell.”

Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill you. They can only kill your body; they can not touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Not even a sparrow worth only half a penny, can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to him then a whole flock of sparrows. If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will openly acknowledge that person before my Father in heaven. But if anyone denies me here on earth, I will deny that person before my Father in heaven.”

We often fear things that don’t really matter when it comes to our soul. If we allow people or things to control our lives and not God to guide and direct our lives - we are on the path of destruction but if we fear and/or highly respect God and He will save our soul and give us peace no matter what comes.

Jesus said, “Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.” Matthew 6:21

When we put things higher then God and hold onto things (even worries and anxieties), and/ or leave God out of our thinking - we are allowing those things to control us.

Jesus said, “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give it up for me, you will find it.” Matthew 10:39

Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life- whether you have enough food, drink and clothes. Doesn’t life consist or more then food and clothing?” Matthew 6:24

Jesus continues in Matthew 6:31 “So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.”

Matthew 5:3 Jesus says “God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.”

In simplicity, God made you. Life started by Him and begins with Him. Your real purpose and life are in Him. He defines you and without Him you are lost.

Sharp Words That Get To You

When the other children woke up next morning (They had been sleeping on piles of cushions in the pavilion) the first thing they heard- from Mrs. Beaver- was that their brother had been rescued and brought into camp late last night; and was at that moment with Aslan. As soon as they had breakfast they all went out, and there they saw Aslan and Edmund walking together in the dewy grass, apart from the rest of the court. There is no need to tell you (and no one ever heard) what Aslan was saying, but it was a conversation which Edmund never forgot. As the others drew nearer Aslan turned to meet them, bringing Edmund with him.
"Here is your brother," he said, "and- there is no need to talk about what is past."
Edmund shook hands with each of the others and said to each of them in turn, "I’m sorry," and everyone said, "That’s all right." And then everyone wanted very hard to say something which would make it quite clear that they were all friends with him again - something ordinary and natural- and of course no one could think of anything in the world to say. But before they had time to feel really awkward one of the leopards approached Aslan and said,
"Sire, there is a messenger from the enemy who craves audience."
"Let him approach," said Aslan.

Pages 138-139 "The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe" By C. S. Lewis

What is in the past let stay in the past. Think about that for a moment. If you are holding onto the past you will always be stuck emotionally in the past.

Colossians 3:13
"You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others."

Edmund was spoken to about his actions. As Christians, we all know when God has corrected us on something in our lives. We can feel it inside our soul. And it isn’t our business to know what God has said to others just to us. We should just to be glad that God is working in each of our lives.

Proverbs 3:11
"My child, don’t ignore it when the Lord disciplines you, and don’t be discouraged when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights."

Third party evolvement. If you didn’t hear it come out of mouth of the person who spoke it then it wasn’t for your ears to hear. A third party, meaning well or not meaning well could easily manipulate or misunderstand the content in which something is spoken by someone else. If someone has said something negative about you then let it be his or her idle word against your silence in Christ.
(Remember it is not our silence, you and I want to stand in because our silence has a tendency to breed thoughts and emotions that lead to sin and a poor representation of Christ.) We want to stand in the silence of Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:10
"For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in our bodies."

Matthew 12:35-36
"A good person produces good words from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil words from an evil heart. And I will tell you this, that you must give an account on judgment day of every word you speak. The words you say now reflect your fate then; either you will be justified by them or you will be condemned."

Luke 6:45
"A good person produces good deeds from a good heart, and an evil person produces evil deeds from an evil heart. Whatever is in your heart determines what you say."

Matthew 5:11-12
"God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too."

Here's a hand to get back onto the ROCK of Christ my friend.

Letting the Chains Fall Off

We are spiritual vessels - if we want to admit it or not. We are vessels made to hold the things of God. We have a choice to live in freedom and obey Christ or do evil. We practice and fill ourselves with evil, we will soon find ourselves in chains.

"You will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit." Galatians 6:7-8

Imagine a foam cup. The same kind of foam cup people carry coffee in around the office or juice at birthday party. Take the same foam cup and pour some acid or gasoline in it and it will melt and decay right in front of your eyes.

We are the same way. We seek and fill our souls with the fruits of the spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control - we stay in great shape. We have peace and feel free but if we fill our soul with doubt, hostility, jealousy, outbursts of anger, self-ambition, sexual immorality (to name a few) we are going to harvest the consequences of decay and even death.

I could say "Don’t doubt! Don’t do this and don’t do that! But it wouldn’t do any good.

Jesus says "All those who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and live with them. Anyone who doesn’t love me will not do what I say. John 14:23-

While we were growing up, we showed our love and respect to our parents/ caregivers by listening and obeying them right? God isn’t any different. Jesus said the Holy Spirit is here to "convince the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgement. The world’s sin is unbelief in me." John 16:8. God will punish and correct His creation just like any caring loving parent or caregiver would and does. He wants all his creation to live in freedom by not doing what is evil but doing what is good.

If people don’t want to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior then there is no reason to obey Jesus. There are some that want to believe but doubt has shackled them to a ship heading in to it’s last sunset. For those I say pray, pray that God will release you from that doubt and give you encouragement to believe that Jesus is KING! But for those who don’t want to believe and don’t want live as Jesus told us to live, I feel sorry for them because they will only reap decay and death. And it will be their choice and no one else’s.

The Holy Spirit is to convince our family and friends of their need for Christ in thier lives. He can be blunt as a sword or soft and gentle. He can soften any heart because he created it. Our loved ones won’t however be able to receive empowerment from the Holy Spirit however until they chose to follow Christ and are open to his spiritual giftings.

Jesus says this: "If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you." John 14:15-17

"In the last days, God said, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophesy." Acts 2:17

You know when Jesus left and the Father of Heaven sent the Holy Spirit it was the beginning of the last days. We are living in the last days. And in the last days things are suppose to get worse not better. However wouldn’t you like to be reassured and have peace knowing God is with you and is taking care of you?

Jesus says "I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn’t like the peace of the world." John 14:27

To have peace from God is to be FREE! Free from the bondage that only wants to destroy us. And it is only in that freedom that we can see what is most important in God’s plan for others and ourselves.

"For you have been called to live in freedom-not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love. For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." But if instead of showing love among yourselves you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.
So I advise you live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires.
These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer subject to the law. When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, self-ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, envy, drunkenness, wild parties and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another." Galatians 5:13-24

Dark spiritual chains can be put on in a hurry if you allow yourself to lead instead of the Holy Spirit.

Friends, Family, Christians Brothers and Sisters – come to Christ. Get rid of those chains that so easily want to entangle and entrap you. Friends/Family if you haven’t accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your Lord and Savior– do so. Let God raise you up and direct you so you will inherit eternal life in God’s Kingdom. Let Him be your strength, encouragement and peace for all your days ahead. Trust in Him. Christians Brothers and Sisters, if you haven’t already, ask Jesus for the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon you so you may grow to the full expression of Christ that God wants and intends for you to be and WATCH THE CHAINS COME OFF! Thank You Jesus! Thank you Father! Thank you Holy Spirit!

Feeling the Negative Vibes?

May you see past that the anger you receive and see it as it really is.... It is difficult. It even more difficult when you feel the emotions of resentment from a brother or sister in Christ. The vibrations shake our emotions and cause us to want to accept ideas and thoughts that we shouldn't. These vibrations shake our emotions because of the strong sinews we are all tied to when we belong to each other and Christ.

"But they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For we are joined together in his body by strong sinews, and we grow only as we get our nourishment and strength from God." Colossians 2:19

It is true, when one of us is hurting or not understanding we who surround this person tend to feel their negative vibes. We are no different then when a drop of moisture hits a puddle of water making a ripple but the difference is where we place our feet when the drop of moisture strikes the surface of that puddle.

If it is in the seas of Adam (our flesh) we will feel the effects of the ripple but there is a way not to feel the effects of someones negativity. In this pool of water a rock is always constant no matter if we choose to believe or not to believe. Standing on the rock, when the ripple comes - our ways of handling the situation will be entirely different. The rock of Christ is always present and He allows us to see the vibration around us for what it is- without causing us to react in the ways of the flesh. The ways of the flesh are to get into a defensive mode. Some people lash back out, some get depressed or some just retreat emotionally all together.

"Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

The negative vibrations may come circle the rock of Christ but the rock doesn't move and either do we if we are standing on Him. Then we are able to act according to the Spirit and express the love of Christ in all His fullness without worry, fear, depression, sadness, judgement, hate anxiety and anger.

Yes there are some people who are able to disconnect themselves from someone else's negativity but it isn't always constant and it has nothing to do with standing on the rock of Christ. It has everything to do with selfishness. They may not care when it comes to someone they dislike but when it comes to someone they love or admire -watch out. They can be quickly turned.

When you see the ripple of anger, resentment or negativity coming towards you, take a moment and step on the rock of Christ. Don't depend on your own fleshly understandings and fall into those knee jerk reactions but seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit which God gave you when you accepted Christ into your life.

"Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony." Colossians 3:14

In Christ, the world will see the light.

May you find and walk in all His ways,
Jeff

Nothing Can Separate Us From Him

Running in the dark or enlightened by transparency.
Nothing can separate us from Him
All things lead to Him. It’s like a circle with no course.
You can be up high or at your lowest low.
Nothing can separate us from Him.
Condemned by certain emotions or inflicted by other’s rhythms.
Humble and lamented…
Nothing can separate us from Him.
In a crowded room or stranded alone…
Judged or favored it really doesn’t matter… what is human opinion?
Nothing can separate us from Him.
Accused, slandered, stabbed and spit on…
Rest, peace, and at ease in heaven’s best…
Nothing can separate us from Him.
A good laugh or a salty tear
Hard boiled or a deep breath…
A tall glass of water or scorching flames…
On a roller coaster or mistaken as a punching bag
Nothing can separate us from Him
A record player or a song maker
Nothing can separate us from Him.
Ignorant or filled
Nothing can separate us from Him.

Jeff Johnson

Cheating and Adultery Are NOT Okay

Yesterday I was tempted to write a fiery commentary about an article I tripped over on MSN entitled, "How European Men Don’t Get Caught in Adultery." I started to read the article trying to understanding why someone might want to read such an article.

I don’t know how far I read but the more that I read the angrier I got in disbelief. Thinking back on it sounded like something right out of Satan’s twisted handbook…. It is all right to have adulterous relationships if it doesn’t make you feel guilty the next day and you tell the woman you are having this adulterous fling with that you are married first.

I think most Christians would see that the article sat heavily on the "I" or "Me" concept. Those who don’t know the "I" or "Me" concept, it’s all about satisfying one’s own flesh not about doing what is right in God’s sight.

Another concept was, adulterous relationships are everyday things and very uncomplicated in Europe. The other woman or women are told that this is just a sexual fling nothing more. The other woman agrees and they happily carry on like nothing has ever happens afterward.
The last one I read had to do with. "It is all right to lie and cheat if the one I am lying and cheating on doesn’t find out." - It won't hurt anyone unless they find out.

I don’t know if they had this one (because I didn’t read the entire article) but I am hearing about this one too lately. "It is all right to have sex with someone else if my spouse is having sex with someone else too and we both know each others additional sex partner(s)."

I know these ideas have been around A VERY LONG TIME but they have only been around A VERY LONG TIME because they seem to work when it comes to snaring us and persuading us into sinful acts.

God says, "Do not commit Adultery" (Exodus 20:14)
God says, "Do not testify falsely against your neighbor." (Exodus 20:16)
God says, "Do not covet your neighbor’s wife." (Exodus 20:17)

In the Old Testament people were stoned to death if caught in adultery. "If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death" (Leviticus 20:10)

Some would say that these laws were only for the Jews but in the New Testament Jesus, who is the Savior and the Son of God for all people (Jews and non- Jews) says:

"You have heard that the law of Moses says, "Do not commit adultery." But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if it is your eye- even if it is your good eye- causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body then for your whole body to be thrown into hell." (Matthew 5:27)

I will not judge a person who commits adultery for we have all been sinful but I will share this event that is told to us in John 8

"Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and Pharisees brought a woman they had caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
"Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?"
They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, "All right, stone her. But let those who have never sinned throw the first stones!"
Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.
Then Jesus stood up again and said to her, "Where are you accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?"
"No, Lord," she said.
And Jesus said, "Neither do I, Go and sin no more."

Why does God want us to be faithful to our spouse? He knows what damage it does to the family and you. He knows trust is not easily repaired or fixed. He knows such acts cause the spread of sexual transmitted diseases such as HIV, AIDS, Herpes and cervical cancers. When you do such acts, it shows we only have the values of the world and are no different then the rest of the world when we do such acts. And if we can’t be faithful to our wife, how can be faithful to God? God is only looking what we are looking for.

Would you want a spouse who cheats on you? How can God’s love and the expression of that love be shown if we are no different then the rest of the world.

I couldn’t stay married to someone who was unfaithful.

When we do the twisted dark things the world tries to say is okay we are not acting as children of God but children of the dark prince of this world. The dark prince of this world doesn’t care for his children. When these people who have denied Christ, by their actions go before God, the devil who cheered them on will then turn on them and accuse them of al their sins. Satan will probably laugh at all those who have the nerve to try to accuse him for all their shame and evil. If he says anything at all to them he will probably say something like; "You are sending yourself to hell." It will come very apparent that they didn’t have to do the dark and lustful things that were conveniently suggested.

I will say this again for your benefit and for your benefit ALONE.

"I used to think the Satan/ the Devil was fiction but then I asked God if the devil was real and one night in my sleep the spiritual vial was opened for me to see the Satan- the dark prince of this world. He is not the beautiful angel he once was. The portrayal of him being red is not that far off. His being looks as if it has been scorched to redness. I remember his eyes were very perching and menacing and I would be lying to say he wasn’t frightening. He has a very strong presence. Darkness and flames seemed to reflect on his being. I tried to look away from him as much as I could like Frodo trying to look away from the great evil eye of Sauron in the Lord of the Rings movies. Then heard a blood-curdling scream. It was like it was right next to my bed and I immediately woke up. I think I sat straight up in bed. I listened. My wife was still sleeping soundly beside me. It was obvious it wasn’t the children. Trembling, I prayed for God to watch over my house and eventually I fell back to sleep.

Don’t be fooled! There are many things we can not see. The Lord God is the only way. There you find and draw your strength from Him.

If you are being adulterous, Jesus would say to you, "Go and sin no more."

Oh… and there is a reason why God says don’t concern yourself with things of this world. You get less uptight that way.

That is SOME BREAD!

One of my favorite things to eat is bread, with butter. I have noticed however that bread is only good if you have something to drink with it. Bread tends to be like a dry donut that makes you instantly thirsty after a couple of pieces.

There are all kinds of breads. Grain breads, Garlic, Sourdough breads, wheat, ryes, poppy seed, French, Artisan, etc, etc…. There are also the breads the world eats and tries to convince us to eat.

Those who have eaten those types of breads know they don’t satisfy but leave an individual looking for something more.

It reminds me of one of the quotes in one the Lord of the Rings movie when one of the orcs says, "All we have eaten is this stink'n maggoty bread!"

The sad fact is some continue to eat the breads of the world that disguise themselves as something new, something sweet and fulfilling but really all they get in the end is a dry mouth stuffed with stale moldy bread that will slowly poison, burden and leave them blind. Sounds harsh but what do you expect from the world that only wants to feed the flesh and not the soul?

John 6:35 Jesus said, "I am the bread of life. No one who comes to me will ever be hungry again. Those who believe in me will never thirst."

Now that is some bread I love to savor. It is fulfilling and doesn’t leave me thirsty.

John 6:63 Jesus said,
"It is the Spirit who gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you don’t believe me"

The bread that man makes doesn’t satisfy and is useless but the bread God makes is fulfilling and everlasting. We choose what to feed on. God doesn't feed us with he knows is unhealthy and leaves us unsatisfied. It is us who makes that choice.

Proverbs 16:26 says,
"It is good for workers to have an appetite; an empty stomach drives them on."

Christians, who have a genuine zest to delight themselves in God, are driven not by the things of this world but their relationship with God and by the ways God reveals and shows himself.

I am constantly amazed how God reveals himself to me.

Take this last Sunday, I came up to the front for prayer for a relative. The man visiting the church, I prayed with was a total stranger and as he prayed with me he said, "I was just told just that your name is Jeff. Is your name Jeff?" I said, "Yes". The Holy Spirit had told him my name. I think he was more amazed then I was but I was delighted to be reminded that God is present and not in some far distance place when we come before him with our prayer requests. I am still smiling at the thought of the moment and find it very encouraging. Thank You Father God.

Luke 12:21 Jesus says,
"Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God."

I will never get enough of Father God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. He is endless.

Religion is probably one of the worst breads you can eat of this world. When I say religion I am not talking about Faith in Christ. I ate from religion for a short while. It made me very thirsty and hungry and blind. I fought and walked myself right into a dark closet and became very lost in my own foolish thoughts and ideas but thanks to God’s mercy and compassion, Jesus came and got me. God help me to never go back to those chains again.

I now try to focus on God and not myself and what I see going on around me. I try to stay humble. I try to remember things are not always what they seem or appear to be. People have bad days. We get sick. Forgetting your wallet and having to go home and get it may have just saved your life from that terrible car wreck on the way to work. I try to depend on His Holy Spirit to move and motivate my life. I speak with God and try to be thankful for all the things He has done and I think I have gained a deeper appreciation and desire for Him in our growing relationship.

He’s definitely the bread I can’t go without in life. I hope it is the same way with you!

God's Desire for You.

The Trophy’s of Grace came and visited our church this last Sunday from Teen Challenge. One of the favorite scriptures of the men was "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37)

We must have a desire for God and through this desire grows a Godly love for others.
I asked God this question recently, "How can people desire you if they have really no idea or concept of who you are?"

And this is the illustration that came to mind. The love a husband gives to his wife shows how much he desires her and from that desire comes understanding to the wife that her husband REALLY loves her. That understanding gives their relationship strength and if her heart truly understands the love her husband has for her she will be holding her husband’s hand through richer or poorer and sickness and health. There will be a strong trust there.

God’s desire is the same way. God wants us to know how much He desires us so we can understand how much He truly loves us no matter what life brings because He is holding our hand as we go through it.

We submit to God just as a wife submits to her husband. I think the word "submit" has been twisted over the years. But submit means that we give ourselves and it is only when we give our lives to God (no matter in bad or good times) that we can truly see God’s love act in our behalf in our lives.

God’s desire is for us to know Him but we can only get to know Him if we submit our lives to Him.

Philippians 4:11
Paul, who submitted his life our Lord Jesus Christ, writes, "Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need."

It is for richer or poorer isn’t it? But notice how Paul writes the word "happily".
He was happy no matter if he was rich or poor. He was happy if he had no food in stomach or plenty of food in his stomach.

Paul knew none of the things of this world would satisfy him but his relationship with God would. He also knew "things" don’t just fade or lose importance in time but tend to become a burden. He also probably knew that things could also take the place of God in a person’s life.

Take the rich man who wanted follow Christ. Christ told him to sell everything he had but he couldn’t do it? Why? What was more important to the man? Christ wanted to show the man that his things were more important then God? God’s desire to have a relationship with Paul was the only "thing" that gave him peace and assurance for his everyday life.

Do you have that kind of peace and assurance? God wants to give it to you! He desires a relationship with you!

You say, "I can’t! You have done some things that God wouldn’t approve of?" Well so has the rest of the human race? You say "I got to get myself right with God first?" Well get yourself right with God by asking God forgiveness of your sins and asking God’s son, Jesus Christ into your life for he is the only one who can make that change within you. Jesus became a sacrifice for our sins. He, as Lord and Savior, sits at God’s right hand interceding for us everyday. He lives to give us an ever changing life and eternal life. Jesus Christ is our Priestly Lord and King. Ask him for the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon you and may God bless you in the full knowledge and love of God. In Jesus name Amen!

Walking in Love and Obedience

Some would disbelief that we are living in the last days of what we know as America but I don't think so.

Most Christians can see this by the way our country is turning away from God and His principles we aren't far from that day.

I want you who are not Christians (who haven't given your lives to Christ) to pay attention to this top part.

Jesus says in Matthew 7:21

"Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as 'Lord' but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven. On judgment day many will tell me, 'Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized."

The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in Heaven not just that they believe in Jesus Christ. Satan believes in Jesus Christ. You wouldn't want Satan to be up with you in heaven would you? Read the bible what does it say?

Matthew 22:36 says:

"Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?

Jesus replied, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All other commandments and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments."

How do you want to be treated? Do you love the Lord with all your heart, soul and mind?

Christians, Jude, Jesus' half-brother writes to those called to live in the love of God the Father and the care of Jesus Christ:

3. Dearly loved friends, I have been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the truth of the Good News. God gave this unchanging truth once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some godless people have wormed their way in among you, saying that God's forgiveness allows us to live immoral lives. The fate of such people was determined long ago, for they have turned against our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. I must remind you- and know it well- that even though the Lord rescued the whole nation of Israel from Egypt, he later destroyed everyone of those who did not remain faithful. And I remind you of the angels who did not stay within the limits of authority God gave them but left the place where they belonged. God has kept them chained in prisons of darkness waiting for the day of judgment. And don't forget the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns where were filled with sexual immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and are a warning of the eternal fire that will punish all who are evil. "

He continues....

17. But you, dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ told you, that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to enjoy themselves in every evil way imaginable. Now they are here, and they are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They live by natural instinct because they do not have God's Spirit living in them. But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. (Jesus Christ) And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit. Live in such a way that God's love can bless you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. There are still others to whom you need to show mercy, but be careful that you aren't contaminated by their sins.

And now, all glory to God, who is able to keep you from stumbling, and who will bring you into his glorious presence innocent of sin and with great joy. All glory to him, who alone is God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Yes, glory, majesty, power and authority belong to him, in the beginning, now and forever more. Amen."

You have read it, now stand on it. May the Spirit of God help us all.

Giving Your Love-Life To God

Does your marriage seem to be turned into a list of events of the day? The intimacy and deep conversation that spoke of trust and love that brought you closer together seem to be a dribble instead of nourishing spring that once watered the two of you? Does it seem that your spouse is being watered by a different watering source then you are?

Do you struggle because you have found no love, no partner, no life long friend and spouse? You feel alone? You feel like an observer of life? Are you one who goes home and turns on the television and lives with your thoughts and maybe a cat or dog?

You haunted by lost loves and could have beens? You remember how they made you feel every time you got to be with them. You remember their laugh and how they made you laugh. What they liked to drink. What they liked to eat. What movies you saw together. What places you went together. You remember the smell or scent of them. Like some unfair love story you both went your separate ways- only to discover you feel like you missed out because you didn’t take that chance.

Do you hurt? Your heart wants to love and rise again but because of the hurt someone has done to you, you hide. You avoid glances and emotions. You walk the sidewalks of life looking into the store front windows never going in. You say that looks nice but what if.....

Are you one who says maybe God wants me to be alone and remain single? ... (but what are the desires of your heart?)

Falling apart marriage? In your falling apart marriage, you say, "We just grew apart. Circumstances and events changed us. The challenge was too great. We are just two very different people from where we were back then… but what did you say on your wedding day? Not only between the two of you but before God and those who witnessed it. Are you suppose to stay the same forever- of course not but we so easily forget that marriage is a journey of steps. Sometimes certain steps are more difficult then other steps but marriage is based on love and through love all things endure- and even change for the better. Marriage isn’t about being self-centered but allowing the other person to become who they are suppose to be and that goes without saying it comes with risks and failures.

Love is about sacrifice. It's about giving something up so others may have something and it can be painful..... Remember what Christ did for us so we could have eternal life?

Love is a natural thing for most children. Most children haven’t been roughed up by life yet. Being roughed up will cause anyone to be self-centered in their thinking but that roughness can be smoothed out in one’s soul and love can be all it is suppose to be if we allow God to work in our hearts and minds.

Love is:
"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

For all of us, this definition of love is impossible to live out or accomplish by ourselves but through God’s spirit working in us- it can and will be done in time.

Our love-life shouldn’t be based on us doing it but God doing it. Of course it takes us to be willing to listen. It takes us to submit to God. It takes us to hand over the keys and say God you take the wheel because the way I see it, it is either impossible or never going to happen or I am going to have to settle for someone or something.

God knows the desires of your heart and he makes no mistakes. You trust in him and the pieces of your love-life will come together. Not saying you won’t have difficult times because you can be assured of difficult times or problems arising. God didn’t use the word "endure" and "love" together for no reason at all. You endure not by what you see but by trusting in God to get you through what you see.

I am still in the process of learning but I find peace of mind knowing God has my love-life in his hands. I hope you do the same.

Have a wonderful Valentines Day filled with promise and hope. God bless Jeff

Eternal Life

I don’t know about you, but when my children were around the age of two, they wanted to do everything themselves. Honestly it was struggle to let them do things that I knew they would struggle and fail at but finally I just would have to let them try it. They would try it and fail and then, without much persuasion from my part, they would come and ask my wife and I for help.
It’s funny that even though we grow up, we aren’t that much different then a two-year-old at times. It’s hard to let lopse that stubborn attitude of "I can do it myself!"

A lot of Americans were raised with this idea of "We can do it ourselves" but they forget that this nation was built on Christian fundamentals and believing that in God nothing is impossible. We were a nation that believed that in God we could make anything possible if you just believed by taking a step and letting Him help us. (Luke 18:27)

Unfortunately we are becoming a nation and children that don’t know our Father God. We have become a nation that has gone and hid in the clothes racks of human ideals and come out not knowing where our Father God is standing.

We don’t know how to ask our Father God for help and we have become stubborn and even foolish in our own ways of thinking. Thinking that our ways are right but when compared side by side to God’s biblical truths we are nation that is black beside God’s truths that are white. We are becoming lost in our own darkness of the foolish thoughts and ideals.

We don’t know how blessed we are compared to other nations. It seems we don’t even care and are ignorant of God’s hand over us. I have been to Mexico where families live in a little more then cardboard shacks and don’t know where they are going to get their next meal but they have more trust in God then we do. An American thrown into their "situation" wouldn’t have much to lean on to keep them going and give them assurance. We as a nation are blind to our richness of blessings from God. We are like spoiled children tearing away the wrapping paper from our piles of gifts. We don't fully realize that there other children out there that don't even have an idea what it means to have a bathroom, a bed, or even running water.

Are we totally blind when it comes to God? I don’t think so. Look around us. Look at you and the nature all around you. Where did our nation go in crises such as 911 or Katrina? When we hear God’s truths, they either convict us or reassure us. God is our Father. He knows everything we have ever done. We instinctively know God’s truths because we try to ignore or hide or run from them when we aren’t right with our Father God just a child tries to lie, hide or run from their natural born parents when they have done something they know their parents would not approve.

Why do you think our Father God wants us to know He knows everything about us? (Job 23:7-12) Isn’t obvious? So we can come to Him knowing there isn’t anything to hide from Him. We mess up- we simply say we screwed up and ask Him to forgive us and to direct us so we don’t make the same mistake again. He loves us and He will love us even to the gates of hell if that is our choice not to trust in Him. It is you who has to decide if you truly want to trust him or not.

You want religion? Of course not! You want to be part of a world that is drowning in it’s own darkness? Of course not! It’s a small path between those two things but God’s Holy Spirit sent by Jesus Christ can help you along that small path if you humble yourself and ask for help.

Jesus states in John 16:13 " When the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by revealing to you whatever he receives from me. All that the Father has is mine; this is what I mean when I say the Spirit will reveal to you whatever he receives from me."

Jesus says in Matthew 7:13 "You can enter God’s kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it."
So who is the gateway to life?

Jesus says in John 10:9 "Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. Wherever they go, they will find green pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

John 10:14 "I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep. And they know me, just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice; and there will be one flock with one shepherd"

John 10:27 "My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and He is more powerful then anyone else. So no one can take them from me. The Father and I are one."

John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."

You can not get eternal life by yourself nor matter what good things you have done or believe in yourself. Your eternal life is based solely on faith. Faith in God the Father’s Son, Jesus Christ. That faith, in Jesus Christ, will sustain, anchor and keep you on that path to eternal life.

If the Spirit of God is calling to you, ask Jesus Christ into your life. Ask Him to forgive you for all the times you have done things your way. Ask Him to forgive you for all the wrongs you have committed in your life for he paid them in full on the cross for you and me. Ask Jesus Christ to be Lord and Savior of your life. Ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit so you may grow and be given wisdom to understand and live and love by God’s truths and ways. Tell Jesus that you don’t want to go to hell and you know the only way to eternal life is through Him. Speak from the heart and he will hear you.

God bless you

Handed A New Code Key

I want you to imagine a code key that you slide in the door of your life every day. You slide the code key into slot. The light turns green. The lock opens in the door and you walk through the door just like every other day but this particular day a man walks up to you and gives you a new code key. You are about to give him your old code key when he puts up his hand and says, "You have a choice."

You look at both the keys in your hand and at first there are no obvious signs that the keys are any different. Of course the one you have been using looks used. It has been slightly abused. You have used it from everything to opening junk mail, to when you locked yourself out of your house, to an ice scraper for your car windshield.

You take the clean new code key and go to the door and slide it into the spot. The light turns green and the door unlocks and pops open. You walk through the door. The space is the same but there is a new light and perspective on everything in that space. It’s like you are in a parallel world. You can’t put your finger on it so you ask others who share this space with you, "What is different?"
They look at you strangely and say, "Nothing is different but you seem to be."

Do you want a new code key for your life?

We are continually being presented with ourselves…. The same old key card but the new code key is not based on us, which often deals with our own understandings and reasons about life. It is a code key that helps up look beyond the constant reflection of us to something higher and greater. It transforms us and gives us assurance instead of things like doubt and fear that box us in. This new code key is empowered by a source greater then our imagination. It is empowered by God’s Holy Spirit.

The same Holy Spirit that brings conviction to the world for its sins brings peace to those in Christ. It doesn’t lead by human understanding but rather an understanding that is taught through God’s word, situations, circumstances and challenges. It’s not just "living" and "walking" through life but breathing and speaking new life to others by what insight you have been shown and taught by the Creator Himself.

The old key however deals with our flesh and our own human reasoning. It can actually block God from acting in our lives. The old code key takes God out of the equation in our lives and we are only presented with ourselves and when we are presented with only our reasoning and logic then we start to believe and make up foolish ideas about life and God. This is not what God intended for you and me.

Romans 1:21 says: "Yes they knew God but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give him thanks and they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused."

Romans 1:28-32 says "When they refused to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their evil minds and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They are forever inventing new ways of sinning and are disobedient to their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, and are heartless and unforgiving. They are fully aware of God’s death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too."

Most people are unaware of death trap they are living in. They are unaware of the eternal punishment awaiting them after this life. They have been tricked and talked into things that if they knew the truth, they would try to steer away from those things.

They are unaware that their life is like a burning house. And since they have no idea that their house is burning down, they will die in that house with no hope. That is, unless, someone runs up to that house and shares with them that they need to get out of their burning house before it’s too late. Of course there will be those individuals, full of pride, who will want to believe that their house is not on fire but for those who can smell the smoke there is good news.

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for ours sins and to satisfy God’s anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus. Can we boast, then that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds. It is based on our faith."

Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior by confessing that you have sinned against God and need Him to save you. Ask the Holy Spirit to come into your life so you maybe empowered to live the life God intended you to live before you were even a thought in your mother’s mind. Ask this all in Jesus name.

You know what I say is true … Are you going to continue using the same old key card that changes nothing and stay in that burning house or use the new key card that changes everything? The choice is up to you my friend.

You Turning Your Faith into Religion?

Don’t make your faith into a religion if you do, you won’t only make yourself miserable but all those around you. Everyone is spoken to and convicted by God in different ways. Everyone is told and given special abilities and gifts by God. Don’t push, compare or measure yourself against anyone else. You were not perfect when you came to Christ and you are still being pruned and perfected at this moment. God hasn’t taken you from this life yet. Christ should be your center of thought and from there comes true knowledge, understanding and love. It pains and saddens me to see such human understanding in God’s people. God sees you as perfected only by the shed blood of Christ, not in your own ways of trying to make yourself right.

And "since you are so eager to have spiritual gifts, ask God for those that will be of real help to the whole church." 1 Corinthians 14:12

And remember "If I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it, but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever." 1 Corinthians 13:2-3

Remember what Jesus said, "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing." John 15: 4-5

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will all disappear." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

"Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by keeping the law? Of course not, for the Holy Spirit came upon you only after you believed the message you heard about Christ. Have you lost your senses? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? You have suffered so much for the Good News. Surely it was not in vain, was it? Are you now going to just throw it all away? I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law of Moses? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. In the same way, ‘Abraham believed God, so God declared him righteous because of his faith." The real children of Abraham, then, are all those who put their faith in God. What’s more, the Scriptures look forward to this time when God would accept the Gentiles, too, on the basis of their faith. God promised this god news Abraham long ago when he said, ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ And so it is: All who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith." Galatians 2-9

Wasn’t it in God’s graciousness and kindness that he showed you the truth by the Spirit of truth- the Counselor – the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "And when he comes, he will convince the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment." John 16:8

He did this because he loved you first regardless of your past actions. Your convictions and assumptions need to be dropped when reaching out and building up others in Christ- for they only build up walls and unnecessary battles and may even cause them to stumble away from Christ and become slaves again. God will transition them from milk to solid foods in his time not yours.

"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by revealing to you whatever he receives from me. All the Father has is mine; this is what I mean when I say that the Spirit will reveal to you whatever he receives from me." John 16:13

A FIRM grasp on life....choking your life right out?

I don't know about you but my kids were all born with a firm grasp. I'd put my finger in their little grasp and they cling on tight. Infact my oldest decided before she was born to grab on to her umbilical cord and hold so tight she cut off her oxygen supply -giving us and the doctor a pretty good scare. Are you gripping so tight onto life that you are literally choking off your life?
Let go of your life and trust in the faith, hope and love that you were given.

Here is a little poem to show you what I mean.

Tired of the rules of this life? Settling for a house with no windows and no view?
You want to play that superhero song but not sure what that superhero song is or what it should be about?
You want to jump through this atmosphere of boredom.
Words of love
Words of life
Come and get me.
Cruising down the runway of life with no flight path?
Only cancellations and none available?
Fingers always etching for a new channel?
I am a man in a strange world.
Words of love
Words of life
Come and get me.
Are you WHERE you want to be? But how do I know WHERE is when HERE is a question mark in this sidewalk of gorilla glue of this so called life?
Tired of the mellow drama?
The hype of the roller coasters getting to be the pits?
Thoughts always seem to circle back the same way?
You understand sometimes people always gotta do it the hard way.
The simple pleasures don't me that much?
You question where all these pieces come together?
Words of love
Words of Life
Come and get me.
Tired of temporary and looking for that joy?
Given up and don't know how to go back?
Let go of your life. Watch the tatters be sown back together and restored.
There are no hits and runs with God. He remember who you are even if you don't.
Now give Him a full never ending access pass.
Words of love
Words of life
Come and get me.
Tied to religion were you feel like you lost the taste of life?
What do you want?
Do you want to smile in the twang of a happy melody?
Do you want to find meaning in life again?
You want to cry "Don't box me in!"
You want to put your trust in mere human hands or place it where life began?
To dance, sing, and laugh again.
Words of love
Words of life
Come and get me...in Jesus name

God's love is gracious, deep, wide and can bridge any gap you feel inside.

We all need to reflect sometimes and see how hard we are holding on to life? Then we will see that we need some help from God in this "life" department.

Understanding Works & Good Deeds

Do people see works as important? Do people see works as a way into heaven or earn some kind of bonus points with God? What does God think about works?

Learning the hard way, it better to "not" think about or put emphasis on our successes with the exception of thanking God for help us to "accomplishing" them. Maybe "accomplishing" is not the right word either because are we really the ones who accomplishes our good works or good deeds?

I think it is far more important to realize we are loved by God regardless of our good deeds. For God loved us before we ever came to him and realized our need for him in our life.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

That being said, God unselfishly gave of himself. We tend as humans look at our good deeds as "what we can get out of it?" Things like human praise, a pat on the shoulder, a positive image, which on the surface is not bad as long as we are reflecting that praise back to the one who helped us accomplish those "good deeds".

Unselfishly God gives of himself so we who know him should also reflect the same attitude or mindset.

The question we must ask ourselves is: "Are we doing something in God's love or for love of ourselves?"

Self-preservation has only one positive. It helps us come to the end of ourselves. We see that the only way to be saved is giving our life to God who gives our life to Christ who sows into us the importance of the preservation of others not ourselves.

Who really cares and provides for us? We in our human thinking would say "ourselves and our hard work" but is it really us who cares and provides for us? Who created us? Who gave you the talents and interests that you have?

We would love to say it is us, ourselves and are hard work that has gotten us to eternity in heaven but looking at the two commandments that Jesus spoke (which covers the 10 commandments) we know we have not fulfilled those commandments and really deserve eternity in hell. Mark 12:30-31, Deuteronomy 5:1-12

Have we loved the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind and all our strength. Have we loved our neighbor as ourselves?

Have we denied ourselves with all our strength? I say this impossible to do without being empowered by the Holy Spirit, trusting in God and growing in the love of Christ.

Matthew 16:25

If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life.

Same is true with works and good deeds. Everything done in "self" love is a waste.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13

Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 7:21
"Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as 'Lord,' but they won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven. On judgment day many will tell me, 'Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized."

Who are they "really" doing these works and good deeds for? Were they looking for direction from the Lord? Were those things done for the love of the Lord and others or for the love of themselves?

Works + self love only suffocates and condemns the soul not to mention makes it nearly impossible to hear Holy Spirit which aids one to love as Christ loves.

Are works important? Yes!

James 2:18 "Now someone may argue, 'Some people have faith; others have good deeds.' I say, 'I can't see your faith if you don't have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds."

It REALLY MATTERS however where your mind is focused.

Righteousness is not something we can attain by works but are "clothed with" as we set our mind on Christ. The flesh and human thinking are fallible and sinful.

God is not fallible but it takes us to realize that it is not us that accomplishes good works or deeds but God working through us via the Holy Spirit.

All peace is lost in the believer if we try to earn our righteousness or salvation through works. All artificial peace is lost and comes apparent when we recognize we aren't going to score points or go to heaven based on anything "we" have done.

We must keep our conscience clear from such human thinking. Salvation is a gift that we must accept entirely through Jesus Christ and through this acceptance come "lasting" works and good deeds.

And please don't limit God by what you think you are capable and not capable of doing.

Work done because one feels obligated may relieve some sort of guilt but does it do anything if not done in the love of Christ?

We must decide why we are doing something. Are we doing something merely because of human opinion or we feel compelled by God to do something? If God has given you a desire to do something do it! If not, you may want to reconsider. What is the root reasoning for doing these works and good deeds? Are you authorized or not?

Remember Christ did not do what humans thought he should do but did what was best for them so they could understand God’s ways were different then man’s ways. Remember however to be considerate and do everything out of love so people will see God’s ways in you and come to know Christ through your example.

Facts Stranger Then Fiction

What would shift if our point of view shifted? What would change if our point of view changed?

What holds the universe in balance? … I think it is God.

Then you have the earth in the vastness of space that God has for some reason made His stage…

The earth that if it’s only a few inches this way or that way in its’ orbit would drastically be affected. Earth’s position is unique for if we were any closer to the sun we would burn up and if any further away, would be cold frigid rock.
Then put us into the equation that when we look out a window of an airplane we are smaller then a speck on an end of a pencil. Yet God wants to have an intimate relationship with you and me.

Even our bodies are something to ponder. We are a majority of vapor and gas but we are also made up of energy. Tiny masses of energy and vapor distributed in a time and space.

Plus we live not only in a dimension but a multi-dimension because we don’t only sense things such as feelings, emotions, time, and space but a spiritual or supernatural world that affects our own lives no matter if we want to accept it or not. We also (somewhere in there) experience things like déjà vu. Where we know without a doubt that what we have or just experienced has some how happened before in a "possible" dimension of ourselves.

Then there is our human DNA where scientists know less and less about as they learn more about our DNA.

Mike Adams writes:

"Contrary to previous beliefs, as much as 10 percent of the human genes very wildly from one person to the next."

He goes on to say,

"More importantly, this discovery humbles us and shows us that even our top scientists know less about human DNA than they once thought. Researching DNA is a lot like researching astronomy (sounds familiar huh?): the more we learn, the less we realize we know. It’s as if every newly discovered fact unveils the existence of ten new questions we never knew existed!"

He continues with,

"Only a few years ago (2001), humans were believed to have 100,000 genes while all simple life forms contained far fewer. But this assumption of humans being some ‘advanced’ life form turned out to be utterly false. It turns out that the mustard weed contains the same number of genes as humans, and even the common mouse has nearly as many. From certain types of worms to common trees, there are many organisms on the planet that have very nearly the same number of genes as humans beings ( and some have more)"

Mike then states,

"Furthermore, if you look at the composition of cells in the typical human body, and you start counting them all, you realize that the most of the cells in the typical human body are not human. Read that again, if you need to. It’s shocking statement, but it’s entirely true. The vast majority of cells contained in the human body are bacteria cells—about 100 trillion of them for a typical human being. In other words, when you walk around, most of the cells you’re carrying with you are not even you. The importance of this is in understanding that the human organism does not exist in isolation to the world around it. Regardless of what we believe, we are all closer to nature than we think. In fact, we are literally living with nature inside us, permeating our cells and accounting for more of us then ourselves."

Sounds, as if we are planets with our own ecosystem doesn’t it?

Planets that interact with one another in a sense but hang in the balance of a greater power far beyond our own understanding.

Mike Adams then states two other statements I think are worth sharing:

"Physically, a human being is more like musical expression then a set of constructive blueprints. The human body has near- perfect symmetry and economies of expression through fractal geometry that are quite evident in the structure of circulatory system for example, or the nervous system. Just look at a drawing of veins and arteries and you notice the fractal patterns of geometry--- the same patterns you’ll see drawn in the underside of a leaf, by the way."

"Some scientists see nothing but cold, hard construction blueprints in that DNA. Others see God in the symphony, or Mother Nature directing the orchestra. What I see is a miracle of life, created with such masterful poetry and music that is something to behold, to honor and to be humbled by. It is the ultimate statement of our connection to nature, for everywhere you look in nature, you see the same patterns we express, carried out in a range of melodies through plants, animals and even the waters and skies. Looking closely at ourselves, we cannot help but notice nature. If we are keen observers, that is."

Ever have something seem so clear in your mind that it is clear to you but not the one you are explaining it to? It’s like your soul is being taught something that only God wants you to think about. The evidence is right in front of the person you are talking with but they don’t see what you see or mean.

It doesn’t surprise me in the least that our DNA leads to an abyss of more questions or that our genes contain the same number of genes as a mustard weed or our nervous system resembles the same structure as the underside of a leaf. And like Mike Adam’s I am humbled by all these observations laid open to me. These observations only strengthen my faith that we are made by the same maker (God). His character and fingerprints are all over this universe if only we open our eyes and ask to see.

When I look at these things Mike has mentioned in his writings I am directed to things that are mentioned in the bible. Here are a few I want to share with you.

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Isaiah 40:6-8
A voice said, "Shout!"
I asked, "What should I shout?"
"Shout that people are like the grass that dies away. Their beauty fades as quickly as the beauty of flowers in a field. The grass withers, and flowers fade beneath the breath of the LORD. And so it is with people. The grass withers, and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever."

Jesus says in Luke 13:18
"What is the kingdom of Heaven like? How can I illustrate it? It is like a tiny mustard seed planted in a garden; it grows and becomes a tree, and the birds come and find shelter among it’s branches."

Why did Jesus Christ choose a mustard seed that happens to have the same number of genes as a human?

Jesus continues in Luke 13:20
"What else is the kingdom of God like? It is like yeast used by a woman making bread. Even though she used a large amount of flour, the yeast permeated every part of the dough."

To this world, Christians are like yeast we are spread all throughout the world for God’s glory to be heard and seen. Some would even call us bacteria.

Romans 1:19
For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. Yes, they know God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people or birds and animals and snakes.

Revelation 22:13
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."

Sick Body and Enduring Spirit

Even in sickness the soul can endure a sick body if the Spirit of God is within them. A person who trusts in God and not the condition of their health can conquer adversity.

Proverbs 18:14 "A healthy spirit conquers adversity, but what can you do when the spirit is crushed?" or "The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear it if the spirit is crushed?"

Beware of the Battle Cesspool

I was amazed at the amount of junk being dished at me while I was sick and the more energy I spent battling these thoughts the more sick and dizzy I felt. I prayed and prayed and read and read.

I finally just gave up in a sense…. I still thanked God for the relief, no matter how small but I released any type of "responsibility" from myself. I "surrendered" any type of expectation "I" had on God.

I curled up underneath my blankets and did my best to sleep and stay warm. Sure sweeping negative thoughts still came but I let them go and eventually I did sleep soundly.

I more or less took "Me" was out of the equation. I could do battle all day with God’s word and drown in a cesspool of well-advised words but in the end, isn’t it God’s responsibility to heal me not my responsibility to heal me?

It really doesn’t matter how much belief I have in God just that I have faith that he will get me through this flu bug, in the matter he wants me to get through it.

How much energy are we willing to expel on something more then God? Is the battle really ours or is it God’s battle? If we aren’t careful we can drown ourselves in a battle cesspool of words and thoughts. Remember the dark forces we fight against have battle tactics far superior then our own. We are God’s children but sometimes our wishes to be a super Christians or even our sickly flesh can get in the way of God’s lessons for us.

I can say, I have prayed for my children and myself and we have been healed from the flu instantly but is being healed instantly every time, teaching us about suffering and enduring? Is it teaching us anymore about God? Is our faith being stretched when we are healed instantly?
I will say it has given a stronger faith that God can heal instantly but is there a lesson in being sick at times in our life?

Our bodies are only usable down here. We were given these bodies for what purpose? Why didn’t God give us the bodies He has for us up in heaven? The only reason I can come up with is so we can begin to understand what God wants us to learn from them. They are not just a temporary vessel but are a tool.

Remember "It’s not by might, not by power but by my spirit," says the Lord.

Please read Romans 11:33-36 slowly:

"Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! For who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who knows enough to be his counselor? And who could ever give him so much that he would have to pay it back? For everything come from him; everything exists by his power and is intended for his glory. To him be glory evermore. Amen."