"Fellowship of the Unashamed"

     I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."  The die has been cast, the decision has been made, I have stepped over the line.  I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away or be still.

     My past is redeemed, my present makes sense and my future is secure.  I'm finised with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap giving and dwarfed goals.

     I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, plaudits or popularity.  I don't have to be first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded.  I now live by faith, I lean on His presence, walk with patience, live by prayer and labor with power.

     My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven.  My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few but my Guide is reliable and my mission is clear.  I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.  I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

     I won't give up, shut up or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up and spoken up for the cause of Christ!  I am a disciple of Jesus.  I must go until He comes, give until I drop, preach until all know, and work until He stops me.  And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.  My banner is clear: I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."

     Be God's man/woman, be a member of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."  Raised to new life in Jesus Christ; having the spirit of Daniel.  Be a daring man/woman, who knows God and does everything to glorify His name!

Today is your day, will you join me?

     I cannot take credit for writing this post, it was posted to Facebook by a brother in Christ (Jason Henry), with some editing by me.  It has power in its' words and that is why I wanted to share it with you.  If you haven't already, I pray that you will pick up your Cross, follow Christ, and join me on this mission He has set forth for us all.



What do you love more?

Do you love God with all your heart?  Would you sell all your possessions tomorrow if God said: if you love me as you say, sell everything you own and have a place secured for yourself in Heaven, or do you love your possessions more? 

     We live in a world where in the United States it is not uncommon for a family to own a house, have at least two televisions, two vehicles, etc...  We are a rich nation.  There are many nations around the world, where people struggle to feed their families one meal a day, let alone three and usually have leftovers.  And how many of us throw those leftovers away without even thinking twice about it? 

     What if God asked you to sell everything you have, give the money to the poor, and leave yourself with nothing but the clothes on your own back, would you?  Do you love God and trust that he will provide, or do you love your possessions more?  I don't know if God would ever ask any of us to give up everything we have, but I know he does ask us to help those in need. 

     Lets turn to the book of Mark for a story about someone unwilling to give up his possessions to follow Jesus.  Can you believe that?  Would you do it?

      As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
     "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered.  "No one is good - except God alone (emphasis mine). You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your mother and father.'"
     "Teacher," he declared, "all these things I have kept since I was a boy."
     Jesus looked at him and loved him.  "One thing you lack," he said.  "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven.  Then come, follow me."  Mark 10:17-21

     All this guy had to do was sell his things, give to the poor, and he could have followed Jesus and had a place for himself in Heaven.  Guess what, he didn't.  He was very wealthy, and loved his "things" more than he loved God, or wanted to follow Jesus. 

     It's easy for us to fall in love with the things of this world.  The new televisions, new cars, newest games, jewelry, etc... you name it.  This man could see Jesus, and lived during his reign on earth, and could not bring himself to sell everything he owned.  Now, we live on faith and belief in someone we cannot see, and will not see either until our time on this earth ends, or Jesus comes and establishes his Kingdom on earth.  So, how much easier is it for us to fall in love with the things of this world, as opposed to the one who loves us no matter what?

     Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.  1 John 2:15-17

     The Apostle John tells us that we should not love the world, because it is only temporary and will be gone.  Just like everything in this world that we fall in love with, our cars, televisions, etc...  How many of you that are in your thirties bought a TV as an 18 year old, and still have it today?  I would venture to say not many.  How many in the same age category still own the first vehicle they purchased when they first got their driver's license?  I don't, I've had several vehicles since, not because they've all died but some have.  None of our possessions that we hold so near and dear to us will last forever, but God's love will last an eternity.  He loves us even if we don't love Him.  He wants us all to come back to Him, but sadly there are some that love their possessions more than anything else.  What do you love more?  A Heavenly Father who loves you no matter what, or your "things" that will someday be gone?

     Thank you for stopping by my blog and reading the post.  Comments are encouraged and welcomed, if you have something you'd like to add to the post, please do.  Again, thank you and have a blessed day!

What is your life worth?

     As Christians, we are called to share the Gospel and spread the word of God's grace with those who are lost or have not yet heard.  Some of us may not be able to just walk up and talk to a stranger about it, or stand up in front of a group of people and share.  That is fine, that may not be what God is asking you to do.  He has given us each a gift, and has called us to use it to share the truth about Him.  There are several ways to do this; behind the scenes, by the way we live our lives (believe me it makes a HUGE impact on people), giving, caring, sharing, whatever it is you do best. 

     If you aren't doing what God has called you to do, what do you consider your life worth?  Is your life worth more than Jesus' life was?  Maybe John the Baptist's?  Do you feel that you can only do what God asks of us when it is convenient for you?  If as a Christian, you do, then you are not living like we were called to live.  We should constantly put God first, not second, third, fourth, etc..., but FIRST! 

     As Christians, we have a mission, and we should consider our lives worth nothing until we have accomplished our mission.  "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the Gospel of God's grace." Acts 20:24  When we do that, we will live for eternity in Heaven with our Father who will look upon us and let us know that we did what we were called to do.  We should never allow a day to go by, that no matter what it is we are doing, we do not place God first.

What is your life worth?

Thank you for stopping by my blog and reading the posts.  Have a blessed day, and remember to thank God for it!

Tithe v. Sacrifice

tithe/tīT͟H/

Noun:

One tenth of annual produce or earnings, formerly taken as a tax for the support of the church and clergy.

sac·ri·fice/ˈsakrəˌfīs/

Noun:

An act of slaughtering an animal or person or surrendering a possession as an offering to God or to a divine or supernatural figure.

 

 

Many times in the Church, people refer to their tithe as a sacrifice. We may say to ourselves, I am having to go without this, so I can tithe. Most of the time, their tithe is not what the Bible says it should be. When we are asked to tithe, God is simply asking us to give him back 10% of our gross (not net) income - that he provides for us anyway! We all too often look at it as I have worked hard for this money, why should I just give it away? God has enabled you to earn the money, we must remember that.

 

 

Before I was a Christian and had a relationship with God, if I ever did go to church, I felt bad if I didn't at least put something in the offering plate as it came around. I don't know why exactly, but I felt like I had to do my part because I was there. I didn't give it because I wanted to, I did it because I felt I had to. That is a problem! If we simply tithe because we feel like we have to instead of willfully and excitedly giving back a small portion of what God has provided for us, it means nothing! If we have faith - as many of us that attend services claim to have - then we know that God will provide for our needs and we will happily give back what really wasn't ours in the first place. Often though, we confuse our needs (shelter, clothing and food) with our wants (cable, video games, etc...).

 

 

Simply comparing the defintions at the start of the post tells us that there is a HUGE difference between a tithe and a sacrifice. Here are just a couple examples of what it means to make a sacrifice:

 

 

Some time later, God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love - Isaac - and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you." Genesis 22:1-2

 

 

God wanted Abraham to take Isaac, kill him and give him to God as a burnt offering. Guess what, Abraham complied. He willfully - because of his faith in God - took his son to where God had directed him to offer him as a burnt offering. It was a test from God, to see how much faith Abraham actually had in Him. God provided a lamb to Abraham for the burnt offering, after he had bound his son, and placed him on the altar that he built for the burnt offering. That my friends is sacrifice!! All God asks of us today, is 10% of what we make.

 

 

Of course, another example of sacrifice that should be well known to us, was God's sacrifice of His only Son.

 

 

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

 

 

Jesus sacrificed His life for us, so that we could live and all we have to do is believe in Him. God sent his Son to the world, knowing that he was going to sacrifice Him for us. So, when we think we are making a sacrifice because we are tithing and may not be able to have a brand new car, or the new video game that is supposed to be out next week, we need to remember the difference between a tithe and a sacrifice.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog. Have a blessed day!

Resurrection Day (Easter)

I would like to wish all my family and friends a Happy Resurrection Day.....HE IS RISEN!!

This holy-day (holiday) is overly commercialized and many people do not know what it truly means, or why there is a holiday.  It has nothing to do with bunnies, eggs, chocolate or baskets.  All that stuff is nothing more than something we buy to feed the bank accounts of the companies that produce it.  I am not saying that you shouldn't get these things for your children (my wife and I do).  What I am saying though, is that we need to make sure that our children understand the real meaning and significance behind the day (actually multiple days).

The Resurrection Day celebration actually starts the Friday before; also known as Good Friday.  Good Friday for some is a day off work, and many (like me for many years) have no clue as to what Good Friday really is.  All I knew, was that it was a day off work and it was a "Good Friday" because I didn't have to work.  This day however, was the beginning of the end of a new beginning for us all.

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. Matthew 27:50-53 NIV

When Jesus died (gave up his spirit) on the Cross, there was celebrating by those who hated and didn't understand Him, and there was great mourning by those who loved Him.  But it also set into motion God's plan for Jesus from the time he arrived as a baby on earth.  Now comes the best part....

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." Matthew 28:1-10 NIV

HE IS RISEN!!!  Jesus defeated death and showed it had no hold on him by being raised again on the third day to sit at the right hand of the Father.  What does that mean for us?  It means if we believe in Jesus, and that he died for our sins, we can live with him and death will have no hold on us!

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:8-11 NIV

Jesus died on the Cross for the sins of the world, and was called out of death by His Father, so that His purpose could be fulfilled.  In Matthew 27:51, we learn that the curtain was torn.  This happened so that we may have a direct line to God through our faith in Jesus Christ.  All we have to do is believe in Jesus with all out heart, admit we are sinners, repent, and accept Him as our Savior, and we will have a direct line to Heaven, and can speak to God like we speak to our family and friends on the phone.

So while many of us celebrate this day with baskets, eggs, chocolate and bunnies (and that is okay).  We need to make sure that we teach our children the TRUE meaning of Easter (Resurrection Day), because on this day we were given the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, and all we have to do is accept it.

HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY EVERYONE!!!!

Thank you for stopping by my blog and reading the post.  Have a blessed day, and do not forget to thank God for it.

What I believe

     I just wanted to share a little more about me as I start this blog.  Some of you who look at the photo that is on my blog (if you happen across it and don't know me) may wonder what it is.  I borrowed this picture from a post on FB.  The picture identifies the way to eternal life and happiness.  That way is through our Lord Christ Jesus, who was sent to this world to die on the Cross for our sins so that we may have a relationship with God.  I have a relationship with God through His Son Jesus, and know this is the only way to really live a happy and fulfilling life. 

     With this blog, like I said, I intend to stay in touch with my family.  My beautiful wife Kimberley, my amazing gifts from God: Josiah, Caileigh, Gage and Ashlynn and the rest of our family.  But what I'd also like to do with this blog, is share what God shares with me.  I will do that, and some of you who know me, and some that happen across this site might not like what I have to say or may just ignore it; that is up to you.  I don't claim to know everything, nor will I ever know everything.  I have only been a Christian for a year and a half, and am still amazed that God would want to have a relationship with me because of the things I have done.  But the great thing is, He has unwavering Grace and Mercy for us all, if we admit that we are sinners, believe that Jesus was sent to die on the Cross for us, and confess our sins to Him.

     I have to get going for now, but there is a good possibility that I will be back on later to submit another post.  Thank you for stopping by my blog, and have a blessed day!!!

Beginning

I am starting this blog with the intentions of making it helpful to those searching about, learning about and those who want to share Christ.  It is also intended for keeping in touch with my family and friends.  I haven't quite figured out how I am going to structure any of it, what my posts will look like, or how often I will actually post (or be able to post).  But this is something I said I wanted to start a while ago, and I figured if it was ever going to come to fruition, I better at least get it setup; everything has to start somewhere.