Jeremiah 3:12 (KJV) Says, "Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return thou backsliding Israel saith the Lord; and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you: For I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger forever." Jeremiah 3:22 (KJV) Says, "Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the Lord our God." I John 1:9 (KJV) Says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
The word backsliding literally means "turning back" or "turning away" and is used to describe those who turn away from God. As we see in the above passage of scripture God gave Israel a warning to return to him, and tells them if they do so, he will not cause his anger to fall upon them. He tells them that he is merciful and that he doesn't remain angry forever. He tells us in Jeremiah 3:22 (KJV) that he will heal our backslidings, if we will return to him. I John 1:9 (KJV) tells us that if we will confess our sins that God is faithful and just to forgive us, and that he will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I have experienced firsthand how merciful and forgiving God can be, and I am so grateful to have the privilege of serving him. I grew up attending a small Baptist church, and that is where I came to develop a tremendous love for the Lord. Of all the things my Mom did for me as a child, and there were many, the greatest of them all was taking me to church where I grew to love the Lord, and instilling in me Christian values. I was born again at age nine, and what an experience. It is a feeling that words cannot do justice. I attended Sunday School, worship services, Vacation Bible School, participated in plays, sang duets with my sister, and was a part of any other activity made available to me. I developed, at an early age, the greatest foundation anyone could ever have, and that foundation was Jesus Christ.
My backsliding occurred in 1978, and it lasted for a number of years. On Thursday, March 2, 1978, I was at home with my parents, when the phone rang. My Daddy picked up the phone, said hello, and in an instant I knew something was wrong. The caller on the other end of the line was my Mom's sister, my Aunt Bessy, and she was calling to say that something was seriously wrong with my Grandfather, my Mom's Daddy. Mom and Dad rushed out the back door in seconds heading for my grandparents home.
I have to tell you that I loved my grandfather dearly, he taught me a great deal, and it is from him that I got my love for sports. We were very close, and this phone call scared me, and upset me tremendously. I had been to visit my grandparents on Tuesday of the same week, and I was mad about something that day. I feel sure my behavior made that evident. As soon as my parents closed the back door I raced down the hall to the bathroom, closed the door, dropped to my knees, and began praying, and praying hard. I pleaded with God to spare my grandfather at least long enough for me to see him one more time, and tell him how much he meant to me, and how very much I loved him. Hours later my parents came home, and the expression on my Mom's face coupled with the fact that she had the quilt from my grandparents bed wrapped around her; left no doubt in my mind that God had not answered my plea. My grandfather had gone home to be with the Lord.
For the first time in my life I became angry at God. I was firing off question after question to him. How could you do this to me? What would it have hurt for you to allow me to see him one more time? I begged you, I pleaded with you, I go to Sunday School and church, I sing praises to you, and you know how much I love you. Why couldn't you give me one last moment with my grandfather?
After my grandfathers funeral my anger at God grew and it lingered. I strayed further and further from my walk with him feeling as though he had turned his back on me. I began going out to clubs, drinking, and disobeying my parents among other things. I stopped praying and it would be years before I stepped foot back in church. In fact, the next time I entered that church was ten years later in 1988 when I attended my grandmother's funeral.
Throughout the years I spent as a backslider I could never get God off of my mind. He stayed after me to repent from my sins, and to turn back to him. He was relentless. I mean he literally stayed after me for years. No matter how hard I tried to block him out I couldn't do it. He kept loving me, and he kept after me to turn from my sinful ways. He watched over me and protected me throughout all of my foolish behavior and poor choices in spite of the fact that I was furious with him.
There were many occasions during this period in my life, when God would come up in conversation, and it was during these conversations that I began to notice how a number of self-proclaimed Christians talked to and treated those that were lost. I knew that the way I was living my life made me less than a good witness for Christ; so I chose to sit quietly by allowing people to assume I knew nothing about God or his Word. I watched some of these self-proclaimed Christians make God out to be some mean spirited individual standing up in heaven with a lightening bolt in his hand eager to throw it at the nearest individual for the slightest misstep. I watched others harshly judge and condemn non-believers, and witnessed some behave as though they were perfect. These people would stand on their soap boxes and preach to the lost about the sins they were committing, and how displeased God was with them. I have to tell you as a born again believer in Jesus Christ, these things were very difficult to watch. Mad at him or not I knew God is merciful, kind, compassionate, forgiving, understanding, and that he by definition is love. What I was seeing from many Christians, however, was far from a demonstration of love. Observing all of this did two things for me, first and foremost it strongly rekindled the passion I have to share Christ and his love with others. Secondly, it upset me to the degree that it prompted me, years later, to write my book, Christian Behavior a Look in the Mirror in hope of enlightening people to the fact that judgmental behavior and condemnation do not lead people to the Lord, love does.
In 1988, ten years after losing my grandfather, my grandmother was hospitalized with cancer, and her condition was terminal. I was under intense conviction at this point, and I was losing the strength and the desire to fight God off. I couldn't help but notice the irony in the fact that I had turned away from God after the death of my grandfather, and here I was ready to race back to him as I faced losing my grandmother, a woman I was very close to and loved tremendously. It was in the hospital cafeteria, that I realized I could no longer fight off the tears welling up inside me. I found a private area where I could be alone, and I went to God in prayer immediately, I asked him to forgive me for all of the sins I had committed, I asked him to forgive me for being angry with him, I thanked him for watching over me and protecting me, I thanked him for not giving up on me, and I thanked him for loving me through it all.
God forgave me, he healed my backslidings, he showed me mercy, and he cleansed me of all unrighteous just as the above scripture promises, and he did so the moment I turned back to him. If you have turned your back on God and you are under conviction to return to him, I urge you to do so immediately. Don't waste precious time and suffer unnecessarily like I did. God is there waiting for you to return to him, and he loves you right where you are. You are one prayer away from God's divine peace, comfort, strength, understanding, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, and his love. I urge you to pray that prayer right now, and I can tell you from experience you won't regret it. The moment I went to God in prayer he did as he promised, he was faithful and just in forgiving me, healing me, and cleansing me from all unrighteousness, and I have no doubt whatsoever that he will do the same for you.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Walking in the Light
Luke 11:33-36 (KJV) Says, "No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light."
The above passage of scripture reminds us that no man lights a candle and then hides the candle so that the light coming from it cannot be seen. When we light a candle we place it on a candlestick in order for it to give us the most light possible. In John 8:12 (KJV) it is made clear that Jesus is the light of the world. It says, "Then spake Jesus again unto them saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." There should not be one born again believer in Christ walking through life in the dark, when they have the light of the world dwelling within them.
Nevertheless, there are a number of Christians walking through life in the dark. In the above passage of scripture we are told that the light of the body is the eye, and that when our eye is single then our whole body is full of light. When we focus on the things of this world and place them above God and our personal relationship with him, then we darken the light of Christ that should be shining through us. When we focus on Christ and put him first in our lives, his light shines through us for the whole world to see. His light shining through us in our everyday lives sets us apart from those that are lost, and it is our greatest personal testimony. When people see the light of Christ shining through us in our attitude, our behavior, and in our handling of day to day situations they want what we have. It should be our hope that seeing the light of Christ in us will lead the lost to him and prompt them to accept for themselves his precious gift of salvation.
If there is something in our lives that we know doesn't fit who we are as followers of Jesus Christ, then these things dim our light. If we want the happiest life possible and desire to be the witnesses for Christ that we are commanded to be, then we need to get rid of anything in our lives that dim the light of Christ within us. The things of this world are temporary, and they will never bring us true happiness. We cannot be effective witnesses for Christ while we are living our lives focusing on the things of the world that temporarily please us in the flesh. When we choose to live our lives in a righteous manner focusing on God and putting him first in our lives, then it is pleasing to him, it is a great testimony to others, we will be rewarded for it in heaven, and we will be living the best life possible here on earth.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior we become his disciples, and as such we are commanded to fulfill the Great Commission. We are to spread the good news of his precious gift of salvation, and we are to let his light shine through us for the whole world to see. Matthew 5:16 (KJV) Says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
Friends I encourage you to evaluate your life and to weed out anything that you know does not fit who you are as a follower of Jesus Christ. I urge you to ask yourself if you have placed the light of God that is within you on a candlestick, or if you have it hidden. Are you living your life in a manner that witnesses to non-believers in a way that prompts them to desire Christ? Are you living your life in a manner that is worthy of God raining the blessings he has for you down from heaven? Have you put Christ first in your life, and made him your number one focus? Are you living in the dark, or are you walking in the light of Christ?
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, send me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
The above passage of scripture reminds us that no man lights a candle and then hides the candle so that the light coming from it cannot be seen. When we light a candle we place it on a candlestick in order for it to give us the most light possible. In John 8:12 (KJV) it is made clear that Jesus is the light of the world. It says, "Then spake Jesus again unto them saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." There should not be one born again believer in Christ walking through life in the dark, when they have the light of the world dwelling within them.
Nevertheless, there are a number of Christians walking through life in the dark. In the above passage of scripture we are told that the light of the body is the eye, and that when our eye is single then our whole body is full of light. When we focus on the things of this world and place them above God and our personal relationship with him, then we darken the light of Christ that should be shining through us. When we focus on Christ and put him first in our lives, his light shines through us for the whole world to see. His light shining through us in our everyday lives sets us apart from those that are lost, and it is our greatest personal testimony. When people see the light of Christ shining through us in our attitude, our behavior, and in our handling of day to day situations they want what we have. It should be our hope that seeing the light of Christ in us will lead the lost to him and prompt them to accept for themselves his precious gift of salvation.
If there is something in our lives that we know doesn't fit who we are as followers of Jesus Christ, then these things dim our light. If we want the happiest life possible and desire to be the witnesses for Christ that we are commanded to be, then we need to get rid of anything in our lives that dim the light of Christ within us. The things of this world are temporary, and they will never bring us true happiness. We cannot be effective witnesses for Christ while we are living our lives focusing on the things of the world that temporarily please us in the flesh. When we choose to live our lives in a righteous manner focusing on God and putting him first in our lives, then it is pleasing to him, it is a great testimony to others, we will be rewarded for it in heaven, and we will be living the best life possible here on earth.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior we become his disciples, and as such we are commanded to fulfill the Great Commission. We are to spread the good news of his precious gift of salvation, and we are to let his light shine through us for the whole world to see. Matthew 5:16 (KJV) Says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
Friends I encourage you to evaluate your life and to weed out anything that you know does not fit who you are as a follower of Jesus Christ. I urge you to ask yourself if you have placed the light of God that is within you on a candlestick, or if you have it hidden. Are you living your life in a manner that witnesses to non-believers in a way that prompts them to desire Christ? Are you living your life in a manner that is worthy of God raining the blessings he has for you down from heaven? Have you put Christ first in your life, and made him your number one focus? Are you living in the dark, or are you walking in the light of Christ?
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, send me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Focus
Genesis 3:1-6 (KJV) Says, "Now the serpent was more subtile than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."
In the above passage of scripture the serpent although created by God is used by Satan to tempt Eve. Satan will use whatever he can in order to tempt us in hopes of causing us to stray from our walk with God. The Bible tells us, Satan roams the earth looking for people to devour. The Word of God makes clear that temptations will come before us in this world, and Jesus demonstrates for us how to resist these temptations.
It is of the utmost importance that we maintain a strong personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We must focus on him, and on what is pleasing and right in his eyes. The Garden of Eden was filled with beautiful trees all of which Adam and Eve were permitted to eat from with the exception of one single tree that sat in the middle of the garden. God had forbidden Adam and Eve from touching or eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and so Satan used this one tree to tempt Eve. As we know, she failed to resist that temptation. Adam capable of making his own decisions followed suit. When Satan working through the serpent began discussing the tree of the knowledge of good and evil with Eve she became focused on it. Satan made the forbidden tree out to be greatly desired, and lied to Eve about what the consequences would be if she went against God, and ate the fruit of it. She had plenty of beautiful trees filled with food surrounding this one tree, and when tempted she became solely focused on it knowing that it was forbidden. When Satan is successful at drawing our focus onto something of this world that he knows will cause us to stray, he is drawing our focus away from God and nothing pleases him more.
If we want our lives to be filled with peace, contentment, and joy then we must remain focused on God, and resist the temptations that Satan sends our way. We were given freewill by God, and thereby we have the right to choose which path we will take in our lives, and whose plan we will follow. We can choose to follow the plan that God has for us and walk the path of righteousness, or we can follow our own path, and the plan we've created. The Word of God tells us in Proverbs 4:18-19 (KJV) "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble." The Bible is filled with examples of those who have chosen to follow God and live their lives in a righteous manner, and the blessings of peace, joy, and contentment that come along with that. It also contains many examples of those who chose to live their lives focused on the things of this world, and who opted not to follow God and live righteously and the consequences that come along with doing so.
I assure you that the difference between the life you can have if you choose to focus on God and live your life in a manner that is pleasing to him, and the life you will have if you choose to focus on the things of this world going after those are polar opposites. I urge you to take a moment to consider that God is our divine creator. Ask yourself who knows better what is best for you. Is it Almighty God who created you, or you his creation and child? Do you have more wisdom than God? Do parents not know better than their children what is best for them? Do parents not want their children to have the best possible life they can have? Of course they do, just as God wants what is best for his children.
I encourage you to focus on God, and live your life in a manner that is pleasing to him. You will be blessed and rewarded for it, and you will be choosing the best life possible. Choosing to focus on God and follow the path and plan he has for us is to exercise wisdom. Choosing to focus on the things of this world and follow our own path and plan thinking that we know better than our Divine Creator, Almighty God, is nothing short of foolish. As I mentioned above God has given each of us a freewill which permits us to make our own choices. With that said, I urge you to choose wisely. Focus on God, trust him, build a strong personal relationship with him, resist the temptations that Satan sends your way, and live the blessed life that God has planned for you.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, send me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
In the above passage of scripture the serpent although created by God is used by Satan to tempt Eve. Satan will use whatever he can in order to tempt us in hopes of causing us to stray from our walk with God. The Bible tells us, Satan roams the earth looking for people to devour. The Word of God makes clear that temptations will come before us in this world, and Jesus demonstrates for us how to resist these temptations.
It is of the utmost importance that we maintain a strong personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We must focus on him, and on what is pleasing and right in his eyes. The Garden of Eden was filled with beautiful trees all of which Adam and Eve were permitted to eat from with the exception of one single tree that sat in the middle of the garden. God had forbidden Adam and Eve from touching or eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and so Satan used this one tree to tempt Eve. As we know, she failed to resist that temptation. Adam capable of making his own decisions followed suit. When Satan working through the serpent began discussing the tree of the knowledge of good and evil with Eve she became focused on it. Satan made the forbidden tree out to be greatly desired, and lied to Eve about what the consequences would be if she went against God, and ate the fruit of it. She had plenty of beautiful trees filled with food surrounding this one tree, and when tempted she became solely focused on it knowing that it was forbidden. When Satan is successful at drawing our focus onto something of this world that he knows will cause us to stray, he is drawing our focus away from God and nothing pleases him more.
If we want our lives to be filled with peace, contentment, and joy then we must remain focused on God, and resist the temptations that Satan sends our way. We were given freewill by God, and thereby we have the right to choose which path we will take in our lives, and whose plan we will follow. We can choose to follow the plan that God has for us and walk the path of righteousness, or we can follow our own path, and the plan we've created. The Word of God tells us in Proverbs 4:18-19 (KJV) "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble." The Bible is filled with examples of those who have chosen to follow God and live their lives in a righteous manner, and the blessings of peace, joy, and contentment that come along with that. It also contains many examples of those who chose to live their lives focused on the things of this world, and who opted not to follow God and live righteously and the consequences that come along with doing so.
I assure you that the difference between the life you can have if you choose to focus on God and live your life in a manner that is pleasing to him, and the life you will have if you choose to focus on the things of this world going after those are polar opposites. I urge you to take a moment to consider that God is our divine creator. Ask yourself who knows better what is best for you. Is it Almighty God who created you, or you his creation and child? Do you have more wisdom than God? Do parents not know better than their children what is best for them? Do parents not want their children to have the best possible life they can have? Of course they do, just as God wants what is best for his children.
I encourage you to focus on God, and live your life in a manner that is pleasing to him. You will be blessed and rewarded for it, and you will be choosing the best life possible. Choosing to focus on God and follow the path and plan he has for us is to exercise wisdom. Choosing to focus on the things of this world and follow our own path and plan thinking that we know better than our Divine Creator, Almighty God, is nothing short of foolish. As I mentioned above God has given each of us a freewill which permits us to make our own choices. With that said, I urge you to choose wisely. Focus on God, trust him, build a strong personal relationship with him, resist the temptations that Satan sends your way, and live the blessed life that God has planned for you.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, send me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
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