Martin Luther King Jr - I Have a Dream

Best Book Ever Written!

Myriads upon myriads of books have been written over a 4,000 year history of literacy. But of all the books written, there is only one that continues to stand out as truly special.

"The Bible is one of the greatest blessings bestowed by God on the children of men - It has God for its Author, Salvation for its end, and Truth without any mixture for its matter - It is all pure, all sincere, nothing too much; nothing wanting."

~ John Locke ~

"The foundations of our society and our government rest so much on the teachings the Bible that it would be difficult to support them if faith in these teachings would cease to be practically universal in our country."

~ Calvin Coolidge ~

"We account the Scriptures of God to be the most sublime philosophy. I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever."

~ Sir Isaac Newton ~

"Suppose a nation in some distant Region should take the Bible for their only law Book, and every member should regulate his conduct by the precepts there exhibited! Every member would be obliged in conscience, to temperance, frugality, and industry; to justice, kindness, and charity towards his fellow men; and to piety, love, and reverence toward Almighty God ... What a Utopia, what a Paradise would this region be."

~ John Adams ~

"The Bible has been the Magna Charta of the poor and oppressed. The human race is not in position to dispense with it."

~ Thomas Huxley ~

"The Bible gives me a deep, comforting sense that 'things seen are temporal, and things unseen are eternal."

~ Helen Keller ~

"I am busily engaged in the study of the Bible. I believe it is God's word because it finds me where I am."

~ Abraham Lincoln ~

Remember .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!

HOPE ... A Good 4 Letter Word!

These are tumultuous times in America. Our economy is in a recession, millions are unemployed, we have an illegal immigration problem with escalating tensions on the border states, a growing segment of our society is trying to redefine marriage, we are dealing with the worst man made disaster in US history regarding the Gulf oil spill, we are a nation at war, and there is growing cynicism and anger coming from multiple angles.

But even with all of this negativity, I am filled with HOPE. I believe that the God who made each one of us in His image, has also equipped us with the ability to persevere through difficulty. There has never been a time or place in human history where God's creation was not faced with challenges.

When the ancient world became so sinfully hostile to God, He decided to destroy humankind through a massive flood. God chose Noah, however, to build an ark to escape the flood waters. As a result, eight human beings were saved along with all kinds of animals to repopulate the new world. God promised Canaan to Abraham and his descendants, but they had to trust God enough to enter the land and take it from their enemies. The early church faced persecution after persecution, but continued to grow in number and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world of their day.

Through all of those turbulent times of adversity, God's people triumphed when they trusted in Him. They were neither sheltered nor shielded from problems, but with God's help they overcame formidable obstacles. This same God can empower anyone today who looks to Him for deliverance.

Scriptures says, "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in time of trouble. ~ Psalm 46:1

and

"... If God is for us, who can be against us?" ~ Romans 8:31

Remember ... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!!

Faith is the Victory

Last evening the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL Finals. As a result, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1961.

We all want to win. We all want to be victorious in whatever it is we are doing. In competition, there can only be one winner. But the Good News is that everyone on God's team wins!! It doesn't matter if you are short or tall, black or white, male or female, rich or poor, slave or free, Jew or Gentile, liked or disliked, everyone wins on God's team!! Everyone gains the Victory!!

The American Heritage Dictionary defines Victory on three levels:

1. Defeat of an enemy or opponent
2. Success in a struggle against difficulties or an obstacle
3. The state of having triumphed

The enemy that we need to defeat in our lives is Satan. He is the one responsible for attacking us, tempting us, and wreaking all kinds of havoc in the world. But take heart: God defeated Satan through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. No longer do people have to be captive to sin or fear death, because Jesus conquered both!! And everyone who is aligned with Jesus Christ Wins the Victory over Satan and the world!!!

Consider these two prolifically powerful passages of Holy Scripture:

"I write to you fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one." - 1 John 2:14

"This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." ~ 1 John 5:3-5

Remember .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!!

Hosanna to Crucify Him?????

People are fickle. One minute they love you and the next minute they hate you. Why? I don't have a good explanation for this phenomena folks. But I tell you this, I thank God that He doesn't operate that way.

The Bible says in multiple places that God is a Rock. That means He's solid, sturdy, and unchanging. As human begins we tend to change about as rapidly as the weather outside changes. We're up, we're down. We're in a good mood, we're in a bad mood. We're trustworthy for a little while, but then we betray God, others, and even ourselves. We're a mess, folks!! We need serious help!

Enter God Himself in the flesh: Jesus. He came because He knew we needed Him. He died so that we could live. Hallelujah!! Praise the LORD!!

Consider Jesus: Charismatic, compassionate, merciful, truthful, powerful, inspiring, and much more. The crowds adored Him, wanted to make Him king and shouted "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." "Blessed is the King of Israel!"~ John 12:13. It all sounded good, but then something very ugly happened. The ones who praised Him now turned on Him. They shouted "Crucify him!" "Crucify him!" ~ John 19:15.

I'm over it, man, if people could do this to the sinless Savior, they could certainly do it to me. Don't be too discouraged when your friends forsake you or flat out reject you. Jesus has been there. He knows how you feel. God loves you. He searches and cares for those who don't even know Him or want to know Him.

This is because .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!!!!

God's V.I.P.

Maybe you've had the rare opportunity to be treated like a V.I.P. at a sports arena, a fine restaurant or a five star hotel. Perhaps you were bumped up to first class seating when you boarded an airplane.

Each of us likes to be treated special. We all want to be pampered, noticed, honored, and acknowledged for who we are and something good we've done. We all appreciate V.I.P. treatment.

Did you know that you are already God's V.I.P.? In fact, because you are a human being, you are the most prized of all God's creation.

Consider these prolific passages of Scripture:

"What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas." ~ Psalm 8:4-8

and ...

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." ~ Psalm 139:13-14

To radically demonstrate how much we mean to God, Jesus sealed the deal when He died for each and every one of us on a cruel cross about 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem.

The Bible says, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." ~ 1 John 4:10

The most important realization that you can come to my friend is to understand that God loves you, cherishes you, and upholds you as His V.I.P.

Remember .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!!

Are You Looking for a Sign?

The vast majority of us have at one time or another in our lives sought a 'sign' from above to give us guidance, assurance, and direction in our lives. As humans, we all want to see something tangible that offers proof that we are doing the right thing. We want a 'sign' telling us what house to buy, what job to take, whom we should marry, which neighborhood to live in, and when it's time to leave a situation that isn't going our way. This is who we are as people. We don't like faith, the unseen, and the intangible. Rather, we feel more comfortable seeing a 'sign' from God that communicates to us that we are on the right track.

Jesus made a staggering statement when he said to the Jewish Scribes and Pharisees,"A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." - Matthew 12:39-40.

As God sent the prophet Jonah to warn Nineveh of impending destruction, He sent Jesus to die on the cruel cross for the sins of humanity. As Jonah was buried in the belly of a huge fish for three days, so the Son of God was buried in a tomb and then bodily resurrected on the third day.

According to Jesus, the ultimate sign is His own death, burial and resurrection which Signals God's love for all of humanity ~ cf. John 3:16. As far as God is concerned, that's the only SIGN any of us needs from above to demonstrate, illustrate, and communicate His relentless love for all of us!


As for concerns about homes, neighborhoods, relationships, and jobs, Scripture provides guidelines. In relationships, we should wisely discern whom we choose as friends and spouses - cf. Proverbs 12:26; 22:24; 31:10-31. In matters of work, God gives us talents whereby we can know what kind of job we should pursue for our careers - Exodus 31:2-5. As for homes to buy or rent and neighborhoods to inhabit, God gave us intellectual abilities to rightly discern the kind of environment in which we ought to raise a family.

These are secondary issues, however, compared to knowing and choosing a personal relationship with the God of the Universe. The ultimate SIGN is that God loves us and has shown us the proof of His love by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross!!

Remember .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!

God is Patient

You're standing in the line at a grocery store waiting to get your grocery bags checked out, but the person in front of you seems to be taking forever. It's two weeks until you can go on that vacation that you've waited thirty years to take, but the days pass by slowly. You've been on the job for five years and still no promotion or pay raise.

There's always something trying to test our patience. We all have to learn the art of waiting, delaying our gratification, and persevering when we don't get the quick answers to tough questions. Patience is a gift; a precious gift. It's also a quality in Paul's list of the "fruit of the Spirit" that should be notable in the Christians' Life (Galatians 5:22). If people were more patient, there would be less violence, less rash decisions made, and less frustration.

Fortunately, one of the great qualities about the God of the universe is that He is Patient. Consider the words of the Apostle Peter as he wrote his second letter "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." ~ 2 Peter 3:8-9.

The context of this biblical passage is critical because it pertains to the destruction of the earth, and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. That day will bring about earth's end, the judgment of all mankind, and the ushering in of the new world. Lest people doubt God's promise to fulfill all of these facts, Peter reminds everyone that the reason God delays destroying the world is because He is trying to give all people an opportunity to repent (change mind) about how to live life and turn to Him. Will we live for ourselves or for our Creator? Praise God that He is patient.

Remember ..... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!!!

Don't Give Up!

When the coach says you're falling behind the other athletes in your training, don't give up! When the editors of the book you're writing don't like your prose, theme, or message, don't give up! When members of your own church are gossiping behind your back about you and causing a public scene, don't give up! When you've worked hard at the same company for 20 years and they passed you over for a promotion, don't give up!

We've all been there ... faced with crisis, challenges, and stumbling blocks sent to thwart us in our forward motion. That's the human experience. However, Christians face a challenge of another kind. The day we gave our lives to the God of the universe by being united with His Son Jesus Christ in the watery grave of baptism (Romans 6:1-4, John 3:3-5), we not only rose up out of the water a new creation, born again, and resurrected to a new life, we gained a formidable enemy called the Devil.

Paul wrote to the Christians at Ephesus, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." ~ Ephesians 6:10-12

That puts things in proper perspective. There's an unseen enemy who many times uses physical distractions to get us off the mark. We must recognize this battle for what it is and continue to press on. Paul says to the Christians at Galatia, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." ~ Galatians 6:9

Keep your head held high Child of God, Soldier of Christ, and recipient of the Holy Spirit. And Remember .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!!!!!!!

Quid est Veritas? - Part 2

When Jesus came to this world, the last thing that He wanted to do was to establish another religion. The world already had Hinduism, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, tribal ancestral worship, plus the polytheistic religions of the Egyptians, Babylonians, Romans, and Greeks. There were well developed sacrificial systems, ethical teachings, various religious texts written, and initiation rites in place. So ... what was different about Jesus? What did He do that makes Him fundamentally different from all of the other religious leaders and systems?

In His lifetime on earth, Jesus displayed compassion, wisdom, understanding, forgiveness, power and the embodiment of truth. He went around doing good by healing diseases, exorcising demons, and teaching transformative truths that have stood the test of time.

Moreover, Jesus once made a stunning statement that still causes many people a great sense of amazement and concern. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." ~ John 14:6. Translation: forget all of the other systems, forget all of the other prophets, teachers and messengers because they can not provide us with the access that we all desperately need. What access do we all desperately need? We all desperately need access to God the Father, and there is no other way to having access to God the Father except through Jesus Christ. WOW!!!! This theological reality continues to make eyebrows raise, tempers flare, hearts beat faster, and skin to change various shades of color!!

Jesus knew that religious systems were never designed to replace an authentic, personal relationship with the God of the Universe. Christ came to reconcile us to God, because of our alienation from Him due to our sins. Jesus walked on water, raised dead people, forgave sins and lived a sinless life. This qualifies Him to be the Savior of the world. There has never been a religious leader before or since Jesus who has (1) come as God in the flesh, (2) lived a sinless, perfect life, (3) died for our sins, (4) been bodily resurrected from the dead never to die again, and (5) promised to return as Judge of the Living and the Dead at the end of time.

Jesus did not come claiming to be a way or a form of truth or a way to ascertain life. No ... He came and declared like none other before or after Him, that He is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE. With Him we have everything. Without Him, we have nothing.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." ~ John 8:12

Jesus walked in our shoes. He understands what it is like to be human. He knows how difficult it is to live in this world. Because of this truth, the Hebrew writer says, "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." ~ Hebrews 4:14-16.

Remember .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!

Quid est Veritas? - Part 1

For those of you who have ever studied Latin, you know that the title to this post translates, "What is Truth?" This is the infamous question that Pontius Pilate posed to Jesus before condemning Him to the cross. According to John 18:33b-38a, Jesus and Pilate had a short but substantive conversation. It went something like this:

Pilate: "Are you the king of the Jews?"

Jesus: "Is that your own idea or did others talk to you about me?"

Pilate: "Am I a Jew? It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"

Jesus: "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

Pilate: "You are a king, then!"

Jesus: "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

Pilate: "What is truth?"

In our modern day religious world, many people are "church shopping." Since we are a consumer-driven society, it is no wonder that many people take that same approach to religion. When I question people about what they are looking for in a church, they reply "I'm looking for a church with a dynamic preacher" or "I want to find a church with a good children's program" or "I want to find a church with a solid marriage enrichment ministry" or "I want to be a part of a church with a contemporary worship style using contemporary music."

What I rarely (if ever) hear is "I am looking for a church that teaches and models the truth." Are you shocked? I'm not ... we live in a post modern world filled with a philosophy of moral relativism, pluralism, and other "isms" that deny universal truth. Check out this video clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXoNE14U_zM

Truth is risky. It is sometimes tough to handle. It means that there is a standard. It means that there is an eternal ethic that is applicable to all peoples, for all times, in all places. Scripture says that "... all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." ~ Romans 3:23. Translation: we have all blown it, messed up, missed the mark, and failed to attain God's holy standard. It does not matter who we are, how smart we think we are, where we come from, or where we think we are headed. We have all thought, said, and done bad things that have hurt ourselves and others. And we know this to be true!

While our culture tolerates "little white lies," exalts politicians who break their campaign promises, and promulgates deception in relationships, the Bible says, "Buy the truth and do not sell it ..." ~ Proverbs 23:23. Jesus says, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." ~ John 8:31b-32.

Quid est Veritas? What is Truth? When Jesus prayed to His Father in heaven, He said, "... your word is truth." - John 17:17. That word of truth is God's word, and we can hear it anytime we read the Holy Bible. The Bible has stood the test of time and continues to transform lives on multiple levels. Why? It is the word of God, and it will stand forever.

The Bible articulates, illustrates, and illuminates the way to peace, contentment, fulfillment, satisfaction, and salvation. It points to the Savior, the central Person of Scripture. It points to Jesus who is the Lord, the Son of God, the Messiah, the Divine One, and the Judge of all the living and the dead.

As you read God's word, you will discover God's design, plan, and purpose for your life. You will discover that there is a standard for how to live, worship and honor the God of the universe. You will discover the kind of church that you ought to be a part of. And you will discover that GOD WANTS YOU!!!!

Be A Berean!!

One of the biggest problems in religion (both in ancient and in modern times) is that religious adherents do not take the time to examine the Holy Scriptures to discover whether or not what their leaders are preaching and teaching is Biblically correct. As a result, we have divisions, strange teachings that are foreign to the Bible, and a multiplicity of views about any one doctrinal matter.


God gave every one of us free will. We all have the ability to think, to reason, to receive, to give, and to communicate our feelings and understanding on any particular issue. We exercise those rights on a daily basis. If we are hungry, we choose to eat. If we suddenly realize that we are charged too much at a particular store, we let the cashier know immediately. If we want a specific style of mocha or coffee, we know just how we want it to taste, how to make it or where to find the place that makes it to our satisfaction. What am I saying? When we want something, we take action!



When it comes to religion, however, it seems like our brains freeze, we become passive, and we do not think about what we are seeing or hearing supposedly coming from God and put it to the test. Why? Some folks do not want to think as they worship; they just want to feel good, hear a decent sermon, leave the church building, go back next week and repeat the same actions. Caution: If that is your modus operandi, you are skating on very thin ice. Your soul is too precious to play those kinds of games.


Twenty centuries ago, the apostle Paul traveled on many foreign missionary journeys. One of the places that Paul traveled to is still talked about today because of the notable actions of the people that he encountered. The Bible says, "The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men. But when the Jews of Thesssalonica found out that the word of God had been proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there as well, agitating and stirring up the crowds." - Acts 17:10-13 (New American Standard Bible).


This is a prolific passage of Scripture. Those Bereans did not take anything for granted. They demonstrated how proactive they were in their faith, and how serious they were about application of God's word to their lives. Even though Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ (i.e., an eyewitness of the resurrected Lord Jesus and a divinely inspired messenger of God's word who could perform miraculous powers), the Bereans EXAMINED THE SCRIPTURES to determine whether or not Paul was correct in his message. WOW!



My friends, we must do the same today. If the apostle Paul can be examined, then your pastor, preacher, priest, rabbi, and pope ought to be examined. And if what they say does not match with God's holy word, then you must reject those messages and turn to the living God and His word for direction in your life. Jesus put it this way, "Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit." - Matthew 15:14 (New International Version).




If you read the immediate context of this passage in Matthew's Gospel, Jesus came down very hard on those Pharisees (teachers of the law) who held their traditions on a higher level than God's word. Tradition and opinion must never supersede or replace the word of God in our lives! Discern what you hear from altars and pulpits my friends!


Be proactive in your faith! Study and examine the Scriptures! "Test everything. Hold on to the good." - 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (New International Version). Your soul is worth it! And remember .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!

Facing Failure

You had the chance to make the game winning catch, but you dropped the ball. You were one vote away from becoming Class President, but you were defeated. You were one grade away from making the Dean's List, but you missed the mark. You were one interview away from getting the job of your life, but the company hired someone else.

We've all traveled down the road of failure at some point in our lives! It doesn't matter who we are or where we come from, we've all experienced this terrible reality. The Bible acknowledges this phenomena and records two of Jesus' apostles who failed Him miserably.

First was Simon Peter whom Jesus took as one of His "inner three" apostles along with James and John. They were so privileged that at times only the three of them were able to watch Jesus in action when the other nine apostles could not (e.g., raising of Jairus' daughter from the dead, beholding Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration, and being with Jesus as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane before His arrest) - Matthew 17:1-3; Mark 14:32-41; Luke 8:49-56.

Peter was the first apostle to confess Jesus as Messiah (Christ), Son of the living God. Peter temporarily walked on water with Jesus, and received the "keys of the kingdom of heaven." As brightly as this follower of Jesus shined at times, however, he had a dark side. When crisis came, Peter cowered in fear. Crisis occurred when the temple guards, chief priests and elders of the Jewish community arrested Jesus. When asked if he was a follower of Jesus, Peter DENIED three times ever knowing Jesus. He didn't want to in any way be associated with Jesus for fear of his own life. Peter failed! - Matthew 14:29; Matthew 16:16-18; Matthew 26:69-74.

The second apostle who failed Jesus was Judas Iscariot. All we really know about Judas Iscariot is that his obvious character flaw of a covetous spirit and love for money (pilfering the apostles' money bag while no one was looking) caused him to BETRAY Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Judas failed! - Matthew 26:47-50; John 12:4-6.

Both of these men were apostles of Jesus Christ. This meant that they could raise dead people, heal the sick, give sight to the blind, exorcise demons, and miraculously regenerate the nerves of paralyzed people. It meant that they had authority over the demonic world, authority to forgive or retain people's sins, and directly represent Jesus as His ambassadors wherever they traveled. But both men failed Jesus miserably! - Matthew 10:1-10; John 20:22-24.

While both of these men failed their Lord, both of them handled their failure markedly different. Peter wept bitterly after he sinned, then repented, returned to his fellow apostles and became one of the greatest leaders in church history. Judas, on the other hand, went out and hanged himself after he had realized his guilt in betraying the innocent Son of God - Matthew 27:3-10; Luke 22:61-62; Acts 2:14-41.

What do you do when you fail? How do you react? Do you give up? Or do you fight back with a "can do" spirit? Are you more like Peter or like Judas? You're thinking, "How can I be like Judas if I'm reading this blog?" "Judas killed himself, but I didn't." True you have not physically killed yourself, but maybe you (like Judas) refuse to accept God's forgiveness for your failure. Maybe you (like Judas) went off by yourself and cut away from people; from community.

You have a choice my friend. You can either run from failure or face failure. You can overcome! You can do it! And remember .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!

Changing Into Champions

Today is "Super Sunday". It has become somewhat of a National Holiday in the United States of America. For the past 43 years the National Football League has featured Super bowls in which the best two teams of their respective conferences face off against one another to determine who is the "world champion" at this level of professional football.


This year the New Orleans Saints play against the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts have been here before (Super Bowl III against the New York Jets, Super Bowl V against the Dallas Cowboys & Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears), but for the Saints, this is the first time in the franchise's history. Needless to say, as impressive as the Saints have been during the 2009 season, they are the underdogs in this match up.


For many fans, this game symbolizes triumph over tragedy. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina ripped apart the city of New Orleans as the nation watched in horror the devastating effects of the storm. To many locals of New Orleans, the Saints' football team provides hope for the torn city. Even if the Saints lose the Superbowl this year, they have already lifted a city from hopelessness to hopefulness. They won the NFC Championship game and positioned the team where it has never been positioned. They are winners already!


I think of God during these times as He looks at us: where we've been, where we are, and where we can go. As some have articulated in the past, God loves us for who we are, but loves us too much to leave us where we are. Meditate on that truth for a moment: God sees potential of where we can be, and if we will walk in his direction, we can achieve true moral greatness.


David, a little shepherd boy slew the Giant Goliath with a small, flat stone and a sling shot. A young Jewish girl named Hadassah whose name was changed to Esther ascended the throne of Persia as Queen and saved the Jewish people from extermination. Rahab transitioned from a promiscuous prostitute to a woman of faith whose story still moves people to greatness. God loves to lift the underdog to new heights. He loves to do extraordinary things in ordinary people.


Read Hebrews 11 for more marvelous stories of faith. God used ordinary men and women to affect life changing events in history. He Changed them into Champions! He can use you, my friend! Jump on board! And remember ..... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!

Snow Shows ...

Snow is beautiful! It cleanses the atmosphere of impurities, kills germs, and blankets the earth with a pure white covering. Kids play in it, adults both marvel and dread to drive in it. My youngest daughter and I were outside earlier today as the snow continued to fall on top of several inches that were already on the ground, and we played together by making angels, throwing snowballs, cleaning off our vehicle, and racing each other. It was fun seeing her react to the beauty of God's snow.

God communicates powerful messages to His creation about the importance of snow on both literal and metaphorical levels. Consider these two prolific passages from the Prophet Isaiah:

"Come now let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." - Isaiah 1:18

How can anyone read this text of Holy Scripture and not rejoice at the reality of renewal through God's grace? God, through the Prophet Isaiah, told ancient Israel that He was aware of the ugliness of their sins, but that He would cleanse them from their spiritual impurities.

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." - Isaiah 55:10-11

The magnificent truth about this statement is that God compares His word to rain and snow, and states that all three of them serve a dynamic purpose. Rain and snow have an amazing purpose in God's creation. They both water, cleanse, and nourish the earth. Hence, when God sends rain and snow, they do not give a negative return to the Creator. They have accomplished what they were sent to do.

It is the same with God's word. Whenever we read the Bible, we are listening to God's words. Whenever a preacher proclaims the word from the pulpit, he must indeed "... do it as one speaking the very words of God." - 1 Peter 4:11. When a minister of the Gospel preaches the very words of God from the Bible, the people hearing those words can know that they have heard a message from God.

God's word has the power to transform lives by freeing people from sinful strongholds (e.g., sexual immorality, homosexuality, adultery, lying, stealing, cheating, drunkenness, lust, covetousness, etc.), while making people better parents, spouses, friends, business partners, forgivers, lovers of God and lovers of people. God shows His creation how to live more fulfilled lives through His divine power.

Finally, God's word points us all to the path of eternal life in heaven. This is true because the written word teaches us about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who gave His life for each and every one of us on the cross by dying for our sins. He then was resurrected from the tomb on the third day after His crucifixion proving that He is the Lord, the Son of God - Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:1-5.

All who place faith in Jesus by repenting (changing their mind, turning from sin to God), confessing Christ, and being baptized will have their sins forgiven. This is true because once a person is united with Christ, His precious, sinless blood cleanses and frees the penitent believer from sin - Matthew 26:28; I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5. Paul told Timothy that "... salvation is found in Christ Jesus..." - 2 Timothy 2:10. The question then becomes, "How does a person get "in" or "into" Christ to obtain salvation?" Please read Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:36-38; Acts 3:19; Acts 10:43; Acts 22:16; Romans 6:1-4; Romans 10:9-10; Galatians 3:26-28; Colossians 2:11-12; 1 Peter 3:18-21.

As the Hebrew writer says, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12

Time to get on board! Remember .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!

Is God for Real?

Modern religion has in many ways done a huge disservice to the God of the universe and everything He represents. Religion today has become a multi-billion dollar industry filled with a lot of hoopla, glitter, rock star preachers, concert worship styles, and a prosperity message promising a joyful life essentially free of pain. All one has to do is 'claim it' and 'name it' and it's yours.

This modern message sets people up for failure, however, because it promises things that the God of the Bible never promised. As a result of these false promises, peoples' hopes are dashed to the ground. Instead of faith, there is cynicism and distrust toward religious institutions in general. Naturally, people are asking the question, "Is God for Real?" "How can I believe such hogwash?" "All those religious people want to do is take my money." "They don't really care about me." These are the kinds of sentiments expressed from wall street to main street, from the urban community to the rural community, from the bars to the church pews.

Interestingly, the word 'religion' only appears a few times in the Bible, and when it does appear, it sometimes makes the eyebrows raise. In James 1:26-27 the Bible says, "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

Isn't that an amazing passage of Scripture? Why didn't God say that conducting a worship service loaded with tithing, drum beating, dramatic presentations, emotional testimonies, and great charismatic preaching result in pure religion? No! Instead, He focuses on how we treat others and how we exercise self-control over our own lives!

God centers on three very important aspects of these two verses of Scripture: (1) It matters what we utter with our tongues, (2) We must look after those who can't look after themselves in difficult times, and (3) We must practice holiness - a religion that is life transformational; thus setting us apart from what 'everyone else does.' I can see how this would be acceptable religion in God's eyes!

It's time to get back to the basics folks: religion must be God-serving, not self-serving! Spread the word! And Remember .... GOD WANTS YOU!!!!