My dad was the Pastor of our church before I became the pastor.  I was the third pastor of our home church.  Our first Pastor ministered and took care of two churches for 50 years.  My dad was born and raised in the faith and helped the Pastor at one of the churches.  I remember him saying many times that when people get converted, they sometimes develop an attitude that says: “I am better than other people.”  Today, we would call them elitists. I am speaking of Believers who sometimes get snobby.  Yes, even Christians, even Believers begin to believe that they are Super Christians.  That God owes them something for getting saved.  Then, if things don’t go their way they start whining and saying” “Where is God in all of this?”  My father used to say that just because you get saved God does not roll out the red carpet for you.  He would say that on the red carpet the only thing that is of any importance is the red blood of Jesus Christ.
 
I am quite sure we have all seen the Red Carpet rolled out when Hollywood gives out Academy Awards.  You see what has happened to us; we begin to take on the world’s ways and the world’s thinking.  We think that is what God should be doing for us.  We see the women wearing dresses valued at $10,000 and they are wearing jewelry worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.  We begin to think that God owes us.  BUT that is not what the Christian life is to be like.  You know what happens….even Believers get tainted by the world.  We think that we are entitled to certain things and rewards because we are children of the King of Kings.
 
I remember a phone call that I received from a young woman.  She and her husband were Pastoring a church.  She said that she started thinking of all the good she and her husband had been doing for the Kingdom of God.  But then her voice went low, she said that she was beginning to develop a prideful attitude.  One night she asked the Lord to show her, her rewards.  Oh, she said he showed her.  She told me that she dreamed that she died and went to heaven and she saw this bright light.  She could not see the face of the Lord because the light was so bright.  And around the throne were all sorts of crowns: large, medium and small.  Oh, they were beautiful and sparkling.  She said that she said to herself, “Oh these must be MY crowns.”  Then in the dream she saw the hand of the Lord touch the crowns and they all burned up like dross, like trash, like garbage, like they were worthless-just the way the Bible describes it.  All that was left was a teeny, tiny crown, the smallest crown you could hardly see.  In fact, it was so small it could not even fit on the end of her pinkie finger.  She said all that she could do was to cry out to the Lord: “Forgive me for my rotten, stinking prideful attitude.”
 
Some of you may be saying well, it is not right to speak to God like that.  “We should not ask Him a question such as did this woman.”  All the years of my life in the church I have heard people say it is not respectful to ask God why?  Yes, we must be respectful of our Lord.  But He is not offended by our honesty and sincerity.  We all forget that the Bible tells us that He already knows what we are thinking.  He knows our questions. He even knows our motives and most of the time we don’t know our motives.  I truly believe that we do not want to ask Our Lord about certain things because then we would have to do what He asks of us and we may not like the answer.
 
In the Old Testament there is a small book that only has 3 chapters - Habakkuk. It is the name of the prophet.  Here, we have a great example of a man of God who was not afraid to ask God the tough questions that really bothered him.  Most prophets spoke to the people for God.  Habakkuk spoke to God for the people.  He lived in times that were hard on the faith.  He saw the righteous suffering and the wicked prospering.  He asked God two questions that we often ask: ”Why?”  and “How long?”  He wanted to know why are these things happening and how long before they are corrected.  We need to go head and ask God but ask sincerely, correctly and humbly.  Habakkuk is one of the good guys.  He fears God and does what is right but it is getting him nowhere.   When you get to the end of his book his name which means “to embrace or wrestle” becomes appropriate.  He chooses to cling firmly to God regardless of what happens to his nation. (Habakkuk 3:16-19)    That is the final conclusion we need to come to in our lives.  Regardless of what happens in our lives, or in the lives of our family or what happens in our country; our final conclusion must be to cling firmly to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He is our refuge and our strength.  He is our strong rock, our fortress, our deliverer. 
 
We learn from Habakkuk the progression he went through.  He goes from questioning God to trusting God.  Habakkuk would be right at home in our society today.   We witness murderers getting away with punishment because of a technicality.  We see terrorists allowed to go free.  We witness the persecution of Christians world-wide and no newspaper or television news outlets report it.  If it weren’t for the religious organizations we would know nothing about the world-wide persecution. But that was when Habakkuk cried out to the Lord and maybe that is what we Christians need to do: Cry out to Our Lord and start praying. 

Remember God never turns away the honest and sincere seeker.  Go to God with your questions.  You may not find all the answers but in finding God you then know the One who does.

Do you truly believe that every day, every minute, every breath you take is truly a gift from God?  There is a verse in Proverbs 27:1 that says: Boast not yourself of tomorrow for you know not what a day may bring forth.  This verse means we are not to brag about tomorrow because tomorrows are the frailest things in all of creation.
 
In the Bible there is a passage in Luke 12:16-20 about a rich fool who boasted of his "tomorrows".  He had so much that he was going to pull down his old barns and build bigger, newer barns.  BUT what did God say to him?  You fool…this night your soul will be required of you.  This is not only for rich people but also for the poor as well.  We forget that ALL our blessings come from God.  The rich man had provided for the flesh, but he had not provided for his soul.
 
Is this passage speaking to you?  You see, sooner or later this night will come to each of us.  In modern day English that means we will be out of here one day.  Today may be your last day.  What have you sent ahead for your soul?  So, how would you live if you knew you only had one week to live?  From time to time it is necessary for us to deal with our own mortality.  The statistics tell us that 100% of all humans will die. 
 
I remember reading about W.C.Fields, the old time vaudeville comic and early movie actor.  A story was once told about him.  Fields was dying and he had a friend who was a Christian and every day this friend would go to see him.  He would tell him about Jesus and the need to give his heart to the Lord so that when he died he would go to heaven.  But Fields would not listen.  However, one day his friend came in the house and found Fields reading the Bible.  His neighbor was excited he said to him “What are you doing?”  Fields replied “I am looking for a loophole.”   Many people today are looking for loopholes. 
 
If this week were to be your last week, I would guess that many people would repent. But you see the theology in many religious circles today says that repentance is old-fashioned and out of date.  It is a religious relic from the dark ages of hellfire and brimstone preaching.  But it was not obsolete in the mind of Jesus because in Luke 13:3 Jesus said: Except you repent, you shall likewise perish.  Isn’t it better to keep our souls on a current day-by-day basis because we never know when God will audit our books. 
 
Some of you may be saying that this is for old people but I am a young person, I have my whole life ahead of me.  Just listen, watch and read the news on a daily basis and you soon see that all age groups die.  We should be reading our Bibles but study after study in the last 25 years has revealed that American Christians increasingly do not read their Bibles.  They don’t engage their Bibles.  They don’t know their Bibles.  We are now living in a post- biblical culture.  Why?  Because whether it is the internet, video games, the TV, the Smart Phones, Social media, increased time spent on entertainment and sports, everything else takes up our time.   Americans are spending less time between the pages of reading ANY kind of book, not just the Good Book. And it is not because we do not have Bibles; the average American has at least 3 Bibles in their homes.  You can download a Bible for free or you can even steal a Gideon Bible from your hotel room, if you are so inclined.
 
If you only had one week to live I would guess that a person would pray.  In the Bible when the prophet came to tell King Hezekiah that he was going to die, he prayed and God answered by extending his life for 15 more years.  That is not always the case.  Most people see praying as a last resort rather than a first reaction.
 
Others I guess would give up everything they owned to God. Now I will give to spreading the gospel.  Our money can’t bribe the undertaker neither can it influence God to finance another heartbeat. We cannot write out a check for our breath.
 
Perhaps you would spend that last week in church.  Some folks never come to church until the hearse and pallbearers bring them in the doors.    I am quite sure that if people knew they had a week to live they would say I would make things right with everyone.  Eternity has a strange way of changing our attitudes toward people.  For others they would begin to think of heaven.  Many times we Christians have the attitude that heaven means no urgency.  Any day now I will get ready to die.
 
Each of us has no guarantee of tomorrow.  I read a quote many years ago that said:
Yesterday is a canceled check
Tomorrow is a promissory note
Today is the only cash that you have...Spend it wisely
 
Especially in these uncertain days, we must each ask ourselves "how will I spend my last week"?

There has never been a time when you were unloved by God.  I know many, many people do not believe that statement, but it is true.  God’s love is perfect, faithful, unconditional, forgiving, all-encompassing, pure, lasting, sacrificial, strong, enduring, refreshing, redeeming, everlasting, lavish, full, inspiring, hope-filled, gracious, and so much more. It’s never based on us, our abilities, or striving to ever be good enough. It’s found in Him, His character, and a huge capacity to give. It knows no boundaries and has no limits. There’s no place too deep that His love can’t reach us still. As the old hymn says:  “He can reach way down to pick us up.”
 
Over the years, He has cared for us, thought about us on a moment-by-moment basis, and never resisted the idea of loving us.  He has been willing to laugh with us, cry with us, and listen to us describe every detail of our lives.  When the world rejects you, God is your constant Friend who accepts you just as you are.   I know many times people see and think of God as an ogre with a heavy hand ready to knock us down but that is not the God of the Bible.
 
The problem we face is not God loving us, but how we love Him.  Do we truly know how to experience the love He has for us?  Can we accept the fact that He loves us unconditionally, and that the plans He has for our lives are ones that overflow with goodness and mercy and grace?  Think about this:  God does not withhold anything in loving us.  He gave everything He had to give when He extended His love to us through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  His love is a free gift of grace.  All that we need to do in order to have this love is to accept it, claim it and cling to it.

So how do you perceive God?  Several years ago, a student in seminary class stood to his feet and announced to the professor, "I don't believe in God!" The professor, unraveled, replied, "Describe this God you don't believe in?" After the student had described an unlovely and vengeful God, the professor confessed, "I don't believe in that God either. My God is a God of love."

It is so difficult to describe God’s love. How do you describe a rose to a blind person? How do you describe Handle's Hallelujah Chorus to a deaf person? How do you describe the thrill of down hill skiing to one who has never walked? How do you describe the impeccable, infinite love of God to impure, finite human beings?
One of the most vivid characteristics of God is that He is a God of love. The Psalmist was descriptive in recording the love-nature of God. He stated that he was "abounding in love" (Psalm 103:8 NIV), "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His  love for those who fear Him" (Psalm 103:11 NIV), "As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him" (Psalm 103:13 NIV),  "But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’S love is with those who fear Him (Psalm 103:17).  (The word fear as used here means to respect, to honor and to worship Him!)

The point is not simply that God "loves," but that He is love itself. Love is not merely one of His attributes, but His very nature. The Scripture says, "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. (1 John 4:16 NIV). To say that God is love is not to imply that love is God. God is love means that God wants the very best for you. God has your best interest in mind. He wants to give you good gifts and provide you with "all His benefits" (Psalm 103:2, NIV).

God's love touches every part of our life. Nothing - no calling or circumstance, no adversity or advancement, no pain or promotion, no status or station - escapes the brush strokes of God's love. God's love bleeds into every fabric and fiber of our lives.  The number of times the three-lettered word "all" is used in Psalm 103 reminds us that God's love is all consuming. His love touches every area of our lives. There is nowhere we can go to escape His love. There is no problem that we will encounter that is not touched by His love. There is no advancement that we will make where God is not already there. Even when our world falls apart, we can say, "God, I don't know why this is happening. I don't understand it, but I'm sure glad to know you love me."

The Bible cuts through all the philosophical ideas and declares that God is a Person. As a personal being God is capable of loving and being loved. And as a personal being he loves each one of us intensely and personally. God's love is not simply for mankind as a mass. It is not a sentimental, vague, diffused feeling - something like Charlie Brown's attitude when he says, "I love mankind; it's people I can't stand." God really likes individual people.

When Karl Barth, the famed German theologian, visited the United States, a reporter at a dedication service asked: "Dr. Barth, what is the single most important truth you have learned as a theologian?"  Barth replied, "The most important thing I have learned is this: 'Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.'"

"Jesus loves me" is the central pronouncement of the Christian faith and the cornerstone of the nature of God.  When God says I love you, He is saying that you matter to Him!

You are a person of worth. 

You are valuable to Him.

Regardless of what others think, in His eyes you are wonderful.

Have a Great Day and Remember...God Has Always Loved You!

If I asked a question to those of you who are reading this article how would you answer?  The question is:    

                                How many of you would like to worry more? 

How many would raise your hands?  I am quite sure nobody would want to worry more.  Most of us worry unnecessarily about too many things already.  It is almost as though we search for problems to make ourselves stressed.  The amazing news is that much of what we worry about- does not matter at all.
 
For those of us who call ourselves Christians or Believers you know what?  We also tend to worry and are anxious at times.  What defines us as Christians?  Well, we truly believe that God can redeem us.  We truly believe that God can break the shackles of Satan.  We truly believe that God can take us from hell to heaven.  We truly believe that God can put us into His Kingdom.  We truly believe that God can give us eternal life.  We truly believe that God has control over our lives.  We truly believe that God can make a way when there seems to be no way.  BUT we just don’t think that God can get us through the next couple of days.
 
Now isn’t that pretty ridiculous?  We can believe God for the greater gifts but then we stumble and do not believe Him for the lesser things.  Do you know what that tells me and reveals to me….an embarrassing lack of faith.  Jesus addresses this topic of worry in Matthew 6:25-34.
25 “Therefore I say to you, Take no thought for your life (DO NOT WORRY), what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than meat and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Jesus is telling us that if we are worrying and have anxiety we are showing little faith.  It shows that we are not trusting our Heavenly Father and how He has supplied the needs of His people in the past.  In 1 Peter 5:7 we are told to cast all your care upon Him For He cares for you.  You are His concern.
 
When we worry and are anxious it can become a way of life.  It also gives us a false sense of importance; it is as if we are telling God that by worrying we are somehow making a difference.  Jesus tells us in Matthew- Not To Worry.
 
Another question.  Has all of the worry that you have done throughout your life, changed any situation?  Do you know that the English word “worry” comes from an old German word “wurgen” and it means to strangle or to choke.  The Greek word for worry is “merizo” and it means to divide, to rip or tear apart.  That is exactly what worry does to us it strangles us, it chokes us it can divide us and tear us apart.
 
When we look to Jesus as our Savior and His work on the cross it reconciles us with the peace our hearts long for in the middle of the trials and challenges of this life.  We need to put our trust in the Lord.
 
Let God worry about you, because after all He does care for you.  If you and I know that God is watching out for us we have nothing left to worry about and we can get on with the business of living by the will of God.
 
Choose wisely.

The TV remote, as we have come to know it, came into existence for one simple reason – one man’s desire to mute the commercials he felt were ruining his TV watching.  In America, during the 1950s, Zenith Electronics president Eugene F. McDonald gave the company’s engineers a challenge: he hated having to sit through commercials because they were ruining his TV watching.  He wanted a device that could let him mute them, or skip to another channel …where hopefully something other than commercials were playing. So, the remote control as we know it was born. McDonald’s desire became a revolution, changing the way we watch television.  We moved from a passive observer, to more of a ruthless overseer. If we didn’t like what we saw, a new channel was a click away.
 
Remote controls are one of the most universal symbols of our modern technologies. Some electronics enthusiasts might have a dozen remotes scattered on their coffee tables for their electronic equipment; even your friends who are not fans of electronics most likely have a handful of remotes at their disposal, controlling everything from TVs, air conditioners, security systems, car door locks, etc...and of course, all of us probably have at least one or two remotes permanently lost under the cushions of our couch.
 
In today's modern world, we can set our television to record from across the globe through a smartphone app.  We hardly have to lift a finger from the comfort of our chairs to control any home electronic device. We forget that people once had to get up to change the channel.  We tend to take the remote control for granted. It allows us to command our devices efficiently and reliably. Remote controls have come a long way—there are even wireless ones now!
 
BUT, as Americans we tend to take a good idea and run with it and we start treating everyone and everything the way we treat our electronics.  We mute them, and whenever we try to program people to think like us and when we can’t---we get frustrated! We shut them out, we can raise the volume when we do not like what we hear and then we close them down.  Look at all the ones who are trying to shut down people who have a different opinion or belief system than they do today.
 
Have you noticed we have done the same thing to God?  We treat God the way we treat our remote control.  We stiffen under the thought that someone else might be controlling us. In fact, many of us, if we’re honest, are control freaks. How many of you have issues of control when it comes to your personal life? This idea of control is deeply imbedded in our culture, our value of freedom and the American dream. The American Dream states that anyone can succeed through hard work and has the potential to lead a happy, successful life.  That is what the world teaches us.
 
For those of us who call ourselves Christians or Believers, Jesus is ALWAYS our best example.  Rather than choosing to control His own life, Jesus instead chose to surrender everything to the will of God, His Father.  When Jesus went into the wilderness and was tempted, it was an exercise over control of His life. Would He be in control or would He surrender it to God?  When Jesus was on the cross, He was tempted to take back control first by the passersby who cried out, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God! And second by the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders who mocked Him. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! If He’s the king of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.’” (Matthew 27:40)
 
But Jesus,  “humbled himself by becoming obedient to death- even death on a cross!” Jesus would go on to confess, "I can do nothing on my own".(John 5:30)  And He calls those who follow him to do the same, “If anyone would come after me, let him DENY himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” ( Matthew16:24-25)
 
Jesus’ answer to our control problems: Surrender. We are called to surrender but we often harden our hearts and minds at the very idea. The last thing we want to do is give up control. Many of us still live under the illusion that we are in control of our lives, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. Times when we have taken control and messed up our own life is proof enough.  Still, letting go of control and giving it over to someone else, even God, is a frightening prospect. Maybe it's the word "surrender" which we usually associate with defeat, humiliation, and losing. Our world never considers surrender a good thing. No one wants to lose, and no one wants to admit defeat. We are taught instead never to give up and never give in. If winning is everything, surrendering is unthinkable.
 
But when we surrender to God it is a different story. To surrender means to relinquish possession or control to another.  Surrendering isn’t losing or admitting defeat. It’s about victory in Jesus Christ because He calls us to surrender. It’s about becoming who we are called to be. Author and theologian C.S. Lewis was right when he said, “The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become- because He made us.”  
 
How do you know when you have surrendered yourself to Jesus?

You've surrendered to God when you rely on Him to work things out instead of trying to manipulate and force your agenda to control the situation and people. You let go and let God work. You let Him be in charge. Instead of trying harder, you trust more. When faced with a difficult trial, temptation or tribulation, you don’t ask, “What am I going to do now?" Instead you ask, "Lord, what are you going to do?” You don't rely on your own abilities and resources but God’s power and His provision. You place complete faith and trust in Christ, knowing that God is in control and that no matter what you face, with “God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
 
You have done it your way for so many years, how about you hand over the Remote Control to God in this New Year.

Recently, I was cleaning out a desk drawer and I came across something I had saved from many. many years ago.  This is a great allegory for our times.  An allegory is a story with two levels of meaning.  First, there's the external layer of the story; the characters and plot and all the obvious things that are instantly visible.  Secondly, there's the symbolic level, or the deeper meaning that represents all the things on the surface and what they represent symbolically.  This is a parable of faith and hope.
 
I tried to find out who wrote the article originally and I found out that this article has been circulating the internet for years.  Some claim it as an old French story, others credit it to the great inspirational write J.W.Nouwen,  still others list several other possibilities.  But I believe it is too good to let it not be printed for the times we are living in.  It not only represents birth but it also represents death all in the same article.  So to who ever wrote it, “Thank You.”
 
The title of the article is In A Mother’s Womb

In a mother’s womb were two babies.  One asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?”

The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”

“Nonsense,” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?”

The second said, “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths.  Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.”

The first replied, “That is absurd! Walking is impossible! And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need.   But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.“

The second one insisted, “Well, I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here.  Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.”

The first replied, “Nonsense.  And moreover if there is life, then why has no one ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion.  It takes us nowhere.”

“Well, I don’t know,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet mother and she will take care of us.”
The first replied “Mother?!” You actually believe in mother?  That is laughable. If mother exists where is she now?”

The second said, “She is all around us. We are surrounded by her.  We are of her. It is in her that we live. Without her this world would not and could not exist.”

Said the first, “Well I don’t see her, so it’s only logical that she doesn’t exist.”

To which the second replied, “Right, but sometimes, when we are silent you can hear her singing or feel her caressing our world.  You know, I think there’s a real life waiting for us and now we are only preparing for that.”

And so the last days in the womb were filled with deep questioning and fear and finally the moment of birth arrived.  When the twins had passed from their world, they opened their eyes and cried, but what they saw exceeded their fondest dreams.  What they saw was the beautiful eyes of their mother, as they were cradled lovingly in her arms.  They saw the biggest smile of their father.  They were home!!!!

                                                                        #######


We hardly understand the birth process and we hardly understand about life after death. But they are very similar.  Our modern snobbishness, condescension and attitudes of self-importance have infiltrated our churches, our country and the world.  We now worship our own intelligence,  the “we know it all” attitude is now permeating all cultures.  We have been caught in the “snare of the fowler.”  Never have our egos been so big.  Satan has penetrated the church to change it, to change its message, to change its purpose, to distort the gospel and to wear down the saints.   There is nothing new under the sun.  When the first church began Satan put all of these same obstacles in the way; BUT GOD had the church grow.

When you are out and friends begin to speak listen to what they say about birth and life after death.  It will really amaze you.  If we would truly read the Bible and stop fighting God’s will for our lives; if we could just have the faith and humility to break free of our own self-importance we’d see quite plainly that we were made for so much more.

In 1 Corinthians 2:9, scripture says:  But as it is written:  “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

Do you really believe in the power of prayer?   I know there are many Believers, many Christians who go out of their way to go to church.  They go out of their way to worship; but they have just a little relationship with the LORD throughout the week. 
 
We all go through difficulties day after day but only when we come to the end of our rope and our strength then we ask for God’s help.  However, we have the power of God at our disposal all the time; twenty-four/seven.  Yet, we attempt to get by on our own strength everyday.
 
Many people believe that it doesn’t really matter whether they pray or not.  They  believe that God’s going to do, what God’s going to do –so why bother?

Today, people regard prayer as a last resort after all of their other efforts have failed; sort of like a “Hail Mary” pass in football.  They throw it up in the air and hope it reaches the desired destination.  Yes, we pray a little but in our heart of hearts we don’t view prayer as making that big an impact on the decisions we make daily.  We do not include our LORD into our lives.  We need to include His presence into our lives so that we can experience His power.
 
Are you aware that through prayer we can impact the world?  We can secure destinies, and effect eternity because there is power in prayer.  I have been in church my entire life.  My dad was a pastor and then I was the pastor of my home church.  I have seen and heard people pray with tears and brokenness and the LORD answered. I have witnessed evil spirits come out of people.  I have seen marriages healed, emotional and spiritual problems resolved; drug addicts and alcoholics lives changed around.  I have seen and heard people pray over our nation and the LORD answered.
 
I Thessalonians 5:17 says Pray without ceasing.  We Christians need to plug into our power source.  We need to plead, to pray to God for this country for this world.  Look at this world, man has tried every which way to solve the problems we face, but the word of God says we must plead for the souls of this world. 
 
Some of you may be saying I can’t go on a mission trip --that’s OK.  Can you get down on your knees and pray?  Someone may tell me they can’t get down on their knees because of pain or age, but you can still pray. You can pray on your knees, you can pray standing up, you can pray flat on your back, you can pray with your face to the ground, you can pray sitting in your favorite chair, you can pray walking around, you can pray lying in bed.   No limitations to the positions for prayer.
 
Either we are going to plead to our Lord or we are going to perish.  It is either Pentecost or it is going to be holocaust.  It is either going to be revival or the wrath of God.  We are to pray to God fervently to pour our whole hearts and our total beings out to God to share with God, both thanksgivings and petitions.
 
Our best example is always JESUS.  Let me remind you when Jesus was on this earth
He was totally dependent upon God not upon the crowds. The crowds could give Jesus nothing,  But God could give Jesus everything. That is why He depended on His Father.   We need to depend on our LORD also.
 
Let me give you an illustration that might help you understand the power of prayer.  Five ministerial students were visiting in London on a hot Sunday in July.  While they were waiting for the doors of the church to open, a man approached and asked them “Gentlemen, would you like to see the heating apparatus of the church?”  They thought, “How weird that this man wants to show us the heating system of the church on a hot day in July.”
 
But, they were curious so they all followed him.  They came to a door.  He quietly opened it and whispered: “There sirs, is our heating apparatus!”  Some seven hundred intercessors were kneeling in prayer, seeking an outpouring of God’s Spirit upon the service which was soon to begin in the Tabernacle.  That unknown guide was Charles Spurgeon the great pastor of the pulpit himself.
 
What is fueling the fire in our churches today in the life of those of us who call ourselves Christians?   Our churches are filled with powerless programs when they should be filled with praying people!

In 2018, Forbes magazine listed a record 2,208 billionaires from 72 countries.   This elite group is worth $9.1 trillion, up 18% since last year.  Their average net worth is a record $4.1 billion. Americans lead the way with a record 585 billionaires, followed by mainland China with 373. Centi-billionaire Jeff Bezos secures the list’s top spot for the first time, becoming the only person to appear in the Forbes ranks with a 12-figure fortune. Bezos’s fortune increased more than $39 billion last year.  Even in such a strong year, 121 dropped out due to falling fortunes. These people possess material wealth that staggers the imagination of most of us.  However, in spite of their financial prosperity they are not truly the richest people in the land.  You see fortunes are made and lost.  Material wealth does not make anyone truly rich.
 
The richest people in the world are those who know Jesus.  Those who have seen the kingdom of God and have come to understand the true value of their souls.  Jesus said that your soul is worth more than the rest of the world put together. He asked, “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36). We have difficulty trying to get our minds around what is meant by “the whole world.” For this is not only the physical world or the geographical world, but it includes the business world, the scientific world, the intellectual world, etc. Jesus said that the soul is worth more than ALL the world put together.

Why is your soul so valuable? You see, the value of your soul is measured by its eternal quality. It will never die. You are going to live forever. Your body will die, but your soul, the part of you that is made in the image of God, will never die. Your soul—your spirit—will live forever. It is that part of you that has understanding and wisdom.  Many people have knowledge, but they do not have wisdom. They have head knowledge not heart knowledge.  The Bible says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).”
Knowledge without God and without wisdom is very dangerous. That’s one of the problems in the world today. We have a lot of knowledge; we have a lot of learning, but we lack the wisdom to use our knowledge- our application ability is very low.

Your soul is that part of you that has judgment. It makes decisions—moral decisions—what is good and what is bad. Your soul also involves your will. Your will chooses or rejects things that are brought before it. Your soul is that part of you that has emotion, like love and fear. It has memory—the mental capacity for storing up knowledge of ideas and events. There is something down inside us that is beyond the science to know. The Bible calls it our soul, our spirit.

We tend to put all of our emphasis on the body with its pleasures and its physical appetites. But the soul also has appetites. The soul longs for God. Down deep inside every person’s heart is a cry for something, but he doesn’t quite know what it is. Man is a worshiping creature. He instinctively knows that there is something out there somewhere, and he longs to know that something or someone. Your soul longs for vital contact with God. Your soul is valuable because it is eternal—it is forever.
Suppose you had all the gold in the world and all the things you could ever dream of owning.  Suppose it was all yours, but you lost your soul. Jesus said it would be a poor bargain. Even if you could get everything you wanted, it wouldn’t give you peace. You would still be searching. Great riches and much pleasure cannot make you happy. Only the peace of God coming into your heart through Jesus Christ can bring peace, joy and happiness.

Make sure of your relationship with Christ. Christ demands more than just churchgoing, more than just baptism, more than just being good. He demands your total surrender—the surrender of your mind, your heart, your body, every part of you—to the Lordship of Christ. If you have a doubt in your heart that you have totally surrendered to Christ, do it now. Make sure of your salvation. Make certain that you know Christ.
Is anything worth more than a soul? The answer, obviously, is no. God values the human soul and so should we.  Once you know and understand what your soul is worth; once you know how much God really thinks about you and how much He really loves you; then you will know that you can pile all the wealth of the earth on one side of God’s balance scale and you can stand on the other side and the balance would always tip in your favor.  You and I and every one of us individually are more valuable to God than all the wealth and treasures of the world put together.  Remember…. God owns it ALL -  not even the richest people in the world own that much!

​The title for my blog is Grace Notes.  You may ask why this title? 
 
First, of all, my name is Grace.   I was born on a Tuesday night in 1942 and we had church service on that night. At that time, Dad’s were not allowed in the delivery room when a baby was born.  So,nmy Dad was in church (where else would he be?) and at the time that I was born the congregation was singing the hymn: "Grace, Grace, God’s Grace".  Even though my parents had another name picked out for me, my Dad believed that God had my name picked out and so I was named Grace. 
 
Secondly, I have played the piano since I was 6 years old and there is a phrase “grace note” that is found in music theory.  The character and effect of a grace note is determined by the tempo and style of the music. The idea is to use a grace note to give its main note a little lift. The best grace notes are those that are a half-step or a whole step away from the full melody note.
 
Thirdly, I made a commitment to Christ when I was young and as I grew in the work of the Lord I then understood His Grace and Mercy in my life. 
 
So what does the Grace of God really mean? We speak of it often but it is very difficult to understand.  We are told that it is unmerited favor. That means we did not deserve it but we received it anyhow because of His love! There is nothing we can do to make God love us more.  There is nothing we can do to make God love us less.  It is a mind- boggling thought that the eternal, all- powerful God loves us in spite of who we are…enough to die for us:
 
For scarcely for a Righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God Commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7-8 KJV).

For those of us who are Christians, who are Believers, God’s Grace brings salvation.  If we had all the wealth of the world we could not pay for one drop of the precious blood of Jesus Christ.  God’s Grace is available to ALL.  There is no class distinction, no culture or creed exemption.  God’s Grace is accessible and obtainable for everyone.

Grace is Chesed in Hebrew which means decency, mercy and the goodness of the Lord.   Grace is Charis in the Greek and it means grace, kindness and life.  Jesus is God's Grace.  Grace is all about what Jesus accomplished when He came to earth.  Grace is putting faith in what Jesus has done.  Grace is choosing to believe in the good news. Grace is putting my trust in what Jesus has done for me on the cross of Calvary.  Grace is not what I do for Him.  Grace is receiving the finished work of Jesus.  Remember we are living the Christian life and serving the Lord by the Grace of God.

Grace is one of the most important subjects in the whole of scripture because it is by God’s Grace that we are saved and it is through Grace; through God’s help, that we are able to continue our Christian journey
 
(Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace (Goodness of God) are ye Saved through Faith (Faith in Christ); and that not of yourselves (None of this is us); it is the gift of God (Gift speaks of Jesus His Son and His work on the Cross): Not of works (Man cannot earn Salvation), lest any man should boast (No boasting in ourselves only boasting in the Cross).
 
In his book, What’s So Amazing About Grace? Philip Yancey, tells something that happened during a British conference on comparative religions.  The title of the chapter is Lovesick Father.  He tells that there were experts from around the world and they were debating the question:  Was there any belief that was unique to the Christian faith?  They eliminated some topics such as Incarnation, Resurrection but the debate went on for quite a while until C.S. Lewis wandered into the room.  He heard the commotion going on so he asked what his colleagues were discussing.  They asked what is Christianity’s unique contribution among the world religions.  Lewis responded, “Oh, that is easy.  It is grace.”
 
Wow they all agreed that the notion of God’s love coming to us free of charge, no strings attached, seems to go against every instinct of humanity. All the other world religions have strings attached such as: The Buddhist eight-fold path, the Hindu doctrine of karma, the Jewish covenant, the Muslim code of law-each of these offers a way to clear approval.  Only Christianity dares to make God’s love unconditional!
 
In the Bible a man by the name of Nicodemus came to Jesus at night and basically asked Jesus: Who are You that You do these miracles except that God be with You.  Jesus answered and said: Verily, verily I say unto you except a man a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.   Nicodemus was trying to understand born again but he could only relate to it that he already had a natural birth. Jesus told him yes, that man has a natural birth but man (that includes women) must also have a Spiritual Birth which comes by Faith in Jesus Christ and what He has done for us at the Cross.
 
If you are reading this blog and believe that you have messed up your life so badly then you are reading the right article.  Go to God and tell Him that you have messed up your life.  He already knows it because He has been watching you your entire life and He knows that you have wasted your years and it is time for you to come to yourself have a talk with yourself and the Lord and say “Lord I really need your forgiveness. “ There is not one prayer that saves it is the repentance and faith behind the words that lays hold of salvation.  It is all about repentance and faith.  Get before the Lord and admit that you are a sinner, ask for forgiveness, believe that Jesus died for you on that cross and that Jesus rose from the dead.  Invite Jesus to come into your life and your heart.  Trust and follow Him as your Lord and Savior.

Has anyone noticed that we Americans have become an ungrateful people?  Even though we live in one of the top 11 wealthiest countries in the world; we seem to be hearing and seeing people always complaining and whining.  Even when we do get some things, it is never enough.  Our attitude is, “Well, it’s about time I received something; however, others still have more than me.”  In our culture, we are constantly bombarded with messages that say we MUST get the next newest thing: a car, cell phone, computer and even the next wife or husband.   It is the cause for dissatisfaction among American Christians although we already have more than we need!  This is referred to as an Entitlement Mentality.

As Christians we either believe that everything is from the Lord or it isn’t.  In Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, a stronghold in a day of distress; He cares for those who take refuge in Him.”   Unfortunately, in this world there are many things designed to distract us from the graciousness of God. That means we must learn to cultivate a mindset of looking for God’s goodness in the mess of our lives. Remember that all things are not good. However, God makes all things work to the good for those that love Him and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28).  Don’t be distracted by the things you see and hear on radio, television and newspapers. As Believers we are to set our eyes on the goodness of God in Jesus, this will give us a reason to be grateful!! When we see how gracious God is then gratitude is our natural response!
A grateful attitude doesn’t happen by accident which means it is to be a habit of attitude and action so make it part of your daily routine.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:18 it says: 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Psalm 100 says: Serve the Lord God with gladness. Gladness here means delight, overflowing joy, festivity, mirth or laughter. You can’t serve God with grumbling inactivity.
 
Let me give you an example of what I mean.  German pastor Martin Rinkart served in the walled town of Eilenburg during the horrors of the Thirty Years War from 1618-1648. Eilenburg became an overcrowded refuge for the surrounding area. The fugitives suffered from epidemic and famine. At the beginning of 1637, the year of the Great Pestilence, there were four ministers in Eilenburg. However, one abandoned his post for healthier areas and could not be persuaded to return. Pastor Rinkhart officiated at the funerals of the other two.
 
As the only pastor left, he often conducted funeral services for all those who died- about  5000 in all. In May of that year, his own wife died. By the end of the year, the refugees had to be buried in trenches without services.
 
In the face of overwhelming pressure, constant risk and horrendous conditions, Rinkart never stopped ministering to the people of his city. He gave away nearly everything he owned to the poor and needy, though he could barely clothe and feed his own children. He mortgaged his own future income to provide for his family and his community.
 
After nearly thirty years of ceaseless struggles, it began to look like peace was within reach. Wanting to give his children a song to sing to God in thanks at the dinner table, Rinkart sat down and composed what would become one of the most well known hymns of all time — “Now Thank We All Our God"
 
Yet, while living in a world dominated by death, Rinkart wrote this timeless prayer for his children—a reminder to be grateful to God for all things, at all times:
                    Now thank we all our God With hearts and hands and voices;
                    Who wondrous things hath done, In whom this world rejoices.
                    Who, from our mother’s arms, Hath led us on our way,
                    With countless gifts of love, And still is ours today.

Life is a gift from God to be lived for God. When our mouths are full of thankfulness they can’t be full of grumbling, whining and complaining.

Being ungrateful can be deadly to our spiritual life, for it hurts God and damages our soul. Being ungrateful to Jesus means discounting his salvation and turning away from Him. That’s why the Bible teaches us to carefully examine our hearts. Only by looking to the cross of Christ can we attain God-pleasing thankfulness.

Choose wisely!