I heard someone say that a lot of Christians have the idea that serving God and the enjoyment of material prosperity are synonymous. They went on to say that sometimes God’s greatest blessings come to a man when he finds himself stripped of all the temporal securities he’s always depended upon, so he can fully enjoy the thrill of childlike trust in almighty God.

What does childlike faith look like? I believe I got a good view of this back in 2006. I observed this at church, and found it very interesting and very striking. There was a lady with a baby boy who was only 2 months, she wasn’t the mother, and was somehow related, but I don’t remember exactly how. I noticed how he was so very content as she held him in her arms; he was very peaceful, not upset or distressed; he was constantly and steadily focused on looking at her and was not distracted by anyone or anything going on around him; nothing took his focus from her; a lot was going on around him, but he remained focused, content, and peaceful. That little baby boy was completely focused and totally trusting in the one who held him in her arms. Now that’s cool! That spoke to me then and still speaks volumes to me now about how focused and trusting I should be with my heavenly Father.

Since November last year, I’ve had a number of unexpected expenses, and I’m thankful that I had some savings to cover them. However, I haven’t been able to save on a regular basis as I was doing before, and my savings is diminishing. This really bugged me, and I began to grumble and complain about it. Then God intervened in the midst of my “pity party” and helped me realize that I was not trusting Him, and I was reminded that He is my one and only true source for everything.

My faith is being tested, which I know is a very good thing. I sincerely believe this because lately I’ve been struggling, not only with unexpected expenses, but other things as well. I don’t know if I can adequately describe this, but I’ll try. There was a time (sometime last year) when I looked forward to going to church to corporately praise and worship God, to pray, to hear the truth of God’s Word, and to serve in the areas in which I serve. I desire to go, but there’s no anticipation anymore, at least not at this point. Sometimes it seems as if I’m just going through the motions, not “feeling” God’s presence as I have “felt” His presence before, and not “feeling” very spiritual. I talked to God about it, and asked Him what was wrong with me, what’s my problem, what’s going on? Although I did not necessarily “feel” His presence as I have before, deep in my heart I knew He was with me and heard my prayer. His response gave me hope and encouragement…

1 Peter 1:7
These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold — and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold.
2 Corinthians 5:7
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
The Lord is telling me not to live based on the “feelings” I do or do not have.
Philippians 1:6
And I am sure that God, Who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.

God is teaching me to trust Him more; He’s teaching me to be patient; He’s teaching me to cast my care on Him (i.e., to give my problems, worries and cares to Him and trust Him to work it out, rather than worrying and trying to work it out or figure it out myself). Honestly, these are not easy things for me to learn. I don’t despise any of it, but strangely enough, I’m thankful. God knows what I need and what’s best for me; His ways and thoughts are far above mine, and He knows what lies ahead in the future. Whatever God sees fit for me to go through, by His grace, I will go through. Whatever God sees fit to teach me, by His grace, I will learn.

Do I want true peace that comes from God, which nothing in the world can offer? Do I want to please God? If I want to know true peace, a peace in the midst of any and everything, peace that surpasses all understanding; if I want to please God, then I must sincerely trust Him. I must have childlike faith in Him. God tells us that He desires us to have childlike faith in Him and that without faith it is impossible to please Him.

Hebrews 11:6
…without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe the He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
Mark 10:13-16
13 One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so He could touch them and bless them, but the disciples told them not to bother Him. 14 But when Jesus saw what was happening, He was very displeased with His disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to Me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 I assure you, anyone who doesn’t have their kind of faith will never get into the Kingdom of God.” 16 Then He took the children into His arms and placed His hands on their heads and blessed them.
Matthew 18:1-4
1 About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Which of us is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” 2 Jesus called a small child over to Him and put the child among them. 3 Then He said, “I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 Therefore, anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus saw the little children quite differently than the disciples. Little children have the humility and faith God desires. The faith of a little child is very important, precious, and beautiful to Jesus. I will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven unless I become as humble as a little child and have simple childlike faith, which is very pleasing to the Lord.

I truly desire to be at peace in the midst of whatever may be going on around me and/or in my life, just like I observed in that little baby boy. I may not have arrived, but I believe I’m learning and on my way. How beautiful to be totally content and at peace, trusting God to take care of everything, and knowing that He holds us ever so gently in His everlasting arms of love.

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose thoughts are fixed on You!
John 14:27
Jesus said … “I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn’t like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. 7 If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

lyrics to Walk by Faith by Jeremy Camp

For some reason this year it’s been so easy for me to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season. Finding the right gifts and trying to get all the shopping done, as well as sending out all those Christmas cards, and putting up decorations and lights. I realized, in the midst of it all, that I had lost sight of what Christmas truly means to me. Reality check! I needed to take a “time out” sit down, relax, and get quiet; get away from all the stress of getting things done. I had even got to the point to where I really didn’t want to hear Christmas music on the radio. But then as I got quiet and reflected on what Christmas truly means to me, I began to listen to Christmas music, paying close attention to the words in songs like Joy to the World, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and Oh Holy Night; the last of which is my favorite Christmas song. I saw a Christmas play at my church presented by the children, which clearly presented what Christmas is truly all about. I love the Christmas season with all the festive lights and decorations and the giving and receiving of gifts, and being with loved ones; I think it’s great! But even greater still is the reality of God’s gift of His love to everyone through His Son, Jesus; and not only His gift, but also the reason He gave.

John 3:16-17 may be familiar to many, but it conveys a powerful message that tells us what God gave and why He gave … For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.

God has such an awesome heart of love for us all. So what is true love?

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

I pray this Christmas, that you will feel and truly come to personally know the real, unconditional and eternal love of God for you and your loved ones. Not only this Christmas, but always. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!



HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!!

I grew up in a Christian home, and as far back as I can remember, I have always believed in God and Jesus.  I was taught right from wrong, I understood it, and if I did something wrong, I asked God to forgive me.  Many times I sat in church and heard messages about salvation, God and Jesus, and heaven and hell; yet when invitations were given to be saved, I thought about it, wondered about it, and my heart pounded in my chest, but I never responded.  I went to church growing up, but that’s not what would make me a Christian.  I have heard two expressions many times that are so appropriate at this point.
1.  Going to church will not make me a Christian, any more than going McDonald’s will make me a Happy Meal
2.  Going to church will not make me a Christian, any more than sitting in my garage will make me a car

In other words, I had a choice to make, to either accept or reject God’s offer of salvation; it’s not something that “just happens” automatically.  I thought I was saved, because I asked God to forgive me for my sins (that’s all I perceived salvation to be).  There were times when I was asked that if I died, did I know I would go to heaven.  My response was “I think so,” because I was hoping I was ok, but there was no definite resolution in my heart or mind about it.

As I got older, I was curious about some things that I was sheltered from while growing up.  I tried a variety of different things; smoking, drugs, sex, alcohol, pornography, foul language; and although those things provided a temporary sense of satisfaction, none of them were truly fulfilling.  Unfortunately, I tried them at the expense of my health, my finances, and my memory.

Years passed, and I was in my 30s before I came to realize what was wrong in my life and with my “so called” faith.  I met a young man in 1995 where I worked at that time, and I saw something in him that I didn’t have as a professing Christian.  He always talked about the Lord and how much he loved Him; he talked about church; about Jesus; he went on and on about it all; but I just thought “well I’m me and that’s him.”  At first he seemed pretty extreme to me, but the more he hung around and shared his faith and love for Jesus and the Bible, the more interested I became . I got to where I actually began to desire what he had in his heart for the Lord that I didn’t have in my heart.  During this time God began to give me a true desire to go to church because I wanted to go, not because I thought I should or had to go.  He placed in me desires for Him that I had never known before.  God was opening my eyes to see that I needed to have a personal relationship with Him; I never understood this before He showed me through that young man. I had never understood that it’s all about having a relationship with God; not simply knowing of or about Him, but truly knowing Him personally. It’s like this, I know of or about many famous people in this world (i.e., television, movie, and sports celebrities), I know who they are, because I see and/or hear about them through the media. I don’t know them personally because I don’t have any kind of relationship with them; I’ve never met them or spent time with them in order to get to know them.

I realized after so many years that I not only needed to ask God for forgiveness for my sins, but I also needed to repent of them and put my trust (faith) in Jesus as my Savior and Lord; I needed to allow Him to come into my heart and take control of my life.

repent: to make a change for the better
Lord: supreme in authority

Romans 10:9, 10, 13
9 For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. 13 For anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

I’ve come to where I sincerely desire to talk to the Lord and spend time with Him, similar to having a relationship with someone here on earth (i.e., parents, children, siblings, spouse, friends).  The more time I spend with Him, not only talking to Him, but also listening to what He’s saying, the better I get to know Him; that’s why I’m so passionate about God and what’s important to Him.  I can honestly say that the Lord works so much better for me in my life than all the other things I tried early on.  Since I have come to know the Lord and have a growing relationship with Him, my desires have completely changed; I no longer desire the things I wanted before; I desire Him more than anything, to please and honor Him.

2 Corinthians 5:17
… those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!

I can personally testify that God is always faithful. Although there are temptations and struggles that come in my life, God is faithful to help me deal with it and go through it, whatever the situation.  He has never failed to provide for me and my family. It’s interesting, I make considerably less money now at my current job than I made at another job several years ago, and somehow God has amazingly continued to provide for us. Even now as I write this blog, there have been changes in my current job that is causing my income to diminish even more. Have I had some anxiety about this? Oh yes, but I know how faithful God has always been, and I believe He will continue to provide; I also believe He will give me wisdom on how to manage what income I do have, and I’m very thankful to Him for that. He also helps me do my job at work. Some things may come before me that I certainly don’t have a clue what to do; then I ask Him, and He always comes through with the answer. Now, to me, that’s pretty awesome ! I could go on and on about how faithful He is and has been.

It means so much to me that God was so patient with me all those years I lived thinking I was a Christian, when I really wasn’t and I had no personal relationship with the Him. He dealt with me many times through the years, but I didn’t pay much, if any attention and kept doing whatever I wanted to do; whatever felt good; living life on my terms.  Before getting to know Him, I would only talk to Him asking for things with wrong motives or when I was in some sort of trouble. Talking to Him now is so much better. I can talk to Him anytime, anywhere, about anything that’s on my heart or on my mind (not necessarily asking for something; although when I do ask, my motives are entirely different from what they were in the past), and I know He hears, listens, understands and cares. It helps me to be able to talk to Him and tell Him all about whatever it is; it really helps me. God’s patience with me means so much because there are still times when I simply just don’t get it, yet He patiently deals with me.

I believe this song, “My Savior, My God” by Aaron Shust, speaks the truth of my heart …

With this year’s election, there have been numerous advertisements stating “I’m ???, and I approve this message.” What about God’s message to the world and what He approves? Does anyone really care what He has to say about anything? What does God say about the issues of marriage, abortion, the economy, morality, a nation’s leadership? What does God think about all of this? How does God feel? Does anyone really and truly care about God? I pray for leaders who will lead this nation with integrity, with wisdom, and in a way that will please and honor God.
Definition of integrity: honesty, truth, consistency, reliability.

1 Timothy 2:1-4
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God’s mercy upon them, and give thanks. 2 Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 for He wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
Psalms 33:12a
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD
Proverbs 28:2, 12, 28a
2 When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But with wise and knowledgeable leaders, there is stability.
12 When the righteous triumph, there is great elation; but when the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding.
28a When the wicked take charge, people hide

The issue that concerns me is not the political party, ethnicity, or gender. But the real issue for me is what truly matters to God. Where exactly do the candidates stand on the issues that matter to God? Do they stand with God or against Him? Do you believe that if you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything, or perhaps fall for everything? Some matters matter more than others. What does God say about marriage?

Genesis 1:27-28, 2:18, 22-24
1:27 So God created people in His own image; God patterned them after Himself; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
2:18 And the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion who will help him.”
2:22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib and brought her to Adam. 23 “At last!” Adam exclaimed. “She is part of my own flesh and bone! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken out of a man.” 24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.
Leviticus 18:22
22 “Do not practice homosexuality; it is a detestable sin.
Hebrews 13:4
4 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are sexually immoral and those who commit adultery.
1 Corinthians 7:2
2 But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband.

What will redefining marriage do to our children and their future? Can you even begin to imagine the chaos and confusion in their innocent minds ? What will they think about God, or will they even care? Was God not serious when He said in His Word not to cause children to stumble?

Matthew 18:6
6 But if anyone causes one of these little ones who trusts in Me to lose faith, it would be better for that person to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck.
Luke 17:1-2
1 … Jesus said to His disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but how terrible it will be for the person who does the tempting. 2 It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck than to face the punishment in store for harming one of these little ones.

What does God say about money?

1 Timothy 6:7-10, 17
7 After all, we didn’t bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but their trust should be in the living God, Who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.
Hebrews 13:5
5 Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never forsake you.”
Matthew 6:24-27
24 No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
25 So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life — whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to Him than they are. 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.

What does God say about abortion …

Proverbs 6:16-17
16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him: 17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent

… and about what is morally right? Did you know that there are more people who watch pornography in a given day than those who watch all the sports put together in a year?

Hebrews 4:13
13 Nothing in all creation can hide from Him. Everything is naked and exposed before His eyes . This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done.

Believe it or not, but ultimately, we are all accountable to God (not man) for what we do, what we say, what we think, the choices we make, everything !

God has clearly communicated to us what matters to Him through His Word, the Bible. If we believe man wrote the Bible apart from divine inspiration from God, why believe it? They’re no better than you or me. However, the Bible is divine text; it is divinely inspired by God…

2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. 17 It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.