Who are we that You would be mindful of us?
What do You see that’s worth looking our way?
We are free in ways that we never should be.
Sweet release from the grip of these chains.

Like hinges straining from the weight,
My heart no longer can keep from singing.

All that is within me cries
For You alone be glorified:
Emmanuel, God with us.

My heart sings a brand new song.
The debt is paid, these chains are gone.
Emmanuel, God with us.

Lord, You know our hearts don’t deserve Your glory;
Still You show a love we cannot afford.

Like hinges straining from the weight,
My heart no longer can keep from singing.

All that is within me cries
For You alone be glorified:
Emmanuel, God with us.

My heart sings a brand new song.
The debt is paid, these chains are gone.
Emmanuel, God with us.

Such a tiny offering
Compared to Calvary;
Nevertheless,
We lay it at Your feet.

All that is within me cries
For You alone be glorified:
Emmanuel, God with us.

My heart sings a brand new song.
The debt is paid, these chains are gone.
Emmanuel, God with us.

Music and Lyrics by Mercy Me, God With Us

The Pharisees said to Jesus, “Who are you anyway?” Jesus responded, “I am exactly what I have been telling you from the first.” (John 8:25) All throughout the ministry of Jesus Christ, you can see the repetitious pattern of Jesus teaching, and the same people just not comprehending the message.

Nothing has really changed with people in the last 2000 years. Sure we have iPhones, and HDTV, and the amazing internet, but as far as our human characteristics go; we are still pretty much the same.

It amazes me how simple the Gospel is. Man sinned, man must be punished, God takes away punishment by becoming a man and sacrificing His life. That’s it! All we have to do is believe that, and we’re saved. Yet, so many people won’t do it. Their stubbornness has made them deaf and blind to the message. Like I said, nothing much has changed.

Jesus performed miracles, lived a sinless life, and delivered words that stumbled and baffled even the smartest religious people of His time. Yet, He still couldn’t get them to believe He was who He said He was. The battle goes on today, and I can’t help but to get frustrated when I see the stubbornness in people. It reminds me of the man that got his sight back after Jesus rubbed mud on his eyes.

So, if you’re reading this now, and you still can’t believe that Jesus is who He said He is, then you have been warned. You’re judgement is out of my hands. You can cry and whine all you want that a loving God wouldn’t send people to hell, but you are sending yourself there by simply not believing in the free gift that God has made available to everyone.

I had a shirt made for my business the other day, and it just so happened that the lady making them is a Muslim. My words are emphasized.

“I’m from Turkey, which is a Muslim nation.”

“So you’re a Muslim?”

“Yes, but I’m not like other Muslims. I believe in God, and He loves me, and gives me what I want.”

“Oooooh.” Immediately, the Holy Spirit was dealing with me to witness to this lady.

“So what do you think about Jesus?”

“Well, He is a prophet from God, and sometimes God sends down prophets to help His people.”

By now, the Holy Spirit was practically screaming at me, and there was only one thing that I could think of to say.

“So what do you think it meant when Jesus said, “I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me?”

Her face suddenly changed and she said, “I don’t like to talk about religion.”

To which I responded, “isn’t it great that we live in a country where we can talk about religion, and not have to worry about being killed for our beliefs?”

Turkey just happens to be a place where Christians are persecuted and even killed for their beliefs. Unfortunately, she closed the door, and it would have been wrong for me to take it any further. She was nice though. Really nice, and very smart. I hope some day her intelligence will lead her to the Truth.

Please pray that this seed will be watered by the Holy Spirit and that she will come to know the Savior!

If you’re a professing Christian in these last days, you might have a false concept of what repentance is. In fact, you might even believe that Jesus loves you so much, that there is no need for repentance. If this is you, allow me to guide you down a better path. If this isn’t you, then feel free to add to what I say in the comments.

The reason this is on my heart is because I see a lot of Christians that are doing the same things as everyone else [those who are living according to the world’s rules]. Actually, I have seen a lot of unbelievers behaving better than those who are claiming to be Christians. This is outrageous, but it is the truth! I know you have seen it too, and you might be wondering why. One possible answer is that we have forgot the need to repent.

What is repenting though?

Dictionary.com has this to say:

I especially like 2 Corinthians 7:10 NIV which says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”

Some of us just say, “Father forgive me for doing ______”, and we never stop doing what we were doing wrong after that. We repeat this cycle over and over, and when our conscience starts to feel polluted, heavy, and weighed down with the sins we have committed, we have another session with God asking for forgiveness. Don’t get me wrong, asking for forgiveness is a very good thing! Some people don’t even bother with that, but there is more. There has to come a time when you finally decide that enough is enough. You can choose whether or not you are going to continue lying, stealing, lusting, fornicating, etc, and you can come to a place where you literally hate the thought of participating in these repulsive things.

God absolutely hates sin. Do you?

About a week ago there was a new guy that started at work. Before being introduced to him, the Spirit of God came upon me and told me a few things about this kid; personal things that I would have no way of knowing. I call this a “word of knowledge”.

A few night after that, we were in the break room. He dropped something and yelled out, “Jesus Christ!”. I immediately said, “whoa, that’s not really necessary.” Almost instantly conviction hit him, but rather than apologize, he dug himself deeper. “Well who the *&%$ is Jesus? Is He God or is He man? It makes no &*%$ sense!”

I could see this moment was hand-picked for me by God. He seems to enjoy sending me certain types of people. I began to tell him about Jesus, and how He was fully God, and fully Man. Then I used a few Way of the Master techniques to explain to him why Jesus had to die for us. He was silenced, but I didn’t stop there. No, no, no…not me. I still had that word of knowledge tucked in my sleeves, and this was the perfect moment to hit him with it.

I looked at his soul and said, “your parents are divorced.” An expression of bewilderment overcame his face and he replied, “you can tell that by looking at me?” I answered, “no, God speaks to me and He told me. He also told me that you are good with computers and that you are going to start a website. You have been hurt by this, and He wants to use your talents to reach others.”

Completely in shock now, he says, “you know, you aren’t the first person to tell me this.” I told him that this meeting was not a coincidence, and that it was a divine appointment from God. He said, “I know. I can feel it. I need to go to a church, don’t I?”

Yeah, but first you need to surrender your life to Jesus Christ!

Isn’t God amazing? Astounding? Incredibly and undeniably the most majestic King of kings, and Lord of lords? It’s moments like this, that I just want to give Him a “high five”, and say, “way to go God. After 2000 years, your Gospel is still reaching the lost.”

The other night I was crying out to God for a Word. He spoke into my spirit, Ephesians 2:4-5 which says:

Now, this wasn’t a new revelation for me, but God always finds a way to keep me aware of this foundational belief. Do you understand that He died for you so that He could satisfy His love for you? Do you realize that when He sacrificed Himself, He already knew every sin you were going to commit in your life, and yet He still loved you enough to do this? Immediately after I read this, I asked God to speak to me some more. I then heard Colossians 1:14 which says:

It’s not a coincidence that I opened up to these two verses that are directly related to each other! Isn’t it awesome how God is able to communicate with us through His Word? I remember when I first started reading the Bible with the help of God, and I would get Scriptures in books that I wasn’t even familiar with. I would be so excited when I found it, to discover that I wasn’t making it up in my head, and that it was actually a real verse! Now I trust God enough to know when I hear a verse in my spirit, it is not only going to exist, but it is also going to be a powerful message!

Are you listening to Him when you read? Do you know the wonderful things He wants to share with you?

I heard a pastor say one time that the Christian life “isn’t a sprint to the finish line.” When many come to Christ they think they have arrived at that finish line, but as time goes by they realize that it is only the beginning of a long and hard journey; one that requires suffering and endurance.

Some may feel like life was better before they came to Christ. The will fall away before they receive their reward. I believe our Salvation is sealed, as long as we keep our faith in Jesus Christ. However, there are many things that come up in a Christians life that test our faith, and only the elect will make it through the sifting process.

Hebrews 3:3 NIV says,

If you ask me, that’s a pretty big IF! We have been given the Gift of Salvation for free, and we can choose whether or not we want to receive it. If we choose to receive it, God will never take it back, but I firmly believe that we are able to give it back. Many have fallen away from God, and it’s not a good thing to do!

I’m disappointed when I see people presenting the Gospel as if it were a lottery that was won, and suddenly we have no more worries. We are still living on this planet! We are going to struggle just like those who haven’t received Christ, and we’ll probably struggle more because we are an increasing threat to the enemy! However, we CAN overcome these struggles because Jesus is alive in us. Ever battle won, is a victory for our Lord. Are you playing to win?

Life is not one race, it’s many races. Sometimes we are running cross country, and things seem easier than ever. Sometimes we are hiking up mountains, and it seems like the only way out is to give up. However, God is with us through it all. In fact, He knew everything we were going to go through before time even began! He knows what we are capable of, and He is cheering us on constantly.

It’s time to train our senses (Hebrews 5:14), and to be on the watch for anything that could separate us from the Will of God.

I thought my mission was to reach out to the lost, those who have not found Christ, but I’m starting to think that some of the so-called “Christians” out there are just as lost.

These are my thoughts today, and something that has been burdening my spirit for awhile. I’m about to give that burden to God, but I’m feeling the need to write about it first.

My burden is with those who are calling themselves Christians, but are still not quite understanding what being a Christian is. This is a threat to those who are trying to win souls for the Kingdom of God because it deceives the non-believers. The basic definition of Christianity is one who follows, and adheres to the teachings of Jesus, and one who has repented and accepted Jesus into their heart. A lot of people believe in Jesus, but they never take it any further.

Have people really fooled themselves into thinking that all they have to do is say, “Jesus come into my heart”, and they’re saved? Salvation is not the result of a few magic words! I know that’s not a convenient thought for some of you. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but that’s the truth! If God had intended for it to be that way, why would the rest of the New Testament include stories of persecution, martyrs, and tribulations? If Paul could have just said, “I believe in Jesus”, and continued on living his life the way he always had, we wouldn’t have half the bible! There are natural changes, responsibilities, and consequences that come with being a Christian, and many have thrown those out the window, in favor of the “easy” life.

Yes, God has grace, and that is what has saved us, but the whole point was to restore fellowship with Him. How many “Christians” say the prayer of salvation and then move on with their life; only acknowledging God when they have a need, or when things get really bad?

The Body of Christ is full of sick and dying people. Their faith is shallow, and everyday their representation of the One who has saved them diminishes. In the midst of this, there is also a rise in some incredibly passionate followers for Christ. The thing that grieves me is when the shallow and lukewarm Christians start persecuting the passionate Christians. Is it jealousy? Is it a lack of knowledge?

I’m still learning to grasp the concept of a Christian who doesn’t believe the bible is the Word of God. Yes, there are plenty of them out there. If the story of Adam and Eve is a fairy-tale, then what need do we all have for a Savior?

I’m still learning to grasp the concept of a Christian who thinks sex before marriage is alright. Your sins are forgiven, but if you don’t think you are sinning, how can you be forgiven?

What amazes me the most is how these so-called “Christians” react when you challenge their false doctrine with the Truth. If I didn’t believe in demons before…I sure do now. Their manifestations can be the ugliest ones, and the most hurtful.

I was praying for a so-called “Christian” brother recently (who has a marijuana habit), and I was later accused of witchcraft by him. I had also prayed that he would be released of that addicting spirit, so when he said this, my first reaction was to tell him about Mark 16:15-17. He insisted that he knew the bible, and that he went to church every week, so he knew what he was talking about. Hmm, really? What about Matthew 12:22-28? How does one who claims to be so righteous smoke weed anyway? Is it that the Holy Spirit is not in him to convict? I’m also reminded of 1 Corinthians 12:3. I knew that it was really the spirit in him that didn’t like what I was saying, but had he known the Word of God, he would have been able to receive his deliverance. Instead, he chose to believe that I was casting a spell on him.

This is just one example of someone who will be destroyed for a lack of knowledge. Going to church every week doesn’t make you a Christian any more than sitting in a garage makes you a car (props to Joyce Meyer).

It’s not my place to judge, but when it comes to fellow Christians, it is my right to stand against false doctrine, and error. Anything that would defile the Truth that God has so lovingly provided in His Word, needs to be exposed, and refuted abruptly. Had people been doing this as instructed along time ago, we might not have the problems we have today in the Church. Unfortunately, most people are too worried about offending others, while forgetting that Jesus offended pretty much everyone around Him.

I’m not worried about offending anyone, if it’s regarding the Truth. If you are offended by this entry, then good for you. Consider it a blessing!

Now go read your bible, and learn something;)

I watched Jesus of Nazareth tonight. While watching it I kept noticing something about Jesus that I have always known, but didn’t have the revelation of. That is, His caring for the lost. It’s amazing how He was more interested in the sinners, than He was with all of the religious fanatics/pharisees. The religious fanatics could not even see what was going on, and it was extremely painful to watch them carry on in such ignorance.

Even though I know the good news of Jesus Christ, there are always new things that God brings to my attention. Or new revelations that seem to appear, and take root. We have all heard the gospel so many times, but isn’t it great when we finally connect with our hearts, what we so easily speak with our mouths?

Tonight, I was really moved to look at the lost in a whole new way. My heart has really been softened in this area, and I was able to see more clearly the heart of God. I had these visions of stopping on the side of the road where maybe a homeless man was, and just getting out and talking to him. I thought of those bus stops in town, where the people look so run down and oppressed. I imagined stopping there and feeding them all, and laughing with them.

I don’t have any money to help, but I don’t care anymore. There are many ways to help, and I want to give whatever I can to this dying community. Jesus didn’t win the lost by preaching and condemning. He did it by making people who were cast out by society feel important. By spending time with them, and sharing the love He had for them.

Please pray for me to have boldness and courage from the Lord, so that I may approach these lost and demonstrate to them the power of our Lord Jesus Christ! I will also be praying the same for all of you.

Recently, I highlighted a verse (Ephesians 2:8-9) in my bible that really caught my eye. It wasn’t exactly a revelation, but more of a confirmation.

You know, there are so many people walking around the earth that think they are going to heaven because they are a good person. The verse I’m talking about explains why this is NOT the way it’s going to happen. It is a gift of God, he gets the glory, and not the person who thinks they made it to Heaven because of what they did on earth.

It’s the belief that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins to be forgiven. That’s what saves us and reunites us with our heavenly Father. It’s so simple, and yet so many people refuse to understand it. Their eyes are closed to the truth. They’d rather think that God was looking down on the earth one day and decided, “I think I’ll put everyone through a giant obstacle course and call it Life. Then, if they succeed they can join me in Heaven.”

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