Saturday, July 24, 2010

Known in Hell.

I heard a story told by Ravi Zacharias, and I thought how awesome it would be to have such a passion for Christ! Here is the abbreviated version of the story put into my own words.

A man named Mr. Nichols led a man to Christ on a street corner. Mr. Nichols asked the man if he had any plans for that night. The man answered that he hadn't given it any thought. So Mr. Nichols asked the man to come to a prayer meeting with him. The man told Mr. Nichols that he didn't know how to pray and he didn't know what prayer meetings were about. Mr. Nichols told him to go home and read the book of Acts in the New Testament. He told him that after reading Acts he would know how to pray and what prayer meetings were all about. Mr. Nichols picked the man up at his home and brought him to the prayer meeting. Everyone was praying when Mr. Nichols asked the man when he would start praying. The man told Mr. Nichols again that he did not know how to pray. Mr. Nichols told him to say whatever comes to his mind. The man began to pray and he said, "Father, Father I pray that all in Hell will know who I am". Mr. Nichols was shocked and pulled the man outside. Mr. Nichols asked what was he thinking by saying a prayer like that. The man told Mr. Nichols again that he didn't know how to pray. Mr. Nichols said that everyone inside who was praying were asking to go to heaven but he asked to be known in Hell and that was not right. The man told Mr. Nichols that in the book of Acts the sons of Sceva were trying to command demons to come out of people in the name of Jesus, but the demons told them,"Jesus I know, Paul I know, but you I don't know." The man said, "Mr. Nichols I want to be known in Hell!"

What a story of faith! Oh, how great it is be to be known by demons that I am a follower of Jesus Christ. Whenever prayer warriors get down on their knees demons tremor in fear and run for cover.


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Sunday, July 18, 2010

25 Reasons of why I follow Jesus. Please feel free to comment and ask questions.

This list is in no particular order. It is possible that, when time permits, I will expand on my reasons for following Jesus, individually. Until then, I hope that this list will present some food for thought to those who are wondering why they should follow Jesus. Please feel free to comment and ask questions. I will do my best to answer all comments and questions. God bless you!

1) He saved me from a sinful life.
2) He gives me joy.
3) He gives me hope.
4) He provides me with all that I need.
5) He died for me.
6) He is alive and in heaven.
7) He helps me to overcome sin and sin has no dominion over me.
8) He changes lives.
9) He fills me with the Holy Spirit.
10) He called me to follow Him.
11) He keeps me loving my wife, when the world says it's alright not to.
12) He gives me the correct moral view of sin, instead of sin being relevant, and He keeps me on that path.
13) He gives peace to my soul.
14) He takes all of my worries away.
15) He gives me assurance that I am going to heaven when I die.
16) He empowers me to love my neighbors.
17) He has forgiven ALL of my sins.
18) He strengthens me to be the husband and father that I now am.
19) He is the only way to heaven.
20) He has given me truth.
21) He has taken away my feelings of guilt.
22) Through Him I have been adopted into the family of God.
23) Through Him I belong to a community of people who also follow Jesus and have been adopted into the family of God.
24) He gives me an understanding as to the condition of the world.
25) He took away my fear of death.

So there you have it. 25 reasons why I follow Jesus Christ. I made it a personal goal of mine to come up with 25 reasons because of a book I recently read. In this book the author said that he gives his students the task of coming up with 25 reasons why someone should follow Jesus Christ; they always come up with 15, but have a hard time making it to 25. I realized that I could come up with more, but I'll save them for another blog post in the future. I feel that I need to mention that this has been a humbling experience. Thank you, Jesus, for all of the reasons above that you have given me, and more!

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Saturday, July 10, 2010

The Cross

I am a sinner! I lived in sin all of my life. Those who know me know about my sinful state before I trusted Jesus 3 and a half years ago. No I never murdered anybody but just the smallest sin makes you a sinner and like the Apostle Paul, in my head, I am the "chiefest of sinners".

Although I am forgiven and have salvation, I still have to answer for the things that I did while I was here on earth. I have to give an account for my sins. One day we will all bow down to the King of kings.

I deserve to be crucified for my sins, but Jesus took that agonizing death upon himself because He loves me.

Crucifixion was the worst way to execute someone during Jesus' time. It was so terrible that a Roman citizen was exempt from such a death.

Jesus was beaten before being hung on the cross. Pieces of flesh were missing from his body and he lost a lot of blood as He carried His own cross to where the crucifixion took place.

Jesus died for sinners. He took the penalty that we deserved. He was beaten and nailed to a cross so that I would be forgiven.

You see, God is righteous and cannot sin, so he must punish all sins including those made out of ommision. But God in His righteousness gave us a way out. Instead of feeding the fires in hell with our souls, He sent his Son to die for us so that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life.

The punishment that Jesus took on Himself was meant for me. That is what I deserve but Jesus went in my place.

The good news is that because of what Jesus did on the cross I have hope. Hope in this life and beyond.

"It is finished" John 19:30


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Thursday, July 8, 2010

Warfare


I use the phrase “true Christian” for a reason. There are those who fancy themselves to be Christians. There are thousands of people who go to church Sunday mornings and call themselves Christian. Yet there is no spiritual strife, no conflict, no self-denial, no watching, and no warring. That is not the Christianity of the Bible. A true Christian is called to be a soldier.

Who does a Christian soldier fight against? A Christian soldier’s
enemies are his flesh, the world, and Satan. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). He must either fight or be lost.

The Christian soldier fights against his flesh. Even after being born again, sin cleaves to his heart and his “spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38). This is a daily struggle that is fought through prayer; he is told to “watch and pray” (Mark 14:38).

The Christian soldier must fight against the world. The subtle influences of the world must be resisted daily. The love of the things from the world, the fear of not being accepted by the world, the secret desire to be a part of the world, the secret wish to do as others in the world do. These things the Christian soldier must do battle with daily. “Friendship with the world is hostility toward God”… “therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

The Christian soldier fights a murderer and a liar, Satan. Satan does not attack those who are already living in sin. Those who are living a lifestyle that the world wants them to live. No, it is a waste of his time to attack them because he already has them. He already has a place for them in hell. Talking to Peter about Satan’s desire to attack His followers, Jesus says, “Satan has demanded permission to sift you as wheat” (Luke 22:31). Satan attacks the Christian soldier.

A Christian soldier does not fight with carnal weapons but with spiritual weapons. The girdle of truth, a “breastplate of righteousness”, feet shod “with the preparation of the Gospel of peace”, “the shield of faith”, “the helmet of salvation”, “the sword of the Spirit” (the Word of God) (Eph 6:14-18), and prayer (Luke 22:40), these are the weapons of the Christian soldier.

Without faith the Christian soldier will fail. Faith is a big part of the character of the Christian soldier. Regarding faith the Christian soldier can say, “I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed” (2Tim 1:12), “we do not lose heart” (2Cor 4:16), for “the things which are not seen are eternal (2Cor 4:18)”.

To live the life of a Christian soldier you must first believe. Unless you believe you will do nothing.

“Fight the good fight of faith”- 1Timothy 6:12