Love Letter

God's Word is so amazing. One can read it over and over again and get a new meaning from the bible. God never changes. Human beings change by life's events. By maturing and growing one has a different perspective on life and in reading His Word. The bible is a big book which has one central theme in it. It's what I call, "God's love letter". I put a collection of scripture within the harmony of His Plan for Salvation. Here is how it reads:

This is what the LORD says- your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb:

I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself (Isaiah 44:24) I will give you a heart to know me, that I am the LORD. You will be my child, and I will be your God, for you will return to me with all your heart (Jeremiah 24:7) I

I am not slow in keeping my promise, as some understand slowness. I am patient with you, not wanting you to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) I want you to come to me, because you are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. (Matthew 11:28)

I love the world that I gave my one and only Son, that if you believe in him you will not perish but have eternal life. I did not send my Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in My Son is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in
the name of my only Son (John 3:16-18) Be convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, nor heights nor depth, nor anything in all creation, will be able to separate you from My love that is in MY Son. (Romans 8:38)

My divine power has granted to you everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of ME, for by these I have granted to you My precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. For this very reason, apply all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of Me. (2 Peter 2:1-8) And the good news the Gospel must first be preached to all nations. (Mark 13:10)
Be careful and watchful that no one misleads you many will come in the name of Messiah, which belongs to Me basing their claims on the use of My name, saying, I am He! And they will mislead many. And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not get alarmed (troubled and frightened); it is necessary that these things take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines and calamities. (Mark 13:5-8)

Unless you repent, you will likewise perish. (Luke 13:3) But there is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed upon the housetops. I say to you, My friend, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear Me, for I have authority to cast into hell; Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before Me. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before My angels; but who ever denies Me before men will be denied before My angels. (Luke 12:2-9)

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does My Will (Matthew :21-23) If you would come after me, you must deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me. For if you want to save your life you will lose it, but if you lose your life for Me you will find it. What good will it be for you if you gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul? (Matthew 16:24-26)

I tell you the truth; you can enter the kingdom of God unless you're born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying you must be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." (John 3:5-8) Understand that baptism (immersion into water) saves you. It is not for bathing or washing the drit away, but your sins of your conscious to make it clean (1 Peter 3:21) Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on My name (Acts 22:16) Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great (Matthew 5:12) Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. (Revelations 22:12) Heaven and earth will perish and pass away, but My words will not perish or pass away. But of that day or that hour no single person knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor My Son, but only I. Be on your guard, and watch and pray; for you do not know when the time will come. (Mark 13:31-33)
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in My Name and My Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20) Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Revelations 2:10) It is done I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. (Revelation 21:6) keep yourselves in My love, waiting anxiously for the mercy of My Son to eternal life. (Jude 1:21) I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:32-34

God loves you and wants all to come to Him for eternal life. Are you willing to turn your life over to Him? What letter would you write back to God? Do you know if you are saved and loved? If not, email me.

By Faith (Focusing Attitude In Trusting Him)

Circumstantial Patience and Faith

A New Year has dawned upon us. How well we do will depend upon our circumstances. Having an understanding of our circumstances will help use to understand the big picture in the scheme of things. Sometimes our circumstances are painful emotionally, mentally and physically. I tend to think of them as a mini-series of the big scheme and the plan God has for our lives.

    Circumstances are like puzzle pieces. Sometimes all we can see is that one piece of the puzzle and unable to see the big picture. I know sometimes we are suffering and dealing more than we think we can handle at the moment of pain. Despite you current situation God still has a master plan for your life and it will be revealed to you. Remember Romans 8:28- Even in the midst of the storm you are called for God’s purpose.

Joshua 1:10- Be strong and of good courage: do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

     Faith is the heart of life. You go to a doctor whose name you can’t pronounce. He gives you a prescription you cannot read. You take it to a pharmacist you have never seen. He gives you medication you do not understand --- and yet, you take it. Now, that is living by Faith!

     We cannot get through a single day without living by Faith. When you flip a light switch you put faith in the electrical wiring. When you turn the ignition switch in your car, you trust the motor. When you mail a letter you have faith in the US Mail Service. Sometimes --- of course ---- your faith might be misplaced; because faith is only as valuable as the OBJECT of that faith.

     The same is true with Spiritual Faith. Buddhists have faith in Buddha. Muslims trust in Allah. Hindus believe in various Gods (thousands actually.) Most religious people put faith in their ability to keep the rules … to be “good enough” to satisfy their god --- or reach their Nirvana --- or build up good Karma.

     Even when people claim no religion at all, they still live by faith. Every human puts faith in something. It may be in some notion of human potential. It may be in the supremacy of science or reason or political power. Or they may have faith in some vague concept like “oneness with nature.” But everyone lives by faith.

     My acronym for faith: Focusing Attitude In Trusting HIM. One can have faith, however, it is the attitude we place in Him and all it takes is a small mustard seed. Sometimes it’s hard to exercise physically not alone spiritually. Romans 8:28- and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose.

     A.W. Tozer had an interesting explanation for this faith He said: “Faith is seeing the invisible, but not the nonexistent.” Some people think faith believes in something that is not actually there. Biblical faith believes God when He tells us there is a reality, which we cannot see. Faith means that we keep our eyes on God who controls circumstances --- not on the circumstances themselves.

     II Corinthians 5:7 puts it this way: We live by faith, not by sight. That sounds simple enough. But for some reason, people get all kinds of misconceptions about what Faith is. Christian faith is compatible with logic and reason. It is based on historical evidence. It is supported by the Biblical record, by personal testimony, and by our own experiences.

     D.L Moody wrote about faith: “I prayed for faith and thought that some day it would come down and strike me like lightning. But faith didn’t seem to come. One day I read in Romans that “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” I had, up to this time, closed my Bible and prayed for faith. Now I opened my Bible and began to study ---and faith has been growing ever since.”

     A misconception about faith is that we can make God do anything we want. Faith is NOT the ability to manipulate God. Some Christians think Faith is a kind of magic medicine potion. That kind of faith won’t outlast the first major disappointment. When a loved one is not healed or a promotion doesn’t come through or unforeseen tragedy strikes, false faith will crumble. Faith does not believe that God will do what WE say. Faith knows that God will do what HE says. By faith, we rest on the promises of God --- no matter what happens.

     Does your faith cause you to walk with God? Do you walk with God each day? Do you communicate with Him while you are doing your chores … while you are mowing the yard … while you are brushing your teeth … while you are driving your car? This is the kind of faith that pleases God.

     Faith provides an understanding to what God does. Faith makes possible to see what others cannot see. Therefore, faith allows us to do more in the impossible realm than what others are not able to accomplish or do. Sometimes we have to wait. Our circumstances happen when we try to rely on our accomplishments, our own understanding and trying to resolve the situations by ourselves and not waiting on God’s delivery.

     We can listen to the negativity and create false lies for us to believe in that inhibits the possible. When one reads Hebrews 11 about those who lived by faith, they lived in faith because they waited patiently. When circumstances arise, think about the faith we must muster up and without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists, and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

By Faith (Focusing Attitude In Trusting Him)