The Blind Still See

 “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."- 2 Corinthians 4:18 

 

Stop, right where you are, take a visual inventory of your surroundings.  Look at all of the different colors, objects, depth, sharpness, and brightness.  Of all of the things you are looking at, what is unknown?  Most likely, you are familiar with all of your surrounding elements.  Eyes and ears are the primary input for your brain, for your thinking and decision making.  You see, you hear, you analyze, you decide.  These God given senses are so important in our day to day life.   

Now, close your eyes, and visualize what you were just looking at.  You can still see those things because your brain has built a graphical image of everything you looked at.  It’s an amazing interaction across your neurons and synapses.  Your eyes are made up of over 130 million cells that are uniquely designed to capture information and communicate to your brain.  This was not done by accident, or co-incidence, it was by design when God created you. 

With your eyes open, tell me how many what the wind looks like?  What does oxygen look like?  How about natural gas or propane?  You can’t see these elements, you can see the result of them, but you can’t see the actual element.  What color are the radio and cellular waves that are transmitting all around you?  You realize that there are waves of multiple frequencies around you at all times - 5G, Bluetooth, Cellular, Radio, and Sound waves are not visible to the human eye, but we know they exist. 

So, you realize that there are things that you cannot see, but you know they exist.  This is also true in the spirit world.  You are comprised of a flesh body, bones, and organs, as well as a spirit filled soul.  This spirit is invisible to sight, but as real as your external body.  This soul is eternal by design.  Your body will die, your heart, brain, and organs will stop working, your flesh will decay in a grave one day.  It is a destination that we all must endure at some point.  At that point though, your soul moves into an eternal state of being.  Your soul carries on into eternity with the Father, or absent from the Father, based on your choice in this world.   

Hell is a very real eternal destination for those without Jesus Christ.  It is not about the pain and suffering within your finite fleshly body, but the eternal suffering of your soul in a constant state of anguish and longing for the love of the Father.  You can’t see it (eternity), but you can know about the two different destinations, based on scriptures.  We know that eternity with God is filled with love, peace, joy, praise and worship; and we know that eternity without God is filled with pain, suffering, gnashing of teeth, wailing, and endless sulfur and ash.  You have free will to choose your destination, and it is the most important decision in your entire life. 

There are spiritual warfare going on all around you.  You don’t see it, but I can assure you with the state of society, the war is very active.  Let us focus on the Word, and our relationship with Jesus Christ to stand against the evil at the door. 

When the Wind Blows

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. ” - Romans 7:18-19

When the wind blows through the trees, we know it simply by observing the leaves moving. This is evidence that there is some physical change taking place that has altered the existence of the foliage. This represents a logical conclusion from an alternate point of reference. We deduce that the wind is blowing, not because we see the wind, but because we see the result of the wind. Yet it is completely logical and possible that the leaves are blowing because the tree moved from its foundation. An earthquake tremor or a busy squirrel (depending on the size of the tree) could just as easily cause movement before our eyes. So without a 2nd point of reference, we can't really draw a confident conclusion, only a supposition.

So, what evidence is there in your life that you are walking with the Holy Spirit? Are others able to look at you and deduce that you must be walking with God, or are you silently still in His presence? Paul tells us in Romans that our flesh, this vessel that carries our soul on this earth, is sinful even though our heart and mind are pure. We cannot get away from sin as long as we are drawing breath and blood is flowing through our veins.

Knowing that we are inherently sinful in our flesh, we must resort to extreme self-discipline to His word. It is imperative that our mind and heart are fueled daily with His word, and it becomes part of our DNA. One day, this human existence will expire, and our flesh, bones, organs, and muscles will return to dust. But in that glorious day, the Holy Spirit will take our souls to be joined with our Savior and Father in eternal peace. Do not let your earthly existence establish the standard by which your soul will be judged one day. As the tree gives way to the quiet existence of a wind blowing through, so should your soul give way to the Holy Spirit and likewise demonstrate that to all who look upon your life. 

Read it, Learn it, Live it, Share it.

Don't Follow the Lie

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But, I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” 

– Matthew 5:43-45

 

Protesters on both sides of the street.  Shouting obscenities at each other, carrying signs about death, hatred, and anger.  Each side believes they are righteous in their beliefs, but their beliefs are polar opposites, or at least they have been taught that they are.  A stranger walks down the middle of the street as both sides watch closely to see which way he is leaning, to know if he will be or will not be accepted into their group.  His characteristics are generic, no color discrimination, no obvious political affiliation, no environmental or gender cause support or protest is evident, and there is no way to know if he is a citizen or not.  They observe with curiosity as to whether to welcome him or not.

He sits in the middle of the road and pulls out a Bible.  He starts reading quietly to himself.  This alone can’t break their curiosity, because both sides of the street claim the scriptures support their cause based on their interpretation.  Both sides assume he’s a Christian, but that doesn’t help them understand if he’s for or against them.  They want to accept him, but they have to be careful.  If he disagrees with one of their positions, or if he likes a certain political candidate, or if he is pro-gun, or pro-choice, or pro-life, or pro-oil, he must immediately be eliminated from their group and added to the hated list.  

He rises from his seated position in the middle of the street and pulls a rolled-up sign from inside his jean jacket.  Both sides look on and believe this is it, we’ll know if he’s with us or against us.  Finally, we’ll know if we can accept him or if we are to hate him.  As he unrolls the sign, they all look on in quiet anticipation.  He lays the sign facedown on the ground and securely attaches it to a long pole.  He straightens up and instinctively looks around before he grabs the pole and begins to lift it high above any of the signs on either side of the road.

The sign is simple.  A cross in the sunset is depicted on the sign, with a dove sitting upon the top of the cross.  Blood is dripping from each of the two sides of the cross beam, and from the bottom of the vertical post.  Across the beam is one simple word in large letters:

I     L  O  V  E    A  L  L

We have gone too far, my friends.  God’s love is for everyone.  You and I must choose to accept and live in it, or choose to follow the world and live in hate.  Hatred doesn’t come from God; it comes from the evil powers within the world.  This Prince of this world is intent on destroying mankind, and therefore must sow thoughts of division, deceit, anger, self-centeredness, pride, and hatred into our everyday walk.  In doing so, he breaks the Christian body into fragments that all of a sudden are battling each other, rather than their one purpose to lift up God Almighty through loving each other.  

The enemy is winning, and many of us are helping him succeed without even knowing it.  Trust in the Lord, with all of your heart, and follow His commandments, His Word, and His purpose.  Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Even He is Forgiven

Click Here: Read Luke 19

“All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’ ”"  - Luke 19:6
 

You are a sinner.  I am a sinner.  Every one of us is.  We are born sinners and without the grace of God, our sin, regardless of how great or how small, will keep us from being with God in eternity.  For He demands perfection, the perfect sinless life, to be in His presence.  This is impossible for mankind, and this is why Jesus Christ was born.  He came as the propitiation, the sacrifice for our sins, so that through His death and resurrection, our sins could be forgiven.  How great is this forgiveness of God the Father, that He would allow for you and I to enter into heaven, knowing the evil and sinful lives we have lived? 

The sound of steel sliding on the linoleum floor, hinges squeaking, long over due for some WD-40 and then the ominous sound of metal on metal as the door slams behind you. You stand before a tall man carrying a sidearm, who says nothing but motions for you to step into the side room and you oblige. Here you take off your coat and remove your shoes. You place your keys, wallet and anything else in your pockets other than coins into the small locker. After your feet have been inspected and you've been patted down you're allowed to re-dress yourself and take a seat in the visitor’s area.

Once inside the walls you hear the screaming and the yelling. When you walked through the gates at the entrance, they threw bottles and pamphlets at you, all the while carrying on about how "bad" the man is that you have come to see. Now as you sit alone in the cold grey room, staring through a plexi-glass window, you begin to question if this was a good idea or not. Before you have the opportunity to reconsider the heavy metal door on the other side of the room opens and there he is.

Dressed in orange, with shackles on both feet and both wrists, secured to a chain that surrounded his waist and ran down the backs of his legs. His beard was overgrown, yet his head was still bald. His eyes were bloodshot and he looks peaceful not mean and angry like he looked on the cover of the newspaper. His opening words through the small hole in the middle of the window, "I'm sorry, please forgive me." stumbling through his words, he begins to cry. "I can't bring her back to you and I know you hate me, but I need you to forgive me so I may die tonight in peace."

Well, there you have it. Based on this small picture of the situation at hand, is there any love deep enough within you to forgive this person for the crime that has been committed against a loved one of yours. We are all inherently sinful at birth. Choices we make in our lives push us down a path filled with righteousness or evil, and the several shades of grey around it. Many have discovered the narrow path provided by a single man dying on a cross to open our eyes to our sinful nature and bringing us to the point of redemption for our sins. This man, Jesus Christ, gave us the example of forgiveness and grace, and made that available to every one of us, should we accept it.

Back to the story, however heinous the crimes were, he has that same opportunity for eternal life in heaven. Whether he accepts Jesus Christ before he breaths his last is not for you to decide.  But, the opportunity is there, as difficult as it would be, to share Jesus with this man. Jesus did not come to preach to the saved, but to the unsaved. We are asked to carry that message forward and share it also with the unsaved. It's easy to share Christ with someone wearing a cross or kneeling next to you in church. Being a Christian is not an easy path though, and we are His arms, legs and voices in an evil world. Think about it my friends and act if you are able. Be blessed..

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Evil Exists – So What (There is a God- Pt 6 of 7)

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments”  – John 14:15

My Thoughts:
All of you must be able to see that we live in a fallen world.  The violence, bloodshed, abuse and anger that so many are experiencing today is far greater than any other time in our history.  A day doesn’t go by when we are not hearing another story of someone being shot, or multi-person murder, or violent protesting in the streets and casting insults upon one another.  Daily there are drive by shootings in neighborhoods around major metropolitan cities across America.  It’s not all gun-violence, but certainly we hear about these more so than other violent crimes.  Horror stories of sex-trafficking, child-pornography, suicides and school shootings grace the crevice of our ears almost weekly now.  Mankind has fallen and it’s almost becoming blasé and less of a shock to the average person.

What causes individuals to believe that they have the right to walk into an establishment, wave a pistol and begin shooting?  What makes a person think he is justified in kidnapping a 14 year old girl while she waits for a school bus, drug her, take her away to a foreign country and sell her for unthinkable purpose?  What differentiates their thought process from mine or yours (as you read this)? 

God created this world, mankind, and all that is in it.  The evil in this world has perverted it.  God’s word tells us of His character as perfect, righteous and holy.  When someone chooses to live outside of God’s character it is expected that they are living outside of these traits as well.  But, those of us living within God’s character, it is expected that we abide by His laws and the teaching of His Son Jesus Christ.  (John 14:21)

I’ve spoken to and listened to several atheists on this topic.  Their entire premise is that Christians need God as a crutch and Satan to blame, to avoid dealing with these difficult issues in life.  Their statements were ground in the belief that there is no supreme being, we are here for a period of time and then we are gone.  Often times they’ve read the bible cover to cover, even multiple times, and have a very thorough understanding of the message that we, “Christians”, believe.  They simply choose not to, as is their prerogative.  To them the bible is a compilation of fantasy stories told from generation to generation to appease mankind’s fear of the unknown.  At the basis, though, is a predominant feeling of self-righteousness.  Without a supreme being, a higher power, there is no one for them to answer too.  They answer only to themselves and their opinion of right vs. wrong as their guideline for life.

To this I wonder though; where does the foundation of this right and wrong come from?  Where did they learn that it is wrong to kill, to steal, or to bring harm upon another?  Where did this internal judgment complex come from?  There must be a foundation of right and wrong for them to compare their opinion against in order for them to claim that someone is doing something wrong.  What they will not admit to you is that they don’t know.  Certainly man’s laws are crafted in a manner to keep the peace between individuals, and could be claimed as the foundation of their choices and decisions. We are all obligated to uphold and live by these laws.  Dig a little deeper and ask the basic questions of where those laws were founded?  What is the premise of the laws that govern your country, county and city?  After peeling back layer after layer of the onion, most will fall back to early manuscripts which quote the 10 Commandments as a basis.

God has ingrained in every single human born an innate knowledge and sense of right vs. wrong.  Because we are made in His image, we are filled with His presence and love as our foundation during the development stages before birth.  Once born, the world begins influencing decisions and laying the second, third and fourth layer upon an individual’s character.  Life’s situations, environment and culture have much to do with an individual’s outlook on right vs wrong when we become adults.  The inability to recognize God is a learned trait, something that was taught and accepted rather than something that is believed through faith.  The most fundamental difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is our faith in something we have never seen and cannot be proven. 

We trust in the scriptures as God’s holy word and the single point of truth in the world today.  This lighthouse keeps us focused on right vs wrong in the eyes of the Lord.  When we are living by His standard of goodness, there is nothing in this world that can declare it as wrongdoing.  

Be Blessed,

Rich

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The Final Eclipse

“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.”   John 3:19

My thoughts:

Just listen to or read the news headlines on any given day.  The world is full of evil and darkness.  The heart of the child is being corrupted by the sounds of the keyboard and mouse.  I fear that the social skills of this generation are built upon the weak foundation of the world wide web, google and twitter.  The simple fact that 88 percent of teenagers (13-17) have or have access to a cellphone, and 91% of teenagers have access to the internet and spend an awful lot of productive time using both.  This has become the new way of communication and it is breaking down the basics of humanity at it’s core.

Granted, not all teenagers are lumped into this single bucket, but consider that many of them spend more time on their phones, tablets and laptops than actually speaking with another person in a friendly, social environment.  Sure, they speak in class, at the dinner table and when involved in extra-curricular activities; but I have found that much of their “free-time” is now spent in Snapchat, Instragram, Facebook, Twitter and other electronic means of communication.

Why is this so important, or why should you care?
Hypothesize with me if you will.  If God is all about love and sharing His love with our neighbors, families and friends; then if the evil one of this world can remove that interaction from our lives, it gives him a much easier path to instill self-centeredness, greed, entitlement and anger into these lives.  There was a time when violence wasn’t the path to resolving conflict.  Looking at the youth of today though, that seems to be their method of coping with issues that arise in their life.  Be it the protestors (either side), the shooters, the cop-killers or the cyber-bully – they all fall into a similar stereotype.  Look at these individuals and you will find someone who is: self-centered, focused only on their happiness, angry with those that disagree, unremorseful to inflict pain on someone who opposes them and looking to blame everyone else in the world except for themselves.  This persona is the exact antithesis of what God has called us to be.

It is a darkness in the world that has etched it’s way into our lives slowly, but methodically so we wouldn’t notice it immediately.  But, suddenly, though we know where the light switch is, we have found ourselves very comfortable sitting in the darkness and looking at the sliver of light in the corner.  We know that evil is all around us, but fear and to some degree comfort, have settled in such that we aren’t inclined to actually do anything to bring light back into the situation.  That’s the state of our world.  Too many self-proclaimed Christians are sitting in the dusk between the ever increasing shadow and the diminishing light in this world.  Unless we decide to stand up, I truly fear that darkness will overtake mankind and the desire for light will be gone completely.

I suggest you take this to heart and look into the darkness that covers most of our college campus’ today.  I’ve watched interview after interview of our college students boldly staring into the camera and claiming there is no God and that this world is designed strictly for survival of the fittest.  This generation of young people are walking away from the light without any knowledge or concern that they are stepping straight into the shadows of evil. 

We know it’s happening, yet we are willing to sit idly by and watch, then we too have accepted the fact that it’s acceptable for darkness to take our children away from us.  You and I are called to grab their hand and help them find the light once again.  Don’t turn from this problem, it will only get worse.  The scriptures have made it clear that this world will get darker before the coming of our Lord.  Look around yourself and you can see it is happening.  Choose to help those who are blind find their way back.


Be Blessed,

Rich

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37 Days – Anxiety and Worry Must Fall

Pastor Randy’s devotional:

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23 (NLT)

January 27^th Prayer:

Lord, You are the Shepherd of my life. You are near, and I will not be afraid. Even though worry, fear, dread, and threat of calamity are encircling me, you prepare a table—a meeting place in the middle of threats. Simply because You are with me, I will not be overcome. Your power and willingness to defend and protect— this is comforting to me. My soul will find rest today from all fear, anxiety and worry. I release this to You and worship You victoriously in the midst of it all . . . in Jesus’ name!

My thoughts:

Mrs. Sebring taught me the Lord’s Prayer.  I was no more than 5 or 6 and attending First Baptist Church, Tecumseh.  There was a picture of Jesus hanging on the brick wall in our Sunday School Class and we all sat around these small circular tables.  It’s a prayer that we all have heard numerous times and many have memorized, forgotten, memorized again and forgotten again.  But, looking at the words again now as a more matured adult, I have fresh eyes and different perspective than the small child sitting in Mrs. Sebring’s class. 

Then I was actually a little afraid of it; “Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil”.  Really, a small child can’t comprehend “valley of the shadow of death”.  I was looking over my shoulder all the time for the shadow of death to be following me (lol).  Seriously though, I have learned to trust in the Lord in all things and have come to realize that no matter where I am in this life, He is right there beside me and will guide me through.  I’m still learning to put my worries upon Him and to let them go.  This is a huge challenge for me, as my pride and determination often get in the way. 

What I am coming to understand is that trusting that God is good and only wants good things for me.  His love is unmeasurable and He is more than willing to pour out blessings upon me and my family.  By accepting His Son, Jesus Christ, as my Lord and Savior, God will guide me along the right paths and provide comfort, protection and safety through the darkest valleys.  I am His child.  Which parent would not do everything they can to ensure the comfort, protection and safety of their own children from the evil in today’s world?  David, in writing the 23^rd Psalm, was clearly in connection with God the Father, and had learned to put all of his faith in the Lord to guide him through the path’s in his life.  We all need to take a moment and re-read the 23^rd Psalm with the eyes of a child looking to God as our Father.  Put all of your trust and faith in Him, and He will guide your paths as well.

Be Blessed,

Rich

 

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37 Days – Let Go of Sin

Pastor Randy’s devotional:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1-2

January 11^th Prayer:

Gracious Father, You sent Jesus to die for me. I know His blood provides forgiveness for my sin. I want to be free from the bondage to sin. The same old patterns and familiar temptations have weighed me down for too long. I am asking for help! Help me Holy Spirit! Show me the doors I’ve opened in my life to allow this pattern. Show me how to repent. I know I can walk in behavioral holiness in this area and I am opening to Your power and guidance to help me stand fast in the freedom You’ve provided. I pray this in Jesus’ name!

(Name the area you fall to—the sin that seems to hang around and trip you up most often. You can overcome this and walk in victory. However, it won’t be by willpower alone. You must have the help of others and the Holy Spirit.)

My thoughts:

Also see my thoughts from Wednesday on recurring sin.

We are all continuously influenced by good and evil decisions.  Think about it.  You face decisions all day long.  What is it you rely on to make an intelligent choice for these decisions?  Your intellect, the information available to you at the time, previous outcomes from similar decisions, family or friends advice, feelings, emotions and desires.  These are the things which will influence your decisions in life.

What constitutes a sinful decision?
When the outcome of a decision results in an action that contradicts the principles and beliefs established by God the father.  There is no formal list, but we have the foundation of the 10 Commandments in scripture as we discussed in earlier posts.  For all time, God has demonstrated the repercussions of going against His commandments, and let’s face it, none of them are appealing.  We all enjoy the temporary pleasure, the worldly satisfaction often associated with a sinful act.  But it’s just that – temporary, associated with this life only, regardless of one’s lifespan it will end one day. 

One of the reasons many people resist Jesus Christ, and a commitment toward His calling on their life, is because of these desires, these habits, these temporary pleasurable activities in life.  We become addicted to sin, just like addiction to a drug or alcohol.  We find ways to justify it, to cover it up as if it isn’t as bad as it is; rather than deal with addressing it, changing and turning away. 

Repentance is just that, turning away from that action that separates us from God the Father.  Often times, the desire is so strong and the cover up is so deep that we would rather live with the sin, rather than truly repent and turn from it.  Some will look at the opportunity of following Jesus Christ and choose not to because they would rather continue living in their sin. They may even acknowledge His existence, recognize that He walked the earth and believe that He did incredible miracles when He walked the earth.  But, they won’t go that next step and acknowledge that He is the son of God and Savior of the world, because they realize by doing so would require a change in their lifestyle that they are not willing to accept.  Therefore, they deny His deity, and in many cases they deny the entire eternal concept all together and put all of their faith in themselves and those of this world.

What they don’t realize is that by accepting that Jesus Christ is the son of God, died for them, and rose again on the third day; they can actually discover the strength to overcome these addictions in their lives.  For man alone is not powerful in mind, or will, to overcome these things on their own, but the Lord is and with an authentic faith in Jesus Christ we are made capable.  Their acceptance that this is who they are, that they cannot change, that their actions are unchangeable is a fallacy presented by the evil one, Satan himself.  Satan uses our desires, our pride, our addictions against us.  It is his stronghold on our lives and we have only the power and authority of Jesus Christ at our disposal to stand against it.  There is no straight jacket discipline that will supernaturally enable you to overcome this evil.

Mankind was designed to love and worship the Lord.  That’s it.  That’s our only purpose for being created.  The sins of this world are those things that stand between He and us, and draw us away from this purpose.  Choose this day to trust in the Lord and lean on His understanding and not your own.  Repent and turn from your sinful actions and pray for the Lord to give you the strength to stand firm in your faith.  The choice does belong to you and only you.

Be Blessed,

Rich

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