Afraid of the Light

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“O fear the Lord, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.” – Psalm 34:9

I’m deathly afraid of snakes, and mildly afraid of heights.  I get on airplanes frequently without any concern of an accident.  I drive 45 miles roundtrip every day to/from work and never consider the risk of dying in my truck.  We walk through life, each of us, with fear of something.  My son fears a wolf coming through his bedroom window at night.  My wife fears alligators every time we go near a lake here in Texas or when we lived in Florida.  What about you?  What is it that you fear the most?

Do you remember a time in your life when you feared your parents?  I have great parents, who loved me with everything they had while I was growing up.  They ensured I was well taken care of, nurtured in love, educated and taught respect for others.  But there was this one time when I had borrowed my Dad’s van so some friends and I could go to the movies.  His one rule was you had to put gas in it and wash it before coming home.  I had a great night with my buddies and was on the way home.  I swung through the local self car-wash and proceeded to wash it perfectly clean.  As I pulled out of the car wash stall I scrapped the entire right hand side of the van against the concrete opening, completely destroying the painted mural on the passenger side (hey, it was the 80’s and painted murals were popular on vans).  At that very moment I knew fear. 

My Dad worked so hard and he had enormous pride in this van.  As I proceeded home I realized what I deserved and just how painful it was going to be.  He had trusted me with his van and I had damaged it.  I knew I was going to pay for it.  When I got home, I told my Mom first, it’s always easiest to get her on my side for moral support.  When she told Dad, we came out and took a look, and I could see the anger rising up inside of him.  He said a few words which I won’t repeat, but that was it.  Everything I had expected was nothing more than unwarranted fears that my mind had created in anticipation of reality.  Yes, my father was angry and yes he did chastise me, but then he showed the loving side that I so much admire in that man.  After some time had passed, he came to my room and pulled me close with a major papa-bear hug.  He then explained to me how much I meant to him and that the van could always be fixed, but I was more important.  I have unbelievable respect and admiration for my father for his ability to love me despite the problems I have caused.

Similarly, but on a much greater scale, I have an unlimited and deep respect for the Lord.  I suppose I’ve always had a respectful fear for His authority, sovereignty, omnipotence and power, but in my heart I’ve always known that He loves me beyond measure.  I must admit that I have never had a genuine “fear” of God.  I accepted Christ as my Savior and Lord at a very young age.  I knew Jesus was God’s son, and I knew Jesus gave everything He had for me to be with Him in heaven one day.  Sure, I didn’t have a clue about the depth of what He gave or the depth of His grace and mercy over me, but I knew He loved me. 

Certainly, I, like many of you do not want the alternative to heaven, which made the decision to follow Christ easy.  Since then I have trusted in His word, His promises and His salvation with utmost sincerity and confidence.  I have grown in my faith and understanding each day of my life and I am still learning.  It is a lifelong process, not something that is ever complete.  One thing I have learned though is we need to fear the Lord, but fear with respect and understanding. 

Many times we become complacent as Christians, and comfortable in our salvation to the point where we believe we are above sin.  This is a very dangerous place to put yourself, for not one of us is above sin in this life.  Only Jesus Christ, Himself, lived a life free of sin.  You and I are unbelievably short of even scratching the surface of what that looks like.  That is why we need His saving grace and redemption.  We are made perfect in God’s eyes only by the blood of Jesus.  The wrath that God possess’ will be dealt out upon mankind in the final days.  You should be very fearful of His wrath, for He is not tolerant of unrighteousness and sinful living.  Christ is our mediator and has taken God’s wrath upon Himself in our place, but we will still stand before the Lord one day.  Fortunately, for those of us who have fully given our lives to Jesus Christ, He will stand with us and present us to the Father as righteous and fully redeemed.

Are you truly saved?  Are you a believer in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord?  Or like many have you become a comfortable Christian still living apart from His purpose.  If He is your Lord, you ought to be following His guidance for your life and becoming more Christlike in the process.  Do not ever underestimate the significance of fearing God’s wrath.  For one day, it will be very evident and at that moment your choices will have already been made.       
             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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Who Are You?

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“But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired. If they were all one member, where would the body be? But now there are many members, but one body.” – 1 Corinthians 12:18-20

There was a movie back in the 1970’s called “The Longest Yard”.  It was about a team of prisoners playing football against the guards.  It starred Burt Reynolds as the quarterback and “hero” of the game.  One particular play the offensive front line decided that they didn’t like the arrogance of their quarterback and so they decided not to block.  As you can imagine the defensive lineman easily tackled the helpless quarterback.  He quickly learned the lesson that the team is more important than any one man.  There are numerous sports analogies to reference regarding the dependence on teamwork, and each will result with the same answer; there is no ‘I’ in team.

Each of you have been given a gift from God Almighty, the Creator of all things.  He formed it uniquely for you and engraved it upon your heart while you were still in the womb.  He planted the seed in a manner that each would discover their gift and use it for the betterment of His Kingdom.  When each of us are working in synch the body of Christ moves forward.  When we are battling one another the body tends to stay at rest.

Where are you in discovering your gift from the Father?  Your passion, your talent, what drives you, what makes you completely happy and filled with peace?  For some it’s teaching others about Christ, for others it’s writing, for others it’s watching and guiding the footsteps of children in His light, and others to tend to the needs of our Senior Adults to bring them peace, love and comfort.  These just touch on a few of the many gifts, talents and passions that God has placed inside of you. 

Once discovered, the next question really comes down to how will you use it for His Kingdom?  It was given to you for a purpose and to work in conjunction with those around you to strengthen His children and to help others come to know Him.  Every day that goes by without specifically using the talents He has given you, is another wasted day wandering through this life.  Eighty years, maybe 100 years is but a blip on the timeline of the Almighty.  Eternity is beyond measure.  As my daughter once told me, Eternity is like Infinity raised to the power of Infinity+1.  When you consider that your life here on this earth is for a very short time, you really need to consider how many more days you will let pass by before you embrace the purpose He has called you here for.  As for me, I’m trying each and every day to expand my territory and scope within His grace and guidance.
             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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Words of a King - "Alpha and Omega"

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““Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” – Revelation 22:12-13

For the last few weeks, we have looked at several of the words from Jesus Christ’s time on earth.  From the moment of His baptism through the end of His life here, He spoke words of wisdom, prophecy, encouragement and love.  His words have often been glossed over as simple conversation between Him and those He was engaging with at the time.  But, I challenge you to look deeper, to take every single thing that came from His mouth as the authentic, unchallengable words from God Almighty.  Truth and only truth, no grey areas, no mind games, no manipulation or twisting of the meaning; for God is pure, holy and perfect.  His words therefore are likewise pure, holy and perfect in every way. 

Jesus’ ministry was but a short 3 years on this earth, yet He is the single most recognized person in the entire history of the world.  Not because 12 men followed Him and others decided to write about Him, but because He is God, and was here at the creation of the world, and will usher in the New Jerusalem in our future.  Jesus’ words have lasted over thousands of years as undeniable truth about what it means to live a Holy, righteous life.  We take those words for granted and try to mold them into our way of thinking and acting, so as to believe we are within His blessing.  When in reality, we can’t.  It is surely impossible to abide by the perfection, the holiness and the purity of Jesus’ words.

We are not required to though.  His death on the cross has provided the redemption for our sins, our unrighteousness and our inability to walk perfectly in this life.  It is the only way we can be washed clean enough to enter into God’s presence.  We cannot do enough good deeds or say enough “Hail Mary’s” to reconcile the very nature of sin that is within us.  His blood is the only thing that is sufficient, because His blood is holy, righteous and perfect.  This in no way implies though that we are not held accountable for our actions.  We absolutely will be held accountable.

Believing in Jesus Christ as our redeeming Savior is one thing, but to acknowledge Him as Lord is altogether a much greater expectation.  Indeed, His blood is our saving grace; but we must turn from our sinful ways and follow His examples for living this life.  Becoming more Christlike is the goal for every born again Christian.  I dare say that if you have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and not as the ruling, sovereign Lord of your life, you just might be fooling yourself into an eternal comfort level that may very well leave you lost when He does return.  For it is written in Matthew 7:21-23 in His own words, ““Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.  Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’” 
So be rid of the evil in your life, and the lying, cheating, addictions, and hatred of others.  Strive with everything you have to become more Christlike in your walk, and others will see it in you.  Jesus’ doesn’t give these words of wisdom to us as a recommendation, but as a truth.  He who was at the creation will be at the ending, and we are not capable of convincing Him of our true identity as a child of God.  We either are or we are not, and I assure you – He and only He will know the truth on that day.

             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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Words of a King – “Judgment”

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“All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.” – Matthew 25:32-33

The skies were blindingly white, almost silver, in the midnight hour.  Singing could be heard from everywhere, despite the fact that the house was shut up tight and all the electronics were off.  Shading their eyes, they peered out of the window and were drawn to the beams shooting from the sky, like lasers, only much more rapid and luminescent.  It seemed as though there were millions of them coming from every direction to a central collection point on the horizon.  They, like many of their neighbors, stepped out onto the front porch to see what was happening.

Suddenly, they felt themselves being drawn effortlessly, weightlessly through the air toward the central target of light and sound.  Reaching out to each other, they held onto each other’s hands and tried to embrace in the midst of transporting from one location to another.  Beyond their comprehension was the immediacy of the movement, and before they knew what had happened they were both resting on the dirt amidst millions and perhaps billions of other people as far as the eye could see.

The singing stopped and the crowds began moving uncontrollably.  Some to one side and some to the other side of the vast expanse.  Despite their efforts to remain together, they were ripped apart – he went to the left and she to the right.  Screaming at the top of her lungs, she looked at him with panic in her eyes, for she suddenly knew exactly what was happening.  He tried to calm her down as they moved farther and farther apart, but her cries became even more desperate, and above the crowds he heard her voice, “Please, confess Jesus as Lord…I beg of you, accept His redeeming grace.”  In his blindness though he could not comprehend what she was talking about and suddenly the distance separated them beyond sight of one another.

He moved about, amidst those around him, trying to get a better view of his wife across the expanse; but it was no use.  Then he heard a voice over all of the singing.  A voice that was loud and booming like thunder.  “‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;  naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’”  And the people on the right began speaking back in 100’s of languages all at the same time.  The voice responded, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’”  (Matthew 25:34-40)

His heart pounded in his chest, his legs became weak and he fell to his knees, along side of millions of others doing the same thing as the realization of what was happening.  His wife had begged him to come to church, to read the Bible, to pray with her and to accept Jesus as his Savior and Lord.  She said this day would come, but he blew it off as a fictitious story that weaker individuals believed.  His mind quickly thought of his kids, his son, his two daughters; which side were they on?  What about his parents?  His brother and sisters?  What he was sure of though was that he was here at this place at this time separated from his wife, prostrate on the ground hearing a voice in the wind, giving him his final judgment. “‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;  for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;  I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’”  Many answered back asking questions of the King, to which He responded, “‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’”   (Matthew 25:41-45)
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Do you not understand that the Bible is truth and that the words of Jesus Christ spoken thousands of years ago are 100% authentic and will come to be?  This judgment day is not a fictitious story, it will happen to you, to your loved ones, to your friends and family.  If you aren’t taking the time to have the conversation with them about Jesus Christ now, when will you?  There will come a day when all mankind will come before the King and be separated and judged accordingly.  There is no grey area here, you are either a child of God, saved and bought by the blood of Jesus, and redeemed by your public profession and acceptance of Him as Savior and Lord; or you’re not.  It’s one or the other, there is no room for being a nice person and convincing God to let you in.  You can’t do enough good deeds on this earth to earn your salvation, for even the heathen and evil men do good deeds now and then.  Those on the left will be cast into the eternal fire and there will be gnashing of teeth forever in the abyss.  Who do you need to talk to today?   Don’t wait, it’s far too important.   

              

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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Words of a King – “Be a Light”

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““You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” – Matthew 5:14-16

As the door slammed, his heart pounded in his chest.  He had spent his entire life trying to reason with her, trying to help her see the goodness in people and to accept people for who they are.  When she came down the stairs that morning with a bag over her shoulder he knew what she was about to say.  “Dad, I’m leaving.  I’m going to move in with Scott and that’s that.”  His initial reaction was to enforce his rules on the situation and he yelled at her, “Oh no you’re not.”  A shouting match ensued, words were said that could never be taken back.  He approached the situation with a holier than though onslaught of insults about living in sin, evils of her actions and lack of respect for her parents and for God.

Where had he gone wrong?  Why would she be so rebellious and insistent on pursuing a life she knew was unrighteous, without any care at all about the impact?  As he sat down at the kitchen table staring at the back door, hoping that she would come back in, he buried his face in his hands and wept.  Ever since the divorce, their relationship had quickly turned for the worse and this was nothing more than a culmination of 3 years of his belittling her mother and blaming her for all of their problems.  In addition, he had been seeing many ladies over the last three years and there were many a Saturday morning when she would come down those stairs and find another woman in their kitchen, wearing one of her Mom’s old house robes.  How hypocritical could he be. 

Every Sunday morning, he would knock on her door and encourage her to join him at church, and every Sunday morning she would refuse, roll over and go back to sleep.  He sat in that pew for the last 3 years alone, not really listening or engaging in the sermon or the music.  Rather he sat their feeling sorry for himself and getting more and more angry with God.  Where was the love of the Savior in their family?  How could God allow this to happen in a family that was so very happy just 5 years ago?

As he sat there at the kitchen table, he saw his old bible buried under years of mail, magazines and dust.  He let out a deep sigh as the reality hit him hard.  It had been years since he opened that book, or even considered praying and developing his relationship with God.  He was saved as a young boy in the church of his parents, but he now had to admit to himself, he was doing nothing but going through the motions of claiming to be a Christian.  At no point in his daughter’s life had he ever actually sat down and discussed Christ, salvation, or eternity.  He used it as a stick when she would misbehave, but it was never a demonstration of the love of God that she so much needed.  He certainly believed in Christ, but had never lived a life of Christ and now he realized the ramifications of his actions.
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We are all called to share our faith, to share the love of Christ and to teach those around us the importance of His saving grace.  So many times as parents we assume they will pick it up and make the choice on their own through their own experiences.  Many of us don’t feel comfortable wearing Christ on our forehead and in our lives so others can see Him.  In doing so we are actually harming those around us without even knowing it.  Their eternal fate is based on a single decision in life, and who knows if you are the only one given the opportunity to influence that decision in someone’s life.

It’s not a safe bet in today’s world to assume that your children, your spouse, your friends will pick it up on their own.  We are all called to be a light to the world, and I hope you are not choosing to keep your light hidden under a bushel basket.  God did not deliver you from eternal hell so you could sit on the sidelines and watch others line up for it.  Get up and go tell someone about Jesus Christ today.

             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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Words of a King - "Be Blessed"

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The Beatitudes – Matthew 5:3-12

The sun was high in the mid-day sky as the people gathered around near the sea.  Families, friends and acquaintances from town had all come up to the hill that afternoon for something very special.  But what, they did not know.  Children ran and played on the rocks and along the paths under the tall trees, laughing and giggling as children do.  Some had brought along small baskets of food, some had simply brought jugs of water as they sat amidst the tall grass in small groups.

A commotion was forming near the footpath from the city as people began to rise and press in surrounding the group of men walking there.  The crowd of people moved as one as they made their way up the hillside, and as the path narrowed they dispersed and formed a semi-circle near the top of the hill.  That’s when he emerged from the group and all the families, children and people silenced themselves and looked upon him, as he raised his hand to the skies and spoke.

Jesus stood on that hilltop and delivered his first sermon to the people of surrounding villages of Galilee and Judea. 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”  - Matthew 5:3-12

No microphones, no speakers, no band, no lightshows, no choirs, no sermon notes, no bulletins, no pews; just the Lord speaking to the masses in a voice that I’m quite certain carried as far as the wanting ear could hear.  The masses rose to their feet and drew closer because what He was preaching was not what they had heard in their Synagogues in their lifetime.  This was a message of love, serving others, purity, comfort and peace; not a message of longing, punishment and damnation.  These words came from His mouth without reference to the scriptures of old, without reference to the Mosaic law or father Abraham.  He spoke with authority from another place, and brought a different perspective to what it means to be a child of God. 

This message is as true today as it was over 2000 years ago.  We seek how to serve God in a stronger, more meaningful way; and from the words of His Son, Jesus Christ, we are told what it takes.  Self-lessness, humility, a servants heart, purity in the heart, a hunger for righteousness, and loving of all mankind in peacefulness.  We are told that it won’t be easy or without pain.  There will be mourning, there will be persecution and evil thrown at you because of your stance.  But, standing firm on this foundation of love and righteousness will result in the greatest reward one can imagine.  Take up these blessings from the Lord and hold them close.  His words are truth and righteous and can provide healing and strength in time of need.  Write them upon your heart and mind and memorize them for when you are in need, they will provide your guidance.  You are blessed by the One true God of the Universe, rejoice in it.

             

© Sondove Enterprises, 2013
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Words of a King – “Purpose”

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“He said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, so that I may preach there also; for that is what I came for.” – Mark 1:38

Tiger Woods was 3 years old when he first played golf.  The inherent desire to win, the competitive spirit, the love of the game and the challenge of learning everything there was to know about golf drove him to become undoubtedly one of the greatest golfers ever.  He knew from a very early age what his passion was, what his talent was and he used that gifted talent to excel at that one thing.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart began composing at the age of 5 years old.  From the age of 3 he demonstrated an inherent knowledge of music, the ability to finger chords and memorize melodies were demonstrated while watching his sister would take piano lessons.  His father recognized his unique gift and helped him by writing down the music that Mozart would play at such a young age.  Throughout the span of his 35 year life, he was driven to perfection in the realm of music because it was within him, and he often struggled with his inability to deliver the perfection within his head to the pages.

Why do I bring up these two child prodigies? 
Each of us have God given talents, gifts from the Father of all creation.  That passion that is deep within you, the desire to do something bigger, something more meaningful is not there by accident.  It is there because that is who God created you to be, and the likely scenario is that you aren’t using it.  Certainly a prodigy is a rare example of someone who early on in life grabs ahold of their unique gift and talent, and commits their entire life to it.  Although, we can’t go back and start over, the gift has never left you.  It is still within your heart, your mind and it is completely yours to grab ahold of and execute on.

Jesus was not a prodigy, He was the Son of God.  He was created by the very spirit of God and born of a virgin into this world.  The blood that ran through his veins was perfectly righteous, holy and pure; from the Father above.  The very first recorded words from Jesus Christ are in Luke 2:49, “And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”  He was 12 years old, sitting in the Synagogue with the teachers, doing what His Father had called Him to do.  God’s plan of salvation was clear from the moment this boy was born in Bethlehem to the day 33 years later that He died and rose again from the tomb in Jerusalem.

As Jesus traveled around Judea and Galilee, He preached of salvation, repentance and the Kingdom at hand.  He performed miracles, healings and cast out demons.  His purpose was well understood from the moment of His birth, but it had now become the time to put it into action.  Regardless of your age, you have a calling on your life that is so much bigger than what you are doing today.  You may have ignored it, you may question how to enact upon it and you may have fears about pursuing it; this doesn’t make it any less real, it only prolongs the benefits that will come from it.  So many people, no – most people go to their grave having never pursued the God given purpose in their life out of fear, lack of understanding or simple rebellion against the Creator Himself.  Don’t be that person.  Seek the passion that God has placed within you and use every waking moment of your life on this earth to pursue it.  Greatness will come from it, greatness for the Kingdom that is.

             

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