Grow Up

 With my birthday coming up I started reflecting about my age and where it all went and all that stuff. I thought about a post I seen recently and I found it kinda amusing so I changed the number to fit me.

“I’m not 53; I’m on my 35^th year of 18”, actually been saying it, lol. My wife seems to agree with the 18 part as she tells me a lot to “Grow Up”, Ive had co-workers tell me this. In fact in a conversation with my pastor he said, “do ya think we should act a little more mature?” I got to thinking while we don’t really have to grow up or act our age, we cant stop getting older, even if we try to make ourselves look younger our bodies are still the age they are and nothing in this life can change that.

 Although I don’t act my age there is one area I always want to grow in, that’s my relationship with Jesus. As my pastor says, “I don’t want to be the same person next year”. I couldn’t agree more, I don’t want to be struggling with the same things, dealing with the same issues next year. In fact I like to look back and remind myself of the things I have given to Him, the things that I am no longer bound by, because of Jesus taking them away.

 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 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.

 I love this even though these bodies we inhabit are aging and decaying, inwardly our spirit is growing, that’s growing in Christ. He doesn’t even promise that we will get through this life with our body intact, but it doesn’t matter. The spirit matters, the spirit is eternal.

 1John 3:2 “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is”.

 That’s really cool when you think about it, because the bible also tells us that nobody has ever seen God, nor could we and live. So our bodies cant handle seeing His Glory. But we get new enhanced ones, which are not going to be flawed.

 I kinda got off subject a bit, (happens a lot, squirrel). I told my pastor I don’t think we need to act more mature. But growing in Christ is essential for the believer. I don’t even think that we take a rest and maintain a level of relationship. We are either growing or sinking. The enemy doesn’t rest, he doesn’t stop, so we need to keep seeking Him, spending time with Him, to even stay at a level.

 At first it sometimes takes some effort to dedicate yourself to Him, but doesn’t everything? If you want to lose weight you have to dedicate yourself to a diet. To get in shape takes dedication to exercise. So does a relationship with Him, in fact the enemy will throw every excuse possible your way to get you to not grow in Him. He doesn’t stop there if you get past personal excuses, then he throws in people around you to distract you. Just remember the he only has the power that you give him over your life. Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.  Then there’s the awesome promise in Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 Then before you know it He replaces that effort with love, and you look forward to the time spent together. You go to Him knowing He will share Himself with you. You may have started with a set time, but then it becomes more. You start noticing Him acting in your life more and more, talking to Him constantly. Then it becomes more clear what Paul was saying about “praying without ceasing”.

 Growing in Him, we all know that He is with us, but you start realizing that He is there and talking like He is actually next to you. That’s the way He wants to be with us. It becomes an instant reaction to thank Him with something good, or instantly pray with some need, not waiting until prayer time. He wants to be close to us, in fact when we feel He is distant its because we have pushed Him.

 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you, it’s a promise, and His desire, that’s how He rolls. Stay Blessed, PJ

Fruit in Drought

Jeremiah 17:7-8

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
    whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
    that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
    its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
    and never fails to bear fruit.”

Thinking about this awesome verse, its one of the many promises of God. If we trust in Him, He will meet our needs

 What this doesn’t say is that we won’t feel the heat. We will and do feel it, just that there is power to sustain us through it. The wind and storms still beat on this tree, but yet it never fails to bear fruit

Jesus said it John 16:33 “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.”

 We don’t have to fret or worry when we see stuff happening all around us and even to us. I like the saying “don’t tell God how big your problems are, tell your problems how big your God is” Even in the year of drought, He will take us through it.

 Like Kari Jobe sings, “I am not alone, You will go before me, You will never leave me”

Hebrews 13:5 "...because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

In fact we are told to count it all joy when we go through stuff!

 James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

 Huh…, yup praise Him through the storm. Because we will be much better on the other side. It’s easier to praise Him in it knowing He is with us. And when you stand on the promises of always being green even in the heat and bearing fruit in the drought. That’s why Paul said “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength”. “Oh how He Loves us”, that’s how he rolls! Stay Blessed, PJ

Something Stinks

Today I began my search for that smell in the refrigerator. My wife had gone through and tossed out any possible source, thought we had it, but no. So as I start digging and searching I am reminded of our lives. We at times find ourselves struggling to spend time with God and when we do we find that we are not hearing Him so well, or the words in the Bible dont seem to be turning on that "light bulb". Its in those time we may want to take an inventory of our lives. Is there something thats starting to stink? Maybe we have a thing we like that we are putting before God, causing Him to be put in the back seat in our life. Unlike the fridge, we cant really use our nose to find the source. But we can seek out God and His word.

We tend to give up or be distracted pretty easily, truth is thats when we should be looking all the harder. Thats when we dig deeper into His word and meditate on it. Thats when we should be spending more time in prayer. One of the biggest things we will end up finding is that our heart wasnt in it all the way.

Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

Thats a promise! One of the things we can stand on is God never goes back on a promise, unlike man, He will always keep His word. So we should be seeking His word to see what these promises really are, and standing on them!

The truth is God is never far from us, it is we who distance ourselves from Him. Another promise found in Hebrews 13:5 "...because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

So when we find ourselves a little dry in our walk, when our light isnt shining quite as bright, just know that it is us and not God. He wants to be right there, He wants to share Himself with us. Jesus gave His life on cross, conquering death to bring us closer to the Father. That we could experience Him more. James 4:8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

We can stand on His word and it will always be there for us to pull from.

Jesus said in Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."

God wants to give us a better life, a life free from the grip of sin and decay. To be near us. So let us recognize when things get a bit stinky, to dig our heels in, go against the pull of the world. To get past all the stuff. In my fridge I found it by digging deeper, we too can find it in our life if we dont give up. God wont leave us hanging, even when we stink a bit, He wants to help us through it. Thats how He rolls. Stay Blessed, PJ

Knowing Him and Being Known by Him

I reckon its time I get back to this, in my last post, (Who is Reading?) I had said that "I dont really want to focus this on the religious, church stuff at the moment." Well I guess its now the moment.
 I sincerely hope that I am not taking shots at anybody, just speaking what I feel is really important, in fact it has Life or Death implications. So while there may be some conviction that happens, just know that this is not directed at anybody, but if the Holy Spirit convicts your heart then you may want to give some serious consideration, and dig deeper. So ends my disclaimer.
 It seems to be pretty common as of late that I hear and see a lot of people that do say I believe in God, but just not into church and that stuff. Its one thing to believe He exists, and another to actually know Him, and still even deeper to be known by Him. Lets start with I know Him,
 James 2:19 "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder." When you think about that for a minute, the demons believe but where is their destiny? So he was saying yea its a good thing that you believe in Him, but that isn't going to save you, that wont get your ticket into heaven. While it is a first step that many people in this world haven't taken, its just a step. The demons didnt have a belief, they knew for certain, there are many accounts of them knowing who Jesus was also. When the demon possessed man seen Jesus coming Mark 5:6-7 "When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” They know for certain who he is, but where is it getting them. So for that matter where does it get anybody that says they believe in God. Romans 1:21 "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened." This is what the Bible means when it says, "they have eyes but cannot see, and ears but cannot hear."
 From the original sin we were separated from God, thats what sin does, God is perfect, pure and holy. He cannot defile Himself with sin. Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
 So how can we know Him, when we are separated by our sins The key is here because even though we are separated sinners, God still loves us. Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." Just because He loves us He is not going to force Himself on us. It requires something from us, if we desire to have the separation removed, our sins washed away, if we desire to know Him and be forgiven our sins. Then a wholehearted decision/action is all that is necessary. Romans 10:9 puts it like this " If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Acts 2:38 "Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." So knowing Him starts with repenting and asking Jesus to come into your heart.
 Being known by Him starts with our being saved, but its a seed thats planted in us, it is the beginning of a new life that will grow into something beautiful. It must be cultivated, fertilized, watered, and receive sunlight, (or Sons light) to grow. This is unfortunately where a lot of people stop, taking salvation and running with it. Taking the "Saviour" part but leaving out the "Lord" part. We ask Him to be Lord and Savoiur, Lord of our life, and Saviour of our souls. The 2 should not be separated, we were washed and cleansed of our sins. Why would we like a clean pig go back to the mud, or like Peter says, "a dog returns to its vomit." Look its not easy starting new when we have developed soo many bad habits. Thats were this "relationship" with Him comes in. Its spending time with Him, reading His word, talking to Him in prayer. Spending time with fellow believers. The bible tells us to Not forsake the assembling of yourselves. It can be tough if we try it alone, and He knows it, thats why He left a manual! Getting to know our redeemer. After all He paid a pretty high price to give you a clean slate, fresh start. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." Give Him a chance to wash you, cleanse you, He says when you seek me you will find me when you seek me with all your heart!
 He has some pretty sobering words in Matthew 7:21-23 "“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!" I dont know about you but thats definitely something I dont want to hear.
 Lastly, Jesus words in Revelation 3:14-16 "“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth."
 He actually has more respect for a person who denies Him than one who "honors me with their mouth but their hearts are far from me". You cant fool God, He knows your heart, God cannot be mocked. So I ask you, Do you Know Him, and are you Known by Him? He didnt come to take away life, but to give it, a freedom that comes from shedding off all of the corruption this world can bring on us. Being made new, alive in Christ."The Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom." He doesnt make mistakes, and He made you the way He meant you to be. We made a mess of us, but it can be undone. Clothed with Christ, He sees us again the way He made us! Thats how He Rolls! Give Him a Wholehearted chance, Taste and see the Lord is Good! Stay Blessed, PJ

Who is Reading?

I reckon its time to write whats been bouncing around my head the past few days. Funny thing I hear my thoughts with a southern accent now, lol. 
While we were in Arkansas I had a relative tell me that something I wrote had helped them with something they were going through, and while they were not religious, they believe in God, just are not all into church and stuff. I dont really want to focus this on the religious, church stuff at the moment. 
I want to focus on the fact that we never know what an impact what we say and do will have on others. We have been given the keys to eternal life, its not just to give us a warm/cozy feeling about where we will spend eternity, but to share that warm/cozy with those around us. 
Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
I write to share what He gives me, and I pray that its not my words but His, although it may have a Paul flavor to it, I want it to bring Glory and point to Him, not me.
I write not to single anybody out or point fingers at anybody. Only to share what He shows me.
So God never ceases to amaze me where He is going to show up. I dont care who you are, we all go through times where we reflect and wonder if our life is making a difference in others we have contact with. God has a way of revealing things, and when we have our eyes and hearts on Him, we get to see it for what it is. God is with us. I dont recall this person clicking "Like" and didnt even know they had read anything I had put in writing, and to find out that God used me again in another manner is truly cause for me to tell Him, Thank-You Father.
Its funny how you can say the something to your own household only to have people get angry or put up a wall, getting defensive. When the same words put in writing can impact somebody you almost never speak to. 
Jesus certainly knew this Matthew 13:54-57 "Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”
We cant give up just because those around us dont receive what we share, in fact if it happened to Him it will happen to us, He said that the student is not greater than the Master. Sooner or later those around us will know that we love them and only have their best interest at heart. I used to think a prophet was a person who spoke the future, while that is part of it. The definition of prophet "is a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God."
So by definition is not everybody who receives Christ as their saviour called to proclaim the "Good News" thereby are not we all prophets?
We all have a testimony which we all need to share, we dont have to be good speakers, (Lord knows I aint), but we all have our own story. We also all have people who God has placed in our path that need to hear what God has done for us, or how he is working in our life. It was once said, ""All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing", and how true. We have been given His word, His instruction, and for the most part we remain content to keep it for ourselves a without sharing.
God has made it clear to me that these words He places in my head must be sought out in His word and shared for whoever would read, and not to worry at all how many "likes" it gets, but simply with His assurance of Isaiah 55:11 "so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Paul tells us that we will reap a harvest if we dont give up. We dont change people, God does, we just need to make Him seen by what we say and do!
Seek Him and you will find Him when you seek Him with all your heart. Search His word, speak His word and life will come from it.
I can assure you that when you step out with His purpose in mind and not your own, you will find God in it. Thats how He rolls, after all the bible tells us that Jesus is the Word and the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us! Even now He dwells in those that have asked Him in! Stay Blessed, PJ

Turn Away?

I wanted to share this, not to toot my own horn or anything like that, but to glorify God. 
While getting gas last night a man approaches asking for gas, as he is walking up my wife tells me this same guy was there the other night saying he doesnt normally do this. So i kinda dont look in hopes that he would walk away, but he didnt so i just say I cant. As I am pumping gas i see him walking around and as he passes me again I start talking to him. I started with a confrontation about being truthful, but as I get into it God was pressing on my heart. The man is talking about all of his hardships in his life, (with some of the "normal" cursing that is soo prevalent these days). The thought comes like yea yea, ive heard this before. God still pressing me to talk about Him. So as he is telling his troubles, I ask him, "Have you tried giving this to God?" 
He responds with, I go to church, but with all that is happened i've kinda given up on Him. He tells me, "I know that He doesnt give us more than we can handle, but I certainly feel it is too much". I tell him, firstly God didnt do this, secondly there is no promises of "more than we can handle". The verse often quoted talks about temptations more than we can bear. I explained that Paul went through stuff which he plainly says was more than he could bear, to the point of death!. I talked to him about Jesus's words about being lukewarm, and how he respects a person who denies him more than one who says he is a follower but still goes about his life not following. This misleads people and what are you showing them about Christ in your life.
I suggest to him about giving God a wholehearted chance, and not giving up, but trusting in Him, with all your heart. That life does shake us up, throw curve balls at us, but its what we do with it that will make a difference. Dont give up on Him, its usually when we are at the end of our rope, that God shows up kinda asking "What are you doing here?" Through it all proving that faith in Him will get us through. I tell him about a recent time where before i could even ask "why God", God answered with, "My ways are not your ways Paul, and my thoughts are not your. How can you even possibly with your limited view of things even question Me when you know that I am in control, and I have this"
I went on for a bit, (as you know I never seem to be short on words, lol), He thanks me for the talk and is very grateful hat it happened as it was just what he needed. I prayed with him, then offered gas, and he turned it down as somebody else had just paid for some. I got his name, (Jeff), so that I could lift him and his daughter, (who wasnt there, but he had mentioned her), up in my prayers. Ended with a hug. I got back in the car overwhelmed by God, thanking Him for this opportunity. 
I am reminded of Peter saying, "silver and gold have i none, but what I have I give you." Its hardly ever about the money, its about the word that God has planted in your heart. God checked my heart to see if there was a willingness to give some money, (in the form of gas), but knowing I wouldnt need to. He just wanted me to share Him! This encounter affected me probably as much or more than Jeff. Dont be afraid of sharing your faith, God has placed His Word in your heart to tell the people the "Good News". Who knows, you may even up hugging that guy asking for gas!
Food for thought, God has called us to be something different. Ask yourself,Are you different, does your life display Christ? It was a check up for me, but you never know where God is going to show up, Its How He Rolls, Stay Blessed, PJ

We Can do Better

Food for thought, a good and convicting article.  Hearing believers recently exclaim the name of Jesus Christ as a reaction to something, just wrenches my heart. Even when I think deeper, I have a habit of redirecting someones words with "cheese and rice" which really isnt right either. It come in under euphemisms which is just another way of saying the same thing, in essence I am still saying the name of Jesus. Guess I / we should take a closer look at what we are saying in our exclamations, OMG, Jeeze, etc...
We are fortunate that we are saved by His grace, and not of our own actions, because we all fall short, but it doesnt mean we cant do better. There is a better example to be set, and its by following His example. For God so loved the world He sent His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish, but have everlasting life. His sent His son to be an example of how we sould be. He could have just came and made the sacrifice, but He did more. He lived and walked among us, putting Himself beneath us to be an example of how we should be to others
He holds us to a higher standard, but doesnt hold it against us. We can and should do better, and the Holy Spirit in us convicts us so that we do do better. Anyhow just putting it out there because it convicted my heart. Conviction isnt to tear us down, but to help us do better. Thats how He rolls, Stay Blessed, PJ

No Excuse

I dont believe there is a person out there that this doesnt relate to. Even those that havent had a relationship with Him, no matter how much denial is there, the Bible says that all know.

Romans 1:18-20 "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."
No excuses! The same way if we get pulled over, can we tell the officer "Sorry I didnt know I was breaking the law" We all know ignorance of the law is no excuse.
This verse tells us something much deeper, its that we all know. Jesus is tugging at every heart, but we get so caught up in the junk this world throws at us, that we dont seem to even have the time to give Him a thought before it gets swiftly stolen away. We must purpose in our heads and hearts to spend time with Him while we still have time.
Jesus conquered everything the enemy threw at Him, even his biggest weapon, death.
Romans 8:35-39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, we can get through all this junk.
Do you experience His freedom? 2Corinthians 3:17 "Now the Lord is Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. We can be free from all of it, we just gotta keep our eyes on Him. Dont let the enemy lure you away with all the care and worries of this life. Let us store up the eternal things, since the biggest part of our existence is hgoing to be on the other side. Where everything we have built up here will be subject to moths, rust, decay and thieves. We cant take it with us, so why would we let it consume us. There is freedom in Christ, when te Lord sets you free, you are free indeed. Give your heart to Him, or rededicate it to Him. Its all He wants from us, (and frankly its all we have to give that He doesnt already have).The rewards are outta this world, it how He rolls! Stay Blessed, PJ

Feet Like A Deer

Habakkuk 3:19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to tread on the heights.

Habakkuk starts out with a plea (V 2-3)
How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?
Why do you make me look at injustice?
Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Destruction and violence are before me;
there is strife, and conflict abounds.
The Lords answer wasnt what he wanted to hear, the Lord was raising up the Babylonians to punish the Israelites for disobedience, (this lead to the destruction of their land and 70 years of captivity). By the end of the book (chapter 3)Habakkuk was praising God even though the situation hadnt changed at all. Knowing / realizing that God is in control was really all he needed despite all the troubles around him.
Isnt that true for us today? Despite all of the things going on in our lives and all around us, things hitting from all sides, we need to remind ourselves, (or be reminded), that God is in CONTROL. He has a plan, even when things seem to be in such chaos, even when the wicked / evil of this day and age seems to triumph. When good people struggle, and bad people live high on the hog. We gotta remember that this whole world around us and everything in it will perish. It is in His Word to us, this world has nothing eternal to offer. Our life is in Him, and the more we seek Him the more the cares and worries of this life just seem to fall off of us. "He makes my feet like feet of a deer, He enables me to tread the heights". This is a picture of Him lifting us outta the junk around us, our step being lighter. To have a skip, a joy in your step as we walk through or over our problems. Thats giving it to Him, letting Jesus, Our Lord, carry our burdens.
Isaiah 40:31 "but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint".
Like Peter walking on the water when his eyes were on the Lord, we too can walk through this life unburdened / joyfully, with our eyes on Him. We dont have to wait until we die to experience heaven. He has given us a deposit of heaven already. We can live in it now if we choose. Spend time with Him. Make Him the Lord you called upon when you asked for salvation.
If you havent asked Jesus into your heart, what are you waiting for? Repent of your sins, ask for forgiveness, make Him your Lord and Saviour. Romans 10:9 "If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Its that simple. Its Gods will that none would perish, but all would come to repentance. So He made it easy, simply ask, ask with your whole heart, holding nothing back. You will be saved! Walk in His joy, joy eternal, with feet like a deer, skipping over all the burdens, letting Jesus carry them. Its not a promise of an easy / trouble free life. Its a promise of not letting those troubles drag you down. Praising Him even when the situation hasnt changed. God is Good, Stay Blessed, PJ

Walking Dead?

Genesis 6:11-13 "Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight and was full of violence. God saw how corrupt the earth had become, for all the people on earth had corrupted their ways. So God said to Noah, “I am going to put an end to all people, for the earth is filled with violence because of them. I am surely going to destroy both them and the earth".

It had to be gut wrenching for Noah. It took like 100 years to build the ark. All the time knowing that every person he seen was going to perish. SO I guess we gotta ask daily, hourly…, are we content with seeing people around us, knowing where they are going, are we content to just stand on the sidelines thinking, “glad that’s not me, I know where im going”. “Well this is an evil generation and they deserve what they got coming”. I could see myself like Jonah so easily, “forget those people, I don’t even want to be around them, much less endure them in church”. “They are evil and they got it coming, if they repent they wont pay the price.” We gotta see WE WERE THOSE PEOPLE TOO, and God certainly didn’t give us what we deserve. God is not fair! And for that I am thankful, because fairness would be giving me what I really deserve, instead of DYING TO GIVE ME HIS LIFE, the life I don’t deserve
I think in reality we all kinda pick and choose who we witness to, and rightfully so to some extent. We do need to test the waters, and not shove the gospel down an unwilling throat. That being said, Its ALL waters that need to be tested, because we don’t know which heart is ready and which isn’t, even aside from that, which seeds we are dropping on the path and which are being planted, all are His seeds. Sometimes its just to give that person, who will never accept Him, another chance. God is just and its His will that none would perish, so everyone will get a chance to turn to Him and accept the gift of Life, JESUS CHRIST our Savoiur. Jesus paid the price so we don’t have to.
One of the shows I watch is the Walking Dead, my Pastor says, “If I want to see the Walking Dead, all I have to do is go outside”. How very true, The Day of the Lord is coming, it will soon be upon us, what are we doing with the knowing? Are we just sitting around watching the news saying, “yup the bible says it will be like this, it says that would happen, gonna be soon, I cant wait to get out”. I don’t believe that’s why Jesus told us the future, or lack of one for this earth. We are to be telling the world, Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead YOU WILL BE SAVED”. His parting words were to go out and make disciples! There were 120,000 people in Ninevah that repented when Jonah told them Gods message.
Then ya gotta ask yourself, What do you see when you look around? And What are you called to do about it? Just food for thought, I want to hear Him say "Well done". Stay Blessed, PJ

Cutting Back?

Just so that people know, I havent been on much lately. I am limiting how much time I spend on here. I didnt want to say Im cutting back and only to not follow through with it, so I just did it. I found FB to be consuming way too much of my time, and it can be better spent. As a result I have found myself a bit more focused and spending more time in His word. Which ultimately is my goal, to grow more in my walk with Him. 
We should never be satisfied with our relationship with Him. We should always be seeking more. There really is no maintaining our spiritual status, we are either growing or sliding back. The enemy never takes a break, so we have to be always on the look out, with our spiritual armor intact. Thank God that "greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world". Let us grow in Him so that we may be wise to the schemes of the world around us. Thats the reason I want to cut down on the time I waste, watching TV, trolling facebook pages, etc... things that really produce nothing except a loss of time that could have been much better spent growing in my knowledge of Him, sharing with my family all that God reveals to me, etc... After all like James 14:14 says, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." 
None of us are promised tomorrow, and the life in this body is ebbing away. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 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.
God has something so much better for us, than just a high score on a game or whos doing/saying what on FB, He holds out life, abundant life for us if we would just reach out and spend the time on Him. 
James 1:5-7 "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord". Like Jesus said, Matthew 7:7-12 "“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?" 
Its all about the new life in Him, seeking Him, not doubting, and most importantly not giving up, but patiently waiting on the Lord. He knows how to give good gifts! Give Him a chance, He is worth it and the benefits are outta this world!! Stay Blessed PJ 

You'll Find Jesus There

"Tomorrow morning," the surgeon began,” I’ll open up your Heart..." "You'll find Jesus there," The boy interrupted. The surgeon looked up, annoyed. "I’ll cut your heart open," he continued, to see how much damage has been done..."
The surgeon looked to the parents, who sat quietly. "When I see how much damage has been done, I’ll sew your heart and chest back up, and I’ll plan what to do next."
"But, you'll find Jesus in my heart. The Bible says He lives there. You’ll find Him in my heart.”
The surgeon had had enough. "I’ll tell you what I’ll find in your Heart. I will find damaged muscle, low blood supply, and weakened vessels. And I’ll find out if I can make you well."
"You'll find Jesus there too. He lives there." The surgeon left.
The surgeon sat in his office, recording his notes from the surgery,"...damaged aorta, damaged pulmonary vein, and widespread muscle degeneration. No hope for transplant, no hope
for cure. Therapy: Painkillers and bed rest. Prognosis: Here he paused, "death within one year.”
He stopped the recorder, but there was more to be said. "Why?" he asked aloud. "Why did you do this? You put him here; you put him in this pain; and you cursed him to an early death. Why?" The Lord answered and said, "The boy, my lamb, was not meant for your flock for long, for he is a part of my flock, and will forever be. Here, in my flock, he will feel no pain, and will be comforted as you cannot imagine. His parents will one day join him here, and they
will know peace, and my flock will continue to grow. "
The surgeon's tears were hot, but his anger was hotter.”You created that boy, and you created that heart. He will be dead in a few months. Why?" The Lord answered, "The boy, my lamb, shall return to my flock, for he has done his duty: I did not put my lamb with your flock to lose him, but to retrieve another lost lamb." The surgeon wept... The surgeon sat beside the boy's bed; the boy's parents sat across from him. The boy awoke and whispered; "Did you cut open my heart?”
“Yes," said the surgeon. “What did you find?" asked the boy. "I found Jesus there," said the surgeon.
Author—Unknown

I love this story, whether its true or not doesnt matter. What does matter is we never know what God is doing or how He is working, only that He is in control of all things. We may not have all the answers, (actually not many), but we gotta trust in the One who does. He made everything, is in everything, and has all knowledge, so why is it that we have a hard time giving Him control of it all. He know our future, He has our best interests at heart and will not steer us wrong. Yet we trust in all these temporary things around us that will only perish in the end. Give God a chance, He is the one sure thing you can count on and you wont be sorry. The bonus plan is outta this world!!! Stay Blessed, PJ

Fool

Good read with many scripture references doing the talking! One scripture I have seen so many times in life but havent given much thought to is “Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding” (Prov 10:23). Im reminded of the old why worry narrative which ends with "...if i go to hell i will be so busy shaking hands with my friend I wont have time to worry" I wonder if anybody who ever said this actually believed it. I know that I didnt when I had said this for a laugh in the past. Truth is its no laughing matter. God takes our sins pretty serious, so much so that He gave His son to die for them. If He takes forgiveness that serious then the same is true for the unforgiven sinner. God doesnt chose who spends eternity in hell, thats a choice we make by not acting on what we know to be true. Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." 1Corinthians 1:18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
I personally love to laugh and joke, but not in sinful foolishness anymore. My eternity or the eternity of those I care for is no laughing matter to me. If fact it causes me much pain to watch someone I love racing down the wrong road. Let us step up to the plate and be the examples of life, the wisdom of God that brings life! Eternity is at stake!! Stay Blessed, PJ
Article Link; http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/who-does-the-bible-call-a-fool/#ixzz43Gjanxxq

Is He Listening, Are We?

If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction,
even their prayers are detestable. Proverbs 28:9

Wow, you mean there is actually a problem with not obeying God and His laws! There is a big difference between making an effort, but yet slipping, and not trying at all. You may be able to fool people around you, but you cannot fool God. He alone knows what is in a mans heart, in fact He knows us better than we know ourselves. Its where Paul was going in Romans 8:26-27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
We make a mockery of God when we make excuses, or try to justify our actions. The bible says in Galatians 6:7
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
What are we sowing, what is our life planting in others lives when we still go about saying, doing, listening to the same old stuff that Christ died to set us free from. What is it saying when we call ourselves a follower of Christ by bearing His name, calling ourselves a Christian but not obeying the truth.
1 John 2:3-6 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

If we claim it we need to walk it, God sees our intention, He sees our heart. We make it soo much harder than it needs to be. Jesus words in Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." He wants to take our burdens, He wants to make it easier. If its His will that none would perish but all would have eternal life, then why would He make it hard?
We make it hard by resisting and hanging onto the old ways and old life. Give Him the only thing you have to offer, Your Heart. You will find rest for your souls! Let God do the work, working in you and through you, but He can only work in a heart thats been surrendered to Him.
There is one prayer that God will always hear, thats the prayer of a heart surrendering to Him, a repentant heart. A heart that knows that there is nothing he can to save himself, but to accept the gift of salvation thats there waiting to be received. The work has been done, the price for sins has been paid. Accept Him, receive His gift and start walking in the new life He died to give you! Stay Blessed, PJ

Are ya ready to be Judged?

2 Corinthians 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."
Romans 14:10-12 "You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written:
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will acknowledge God.’”
So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God."

We are all going to stand before Him one day. Thankfully we have an advocate standing before us, to intervene for us. He paid the price for us.
1 Peter 4:17-18 says "For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And,
“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus is the only way to God, the only way to eternal life. He gave His life to give us the opportunity. Are ya ready to be Judged? If you have repented, asked Him for forgiveness, and made Him Lord of your life, then Yes you are ready, ready to stand in judgment before our Maker for all of the sins done in your lifetime. Only to hear our Savoiur say, "This ones Mine" If you havent, what are you waiting for? Life isnt getting any longer, in fact nobody is promised tomorrow. We dont even know if we will wake up tomorrow, so why wait, why risk and roll the dice hoping for another day. Now is the time, today is the day. Dont put it off another day, ask Him into your heart and start experiencing a new life, the life He died to give you. Let Him stand in your defense and say, "This ones Mine". Stay Blessed. PJ