Friends, there are many people who have forgotten about morals and the things God has warned all of us about. True that many people don’t read the Bible and even more have no idea what it is that God even wants. It is our call to go and preach the gospel to all creation (Mark 16:15). If you are waiting for someone else to do it then we all have a very long wait because someone else has died and it is now up to you and me. The world is heading to hell in a handbasket and we set on the sidelines afraid to say anything or we think it is God’s problem, let God deal with it. If that is the case, then we have a very serious problem.
I think God is about to do something so dramatic that if we are not ready then we will lose the opportunity to tell others about Him. God made a promise that one day he would return and that is exactly what is going to happen, and it will be sooner than we think. People would try to argue the point that people have been saying that he would return for two thousand years and so far, nothing. But if that is what you are thinking then maybe you should try reading the Bible one more time. In 2 Peter 3:8-9, we are told what God thinks about time and God never makes a mistake. God is coming back very soon, and we need to be ready for his return. Even the disciples kept watch day and night waiting for Jesus to return and they told us to do the very same thing. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, because of the way the people were acting and if you really want to know the truth, our world is now worse than that. Our TV commercials have reached an all-time low as well as our movies and even conversations on the street. God is coming back! It may not be tomorrow, but if you read the Bible is might be. Our world can no longer go on the path it is headed and very soon God will rectify that problem. No one knows when God will return (Matthew 2:36), not even Jesus, but my prayer is soon and that is the driving force that keeps me telling people about Jesus. “Go preach the Gospel to all creation” Mark wrote it, but it was breathed by God. Our country needs to turn back to God and if our people don’t know Jesus then they need to know him. There is really no place to hide and no where to run. God is coming back, and this world will be no more. How could God do that? Very easy, he told us many times through the Bible what he was going to do so, we can’t say we weren’t warned. This time it will be final, and we will either be with him in Heaven or in a place with eternal suffering. The choice is yours, please pray and make the right one.
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Other than Jesus, who is your hero? Let me share with you who my hero is and why.
My hero is a biblical character who goes by the name of Peter. As I look at my life, I have the same traits as Peter. He was a fisherman and I love to fish. He was unschooled as described in Acts 4;13, and though I have a college degree, I still liken myself to his simple way of life. Peter would shoot from the hip with is words and actions, as he did in the Garden when he cut off the ear of the guard (John 18:10), many times I speak and act before, I think. So many likenesses, I respect the Apostle Peter. Now for the real reason why Peter is my hero. Peter had simple faith as do I. I believe what God tells me with no questions asked. Whatever is in the Bible, is total truth and I don’t question it. Peter had great faith in Jesus to a point which was demonstrated on the Sea of Galilee, when in a storm Jesus called to Peter to get out of the boat and come to him. With no questions asked, Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water. It wasn’t until he took his eyes off Jesus that he began to sink. (Matthew 14:22-33) Though I have not walked on the water, I have had my eye on Jesus and when I looked away and took my eyes off him, I would turn away. One of the greatest things that happened in the life of Peter that I have prayed would happen to me to have such great faith is found in Acts 5:15-16. People would bring their sick into the streets in the hopes that Peter would pass by and his shadow would heal them. My thoughts and prayers have always been that I would walk into a store and people would get healed four rows over. Peter knew the power of Jesus though Jesus had ascended into heaven. As he and John walked down the street, a crippled beggar was asking for money. When Peter seen him, he went to him and told him, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” (Acts 3:6) I want to know that power in my life as to not doubt what I see around me and only see Jesus in Heaven and do the very same things that Peter did. There are far greater people out there who have probably done more than Peter, but with everything that went on in Peter’s life, and the way he went about getting things done in his own simple way, Peter is my hero! I have been watching and listening to what is going on around me, and to be honest I wish I knew what is going on with people. Many have somehow gotten away from God and the Bible. They run their lives just as though God never existed. I know some who are actually leading others to destruction and they are doing it on purpose. I know that God can touch them at any moment, but if they are bent on destruction then let it be on themselves and not all of those around them. People need to get their priorities right and do the things that they at one time committed to. They got saved and their life changed, then one day they hear that God will always forgive you and something inside them goes haywire and they forget about church because it is appealing to them to go party and hang out with those who can care less about them down the path of destruction.
I can see some things in their lives that are not good. They need to be careful what they say and what they do because there is a thing called the unpardonable sin, and it is a very fine line when God is not the head of their life. I guess I don’t understand how they can turn their backs on the one who touched them and more than likely rescued them from a fate that was deadly because of something someone said or did. I know how this goes because I originally did the same thing. I got saved in 1978. Right off the bat God began to send my wife and I out to minister in the churches. I am not really sure why he did that, but he did and many years later I did too. It was one day at church when a man came to me and told me that because my wife and I sang from soundtracks, that music was from the pit of hell. What he had to say to me broke my spirit and at that point I thought I can get the same abuse from the world and I walked away. I didn’t want to hear about church, I didn’t want to hear about God. I told my wife I didn’t care if she went to church or even tithed, but don’t ask me to. For many years I did what I knew, I drank, and I continued with drugs until one fateful day on March 5, 1992 when I heard a voice that actually freaked me out. I was in depression and could care less about anything around me including my wife and children. My wife put on some Christian music and a song came on called Stand and it hit me deep in my spirit and that was when God lifted me up and began to tell me about my life and what it could be like. I had reached the very bottom of the barrel and literally had no where else to turn, but God. Why are people moving away from God? Maybe they hit the same wall I did. Whatever the reason I pray that they will one day come back. There have been those who found out too late because they passed away in their sin. There have been others who have stepped over that line and have openly admitted they don’t care about God or the Bible. Whatever the Bible says, they have done just the opposite. Yet, they can still be rescued from the hands of the evil one. I know for my own life, when God rescued me, I knew that I knew I would never go back to the way I was. He has sent many trials my way I am sure to test me in this, but hopefully I passed the test. He healed my body and not only that but my mind as well. Drugs and a few other things have distorted my memory, but I know this, I owe God everything. Having a lack of memory is probably a good thing because God filled it up with things of him and it will never go away. I was telling a friend a long time ago how I can’t remember anything from before and that it was like I had totally lost my memory. He told me that he was sensing from God, that my mind was like a chalk board and God had totally erased it and was filling it with his word and his ways. I got excited and since then I have taken those words and have continued to learn from God. As I have gotten older, some things I don’t remember so well but I still speak about God. I have had a stroke and also a pretty major concussion (for me anyway), and through all of that I have lost some memory, but if you think about it, that makes room for other things, right? I am not sure what is going on with friends who have chosen to walk away, but I do know this, God is right there waiting to catch them when they reach that bottom of the barrel part of life. He will lift them up and set their feet on the right path once again and hopefully they will see what was done just for them. God loves all of us the same. We struggle, and he comforts us and gets us through. We hurt, and he steps in to heal the pain. What he asks of us is just to love him and to live by the words he set for us in the Bible. We read the Bible and we will see major changes in our lives. We pray, and those changes will be forever part of our lives. God loves you and will always love you. If you don’t know Jesus, now is the time and today is the day. God made is simple, all you must do is to ask for forgiveness and accept Jesus into your life. Once you do that, you will be changed I guarantee it. Don’t falter in your decision because soon and very soon it will be too late and there won’t be a second chance. Your chance is right now, don’t blow it. There was a time when I would blog on a regular basis, but somehow got away from it because of other things I began doing. I didn’t have the time to write about what God was speaking to me, the only thing I could do was put my focus on our travels or thinking of ways we could advance our ministry. Then God began to speak to me about the importance of writing what he was saying. What God was speaking was not just for me but for everyone. He said that the writings are meant to encourage people and that I should no hold them in. So, here we go!
One thing I have been hearing lately in my prayer time is about what is coming. I am talking about the things God is saying about all of us getting ready for his return. One of the big questions has been, “Are you ready?” Are you? One of the things God has shown to me has been that there are people sitting in our churches today who because they even go to church, they think that they are saved but have never asked Jesus for forgiveness and accepted him as their Lord and Savior. The Bible makes it perfectly clear that unless we have that relationship with Jesus Christ, we will never enter the Kingdom of God. John 14:6 gives us the answer to that very statement. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Translation, if you don’t know Jesus on a one on one relationship then you will never see the Kingdom of God. It always amazes me when I hear people say, “Of course I am a Christian, I go to church every Sunday”. I then ask them but, have you ever asked Jesus for forgiveness and accepted him as your Lord and Savior? For most of the people I get that comment from, they said no because they thought all they had to do is go to church. Folks, God has made it so easy for us to know that we know that we are saved and has made even easier to accept Jesus. Don’t get caught up with the world with wrong thinking. Read the Word of God and it will not only help you on your path, but it will change your life forever. Church is great but, Jesus is the only way! Ministers tell stories from the pulpit and they speak on things that are church related but put your thoughts on Jesus alone in your quiet place or that place where you can speak to Jesus directly just as you would a friend. If you are not sure if you are saved or not or if you have walked away for what ever reason, it is so easy. Right where you are right now, say, Jesus forgive me. Come into my life and take control. I surrender to you. Come be my Lord and Savior and help me Lord to see and understand. I love you Jesus. In the Name of Jesus, Amen! If you prayed that prayer and meant it with all your heart, then you are for sure saved and your name has been written down in the Lambs Book of Life. Move away from the things of this world and allow Jesus to work in your life and you will see for yourself. It may not happen right away but as God touches your life things begin to change. I know what I say because I had to go through the same thing just like every Christian must do. God Loves you and so do I. Welcome to the family. Soon and very soon, every person on earth will have to make a decision before it is too late. Whether people want to believe it or not, Jesus is going to return, and their unbelief will not stop him from coming. The Bible tells us no one knows the hour or the day, not even Jesus, but only God, Mark 13:32. Regardless of whether we know or not, it is going to take place and we need to be ready.
What do I mean by ready? I mean that you must have asked for forgiveness and given your heart and soul to Jesus. You must have that relationship with Jesus or you will never see the Kingdom of Heaven. John 14:6, tells us the only way to heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” To put it in layman terms, if you don’t know Jesus then you don’t enter into Heaven and you don’t see the Father. Simple, but to the point. What is holding you back? There is no second chance after the trumpet has sounded and Jesus comes through the clouds. Your chance is now, and you can’t say I will wait and see. There is no wait and see only now or never. I suppose, if we knew when Jesus would return, then we could wait, but we don’t so we don’t have that luxury. You know, I have heard that very thing for a very long time and at first, I thought what a crock, until I got to that point in my life where I had nowhere to go and no direction to turn. I went to church and it seemed like the pastor was speaking directly to me and that there was no one else was even there. When the pastor gave the alter call, I literally ran to the front to receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and I have never looked back. I came to realize that if I wanted eternal life and not eternal damnation, then I needed that relationship. After I read the scripture in John 14:6, I realized that I was going to see the Father face to face and nothing was going to keep me from that. Like I said, “What is holding you back?” Is it your pride, or are you so attached to the world that the world has poisoned your mind and you don’t believe? If you would take just a short time and actually get into a quiet place and begin to seek answers from God on what is happening, I believe that the Holy Spirit will give you a revelation on the necessity of knowing Jesus and how if you want to see Heaven, you need to know him. You can’t afford to wait, because Jesus could return even as you read this and if you haven’t accepted him as your Savior, then you are completely lost. Don’t let others around you influence how you think or make decisions for you. Not one person can get you into heaven, only you have that power. No one can pray you into Heaven or speak to God on your behalf. No! You have to make that decision on your own. It is between you and Jesus and no other. Use the opportunity well and say yes to Jesus and watch him change your life. Know that you know that when you die, you will be in heaven with him. Today is the day, don’t let it pass you by. One of the many things I like to do is observe people and how they act, walk, talk. I have noticed a disturbing trend recently that makes me a little uneasy. I have talked with some people and simply observed others, but people seem to be turning from God and moving into the world more. One person I spoke with has since left the church because they say there is nothing there. They tell me that the messages are the same week after week and they have better things to do with their time. They say they would much rather go out and have fun instead of sitting in a stuffy church listening to someone who seems to repeat themselves time and time again. This is the reason for my being disturbed. I go to church just about every Sunday and I don’t hear what they are talking about. I hear things that God obviously wants me to know.
Watch television some time and watch with the intent to see what they are doing. My take is that most of what you see is things that are meant to pull you away from church and God and lead you into the world. One TV commercial I seen was for a show called Dead Files. On that show is a woman who says she speaks to dead people. She doesn’t speak to dead people at all. In my personal opinion, she seems to be possessed and focusing on demons. I am pretty sure that it is virtually impossible to speak to dead people and if you hear voices, it is because the devil has won control and sent his demons to control. This show is not in any way entertainment and I really don’t know why people watch it other than they are drawn by evil. People and television today is designed to control your mind and get you to do what they are suggesting. I watched a show not too long ago that showed the host of the show partaking in a ceremony where they go into a state of thinking they leave their body and meet with some kind of spirit. Talk about selling your soul to the devil. Be careful what you do. Watch most families. Sports have become more important than anything else and practically every day of the week is taken up by that. When I was young, I played sports, but there were never any games scheduled for Sunday’s. What happened? Once again, the world has influenced our minds and has made this the norm rather than the exception. The bible speaks of how it will be in the last days and we would do well for ourselves if we would pay attention to that rather than what the world has to say. Here is a woe to that is mentioned in Isaiah 5:20, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. This is the exact path that a large majority is headed and every day more are added. People are leaving our churches at an alarming rate and turning to what the world has to offer instead. I have witnessed young people who, while they were young they would come and worship God, but now they are serving the world and drinking and carrying on as if they never knew him. Once they become an adult and get out of school, everything changes for them and they no longer seek what is good, but what looks like fun to them. If I may, don’t give up on God, run toward him. Coming from an unsaved background and not even knowing about God until I was in my late twenties, I have learned just how important knowing God is. If you know him and walk away you are taking a risky chance and each time you walk away and come back, it gets harder and harder until you have no desire to serve God again and that is sad. I went from drugs to God. He lifted me up when I had nowhere else to turn and changed my life forever. As far as the television shows go, I don’t watch that garbage. I would much rather watch a travel show or cooking show (but the cooking show could be evil if I ate all of things they show, ha-ha). People say that they get the same old same old every Sunday, but if I had to guess, I would say that they are not praying, they are not reading the Bible. They need to understand, God loves them and with a love that is far greater than anything they could ever receive on this earth or anywhere else. Don’t become a follower of what the world has to offer because all of that will pass away, only God has the true and only satisfaction you will ever need. Thanks for letting me bend your ear and know that what was written were my personal opinions with a little help from God. God bless and have the greatest day ever. Let me impart to you a fact that no matter how you slice it will always be a fact. That fact is, Jesus loves each one of us no matter the color of our skin, how tall or short, or what we say our religion is, Jesus loves us.
I have heard people say, “I’m Baptist” or I’m Catholic, when the only thing that matters is that Jesus loves you. It makes no difference what your preference is, the fact is Jesus loves you. To make things just a little clearer, Jesus is not a religion, he is a relationship. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Translation, unless you have a one on one relationship with Jesus Christ you have nothing. Nothing but a religion and a religion will kill you and keep you separated from the Father. Some people seem to think that there is lots of time for them and no matter what Jesus will save them. I hate to burst your bubble, but unless you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are just as lost as if you never heard of him at all. They say that God would not do that, but the fact is, he will though he loves you more than anything else. He has given us instructions and to get that eternal life, we need to follow the rules and do what God says. People say that they have plenty of time and when they reach the end of their lives, they will surrender. Really! How do they know when the end of their life is? Fact is they don’t, and they will be in for one big surprise if they don’t receive Jesus today as their Lord and Savior. I know of many cases, where something happened to people that their life was take without notice. How do they explain that? One story I would like to share is about a good friend of mine. One day he was riding his horse when suddenly, he was bucked off and kicked in the head, killing him. Now for him he knew Jesus as his Lord and Savior, but what if he had never accepted him? Lost, with no way to get to Jesus because he had made his choice! You have no idea when your life is going to end, so why put off the opportunity to receive Jesus today, right now. God did not make it hard to accept him. All you need to do is ask him. Surrender to the fact that you are a sinner and in need of saving. Ask God for salvation and to come into your life and you will be saved. This is what the bible says about salvation. Acts 16:31, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” Notice the first five words, believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. There is no other way no matter how or what you think. Jesus is the only way! So many times, I wonder why people ignore the Word of God. Maybe they feel convicted, or maybe they simply ignore it because they say to themselves, no one is going to tell me what to do. What ever the reason is, they are making the biggest mistake of their lives. Oh, they will argue and say, how do you know they are making a mistake, but the simple fact is that if they want to have eternal life with peace and love and happiness, the bible says that you must have a relationship with Jesus Christ.
In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” In my words, Jesus is the only way, Jesus is the only truth, and Jesus is the only life. If I want to go to heaven and be with the Father, then I must have a relationship with his son Jesus Christ. Those who argue the fact or just flat out ignore the fact are making a mistake. They don’t realize the mistake, nor do they understand the meaning, but one day as the bible says, every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. There is no getting around it. You can’t hide. You can’t just ignore it or argue it. It will happen! I realize that not everyone is going to enter into heaven, and not everyone is going to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but this I do know. One day I was totally lost and had nowhere to go and Jesus spoke to me and lifted me up. I made the commitment that day to forever follow him. It took a little longer to share what he had done, but I accepted what he wanted me to do, and that was to go and tell everyone about how much he loves them and how they too could redeem themselves by accepting his invitation for salvation. If they only knew, their lives would be so much richer, and the fact of just knowing that when they pass on they will be in the presence of the Lord would at the very least give them peace of mind. I know for me, my name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and while I am still living, I will preach the gospel without reservations. God loves you more than you will ever know. For those who want to argue or reject what God has to say, I ask you this. “Why not try it? Look deep into your heart and ask yourself, “Is my life as good as I think it is and when I die will I go to Heaven? If the answer to either one of these are no, then maybe you should seek out God and he will help you. Let me ask you one more thing, “What if it is True? What if it is not just some person trying to convert you to something? I can tell you that it is very much true, but you must find that out for yourself. God loves you more than you will ever know, but don’t take too long because soon and very soon he will return then it will be too late. Have you ever wondered how something that is supposed to help you live a better life costs so much? I am talking about so-called Christian books and materials that those who offer them on TV say, “If you get this book or that book then it will change your life forever”. So, you think to yourself, that could or at the very least help in what I am going through, so you get online and shazam the help book is going to cost you $39.99 plus shipping.
Sound familiar. I was watching Christian TV this morning as I do every Sunday morning, and the ministers who were on were telling the people, “I offer you this resource that will change your life forever and for a gift of just $85, you can have it and your life will begin to change immediately.” It was statements like that, that got the wheels spinning in my head. Why, if this is going to change my life forever, do I have to spend so much money? Valid question if you really want my life to change my life, right? As I continued to ponder what I had heard, I found myself seeking God for his direction. This is what came to my thoughts. You must understand that the book or CD is presented by one human being. It is his or her interpretation of what the Word says. Helpful yes, but it is presented in human form. It was at that point, I heard God speak to me, telling me “if you want things that will change your life forever, then get into the Bible. Seek me and your life will change forever. Seek the Scriptures and I will show you what it is you are looking for because I know your every thought.” I am forever looking for things that will help me along the path God has chosen for me, and until now, I honestly had not just picked up my Bible and asked God to show me what I need. Shame on me! I asked God to forgive me and that I would seek him first. The Bible says in Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Please notice that the Word said, “seek first”, not seek the references of others first. Seek first the kingdom of God and the answers will be there. Seek first the kingdom of God and your life will change forever. Now that you know my thoughts, listen to what God has to say. The resources that are offered to us are for the most part good and God has spoken to those who write them down, but nothing can replace the Word of God. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” I am always seeking ways that we can get our ministry out there and at the same time get supporters to help us with our missions. It would be great if we were independently wealthy, then we wouldn’t have to worry about it, but we have to depend upon others to help with their contributions.
We realize that most if not all of our requests fall on deaf ears and for the most part gets totally ignored, but what would happen if you were to pass this along and maybe your friends would like to help. Maybe they would like to get a tax deduction and at the same time help those in a third world country with much needed food and other things as well such as Jesus Christ. It doesn’t take much to send it our share it with your friends and family and give them the opportunity to decide for themselves. We have found that it is very hard to be a missionary, but it is something that I will never give up on and will give it everything that is within me. We have seen the hand of God move in ways you could only dream of and have witnessed his mighty power not only in our lives but in the lives of those we minister to. We have seen literally hundreds of people receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. We are planning another trip to the Philippines in July or August 2018. We have been receiving emails, private messages from many pastors telling us how much they need us to come back. We even received a letter from the founding pastor of the church that has us come telling us that he needs us to speak into the lives of the people. We know there are others, but these have been personalized requests. We prayed, and God said we are needed there. We never go unless God prompts us to go and that is where we are right now. We would ask that if you don’t mind, maybe you can pass this along to your friends and family because you never know. If you would like to help us with your contribution, you can contact us at our mailing address or give online all through our web page at www.reamministries.com. We know that God will bless you one way or another and you will be helping people who are desperate for help. God bless you and may God return to you in whatever you do or give 30, 60, 100-fold a thousand times. Jesus loves you more than you know and we do too. |
AuthorAn Evangelist called to preach the gospel all over the world. To lay hands on the sick and to prophecy to everyone. Reaching out to the world that all may be saved. Archives
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