Which Side Will You Choose?

In our government, we have basically two powerful parties that are competing for power and control. These two parties have philosophies that generally conflict with one another. The party that is in control at the moment sets the basic direction for our country.

“The heavenly places” is like our government on a universal scale. Decisions are made there that affects our lives. There are two opposing parties… the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan… each wanting to promote its own agenda.

Our party… headed by Jesus Christ… has veto power. Satan’s party seeks to undermine, sabotage, and destroy all those that are in Jesus Christ’s party. Satan also attempts to keep the members of his part from switching their allegiance to Jesus Christ.

We are to be thankful that God has established His throne in heavenly places… because a war is on out there… pitting His kingdom against the kingdom of darkness. Satan is the king of the kingdom of darkness and he wants to be in charge of the universe.

There is no question that the kingdom of God and His King, Jesus Christ, are firmly in charge of the universe. Jesus’ eternal victory is already assured. But God has allowed us to choose who will be in charge of our individual lives.

Some people have chosen Satan… and they will spend eternity in hell with him. Those of us who have chosen Christ will live eternally with Him. While we are here on earth… we need to choose Christ each day in terms of our spiritual warfare.

The reason this is important is because it is possible for children of God’s kingdom to live as though they belong to Satan. That would be like Democrats or Republicans who look and sound like loyal party members, but when they go into the voting booth… they secretly vote for the other party. It’s the vote that counts… not the look or the talk.

Sometimes, Christians fail to vote for the kingdom of light. This allows the effect of the kingdom of darkness to come upon them… even though they are part of the kingdom of light.

There are many types of restaurants in the world. You can choose fast food or healthy food. If you want to be healthy you have to purchase your food at a place that serves it.

God has stocked earth with heaven… so all you and I have to do to enjoy the benefits of heaven is know where to shop.

The reason so many Christians are messed up is because they have been buying and eating the wrong foods… food that doesn’t belong to the kingdom of God. They are dining in the devil’s kingdom and wondering, why am I so spiritually weak all the time? Why am I always so defeated in spiritual warfare?

Satan is smart… he knows how to make his food look good. He knows how to make you want to select his stuff and buy it… because it looks so appealing. But it’s not good or you. It will make you spiritually weak and sick.

My next blog will about our enemy… Satan… and his goal and strategy.

The Battleground

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. –2 Corinthians 12:2

In the Bible, the word heaven describes three levels of existence. The first heaven is the atmosphere that surrounds the earth… the environment in which we live.

The second heaven is what we call outer space… the stellar heavens where the planets and stars exist. This is also a realm in which angels operate… the Bible often refers to angels as stars as seen in Job 38:7, “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”

When you look at the stars at night… they should remind you of spiritual beings called angels and the reality of the warfare we are engaged in.

The third heaven is the throne room of God… the place we normally think of when heaven is mentioned. It is about this heaven that the Bible speaks of the most. The third heaven is a very busy place as it is the control center of the universe.

We can find many references to heavenly places in the book of Ephesians. I will be sharing some of them with you… as understanding how to tap into the heavenly places is crucial to waging spiritual warfare.

Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.” This tells us that God resides in the heavenly places … and so do all of our spiritual blessings.

This is crucial because if you are engaged in a spiritual battle, you will need help to win… the help you need is God the Father, who is in the heavenly places. You have to know how to get to heavenly places… so you can know how to get the heavenly help you need to win the the battle in earthly places.

When you are facing Satan and his demons… you are facing them here on earth. But your blessings are in heaven… unless you learn how to open your arsenal of spiritual weapons in the heavenly places so that you can utilize them… you will become a casualty of the war.

Let’s look at Ephesians 1:20: “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places”. This tells us that when God the Father raised Jesus Christ from the dead that He seated His Son “at his own right hand in the heavenly places.” Not only are God and your blessings in the heavenly places… Jesus Christ is there too. So if you need Christ’s help in earthly places… you’d better know where to find Him and how to get there to obtain His help in your warfare.

It gets even better! Ephesians 2:6 says, “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus”. You and I are also in heavenly places!

Yes, physically you are here on earth… but if we only look at where we are physically, we will never understand where we are supposed to be spiritually… you’ll never be able to win in spiritual warfare.

Paul is telling us that when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior… we were transported to another realm. Even though our body is limited to earth… our spirit that should be controlling our body is operating in a wholly different realm.

Too many Christians don’t understand that. The most real part of what happens in our lives is what happen in our spiritual lives… not what happens in our bodies. We are residents of heaven… in our spirits now and someday in our bodies as well. Once you understand how the heavenly realm operates… you can begin changing what happens here on earth.

let’s see what else is in heavenly places. Ephesians 3:10 states: “To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God”. So there are principalities and powers there… these are angels. This is important in regards to spiritual warfare… it takes an angel to beat an angel. Demons are fallen angels and and we are told that Satan and his demons are also in the heavenly places in Ephesians 6:12: For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

It makes sense that if you problem originates in the heavenly places that you need a solution that originates in the heavenly places. Most of us place very little thought on angels because we cannot see them in our physical world. But we must understand that the angels of God and the demons of Satan are the “foot soldiers” in the universal battle between God and Satan.

When you hear believers say they are being attacked by the devil… they most likely mean they are being harassed by his demons. Satan is a limited being… he is NOT everywhere present, all-knowing, or all-powerful.

Satan is not God… but he has a whole host of evil angels called demons he can use for spiritual attacks. Anything that hell can bring against you is the result of satanic activity in the same realm which God operates… called heavenly places.

You and I are no match for the power and deceptiveness of Satan and his army. We need the power of God to defend us from Satan’s attacks. If you require divine help but don’t have a “heavenly places” mindset… you won;t know how to get the help you need at the time that you need it. Ephesians makes it clear that everything related to our warfare is in the spiritual realm… so we need to know how to reach into the heavenly places for help.

As a believer… you can take a trip to the spiritual realm any time you feel like it… because spiritually you are already there! You are seated with Christ in the heavenly places!

In my next blog, I will speak more about the heavenly places. If you have friends or family members that you feel need to know more about spiritual warfare… please send them the link to my blogs. Also, so that I know you stopped by and took the time to read this… please leave a comment and if you feel inclined, share this blog on your Facebook wall! God bless you!

How Spiritual Warfare Impacts You!

In my last blog, we discussed that the battle we are fighting is spiritual in nature… yet, it has very unmistakable effects in the physical realm. When you are in a physical battle you can see the wounds that are incurred. In spiritual battles wounds can be inflicted in at least four areas of our lives.

Personal Wounds

Many Christians are experiencing the wounds of spiritual warfare in their personal lives. You need to realize that this does not mean that those people are doing something really bad. It could be a problem with uncontrolled anger.

Our emotions can allow a doorway for the devil to enter into our lives. Ephesians 4:25-27 refers to the relationship between your emotions and spiritual warfare: “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil.”

You need to notice that neglecting to manage anger gives to the devil an opening to gain a foothold in your life. He can then use it a base of operations to launch more spiritual attacks against you.

Many believers are suffering because of anger that has been left unresolved… and anger is just one of the many human emotions. If Satan can influence our emotions… he can cripple us emotionally thus destroying our ability to function or lead us into all types of addictive and destructive behavior.

Family Wounds

Many Christians are also seeing the effects of spiritual warfare in their families. Satan corrupted the first family in the Garden of Eden… and ever since then we have been dealing with the impact of Adam and Eve’s sin.

Let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians 7:5, it is an example of family relationships and spiritual warfare: “Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.”

Paul is talking about the sexual relationship between a husband and wife… if it is not a fulfilling relationship for both of them then the devil sees it as an opportunity to come in and bring about moral destruction in the family.

Church Wounds

Spiritual warfare also has an impact on church life. In 1 Timothy 4:1 Paul told Timothy, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils”. He was warning him to beware of “doctrines of demons” that will infiltrate the church. In today’s church, there are many teachers who claim to teach the Bible… but are actually teaching doctrines from hell.

Anyone can quote the Bible. Acts 17:11 talks about the Bereans and how they tested what Paul and Silas were teaching them by seeing whether those teaching lined up with the Word of God: “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Some people will agree with things that aren’t in the Bible… just because the person making those statements is using the Bible. The devil will use or misuse the Scriptures when it is profitable for him to do so.

Cultural Wounds

Spiritual warfare affects the world… the culture in which we live. Entire nations are influenced by the unseen battle in the spiritual realm, as seen in Daniel 10. Ephesians 2:2 labels Satan as “ the prince of the power of the air” for good reason.

To put it clearly, you and I are breathing this stuff. It’s in every area of life. There is no place that we can go to evade the effect of spiritual warfare. We must learn how to fight in and deal with the spiritual realm! Doing so will determine whether we win or lose in the physical realm.

Satan’s goal is to get us to disregard the spiritual realm or give it low importance or view it improperly and worship spiritual beings other than God. If he can steer us away from the spiritual realm… he can keep us from finding spiritual solutions.

In my next blog, I will be sharing about where spiritual warfare is fought… the spiritual battlefield.

War Declared!

No, I am not the president… but I do have a declaration to issue. You and I are at war! This war is not comparable to any other war in history. It is the war of all wars. As a Christian… this war can either be the cause of your deepest pain or your greatest joy.

You enlisted into this war the day that you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. It is spiritual warfare and it is very real.

There is no way that you can avoid this war… it affects every area of your life. No matter where you go or try to hide… you will always be exposed to the effects of this battle between the forcs of God and the forces of Satan.

Many Christians have no idea that they are in a war. Some can see the results of the battle in their lives… they have become casualties of spiritual warfare. There are Christians that are emotional casualties… they are discouraged, depressed, downtrodden, and defeated. Others are marital and family casualties… divorce, conflict, and abuse are some of their battle wounds.

Then there are those that cannot control their passions, or else they make poor moral choices… these are the morally wounded believers. The wounds have been inflicted on the finances of some Christians. How they manage their money or use their credit cards is not the only issue. They are losing the financial battle because they are losing the spiritual battle.

These are just some of the casualties from spiritual warfare. Every single one of us is in this battle… so we need to find out what spiritual warfare is about and how to fight to win!

Spiritual warfare is not physical warfare… to be successful in fighting the battles depends on how much we are prepared to understand and fight battle on a spiritual level.

Spiritual warfare is the conflict being waged in the unseen, spiritual realm that is manifested in the seen, physical realm. To put it simply… spiritual warfare is a battle between  invisible angelic and demonic forces that affects you and me.

Going to battle with an enemy that you can see is tough enough. So, it makes sense that it is more difficult to fight an enemy that you can’t see. In Ephesians 6:12, Paul wrote: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

This tells us that our battle is not with human cultists, false religionists, atheists, agnostics, and pseudo-Christians… but with the demonic forces working through them. The point here is that we are making a monumental mistake if we think that people are the real enemy.

Yes, people can be bad. Regardless of how bad they can be… they are only channels through which the true enemy conducts warfare. Unfortunately, Satan has had much success in getting us to fight people instead of fighting the real adversary.

Have you ever attempted to change someone that was not doing right? We must understand that what happens through people… including you and me… has its roots in something much larger. This does not excuse the wrongs that people do… they are still responsible. It does help us focus on the true enemy. Your fives sense are not the limit of reality. Everything that we see in the physical realm is caused, provoked or at least influenced by something unseen in the spiritual realm.

Let’s look at Daniel 4:26-32:  And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule. Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity. All this came upon the King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? While the word was in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

This shows us clearly that heaven rules over all the affairs of earth. Until we deal with the spiritual reasons of a problem… we can never fix the physical effects of the problem.

Our physical senses can be very limited and of little help in spiritual warfare. If you are going to engage in a spiritual battle successfully, you need a “sixth sense”… a sharp awareness of the spiritual realm. This awareness starts with your perspective.

There are basically only two types of perspectives. One is a natural or materialistic perspective… today it would be called scientific. This perspective believes that man can figure out how the world works by using reason. Those that think this way seek life’s answers in the natural realm. They believe that is you can examine it under a microscope, put it in a test tube, or explain it through natural processes… that’s all you need.

The naturalistic perspective is limited only to the physical realm. It doesn’t answer the critical questions:

• Who am I?
• Where did I come from?
• Why am I here?
• How did this universe get started?

This perspective also doesn’t explain why the moral standards of mankind are being eroded. It does not address the soul and spirit of human beings. It has led to agnosticism and atheism… by believing that you don’t need God as long as you have science.

Unfortunately, many Christians live as though they hold this perspective… although they would not admit it. You have to look at how people think and act… not what they say. Anyone can make the statement, “I believe in God!” Yet, if they don’t live as if they believe in God… they can be justifiably challenged on if they really do. Just because someone knows scripture… does not mean they truly believe it or believe in God. You’ve heard the adage: “Your walk must match your talk”… that’s how your perspective should be.

The second type of perspectives is spiritual… which states that there is a realm outside of the physical. Before we go further, let me say that there are contrasting spiritual perspectives, just as there are many variations of the naturalistic perspective.

There is a spiritual perspective that is very popular… but it is not a biblically based, theistic view that believes in one true God. Instead, it is a man-centered perspective that believes in any form of spirituality that seems to “pay off.” This is the world of horoscopes, tarot cards, palm readers, Ouija boards and all forms of New Age teaching. When people look at their horoscope… they are looking for answers outside of this world that will guide their lives and decision making.

It is obvious that this not the perspective of the Bible. It is possible to have a spiritual perspective that is connected to the wrong spirit. Your perspective affects your approach to spiritual warfare because it affects the way you see the nonphysical world… it determines whether you even believe in a spiritual realm.

In order to comprehend spiritual warfare… we have to address it through our spirit… with the help of the Holy Spirit. The perspective of this ministry is a spiritual one that assumes the power of the Holy Spirit and the rest of the Godhead.

In my next blog, we will be talking about how spiritual warfare impacts our lives in four areas: personal, family, church and cultural.

How to Obtain Power

 

And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power. —Luke 4:32, KJV

In a sense, most of us want spiritual power—to experience signs and wonders. However, we often lack spiritual power because the Word is woefully lacking within our lives. What then is the basis of God‘s giving spiritual power to His followers?

1. Personal reading of the Scriptures

We have to ask ourselves a question: “Have I read my Bible completely through?” A poll was taken suggesting that the average clergyman spends an average of four minutes a day alone with the Lord. Then we wonder why the church is powerless. Personal reading of the Scriptures is the first step to power.

2. Personal revelation of the Scriptures

When is the last time the Scriptures got hold of you and shook revelation knowledge into your life? Spurgeon said, “If a text gets hold of you, chances are you’ve got hold of it.”

3. Personal rethinking of the Scriptures

Many of us have accepted uncritically a hand-me-down point of view, secondhand Bible revelation, and secondhand doctrine. There is no personal rethinking by which we acquire the real meaning of the verse.

4. Personal release of the Spirit

Release of the Spirit comes from the Spirit Himself. If you want power, then it’s going to have to come from the Spirit. The Bible is just about His finest accomplishment. It’s His product. He likes it when you like His Word.

The scope for power will be found to the degree that we value His own Word. Power that flows from His name will be in proportion to our love for His Word. When that love is expressed, don’t be surprised to see healings and miracles. There may be no need for people to line up to be prayed for. It will happen right where they are.

Excerpted from The Word and the Spirit (Charisma House, 1998).

Authority Over Sickness and Disease

Did you know that our spiritual authority in Christ is not limited to demonic spirits, but also applies to sickness and diseases as well? That’s right! When Jesus gave His disciples authority over demons, it also applied against sickness and diseases as well:

Matthew 10:1, “And when He had called unto Him his twelve disciples, He gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”

When it came to Jesus’ 70 disciples, He gave them the same authority and commanded them to go fourth and use it:

Luke 10:9, “And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.”

Notice that He didn’t say, “pray for the sick to be healed”, but He gave them the command to HEAL the sick! There is only one verse in the entire New Testament that tells us to pray for the sick (James 5:14-15), but the example set fourth in the New Testament is not to pray for the sick, but to take authority over sickness and disease and heal the sick! Now don’t get me wrong, prayer is very powerful and does work, but it was not the common method used to bring fourth healing in the examples we are shown in the Bible.

Notice that throughout Jesus’ ministry, the ministries of His disciples and the early church, we don’t see them praying and asking the Lord to heal the sick, but rather taking authority over the sick and commanding them to be made whole in Jesus’ name!

John 5:8-9, “Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath.”

Acts 3:6-8, “Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.”

Do you know that everyday believers also have authority over sickness and disease, so that when they lay hands on the sick, they can be healed?

Mark 16:17-18, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

Becoming Susceptible to Deception

Acts 8:9-11
“Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, ‘This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.’ They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.'”

Who or what was Simon? Some Bible scholars think he was simply a stage magician specializing in sleight of hand and illusions. Others think he called on powers from Satan. Regardless, he had certainly become popular with the people, so much so that the “all the people” ascribed “divine power” to him.

Have you ever been around someone who always tells you how wonderful they are? Simon was like that, “He boasted that he was someone great.” We human beings were created with a God-sized hole in us — the inner knowledge that there is a power (a creator) greater than ourselves. It’s one of the reasons we are so susceptible to deception. Simon used this “hole” to deceive “all the people both high and low” — so not just the desperate or the poor, and not the rich or foolish, but all of the people.

Our Scripture tells us, “They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.” We are like this as well. We look for someone who tells us they have all the answers; someone who appears to have “divine” power or appointment because they can do something uncommon. These people show up in our lives bragging and boasting about their secret knowledge and ability, and if we are not careful we can fall under their spell.

Scripture tells us there is but one man to follow and that is Jesus (Col 1:15-20 clearly defines the “supremacy of Christ”). The Bible warns us repeatedly against deception: false teaching, signs, doctrines and the like. We need to be constantly on guard against worshipping talent (athletes, film and music stars, etc.), rather than the source of that talent — God. Is there any area of your life in which you find yourself led by someone (based on their talent, charisma, or ability) that might make you susceptible to doing something that is inconsistent with the will of God? Have you ever found yourself under someone’s spell? What does it take or would it take to break free of such a person?

What Does Your Mirror Reflect?

Once other people know you are a Christian they will start watching for signs of it. If we say we are Christians but our lives and actions don’t reflect it… people start to doubt you and also doubt God. Being a Christian is not a hobby… it’s not something we do in private… it’s not something to be ashamed of. Being a Christian is a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year lifestyle… it is a true and deep relationship with God developed by constantly being in God’s Word and communicating with God (prayer)… it’s something people should see when they look at us. Therefore, I fully believe that as Christians we should be mirrors that reflect Jesus Christ to the world around us!

Jesus said in Matthew 5:14-16: “You are the light of the world. A city 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 men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Jesus is actually the light… we are to reflect that light to the world around us. John 8:12 says, When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The Bible tells us many ways that we should live and act. In those ways we can reflect Jesus Christ. Here are some of the ways the Bible says we should be in Ephesians 4:26-32: “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

The main question here is… What or who do you reflect in your actions and life? Does your mirror need to be cleaned so that others can see Jesus Christ reflected more clearly? Is your mirror possibly warped and reflecting a confusing or mixed message? Or is it possible that your mirror doesn’t reflect Jesus Christ at all but instead reflects the world and the ways of the world? I’m praying that we each check our mirrors daily and ensure they truly reflect Jesus… by reading our Bibles daily, staying in prayer and asking God to show where we may be coming up short.

Are You Waiting For the Right Time?

He was nailed to a cross, enduring the most excrutiating and embarrassing forms of execution of that time, above his head a sign had been placed that read: This is the King of the Jews.

That sign was meant to mock Jesus as they looked upon him as a false Messiah. He had been ridiculed, stripped, and now was being executed in public view. Most of the people laughed at Jesus… their limited minds couldn’t grasp the big picture… if this man was supposed to be a king, then His death should be the end of His supposed kingdom.

They had no idea that Jesus’ death was actually ushering in the Kingdom of Christ. How were they to know that this event and Jesus’ resurrection would strike a deathblow to satan’s rule and would establish Christs eternal authority over the earth?! Few people reading the sign at that moment understood its real meaning, but the sign was absolutely true. All was not lost, Jesus is the King of the Jews!!!…and the Gentiles!!!…and the whole Universe!!!

As Jesus hung on that cross, there were also crosses on each side of Him. On each of those crosses hung a criminal… men that had most likely committed hideous crimes… they were outcasts from society. One of these men spoke out of his ignorance and said, “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” This was not a sincere request. He was being sarcastic and meant this as an insult. Then from the opposite side of Jesus, the other criminal responded to this statement by saying, “Don’t you fear God since you are under same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve, but this man has done nothing wrong!” Think about that… here was a man paying the debt he owed for his sin… a man that most likely led a life filled with bad decisions and bad behaviors… yet he had come to realize something that many others did not. This dying criminal had more faith than the rest of Jesus’ followers put together. Although the disciples continued to love Jesus, they felt that their hopes for Christ’s Kingdom were shattered. Most of them had gone into hiding. Two days later one of Jesus’ followers said, “We had hoped that He was the one who was going to redeem Israel.” In contrast, the second criminal looked at Jesus and said, “Jesus remember me when You come into Your Kingdom.” By all appearances , the Kingdom was finished.

The faith of the criminal is awe-inspiring… he looked past His shame to the coming Glory of Christ Jesus. In His agony Jesus responded to the man, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise.”

YES! This man was forgiven and accepted by Jesus!

This shows you that our deeds do not save us… our faith in Christ does!!! It is never too late to turn to God!

Even in His misery, Jesus had mercy on this criminal that decided to believe in Him.

Our lives will be much more useful and fulfilling if we turn to God early, but even those who repent at the very last moment will be with God in paradise.

Are you waiting for your last moment?

If so, do you know when that moment will be?

You could be in an accident and die instantly… with no chance to make that decision.

The best time to decide to follow Jesus is NOW… as you may not have that opportunity later!

Chasing Bubbles

Have you ever watched a young child blowing bubbles? They dip the wand into the bottle, pull it out and then bring it near their mouth and blow. Sending one bubble after another out into the air. Then they will chase the bubbles and attempt to catch them in their hand… trying to capture the bubbles yet not pop them. No matter how hard they try, the bubbles eventually will burst.

Many people chase bubbles all their lives. They may not seem like bubbles but in all reality they are. We may chase after wealth or prestige and once we capture it, it may last for awhile. Our bubbles can be drugs, alcohol, sex, food, pornography and so many other things. The reason they are bubbles is because none of them brings us eternal happiness and fulfillment.

We chase these bubbles because of an emptiness that we have inside. Trying to fill a void that we are confused about how to fill. This void is too large for any or all of these bubbles to make us feel whole. They may seem to do the trick for a while but eventually we still don’t feel complete. In essence, we make these bubbles into idols or Gods.

He replied, “You took the gods I made, and my priest, and went away. What else do I have? How can you ask, ‘What’s the matter with you?’”
—Judges 18:24 (NIV)

Judges 18:24 tells us about a man named Micah that made idols and hired a priest to run his personal religion. When men came and took his idols and priest, nothing remained. He experienced a very empty spiritual condition! An idol is anything that takes God’s place in a person’s life. Some people invest all their time and energy in pursuit of money, success, possessions, or a career. If these idols are taken away, only an empty shell is left.

You can’t bring yourself to completeness with bubbles… not eternally anyway. There is only way you can fill that void… that feeling that you were meant for more in this life. You must accept and receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, but that is just the beginning. That alone will bring you much comfort but the hole you have inside you will still not be completely filled.

That 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. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
—Romans 10:9,10 (NIV)

Romans 10,9,10 shows us that we simply need to believe. That doesn’t mean that you won’t have questions or that you understand everything. It simply means recognizing that you are indeed a sinner in need of a Savior. You recognize that you cannot be good enough for a perfect God on your own. And you understand that God loved you so much that He sent Jesus to save you.

The next thing you need to do is get to know Jesus. Start a relationship that will last for eternity. Read the Bible, get to know who Jesus was and still is and strive to be like Him. When you fill your stomach is empty, you feed it physical food. To fill the emptiness in your spirit, you must feed it spiritual food. The more you do, the more satisfied and fulfilled you will be.

Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God
—John 1:12

All who welcome Jesus Christ as Lord of their lives are reborn spiritually, receiving new life from God. Through faith in Christ, this new birth changes us from the inside out… rearranging our attitudes, desires and motives. Being born makes you physically alive and places you in your parent’s family. Being born of God makes you spiritually alive and puts you in God’s family. This begins your relationship!

You may still feel like there should be more… and there is! God has plans for you! You more than likely feel Him wanting to share that plan with you. Open your hear, mind and soul and ask God to reveal His plan for you. Pray with sincerity and humbleness. God may not be ready to start using you yet. He may still be building you up and preparing you for what He wants you do to. You just need to keep feeding yourself… both physically and spiritually… and stay prepared to go when God says, “GO!”

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
—Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

God knows the future, and His plans for us are good and full of hope. As long as God provides our agenda and goes with us as we fulfill His mission, we can have boundless hope. This does not mean we will be spared pain, suffering, or hardship, but that God will see us through to a glorious conclusion.

So, what bubbles are you chasing? What are you trying to use to replace the God inside of you? Are you going to continue to chase these bubbles? Or are you ready to find out what it’s like to feel complete and start a real relationship with your Creator and Father? It’s all up to you… he will not force Himself on you. But He does long for you to come to Him so that He may show you His love, mercy, grace, blessings and plans!