It's My Life

IT'S MY LIFE!!!! I hear that a lot... I have this habit of trying to figure people out. I find myself eavesdropping on people's conversations. I just can't help myself sometimes. Don't get me wrong, it's not a hobby or anything, what usually happens is without warning I find myself listening into a conversation of people I've never seen or met before. Most of the time they're talking about a problem they have, or some big event coming up that stresses them out, etc.

For some reason, those discussions I listen in on seem to end with the people actually talking to me. I do think God puts people in our path for a reason and I always try to bring Jesus in a conversation when I meet new people.

Something I hear quite often is the phrase, 'It's my life'. Well, technically it is our life to live and to do what we want... but think about it; who gave us life? Who breathed into a man's lungs and created life? God right...? So if He is the lifegiver, is it really truly our lives?

To me, my life belongs to God. He gave me life and then gave me the promise of eternal life, so the least I can do is live this life for Him... to be totally sold out to Jesus is the very least I could do for all that He's done for me.

I'm just a man and I do make mistakes, but I wonder if after Jesus saving us from our sin, does it hurt Him when we sin? Does it break His heart when we turn our backs on Him?

I for one am puposing in my heart to be even more sold out to God than ever before. He died for me, so the least I can do is to live for Him. I will reject all I am and all my earthly desires, because He did the same for me. I'm sure as a man Jesus didn't actually want to die, says so in the Bible, but He put His desires and hopes aside... just for me and you.

It's easy for us... Jesus had to actually die, but all we have to do is to die to our sin. Crucify the flesh and live in Christ. Like the Word says, 'To live is Christ, but to die is gain'

I have a new outlook about life in general... I want God's will, not mine. His ways are far above mine, He knows what's best, and will never lead me wrong.

This is NOT my life.

J.H.

A Thiefs Perspective

A Good Friday to all out there... I have something on my heart for this day and for this Sunday on which we celebrate one the most beautiful events in history we call Easter.

The man Christ Jesus was a perfect man. He came to earth, obeyed everything that the Father told Him to do. The only man that knew no sin. We all know the story... Jesus walked this earth and did no wrong, but still he was crucified. He died so that we could live. On the cross there were two men beside Him. Thieves, sinners. I want to share something that God gave me about this...

In a sense, we are the two thieves. We can choose to be like the one that said, ‘save yourself and us’ Selfish, didn’t really care if He was actually the Messiah, he just wanted to be saved… his own gain was more important than anything at that moment. On the other hand, we could be like the other thief, the one that said ‘remember me’. On the cross, Jesus looked at the second thief and said, ‘Today you will be with me in paradise’.

Now think about this, Jesus hanging on the cross… arms stretched out wide. One arm toward the second thief that knew he deserved to be there, and one arm toward the first thief that was only looking out for his own goodwill.

You see, Jesus Christ died for each and every one of us. He was beaten and bruised for us, took an undeserved punishment so that we could be saved.

The two thieves represent you and me. They saw the situation from two different angles. We can be like the first and think that we don’t deserve what life brings us, cry out and blame God for the mess the we created, saying 'if you're really there SAVE ME'! OR… we could be like that second thief. The one who realized that he is a sinner, he deserved to die, he knew that he should be punished for what he’d done. He also knew that Jesus did nothing wrong and just asked one thing, to be remembered. One humble question, gained him paradise!

But one thing still makes me think differently about this… the two men beside Jesus were saying two different things. In a sense, one was still in his sin just asking to be bailed out one more time, the other just asked to be remembered (forgiven). But still, Jesus had His arms stretched out to both men.

Whether we choose to stay in our sin and live for ourselves, or choose to surrender and live for Him, Jesus still has His arms stretched out wide for us. He died so that we could live… there is no greater love.

On this Good Friday, will you choose to be the first thief that stays in sin and blames everything and everyone else for your problems and misses an opportunity to be saved? Or will you be the second thief, who realizes that you’re nothing without Jesus Christ. He is our only hope, our strength, our salvation. Without Him, we are nothing.

Praise the Lord, Jesus died for us… but three days later, He rose himself from the grave! Death has no sting, the grave has no victory… Jesus is alive and waiting for you to come to Him. He died for us, we all should live for Him.

Which thief will you be?

J.H.

The Keeper

I heard a very disturbing thing recently... A radio station played a part of a call that came in on a late show. It was a girl battling a feeling of oppression. She began talking with the host and told him about how she felt everyday. How she hears voices and just has to do what those voices tell her to do; cut herself, lash out against family and friends, etc.

When the host began to tell her about Jesus, a low, growling voice came over the airways. The young lady started crying, asking 'What's happening?' The scruffy voice started to speak... said things to the host like, 'you can't have her' and 'she is ours'.

The host happened to be a firm believer in Jesus Christ and was well prepared for this call. He asked the voice his name and it replied, 'I'm The Keeper'. As soon as the host heard what the voice called himself, he demanded in the name of Jesus that he be silet.

He rebuked the spirit and quoted scripture to the young lady... Psalm 121: 5, 7 The Lord is the keeper; the Lord is the shade on your right hand. 7: The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

When the demon heard what the Word of God said, HE HAD TO LEAVE!!! Praise God!

Verse 1-2 of that passage of scripture says, I will lift mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2: My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

Jesus will preserve your soul! Nothing formed against you shall prosper!

You may be in your darkest night, but lift up your eyes unto Him! He knows every tear you've cried, every prayer you've prayed... He never left you and He never will. When your strength is gone, when you don't know what else to do, lift your eyes and see that your help is on the way!

The Lord will preserve your going out and coming in from this moment forward, and even forever!!!

J.H.

Disguises of Sin

Some things in this world can be very appealing. Peaople, places, and things can be attractive to us and lure us into something we never wanted. It's called sin...

It wears many faces. Sin can make itself very appealing to our natural eye. If we're just looking with our human eyes, then we can see sin or even the action it involves as harmless and even want it. But there's a saying that I've heard and try to live by... Sin = DEATH!

If we could only see sin for what it really is... there are those who try to justify whatever they're doing as, 'not that bad' or 'just a little thing that doesn't really matter'. But sin is sin... there's no big or little sin in God's eyes, and again, SIN = DEATH!

Sin will take you much farther than you want to go and will keep you much longer than you want to stay. People try to justify there actions and try to make themselves feel better about it... but here is a simple statement that should clarify some things... If it's in the Bible, and you disobey it, IT'S SIN! Pretty plan and simple, but true.

Don't see whatever you're doing as something that you feel bad for a little while and then it goes away, see it as death. If we have an outlook that tells us 'sin will take us to hell' then I bet we wouldn't try to justify things as much.

The enemy has a counterfeit for almost everything... one example in the old testament, Exodus to be precise, Moses & Aaron threw down there rods and they became serpents and Pharaoh's magicians did likewise... the Bible said they did it by their enchantments... In other words, it wasn't the power of God, it was, in a sense, a disguise.

Sin wears many faces... it makes itself look harmless and can even look like the real thing. If we would only live by what the Bible says and nothing else, there would be a lot less falling into sin.

Friends, SIN = DEATH! Plain & simple. Don't fall into the devil's traps. Be on your gaurd and stand firm on the Word of God... It says in Mt 7 to beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. You shall know them by their fruits.

Always be on your guard... watch out of the wolves in sheeps clothing, inspect the fruits, and do not be fooled by the disguises of sin.

J.H.