LifeLock

There is a company out there called Life Lock. It is supposed to prevent identity theft and secure your good name... as their slogan states, "Guarantee Your Good Name". I've seen the commercials for this company... I believe it's the CEO that has his actual social security number posted everywhere throughout the commercial. I'm not sure how accurate this is, but I was told he got his identity stolen.

Whether or not that last sentence is true, there is something much better than Life Lock out there for you and me. It's not an insurance company, but it offers the best coverage. It's not a retirement plan, but has the greatest rewards. It's not an identity theft corporation, but has the best protection. It's called prayer.

My pastor has really been teaching lately on the subject of prayer. I got to thinking about this more in depth... We have the greatest thing at our disposal, we have a way to go straight to God Himself, yet a lot of times we don't take advantage of it. Prayer is a way we can get answers, healing, deliverance, etc.

There's something about the power of prayer. If you talk to God, He will talk back to you. It's sweet communion with Jesus Christ. There are some who just want the "perks" of living for God, the blessings and good things but they don't want to live the life and dedicate themselves to Him. It takes work... it's a sacrifice to your flesh.

There is nothing better than having a relationship with Jesus. He is the only one that can take your life and make everything better. Dive into a relationship with Him. It can only get better when you have Him as your number one priority. You'll have security beyond your imagination. You'll not only "guarantee your good name", but guarantee a great life and a wondrous eternity. Push past your flesh and carnality, and lock your life in Him.

Rocket Science

I am currently in school for Accounting. It gets frustrating and I feel like throwing my textbook across the room and never picking it up, but what normally happens is that I just walk away and do something to get my mind off school. Afterwards, I go back to studying because I want a good education and that textbook is helping me get it.

Sometimes the ins and outs of so many different types of accounting gets hard to me and I say things like, "What's the point?" I'm sure all college students feel this way at some point. I'm required by my university to take biblical classes also. Those are always easy for me... then I got to thinking...

The Word of God, Jesus, living for Him, etc. It's not hard at all. It's so easy to love Him and to serve Him with my whole heart. I think about how God came down as a man and died just for me, how He saved me when I was a young boy, how He has healed me time after time, how His mercy has spared me and His forgiveness gave me a new start... How easy it is for me to love Him! Everywhere I go, no matter what I do, He is always there.

You see, people use the cliche, "It's not rocket science" for things that are simple. This is one of those things. This life of mine, serving my God, it is so easy and so simple. Jesus loves each and every one of us and desires to do good for us. All we have to do is surrender our will to His and live our lives for Him. He died for us, the least we can do is live for Him.

It's not rocket science here... Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8) His Word never changes, His promises are sure, they are yes and amen (IICor 1:20) After everything that my Jesus has done for me, I find it so easy to love Him, so easy to live for Him. It's so easy.

J.H.

Never Forget

Today is the anniversary of a horrific event that happened just a couple years ago. 9/11... a date which will always live in infamy just like December 7, 1941. The tragedy of so many lives lost in the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the lives that were boarded on each plane. Everyone remembers exactly where they were when they heard the news of 9/11. We will always remember what happened to our country.

There is another event in history that stands out to me. It was about 2000 years or so ago. Jesus Christ came to this earth as a man. He was tempted in all ways just like you and me, but He was without sin. He was tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. A gruesome death... He was beaten, bruised, crowned with thorns, and hung on a cross.

Two events here... Today it seems that only one is getting attention. The attacks of 9/11 were tragic and horrible to say the least. We always remember, especially on this date. How much more should we remember what Jesus did for us some 2000 years ago?!

Everyday it should be remembered. Jesus died, but He died for you and me. Where were you when Jesus found you? When He came to you in the midst of you distress, just when you were about to give up, He found you and saved you... do you remember?

I remember where I was when the World Trade Center was hit, but more importantly I remember the night God came down and saved me. The greatest thing in this life is when God comes straight to you and saves you. No greater love than a man that laid down His life for us. Now that's something to remember... NEVER FORGET.

J.H.

Be The Quiet

In our daily lives we all have problems and situations we face. Some we can't avoid no matter how hard we try, but there are some that we alone are responsible for. We can get so angry and cold-hearted to the person or people who try to help us. Kinda like, biting the hand that feeds us. We run into oceans of problems and it simply drowns us, but remember that we chose to run into it ourselves. Sort of cliche' but it's true.

If we choose to keep doing the same thing over and over, keep pushing away the people that try to help, ignoring ones that give good advice, etc. we will soon break down and crumble. When you push and push someone or something so much and so far, pretty soon there won't be anyone to help you anymore.

Same with God... The Bible says that His spirit will not always strive with man (Gen 6:3). In other words, He's not going to struggle with us as humans forever. God is a perfect gentleman... He's not going to force anything on us.

The choice is up to us. Why should we choose anything other than God? We have this All-powerful, Almighty God that is reaching out to us, offering help, He wants to take our problems and fix them, and we turn away? Why would we ever turn God away and not accept His help? Problem is we tend to think we have it all under control. We think we can do it all by ourselves and be okay. That is nothing short of a lie. We can't do it alone. We won't survive if we try to make it without God.

We create problems by not trusting God and letting Him lead our lives. We rely on ourselves and it never ends up good. God knows best and His ways and His will is perfect. So in the trials of your life, will you let God be the peace that passes all understanding? Will you let Him fight your battles and take your burdens? Will you let Him be the quiet in the storm that you created?

J.H.

Beautiful

I was recently on the coast of California. For a solid week, I woke up to the sound of ocean waves crashing against the rocks. One day I got up really early and went to the end of the pier. I sat there and watched the horizon as the sun slowly started to appear. The light hit my eyes and I just took in the spectrum of wonder. It was an incredible sight to witness. I remember thinking, "how could something so spectacular happen everyday, but people miss it and take it for granted?"

The sunrise on the Pacific was a great sight to say the least. So beautiful. But something else takes precedence here. The fact that our Father God created us all in His likeness and in His image. Spectacular? You bet. Even more than that, Jesus came to this earth and died for us. He was beaten for our healing, He died for our sins so that we could be saved. How beautiful!

We all have our life's problems we face everyday. Things happen and we don't have control over them. We have those things that we even try to hide from everyone else. But the great thing is that we have one we can run to and be made free from all of our problems.

Jesus came to this earth and died for you and me. What is more beautiful than that? Here's the thing... We are made in the image and likeness of God. So with Him living in us, we too are beautiful. Despite what others try to tell you to tear you down and make you feel like you're nothing, you are God's child, His creation. You and everything you do can be beautiful in Him... and let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish the work of our hands (Ps 90:17). That lets me know that we have the beauty of our Creator and it can come out in our lives.

Whatever your situation, no matter what people try to tell you, you are made in the image of God. Despite what you've done in your past, the ugliness and the horror of those things that used to be have been washed away by His blood. The darkest of nights disappear when He comes in the picture. He made you beautiful. Rise above those things that try to keep you down. Come out of your situation and let God see what a beautiful thing He made when He made you.

J.H

Tick Tock

Time. Since the beginning of mankind, time has always been running out. Time is short. It doesn't wait for anyone. No matter what you think about it... like there's not enough of it, etc. time just keeps ticking and ticking away. Notice how people always say time is ticking away. It never comes toward you.

Time is a luxury that none of us can afford to waste. It's too precious and valuable too just do nothing with it. We all have this gift called time. How we choose to use it is up to each of us as individuals.

We can look at time a couple ways here... People say that they "don't have time" for certain things. For instance, people don't have time to attend church, or pray, or live for God, etc. But what does that really mean? You don't have time for church because you work on Sunday's. So really you have time, but you just choose to spend it at work on Sunday. Get it?

On the other hand, we can view time a different way. I don't have time to: gossip, ridicule people, live the way I want, back bite, fade away from God, etc.

We have time in our hands. We just have to choose to do the right thing with it. We can choose to succumb to the things of this world like jobs, money, things that keep you away from God and the church... Or we can say that we don't have time for anything other than what God wants for us.

You choose what to do with your time. Whatever you do with it is up to you. But think about this: Jesus is soon to return. The time clock of this world and this life is winding down and will soon be no more. Time is a luxury that none should waste. Get busy doing the things for God. That's the only things that will last. Sure we might have to work hard and fast, but that just means we'll be doing a work for God and spending our time wisely. In doing that, our minds and lives will be occupied with Him and His work and we won't have time to be distracted or swayed by the things of this world.

We can spend our time foolishly or we can spend our precious time spreading God's Word, doing His work, and helping others... the choice is yours. How will you spend your time...?

J.H