The Devil Made Me Do It..?

"He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother." 1 John 3:8-10 NKJV In our world today, everyone wants to do their own thing, to be comfortable in their SIN without having anyone call it what it is--SIN. How'd that happen? Well...we Christians sat back, kept our mouths shut, and watched society erode over time. It took decades to happen, but we slowly began to overlook SIN--to call it choice in the name of political corectness & tolerance. I mean, we don't want to appear judgemental or anything so we overlooked SIN and made excuses for it rather than exposing and eradicating it like we're supposed to. I'll date myself considerably here, but I recall a comedian named Flip Wilson back in the 70s who always said, "The devil made me do it!" He also dressed in drag as "Geraldine" & it was seen as funny. Of course, that was before men started dressing and acting like women & it being seen as a cultural norm. I remember when churches used to hold womanless weddings & beauty pageants as a means of bringing humor into the church--because it was simply seen as humor. Nowadays, the thought of such seems strangley odd because men & women seem to have no clear roles anymore and the world says it is all ok & everyone should be accepted for who they are (or who they perceive themselves to be) regardless of the genitalia they were born with. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we should publicly humiliate anyone or bring back public stonings--but, we need to call SIN what it is. The devil only has the power that we give him. He doesn't make us do anything. He merely presents the temptation, idea, rebellion, or whatever. We made the choice whether to dismiss the idea or act on it. There is no SIN in being tempted, it is SIN when we entertain and act on it. One cannot profess to be a Christian and live in habitual SIN, or condone the SIN of others. If you're attending a church that supports SIN, you need to find yourself another church. Still, no one is beyond the reach of God's Great Grace. Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord can be forgiven of their SIN and be saved. As Christians, we are doing people a disservice if we tell them otherwise. God is a God of Love, but He is also a God of Judgement and will not allow SIN to enter Heaven. Our job here on earth is to represent Him to the lost and help them see their need for forgiveness. If the concept of SIN is lost, then there is nothing to seek forgiveness for. My Bible says that "ALL have SINNED and fallen short of the glory of God" and "the wages of SIN is death." But God, Who is great in Mercy, made a way for SINful man to be reconciled to Him by sending His One and Only Son to sacrifice Himself in their place, to take on the SIN of all the world, to die a cruel death, to visit Hell and wrestle with Satan over the souls of mankind. And, He won! He overcame! He sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven forever making intercession for us. So, let's not be so accepting of SIN. Let's be bold enough to call it what it is. Let's not give the devil any power--becasue the battle is already won! When you're tempted to use the line, "The devil made me do it," don't! By God's Grace & Power, SIN has no power over you, nor does the devil. Resist the devil and he will flee! Blessings, Tony

It Ain't Easy!

"Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:32-33 NKJV Let's face it, the Christian life isn't easy. In a perfect world situation, we'd simply surrender our lives to God & live happily ever after, spreading sunshine and joy wherever we go. But, it's not a perfect world & it's becoming more and more imperfect day by day. Times are indeed getting harder for people of Faith. We shouldn't be surprised though, Jesus warned us about it. We've simply gotten fat, lazy & complacent in our Christianity over the years. We have our rockstar preachers, our concert-like environments, our comfy chairs & climate-controlled sanctuaries. Most churches are so strictly scheduled that there's little room for the Holy Spirit to operate. And, we wonder why God seems distant... The fact is that as we near the end of the age & the return of Christ (which could happen any day and we really need to get our lives & houses in order to be prepared for), things are going to get increasingly difficult for the Family of God. The world is full of trouble, sin is rampant and now, it's condoned rather than seen as wrong. We look at the world in utter disgust. But, what are we doing about it? If the church operated like the church of old, we'd be out doing street preaching and evangelizing. We'd be supplying food to the humgry, clothing the naked, ministering to those who are imprisoned. We'd be taking care of widows & orphans. We'd be shing the light of God's love into the darkness of the world. Yet, we sit in our sanctuaries & talk about how evil the world has become & do nothing for the most part. Talk is cheap, people. We have to put feet to our faith. Will people question our motives? Yes, they will. Will they think we're a bunch of religious fanatics? Probably so. Won't they think we have some sort of angle? Most likely--but we actually do. We're called to be salt & light to the world around us and to share God's Love with hose we come in contact with. Will they reject us & God too? In some cases, yes--but in others, they will open their hearts to the truth of God's Word & become a new creation in Christ. That's where our reward is--the joy of seeing others come to a saving knowledge of Jesus and His Sacrifice for them. It takes work. It takes blood, sweat & tears. It takes getting out of those comfy chairs & burning some shoe leather, knocking on doors, talking to people who are different from us, overcoming our fears and being Christ's Ambassadors as we should be. Remember The Great Commission? It's a commandment, not a suggestion... It ain't easy, but it's worth it! Blessings, Tony

You Are Loved!

"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 As humans, we all need to know that we are loved. Sadly, many in this world don't feel the love of or from others and it tends to make them feel hopeless and worthless. I can completely relate, because for much of my life and even though I was loved by many, I felt unloved & unworthy of anything good as a result. Why? Well, I made a lot of bad choices in life and frankly, I became embarrassed and felt foolish even interacting with others--much less expecting love and acceptance from them. In my drug and alcohol-induced state, I went through cycles of isolation and depression. But, I was really good at putting on my mask & appearing "normal" to those around me. When I came to the place in life that I amitted I had a problem, many were surprised because I had hidden it well to all but those closest to me. I wish I could say that I knew where it all began...I'm not really certain. I had a pretty good childhood. We weren't wealthy, but I didn't lack anything. But for some reason, I always felt less than, like I was an unnecessary burden to my family, like I just didn't fit in somehow. At an early age--like 12-13, I began looking for "my people" who would accept me & love me for who I was. I found them, or so I thought. I started hanging out with neighborhood kids who were significantly older than me & that introduced me to a world of drugs, alcohol & sex. I felt "grown" and liked this newly discovered world. Needless to say, it didn't take long before things began spiraling out of control. Somehow, I maintained that lifestyle for several years before I came to the point that I couldn't anymore. God had been calling to me all along, I just wasn't listening and I was determined to do life my way. I didn't want to live by a list of "thou shalt nots" and a bunch of self-imposed religious rules. My lifestyle brought me to the brink of death and it was at that point that I begged God to take me out of this world. But He didn't...so, I told Him my life was a wreck & if He could do anything with it, He could have it because I was done--done as in I literally wanted to die. Because my family had been impacted by suicide, I vowed I would never do that...but the reality is that I wanted to still. I had reached a place of emotional and spiritual bankruptcy and felt I had nothing to offer, nothing to give and no reason to live. In His wisdom, God had placed someone in my life who reached out to me, who told me about God, who tried to put a mirror in front of me so I could see what he saw & what God saw in me. As I laid on the floor, in a fetal position and begging for death to come--I remembered some of the conversations Chris (God's instrument and vessel) & I had and it was then that I surrendered. I remember suddenly feeling such peace...peace like I had never felt before. It was as if a weight had been lifted from me. I felt warmth and love, I had hope again--something I hadn't experienced for over half my life at that point. I got up, cleaned myself up and drove to a nearby church to talk with the pastor. Some of his people had recently visited my home during a neighborhood outreach and one of the men was a guy I had gone to school with in years past, so it was the first church that came to mind. The pastor was kind and he reassured me that I had done nothing worthy of God's condenmation and damnation, that those thoughts were from the devil instead. I became a regular attender of that church & eventually joined, was baptized and began working to minister to others there. Over time, I joined the choir, I taught Sunday School, I worked with the youth program and served in any way I could. I was quite literally reborn into another person altogether. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17 This verse was (and is) a reality in my life! I wish I could tell you everything has been easy since my conversion. I can't--there have been hard times, horrible losses, fractured relationships--but, God has walked with me through the hard times. He has comforted me and shown me grace & peace whether I was on the mountaintop or in the depths of a difficult valley. He has loved me through it all. God wants you to know that you too are loved! He sent His Son into this world for you. "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." John 3:16 He loved each of us, long before we recognized Him. "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10 He walks with us and places others in our lives to love and encourage us & for us to offer love and encouragement to. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:23-25 God doesn't make mistakes. He has a life plan designed specifically for you and frankly, there's nothing you can do that will make Him turn His back on you. It took me many years and a lot of heartache to realize this. If He did it for me, He can and will do it for you. Just know that you have worth, that you are here for a purpose, that you are valuable in the Kingdom, and most of all that YOU ARE LOVED! Blessings! Tony

Patience...Who, Me?

"Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." James 5:7-11 Man, I gotta tell you that patience has never been my strong suit at all. It's an area I struggle in considerably. I want what I want & I want it now, in my time & on my terms. Patience, what is that? Well, in the season of life I'm in, God has been teaching me much about patience. Talk about being stretched out of one's comfort zone... The devil has thrown up every roadblock & obstacle he could to try and make me give up. Fortunately, what I lack in patience, I make up for in sheer determination. I do not give up and I don't accept defeat easily. Still, the Lord has shown me Scriptures about being patient along the way. "Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly." Proverbs 14:29 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12 Funny thing there--the house I grew up in as a child, the house number was 1212... God has interesting ways of catching your attention. Then there's the Love Chapter, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." 1 Corinthians 13:4 And continuing the love theme, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." Ephesians 4:2 We need to show compassion towards others and give them godly direction and advice, "And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone." 1 Thessalonians 5:14 Really God? Believe me, I love people and I want to see people come to know the Lord more than anything. But, some of those people really get on my nerves! Some refuse to hear you, some are completely defiant, some are just prisoners of their own poor life choices & can't see a way out. They often won't listen to reason & sometimes get defensive when you're trying your dead-level best to help them. Don't get me wrong, I make a mess of things sometimes when my other character flaws exhibit themselves. I can be horribly blunt in my speech and in expressing my personal opinions and typically don't care who hears or disagrees with them. Really, I'm the guy that you don't ask an opinion from unless you really want it because I'm gonna be honest and that honesty might hurt your feelings. I don't set out to, but it happens because I'm not too good at flowering things up & making them sound pretty. I just give brutally honest responses. But patience...really? I'm still working on myself & what's better is that God is still working on me. I know I have to make Him scratch His head at times because I've always been the precocious sort & now that I've lived almost six decades on this earth, I suspect the possibility of that changing is pretty small. I read about Job & his patience. Evidently, he was a better man than I can ever hope to be. But, I'm still forging forward with my head down and a great deal of stubbornness and determination. Whether you classify those as character flaws or character qualities, it's how God wired me when he knit me together in my mother's womb. There are struggles in this life, but God uses them, uses me, and uses you--flaws and all--to accomplish His Plan. I won't pray for patience...because you get trials to help you develop said patience & Lord knows, I've got enough trials without bringing more on myself. Wisdom, Favor, and Anointing--those are the things I pray for daily. But, that patience thing...who, me? Help me, Jesus! Blessings! Tony

The Covid Crisis...

"Therefore the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors; And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame. Now in that day the remnant of Israel, and those of the house of Jacob who have escaped, will never again rely on the one who struck them, but will truly rely on the LORD, the Holy One of Israel. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God." Isaiah 10:16 & 21-22 NASB Isaiah is my favorite Old Testament book. As I was reading this morning, this passage about the remnant of Israel stood out to me. Before anyone jumps to conclusions, I'm not saying that God has sent Covid-19 as any form of punishment, but there are some points of interest. We all know that God is all-knowing & all-seeing and that He is capable of bringing good out of even disastrous situations (Romans 8:28). We know that God walks with us through difficulties (Isaiah 43:1-3), we know that He doesn't put anything on us that we can't bear or that He Himself has not endured (1 Corinthians 10:13) and we understand that we grow through what we go through (James 1:2-4). What I'm saying is, that we've made excuses for years about not having time to invest in our relationship with God, that we're so busy that we can't spend time reading the Bible, that we can't spend time in prayer, that we don't have time to sit still & listen to praise & worship music so we enter God's Throne Room. Well, with the Corona virus, we're all stuck at home for the most part--except for those who are considered essential. Fortunately for us, my wife & I are both considered essential. She works in health care & I for a recovery program. So, although we are separated by many miles at present because of circumstance, we're both still working & able to pay our bills. Many are not so fortunate. Domestic violence is on the rise and people are concerned about their finances & how they'll pay their bills if this continues. We can't allow the devil to put worry on us, we have to trust God (Matthew 6:25-34). Even if we're still working, we still have a lot of extra time on our hands. How about we use that time to reconnect with God? What if He has allowed this in order to get us to refocus our priorities? We've let work, school, relationships, possessions, hobbies, sports, etc., take all our time from God. God should be first in our lives & we've relegated him to the bottom of the totem pole in our priorities, the last option instead of first place, where He should be. Repentance should begin with the people of God (2 Chronicles 7:14). Once we get our priorities right and reignite our relationship with God, then we can be that lighthouse to point others to Him. There are a lot of lost & lonely people out there who have no hope. We possess an eternal hope that is shareable & that is what we need to do, share it! 1 Corinthians 13, known as The Love Chapter, tells us that it doesn't matter what we posses, the good deeds that we do, the money that we give--none of that means anything if we don't have love for God & love for others. We are unable to give what we don't possess, so we have to work on us first in order to then share with others. We're going to get through this! God has not abandoned us! I don't classify myself any sort of prophet, but I think that God will bring an end to this just as quickly as it began, bring healing & restoration to our land (Psalms 107:19-21) and that we, as a a people will, cease taking Him and our other freedoms for granted, and that churches will be filled to capacity. Rather than being a voice of fear, let us be a voice of faith. Rather than buying into the doom, let us share hope. I'm telling you, we win in the end--the Book has already been written & I've read the last chapters. Don't lose hope. Don't lose faith. Keep your chin up and your eyes on the cross of Jesus. Trust in God & His Mighty Grace! Blessings! Tony

Sweet Peace....

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful." John:14:27 ASV With everything that is happening in our world today, peace seems elusive. However, the peace that Jesus offers isn't dependent on our situation or the circumstances that surround us. We have to look at things through spiritual eyes, rather than natural eyes & see what God sees rather than what appears in the natural world. We live in a fallen society & under the curse of humanity. But, this life is temporary and our eternal home is Heaven. We are merely passing through this world en route to our final destination. While we are here, we need to be about the Father's work & do what we can to point others to Him. Change has to start within the church body--we've become complacent, somewhat fat & lazy, content with what we have & are. But, God has so much more! "if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 ASV It is God's people, Christians, those within the church that have to take the first steps and forgo our pride. We must be humbly submissive to Him. We must repent of our sins before we can encourage others to repent of theirs. We must seek the face of God before we can show Him to others. We must ask for forgiveness and then lead others to do the same. Essentially, we can't give what we don't possess. If we've taken it upon ourselves to do things in our own power, then we've left God out of the equation altogether. We can accomplish the natural, we need God to accomplish the supernatural. He'll allow us to be part of it, but we have to have Him to complete it. Lie won't always be easy. We'll encounter troubles. Isaiah 43 tells me that God walks with me through the trials of life. Romans 8 tells me that He brings good out of all things. Psalms 23 tells me that He walks with me through the valley of the shadow of death. Psalms 91 tells me that He covers me with His wings & protects me from pestilence & disease. James 1 tells me to consider it all joy when I encounter trials because it is in times of trial that my faith grows & I draw closer to God as a result of them. Philippians 4 tells me to be content with what I have & in any situation. So, how can I know all these things, read His Word, pray for divine revelation and then not take seriously what He shows me? I have to see things from His perspective & walk in faith, denying what I see in the natural. Remember, we walk by faith, not by sight and when we walk in the Spirit, we won't fulfill the desires of the flesh. Our carnal man will always be at odds with our spiritual man. We choose which one we'll be. No fence-straddling allowed, we have to choose a side. As for me, I want the sweet peace He offers so I'm going with God. I pray you will too. Blessings! Tony

Jesus's Mission Statement...

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn," Isaiah 61:1-2 NKJV Jesus quoted these verses as He launched His public ministry, reading them in the Temple and stating that He was the fulfillment of the prophecy--the Messiah, The Son of God (Luke 4:18-21). I see that as Him claiming this as His personal mission statement. As Christians, or "little Christs", we are supposed to follow the example of Jesus. Therefore, if this was His mission statement, should it not also be ours? But, do we do it? Are we preaching the good news to those in need? Are we ministering to the brokenhearted? Are we sharing the message of freedom in Christ to those held enslaved by the chains of addiction, abuse & depression? Are we taking the Word to those who are imprisoned to tell them there is a better way of life? Are we telling others that Jesus is the way & that He's taken the punishment for all their sins? Are we making it known that He will return & judge the earth? Are we comforting the grieving? How well do we measure up in what we do as Christians? It's not enough to just attend church on Sunday. We don't get gold stars & smiley faces for participation--we must be people of action! James says it well. I like James because he doesn't sugarcoat things, he shoots straight & gets right to the point. Here's what he has to say, "If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." James 2:15-17 NKJV Wishing someone well is ineffective if we don't do something to change their situation. We have to be willing to get our hands dirty and serve others. Jesus did it--He washed the disciples' feet. If He, as the Prince of Heaven, can be a servant, can't we? I fear we are missing opportunities to share God's Love with others because we don't want to get involved or be a bother. So we stand idly by while people stagger through life & towards the gates of hell without making effort to warn them of the dangers ahead. If you knew a bridge was out, wouldn't you try to stop people traveling towards it to save them? Some years back, I heard someone speak on a verse from Proverbs. I read Proverbs daily but had never paid attention to this particular verse until this point. It was Proverbs 24:11, which reads as follows: "Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter." It's our duty as Christians to tell others about the sinless life, atoning death, and glorious resurrection of Jesus--all for them. If we fail to tell them of His love for them and of the eternal torment that awaits them if they choose not to accept & follow Him, we are allowing them to wander aimlessly, stumbling towards destruction, the very gates of hell itself. I don't know about you, but I can't stand by & watch while those of my generation and in my circle of influence commit slow suicide by living a life without Christ. It's up to us--we have to be the ones to tell them! Will people think we're crazy? Probably so. Will we lose close relationships because of our zeal for God? Maybe...but Jesus warned us there was a cost to being His follower. He told us there'd be difficulties. He told us we'd be despised & persecuted. But, He also told us that it'd be worth it in the end, when the battle is over and he welcomes us into Heaven, His Kingdom of Glory and Eternal Peace, and says "Well done..." I long for that day. Don't get me wrong, I love my life & the people in it, but my soul longs for the day I see my Jesus face to face. I just want to take as many with me there as I can. Do I get tired and frustrated at times? Yes, do I ever! Do I sometimes question my calling? Yes, often... Do I wonder if it's all worth the personal sacrifice, the sometimes seemingly endless days, the lost sleep, the tiresome travels, the separation from loved ones? Yes, to all. But, I know without a shadow of a doubt that God has called me to what I do and I refuse to let anything or anyone on earth or in hell below, distract me from my purpose. Do I miss the mark sometimes? Yes, all the time. But God loves me still & knows the motives of my heart. I have to ask for forgiveness regularly, but I'm doing what He called me to. We have to be the ones to sound the alarm! All is not lost. We can still turn our country back to God. We just have to be willing to stand our ground & not let the forces of evil overtake this world. We may be but a small remnant of believers, but look what Gideon did with a small army. We cannot continue to sit in silence. Will you join with me in this battle? Will you take Jesus's mission statement as your own? Will you help proclaim Christ to the masses? Will you be a heavenly ambassador to this lost generation? Will you live a life that points others to God? Or, will you just stand there with your hands in your pockets while they march towards hell? It's your choice, but you have to live with the choice you make. Ponder and pray about that... Blessings! Tony

Loving Past the Labels

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 NKJV I fear the Christian church in America as a whole is missing the mission God called them to because we have become prideful, condescending and self-righteous. We're much like the Pharisees of old in that we call attention to ourselves, our good deeds, & our position in whatever ministry we are part of. We do things more for the fact of being seen of men than we do of pointing others to God. We point a bony finger of righteous indignation at others rather than simply loving them as we are told to. We forget who & what we were when God pulled us out of the muck & mire of the world. I'm not saying that we're not a new creation when we come to Christ & that the old is done away with (2 Corinthians 5:17), because it is and it no longer defines who we are. However, I think it's important for us to remember where we came from in order to be able to minister to others facing the same struggles (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). While it is true that the modern church has been highly influenced by the world around it, rather than the other way around like is should be, we're still supposed to love others in spite of their sin. That doesn't mean we condone sin, just that we choose to love the sinner. How can we expect to minister to them & cause them to turn to Christ if we think we're too good to associate with them? If I recall, Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount that we're supposed to love our enemies, to do good to them that persecute us because even those of the world love the ones who love them (Matthew 5:44-48). We're supposed to be different in that respect. We're supposed to love like Jesus loved & He loved and prayed for even the very ones driving the nails into Him as they placed His body on the Cross of Calvary. Now, that's love! Like Jesus, we need to look past the sin & realize that people are affected by this world, the circumstances of life, addictions, demonic oppression, etc. Regardless of all that, God still loves them & sent His Son to die for their sins. He wants a relationship with every one of them--the thief, the liar, the drunk, the junkie, the prostitute. He sees them all as lovable. Therefore, we need to look past the labels the world has placed on them & see their value through God's eyes. I recall years ago teaching teens at Eastern Valley Baptist Church, sometime in the early to mid 90s. I walked in one morning with a box of children's building blocks, the type with the ABC's on them that toddlers usually play with. I got a lot of strange looks & snarky comments from some 13-18 year old kids. I recall one saying. "Mr. Tony, we're not 3 year olds." But, I had a point to make that day & those blocks played a part in it. I asked those young folks to think about other young people who might feel they didn't fit in or wouldn't be welcome at church. I got responses like the druggie, the unwed mom, the bully, the nerd, etc. As they called them out, I used the blocks to build a pyramid on the desk. Believe me, I was still getting puzzled looks & I'm sure they wondered exactly where I was going with this demonstration. When they couldn't think of any more labels to call out, I handed a block to a young man sitting in the front row & instructed him to throw it at the stack of blocks. He did & the stack of blocks tumbled down scattering all over the desk & floor. Then I hit them with the truth bomb that we either went out of our way to reach the "bad eggs" of society and bring them in to help build the church or we judged & exiled them, destroying the church instead. It was a God moment. I can't claim credit for it, but it was impactful. They mentioned it to me for years afterwards until they moved on to College & Career or Young Marrieds classes as they aged out of the youth group. Life has taken us all on different journeys since then & I'm sure will continue to until Jesus returns or God calls us home to Heaven. The fact still remains that we either build the church by calling in the lost or we allow it to die a slow death and leave the lost to a fate of eternal hell and damnation. I have enough to answer to God for. I don't want to blood of others on my hands. I have to get outside my comfort zone & minister to people who may be much unlike myself because of life choices, ethnic backgrounds, political leanings, etc. It's my job to see them through the eyes of Jesus, rather than my own. What about you? Blessings! Tony

God's Eraser

"...you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross." Colossians 2:12b-14 Long ago and far away in a different chapter of my life, when I was a school kid, teachers wrote their lessons & instructions for the class on a blackboard. Once those assignments were completed, she/he would simply erase the old & replace it with the new assignments & instructions for the next day. People of my age & growing up era will recall wiping down the blackboards & cleaning erasers, sometimes as a teacher's assistant or, for some of us as a form of discipline for misbehavior. God works somewhat like that too. He is able (with our cooperation & submission) to wipe away, completely erase, the old sinful person we once were. He can take a life completely riddled with sin and seemingly going nowhere, except straight to the pits of hell itself and clean it up and make it purposeful for His Work and Kingdom. You doubt my words? Paul was Saul. One day he was killing Christians & then he had an encounter with God. After a three day period of blindness, he began being used for God instead of in opposition to Him. Maybe God used that period of blindness to take away Paul's self-dependence & focus him on his dependence on God instead. David, the King, was an adulterer and murderer--but God used him. David suffered great consequences for his sin, but he was called a man after God's own heart. Jonah ran from God & spent three days in the belly of a whale before surrendering to God's call on his life and seeing a great revival in Nineveh. Moses killed an Egyptian and argued with God, but became God's vessel to lead the people out of slavery in Egypt and to the Promised Land. The fact is, God loves you & desires a relationship with you & there's nothing you can do to change that. He wants to use you in His Kingdom Work. He doesn't care what you've done or where you've been or how many times you've failed. He want to erase the old & give you something new--a new assignment for Him, instead for working for the devil. He's already done the work. He sent His Son to be the sacrifice for your sin. He nailed all your sins (along with the sins of the entire world) to the cross."For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." John 3:16-17 NKJV If you follow the life of Christ in the Gospels, He offered forgiveness to all who would believe & receive it. He didn't condemn people for their sin, but simply told them they were forgiven & to go and sin no more. I think that's where we miss it. We think we can repent & ask forgiveness and then simply go back to our sin because we know God will forgive it again. He will. However, if we are willfully sinning, we're abusing God's grace. "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?" Romans 6:1-2, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." John 8:36 So, if you're ready to experience true freedom, saved & unsaved alike, call on Him to forgive you of ALL your sins--even those little hidden, secret sins, and let Him wash the slate of your life clean and give you a fresh start. God's eraser is an awesome thing! If He can use someone like me with nothing at all to offer, He can use you. You just have to let Him erase the old & make all things new. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17 (all Scripture references from the NKJV) It's up to you, God's eraser is ready & waiting... Blessings! Tony

Seasons...

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." Revelation 21:4 We go through seasons in life, similar to the seasons of nature. We grow and mature, physically, mentally and spiritually. It is all part of the process called life. We start out young, active, vibrant and always learning new things as we grow. We move into another season when we begin to mature into young adults. The season changes again when we take on the responsibilities of a home, a job and a family of our own. Then comes the Winter of life as we age, see our children grow & start families of their own and our physical bodies move into a mode of slow decay until death claims us & we return to dust once again. Mixed in along the way of the various seasons of life are seasons of happiness and pain, seasons of prosperity & loss, seasons of hope and hopelessness. I think of Job & how he responded to the great losses he suffered. I wish I had his faith! I mean, I have been through a lot in this life and for the most part, I think I've managed it all pretty well although some of it has been especially difficult. But I've also had times where I whined, moaned and complained to God and I've experienced a few complete meltdowns along the way as well. Let's face it, life can be hard at times. Don't get me wrong, it can be purely joyous at times as well but we (or at least I do anyway) tend to recall the negative experiences far more vividly than the positive ones. We grow weary of the pain, the sickness, the evil of this world. Our plans sometimes get completely wrecked & nothing seems to go right. Even when we know we're doing what God has called us to, we sometimes doubt the path He guides us on. Even though we walk with Him & talk with Him daily, we sometimes question if we're really in His Will. Sometimes, we just want to throw our hands up and quit, but we can't--our job isn't finished yet! I know that I long for the day I hear my Savior say, "Well done!" and I enter Heaven's rest. I'm ready for that place of peace and calm, where the troubles of this world vanish away into the beauty and worship of Heaven and Our Creator. Problem is, apparently God still has work for me to do here--which means I have to endure, I have to keep going, I have to keep sharing Him, until He returns or calls me home. I don't get to choose the time of His return or my homegoing. I have to work on & walk the path He has for me until my time here is done & He is ready for me to join Him in that heavenly home. I must faithfully follow Him and daily choose to trust Him as long as there is breath in my lungs. There's the reality of it all--it's my choice. I choose to listen to either the promises of God or the lies of the devil. I've followed Jesus for many years & while I haven't always understood why things happened as they did, He's always seen me through them. I've reached the season of life where I have more years behind me than I do ahead, but I'm not retiring from God's work and service. I can't say that I don't want to sometimes, but I know I can't. I must walk though each of life's seasons, no matter how badly I want to give up, and work til Jesus comes. After all, He's never left or forsaken me. He's blessed me more than I deserve. He allowed me to love & be loved and to have some wonderful life experiences along the way. He's never given up on me, so I can't give up on Him either... Blessings! Tony