Gospel in Eight Words!

Listen to this blog.

The Word that gives life was from the beginning, and this is the one our message is about. Our ears have heard, our eyes have seen, and our hands have touched this Word.


The one who gives life appeared! We saw it happen, and we are witnesses to what we have seen. Now we are telling you about this eternal life that was with the Father and appeared to us. We are telling you what we have seen and heard, so you may share in this life with us. And we share in it with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.


1 John 1:1-3

If you have seen some of the old American western movies you know that a man's picture might appear on a wanted poster. Sometimes it would say "Wanted: Dead or Alive." Those are the two states of a human being. He is either dead or he is alive. There is nothing in between.

The normal state of man is to be born alive and then live until you die. You begin alive and end up dead. That's the way your physical body goes through this life.

But spiritually it is quite different, in fact it is just the opposite. Spiritually, we begin this life as dead men. The life that we should have had was surrendered by Adam and Eve when they disobeyed the direct command of God and sin brought death.

But Jesus came to earth to bring back the life that was lost that day in the Garden of Eden. Jesus waged a war on death and won! When Jesus died on the Cross death itself was defeated and mankind was no longer doomed to die without hope.

Jesus delivered to every man, woman and child the incredible choice of rejecting sin and death and choosing Life in Him. And most amazing of all He also gave men the power to be successful in that choice through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The simple story is this: your picture is on God's wanted poster. Only this poster says: "Wanted Dead and I Will Make You Alive!"

That is the Gospel in eight words!

Identity Theft in Heaven!

Listen to this blog.

Light shows up everything,  just as the Scriptures say,
“Wake up from your sleep
and rise from death.
Then Christ will shine on you.”

Act like people with good sense and not like fools. These are evil times, so make every minute count. Don't be stupid. Instead, find out what the Lord wants you to do. Don't destroy yourself by getting drunk, but let the Spirit fill your life. When you meet together, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, as you praise the Lord with all your heart.

Always use the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to thank God the Father for everything.

Ephesians 5:14-20

When you pray do you pray in Jesus Name? It seems like nothing but a formula tacked on at the end of a prayer. But those three words are totally awesome in their importance.

In most cultures when a woman marries a man she takes his name for her own. As she becomes one with him, his name is hers to use for the rest of her life. I think it is still true in the United States that a woman cannot be required to testify against her husband in a court of law.

In the same way a woman can use her husband's name, a follower of Jesus can use His name in coming to God in prayer! No one can grasp the depth of that ocean. When a Christian asks God for something it is the same as if Christ Himself were making the request. That truth puts your prayers at the top of God's most important things to do.

It is called identity theft if you use someone's name without their permission, and it is a crime. If you approach the throne of God in the name of Jesus and have no right to do so, it is likewise a very serious matter.

First, you must accept Jesus on His terms and let the Bible itself establish the fact that you have the right to use the name of Jesus when you come to God!

God is not fooled, there are no identity thieves in Heaven!

You are a Miracle!

Listen to this blog.

I want you to know all about Christ's love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is.

I pray that Christ Jesus and the church will forever bring praise to God. His power at work in us can do far more than we dare ask or imagine. Amen.

Ephesians 3:19-21

When it comes to the love of Christ there is a depth of knowledge and understanding that is beyond our human ability. Christ's love cannot be measured. There is nothing big enough to use as a standard for the measurement. In fact the Love of Jesus is the standard for all love. The sacrifice of Jesus was not a one time event on the Cross. Jesus left Heaven and lived among us, died for and will forever dwell with His people.

There are ways here on this earth to learn more about the Love of Jesus. Adopting a child is one very good way to experience something of the Love of Christ. An adopted child does not deserve and did not earn his or her place in your family. The child comes totally based on your love extended beyond the boundaries of natural family.

And then the miracle occurs as that child takes on the characteristics of his parents and becomes a permanent part of the family.

You see every Christian is a miracle. It is the power of God at work in you that changes you into the image of Jesus. That change can happen no other way. Only the power of the Holy Spirit can transform you from the wretch that you are into the likeness of the Redeemer who loves you!

Praise His Name today!

Choose to Love Jesus!

Listen to this blog.

Everyone on this earth
will remember you, [Lord].
People all over the world
will turn and worship you,

because you are in control,
the ruler of all nations.

All who are rich
and have more than enough
will bow down to you, Lord.
Even those who are dying
and almost in the grave
will come and bow down.

In the future, everyone
will worship and learn
about you, our Lord.

Psalm 22:27-30

There will come a day when no one will smugly proclaim that God does not exist. The ability to question the reality of God is a gift from God so that we can love Him of our own free will. So don't be frustrated by atheists. God willingly allows men not to believe in Him.

What an amazing love God has for men. He hides Himself so that we may freely choose to love Him. Then when we do turn our hearts to Jesus He sends the Holy Spirit to fill us and lead us on the path.

Some believe that we really have no choice, and that God has determined in advance who will follow Him. A fundamental problem with that view is that it violates the nature of love and the fact that God made man in His own image. It is the choice of man that makes Him much like God. The redemptive love of Jesus was a choice that God made. The eternal companionship of the saved with the Son was a choice of the Father.

God has chosen you to be His child, but you must also choose Him to be your Father. When you do God will no longer be hidden from you. When you love Jesus He will be hidden in you!

See His Glory!

Listen to this blog.

When we told you about the power and the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were not telling clever stories someone had made up. But with our own eyes we saw his true greatness. God, our great and wonderful Father, truly honored him by saying, “This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him.”

We were there with Jesus on the holy mountain and heard this voice speak from heaven.

All of this makes us even more certain that what the prophets said is true. So you should pay close attention to their message, as you would to a lamp shining in some dark place. You must keep on paying attention until daylight comes and the morning star rises in your hearts.

2 Peter 1:16-19

Many of the days with Jesus were apparently ordinary days for Peter and the other disciples. They heard Jesus teach and they even saw miracles, but the day Jesus took Peter, James and John up on the mountain and was transfigured before them was different.

It was a high mark in Peter's memory because it confirmed what the Prophets had said as well. You see Peter also saw Moses and Elijah there with Jesus. It was indeed an amazing experience and one that Peter never forgot.

Every follower of Jesus has one or more of those "Jesus is Real" moments. It is when the reality of Heaven and the truth of God's Word overwhelms you. It puts everything else in its proper place.

I'm sure that as the years passed on toward the day Peter would leave this world to go and be with Jesus he must have thought about that day on the mountain often. It was the day when he heard God's voice, saw Jesus radiate with glory and stood in the presence of Moses and Elijah.

Each of us has a day when we became certain that Jesus is real. It helps me in my walk with Jesus today to remember that day.

"Lord, as the days draw closer to either Your return to this earth, or my departure from it help me to remember the times that I have seen Your Glory. It is that same Glory that I will see again on the day that You come or the day that I go! Amen."

The Dead Sea Lives!

Listen to this blog.

The man took me back to the temple, where I saw a stream flowing from under the entrance. It began in the south part of the temple, where it ran past the altar and continued east through the courtyard.

We walked out of the temple area through the north gate and went around to the east gate. I saw the small stream of water flowing east from the south side of the gate.

The man walked east, then took out his measuring stick and measured 500 meters downstream. He told me to wade through the stream there, and the water came up to my ankles. Then he measured another 500 meters downstream, and told me to wade through it there. The water came up to my knees. Another 500 meters downstream the water came up to my waist. Another 500 meters downstream, the stream had become a river that could be crossed only by swimming.

The man said, “Ezekiel, son of man, pay attention to what you've seen.”

We walked to the riverbank,  where I saw dozens of trees on each side.

The man said: This water flows eastward to the Jordan River valley and empties into the Dead Sea, where it turns the salt water into fresh water.  Wherever this water flows, there will be all kinds of animals and fish, because it will bring life and fresh water to the Dead Sea.

Ezekiel 47:1-9

The Dead Sea is the lowest spot on earth that is still above ground. It is reported to be 1388 feet below sea level. And unless it is flooded with fresh water, which happens rarely, nothing lives in the Dead Sea.

The stream of water that flows from the Throne of God will bring life, even to the Dead Sea. Does this prophecy in Ezekiel have a literal fulfillment or is it talking about the water of life that resurrects men from spiritual death and the prospect of Hell?

The living water that comes from the throne of God brings life to everything it touches.  Nothing can remain dead after it is bathed in that water.  Just as getting into a pool of water sometimes brought healing, the water of life resurrects every dead thing on which it flows.

"Lord, may your water flow into every part of my heart and life so that nothing in me will be dead, but everything will be alive in You.  May the fresh water of Your Spirit flood my life that men may see the life You give to all who call on the Name of Jesus"

Dragons on Your Church!

Listen to this blog.

Because of what Jesus said, many of his disciples turned their backs on him and stopped following him.  Jesus then asked his twelve disciples if they also were going to leave him.  Simon Peter answered, “Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life.

John 6:66-68

The story is told that when Norwegians began building church buildings they put dragon heads on the corners just in case Christianity was not able to ward off the evil spirits. From today's perspective it seems like a very foolish thing.

But don't be too quick to criticize. Do you have a support system to back up Jesus in case He fails to take care of you? Do you have a large insurance policy because you believe God will not take care of your family if you were to die? Have you stored up lots of financial resources for your retirement?

Are you confident that if you lived the rest of your life without God in it you would still have plenty of this world's goods to take care of your needs? Or are you so dependent on God that you have no back up plan and no dragons on the corners of your church.

I think we are all tempted to put dragons on the corners of our lives to protect us from whatever God is not able to do.

So here is today's challenge. Check out the corners of your life and see if you have set up anything to take care of you if God fails! If you have a backup system for God, take it down. God will not fail you if you trust completely in Him. You do not need dragons on the corners of your church or on the corners of your life!