If Jesus came to your house…what would you do, what would you hide?

If Jesus came to your house
To spend some time with you,
If He came unexpected,
I wonder what you’d do.

Oh, I know you’d give your nicest room
To such an honored guest
And all the food you’d give to Him
Would be the very best.

And you would keep assuring Him
You’re glad to have Him there–
That serving Him in your home
Is joy beyond compare.

But when you saw Him coming,
Would you meet Him at the door
With arms outstretched in welcome
To your heavenly visitor?

Or would you have to change your clothes
Before you let Him in
Or hide some magazines
And put the Bible where they’d been

Would you hide your worldly music
and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right
in, or would you rush about?

And I wonder – if the Saviour
spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing, the
things you always do?

Would you go right on saying, the
things you always say?
Or would life for you continue
as it does from day to day?

Would you take Jesus with you
everywhere you go?
Or would you maybe change your
plans for just a day or so?

Would you be glad to have Him
meet your closest friends?
Or would you hope they stay away,
until His visit ends?

Would you be glad to have Him
stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great
relief when He at last was gone?

It might be interesting to know,
the things that you would do,
If Jesus came in person, to spend
some time with you.

Where is God?

Have you  heard of the madman who lit a lamp in the bright morning and went to the marketplace cyelling at the top of his lungs, “I seek God! I seek God!” There were many among those standing there who didn’t believe in God so he made them laugh. “Is God lost?” one of them said. “Has he gone astray like a child?” said another. “Or is he hiding? Has he gone on board ship and emigrated?” So they laughed and shouted to one another. The man sprang into their midst and shot daggers out of his eyes at them. “Where is God?” he cried. “I will tell you. We have killed him–you and I We are all his killers! But how have we done this? How could we swallow up the sea? Who gave us the sponge to wipe away the horizon? What will we do as the earth is set loose from its sun?”  Friedrich Nietzsche, 1889

Nietzsche’s point was not that God does not exist, but that God has become irrelevant. Men and women may assert that God exists or that He does not, but it makes little difference either way. God is dead not because He doesn’t exist, but because we live, play, procreate, govern, and die as though He doesn’t.

Where is God in your life today? Has he been pushed out by worldly habits? By the pleasures of the world? Where is He in your life? If you aren’t feeling God’s presence as strong as you would like, check out the verses below to possibly regain your perspective on God.

1 Corinthians 8:6 Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Ephesians 4:6 One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,

Malachi 2:10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the covenant of our fathers?

Matthew 23:9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.

John 14:9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.

7 Questions for Christian Self-Examination

Our physical lives need routine check-ups to see that we are healthy and to prevent and see health problems before they become a major threat to our lives.  Our spiritual lives need to have the same scrutiny to problems as well and require self-examination in order to purge the unhealthy tendencies we have and replace them with the habits that God desires.

Here are 7 Questions to evaluate where you are in the Christian life:

1. Am I praying with faith?
I could have asked, “Am I praying?”  That would be a good question, but this question goes further.  In Luke 18, Jesus teaches us that we ought always to pray.  Then at the end of that teaching he asks a question:  “When the son of man comes will he find faith on the earth?”  Notice, He doesn’t ask, “Will the son of man find prayer on the earth?” but “Will the son of man find faith on the earth?”  Why?  Because what matters is not that I am saying my prayers, like the Pharisees did, and like millions of people in all religions around the world do.

What matters is that I’m praying with faith.  Do I have confidence in God to do more than I can do?  Or have I wandered into the spiritual wasteland of evaluating everything in terms of what I see as humanly possible—the easiest thing to do when you’ve been a Christian for 10, 20, 30 years.

LifeKey: Praying with Faith

2. Am I serving with zeal?
I take this question straight from the Scriptures.  Romans 12:8 says “The one who leads,” must lead “with zeal.”  There’s something about passion here, something about vision and something about direction.  The leader must care passionately about where he or she is going.  1 Peter 5:2 says to leaders, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers, not because you must but because you are willing as God wants you to be.”

In the film, Parenthood, Steve Martin plays an overworked father trying to do his best for a family under pressure. One day he quits his job, and when he gets home, he finds the kids running wild and his wife tells him that she is pregnant.  He does not react well.  Then when it’s time to take his son to a baseball game, his wife wants to talk and she says, “Do you have to?”  He says, “My whole life is ‘have to.’”  You’ve been there, and so have I.  But that’s not a place from which we can lead others. Are you serving with zeal?

3. Am I believing with confidence?
God says that “the gospel… is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).  Do I believe that?  Do I believe that when I pray for an unbelieving friend or relative?  Do I believe that God is able to save them through the Gospel?

When I struggle with a powerful temptation, with a habit that is difficult to overcome, do I believe that God is able to deliver me through the Gospel?  When I become tired, get discouraged, begin to wonder how long I can continue, do I believe that the God who saved me is able to keep me?

4. Am I confessing with humility? Martin Luther said “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said ‘Repent,’ He meant that the whole life of a believer should be repentance.”  Christ calls us, not to a prayer of repentance, but to a life of repentance, a life of turning ever more fully to Jesus Christ.

A life of repentance is not a life of misery, but a life of growth.  It’s a life in which the Holy Spirit is constantly opening your eyes to how you can take the next step in becoming more like Jesus.  A process of examination like this may begin to connect this reality with your life now.

A Christian is a person who has light to see what there needs to be less of and what there needs to be more of in his or her life.  This leads to a life of confession, in which you see your sins and your failings, and you keep bringing them under the blood of Christ.

When you live life like this, you don’t waste your life in the shallow water of compromised obedience, instead you launch out into the deep oceans of following Christ.  Can you name a sin that you have confessed in the last week?  In the last month?

LifeKey: Where Confidence Meets Humility

5. Am I worshipping with joy?I come to worship.  Do I participate or do I observe?  In the presence of Jesus, there will not be a single person with their arms folded, listening to the angels and observing the worship.  We will all sing.  We will all shout for joy.  Ask yourself, “Am I worshipping with joy?”  If not, why not?

Video: What is Worship? How Should a Christian Prepare Himself for Worship?

6. Am I giving with gladness?
Giving is an indicator of love within marriage.  A marriage that’s marked by withholding is not healthy.  Giving is also an indicator of your love for Christ and your love for the bride of Christ.  “I work to earn money that I gladly give to the bride.”  Is that true of me?  Or am I tiring of that?

7. Am I reaching out with love?
Here we are in a world of need, and some Christians are stretched out in sacrifice, so that lost people on their way to an eternal darkness may see the light of Christ through the Gospel and be saved.  What about you?

Would Jesus get more attention on the National Enquirer?

One of the things that I find interesting about blogging, or preaching is that the more controversial the topic, the more people will read it. That’s why I titled today’sblog like I did. If you post something about homosexuality or abortion you’ll get tons of hits, but if you post something about salvation and how to share Jesus with others, all you’ll get is a yawn.

Why do we seek controversial subject instead of sound theological teaching? I mean you have to have a sound understanding of what the Bible says and teaches before you can argue a point don’t you? Well maybe not. Maybe some Chirstians are more concerned with trying to prove a point than seeing others come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

So having said this, I have an idea. Let’s photoshop a portrait of Jesus on the cover on a National Enquirer, and slap a crazy headline on it and see how many Chrsitians start talking about Him then. OK, so we all know I’m kidding about this, but maybe we need to become as passionant about Jesus as the rag papers are about their crazy stories. Maybe if silly fictional papers can gain an audience like they do by printing junk stories, we can become more engaging with how we tell others about the basics of Christianity instead of wanting to become entagled in worldly controversies.

As I type this, I can just see people wondering how I got off on this tangent. I guess it’s just because I honestly want people to know the peace of jesus, not to argue and bicker over silly matters that have nothing to do with our salvation.

Below you’ll find a list of verses that tell us why worrying about silly things is not what we should be focusing on. I don’t care how long you’ve been walking with the Lord, you can neve have enough of good old fashioned basic teaching of salvation.

2 Timothy 2:23-25 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,

Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.

Proverbs 16:28 A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends.

James 3:14-16 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Proverbs 29:22 A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression.

Proverbs 26:20 For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.

Jesus’ Death – 60 seconds to understand

Jesus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For the next 60 seconds,
set aside whatever you’re doing and
take this opportunity!
Let’s see if Satan can stop this.

THE (SCIENTIFIC) DEATH OF JESUS
At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death penalty.

At the time crucifixion was the “worst” death. Only the worst criminals
condemned to be crucified. Yet it was even more dreadful for

Jesus unlike other criminals condemned to death by crucifixion,

Jesus was to be nailed to the cross by His hands and feet.

Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long.

The nails were driven into His wrist.
Not into His palms as is commonly portrayed.
There’s a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder.
The Roman guards knew that when the nails
were being hammered into the wrist,
that tendon would tear and break, forcing Jesus
to use His back muscles to support himself
so that He could breathe.

Both of His feet were nailed together.
Thus He was forced to support Himself on the single nail
that impaled His feet to the cross.
Jesus could not support himself with His legs
because of the pain, so He was forced to alternate
between arching His back then using his legs just to continue to breathe.
Imagine the struggle, the pain, the suffering, the courage.

Jesus endured this reality for over 3 hours.

Yes, over 3 hours!
Can you imagine this kind of suffering?
A few minutes before He died,
Jesus stopped bleeding.
He was simply pouring water from his wounds.

From common images, we see wounds to His hands
and feet and even the spear wound to His side…
But do we realize His wounds were actually made in his body.
A hammer driving large nails through the wrist,
the feet overlapped and an even large nail
hammered through the arches,
then a Roman guard piercing His side with a spear.
But before the nails and the spear,
Jesus was whipped and beaten.
The whipping was so severe that it tore the flesh from His body.
The beating so horrific that His face was torn
and his beard ripped from His face.
The crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp.
Most men would not have survived this torture.

He had no more blood to bleed out,
only water poured from His wounds.
The human adult body contains about 3.5 liters
(just less than a gallon) of blood.

Jesus poured all 3.5 liters of his blood;
He had three nails hammered into His members;
a crown of thorns on His head and, beyond that,
a Roman soldier who stabbed a spear into His chest.

All these without mentioning the humiliation
He passed after carrying His own cross for almost 2 kilometers,
while the crowd spat in his face and threw stones
(the cross was almost 30 kg of weight, only for its higher part,
where His hands were nailed).

Jesus had to endure this experience,
so that we can have free access to God.

So that our sins could be “washed” away.
All of them, with no exception!

JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR US!

He died for us! It is easy to pass jokes
and false witness statements by e-mail,
but when it comes to God,
sometimes we feel ashamed to forward to others
because we are worried of what
they may think about us.

60 seconds with God…

For the next 60 seconds, set aside what you’re doing
and take this opportunity!

Your life’s work…do you know what it is?

Jesus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29 ESV)

Have you ever had someone ask you what your life’s work is, or what type of work you would like to spend the rest of your life doing? That can be a difficult question, especially today, when the average worker will have had 10-14 jobs by the age of 38! We quickly move from task to task, even job to job, and often times there is little sense of continuity. But even so, Jesus’ answer to the question, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” (John 6:28), is still the same in this age of rapid change: “believe in him whom he has sent.” So the primary, overarching work of our life is believing in Jesus Christ, and walking as he walked. That is our daily agenda. So no matter what job you find yourself in, you still have your life’s work at hand, believing in him who was sent.

Is your view of Jesus high enough, realizing your life’s primary purpose is to believe and become like him?

How have you served others lately?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me- Matthew 25:40There are many of Jesus‘ instructions that we show by our actions we have not fully comprehended or considered — or even believed.He exhorts us “take no thought for tomorrow” and yet we worry ourselves to death. He promises “my yoke is easy” and yet we prefer to labor under our own. He says, “If you love me, keep my commandments” and yet we ever strive to separate the two. He warns “you cannot serve God and money” and yet we always try to join the two.

But perhaps the revelation which is most widely ignored is this: if you do anything for the least of Jesus’ brethren, it is as if you have done it to Jesus. Do you live like that is true?

Have you visited dingy, smelly nursing homes; given to foreign evangelism; reached out to broken addicts; taught your children the Bible — all as if you were doing it to Jesus? So often we hurry by the hurting faces of Jesus’ brothers and sisters because we consider them beneath us. And yet King Jesus says, “you have done it to me.”

Did you wake up this morning with the realization that today you could do something to minister directly to Jesus? Let that revelation sink in. Live like you take Jesus’ statement seriously. Help the hurting, dust the furniture, teach the Bible, give to the needy, encourage the downcast just the way you would if Jesus was the One you were encountering today. Because he is.

Why do people fall away from God?

God’s word gives many warnings against that which would cause us to fall away from Him. Ultimately people fall away from God when they stop loving Him more than anything. There are going to be billions of people in Hell, but there is one group of people who will not be there – those that loved the Lord with every ounce of their being. These are the ones who saw Jesus Christ and their Father in Heaven as everything to them – more than any trial, temptation or pleasure – the Lord is everything. Never stop seeking to make Jesus Christ everything to you.

Below are some passages which give us warnings not to fall away from our Lord, and reasons why some people do. (The question of whether those who fall away were ever the Lord’s to begin with is a different issue).

THEY LOSE THEIR JOY IN THE LORD

Mark 4:16 – “In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; 4:17 and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away.”

THEY CANNOT ENDURE PERSECUTION

Matthew 24:9 – “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. 24:10 ”At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.”

THEY CANNOT ENDURE TEMPTATION

Luke 8:13 – “Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.”

THEY FALL IN LOVE WITH THE WORLD

Mark 4:18 “And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, 4:19   but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”

THEY BELIEVE FALSE PROPHETS AND BAD DOCTRINE

1 Timothy 4:1 “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons”

Matthew 24:11  “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.

24:12   “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.

24:13   “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.”

THEY STOPPED LOVING THE LORD MORE THAN ANYTHING

Revelation 3:16 “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”

Revelation 2:4 “ ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

2:5   ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place–unless you repent.”

Some amazing quotes for the end of an awesome Sunday.

It shall greatly help you to understand Scripture if thou mark not only what is spoken or written - but of whom - and to whom - with what words - at what time - where - to what intent - with what circumstances - considering what goeth before - and what followeth

Author: John Wycliff

I can seldom read scripture now without tears of joy and gratitude

Author: Hudson Taylor

(After losing his beloved wife, Hudson Taylor wrote in his journal) Love gave the blow that for a little while makes the desert more dreary, but Heaven more homelike

Author: Hudson Taylor

Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.

Author: C.S. Lewis :

Five minutes after you die you’ll know how you should have lived.

Author: Leonard Ravenhill

If I might be the means of saving one soul I should prefer it to all the riches and honor in the world

Author: Asahel Nettleton

In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Author: Jesus Christ

What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Author: Jesus Christ

If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

Author: Jesus Christ

There are only two days on my calendar… today and the day of judgment

Author: Martin Luther

Some people do not like to hear much of repentance; but I think it is so necessary that if I should die in the pulpit, I would desire to die preaching repentance, and if out of the pulpit I would desire to die practicing it.

Author: Matthew Henry

A woman rushed up to famed violinist Fritz Kreisler after a concert and cried: “I’d give my life to play as beautifully as you do.” Kreisler replied, “I did.” Even nature teaches us that results require long, hard, patient, careful work. The Christian life is no different.

Author: Anonymous

No one can come to me unless the Father draws him.

Author: Jesus Christ

Only Christ could build a bridge to God with only two pieces of wood.

Author: Anonymous

Very few people have the grace of being special without also being aware of that specialness. But in Heaven the lowest Christian will be a king, and he can enjoy all the honors of royalty without vanity or pride.

Author: Michael Phillips

Unless I am convicted by Scripture and plain reason-I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other-my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.

Author: Martin Luther

Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

Author: Jesus Christ

Upon a life I did not live, upon a death I did not die; another’s life, another’s death, I stake my whole eternity.

Author: Horatius Bonar

Oh! how amazing it is that people can talk so much about men’s power and goodness, when if God did not hold us back every moment, we should be devils incarnate!

Author: David Brainerd

Is what you’re living for worth Christ dying for?

Author: Epitaph of Leonard Ravenhill

Though He Slay Me, Yet Will I Trust in Him

Author: Job

I love to live on the brink of eternity.

Author: David Brainerd

Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

Author: Asaph

You know they boasted about the Titanic, that it was the one ship that could not be sunk. Somebody said ‘God Almighty can’t sink this ship’ You can be pretty sure when somebody says something like that it’s going to sink on it’s first voyage. But there is one ship that isn’t going to sink.. and that’s the church

Author: Zac Poonen

The Church life…

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace- Ephesians 4:3

Deep in the word endeavor is the idea of effort, struggle, taking pains to reach a specific goal. For the church of Jesus Christ to succeed and be a witness in the world for good, it is necessary that we try, to the point of exhaustion, for peace and unity within the body. We are never to give up this noble goal.

Too often we are ready at the smallest provocatio to give up, or to beat up, on another member of the church. We take offense and so we give offense. But that is not the way followers of Christ — who was slapped, beaten, scourged, and killed without ever striking back — are to behave ourselves.

Through the strength of the Spirit of Christ, which is in each of his children and which empowers the church as a whole, we know that we can overcome any obstacle, forgive any offense, release any grudge, and love any sinner. It is this Spirit-led, Spirit-induced unity — not the false unity of spiritual compromise or false pretenses — that we are to labor for with supernatural determination and exertion.

So, who do you need to forgive right now? What effort do you need to make towards reconciliation with a brother or sister? Do it now for Christ’s sake.