Category Archives: Blog

A Hebrews 11 Kind Of Hero

Posted on Dec 2, 2015 | Download

A lot of people have different chapters of the Bible that are their favorite. I would say most people really enjoy the book of Hebrews and specifically chapter eleven. The subject of Faith is an obvious cornerstone in our life as a believer. This chapter in Hebrews brings great definition to faith and adds to it wonderful biblical examples of those who have gone before us who have exemplified great faith. Towards the end of the chapter, the writer of Hebrews seems to save a special section for those who seemed to give it all. Those who in the face of all adversity and dire circumstances laid their life down for Jesus. Many people refer to these as the “Great Heroes of the Faith”. People who in faith, literally gave all for the surpassing knowledge of Christ. Here is how the text reads picking up in Hebrews 11:35-40. Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains,dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. I have met a lot of wonderful believers during my lifetime. People who will have truckloads of crowns to lay at the feet of Jesus when they go to heaven. However, in my 34 years of living, I feel that I have only had one encounter with a person that screamed Hebrews 11. I was living in China at the time, but I was on a ministry trip to Cambodia and Laos. After spending several days in Cambodia, my ministry partner and I flew into Vientiane, Laos. We found a taxi and he zoomed us off to our hotel. We got to the hotel, got checked in and then started getting situated in our room. Once settled, we were relaxing before our evening dinner and meeting and we hear a knock on the door and someone come in. I look up and somewhat nervously look around the corner to see who it is. In comes a middle-aged, white man who is a little on the skinny side, dressed in very casual jeans and a t-shirt. He yells out my ministry partners name and my friend looks up with an expression of amazement on his face. They greet each other in the middle of the room and I can quickly gather that they go way back. My friend turns and introduces this new guy to me. I greet him and then I begin to hear the story of how these guys know each other. It turns out that their paths had crossed multiple times in the missions world. My friend had been living and serving Jesus in China for 20+ years. This other man had been in and out of China and Southeast Asia for almost just as long. As they talked about missions and what our visitor is currently doing, I felt the Holy Spirit pressing upon me that this man who just walked into our rooms is one of the Heroes. One of the Hebrews 11 Heroes. He opens his mouth and begins to describe in a very humble way all that he is doing and been through to distribute the bible to literally the darkest places in the world. From interrogation to persecution to staying hidden for weeks and months at a time. He has had passports taken from him, documentation destroyed and the list goes on and on. Yet, he continues to find ways to get Gods word into peoples hands in the most hostile places in China and Southeast Asia. It was a surreal moment. It was a God moment that marked me for the rest of my life. I knew that I was truly in the presence of a Modern Day Hero on this earth. No one will ever know his name. He will never be on Tv. You will never read one of his books. But, he is exactly who I think of when I read through Hebrews 11. I will never forget him and pray for those that are like him around the world! May they continue to press on towards the ultimate prize!!

Why We End Our Prayers With, “In Jesus Name, Amen.”

Posted on Nov 24, 2015 | Download

Every good Christian knows if you do not end your prayers with, “In Jesus name, Amen,” God probably won’t hear you. Just kidding. But when tradition become, well traditional, it eventually becomes routine, and then its purpose becomes assumed, and finally, forgotten. So what is the purpose of these four words at the end of our prayers? Does it give a better chance at getting a favorable answer? Is it like abracadabra? Or just a nice signature, like when writing a letter: “Sincerely yours, Barry White.” "In Jesus Name." Every time we say these three words at the end of our prayers we are proclaiming the good news of the gospel. Ephesians 3:12 says that through Jesus, “We have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him,” before the throne of God. Without Christ we are sinners, enemies of God (Col. 1:21), under His wrath (Ephesians 2:3). We have no access to God on our own. But when we say “In Jesus Name,” even at the dinner table, we are reminded that through Christ, we have the access to talk to God. He is our Father. Jesus has given us “the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). In John 14:13 Jesus says, “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” So do not leave out the most important part of your prayer. Through Christ, and Christ alone, you have the right to approach God and ask for anything, or even simply to thank him for the food he has provided for you. "Amen." Amen is kind of an obscure one. If you do a search for “Amen” in the Bible it shows up in a strange variety of places. For example... “‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’" (Deut. 27:18) “Blessed be the Lord forever! Amen and Amen” (Psalm 89:52). “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Romans 11:36). Ironically, it is least often used in the Bible at the end of a prayer. But there are examples like, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen,” (Galatians 6:18). The word means “truth” or “it is true.” (That is the reason some people say Amen during the sermon at church). In Revelation 3:17 Jesus himself is called “The Amen.” He is the embodiment of truth. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Everything he says is truth. That is why Peter said, ” You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:67). Very often when Jesus would teach he would begin with, “Truly, Truly, I say to you…” And some versions translate it, “Amen, Amen, I say to you…” Say Amen when you hear or pray or read the truth of God. The most common use of the word Amen in the Bible is right after a declaration of God’s glory, ”To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”   This post was written by Ken Reid. For more great content from Ken, visit his site: HonestChristian.org.

Pray for Syria

Posted on Nov 18, 2015 | Download

Many of us are aware of the tragic civil war and unrest that has been going on in Syria for the last almost half decade. It seems almost daily that we hear of more and more Syrians fleeing their country to escape the horrible terrors brought on by war and terrorism. Now we are hearing the number of refugees has gone beyond 10 million. Obviously, when you are seeking refuge this can put you in a very vulnerable place, especially for the women and children. I’am not in anyway an expert on this issue, nor do I claim to be. I have read several mainstream articles like the rest of you from a variety of news outlets. The purpose of this post is to help guide our prayer for Syria, the refugees and on a larger scale the middle-east. Below I have listed what I’m calling a Top 10 prayer list for this crisis. If we stand together in prayer, we are assured that God will hear our prayer and move on behalf of those are in desperate place. 1. Pray for peace – In the midst of tragedy that the the peace that comes from the Creator will pass all understanding in their personal life. May their also be an expedited process to civil rest and governmental peace in this nation. 2. Pray for protection – Specifically for the innocent and the civilians we pray they would be supernaturally protected in all ways. 3. Pray for salvation – That the goodness of God would touch the people of this nation through dreams, visions, encounters etc.. And that many more thousands would come to know Jesus personally! 4. Pray for the innocent – For those who are being treated completely unfairly and unjustly that God would show them through any means the life of Jesus and how He can relate! 5. Pray for those who are mourning due to great loss – That God would bring great comfort and encouragement to those who have seen and experience such horrific loss. 6. Pray for Life over death – That the devils way of death would be thwarted and destroyed and the LIFE of Jesus would invade peoples lives and hearts, including national leaders. 7. Pray for light over darkness – That as darkness seems to prevail the the light of Christ and his hope would shine even brighter in a super natural way! 8. Pray for victory over defeat – As all around these people see defeat, we pray that true Victory, eternal victory would invade their hearts and minds and give them hope! 9. Pray for the reconnecting of families – With many families being separated, we pray for the reconnecting and joining together of families and that during this time of waiting they would remain hopeful and encouraged. 10. Pray HIS kingdom come, HIS will be done – Ultimately, we want nothing more than Gods Kingdom to come and will to be done in this situation and in this nation as it is in Heaven. Come Lord Jesus, Come!

The Words of Eternal Life

Posted on Nov 11, 2015 | Download

John 6 Jesus just gave the very controversial message that His Body and His blood were the true food. The multitudes following Him began to complain and question the validity of His authority. The topic was just too much for them and many turned away and deserted Him. Jesus turns to the 12 and asks, "Are you also going to leave?" I love Simon Peter's response: "Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life." Some days this is exactly how I feel. His Words are so much better than anything the world could offer me. Even when I might not understand all that the Spirit is trying to teach me. Even when I feel like I can't grasp the true depths of His words. Even when the world turns away and calls Jesus (and His followers) crazy. To whom would we go when we've already tasted and seen? To whom could we turn to that could satisfy us like Jesus? At the end of the day and all the struggles, one thing remains....He who has the Son has life. To quote the rest of Peter's response: "We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God." We have Jesus. We have life!

Small Steps To Stand!

Posted on Aug 11, 2015 | Download

Yesterday I was out buying some shoes with the boys. I remembered reading that Nike was one of the big supporters of Planned Parenthood and mentioned to Aidan that I would rather not buy products that I know the profits help fund abortions. We believe life begins at conception. No question. This conviction has little to do with a woman's right. It has to do with truth and standing for what you believe is morally right, regardless of popular opinion. This topic was news to my boys. While they know what abortions are I had not told them about the recent disturbing news of PP. So standing there in the middle of a shoe aisle I explained to the boys why I would rather not support them. I also let them know that I would no longer be drinking Starbucks. Aidan immediately asked what other companies are known supporters. So we stopped and looked them up and were shocked to learn that many of the products we buy support PP.  The moment was incredibly somber and tearful. The boys asked, "Mom, what clothes can we buy? What shoes can we wear? What phone service can we use? Everything seems touched by evil." What a lesson for my kids. And for me. We talked about awareness being the key. Educating ourselves then acting upon what we know. Start somewhere and take a stand for what you believe in. Even though we feel like we've been caught up in a huge snowball that is careening out of control, it doesn't mean we can't start digging our way out, one shovel at a time. The PP trail will be a long, slippery one and most likely as tearful as peeling an onion. But we've started the journey and we don't want to be herded like cattle along a path that leads to deception and compromise. For our family, we are starting with what we know. Taking small steps to stand for what we believe in. Our actions may not cause a huge corporation to stop supporting evil practices but it teaches and trains our hearts to fight for what we know is right, in subtle ways that don't require yelling at people or debating with a deceived world. "Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked." 1 Timothy 1:19

Tell The Story

Posted on Jul 21, 2015 | Download

Today, I spoke with a young lady in her time of crisis. In my efforts to encourage her with God’s Word, it became very clear that she was completely unfamiliar with the Gospel. Out of curiosity, I asked her if she was familiar with John 3:16. She said no. I quoted it thinking it would jog her memory. Nope….  This young lady apologized for not knowing more. She shared with me that she went to church when she was a little girl and even went to a Christian School for a while. I told her not to apologize for not knowing and asked her if she would like me to share the Gospel with her. She said yes. I went all the way back to the Garden of Eden and Adam and Eve’s disobedience. Fortunately, she was familiar with that story.  It took about 10 minutes to paint a picture of the Life God has promised every person, sins ability to keep us away from that life and the forgiveness of sin that is provided in the person and work of Jesus Christ. She had truly never heard this message. She just looked at me and listened intently. I had to work hard to simplify the message of the cross knowing that what I shared could change this girls life forever. Even in the telling, I became more excited about the ‘purity and simplicity’ of the Gospel. (2 Corinthians 11:3)  My story is not unlike hers. I have vague memories of going to church when I was very little. After divorce and disillusionment, my family stopped going. I did not grow up hearing the Gospel. God was not talked about. I can’t recall any prayer in my home. Later, in my teenage years, my understanding of God, Jesus and church was “…that is what all the ‘prudes’ are in to.”  Yet all the while ignorant, I was miserable  My two best friends went to two of the main denominational churches in my hometown. They were both active in their Youth Groups. They knew that I did not go to church and was not a Christian. I was very immoral. Never once did they confront my lifestyle. Perhaps it was because they were living it with me? God was never part of the conversation. Jesus was never part of the equation. I didn’t know the Gospel.  I have distinct memories of spending the night my very best friend and watching him read the bible for a few minutes before we would go to bed after a night of ‘festivities’. Every now and then, I would go to Sunday School and church the next day with him. I would sit there with many others I went to school with. No one ever spoke to me about the Gospel. Did they know I was miserable? No, but they knew I was lost.  I am thankful for my wife, Melissa, for taking the time to share the Gospel with me my senior year of High School. Though I did not understand everything, what seemed to be very clear was, “I am miserably lost, but I don’t have to be!” Two years later, I surrendered my life to Christ. Today, I am privileged to serve God by preaching His Word and helping others live the life He has called them to live.  My encounter with this young lady has reminded me how important it is to offer hope through the Gospel; to take a chance and tell the story. We must not take for granted that those around us have truly heard and understand the Gospel. We need to prepare to share. It is important to be mindful that those we are sharing with may know less than we think about the person and work of Christ.  We must also be patient and pray! It took me two years for me to give my life to Christ, but when I did, it took! I did not pressure the girl in my story to become a Christian right then and there. I gave her a Bible and encouraged her to read the book of John until our next meeting. I also gave her “Ten Steps Towards Christ” by Jimmy Evans and asked her to read that as well. My hope is that she will surrender her life to Christ very soon!  One last thing... a powerful tool for every Believer would be a 5-10 minute telling of the Gospel in a simplified way that includes your personal testimony. Write it out. Keep it in your bible. Read it once a week. Memorize it. Most importantly…Share it!  Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;

Your Bridge

Posted on Feb 26, 2015 | Download

According to the Webster's dictionary, A bridge is "a structure carrying a pathway or roadway over a depression or obstacle." As I was spending time with the Lord one morning, He kept showing me a bridge. I felt the question lingering from Him to me: What is your bridge?  Am I your bridge?  I wanted to say, "Yes." I wanted to say, "Always."  Yet, I know that sometimes I do not allow Him to be my bridge. I try to handle difficult things myself, and come to Him last. I took my children for a walk that morning through our neighborhood and as I walked, the Lord spoke to me about it again. He gently asked, "What is your bridge?" So I came home and looked up the definition of the word bridge. A bridge is 'a structure carrying a pathway or roadway over a depression or obstacle'.  Sometimes, I run into obstacles in my thought life. I have a tendency to dwell on things that do not edify my spirit. On Sundays, I wake up and long to walk through the fields and touch the noses of the horses. Smell the familiar smells of the barn... and my youngest daughter is a lot like me in that regard.  One night, her and I sat coloring together at the table, and she was sharing with me how much she missed our horses. I watched the tears in her little eyes and I longed for nothing more than to put her pony in our little yard. Of course I can't. But I wanted to bless her. I wanted to take her sadness away. I know the Lord feels the same way about each of us. He wants to fix the things that bring us sadness. He wants to hold us in His arms when we cry. He wants to be our Bridge. That night, I declared to the Lord, " You are my bridge. I will allow you to take me over to the other side." I am reminded of Philippians 4:8. It says, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Maybe you run into obstacles in your thought life or in other areas. I pray this verse over you, friend. Set your mind on things above and allow God to be your bridge. I would so much rather take The Bridge then trudge through the cold water or dangerous obstacles. Wouldn't you?

Paperwhites were emerging from their buried bulbs

Posted on Jan 9, 2015 | Download

We've had a few consecutive days here in Texas of rain, cold, and general lack of sunlight.  We gardeners tend to get a little antsy about when Spring will finally arrive.  We want to go play in the dirt! But when the soil is this saturated, digging in it will only compact it and ruin the structure of oxygen and microbes. Thankfully, today as I took out our kitchen compost, I realized that all this rain is doing something beautiful on its own. (more…)

Our Incredible Worth

Posted on Dec 23, 2014 | Download

Sometimes I feel like I am not really that valuable and useful and wonder if people would miss me if I were gone. I love it when I see something that happens in my daily routine of doing chores that speaks to me that I can share with others to help them. Jesus gave us stories that gave meaning in life. Hopefully this story will speak to you. (more…)

Encourage one another

Posted on Dec 22, 2014 | Download

Our words. They hold the power of life or death. Thoughts drain swiftly from our minds and swirl down the short passage to our mouths. In an instant we have the ability to build up. Or tear down. As with most things in our lives, we are faced with a choice. Restrain or release? (more…)

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