Which Side of the Cross Are You On?

There were two men that were hung the day that Jesus was crucified. On one side there was a man who mocked Jesus and said things like "If you be the son of God then save yourself" and on the other side a man was hanging who said "Lord, remember me when you enter into your Kingdom."Which side of the cross are you on? This is a question that everyone needs to ask themselves.

Neither of these men were good, they were both very bad men. The only difference between them was their response to Jesus. How have you responded to Jesus death, burial and resurrection? Are you the one who is mocking God and making fun? I had a guy tell me once "I've heard the Jesus story, some guy came down from heaven to save some Jews and nobody liked Him so they killed Him! He's dead now!" Wow, that's dangerous territory.

Did you know that not one of us are good? NOT One!

For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God's laws. James 2:10

So let me help you with this.
Ever stole anything?
How about tell a lie? I don't care how small it was, God said it's wrong!
Ever have lustful thoughts? Well, Jesus said that if you have, you have committed adultery! Well... that just threw a bunch of us in there, there ain't no one standing behind you, so just admit your not a good person and let's move on.

OK... So I'm not a good person, so now what? Well if we look at the story of these two men who were not good either we find something very interesting.

Both thieves were guilty.

Both were equally near to Christ.

Both saw and heard what happened during those fateful 6 hrs.

Both were suffering severely.

Both were dying and needed forgiveness.

But, One, recognized his need – and one didn't.

Do you recognize your need? One asked for worldly, "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us" the other for eternal "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Many of us will spend our whole life asking for worldly things and never really get to what we really need and that is some Eternal Work.

The guy who asked to be remembered was saved, Jesus told him "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."  

Now this is what I find really awesome and it may make some people upset to hear it.

This guy was saved and he couldn't walk the straight and narrow, for his feet were bound.

He couldn't perform any good works, his hands were tied.

He couldn't turn over a new leaf, he was dying.

He couldn't join a church our give any offering, he was hanging on a cross.

The only thing he had was Forgiveness! When he could do nothing to save himself… couldn't turn over a new leaf, couldn't give any money—all he could do was trust Jesus.


Hey guess what? Good people don't go to heaven, forgiven people do.

So... I want to ask the question again. Which side of the cross are you on? 
Have you asked for eternal help? 

Now would be a great time to ask, since your goodness will not get you in.

If you would like help with this, hit me up in a private message on Facebook. Once I get the info I'll get in contact with you. We can pray together and ask God to remember us and take us into paradise with Him when we leave this life.

If this has blessed you in any way, please share that it may help others!

A Dangerous Prayer - BREAK ME

When we get to the point of being completely broken, we will then realize that God is all we need. 

Let's look at this scripture,

While Jesus was in bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Mark 14:3

When this happened, it made some folks angry, They couldn't believe that she was so wasteful. I know what you're thinking, it's just a bottle of perfume! Well this perfume was VERY expensive. It is made from a plant that comes from the Himalayas of Nepal, China, and India. It would have been worth an average yearly salary of a man. So think about that, that's like someone pouring out $20,000 worth of perfume. Yeah, I would have freaked a little as well, we could have used that for the needy, the homeless, or maybe an outreach! She broke it and poured it ALL out on Jesus head.

Can you remember a time that you broke something important? How did you feel at that very moment? Probably not so good. 

I remember breaking my dad's pool table when I was a kid. I was so scared that I said my friend did it. When my friend came over the next day, my dad gave him a good talking and my friend informed him that it was me that broke the table. I felt so ashamed and I lost a really good friend that day, that kid never spoke to me again, ever!

Is there something you can't stand to see be poured out? I know they have that saying, pour some out for the homies, to show respect for the one's who are gone. But is there something that you consider to be wasteful when you see it being poured out? For me, it's soda, pop, coke, not sure what you want to call it. It's different depending on where you live. I can't stand to spend good money on soda and then find half full bottles sitting around the house, and then to have to pour them out, what a waste!

I have had a few broken days. I lost it at church, just a few weeks ago. Wasn't sure I would even be able to finish my sermon. Hey church business is tough and I had a very tough week. I really didn't want to do a new church, I would have love to just reach out and pray with hurting people at my last church, but they didn't want to do that there, even though it was my church and my pastor. But hey, God has other plans!

Now to the point. How does God use my brokenness? Well we have now created a church that is for the neglected and rejected! Kind of like the woman from our story here. Jesus accepted her, loved her, and had compassion for her. She was a prostitute, looked down on by women and used and abused by men. But Jesus treated her with respect and honor.

Have you experienced brokenness in your life that can now be used to reach out to people for God?

Are you trying to stay strong and hold on, when you should just pour it out and let God infill you?

Figure out what is keeping you from complete surrender to God, then let it be emptied out. 

Let God use your brokenness!

We impress people with our strengths, but we connect with people through our weaknesses!

Your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts.

Five Easy Steps to Avoid Adultery

You shall not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14


No one plans on committing the sin of adultery, but studies show that Up to 65% of husbands and 55% of wives will commit adultery by age 40. (Journal of Psychology & Christianity)


I'm sure you do not believe this could ever happen to you, but it's very easy to fall into this sin than you may think. Maybe it starts by watching a TV program, you know one of those comedies that show adultery as not that big a deal, you know like Desperate Housewives. Don't get me wrong, I love to watch a good comedy, just don't let yourself get desensitized to sin! Angela and I discuss these things when we watch movies that depict couples doing things that are not appropriate, such as adultery.


Well you started off watching this program and just laughing and laughing, and now maybe you've gotten to the place where it's just comical. But then something happens in your relationship and you've started considering stepping outside of your marriage for happiness. You're not happy and you start telling yourself that God wants you to be happy, so it cant be all wrong. You've met someone who makes you feel good about yourself, they make you happy! You may even start to think that God brought this person into your life to make you happy, this is ordained by God!


If you continue at this rate you will surely be out of this dead end marriage in no time! Let's see, just keep neglecting your spouse and yourself, keep spending time with this new special person in your life. Flirt whenever possible and start making excuses to why God approves of your actions. Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!


Proverbs 5:8-10 tells the story of a father explaining to his son how to avoid the adulteress!
8 Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house, 9 lest you give your best strength to others and your years to one who is cruel, 10 lest strangers feast on your wealth and your toil enrich another man's house.


Many of us believe that there is no sin committed until we physically do a sexual act! Not true! Jesus defined this in Matthew 5:28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 


This tells us that no physical thing needs to happen. Earlier I had said Angela and I have discussed things like adultery when watching movies. When we see someone acting inappropriate, we tell the other, "I consider that cheating"! We have a clear understanding of where the lines are and that they are NOT to be crossed!


If your spouse was to see a video of your day today, would you be proud of it? Or are there some things you would like to leave out. What if your spouse could know your thoughts, wow that might be a little scary, huh? Examine yourself, you know you better than anyone else!


Five tips to keep you focused!

· Keep a growing relationship with Christ.


· Never be alone with the wrong people.


· Never talk badly about your marriage with the wrong people.


· Surround yourself with strong marriages.


· Avoid inappropriate places and situations.

It's time to invest in your marriage! Why would you want to invest in anything else. Here's a new saying for you - When the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, it's time to water your grass! I'm just Sayin!

Proverbs 5:18-20 18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 A loving doe, a graceful deer — may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love. 20 Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another man's wife?

Why be captivated by an adulteress? Wow! The word Captivated from the Hebrew means to be ravished, captivated, enraptured, intoxicated, consumed. You should NOT want this with any other than you very own spouse! I am Captivated and Intoxicated by my wife!


Five Easy Steps to Avoid the Sin of Adultery!

1) Get transparent. Share your feelings, not just your thoughts! Take time to discuss what you both consider to be cheating. If you have had some bad intentions, stop and sit down with your spouse and come clean! Tell them how you feel, and be willing to listen to how they feel as well.

2) Get alone. Very simple, no one else is there! Going to the movies is NOT alone! Go some place where it is just the two of you. Stop inviting everyone to hang out, get someone to watch the kids for a few hours.

3) Get spiritual. Pray together, go to church together, join a LifeGroup together, study the word of God together!

4) Get help. If you’re in trouble, get help! Don't be afraid to seek professional advice. After all this is the person you said you would love for ever, until death do us part! hmm

5) Get naked. If you need me to explain this part, you need more help than I thought. lol

I hope that these words will help to enrich your life! Take time to work on your marriage and it WILL work out!

SEARCH ME GOD

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Ps 139:23-24

It's time we stop praying those safe and easy little prayers? You know those generic, predictable, safe prayers, like, be with me Lord, protect me Lord, and bless me oh Lord.

It's Challenging to pray Dangerously, but it has the potential to redirect your life and take you into new dimensions. Wanna really see some change in your life? Then it's time to pray dangerously!

_____________________

David was facing persecution by the enemies of God, they claimed David wasn’t faithful, so he put out this life changing, dangerous prayer!

It started with Search me God and know my heart! Why is it important to have our heart examined? Maybe because the heart is the most deceitful of all things and is desperately wicked,

Jer. 17:9 NLT

We could start off with the fact that we are liars. You ever told any lies? I know I have and the most common lies are the ones we tell ourselves.

I'm not materialistic, I just like nice stuff. I don’t have an anger problem, people just know how to push my buttons. I'm not a gossiper, I only say this so you can know what to pray for. I'm not critical, that guys just an idiot!

Haven't found one for you yet? Here's a few more.

I'm not lusting, I just appreciate a nice physique. I don't eat that much, I'm just big boned. I can't lose weight, I've tried everything.

Stop being a fake and let God truly search your heart, no more lying to yourself!

____________________

The next part of this prayer is, what makes you anxious? What are you afraid of? I'm not talking about: Snakes, Spiders, Clowns, Shower curtains. Maybe for you it's getting married or being Stuck in a bad marriage. Maybe you're afraid of rejection. Failure scares you. or maybe you're afraid you might succeed. Maybe you're afraid to get close to anyone, you have a problem with intimacy.

What we fear the most reveals where we trust God the least.

Fear of losing your marriage = you don’t trust God.

Something happening to your child = not trusting God w/children

Not having enough = God is not my provider.

I have a fear of failing and letting people down. Many times I feel inadequate and wonder why God chose me. The thing that keeps me going is that I love pleasing God more than I fear failing, The word of God tells us there is no fear in love, perfect love casts out all fear and that God has not given us a spirit of fear.

____________________

The last part of this prayer is asking God to reveal our sins. There is a few way's that God does this in my life and I watch for them.

One is, what are others trying to tell me? Do I have more than a few people telling me the same thing about me. If so, then God may be using them to try and reveal an area that I need to focus some change.

Another is, if I find myself getting defensive all the time about certain things that are said. That could be a sure way to tell as well.

Whether it is pride, materialistic, lust, addiction, gossip, critical spirit, or disobeying, we need to let God clean it up in our lives.

Will you pray, Search me Lord, Reveal my fears, and uncover my sins?

Stop lying to yourself, denying the truth doesn’t change the facts. Whatever you discover will reveal your need for the thing in that area that needs changed!

Be more concerned with what God thinks, than what people think.

Not All the Same

 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

All world religions are not the same—some have truth & beauty in them —but they're not the same.

• Buddhism no god, no final existence, has countless rebirth— no end to the cycle.

• Hinduism—impersonal god— only approached thru deities/statues/idols

Neither offer forgiveness of sins or supernatural help— it's karma.

• Muslim—worships  Allah— is a personal god—no secondary gods Your standing depends on religious devotion and works.

• New Age—not personal god, higher consciousness—universe or cosmos.

• Christianity—is a personal God—sent Jesus to show us love and forgiveness.

JUST CONSIDER JESUS

Not asking you to consider a certain church, or even the religion of Christianity. Jesus didn’t come to start a religion.

I'm not asking you to look at Christians either. I know there are a lot of out of touch Christians—narrow minded— judgmental.

Don’t look at my life either—I’ll let you down for sure!

• CONSIDER THE MINISTRY OF JESUS.

¹⁶ When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw [Jesus] eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹⁷ On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:16-17

They despised these people that Jesus was with, Jesus loved them and He accepted them!

Remember the woman caught in adultery, Jesus defends her and say he without sin, throw the first stone!

Jesus opened blind eyes, healed deaf ears, made the mute to speak, healed lepers, when others wouldn't even go near them.

He turned water to wine, walked on water, Raised the dead!

Critics didn’t question his miracles—they just wanted him to stop!

Many of us are miracles!

I was a cheater— I stole—couldn’t stop drugs and drinking!

Been arrested for several things, did way to many drugs, wonder to be a live. Never imagined God was use me the way He has and does.

I'm a new creation—not a better version of an old me— I'm new and different!

• CONSIDER THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS.

He Loves us—but hates sin!

Even while being crucified, He says, Father forgive them.

The centurion who helped him carry the cross seen it after just spending a shirt amount of time with him. 

He said surely this was the son of God!

In Acts 3:15 Peter says

You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.

Some thought Roman soldiers stole body—His enemies would have loved produce a dead body, but it never happened.

Some thought the Disciples took the body, but there is no way they could have overpowered trained Roman guards.

Do you really expect any rational thinking person to believe

11 small town, uneducated average men devised the most elaborate and deceptive plan and then pulled it off and it was kept a secret.

These men led the world to being a better place, they had no personal motives and were willing to die for the cause.

Most of them were put to death! Peter was crucified upside down.

The only one who doubted was Thomas, he became an evangelist to India and was speared to death.

2000 years later the church is still under massive persecution—more than 2 billion people follow Jesus!

• CONSIDER THE ETERNAL MESSAGE OF JESUS.

²² We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. Romans 3:22 NLT

No matter who you are. It isn't Jesus and your good works, it isn't Jesus and your tithe, it isn't Jesus and your good church attendance. 

It is Christ + nothing. It is Christ Alone!

Religion is

What I do

About me

If I obey God will love me

Relationship is

What Jesus has done

About Jesus

Because God loves me I can obey

God's Building Crew or Satan's Wrecking Crew!

You're either going to be part of God's building crew or Satan's wrecking crew! 

The things we say and do effect all those around us, even our attitudes can change a room. 

Come on, I know you've walked into a room and felt the bad vibe before! We have to make a decision to build people up, it's very easy for us to start talking about people's bad attitudes or habits. We need to speak positive to people and about people.

^{Ephesians 4:29} Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 

Now take a moment and ask yourself if you have followed that scripture. I know I haven't! 

Have there been times in your past where you were definitively part of Satan's wrecking crew? You can be honest, no ones listening. I think we can all remember a time, when we've said mean and hurtful things and didn't really care if it was building people up or not.

I want to be a part of the building crew, not the wrecking crew. I'm making a commitment to it starting today. 

I will not let any unwholesome talk come from my mouth and will only speak into the needs of those around me, I want to be a benefit to them! Ask the Lord to help you do the same and let's help God build the Kingdom together!

When the Devil Knocks

When the Devil Knocks

You were created in the image of God and the devil hates you and everything about you. It's not a matter of if he will attack, but is when will he attack. He is a deceiver, an accuser, and a destroyer. He will twist scripture to deceive you just as he did with Eve in the garden and like he tried to do with Jesus after He had fasted.

Before you sin: He says things like, It’s no big deal. No one will find out. Everyone does it! You deserve it! It’s only this one time. You won’t even get caught!

After you sin: He says, You're nothing. How could God even love you? Your life is ruined. You're so Pathetic.

When the devil comes at you, he will bring up all your junk.

Hey Al, remember that time you stole that car? Oh yeah, and what about the time you said that word, you know the one that rhymes with duck? 

Maybe for you it's when you Lied, or Yelled at the kids, had an Affair, got Divorced, filed Bankruptcy, watched that Porn, got an Abortion. 

Whatever it is, you can be sure the Accuser hurls shame, You're Dirty and Unworthy.

Glory to God, He has given us an advocate.

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 1 John 2:1 NLT

The devil hurls accusations, but Jesus is our defense.

God is blessing you with something you don’t deserve!

Not because you are good, but because this is how good God is!

If you've done something wrong, it's important to learn how to  distinguish between Satan’s accusations and the Spirit’s conviction.

• Accusations—Drive us away from God, Guilt, Shame
• Conviction—Leads us closer to God, Leads to repentance and hope!

Satan accuses, he wants you to feel guilty, experience regret.

Spirit convicts, draws you to the presence of God to experience grace.

Remember

There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!

We need to remember that what the Bible says in every situation!

³ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Cor 10:3-5

Try to remember these when the devil starts throwing shade!

• You’re a failure—you should be ashamed!

I am the righteousness of God in Christ— A New creation

• God is punishing me.

My Father is a good God who gives good gifts. This is an attack from evil one. What devil meant for evil—God will use for good.

I consider it pure joy whenever I face conflict and accusations.

• God isn’t there. He’s disappointed. Doesn’t love you.

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

My God will never leave me—My God will never forsake me!

My God is for me—Not against me.

I am not fighting for victory—I already have the victory!

No weapon turned against you will succeed. You will silence every voice raised up to accuse you. Isa 54:17 NLT

• The devil knows you by your name but calls you by your sin.
• God knows your sin—but calls you by your name.