When God Doesn't Answer!

The Scripture in John 14:13-14 reads like this - And I will do whatever you ask in my name…You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.


So then... Why didn't He answer my prayer? I was recently laying in the hospital preparing for surgery and asking this same question. Why? I claimed my healing, I believed, I never doubted, so Why? Here are a few reasons to help answer this.


Perhaps you have a broken relationship with Him or someone else.
Mark 11:24-25 …whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.


Maybe it's the way you've been speaking to your wife, I know I wasn't very nice to mine while she was trying to get me to go to the emergency room. I even turned off my cell phone so I wouldn't get her calls. Hey I'm just trying to keep it real here, I didn't want to go and she knew I needed to.

Husbands…be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect…so that nothing will hinder your prayers. 1 Peter 3:7

I would like to add here that she was right, they tell me I would have bled to death over night if I wouldn't have went in, so my wife saved my life by continuously bugging me to go. Thank you Lord for my wife! Anyway, maybe you need to take a look at your relationships.

Perhaps You just don't believe God will Answer!

Ever find yourself saying something like this, "Lord if you can help with this" or "Lord, it would be great if you could." I love the scripture reading in Mark 9:22-23 “But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." "If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."  Jesus is like "If you can, what is that suppose to mean, if you can?" In Matt. 9:29-30 He tells them "According to your faith." So try to remember this next time you are in prayer, you need to believe He will answer what you are asking.


Maybe God has something better!
Sometimes we ask for things and God has something different in mind. I would much rather have what He wants for me than what I think I need. When we ask according to His will, it is surely to be answered. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15


We also must keep another option open!
I will serve Him, even if He doesn't answer the way I think he should! In Dan. 3:17-18 Three young men were put to the test as they believed their God was going to save them. I love their faith in God! God knows what's best for me and is able to save me, but if he doesn't I will still serve Him!


I went into the hospital wondering Why? I have found so many reasons to answer that question, but I didn't find them until I stopped trying to figure out why it wasn't the way I thought it should be. When I begin to look at it through the eyes of Christ, i found that His ways are so much greater than mine. Just Sayin!

Focus

Are you focused? If so, on what?

I have found that just taking a few minutes a day to meditate upon the Lord can really do a lot for you! Try it now, just take one minute and think about the direction God wants you to go!

If you actually did it, you may be thinking, wow a minute is a lot longer than I thought. What are some of the things that God showed you during that one minute? Yeah... if you didn't do it, you can stop now and try it or just stop reading cause the rest of this is for those who really want to receive from God! Hey... Just sayin!

In one minute God is able to feed so much into you, imagine if you took 15 min. or maybe even an hour! Wow, what could God reveal to you then? Try this for a week, just a few minutes every morning to focus on those things that are important and don't be asking Him for anything, just listen! After a week if you don't think you are more focused, you can always go back! lol

Much Love
P. A.

Let's Fight!

I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. Ezekiel 22:30

God is looking for someone to stand up! Someone willing to fight! You don't think your God is a Warrior? Here's a few scriptures to set that straight!

The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name. Exodus 15:3

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Matthew 10:34

Read Rev 19:11-13, 15-16, here you can read more about this Great Warrior!

We are created with a warrior heart. We just sometimes fight for all the wrong reasons!

If we don't have a good reason to fight, we'll create one. Like with our spouse, kids, job, etc...

So we need to have a cause to fight for and then we'll be able to be the great warriors that Christ  is looking for.

Nehemiah gave a few reasons - Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes. Nehemiah 4:14

What are you willing to fight for?

For some it better be your marriage! You need to start fighting for her and not with her!

If you don't pick a GOOD cause, you will surely pick the wrong cause!

But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. Acts 8:3 This surely doesn't sound like a good cause.

Name your cause, speak to your spouse, name it together and when fighting...

Sometimes you throw a punch! I know some will get their theology messed with in that one, but the Bible says there’s a time for peace and a time to fight!

When it’s time to fight, fight!

Ladies, don’t take away a man’s will to fight! Just give him the right cause!

Remember what Jesus said

Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Matthew 10:34

Oh and remember the tables in the temple, that was a good cause!

Read through Revelations and see the Warrior Christ!

Sometimes you fight through Prayer. You pray hard!

Sometimes you fight by asking forgiveness. Even though you think you're right!

There have been many men who have died for this cause called Jesus.

I know that there are men reading this who are ready to fight! Willing to go out of their way to reach the lost! Save their marriages, mend the relationships with their children, have purpose in their jobs, etc... Ready to be the leaders that God has called!

Today is the day for us to be Warriors, it's our right to fight!

I QUIT COMPARING

Things we compare

Possessions (car, house, clothes, salary)

Appearance (hair, body shape, eyes, biceps)

Performance (Job, wife, husband, mom, dad)

Circumstances (kids no kids, married, not married, loved one sick/died)

Something inside of us wants to know am I good enough, pretty enough, smart enough… We have an insatiable desire to be told we are…..accepted and loved!  Thus we compare!!!

WHY DOES GOD HATE IT WHEN WE COMPARE?

• COMPARISON IS THE DEATH OF CONTENTMENT!

 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.

2 Corinthians 10:12

DARE! It kills joy, robs meaning, destroys marriages,

Success in life is not a matter of being inferior or superior it is simply being who God wants you to be not who you wish you were. Read that again! I mean it! Read it again!

• COMPARISON MAKES US PRIDEFUL

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—(make connections)robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ Luke 18: 11-12

In Walmart, my kids would never act like that! Our kids our better than that!

Smoking, I can’t believe they’re smoking, Yea, I’ll have that triple burger with double cheese! lol

C.S. Lewis said it this way: “We say that people are proud of being rich, or clever, or good-looking, but they are not. They are proud of being richer, or cleverer, or better looking than others. If everyone else became equally rich, or clever, or good-looking, there would be nothing to be proud about.”

• 2. COMPARISON MAKES US RESENTFUL

When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. As they danced, they sang:

   “Saul has slain his thousands,

   and David his tens of thousands.”

 Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David. 1 Samuel 18:6-9

WE RESENT GOD’S GOODNESS IN OTHERS LIVES AND IGNORE GOD’S BLESSING IN OUR OWN LIFE!

We become resentful! When do I get a break? We're to focused on what everyone else has!

SO WHAT DO WE DO?

1.       Know what you have

(From Prison) I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13

Sometimes we look at our lives and think what could have been instead of what we have! We actually miss out on the life we have! House, Car, Clothes, Kids, Intellect, etc…

2.     Know who you are

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do Ephesians 2:10

What does it all mean? It means you are God’s workmanship! You belong to Him!

Quote by George MacDonald, the man C.S. Lewis called his mentor: "I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of; for to have been thought about, born in God's thought, and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest, and most precious thing in all thinking."

Samuel Johnson “People need to be reminded a lot more than they need to be instructed”

Let me REMIND you who you are:

I am loved 1John 3:3

I am accepted Ephesians 1:6

I am a child of God John 1:12

I am a joint heir with Christ, Romans 8:17

I am a member of Christ's body. 1 Corinthians 12:27

I am a Saint Ephesians 1:1

I am redeemed and forgiven Colossians 1:14

I am complete in Jesus Christ Colossians 2:10

I am free from condemnation Romans 8:1

I am a new creation because I am in Christ 2Corinthians 5:17

I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved Colossians 3:12

I am God’s workmanship Ephesians 2:10

My daughter and her best friend have a Princess Day every so often. Pastor Jason and I met up with the ladies later in the day for lunch. My wife said our daughter Liberty played the part well! She is a Princess!

Today I pray you learn who you are because in knowing who you are

you know what you don’t have to be! Repeat that a few times!

Stop Complaining

Do you know someone who complains a lot? Is it you? No ones looking you can say it. Pastor Craig Groeschel  held a survey and found that people complained about everything.

A lot of people complained about their job, others about not having a job!

Some said too much to do! While others said being bored and nothing to do!

People complained about their kids, and others about not being able to have kids!

Women complained about their husbands, some about not having a husband.

Men complained about traffic, bad drivers, paying for parking and pot holes! Lol

One guy said he complained about people who complained all the time!

Complaining isn't new to us, it's been happening since the beginning when Adam complained about Eve. It most likely goes back further than that, I'm sure that Satan was doing a lot of complaining before God threw his butt out!

Job did some complaining and even gave free rein to it in Job 10:1. The Israelite's complained all the time, even after all the things they had seen God do! In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. Exodus 16:2. 

Complaining offends the heart of God! Now the people complained about their hardships in the hearing of the Lord, and when he heard them his anger was aroused. Then fire from the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp. Numbers 11:1-2

Complaining carries consequences! "How long will this wicked community grumble against me? I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites. 28 So tell them, 'As surely as I live… 30 Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home...  Numbers 14:27-28, 30

If you're a complainer, you will always find something to complain about! The humming bird goes out every day and finds nectar, but the buzzard also find something dead every day! Just Saying!

So what do we do? Here's the What, Why, and How!

WHAT? DO NOT COMPLAIN.

Do everything without complaining or arguing... Philippians 2:14 Quote this scripture a lot!

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. Ephesians 4:29

Don’t complain this week! Bite your tongue! You won’t talk as much this week! lol

WHY? SO YOU CAN BECOME MORE LIKE CHRIST.

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation… Philippians 2:14-15

Blameless and pure, children of God – to be like Jesus!

HOW? CHOOSE TO REJOICE NO MATTER WHAT.

But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me. Philippians 2:17-18

Even if I give my life for this! Even if I die, I will rejoice! How could Paul say this? Because he knew that Jesus was the reason for his entire life! He said "I am Crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me!" Is that your philosophy? Just Asking!

Do you know that all that complaining does nothing? It hasn't changed anything in my life! 

I know why God placed me with my wife Angela. She always tells me, You're blessed! You are living the dream! You don't have anything to complain about, people would love to have your life! You have every Monday off, while everyone else is on their way to work! When you go on vacation, it's never on a weekend so you always have the whole place, just for your family! She sure is good at pointing out the blessings!

Quit complaining and offending the heart of God! Start counting your blessings! You can do this!

Money... that's what's up!

People are usually willing to talk about anything, but when you start teaching on money they get freaked out! Well here are some simple things on money from Dave Ramsey! Hope you enjoy and just do them!

Write a Game Plan

Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. What is the first thing you will do? Won't you sit down and figure out how much it will cost and if you have enough money to pay for it? Luke 14:28

What's your plans for the future? Do you have it in writing?

Do you act Your Wage

Without guidance from God, law and order disappear, but God blesses everyone who obeys his Law. Proverbs 29:18

Don't spend more than you make! Live within your means, stop usinng them credit cards!

Have you started to Save Money

Be sensible and store up precious treasures--don't waste them like a fool. Proverbs 21:20

Are you acting like a fool and living paycheck to paycheck? Hey I didn't say it, the Bible did!

Are you working to get out of Debt

The poor are ruled by the rich, and those who borrow are slaves of moneylenders. Proverbs 22:7

I don't want to be a slave to nobody! The only thing we have financed is our home. We cut up our credit cards and we've been paying them off!

Are you a Biblical Giver

You people are robbing me, your God. And, here you are, asking, "How are we robbing you?" You are robbing me of the offerings and of the ten percent that belongs to me. Malachi 3:8

Some say, "well this is old testament" I say OK, let's look at new testament!

If you give according to what you have, you will prove that you are as eager to give as you were to think about giving. It doesn't matter how much you have. What matters is how much you are willing to give from what you have. 2 Cor. 8:11, 12

I like the part that says as you were to think about giving! lol Stop thinking about it and GIVE! Paul said it very well Phil. 4:17

I am not trying to get something from you, but I want you to receive the blessings that come from giving. I have been paid back everything, and with interest. Philippians 4:17, 18

Now this blessing thing is taught in old and new testament!

I am the LORD All-Powerful, and I challenge you to put me to the test. Bring the entire ten percent into the storehouse, so there will be food in my house. Then I will open the windows of heaven and flood you with blessing after blessing. Malachi 3:10

We all know this, but we just have a hard time doing it.

I hear all the time; I know if we gave, God would bless us, we just can't give right now! huh?

It’s so simple a program, so simple that we won’t do it!

If someone looked at your monthly statements, what would your spending say about your heart?

Would they see a giver?

Can you think of some mistakes you've made with money that made you change the way you handle it?

Are you making mistakes now that need to be changed?

What money habits will you change to become weirder with your finances?

Pray and ask God to reveal to you how He would like you to be in giving. He will show you, if you take the time to really learn what He wants.

Religion or Christ?

First we'll talk about Religion!

Every religion has some sort of set rules! I don’t smoke, I don’t drink & I don’t chew and I don’t run with those who do! If I believe the right thing, behave the right way – I pray every day in this direction and say it a certain way, I will make it! Religion is full of do's and don’t do's. We need to Worship the right way, and make sure to join the right denomination! The Pharisees had a problem with this, you can read up on it in Matt. 23:25, 26, Luke 11:39. They were more concerned with outward appearance, then they were with matters of the heart and soul. All about external, not the internal!

We also find this in Isa. 29:13 when the Lord said "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.

Many people feel they have to wear the right clothes and look a certain way, but what’s inside your cup?

RELIGION LEADS TO:

 PRIDE – Luke 18 – the Pharisee prayed for himself and thanked God that he was not like the tax collector! We all know someone like this, super holy, you don't need to point them out!

 DESPAIR - I’m not good enough, I’m not to say bad words but they keep popping up! I can’t even go to church 2 weeks in a roll and don’t even get me started on tithes! Some people like to pray all the time, it’s just too much for me, I start, Lord give us this day our daily bread, Mmmm I like bread! Where was I?

Check out what Paul says here.

If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. Phil. 3:4-6

He was #1 in bible school, only listened to Christian music, Baptized by Billy Graham in the Jordan River… with the pope watching. LOL Paul had it all right here! Know somebody like that?

He goes on to explain...

7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ… Phil 3:7-8

rubbish: Skuvbalon (scoo’-ba-la) rubbish, garbage, human or animal waste. KJV reads Dung.

In the English language this word can’t be said in church, it’s not poop, it’s a dirty word. Let’s just say you can find bumper stickers that read Skuvbalon happens! Now I’m about to remove that fuzzy feeling you like!

According to Paul religion is a pile.

Some people have it neater and more organized than everyone else, I guess you could say you got your Skuvbalon together!

Some people have it bigger than everyone else. You can handle a lot of Skuvbalon!

Some are so proud they put a flag in it! Call it a denomination, our Skuvbalon is the best!

Some folks create their own religion, A little Budahism, New Age, some Raccoon, now you got your own Skuvbalon!

You can add Sprinkles, Baptize it, Glaze it, Bronze it. It’s still a pile!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. Phil. 3:8b-9

Many have a head knowledge of this, but not a heart understanding! We can’t wrap our minds around it! Righteousness that comes from God!

You can’t believe this casually… Let's look at it side by side.

Religion                                       Relationship

What I do                                     What Jesus has done

About me                                     About Jesus

If I obey God will love me         Because God loves me I can obey

Which will you chose? Religion or Jesus? 


In Christ there is freedom from religion!


Further reading - http://bible.org/article/brief-word-study-font-facegreekskuvbalonfont

WEiRD Desires!

For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. 1 John 2:16-17


Weird Desires, well to start with, we'll talk about what normal people want and then we'll discuss how you to can become WEiRD!


Normal people seem to want everything NOW, just like the son in Luke 15:12. Many people are in this normal mode. Like a young couple who knows that cuddling and snuggling is for married couples, but they want it now! If he don't get it, he may just die! lol Or maybe you have temper issues and need to cool down before you speak, but you want it now! So you send an e-mail because that's quick, but then you walk into work on Monday and lose your job!


Normal people always trade the ultimate for the immediate, just like Esau traded his birthright for a bowl of stew, because he was going to die of starvation! He wasn't gonna die, he could have made his own stew within about 30 min! I mean I like to eat, but even I can hold out for 30 min and not throw my whole future away. Gen 25:29-32


You may ask, who would really do something so stupid? I tell you people do it every day! Maybe for you it's spending money, you're always broke and have no future, because you just wont save money and you have have a the new stuff! Maybe you're the one who's throwing his family away on that job, working day and night and neglecting your family! By the time you realize it, those kids will be grown and wont know who you are! Maybe you're the young lady who just gave herself away and broke the promise to yourself and God that you made to save yourself for marriage! Maybe your trading precious time with your wife for the porn that keeps popping up on your computer, your wife knows and she's disgusted with you! She feels unattractive and your marriage is falling a part!


What's your bowl of stew? What's that stew costing you?


WEiRD People know that later is better than now!

Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city. Prov 16:32

We need to trade the immediate for the ultimate, wait until you get married to have sex, think of the testimony you will have and who pleasing it is to your God and your future partner. Weird people buy assets, not liabilities. What's a liability? Well as soon as you drive that brand new car off the lot it loses value, or how about that $23 shirt? I don't care where you bought it! It's now only worth .50 cents in a yard sale! lol Assets become worth more!

WEiRD people seek God until His desires become theirs! 

Ps 37:4

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. 

Gal 5:16-17

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. 

When your desires become God's desires, you will get those desires filled! Line your thinking up with God!

All throughout scripture we read - We serve the God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob! If Esau wouldn't have gave up his future for a bowl of stew it would have changed our scriptures to Abraham, Isaac & Esau!


Esau's destiny was changed because of a craving that wasn't harnessed. What desires do you need to get under control? 


Don't get robbed of your future!

I CAN’T PLEASE EVERYONE

There is a constant pressure to conform to the norm! The first pressure we will discuss comes from within. We seem to have a desire from within to please others and we are constantly asking ourselves "what will people think?"


Proverbs 29:25 reads - Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. That word snare in the Hebrew is moquesh - it means a trap or a hook like in a bulls noise in which he is easily guided by! Do you feel trapped in a snare? Easily pulled around by what people will think of you?


Becoming obsessed with what people think is the quickest way to forget what God thinks!


Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them. 1 Sam 15:24-25


Then there's the outward pressure! Criticism! People say things like "Oh you go to church now, so you must be better than us! or Why you gotta pray so much? Why are you always helping people?" The criticism kicks in and we start re-evaluating what were doing! We have to remember this hatred towards doing the right thing isn't something new.


"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you…  If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also… John 15:18-20


When you decide to be a follower of Jesus, be prepared for the junk talkers. If you're ready for it, don't let it be such a shock to you. Tell those people around you, "I kind of knew this was going to happen, I was prepared for you to be mean to me."


I'm more worried when people aren't talking junk about me then when they are. I must be to normal and they think I'm just like them. I don't want that to happen! I want to be like Jesus!


Jesus said it best in Matt 5:10-12  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.


Remember you can't please everyone! Just take a second and say that. I can't please everyone, but I can please God!


Our purpose is to please God, not people. 1 Thess 2:4 NLT

Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. Prov 29:25

People are more concerned about people thinking they're weird than they are with their sinful actions! This comes from caring more about what people think and less about what God thinks! It is truly a path to destruction!

Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. Gal 1:10

Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. John 12:42-43

Maybe you haven't completely given yourself to God for fear of what people will think. I encourage you today to stop worrying what people think and step up for God! Let today be the day that changes your life, step up for God, you can't please everybody, but you can surely please God!

WEIRD - IN A “GOD” WAY

Have you been living life weird or are you just trying to fit in as normal? Do you consider yourself weird? Weird in a God Way? In Matthew 7:13 - 14, we find there is a wide road that many people are following and it's called normal! If you decide to follow the narrow road you will find that not many people are on that road... Because it's weird!

What is normal? Being overwhelmed, Rushed, Stressed, Broke, In Debt, Relational tension, Divorce! These are normal in the world, Living life without any type of direction, Just working for a paycheck and in job you don’t like! Multiple partners is normal in the world today! Then if we don't do what people expect us to do they will put Guilt and Shame on us and then we have to live with regrets.

So what do we do?

·        IF YOU WANT WHAT NORMAL PEOPLE HAVE, DO WHAT NORMAL PEOPLE DO.

·        IF YOU WANT WHAT FEW PEOPLE HAVE, DO WHAT FEW PEOPLE DO.      (Get weird)

If you look at your life and see it as pretty normal, maybe you’re on the wide path! I'm just sayin! The Bible teaches the weirdest things you’ll ever read:

 Looking at someone with lust IS cheating! The first will be last and the last will be first. We will be Great, yet we will serve. When we give, we will be given to. To find your life, you must lose it! If someone wrongs you, you must forgive them 70 x 7!

Angela and I are committed to weird. We rarely fight, that's weird! We have a great romance with each other and that's weird in the world today! We're working off our debt and don't plan on anymore! We are raising some great kids, with some good morales!

Weird people don't think like normal people!

Don’t live any longer the way this world lives. Let your way of thinking be completely changed. Then you will be able to test what God wants for you. And you will agree that what he wants is right… Romans 12:2 NIrV

Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out… Romans 12:2 MSG

I encourage you to pick up the book - WEIRD, by Craig Groeschel , it will teach you to think different about: Time, Money, relationships, Sex, and Values!

What you think determines what you become!

Weird people don't live like normal people live!

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1 Peter 2:11-12

When you start to take scripture to heart! You will become Weird! It's time to get lost in Jesus! Jesus said if you want to find your life you must lose your life in Him! Let’s get Weird! Because Normal Isn’t Working!

Hell... No!

I remember thinking about Hell as a child. The preacher would talk about this place called Hell and I would be in such fear, which in turn caused me to be a good kid for that week! lol I do not want to try and scare the hell out of you, as they used to say, but I do want you to be able to make an informed choice of whether you want to go there are not.

There are two reasons for Hell.

The first one is so that God can deal righteously with Satan! Satan was cast out of heaven along with a bunch of his friends for trying to take over the place. God's not a fan of rebellion, and Satan will be dealt with for his rebellion! God prepared Hell for Satan and his angels, you can read it in Mathew 25:41.

Another reason for Hell... and we don't like to talk about this one. Is for the unbeliever. 

He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.   They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power… 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9

It's pretty simple. If we do not accept Jesus into our lives and let His sacrifice remove our sins, we will be accountable for them ourselves! Here's a few scriptures to check out just in case you don't chose Jesus and decide to chose Hell! This is what Hell is like!

• Unspeakable Sorrow! You know how bad you felt when aunt Betty hurt your feelings last Christmas? Well that is nothing compared to the sorrow in Hell! In Hell everyone's gonna treat you like that! This sorrow can't even be described.

Matthew 25:41, 46; Revelation 14:10-11

• Unsatisfied Cravings! Ever had a craving? Peace, joy, happiness, so many wants that will never be fulfilled!

     Luke 16:24

• Unquenchable Flames of Fire! It continues to burn and burn, you think summers hot?

Matthew 13:41-42, 49-50

• Eternal Separation From Loved Ones! They won't even know you exist! Gone!

      Luke 13:28; 16:19-31

• Hell Is Forever! It will never end!!

   Revelation 20:10

And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur…They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.  Revelation 20:10

One Bible scholar (Spurgeon) described it like this!

In hell there is no hope. The damned have not even the hope of dying - the hope of being annihilated. They are forever - forever - forever - lost. On every chain in hell, there is written “forever.”  In the fires there, blaze out the words, “forever.”  Above their heads, they read “forever.”  Their eyes are galled and their hearts are pained with the thought that it is “forever.”  

In Luke 16 we you can read a story of two men, it explains how they both lived their lives on earth and how both died and lived after death. One went with Abraham to paradise and the other went into Hades or Hell is another translation. There's four things we learn from the man who went to Hell!

1) He was fully conscious. Going through serious pain and knew what was happening!

2) His eternal destiny was irrevocably fixed. His chance to change things was over, he knew this was forever!

3) He knew what he was experiencing was just. He complained about the pain, but not that it was injustice! He knew he was getting what he deserved!

4) He became interested in missions. I cannot let this happen to anyone else! Please send someone to speak to my brothers!

God doesn't want any of us to go to Hell! We can  find this in 2 Peter 3:9 … (The Lord) is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

However... that being said, God must deal with rebellion and those who do not accept His son!

Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.  Revelation 20:14-15

If your name is not written in the book of life, you go to Hell with Satan and his angels. Did you notice I under lined the second death?

I read once that we will all either be born once and die twice or born twice and die once!

You will either be born in the physical, die in the physical and then face the second death as mentioned above. Born once and die twice! Or

You will be born in the physical and then be born again in the spiritual and when your physical death takes place, you will not face the death mentioned above, but will live with God forever! Born twice and die once! The choice is yours!

One Minute After You Die!

One minute after you die the body and soul will separate. There's a difference between body and soul, Jesus spoke of it.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.  Matthew 10:28

Within minutes of death, the soul and the body will separate! While your friends and family are picking out your coffin and making funeral arrangements, you are stepping into your eternity! Some have came close to it and then came back to talk about it.

Many say they have had out of body experiences, we hear them all the time. Some have seen bright lights and even heard the voice of God. Then there are those who say they experienced what hell would be like. I remember my dad telling me about his experience with this. He is on a mission to see people saved because of the vision God gave him concerning hell. But we hear this stuff all the time!

Paul spoke about an out of body experience in 2 Corinthians 12:2, 4. Paul may be speaking of his own experience, I find that 14 years prior he was left for dead after going through a very trying event!

Also I find that Steven may have had this right at the moment of his death while being stoned! 

Look…I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”  Acts 7:56

Are you ready to face eternity? Check out the blog titled "Which side of the cross are you on?"

This is the most important decision you will ever make! This is the one you will have to live with forever, and I mean forever! We would love to pray with you concerning your eternity, feel free to contact us at 810-479-9731