Dead or alive

It's a good day to be alive. There is so much great in the world that we can look forward too. What are things you love about today? For me, it's Friday. I reflect over an amazing family that God has given me even though I am not worthy and a sinner. God can still bless people that make mistakes.

There are times when we make mistakes. There is good we can do and we can choose to do the opposite. Hopefully it doesn't happen that often but at times we get wrapped into things we shouldn't do.

Paul tells us this in Romans 6:11-14...
"In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace."

We don't have to be wrapped up into thigns we used to do. Through God I have seen people get rid of some amazing addictions or things that can rule over them. It doesn't have to be an addiction, it can be as simple as stop ignoring kids to play video games. We can change and try to improve.

Sins can take hold of people but through Christ it doesn't have too. When you make a choice to follow Christ life can change when we give it all to Jesus. What do you want to be your master? The things you own can end up owning you. Jesus gives us a chance to live a new life. How many people could use a do over? Jesus gives us that with grace. Jesus gives you and I grace. You don't have to be or do the things you did in the past. You are a new person when you make that commitment to Christ.

Have a great day. 

Go ahead and kill Bambi if you want

Hunting deer seemed pointless to me.

Why waste hours of sleep to sit in an extremely cold place to see a creature come by and take it out with a bow or gun? Deer hunting never made much since to me.  A couple of years ago, my mind changed.

I was driving down the highway going 75. I was driving my sweet 91 Buick (I loved this car). Out of nowhere a deer ran across the highway.  I hit the brakes and swerved out of the way. I missed that deer, but I hit his friend (We will call him MJ, because the dude could fly).  I was trying to control my car and did a 720, both times spinning around I still saw MJ airborne.

I was impressed.  That deer went flying.  I thank God that nothing happened to me and there was nobody on the road.  Two things happened that day, my car died and I change my thinking on deer hunting.  I always heard deer hunters say it controls the population of deer.  I chalked that up to a lame excuse.  It took me hitting MJ on the highway for me to change my view on deer hunting. Sometimes it takes something drastic in order to change our thinking.

Something happened like this to Paul. Paul was a man who killed Christians and went out of his way to make sure they were in jail.  Acts 26:9-11…

“I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth.  And that is just what I did in Jerusalem.  On the authority of the chief priest I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.”

Whoa.

Have you ever had something happened in your life that caused you to completely change your view?

If so, would you mind sharing? Paul was a brutal attacker and killer of Christians. Yet he changed, became what I would classify as a hall of fame Christian life.

He changed, started many churches and defended the people he used to try to kill. A major thing happened in Paul’s life and he changed. No matter where you are at with Jesus, you are never far enough where you can’t call on him. Jesus gives us a second chance in life.

A chance to change. How many opportunities do you have like that? This is what’s awesome about faith. Jesus gives us a second chance, a chance to make things right. I thought deer hunting was pointless, my mind was changed.

What have you changed your mind about? If you gave up on faith, you are not too far from Jesus and I hope you give it a second chance.

Have a great day.

You think you’re right but you have been wrong plenty of times

Politics and I do not go in the same sentence.

It gives me a migraine looking at Facebook and everyone throwing your two cents into the political conversation.  Neither candidate is a saint nor are they the devil in human skin.  Yet I have seen everything in-between on Facebook and Twitter from both sides of the situation. When we think we have all the answers we can have none of the answers.

I pray Christians care more about keeping people from hell then this election.  We as humans do not have all the answers, nor will we ever.  Sometimes we can get stuck in-between a rock and a hard place.  Yet it’s still not as bad as Paul had it.

He was standing up for what he believed in and that was Jesus.  He believed in a resurrected Christ and lived his life for him.  You don’t read in the Bible about Christians voting in an election but you hear how they are put on trial for that faith.  Paul was on trial for a great chunk of time.

He was sent to Festus with his accusers.  His accusers were lying about him and saying he did stuff that wasn’t true.  Yet he faced politics.  Festus felt he owed the Jews a favor and tried to move the trial to Jerusalem. This could have been a death sentence to Paul.

Paul answered with this in Acts 25:10-11…

“I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried.  I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die.  But if the Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”

As a Roman citizen he had the right to appeal to Caesar with his case.  He knew the bad things that could happen in Jerusalem and went the other way.  Sometimes you have to fight for what you believe in.  Paul believed in Jesus and was willing to stand trial for him.

Would you be willing to do the same for your faith?  Faith goes beyond who you vote for, it’s so much more.  If you are a Christian please think about someone who might be going to hell and try to show them the eternal life that Jesus offers. 

Have a great day.

Can a product be new and improved?

Advertisements can crack me up.

I love seeing those commercials where they talk about a product changing.

Often they say it’s new and improved.

It cracks me up because how can it be both new and improved?

The product is either new or it’s improved but it can’t be both.

That is just one of the little things that make me laugh that I cherish everyday.

The company that does this, wants to make sure you know there is a change in the product.

Can people be the same way?

Saul was a ruthless man when it came to him and Christians.

He was known for throwing them in jail and killing them.

Now because of the grace of Jesus he was a changed man.

People were still hesitant about this major change.

Acts 9:19-22….

“Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.”

Saul was the guy who was 100 percent against Christians and now he was claiming to be one of them.

Christians didn’t buy it and thought otherwise.

They didn’t think this man would change and the Jews at the time thought the same thing, how could this man change?

Yet that is how God works.

He can take those that are completely far from him and make them close to him.

Nobody is too far from God and Jesus.

People thought there was no way Saul could improve or become new again, but that is the beautiful thing about faith, God’s grace is for everyone.

You can be new.

You can be improved.

There is nothing you can’t do to be forgiven by Jesus.

Saul was a murderer and killed Christians, now he was one of them.

Jesus’s grace extends to everyone who accepts him as Lord and Savior.

You can be new and improved.

Your sleight oops I mean slate can be wiped clean and blank and blameless when you believe.

Forgiveness is always there for you no matter how far you feel from Jesus.

Are you ready for a clean slate and a chance to be improved?

You don’t have to carry those burdens anymore.

Saul was a murderer, but that is not who he is known for anymore.

Who do you want to be known for and would you like to be known for something greater.

Today can be a great new start for you.

No matter what Jesus love you and wants to know you more.

Make a decision that can have an eternal difference.

Or maybe you can share this amazing story with another person, Jesus love isn’t just for you, it’s for everyone.

Share this amazing story of Jesus, it can make another new and improved.

Have a great day.