I think there are many people who were either brought up Christian, or had been practicing Christians, but went astray and got into activities and lifestyles that they know were wrong.

When they consider returning to practicing their faith, they don’t believe that they could be accepted back, because of the things they have done. Additionally, the devil, who is also called the “accuser of the brethren” in the Bible, puts thoughts of unworthiness in their minds.

Many, if not most, of the people God uses, to tell his story in the bible, had flawed characters in their past but became leaders and teachers of his message. From Abraham, who distrusted God’s promise for a child, and chose to have a child with a servant, to Jacob who deceived his father into giving him his brother’s inheritance, to David who had Bathsheba’s husband killed so he could marry her, to Paul who persecuted the Christians, and Peter who denied knowing Jesus, and many others; God used people like this to show future generations, like us, that no one is un-forgivable.

Paul writes in 1 Timothy 1:15-16, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.”

So if you feel un-forgivable, or you know someone who may feel this way, remember it only takes a moment to accept the gift of forgiveness God gave us through Jesus Christ.

Dear Lord, your grace is so amazing, that no one is beyond your love and the opportunity for forgiveness. Help us remember this for ourselves, and share the peace that comes from this knowledge, with others. In Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.

Today is my Mother’s birthday, and I cannot think of a more fitting text on this day than Proverbs 31.

My mother is a strong, healthy, joyful, loving, intelligent, charitable, wise, productive, “noble woman” as Proverbs 31 describes. My dad, my three brothers, daughters in law and grandchildren are all incredibly blessed to have her as part of our Christian foundation. I pray my daughters will grow up to be like my mother.

I could easily say that God was thinking of my mother when he inspired these words in Proverbs, 31:25-31.

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.
When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.
She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.
Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her:
“There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!”
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise”

Happy Birthday Mom! We love you!

Dear Lord, You have incredibly blessed our family, and all who know my mother, through her. Continue to bless and sustain her, and help us all learn from the wisdom and love you show through her. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Do you ever wonder what God wants from us?

Christian behavior is one thing, which is summed up in Luke 10:27, where Jesus said, “Love the Lord with all your heart soul and strength, and love your neighbor as your self.”

But that is how he wants us to act, but what he wants us to give him is described in Psalm 50:14,15 which says, “What I want from you is your true thanks; I want your promises fulfilled. I want you to trust me in your times of trouble, so I can rescue you and you can give me glory.”

What God wants from us, is thanks, obedience, and reliance on him, all of which will give him glory.

We do this by keeping him in our thoughts all the time as if he were our constant companion, which he is.

Dear Lord, Thank you for all the amazing blessings you have given us. Each of us have so much for which to be thankful. Help us keep you in our thoughts all the time and trust in you protection. When things go well for us, let us be quick to give you the glory. Without you, we would be lost. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

I was recently listening to a talk given Michael Ramsden, who speaks on the subject of Apologetics. Apologetics is the discipline or practice of defending, or explaining the reason’s for Christian belief.

Apologetics is very much the concept discussed by Peter in 1 Peter 3:15 writing, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

He posed a question to the audience listening and said, “Why are you a Christian?”

This question takes a bit of thought. Explaining how you became a Christian, when and where is much easier. The “why” is something deeper. CS Lewis the Christian author gave this metaphor, We are like machines, and the fuel we run on is Jesus Christ. Without Christ living in us, there is something missing. People spend their lives looking for it in many places, but in the end, the missing fuel for our lives is Jesus. Each of us may have our own way to describe it, but we are Christians because we allowed God’s Holy Spirit to come and live in us.

Dear Lord, You are the piece that is needed to complete each of us. We cannot experience the peace and joy you intended for us without you. Help us think about this and as Peter says, be prepared to explain the “why” for the hope and joy we have because of your salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Matthew Chapter 4 and Luke Chapter 4 record the story of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. There are many things we can learn from these stories, and I would like to point out a few.

First, Matthew 4:1 says, “Jesus was led into the wilderness by the spirit to be tempted there.” Sometimes even when we are doing the right thing and following the Holy Spirit’s guidance, we will be brought to a situation where we will be tested. I wrote in a past post “Self-Inflicted or a Test” that I believe we experience challenges and tests in our lives for one of two reasons, either we bring it on ourselves, or God is testing us to make us better.

Second, The story lists three specific temptations, hunger, protection, and power. In each of these temptations Jesus resists the temptation with scripture as his weapon to fight back. For instance, Matthew 4:10 writes, “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” The more scripture we know and remember, the more ammunition we will have to resist our temptations.

Third, after Jesus resisted the temptations, the devil went away. Matthew 4:11 writes, “Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.” If we resist, with God’s help we can over-come all temptation. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”

This story is great demonstration of how Jesus was truly a man and faced temptation like us, and also how we are to deal with the temptations that attack us.

Dear Lord, We know that all temptations can be overcome if we rely on you. Help us build up our ability to resist temptation with knowledge of your word and trust in your power to overcome any temptation we may experience. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.