Thoughts on knowing Jesus and desiring others to know Him...

I listened to a song last night by Sara Groves that I hadn't heard before. It seemed to do well in summing up how I feel and caused me to contemplate the things I believe in and am passionate about. And those things that one desires to share with others, but others don't seem to be interested. It can become wearisome, lonesome and heartbreaking. Like getting together with an old friend with whom you had so much in common at one time, but now you just don't seem to click.

And the thing I'm passionate about is this relationship I have with Jesus Christ that I so desire others to have, for others to know Him and to be passionate about Him as well.

There are those that know a lot about Him. They've got the facts down much better than I do regarding the Bible and its doctrines. I know very little. I don't always see things clear. And I struggle often times when trying to share this relationship and what it (He) means to me with others. But I know Him and I know His love for me. This relationship is available to you, as He so desires that all would come to Him to know Him.

The word "know" is an interesting word. In the context of "knowing the Lord" it has a much deeper meaning than just a surface knowledge about Him. This knowing refers to a deep, intimate relationship.

Imagine, the God of the Universe, the One who created everything, so desires to know you and me—intimately, deeply, profoundly—and for us to know Him likewise. Surely He knows us inside and out. The Bible says He knows the number of hairs on our heads. He knew us in our mothers' wombs where He awesomely and wonderfully made us. So He knows us better than we know ourselves. But still He desires a knowing relationship, an intimacy with each of us.

He's never one to force Himself on anyone. We have been given the gift of free will. If we only knew how passionate He is about wanting us, desiring us to come to Him. He is always standing at the door of our hearts knocking, waiting for us to respond to Him. Are we listening? Are you listening now?

Someone once said that life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved. A relationship with Jesus Christ is mysterious and wonderful. Coming to know Him is the most life-changing event one will ever experience. I've known Him for many years but I'm far from figuring it (or Him) all out. But the "problem" of my trying to figure out who I am and why I'm here is no longer a mystery for me.

"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." —John 1:12-13

^"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." —Revelation 3:20

He's standing right there, right in front of you, knocking. You can refuse Him or you can welcome Him in and begin the journey of a lifetime, for now and eternity. All you need to start the relationship is to ask Him.

I'm praying for you.

Dave

Jesus is the Coming King!: WHY RESIST IT?

Jesus is the Coming King!: WHY RESIST IT?: If I had a categories under which to post these blogs, I could include "goals, plans, and hopes" as well as "end time prophec...

You must be born again...

 

A short but potent message from JD Farag.

While the insanity escalates this One Hope remains...

While our leaders in D.C. —Democrats and Republicans alike— continue this incredulous stalemate, the insanity continues.

This is more, much more than just politicians wanting their own way. This is a conscious effort of those in power to bring this country down. And it's happening more quickly than anyone expected.

Many believe that there could be civil war right here in the U.S. and it seems we're not far from it. Citizens are sick and tired of the nonsense and the absurdities. There are very few real leaders with morals left in our nation's capitol.

Next week perhaps millions of truckers from the U.S. and Canada will descend upon D.C. And there's talk of another march next month. Something is going to blow. Things cannot carry on like this much longer.

This country is standing at a precipice and we're about to fall off. If you don't see it then you haven't been paying attention. You've been right where those in power want you... blind and ignorant.

There have always been evil leaders who have pulled strings to get what they want, but In the background of it all has always been Satan, the devil himself, the personification of evil. We are in most evil times now and it will only get worse.

We are running out of time. What's the answer? The same as I've always said... Jesus. To those who know Him He has provided a way of escaping the things that are coming upon this country and the world. Put your trust in Him now. If you don't know Him ask Him to save you. We are heading for tumultuous times. God foretold us in His Bible and these things are coming to pass. So we are without excuse.

Jesus remains our only hope. Accept Him and His free gift of salvation today.

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Below is another view of the escalating insanity...

An open letter to Jim Palmer and so many others that have left the truth...

"Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first..." (2Thessalonians 2:3)

Et tu, Jim Palmer? Have you gone apostate as well? You have left the faith and traded in for another gospel which is not the Gospel. You have exchanged the word of God for lie.

Jim's latest endeavor, "The Religion-Free Bible Project," has more than just tip-toed to the line of universalism. He has embraced the ancient of lies: "I'm okay, you're okay... no matter what you believe."

Jim says:

"The greatest need of all people has always been and continues to be to know there is nothing wrong with us, that we are loved and accepted by God without condition. This was the meaning of Jesus’ life. This is the highest truth that defies, fulfills and transcends all religion, and this is the truth that sets people free."

The Gospel of Jesus Christ begs to differ with you, Jim. There is something VERY wrong with all of us. SIN. Sin is what's wrong with us. It's what has been wrong with us since the Garden, since Adam and Eve first sinned and brought sin into this world.

Yes, God loves us. Indeed He does and evident in that He sent His Son to die for us. Yes, God is love. Jesus demonstrated to us the Father, who the Father is, and that He loves us dearly. But the SIN problem remained until the Cross and Christ's voluntary death on it.

You knew all this, Jim. What happened?

He goes on to say:

"We hope the impact of The Religion-Free Bible Project in people’s lives will include:

• knowing your Self as whole, perfect and complete
• honoring the divine in all people accepting every human being as your sister or brother
• being an expression of love, grace, peace and goodness in the world
• seeing God in all things
• building a world that works for everyone
• creating something beautiful that doesn’t exist now
• living your purpose as showing up and fully present in the now
• leaving no stone unturned in discovering, creating and being all you are"

Jim, you have bought into the "God is love therefore all roads lead to Him" lie. It's new-age mumbo jumbo that's really nothing new. It's what the devil, the Father of Lies, has been whispering into man's ears for millennia: "Did God really say...?"

I believe like so many like you (I was one), who had gotten so worn out by religion being a substitute for real relationship with God and others, walked away from the institution of Church and embraced the freedom from it and took on the quest for something better. But you went too far. You tossed the baby out with the bathwater. You not only left the building, but you also left the Truth.

There remains only ONE way to the Father and that is through Jesus and one personally accepting Him and His atonement on the Cross.
Please Jim... come back to where you left. Time is short as the prophetic writings on the wall are shouting louder and louder.

"Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first..."

A great falling away has been taking place for a while now and it is increasing rapidly along with so many other signs of the Lord's soon return.

Repentance is still required in this day... regardless of man's attempt to redefine God and His plans.

Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. Return to The Gospel.

"Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom[e] of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14)

"Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures…" (1 Corinthians 15:1-5)

How's your week been?

How's your week been?

I've been complaining about the heat and that my pool is too warm to go in.

Meanwhile calamities abound around this country and the world while thousands die and millions are displaced from their homes.

Does it bother us? "There's nothing I can do anyways, so let's just enjoy the life we have." Eat, drink, be merry, for tomorrow we die. I can be so callous at times, so caught up in my own issues.

One thing I do see is that we are so ever close to the "tipping point." The point of no return. This is reality not pessimism. Pessimism offers no hope. I have hope. I have hope in Jesus Christ.

You know the story… God sent His only Son to show us who God is and to offer Himself a willing sacrifice for our sins. He died on a cross, was buried and three days later rose from the dead. He lives and reigns in Heaven and continues to beckon mankind to repent, to turn from their sinful lives and turn to Him for forgiveness and restoration and a hope of eternal life now and in the world to come.

People will fail us all the time. Friends come and go and change like the weather. We have no greater friend than in Jesus. No greater one who loves us so incredibly.

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." —John 15:13

There is nothing more important in this world than believing in Him, accepting Him, knowing Him. If you don't know Him He continues to stand at the door of your heart and knock. Will you let Him in?

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." —Revelation 3:20

File under: Jesus remains our only hope.

When You See These Things Happen, Look UP!

Borrowed from and written by L.A. Marzulli
[Link to original article here.]

When You See These Things Happen, LOOK UP!

Take a look at the stories below (see this link).  Is this really business as usual?  Do we really think everything is “normal.”  We are warned by Jesus of what to look for before His return. He gives us a list of events to watch; wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilence, earthquakes in diverse places and troublesome times.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the stories breaking today.

The Middle East is ready to blow, the weather is bizarre, 15 year olds can take the morning after pill, the nanny state in Europe isn’t working and people are protesting, volcanos are rumbling, UFOs are being discussed, Chicago is a war zone and on and on it goes.

I believe these are the birth pains that Jesus warned us would come right before his second coming.  Many will scoff at this and say, where is the promise of His coming? Some folks will insist that these signs are cyclical and at some point everything will become rosy again.

I called this out in a Blog right at the close of 2010.  I said that something had shifted in the heavenlies and it wasn’t good.

The beginning of 2011 began what I would consider the birth pains.  I was on a radio show with four other Watchman.  There was no collusion between us and we did not talk to each other before the show.  Our host asked us what we thought of the recent rise of earthquakes and one by one we all agreed that this was the beginning of the birth pains.

It’s not getting better is it?

In closing todays post.  I only know that I’ve never seen this planet seething like it is now.  the world-scene is complex and getting more so by the day.  In short, we are living on a very sick planet, and we are the cause of its sickness.   Here’s the good news though.  Jesus admonishes us that we see these things begin to happen — see the list below — we are to look up, because our redemption is coming!  He warned us in advance!

Are We Listing?

Are we listening?
Are we awake?
Or are we lost in illusion
   for goodness sake?

Can’t you hear it?
Can’t you see?
Have you learned the lesson
   from the fig tree?

Signs are everywhere.
Momentum’s rising.
The world’s in turmoil
   but who is crying?

Where are those
   in Him they hope?
Are many watching?
Nope.

“Where is this Jesus?
You say He’s coming?
Well please excuse me
   while I keep humming.”

“All is well here,
   now move along.
Nothing to see here.”
Keep singing that song.

Like a thief in the night
   coming all of sudden.
He’ll snatch those away
   because they’re His beloved.

And those that are left
   will mourn and weep.
Calamity will come
   then no one will sleep.

But while there’s still time
   take action, my friend.
And turn to Lord
   In Him to depend.

Politicians won’t save you
   neither silver nor gold.
Only the Cross of Jesus
   will save your soul.

Because of God’s love
   He wants no one to perish.
Not you, nor your loved ones.
All those that we cherish.

So He sent His Son
   to die in your place.
He took sin to the Cross
   and endured such disgrace.

But it didn’t end there.
He lives, that’s Good News.
Eternal life for you
   if you choose.

Death or Life?
It’s yours to choose.
Come to Him today.
Please,
   don’t refuse.

Time is short.
Please, don’t refuse.

—Dave A.

Falling Plates

A short film about life, death & love of a savior.

This it is well worth the 4 minutes to watch.
A really beautiful reminder of what Jesus has done for us and a powerful video to share with others.

If you liked the video or found it useful, please share it with others.

It makes a difference.

John 3:16 - The Greatest Prize

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

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It's true. God gave His only begotten Son for us, as an atonement for our sins. Jesus paid the price, once for all.

It's true. We are indeed forgiven. A broken relationship with God has been restored and we are offered eternal life through the Son.

It's true. He did it because He so loves us and desires for us to come to Him to be forgiven and to be brought into fellowship and union with Him.

But as good as this Good News is there is one catch. One can't be passive about what Christ has done. One must receive His gift by faith. We can refuse His gracious offer.

What if you won the lottery and a prize of a hundred million dollars? That would make you quite wealthy indeed, but only if you claimed the prize as your own. If you did nothing about it you'd never be a millionaire. A weak analogy perhaps, but the point remains. We must accept God's offer of forgiveness personally. And to do so we must see the need to be forgiven in the first place. We have opportunity to that only in this lifetime – to receive God's most precious gift to us in His Son. If you haven't accepted Him as your own "prize," His gift of salvation to you, then today is the day of salvation. Won't you receive Him now?

Much love,

Dave

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