Tag: Jesus

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A True Come to Jesus Moment

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In a secular setting a few weeks ago I heard a woman discussing something that had happened in her office that had upset her. She was displeased with a staff member and as she put it, they were going to have a “Come to Jesus” meeting. My first thought was “If only you would.” (insert rolled eyes here) Her come to Jesus meeting had nothing to do with the Lord, and more to do with her yielding authority. The world takes the name of Jesus far too lightly. A real come to Jesus moment has nothing to do with anyone yielding authority, even under chastisement God’s Word is not condemning; convicting… yes. Jesus told the woman caught in adultery “Go and sin no more.” The stone throwers walked away with no entitlement to casting even one. Her “come to Jesus moment” was not the Lord berating her for a mistake, but rather the Lord lifting her up from ground with compassion and the defense of a Father who had just shielded her from being stoned to death. She knew she’d done wrong, He knew she knew. That was enough.

There’s a song lyric from Daystar that says “When I see you standing near me, shining with compassion in your eyes;” that is the image I have when I think of a “come to Jesus” meeting. That’s the meeting I have about every day when I’ve let the Lord down in service and I’m beating myself up and frustrated that I don’t live nearly as close to the foot of the cross as I should, or when I’ve let yet another person down and I’m just waiting for someone to hurl the first rock and then Jesus steps in. It’s actually the same look that we should have in our eyes when someone lets us down, but because we are so often in the flesh, that’s seldom the case.

Acts 15:10-11 says Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

At this time in Acts there were saved Jews adding back in law to the grace of God and confusing the members of the new church. Even though that’s still happening today I’m not speaking of that in this context. We’re not so much adding works to salvation but rather adding works to our conditions of grace. We have expectations of friends, family and coworkers and when they’ve fallen short, our “come to Jesus” moments don’t look anything like Jesus but border more on the Pharisee rock throwing. Where is the compassion? Sometimes the yoke we put upon people has been hand crafted by us with unrealistic expectations or people just flat out fail us. Either way God has expectations of us.

If we expect grace we must give grace, else how will anyone ever have a true “come to Jesus” moment?

Guard your witness today… Satan’s out to get it.

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Finding Hope and Healing in Heartache

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I have several friends who are going through or have gone through serious heartache. The kind that rips the heart out of the person who hears, one can’t imagine what it’s like to be the one who experiences it. And yet many of them if you didn’t know their story, you’d never know their heartache because by all appearances their life is “all that and a bag chips” as the saying goes. But in reality it’s filled with broken pieces of shattered dreams.  So how do they do it? We’ll get to that but first let me say that I also have friends who have experienced the worst of the worst and just can’t move past it. Day in and day out they relive the heartache, the pain consumes and yet it doesn’t; they’re still here, but every day is an uphill battle against depression, blame and angst. I don’t dare look upon them with judgment, ere it may be me tomorrow. But I look to the source. It’s not that both friends don’t walk in pain daily, they do; but there’s an obvious difference of effect.

It’s that peace of God, which passeth all understanding found in Philippians 4:7

So how did they find it? I believe one answer is found in 1 Peter 5:6-11 ~

Surrender to God

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

We think of surrender as if it’s a loss, but in the truth of this circumstance it’s a win! You’ve likely already came to the conclusion that you do not have the answer to the reason behind the tragic circumstance of your life. There are some questions that just will not be answered in this lifetime. So how can you go on? In the knowledge that the Creator of all the earth has a plan that allowed you a temporary heartache that will be followed by an eternal healing. In due time He’ll exalt (elevate) you to a position of understanding. But for now He needs you to trust Him.

Stand Guard of Satan

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

That heartache, anger, frustration you feel is Satan at his finest. He loves nothing more than to defeat you by undermining hope. He knows that if you experience hope, you’ll get past this tragedy and be stronger for it. He will no longer have the power of persuasion on your mind and you can continue on knowing that there’s a better day ahead.

Secure your Confidence

Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

There’s heartache in the lives of those who know Jesus, and those who don’t. But there’s a stark difference in their spirit. Those who know Jesus and have surrendered all to Him, know that when He was upon crucified on the cross of Calvary every sin and heartache in the world was placed upon Him. It’s hard to wrap your mind around that, but it helps somewhat to understand the pain you feel and then multiple it times every soul that’s been born since creation. Yea. He did that. So you wouldn’t have to bear it. Consult League City Integrated Counseling and Wellness specialists, who will take care of your health and mind.

Settle the Matter

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Don’t take it back. The reality is we’re going to have heartache while we’re here, Satan’s going to make sure of it. But if you know Christ you have that hope settled in Heaven that one day this is going to be over, and then we’ll have an eternity of no pain, sorrow or heartache. Amen!

Struggling? I’d love to lift you to the Lord. Comment below or private message me at talk2shari@gmail.com.

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Why I’m Excited That It’s Sunday

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I see the confusion on their face or possibly it’s doubt. They wouldn’t dare call me a liar, but they might think that I’m slightly psychotic; at the very least I must be someone without a life or at best an overzealous religious nut that must have been spared a great disaster. I treat Sunday as game day like an NFL coach (not a fan) treats Superbowl Sunday. It’s that important. Our pregame show is way better and there’s little chance of a wardrobe malfunction. Let me tell you why Sunday is so important to me and why if it’s not in your life you really are missing out.

Hebrews 10:25

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

It’s “that” verse. The one they quote when they want to lay a guilt trip on you for having missed seven weeks in a row. Did you read that with a real sarcastic voice in your head, because that’s how I wrote it? I don’t use this verse very often when trying to guilt (I mean encourage) my family to go to church. They’ve likely heard it. But that doesn’t take any power away from it.

Lets you and I unpack it and then maybe by the time we get everything strung out on the bed, you’ll understand how great a trip church is.

Not forsaking…We’ve likely all been forsook. It’s that time when someone you loved stood you up. Can you remember it? That nauseous feeling in the pit of your stomach that you didn’t rank high enough to be remembered. After everything you’d done to prepare! Are you kidding? Yeah, that’s God on Sunday morning. Scroll back to creation. The first forsaking.

Genesis 3:8

And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

This was the first missed church service, and it’s gone downhill from there. God had created these two beautiful people, He’d loved them and was in fellowship with them every day. And then there was separation. It all happened because of a lie. Satan had convinced Eve there was something better. Really? Something better than the One Who spoke the world into existence?

That’s what you’re missing when you don’t attend Church. Everyone is constantly searching for answers when the “Answerer” is a few miles down the road. Maybe next door. You want to know why your life is falling apart…it’s there. You want to know why bad things happen to good people… it’s there. You want to know why the people you love let you down… the answer’s there. Maybe not in one visit, it may be a two part sermon, but I’ve had those questions answered. So I know. Let’s go on…

I’m going to have to quit being so chatty.

The assembling of ourselves together. That’s your very own support group.

As the manner of some is. That’s the crazy people. Who do it again and again every Sunday because it just keeps getting better! Every week they find an answer to a question they may or may not have asked. It’s what makes sense in the world.

but exhorting one another. Exhort is encouragement and who couldn’t use some of that! It’s to press on to go on. I’m not happy all the time. There’s 20 minutes a day that I may fall apart, or go into a puddle of tears. Just 20 minutes? No, it’s been more, but since salvation in 1996 God has been so very real to me, even on the worst of days there’s been few puddles and pieces. Because God, and His people keep me together. They encourage me to go on and give me hope because they too have puddles and pieces days and I see them win victory and know that I can too. They give me words of encouragement, or actions of exhortation because that’s what the people of God do if you’re in the right church.

Is there a wrong one? If you leave feeling worse than you did when you came. Maybe.

and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. That’s game day. That’s the one I go to church for on Sunday because we don’t know if this is going to be the day when Jesus splits those skies open and then the game is over. You’ve missed your opportunity to spend eternity with the Creator and your family. You’re doomed to eternal separation. That’s why I’m excited about Church and why it’s important. Because I want everyone who loves me (or not) to know that I believe the Word of God, and the Word of God says  in John 3:18 ~ He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

It’s real. That’s why I’m excited. I’ve got a home in Gloryland where my Dad, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, Brother and people I’ve never met are waiting. It’s a home without a light bill… that’ll put a shout on you! A few more than my standard 500- 700 words, but not even a drop in the bucket for what I feel about Sunday mornings and going to church. Come and find out why…

If you’ve been to one that didn’t suit you,  pray… and try again. Ask God to show you the right one.

Now that I’ve unpacked, I hope you understand that life’s always a mess, but the final destination is perfection. That’s worth waiting for.

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A Very Social Gospel

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It was a rant on Facebook yesterday that absolutely made my stomach roll over from a woman that I don’t even know; an attack on God. Through profanity she spewed words of hatred provoked by words of gratitude for which her Facebook friends where posting for November. She isn’t one of my social media “friends”; I came by her post through someone else pointing it out to me, and my first reaction was to shut her down in my mind. She wasn’t someone I would likely have contact with. And I didn’t know if I would even have the words to say that could change her mind should we ever meet. And then as God so often does, she is there in my mind this morning and I’m not shutting her down I’m praying for her; that a friend of God will cross her path today. Or maybe perhaps through this post or face to face, I’ll have the chance to tell her why it is that I and others feel so blessed.

I don’t know why it should surprise me that people turn away from God, look at Israel.  God’s chosen nation, delivered out of Pharaoh’s hand, pillars of fire, manna from Heaven, water from the rock and yet still they murmured. Imagine if they’d have had the tool of Social Media!

SMH, Rather be DOA by the Lord, TISNF, Egypt rocked. BBL, walking in the wilderness S2D.

For you non “Facebookers” – Shaking my head, I’d rather be dead on arrival by the Lord, this is so not fair. Egypt was such fun. Be Back later, walking in the wilderness starving to death.

The Real version: Exodus 16:3 ~ And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

These words came from people who had seen God up close and personal. So there should be no shock when they are spewed forth from someone who may or may not have been raised in a Christian home. Who may work with the murmur-ers, or perhaps is in the battle of a lifetime, and cannot understand why a merciful God would allow it. How do you explain that? How do you explain to someone in 140 characters or less (Twitters maximum post) Who God is, What He Does, and Why it happens?

You can’t. God is beyond what we can imagine, so how could you possible sum Him up in 140 characters? You can however be the link.

My blogs generally run from 500 to 700 words. Too many for a social media post. But with just a few words I can, through the power of social media, draw you into my blog where you’ll read the 500-700 words.  The same is true when dealing with a lost person. If I can just drop a few Words of interest, perhaps they’ll be drawn into a deeper desire to know the Christ of Who I speak. So what are those words? There is no magic conjunction, but there is a commonality.

Christ spoke:

Acceptance to the outcast.

Peace to the broken.

Healing to the sick.

Provision to those without.

His words were circumstance specific. And so must ours be.

To the woman who spewed venomous words I must have the antidote. She spoke hatred, I have to speak love. She questioned God, I must prove Him. That’s how it works. It won’t likely happen with one happenstance visit. But if over time, little by little she sees the love of God working in my life she just may be drawn in to know more about this man called Jesus.

So… would Jesus use social media? He was a very social Guy, so maybe – “BBL BFF. Really! Be ready!

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God Approved Cussing

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help wanted 2

I know, strange title right? Maybe it’s because my own exhaustion has taken over, or perhaps it’s because there is someone who grows weary in the grind of life and needed to hear David’s words of encouragement from II Samuel 16:12-14, but regardless, I was drawn into this story this morning. It’s not one of the typical stories of intrigue, it’s one very much like we see happening in the lives of people every day. A friend forsaken, a prominent family of dysfunction, a struggle for power, and smack dab in the middle… a weary saint of God. The same saint that a few chapters earlier was man of mighty valor who now is fleeing from his own son. Along the way, as if he’s not weary enough, a member of Saul’s family (his ex-boss) comes alongside him on the roadway and begins to curse and throw stones. God didn’t approve of the cussing, but He allowed it to happen. Picking up the story in verse 12…

12 It may be that the Lord will look on mine affliction, and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day.

13 And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill’s side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.

14 And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.

This is why we love David. Or at least why I love him. In the midst of family turmoil, his ex-friends family cussing him out and throwing rocks at him, his true friend wants to cut the guy’s head off and David says “eh, don’t bother; it’s all good.” And then they refresh themselves.

I don’t think their time of refreshing was a tea and crumpet kind of meeting, but I found it to be a joy to my soul this morning as I try to function coherently and write this blog, that in the middle of the worst days of his life, David could say without missing a beat… “God’s got this, let’s have tea.” That’s serious creative licensing with the Word of God, but it struck me that funny.

So it’s my words of encouragement for you this morning. I know life’s rough, it doesn’t always go as we planned, but you need that time of refreshing. Services start at 10 a.m., hope to see you there! For my folks in Israel, France, Canada, China, Ukraine, the Russian Federation or maybe even Charleston, West Virginia you need a place of refreshment a little closer. Find yourself a good Bible preaching church today, and go get you a big ol’ drink of Jesus. He’ll restore your soul. He sure did mine!

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The Overcomer’s Club

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Let me premise this blog by stating that I’m not a psychologist, or expert in mental health. I did however stay at the Stonewall Jackson Resort this week, which may qualify me in some manner as much as some of those “experts” that I’ve heard speak. I understand depression from the victim’s point of view, being one who has struggled with it for years and since salvation in 1996 have not mastered, but managed my own through relying on God’s grace to pull me through. That sounds all pious and religious, but in truth just means that I quit trying to fix it on my own and began asking God to help me through it. Each time was different, sometimes were darker than others. It varied from a nightlight of hope to a dimly lit room, it was never utter darkness for me, because in Christ I truly did have light, even though it was sometime shrouded by the trouble of the day.

If you struggle with depression this blog will not fix you, its 710 word after all. How far can that take you? What I hope it does is to “turn up the light” a little in your life today. J

.B. Phillips, author of Your God is Too Small, dealt with depression all of this life. In one of his many letters he offered this comment to someone struggling with depression. “As far as you can, and God knows how difficult this is, try to relax in and upon Him. As far as my experience goes, to get to even a breath of God’s peace in the midst of pain is infinitely worth having.”

For me that “breath of God’s peace” was my nightlight in dark times. In my heart I knew that “God had this.”, my head however would sometimes join the liars club and berate me with thoughts of defeat and discouragement. That’s Satan at his finest isn’t it? If you’re a Christian he can’t get into your heart, because Christ dwells there. So in the very core of you there is always a light. But in your mind, where the world can seep in, Satan has free reign to beat his drum and loud and long he will until you’re spiraling into the direction of depression.

So how do you spiral out?

Again… I’m not an expert. This is what works for me. I place myself in the winner’s circle with those who God’s shown me battled depression.

  1. The woman of Samaria in John 4 who came to the well in the heat of the day to avoid the judgmental eyes of society and met the one true Judge, who didn’t condemn her but loved her out of the lifestyle she as in.
  2. Moses wanted to die in Exodus 32:32, asking God to blot his name out of the book because of what the children of Israel had done with the golden calf – yet, he was the greatest leader ever known.
  3. 3.      Elijah sat down under a juniper tree in I Kings 19:4 and told God “It is enough; now, O Lord, take my life.”  The same Elijah who had brought fire down from Heaven.
  4. 4.      King David, my hero in the faith in Psalm 6:6 said I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
  5. 5.      The widow in I Kings 17:12 who had come to the end of her finances and was prepared to die a death of starvation with her child, when God sent an endless supply of provision.

The overcomers club! There were times that they had self-inflicted depression and other times it came from the outside, just like mine. But God brought them through! None of them were perfect, their sins rivaled the worst, and yet God’s mercy and grace is shown all over them. It is in those stories that I come to the “Why not me?” phase of healing. If God did it for them, why not me? They were just ordinary, messed up people, just like me.

I’m not an expert at much, but I may be nearing the benchmark of an expert in failures. But… God’s got me covered. Amen!

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Do you know… Or are you naked?

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Heavy on my heart this morning was the scripture story of Peter following Christ after He was arrested. I’ve always had somewhat of a fascination with Peter’s life because I can identify with so many of his weaknesses. But when it comes to history, could I even come close to identifying with the strength of his death? Hmmm? But as I read that scripture, sandwiched in betwixt and between were these two crazy verses about someone else who followed Jesus.

Mark 14:51-52

And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.

An unnamed man, who according to commentary, likely jumped out of his bed when he heard the commotion in the streets as they lead Jesus through Jerusalem found himself in story central, and not in a good way. He’d heard of this man called Jesus, he really wanted to know more about Him, but here he was about to get a far too close and personal look at the Man who had created such a stir in the community. He hadn’t even bothered putting on any britches (or robe as the case would have been). He just showed up.

Even typing those words made my stomach roll over. How many people are going to show up before Jesus without a robe? Only this time it will not be He on trial but them. Jesus still causes quite a stir in communities; everyone has their opinion, their doctrine, and their denomination. And then there are those who just want to get a closer look. So they get into the conversations with the religious who want to spend more time arguing over Christ than the getting the lost saved which is the whole purpose of why He came. Say what you want about Peter… when’s the last time anyone in your congregation lead 3,000 souls to Christ in one service? (Acts 2)

But now back to the story… the unnamed man is standing at Jesus’ trial in nothing but a sheet and some other young men go to lay hands on him and in fear he drops the sheet and runs away naked. That’s an excellent picture of these last days when we see more and more people who want to know Who Jesus is, but when it comes to finding out the truth they run away, having no robe to cover their sins. If he had stayed he very well might have been drug into Jesus’ story, he too would have been caught up in the persecution.

Just knowing about Jesus won’t win the robe. The Bible says that even Satan ‘knows’ Jesus. (James 2:19) Receiving that robe of white in Glory is about your relationship with Jesus and your willingness to suffer with Him. When the time came for the young man to suffer with Jesus, he fled away naked. Faker’s aren’t willing to take any heat for Jesus. Peter may have cowered down when Jesus stood before the High Priest (so did 10 others by the way) but he ended on a good note. He did preach the gospel again, he was persecuted and hung on a cross upside for his Lord. He didn’t run away when it mattered.

My question to you this morning is this, “Do you have a robe, or a sheet?” If your judgment day was today would you stand or flee? There’s more to it than just saying you’re a Christian, you have to be willing to take part in His suffering. I know, I’ve been the sheet wearer, but hallelujah I have a robe waiting for me in Glory. I was the faker, but now I am the follower. You need to know that you know… are you named in Glory?

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Things that Endure

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This is the week that changed the world. Indeed, I feel that our church has accomplished something with this project. There is a pitter-patter of excitement in my heart this morning as I think about our Church Easter Cantata this past Sunday. Watching the drama act out portions of the  events leading to the crucifixion… hearing the cries of the drama team as Jesus and the Roman soldiers made their way up the isle of the church… hearing the thud… thud…  thud… of the hammer hitting the nails; and then trying to sing afterwards with tears streaming down my face. And then… that moment that changed the world! Oh glory!!!

We began singing slowly “Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior…” and then gradually the music crescendos, the tempo increases and then with a “ca-pow ca-chow” (in the words of my grandsons) in the music, a light comes on in the tomb and Jesus steps forth and a flood of emotion rushes through my veins. If this group of amateur drama team members can make my heart stop like that, just imagine what it must have been like on that day!

The words of the psalmist soothe my soul this morning…   “But the Lord shall endure for ever” – Psalm 9:7a.

In the minutes before that “ca-pow ca-chow” moment in reality, I would say the sneer on Satan’s face would have turned your stomach over. But forever means just that… It wasn’t over. Our Lord endures forever. And a few things more because of Him…

His goodness – regardless of circumstance.

Psalm 52:1 – Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.

His Name – regardless of how many times the world tries to silence it.

Psalm 72:17 – His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.

His seed – The children of Israel and we who have been grafted in by the blood shed that day on Calvary! That’s us!

Psalm 89:29 – His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

And His mercy!!! O how we need that…

Psalm 100:5 – For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Just a few of the many things that will endure because of that week that changed the world! I hope you know my Lord today! If you don’t… it’s time you do, because you too will endure forever in Heaven, or in Hell. Don’t delay.

1.      Admit you have sinned – we all have.

  • Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

2.       Understand that sin has a debt that must be paid, and believe that Christ paid it for you.

  • Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord

3.       Confess, meaning to openly and unashamedly agree that the Christ died for you, so that you could endure through hard times and have eternal life with Him.

  • Romans 10:9-10 – That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

If you made a decision today to trust Christ as your Savior, please comment below or private message me at talk2shari@gmail.com! I’d love to encourage you in your journey.