A Christ Follower: The Journey

     The earliest Church was used of God to transform it's world by publically, and at great risk to themselves, being very open about sharing their faith in Jesus who is the Christ. They truly exemplified being the "Light of The World" Jesus says they were and we are. The prayer below is based on one of the ancient prayers they prayed to make their evangelistic efforts highly successful. It was also prayed to help the people of God to have a better understanding of everything with which they were blessed in Christ.  I pray God will make us better evangelist. This prayer is based on Philemon 1:4-6 Pray it with me today and everyday. Then let's watch God bless our efforts  SoJourner Precious LORD, I thank You for all our sisters and brothers in Christ. And I ask you to have mercy, LORD, and miraculously work in us, as you did with the early Church. Cause us to be fearless and develop a Godly reputation for what we are and do in Christ ...

So, I hear on the news today about the horrible events that occurred in France.  My heart goes out to them. My heart breaks for them, and I pray for them. Most likely I will continue to do so; additionally, I remember how a few French said, "We are all Americans" shortly after 911.  A very few of them really cared enough to at least verbalize their support. I also remember other things:  I remember how they --the French government and 61 percent of their people who were polled -- condescendingly called us "Cowboys" and "Warmongers" when we decided to take the fight to the Terrorist to protect our homeland. I remember how their elitist looked down  on us Americans and they refused to lift a finger in support of the Global War on Terror.  Seventy- Eight allied nations were represented there in CENTCOM HQ helping us, but not one French man or woman was to be found in that highly secured facility. And millions of Americans started call...

     I know of a man who accomplished great things.  He planted churches all over his world.  He withstood some of the most horrific challenges known to humanity. Abuse and even torture had been directed toward him just to silence him, and he would not be silenced.  The power of The Holy Spirit was upon him in such away that everywhere he went God did something unusual. He wrote prolifically and recorded letters/books that God used and uses to transform lives for more than two millennia. He led untold numbers to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.  In his earlier years, he was fairly well off as a key religious leader of his era, but he counted all that as if it were rubbish to simply please God and do God's will.  He could very easily be considered successful.      However, I also remember him one day saying that he was really upset with himself.  He was, on that day, really down on himself.  He was clearly mad at himse...

Faith is the certainty of the things for which we hope, And it is the proof of the things we do not see. Hebrews 11:1      We are living in some very uncertain times. At least they are uncertain for people without faith.  For those who do not have faith in God, and in His Christ and in His Holy Spirit, there are some very real questions about what happens when the heart stops beating, the breath ceases to provide cellular respiration and the circuitry of this magnificent computer that we call a brain goes dark. There is some real uncertainty about daily living that leaves these faithless ones with a walk that is frightening.  And even the most left of center person (that mocks people for clinging to the their God, Guns and Religion) finds a way to pull their god off a shelf to help them when they are overwhelmed. They even call on their friends whom they mock.  Yup! Faithlessness leaves people standing on shaky quicksand like ground.   ...

T he Silence of The Church & Mainstream Media is DEAFENING!!!! Reports of one of ISIS’s many atrocities are making their way around the world , no thanks to mainstream western journalists:  In August, 2015, ISIS crucified and beheaded 11 or 12 indigenous Christian missionaries – after publicly gang-raping the women.  The disturbing details of this execution were recently recounted by the missionaries’ director. ISIS took the missionaries captive in early August.  After they all refused to renounce Christ and return to Islam, the missionaries were separated into two groups. At one of the locations, ISIS “summoned a crowd” and then crucified the missionary team leader and his 12 year old son, along with two other young men in their twenties. “All were badly brutalized and then crucified,” the group’s ministry leader said. “They were left on their crosses for two days. No one was allowed to remove them.” According to reports, the ISIS militants posted signs by...

Did You Last Ask Jesus To Pray For You? Therefore, HE is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Hebrews 7:25       The Holy People of God are made so because the Savior "completely" saves us:  HE redeems us and forgives EVERY sin ... past, present and future. ( Hebrews 9:12 ) HE sanctifies us or makes us holy.  That is HE sets us apart for HIS holy use. ( Hebrews 10:10 ) AND HE makes us perfect in God's sight. (Hebrews 10:14 NIV.) Given all this is true, you can see why the Hebrew writer calls this being saved "completely;" yet, in this passage,  people tend to miss one highly important truth that needs to stand out for us, because an important spiritual practice is not practiced.      What are you talking about SoJourner? I am talking about what the above passages says that Jesus "always lives to" do on our behalf.  Did you get that?  HE A-L-W-A-Y-S ...

For God So Loved The World That He Gave.           Many of us who have labored in God's "Vineyard" and sought to give love away ... HIS love away ... face the same challenge that Almighty God faces, whether it be with strangers or with friends and family.   If we give love way, will it be received or rejected?  From God's perspective, the beauty of this is that God knew the outcome before He made the offer, and HE still made the offer anyway.  Some would receive the love, and some would not. Nevertheless, He looked at the world lost in darkness and broken by sin, and before creation was ever ... well ... ever created, HE planned to love us even though we did not love Him.          The plan did not involve giving a half way attempt. It involved God giving HIS all to the world.  He gave up His ONLY biological son.  He gave up HIS sinless Son.  He gave up the perfect child to take the punishment on ...