A Christ Follower: The Journey

COMING SOON THROUGH AMAZON  In PAPER BACK And In E-Book Format  Rock-Solid Living in A Quicksand World is a critical twenty first century Jesus conversation asking you to look back so you may have a future!  Consider Jesus coaching of our culture as he tutors us on how how western civilization can benefit from following through, as we learn from his ancient historical gaze! Acquire Jesus' time tested wisdom regarding how to blossom, bloom, produce, grow and experience authentic abundant life! Allow Jesus to help you discover how to become Jesus' very own transformed APPRENTICE:  Learn how to  BE a God transformed Christ-Follower! Follow his lead as he shows you two doors: Door number one and Door number two.  Learn what is behind each door, and then make your choice.  One leads to authentic living.  The other leads to collapse and destruction.   I hope you choose life! Be on guard for the "Ulti...

          I was five years old, and I had what a small child -- or anyone else for that matter -- would call a bad dream.  I dreamed about talking with my mother, and I was telling her in the dream she was going to die.  The dream included me as a grown man speaking to my elderly mother. Now a little kid doesn't know what to make of such things.  So I did what any little boy would do.  I ran to my mother, and I jumped up into her lap, and I was crying.  She asked me, "What's wrong?"  I told her that I didn't want to grow up."  She asked me, "Why?"  I told her, "Because ... you will die." I remember her holding me close, and she said to me something like, "That's OK, I will probably be eighty."  This sounded to a five year old boy like eternity.  So I got over my sadness and troubled heart.      Fast forward to April 2001:  By this time, forty-six years later, I was fifty years old ....

I will never leave you nor forsake you. Jesus      Jesus knew what is was like to be left alone and totally, completely and utterly forsaken.  Though he had never sinned, given into temptation, or failed his heavenly father in anyway, he still experienced abandonment in the worst kind of way.  He was abandoned by God.  Yes, as he suffered, bled and died and took our sins on himself, sin did its worst.  Just as our sins separated us from God, he who brought us back into relationship with him, had to be separated and or isolated from the Heavenly Father to the point that the grief was just too much.       This horrific ripping away from his father was demonstrated as Jesus experienced the first stage of grief.  He set the appropriate example for grief as he did that which some preachers say we should never do.  He cried out in agony the "Why" question. "My God!  My God!  Why have you forsaken me!" Yes, he wh...

  JESUS SPEAKING TO OUR DAY! If anyone harms one of these little ones who believe in me, it is better that a millstone be placed around their neck, and that they be cast into the sea. Jesus -- Mark 9:42      All too often people misunderstand that, while in one context, the context of persecution, we are to turn the other cheek, as did Jesus when he was crucified and as when the disciples were martyred; yet there were other times (and these are those times when the misunderstanding occurs) he faced down injustice with a vengeance. His response was specific, quick and targeted toward unrepentant and unbelieving abusers ... people who would not repent and who would NOT believe.   The money changers were ripping off the poor and polluting the temple with their dishonesty, and so he plaided a whip, kicked over tables and ran the religious hypocrites out of the temple! Money went flying everywhere!  He also faced down the religious hypocrites...

        As I sit at my computer, It's so very sad to hear that another earthquake or two has struck:  One struck in Japan and the other in  Ecuador. Is it just me? Or does it seem that the earthquakes are coming a  more rapid rate than previously?   Once Jesus talked briefly about earthquakes, and he discussed them in the context of what it would be like when he returned, and what it would be like at the end of the ages.  In a nutshell, he was answering the questions of his disciples about when will the end come?  See Matthew 24:3.  His earthquake quote goes like this . "Nation  will rise against nations, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and  earthquakes the world over. All these are the beginning of birth-pains. Nat "  Matthew 23:7 There is so very much I could say about all the "signs," but I have been led of the Holy Spirit to talk about this issue.  So here we go. There ...

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them and them with me. Jesus: Revelation 3:20      Jesus had been revealing "The Revelation of Jesus Christ," which was one big revelation He gave to John.  It's not the book of "Revelations" as many like to say here in the USA.  It is The Revelation of Jesus Christ. At any rate, He had just finished speaking to the seven churches in Asia, and the last one to whom He spoke, He discussed with them about the problem of their wealth and self sufficiency.  He was not too happy with them either. It's not that having wealth is somehow wrong. Their problem was that the wealth had them.  It owned them.  It was like a God to them.  John reports they seemed to believe they were in need of nothing. So,  He was disciplining them and loving them by telling them what they needed to hear not what they wanted to hear.  ...

Allow the little children to come to me. Don't prevent them from doing so. For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are  like these little children. Matthew 19:14 - Jesus      Jesus had been teaching some important truths, and as usual there were crowds around him.  Sometimes these crowds were suffocating as they pressed forward to hear him, get a glimpse of him or even touch him.  Parents of small children were in the crowd.  They did what any loving parent would do under the circumstances.  They wanted to have Jesus touch their children and pray for them. I know that is what I would do as a parent of young children.     The disciples could have just been tired.  Maybe the cramped crowding together was taking its toll on them.  They knew the importance of Jesus' ministry and mission, and when they saw those children, it was more than they could take. So they were disrespectful to the parents and the chi...