A Christ Follower: The Journey

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless, I live. Yet, it is not I, but it is Christ who lives inside of me. And the life I live in this body I live by  the faith of the Son of God who loves me and gave himself for me. Looking At It All Wrong: A Confused Young Man When I was younger so much younger than today, I sometimes had a skewed view of healthy/holy spirituality. When I read this passage in Galatians 2:20,  I would view the Apostle Paul with admiration because I thought of him as such a surrendered guy that he actually believed he was crucified with Christ. I thought to myself, "WOW! Now that is a holy man." I had such a wrong view of this passage. My viewpoint was that I had to get to the state of walking so perfectly worthy with the Lord that I could one day possibly hope to be so godly that I was indeed crucified with Christ.  I felt that being crucified with Christ applied to the exceptional holy fe...

I AM The Way The Truth The Life No one comes to God the Father except through me. Jesus - John 14:6 Things have gotten muddled with a whole bunch of people who report they are a part of the Church. It seems that a  number of Clergy, and some laity, believe that Jesus is only one of the ways to God. His truth is the truth as He, Jesus, sees it, and that life can also be found in multiple ways; therefore, they also, by extension,  disbelieve the ultimate and final word that Jesus speaks when He claims the NO ONE can actually even get to God the Father without coming through Him. Here is what is wrong with this quicksand philosophy: First, if all of what Jesus says here is NOT true, then anyone who says it is not true has to believe that Jesus is NOT telling the truth. Second, If he is not telling the truth, then he is a deceiver. To say this more bluntly, Jesus has to be a liar, if He is not telling the truth.  In  our culture a liar is defined as one...

Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 Letting Go of Control and Forgiving No one can control what others believe, think, feel, want or do. To try to control such behavior will only leave us less than peaceful. Leave  trying to control people to God,  through Jesus.  For He is Lord of All. God is the one " who works out everything and brings everything into conformity with the purpose of His will ." No one else can do this. (See Ephesians 1:11 NIV)  Indeed, it is best to "let go and let God ." Then, God will bring healing, hope and help to your life and mine if we intentionally choose to forgive. Planting - Reaping - Forgiving Each human eventually will reap the harvest of the life seeds each one plants.  God simply expects us to do the right thing, even when no one else is looking. If we let Him, God will  guide us in the hard choices. You and I  will then re...

Hi Christ-Followers, This may seem like a bit of different blog today; however, I guess I was triggered when I read something about those boycotting the NFL were "crying." As a retired Veteran, I firmly believe each person has the right to express themselves; at least we do so in the USA. So, I am in no way saying that those opposing my view point should be quiet. And I guess the one thing I do know, is I am going to boycott the NFL because I do feel like a good cry would be in order: I cry because I buried way too many many military Veterans, more than most, and I buried some friends as well. I cry because I have watched those flags come off those coffins and be folded and handed to grieving spouses. I cry because I still remember, and have seen, the horrific wounds of war born by scores of the young 1% of our nation's population. Indeed, if I I am "crying," I am doing so for the families left behind. I am crying for those spouses who no longer h...

Guest Blogg ========= What You Can Do to Fight Sex Trafficking January 12, 2018 By Dan Hart, FRC's Managing Editor for Publications January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month . There are an estimated 20 to 30 million human trafficking victims in the world today, with an estimated 4.5 million of those forcibly involved in sex trafficking. In the U.S., an estimated 640,000 are being trafficked for sex. These numbers are profoundly disturbing, and it can be tempting to feel discouraged that ordinary citizens like us are powerless to help these victims and to help stop the demand for paid sex. In reality, there are a number of ways that all of us can help in the fight. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation and Fight the New Drug have both published a list of practical ways we can all join the cause. Here is a brief summary of what you can do: 1. Do Not View or Pay for Porn As we have writte...

  Just Thinking: Matthew 5:14 "You are the light of the world ... "   God doesn't call The Body of Christ (His authentic Church) to be popular. God does NOT call us to join the world in it's darkness.  He calls us to obediently be the light of the world and shine His light. He does so in order that those who want to come out of the darkness, and into God's light, will be drawn to God to experience faith in Jesus the Christ; and as a result, they too can shine and share in the wonderful  Gift of Eternal Life . In other words, they will also be able join the family of God: And they will also be able to fully share life with The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit daily and forever!  Standing Out Needless to say, Christ-Followers might just stand out a bit as we shine on ... brothers and sisters. It really is okay to demonstrate a daily, sacred and different kind of life. Light chases away darkness. It is a fact that,  i...

Getting Back On Track Today, as I write this blog, I am remembering the death of my Dad. I love that man, and like all children with their parents, I had some issues with him over the years. Yet, I became free as both he and I manned up, worked through our issues, forgave each other and demonstrated real love for each other.  Though he is now in heaven, I still love him deeply, and I admire him more than many sons can imagine; yet, years after his  death, some grief finds it's way into my life. My Mom passed further back in the past; yet, I have similar experiences with this special person in my life. Losses of the present trigger the grief process a little, but I am at a place where it does not nearly impact my life as much as it did during those days of his  or her passing. Acceptance of each of their home goings is more a part of my life; therefore, I am on track, but sometimes I get off track even today. Surprises of Grief ...