A Wonderful Day

John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and [that] your joy might be full.

I hope that each of you had a wonderful Easter; I did. I was privileged to attend both morning and evening services at my home church, with the honor and privilege of bringing the evening message, had a very nice dinner with my family and spent some quality time with my wife and grandson after dinner. But you know what really made the day for me? During the morning service a young man gave his life to Christ! What a more wonderful and appropriate way to celebrate Easter than to see one die out to sin and be raised to eternal life? There is none. Every child of God should be filled with joy from this news.

As this babe in Christ begins his walk of faith I’m sure his heart is filled with the joy of the Lord. Jesus said that He has given us His joy that we might be full. Oh, if only we would step out in faith and take hold on His Word, how filled with joy we could and should be. And it’s so easy to do: Just follow Him, pursue that which glorifies our Father, produce the good fruit, and then watch as our cups begin to run over!

Motivation

In each of us in our different lives and interests we all have different things that motivate us. An athlete is usually motivated by compitition, a parent by love, and an employee by one of several things, the need to make a paycheck being one for sure.

As many of you know, I used to be in the car business; yup, I was a used car salesman, among many other “hats” I wore during my time in that business. We were paid twice a month and each half started a new; in other words if you had not produced, you made no commission, and therefore no paycheck. So I was comstantly motivated to make sales in order to pay bills, put food on the table, etc.

Today when we look around at the world, our own country, and even our communities we see things that we would have never imagained a mere few years ago. Unfortunately I’m speaking of bad, ungodly, unrighteous things that surround us and our families.

The Bible teaches that as the end draws near the world will become more depraved, false teachings more rampant, and a general moral decline will beset it. We know we are living in the last days now, the final age, the period of Grace, how ever one wishes to call it. These things and the very fact that the clock ticks away as I write this and you read it show we are coming closer and closer to the end.

For a Christian this is a twofold idea: On one hand we are closing in on our goal of finishing the race and being Home with the Lord. And yet we must be horrified by the thought of the vast numbers of people, family, friends, loved ones, and those we don’t even know, who are facing an eternity of torment. Should that single thought not be motivation for everyone one of us to tell at least one person each day of the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

The Choice

A man shared the Gospel with two young ladies.  When he finished he asked the first girl if she would like to pray and receive Jesus as her Savior; she said yes. After they prayed, he then asked the second girl the same question; she replied that she wasn’t ready to make that choice.

That young lady may not have realized it but she had made her choice; to reject Jesus. There’s no middle ground, no gray area in this matter; it’s completely black and white, crystal clear. If your answer to Christ is anything other than yes, you are rejecting Him and saying no to His grace. It can’t be worded much simpler than that.

Luke 11:23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

Deadly Serious | Relijournal

Image via Wikipedia

We as a society are so preoccupied with the temporal things we often neglect the eternal.  I find this to be true with health, physical verses spiritual, too.  In an article published today I expound on the perils of putting the bodily health above the soul’s well-being.  The article can be read here: Deadly Serious | Relijournal

Step on Out There | Relijournal

On The Edge of a Cliff

Step on Out There | Relijournal.

New article on stepping out in faith.

More Spurgeon

Image by seriykotik1970 via Flickr

As people of the Lord we’re called
To follow in His way;
And though the world won’t understand,
They’ll see Him on display. -C.H. Spurgeon