So Glad you Stopped By
February is coming and with that Valentines day. It is by some to be considered the month of love, but millions of people don't have anyone to share it with and many people get really depressed over this. If you can share Valentines day just to even have a cup of coffee with someone that just might bless their day...and yours as well.
Welcome to Christian Concerns
May 2015 be a great blessing to you. Whatever your circumstances in life right now may be, may God walk through it with you and give you peace.
There are only the limitations you limit your mind to believe you can or can't do. We can do so much more than we ever think we can. I have seen some people who have so many problems, diseases, no legs, no arms etc, and many of them have learned that they can do so much more than they ever dreamed they could. They do amazing things under the most difficult of circumstances. Why then do many of us feel that we can't do something? We can do more! Don't quit when thing are tough...get up and go again because this next time you just might make it to the finish line.
THINK BIG. WHY DO WE LIMIT GOD WHEN HE IS CREATOR OF EVERYTHING. THERE ARE MIRACLES OUT THERE...THINK BIG! Just because you have not gotten your prayer answered in the way you wanted it answered does not mean God is not working on it or bringing you something even better. No one can say why we can pray and God doesn't seem to answer what we want...when we want it, but if only we stay diligent in our prayers we can know God is not done yet with the situations.
What is a Christian: Definition: A Christian is a follower of Christ; one who professes belief in Jesus as the Christ and follows his teachings. A Christian, a real Christian will do the Lord's will as best they can. God will always help us to do things His way when we surrender our self to Him. kris-chen Also Known As: Believer in Jesus Christ: Lord and Savior.
What is Salvation?: Simply put, God's plan of salvation is the divine romance recorded in the pages of the Bible. Think of that a moment! A divine romance and it is recorded all throughout the Bible. God loves us. He wants a relationship with us every day of our life. He must be first above anyone or anything and when He is...we will make it to the promised land in victory.
Biblical salvation is God's way of providing his people deliverance from sin and spiritual death through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, the concept of salvation is rooted in Israel's deliverance from Egypt in the Book of Exodus. The New Testament reveals the source of salvation in Jesus Christ. By faith in Jesus Christ, believers are saved from God's judgment of sin and its consequence—eternal death. In other words you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you want to be like Him in all ways, you follow Him and no other, and you repent of your sins.
There are only the limitations you limit your mind to believe you can or can't do. We can do so much more than we ever think we can. I have seen some people who have so many problems, diseases, no legs, no arms etc, and many of them have learned that they can do so much more than they ever dreamed they could. They do amazing things under the most difficult of circumstances. Why then do many of us feel that we can't do something? We can do more! Don't quit when thing are tough...get up and go again because this next time you just might make it to the finish line.
THINK BIG. WHY DO WE LIMIT GOD WHEN HE IS CREATOR OF EVERYTHING. THERE ARE MIRACLES OUT THERE...THINK BIG! Just because you have not gotten your prayer answered in the way you wanted it answered does not mean God is not working on it or bringing you something even better. No one can say why we can pray and God doesn't seem to answer what we want...when we want it, but if only we stay diligent in our prayers we can know God is not done yet with the situations.
What is a Christian: Definition: A Christian is a follower of Christ; one who professes belief in Jesus as the Christ and follows his teachings. A Christian, a real Christian will do the Lord's will as best they can. God will always help us to do things His way when we surrender our self to Him. kris-chen Also Known As: Believer in Jesus Christ: Lord and Savior.
What is Salvation?: Simply put, God's plan of salvation is the divine romance recorded in the pages of the Bible. Think of that a moment! A divine romance and it is recorded all throughout the Bible. God loves us. He wants a relationship with us every day of our life. He must be first above anyone or anything and when He is...we will make it to the promised land in victory.
Biblical salvation is God's way of providing his people deliverance from sin and spiritual death through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament, the concept of salvation is rooted in Israel's deliverance from Egypt in the Book of Exodus. The New Testament reveals the source of salvation in Jesus Christ. By faith in Jesus Christ, believers are saved from God's judgment of sin and its consequence—eternal death. In other words you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you want to be like Him in all ways, you follow Him and no other, and you repent of your sins.
Salvation Begins With God: Not you!
Have you felt the "tug" of God on your heart? Becoming a Christian is one of the most important steps you will take in your life on earth.
This call to salvation begins with God. He is the one who initiates it by wooing or drawing us to come to Him.
• John 6:44
• "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him ..." (NIV)
• Revelation 3:20
• "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in ..." (NIV)
Somehow people think that they are the ones who go to God...but the Bible says no one can come to him unless he draws them. If you are having a tug on your heart then God is drawing you. Pay attention because it is the most important thing you will do in this life.
Have you felt the "tug" of God on your heart? Becoming a Christian is one of the most important steps you will take in your life on earth.
This call to salvation begins with God. He is the one who initiates it by wooing or drawing us to come to Him.
• John 6:44
• "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him ..." (NIV)
• Revelation 3:20
• "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in ..." (NIV)
Somehow people think that they are the ones who go to God...but the Bible says no one can come to him unless he draws them. If you are having a tug on your heart then God is drawing you. Pay attention because it is the most important thing you will do in this life.
Human Efforts are Futile
I put a picture of Lola here because dogs are so loyal. They love their masters unconditionally. Lola is one of those dogs. But shouldn't we love the Lord Jesus with all our heart and soul and do those things He desires us to do UNCONDITIONALLY as well? Of course we should.
As loyal as our dogs are they can't accept salvation because that was not God's plan. Salvation comes to humans. God planned it that way.
All God's creatures are loved by God because He created everything, but Salvation only comes to those who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Human Efforts are Futile:
God desires an intimate relationship with us, but we cannot obtain it through our own efforts.
• Isaiah 64:6
• "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags..." (NIV)
• Romans 3:10-12
• "...There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (NIV)
As loyal as our dogs are they can't accept salvation because that was not God's plan. Salvation comes to humans. God planned it that way.
All God's creatures are loved by God because He created everything, but Salvation only comes to those who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Human Efforts are Futile:
God desires an intimate relationship with us, but we cannot obtain it through our own efforts.
• Isaiah 64:6
• "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags..." (NIV)
• Romans 3:10-12
• "...There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (NIV)
Our Freedom
Our family grows up and when they do our children we love and adore leave home to go to school, to get married, to go into the work force, and to go in the service...our family just plain grows up. We don't like it when we have empty nests but our jobs change when our children grow up. It is not always easy to let go when we have had them all their life and for some of us it is very difficult to let go.
To all our young people who go off to school, the military, become policemen, firemen, or whatever they choose to become...may God watch over them and keep them all safe. May he bring them all home to us and always let them know they are loved.
There are so many out there to be thankful for our freedom for. I don't take my freedom for granted.
Sin Keeps us separated from God.
We are Separated by Sin because we are separated by sin we have a problem. Our sin separates us from God, leaving us spiritually empty. When we sin and are separated from God...we can repent and change and get back on track with God. The only one on this earth who never sinned was Jesus. Everyone else no matter how good you think they are or you are...you are a sinner! The thing is God loves us and wants a relationship with us and He doesn't want to punish us. What He wants is for us to go to Him all the time and share our entire life with Him. We do that by telling Him everything. Repent of our sins and ask His forgiveness. There is nothing so bad that God won't forgive a truly repented heart.
• Romans 3:23
• "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (NIV)
It is impossible for us to find peace with God through our own efforts. Anything we try to do to obtain God's favor or gain salvation is worthless and futile.
A Gift from God
Oh the joy a mother feels when their children accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior. When our children follow the Lord we know just what a gift that is and we know what a gift our children are not only to us...but we know they were given to us as a gift of God to make our life complete. All our children are important and loved by us...and that is how God feels about us. God blessed me with six kids who I love with all my heart: Andrew who is in the picture, Marty who went home to be with the Lord, Stephen, Cristy, David, and Karen. All are precious gifts from God. All of them were on lone to us. But of each and every blessing I ask God for them...Salvation is at the top of the list. Without that nothing else matters because salvation is eternal. Oh how we all want to bless our children, but the greatest blessing is to know they are saved and serving the Lord.
Jesus has given us the greatest gift...the gift of salvation!
A Gift from God:
Salvation then, is a gift from God. He offers the gift through Jesus, his Son. By laying down his life on the cross, Christ took our place and paid the ultimate price, the penalty for our sin -- death. Jesus is our only way to God.
• John 14:6
• "Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." (NLT)
• Romans 5:8
• "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (NIV)
Responding to God's Call:
The only thing we must do is respond to God's call. Think about that. You choose to accept or deny God. Your decision could very well be final because tomorrow is not promised to you. One instant after death and you can't change your mind. Now is the time to line your life up to God.
How to become a Christian
But how?
My son Steve here I had the great honor of Baptizing him. It was a marvelous gift for me to do this. I had prayed long and hard for him to come to God and there just is no greater feeling than to see your children follow the Lord. Then another amazing gift was to know that Stephanie, his wife, also accepted the Lord. What a day in heaven at the rejoicing when they came to the Lord. (tears)
Receiving God's gift of salvation is not complicated. The response to God's call is explained in these simple steps found in God's Word:
1) Admit you are a sinner and turn away from your sin.
• Acts 3:19 says: "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." (NIV)
Repent literally means "a change of mind that results in a change of action." To repent, then, means to admit you are a sinner. You change your mind to agree with God that you are a sinner. The resulting "change in action" is, of course, the turning away from sin.
2) Believe Jesus Christ died on the cross to save you from your sins and give you eternal life.
• John 3:16 says: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (NLT)
Believing in Jesus is also a part of repenting. You change your mind from unbelief to belief, which results in a change of action.
3) Come to him by faith.
• In John 14:6 Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." (NLT)
Faith in Jesus Christ is a change of mind that results in a change of action—coming to him.
4) You may pray a simple prayer to God. You may want to make your response to God a prayer. Prayer is simply communicating with God. Talk to God. God wants a relationship with you. Pray using your own words. There is no special formula. Just pray from your heart to God, and believe that he has saved you.
"Father, I have sinned against you. I repent and am sorry. I ask you to forgive me and save me. Help me to follow you and turn from all things that hurt you. Thank you Lord.
As I said there is no special formula. Just talk to God with your heart!
5) Now, don’t doubt. Salvation is by grace, through faith. There’s nothing you did, or ever can do, to deserve it. It’s a free gift from God. All you have to do is receive it!
• Ephesians 2:8 says: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." (NIV)
6) Tell someone about your decision.
Romans 10:9-10 says, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (NIV)
My son Steve here I had the great honor of Baptizing him. It was a marvelous gift for me to do this. I had prayed long and hard for him to come to God and there just is no greater feeling than to see your children follow the Lord. Then another amazing gift was to know that Stephanie, his wife, also accepted the Lord. What a day in heaven at the rejoicing when they came to the Lord. (tears)
Receiving God's gift of salvation is not complicated. The response to God's call is explained in these simple steps found in God's Word:
1) Admit you are a sinner and turn away from your sin.
• Acts 3:19 says: "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord." (NIV)
Repent literally means "a change of mind that results in a change of action." To repent, then, means to admit you are a sinner. You change your mind to agree with God that you are a sinner. The resulting "change in action" is, of course, the turning away from sin.
2) Believe Jesus Christ died on the cross to save you from your sins and give you eternal life.
• John 3:16 says: "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (NLT)
Believing in Jesus is also a part of repenting. You change your mind from unbelief to belief, which results in a change of action.
3) Come to him by faith.
• In John 14:6 Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." (NLT)
Faith in Jesus Christ is a change of mind that results in a change of action—coming to him.
4) You may pray a simple prayer to God. You may want to make your response to God a prayer. Prayer is simply communicating with God. Talk to God. God wants a relationship with you. Pray using your own words. There is no special formula. Just pray from your heart to God, and believe that he has saved you.
"Father, I have sinned against you. I repent and am sorry. I ask you to forgive me and save me. Help me to follow you and turn from all things that hurt you. Thank you Lord.
As I said there is no special formula. Just talk to God with your heart!
5) Now, don’t doubt. Salvation is by grace, through faith. There’s nothing you did, or ever can do, to deserve it. It’s a free gift from God. All you have to do is receive it!
• Ephesians 2:8 says: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." (NIV)
6) Tell someone about your decision.
Romans 10:9-10 says, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (NIV)
Married to the Lord
When we accept the Lord as our Lord and Savior we are married to Him for all eternity. The Lord is coming back for His bride and we should all sing and shout over that.
Can you imagine what it will be like to be the bride of Jesus for all eternity? Just think how much you loved your spouse the moment you married them and multiply that a billion billion times more. That is love.
It is a blessing to have a spouse that loves you. I am blessed with that. But how I look forward to being the bride of my Lord and Savior.
Can you imagine what it will be like to be the bride of Jesus for all eternity? Just think how much you loved your spouse the moment you married them and multiply that a billion billion times more. That is love.
It is a blessing to have a spouse that loves you. I am blessed with that. But how I look forward to being the bride of my Lord and Savior.
When we lose a loved one....
My son Marty was killed by a drunk driver. He had a wife and a one year old son. This is his son Joshua and his wife Ruby. I love Joshua so very much. He had to grow up without a father which should not have happened. The young man that killed my son...he never realized how deeply his choices affected a lot of people. We lost our son. Joshua lost his daddy, his mom lost her husband, my kids lost their brother. The choices in this life we make can be eternal choices. I am very glad Joshua has grown up and has a family and realizes just how important being a daddy is. We miss Marty. He was a great young man and loved everyone. We do not know why this happened but someday we will. Losing a loved one is hard...but somehow we go on. If we learn from things that happen in our life and use what we learn to help others...then we are on the right track. (I love you Marty)
Lord thank you so much for loving me, my family, my husband. Thank you for the cross and your resurrection. Thank you for taking our place. May we honor you with all our heart and soul.
For all those that took the time to read this. I pray that you will ask Jesus into your heart. He is calling you. You are not here by accident. God is calling you. Please don't be left behind. Talk to your heavenly "Daddy"...He is here right now. Take the time. He loves you.
When God is in our life...anything and everything that comes our way...we can find joy and comfort. We will make it through. We will be victorious when we walk with God.
For all those that took the time to read this. I pray that you will ask Jesus into your heart. He is calling you. You are not here by accident. God is calling you. Please don't be left behind. Talk to your heavenly "Daddy"...He is here right now. Take the time. He loves you.
When God is in our life...anything and everything that comes our way...we can find joy and comfort. We will make it through. We will be victorious when we walk with God.
I think this is my favorite verses in the Bible. Hold onto God....Hold on....
Psalm 91:14-16 Message Bible
14-16 "If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God,
"I'll get you out of any trouble.
I'll give you the best of care
if you'll only get to know and trust me.
Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times;
I'll rescue you, then throw you a party.
I'll give you a long life,
give you a long drink of salvation!"
Email me at: [email protected]
By the way....
This is my husband and myself (Gil and Lynn). We hope you stop by often. Blessings to you.