Ripples Ministry

It starts small, unnoticed, beyond prying eyes. Deep within, hidden from light, a change begins. We continue our lives as though nothing has changed – It has. And if we knew what was happening, we would be dealing with it now.

But we don’t.

A cell that was once normal begins to change. We don’t understand all the reasons for this change, but it occurs nonetheless. Slowly, it begins to spread to the cells around it and the change gets a life of its own. We don’t notice it yet. It hasn’t interfered with our lives. We continue as if the world was glorious and our whole lives stretch before us – It isn’t and the end is closer than we know.

Of course I am speaking of cancer and its insidious entry into our lives that changes everything. But I could just as easily be speaking about sin.

Sin starts off in very much the same way that cancer begins in our bodies. It starts off small, unnoticed, and hidden. Perhaps it is a thought that crosses our mind and rather than turning it over immediately to God, we allow it to settle for a moment, to gain a small foothold in our heart.

Galatians 5:7-10 tells us…
“⁷You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. ⁹A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ¹⁰I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.” (Emphasis mine)

A single cancer cell turns into many. Caught early the chances of survival are good. Ignoring the signs and symptoms can be disastrous.

Cancer is divided into stages. These stages are a corollary to our place with sin in our lives. Wikipedia defines the staging of cancer in this way – “The stage of a cancer is a descriptor (usually numbers I to IV) of how much the cancer has spread. The stage often takes into account the size of a tumor, how deeply it has penetrated, whether it has invaded adjacent organs, how many lymph nodes it has metastasized to (if any), and whether it has spread to distant organs. Staging of cancer is important because the stage at diagnosis is the most powerful predictor of survival, and treatments are often changed based on the stage.”

Cancer Stage I – This is where the cells are localized and therefore treatment is relatively simple. The affected cells are removed, along with surrounding healthy tissue to ensure that none have escaped detection. There is some pain of course, but treatment almost always has some pain involved.

When our sin is small, such as a thought which we have been dwelling on, treatment is relatively simple. If we confess our sin to God, turn it over to Him, He is faithful to forgive us (John 1:9) and the ramifications on our lives are small. Confession does not come without pain however. We must realize that we have, yet again, fallen short of God’s holy mark for our lives. Unfortunately, too often we do not deal with our sin at this point.

When cancer reaches stage II it begins to get complicated. No longer is the disease process confined to a single place. It has begun to spread. It now affects nearby organs but is still usually treated with great success. The pain for treatment and recovery are elevated from stage I though.

Sin that has progressed passed stage I in our lives is sin that has begun to be acted upon. Perhaps there was someone at work you were thinking about – even though you are a happily married. It begins with innocent flirting and playful contact that may appear innocent on the surface, but in your heart there is something darker driving it. It is sin. It is a disease to your soul and if you continue, it will surely destroy the holiness God has called you to.

Sometimes this can be the toughest stage to deal with. We convince ourselves that we really haven’t done anything yet. We are only playing on the fringes of sin, but realize that this is a lie. Jesus tells us that if we have committed something in our heart that we are already guilty (Matthew 5:27). We still however make excuses for our behavior and this is most often why we move quickly to stage III.

Stage III cancer begins to get very serious. For now the tentacles of the disease have spread to neighboring lymph nodes and are in danger of spreading to the entire body. This stage is much more difficult to treat, often involving very invasive surgery and possibly chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Your odds of survival begin to drop rapidly at this point and you wish you have heeded the warning signs when you first saw them. You may miss work, not to mention the financial and emotional strain on you and those you love. There is still hope however.

Unrepentant sin also mirrors this stage of cancer. Now our sin has spread from us to others. We are now, either directly or indirectly involving other people in our sin. They are both participating and following us or they are the victims of our behavior. Families and marriages are torn apart. Careers are ruined. Works of a lifetime come crashing down. Witness the recent fall of Tiger Woods for a prime example of sin out of control. God can still restore what the locust has eaten at this point but the treatment may be long and painful and the cost high.

Stage IV is serious indeed. It is often referred to as metastatic cancer, meaning that it has spread throughout the body. Often at this stage, our prognosis is poor and death can sometimes be imminent. Doctors will do their very best, but at this point success cannot be guaranteed.

If you wait until your sin has spread to this point, you are in danger of eternal separation from God. We can allow sin to become so deeply imbedded in our lives, that we cannot see a path to change. Of course we have a surgeon, a perfect surgeon that can fix even this. But we need to ask Him to help, for he will not operate without our permission.

The changes will be costly. You will have to turn from all that has become who you are, to be something that God wants you to be. You will have consequences for your stubbornness, but there will be eternal life… THERE IS ALWAYS ETERNAL LIFE FOR THOSE THAT REALLY SEEK IT.

Sin is like cancer in our lives. I hope that you would seek help if you became aware of a problem in your body and if the doctor told you that you needed surgery, you would get it right away. Doesn’t that seem reasonable? Then why, I might ask, can you not ask for the help you need to remove the sin from your life? What is holding you back? Can you not see what this sickness is doing to you?

One thing about cancer though, it is important to get it all when removing it. A single cell can cause the cancer to return – sometimes more vigorously than before. Sin is no different. If you deal with only part of the problem, then rest assured it will be back again – possibly with devastating consequences. You need to remove all of it!

The example I have given here is only that – an example. Sin takes root in our lives in many ways and just as there is not a single type of cancer, there are many different sins that plague us. Give yourself a spiritual examination and ask if there is the tumor of sin in your life. The more honest you are, the better your chance at catching it early and dealing with it while the consequences are small. If it has gone beyond that point then the time to deal with it is now. Don’t wait until a death sentence is handed out. A loving God wants nothing more than to heal you. You simply need to make an appointment.

The Great Physician is just a prayer away. If you are thinking about sinning, drop to your knees and PRAY! If you are flirting with sin, drop to your knees and ask for forgiveness right now. If you are actively in sin, STOP! Ask for forgiveness and be prepared to do whatever you have to to make it right.

Sin however has another stage. It is Stage V and it is always lethal. Once you have passed from this world there is NO CURE. God has warned us that not to accept the free gift of salvation is to be eternally separated from Him and there is no second chance. So, if you have not accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and savior, then do it now.
Go to this page to see how.

And for the rest of you brothers and sisters in Christ. Treat your sins early and often and you will enjoy spiritual health.

Blessings upon Blessings

Tim

Have you ever wondered what kind of friend you are? Have you ever asked yourself or those around you if you are a good friend? Can people count on you? Are you as good as your word? Is your yes, yes and your no, no? Do you keep your promises? When the chips are down, who can count on your help? Again I ask, what kind of friend are you?

We are told in the gospel of Luke, chapter 5 verses 17-26 about the story of a group of men who so loved their friend who was paralyzed, they went to great lengths to bring him to Christ so that he might be healed.

The first thing we notice in the story was that the men knew where Jesus was and that He had the power to heal. If you are a Christian, think for a moment about all the things Christ has “healed” in your life. Remember where you were before your personal encounter with Jesus. Were you paralyzed in sin, unable to lift yourself from addiction or some other thing that had taken over your life? And now that he has released you from your bondage are you anxious to show others where Christ may be found? It is something to consider.

When they arrived where Jesus was, they found the way blocked. There was such a crowd around Jesus that there was no easy way in. They were carrying their friend and I imagine that he was getting heavy after all that time. What to do? Turn back?

Let’s face it. The gospel of Jesus is under attack and the barriers to bringing people to Christ have scarce been more challenging than today I believe. In the age of “political correctness” those who would follow Christ are labeled “intolerant” and much worse. We are told that bible is irrelevant and the teachings of Christ are a great springboard to more perfect and pure truths. We are mocked and dismissed and made to feel that our devotion to the savior of the world is somehow wrong. Do these barriers stop you at the door? Is the cost for saving the friend too much? Is the burden too great?

In Luke, the love of the friends and their faith in Jesus’ power to heal their friend would not be denied. In fact, they carried him to the roof and cut a hole in it!

What lengths are you willing to go to in order that those you care about are saved? Does the first barrier stumble you or are you determined to help them? The paralytic certainly could not have climbed the stairs himself and without his friends would have been trapped with no way in. How creative are you in bringing those you love to salvation?

Ultimately the men lowered their friend down the hole to Christ. Let me ask you. When was the last time you invited someone to church? Do you pick them up and take them? Remember, they are paralyzed in their sin. Do you care?

Finally Jesus forgave the man his sins through the faith of his friends. What do you believe that those you care about are in greatest need of today? Money? Health? That new car? A healing? God sees our greatest need as fixing that which separates us from Him. If someone doesn’t show us the way, we remain paralyzed in our sin, unable to move any closer to a God that loves us and wants to forgive us and make us well.

Remember the paralytic was one step from death, dependant on others to do that which he could not do himself. Think about your friends. If you don’t carry them to Jesus who will? Can you take that step of love before they are consumed in their paralysis, eternally separated from God? What will it take for you to pick them up?

In closing, have you ever seen you friends in this way? Perhaps it is time to ask God for the strength to carry your friends and family, in love, to Him. Remember, the days are short.

What Kind of friend are you?

And perhaps you are reading this today and you identify not with the friends, but rather with the paralytic. You are paralyzed in your sin, unable to rise from that which binds you and separates you from God. Then consider this your stretcher today and allow it to carry you to the God of mercy and grace. Click here to find out how.

Blessings upon Blessings

Tim

PS- if I may join with you in prayer, please feel free to email me.

The notice comes. It is nailed to the door of a house that a family once called home. “Foreclosed” it may read and everyone is aware that something has gone terribly wrong.

If you talk to the family, they may feign surprise. They may cry about the unfairness of it all. They may act as though they never saw this coming. But in truth, this has taken a great deal of time and there were many warnings along the way.

This time we are looking at Matthew Chapter 721-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

This is one of those difficult things we read in the bible. It is important to remember that it is there because God loves us. It is a warning that we do not fall into this trap.

Foreclosure in the magnitude that we have seen recently in our country probably most often boils down to our greed and short-sighted thinking. Spiritual foreclosure can happen in exactly the same way.

It happens like this – I see a house I cannot afford and decide to buy it based on false promises of the future. For instance – “Don’t worry about it. In a few years it will be worth so much more, you can just take money out and refinance and you will be a wealthy person!” We buy into the lie that the future always gets better and we don’t need to consider the responsibilities of today.

We do this with Christ. We agree to become part of the “Christian Club” so we can have all the benefits of membership, but we never take the costs into account.

If you buy a house, never work, never make a payment, never maintain it – then, my friend, you are not a homeowner… you are a squatter and will be evicted! You cannot expect to be a Christian and never fellowship, seldom go to church, don’t read the bible, pray only when you are in trouble and expect victory in Christ. You may just find that in the end there is a spiritual foreclosure of sorts and Christ says “depart from me!” I can think of no greater sadness than to hear those words.

Don’t get me wrong. You works do not save you. But if there is not a change in your life, then you must evaluate whether or not your conversion is real. When you become a homeowner, you care for it, work hard to make your payments and you live there. Have you been living in your faith?

Just as foreclosure comes with warning after warning before they take your home away, you do not walk away from Christ usually all at once. You miss church here you don’t read the bible there. Eventually, you find you no longer live at the same address as the body of Christ. God will speak to you, send you spiritual warnings that you are in danger of foreclosure – but it is never too late until it is too late.

Perhaps you find your life in turmoil right now. You are homeless, so to speak, outside of God’s will and He is speaking to you right now. Do not wait until you stand before Him and you find you have no home in heaven. Listen to His voice today. Live in your faith and be transformed. God is a gracious landlord. He has already paid the price for your home in Heaven. However, do not think it is without cost here.

Make a payment today on your spiritual future and get on your knees in prayer and seek God’s will in your life. Then do it! Don’t let such a wonderful thing slip through your hands. God will give you all you need to do the things He has called you to.

And maybe today you have never accepted a place in the kingdom of God but He is speaking to your heart right now. In the book of John Jesus said “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

Today is the day to get your spiritual house in order. Today is the day of salvation! Don’t wait any longer.

And if you are unsure how to enter into the family of God – then click on the “Answer For This Life” tab at the top of the page.

If I can join you in prayer feel free to e-mail me!

Blessings Upon Blessings

Tim

“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” 2 Timothy 2:3 NKJV

To hear some evangelists and preachers today, one might believe that becoming a Christian was like going on vacation to the Riviera where every need is met, every whim indulged. However, this could not be farther from the reality of biblical teaching. For God tells us we are in a war – a war for our very souls and the souls of those we love.

Imagine for a moment…

Bobby sits hunkered in a small ditch in the middle of a wet field. His belly rumbles from hunger and his fingers ache from the cold. He can’t remember the last hot meal or warm shower, or quiet rest that lasted for more than thirty minutes. He longs to stand and stretch out his legs, but that would mean certain death. And another bullet whizzing past overhead reminds him of that truth. He doesn’t know why he is there, only that his commander has told him that he must hold his position at all costs – even to the point of his death.

News came yesterday that the battle is being won and that victory is within reach. That bolsters his spirits a little and helps him to endure. But as the bombs explode around him and the days wear into nights it certainly doesn’t feel like victory is close.

Occasionally he raises and fires his weapon. Bobby isn’t sure if he hits anything or not. It is a soldier’s duty. He perseveres and waits – waits for the news that victory has been won and he can finally go home. Home has never pulled so hard or seemed so far away.

Now on the other hand…

Roger is sipping another latte and waiting for the afternoon paper. When it arrives, he reads about the battle raging at the front. “Those poor slobs” he laments. For Roger knows what they are going through. He is a soldier.

He went AWOL (absent without leave) when things got tough. He decided that he would sneak away from his unit and then return when things cooled down. No one would be any the wiser. After all, it was better for him to go home in one piece right? They had plenty of good men fighting and they would be just fine without him. He was only a messenger, not a fighter anyway, what difference could it possibly make for him to wait until the battle was over?

Roger couldn’t wait to get to that hot shower and comfortable bed waiting for him in the safety he had found. Life was not so bad.

Only…

Bobby never got the orders to pull back. They were short on messengers and other critical areas needed to be addressed first. So the message to withdraw never came. Bobby soldiered on until later that night his position was overrun as the enemy made a last grasp to fend off defeat. They would lose of course. Victory now was certain. But Bobby didn’t know that for lack of a messenger. He was brave til the end.

So…

I ask you. Are you comfortable in your Christianity? You might want to check your position. If everything is going along swimmingly, perhaps, just perhaps, it is because you are AWOL. You figure that there are plenty of good Christians sharing the Good News. You don’t want to rock the boat at work or you don’t want to be known as a “Jesus Freak”. Whatever the reason, you are not fighting in the battle.

Do not be mislead. Christianity is under attack in this country as it has never been before. The enemy doesn’t waste bullets on those who do not threaten. If you have not suffered because of your faith at all, if you have not sacrificed anything – better check your position. Have you withdrawn?

Scripture tells us in Ephesians 6:10-13 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” 

Maybe you feel as though you are under attack. You have committed yourself to the Lord and His work and yet your world seems to be crumbling around your. Fear not my brother-in-arms, for that simply means that you are in the enemies’ radar. Gather together with other brothers and sisters in the fight and be encouraged. For the battle is already won! We are “more than conquerors through Christ Jesus.”

It is time for Christians to rise up in fullness of faith and take a stand for God. If you are not doing that, then you are AWOL. Ask Him for the strength to stand in a genuine, uncompromising faith. Put on His full armor daily for we are in a battle for souls and many are dying.

Perhaps you are reading this today and realize you never enlisted on the winning side. You have been fighting against God your entire life. The time has come to surrender to a loving God that only wants the best for you. We know He wins. What are you waiting for?

May you be richly blessed in the good fight. And may God have many honors for you when you see Him in heaven. Until then, fight on! Never give up! Arise prayer warriors arise!

Email me if I can pray for you.

Blessings upon blessings

Tim

Tests are a fact of life. We face them every day. From remembering the rules of the road, to knowing the particular way that your job needs to be done, we are tested daily.

Our biggest test in life is when we are faced with the question about eternity. Our entire existence, in my opinion, on this earth, at this time, is to answer the question – “What will you do with my Son?”

If you were to spend 8 years in college and faced a final test to graduate, wouldn’t you want to know the answer? All of your hard work would mean nothing if you got it wrong. And what if there was no going back? We are reminded in scripture that no man is promise tomorrow. Today, for you, may be the last time that you are asked the question about what you intend to do about God’s offer of forgiveness. Tomorrow may never come. Have you taken the test yet? Are you sure you would pass?

Fortunately for us, God has already given us the answers. We must simply say yes to His Son and His sacrifice upon the cross that pays for our sin. God tells us that He is holy and that we cannot achieve holiness apart from Him.

But I am not letting those of you who have already passed the test off the hook. What are you doing with your degree? Are you passing along the answers so that your friends and family don’t fail this test? After all, this is not just a test for a career; it is the diploma to eternity. What are you doing with what you have learned? And if the answer is nothing, then what are you waiting for?

My brothers and sisters in Christ, do not let those around you fail because you failed to share. And for those of you hearing this message that have not answered this question, don’t you think it is about time?

Blessings upon Blessings

Tim

Garbage… we are wallowing in it everyday and most of us don’t even realize it. We slog through garbage on the radio. We dig through garbage in our favorite magazines and newspapers. And we park ourselves in front of our televisions and pour garbage in our brains until it is coming out of ears. Like my mother said, “Garbage in, garbage out.”

How then is it that we are surprised when we find ourselves spewing garbage to one another? Where does that anger come from? Where did that rude comment or foul speech take it’s root? What happened to goodness and love and building each other up? It is a rare thing these days I dare say.

When you prepare a meal for someone important, no doubt you would try to impress them by using only the finest ingredients and best recipe you could find. I don’t know anyone who would scramble through the trash cans on the block and pick our rotted food and warm it up. Why then do we build our reputations and futures on a pile of garbage? Have you really stopped for a moment and looked hard at the programs you are watching? Have you picked them apart and asked yourself, what are they teaching me? Will I come away from this better? I dare say you probably do not and if you were honest with yourself most of the shows you are watching are filled with the garbage of the world.

How would you feel if Jesus was sitting next to you while you indulged in Desperate Housewives and how would you explain the greed and meanness of Donald Trump’s self righteous program? How about eating popcorn with Jesus and explaining why South Park was so funny as He agonized over the content of the show? Yet God is there, everytime you turn on a program, open a book or listen to the radio. Do you ever even think about that?

When exactly did we all jump off the bridge just because our friends did? When did Joe next doors opinion become more important than God’s? Why do we insist that we are better off than when we were decent and feared God? Have you looked around you? Could the garbage possibly be stacked any higher? When exactly are we going to wake up – or do we just let the garbage smother the life out of us?

God tells us in His word to be holy for He is holy. That means that holiness is attainable. We live in this world but do not have to wrap ourselves in the stench of it. To be holy is to be set apart. Are you set apart?

It is time to call the garbage collector to come in and clean out our rotted minds. It is time to get on our knees and really desire something better, something holy. It is time to put away the excuses for our poor behavior and do something about it. It is time to get to know our God better than the latest song on the radio. It is time… It is way past time.

Don’t me mistaken and believe that you can handle all this trash by yourself – these are toxic payloads that need to be dealt with by God. Only He can clear away the mess of a life cluttered with garbage. Do it now. Start living today as you know God wants you to live. Blessings await.

And if you have never committed your life to Christ, know this… there is a way to hope. There is a way to clear away the garbage of a wasted life. Click HERE to find out how.

For the rest of my brothers and sisters in Christ, that I love and care for beyond words – heed this message, lay aside your excuses and make a change. Oh and…

Blessings upon Blessings

Tim

Secret sin is like cancer in the life of the believer. How many of you are struggling right now with something that you know is in direct conflict with your decision to be a Christian? How much compromise is there in your life that is hidden, unseen by most?

The bible tells us that “…Your sin will find you out.” It doesn’t say that your sin might find you out. Or, with unfortunate luck, your sin might be revealed. It is very clear. Eventually those things that are outside of the will of God catch up to us. When and how they catch up to us makes all the difference.

I heard a former lifeguard once explain about trying to rescue a drowning man. First, know that if you are trying to rescue someone who is drowning, it is often the case that the rescuer becomes the victim. Often, the rescuer has to wait until the victim stops struggling before an effective rescue can be made. And if the person struggling doesn’t want to be rescued? Well, that’s a whole other story.

If you know someone near and dear to you that is struggling with sin and you want to help, be careful that you yourself do not fall victim to sin. It happens all the time when godly people with the best intentions try to help others.

But we are here mainly to discuss you. If you are battling with secret sin right now, you need to stop struggling immediately not tomorrow, or the day after. BUT RIGHT NOW. It is not going to get easier or better. And the longer you wait, the greater the damage to your life and testimony – not to mention your walk with God.

How do we do that? How can we turn from the things that seem to grip our flesh and wrestle our hearts away from the Father? One word… Accountability. As long as you feel that your sin is hidden, it will grab you over and over again. You feel bad (probably a little less each time) but you just can’t seem to quit. Accountability will bring your sin into the light of day and give you a partner in the fight.

Don’t you realize that you are already accountable to God? There is nothing secret from Him. In fact, Romans 3:19 tells us “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.” (Emphasis mine.)

Don’t be the fool in this world that says “I can handle it.” “I am strong, I don’t need any help.” Reach out today and share your secret struggles with a trusted member of God’s family and ask them to help you, to pray for you, and to hold you accountable.

Only when we stand in integrity will we receive the blessings that God has waiting for us.

And if you feel that your secret sin is keeping you from becoming a Christian… FEAR NOT. That was exactly the reason He came and gave Himself for you. You just come to the foot of the cross and confess your sin to Jesus. Make Him your personal savior and He is faithful to clean you from all unrighteousness.

It is time for Christian men and women to quit making excuses. We need to rise to God’s standard and not lower ourselves to the world’s. I have faith that you can do it. Today is the day. And best of all, God promises to restore what the locust has eaten.

May you be richly blessed,

Tim

When difficulties arise in our lives, we are given two choices. We may see them as an obstacle in our way or a challenge to overcome on the way to better things. Which is your view of the adversity you face in your life?

Recently I counseled a friend who is dealing with difficulty in his life. Things were in turmoil and he felt overwhelmed. Hopelessness was washing up on the shore of his life. He felt powerless in the face of the rising tide that was moving inexorably towards him. He is stronger than he knows.

I my own life there is often difficulties and things that are most often not how I would have them if I was in charge of writing the script of my life. If I had my way, everything would run perfectly and I would always have what I wanted without struggle or difficulty.

There have also been times in my life though when God has used my past struggles to help others, to offer them hope in the midst of the storm. Without the struggle I would have had nothing to offer. Was the struggle worth it? No question, the answer is yes. But, at the time, had the choice been mine, I would have avoided the difficulties and the loss would have been far greater than the pain of the day I had endured.

Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 12: ^“7And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. ⁸For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. ⁹And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul recognized the sovereign hand of God in his life and the fact that He does not rescue us from all the storms we face. God does promise though to be with us through the storm however. He uses the trials of our lives to refine us into something better.

When the climber see a picture of Mount Everest, he sees a challenge to be overcome. His payoff is in attaining the summit. He endures many hardships just to say that he has overcome the mountain. We may look at the mountain and view it as a cold and inhospitable place. Amazing what a perspective does – doesn’t it?

Maybe you are facing some challenges in your life right now. Perhaps you have lost a loved one or a job or there is turmoil where you are at. God wants us to remember that it is a matter of perspective. Are your eyes on the goal? Or are you focused on the steps along the way. Do you know that the word of God tell us that He uses ALL things for good for those who are the called according to His purpose. And Jesus also tells us in Matthew ” ³¹Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ³²(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.³³But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.³⁴Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

We live in dark times, my friends, when we are reaping what we have sewn for having turned our backs on the truths of God and the foundation of His word. But those of us in Christ have a greater goal in view a higher summit to attain. We may struggle along the way but we have the comfort of our Lord guiding and leading our steps. Reach out in prayer to the Father with your troubles and He will bring you peace.

You can do it! We are more than conquerors in Christ. Keep your eyes on the goal of heaven and He will give you the strength you need for today.

Blessings upon blessings.

Tim

When I read in the bible the story of the prodigal son, I would usually place myself in the place of the son – lost, misguided, out of his father’s will. I was so grateful when I found the grace and forgiveness of my Heavenly Father who forgives me – even after I willfully walked away.

I never really considered the Father’s side to any great extent… until now.

There are two things in this life I would lay down my life for without question or hesitation – God and my family. My love for my family is unconditional, even when I dont’ feel like loving them. There have been plenty of those times. And I am sure there have been many times when they did not feel like loving me.

Most people have love confused with feelings. Love is not a feeling, although there may be quite strong feelings with love, it is a decision. True love states that my feelings may change but my committment to you never does. This love was most clearly demonstrated to us as Christ, hanging on a cross, condemned to death even though He was innocent, took the first breath to plead with the Father to forgive us because we didn’t know what we were doing. Such was the love of Christ. Our love should be so pure.

Even though the prodigal son broke his father’s heart and took what he felt was owed to him in a selfish act, the father was still filled with overwhelming love for his son and waited for him to return. I am sure there was dissappointment and maybe even anger at the folishness of one he cared so much about. But over it all there was an abiding love.

I am a father, with children of my own and find myself now relating to the father in the story of the prodigal. My children have made choices that I believe put them outside the will of God and if they continue, I may have to face heaven without them – and it is breaking my heart. I know they feel, probably, that I will condemn them for their choices, but we all make mistakes. My bigger fear is facing eternity without those that I cherish and love so much.

Satan has taken over this world as the values and rules of Chrisitanity are deemed “old fashioned” and “intolerant”. He offers our children the desires of their flesh and lusts and they are robbed of the better thing. And so breaks another father’s heart. This generation cannot see the problem here. Movies, tv, and music all encourage behaviour that just a few years ago would be unnacceptable. And are we better for it? I hardly think so. Those same people who claim we are intolerant spew hate at those who dare to love God and things just continue to spiral down.

What is a loving Christian to do?

This father’s heart is breaking and I stand at the door looking for my children to come back. Are they just over the horizon? Will they ever understand that the things and temporary pleasures of this world will not satisfy? When I am not on my knees praying, I am at the door, waiting with open, loving, arms.

Our Heavenly Father also waits. Have you been away? Is it time to go home?

In His most precious Love,

Tim