California wildfires 2020

The year 2020 has not been a good year for our nation, nor for those of us living in California, and Oregon. The Coronavirus has taken a toll on our nation, striking fear, and a sense of hopelessness in the hearts of Americans. For those of us in California and Oregon, we have had multiple fires over the last month, which has brought poor air quality, caused people to lose their homes, has put people in danger of losing their homes, and has brought a tremendous challenge for our firefighters to put out. I keep praying for our nation daily, and for our courageous men and women fighting these fires. I’m so thankful for their service. Despite all the challenges our nation, and world has met this year, there is a greater hope. That greater hope is Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. When you have Jesus, you have everything. You have hope which people lose in times like these, you have eternal life when you believe that Jesus death on the cross was sufficient payment for your sins, and when you die, you will have that assurance you will be with him forever in heaven. You must acknowledge that you can’t save yourself no matter how many good deeds or works you have done. You must acknowledge you’re a sinner, and have fallen short of his glory. We all deserve hell, and judgment for our sin, and rebellion toward God. Jesus provided a way to escape hell, and provided a way to heaven by his substitutionary death on the cross in our place. God offers the free gift of salvation to all people. Come as you are, and God will put you back together again. Will you accept his free gift of salvation? It will be the best decision of your life, and for eternity. Come to Christ while you can, because you may never get a chance like this again. Tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us. If you reject God’s offer of salvation, and then die, there is no more hope for you. All that awaits is hell, and judgment. I pray you make the right choice.

Coronavirus

America hasn’t seen a pandemic in a long time since the coronavirus. I haven’t seen one like this in my lifetime. It’s progressed so quickly around the world, sickening people, and taking lives. People are in fear, panic, having a sense of hopelessness, and are in fear of catching it, and dying. A lot of people don’t think of death until something likes this happens. There’s a fear of death. People don’t want to die. There’s a fear because they don’t know what lies beyond. Some believe there’s an afterlife, and a better place. Some believe they will just die and cease to exist. Some believe there’s a better place, and a place that is not so good. There is a better place called heaven, and a horrible place called hell. The bible tells us about both of them, and that people are destined for one of two places after death. People aren’t going to die and cease to exist. We have a soul that will live forever either in heaven or in hell. The bible tells us, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We have all broken God’s moral law the 10 commandments. We have all lied, stolen, taken God’s name in vain, thought, lustful thoughts, and hated someone in our heart. The bible says if you have broken 1 of the commandments, you have broken them all. The 10 commandments are like a mirror that shows us how sinful we are, and that we are condemned to that horrible place called hell. It was given by God to man to show us that we fall short of his holy standards, and that we couldn’t measure up no matter how many good deeds, or works we have done. Our good deeds and works can’t get us to heaven. We can’t rely on our own goodness either, because we have none. We deserve hell and judgment because we have all rebelled against God. He is perfectly just for sending us there. There is only one way to heaven, and its by believing the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s believing in faith that he died on the cross for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, and that he was raised from the dead on the third day according to the scriptures. Only the blood of Christ can wash away our sins. Heaven isn’t for good people, it’s for forgiven people. It’s Jesus plus nothing. It’s unbelief that will send people to their eternal doom in hell. People will have to trample underfoot the son of God to get to hell. God has done  everything he can to provide a way for us to get to heaven. Because Jesus loves us, he willfully laid his life down, and died the substitutionary death that we deserve so that we can come into a rightful relationship with God through his death on the cross. God offers the free gift of salvation to everyone. The question is will you accept it? People have lost hope during this pandemic, but the hope is Jesus Christ. Sin is a disease, and Jesus is the cure. If we had a cure for cancer, we would tell the doctors so they could cure people. Christianity has a cure for the malignancy of the soul, and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. So your choice will be to believe it, and accept God’s offer of salvation, or to reject it. I pray you will accept it, because it will be the best decision of your life, and eternity. Put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ because you aren’t getting out of here without him.

Tell me your story

About a week ago, my pastor at church gave a sermon on evangelism of what to do and what not to do while sharing our faith with others. He gave a couple good pointers. He mentioned that we should try to hear the other persons story in regards to things that may be happening in their life. Look for some kind of need in their life. He said we shouldn’t just surprise them by sharing Jesus right away in the conversation. I would like to hear your story about a specific need that you may have, and how Jesus can give you the ray of hope you need. Please feel free to leave comments.

How I became a Christian

 

The trillion dollar question is what will happen to you when you die?

 

What do you think happens to a person when they die? Do you believe in the afterlife? Do you believe there is a heaven and a hell? Do you believe in God? A higher percentage of people believe they will go to heaven when they die, and or believe in an afterlife. Here are some questions to ask yourself. Do you consider yourself to be a good person? If you answered yes, the Bible says in Romans 3:10 As it is written: There is none righteous, not even one. Here’s a short test of your morality. How many lies have you told in your lifetime? Have you ever stolen anything that wasn’t yours? Have you ever used God’s name in vain? Have you ever looked upon a man or woman with lust? Matthew 5:28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. The answer would be yes to all of these. I’m not judging you, but by your own admittance, God sees you as a lying, thieving, blasphemous, Adulterer at heart. If God is to judge you by the 10 commandments, you will be found guilty and will face judgment and hell. To you who is reading this paper, I care about you and God loves you. I don’t want to see you end up in Hell and neither does God. It’s not his will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Do you know what God did for you, so you wouldn’t have to end up in hell? He came into this world fully human in Jesus of Nazareth to die, shed his blood on the cross for the sins of the world, was buried, and rose from the dead three days later defeating death. Jesus died the substitutionary death on the cross that we deserved. He paid a debt we could not pay no matter how many good deeds or works we have done. He died in our place so that we could come into a rightful relationship with God. John 14:6 Jesus answered, I’m the way, the truth, and the life: non one comes unto the Father but by me. Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven. God offers this free gift of salvation to all. God loves you no matter what you have done, no matter your skin color, race, creed, etc.. In fact, if you were the only person alive, Jesus would have died for you. We all come to the cross as broken human beings. Come as you are as a little child to Christ, and he will make you a new creation. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things have become new. We come broken, and God can put us back together again. He has a plan and a purpose for your life. The hope that you need, and is needed lies in Jesus Christ. If you want to be sure that when you die, you will go to heaven and not hell, put your faith and trust in Jesus, and he will grant you eternal life. Do you have this assurance? If you don’t know, now is the time to accept Christ as savior. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2 In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation. Tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone. You never know the day or time when you’re going to die. After death it’s too late. God is reaching down to redeem you, if you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

When I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, God began to change my life. I was broken as we all are. I had a lot of anger, not much joy, was moody, and sometimes depressed. In fact, my wife had at one time regretted marrying me. I never went to church, prayed, read the Bible, shared Jesus with others, or fellowshipped with other followers of Jesus. Jesus changed all of that, once I put my faith and trust in him. My wife saw the transformation in me along with my kids and others. I started having the hunger for the word of God, the Bible, going to church every Sunday, praying daily, sharing Jesus with others, and fellowshipping with other followers of Christ. God did all of this in my life. I gave up nothing to follow Jesus. God gave up his son which was everything to die for me and the world’s sins. He opened up my younger son’s heart to Jesus along with my wife. My wife and son willfully come to church on Sunday. My older son hasn’t yet surrendered his life to Christ, but I pray daily that he will. I just believe the gospel and received Christ into my heart in faith. God answered my prayer with my wife, and younger son, so I know there is hope for my older son as well. There was hope for me being saved at 44. There is hope for you as well who are reading this. If you’re a Christian reading this, never stop praying for your unbelieving spouse, kids, family, friends, co-workers etc.. Keep living the Godly life God has called you to live, and keep sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. Once they do invite Jesus into their heart, God will do the rest. Praise the Lord amen.

They and you can pray a prayer like this: Lord Jesus, I know that I’m a sinner. I believe you are the Son of God. I believe you came into this world fully human to die and shed your blood on the cross, were buried, and rose from the dead three days later. Lord Jesus, I choose to turn away from my sins and surrender my life to you. I believe, and accept you into my heart in faith as my Lord and savior. Please forgive me of all my sins. Please save me. I pray this in Jesus name amen.