True Life Christianity

Over 2000 years ago, this day (Good Friday) is supposed to signify the beginning of Jesus Christ’s death. The cross had served its purpose, an instrument of death. Past the six hours it took for His agonizingly painful death on that cross, Jesus was ready for His burial. Another Joseph (one of the priests) offered the use of his tomb, and this to tomb was made out of rock instead of being taken down off the cross and thrown into a pile of criminal bodies that had just suffered the painful agonies of the cross (“Risen”-the movie, 2017). Still, it has perplexed me why they call this Friday, Good Friday? Don’t they realize that Jesus Christ died? What’s so “Good” about that? For me, I have always been an introspective thinker.

Now it has been over 2000 years since Jesus Christ had been punished for all of the humans’ sin. I believe that. Not just those people at the current time when He was living on the earth, but a sacrifice good enough to cover all time to replace the innocent death of a lamb which you had to go to the high priest in the Old Testament. However, that changed in the beginning of the New Testament with the arrival of Jesus Christ. Now, knowing that my sin is covered over with Christ’s blood some 33 years later, I still feel bad every time I sin. Can you identify with me?

Let me try to figure this out. Martin Luther (1483-1546 *his life span) who put his body through such extreme torment as well as going through life as a professor of Theology, a priest, a friar, a monk, and wrote the 95 points of contention with the Roman Catholic church that was headed by Pope Leo X. The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and the Pope eventually excommunicated Martin Luther from Roman Catholicism (excommunication means you are forbidden to enter the physical church and destitute from God, Himself). Martin Luther, instead, taught that entrance into heaven to experience the presence of God comes by the free grace of God given to all. Which is accurate. (Wikipedia, 2019).

Then there is this question of who should I follow from the Bible. The names like Abraham, Moses, or King David. After all, King David had a heart after God (Acts 13:22). Yes, there are many people that you could follow after. Yet, the Apostle Paul has something to say about this in writing to the Corinthian church:

One of you says, “I belong to Paul, ” and another one says, “I belong to Apollos.” When you say things like this, you are acting like people of the world. Is Apollos important? No! Is Paul important? No! We are only servants of God who helped you believe. Each one of us did the work God gave us to do. (1 Corinthians 3:4-5 NCV)

Anyone that suffer’s for the name of Jesus Christ, I suppose the Apostle Paul would be the primary example in the New Testament. Yet accepting Jesus Christ’s bloodshed on that horrible cross and His resurrection from the tomb carved out of stone three days later is what rescues you from hell. Jesus Christ said this:

Then the master said, “Throw that useless servant outside, into darkness where people will cry and grind their teeth in pain. (Matthew 25:30 NCV)

To catch the whole saying, you will need to read, listen to, and understand with wisdom Matthew 25:14-30.

Humanity has to have faith in Jesus Christ that He came down to earth from heaven, lived with His physical parents, then at the age of 30 turned His carpentry profession into 3 years of going out among Israel teaching a radically different way and only way to get to God the Father. Since the message that Jesus taught for 3 years did put Him at odds with the religious elite, the religious elite wanted to put Him to death and eventually succeeded. Remember that nothing happens without God’s approval, and the result was God’s Son Jesus Christ bloody death on the cross.

However, several times Jesus declared that He would rise from the dead, not to be a zombie with no feelings, but Jesus Christ’s actual physical life would exist after being dead for three days. Roman guards could not stop Him. The religious elite of His day could not stop Him. The pragmatist or the busybodies of His day could not stop Him wondering how this was possible. His borrowed tomb that was that of a garden tomb; and that garden tomb was a rock-cut tomb located in Jerusalem, Israel (Wikipedia, 2019).

For it was after Christ Jesus said it so many times during His 3 years of going out and telling people that you would not think had a chance at heaven, that He would rise again from the tomb of stone. It is strategic that when Jesus Christ was born the innkeepers had a feeding trough that was made from stone and is a foreshadowing to that to which He was buried (A conversation I had with my older daughter who is attending Liberty University * a Christian University, Lynchburg, Virginia, USA).

Yet I have not addressed why the world calls it, Good Friday? Yes, I know that Christians have a reason to celebrate because through the death of One man Jesus Christ provided salvation (a sparing if you will) from ever having to go to hell in which He took the sin of the whole wide world and paid the cost that you and I deserve by accepting Jesus Christ into your soul not letting anything distract you for too long since it says in Philippians 2:12-13 :

My friends, you have obeyed God while I was with you. It is even more important that you obey now while I am away from you. Keep on working to complete your salvation with fear and trembling, because God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases Him. (NCV)

The One and only Holy Man named Jesus Christ had to die to provide us with Good Friday! Don’t you feel a twinge guilty that the whole world sin, both past, present, and future was placed upon Him? Do you take comfort in the fact that Jesus Christ willingly came for you and me so that could spend eternity with Him! In a world of fairness, His death was not fair. Yet, already knowing this, He came anyway! Now that is love! That astounds me! Are you beginning to see why people call this Friday, Good Friday? Really, Jesus Christ Had To Die To Make Good Friday Possible!!! to provide all of humanity with free access to heaven to see God the Father.

This day, right here, right now, is your opportunity to rededicate your life to something much bigger than you. If you are ” dancing with the devil” never accepting God’s free grace, then I ask you, what is stopping you? You don’t need anyone except Jesus Christ to help you. Go on! WHAT IS STOPPING YOU?

There are a few songs that I would like you to hear and visualize, so please click on the links provided below:

“Red Letters”-David Crowder

“Red Letters”-DC Talk

“The Cross”-Kevin Max ft. DC Talk

“Later that night, lying on top of a sleeping bag spread out on a concrete floor, I mentally reviewed all that I had seen and heard in just a few hours. … And at the moment the prayer that I was praying was mostly complaint. ‘Lord, God, why me? Why here?’ Just in case God had forgotten, I pointed out that nothing in my upbringing, my education, or my professional experience had equipped me to work in a place like Somaliland.”-Nik Ripken

“The Insanity Of God (Official Trailer)-Nik Ripken

“Bigger Than I Thought”-Passion ft. Sean Curran

“Trust In You”-Lauren Daigle

It seems like to me that one of the reasons God made me slower than your “average” person is to prevent me from being too fast-paced, Getting Pulled In Too Many Directions after my horrendous, nearly fatalistic car accident when I was less than a month graduated from high school (exactly 18 days after my 18th birthday). Truly, it has woken me up to the fast-paced generation we now live in. Yet, I also see how fast the world is going, and pretty much all of the time, I stress over being to slow in my body mechanics. I often pray to God to make me faster so that I can proclaim that nothing is out of Your hands and to spread the “Good News” as quickly as I can. And there is nothing inherently wrong with that prayer until you sit back and relax a bit.

On top of my duties as a husband and a dad (which I take seriously so they are an increasing pressure on me), and household responsibilities. I have work responsibilities; I have church elder responsibilities; I have those outside my immediate family responsibilities, etc. each one of those takes time. And I live in a constant 24/7 days a week “get it done fast” mentality. I try to live up to my own expectations, but more times than not, I miserably fail. Not only that, you feel the pressure that makes it seem like you have to act now or otherwise it will be too late. “UGG!!!” as one of my daughters would say. Also, I have other responsibilities than these I have listed for you here, such as keeping my eyes attuned to His Word, the Holy Scriptures, to bring postings each week on http://www.TrueLifeChristianity.com (by the way, it is my joy to bring it to you).

Yet, I know, through various sources, that there are many of you who encounter more and more responsibilities each day and significantly more than I do. And in today’s culture where everybody is focussed on themselves and the beginning of the Information Technology movement with things like the internet, quickly moving onto desktops, laptops, tablets, phones, watches, etc, we are so focused in on ourselves. I see it in our driving, and I see it in our public schools. I see it in any place where you can get media from, I see the self-entitlement movement making its way through social media. I see it in governments where one world power flexes their political muscles to try to squelch the other government into submission. It is terrible, a rouge to make itself look good but ugly to the core underneath.

How do we escape all of this? The answer is found in Jesus. Make some personal time every day for Jesus. To get to know Him a little bit better each day, I would suggest downloading an app for your smartphone and/or tablet by going to http://www.youversion.com. I would also suggest starting off with a more simpler version such as NCV (NEW CENTURY VERSION). When you think you can move to a more complex version, I would try the NIV (NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION) or the HCSB (HOLMAN CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE). Still, more complex but accurate version would be the ESV (English Standard Version) or the KJV/NKJV (KING JAMES VERSION or NEW KING JAMES VERSION). There are many more versions out there such as NLT (New Living Translation) or the RSV (Revised Standard Version). I also know, based on the statistics from http://www.TrueLifeChristianity.com, that many of don’t speak English or English aren’t there first more preferred language. There are versions and/or Bibles related to the language you speak, and just about all the languages can be found in the YouVersion app. So they are out there. If you really want to know God the Father, Jesus Christ His Son, and the Holy Spirit (Ghost) better, I ask you to pray this: “Father, please let me get a hold of Your Word, the Holy Bible. In the name of Jesus Christ, SO BE IT!”

I cannot forget to include a few Scripture verses for you to hang out on such as:

God gave you not only the honor of believing in Christ but also suffering for Him, both of which will bring glory to Christ. (Philippians1:29 NCV)

Jesus said to all of them, “If people want to follow Me, then they must give up the things they want. They must give up their lives daily to follow Me.” (Luke 9:23 NCV)

For you have been called to this, because Christ also suffered for you, LEAVING YOU AN EXAMPLE, so that you might walk in His steps. (1 Peter 2:21 ESV).

And the three verses about Jesus Christ and the resurrection:

“…that Christ must suffer, and that, by the first to rise from the dead, He would proclaim the light both to our people (Jews) and to the Gentiles (the rest of the world).” (Acts 26:23 ESV)

He opened their minds to the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead and that the repentance of forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:45-47 ESV).

For the preaching of the cross is but folly to them that perish, foolishness; but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18 KJV)

And with Easter Sunday or Resurrection Sunday coming up in a little over a week, you and I should make a vow to the Lord Jesus Christ that we will dedicate a certain portion of each day to getting to know Jesus Christ, better meditating on His Word. When Busyness Creeps Into Your Personal Time With God (Getting Pulled In Too Many Directions)… you have a vow or promise to fulfill, a promise to the Lord God, Himself.

Please, whatever you do, take time for the Lord Jesus Christ because in Him you will find salvation.

Check out these links:

“The Cross Has The Final Word”-Newsboys ft. Peter Furler

“In Christ Alone”-(group unknown)

“Reckless Love”-Cory Asberry

“We Believe”-Newsboys

“According to my research, the best estimates indicated that the entire nation of Somaliland with the entire population of seven hundred million people there were only enough followers of Jesus to perhaps fill in the pews of a small church as we had back home in Kentucky.”-Nik Ripken

“The Insanity Of God-Official Trailer”

“Committed”-Newsboys

“Confidence”-Sanctus Real

Naturally, I was wondering where to take this week’s blog as it pertains to The Risen Christ. Recently, I had a challenge to what I believe, and my own sense of inadequacies in myself. I am confident that I could have said it better. A flood of verses that are supposed to comfort me only gives me frustration in that I could have said it better as to what I said, hoping to get it right before God the Almighty Judge who I sometimes fear that I did not say it quite right. I have to realize, although, that this is a trick of mine fueled by Satan and his demons. I take comfort in this, though:

But when they arrest you, do not be afraid what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father will be speaking through you. (Matthew 10:19-20 NIV)

Then it hit me like a ton of bricks what I should name this week’s – The Challenging Aspects Of Proclaming What You Believe-The Risen Christ…

As I told this person what I believe, the person responded with the Bible can’t be trusted. “It is full of lies conjured up by those who wrote the books (66 in all) that make up the Holy Bible, ” the person said. As I did not want to appear as confrontational to spread Jesus Christ’s message, the bodily part of me said, “You can leave that comment alone because they don’t truly get behind the intent of your message.” Yet, thank the Lord for the prodding of the Holy Spirit. I did not know what I was going to say after the person flatlined refused to believe that the site would offer hope and encouragement through Jesus Christ.

Let me quote the conversation we had using social media:

“Jesus is the antichrist. You can’t offer hope and encouragement through a false image of a man, written in a Roman Pagan comic book. Stop worshipping a comic book character, and turn your eyes to God.”

Praying to Jesus Christ, the One who willingly was executed for all humanity, while I responded:

“You agree that we have a soul resonating inside us, right? If you do, I understand that you are not knowledgeable or refuse to believe in the bloody cross upon which Jesus Christ (God the Father’s Son) died physically. However, three days later, Jesus Christ resurrected even though being behind a tomb with a large rock to cover its entrance. Pilate, the Roman Governor, ordered some guards to watch the tomb 24 hours a day. But Jesus Christ rose from the grave on the 3rd day. For the Apostle Paul wrote, ‘The teaching of the cross is foolishness to those who are being lost, but to those of us who are being saved it is the power of God’ (1 Corinthians 1:18 NCV). I don’t want you to continue in your foolishness. Do you have a Bible? If you don’t, you can download one at http://www.youversion.com. If you are really interested, the true story of Jesus Christ physical life here on this earth can be found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.”

The person answered with this:

“Those are all lies. Any original texts were written and/or edited by the scribes and the Pharisees Yeshua was against. There was never a ‘Jesus.’ King James named the character ‘Jesus,’ but the man’s name was Yeshua, and he was a human being who performed zero miracles. He also was not crucified. ‘Judas’ (also named by King James) threw 30 pieces of silver down refusing to betray Yeshua. He was followed, and when they went to arrest Yeshua, he knew it was his fault, that he had been followed, and jumped in to help. Yeshua escaped and Judas was arrested and crucified in his place. Roman soldiers had to remove his body by morning, because the family would come to prepare the body from the tomb by morning, and know that it was not Yeshua. And that is why ‘Judas’ body was found in the field with his insides spilling out (from the spear on the cross and being dragged in the field). Yeshua didn’t resurrect. He just didn’t get killed that night. Religion is a lie. God didn’t write or ‘inspire’ your books, nor did He come to earth, nor send His ‘son,’ as you think of it. Books and religion are man and Satan’s creations. Christianity is Satan’s worship. You won’t hear what I am saying, but I have to say it anyway. ❤✌”

“Wow, ” I thought, “this person has seriously got some screwed up thoughts regarding Christ.” So I continued praying as the Holy Spirit was answering through me, as I said:

“I am not trying to be argumentative, but I feel the need to correct you from a non-Biblical standpoint. Just simply go to the internet or public library and see what I am saying is the truth- according to the North American Mission Board, they did an article (blog) concerning Josephus and Jesus dated 3/30/16 by Paul L. Maier, Emeritus Russell, H. Siebert Professor of Ancient History, Western Michigan University. Josephus (A.D. 37 – c. 100) was a Jewish historian born in Jerusalem 4 years after Jesus of Nazareth death on the cross. The Jewish historian had much more leeway than the writers of the 4 Gospels which granted him unfavorably good access to Roman documents. Again, due to ‘imperial patronage by the Flavian emperors in Rome-Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian-Josephus was able to generate incredible detail in his records, a luxury denied the Gospel writers.’ Yet all I can do is pray for your soul.”

The person responds:

“I take you believe Jewish historians about WW2, 911, and the genocide going on in Palestine (still going on this day). ‘Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees.’ Yeshua actually said that. He also said, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees.’ And then you come along and treat the words of the scribes and Pharisees ( and the Pagan Emperors) as GOSPEL. Just stop it. Throw those books and ‘historians’ away. Stop worshipping Jesus. I promise you, Yeshua never sought to be worshipped and would tell you it is blasphemous if he ever saw or heard you doing it.”

I responded:

“Are you Muslim? I never encountered a personal hatred for the name of Jesus. Anyway, I will continue to pray to the name of Jesus that He will soften your heart (soul) before you physically die to the message of Christ, the perfect lamb who was led to slaughter to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles (the rest of the world) to give us access to God the Father. I pray for you!”

Then the person responded with:

“I don’t have a religion. I used to be a diehard Christian until God showed me that He didn’t write any books, or start any religions, or have any ‘chosen’ people. I did study Islam, and learned from it, but Mohamed didn’t write the Quran, just as Yeshua didn’t write the Bible. Some of his (Mohamed’s) words actually made it, though (just as some of Yeshua’s words made it). He said, ‘When it is said to them, ‘follow what God has revealed,’ they say, ‘Nay! We shall follow the ways of are fathers.’ And, ” O, People of the book!’ but no one understood him. Not even Muslims. I don’t know how to convey this message in a way that you will understand. All I can say is God never wrote or ‘inspired’ any books.”

As I prayed to Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit within me would not let me give up as I said:

“How much of the Bible do you know? Well, for me, my faith has been tried, and as it turns out God won. Are you familiar with Job? He went through amazing trials to which God was silent until the end of the book. At the age of 18, I experienced a car accident which put me in a coma for a month, subsequent in-patient rehabilitation for 2 1/2 months, then staggered out-patient rehab (physical, occupational, speech) until I started college nearly 2 1/2 years past my 18th birthday. Know that I have been a Christian since the age of 7. I had a calling on my life since the age of 14 where I would go anywhere, experience anything to make the name of a God more known. I thought I was going to be a youth pastor, and so I trained under that. But are you familiar with the Scripture ‘My ways are not your way.” Well, soon after the car accident and the month-long coma, I was sitting in my room when I said to God, ‘I am through with this!’ because I thought I was in a dream-state due the coma. I said to Him, ‘By morning, if I don’t wake up out of this dream-state I know it is for real.'”

The person retorted:

“I probably read that Bible as much or more than you and your favorite pastor combined. I studied it for many years, in a place where there were few distractions, and was blessed with some really good reading comprehension. The book didn’t come from God. I promise.”

I retorted as well as saying:

“Let me respectfully disagree with you. I believe the God Himself inspired the Bible. You may not agree with me, and I guess that is your position. However, due to some extraordinary incidences that have happened in my life, I can assure you that God of the Bible, God wants a relationship with humanity, is the same God split up into 3 Holy Beings-God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit which now indwells us believers in Christ Jesus. Please go to my website under http://www.TrueLifeChristianity.com to see what God has done through my life. Look up the posting regarding Matthew 19:26 posted on February 7, 2019, or ‘Taking To The Limit’ posted on November 11, 2018. Then we can have a conversation. Ok?”

I continue:

“I have read/listened to the Bible several times with meditation. Something new speaks to me every time I take this monumental project and relate Scriptures to my life. I can relate to many people in the Bible. I can relate to Abraham in sacrificing his son, Isaac. I too can relate to Isaac willing to be sacrificed even though he did not want to be. I can relate to Moses having something wrong with his speech and doubting God’s wisdom in choosing him to lead the people out of Egypt. I also relate to Jacob when he had a wrestling match with God and suffered a limp because of that wrestling match. I can also relate to Job, the Apostles Peter and Paul, I also relate to King David and King Solomon, and the Old Testament Joseph. However, there are understandings which I don’t have, forgetting about, or something new I personally did not see when I read through the Bible before.”

“1 Peter 2:21 says this: ‘For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, LEAVING YOU AN EXAMPLE, so that you might walk in His steps’ (ESV). I have gone through suffering because I am a follower of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit which resides in me. Just take a look at my life where I was headed off to college to become a youth pastor, however, I got into an accident when I, on June 28th, 1989, I got into a car accident on the highway. I should have been dead, yet God saved me through the work of doctors, nurses, therapists, and those helping the medical staff. After three days of touch and go I was in a coma for 1 month when the hospital decided to send me to a rehabilitation hospital after I slowly awoke. During 3 weeks there, I felt like I was in a dream-state/nightmare in which I cried out to God. ‘Wake me up by morning! But just in case it is real, I know You have a purpose in all this. Give me the courage to finish well.’ Morning time came and instead of waking up in my bed at home, I was in the rehab hospital instead. Yet, miraculous things took place in my recovery, and I was able to exit the rehab hospital in 2 /2 months walking. Yes, I do have some speech problems due to expressive aphasia. Yes, I walk with a limp. Yes, others treat me different thinking I am mentally retarded. No, I have full capabilities about me although it normally takes some additional time to get tasks accomplished. Do I believe in Jesus Christ as the One who came to rescue me, you, and the rest of humanity? YES! YES!! YES!!!”

Well, hopefully that is not the last time I here from this individual on social media. But God is still pressing in upon me that I need to reach out to this person even further. Further, you think (including myself) that God can’t use you because of the restrictions that you have? The Bible is full of people who didn’t think they had it (whatever “it” is). And that is true, we are nothing without Christ who set Himself up as the example to live by (1 Peter 2:21). Will you (Christians) accept this and go out and act on it, especially with Easter in the USA coming up?

That is this week’s blog on The Challenging Aspects Of Proclaiming What You Believe-The Risen Chist…

If you do not have a Bible, then you can download it from this site:

The YouVersion Bible

And take a listen to music videos that place a challenge in front of you:

“Reckless Love”-Cory Asberry

“Better Than I Found It”-Danny Gokey ft. Kierra Sheard

“The Cross”-Kevin Max ft. DC Talk

“Naturally, my hosts wanted to know about me, especially why I had come to Hargeisa, and what I hoped to accomplish. I told them about Ruth and my boys back in Nairobi, and then shared some of my personal background. … coming to Africa 7 years ago, and working until recently in two different African countries planting and growing churches. I saw concern as well as interest on the concern of the faces of my listeners. I quickly let them know that I never be able to do in Somaliland the kind of work I had previously in Malawi and South Africa. Strict regulations had made it extremely difficult for Westerners with ny kind of religious affiliation to live or gain entry into the country.”-Nik Ripken

“Committed”-Newsboys

The word, faith, seemingly has a lot of definitions to it. Like, you got to have “faith” that you can turn yourself around and stop doing whatever you’re doing. “Imagined faith” is what I call that because 9 times out of 10 (or it just seems like it), you fail at it miserably. Then you have faith based on reality to where you see a little bit in the future (this works best in the immediate family), and based on your own experiences you most of the time get it correct in predicting the future; that’s what I call experiential faith. Or you have what is called “the luck of the draw faith” in which you have a person going out and getting a tattoo of the sports team winning it all and taking home that special trophy several months before a sports season begins. I live in the USA, and that is what happened in the National Football League (NFL) in the United States of America recently.

Over the course of my life here on earth, I can say that I have been bombarded with these false uses of the word “faith.” Unfortunately, there are some churches with spiritually unhealthy leaders who make their living off of those that are fooled by this deception. “Prosperity gospel” runs off of this principle where you have to “believe” you will get what you are looking for, work at it, and have “faith.”

Just recently, I read an article on that word, “faith.” When I was younger I falsely believed that you could have a relationship with God outside of the Holy Bible seemingly the same as this person did on a recent blog I read. They concentrated on praying with an object in one’s hands as the key to finding spiritual enlightenment. When the person landed on the Word of Life or the Holy Bible, the person read it, but it did not make sense to them because the whole Scripture was in King James Version which contains a lot of Thee’s, Thou’s and some words which were appropriate a generation or two ago.

As I went forward at an altar call service at a church to receive Christ when I was the age of seven, several years later the Holy Spirit (which now lives in me) had me open to the book of Luke. In the book of Luke, I found out that it was written by a first-century doctor, so I knew that doctors had the obligation, to tell the truth. First of all, he wrote it to the high priest of the second temple, Theophilus, and Theophilus was one of the wealthiest people living in that time period (Google search). That is to say, if Luke lied about all the happenings that took place in his book, Luke would have an order from Theophilus to take out his physical life.

When I finished that book, I gained a whole new awe for Jesus Christ, and what He has done for me. Luke 9:20-24 says this:

But who do you say I am? Peter said, “You are the Christ from God.” Jesus warned them not to tell anyone, saying, “The Son of man must suffer many things. He will be rejected by the Jewish elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of the law. He will be killed and after three days will be raised from the dead.” Jesus said to all of them, “If people want to follow Me, they must give up things they want. They must give up their lives daily, to follow Me. Those who want to save their lives will give up true life. But those who are willing to give up their life for Me will have true life. (NCV)

That is very similar to 1 Peter 2:21 which says:

For this, you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, LEAVING YOU AN EXAMPLE, so that you might follow in His steps. (ESV)

Yet, where was I going with this? The proper definition for True Faith is found in Hebrews 11 where it not only gives us the definition but also examples of True Faith.

Let us start off with the definition:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. … Through faith, we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. (Hebrews 11:1, 3 KJV)

That is pretty straight forward. Now on to the examples:

By faith, Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than did Cain, by which he (Abel) obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying if his gifts: and by it, he (Abel) being dead yet speaks. (Hebrews 11:4 KJV)

Or,

It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven so he would not die. He could not be found, because God had taken him away. Before he was taken, Scripture says that he truly pleased God. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that He is real and rewards those who want to find Him. (Hebrews 11:5-6 NCV)

Now, it takes that kind of True Faith to actively believe in Christ rising from the dead (John 20:9). No, He wasn’t a zombie as current media shows would have you believe there are such things as zombies. Yet Jesus Christ after He died a physical death on that Roman bloody cross is an actual living, breathing, walk through walls type of being who proved Himself to Thomas (one of the twelve apostles) when Thomas actually doubted in front of ten other apostles (John 20:26-29).

Furthermore, if you closely follow my blog, I wrote a blog a few weeks ago called It’s Time To Start Thinking About Easter I wrote about the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and how through that it provides a figure of an Easter bunny rabbit who is surrounded by eggs. Christians used an Easter bunny with the eggs to signify God the Father through Jesus Christ and people experiencing new birth as new Christians (Google search-www.history.com/easter). However, it takes True Faith to believe that.

If you feel a stirring inside your soul by reading this, then it is the Holy Spirit who wants you to accept Jesus Christ as the Person who saves you in time of difficulty from this sinful world. Do not be afraid to confess your sin once and for all time to Jesus Christ, then you can join in your first Easter celebration as a new believer in the name of Jesus Christ. If you do so, WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD!!!

As long as you live on this earth, however, you are going to sin more. Even your awareness of the sin will increase as the Holy Spirit lives inside of you (just take a look at Romans 7). That is natural for believers in His name, yet you have to give the Holy Spirit meaning in His purpose of living with you. Let Him convict you of sin that you may be doing or have already done, and ask Jesus Christ to forgive you of any sin that you might commit to keeping your conscience clear.

So, that’s my stance on True Faith… Does anybody join me? Please be sure to like this and/or comment below after the links to music videos.

“Walk By Faith”-Jeremy Camp

“What Faith Can Do”-Kutless

“Warrior”-Hannah Kerr

“I was told that the locals were still finding at least 50 land mines a day. Many of the explosives were discovered only when stepped on and triggered accidentally by animals or playing children. This was Somaliland in early 1992. … Yet, tragically, there would be many more months and countless more deaths before the crippled country’s full measure of misery would finally register on the screen of the world’s awareness.”-Nik Ripken

“Confidence”-Sanctus Real

“When Trials Come”-Keith & Kristyn Getty

“Blessings”-Laura’s Story

Earlier I had blogged about women entitled “News Flash! News Flash! There Is Women In The New Testament. In Fact, There’s A Whole Book Written About Them…” Well, this week’s blog is about The 5 Women Who Changed The Nation Of Israel And Christianity. Women have been vitally crucial in the ongoing of the human race, and although very few men have some of these qualities, they can never possess all the qualities of a woman.

In fact, the 5 women that I am speaking about is in Exodus, the second book in the Holy Bible. Their story starts at the beginning of history, just a few generations past Adam and Eve, Noah and the flood, Abraham and Sarah. My pastor began the St. Patrick’s Day message (although you would have a hard time connecting the two because it is not what he through the Holy Spirit was concentrating on). Rather, it was on God’s Plan Might Include Suffering. He is taking the church through Exodus, and it was through this that I came up with The 5 Women Who Change The Nation Of Israel And Christianity.

Warning! Some thinking is required. The story of Exodus for the Israeli people (exit out of slavery to the Egyptians and their hierarchy) begins in chapter 1, verses 15-22 when the Hebrew midwives received an order from the king of Egypt, called Pharoah.

Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one who was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birth stool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. So the king of Egypt called the midwives and he said to them, “Why have you done this and let the male children live?” The midwives said to Pharoah, “Because the Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families. Then Pharoah commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast him into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live. (ESV)

Then in the next chapter stood Moses’ mother, his sister (Miriam), and Pharoah’s daughter (one of the many instances where God uses unlikely women to change the course of Biblical history). And it is recorded in chapter 2:1-10:

Now a man from the house of Levi came down and took as his wife a Levite woman. The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of brushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. And his sister (Miriam) stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. Now the daughter of Pharoah came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She (Pharoah’s daughter) saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him, and said, ” This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister (Miriam) said to Pharoah’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” And Pharoah’s daughter said, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. And Pharoah’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman (Moses and Miriam’s mother) took the child away and nursed him. When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharoah’s daughter and became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.” (ESV)

Wow! This happened in the first two chapters of Exodus! God is amazing because there was ample opportunity on both sides for things to go awry. Yet, the story of the Exodus from Egypt gets its beginning starting here. If it was not for those two midwives who most likely made up the valid excuse that the Hebrew women had already delivered by the time they got there (with a little dig about the Egyptian women that they weren’t a “vigorous” as the Hebrew women); if it wasn’t for Moses’ mother hiding him for three months until she could no longer hide him; if it wasn’t for Miriam (Moses’ older sister) making pretend she was one of the Pharoah’s daughter’s servants to get her baby brother rescued and brought back to the Israeli camp; if it wasn’t for Pharoah’s daughter who had compassion on the Hebrew baby, eventually called Moses things would have been totally different.

You would have no parting of the Red Sea; no climbing up to see God on Mount Sinai to have the instructions written down by God Himself, and many other miracles that God performed through the life of Moses. If it weren’t for The 5 Women Who Changed The Nation of Israel And Christianity, we would have no King David, King Solomon, all the way down through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ laid His life down on the old bloody cross only for God the Father to pick Him up after three days. The people in the world are trying to disprove that bodily resurrection never took place, but not us True Life Christians. No, we are for sure that Jesus Christ rose from the grave, and He is with us through His Holy Spirit which comes upon us as soon as each one makes a commitment in their soul to believe. If you want proof, then just take a look at John 3:16-21.

“Red Letters”-Crowder

“Red Letters”-DC Talk

“The few individuals I spotted on the street seemed to be wandering more than walking. There were people there that seemed to be going through the motions of life with no hope, uncertain purpose, and no real destination.”~Nik Ripken

“The Motions”-Matthew West