A fathers security

To be in the arms of a father is one of the most secure things a child can experience.

Sadly there are many children in this world who have never experienced this.

From a spiritual perspective- there is a heavenly Father who holds His children in His arms- and that will guarantee absolute security (eternal security).

Eternal security starts with Jesus.  Read Romans 3:23; Romans 5:8; John 3:3; John 3:16; Titus 3:5-6

God also promises, following our new relationship with Him, through Jesus, we become His adopted children.  No one, and I mean no one, can snatch us out of His hands!  Read Romans 8:15 and 8:31-39

God promises in His word that He will never leave or forsake us. Read Deuteronomy 31:8

Heart and Vision....

Here's a taste of my heart and vision for reaching teenagers.  Its brief, simple and to the point.  Some day I'd like to develop it a little more. 

VISION STATEMENT

My desire is to see teenagers develop a heart and mind that is passionate for the Gospel and the Word of God while cultivating a motivation to be missional to friends, family, and beyond. 

I believe that teenagers can be some of the greatest evangelists.

           

         When the Gospel changes an individual’s heart they can become some of the best Gospel proclaimers.    

I would love to see young and old equipped with the tools to share Christ and motivated to reach out to their school, their friends, family, jobs and beyond with the good new of the Gospel. 

Teaching the Word

I believe that everyone needs to know and understand the Bible is crucial to providing the necessary foundation for life and faith.

In Matthew 5:6 Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”  And He also said in John 15:7, “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”  Not only has the Bible changed my life- I also believe that His Word can change a student in how they think, feel, and in the choices they make throughout every day life. Teenagers can be easily influenced by today’s culture (movies, television, music, school) and without allowing God’s Word to saturate their lives they can be easily influenced and swayed by the ways of this world.  It is essential for them to grasp and have a foundation of the core basic teachings of the Christian life (Including the Gospel, the Bible, Evangelism, the Holy Spirit to leave them ready for everyday life and the future (in college, career, etc).

 The Gospel changes lives; the Gospel changed my life.  I believe with all my heart that the good news of Jesus can take someone, make him or her new from within, and allow him or her to make a difference for His Kingdom.  It brings me great joy that God has and can use me in the lives of individuals.  

ACCIDENT? My thoughts on the value of human life....

The value of human life has been a major discussion starter for many, many years. The war is being waged over life and death.  Should we terminate a life or keep it?  And especially now- ever since the horrific discoveries of Kermit Gosnel's abortion clinic in Philadelphia.

There have been heated discussions, arguments and debates over the topic of abortion.  Everyone has their own oppinion.  Some are pro-life and some are pro-choice (I personally take a pro-life stance).  After completing this blog post-- there will be some of you who agree with me and there will be some of you who will strongly disagree with me.  

In all honesty-- my heart aches over what took place in Kermit Gosnel's clinic. I am sincerely angry.  But-- in this blog-- my goal is not to prove my point (I do pray that your mind will be changed if you take a pro-choice stance).  

My ultimate goal is to point you to the Author of Life.  No one was created because of random chance or by accident.  I'd like to walk you through a few Bible passages that will help us understand that there is Someone (God) who loves and values all human beings.  I will only be sharing a handful of passages-- but they are excellent examples. 

(If you are reading this-- and you have either had an abortion or you have conducted one (or assisted someone who is conducting one)-- I do not think less of you.  I love and care for you deeply (even more-- God loves and cares for you too).  

1.   We are made in God's image.  

[26] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

[27] So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

(Genesis 1:26-27 ESV)

I love how the ESV Study Bible explains 'image of God'.  "Traditionally, the image has been seen as the capacities that set man apart from the other animals—ways in which humans resemble God, such as in the characteristics of reason, morality, language, a capacity for relationships governed by love and commitment, and creativity in all forms of art."

We are not God (or gods)-- we are only made in His image.  Think about that-- the God of the universe loves you so much that He made you in His image!  That is huge!  He set us apart from all other creatures (in the way we think, feel and act).  I am so glad I'm not related to the monkey!  But-- sadly-- that image is cursed after Adam and Eve sin against God (Genesis 3).

2.   God saw us before we were formed in our momma's tummy and He formed us in our momma's tummy.  

[13] For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

[14] I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

[15] My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

[16] Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.

(Psalm 139:13-16 ESV)

Can these amazing Words be any clearer in how much God loves and cares for us (read the rest of Psalm 139)!  This poem was written by a man named David. He was an ancient king of Israel.  I am blown away at the insight he offers in this passage.  God's finger prints are on each and every one of us!  Before I was born on February 20, 1975, God was "knitting me together in my mothers womb".  God "saw my unformed substance" (embryo).

3.   God came down in the form of a baby and resided for 9 months inside of a young girl named Mary. 


[18] Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. [19] And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. [20] But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21] She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” [22] All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

[23] “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
(which means, God with us).

(Matthew 1:18-23 ESV)

Twice in those verses the author mentions the word conceived.  Once the word child was mentioned.  And twice the word son (regarding Jesus) was mentioned.  That tells me that there was a beautiful human being growing inside of Mary!

One other thing I love about this amazing time in history-- Mary "was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit."  That in itself was a miracle!

4.  Mary's (the mother of Jesus) cousin, Elizabeth, was several months pregnant before Mary recieved the news of her pregnancy.  Read what took place when she went to visit Elizabeth. 


[39] In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, [40] and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.  

[41] And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, [42] and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! [43] And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? [44] For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. [45] And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

(Luke 1:39-40; Luke 1:41-45 ESV)


I love what took place here!  This is another perfect example that there is life inside of a mothers womb.  The text says that "the baby leaped in her womb" (Elizabeth's) when Mary arrived at her home.  It appears that the baby (whose name was John the Baptist) knew who was present!

The Bible is full of examples that God values human life!  Not only is God concerned for us physically He is especially concerned for us spiritually.  There is an enemy out there and his name is Satan.  He hates us and it is his desire to destroy God's creation- the human being.  He's been trying to do that since the very beginning.  But- his end is drawing near!  When Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the dead- Satan new that his time was coming to a close.  Jesus defeated death; Jesus defeated sin when He died and came back to life.

Let me wrap up my time by asking you these 5 questions:  

1.  Do you have any spiritul beliefs?
2.  To you who is Jesus? 
3.  Do you believe in Heaven and Hell? 
4.  If you died right now where would you go?  If Heaven, why?
5.  If what you believed in was not the truth would you want to know that?  

Please follow this link if you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who is the Author of Life!  http://viewthestory.com/2061

Should we fear death?

On April 10, 2013, I (and my family) mourn the loss of my grandmother, Nancy Campbell.  She died peacefully in her sleep.  We will truly miss having her around.  She was a huge blessing to all of us.

Through her passing I was reminded of one very important thing:  death isn't natural.  It was never suppose to take place from the very beginning of time (Genesis chapters 1-3).  Because of Adam (the very first man) sin and death entered into the world (Romans 5:12).  But- through Jesus Christ's death we may live (Romans 8:1-11).

For those who are Christians (those who have new hearts in Christ) we have an eternal hope; a hope that we are looking forward too after we die.  We know that this life is temporary and that there is something far more significant than that which is here on this earth.  Jesus Christ died on the cross so that we may live.  Followers of Jesus have no need to fear death!

Please CLICK HERE and read how you can have hope after we die!

In honor of my daughter's (Abigail Jane) birthday I'm reposting a blog I created 3 years ago.  This particular blog was also based on a newsletter that I'd written when my wife and I were on staff with Cru (formally Campus Crusade for Christ).
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"A little more than two weeks ago a miracle took place at Fairview Riverside Hospital on the University of Minnesota campus-- my daughter was born!  I witnessed an amazing event-- one that I will never forget.  To see one's child come into the world is a beautiful act of the Lord!

Over the last two weeks Abigail has changed physically quite a bit. She’s getting longer, her little

cheeks are filling out and she is eating a lot. I sometimes wonder if she’ll take on my personality. In

her early stages of life she appears to be quite vocal!

As I’ve observed her the Lord has revealed the gospel to me through her short life. I knew that

babies were dependent upon their father and mother from the very start. But– I had no idea that they

couldn’t do anything on their own and I mean nothing. The only thing she is capable of doing is wiggling

around while she’s flat on her back, making little and loud noises with her mouth, and messing

her diaper (or throwing up on dad). She can’t move around without one of us picking her up and she

can’t eat unless mom feeds her. The way I see Abigail’s life working out is similar in the way that I

see the gospel being worked out in Scripture (all references are from the ESV Bible).

* Only God can save us through regeneration: “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,” (Titus 3:5,6)

* Whoever God draws will never hunger or thirst and never be cast out: “Jesus said to them, ‘I am

the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” And, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” (John 6:35-37)

* Apart from God (through Jesus Christ) we can do nothing: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch

cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4,5)

* God (through Jesus Christ) created everything and He holds it all together: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities– all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:15-17)

Abigail did not come into this world on her own strength; the Lord gave my wife the ability to push and she came out. That in itself was a miracle! Saving grace (Ephesians 2:8-9) is also a miracle. Every day Abigail relies on dad and mom for physical nourishment. Same goes for Christians; we must abide in the Lord for our spiritual (and physical) nourishment every second of everyday. If Jesus Christ holds everything together then we have no choice to rely on Him 100% of the time."

What does the world look like without Christianity?

I found this interesting.  Check out this--> link

Jesus' last full week

Jesus' last week on earth more than 2,000 years ago started on (what Christian's have called for many years) Palm Sunday-- which is today, 3/24/2013.  Christian's recognize this day as Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  And in a few days He would suffer, die at the hands of sinful men and come back to life.

His entrance was pretty unusual.  You can read about it here-->  The Triumphal Entry




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I'd also like to share a free eBook that highlights Holy Week (its for one week-- starting on Palm Sunday and ending on Easter Sunday).  I'd highly encourage each of you to read this to your family and friends. I plan on reading it to my wife and kids each day this week. The nice thing about it is that each chapter is short.  Its called, Love to the Uttermost. The authors name is, John Piper.  You can learn more about John Piper and the ministry he started by clicking here-->  Desiring God

For the book follow this link to download and read-->  FREE eBook

Unashamed of THE BIBLE

For a long time God's Word, the Bible, has been challenged, debated, burned, disagreed with, attacked and hated. Some will also go on to say that it contradicts itself (and much more). For hundreds and thousands of years God's Word has been disputed.  

God's opened my eyes to Himself when I was really young-- 7 years old.  When I was a teenager He began to give me a deep desire to know Him through His Word.  At the age of 21 and many more years to come He gave me a motivation to hunger and thirst for the Word.  

I truly believe that if we have a new life in Jesus (John 3:3; Titus 3:3-5; I Peter 1:3)-- if God gave us a new life in Him (II Corinthians 5:17)-- we are filled with His Holy Spirit-- and since we are Spirit filled He will give us a desire to read and study His Word.  The more we read it the more we will begin to delight in it.

The Word of God is perfect, it revives the soul, its sure (or trustworthy), it makes wise the simple (helps those who are easily misled), it is right, it rejoices the heart, its pure, it makes one alert and active, it teaches us the fear of God, its true and its righteous. The Word of God can be desired more than gold (or money).  When we seek to understand God's Word we can receive a great reward.  (Read Psalm 19).  

Don’t get me wrong. Reading God’s Word hasn’t been easy through the years.  I've had my struggles.  I'm still learning and growing in my understanding of the Bible-- I have a long ways to go.  There are days when I don't get anything out of it.  There are times when I feel dry after reading it.  But I hope and pray that He (God) will continue to draw me towards Himself through His Words of wisdom and insight.  

I mentioned this earlier-- if God’s Spirit dwells from within-- we should want to read God’s Word.  We should delight in His Holy Word.  We should have a deep desire to read and meditate upon it day and night (Psalm 1:1-2).  The Word of God changes us, teaches us, motivates us, convicts us of sin, helps us understand love and on and on and on. Ultimately, from Genesis to Revelation the Word of God points us to Jesus Christ (John 1:1-5).  The Word of God shows the love of Jesus, through His death on the cross and resurrection (Romans 5:8; I Corinthians 15:3-4).  His Word will ultimately change our hearts, through the working of the Holy Spirit and in the Name of Jesus.

Please know this-- you do not have to be a scholar to understand the Bible.  You don’t have to be a pastor or a seminary professor (or any sort of professor or teacher) to understand it.  Just read, study and meditate upon it!  If you are a Christian or a non-follower of Jesus-- ask God’s Spirit to help you to know and understand His Word.  Don’t let anyone (who has big and fancy words or who might sound really smart I Corinthians 1:20-25) intimidate you from reading, understanding or applying the Bible to your life.  God’s Word will penetrate to the depth of your soul Hebrews 4:12).  Jesus also made it pretty clear that apart from Him, through His Word, we can do absolutely nothing (John 15).  

Let me finish by saying this-- place your faith and trust in Jesus alone and ask Him to give you a deep hunger and thirst for Him through His Word!  If you don’t have a Bible-- here’s a link to where you can purchase one-->  Bible .  You can also get it for free if you have a Kindle or Kindle ap.  

HAPPY SAINT PATRICKS DAY

In honor of St. Patricks Day....

Follow this link-->  St. Patrick

Are you a Christian? How do you know?

Below are a few thoughts to ponder.  I copied and pasted them from a blog about 2 years ago (and for some reason I can't remember exactly where-- I think it was from http://theresurgence.com/ -- but I can't find it on their site).

I personally need these reminders every single day! May the Gospel of Jesus Christ impact mine and your heart!

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5 Ways to Know If You're Really a Christian

Jonathan Edwards sought to promote vibrant Christian faith through teaching people what the “marks,” or signs, of godly living actually are. He did so not merely because he was really smart and liked categorizing things, but because he wanted Christians to experience the joy of true Christianity and then spread that joy to others. In short, he was a missional pastor before the vodcasts and fauxhawks.

1. You Love Jesus

In his 1741 text Distinguishing Marks of a True Work of the Spirit of God, Edwards laid out a number of negative and positive signs that distinguished a true work of God from a false one. Though Edwards focused in this text on revivals more broadly, his words apply to individuals seeking to discern whether they know the Lord. The first of these signs was a “raised esteem” for Jesus Christ. The point of this first sign is that when the Spirit moves in a person’s heart and awakens them to faith and repentance, their view of Jesus changes. The nominal believer respects Jesus, but does not reverence or exalt him. The true Christian takes delight in Jesus, a delight that is often palpable and contagious. As we serve on mission for God by promoting the gospel, we should expect to see a “raised esteem” for Jesus Christ, the author of our redemption.

2. You Hate Sin

The second sign of a “true work” is an increased hatred for sin and defeat of sinful practices.When the spirit that is at work operates against the interest of Satan's kingdom, which lies in encouraging and establishing sin, and cherishing men's worldly lusts; this is a sure sign that 'tis a true, and not a false spirit… So that we may safely determine, from what the Apostle says, that the spirit that is at work amongst a people… and convinces them of the dreadfulness of sin, the guilt that it brings, and the misery that it exposes to: I say, the spirit that operates after such a manner, must needs be the Spirit of God (Works 4, 250-51).

This point, like the others, is both profound and simple. One of the clear signs of a work of God is increased hatred for sin. Our eyes are suddenly opened to see the dreadfulness of one’s condition. Where before one had spotted weaknesses and flaws, but always had excuses at the ready to cover up those personal blemishes, now the Spirit shows the sinner just how degraded and evil he is.

3. You Love God’s Word

The third sign of a “true work” is a love for the Bible. Edwards tied this love for Scripture not to simple literary appreciation for its contents, but to a Spirit-given hunger and thirst for the Word of God:That spirit that operates in such a manner, as to cause in men a greater regard to the Holy Scriptures, and establishes them more in their truth and divinity, is certainly the Spirit of God... The Devil never would go about to beget in persons a regard to that divine Word, which God hath given to be the great and standing rule for the direction of his church in all religious matters and concerns of their souls, in all ages. (Works 4, 250)

Many people respect the Bible. It is known as a “holy book,” a sacred text. But few people view it as the actual word of God that God himself “has appointed and inspired to deliver to his church its rule of faith and practice” as “the great and standing rule for the direction of his church.” Where a person’s heart flames with love and holy “regard” for the Scriptures, the Spirit has worked.

4. You Love Truth

The fourth sign that marked the presence of a “true work” was a heightened love for truth and the things of God. An awareness and responsiveness to divine truth was a clear signal that the Lord had moved in human hearts. So where people came to see “that there is a God” and that he is “great” and “sin-hating,” and that they themselves have “immortal souls” and “must give account of themselves to God,” the Spirit was working true conversion. Edwards rightly noted that the Spirit does not lead believers into error. Therefore, when we hear news of conversion, whether mass or individual, we need to listen for resonances of the truth in the testimony of the convert. Do they love the truth more? Do they love God more? Do they subscribe to sound doctrine, and root their faith in it? Missional Christians seek to hate sin and to lead others to do the same.

5. You Love Believers

The final positive sign in Edwards’s taxonomy of the Spirit’s “true work” was love for one’s fellow Christians. Many people who profess Christ lose their footing on this final point. They may well appreciate fellow church members and contribute in some way to their well-being, but they have not been filled by the Lord with a holy love for fellow Christians, and thus they do not serve them. True conversion will cause stable couples to take in young Christians hungry for discipleship. It will lead Christians to give generously to missionaries and fellow believers (see 2 Corinthians 8). It will drive older believers to spend time mentoring younger ones (see Titus 2). In the end, the way one cares for one’s fellow members says more about our testimony of conversion and our understanding of gospel mission than we might initially think. True Christians serve their fellow members out of love, as a response to the grace of Jesus. 

(Adapted from Chapter Three of Jonathan Edwards on True Christianity from The Essential Edwards Collection) Question: Which of these “marks” of true Christianity most stands out to you? Which do you need to cultivate in living a missional life as Edwards did?

The STORY

Hello Friends! Today I'd like to introduce you to the greatest STORY thats changed human history (and my life) and I'd like to share it with you!  Click on this link to learn more-->  The Story