Three Nails!!

Three nails and nine words! "I believe Jesus Christ is the son of God"! A slow walk from a beaten bleeding man.... being cursed and mocked. Spit on yelled at, stumbling on uneven stone, beat some more....eyes blurred my guess is seeing double. So thirsty and yet through this all continued to walk. He could have sent legions of angels to destroy anyone who whispered a cross word. But he kept walking, falling in pain. He got to the place they call Golgotha, they lay down what we call a tree. But it was two heavy splintered pieces of wood bound together to make a cross. Naked being striped of his cloths with bleeding open wounds, fear and anger PAIN. They stretched out his wounded body with a huge strike they drove the first nail through his wrist and my guess a few more to be sure it was secure in the wood. then repeated it on the other arm. They took his feet I assume together with a jumping thrust my guess they started the third nail through his two ankles, hammering until secure. They stood this "tree" we call it with such a delicate nature, up my guess is jostling the worn injured bleeding body of Christ. With a mighty final thrust. Leaving this frail man to be suffocated after many hours of more taunting and deprived of drink. Christ's lowered his head letting the world know it was finished. My savior my Lord endured that for me. For you, for all who believe in him. I in the words of Paul am the worst sinner. I am human and fall short in may different ways each day. I am given chance after fighting chance to prove my self worthy and fall short each time. But are you not glad of the words over and over from Christ. 1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I am amazed "faithful and Just", he told us this is what he would do and no matter how much or how many times, just confess and with your heart be sorry. Leave it be he says. Leave it to him. Faithful and Just, do believe that? We sin and sin over and over many times the same sin we just asked to be abolished. Faithful and Just he calls it. Call upon him for forgiveness and he was already there ready. You know I am so glad for this, could you imagine if your salvation was judged or given to you by the law of man. By man who himself repeatedly ask for Gods grace and forgiving hand, is ready to condemn many times upon first mistake. These things will not change man from the begging of time has seen the splinter in ones eye but ignored the log in his own. Mat. 7-15. I don't share with you today a personal story to parallel this lesson as there are far to many. I like Paul am the worst sinner. Today don't reflect your own personal stories either Christ said bring it to my feet with a believing heart and leave it. Don't dwell don't revisit it. So do that reflect on how grateful you are for Gods forgiving grace. Three nail's nine words and the death of the only perfect man= I Am Free! Will you please pray with me? "God in times of our shortcomings we come to you and ask forgive us Lord. We sometimes feel this is the majority of our conversations with you, and start to feel remorse, I am thankful Lord for your grace. Thank you for enduring such great pain for me Lord, and watching me day in and out commit the same sins over and over. Lord I pray with thanksgiving to you today for these gifts you give us. I pray for strength to share these gifts and to have forgiveness in my heart like you do for me. Lord bless me with strength, guide me with it help me keep faith with it and help me share you with others through it. Dry mine eyes Lord lift my head to worship you no matter where my feet may be. It is with this ultimate sacrifice and your grace that these words are able to fall upon your ears Christ in your name Amen".

Through The Narrow Gate!

Robert Frost once wrote a poem titled "The Road Less Traveled", in this famous and often quoted poem it speaks of two choices given to a traveler. The first often walked and beat down by foot steps and the second less worn and not as well trimmed. The traveler chooses the path less beat by the heavy tread of those before him. Though it is maybe not the most popular he knows its claim at the end is a better reward.In Matthew 7:13 it speaks of a way through a narrow gate or a wide gate. Choosing the wide gate representing the way without God is the way of the world. It leads to destruction and states many enter through it. It tells us easy is the way on this wide gate, indicating taking the narrow gate may be a bit turfier not as easy. But I ask is it? Is it easier by choosing ways of the world? Sins that lead to sleepless nights, worry, illness,short comings with the law, financial troubles. Is this easier? It may seem at the moment but this gate leads to destruction not only of human life but spiritual after life. Ever heard of mind over matter? Putting egocentric thoughts and perceptions aside, if you sike your self out telling yourself it is just harder to live as God intends, abandoning what you see as friends and worldly tares it is not hard and not so lonely. No in fact it is uplifting and enlighten. But the choice is yours Max Lucado writes in "He Chose the Nails" about God giving us a choice. Some examples in the Bible being narrow gate or wide gate (Mat.7:13-14) big crowd or small crowd (mat 7:13-14) Build on rock or sand (Mat. 7:24-27) One of Gods greatest gifts is the ability to choose. But I ask "What will you choose? Where will you build? What will you do when the rain comes down, the streams rise the winds blow and beat against your house? (Mat.7:27)" I have chosen the way of truth!! Psm. 119:30. When I was 13 my family went to New York, we were staying in New Jersy. When we arrived near our hotel we could see it just across the high way. We traveled in circles for hours constantly passing our hotel just out of reach but always in site. We did this for hours. We were traveling in two car loads so we decided for one of the cars that could fit under the airports overpass to pull in and ask for directions, while the other being a van with a large luggage carrier that would not fit stays behind and awaited the much needed answer as we were are becoming very tired and loosing strength. Mean while the airport closed that terminal separating both cars and neither received the answer we needed so much. So here we are separated driving still in circles. We figured out that our intended point of rest was separated by a U turn to allow entry into their drive. This never occurred to us because in our state U turns are ill-legal. But we all found our way and just in the nick of time as we had been traveling many many hours and were short on strength and patience. You see sometimes U turns are not always bad or illegal, in some cases your only choice to your resting place. Are you in need of a U turn? Wont you do so now your bed is being prepared the mint is being placed on your pillow don't continue to drive in circles. Lets Pray " Lord thank you so much giving us the gift of choice. Most of all thank you for giving us the ability to make U turns when headed in the wrong direction. I pray Lord you help us when making these decisions. Lord help us to help others on there journey, as we all travel these roads together, help us lead one another to your narrow gate and the entrance to your kingdom. Help me lord to hear the world with your ears and see it with your eyes and speak with your tongue. I choose the way of truth Lord help me to share it with others. It is because of the sacrifice you made we have these gifts. In your sons most holy name I pray Amen".

Thirst for God!

In a nation that is abundant with all you can eat and drink options, we seem to have no problem finding all types of food and beverages that will fill us to the brim when hungry. As a culinary student I am very passionate about food, and seem to know it well. Have you ever been so hungry you think you could eat an entire cow, Hahaha? But when you find yourself in one of these all you can eat restaurants you don't really eat as much as you may have thought you would? In retrospect though have you ever been so thirsty you just don't seem to be able to get enough to quench your thirst? You eventually however get your fill. But before long you are thirsty again, hungry again. When in this search for these special all you can eat and drink places sometimes they are our answer because we just cant decide what it is we want, we just don't know what it is.... Spiritual thirst is like this. We thirst for God in so many ways. With prayers and request to our God we pray and fervently ask Lord I want to know you more. The more you seek him the more you want to seek him more know him better. Like these restaurants the world too is full of places unending to fulfill the humans desires, but before long and always you find your self just not quite satisfied. Though you may find happiness or satisfaction it is for a short time. Unlike feeding your soul and refreshing it through God. God gives us peace for the moment and a desire to to seek him more. The worlds buffets through satin constantly try to lure us to feast and fill up on worldly desire and actions, but leaving us displaced, empty, not satisfied. My Grandfather is a life long student of God. He has spent his entire life searching learning and sharing God. Still to this day he is much older wiser and has many things to share about his studies and his learned lessons. Yet he still strives daily to know God more, I couldn't think of what it is he dose not know. Paul was like this. The Apostle Paul must have similarly impressed others in his day. Despite all his maturity in Christ, all he had seen and experienced, late in life (in Philippians 3:10) Paul wrote of the passion that propelled him: "that I may know Him." What is he talking about? Didn't he already know Jesus more closely than perhaps anyone else ever will? Of course he did. But the more he knew Jesus, the more he wanted to know Him. The more Paul progressed in spiritual strength, the more thirsty for God He became. The writer of Psalm 42 has a similar thirst he writes " As a deer pants for the water brooks so pants my soul for you. When Christ told us in John 4:14 saying "whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never thirst". Just like these all you can eat places however you become hungry again you thirst again but can continue to be left empty. Maybe that place with all its options still did not have the meal you sought. Either way your body was left hungry again. Our human body's will continue to remain left unsatisfied in what ever we quench it with in the world, whatever sinful desire we try to satisify, or simply try to find happiness without God. So why dose a believer thirst so much even after receiving this water that is given from Christ in John? The water dose not destroy your thirst. If this were the case you have no need for his water afterward when you drink of this Christ given water it gives you a spring so you know where to find a drink when you need it. As you drink more from this fountain you require more from it, you want others to drink from it. People who do not receive this drink will continually be unfulfilled not knowing what it is they don't have not sure just what is missing from there life. A Christian's life can become arid even after receiving this fountain for many reasons, one very common is drinking from the fountains of the world and not retreating to his eternal fountain to refresh his soul and body. Matthew 5:6 a thirsting desire for the Lord and his rightouness is a blessing. This is because the holly spirit is at work in you. When the Holly Spirit is at work it too like your human conscious is putting your mind and body to work. In 1 Cor. 6:19 tells us our body's are temples and the holy spirit dwells and works there. Find blessing in your thirst for God. Retreat often to this fountain and replenish your soul, Read his word Pray never ceasing to want to be close and talk to God, Grow and be happy. God gives us this desire to want unending happiness. When you require a true thirst for God you long for even more. Do you thirst for God? Thirst is God-planed, for part of growth of a soul toward it"s heavenly home. Lets Pray " Lord God I want to Know you, I want to be close to you. Lord please let me meditate your word not just read it. Lord I thank you for the water you quench my thirst for you with. Like my Grandpa and the apostle Paul I want to know you and share you with the world. Help teach me how to gain refuge in you. Lord help me to see with your eyes speak with your tongue and hear with your ears. Lord I thank you for the cost of this fountain that is given freely to me. it is through your holy name I thank you and please forgive me Lord when I find retreat from the world, but thank you when become arid and thirsty that you are there to refresh me. Forgive my sins and it is through your sons name I pray Lord Amen"

What did I forget??? What was It???

I am not very old, hahaha. But I find myself being very forgetful thees days. I will walk all the way to a new room and in that short time forget why I even got up lol. Ever get cereal and try to put it in the fridge and the milk in the cubbord? Boy I hope your answer is yes hehehe, make me feel so much better. Getting busy even overwhelmed a bit is normal and happens to the best of us. So maybe you don't put milk in the cubbord, but how many times do we lay down at night and say gosh I have not spoke to Christ thees days? or I sure wish I could find a Church in my area. But drift away.... wake up a new day but with your calender on your mind instead. When I forget..... when we forget to say I am sorry, I love you Lord. When I forget...to tell my friend that God loves him. When I forget.......man am I glad his response is I love you I forgive you. Ever feel like you forgot something but just don't know what it is? Is it you had the opportunity to speak up speak out? You missed it or...just couldn't grab the torch? What will it take for me to help remind myself, what will it take for you to remind yourself. Perhaps a little more quiet time with god, open up his word a bit more. Pray a bit longer more often. But what if I forget? I wonder how many episodes of your favorite show you miss? Or how many times do you forget to watch the game when your boys are playing? oh I see you have DVR! OK great got it!!! so when you record your favorite show and find your self just bout to sit down and catch up. Open that great book, say a prayer reflect for 5 Min's what God has blessed you with in the past few days. Thank him tell him you love him. I sure hope we can remember this together. I know that when we forget to say we are sorry I am so sorry. When I forget to give God all Glory, I am thankful he says you are welcome you are forgiven. Thank you Father!! Lets pray together- "Dear God, thank you so much for all you do. Thank you for being so patient,and for wiping clean our sins even when we forget...forget to to say we love you. Forget to ask you, thank you for being right there when we come around. You truly are an awesome God. Please hear us now and we are great full you do hear us we Love you and thank you. Hear our earnest apologies now for our sinful ways. Help give us strength to forget less and remember more. Help me father to see the world better with your eyes and hear with less judgement by listening with your ears. Lord help me please to speak softer and with love with your lips. It is you all Glory is due God. Through your sons most holy and precious name I pray Amen."

So I say Pray!

Happy New Year!! I am sorry I have been lax in getting my blogs out these days, however I have found myself really busy. I hope that 2009 will bring you precious gifts from God, and I pray that you use this year to work harder for God! I have made a commitment to Christ, to surround my self in his ministries. I want this years motto for not only me but you as well to be: PRAY MORE! This is the way we communicate with our Lord. Are you praying enough? I believe the proper answer to this is no. We could always use to pray more. Prayer is very important, we are instructed many times over in the Bible to continue in prayer. At all times to make our request known to God. I think we need to remember just as in life also in prayer, others first ourselves last. Keeping Joy in your life will keep you a humble Christ driven Christian. J=Jesus first O= others second Y= yourself last. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God”.- Php 4:6. These words pack a lot in such a short sentence. Not only are we being told to be calm not anxious, about anything. If you put things in perspective have you ever had a situation that’s worse than sacrificing your only son? Driving nails in his arms and legs then hanging him to die by suffocation? My guess is no, just know God tells us to pray about all your needs. Now lets look at how he asks us to make these request known to him. With thanksgiving! No matter what the situation be thankful. Mat 21:22 And all things, whatever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive. Just remember God may not always answer when you ask for it but don’t forget God is never late he knows just when you need what you need! Start speaking to God more even if you think you are praying all the time find more time to speak to our Lord. With thanksgiving let your request be known to him, don’t forget to tell him you love him ask him to help you to open opportunities to share his great word. I promise this is a prayer that will be answered fairly quickly. Make 2009 a year to be written about. Lets win souls in mass for our father. I feel great reward when I make my father proud both earthly and Heavenly. Pray to know how to speak to others about Christ, it is an easy topic to talk about at church or maybe even home but out of fear or maybe just simply because we don’t know what to say….PRAY about it. Fill your Church Find new places to spread Gods word. Evaluate where u are with this new year goal and make it an all year habit. I pray for you, I pray for the denominations of the world to see we are here for one fight and that is to win souls for Christ share with them the sacrifice that’s all ready paid for their salvation. So I say….”Pray”! “Lord God I come before you with gratitude for a new year with new Beginnings. I pray for my Church and its growth, and anyone’s eyes that catch this page Lord that if they need an introduction to you that you give me and opportunity to make that connection. I thank you Lord for you Love and sacrifice for my soul. Lord I pray that you find a place in your ministry for me, thank you father for hearing us when we pray and for your guidance. Lord thank you for letting me hear your world with your ears and seeing their hearts with your eyes and speaking to them with your tongue. Lord bless this site and help it be a tool to inspire and to teach. All glory to you God for the great things that may come from it. In Christ holy name I pray Amen”.

Faith without works? December 26, 2008--Eric Morris
Faith is something we practice each day. We have faith the car behind us when on approach will stop before hitting our car. We have faith in the phone we dial on will connect to the other party, we have faith God hears when we ask for his answers. You see we fall short without realizing it many times a day however. We pray to our father and ask him to take our sin heal our sick and guide us in life. WE fret all day and some days for days at a time on these request we have made known to God. I want you to know this, God gets angry with us, he sees this act as distrust. We give him a burden and ask for his help and we can not even trust enough to let it go, as if we have a need for control, fooling ourselves that we are in control. Keeping these sins these burdens in your heart and on your mind my friends are keeping them alive! Keeping your sights off God, altering your salvation. Let go and let God! We learn lessons each day sometimes more than just one a day hahha, and as we learn, and think we have grown we are tested to see if we really learned that lesson. I believe the lesson of faith is no different. We will be tested to see if we have learned how to have faith. Which takes me to my next point , My uncle mark wrote a song about faith without works is like a screen door on a submarine. Do you see a use for a screen door on a submarine? I hardly think it would be effective actually think of, the despair it could cause. Faith without works is useless. Share this faith with the world your neighbor your family, your co worker. Faith without works is dead. You may say but I do not understand over and over the Bible says through your faith you are saved. Romans 4 says Abraham was justified by…. FAITH. Romans 3 says no man is justified by works. But it dose say in James 2:20 faith without works is dead. This means you may claim to have saving faith and live with this in your heart however if you are not living proof of your faith where is your salvation? Your faith should manifest itself and others should see living proof of it. The Lord knows we are but dust weak and fall short God never leaves our side and is there to strengthen and continue to teach us when at first we do not learn any lesson. Have steadfast faith and let it be evident to the world you are saved! “ lord God hear my prayer and I am thankfull Lord you do hear my prayers. Lord I pray to have faith like paul and like Abraham, let me not only have this saving faith in my heart but on my lips lord and let me teach others how to have the same kind of faith. Like Jacob and Isaac let me stand fast and wait on you lord and know you will come to claim me. Please Lord let me hear when you return that you found me with this faith and let all who see me Lord know I have faith. Let me hear the needs of the world with your ears so I may be a helpful servant let me speak of you with a Christ like tongue and understand with a heart like yours. It is through your holy name I pray Lord Amen”.

Life and Death!! By: Eric Morris Dec.17,2008
I wrote the other day about the great commission. Hoping all that read will have a spark lit to create a flame of saving soldiers into their corners of the world. I find it refreshing when God speaks and then reiterates it over and over . I attended service the next day and the pastors message was on reaching into the world and saving souls. In conjunction with changing a bit to fit in where you need to save those souls. I have found this so many times in my life to be an amazing thing. Funny thing was I wasn’t really changing to fit in I was in a place where I probably shouldn’t be. But God was able to whisper to me and spark a conversation that not only delivered me from darkness many times, it help me shed a light for some one lost in the darkness. I would like to re visit a portion of this topic all ready written about this week, the fact that in our world, our school or place of work. All these places are full of souls that are dying, we are talking about life and death here. We are building walls out of unnecessary stumbling blocks. Why you should not sing to a musical instrument, why don’t you do this or that. Let me help a little. If God did not say this will condemn your soul? Why are you willing to sacrifice another’s soul or maybe even your own by loosing a God like heart over simple traditions? We should be finding a gentle but certainly effective way to teach the important issues such as Mark 16:16 without baptism you will not see the kingdom of God. What will it take for you to first believe the importance yourself so that you repent and help tend to Gods flock? The traditions we hold so dear that make us set in our ways, not willing to budge and meet on common ground! After all can I say again this is a matter of life and death. I once heard if all the religions would come together and fight for the one cause we all hold so dear! And rightfully so! For the father that bore his only son slain for the sinners of all kinds for it was for the sinners he died not the saved. Stop causing barriers not to share your message or rather share the correct message God sent his only son to save you and me from our sin. That all he ask is to believe this repent where we fall short and be buried in baptism so that we may spend eternity with him in heaven. This is what matters, this is the message Paul, and John like many others took to the ends of the world wont you take it at least to your neighbors? “Lord I come before you with the world on my heart, I my self included Lord. Why do we find it so hard to talk about your name? With such a gift the chance to live forever with you the opportunity not burn forever in the depths of hell. But yet we find it hard to invite one person to church on Sunday, ask a simple question concerning ones eternal life? Lord help me find the gentle words that will unite the world as one army in the name of Jesus. Lord save us from the ruts we lay in wrapped in excuses of why we didn’t or wont and cant speak about you. Lord with your help give the vision through your eyes to see where I may help, with your ears let me hear the needs and with your tongue spread your love and saving message. Lord with your heart let me discern what is important to hold as tradition that keeps your children from worship. In the name of your son by your grace it is that I make these request with Thanksgiving father. Amen “.