It's amazing to learn just what it takes to move us, to break us out of our mold and cause us to look at something with a new perspective. This happened to me this past August. I began to follow a local news story which would ultimately change my life forever. I remember the headlines, "Boy missing off NC coast". I clicked on the online story. My first thought was that by now this boy had been found, after all, the boy probably just wandered away without telling anyone, it couldn't be too unusual for a 12-yr old. Honestly I didn't give it much thought, at first, but after a couple days of not finding him, I began to consider the fact that this story may not have a happy ending. On day three, my concerns became reality, and the story did in fact have a tragic end, the boy's body had been found. You see, it all started out as a typical family vacation. What started out in NC to be the beginning of a two-week end-of-summer family fun time, ended up being one of the most life-changing experiences anyone could ever imagine. I certainly could not imagine waking up one day with fun, excitement and anticipation, only to go to bed with worry, sadness and fear. Within three days those emotions would turn into the powerful question, Why? The big "What-if" question. Why did we have to go here in the first place? or What if we had just went somewhere else? Would our son still be alive? I try to put myself in this situation. How would I respond? Anger, doubt, bitterness? Why did God let this happen? So many questions would go through my mind. But, it wasn't me. All I could do was to pray for this family and believe that God would give them the strength to get through this.
So what affect did this tragedy have on me, very simple, "live is too short to not enjoy every minute". You see, I used to look at life as the battle ground. I believed life to be a little enjoyable, but didn't want to "enjoy" it too much. The Christian life, to me, was like a soldier on deployment for life. This earthly existence was a time for service, not for fun. Eternal life is the time of reward, enjoyment and taking it easy, I said. I would reason, "how could God want us [Christians] to enjoy life, knowing that people are dying everyday without the benefit of salvation through Jesus Christ". Aren't we supposed to be dead to ourselves? It was my job to "work" out my faith.
What I have came to understand is that God gave us this life to share, to laugh, to love and yes to enjoy! I have had to change my whole way of thinking! I have learned to never waste a moment of your life, waiting for something to change, someone to change or circumstances to change. The bible says in Psalm 37:7 "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently on Him". But I ask, should life just come to a complete stop? Certainly not! The apostle Paul spoke of this in Ephesians 5:15-16 "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil". We have to spend our time wisely, but at the same time we have to make the most of our life on this earth. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 talks about there being a time for everything, a time for work and a time for fun. Why didn't I see this before? I must have been blind! I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for showing me the truth.
May you all understand the truth of God's Word.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Knowing Jesus, A New Life...
"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
You can be free right now in Jesus Christ! God sent His only son into the world to save the world (John 3:17). We have all came into this world as sinners. In the beginning, the fall of man back in the garden of Eden, started our decline into decay and corruption (Genesis 3). Before Jesus Christ came into the world to offer us a way out of sin, the "Law" (The Ten Commandments, Jewish laws & customs of the Old Testament) was the only atonement for sin. God offered a way for men and women to make themselves clean before Him. This was accomplished through animal sacrifices, offered to God through temple worship by the high priests. Blood had to be spilled, along with the burning sacrifices of animals to pay the penalty for each and every sin people committed. Even a bad thought was a sin. Could you imagine how many times these sacrifices would have to be made? People would be constantly asking for forgiveness! God knew that we could never be good enough to equal His perfection and holiness, ever. We could either keep on with animal sacrifices, constantly asking for "forgiveness", or a one-time sacrifice would have to be made for the sins of the entire world; past, present and future. Well, this one-time sacrifice was made, in the form of God's only son, Jesus Christ. God sent His only son into the world to save the world by dying on a cross. The blood of Jesus was shed on that cross (instead of animal sacrifices), and by doing so, His blood paid the final price for the sins of the world.
Now, instead of going through the requirements of the law to forgive sin, we can simply accept Christ's death on the cross as the payment for our sin, once and for all. Jesus came into the world as a man, but He, being God in human form, was in existence from the beginning of the world (2 Timothy 1:9). Jesus understands our human condition, and without making excuses for our willful rejection of Him in our daily lives, we must accept that He knows us completely. He knows our desires, motives, strengths and weaknesses. He knows our hearts, what we conceal inside, what we do in the darkness of night. He knows ALL THINGS. So, why hide from Him? Come out of the darkness, into a freedom of fellowship in the light.
You can know Jesus by accepting Him as your personal savior and Lord. You must repent and come to the understanding that you need Jesus, and without Him you have no hope for eternity. You will have to surrender your life to Him, take His yoke upon you (accept His direction for your life) and learn of His love and forgiveness (reading the bible and prayer). This is not something you can do in your own strength, you will have to trust Him to make these changes in you. He will transform you and shape you into the person He wants you to be. You must ask Him to be the Lord of your life. This is something between you and Him. It is a personal relationship.
Get alone with Jesus and confess to Him that you are a sinner, ask Him to forgive you of everything you've ever done. Give Him your life, your dreams, your desires. Let Him be first place in everything! Don't try to be tough, or act big. He sees through all of that. Lay it all at His feet, come to Him as a child. You may be wounded, broken, suicidal, at the end of your road. Give it all to Him, He LOVES YOU unconditionally! Don't let the enemy (satan) take away your only hope of an eternal life of freedom and contentment. If you die without Jesus, the bible says you WILL spend eternity apart from God, in the lake of burning fire forever. It does not matter what you have done up to this point, it can all be forgiven, your heart can be cleansed and you can be restored. But you must make the decision, no one else can.
If you think you should wait on accepting Jesus, remember this, you have no guarantee of tomorrow. Your life is but a vapor, here today, gone tomorrow (James 4:14). "For God has not appointed us to [incur His] wrath [He did not select us to condemn us], but [that we might] obtain [His] salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)" -1 Thessalonians 5:9
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts!
You can be free right now in Jesus Christ! God sent His only son into the world to save the world (John 3:17). We have all came into this world as sinners. In the beginning, the fall of man back in the garden of Eden, started our decline into decay and corruption (Genesis 3). Before Jesus Christ came into the world to offer us a way out of sin, the "Law" (The Ten Commandments, Jewish laws & customs of the Old Testament) was the only atonement for sin. God offered a way for men and women to make themselves clean before Him. This was accomplished through animal sacrifices, offered to God through temple worship by the high priests. Blood had to be spilled, along with the burning sacrifices of animals to pay the penalty for each and every sin people committed. Even a bad thought was a sin. Could you imagine how many times these sacrifices would have to be made? People would be constantly asking for forgiveness! God knew that we could never be good enough to equal His perfection and holiness, ever. We could either keep on with animal sacrifices, constantly asking for "forgiveness", or a one-time sacrifice would have to be made for the sins of the entire world; past, present and future. Well, this one-time sacrifice was made, in the form of God's only son, Jesus Christ. God sent His only son into the world to save the world by dying on a cross. The blood of Jesus was shed on that cross (instead of animal sacrifices), and by doing so, His blood paid the final price for the sins of the world.
Now, instead of going through the requirements of the law to forgive sin, we can simply accept Christ's death on the cross as the payment for our sin, once and for all. Jesus came into the world as a man, but He, being God in human form, was in existence from the beginning of the world (2 Timothy 1:9). Jesus understands our human condition, and without making excuses for our willful rejection of Him in our daily lives, we must accept that He knows us completely. He knows our desires, motives, strengths and weaknesses. He knows our hearts, what we conceal inside, what we do in the darkness of night. He knows ALL THINGS. So, why hide from Him? Come out of the darkness, into a freedom of fellowship in the light.
You can know Jesus by accepting Him as your personal savior and Lord. You must repent and come to the understanding that you need Jesus, and without Him you have no hope for eternity. You will have to surrender your life to Him, take His yoke upon you (accept His direction for your life) and learn of His love and forgiveness (reading the bible and prayer). This is not something you can do in your own strength, you will have to trust Him to make these changes in you. He will transform you and shape you into the person He wants you to be. You must ask Him to be the Lord of your life. This is something between you and Him. It is a personal relationship.
Get alone with Jesus and confess to Him that you are a sinner, ask Him to forgive you of everything you've ever done. Give Him your life, your dreams, your desires. Let Him be first place in everything! Don't try to be tough, or act big. He sees through all of that. Lay it all at His feet, come to Him as a child. You may be wounded, broken, suicidal, at the end of your road. Give it all to Him, He LOVES YOU unconditionally! Don't let the enemy (satan) take away your only hope of an eternal life of freedom and contentment. If you die without Jesus, the bible says you WILL spend eternity apart from God, in the lake of burning fire forever. It does not matter what you have done up to this point, it can all be forgiven, your heart can be cleansed and you can be restored. But you must make the decision, no one else can.
If you think you should wait on accepting Jesus, remember this, you have no guarantee of tomorrow. Your life is but a vapor, here today, gone tomorrow (James 4:14). "For God has not appointed us to [incur His] wrath [He did not select us to condemn us], but [that we might] obtain [His] salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)" -1 Thessalonians 5:9
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts!
The Web Servant
My name is Brian Sherman and I post on this blog under the name of "Web Servant". I want to share the love of Jesus Christ with all who will listen. I am not a perfect man, I have my strengths and weaknesses, but all things are new in Christ. I am constantly checking my motives, to see if whether I am walking by the Spirit, or by the flesh. My posts are not made to ever be judgmental. Jesus commands us never to judge others (Matthew 7:1). We are however commanded to reprove, correct and teach (2 Timothy 3:16). This is my position here. I am no better than you. God loves us equally! Jesus will save you and give you a new life as He has me. I am here to be a servant. May God's love fill your every need!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The Attack of the Enemy
We are all aware of the enemy, i.e. satan, the devil, who "prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8 NASB), is very real. There is no sense in trying to ignore his attempts to lead you astray. I have often struggled with this myself, waking up daily to the attack on my spirit, the thought of failure for the things I didn't accomplish in life, or the fear of failure in what I might accomplish.
For those who read this and are not sure, our Lord is REAL! We believe the devil is real, but often don't believe that God is just as real. Is it because we see the devils handy work everywhere, and not God's? In society, we're conditioned to look for the bad, and not to see the good works of God around us. Let's face it, bad news makes the headlines before good news does.
Remember, the devil, satan, is the ruler of this worldly earthy environment. In Ephesians 6:12 we read, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (NASB)
We know that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is more powerful than the devil. Peter says in James 4:7 (NASB), "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you". That's easier said than done sometimes, I know. I will say that I have really sensed the heaviness of my thoughts lift when I order the devil out of my mind, my house, my neighborhood in the name of Jesus. The devil NEVER stops at trying to deceive you. You WILL deal with this for the remainder of your time on earth. It may be a daily struggle, but you can have joy.
Jesus spoke of joy in John 15:11 (NASB), "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full". Earlier in this book, Jesus was speaking on abiding in Him. It took me some time to figure this out, but God's promises are displayed after an act of obedience to Him. An instruction, or recommendation that is carried out by one of His children leads to reward and blessing (not always materially). Jesus said that if we abide in Him, and He abides in us, our joy will be full.
Earlier in this post, I mentioned James 4:7. The key phrase in that verse was "Submit therefore to God". So I ask, if we have no joy, in the middle of our suffering, could it be because we're not abiding in Him? Could it be in fact that we haven't submitted to Him?
1 Peter 5:8, Ephesians 6:12, James 4:7, John 15:11
For those who read this and are not sure, our Lord is REAL! We believe the devil is real, but often don't believe that God is just as real. Is it because we see the devils handy work everywhere, and not God's? In society, we're conditioned to look for the bad, and not to see the good works of God around us. Let's face it, bad news makes the headlines before good news does.
Remember, the devil, satan, is the ruler of this worldly earthy environment. In Ephesians 6:12 we read, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (NASB)
We know that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is more powerful than the devil. Peter says in James 4:7 (NASB), "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you". That's easier said than done sometimes, I know. I will say that I have really sensed the heaviness of my thoughts lift when I order the devil out of my mind, my house, my neighborhood in the name of Jesus. The devil NEVER stops at trying to deceive you. You WILL deal with this for the remainder of your time on earth. It may be a daily struggle, but you can have joy.
Jesus spoke of joy in John 15:11 (NASB), "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full". Earlier in this book, Jesus was speaking on abiding in Him. It took me some time to figure this out, but God's promises are displayed after an act of obedience to Him. An instruction, or recommendation that is carried out by one of His children leads to reward and blessing (not always materially). Jesus said that if we abide in Him, and He abides in us, our joy will be full.
Earlier in this post, I mentioned James 4:7. The key phrase in that verse was "Submit therefore to God". So I ask, if we have no joy, in the middle of our suffering, could it be because we're not abiding in Him? Could it be in fact that we haven't submitted to Him?
1 Peter 5:8, Ephesians 6:12, James 4:7, John 15:11
Friday, January 23, 2009
The author and the reader...
The belief in Christ is supposed to be a simple decision. Jesus said in Matthew 11:30, "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Coming to this belief might take some time, but the choice itself is not that complicated. How is it then that so many churches make the decision for Christ to be so complicated and legalistic? It is not the will of our Lord to burden us down with more than we can handle. Yet how many churches burden their members with more than they can handle, often to the point of burn-out. Is this what our responsibility calls for? Even more, is this what God desires for us? Would it not be better to spread the needs around? Everyone pitching in together. When everyone works together just a little, the overwhelming burdens become light.
I used to think that witnessing and "bearing fruit" for Christ meant that I had to be a door-to-door salesman, 'selling' the gospel to others. What a lie I had believed! To go from a life without Christ, to a life with Him is fairly straight-forward.
First, you must believe the bible (God's word) is 100% true. You can't believe in some of it, while rejecting the rest. It is not a "smorgasbord" of truths and half-truths. The bible is either 100% true, or 100% false. We are instructed to be either "hot" or "cold" (Revelation 3:16), that is, to believe or not to believe. Christ talks about us being definitive in Matthew 5:37, "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil". This applies to every area of our lives.
Second, if we accept the bible as being 100% true, then we must next decide of whether to obey it. This is the most important step of the believer's life, to obey God or not. So then why don't we obey it? That's a question you must answer and it is only between you and God. You will be accountable for your decisions made in this life, and you will only be accountable to God.
Third, it comes down to motive. What is the motive of your heart? Do we want what is best for us, or for others? Are we dead to ourselves, or are we still living for ourselves? Do we take care of our families, or do we deny our children our time and attention? Are we seeking selfish ambition in this world, or are we seeking unselfish love for eternity? Do we want to serve God, or this world? We can't serve both (James 4:4).
I used to think that witnessing and "bearing fruit" for Christ meant that I had to be a door-to-door salesman, 'selling' the gospel to others. What a lie I had believed! To go from a life without Christ, to a life with Him is fairly straight-forward.
First, you must believe the bible (God's word) is 100% true. You can't believe in some of it, while rejecting the rest. It is not a "smorgasbord" of truths and half-truths. The bible is either 100% true, or 100% false. We are instructed to be either "hot" or "cold" (Revelation 3:16), that is, to believe or not to believe. Christ talks about us being definitive in Matthew 5:37, "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes' or 'No, no'; anything beyond these is of evil". This applies to every area of our lives.
Second, if we accept the bible as being 100% true, then we must next decide of whether to obey it. This is the most important step of the believer's life, to obey God or not. So then why don't we obey it? That's a question you must answer and it is only between you and God. You will be accountable for your decisions made in this life, and you will only be accountable to God.
Third, it comes down to motive. What is the motive of your heart? Do we want what is best for us, or for others? Are we dead to ourselves, or are we still living for ourselves? Do we take care of our families, or do we deny our children our time and attention? Are we seeking selfish ambition in this world, or are we seeking unselfish love for eternity? Do we want to serve God, or this world? We can't serve both (James 4:4).
Are we living for Him or us?
This ties in with the other post of being dead to self. It is a question that we've all asked ourselves at least once, "what I'm I living for, or why am I here?". Throughout scripture, God shows us He has a purpose and plan for our lives. We we're NOT put here by mistake, and we are NOT wasted time and space. I can't give you the answers to all of life's questions, or why bad things happen to good people, but I can share with you the words of our creator.
In Psalm 139, David was speaking, or singing of God's Omnipresence and Omniscience. The fact that God can be anywhere, anytime, and that He knows ALL things. He knows our thoughts before we think them, He knows our hearts and motives for EVERYTHING we do. With that said, why do we try to "run" from God? Why do we hide ourselves? Do we actually think He can't see us in everything we're doing, in the dark and in the light?
David was also speaking of God's plan for your life, before you were born. He sings to God, "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written, The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them." Psalm 139:13-16 (NASB).
Read the entire chapter of Psalm 139 to see that you are not a mistake in this world, regardless of what you've been through, or how you came here. It's not your fault for some of the bad things that have happened to you on this earth. At the same time, it is not God's fault either. God gives us what we all want in life, free will. With that comes pain and suffering. People may hurt us, but ultimately it is the power of evil forces who are the originators.
Remember, the devil, satan, is the ruler of this worldly earthy environment. In Ephesians 6:12 we read, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (NASB)
So now the question is, why do we try to live for ourselves, after our own selfish motives? Are we dead in Christ to OUR selfish wants, or are we trying to walk on both sides of the fence? Do we seek God's Will for our lives, or not?
Psalm 139, Ephesians 6:12
In Psalm 139, David was speaking, or singing of God's Omnipresence and Omniscience. The fact that God can be anywhere, anytime, and that He knows ALL things. He knows our thoughts before we think them, He knows our hearts and motives for EVERYTHING we do. With that said, why do we try to "run" from God? Why do we hide ourselves? Do we actually think He can't see us in everything we're doing, in the dark and in the light?
David was also speaking of God's plan for your life, before you were born. He sings to God, "For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written, The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them." Psalm 139:13-16 (NASB).
Read the entire chapter of Psalm 139 to see that you are not a mistake in this world, regardless of what you've been through, or how you came here. It's not your fault for some of the bad things that have happened to you on this earth. At the same time, it is not God's fault either. God gives us what we all want in life, free will. With that comes pain and suffering. People may hurt us, but ultimately it is the power of evil forces who are the originators.
Remember, the devil, satan, is the ruler of this worldly earthy environment. In Ephesians 6:12 we read, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (NASB)
So now the question is, why do we try to live for ourselves, after our own selfish motives? Are we dead in Christ to OUR selfish wants, or are we trying to walk on both sides of the fence? Do we seek God's Will for our lives, or not?
Psalm 139, Ephesians 6:12
What does it mean to be dead to self?
In Matthew 16:24, we see that Jesus is talking about Discipleship. Jesus said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me" (Matthew 16:24 NASB). What exactly does this mean? Is it so simple of an idea that we have tried to make it complicated? Are we trying to avoid what we know we must do as a NEW creation in Christ? Have we really counted the cost? Do we know what we're getting ourselves into? The scriptures below deal with Discipleship and accountability. What are your thoughts?
Matthew 10:38-39, 16:24-26, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23, 14:27.
Accountability to Discipleship: "A New life in Christ"
Psalm 62:12, Proverbs 24:12, Ecclesiastes 5:8, Matthew 12:36, Romans 2:6 & 16, 14:12, 1 Corinthians 3:13, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Ephesians 6:8, Colossians 3:25, 1 Peter 4:5, Revelation 2:23, 20:12, 22:12,
Matthew 10:38-39, 16:24-26, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23, 14:27.
Accountability to Discipleship: "A New life in Christ"
Psalm 62:12, Proverbs 24:12, Ecclesiastes 5:8, Matthew 12:36, Romans 2:6 & 16, 14:12, 1 Corinthians 3:13, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Ephesians 6:8, Colossians 3:25, 1 Peter 4:5, Revelation 2:23, 20:12, 22:12,
Friday, January 16, 2009
What do you believe?
As Christians, we often must ask ourselves the question, "Do we really seek the truth, or are we seeking what makes us feel more comfortable, accepted and loved?" Do we offend for the sake of the Word of God, or do we stand on the Word, in love, by obeying the commands of our Lord, Jesus Christ? That is the topic for this post. So, let's get into scripture and read what God says...
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