The Broken Cross

When I was in high school a friend of mine who was a fellow Christian gave me a cross. It was green and made of glass. I loved it, the color was my favorite, the cross felt so nice in my hand.

I wore it every day and everywhere.

One day at the favorite local hang out spot (the arcade) I was playing a game called Dance Dance Revolution. After the game was over, I noticed my cross had fallen from my neck and shattered.

I was heartbroken, there was no fixing the cross. My friend later asked me where the cross was? I had to solemnly tell him the news. You could tell he was disappointed.

He got over it quick because quite frankly his life had one tragedy after the other. It was a hard and cruel life.

Years later he now openly mocks God and faith on Facebook.  

The broken cross he gave to me ended up being a metaphor for what was to come, his faith would be broken.

It grieves me to think about and sadly of all my friends from high school I can think of only two who are believers in Christ.

Even worse they’re not just unbelievers but many of them bash God and hate Jesus Christ.

It breaks my heart.

I often times feel hopeless for my high school friends. But then I remember there is hope.

Hope in Jesus Christ.

Because truly in high school, I was broken. That broken cross could serve as a metaphor for me. I was vile, deep in sin. Filled with hatred and pain. I was completely shattered and seemed to be unfixable.

But then Jesus truly saved me from myself.

I owe all to God.

All glory to God!

Praise His Name.

Have a Blessed and Hopeful Week,
Chris

The Story of Christmas

Christmas in July?! With Christmas in July being marketed more and more. Why not post the meaning of Christmas for Throwback Thursday?

The Good Word

Christ Born of Mary

2 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. ³ So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed ^[a]wife, who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a ^[b]manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Glory in…

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What is Loving?

I was once told that a post of mine was the opposite of what my blog was supposed to be. They said I was being judgmental and unloving for telling people the Truth that is found in Christ

In reality Jesus said He was, “The Way, The Truth and the Life” and “That no one comes to the Father except through Me”.

The truth is not judgmental. Telling someone they’re an atheist or a muslim or anything else and then proceeding to tell them about themselves that is judgmental. But telling someone they’re a sinner in need of a savior that is just truth. We are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God.

Now on to the “unloving” part. Since Jesus declared Himself to be the “Truth” not telling someone about Jesus would be unloving because not telling the truth is lying and that in itself is an unloving thing to do.

Most importantly Jesus is the savior of the World. Imagine if you were in a fire and were saved, you now know the way out of the fire, would it be unloving to tell people the way out? Or would that be the most loving thing to do. The least loving thing to do would walk away and say, “well that is my way out of the fire. They’re many different paths to getting saved from the fire”.

That would be awful!

The world right now is trying to tell us Christians to do exactly that. They’re telling us to embrace everyone with “love” but its fake love desired to gratify the flesh.

Do the most loving thing you can do, tell someone about Jesus, He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Have a Blessed and Loving Week,
Chris

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014%3A6&version=NIV

Daily Scripture Reading
Monday – Hosea 1:2-10
Tuesday – Psalm 138
Wednesday – Colossians 2:6-19
Thursday – Luke 11:1-13

God and Baseball

Decided to go a little lighter for Throwback Thursday this week. This is a fun post I wrote about baseball and God from 2019. I remember how much I enjoyed writing this entry.

The Good Word

Summer is officially here so it’s the perfect time to write an entry combining two of my biggest passions.  Today I’m writing about God and Baseball.

When something occurs on the field that seems miraculous or like justice is occurring in favor of a wronged player or team people often times like to use the term, “the baseball god’s”. When these things happen I prefer to say God is a Baseball fan.

Rather than discussing memorable Baseball moments there is a quote and a joke I love that I want to discuss.

First the quote, “Baseball is like Church. Many attend few understand.” -Leo Durocher, Hall of Fame Baseball Manager.

I think that’s a brilliant quote and it is very true. In church many do attend but often times miss the point of the Gospel or misquote the Gospel to get a point across that fits their view.

I know…

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Heritage Baptist Church Service 7-10-22 (Sabbath)

Really good sermon on the sabbath in this video from my Pastor…

Who God Uses

Scandals are everywhere in church leadership right now. Moral failures, abuse, coverups.

I am also noticing a problem in stubbornness, pride and arrogance from some of the most famous Bible teachers of the day. 

They’re nasty to people who disagree with them, speak in arrogance, give their opinions on things that they are ignorant on.

All the while their followers build them and lash out at those who disagree with the Pastor or teacher. 

They mock, put words in others mouths, misrepresent the other side, call people heretics and just behave so far away from what the Bible teaches.

They do this under the guise of glorifying God but in reality they’re just glorifying their own perceived intellectual superiority.

Quite frankly all this gets me angry and it grieves me.

It’s helped me come to realize why God uses the fisherman, the tax collector, the Sheppard boy, the stutterer and so on.

He doesn’t just find the smartest and brightest.

Look at the smartest and brightest religious leaders of Jesus time on Earth, they looked in His face and cursed Him. 

They stared in the face of God and didn’t recognize Him, they didn’t know Him.

Yet the people thought they were the most holy because of their knowledge but they lacked humbleness, mercy, grace and love.

I’m not saying God doesn’t use intellectual people of course, Paul was a pharisee. God uses every type of person but I see a pattern that those willing to be humbled and have faith get used by God for His glory.

Of course you may say but all those people still failed.

But what stands out is all those dealt with their failures, humbled themselves and repented.

Jesus said, “The humble will exalted and the exalted will be humbled”

Truth is getting angry at other Christians failures and arrogance is easy and satan I’m sure loves that.

Because while your focusing on them you get distracted and won’t focus on your own sins and failures.

Which is why I must focus on my own sin and flaws and pray that God humbles me before I fall.

God help me, I pray You humble me, take away my anger and grief and help me focus on my own sins, and be a helpful hand to those who need restoration.

In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Have a Blessed Week,

Chris 

Scripture Reading Plan:

Monday – Amos 8:1-12

Tuesday – Psalm 15

Wednesday – Colossians 1:15-28

Thursday – Luke 10:38-42