The Love of God

Throwback Thursday Post from 2019 featuring the Sermon on the Mount.

The Good Word

It is so important to know the love of God.

It’s easy to get angry with others who mock God or take the Bible out of context in order to portray God and religion as evil.

But really it’s sad.

Some of these people will never know the love of God.

Even sadder some people go church their whole lives and don’t know His love.

They will behave in a way that is the opposite of God’s teachings. Judging others, turning away from the poor, acting bitterly and angry at those around them, closing the doors to their hearts and sometimes to the churches, in order to keep certain people out.

Because of this non-believers may reject God because what they see in us as a church.

We need to be the bridge to God, not the barrier blocking the bridge.

Remember a church is God’s house, not any person…

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Go to God for the Answers

Throwback Thursday post from 2019. One of my longer posts. As usual there are things I wish I could clean up and change but one of the points of this is seeing my growth as a writer and as a Christian.

The Good Word

There’s a new movie coming out next week called, “Breakthrough” it is a faith based movie and already I am seeing comments and reviews about the lack of evidence in the power of prayer and how we Christians tell others to take our faith on faith.

But the truth is if someone tells you they prayed for a miracle and the miracle occurred  how else can they prove to you that prayer works?

Atheists and agnostics want answers but in their searching they refuse to even try to go to God.

They won’t believe what others tell them because it hasn’t happened to them but
prayer doesn’t work for atheists or agnostics because they have no faith.

This is not just a secular problem, Christians often times won’t go to God for answers. I see them asking questions from groups, other Christians or Pastors. Don’t get me wrong that is…

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The Journey: Conclusion

This is the conclusion to my original blog series “The Journey” from all the way back in 2016. Because the topic of suicide is mentioned in this entry I want to remind everyone that is reading this God loves you and they’re people around you that love you even if doesn’t seem that way. Please don’t give up.

National Suicide Prevention hotline.
800-273-8255

https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=onebox

The Good Word

Woman on a Bridge

It was Memorial Day and we took Jane’s Dad out to dinner. We had decided to go to Double T Diner and take the back roads home. But at the last minute Jane suggested we go to TGI Fridays, so it made sense just to go the normal way home.

On the way there is a bridge you have to cross, when we arrived at that point we noticed two cars in front of us had come to a stop, the passenger in the second car was outside, talking frantically on his cell phone. Jane saw a young lady standing next to the bridge, peering over the side. Jane yelled at me to “STOP THE CAR!”

Jane rushed out of the car, when she did the young lady began to swing her leg over the bridge. By the time Jane got to her, she was sitting…

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Part II (His Way Church)

This is part two of my first ever blog series from 2016. His Way Church was special. My wife and I got married there, we have a lot of good memories. Reading this again was a great reminder of God setting the stage for things. Unfortunately His Way Church is no longer running and I’ve lost touch with the Pastor. I hope and pray he is okay.

The Good Word

That’s when the urge started again to find a church. I would pray asking for guidance for two things, to find a church that would focus on Christ’s teaching and for myself to learn how to do works not just have faith. I had three bible verses that were on my mind. When James said faith without works is dead, when Jesus said to remove the plank from your eye before you worry about the spec in your brother’s eye and when Jesus confronted the men about to stone the adulterous woman he said, he who is without sin cast first stone. These three were very powerful to me.

Now Jane and I still talked about how we missed our old church. Then one day on the way home, we saw an advertisement for an Easter egg hunt and the address was the same as our old church. We couldn’t…

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The Journey Part I

Can’t get much more Throwback Thursday than this. My first real blog entry after my introduction. This is deeply personal and also a bit rough around the edges but wanted to share this since the blog has grown in six years. Probably will share the whole series over the next three Thursdays.

The Good Word

I thought I was a believer, that I had strong faith. But what good is faith without works? “Faith without works is dead” That’s what James 2 teaches. I would claim to be a Christian, but I didn’t go to church, I was resentful of the church. How can these people be such hypocrites? How can they continue to do the opposite of what Jesus teaches? Do they really do anything for the poor and needy or do they just care about themselves?

It wasn’t till recently that I realized I needed to ask those questions to myself.

When I was 19, I was still claiming to be Christian but continued sinning without repentance, not following what God teaches us. My only communication with God was, when I fell into brokenness and begged for help, when that didn’t seem to work I would scream at him and yell, wondering where…

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Thomas Jefferson-Freedom of Religion

5 years later the political climate is far worse. So this relates more than ever.

The Good Word

This is going to be a short post. I have seen many comments from Atheists that love using Thomas Jefferson as an example for their argument to keep Religion out of the State. Many even point out the “Freedom of Religion” letter. However they probably have never read it, they couldn’t have. Because it is actually written to the Danbury Baptists in order to show them that the government would never infringe on their Christianity. That was Jefferson’s beliefs, to ensure to government to stay out of the Church, not to get the Church out of the government. I am putting the famed letter in this post…

Letter to the Danbury Baptists

January 1, 1802

To messers. Nehemiah Dodge, Ephraim Robbins, & Stephen S. Nelson, a committee of the Danbury Baptist association in the state of Connecticut.

Gentlemen

The affectionate sentiments of esteem and approbation which you are so good…

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The Narrow Path is the Right Path

Throwback Thursday From February 2020

The Good Word

The Narrow Path is narrow because there is only one way, Jesus.

Follow Him and it leads to Heaven.

Look at the alternatives they all come down to works. Make sure to do this, do that, follow this, follow that. And if you are good enough you may get into paradise.

Confusion, anxiety, depression and overall pain come on this path.

That path may seem broad with more opportunity but in reality that path is on shaky ground filled with bumps, holes, entrapments and along the way many, many snakes.

But God offers the narrow path, the straight path right to Him. Just follow the Lord.

If you went hiking and there were two paths one was narrow and led straight to where you were going and the other was filled with rough terrain where you had to find your way all on your own which would you chose?

Some…

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Look Again

Throwback Thursday from a couple years ago. Forgot all about this story. Amazing how easily we forget things. Also goes along with the theme of the week, “Rest”.

The Good Word

We as human beings try to do the right thing by our standards. I often think about how I could help more and what I would do or should do if I encounter someone in need, I tell myself I would try my best to fill that need.

I was reminded recently that God knows what is best and what is needed not us.

Here’s what happened the other day, I left the grocery store and I saw a homeless man sitting on the side walk with nothing but a few bags beside him. His head was hanging sadly.

My mind immediately began to race about what to do. Do I give him money? Some of my food? Ask him what needs? All these thoughts were racing through my mind.

I decided to ask God.

I could hear the words, “Pray.”

I did exactly that. I prayed for his needs…

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The Common Denominator is people

Three years later and this post seems way more relevant today than it did in 2019.

The Good Word

Most everyone has a bogeyman or men that they blame all their problems or the problems of the world on. Sometimes its one particular person in their life, or a world leader. Sometimes it is a group of people based on their political beliefs, religious beliefs, race, gender or any other difference.

They say all the trouble and problems in their life or the world would be solved if only that person or group of people would change or be gone.

Well turn on the news, you will hear stories of people killing others, robbing others, hurting others, attempting to destroy all that is good. These people are from all different races, religions and backgrounds. Men, women, sometimes even children.

What’s the common denominator here? It’s people.

People are the ones who do the evil, evil does not discriminate, it does not chose race, gender, political affiliation or even the…

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Yes God Wants You In Church

Throwback Thursday Post from just last year but I decided to share it because of the importance of the topic.

In just a year I have gotten heavily involved in my church and it really has been a huge blessing.

Also here is a video to add to the blog entry.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpbdkGPk92s&ab_channel=TheRemnantRadio

The Good Word

I see a lot of people point out reasons they don’t go to church and criticize the problems at churches. They say things like, “The Church isn’t a building, I am the church.”

While there is truth to that the Bible is clear God wants us to go to an actual church building. Because He wants us to have fellowship for the benefit of ourselves and those around us.

Churches also provide services to the community, they feed the hungry, clothe those who are without, provide financial support to people in need, not to mention many, many other things.

There is a huge benefit to churches in the world.

Satan is the accuser, he is the one putting these thoughts of the negative sides of some churches in your heads.

He wants you weakened, he wants the church weakened because he knows he has no power over a church truly…

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