Jesus Makes the Difference

We had a guest speaker again today. The pastor was there though and he looked to be doing quite fine with his leg, thank you so very much for your prayers on that. The speaker we had is also a professor and sometimes teaches about the Bible to college students. At times he has given out papers that say things such as "Is there anything in the Bible about (fill in the blank)?" I can imagine, as he said, there have been some interesting things filled in and when he has used them it has lead to interesting discussions. That's something I would love to listen to myself. One day he had a student ask him, "Does believing in Jesus really make a difference?" The student said that he had been listening to the professor and was feeling ready to make that profession of faith and be baptized and join a church, but he wanted to know if Jesus really made a difference. Because his friends said that this is the 21st century. That everything is equal. All religions are equal. That everything will lead to the same things and everyone will end up at the same place. Now I'm going to throw an opinion of my own out there before I go on. If you will look around at this messed up world we live in and consider how things just keep getting worse and worse and worse, and then consider how you hear more and more and more on how us Christian's shouldn't believe how we believe and shouldn't put it out there what we believe (as a Christian that is our duty!) because we are being offensive and whatnot, well, that reflects to me that because this world has become what it is in this 21st century, a place where everything is okay, where everyone can have their own beliefs and it all be valid, and where we get to choose what is okay and what is not ourselves and not look to our God for the answers, well, that says to me that God has those rules and that Word in that Bible for good reason, not to be mean or to just keep us from doing some things we want to, it's to keep us safe and balanced, it's for our own good, but the world has separated itself from God, and of course, that's why we're nearing the end times. A good example of how it is to speak out about the truth of the Bible and Christianity in this world is that recent thing about the Miss USA, I believe it was, where the woman answered about her beliefs on marriage, and because she said she was raised to believe that it is best suited between a man and a woman she was attacked by the people of the world and they want her to be booted off the show or whatever because of her opinion, which is funny if you think about it, all these people want everyone to have their opinions and ideas and be left alone about it, yet, she can't have that one without being harped on. And yeah, sorry, thought I'd throw out some of my own ideas out there, I don't do it often. :o) And so, back to the preaching. The professor told his student, of course, yes, Jesus does make a difference. He is the difference between life and death, He is the one that saves you from your sins, and all are of the flesh, we all have sin. He asked his student (I'm sorry I can't remember the exact places, but you'll get the idea) to get on this one road and head in one direction until he got to this one place. The student said, I can't, I'll be going the opposite way. The professor said to him, but you said that all paths lead to the same place. And he asked his student also, what are you wanting to be? A physician, the student says. Well, drop out of school, he tells the student. The student says, I can't or I won't graduate to be able. And so, of course, the professor says, but you said that it all leads to the same. You get the idea. The professor/guest speaker went on to say that in the end he went to this student's baptism and the student was asked to say something there, and he said, "Jesus makes the difference."

-ladyworpledinker

Gideons International

Today there was a guest speaker at the church we attend. He spoke about getting the Word out to people all around the world, about how reaching out to just one person can affect so many and so much. He told about a few amazing instances in which people receiving one of those little Testaments, surely you know the ones I'm talking about, turned their lives around for God and helped spread the Word of God themselves. He participates in the Gideons International, which is the association that makes it possible to distribute those little Testaments and to put Bibles in hotels and other places all around the world. With Gideon Expressions you can donate to this cause and have a card sent in tribute to a loved one. You can also simply buy cards for about the same price as other greeting cards, which have a testimony on the back of the card and also the purchase of each card gets out a Testament somewhere for someone. If you send a lot of cards, then this would be a wonderful, wonderful way to help reach out to people who need the Word of God. They have quite the selection; beautiful cards for all occasions from what I've seen and heard. The speaker asks that if nothing else, you pray for this cause, which is so very important. To donate and/or purchase cards, or to just learn more, you can go to: http://www.gideons.org/

Also, please pray for the pastor of the church we go to. If I haven't mentioned it before, he was in some sort of accident at some time, before we started attending, and he has one of those Ilizarov devices on his leg, like in the book "90 Minutes In Heaven." This coming Tuesday he is having surgery to have it removed. Please pray for him in this. Thank you.

-ladyworpledinker

Staying Focused

I love the way the pastor at this church doesn't sugar coat things. Yes, he keeps things humorous but serious as well. I love the way he reminds me every time why I am there. The way he has me always reevaluating myself and checking myself. Asking myself, am I still on board? Do I not only take from church, do I give as well? Am I staying focused trying to continue to do as I should in my everyday actions? Am I letting other things in my life steer me away from God in any way? Am I keeping up my prayers? Am I talking to God everyday? Am I really repenting from my sins? Am I letting Satan get away with things that I could be beating? Am I giving it my best or am I being lazy at it? Do I carry around this label of being "a Christian" or do I live it, truly be one? Am I really letting God in my whole life? We get so used to our traditions that sometimes the real meaning of celebrating holidays like Easter and Christmas seems to get lost in all the rest of the things we do and we may not take much time to pause and really focus on that. We can say that we need to remember, we do say that often, but how much are we really putting into it? The pastor said that once some time ago he was introducing and sharing the word of God with some German teenagers. One of them happened to go home to the states with another teenager, a Christian teenager, at Thanksgiving time. This German teenager came back later to the pastor puzzled about it. He said that everything went as was said it would, they gave thanks and ate a lot of food. And then they watched football. He expected to go to church or something. He didn't understand what the football had to do with the celebration. He was trying to understand the importance of a relationship with God but this confused him. The point isn't that you shouldn't watch football on holidays, the point is that we should stay aware of making it ring clear and true to others the true meaning and importance behind these things. To share the love of God. It's important for ourselves as well as others to stay focused on the true meanings of these celebrations.

The ending hymn:

I Saw the Cross of Jesus

1.
I saw the cross of Jesus, when burdened with my sin;
I sought the cross of Jesus, to give me peace within;
I brought my soul to Jesus, He cleansed it in His blood;
And in the cross of Jesus I found my peace with God.

2.
I love the cross of Jesus, it tells me what I am--
A vile and guilty creature, saved only through the Lamb;
No righteousness nor merit, no beauty can I plead;
Yet in the cross I glory, my title there I read.

3.
I trust the cross of Jesus, in ev'ry trying hour,
My sure and certain refuge, my never failing tower;
In every fear and conflict, I more than conque'r am;
Living, I'm safe, or dying, through Christ, the risen Lamb.

4.
Safe in the cross of Jesus! There let my weary heart
Still rest in peace unshaken, till with Him, ne'er to part;
And then in strains of glory I'll sing His wondrous power,
Where sin can never enter, and death is known no more.

-ladyworpledinker