⛅️ Commitment is an action, not a word.☀️

 We will never change the way we act until we let God change the way we think.

Proverbs 16:2 (KJV) All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.

Really? All our ways! Are we willing to commit our ways into the Lord? I have found out that it’s hard to get someone to commit.

• To Friendship: 

How many friends do you have? I’m not talking about so-called friends like those on FB. I’m talking about a friend that’s closer than a brother or sister.

Proverbs 18:24 (KJV) A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

• To Marriage:

When you said I do to the love of your life is she or he still the love of your life?

Proverbs 18:22 (KJV) Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.

Did you notice it did not read “who finds a good wife or husband finds a good thing.” It reads that way for a purpose and a reason. I challenge you to discover why it reads that way. When you do it will change your marriage to real, genuine commitment. 

Ephesians 5:25 

• To Their Job: 

There was a day when employees worked at the same company all their working career. Those days are gone and the reason may be because.

• Companies are not Committed:

To their employees, wanting to make bigger profits. Therefore their quality levels are not what they were at one time. That happens when employees look for a check and not a career. 

Getting Commitment, well that’s not an easy thing to get. 

• To their Country:

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor young men ran to the recruiters' willing and ready to sign up committing themselves. Why?  Could it have been a commitment to their Country?

I find it interesting that in the 10 commandments there is only one that teaches not to commit.

Cambridge Dictionary says that commitment is “to promise or give your loyalty, time, or money to a particular principle, person, or plan of action:” 

Commitment takes thought. Commitment takes planning.  Commitment takes participation.

Commitment takes getting involved.  

Who is willing and ready to commit to do right?

Who is willing and ready to commit to do wrong?

We commit to that which we believe, trust in. Think what is it that you are committed to?

🙃55 2x8 is the Answer🤗

John 6:68 (KJV) Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

Truth is better than a harmful lie. Truth never changes, lies are hard to remember. Be truthful and you’ll never forget. 

If the Bible is not historically reliable then Christianity as a whole crumbles. Sure we can take the Bible and show  others that Christ was born of a virgin, performed miracles, and rose from the dead. What good is that if the Bible is not trustworthy? A myth, a fantasy for wishful dreamers, a hoax played on the simpleminded. Truth never changes. It is not hard to remember but non truth is hard to remember and may change but truth never does. Mentioning the name Jesus makes people want to change the subject. Talk about God and people don’t get upset but say Jesus and the conversation ends. The Bible is written so that the simple minded can understand it.  Christ is the answer! The problem comes when we think the answer comes from somewhere else.  

• Christ is the answer to our broken relationship with God.
• Christ is the answer to our guilty conscience.
• Christ is the answer to our broken relationships within our marriage and home.
• Christ is the answer to our worries and doubts.
• Christ is the answer to the problems in our world.

It was a 55 Chevrolet green in color. It had a 2x8 bolted on the front bumper. On that bumper it read “Christ is the Answer. I was 10 years old when I first saw that 55 Chevrolet drive by our home on Greenleaf Rd. in Atlanta Georgia. I found out 12 years later that Christ was the answer. It was the day I understood that I was a sinner and needed a Savor. I bowed at an altar and asked Christ into my heart. Know what? God saved me before I got to that altar. Why do I say that? Luke 16:15 (KJV) And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

So yes I do personally know that 55 2x8 is the answer.

😎 True or False🥸

 We will never change the way we act until we change the way we think.

Proverbs 23:7 (KJV) For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.

When we were born we were taught how to live in this world and we need to know how to live in this world for sure. As we grew older we were introduced to some wrong things and we heard or read about some bad people. I once heard of a doctor that put a poker into a fire until it was red hot. He then took it from the fire and went to where his 6 month old child was sleeping and placed it in his eyes. He kept pushing it until the child was dead. There are bad, awful things happening everyday. We better know how to live in this world. Have you ever had this thought, is this all there is? Is there a place called heaven? And if so how does one get there?  A man by the name of Josh McDowell in 1976 began to write a book of skepticism that would prove the book we call the Bible unreliable. Who is Jesus? What proof is there that He was the Son of God? And if it is true what difference does it make in my life? 

What is my identity, my purpose?

Can one find those answers at Church?

Can one find those answers in Education?

Can one find those answers in prestige?

Many are skeptical and insecure about the topic of God.  They are fed up with religion. I don’t blame them because it’s not religion that changes people, it’s Jesus Christ, so don’t get the two confused, they aren’t the same, I assure you. Religion is not Christianity, Christianity is a relationship with God. Religion focuses on humans trying to work their way to God through good works.  Christianity is God coming to us through Jesus Christ. Many will not accept that way of thinking. Take time before you just write it off, make sure that Jesus Christ is not God’s that inhabited a human body and lived among real people; that He died on the cross for the sins of humanity; that He was buried and was resurrected three days later; and that he is still alive and can change a person’s life today.  Is it a myth?  Then it should be easy for you or I to prove it. Does the Christian story stand up to the evidence or not? 

🥹Depression🙂‍↕️

Only the pursuit of happiness is guaranteed. The rest is up to you. David J Fagan

What is it? Webster say that it’s

“A sinking of the spirits; dejection; a state of sadness; want of courage or animation; as depression of the mind.”

A sinking of the mind?? A state of sadness? What could possibly bring this on? I could think of a bunch of things that could bring on Depression. Depression is a real thing that can’t be solved by taking antidepressant meds. I read that one can still be depressed taking antidepressant meds. Do what! We live in a world that has a drug for almost anything. I know you have seen the ads on TV. We are given the name of the drug and what wonderful things it can do and then we are given the side effects. The side effects make me have second thoughts about taking the drug because almost every one of them has this saying “which may lead to death.” I wish I had the answer for all who are depressed but I don’t. Now some depression can be corrected, for I’m sure we have all been depressed at one time or another. We read of a man named Elijah and a King named Ahab. This is what the Bible tells us about Ahab. 

1 Kings 16:30 (KJV) And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him.

Ahab changed the way of Worship, changed the altars of worship and we read that Ahab did more to provoke the Lord than all the kings before him. 

1 Kings 16:33 (KJV) And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

God used this man Elijah greatly. If you read about him you will read of his great boldness as he stood in front of King Ahab and told him there would be no rain nor dew for 3 years. 

1 Kings 17:1 (KJV) And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.

There is much I could say here but I’ll let you read it for yourself. God protectioned Elijah, fed and made sure he had water to drink. Like I said there was a lot going on in 3½ years from the drought before it rained again. During that time after all that God did for Elijah you would have never thought that Elijah would have not gotten depressed, but he did. Elijah asked God to kill him, now that is depressed. Elijah felt like he was all alone. Have you ever felt like you were the only one doing anything? Elijah shows signs of depression. He got all by himself, he quit eating, he quit sleeping, he quit trusting in God. What?? He did! After all that God had done for him he told God to kill him because he was the last one standing. Stay there in that state of mind and that will happen as Elijah will go deeper and deeper. God saw the need of Elijah and refused to let him stay there. I don’t know if this is the answer to all depression but I think I would try it before taking an antidepressant with its side effects. 

🫶Sacrifice or Reciprocity🫱🫲

 For God so loved that He gave the only Son He had to keep you and I from perishing. 

Merriam-Webster says that Sacrifice is “the act of giving up or losing something of value for the sake of something else” On March 8 1965 President Johnson sent 3,500 Marines, our first combat troops, to Da Nang Vietnam. Some young men were drafted but others enlisted. Out of all those who served all made a sacrifice some gave all but all gave something of  value for the sake of something else. 

The Apostle Paul said in Romans chapter 12 and verse one  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Paul said I beg you therefore. My Pastor taught me that when I see the word “therefore” to see what it’s therefore. Let’s see what it’s therefore.

In Romans Chapter One we learn that Salvation is not by works, not by what we do. We can’t do enough good works to merit Heaven. It’s not by our works but instead it’s by God's Grace He saved us. Therefore because of what God has already done for us we should be willing to give up or sacrifice for our Heavenly Father. In Genesis chapter 22 we read of Abraham being asked by God to take his son Issac to a mountain that He will show him. God asked Abraham to do the unthinkable, sacrifice Issac your only son. Oh my 😲‼️Abraham is about 115 years old and Issac a young teenager. Why do I say this? Because Issac could easily overtake his dad I would think. Yet Issac let his dad bind him up on an altar. Now Abraham believed that God could and would raise his son from the dead. Those who know their Bible know that God didn’t allow Abraham to kill his son. Abraham raised his knife to sacrifice his son Issac  but God stopped him. Abraham obeyed God not knowing what would happen, that’s faith. You see faith is not faith if we know the outcome.  

Hebrews 11:1 (KJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Are we willing to make any sacrifice for what God has done for us? Are we willing to read and study our Bible? Are we willing to Memorize and Meditate on our Bible? Are we willing to hear the Bible taught? We will never do the things God wants us to do until we do the things God wants us to do even when we don’t want to. God is not going to force us to serve Him. He shouldn’t have to.The day God saved me I wanted to serve Him. Why? Because I knew He had forgiven me. In other words I wanted to sacrifice because of what He had done for me. Reciprocity that simply means a psychological principle where people feel the urge to give back to those who have given to them. When I understand what God has done for me I want to give back to Him. 

That is not just reciprocity, it’s sacrifice.  

👉🏿This Way Please🚶🏻‍♂️‍➡️

 The way may seem impossible. Is that what you see? Then look again I’m Possible.

How can we know the way? The way to where? Anywhere. When I first started running a pest control route I was given a book. That book looked almost like a magazine except it was full of pages with different maps. Now on those maps were streets, highways, freeways and such. If I didn’t know how to get to the address I was given I would look at the map and it would show where and how to get there. Once looking at the map I would follow the roads or direction of the map and I would go to where I needed to be. In other words I trusted the map book, why? Because it was the record showing me where the address was located. One of Jesus' disciples named Thomas asked that question in John chapter 14 he said “how can we know the way?" Jesus turned to him and this is what He said  

John 14:6 (KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. It was early in the morning  when Jesus went into the Temple. The Bible tells us that even though it was early we read that  all the people came into the Temple and Jesus sat down and taught.  While Jesus was teaching a woman was brought unto him and Jesus was told that this woman had been caught in the very act of adultery. Wow, that is interesting, sounds like a set up to me. Anyways she had been caught and now she is standing in front of Jesus.  They tell Jesus that the law of Moses said she should be stoned. Well it does but there is one problem here, see if you notice the problem. 

Leviticus 20:10 (KJV) And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. You have heard the phrase that it takes 2 to tango. Looks like we only have one victim. 🤔Maybe I read it wrong, let me read it again 

John 8:3 (KJV) And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, No, I was right it says (a woman) not a man and woman. Oh this doesn’t make it ok but why was the man not brought? You see why I say that it looks like a set up? The point I wanted to make here was in order to know something is wrong we must first know which is right. Is the Bible the record book for us to follow? I say yes, not because someone else told me it was and neither should you.  A record is  

a book or on parchment, for the purpose of preserving authentic or correct evidence of a thing. Such as, to record the proceedings of a court; to record a deed or lease; to record historical events. The first time we read “Record” in the Bible is here.

Exodus 20:24 (KJV) An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. 

In all places where I record my name. Now that is interesting, you think we might be blessed if we go to the Church house? 1 John 5:11 (KJV) And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

We hold in our hands the Record book of Jesus Christ therefore we can know the way to Heaven. The Record book is going to get us to the right address, Heaven. The Crabb family singing a song don’t you want to go. Here are some of the lyrics.

“There's a building program

Going on in Heaven

Construction carried out

By God's own hand

Fifteen hundred miles wide

Mansions standing side by side

The streets are paved with gold

Throughout the land

Now they say

They'll be no dying in that city

No sickness

And no sorrow will be known

The feeble will be young

No division all is one

Eternal celebrating going on

Don't you wanna go

With me to God's new city

Don't you wanna hear

That heavenly choir sing

Don't you wanna touch the nail scarred hands

That brought this great salvation plan

Can't you feel it stirrin' in your soul

Don't you wanna go”

Go on YouTube and listen to the whole song. I think you will enjoy it. 

https://youtu.be/WoRC_J7D270?si=MZ60nkC0cnumMqPH

☔️Aren’t You Glad🥳

 ⛈️

☔️Aren’t You Glad🥳