One More For JC

God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.  (1 Corinthians 10:13) This is a verse that is so easy to believe when life is going well.  But how much harder is it to believe when the trials are coming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?  When I think back to the periods of my life when I faced the toughest battles, I remember doubting God and questioning if and when He would ever turn my life around for the better.  I'm not proud to admit it, but it's the truth.  This past Monday a friend of mine asked me the following question in between innings of a softball game:  "If you could ask God one question, what would it be?"  My response was the following: "Why all the years of pain and suffering?"  The rest of the game I couldn't help but think about all the "lost" years of my life and it really got me down.  I drove...

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. (Galatians 2:20) This is one of my favorite verses from the bible and utilized in one of my favorite songs, "Crucified with Christ" by Phillips, Craig, & Dean:  "For I've been crucified with Christ, and yet I live.  Not I, but Christ that lives within me.  His cross will never ask for more than I can give.  For it's not my cross but his." I try to meditate on these words daily, and draw strength from them in times of sorrow and despair.  If we open our hearts to Christ, he will come in.  He will take away that sorrow, and will not test us more than we can bear.  The hardest step is yielding our hearts.  He is forever waiting for us to do just that.

Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, "Who sees us? Who will know? (Isaiah 29:15) How many times in our lives have we fooled ourselves with this lie, "Who can see me? Who will know?"  I've fallen prey to that foolish logic one time too many in my life already. In all honesty, Christ's perfect life is not easy to imitate.  The road he walked is usually too difficult for my mortal body to want to follow.  But that's no excuse for laziness.  Many times when I fall into sin or temptation it's because I've strayed from God's word. The main reason I created this site was twofold: 1) To share my love for Christ with others and 2) To overcome my resistance to read the bible. For most of my life, reading the bible has been as painful as pulling teeth.  With this site, I'm now forced to open the bible at least once a week (outside of church) and type out all the verses fo...

Does Job fear God for nothing?  Satan replied.  Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?  You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.  But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face.  (Job 1:9-11) Many people envision Satan as a man with a red tail and a pitchfork.  But the bible presents him differently.  Satan was at one time the most beautiful angel in all of heaven, but his pride led to his demise.  He is an evil, cunning, and powerful adversary.  In Ephesians 6:12, the apostle Paul states: "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."  The chief enemy Paul was referring to was of course Satan.  On our own, we are powerless agai...

If you devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him, if you put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then you will lift up your face without shame; you will stand firm and without fear.  You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by. (Job 11:13-16) I've had my share of pain and depression in my life, granted not to the extent of Job, but I certainly have had my faith put to the test. A few years back, when I had lost all desire to live, I clinged to these words, and prayed that God would restore me.  It took much patience, but He began to resolve the issues that were weighing me down one by one. I guess it took coming to that lowest point for me to fully see the power of God.  I look back at those low points of my life, not with resentment or regret, but rather with a sense of awe of just how much God has delivered me from.  I have no misconception that the rest of my life will be...

Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him.  (Philippians 3:7-8) I think the key to finding true happiness in this world is found in the verse above. Most of my life, I fruitlessly sought happiness in being successful; whether it be in sports, school, or career.  Unfortunately, nothing I did was ever good enough for me.  I couldn't hit enough base hits, get enough A's, or make enough money. It took finding a close relationship with Christ for me to finally let these things go. In Christ, all those things became less important, and I began to live a happier life.  I find it much more fulfilling to share the joy of Christ than to be wrapped up in the pleasures of this world.  Hopefully, that desire will n...

He forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number.  His number is 666. (Revelation 13:16-18) Talk about the end of the world has increased gradually over the years, especially as Year 2000 draws ever near. It's a topic I've taken great interest in, and have spent a number of hours reading the various books available on the subject; the book I've studied the most on it has been the bible. From the Old Testament to Revelation, there are a number of references to the end times.  I've stopped trying to attach a date, since "No one knows the day or the hour", but I'll never stop looking for signs.   The increasing natural disasters are one clue.  The gr...