Finding Truth Today - Blog

Reality Check!

There are many of you who will start to read this article and at a point not so far into it will consider to stop reading it. I know this because at one point in my life, I would have done the same thing. In fact, I may not have even started reading an article like this one because I knew that this type of article would make me think about myself… my true self. Now before you stop reading this article, ask yourself these three questions, “Why am I not going to finish reading this article? Is there something I am afraid of about myself that this article brings forth in front of me to confront that I don’t want to confront? Why don’t I want to confront it?”

 

Have you ever thought about your life? I mean really sat down and thought about who you really are and what needs you have that neither you nor anyone else on earth can provide? Seriously, have you ever really earnestly contemplated your life for an hour or even 30 minutes? How about for just 10 minutes? What about for only one full minute?

 

If you have not ever sincerely openly and honestly considered your life, you are not living in reality and are living a multiple life filled with deceit. I know this because I personally did not sincerely consider my life for many years and during these years my life was filled with deceit. It is to just a matter of degree in which you are living a multiple life filled with deceit if you do not openly and honestly contemplate your life.

 

Be totally honest with your answers to yourself as you ask yourself each of these questions. It is your life you these questions are asking about so you should know the answers. Are you truly honest enough with yourself to fully explore your answers?

 

Who are you really? Who are you when you are truly alone, all by yourself? What do you think about, what do you do, what do you care about, who do you want to be if…? Are you truly pleased with your life today? Are you doing in your life something that completely fulfills your desires? Are you thinking about others and are considerate to their needs or are you really just centered on your own needs? Are you truly content where you are right now in your life or is there something missing?

 

Are you being totally open and honest with yourself right now? There is only you and this article that you are reading so why not take this time to be totally open and honest with yourself? Is there you something you feel deep down inside yourself that needs explored?

 

Are you afraid? If so, of what? If not, really, are you not afraid to be honest with yourself? Are you being honest with yourself right now?

 

The time is now that you need to be fully and totally open and honest with yourself. Face reality today, here and now. What needs do you have that even if you had all the money, power, fame and fortune in the world, you would never be able to have those needs met?

 

For many years I hid behind an illusion. I was afraid to come out from behind this allusion. So when I caught myself peeking out from behind the allusion which I had made of my life, I was afraid to step totally out from behind it and face reality. Each time I would peek around, I would very quickly jump back behind the allusion of me which I had made of my life because I was afraid to face reality.

 

It was at the very lowest point in my life in which I took a peek around the allusion that brought me into harsh reality about myself. No, it wasn’t that I didn’t have education, success, a good job, status, food, housing, cars, boats, motorcycles, computers, etc. that made it the very lowest point in my life because I had all of these and much more. In fact, I was quite successful and had been checking off the items I acquired from my mental list of material wants as I acquired each of them for many years.

 

It wasn’t that my father was murdered that became the lowest point in my life either although I did use the act of someone murdering my father as the catalyst to which I would eventually lower myself to the very extreme lowest most point in my life. I had lowered myself to the plotting of murdering those who had been involved with the murder of my father. Not just a thought or two about getting revenge, I had a fully executable plan with timing and an alibi if I was thought of as a suspect. I had even made a few dry runs to work out the details and was in the process of setting up the actual event.

 

At that point is when for some reason I decided to take a little peek around my allusion to see my true self which led me to be for the first time in many years fully and totally open and honest with myself. When I was finally fully and totally open and honest with myself, I didn’t like what I was. Not only did I not like what I was, I was appalled about what I was and what I had made myself. I had made myself into a murder. The steps I took to get there all led me to where I was and I took each of the steps on my own accord.

 

Reality for the first time I truly faced and in looking reality in the face, I saw who I had made myself by my hiding behind an allusion. During all the years of my hiding behind an allusion, I had made myself into many different people. Instead of being just me, I had been subduing my true self behind the allusion I had made for myself. Being behind the allusion I told myself that I could have more friends, be liked by more people, be able to do more things, and be able to accomplish more than if I was just really being me without an allusion. When in fact, my hiding behind an allusion was just making me sink lower and lower into oblivion and while doing so I was denying anything at all was wrong as I was drawing more near to committing murder.

 

Here is your reality check. Are you hiding behind an allusion? You may think you are not plotting a murder at this time however, if you are hiding behind an allusion, are you really sure that you are not? If you are hiding behind an allusion you are murdering, YOU! Yes, you are murdering yourself if you hide behind an allusion. The real you is being subdued more and more with each passing day you hide behind your allusion of yourself. Although you may not sink so low as to plot the murder of another human being as I did but if you are living behind an allusion instead of just being yourself you may actually commit murder.

 

Neither of us is perfect. We each have imperfections and these imperfections are what make you and me unique. Living behind an allusion is only a cover up for not facing reality. Reality is harsh however living behind an allusion is even more severe. Living behind an allusion is more severe because it only complicates reality that much more. Reality is still reality even if you don’t admit that it is reality. For you to have any hope in your life, you must live in reality and not behind an allusion.

For true hope in your life you must admit the reality that Christ Jesus is the answer to all of your needs. Christ Jesus lived a perfect life for us because you and I cannot live a perfect life for ourselves. We have to have faith in Christ's life, death and resurrection so to have that link to God which Christ has because you and I can never be perfect. Our having faith in Christ Jesus fills us with the hope He promises.

 

I know that for many of you reading this article that admitting Christ Jesus is the answer to your needs is far more than what you can do right now. That’s okay although I’d really like it if you’d drop to your knees right now and confess Christ Jesus as your Lord and savior, you may not want to do that now or even ever because that is a choice for you to make for yourself and not for me or anyone else to make for you.

 

All I am asking of from you right now is that you step out from behind your allusion to take at least a few minutes after reading this article to be totally openly and blatantly honest with yourself and that you become yourself, your true self instead of an allusion which you have made up about yourself.

 

“But anyone who is alive in the world of the living has some hope; a live dog is better off than a dead lion. Yes, the living know they are going to die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward; they are completely forgotten. Their loves, their hates, their passions, all died with them. They will never again take part in anything that happens in this world. Go ahead---eat your food and be happy; drink your wine and be cheerful. It's all right with God. Always look happy and cheerful. Enjoy life with the one you love, as long as you live the useless life that God has given you in this world. Enjoy every useless day of it, because that is all you will get for all your trouble. Work hard at whatever you do, because there will be no action, no thought, no knowledge, no wisdom in the world of the dead---and that is where you are going.” Ecclesiastes 9:4-10

Whose Responsibility Is It Anyway?

Just who is responsible for your life? Have you ever given any thought about who it is responsible for the way you live your life? Had it ever occurred to you that “someone is personally fully responsible” for your life?

 

  

Has it ever occurred to you that with each action and inaction you take, everything you say or not; written and oral, that “someone is personally fully responsible” for each and every one of them? Have you given thought to the fact that “someone is personally fully responsible” all of the thoughts you think and “personally fully responsible” for all of your motives?

 

  

Who do you think is responsible for the things you do? Who do you think is responsible for the things you are supposed to do yet you don’t do them? Who do you think is responsible for the things you say? Who do you think is responsible for the things you don’t do and don’t say? Who is responsible for the motives behind your actions, inactions, statements, and thoughts?

 

  

Have you thought about the effects of your actions, inaction, speech, thoughts, and motives on the people around you, in the present and the future? Have you thought about the effects of your actions, inaction, speech, thoughts and motives on yourself, in the present and future?

 

  

Did you know that “there are eternal consequences” for the person personally fully responsible for everything you think, do and say? Did you know that this person who “is personally fully responsible” is “fully accountable” for each and every thought you think, each statement you make, and all actions you do or don’t do?

 

  

Wake up and come into reality. Whether or not you believe in God, YOUR LIFE is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY!.

 

  

Yes, YOU are PERSONALLY fully RESPONSIBLE for ALL OF YOUR Actions and Inaction! YOU are PERSONALLY fully RESPONSIBLE for ALL OF YOUR speech and thoughts. YOU are PERSONALLY fully RESPONSIBLE for ALL OF YOUR motives. Only YOU are fully accountable for the way in which you live your life.

 

  

The Holy Bible says that at our death, YOU and I WILL be JUDGED by God who is purely objective for all of our ACTIONS and INACTIONS, our THOUGHTS and MOTIVES (2 Peter 3:7). God will not judge us against each other to see which one of us was better than the other; God impartially judges each of us separately according to His perfect standards (Romans 2:1-16).

 

  

Per God’s perfect standards, just one little white lie counts as a strike against perfection because God cannot have any imperfection near Him. Wow, I know that I’ve done more than just told a little white lie and I know that you if you are honest with yourself, you too have done much more than merely told a little white lie or two which means that neither you nor me on our own can meet God’s perfect standards. God calls us not meeting His perfect standards, sin. God told us that the cost that you and I must pay is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Eternal death doesn’t mean, “non-existence” it means we will be without God in eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46).

 

  

God however, loves you and me and He knew long before either of our being born that we would not meet His perfect standards (Genesis 3:15). God sent Christ Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, to live a perfect life here on earth. Jesus was able to live a perfect life as a man on earth because He is God. Christ Jesus’ perfect life was lived for you and me because He knew that you and I could not live a perfect life (Romans 5:6-21).

 

  

A president of the United States and state governor of a state within the United States can pardon a convicted criminal of his or her crimes based upon the circumstances of the crime and other considerations based upon federal and/or state laws or merely because the president or governor wants to give the pardon for whatever reason within some guidelines, the president and governors have the power to give a convicted criminal a pardon. The convicted criminal must apply for a pardon prior to any chance of a pardon being granted to the convicted criminal. The application for a pardon has stipulations which must be adhered to prior to the convicted criminal can submit the application for pardon.(1) Also, the person pardoned must accept the pardon and if a pardon is rejected, it cannot be forced upon its subject. Above all, a pardon carries an 'imputation of guilt', and accepting a pardon is 'an admission of guilt'.(2)

 

 

Per God’s perfect nature and His pure integrity, God has promised to you and me a pardon for our sins. This means that we do not have to submit an application for it because He has lovingly made it freely available to everyone who wants to accept it. We don’t have to pay, be imprisoned (purgatory) or work for the pardon God has for us. The only stipulation God has placed upon our pardon is that we honestly accept our pardon by placing our faith into His only begotten Son, Jesus (John 3:16). God demonstrates His own love toward us by payment of our sin, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Just as a pardon which a president or governor offers, the pardon that God offers us is one which we have to admit our sin and accept. It is a choice of action which each of us is personally responsible for in our life. Our inaction to accept God’s gift of pardon for our sin is that we are rejecting the pardon God offers to us.

 

 

Have YOU ACCEPTED JESUS as your SAVIOR so to have the CONFIDENCE of EVERLASTING LIFE with GOD instead of living eternity without God?

 

 

If you have not honestly accepted Christ Jesus as your savior, the consequence of YOUR INACTION is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY (Romans 6:23)!

 

 

Yes, you and I and everyone else has a PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY to make a choice on where we want to live our eternal life (John 3:36).

 

 

You may be saying something like, “I’m happy with my life and I don’t need Jesus. You Victor, may need Jesus but I don’t.” You are thinking short term thoughts and thinking about this today but what about tomorrow? You may not live to even finish reading this article, thus not making it to live tomorrow. Have you even seriously and honestly sought the truth? No, really. Have you really seriously and honestly sought the truth? Be truthful with yourself (Matthew 18:8).

 

 

Jesus said He is the “way, and the truth, and the life” and that no one comes to the Father but through Him (John 14:6) With this statement, Jesus says that he is like a  narrow door meaning that only through Him does one get to God. Jesus also said that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life (John 5:24).

 

 

Jesus said that many would not find the narrow path (Matthew 7:13-14) and also said for you and me to “strive to enter through the narrow door that leads to life” (Luke 13:24).

 

 

Whose responsibility is your life? Face the fact that your life is your responsibility. Live your life wisely.

 

 

 

(1)    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pardon

(2)    http://www.answers.com/topic/burdick-v-united-states

 

 

Is Following God's Will Easy?

The easiest thing you will do in life is follow God. “No, Lord” is a contradiction that leads to mistakes and sin. Now I’m sure that you are thinking something like; “The world is so full of temptations and pressures and following God seems not to be the easiest thing for me to do; so how in the world does Victor think following God is the easiest thing I can do in life?”

 

Where I found that following God is the easiest thing to do in my life is that I kept running into a winding long road to a dead-end doing everything on my own and doing it my way. At that dead-end, I found that I had become a person I didn’t want to be near. I had drawn up so many little lies and personalities to keep track of and all were dependent upon who I was with and where I was that I had become lost in a huge lie that I was continuing to tell myself. This lie to myself told me that I was actually the most important thing in the world; more so important than anyone around me and seeing that I was leaving God out of my plans and life, more important than Him too.

 

At the point in which I had drawn up a plan to murder one of the people who murdered my dad and had contemplated it for a while working out some more details; did I finally come to the realization that life isn’t all about me. I during thinking through the murder I had planned came to a point in which I asked myself a very serious yet extremely simple question. My honestly answering this simple question I asked myself turned my thinking around 180 degrees. That question was, “Why am I doing this?” At that point, I remembered what I had been taught so many years before that vengeance is God’s and not mine and so I didn’t follow through with my plans (Romans 12:19; Hebrews 10:30).

 

It took a while longer (years) before I could actually pray for the salvation of those involved in my dad’s murder and it also took a while longer for me to get over many other selfish acts that I had made habitual. It was however at that point that I started being me and just me meaning that I was no longer acting differently with people although it was tough to do at first, the more I asked myself, “Why am I doing this?” the easier it got and when I started asking, “God, why am I doing this?” it got even easier for me to be just me because God would answer me and make it clear that it isn’t about me, it’s all about Him.

 

Now God's promise for us is that the easiest thing we will do in life is follow Him (Matthew 11:28-30). Us saying to Him, “No, Lord” is a contradiction to that promise that leads us to mistakes and sin (John 8:34). Please do not mistake my posting this as me being able to follow God’s will and promise perfectly nor as it the easiest thing for me to do because as with you, pressures and temptations of the world and even family and friends are sometimes against it being easy for me to do. I am not perfect and being imperfect there are times when I still find myself saying, “No, Lord” only to find myself on a path to another dead-end. But I’ve found that God has shortened the time I spend on that path to the dead-end because I have taught myself to hear and listen to His calling and asking me, “Victor, why are you doing this?” and I feel His love and concern for me drawing me back to doing His will and reminding me that it’s all about Him, and not about me.

 

My knowing that my life is all about God rather than about me, makes it easier for me to follow Him. Though remember that in our following our Lord Christ Jesus, we are not promised an easy path to follow (Luke 14:27), just that the path with which we choose to follow that leads to our Lord God, is a much easier and safer path than our own path which leads us away from God.

 

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

It Really is a Gift

I just returned from visiting my mom. This was my first visit in two years and was the longest that I’ve ever gone between visits. Due to my work schedule changing, I was able to give a surprise visit to my mom and be a part of a family welcome party to my mom moving into her new house. It was a surprise to her that I was there for a visit because she didn’t expect me to be there until the end of next month. Her new house came from her old one (the one which I grew up in) burning down back in mid-February. It was a total loss of the house and its contents yet praise be to God for my mom, visiting niece and two nephews being awakened at the start of the fire and their getting out of the burning house without any harm.

 

As many people are, my mom was way underinsured. The insurance coverage she had on the house and its contents came up way short of being able to replace the house let alone replacing any contents. To cover the extra cost of replacing the house, my brothers and I split it three ways and offered to mom the gift of the amount she needed to complete the purchase and setup of a brand new modular home to be placed on the same location as the original house. Other family and friends along with a number of people throughout the county, offered to mom a house full of contents which included everything she needs to move into and live in her new house. Mom thanked everyone for the gifts and she graciously accepted them and thanked God for not only the gifts but also for such loving outreaches she was getting from everyone.

 

Prior to my going to visit my mom, I talked via email with a friend of mine Brian, whom I have known for around 15 years. Brian wanted to know some information about Jeeps so I told him what I know about them. He mentioned that he and his wife were thinking about getting a Jeep to ride around in on nice days to enjoy the Smoky Mountains. To Brian’s surprise, I via email offered to him as a gift two Jeeps that I had which were located there in Tennessee. One a parts Jeep which was at my mom’s and the other one a Jeep which I had gone through mechanically a few years ago which I had left for my uncle to use at his leisure. My uncle was no longer driving it due to it being a straight shift and his knee being too stiff to use the clutch. I wasn’t about to have the two Jeeps brought out to where I now live as the cost to do that would be greater than if I just bought one out here. So I had a thought; I’d offer them to Brian as a gift.

 

Brian was very surprised at my offer of the two Jeeps to him as a gift yet he was very excited about it. Another few emails later he emailed back and told me, “I'd have to pay you some $$$...I don't want something for nothing.” To which I replied in email that the towing of the parts Jeep would cost him something which would be enough for me. My intent was to give them freely to Brian while I was there in Tennessee.

 

When the time came for Brian and I to visit, he was respectfully insistent that he did not want to accept the gift I was offering him. Brian just could not get over the thought of my giving him something which he didn’t do anything to get or had to pay. I was insistent that he didn’t have to pay or give to me anything for them. After a few minutes, we agreed that he’d not accept the Jeeps. Brian did not accept the gift I freely offered to him.

 

On the plane back I got to thinking about the similarities between my mom accepting the gifts she was offered and Brian not accepting the gift he was offered and God’s gift of His only begotten Son, Christ Jesus (Romans 5:8; John 3:16; John 4:10; Acts 2:38; Romans 3:19-31; Romans 5:15-17; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8). It really is a gift that God offers to us because He does not force us to accept Christ Jesus as our savior, He lets us make the choice for ourselves to accept the gift of life He offers to us or not.

 

My mom was not forced to accept the gift that my brothers and I gave to her nor was she forced to accept the gifts that everyone else gave to her, she freely accepted these gifts because she really wanted to accept them. Brian was not forced by me to accept the Jeeps I offered to him as a gift and he freely declined the gift I offered him.

 

It is exactly the same with God’s offering to you and me the gift of love He has offered to us. God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). Those who believe in Him are not judged; those who do not believe have been judged already, because they have not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:18). Those who believe in the Son have eternal life; but those who do not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).

 

My suggestion to you is that if you have not accepted God’s gift of love that you seriously consider doing so. Don’t just do so because I or anyone else told you to do it; do it because you have seriously thought about it and have done an honest search of your heart and of the truth so that you know for sure that you are accepting God’s gift because you honestly want to accept it. Remember, God does not force you to accept His gift to you; you have to accept it for yourself.

 

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Are You Hot, Cold or Lukewarm?

Are you Hot, Cold, or Lukewarm? Many people who claim that they follow Christ Jesus do not really understand what it actually means to, truly follow Christ Jesus. These people may think that they are running “Hot” for Christ Jesus yet in fact, may actually be just “Lukewarm” or even running “Cold.” So ask yourself this question as you continue to read this article about what it truly means to follow Christ Jesus; “Am I Hot, Cold, or Lukewarm in my following Christ Jesus?”

 

Truly following Christ Jesus gives to no one a shortcut around humiliation, pain and suffering. Jesus himself said in Luke 14:27 - "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” The Roman authority in that day would led a criminal to his execution site while making the criminal carry the very cross on which he would be placed on to die. This was done to not only display the criminal’s submission to the Roman authority, it was done to make a powerful statement to all the people who saw it happening that they too should submit to Roman authority. As a true and honest follower of Christ Jesus, we are to carry our own cross and follow where Jesus leads us… even to our own death.

 

Truly and honestly following Christ Jesus means it is not something to take lightly and casually as in following your favorite sports team’s progress. In Revelation 3:15-16, Jesus says, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.” Jesus is telling us as He did in Luke that truly following Him means a total submission of us to Him.

 

This kind of total submission is something that many people do not want to do. In fact, at times I don’t want to do it because it is much easier just to go with the flow and take the easy path yet I know beyond doubt that it is my responsibility to lovingly and gently point others to Christ Jesus no matter how rude and/or crude to me they are. In Matthew 7:13, Jesus said for us to, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.” This verse means a great deal to me as Jesus also said in Matthew 7:14, “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” I personally do not want to be lukewarm so to miss that narrow gate. Jesus made it clear in Luke 13:24 that everyone should, “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”

 

An example of such total devotion to Christ Jesus is displayed in Acts 14:21-22 when Paul and Barnabas returned to visit the people who had not very long before placed their faith into Christ Jesus. These new Christians were located in all of the cities where Paul and Barnabas had just recently been threatened and physically attacked. Did this deter Paul and Barnabas? No, these two men knew exactly the dangers which they faced and were not afraid or ashamed to continue because they knew what their cross to carry at that time was; their personal responsibility to encourage and instruct the new believers in Christ Jesus and to tell everyone they encountered the Gospel of Christ Jesus.

 

What a great and wonderful testimony of courage, faith and perfect example of submission to Christ Jesus that Paul and Barnabas displayed. In their example we learn how far we should go to help others find and not just accept Christ Jesus but to help them maintain their faith in Christ Jesus. Helping someone find and accept Christ Jesus is worth giving one’s life in doing because the love of Christ Jesus is purely perfect! Jesus said; “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.” Mark 8:35

 

Were Paul and Barnabas ashamed of the Gospel? No, they were in no way ashamed of the Gospel. Were Paul and Barnabas running “Hot” for the Gospel? Yes, by all means they were running extremely Hot for the Gospel of our Lord, Christ Jesus. I am so thankful for their examples of faith in Christ Jesus and in their determination and eagerness to spread the Gospel. Each time I read about them, I grow stronger in mine.

 

Am I ashamed of the Gospel? No, I am not in any way ashamed of the Gospel and in each passing day find that my faith in Christ Jesus is leading me to do more to get His Gospel out to others. Am I running “Hot” for the Gospel? Yes however, I wasn’t always running Hot for the Gospel. There was a time when I was actually running very Cold for it. As I began to read the Holy Bible more and actually let go of my will and started to embrace God’s will for me, I started running warmer and warmer. I found that with my being willing to let go of my fear of embarrassment, that God points out to me the right timing to let someone hear His Gospel. At that point, it is my responsibility to gently and lovingly plant the Gospel in hope that it falls on fertile soil so that it will flourish and be fruitful.

 

Are you ashamed of the Gospel? Only you and God know your answer to that question. I pray that you are not ashamed of the Gospel and that you too find that each passing day your faith in Christ Jesus growing stronger and leading you to point others to the perfect love of Christ Jesus. Remember what Jesus told us to do; "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15) Are you running “Hot” for the Gospel? I pray that you are running Hot for the Gospel because I don’t want you to be spit out of Jesus’ mouth; I want to see you in Heaven!

 

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes”

Romans 1:16a

God, Why Pain and Suffering?

Last week I started a new fitness program called, P90X. P90X is a system of 12 workouts designed to transform your body from regular shape to excellent shape in just 90 days; so the P90X marketing states. The P90X system per their marketing ads says it uses an advanced training technique the makers of it call "Muscle Confusion," which accelerates the results process by constantly introducing new moves and routines into the workout you do each day so that your body never plateaus, and so that you never get bored of the workout program. I can tell you at this point into my following the P90X workout system that the “X” in its name really does stand for extreme. Even the ‘fitness test’ given prior to starting the program to make sure that one is in good enough shape to start P90X in itself is extreme and each workout session I’ve completed to date has been extreme!

 

My personal trainer in P90X, Tony Horton, is very fit and entertaining within the videos. He has a really great way of making the workout fun and keeping me going with it even when it gets tough… and believe me it gets tough. Prior to starting P90X, on my own I had been working out on a Versa Climber five or six days a week for 30 minutes each session consistently for over two years at times with a 40 pound pack on my back and climbing from 1,500 up to 2,000 feet each session. Along with this, I did on a random basis work with dumb bells, pushups, setups, with more work on a Total Gym, StairMaster, and treadmill along with yard work and other activities such as biking and hiking. After seeing a TV ad for P90X, I thought that with it, I could get myself into much better shape physically than I have ever been; not to mention its marketing is cool and thus is why I started P90X.

 

Remember that the makers of P90X claim that per the technique they call, “Muscle Confusion,” through its introduction of new moves and routines being used and added to each workout not only accelerates the results of you getting into shape quicker, it also says it helps you not get board of the workout program. Well, being into the program to where I am currently I can absolutely inform you that I’m already seeing progress as my blood pressure has already dropped as has my pulse rate and I’m feeling better than ever after working out. Each workout I’ve done to date has not been boring nor do I think the workouts will become boring to me because there is so much variation even within each workout session not to mention the fact that it will take me much longer than 90 days to get to the point that I’m doing most of the basic moves exactly proper so that I can move to doing the intermediate moves and then another amount of time prior to me getting to the point that I can start with any of the moves in the advanced stage. So far I am very pleased with P90X and think that I’ve made a very good long term investment into my physical fitness.

 

At this point you may be asking yourself something like, “What does his starting a new exercise program have to do with God, pain and suffering?” Well, let me tell you that I was suffering through some serious pain after starting P90X due to its “Muscle Confusion” confusing parts of my body that I had not been exercising and during the timeframe of when I was suffering the greatest pain, something that Tony Horton said during an exercise session clicked with me and started me thinking about the pain and suffering that exists for and is experienced by everyone in the world beyond any exercise program.

 

Tony said, during the P90X exercise program that I would feel beat up and that I will experience pain which must be suffered through to get to the physical results that I wanted to achieve. He went on to describe the good type of pain and the bad type of pain and why the good pain is good and why the type of bad pain is bad and he included directions in how to avoid the bad pain. He said that if the bad pain is ignored that it could cause permanent damage to my body. Tony also said only through properly using the P90X exercise program over time elevates the good type of pain’s painfulness with the payoff of enduring this good pain is that I would have a healthier and more physically fit body. Prior to each exercise session, there is a warning informing that the P90X program may not be the best exercise program for those who are not in shape enough to do P90X or have injuries which could be aggravated by P90X because it is so extreme. Believe me; this is a good warning for people to heed and as the P90X warning states, there are other exercise programs out there which may be better for you than P90X.

 

These statements Tony said and my suffering through physical pain from starting P90X were what started me thinking about why God lets there be pain and suffering in the world. During physical exercise programs such as within P90X, the pain and suffering experienced can lead to better physical health if the proper path is adhered. During your and my lifetime, the pain and suffering experienced can lead to an eternal life without any pain and suffering if the proper path is adhered.

 

Just as I have made a choice to do P90X and endure the pain and suffering I have and will encountered through its “Muscle Confusion” so that I can reap the physical benefits of my being more healthy during my lifetime, as a person who has put his faith in Christ Jesus as my savior, I know that through my choice of leaning on God’s strength and infinite knowledge during the pain and suffering I encounter in life that it will benefit me mentally and spiritually and build up my character to be more like our Lord Christ Jesus. I know this because of the sacrifice that God has done for you and me and of the pain, suffering and death that Christ Jesus endured for you and me. (Romans 5:8, John 3:16-18)

 

Yes, even people who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ as their savior experience pain and suffering during their lifetime after accepting Christ Jesus as their savior. The types of pain and suffering can be just the same as people who have not placed their faith into Christ Jesus. This fact is one of the main reasons some people choose to not place their faith in Christ Jesus and accept Him as their savior. Part of the pain and suffering I have encountered includes my father being murdered.

 

People who do not accept Christ Jesus because of pain and suffering do not accept Christ Jesus because they do not understand (nor do some of them want to understand) the reason why pain and suffering exists. Many of these people who have not accepted Christ Jesus as their savior say that because pain and suffering exists that He does not exist. Yet it is through the free will choice to choose we have that God gave to us that we have pain and suffering.

Yes, the choices you and I make directly affect not only you and me, they affect everyone around us today and tomorrow. Just as the choices people made in the past affect you and I today, the choices you and I make today will affect people tomorrow and so on. God gave to you and me a free will to choose what we want to do. With that freewill we each have, not all of us make wise choices and God loves us so much as to not force us to do anything we do not freely choose to do and He doesn’t stop us from doing something stupid either.

 

The experience of pain and suffering a person having true faith in Christ Jesus as their savior has is an experience which a person without faith in Christ Jesus will not understand. Both pain and suffering hurt those who have honestly placed their faith into Christ Jesus, yet pain and suffering do not hurt in the same way a non-believer hurts with pain and suffering. The primary differences between the pain and suffering encountered by someone who truly has faith in Christ Jesus and someone who does not is that the person who has placed his or her faith Christ Jesus has hope and promise of no pain and suffering whereas the person without faith in Christ Jesus has no hope nor any future where pain and suffering doesn’t exist. The person who truly has faith in Christ Jesus also has an understanding of why pain and suffering exists while the person without faith in Christ Jesus does not know why.

 

People who have an honest faith in Christ Jesus know that natural evil consists of earthquakes, tornadoes, droughts, and other disasters of nature that cause human pain and suffering. The Apostle Paul said, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time” (Romans 8:22). And though suffering isn’t good, people who have their faith in Christ Jesus know that God can, have and will use suffering to accomplish good as in His using it to pull people to His Son, Christ Jesus. Often it is during the pain and suffering a person encounters of hitting the “rock bottom” that a person honestly accepts Christ Jesus as their savior. (2 Corinthians 7:10) C. S. Lewis perceived that, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”[1] Pain and suffering sometimes is when people who did not truly have faith in God turn away from God. (Mark 4:1-20)

 

People who truly know and have faith in Christ Jesus understand that personal growth in character to become more like Christ Jesus is gained through pain and suffering. The writer of the New Testament Book of Hebrews wrote that; “Although he [Jesus] was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). Seriously think about this for a moment. If Jesus, the only begotten Son of God needed to suffer while He was on earth so that He could learn, why would it be any different for you and me? Not that those who honestly have faith in God go out and seek pain and suffering; however, it is that when the pain and suffering of everyday life is encountered that those who truly know and have faith in Christ Jesus have the opportunity to grow and show their character more like that of Christ Jesus’ perfect character.

Remember too that pain and suffering is not all bad. Pain tells us that something is wrong with our body that needs attention. It tells us too that we need rest. Also, pain and suffering can help us endure and grow beyond normal capacity. Pain and suffering will happen prior to any benefit. Ask any successful business person if their business came without some pain and suffering and see what they say. Olympic athletes who will be attending the Olympic events in Vancouver starting soon will attest I’m sure that to get to the top of their sport, that many years of sacrifice and suffering along with physical pain occurred.

 

God in His infinite knowledge may allow a certain amount of suffering in our lives because He knows in His great wisdom, that the results achieved will be a more godly character developed within us. All good parents know that discipline is needed in raising their children, even if it isn’t something that the parent enjoys doing; a good and loving parent will properly discipline his or her child. A loving parent will discipline their children because they really love their children and have set boundaries for their children. The loving parents disciplining their children are looking ahead and seeing that the momentary pain of the discipline applied can realize positive outcomes in the future. God is our Heavenly Father and His love for you and me is perfect and through the pain and suffering we encounter here on earth the person with true faith in Christ Jesus knows that God only allows us to encounter what we can endure as we rely upon His strength and understanding. (Hebrews 12:10–11) 

 

We are living in a fallen world due to the choice that the first man (Adam) made which was to eat of the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam’s eating that forbidden fruit brought pain and suffering upon not only Adam but to his descendants (you and me). The consequences of not following God’s request is pain, suffering and death. Most likely now you are saying, “I’ve not done anything against God to deserve pain and suffering!” Well, you are wrong because you are like me and are not perfect and being imperfect you and I do things which are against God’s requests of us. If you say that you are perfect then you are delusional and thus are not perfect and if you think you are perfect then you think you are god and thus you are truly delusional. Remember, everyone’s choices affect everyone else be those choices wise choices or stupid choices. Those choices we make which are stupid, can cause pain and suffering and can even extend the duration of the pain and suffering for not only we who made the stupid choices but also can cause and increase the duration of pain and suffering for many others.

 

Accepting Jesus as your savior may not take away any pain and suffering you are or will experience here on earth but you can be assured that by your honestly accepting Jesus as your savior that you will go to Heaven after you die and there is no pain and suffering there. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. (1 John 4:18) I have learned to look beyond my pain and suffering to God’s perfect plan for me and the future He has in store for me. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

 

God sent His only begotten Son to give His life for you and me. You only need to repent of your sins and accept this fact so that you do not have to suffer pain for eternity. (John 3:16-21) Also, God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) Christ Jesus took upon everyone’s sin, suffering for each and every one of us for what we do. With Christ Jesus’ suffering the pain of all of my sins including yours and everyone else’s sins, in comparison, what complaint do I have about any pain and suffering that I encounter? (Hebrews 2:9)

 

Yes, I’m already feeling the physical benefits of P90X as I have suffered through the initial pain of starting it and I am glad that I have made the investment into P90X as my exercise program. Lord willing, I see myself using P90X for a long time to come to keep myself in peek physical shape during my life on earth. Even better is that I know that through my faith our Lord God, Christ Jesus, that all of the pain and suffering I experience in this life is temporary and a blessing to help me become more like Christ Jesus.

 

My prayer for you is that you too find a great exercise program so that you improve your physical health during your life on earth and above all, my prayer for you is for your salvation.

 

Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. (James 5:13-16)

 

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:3-4)

 

[1] C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (New York: Macmillan, 1962), 93

My Personal Relationship with Christ Jesus

My personal relationship with Christ Jesus is a very strong one mentally, spiritually, emotionally, faithfully and physically. Christ Jesus works within my life because I have not chosen to keep Him out of my life. Over my lifetime I have encountered numerous personal proofs of God’s existence. Listed here are a some of the most prominent personal experiences I have had which proves to me not only God’s existence but His love for me and His desire for me to love Him.

Note that although I have never called myself an “atheist” (I am not closed minded thinking that I know everything there is to know), I did ignore God’s commandments for a period of my life and if you want to know more about that time in my life, you can do so at this link: http://tinyurl.com/mk8cky Many of the events in my life which God revealed Himself to me were during the time that I was not actually following His only begotten Son, Christ Jesus yet as I stated, I never denied the existence of Christ Jesus either. Even though during that time of my life I ignored God, He was not ignoring me. God was building evidence in my life of His love for me and He kept building the evidence of His love for me and one day I opened my eyes and truly accepted His love for me and in turn reciprocate my love to Him.

Many atheists have told me that it is their choice that they “do not want to know that God exists” which by their admission they do not want to know that God exists and therefore they choose to not look at the abundance of evidence of God’s existence and they scoff at anyone’s admission of a personal relationship with Christ Jesus. These atheists want me (and another follower of Christ Jesus) to show them “proof of God” when they don’t even want by their own admission any proof. I’m sure too that these atheists who have no desire to know and have a personal relationship with Christ Jesus will scoff at my personal proofs of God’s existence because they have already scoffed at my faith in Christ Jesus. These atheists have already called me “sounding crazy” and “psychotic” because of my relationship with Christ Jesus and say that I am “arrogant” because I do not believe as they do. These atheists choose to believe that it is someone else who owns the burden to make the choices that they need to make in their life. To these atheists who choose to not want to know that God exists and who has an apathy of making their own decisions, I say that they are living in a delusional world in which unless they wake up, brighten up, open their eyes and dismiss their apathy towards absolute truth, they will find themselves eternally lost and without hope.

Almost a day has not gone by in these last few months that I have not been asked by an atheist to prove that God exists. Many of these atheists asking me for proof of God’s existence are actually looking for God yet they do not know how to do so because they do not understand that God through His only begotten Son Christ Jesus and Holy Spirit is a personal God meaning that God will not intrude on someone who truly does not want Him as part of their life. A person has to be honestly open to God’s presence in his or her life before God will enter into that person’s life. You can read more about God’s respect of your personal choice to want to know Him or not at this link: http://tinyurl.com/mreomq

So we come to some of the most prominent personal experiences with Christ Jesus that I have had in my life which gives to me the personal proofs of God’s existence I needed so that I can solidly place my faith into Jesus Christ as my savior who was born a virgin, lived a sinless life yet suffered and died on a cross for my sins yet bodily rose on the third day from being dead to give to me a hope of salvation that cleans me of my sins so that I can be with Him in Heaven forever. My personal experiences with Christ Jesus are also the foundations of the loving personal relationship between Jesus Christ and me.

Pitch Dark 30 Feet Down in an Underwater Cavern

Living in Florida during my early 20s I was able to do something that I had always wanted to do when I was growing up as a child in Tennessee; SCUBA dive.

Watching TV shows like “Sea Hunt” and underwater adventure/educational TV specials by Jacques Cousteau, built up a desire in me to SCUBA dive the depths of the seas. While living in Florida, I passingly mentioned one day to a friend of mine Steve, that I wanted to someday learn how to SCUBA dive. Well, it just happened to be that Steve was a certified SCUBA diver and he had enough equipment for three people to dive at the same time. Steve said that he could take me and our friend Dean diving and give us an introductory into SCUBA diving. It turned out that Steve’s equipment was all in good order however one of the regulators (part that controls the air one breaths in while under water) was a dual hose antique which free flows air when it is at an inverted angle of over ~40 degrees. This was the antique regulator system that I was to use while we were at Ginnie and Devils springs for my first diving experience.

Steve gave Dean and me some training in the very basics of diving and went over what we’d be doing during our first dive into the cavern at Ginnie Springs. It was so very cool to be underwater and in the cavern and the antique regulator was working just fine. Steve also had a great diving light which he was using to point out to us the various areas within the pitch dark areas of the cavern. We each had on a little glow light strapped to our ankle so that we’d not run into each other. We were all having a great time and the time came we ran low on air so we came back up and had the tanks refilled for another dive.

When Steve, Dean and I were at the springs, some of what is blocked off now was not blocked off then although not all of the area was open. We were able to explore a lot and we covered most every area which was open that we could fit into and some areas which we didn’t fit so well into. On our second dive, Steve found a small pocket of air which was trapped around 30’ under the water at the top of a narrow tunnel like opening which was just large enough for Steve w/o his tank on and me with my tank on to both fit into. Steve brought me to this area and with the light shining on the air pocket pointed up with his finger and gave the okay for me to go up there.

So I go up there and soon after Steve is there. With the light between us shining up into the air pocket, Steve takes out his regulator and puts his face up into the air pocket and says, “Isn’t this great being able to be down here talking to each other!” Well, thinking that it was great, I took out my regulator and said back into the air pocket to Steve, “Yes, this is GREAT!” Steve then said that he was going to go get Dean and bring him up to the air pocket. Me with my regulator still out of my mouth was going to say into the air pocket, “Okay. Dean will love it!”

Well, at Steve’s decent back down out of the small tunnel like opening we were in, something on him hooked into my BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) which pulled me down under the water at the same time I was saying, “Okay. Dean will love it!” Getting a mouth and nose full of water I quickly grab the regulator and put it into my mouth and start to inhale. To my surprise and horror, the double hose antique regulator I was using was full of water and would not let me take in a breath of air.

Now I’m underwater at ~30 feet in a little tunnel within a pitch dark cavern, the antique double hose regulator filled with water, the air pocket that was there is now not there due to Steve’s and my movement, I was almost out of breath and it was pitch dark there again as Steve took his light with him. I think to myself, “What should I do?” I turn to the Lord and ask, “Lord what should I do?” The Lord’s response calmed me and let me know that I was to exhale as hard as I could with what little breath I had and then ever so very gently and slowly inhale fully and then exhale as hard as I could again and then breath normally. I did exactly what the Lord lead me to do and that first exhale I did hardly cleared any water out of the regulator at all yet it did enough to allow me to slowly and gently inhale fully so that I could fully clear the regulator and then breath normally.

The Boat was Coming at Me with No One in It at Full Speed

I lived on a house boat for a number of years. It was great to be able to go home after work and untie the lines and get away from the marina and out into the big water. Living on a house boat, I also had a Mastercraft ski boat, Catalina 22’ sailboat, a Sunfish sailboat, and 12’ aluminum flat bottom fishing boat with a 9 hp engine. One very early Sunday morning I was going to go to a camp site which was just under a couple of miles from the marina to pick up a friend of mine who had camped there over the weekend. My ski boat was in dry storage and it was too early to get it down because the marina office wasn’t open yet and my 22’ sailboat’s keel drafted too low into the water to take it to pick up my friend from the bank and the Sunfish hardly fits just me in it.

My fishing boat was tied up behind my houseboat so it was the natural choice for such a journey and beautiful morning. It was very quick with the 9 hp Johnson engine and it was also fun to be in. Starting the fishing boat’s motor was mostly always a single pull from the starting rope which this time was no exception. I untied the two lines holding it to my houseboat and slowly left the marina. Just beyond the no wake zone, I opened the little fishing boat up to full throttle and off I go to pick up my friend. As normal for a beautiful summer morning, I had only a pair of Teva’s, Levi shorts and T-shirt on with no life jacket on.

Turning to the left out of the minor creek channel which the marina is in and into the main river channel of the lake just out of site of the marina and about a half mile away, a 30’ boat and mine were the only two boats I saw on the water and it was coming right at me at a very high speed. The driver of this boat was either not paying attention or was deliberately crossing my path and before I knew it, I was tossed out of my fishing boat, flipped over and was now in the water. As my head comes up to the water’s surface, I thank the Lord for my still being alive. Looking back over my right shoulder I see the boat which had caused me to be tossed out of my fishing boat now going away just as fast as it was when I first saw it. Looking towards my fishing boat, it was going away from me at the speed which I had been in it.

Seeing my fishing boat moving away from me I said, “Lord, help me.” At this point my fishing boat turned and was heading right towards me. The water in the main channel is well over 80’ deep and I’m thinking, “How in the world am I going to get into that boat?” As my fishing boat was closing in on me with no one in it at full speed, I called out to the Lord, “Please help me into the boat, Lord!” Just as soon as I said that the fishing boat turned left within only a few feet of me just enough that it wasn’t on a head-on-collision course anymore. As the boat was at full speed now going by me, when it got to be that the position of the boat had me beside it and with me at the middle of the length of the boat I reached up and said, “Lord, please put me into the boat.” I remember seeing the motor and thinking that it would chop me up but before I knew it, I was in the boat without any injury.

At 6,500 feet MSL the Single Engine on the Plane Quits

Another one of my desires while growing up was to become a pilot. The means and time came for me to accomplish this desire and the time came for my first solo cross country flight. A cross country flight is a flight of over 50 nautical miles from the origin you leave from to the destination you land at. The solo cross country flight I planned with my flight instructor was close to being 70 nautical miles in duration and I would be flying at an altitude of 6,500 feet MSL (mean sea level).

The day of my first cross country solo came and it was a beautiful early spring day with mainly clear skies up to about 8,000 feet MSL where there was a light haziness. My flight instructor was not at the hanger when I arrived but he had informed one of the other instructors there about my first solo cross country flight so that I could get the proper signoff required by the FAA for me to do the flight. I did the preflight of the airplane I would be using which was a single engine Cessna 150. It all checked out okay and so I got into its left seat, ran through the check list, yelled out, “clear prop” after making sure nothing and no one was near the prop prior to my starting the engine.

The taxi to the runway and the takeoff were not a problem as I had at this point accumulated a number of hours of time in this little single engine plane. Turning out of the airport’s pattern and climbing to 6,500 feet, I’m looking at the sectional which I had marked up with check points and checking my clock to note the time of my arrival to my first check point. All is going great and I’ve checked off the first check point and am getting ready to talk with ATC to go through a class D airport’s airspace as another check point comes and goes.

Halfway through my first solo cross country flight was going as smoothly as I had planned it would go and was even more fun as I had anticipated it would be. The views all around were great and there was my mid-point check point going under me right on the timetable it was scheduled to be. My mid-point check point was a small private airport. In fact, most of the check points I had planned were airports; some small and some larger. I had also in my planning noted the airports which I needed to stay away from like the commercial one ahead and left and the military one behind and right. Just after my mid-point check point, the engine sputters and goes off. My first thought was, “My engine didn’t just quit… did it?” In fact, it did just quit.

The realization set in that I’m at 6,500 feet MSL and the only engine on the plane just quit and I said, “Lord, help me get through this!” I remembered what my flight instructor Kevin, had told me over and over and over again, “Always remember to fly the airplane if anything happens.” So I quickly set the plane up for an engine off emergency and think, “I’ll land at my mid-point check point.” I had just passed over it and I knew that I’d be able to get there yet there was a doubt put into my thinking about landing there. That was a very small runway, it was surrounded by trees and I had never been there before. I felt the presence of the Lord urging me to look at my sectional.

Looking at the sectional I see where I had marked my mid-flight check point and just ahead and left I see the commercial airport and also marked was an airport the size of the one I had left from which was between my location and the commercial airport. I look up and to my left and there it was; a beautiful airport and to my spot estimates was well within my gliding distance. I gently turned toward this airport and thanked the Lord for His urging me to look at the sectional so to see that airport.

My heading now is directly towards the middle of that airport and my attempts to restart the engine did not work. I saw an airplane getting ready to take off at the airport that I was going to and I made a radio call to it letting the pilot know my situation. He replied back that he would not take off and that he would wait on my arrival. He also turned to the direction I was coming from and told me that he had me in sight. All was going well as per my spot calculations I was going to have some extra altitude to lose once I got there which was a good thing. Then I again feel the presence of the Lord urging me to again look closely at my sectional.

Picking up the sectional which I had placed into the seat beside me, I see the markings of tall radio towers directly between me and the airport that I was gliding to and looking up, they were right in front of me and closing in fast. In all of the excitement I had not been thinking of anything being between me and the airport. I gently turn to the right avoiding the radio towers and now my heading was not going directly towards the center of the runway but just right of center. My arrival at the airport and engine off landing was as my instructor Kevin and I had done so many times before in practice yet when we practice, the engine isn’t really off, it is running at idle when practiced.

God Spoke to me and Told Me to get to Know that Woman

One night prior to supper time, I was walking in the inner lobby of a building towards its elevators. There was a woman coming around the corner from the elevators and I noticed that this woman had the most beautiful bright blue eyes that I had ever seen and an incredible smile which made me pause for a moment. During this pause, God actually spoke to me, “Victor, get to know her. She’s the one.” This was not just something that I heard in my head. This was an actual calm quite voice saying this into my left ear. There was on one around me and I recognized the warm loving feeling I had felt before of God’s presence being with me. I was so awe struck with what just happened that I slowly wondered on to my office trying to figure out how I was going to get to know this woman I had no clue of who she was nor how I was going to get to know her.

After a few minutes in my office, I decided to go back into the inner lobby to see if I could see this incredible woman again. I did see her and she was talking with a friend of mine. I thought to myself, “Ah, I can ask Leah about her.” Which I did ask Leah a few minutes later after that beautiful woman had walked away from her, I followed Leah into her office. I found out all I could from Leah which was inclusive of having Leah introduce me to this precious woman that God himself told me to get to know. I’m delighted to tell you that I am still getting to know this precious woman who is now my lovely wife… and yes, her beautiful sapphire blue eyes still captivate me as does her precious smile delights me every day.

The No Entry Sign Came Right in Front of My Vehicle

My wife and I were on an interstate driving home on an extremely windy night. The area we were driving through was under construction because of a new exit and entrance ramps being built. At each end of this new construction blocking the new exit and entrance ramps were no entry signs which were around 8 to 9 feet wide and about five feet high. The no entry signs had the reflective orange and white lines on them which made them stand out against the dark night when headlight lights were pointed at them.

I am driving at 60 mph with my wife in the passenger seat and we are going up the slight hill just prior to a slight right turn in the interstate, getting closer to the new entrance ramp. The wind was really gusting and gusting so hard it would rock our vehicle. There wasn’t very much traffic however each of the four lanes for traffic had vehicles in them and it was slightly raining. We are in the far left lane which is an HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lane for buses and vehicles of two or more people to be in. The new entrance ramp was for HOV traffic and it comes out into the existing HOV lane.

No one was in front of us in our lane. As we got closer to the location where the new entrance ramp merged into the existing HOV lane we were in, I saw one of the no entry signs wiggle. I lifted my foot off the accelerator pedal and thought to myself, “wow, that wind’s strong.” No sooner than I thought that thought that no entry sign came right in front of my vehicle stopped and blocked our lane. There’s a concrete wall to my left and a car on my right. I stomped on the brake pedal and held it down as hard as I could. My wife and I both said, “Lord help us!” as the antilock brakes were working properly. We got stopped within two feet of the no entry sign without hitting it. As the squealing of the vehicles behind us were getting louder and sounding closer, my wife and I both said, “Lord please don’t let anyone hit us or get hurt!.” No one hit us nor got hurt. Sitting there in our vehicle, my wife and I were amazed at what had just happened. I was getting ready to step out of our vehicle and pull the sign out of the way and my wife stopped me praying, “Lord please move the sign away so no one gets hurt.” In just a moment the sign blew all the way across the rest of the interstate and no one hit it nor was hurt.

Yes I Have Times of Doubt

Each of these personal experiences I have encountered with God I look back on whenever my sinful nature brings any doubt into my understanding. Yes even I at times doubt even with these and many other personal experiences with God that I have had. Yet Absolute Truth is always Absolute Truth which when I doubt I go through an honest seeking again to find absolute truth which leads me back to Christ Jesus because Christ Jesus is absolute truth. You can learn more about my doubts if you want from this link: http://bit.ly/11Rkzu

What Have You Chosen to Ignore in Your Life?

In my life I have had numerous other personal experiences with God which gives to me the proofs I needed to accept the evidence of God’s existence. Beyond what I listed above, I’ve survived being hit by lightning, my left leg was paralyzed but isn’t now, I have a healthy mind and body, and I could go on and on and on listing more personal evidence which proves to me that God is a loving God who loves me and wants me to love Him too. I see around me more proofs of God’s existence through the evidences of real science, historical, events of today which were prophesied within the Holy Bible and so much more. I look at a watercolor sunset in the sky and see the beauty within the intricate changing of the seasons and understand how God put this all together for us to find Him.

The evidence of God’s loving presence in your life demands proofs different than those proofs I needed to allow Christ Jesus into my life. Looking back into your past and looking today at your life, what experiences have you encountered that could be evidence of God’s loving presence in your life?

Did you know that God wants you to have a loving personal relationship with Christ Jesus?

Yes, Jesus wants you to have a loving personal relationship with Him so that you too can be with God in Heaven.

Jesus said "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (Revelation 3:20-21).

In Romans 5:8 we learn that God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

In John 3:16-21 Jesus further informs us that; "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

So Jesus Christ wants a loving personal relationship with you and is waiting on you to want a loving personal relationship with Him too. For what are you waiting on in your choice to have a loving personal relationship with Christ Jesus?

The Choice Is Yours to Make

God respects our freedom. If and only if we love the truth with our heart, our mind, and soul will we find the truth about God.

The choice to seek for the truth is a free choice. And all seekers find. The verses below come from the Holy Bible and each claim – that all seekers find God – are testable by experience, by experiment.

Deuteronomy 4:29 - But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.

Jeremiah 29:13 - You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Proverbs 8:17 - I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.

If you are honest about finding the truth, here is a way to see if Christianity is true or not. Tell Christ Jesus that you are seeking the truth. Ask Him to fulfill His promise that all who seek Him will find Him. In His own time, of course. He promised that you will find, but He did not promise a schedule. God’s a lover, not a train.

But; you may reply: I don’t even know whether Christ is God. I do not even know whether there is a God. That’s okay because you can pray the prayer of the skeptic:

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Lord Jesus, I don’t know if you even exist. I am a skeptic. I doubt. I think you may be only a myth. I am however not certain, (at least when I’m completely honest with myself). So if you really do exist, and if you really did promise to reward all seekers, you must be hearing me now.

So I hereby declare myself a seeker, a seeker of the truth, whatever it is and wherever it is. I want to know the truth and live in the truth. If you are the truth, please help me.

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If Christ Jesus is true, God will answer your prayer. Such a prayer constitutes a scientifically fair test of the Christian “hypothesis” – that is, if you do not put any unfair restrictions on God, like demanding a miracle – your way not His – or certainty by tomorrow – your time, not His. The demand that God act like your servant is hardly a scientifically fair test of the hypothesis that there is a God who is your King.

But all this King asks for at first is honesty, not faking a faith you do not have. Honesty is a choice of the will – the choice to seek the truth no matter what or where. This is the most momentous choice you can make. It is the choice of light over darkness, ultimately heaven over hell.

Warning: If you honestly pray the skeptic’s prayer, it will change your life because you will experience the presence of God and at that time you will know without doubt that God exists and that He wants to have a loving, personal relationship with you. God will not force you to love Him back nor will He force you to accept His only begotten Son Christ Jesus as your savior. The choice is still up to you to either accept God’s love and Christ Jesus as your savior. I suggest that you make a wise choice.

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Not long after my first diving experience I too became a certified SCUBA diver and have instructed SCUBA classes. I suggest to you that if you have a desire to SCUBA dive that you do it with professional SCUBA instructor and not just a friend. Also, when in a boat, wear a life jacket because it is a wise thing to do.

At times I doubt yet Absolute Truth is always Absolute Truth

Atheists often accuse me of never considering that I am wrong in my belief that Jesus Christ is God’s only begotten Son who was born a virgin, lived a sinless life, suffered and died on a cross for my (and your) sins, and then rose from death so that I too will rise from death to be with God in heaven when I accept Christ Jesus as my savior. Atheists tell me that they have the impression that I merely “assume” that I am right, and that I have, “THE TRUTH.” This leads to many atheists calling me arrogant and holding that in respect of the core elements of my belief system, that I am right, everyone else is wrong, and nothing will change my mind. These atheists in time then come to ask me, “the key question” which is: “Are you willing to admit that you might be wrong, that there is a possibility that God may not exist and that the Bible is just a book written by man and uninspired?” The atheists asking me this “key question” state that they used to be “Christian” and most often they say that they were a “fundamentalist Christian” or as they say it, “a fundy.”

 

These atheists or “former fundy Christians” as they call themselves make the assertion that I and other true followers of Christ Jesus must never doubt because if we do, we would become as they are a “former fundy” because as they say, “Doubt is seen as the enemy and so a thick wall of delusions is built in their minds based on unsupported “facts” (lots and lots and lots of them), half-truths, and the like in order to defend the position.” They also state that we true followers of Christ Jesus must never question, “THE TRUTH” because if we ever “sit down and consider the things atheists discuss” we would become a “former fundy.”

 

These atheists are incorrect in that once absolute truth is found that it cannot be questioned but because it is ‘absolute truth’ each time you honestly seek to discover absolute truth, you come back to the same ‘absolute truth’ because it is the ‘absolute truth.’ You see, absolute truth does not ever change over time into something different. Absolute truth is always and has always been and will always be absolute truth the same as it was, is, and will always be. Absolute truth is absolute truth for everyone. Absolute truth is always absolute truth for everyone.

 

In fact, these “former fundy” atheists many of whom state that they were educated in private Christian schools don’t seem to realize that as a follower of Christ Jesus, we are instructed within the Holy Bible to test our faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5 – “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test?” I myself take this passage (in fact the whole Bible) quite seriously and have read about and studied the religion of atheism as well as Hinduism, Islamism, and many other beliefs to test my faith in Christ Jesus. I have also attended various services of a number of beliefs to get firsthand experience of them during my testing of my faith in Jesus Christ. It seems to me that these “former fundy” atheists failed in their class study and in their faith test yet as stated in 2 Corinthians 13:6, “But I trust that you will realize that [I] do not fail the test.”

 

There are times when I do question my understanding and during those times I again seek the absolute truth. Each day and every day I review new information on all sides; atheist beliefs, religions and otherwise including following Jesus Christ and absolute truth always leads me back to Christ Jesus. Yes, at times I have considered that I might be wrong as I am not perfect thus I research more to find the absolute truth. For those times that I have doubts I go back over my personal encounters with Christ Jesus and find comfort in His eternal love for me. I look at the wondrous universe and see the design which goes from way out there too deep within me and all living things including the nonliving things. I remember the complexity of and the vastness of all creation including the extreme complexity of the tiniest of all living things known to mankind and at the extremely fine tuning of the universe to support our life and am amazed and understand that it and life is not mere chance. I understand that there would be no understanding if life had only just randomly occurred. At this point I feel the glorious love of God within me giving me hope for a future of prosperity and not desperation. It is truly astonishing that even in my most desperate moments that I am reminded by the Holy Spirit which resides within me, of the love of Christ Jesus who sacrificed Himself for me. What a wonderful and spirit lifting feeling it is that I am who I am because of God’s love for me and for God and I to have a personal relationship of trust and pure love forever.

 

So my answer to “the key question” that these “former fundy” atheists ask me is, “No. I am not willing to admit that I might be wrong because I am right. I know that I am right in placing my faith in Christ Jesus and that He exists. I see and know the evidence of Christ Jesus existence and feel His love for me. I continually do an honest search for absolute truth and because absolute truth is absolute truth at all times, I keep finding the absolute truth. I am right that God exists and the Bible is inspired by God. Christ Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. Jesus Christ I know lived a sinless life yet suffered and died on a cross for my sins. Christ Jesus rose from the dead so that I do not have to die. I have faith in God’s promise to me that Christ Jesus is my savior and I accept Him as my savior.”

 

Another question I get from atheists is, “You reject other beliefs, why not reject Christianity?” I reject other beliefs because I did the honest and true actual deep down heart searched from my soul to find the absolute truth because I wanted to know the absolute truth. I also dedicated myself to follow wherever the absolute truth leads me. The absolute truth is I found God as has millions of other people who have done the same thing I did and the absolute truth lead me and millions of other people to Christ Jesus. If you or anyone else wants to know the absolute truth, you must also do an honest and true actual deep down heart search from your soul to find absolute truth because you want to know the absolute truth. If you do not seek to know the absolute truth, you will never know the absolute truth and you will live without hope.

 

Yes, I have found absolute truth so why would I give it up? Why would anyone finding absolute truth give it up for lies? Choosing to believe in lies is not a wise thing to do. Giving up absolute truth for lies is not a wise thing to do. If anyone has found absolute truth, they will not give it up because absolute truth is Christ Jesus. Anything other than Christ Jesus is a lie. If you have had an actual personal relationship with Christ Jesus as I and millions of other people do, you could never honestly say that you are an atheist because you would be lying not only to yourself but also to others due to the intimate knowledge a true follower of Christ Jesus gets of the existence of Jesus Christ. Once you accept the absolute truth, you do not give it up no matter what. You may at times question your understanding of absolute truth because we being human are not perfect yet a pure honest seeking of absolute truth will again return you to the absolute truth you question.

 

My objective in this and my other articles is not for me to change your mind. Only you have control over your mind. No one other than you has control over your mind and what goes into your mind. Also, only you make choices for yourself not me or anyone else makes your choices for you. My objective with my articles is to question your quest for and acceptance of absolute truth. A pure honest look into the absolute truth demands that you seek out the absolute truth with all of your heart and mind. Using your brain to sort through all of the garbage that surrounds you to find the absolute truth is tough. Yet to find the truth you must be open minded without any bias to what you will (want to or not want to) find or to where the absolute truth will take you.

 

Have you honestly and truly actually deep down in your heart searched your soul to find the absolute truth? If not, why do you have such apathy against knowing the absolute truth? If you are honestly and truly done a deep down searching with all your heart and soul to find the truth, where are you in your search now?

 

To fully understand what it means to know absolute truth, you must experience it for yourself. If and only if you want to know the absolute truth with all of your heart, all of your mind, and all of your soul will you find absolute truth. Your choice to seek the absolute truth is a free choice. And all honest seekers of absolute truth find absolute truth. It is your choice of what you want to do and if you choose to seek and accept or not absolute truth.

 

A scoffer seeks wisdom and finds none, But knowledge is easy to one who has understanding. - Proverbs 14:6

So you "say" you were/are a Christian?

I often have atheists telling me that they used to be a Christian. These atheists use their “claimed” Christian background as a rallying point of authority for their arguments against the Holy Bible, Christ Jesus and those who follow Christ Jesus.

Many of these atheist claims include that they were raised a fundamentalist Christian, some with many years of private education in Christian schools and colleges and even some state that they were actually pastors. I am sure that the majority of these atheists are telling me the truth that they were in fact raised in a Christian household, they did have many years of Christian education, were actually pastors in a Christian church and did “say” that they were a Christian at one point in his or her life.

What I have not heard from these atheists who “say” that they were a Christian is that they truly had a loving personal relationship with Christ Jesus while they were “saying” that they were a Christian. Nor have I heard that they had honestly committed their life to be devoted to following Christ Jesus forsaking their own will to follow the will of God in their life when they “said” they were Christian. Also during the timeframe these people “said” that they were a Christian, I have not heard any of them say that their following God’s will and having a loving personal relationship with God positively changed their life as it has my and millions of other people’s lives all around the world.

These atheists who “say” that they were a Christian may realize that if they admit that they actually had a personal relationship with Christ Jesus that they would be openly admitting that God exists thus they can’t honestly call themselves an atheist. My thoughts about most of these atheists who “say” that they were a Christian is that they did not ever fairly study the Holy bible nor were they honestly committed and devoted to actually following Christ Jesus and as such never allowed Christ Jesus into their lives to truly have a personal relationship with Him. My thoughts on the rest of the atheists who “say” that they were a Christian is that they are not being honest and are merely “saying” that they were a Christian for the leverage they think it gives to them in their arguments against Christ Jesus.

There are people who go through the motions of “things” (for my lack of a better word) without ever devoting the time and effort needed to study and understand the details of what it means to be involved in it nor actually wanting to grow in understanding of it so to become fully aware of it to become proficient at it and fully committed to it. This apathy towards whatever it is that the person is going through the motions of is a choice the person made to not become fully involved in it. The reasoning used by the person which apathy is the outcome is always a selfish one and varies from person to person.

Take for example a college baseball or football player who has a great deal of skill at his (or her) position yet lacks the dedication to excel in the position. This player is just doing the minimum to get by to stay on the team but because he has some inherent athletic abilities he may out perform some of the new players next season or maybe all of the new players in the coming seasons but the likelihood that he will become a professional player is very slim because he does not have the drive to excel in his position as may some of the other lesser players who play the same position he does.

The same apathy as in the example above in playing a game happens in all religions including people “saying” that they are a “Christian.” Many people today “say” that they are a Christian when in fact they are not dedicated to actually following Jesus Christ. For a number of years I went through this apathy for myself and you can read about it in my article, “A Testimony of a Sinner.”

Being a true Christian is more than just believing in Jesus Christ because even the demons believe in Jesus Christ. (James 2:19). A true Christian actually goes beyond mere “belief” and places absolute trust into Jesus Christ. This absolute trust in Jesus Christ is what makes a person a “true” Christian having “faith” in the promises that Jesus came to this world from a virgin birth, living a sinless life by fully doing His Father’s will, suffering and dying on a cross for our sins so to redeem us of them, and coming back to life to give us a narrow path to which we can freely choose to follow to have eternal life with God instead of eternal life without God ( Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 13:24). Jesus himself said that if you are not dedicated to following Him that you are not a Christian: “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.” (Revelation 3:16)

Many people “say” that they “used to be” or “are” a fundamentalist Christian however for all the ones I’ve met and have talked with, many of them have never really had or have placed their faith in Christ Jesus and truly had or let Him lead their life’s direction thus they never had or have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We know from Jesus’ telling us that if we are merely lukewarm that He will not accept us as following Him and therefore Jesus Himself is saying that those who only go through the motions of following Him and are not truly dedicated to following Him, are not following Him. If a person is not following Christ Jesus, the person is not really a Christian because by definition a Christian is a follower of Christ Jesus. To follow Jesus Christ, one must put take up his/her cross and follow after Christ Jesus. Jesus said: "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:38)

The people “saying” that they used to be a Christian did not let go of their own selfish desires to do what they wanted to do thus they fell into the temptations which came their way and find that it is what they want to do because it is easier to just go with the flow than to follow the narrow path (Matthew 7:14). It is a personal choice that each one of us makes either to honestly follow Christ Jesus or not. The people who merely “say” that they are Christian who do not honestly place their faith into Christ Jesus do so because they choose to not do so for whatever reason it is that they want to use to not place their faith into Jesus Christ as their savior.

If these people “saying” that they used to be a Christian had truly gone the extra step and had honestly and actually placed their faith into Christ Jesus and had truly accepted Him as their savior taking the time to seriously study the Holy Bible, they would have experienced the purest loving relationship they had ever experienced and their outlook on life would be full of a hopeful future as I and millions of other people have today (Proverbs 8:17; Jeremiah 29:13; Revelation 3:20). Having a loving personal relationship with Christ Jesus once experienced is something only a truly fully and purely insane person would give up.

I too once merely “said” that I was a Christian but it was not until I honestly took the step of faith, placed my will aside to follow the will of Christ Jesus and accepted Jesus Christ as my savor that I encountered the most drastic life changing experience I have ever encountered. The trust a person places into Jesus Christ as their savior brings about a wonderful and loving personal relationship between Christ Jesus and the person which is felt deep within the person in such a way is indescribable.

What selfish reasons do you have that influences your choice to not place your faith in Christ Jesus as your savior today? Why not place them aside and open your heart to the love which awaits you in Christ Jesus? It is a choice only you can make for yourself and not making it is saying no to God’s gracious gift of His love for you.

 

If you want to read about my faith you can do so at this link: http://findingtruthtoday.typepad.com/finding-truth-today/2009/09/what-does-it-mean-faith-in-christ-jesus.html

What does it mean, “Faith in Christ Jesus?”

To fully understand what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ, one must do the whole hearted never ending seeking of, finding and following absolute truth to experience it for one’s self. Merely reading about someone’s faith in Christ Jesus and what it means to follow Christ Jesus the only begotten Son of God comprises by far more than I or anyone can ever express to you in this or any article. Although you as a non-believer may not understand, this article however, is the means in which I’m using to give to you an insight into my life following the teachings of Jesus Christ and my faith in His being the only savior of my and your sins giving to those who have faith in Him the promises made by God to us in the Holy Bible which is eternal life with the infinitely pure love of God.

So what does ‘faith in Christ Jesus’ mean? Unlike what many nonbelievers think it isn’t ‘blind faith’ into something which has no evidence. There is more evidence that points to Jesus’ existence, life, teachings, death and resurrection than evidence about anyone else in history. The Holy Bible too has passed the test of time and scrutiny. Within that evidence, evidence exists that point to Jesus being crucified on a cross and of His resurrection from death with eyewitnesses’ testimonies from resources in addition to that within the Holy Bible’s New Testament. Almost two thousand years the evidence of Jesus Christ has stood the test of time proving to be true again and again. Faith in Jesus Christ also isn’t faith in a ‘myth’ in that the timeframe and the facts do not lend themselves to the needed extended timeframes and exaggerations that which myths are derived. This article however is not what ‘faith in Christ Jesus’ is not. This article is what ‘faith in Christ Jesus’ is and you can if you choose, research and seek the truth about the facts as I have to discover the truth for yourself and not just take my word for it. You can start your search at Finding Truth Today FAQ where you will find many resources to assist you in your honest quest for truth.

Truly placing one’s faith in Jesus Christ means a lot of changes in one’s life. The largest change in my life was the way everything brightened up. Not only the way I looked at things, the way I saw everything cleared up and it all fell together in beautiful order. My thinking became uncluttered, ordered and clearly allowing me to know the truth. I have no worries because I know that God has plans for me to prosper.(Jeremiah 29:11) My faith in Jesus Christ allows me to have hope.(Psalms 39:7) Hope in my future not only here on earth now, it also gives me hope that I will be with God, reunited with my loved ones and friends after my death.(Matthew 7:21) Another change in my life due to my faith in Jesus Christ is the way I look at material things.(1 Timothy 6:9) Knowing that everything comes from God and is God’s and that I am only a tiny mist in the vast universe and nothing can I take with me when I die, I no longer pursue to acquire material objects nor do I wish to attain great monetary wealth as I did before.(James 4:13-17) A change too is the way I look at work in that I am no longer just working for my boss; I am ultimately working for God. With my working for God and not just my boss at work, I want to make sure that everything that I do is pleasing to God. This helps greatly when the boss is not such a good boss to work with as God is a wonderful boss.(Ecclesiastes 5:19)

Walking with faith in Jesus Christ in this world today is not an easy task. Truly placing one’s faith in Jesus Christ means that one is to put aside one’s will of doing things and to follow the will of how God wants one to do things. For me, this isn’t an easy task on a number of levels each of which consist of various intensities and difficulties brought about mainly by my personality and the overall worldview of someone who walks with faith in Jesus Christ. By far my personality does not lend itself to Christ Jesus’ teachings of loving and caring for those who persecute me by me humbling myself to do that which Jesus taught… especially when a nonbeliever curses me out for no reason other than my placement of faith in Jesus or having stated my faith in Jesus Christ as my savior as happens almost daily. Without my faith in Jesus, I would as I had prior to my placing my complete faith in Him, would and did tear into anyone who crossed my path lowering myself to a level which only escalated the worst reactions from all participants. My faith in Jesus has allowed me to lean on His infinite wisdom and strength to overcome my personality’s first reaction’s preferred response to a response from Christ Jesus’ teachings. Although I have not perfected it, I have learned through Jesus’ teachings to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.(Proverbs 14:29; 15:18; 16:32; 19:11, James 1:19)

Having faith in Jesus Christ as I do does not automatically give me (or anyone) a pass from temptation being there to allure me into doing something which I should not be doing. Temptation is always there for everyone and even more so when a person is following Jesus’ teachings and has faith in Him due to Satan (2 Corinthians 11:14) who directs the worldly view and pressures one to live an immoral life. My faith in Christ Jesus lets me to draw upon His knowledge and strength to resist temptation allowing me to find the exit from the temptation which is alluring me. Temptation to just follow my own will and to forgo following God’s will is always prominent in my life as it is with all followers of Jesus Christ. Again my personality (and yours too I’m sure) is always being tempted to look where it shouldn’t, want what it can’t afford, want to go where we shouldn’t be, etc. Understanding what sin is and that it is not God who tempts and that it is Satan who does all temptation(James 1:13), helps me to overcome the temptation which comes in my life because I know that there is always an exit for me to escape from the temptation. Be the exit just my looking away from what is tempting me to my not buying something that I cannot afford, or me punching someone in the face, the strength I get through God’s giving me the knowledge of how temptation works, helps me overcome it. It is wonderful and freeing to be in the presence of God’s great love for me and having His strength and understanding for me to lean upon when temptation comes my way.(1 Corinthians 10:13)

With faith in Jesus Christ I still experience pain and suffering but the experience I have with it is one which you as a non-believer will not understand. Both pain and suffering still hurt yet they do not hurt in the same way you as a non-believer hurt with your pain and suffering.(2 Corinthians 7:10) Accepting Jesus as your savior may not take away any pain and suffering you are or will experience here on earth but you can be assured that by your accepting Jesus as your savior you will go to Heaven after you die and there is no pain and suffering there. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.(1 John 4:18) I have learned to look beyond my pain and suffering to God’s perfect plan for me. God sent His only begotten Son to give His life for me so that I only need to accept this fact so that I do not have to suffer pain for eternity. Also, God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.(Romans 5:8) Christ Jesus took upon everyone’s sin suffering for each and every one of us for what we did. With Christ Jesus’ suffering the pain of all of my sins including yours and everyone else’s sins, in comparison, what complaint do I have about my pain and suffering?(Hebrews 2:9)

I’m sure that at this point (most likely way before this point), some of you nonbelievers are rolling over in laughter, mocking me with some of your worldly views and are in total disbelief of what I have written as nothing more than some “Dumb-Dumb” who has bought into the “myths” of an “ancient belief” of a bunch of political religious rulers who just wanted to rule over people with a bunch of made up rules and religious rituals. I’ve heard much worse from your type and hear it almost every day. I told you at the start of the article that you most likely will not understand. To you nonbelievers who have never even thought about a personal relationship with Christ Jesus because you choose to not believe that there is a God who wants a loving personal relationship with you; you are missing out on the most beautiful relationship you could ever have when you choose to not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. To me, Christ Jesus is the light at the end of the tunnel which directs me to absolute truth and is pure love. Following Jesus Christ gives me hope and a future.(Job 11:13-20)

Yes, I know that some of you nonbelievers ‘say’ that you used to ‘believe’ in Jesus Christ. There is a huge difference in ‘saying’ that you believe in Jesus Christ and actually taking the step and placing your ‘faith’ into Christ Jesus. The difference being in that even the demons and Satan ‘believe’ in Jesus Christ(James 2:19); although they do not have a personal relationship with Christ Jesus. The only way for you, me or anyone to experience a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is to place our faith into Him as our savior from our sins; who is the only begotten Son of God, died on the cross in place of us to take upon Himself our sins, then rose from the dead on the third day so that we can also be with His Father in Heaven.(John 3:16-21) Once you truly place your ‘faith’ into Jesus and truly feel His love for you, you will not want to ever let it go.

Again, to fully understand what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ, one must experience it for one’s self. God respects your freedom. If and only if we love the truth with our heart, our mind, and soul will we find the truth about God. The choice to seek for the truth is a free choice. And all true seekers find. The verses below come from the Holy Bible and each claim – that all seekers find God – are testable by experience, by experiment.  

 

Deuteronomy 4:29 - But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.

Jeremiah 29:13 - You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Proverbs 8:17 - I love those who love me; And those who diligently seek me will find me.

 

If you are honest about finding the truth, here is a way to see if Christianity is true or not. Tell Christ Jesus that you are seeking the truth. Ask Him to fulfill His promise that all who seek Him will find Him. In His own time, of course. He promised that you will find, but He did not promise a schedule. God’s a lover, not a train.

But; you may reply: I don’t even know whether Christ is God. I do not even know whether there is a God. That’s okay because you can pray the prayer of the skeptic:

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Lord Jesus, I don’t know if you even exist. I am a skeptic. I doubt. I think you may be only a myth. I am however not certain, (at least when I’m completely honest with myself). So if you really do exist, and if you really did promise to reward all seekers, you must be hearing me now.

So I hereby declare myself a seeker, a seeker of the truth, whatever it is and wherever it is. I want to know the truth and live in the truth. If you are the truth, please help me.

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If Christianity is true, God will answer your prayer. Such a prayer constitutes a scientifically fair test of the Christian “hypothesis” – that is, if you do not put any unfair restrictions on God, like demanding a miracle – your way not His – or certainty by tomorrow – your time, not His. The demand that God act like your servant is hardly a scientifically fair test of the hypothesis that there is a God who is your King.

But all this King asks for at first is honesty, not faking a faith you do not have. Honesty is a choice of the will – the choice to seek the truth no matter what or where. This is the most momentous choice you can make. It is the choice of light over darkness, ultimately heaven over hell.

Warning: If you honestly pray the skeptic’s prayer it will change your life because you will experience the presence of God and at that time you will know without doubt that God exists and that He wants to have a loving, personal relationship with you. God will not force you to love Him back nor will He force you to accept His only begotten Son Christ Jesus as your savior. The choice is still up to you to either accept God’s love and Christ Jesus as your savior. I suggest that you make a wise choice.