Sunday, July 1, 2012

God Shaped Hole

Did you know that you have a hole in your heart ? Not a literal one ,but a spiritual one .You see from the day of your birth you've been on  a journey or search to fill that hole .The Bible says  in Ecclesiastes 3:11 - He has made everything appropriate in its time , He has also set eternity in their hearts , yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end . What that means is that we are born with a desire for God or that we have a God shaped hole in our hearts . We have this emptyness that can't be quenched by anything else ,but through a relationship with God . The problem is that we go looking to fill that hole with anything and everything ,but God .
                                                                  Some people pursue power , money , sex , fame , drugs , relationships of all kinds , even religion to make themselves feel better . The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 1:13-14 And I set my mind to seek and explore by wisdom concerning all that has been done under heaven . It is a grievous task which God has given to the sons of men to be afflicted with.I have seen all the works which have been done under the sun,and behold , all is vanity and striving after the wind . This book of the Bible was written by  King Soloman , one of the riches and wises men of all time . He explored all of lifes pleasures and came to realize that apart from a relationship with God, life itself means nothing . Soloman was special because he was given great wisdom and wealth from God . God told Soloman to ask for anyhing and He would grant that wish ( what would you ask from God if you had one wish ? ) . Well Soloman to his credit asked for wisdom to rule God's people . God gave Soloman great wealth and wisdom because all Soloman wanted was to do the right thing and rule with wisdom . So great was the wisdom of Soloman that other nations would come from great distances to seek his knowledge . When a man like that tells us that life is meaningless apart from a relationship with God , I think we need to listen .
                                                                 Okay so that was along time ago so lets hear from a so called man of wisdom from modern times , Kurt Cobain . All of the following quotes were made by Kurt Cobain before he took his own life . " I hate myself and I want to die " , " Things have never been so swell . I have never failed to feel . PAIN! " , " Teen angst has paid off well . Now I'm bored and old". "We have no right to express an opinion until we know all the answers " . Its so sad because here was a guy that had it ALL  according to the world . He had success , money , fame , influance , millions of fans , wife , child , you name it and he had it . All of that was'nt enough to satisfy him or fill that hole in his heart . Even Kurt was looking for answers as told by his own mouth in that last quote ,but he never found them . That hole Soloman was talking about caused Mr. Cobain to take his own life at the height of his career .
                                                                Okay so heres my question for you ? Have you been chasing down that emptiness and well, coming up empty ? Are you getting up each day and asking yourself , "why am I doing this ?" Whats my purpose? why am I here ? Why does any of this matter ? If I was'nt around anymore would anyone care or even notice ? Are you living in pain everyday wishing someone would see it and help ? You want to know something , I asked myself all of those questions and was so lost for so long and I wanted to take my own life . I even knew there was a God ,but I didn't know God the way I should . I had such an emptiness in my heart and it hurt so much and I felt so alone . The sad thing was that none of my friends knew it . I was to pround and I was a dude you know to tough to need all that stuff . I'll get through it , I got this ,I just need a little more sex , drink , etc. and all will be good . I think by now you know it didn't work and I had to reach the end of myself so I could see the beginning of God .
                                                                  The day I accepted Jesus as my Lord was like no other day before or since . I felt the weight  of the world taken off my shoulders and like I belonged ,not to the church , but God . I knew God loved me and He had forgiven me for all the foolish things I had done,it was such a sweet release . That God shaped hole in my heart had been filled by the sweet love of God and I've been a differant person ever since then . Are you tired of running and looking for answers ? Do you want the gift God has given to all people that ask for it ( John 3:16-For God so loved the world , that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life ). The Bible also says in Romans 10:9-10 -that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord ,and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead ,you shall be saved ;for with the heart man believes , resulting in righteousness,and with the mouth he confesses ,resulting in salvation .  All you have to do is believe and confess Jesus as Lord and begin to follow Him as Lord . The Bible also says in Romans 10:13- for"WHOSOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED " . Guys its simple , if you want all of the pain and emptyness to go away then stop running after vanity and run towards God .
                                                                   If you're ready to let go of the emptiness then pray with me this prayer -
                                                              Father I know I have sinned and fallen short of your holiness .
 I believe in your Son Jesus and the price He paid for me on the cross . I accept Him as my Lord and Savior and ask that you accept me and forgive me . Thank you for your love and the gift you have given me . In Jesus name I pray Amen .
                        
                                                          Well if you meant what you prayed ,then on the authority of God's word you are a child of God . WELCOME TO THE FAMILY !!!!  Oh and that hole is gone now so you can stop looking .

                                                     Love always Allen
                                                              
                                                                 

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Are You To Busy For God ?

My message is for the non-believer and the believer . We all have busy lives , trying to work to keep food on the table or go to school so we can earn a living . There is nothing wrong with those things and the Bible even says in Genesis 3:19 - By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread,Till you return to the ground ,..... or in other words , if you want to eat you need to work .The problem comes in when we spend all of our time running around DOING  things when we should be sitting and listening , or being at rest with God .
                                                                  Did you know that God created the Sabbath ( day of rest ) for us ? God knows us better then we know ourselves and He knew that if He didn't tell us to set aside a time to be at rest with Him we would not stop . Did you ever wonder why God calls us sheep ? You see sheep can do some funny things sometimes . Did you know that sheep will run themselves to death and must be forced to lie down ?  The Sheppard's job is to keep sheep ( us )  out of harm , Psalm 23:1-3 says The Lord is my Shepperd ,I shall not want  , He makes me lie in green pastures ; He leads me besides quiet waters . He restores my soul ; He guides me in the path of righteousness for His name's sake .
                                                                 What God wants YOU to know is that He loves YOU  so much and He desires to spend time with YOU  . That alone should amaze YOU  because here the Creator of all things , with all power and wisdom wants YOU . He wants to spend time with YOU  ,He wants to show YOU the plan He has for YOU . I guess that got a little annoying  with all the " you" thing  , but I want to hammer the point . God did it a better way when He sent His only Son to the cross for you .
                                                                 Let me finish and say that if you're a Christian reading this and you're  to busy DOING instead of listening and spending time with God , then you need to stop . Get back to church , read the Bible , sharing your faith , singing praise to God . Have you been asking yourself why things don't seem to be going right for you , like everything goes wrong . Understand that God might trying to get your attention ,but you keep running around . Stop and see if there isn't something  God is trying to show or tell you . Maybe He just wants to spend time with you like a loving Father just enjoys the company of His kids .
                                                                   If  you're  not a Christian and you're reading this can I just say God is trying to reach you as well . How do I know ? well , you're reading this . Nothing happens by accident with God and if you have made your way here it's because God has lead you here . Stop running from God and acting like you don't have the time . There will be a day when there isn't any time left rather by your personal death or it's the end of days ,but make no mistake , time will end for everyone . Make time for God now while you have the chance . God loves you .
                                                              

How Should We Interpret the Bible, Part 2: Is Genesis 1–11 Historical Narrative? - Answers in Genesis

How Should We Interpret the Bible, Part 2: Is Genesis 1–11 Historical Narrative? - Answers in Genesis

Sunday, June 10, 2012

I Can Only Imagine Remix


Goodbye for Now P.O.D


Jesus Wept

Would it encourage you to know that God cries ? People like to paint this picture of God up in Heaven like an angry old man just looking to punish anyone doing something wrong . It's important that you understand that God is love and even when He has to punish sin it's always through the filter of His love . In Psalm 86:15 The Bible says " But Thou , O Lord , art a God  merciful and gracious , slow to anger  and abundant in lovingkindness and truth "
                                                                 The first time we see Jesus wept is in John 11:35 and the verse just says " Jesus wept " The back ground to this is a dear friend of Jesus had died and the mans  family and friend's were there pleading for Jesus to do something . There are so many reasons that Jesus cried at this time , but I just want to focus on one thing for this message .That one thing is God feels pain when we lose a loved one . That pain and hurt isn't for the person that died and has gone on to Heaven because they are in total peace and without anymore trouble from this life . God hates the pain we feel from the loss of a loved one . He knows what that is all about because He lost His Son to pay the price of mans sin ( John 3:16 ) . If you have lost a loved one ( we all will ) then know that Jesus cries with us
                                                                  The second time Jesus wept is in Luke 19:41 -" And when He approached , He saw the city and wept over it", . The back ground for this is that Jesus was going into the city to be proclaimed King . The people had a different idea of what kind of King He was . They wanted a conquering King to overthrow the Romans , but Jesus was there to die . When the people failed to accept this and ultimately reject Him it would turn into a nightmare for them seventy years later when the Romans burned down the Temple and scattered the Jews all over the world . This was the end of the Jewish nation until 1946 . The whole reason Jesus wept was because they refused to accept Him as Lord and Savior and that rejection caused the destruction of Israel and the death of so many . It could have been avoided if the people would have accepted Jesus ,but they were unwilling . Jesus had spend three and a half years preaching in synagogues trying to reach the people and they would not listen . Time had run out and now the pain and suffering that was coming was seen by Jesus and so He wept .
                                                              As you now  know death is a painful process for everyone including God . Death was not part of the original plan , but man through Adam sinned against God's law and God Himself paid the price for that sin on the cross . The problem is no longer who will pay the cost of mans sin ,but rather or not YOU will accept Jesus as Lord and Savior . The Jewish people rejected Jesus and so reaped the cost of that choice by being destroyed and causing God to wept . Let me be clear about something and that is  God DOESN'T want you to perish . Ezekiel 33:11 says " Say to them 'As I live!" declares the Lord God,' I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked ,but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live....God waits for you to turn away from your sinful life so He can show you mercy . He loves you more than you know and wants you to avoid the destruction that everyone rejecting Him will receive . Make no mistake that time will run out and God will wept for the lost , but He is a holy God and must deal with sin. Either by people accepting what Jesus did on the cross or they will have to face a holy God with their sins intact .
                                                              My question to you is  why would you do that ? You need to know God loves you completely . Don't be one of those that go to destruction and make God weep .
You might be saying " What must I do then " and my answer is pray .The Bible says Romans 10:9-10
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord , and believe in your heart that God raised Him form the dead,you shall be saved ; for with the heart man believes ,resulting in righteousness ,and with the mouth he confesses , resulting in salvation . Here is a simple prayer -
 Father I'm sorry for my sin and all the wrong I've done . I believe in Jesus and the price He paid for me on the cross . I accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior and turn from my old life to follow Jesus . Please accept me and make me your disciple . Thank you for forgiving me , in Jesus name I pray Amen .
                                                    On the authority of the Bible I tell you if you meant what you prayed then you are a child of God with all of the promises of God and the hope of eternal life in heaven .
                                                  WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD !!!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Will You by P.O.D


Do you feel alone?

I never felt I belonged when I was younger. I was never comfortable no matter who I was with, not even my family. I was supposed to be the man of the house because I never had a father around ( I never met him). I didn't know what that even meant. I had no example so what was a man supposed to be? My mom always worked to support us so she wasn't there to help me either. I was trying to help raise my other brothers, but that was a failure. The only males around me were a series of losers trying to play dad, but they had no clue and besides my brother's and I were just excess baggage to them.  I had friends like anyone else, but they didn't care about what was going on with me. They wanted to party and so I partied too fit in and fill that gap I felt. I was alone and confused about life. Why was I alive? Why did I want to live? What was the point anyway?
Enter God. The picture below shows Jesus talking to the woman at the well. I love this story because of what God did. You see this woman had an appointment with Jesus and she didn't even know it when her day started. The story starts in John 4:3-42. The Bible says that Jesus had to pass through Samaria which is where He met this woman. She was drawing water from this well at noon. This is a desert area and noon was not the perfect time to be hallin water around. She was a loner in her village and that's why she was out there by herself. She was living the wrong way and people didn't want anything to do with her. Enter Jesus.
The Lord came to see her where she was because she wouldn't or couldn't go to Him. That's how God works. He knows where we are at and comes to get us. Jesus begins to ask her questions to draw her out from her walls that have been built. Walls built from hiding and pain from being alone. She puts up a fight, but Jesus hit her in that soft spot of her sin and she is forced to face it. At the end of the day she comes to faith and draws many to Jesus.
                Her loneliness was over and when I became a Christian The Lord showed me why I was alive and what my purpose was. God gave me so much and I'm grateful everyday. The loneliness is gone and replaced with a family and friends.
                 Are you alone and confused?  Enter Jesus.  If you are reading this, it's because you have an appointment with Jesus and He's waiting for you because He loves you. He wants to draw you out from the wall you hide behind. Stop fighting and stop being alone He's meeting you here.
                  


Friday, June 1, 2012

I Have A Question

Have you ever blown it ? I mean  doing  or saying something that you completely regret . I blow it many times before I even leave the house .I yell at the kids or the wife and get mad for no reason  or not a good one at least . How many of the people in the Bible ( except Jesus ) have done the wrong thing ?  The Bible says in Romans 3: 23 - for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God ; guess that means all of them . That's one of the great things about the Bible , it doesn't pull punches when it comes to it's so call hero's .
                                                                         How many of your sins does God know about ? The Bible says we will  be judged by every action and word we speak . So it's not like we are fooling God by trying to hide from Him . When my kids were little we would play hide and seek . I would close my eyes and count while they went running . They always picked the same places to hide . Most of the time it was behind a curtain that  only covered half of their little bodies . I would walk around the house acting like I couldn't see them and calling their names . They would giggle in that cute little kid way trying not to give themselves away . I loved playing that with them . Why do we play that game with God like He doesn't know what we are doing ? I've done it many times when I did something foolish .I don't show up to church the next week or pray because of the guilt I have . Why ? Does that make since because The Lord already knows what I've done . Its not like I'll start praying and confess and then God's says " WHAT !!! I can believe this after I told you not to do that  ! " God saw you before you had a day . Psalm 139:13 -16 for Thou didst form my inward parts ;thou didst weave me in my mothers womb.I will give thanks  to Thee , for I am fearfully and wonderfully made ; Wonderful are Thy works ,  and my soul knows it very well . My frame was not hidden from Thee , When I was made in secret , And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth . Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance ; And in Thy books they were all written , The days that were ordained for me .When as yet there was not one of them .
                                                                      In Genesis we read that Adam walked with God . Then came the day when he sinned and in Genesis 3:7 then the eyes of both of them were opened , and they knew that they were naked ; and  they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings . I love what happens next because its what God has been doing ever since . The Lord walks through the garden and calls out to Adam and Eve " Where are you ? " . They hid themselves because " We heard you coming and hid knowing we were naked " . What does this sound like but the game I played with my kids . God is so good though because He says " Where are you ? " He knew where they were the whole time of course ,but He was drawing them out . Just like when I was calling out to my kids,  The Lord  was calling out Adam from his hiding place . God could have said " You know what I told you not to do that and now you're gone " ,but that's not what we read . God says to Adam " Who told you that you were naked " ; again looking for confession . God was looking for confession and Adam and we give God excuses . Do you really think that any of that works with God ? That The Lord is going to say " Man that's a good one you got Me you're off the hook " .
                                                                     Do you know how many sins Jesus died for ? The Bible says in Hebrews 10:12 -but He , having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time , sat DOWN AT RIGHT HAND OF GOD ". Jesus paid for every sin that man has or will do . If you're a Christian reading this then He paid you're debt so stop running and go back to Him because He loves you . He calls out to you even now as you read " Where are you ? " .  Stop with the excuses He already knows what you've done before you even had a day . Confess and get back to His loving arms . He's waiting like a loving Father . If you're reading this and you have never known God in a personal way my question would be to you " Would you like to ? " God is calling out to you as well and asking the same question " Where are you ? " You might say " well you don't know what I've done ; God would never forgive me " . Well I don't know what you've done ,but God does and He loves you more then you can understand at this point . The truth is that God loves hundred percent all the time because that's what He is . God is what love is . The problem is that He is also hundred percent holy and has to deal with your sin first  . He did that when He sent His only Son to the cross , but you have to put your faith in His Son and the price He paid for your sin .
                                                                       Stop running from God because He knows where you're at . He's calling out to you " Where are you ?" . He wants you to confess so your sin can be washed away and He can show you the love you have been waiting for . So whats next ? Pray this prayer -
                          Lord Jesus I have sinned . I'm sorry for that sin and want to follow you as my Lord and Savior  . I believe in the price You paid on the cross for me .Please accept me as your disciple and show me who You really are . Thank you for all that You have done . In Jesus name I pray Amen.  If you've prayed that prayer then on the authority of the Bible your are saved . Romans 10:9-10 -that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord , and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead , you shall be saved ; for with the heart man believes , resulting in righteousness , and with the mouth he confesses  , resulting in salvation . Romans 10:13 for " WHOEVER Will Call UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED . WELCOME TO THE FAMILY OF GOD !
                                                                    I have one more question for those that chose to not pray with me and are not already  Christian and that is why not ?

Revelation the Next Dimention by Greg Laurie


Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Feeling Unloved?

At times we can all feel lonely and unwanted. I know that I have even to the point of not wanting to be around anymore.  I want you to know and more importantly God wants to show you that He loves you. So great is His love for you that He carries scars in His body that will never go away. After His resurrection He showed people His wounds as proff that He was who He said He was. God wants you also to know that it wasn't the nails used to hold His body to the cross or the Jews that rejected Him as Lord or even the Romans that kept Him on the cross. If He wanted He could have got down from that cross and walked away. The Bible says that Jesus was slain before the foundation of the world so it was always the plan for Him to do this. The reason He hung on that tree was because He loves you and had to pay a price you never could. He fulfilled the requirements of the law and those that put their faith in Him get the rewards of that in eternal life. So if you think no one loves you think again because Jesus stretched out His arms and said I love you this much.


Wrong Motives

Upside down world

@macbrunson: The abnormal is now normal in the entertainment industry. Because the normal is treated as subnormal in the media - R Zacharias Shared via TweetCaster

Monday, May 28, 2012

Hope for Prodigals by Greg Laurie


Never Gonna Be Big As Jesus


Harvest America


God wants in

The Lord says "behold I stand at the door and knock, those that answer I will come in and dine with them. How incredible is that that the Creator of all things would ask us if He can come in and fellowship with us. He has all power and could make us do anything, but that's not what God is all about. He won't make us follow Him, but He asks us to because He loves us and lays a plan out for each of us. That plan involves eternal life and rewards for our obedience. God's plan is better than anything we could come up with.


Friday, May 25, 2012