When Jesus died on the cross, the people of Jerusalem came out and laughed, jeered and mocked him. It seemed as if there was no one for him. His mother was at his feet, crying. The Apostle John came with Mary and several women. The Centurion that crucified Jesus began to believe in him. But the shame of it was that I was at that cross mocking and jeering the Son of God. Until I was 28 years old, I stood at that cross and cursed God. All that Jesus did to redeem me for hell and the grave and I cursed him. I kept hearing my name being called from a long way off. I would turn to see who was calling me. Finally when I was 28 years old, I understood who was calling. It was Jesus calling from the cross. Telling me that He loved me just the way I was and to come home. He is calling out. All you have to do is listen for your name and turn toward him. He loves us as we are and will accept us. Listen.

Most people believe that they receive information about this world through their mind. You can see with your eyes, hear with your ears, speak with your mouth, but that is only part of the information you receive. We as a human being are made up of a body, soul and spirit. The body comes from the dust of the earth. The soul is the life that God gives to unite your spirit and body. The spirit is who you are and is eternal. When people talk about your heart, they really mean your spirit. God made us in His image and likeness. We have attributes that God has that we can access, such as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, goodness, gentleness, meekness and temperance. Our heart searches for these attributes all of our lives.  Hoping that we can find them in the things of this world. That is why the heart is a lonely hunter for God. The only way to receive what God has is to receive it from God himself. There is no other way that the Heart can truly be satisfied. Straight is the gate and narrow is the way.

It’s January 11th, 2014, and the bloom is off Christmas. I have seen decorations taken down and Christmas trees dumped for trash pick up. What ever happened to Christmas? I know that time goes by at a faster pace than I have ever seen it. But must we lose sight of what is real and important. What is real or important in this world? It isn’t money, power, greed, or prominence. Things that are intangible like, love, joy, peace. During The 1983 Year of the Bible, Gallup Poll polled the American people and asked what are the three most important thing in their life. You wouldn’t believe what the 1500 random people said. The three most important things in their lives was Love, Joy, and Peace. It wasn’t Food, Clothing and Shelter. Those three things only coming from the Holy Spirit. What is your three most important things in your life? Think about it.

What remains the same and is constantly changing? and Why?

The answer is Man. The constant or the same is change. Eccl.1:9 “The thing hat hath been, it is that which shall be, and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”

What remains the same and is constantly changing? and why?

Christmas has come again and another year gone by. For me, it has been too fast. Some things are the same and some have changed. It is funny, that the only thing constant in this world is change. I don’t know if the change has me concerned or the changes are not good. I have lost two aunts this year, the last of their generation. Now I am the older generation. I have worked in retail for many years. I have always watched people coming and going. Before thanksgiving, people seem to be happy and almost joyful. But once thanksgiving has passed, the mood of the people changes. It would start with frowns on their faces and by the week of Christmas, they are almost angry.

Christmas is many things too many people. But there is only one reason for the season, his name is Jesus. God gave his finest gift to us and this gift was and is free. You can’t buy your way into heaven, it is not for sale. You can’t earn it, because it cost more than you will ever have. It is a gift, freely given by God Almighty and that is the only way you can receive it. When Jesus was born, the angels appeared in the skies above Bethlehem. They proclaimed “fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord…..Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Crain

I would wonder why I was on this earth? What was my purpose in this life. I fumbled around trying to find out who I was. My older brother introduced me to 2 guys who had an Amway business. They were looking for new people to join the business. We would meet in the morning for coffee. My brother was never there on time and I was always early. When I would get coffee and sit with these 2 guys, they never discussed business. They would be talking about what Jesus was doing in their lives. I would sit and listen. Finally one of them asked me to go to church. There God spoke to me and I knew where I belonged. At the end of the service, I gave my heart to Jesus  and was baptized in the Holy Ghost. That brother invited me to his home. There He and his wife taught me for months on how to walk in the way. Love ya, Kevin.

Ephesus became the center of Christianity in the first century. It was a free city in the Roman empire. It was over 100,000 people. It had paved streets, street lights, sewer systems, water system and a good harbor. The agriculture tried to keep up with the population. Paul preached and was imprisoned in Ephesus. Paul left Titus as the first Bishop. Eventually John, the brother of James, became Bishop.

Wealth changed the Christians. When John wrote about them, 40 years later, in Revelations, Jesus asked the question why have you left your first love?

Christianity isn’t about wealth. It isn’t about status. It has nothing to do with earthly goods. The parable of the eye of the needle was to show that we shouldn’t be deceived by earthly treasures.

My wife loves to shop. She’ll spend hours looking for one item. When she goes to the grocery store, she finds the bargains. She is very wise with money. There is always a cost to things, whether buying or doing something. Everything has a cost. Two of my sons joined the National Guard and served in Iraq. When one son came home from Iraq, we began to see the cost of war in him. Jesus said when a king considers war, he first sits down and counts the cost. He has to see if he can finish the war or sue for peace. Everything has a cost to it. Most people only see the cost after it is all over. Be wise and count the cost before hand.

God gave every believer the measure of faith. This is what we start with. Then it is up to us to develop the our faith to be useful in this world. We all know that most people don’t. They are happy at where they are. Jesus said a curious thing, that when He returns we will see Him as He is, because we will be like Him. What does He look like? The bible is a picture of Jesus and when read we see more and more of Him. It would be a shame to miss Him when He returns.