My Ticket to Hell? Cancelled!

Today. a dear friend sent me Psalm 16 from The Message Paraphrase of The Holy Bible. Hear it for yourself. It's beautiful:

"Keep me safe, O God, I’ve run for dear life to you. I say to God, “Be my Lord!” Without you, nothing makes sense.

And these God-chosen lives all around— what splendid friends they make! Don’t just go shopping for a god. Gods are not for sale. I swear I’ll never treat god-names like brand-names. My choice is you, God, first and only. And now I find I’m your choice! You set me up with a house and yard. And then you made me your heir!

The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake is confirmed by my sleeping heart. Day and night I’ll stick with God; I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go.

I’m happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I’m firmly formed. You canceled my ticket to hell— that’s not my destination!

Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way." (Psalm 16:1-11 MSG)

Grateful 

Lust is the Unholy Heartbeat of Sin

As a pastor, but mostly as a believer, I can say with all of my heart that I hate Sin and the devil. It pains me to see Sin and the devil destroying holy marriages, precious families, and individual lives.

Lust is especially an ugly thing. Lust is self-centeredness clearly exposed. I have heard it said that "Lust is the rawest form of selfishness." It's true. Lust is the Unholy Heartbeat of Sin. Lust allows the devil to take over the controls of our lives and to lead our eternal souls to Sin's destination -- eternal devastation. Lust will leave us lifeless.

My Dad has told me many times this truth about sin:

Sin will take you further than you ever wanted to go.
Make you pay more than you ever wanted to pay.
Keep you longer than you ever wanted to stay.

I plead with everyone reading this blog today: Please choose love over lust, life over death, Heaven over Hell and The Life-giving LORD over the life-stealing devil. I plead with you to minimize future regrets later on in your life by allowing The Blood of Jesus to cleanse you of all sin, now. Please.

John 10:10 (GWT) -- "A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, But I came so that my sheep will have life and so they will have everything they need." -- Jesus

Grateful

In the Grave, In the Ground...

Yes. it's Holy Saturday...

Lo, in the grave He lay, Jesus, my Savior...

The Seed of Hope is planted in the ground. Death, Grave, and Hell? BEWARE!

Grateful 

The Hammer, The Nails, The Cross

One of my Tuesday morning prayer patrol partners, Gene, wrote this poem leading up to Passion Week. It seems perfect for Good Friday, especially. While it is a poem, it is also a transparent testimony.

I carried the hammer. I carried the nails.
I refused to hand them to the soldiers.
Not because I was trying to protect You,
I used them to nail You to the Cross myself

My nails pierced Your hands.
Your eyes pierced my soul.
You had already forgiven me,
Before my hammer made it's final blow
-- Gene Stainback

Lord, we thank you for the Cross.

We agree with Max Lucado who wrote: "The Cross says that God would rather go to Hell for us, than go to Heaven without us."
Grateful

Lord, Be My Life Or I Will Be Lost.

(13) “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. (14) But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it."
-- Words of Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT)

Jesus, I believe that knowing You is the narrow gateway to Life. I don't want You to merely be a part of my life, or even the center of my life, or just first place in my life. I WANT YOU TO BE MY LIFE! Lord, be my Life or I will be lost. Amen.

Love God. Life Together. Light The World!
Grateful

A Rich Man And Lazarus

Have you considered the New Testament story that Jesus told about A Rich Man and Lazarus lately?

Here it is. I'd love to receive your comments after reading it afresh and anew:

(19) “There was a rich man who wore expensive clothes. Every day was like a party to him. (20) There was also a beggar named Lazarus who was regularly brought to the gate of the rich man’s house. (21) Lazarus would have eaten any scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Lazarus was covered with sores, and dogs would lick them. (22) “One day the beggar died, and the angels carried him to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. (23) He went to hell, where he was constantly tortured. As he looked up, in the distance he saw Abraham and Lazarus. (24) He yelled, ‘Father Abraham! Have mercy on me! Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to cool off my tongue. I am suffering in this fire.’ (25) “Abraham replied, ‘Remember, my child, that you had a life filled with good times, while Lazarus’ life was filled with misery. Now he has peace here, while you suffer. (26)Besides, a wide area separates us. People couldn’t cross it in either direction even if they wanted to.’ (27) “The rich man responded, ‘Then I ask you, Father, to send Lazarus back to my father’s home. (28) I have five brothers. He can warn them so that they won’t end up in this place of torture.’ (29) “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets. Your brothers should listen to them!’ (30) “The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! If someone comes back to them from the dead, they will turn to God and change the way they think and act.’ (31) “Abraham answered him, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone comes back to life.’ ”
-- Luke 16:19-31 (God's Word Translation)

Sobering Story,
Grateful

Not Wanting Anyone to Perish

Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that. The saving of souls, if a man has once gained love to perishing sinners and his blessed Master, will be an all-absorbing passion to him. It will so carry him away, that he will almost forget himself in the saving of others. He will be like the brave fireman, who cares not for the scorch or the heat, so that he may rescue the poor creature on whom true humanity has set its heart. If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for. -- Charles Spurgeon

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
-- Jesus' Words in Luke 19:10 (NIV)

(8) But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. (9) The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
-- 2 Peter 3:8-9 (NIV)

The lifesaving book says we have to go out. It don't say nothing about coming back.
-- Motto of the U.S. Lifesaving Service

You have to go out, but you do not have to come back.
-- Patrick Ethridge, The Keeper's original charge to lifesaving crew

No Vision? Souls Perish! Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)
Grateful

Which Way? The Way!

(13) "You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. (14) But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it."
-- Words of Warning from Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14 (NLT)

(3) "And this is the way to have eternal life—to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the One You sent to earth."
-- Words Jesus Prayed to the Father in John 17:3 (NLT)

"I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me."
-- Jesus' Declaration in John 14:6 (NLT)

Knowing You, my Lord, is the Narrow but Sure Entrance to Life.
Grateful

Only Over My Dead Body

But God put His love on the line for us by offering His Son in sacrificial death... Romans 5:8a

Supporting Scripture Readings: Isaiah 53; 2 Corinthians 5:11-21

It was early-spring 1992. My photography schedule led me to an elementary school along the Carolina coastline to photograph the basketball team and cheerleaders. After the photo-shoot ended, I left out the front doors of the old field house. In my mind, I was focusing on a message I would be preaching in my first revival meeting as a bi-vocational evangelist that night. I whispered under my breath to God: "How can a loving God send people to Hell?" As soon as the thought slipped through my mind, a passionate whisper within my heart cried out: “I am a loving God. I don’t send people to Hell. Set your camera cases down. I’m about to give you a visual illustration of My love.” I sat my cases down immediately and buttoned my coat to shield my neck from the bone-chilling breezes.

God’s breathtaking-visual-illustration was already underway.A kindergarten teacher had her class outside for recess. As she stood with her back against the school house, her students were in the midst of a simple but profound running exercise. The children were told to run away from their teacher about 50 yards, touch a chain-link fence, and then return back to be reunited and congratulated by their teacher.I noticed that a few boys were exercising rebellion. They were not touching the chain-link fence and returning. They were instead trying hard to climb over the chain-link fence. On the other side of the chain-link fence was the community cemetery. The graveyard was their goal.As I picked up my camera cases and continued my trek to my vehicle, I passed close by the teacher. Most of the kids were returning to her applause and affirmation. She lovingly said to each returning student: "You’re a winner!" Yes, everyone who finished won the race. In between affirming those who were obeying the rules of the exercise, she continued to call out to the boys who were scaling the cemetery fence.

God’s whisper within my heart now seemed more passionate: "The chain-link fence is Calvary. Life, like this kindergarten recess exercise, is a race intended to be a run to the chain-link fence and back to Me. On the other side of the chain-link fence is death (Hell). When my Son died on the Cross, My Love drew a line in the sands of time, erected a fence, so that anyone who goes to Hell will have to climb over the fence of my Son’s crucifixion. Even while some are climbing the fence, I continue to call them back to Me. In other words, in His sacrificial death, my only Son, Jesus, was crying out, 'Only over my dead body will people go to Hell. I don’t send people there, but they can choose to scale the fence.'”

With the lesson on God's Love learned, I smiled at the teacher and said: "I think all the kids are coming back to you now. They look really tired running in these cold breezes." With a smile she said: "Yes, I’ll take them inside now, give them milk and cookies, and let them get some rest." WOW! I thought. The teacher's words were the exact reverse of Hell -- Heaven.

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

My God Canceled My "Train" Ticket! Ps.16:10

Yesterday, as I was reading through the Old Testament Psalms from The Message Paraphrase of the Holy Bible, these ten words from Psalm 16:10 passionately encouraged my soul. I'm guessing the same ten words will encourage your soul, too:

You canceled my ticket to Hell -- that's not my destination!

Country singer, Josh Turner sings a song titled "The Long Black Train." He tells about how the Devil drives that long black train leading eternal souls to Hell. As I saturate and celebrate in Psalm 16:10, I can hear these words of Josh Turner's song in my mind:

Look to the heavens. You can look to the skies.
You can find redemption staring back into your eyes.
There is protection and there's Peace the same...
Burnin' your ticket for that Long Black Train.

'Cause there's vict'ry in the Lord I say.
Yes, there's Vict'ry in the Lord.
So, cling to the Father and His holy name,
And don't go ridin' on that Long Black Train

Lord, I thank You for the reality of Psalm 16:10 in my life! You have canceled my ticket to Hell -- that's not my destination. Because You're taking me with You, Lord, in a whole new direction, the whistle for that long black train becomes more distant day-by-day in my life. How sweet it is!

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL! God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

P.S. You might not believe this, but as I post this blog entry I can hear a train rumbling down the track and I hear the whistle blowing. Just in case you're wondering, the train is going away from me, not coming for me. Yes, my Loving God has canceled my long-black-train ticket. :-)