For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.  1 Timothy 2:5-6a

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hebrews 4:14-16

Because you are his sons, (and daughters) God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, (daddy) Father.” So you are no longer a slave (to sin), but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.  Galatians 4:6-8

(Jesus said) 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.  Matthew 11:29

AMEN!!!

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Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Psalm 139:23

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.  Psalm 139:7-10

God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5b

If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:20

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  Philippians 4:6

AMEN!!!

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Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,  for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:22-23

Paul writes … Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:13-14

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 2 Corinthians 4:17

AMEN!!!

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Is your all on the altar?
Come to the altar for healing.
Come to the altar for forgiveness.
Come to the altar for change.
How can God alter your life?
God can alter your disposition of sickness.
God can alter your feelings of hurt.
God can alter your outlook of the future.

The climb at first sight seems unattainable and risky but when you include a team of experts with your calculations than you see the end in sight. This is true with anything you do from scaling that rock wall to chartering a plane to Haiti’s; you plan using others input to make your plan come together. So, you would also need others to guide you on your journey to your heart.

My experts consist of counselors, pastors, Holy Spirit, Bible, authors, and church family they know me best. Trying to make this journey on my own would take me nowhere really fast. I tried that once and it was a disastrous to think I could accomplish what others do in a day, month, a year. Silly really…

Why did I think I could do this on my own? Let me give an example that the Holy Spirit gave me:
Looking across Lake Bountiful (my name for lake) I saw Jesus Christ on the opposite shore. I thought gazing at the water it would be a short distance I can swim this. So, I set out at an easy pace and found that there was a under current and looking up at the shore I wasn’t any closer. Getting tired I turned back and found myself back at my side of the lake. Scanning the shore I notice a boat and pulled it over and got in and set the oars to start my journey again. Again, my focus was not on Jesus Christ but my ability to pull on the oars to glide across the water. Looking behind me I wasn’t going across but going down stream. “AWWW!” Turning the boat around and focusing on the horizon and rowing at the same time was hard and tiring. I was caught in whirl pool spinning me out of control and was back on my side of the shore. “Aw!” Dropping to my knees I cried “Lord, help! I can’t do this on my own. It looked so simple. I thought I could do this. I was wrong. Please, Lord Help.” Standing up I gazed across the water and I found myself staring into my Father’s eyes the bluest of blues and I reach out and I was in His arms and He held me tight.

When you experience the arms of Christ and His forgiveness it transforms you to another place and person. All of sudden you are not alone in your plans for your future you are asking for others input. You are praying for God’s will be done in your life. The Holy Spirit pricks your heart and you begin to change and forgive. Why? The Lord forgave me of my sins for He gave up His life for me. So, I can have a life with Him. A relationship that brings tears to my eyes… When I think of all He has done for me and is still doing for me; my heart wells with love.

My Jesus is real and there is nothing I can do that will send Him away. He says in his word that He will never leave me or forsake me. (Hebrews 13:5) The Lord has a plan for me for hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) The Lord fights for me. (Deuteronomy 3:21) There is hope for a tree if it be cut down it will sprout again.(Job 14:7)

Do you know that the door is always open (John 10:9) for you. When you approach this door do it with boldness (Hebrews 4:16). Focus your eyes on the prize which is Jesus Christ. God raised us up with Jesus Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 2:6) We who are sealed with Christ have everlasting life. But, you who do not know Jesus Christ and is still playing at the gate will have fire and damnation. We do not know when are time is up on this earth we can die tonight in a car crash. Do you want to take that chance?

The Lord is waiting for you to come out of this world. I lived in this world through some horrific times do I want to repeat that time? No!!! My time now is hard with unemployment but the Lord keeps blessing me with His presence and His provisions. Life is good. My hope is in the Lord. I trust Him with my life and future. I can’t imagine life without Him. He is the hand that guides my walk I do nothing without Him. Jesus is light to my darkness.

Come to the waters of Lake Bountiful and give your life to the one whom will turn your tears into hope. In His arms you will find rest from your burdens. In His arms you will find peace that passes all understanding. In His arms you find refuge and strength in times of trouble. In His arms your heart will flourish and grow in the likeness of your Father. In His arms you will have eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Thank you, Lord that I do not have to do this life alone. You have given me eyes to see and ears to hear. You have given me a church family that prays for me and we have life together.

I pray Lord, that you draw your people to yourself and impart your Holy Spirit to live in their lives. Give them wisdom and strength to walk this path. Put your angels around about them keeping them safe. Bless them, extend their boundaries, and keep them from evil in Jesus Christ name. Amen.

Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits (the Sevenfold Spirit – see Isaiah 11:1-3) before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn (most important) from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests (ambassadors) to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.  Revelation 1:4-6

 Therefore, since we have been justified (made right with God through faith (believing God), we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. (like standing in the middle an ocean of grace) And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  Romans 5:1-5

To HIM be the glory forever & ever!!!

AMEN!!!

Image: Flowers of the Cook Islands, New Zealand

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Some acts are important.

I must show acts of love.

I must show acts of faith.

I must show acts of hope.

How I act is important.

Some things in my life need the ax.

Give hatred the ax.

Give unbelief the ax.

Give sin the ax.

Things that are not like God, give them the ax.

Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. For the LORD Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.  Psalm 47:1-2

Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.  Truly he is my rock and my salvation;  he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.  Psalm 62:5-8

 One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.”  Psalm 62:11-12

 Learn from Jesus, for there is Great reward for doing the work of the Lord!!!

 Image: Muri Beach, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. 

Thank you Kevin & Mare Wachs for taking us with you!!!

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I need God to reign in my life:
He rules.
He leads.
He governs.
He reigns.
I need God to rain in my life:
He refreshes.
He nurtures.
He cleanses.
He rains.

I love to read, period. I’ve found that there is a wealth of knowledge waiting to be discovered through reading the writings of those who have come before me. You see, I have a thirst for knowledge, and this thirst keeps me searching for new material. This helps me expand my knowledge and places me in a position to help others.

Recently I read a book written by Bob Burg and David Mann entitled, “The Go-Giver”. In the world we live in people are basically taught to be Go-Getters, so when I saw this title, it took me for a loop. I just had to see what a Go-Giver was! Now I knew the Bible taught that it was “more blessed to give than to receive”, but this book was not written by Christians; at least they didn’t claim to be. I picked up the book and began to read. I just had to see what this was all about.

In it, Bob and David tell a story of a man who was trying to reach a certain level of success only to keep finding failure after failure. He was worried that if he did not turn this situation around he would eventually lose his job for the lack of production. He was desperate! He sought out an elderly man who was known to have the uncanny ability to teach others how to succeed beyond their wildest dreams. However, when finally arranged a meeting with this gentleman, the “secret” to his success was nothing he had ever expected to hear.

The old gentleman gave him 5 laws for success that totally went against everything he had been led to believe all of his life. Yet, because of his desperate situation, he obliged the man and did what he was instructed to do if he wanted to achieve success. I have listed, in brief, the 5 laws that he was told to follow. It would do you well to follow these steps, as they apply to everything we do in life. Here are, “The 5 Laws of Stratospheric Success”.

1) The Law of Value

“Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you receive in payment.”

We live in a society that teaches us to be selfish in our giving. There are those who will only give to others when it benefits themselves. In other words, “What’s in it for me?” This attitude will eventually hinder your success rather than promote it. It is when we learn to give to others unselfishly that we truly begin to prosper.

2) The Law of Compensation

“Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them”.

Every successful person can relate to this law. You see, the more people you help, the faster you will climb the ladder of success. It works in business, in church building and even among our personal relationships. People love to be loved. And when you love someone, you always want to help them. When you help them, help always come to you when you need it.

Now, it might not come from the same ones that you helped, but it will come. It’s a law, and one that even Jesus taught in Luke 6:38. “Give, and it shall be given; good measure, pressed down and shaken together shall men give unto your bosom”. Giving shows unselfishness, which brings us to our third law os success.

3) The Law of Influence

“Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s needs first”.

This is a law that every Christian understands. God put us first when He gave His only begotten Son, and the result is that the influence of Christianity is known everywhere; among those who believe and those who don’t. The more people we put above ourselves, the more we are becoming like Him. Our influence will be felt everywhere we go.

Recently, I wrote my a book entitled, “Faith That Recovers All – Taking Back What The Enemy Stole”. I didn’t have the money to get published so I gave away a few hundred copies on Amazon. Many who received copies of the book liked it and testified how it helped them to have more faith in difficult times. That was the expected end that I had for writing the  book.

However, what was unexpected was this. Many of these readers became my ambassadors for the book. They told this one, who told that one, etc. The book quickly advanced to the top 100 books in its category among 750,000+ books on Amazon! Now that’s influence! By helping as many as I could by giving the book away, my influence  increased around the world! This is how the law of influence works, Help as many as you can, unselfishly, and you will creat an army of ambassadors spreading the word about you!

4) The Law of Authenticity

“The most valuable gift you have to offer is you”.

Simply put, just be yourself! Be real with people. Don’t try to portray yourself as this great, flawless human being! People hate phonies, and when they detect you are not being real, they will avoid you like a plague. There is no need to spend a lot of time on this point because I know you get where I’m coming from. Always be authentic; mistakes and all. You will make them, but people will respect you more when you admit them. Don’t ever subscribe to the o;d saying, “Fake it until you make it”. Just be yourself and you’ll go a lot farther.

5) The Law of Receptivity

“The key to effective giving is to stay open to receive”.

You’ve probably heard the expression, “It’s better to give than to receive” at some point in your life. Not only is this a misquotation of Acts 20:35, it is absolutely incorrect! It isn’t better to give, it is more blessed to give. There is a difference. You see, it is impossible to give and not receive. The blessing from giving is receiving. That’s why we are taught to do it! God wants us to receive, so He teaches us to be givers so that we can receive!

Look at it this way. “God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son” the bible says in John 3:16. He gave to us so that He in turn could receive from us. I’m not talking about money here. I’m speaking of Him giving us His Son so that He could receive many sons! We must learn that it is insanity to believe that our actions carry no reciprocation. Everything we do, good or bad, has an effect on what we receive in return.

That is why we must be open to receive if we are givers. It is offensive not to accept gifts that are offered to us. That is why those who refuse the gift of God are eventually cut off from eternal life with Christ. Give good things and good things will be given unto you. The opposite is just as true so be careful how you give!

I have only briefly covered these 5 laws. I highly recommend that you get your hands on the book, “The Go-Giver” and read it today. It will truly change the way you think. You can get the book either by clicking the Amazon resource link on this site or go to http://thegogiver.com In the meantime, learn the 5 laws and out them into practice in your life. I guarantee you will see a difference.

Pastor Jonathan Rudd

To get my latest book, click the link below.

Faith That Recovers All – Taking Back What The Enemy Stole

After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

 “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.  John 17:1-5

Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, (Heaven) and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.  John 17:24

“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father (God) except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. “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.  Matthew 11:27-29

AMEN!!!

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Is it ever okay for Christians to judge others?

We know that Jesus said, “Don’t judge or you will be judged” (Matthew 7:1), but does that apply to all kinds of judgment about people? Aren’t we allowed to judge when someone might be dangerous to us? If we’re not allowed to evaluate others, we’ll never spot the crooks and thieves, so we’ll become their victims. And what about if a Christian police officer sees someone with a gun in his hand and a crazy look in his eye — isn’t he allowed to make a judgment about that person’s intentions?

In fact, life is full of judgments about people that are absolutely essential. Christians, like everyone else, must often evaluate the possible motives and intentions of others. But is it sinful for us to do that?

The Apostle Paul himself seemed to disagree with Jesus when he wrote concerning Christians judging other Christians in lawsuits: “Don’t you know that we are going to judge angels much less the matters of this life” (I Corinthians 6:3)? The same koine’ Greek word, ‘krino’, meaning ‘to judge’ is used in both scriptures, which would seem to mean that they are describing the same kind of judgment. And Paul was talking about Christians passing judgments that might force one Christian to pay money to another!

The problem is, the word krino which is used in those two passages is used all through the New Testament to describe many different kinds of judgment. In that way, it’s almost as limited as English. It’s only by knowing the context and a few other factors that we can understand what the word means in each case. For instance, when Jesus used it He was talking about tearing others down. He explained that Himself in the very next verse, when He said, “Because, the way you judge is the way you will be judged, and by the way you measure it’s going to be measured out to you” (Matthew 7:2). So the question is, how do we reconcile Paul’s statement with Jesus words? The answer is: easily.

The reason both statements are true is ‘attitude’. Paul assumes a loving, Christian attitude which will produce a better result than would be found in the law courts of the day, and ends up building up rather than tearing down. Jesus is pointing out a destructive attitude – an attitude of hate rather than love, which is effectively demonstrated by His teaching in Matthew 5:22: “But I’m telling you that everyone who gets mad at his brother will be judged guilty, and everyone who calls his brother a good-for-nothing will be found guilty before the supreme court, and anyone who calls someone else a fool will be guilty enough to burn in hell,” (my paraphrase). Seems harsh, doesn’t it? But that’s the way Jesus feels about the wrong kind of judging, and it also happens to be the kind of judging that backsliders are often addicted to. This is a symptom of deep anger that affects the heart. There’s a huge difference between gently telling someone, “I don’t like the way you’re acting,” and saying angrily, “You’re really a huge jerk.”

Like deflection (see my last blog) a critical attitude is one of the prime symptoms of backsliding. If someone is failing in their Christian life, they’re not going to feel very good about themselves, and that will be reflected in their attitude toward others. When we subject our families to that kind of angry thinking, the results are predictably disastrous. But we have a choice. We can choose to start using instant prayer (see my Blog 35) to overcome our judgmental attitude, and we can also really start seeking God so He can renew us. Then, after we’re renewed, we can get biblical counseling to help us grow in Christ so that we can begin to reduce the bad effects of our past behavior. If you are having a problem with being judgmental, isn’t it time to begin seeking the Lord with your whole heart?

Paul writes, We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.  Colossians 1:9a-12

 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:10-13

May the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the LORD.  Psalm 68:3-4

Though you have not seen him, (Jesus) you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9  

Glory be to God, AMEN!!!

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Sometimes, deflection is a good thing.

The windshield wipers on your car deflect rain, pushing it aside so you can see. A professional boxer deflects punches so he won’t be hit. But there’s a bad kind of deflection as well, the kind that’s a form of lying.

Backslidden Christians will try to deflect your attention away from the way they’re really living. One of the ways they do that is through a staunch and sometimes angry adherence to certain doctrines of the Christian faith, or by putting on a ‘good’ Christian act. By trying to appear ‘Christian’ they’re attempting to dodge the issue, which is the sin they’ve become caught in. A classic example of that kind of deflection was when Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus was putting expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus and wiping His feet with her hair (John 12:3). Judas, seeing what she was doing, commented, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold for 300 denarii and given to the poor?” (verses 4&5) Sounds like an innocent question, doesn’t it? But it was a deflection, as the disciple John pointed out: “Now he didn’t say this because he was worried about the poor, but because he was a thief and since he was the one who kept the money box, he used to steal what was put into it” (verse 6). Judas was trying to appear to be righteous, but he wasn’t fooling anybody. John saw through him, and clearly Jesus did, too, which was shown during the Last Supper when He named Judas as the man who would betray Him.

But those are not the only ways backslidden Christians deflect. Sometimes they isolate themselves from other Christians. They often justify it by criticizing those who don’t live up to their “standards” or agree with their particular doctrinal positions, or they give the excuse that they can worship God anywhere, by themselves. But isolation only drives them deeper into sin, and it removes them from almost any possibility of renewal. If it continues, it may plunge them into even worse consequences. However it happens, deflection is a very subtle kind of sin, a sin that the backslider may not even realize is sin.

Deflection is the result of two things: the conviction of the Holy Spirit and fear. The Spirit will work on the backslider’s heart, trying to get them to turn back to God, but they don’t know how to do that so they deflect instead, because they’re afraid they’re going to be caught and criticized. They cover their backs by fiercely arguing their beliefs, and cover their failures by criticizing those who disagree with them. They work hard at pretending to be spiritual. By acting like good Christians when they aren’t, they may be able to fool people who don’t know them well, but their families and those closest to them know the truth, and they often bear the brunt of the foul moods forced out of the backslider by the constant deception. Someone in isolation may not feel that kind of pressure because they no longer bother to hide their sin and yet continue to profess faith in Jesus. But the fact is that they’re in greater danger than the backslider who stays in church because they’re waging a losing battle against sin and doubt in their own power, even if they claim they’re doing it by faith in Christ and in His power. If those two issues are not dealt with in the right way, they can cause the isolated Christian to fall completely away from the faith. They need to get into a good, Bible believing church immediately.

Now that you’ve been educated a little on deflection, let me ask, do you see yourself as someone who’s hiding from others by trying to steer them away from the truth about yourself? Or do you know someone who deflects others? Remember, God requires three basic things to reach renewal of the spirit of the mind: one, that we seek Him with all our heart (II Chronicles 7:14, Proverbs 8:17, Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 7:7, Hebrews 11:6), two, that we recover full faith (trust Him), and three, that we are willing to get rid of all the sin in our lives so He can do His will in us, and that includes all deflection. Remember, when you were saved the God of Heaven had a plan for your life that was the best plan anyone could ever devise for you, and He will show you how to do His will when you are renewed. But as long as you’re tolerating persistent sin and doubt in your life, He won’t be able to help you. When you start working on the three things I just mentioned, He’ll be there to help you. But don’t be impatient if it takes time — renewal is a process as well as an event.