Bentley Rufus

Preparing a home...

As most of you know, this Sunday is a very exciting day for our household! Our new puppy Bentley Rufus is coming home for the first time. Bentley will be around 8 weeks old, ready to tear through our home. We have been doing lots to preparation for his homecoming. Made a trip last week to the famous Petsmart and purchased chew toys, food, collar & leash just so we can make it that much more special for Bentley when he comes home. The crate will be all ready to go. Even obedience classes will start right when Bentley turns 10 weeks. I’ve even went as far as having a family meeting with our cats (Aussie & Tinker) to make sure to make his homecoming special. I’m sure behind our backs the cats are planning to move out as Bentley moves in, but we hope in the long run they’ll become great friends. Just as our son is deciding to sleep through the nights & some during the day, it’s going to be like newborn baby city all over again. I’m prepared though, going to take on the midnight potty runs as well as the early morning feedings. Call us crazy, but we are excited.

In the same way that we are preparing a home for Bentley, our heavenly Father is preparing a home for His children! That place is called heaven! John 14:2-3 says: "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." Heaven is going to be great, but the bad news is that heaven is not for everyone! Matthew 7:13-14 says: "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Most people think they have the small gate in view, but sadly they live life on the broad road. Most of the world feels that just being a good person is good enough to get into heaven, let me remind you of the words spoken by Jesus. In the book of John, chapter 14 Jesus is asked by Thomas “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well." Simply stated, Jesus is the only way! Heaven is the dwelling place of God’s glory and it is Jesus’ footsteps that lead there.

I’m thankful that God is preparing my eternal home for me to live in. It’s going to be awesome, way beyond my imagination can think! Just thinking that my eternal address will be on God’s block get’s me excited!

Ask yourself….Who will be preparing your eternal home for you? God or Satan?

New Addition to the Family

Easter Day! What is it to you?

As Easter draws closer, my heart starts to beat a little harder with excitement. Not because of the great family gatherings, no not even the big Easter egg hunts or those human sized Easter bunnies.

No the real meaning of Easter is ALL ABOUT the blood of Christ and how God has made a way for us to be right with Him. John 14:6 says: Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God made provisions so that we might truly embrace Him for all He is and should be. Romans 1:20-21 says For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.

We are truly another day closer to the real hope of the church. The hope that one day we too can have the same victory over sin & death that Jesus Himself had. Romans 6:23 says For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So this Easter my prayer is that you would find the true meaning of Easter. That life is only found in Jesus Christ and nowhere else. May you be drawing closer to God everyday of the year. I pray that this Easter would be a true turning point in your life! If time permits take the time to watch "The Passion of The Christ" before this Easter. Romans 5:8 says But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. There is only one reason why Christ went to the cross, and that is to die for mine and yours sin and that we could have life.

Deuteronomy 6:5 says Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. God does not just want your heart on Christmas or Easter, but everyday!

Just remember Jesus is Alive and Risen (Mark 16:6), not dead and hanging!

Do you obey God's word?

I wonder why some "Christians" don't read God's word and even struggle to understand what it says? Maybe it is because your not saved to begin with. Remember it is not about walking an aisle, saying a prayer or even going to a church. Going to church doesn't make you more a Christian then going to McDonald's makes you a hamburger. You would have to admit that there is a major problem when there is a difference between what God's word says and how "Christians" are living in the world, mainly the western church! Or is this what happens when Christians fail to apply God's word to their lives? Would God even allow someone He saved to fall short of what Scripture calls for in a changed life? Read 2 Corinthians 5:17. Yesterday I was listening to a sermon about change, and I believe that God will do a work within lost people that He saves! You would have to agree that if your faith has not changed you, then it has not saved you. I wanted to share some of the scripture that was taught. It's out of 1 John 2:3-6.

"We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did."

I would say 1 John 2:6 is very clear! So ask yourself, are you applying that part of God's word to your heart? Are you growing in your love for God's word? Is God's word changing you?

Thanks again for stopping by! Press on as you pursue God EVERYDAY!