Have a great weekend!

I just want to wish everyone to have a great weekend. This weekend we will be heading to the fair grounds in Little Falls. They're having a kids day event there. They'll have face paintings and other fun things for kids to do. So our son should really enjoy that. Should be a good day to do it to. The highs are only going to be in the sixties. Should be beautiful out there. For you southern people. 60's up here is still shorts weather and not winter jackets weather. So everyone have a wonderful weekend and I'll write to you next week. Be Blessed. RJ

How much are you worth?

So have you ever wondered how much you are worth? Some might say nothing since I never have money. Others might say well I have a lot of money so I'm worth a lot. See most people look at what they have on earth as there riches. Which it isn't. Let me ask you this. Can you take your car with you to heaven? Can you take all the money you have to heaven? I don't think so. See whatever you do for God now you receive when you get to heaven. Matt 6:19-21 says "do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." When I was a little younger God brought this verse to attention one day. I had invested in a killer sound system in my car. I had 3 10 inch woofers and 2 8 inch woofers along with a detachable face plate CD player when they weren't all that popular. I had spent over 1000 dollars on this system. One week after buying all of these things some decided to help them selves to all the sound equipment. Yep every last peace. They even took the wiring. Which they usually left behind. I was so mad. I just couldn't believe it. Then God brought me to this verse. Then I realized what I was investing my future into. Instead investing time into God's kingdom for my Godly inheritance I was investing in a worldly inheritance that I would never get to keep. I had to realize that just because other people have nice things it doesn't mean they have more riches than you. Most Christian's probably have more money in heaven then Bill Gate's has on earth. The thing is. What inheritance are you going to leave here on earth for your kids. Worldly things that will rust away or get stolen. Or Godly things that will never rust and get stolen. I would rather leave my kids with Godly wisdom than all the money in the world. The end of the verse says For where your treasure is there your heart will be also. Where is your heart? Just look at the things that you seek after and that will tell you where your heart is. Is it seeking worldly happiness or after God's own heart. It's time to get our heads screwed on right. Let's seek first the kingdom of God. Because when we do great riches and true happiness will follow. Don't care what people have here on earth. As long you have God nothing can compare to Him not even all the money in the world. We also have to remember that we are only living here for a few minutes in Godly time. We have eternity in Heaven.

Are you who you say you are?

Isn't that an interesting question. Are you who you say you are? Just think about that. Many people people claim to be born again, but never step foot in a church. Many people say they are saved, but live a life like a sinner. So who are you? Are you saved or not? Only God will tell in the day of judgement. Let me ask you this? Some might say well I am saved and I don't do those things. I go to church every week and I live a christian life. Ok here's a little test on how your christian life is. When you go to a movie do you get up and leave when you hear swear words or see some nudity? Do you let people know at work that you don't like that kind of language or jokes? When you are at home on the Internet and pop up comes on with a half naked person. Do you keep looking or click on that search engine? Do you tell your kids to do one thing and you do the opposite? Did you know everything you do you will be accountable for it. I mean everything. Let say you swear in front of your kids or you don't turn a movie off because of swearing or nudity and your kids see that. Then they grow up thinking that it's ok. When you die and stand before Jesus. You will be judged for teaching your kids to sin. That's why it's important to not just live, but teach a christian life to you family and friends. The sad thing is that most people don't really care anymore. Let's live for the now. I'm saved so I'm going to live my life and when I get older I'll do what God wants me to do. If that is your attitude well I will tell you that you are not saved and if you would die right now you would be going to hell. To be saved is to turn away from the old and go into the new. To turn away from all sins. To a live a life of Christ. Let me ask you this. If you went through a week walking with Jesus how much of the week would you change. Would you stopping swearing when you got mad?Would you watch the TV shows that you watch now? Would you treat your spouse and kids the same way? Would you complain at work? The list could go on and on. The truth is that all of us would stop doing something. We are not perfect in any way, but the difference is that we need to improve in our faults and change them so we don't keep doing them. We have to remember the Jesus is with us everyday and He is watching all the time. We need to start fearing God like they did in the bible. Just like in Acts when a husband and wife die because they didn't give all the money to the church. What struck me with that story was that it didn't seem out of the ordinary. You didn't hear them in a panic. They actually had people there to pick up the dead. How long would you last today if God would put that kind of judgement on the church? Some wouldn't last 1 minute. We need to start making a decision. Who's life are we going to live? God's or your own. If you live God's life you will eat the fruit of the land. If you go your own way. Well you'll have sickness, hardships, and an early death. We need to start living the life that God wants us to live. Don't hide behind excuses and pressures. Start standing out and you'll see the crowds that will follow you. People are hungry for the truth. All they need is for someone to tell them. Some said this and I can't remember who. They said that 80 percent of people would go to church with a friend or family member if they were asked to. Now the decision is yours. Are you who you say you are?

Is your Light shining?

How's your light doing these days? Are you in the in crowd? Or are you complaining about anything and everything? Do people really know who you are? In Matthew 5:14-16 says You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before man. That they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven. How many of you are shining that light to the world? Just like the verse says that a city on a hill can not be hidden. Let's say you built your house on the biggest hill in your town. Your cut down all the trees around the hill so everyone could see your house from every direction. Now try to hide your house. It's impossible. The same was is with you. When you ask Jesus in your heart His light shines through you. People can recognize that light. Even though you might try to hide it underneath that bowl of yours. It can not be hidden. A lot of Christians like to try to hide the light. They don't talk about God in a work place because they are afraid if they do people might think they are weird. Or they will gossip or swear because they want to be excepted. At the same time they are telling there kids not to do those things. People like to hide behind excuses why they don't spread God's light around. I'm to shy or it's just not me. This is my favorite one. I want to make them my friends before spreading the gospel. Let me tell you. If you are waiting for the friendship you are to late. Because they might die on the way home from work and they would be going to hell and it would be your fault. We have to remember that God told us not to be of this world. So let's step out of the world box and into God's box. God says we are more than able to everything He tells us to do. We can do all things! We have a true friend in Christ that will never leave of us. How many of your friends that you have now would actually lay down there life for you. We need to show God's light threw our actions and threw our words. Let now complain and swear like the rest. Let's be positive and up lifting in our words. God has put the future of the church in all of our hands. Either we are going to make it powerful or weak. Remember the disciples left there family members there friends without saying good bye to follow Jesus. What kind of sacrifices are you willing to make to get the gospel out. Let God take control and let's put the devil were he belongs underneath our feet.

Time for RELAXATION

It's finally Friday. It's been one long week here at work. Work has pile up this week. So I'm ready for the weekend. It's football season again and there's much happiness in the house hold. Well I'm happy. The wife well she deals with it. I haven't been able to watch the Vikings play for about 3 years now so it's nice to see they have a later game. So I will finally be able to watch how they do. For me football is sooooo relaxing to watch. Being able to watch people trying to hit each other the hardest. Just can't beat that. It's funny sometimes how the devil tries to make your life so busy that a person doesn't get to relax anymore. A person needs to relax. When you relax you are able to build yourself physically and Spiritually. If a person never relaxes then that person gets up tight and stressed out. Not only does it affect you, but it also affects your family. Sometimes you start to act different and treating everyone different and you don't even know it. When a person relaxes you get calmer and you start to realize that the things that are stressing you our aren't that bad. God new something when He said to rest on the 7th day. So if God told us to do it. We better listen. Scientist have even said that people that work all the time are more opt to getting sick and being stressed out. The ones that took days off and relaxed were hardly ever sick and they were less likely to get stressed out. So let's start teaching our kids to start relaxing more. That a person doesn't always have to be on the go. Just to sit read a book or play a game. Let the body and mind calm down for the day. You all have a blessed weekend. GOOOO VIKINGS!!!

9-11

Today many Americans look back a few years ago to reflect on the lives lost. Many of those people were heroes. Going in to save lives while giving up there own. That is what being an American is all about. The people on the plane new there feight that day. They knew if they did nothing many more would die. That day they became heroes. Through the hole thing people looked to God for comfort and answers. Church's grew 100 percent over night. Because people knew were they needed to turn. The sad thing is. Those same people that came to church those few month's are now back to there old ways. When time of tragedy hits people look to God for help, but when time is good they look to themselves. Let's not wait for another terrorist attack bring us back to God. God is always here in good and bad. That's why we should stand by Him during the good and the bad. Because when you are with Him you won't have to search to far when you need Him. He's always there protecting and watching over you. There were many stories that came out of 9-11 of people stating that God told them not to go to work that day. For those that listened they are still here today. God is bigger than any terroristic threat or attack. When we think of those that died that day. When we pray for the families and the country. Why not say little prayer for yourself. Asking God to move within your own life. I know back when I was in the military stationed in Oklahoma City. We had a terroristic threat one day. I remember it so clearly. After that event I told myself that I would never be that far away from my God again. I couldn't handle the fears and the images. The only person that could was God. He took all the sadness and pain away that day, and I've never excepted it back. Let's remember the fallen hero's of 9-11 and our military of now that are fighting for our safety. God bless them all.

What does God have planned for you

How's everyone doing today? Everyday we need to be seeking on what God has planned for our lives. We need to make sure that we are on target everyday that we wake up. It is so easy for the devil to walk in and say that God doesn't want you to work there or that God doesn't want you to volunteer at church at this time. The truth is the longer you do what God is telling you to do the closer you get to God the stronger you get Spiritually. That's why the devil puts up such a big fight to get you mad at work. Or put idea's in your head (I call it the things to do list) why you can't volunteer at church. If most of us would really look at our work schedule we would find out that we have a lot more time for volunteering then what we do. We have to remember that the people in the bible would try anything to be able to volunteer in church. When the disciple found out that the widows were be left alone. All the people were waiting patiently to get picked for that job. They new if they were picked that meant that there spiritual walk was right and they were able to please God. So let's stop thinking about our selves but let's start thinking about God. What is pleasing in His sight.

Let me FIRST!

How many have you heard or said this at one time of your life. When Jesus is telling you to do something you say this. Well Jesus first let me do this or I will do that, but first I have to do this. Now we are no different then the people in the Bible. In Mark a man comes up to Jesus and says I want to come with you, but first let me buried my dad. See he didn't say he wasn't going to follow Jesus. He said I will follow you just let me do what I need to do first. Then another comes up and says that he will follow Jesus, but first let me go tell my loved ones. He was going to follow Jesus when it was right for him. We all know that these men never followed Jesus at that time. We have to get our thinking in the right order. We are people that grow up in Democracy. If I can't get then I'll talk to someone in getting it for me. Well if I don't like this or that then I'll get a lawyer to change it. We belong to the kingdom of God. When you belong to a kingdom you have one ruler. That ruler the King makes all the decisions. Let's you know what you are going to be doing. You don't have a say so. That is the type of thinking we need to have. When God tells us something to do we just need to do it. In the old day if the King would tell you to do something and you didn't do it. Well either your dead or you are in prison. They feared the king just like we should fear our King of King's. As Americans we don't fear God as we should. Abraham feared God so much that he was going to sacrifice his own son. God gave Abraham 3 days to back out to think about what he was about to do. Abraham still obeyed God. We need to have that kind of fear in God. When God tells us to do something we need to do it without thinking. Because when we start to think then the devil gets into the conversation. He'll get you confused and on the wrong path. Let's give God our best. I mean we have eternity to do anything we want but only a little bit to do what God needs us to do. Some said that if one person would save 1000 people every month it would take something like 300,000 years to get everyone saved. That's with no one dieing or being born. Now if one person would save 2 people and that person would save 2 people then the next and so on and so on. It would only take 3 years for the whole world to be saved. Let's get our war boots on and let's go to war for our King and let's kick the devils backside around. Let's let him know who's in town and that he's not welcome any more.