Skip to main content
Category

Hope For Today

The First Christmas was a Nightmare

By Blog, Hope For Today

The First Christmas was a Nightmare…. It was one crisis after another, but God had a plan!

By Bill Stevens – Dec 24, 2019

“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,”  Luke 2:4-6 NIV

Put yourself in Mary and Joseph’s shoes. A very pregnant Mary was forced by the government to travel nearly 100 miles on foot/donkey for at least a week to register in a census on the other side of the nation, from Nazareth to Bethlehem to register in a census. Traveling pregnant? It was not on her birth plan! We have five children and I never wanted to be far from the hospital and our doctor. Now this young teenage mom and her husband was away from all their family and friends who would have been helping with the birth.

They were alone. Truth be told, they probably had been ostracized from their family and friends because it looked like they had been sleeping together before marriage and having a child out of wedlock. The shame from their community was overwhelming. They had probably felt lonely for a long time.

Then they get to the hotel – all booked up. No room. One Air-BnB cave was available if they didn’t mind staying where the horses, goats, camels, and chickens lived. It was a cave being used as a barn. Nasty, dark, no hospital, and unsanitary. Imagine the tears of Mary and Joseph. This was not how they planned to start their marriage and family.

Everything was so hard, but God was in it. It was a nightmare until baby Jesus showed up. The joy of the birth of a child for a mom and dad is hard to imagine. But this was different. This baby was The King, God himself who stepped out of Heaven to be born of a virgin.

It wasn’t until Jesus, the Light of the World, was born into this dark world did joy come to Mary and Joseph. After Mary and baby Jesus were settled, a bunch of shepherds showed up saying they had been visited by angels declaring this baby was the King of Heaven and Earth, the one and only Savior, which astounded Joseph and Mary.

God had a plan. Hundreds of years before there was a prophecy that the Savior would be born in Bethlehem. Then when the time was right, He moved the Roman government to move Mary and Joseph to get there. God then moved Heaven itself to announce the birth of His Son, King Jesus, with a host of angels. No matter how troublesome your Christmas may seem, trust the loving care and providence of God the Father. He will turn your nightmare into a joy filled life with Christ, no matter how bad things are.

You may not understand why things are so hard this Christmas, but God does. The first Christmas was a nightmare until Jesus showed up in it. Invite Him into your Christmas this year and ask him to bring you the joy of experiencing and knowing Him.

Merry Christmas

Bill Stevens

Lead Pastor, The Well

The Well is a new church coming to the Loveland-Johnstown 25-34 area.

TheWellLoveland.com

Get updates in your Inbox!

[ninja_form id=”2″]

Kids questions and mass shootings

By Hope For Today

How to talk to your kids about the evil things that happen in this world.

Parents,

We are seeing evil today that we did not see when our kids were born. We all knew the world wasn’t getting any better, but the level of evil and murder is overwhelmingly disturbing to us… and much more our children. Here are some suggestions from a Christian worldview that might help you and your family navigate these disturbing conversations.

Approach the subject gently.

They are children, so make it age appropriate. I don’t believe in letting my little children (under 12) see the graphic images of death on television, but I do teach them what is happening. Parents you know your children better than anyone else, so use your discretion. Attempt to put it in terms they will understand but don’t share too much details. Think how much watching the news disturbs you, or should, but project that on a little child. Sometimes the news glories in evil. It seems like the more graphic and jaded they can report the better. Somethings your children don’t need to know yet. It may be good for television ratings, but not good for raising children. Pray with them and pray for them. Hug them and show them your love in ways they understand.

Dad and mom, why is there evil and suffering?

Unfortunately, this is a question most adults grapple with daily on worldwide and personal levels. Explain to your kids that this world is broken. This world is not the way God designed it in the beginning. God made everything perfect in the beginning (See Genesis 1-2 in the Bible), but people rebelled against God which brought sin, hatred, murder, death, disease, natural disasters, and evil into this world (See Genesis 3 in the Bible).  Now everyone suffers different things in this world because of this rebellion against God’s ways. Some people wear glasses because their eyes are broken and do not work right.  Some wear braces on their legs because their legs do not work right. Some are born sick and disabled from birth. Some are born with their minds broken and not able to think properly who become very disturbed people and do very bad things. Sometimes normal people go through such trauma and bad things happen to them that is breaks their minds, and they do bad things because they have been severely broken. And some people are just evil.

Dad and mom, is there such a thing as evil?

Yes, God’s Word the bible teaches that Evil is real and there is such a thing as pure evil. Lucifer was a powerful angel of God who wanted to take over Heaven. God kicked him and his followers out of Heaven. They are now called Satan and his demons/devils. Satan is a powerful real being who hates God, hates God’s creation, and hates people who are made in the image of God. His desire has always been to rule over God and remake everything into his evil distorted hate-filled murderous image. There is such thing as demon control where Satan’s demons controls their life.  Only Jesus can free them from this demonic control God loves life and living. Satan loves death and the glory of death. Remember Satan is not equal to God and will be totally destroyed and lose in the end (see Revelation 20-21 in the Bible)

Dad and mom, why does God let bad things happen?

God does not want bad things to happen. He wants us to be His presence of good and shine His light of truth, love, and justice into the darkness of this world. He wants us to stand up for what is right, honorable, and good. He wants us to stand against the evil and injustice of this world. He wants to shine His light through us!

Why did God let this happen to these people?  I don’t know. God did not do this. God did not make this happen. Yes, God is bigger than Satan and all evil, and He could have stopped this. But God gives people the freedom to choose and make decisions on their own. Some people choose to radically reject God and his ways and choose to follow Satan and his ways. There is a real battle between Light and darkness, God and evil.  When darkness seems to be overtaking a community, it simply means the light is not shining as brightly as it should be there.

Where was God?  God was and is there helping the families through this evil act. He was receiving them into His arms. He was in the message of love that was being proclaimed and sung about that day. He was with those who follow Him.

God is on a mission to fix this world. God made this world perfect, Satan came to destroy it, but God sent Jesus to make the broken things right again and to destroy the works of Satan. Jesus came to be our Savior and whoever follows Him will live with Him forever. He is coming back one day to destroy completely Satan, all his workers, and all his works. King Jesus will take all his children back with Him to Heaven to be there forever. We cannot fix this world ourselves, only Jesus can do this. He is God and will make all things new one day. Nothing evil will ever enter Heaven or happen there ever! (See Revelation 21 in the Bible about Heaven)

What to do when?

Questions about what to do if they hear gunfire.

Dad & mom’s, you need to establish a family plan if you hear gunfire.  You also need to know your school’s policy and plan if gunfire is heard. There are a number of place where you can look for what to do in when there is an active shooter.

Questions about what to do when something evil happens to someone.

It is ‘OK’ to cry for them. Pray for those families who were directly affected. They need God’s help during this horrible time and the years ahead as they heal through this. Pray for our government leaders so they would have wisdom to do what is right.  God’s Word tells us to pray for our leaders that we may live a quite and peaceable life.  (See 1 Timothy 2:1-7 in the Bible)

Dad and Moms,

Do not be afraid. Fear will destroy your life. The Bible teaches that fear of people and Satan will destroy your life Trust Jesus, walk through this life with faith in Jesus moment by moment. Faith is the opposite of fear. Believe Jesus will help you through whatever comes your way.  Believe that Jesus will help those you pray for. (See Romans 8 in the Bible).  As a follower of Jesus, always remember God is with you! God is for you, not against you!  Walk in the peace of God.  When you are truly walking by faith, God’s peace will fill your life.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13 (ESV)

Don’t ever give up!  Keep walking by faith, trusting Jesus moment by moment!

Bill Stevens

Originally published Nov 2107

[contact-form-7 id=”1536″ title=”Blog Sign Up Form”]

 

 

The USA and the Kingdom of God

By Articles, Hope For Today

The Kingdom of God and the USA

July 4, 2019

“Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” Revelation 11:15

We live in the best country in the world, but it is sooo far from perfect. Everyone has a great desire to live in a perfect world, but that will never happen through the means of people. Why? We are all broken and have broken and imperfect desires. Simply put, if we were in charge, our corrupted selves would still create an imperfect corrupt country and world. We yearn for a Kingdom, ruled honestly, justly, in love, where we can live life to the full without fear for anything or any of our needs. God, King Jesus, is returning to create such a Kingdom here on earth.

We have an inner desire from someone great to be in charge, a Savior to fix us and fix our world. God who created the universe and set his affections on this world which He created is the Savior we need. He stepped out of Heaven, in the person of Jesus Christ, fully God and fully Man who revealed the ways of the Father and died on the cross for us to have forgiveness, peace with God, and an amazing quality of life called “Eternal Life” which also guarantees us a home in His Kingdom. His first coming was to help fix us through faith in Him and His death on the cross. His resurrection proves He can fix us, create in us a new heart with new and right desires, and to reconcile us to God the Father. But His second coming will not be for His crucifixion. His first coming was for us to understand His glorious love, mercy, and grace.

His second coming will be in such creative power that the entire world will be dissolved and He will recreate it perfectly, with all of those who had become His followers. His Kingdom will come in greatness, power, defeat of all enemies of good and of those who reject Him as King.

America will cease to exist, as will Russia, UK, and even Israel. There will be no nations and national divisions as we know today, because we will be ruled by King Jesus. Friends, I am celebrating the 4th of July today enjoying American Independence, but the USA and American values are NOT the answer for the world or America. The Republicans, Democrats, Independents, and all other parties do not have the answer. Should you vote and serve this nation? Yes, vote your conscience and serve this nation, but remember King Jesus is the Answer for you, your world, this country, and our world.

The question is… Are you follower of King Jesus? Followers of King Jesus are citizens of the Kingdom of God and will be part of His Kingdom forever, even when Old Glory stops waving and the kingdoms of this world are dissolved.

Blessings

Bill Stevens

Bill@TheWellLoveland.com

Get updates in your Inbox!

[ninja_form id=”2″]

Moving Past Wrong Thoughts

By Articles, Eagles Nest, Hope For Today

Moving Past Wrong Thoughts

“We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

Have you ever let something get in your head, consume your thoughts, and then only to bring you pain?  We all have. It is called being a human. If the wrong things get in your head, it can spell disaster for your life, and for those closest to you.

God created everything perfect in the beginning, then Adam & Eve let some wrong thoughts get in their head, then in their heart, and ultimately in their actions. Adam’s actions brought death, pain, and suffering to the entire world.

We are all prone to letting the wrong things get in our heads everyday:  fear, anxiety, worry, lust, pride, bad advise from others, offenses, injustice, suffering, the desire for more stuff, wealth, pleasure, depression, sadness, unmet expectations, anger, broken trust, betrayal, jealously, greed, hate, racism, and even ageism.

We are all prone to have the wrong ideas about how we should live our lives and how life should be lived. God is the Answer for us as we enter into a personal relationship with Christ, and God has the answer for us as we seek to understand His ways of living, and how life should be lived.

The biggest and most dangerous thing that gets in our head and controls our heart is our own selves. Yes, I. I am my own worst enemy and you are your own worst enemy. Pride – thinking too highly of myself. Yes, we are all prone to think too highly of ourselves, our abilities, our heritage, our upbringing, our resources, and our ______ whatevers.  When pride takes deep root in our lives, we become arrogant. The difference between arrogance and pride, is that the arrogant don’t even realize how proud they are.

Begin today by tell God, “Father, I need you to help me have the right thoughts about myself, others, stuff, life, and You. Please help me.”  Then open up God’s Word, the Bible, and begin with the Gospel of John or Luke. Read how Jesus lived his life toward others, toward God, and toward Himself. Ask God to help you have His attitude and thought life. Jesus will bring peace to your struggle. He brings peace to mine!

Blessings!

Bill Stevens

Get updates in your Inbox!

[ninja_form id=”2″]

The Fiery Trial of our Faith

By Articles, Hope For Today

Are you being troubled and grieved by trials that sadden you and make you weep? God is not out to get you, He loves you! Trials are something you are going THROUGH not getting stuck IN. God will not leave you there forever, He will deliver you. 

The Apostle Peter, one of Jesus’ key leaders wrote this.

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world” 1 Peter 1:6–7 (NLT)

Trails test the reality of your faith. They reveal the impure things of your that that must be removed so you can have a pure faith, solid, secure, and unwavering. Like gold heated to the melting point 1,948 degrees Fahrenheit, the impurities rise quickly to the surface at that heat level. What is rising to the surface in your trial? Fear, anxiety, worry, and anger all seem to bubble up to the surface first.

 

Our Refiner, King Jesus, speaks to us in our trials when these things rise to the surface. He helps us recognize them, pull them away and slowly learn to trust Him more and more in our trials. He keeps purifying us in these trials so our faith would reflect the faith of Jesus Himself.

 

Imagine the temptation of Jesus to dive into fear, anxiety, worry, and anger at the prospect of being betrayed, beaten and going to the cross for humanity who had rejected Him. The night before His crucifixion, He was sweating great drops of blood, crying out to God the Father for some other way, but yielding fully to the Father’s will, saying “Not my will but Thine be done.” He was to face a death like no other man, taking the punishment for all the sins of all humanity upon Himself. Jesus struggled through this trial and got his eyes firmly fixed on the Resurrection that the Father had promised and the place of honor at the right hand of God that was His when He ascended.

 

He went through the betrayal and the crucifixion as no other man. His eyes were on the promise of God to Him and not on the pain and trouble He was to face. He went through it powerfully, magnificently, and perfectly. He went through it with peace and love, not anger and anxiety. He went through it with an unwavering trust in the Father’s love for Him not a fear that God was out to get Him. He knew the Father was going to deliver Him. His spirit and mind were settled upon following the Father’s and doing things God’s way. This is why the Word of God calls Jesus, the Author our Faith. He wrote the manual on faith and exemplified how we should live by faith.

 

So remember, when the heat is turned up in your life, and you are being grieved by various trials, that the ugliness of fear, anxiety/worry, and anger are being scraped away from your soul. Peace, love, joy, and an unwavering trust in God is being built in your life and the ugliness is being removed.

 

How do you know there is an end to these trials?  The Goldsmith would stand at the furnace clearing off the impurities that rise to the surface. He knew he was finished purifying the gold when He could see the perfect reflection of His face in the pure gold!

 

So it is in our lives, when we face fiery trials. We are NOT being punished, but God is transforming us into His beautiful perfect reflection.

 

Trials are for your beautiful transformation into Christlikeness. Keep trusting God through your trials and know that He will deliver you through them! Sit down today and read quietly 1 Peter 1 and let God’s word soak in your life. Rest in His love for you. Tell Him everything that is bothering you. Thank Him for changing you and that He is going to deliver you through this troubling time.

 

Don’t give up!

Bill Stevens

Bill@theWellLoveland.com

Get updates in your Inbox!

[ninja_form id=”2″]

Spiritual Self-Care is Desperately Needed

By Hope For Today

Serving a lot?  Giving a lot of yourself? Distracted? Worried? Anxious? Frustrated? If these words don’t describe you, they describe me, many times. Too many times for my own comfort. Jesus was visiting some friends of his and had a convo with a lady named Martha who had let her spiritual self-care slip and it began to show negatively in her life. You won’t believe how she did it, by serving.

Can you actually serve too much? Yes, you can. Her little sister Mary wasn’t like that at all, she took care of herself spiritually much better than Martha.  Personally, I think most normal people are like Martha and Mary is the person we want to be like.

Look at the story and see what we can learn about proper spiritual self-care.

“As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” 41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38–42 (NLT)

Notice what happens when we fail to care for our spiritual life:

  • We begin to think our work and serving is more important than spiritual self-care.
  • We work and serve continually expending our energy without genuinely recharging, thus depleting any joy we might have to share with others.
  • We start comparing our work and service with others who don’t look like they are serving as hard as we are.
  • We become upset, frustrated, angry, bitter, and resentful because our batteries are low and our focus is not on Jesus in the right way.
  • We don’t feel we are being treated fairly.
  • We get distracted away from God and being in community with others because of our serving.
  • We don’t think God cares about how much we are serving.

When we get in this place we need to recognize it and put the brakes on! Our emotions are fractured and our souls are empty. We need to stay filled up on a regular basis by through Spiritual self-care.  Look at Mary’s example for proper Spiritual self-care.

How to care for yourself spiritually.

  • Walk away from your to-do list and all the distracting work you have to do. There are legit things that must be done, like taking care of the needs of 13 hungry men who just dropped in. They didn’t even text them to let them know. Dominos was closed. Sometimes the things we have to walk away from for a while are extremely important, but we have to care for ourselves in this journey of life.
  • Spend extended time at the “feet of Jesus” listening to Him teach you of Himself and His ways. I do this through Scripture reading, meditation, journaling, listening to the audio Bible, Bible study groups, and going to church.
  • Still yourself and quieten your mind. Remove yourself from all distractions. I get alone and turn off all of the devices.
  • Engage in community with others who are pursuing knowing Christ. You need to hang out with others who are pursuing Christ.
  • Focus your attention on Jesus and His words. Let them sink in, read it over and over again. Think about one verse or one passage and ask Him to help you understand it. He will.

Spending time in spiritual self-care will do great things!

  • Mary wasn’t bitter, angry, or frustrated. She was calm, peace filled, and encouraged greatly by the things Jesus said, especially those things He said about her.
  • You will be blessed by Jesus! Jesus told Martha that Mary was doing the best thing.  This is difficult to grasp for us doers.
  • Your spiritual battery will be recharged! Your soul will be filled up with the joy, love, and care of Jesus. He will help wash away all of the cares and help strengthen you internally so you can serve with joy, not bitterness.
  • God will reward you because your seeking Him will please Him! “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)

Your spiritual self-care is NECESSARY.

He said there is only one thing worth being concerned about and Mary discovered it. She is the one being honored as an example to follow. Now, look at the context of this passage. Jesus had just sent out 72 missionaries, preached and taught, debriefed the 72 missionaries, and then this happened with Martha and Mary. He immediately taught on prayer and time with God after this passage.  The placement of this passage in Scripture speaks volumes on the emphasis that Jesus is trying to get us to understand how much we need time with Him. Serving expends energy and requires us to spend time with Jesus.

He said without Spiritual self-care we can do NOTHING.

  • “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

He said with Spiritual self-care we can do ANYTHING!

  • “But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” John 15:7 (NLT)

Take some Simple Steps

So, take time out each day to pursue Christ, simply, quietly, without the distractions. Take some time to read His Word. You can begin in the Gospel of John or Luke. Those are both great places to begin your journey of pursuing Him. Read until you get a verse or passage that arrests your attention and ask Him to help you understand it. Tell him the troubles you are facing and the things you need. He understands all you are going through. Let His life fill yours. You won’t regret it!

Bill Stevens

Lead Pastor at The Well

Get Encouraging Devotionals Like This in your Inbox

[ninja_form id=”2″]

About

Bill and Stephanie Stevens lead The Well, a new church coming to northern Colorado in the Loveland-Johnstown area.  Email them for more information about The Well.

Info@TheWellLoveland.com

Easter Sunday Morning! April 21st at 9:00 or 10:30

By Articles, Blog, Hope For Today

Hey Friends,

If Easter is about anything, it is about how God wants us to have a Fresh Start with Him!   This is going to be an amazing Sunday!  You want to bring the family and your friends! Come and See!

Bill Stevens

Lead Pastor

COME THIS EASTER & BRING A FRIEND!

APRIL 21, 2019

9:00 or 10:30

LOCATION:

COMFORT SUITES by SCHEELS Sporting Goods

KIDS CHURCH TOO!

Get updates in your Inbox!

[ninja_form id=”2″]

Kill vs Murder? What about Military, Police, and Self-Defense?

By Hope For Today

April 9, 2019

Many warriors and police officer struggle with guilt for taking someone’s life.  Mr. Tony, a WW2 Naval warrior for the USA, passed away 10 days ago at the age of 98. He on some impressive ships in the Pacific. He never told his family what he did, but his family found out that He was a gunner.

 

Mr. Tony had told me he “felt” God couldn’t forgive him – but He was wrong!  He struggled with guilt, shame, and self-condemnation for what he had to do in the war. Mr. Tony wasn’t alone.  

Thou Shalt Not Murder or Kill?  What about Military, Law Enforcement, and Self-defense?

It was a dark night in April 2008 when Bill called me. I had only spoken to him once since the last time I saw him about 9 years prior.  Bill was an army sniper in Vietnam. He saw lots of action, the kind Hollywood celebrates and wows young men, the kind of action that fuels Rambo type movies, but also the kind of action that causes an older reflective man to wake up in cold sweats. I met Bill in the first church where I was pastor in the late 90’s.

Strangely enough I met Richard, another unrelated Vietnam war army sniper about 5 years previously. He saw the same kind of action. The kind of action that plays on a man’s nerves years later.

I am grateful I knew both these men and that they allowed me into their “brotherhood.” Men who went to war, rarely if ever talk to those who didn’t go about the things they did.

Strangely enough, they had the same question, how can I be forgiven for taking another man’s life?

The question is still alive and well with our military today, police officers who have to kill in the line of work, prison executioners, and even home owners who while protecting themselves or their family have to take the life of someone else.

What is a man or woman to do when the stark cold reality hits that they took a person’s life from them. They have entered into the realm of eternity and have made the appointment with their Maker as the Bible says “And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27).  The one who had to take their life in self-defense, military call of duty, or law enforcement is now facing guilt, shame, and an overwhelming sense of a need for forgiveness.

Three Things

What is this person to do?  I want you to consider these things that will help you overcome these haunting memories.

First, you need to understand God’s perspective.

What you did, did not surprise God.  He knows it, saw it, and could have stopped it.  Why didn’t He? I don’t know.  That is part of getting God’s perspective. God never said “Thou Shalt Not Kill.”  He did say “You shall not MURDER.” (Exodus 20:13).  Some older translations (ASV, AV, KJV, RSV) wrongly translate this passage as “Thou Shalt Not Kill.”  The Hebrew word used is the one for murder – taking one’s life without just cause. These two concepts, “Killing” and “Murder,  are worlds apart. The Bible is replete with examples of God giving governments to carry out capital punishment, to make war, and for individuals to protect themselves and their families. (see Genesis 9:5-6, Romans 13:1-7).  If God’s Word said that you cannot kill and then God tells the nation of Israel to make war on a certain nation, or for them to kill someone who murdered someone else – wouldn’t that make God kinda schizophrenic?  God would be telling us not to do one thing and then telling us it was OK another time.  That is not the character of God.

If your government gave you responsibility and charge to fight for your city, state, or country – they have the greater responsible. I am not talking about blaming everything you do on the government and saying that you were “just following orders” like the Nazi’s did. There is such thing as a just war.

Second, Receive God’s Forgiveness.

If you were justified in your actions, then that doesn’t mean you will not have feelings of guilt and remorse. If you were not justified in your actions, you will still have feelings of guilt, shame, and remorse. The fog of a “politically correct” war can even lead to cloudy judgments and self-scrutinization that were never intended for the warrior.

God never intended you to live under a cloud of guilt, shame, and condemnation. This is the reason God the Father sent God the Son, Jesus to reveal His love toward us, then be the sacrifice for our sins upon the cross.

Jesus, God the Son, took the punishment for ALL of your sins.

All means everything – even “Thou Shalt Not Murder.”

When you place your faith in Jesus as the Lord of your life (Leader/Master/Boss), and trust in His death as the PAYMENT, the punishment for your sins – He forgives you completely.  You are totally and completely forgiven. There is nothing else you need to do for forgiveness. There is no future punishment for your wrong actions – Jesus took all of the punishment, guilt, and shame – for you.

Jesus’ death on the cross was an exchange for the punishment, guilt, shame, and condemnation we all deserve for all of our sins – no matter how “big” or “small.”  He took it all upon Himself so we could have total and complete forgiveness!

If you haven’t received His forgiveness, then there are two real requirements:

Requirement #1:  Place your faith in Jesus’ death as total payment for your sins, and that He proved what He did was acceptable to God by being resurrected from the grave.  Tell Jesus this in your own words and ask Him to forgive you of all your sins.

Requirement #2:  Surrender the leadership of your life. Surrender being the boss of your life to Jesus and allow Him to be the Lord (boss/master) of your life.  Tell Jesus you want Him to be the Lord of your life and you are surrendering control of your life to Him.

Thank Him for the new life He has given you!

Welcome! You are now in the Christ Follower family if you prayed and connected with Jesus in these two areas.

 

Third.  Walk in God’s Forgiveness of You.

Haven’t you heard or said, “Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to forgive yourself”?  We don’t really have a problem forgiving ourselves. The real problem is truly believing God has forgiven us completely.

If you have received God’s Forgiveness – you are forgiven completely.

  • Stop condemning yourself – God has removed all condemnation from you to Jesus.
  • Stop guilting yourself – God took all of your guilt and placed it upon Jesus.
  • Stop shaming yourself – All of the same you deserved was placed upon Jesus.

Why Jesus?  Because He could handle it all, even the punishment for our sins, death. He handled it like God would then He arose from the dead, like God, because He is God!

We couldn’t handle our guilt, shame, and condemnation we deserved, but God could and did, like a good-good Father.

You may have been taught something different about God’s forgiveness, but this is what the Bible teaches from cover-to-cover. We can sit down and look at passage after passage for hours looking at God’s amazing love and forgiveness through Jesus only. 

If you were acting justly in self defense, law enforcement, or military orders then walk in the fact that you did nothing wrong. It was horrible and a terrible thing, but not wrong. However if you really feel you did something wrong, then ask God to forgive you. The fog of war, especially the “politically correct” fog of war is something warriors were never meant to experience.

Other things to consider in helping you to heal through this process:

  • Walk in God’s Grace toward you. He loves you and you are highly favored by God.
  • Pray for those families that were affected by the incident or directives.
  • Forgive anyone who you may have caused you trouble in this. Don’t become a casualty of bitterness.
  • Don’t be a victim. Be an empowered survivor! You went through something terrible and God is going to help you through the valley.
  • Get in a Bible teaching church. There are many churches that are really good, but find one that will help you understand the Bible better each time you go.
  • Walk in faith! God is going to carry you through this!

Your friend

Bill Stevens

Get Encouraging Articles in Your Inbox

[ninja_form id=”2″]

Authentic Worship Pleases God – Part 1

By Hope For Today

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.” Romans 12:1 (NLT)

God wants us to live life to the fullest, but the only way we can experience and live this life is by pursuing a lifestyle of authentic worship. In Biblical times they would sacrifice animals, their own lambs, but there wasn’t anything really personal about it. Then God made it really personal- real – raw amazingly authentic, by sending His only Son to be executed as a sacrifice for each of our individual sins, our personal rebellion. Real – authentic love for us.

So what should our response be?  Authentic, real, raw, loving worship to God?  What does this look like?

1..  Authentic worship begins an overflow of gratitude for what God has done for you. Gratitude is our core motivation for real spiritual success. It is our deepens, most sincere, most real self. Gratitude shows who you really are more than anything else. What are you thankful for? What should you be slowing down and savoring in gratitude?  Are you taking anything Christ has done for you for granted? Slow down and spend a little more time in gratitude to God each day. Thank Him moment by moment.

2… Authentic worship involves surrendering ownership of yourself. As a kid I would hear, “Stick em up!” in the cartoons and someone would inevitably give up and raise their hands in the air, in surrender. This is why many raise their hands as they sing in worship. It is vulnerable and a sign of surrender. Daily, this is to be expressed by surrendering your will to Christ. Yielding does not come naturally to the human spirit. We are made tenacious and ferocious in the pursuit of our own will. The human condition is that people rebel against God continually, but authentic worship for the Christ Follower is a daily acknowledgement of personal surrender to Christ Jesus as the King of your life.

3..  Authentic worship is presenting your most sacred to God.  No, not your iPhone, keys to your car or house, the tv remote, but your body. “Give your bodies” to God. There is nothing more sacred than your body. We clean, cover, and care for them daily. But there is nothing more inclusive about us than the term, “body”, which includes our entire being, mind, will, emotions, and our physique which carries all of these around to places they should be or should not be. Authentic worship is surrendering every area of your body, mind, will, emotions, etc. to god as the owner and the One deserving of our honor.

Assess yourself. How would you think God would be pleased with how and what you are doing with your body? Thoughts or secret thought life? Emotions – are they out of bounds with anger, greed, rage, fear, and anxiety?  Is your will and decisions leading or pushing you away from God?

4.. Authentic worship is focused only on what God thinks, not others.

Inevitably the thought of our bodies leads us to comparisons over weight, looks, shape, style, and fitness level. God looks at your heart. I find it very hypocritical for the self-righteous guy who doesn’t drink but eats a gallon of ice cream each evening, but he doesn’t have a problem judging others because they drink some. Jesus actually taught us to judge ourselves, not others.

You don’t have to live for the approval of others. We are living for an Audience of One, His approval alone. No one can give you a list of what you should and should not do with your body to perfectly please God

5..  Authentic worship is a pleasing sacrifice to God. Your surrender of yourself and devoting your entirety to honor God is more pleasing than anything else you could offer God. No sacrifice of money, material goods, or even the blood of an animal can compare to a person yielding their life daily to follow Christ.

The problem with these “living sacrifices” is that they tend to get up off the altar and wander off. Maybe you have listened to the voice of your will, not God, and wandered off from Him. Come back today. He is ready to authentically forgive the person who is real with Him about their struggles. He understands. He is ready to receive your authentic worship as you choose to honor Him daily.

Father, I confess my life has not been fully honoring You. I chose today, now, to yield my life afresh to You. Thank You for Your forgiveness, grace, and mercy to me. Help me as I seek to honor you in all things today. Amen.

Get Rid of The Guilt and Shame

By Hope For Today

One of the greatest things people struggle with most is overcoming guilt, shame, and condemnation feelings for things they actually did wrong, but Jesus came to deliver you from this completely.

Bill Stevens

1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.” Romans 8:1–4 (NLT)

Read this passage again. Slowly read verse 1, “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” How do I get to this place of guilt free, shame free, and not condemned living?

1.. Understand what laws in the Bible were not capable of doing:

God gave two kinds of laws, moral code laws like the Ten Commandments and sacrificial laws where they would sacrifice lambs and other animals to remove the guilt of their sin. But there was a problem, not with the law, but with jacked up people and our broken desires. These laws are not capable of giving you life, eternal life, forgiving you, bringing you peace and reconciliation with God, changing your wrong desires, and removing the guilt, shame, and condemnation hanging over your life. They could not clear your guilty conscience nor are they capable of making you a good person either. No matter how hard you try to keep these on your own, you will end up more guilty, full of shame, and under a cloud of condemnation. They could never rescue you from your desires gone wrong and the path of death to where they lead.

2.. So what were the purpose of these laws?

These laws were to point out that impersonal laws are not capable of making you a good person. They could never reach into your heart and change your desires.

These laws pointed out that sin (rebellion against God’s ways) was serious, real serious, but even the blood of a lamb, goal, or a bull could not remove the hostility between humanity and God. People still said, “I want my own way, I don’t want God to be in charge of my life.”

3.. God’s solution to the problem: Himself.

Read verse 3 very slowly and carefully. Look what God did to solve this problem.  God sent His own Son, Christ Jesus. The God who spoke the world into existence became a human. Jesus is God in human flesh. He came to do what the law could not do.

  • He came to forgive fully and remove condemnation, guilt, and shame.
  • He came to give life, not sentence you to death.
  • He came to change you and help you become a new person, unlike the law which just stood there with its finger pointed at you telling you how bad you are.
  • He came to reconcile you to God the Father by making peace with humanity and God Himself.

How did Jesus do this?

God the Father sacrificed His own Son, the worst execution in history. Christ not only died for us but God  poured out all of His wrath and judgment upon His Son. Jesus took all the punishment for all the sins of the world. In doing so, Christ lived a perfect life and became the perfect sinless sacrifice for our sins. He fulfilled the law so you wouldn’t be shackled with religious rules, but be filled with life because you have a personal relationship with Christ. He made a way for you to have this life if you would place your faith in His death as the only hope of removal of your guilt, your shame, and your condemnation. No matter what you have done, His blood sacrifice will wash away your sins, but only if you come to Him and ask Him.

Father, thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus. I receive by faith His sacrifice as the payment for my guilt, shame, and condemnation. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for taking all this from me. Help my feelings to catch up with my faith.  Thank you for forgiveness and for forgiving me. Amen.