Closet Christian

I've often thought about my life as an early Christian, and I know that I have grown since then. God said that we will be known by our fruit, or in other words the things that we do.

HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION: If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? I would hope that there would be plenty today, but earlier in my life the evidence would have been hard to find. I know that we are saved according to John 3: 16 on Romans 10:9, or several other Scriptures. The Bible also says that faith without works is dead. I don't believe that means you can't enter into heaven without good works, but I do think that the good things that we do after confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior are a sign to others that we are maturing in our walk with the Lord. I know that there are many that warm a church pew every Sunday but do not bear any fruit in between Sundays. I know that God says that when we do things (with the right motive) to others it is just like we do them for Him. Some people believe that it is the job of the Pastor to visit the sick, feed the hungry, give to the poor or minister to those in prison. I know that it is the job of the Church (each of us is equipped to do certain things), collectively to make sure that these things are done. Some of the most joyful times in my life have been when I was helping others and I knew that was pleasing to the Lord. Things are different now, and I believe that I am here to tell others about my Lord Jesus and how he wants us to be joyful while on this earth, no matter what our circumstances. With that in mind, I'd like you to read this script and then watch the short video about someone who I would call a closet Christian.

I'm Christian because I have confessed Jesus as my Lord and I believe that God has raised him from the dead. Romans 10: verse nine.
I see people who are hungry and I wished that someone would feed them.
I know about some who are cold and I want someone to give them a coat and a blanket.
Some were sick or new in town and I asked the hospitality committee to visit them and give them a place to stay. Isn't that how it works?  

 
This is only meant as a humorous example. I do know that there have been times in my life when I thought, why doesn't somebody do something to help them. The sad part is that the "somebody" should have been me

Much love, Dennis

Silent Monks Singing Halleluia

I received this in an e-mail from my mother. It is, in a nutshell, what I think defines God's plan for me at this point in my life. It's my job to spread Gospel, let people know that circumstances do not define you, and joy is a decision. This is a song praising the Lord, using humor to do it and with just a touch of cornball for good measure.

Check out the way the cards of the first three are raised at their feet, corny right. Slight possibility of a pun :-)

Much love, Dennis

Please Don't Send Me To Africa

REPENT AND SIN NO MORE

I'm well aware of all of the tragic events throughout this earth lately. If you are interested, I like the way Pastor Wade Burleson spoke concerning Sandy Hook in his blog.

http://www.wadeburleson.org/2012/12/gun-control-and-tragedy-at-sandy-hook.html
I honestly feel like my purpose is to bring a smile with The Gospel. I have several posts in a row with very little humor. Some might say that all of my posts fall into that category :-)
I have decided to put a twist on something that I put up some years ago. To eliminate any doubt is a fabrication.
http://youtu.be/Qp3C6ddRkPE?t=40s

Kris Ewbank and I have been friends since the third grade. Kris has been a committed Christian much longer than I have. Last week we were in Africa where Kris, ( Pastor Kris as he is known there) and I were trying to finish a church building that his ministry team had started. The building was up and finished except for painting the steeple. Since we are not as young as we used to be, climbing up and down the ladder was somewhat of a chore. We were however committed to getting the steeple painted.
It was a large church, so it had a large steeple. We made it slowly to the steeple and put on the first coat of paint. It was a much harder chore than we had expected, and knowing that it would require three coats of paint to sufficiently protect the wood from the harsh African elements was not a pleasant thought.
Just before we started the climb with the second coat of paint, I knocked over one of the 2 gallons of paint that we had left. I could tell Kris was upset, but he said, "I guess we'll add water to this last gallon and maybe it will be okay. The last two coats of paint were applied and we were exhausted.
The next morning we got up and walked over to the church only to see a terrible paint job. There were dark blotches and streaks everywhere. I felt really bad for spilling the paint. Kris calmly said "Let's Just pray about this and see what God wants us to do". So we prayed and almost immediately we heard a booming voice from above that said "REPAINT AND THIN NO MORE"
Much love, Dennis

　

　

　

Thank you

I just saw this video posted to a group on Facebook. It brought a tear to my eye. I can tell you that what my wife does is nothing short of miraculous. I'm so glad that God allowed me to have her in my life. She's not my only care giver, but without her…


http://youtu.be/EIpEM5ht3oo
Much LoveDennis





Much love

Mulligan

I'm reposting due to some of the very small print and the incorrect links on yesterday's text. I know that it was very hard to read on a smartphone.
This time of year is often confused by most of the population of the world. They consider it a holiday mainly for children, who are asked to believe that Santa Claus will bring them gifts if they have been good all year. :-)
The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

This is not just a holiday it is actually a "Christian Holy Day". I'm not angry about all the good that happens outside of a Christian influence during this season, but I would really like for credit to be given where credit is due. God gave the world a gift through his son Jesus. We celebrate his birth on December 25, more than likely not the actual anniversary but a day that we have selected to celebrate.

Another Christian influence that goes unnoticed by most is the way we date our existence on this earth. BC = Before Christ (the anointed one)
AD =An abbreviation used with a date, indicating how many years have passed since the birth of Jesus Christ. The abbreviation may appear before the date (a.d. 1988), or it may appear after the date (1988 a.d.). It stands for anno Domini, a Latin phrase meaning "in the year of our Lord."

Many know the symbol represents the medical profession. The rod or staff with wings and two snakes circling it. There are different theories of its origin, but the one that I believe to be true is this. Numbers 21 verse 8-9
The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
Jesus later explained (see John 3:14 & 15) that just as the Israelites were healed of their sickness by looking at the snake on the pole, all believers today can be saved from the sickness of sin by looking to Jesus’ death and resurrection. It wasn’t the snake on pole that healed the people, but their belief that God could heal them.
Goodbye,
No I'm not done. This also has a Christian origin.
Word History: No doubt more than one reader has wondered exactly how goodbye is derived from the phrase "God be with you." To understand this, it is helpful to see earlier forms of the expression, such as God be wy you, god b'w'y, godbwye, god buy' ye, and good-b'wy. The first word of the expression is now good and not God, for good replaced God by analogy with such expressions as good day, perhaps after people no longer had a clear idea of the original sense of the expression.
Now for the usual joke; since this turned out to be longer than my normal post I'm just going to say that when it comes to Jesus, there is no joke!
Much love Dennis

Merry Christmas

This time of year is often confused by most of the population of the world. They consider it a holiday mainly for children, who are asked to believe that Santa Claus will bring them gifts if they have been good all year. :-)
http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/who-is-st-nicholas/


　

The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara. At the time the area was Greek and is now on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. Obeying Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and was made Bishop of Myra while still a young man. Bishop Nicholas became known throughout the land for his generosity to the those in need, his love for children, and his concern for sailors and ships.

This is not just a holiday it is actually a "Christian Holy Day". I'm not angry about all the good that happens outside of a Christian influence during this season, but I would really like for credit to be given where credit is due. God gave the world a gift through his son Jesus. We celebrate his birth on December 25, more than likely not the actual anniversary but a day that we have selected to celebrate.

Another Christian influence that goes unnoticed by most is the way we date our existence on this earth. BC = Before Christ (the anointed one)

AD =anno DominiAn abbreviation used with a date, indicating how many years have passed since the birth of Jesus Christ. The abbreviation may appear before the date (a.d. 1988), or it may appear after the date (1988 a.d.). It stands for anno Domini, a Latin phrase meaning "in the year of our Lord."
 

Many know the symbol represents the medical profession. There are different theories of its origin, but the one that I believe to be true is this.

  The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
Jesus later explained (see John 3:14 & 15) that just as the Israelites were healed of their sickness by looking at the snake on the pole, all believers today can be saved from the sickness of sin by looking to Jesus’ death and resurrection. It wasn’t the snake on pole that healed the people, but their belief that God could heal them.



Goodbye, no I'm not done. This also has a Christian origin.
Word History:
No doubt more than one reader has wondered exactly how goodbye is derived from the phrase "God be with you." To understand this, it is helpful to see earlier forms of the expression, such as God be wy you, god b'w'y, godbwye, god buy' ye, and good-b'wy. The first word of the expression is now good and not God, for good replaced God by analogy with such expressions as good day, perhaps after people no longer had a clear idea of the original sense of the expression.



Now for the usual joke; since this turned out to be longer than my normal post I'm just going to say that when it comes to Jesus, there is no joke!

Much love Dennis