"Only weak people follow Jesus." - Exactly!

"Look at my awesome power puny Jesus freaks!"

I'll freely admit I'm weak (my hand is raised).

And I'll freely say that I follow Jesus (hand still raised).

Who likes to admit they're weak? No one (unless you're a hypochondriac).

But millions who go to doctors and shrinks every day are basically admitting they are weak and need help.

Nearly 4 million viewers watch Dr. Phil every day - some seeking help. About 2 million watch Dr. Oz every day - some seeking help. And those who watch Jerry Springer? I have no idea what they're looking for.

But there's nothing wrong with admitting you're weak. This can actually be the first step toward gaining lasting strength.

The Surgeon of the Spirit

The world is starving for cures because the world is weak and sick and needs cured - spiritually and physically.

The world has fallen and can't get up.

But my question to you is this, "Will you go to the ultimate, completely free, no-insurance-required, no-appointment-required Doctor of doctors - Jesus?"

"Admit I am weak? Never!"

I've read numerous stories of people who knew God was drawing them to Himself. But they were worried about what their friends, co-workers, and family would say if they became a follower of Jesus. So they resisted and fought against God out of fear of appearing weak.

And this fight against God sometimes lasts for years. Some eventually come to Him after much resistance. Many are still resisting God's grace, love and power for their lives out of fear. Many will go to their graves resisting the One that can give them the greatest love and power they'll ever know.

No one should be ashamed to go to the Doctor of the Soul, the Healer of the Heart, the Surgeon of the Spirit.

What about you? Is God moving in your life? Are you resisting Him out of fear, shame, or some other reason? 

Would you care what others thought if you sought treatment for your cancer, or diabetes, or heart condition, or bunions? Probably not.

Your spiritual health is way more important than other people's opinion. It's your life - live it! 

Sink or swim or get in the boat!

Not realizing and not admitting your need for God is nothing new.

¹⁵ While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Him and His disciples, for there were many who followed Him. ¹⁶ When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw Him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked His disciples: “Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹⁷ On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”(Mark 2)

Jesus' words to the self-righteous religious leaders went right over their heads. They thought they were the ones who were "healthy" and had no need of a spiritual physician. Were they right? Let's see. The Apostle Paul, a former self-righteous Pharisee and former hater of Jesus wrote this,

⁹ What then? Are we better than they? No, in no way! For we have before proved that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin. ¹⁰ As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; ¹¹ there is none that understand; there is none that seek after God. ¹² They have all gone from the way; they have together become unprofitable; there is none that do good, no, not one.” (Romans 3)

"I cannot swim."

Well, there you have it. We're all helplessly drowning in the deep waves of the disease of sin and spiritual sickness until we come into the safety of the mega-ship that Jesus captains.

Like Noah's ark was salvation from the flood, the ship called Salvation that Jesus' runs is your only hope to be rescued and healed from sin and its nasty side effects.

There's plenty of room in the boat for you, even if you're massively muscular.

Are you weak?

Maybe you don't think you're weak and need Jesus. Do you suffer from the disease of sin? Well, are you going to die? If so, then you're weak.

None of us have the physical or spiritual strength to sustain our own lives. We're mortal. When our time's up, we're totally powerless to resist death. But let's be honest - there are a lot more signs of our weakness and need than the fact that we're headed toward the grave.

But be encouraged - these weak, sin-ravaged bodies will be raised to new, immortal heights at the resurrection.

⁴² So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; ⁴³ It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: ⁴⁴ It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
(1 Corinthians 15)

You don't just go into the grave and that's it. Just as the awesome redwood tree comes from a tiny seed, your body is planted and will someday come forth as much more than the seed that was planted.

And who do you think is going to raise you? Jesus, the One Who lifted Himself out of death. Yes, you need Him.   

But what can you do now? You need strength now!

King David, the mighty warrior, cried out to God, "Lord, have mercy on me. I’m so weak. Lord, heal me. My body is full of pain" (Psalm 6:2). He realized his weakness and where his healing would come from. And God continually sustained him. He can do the same for you.

Copy and paste David's words into your life.

God chooses the weak

Notice in the story above at Levi's house that the self-righteous Pharisees weren't eating at the table with Jesus and the sinners. They were merely critical observers looking down their noses while the sick enjoyed the company of their Savior.

God works with the weak while being at odds with those who think they are strong and think they have no need of a crutch called Jesus. Paul wrote,

²⁶ Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before Him. (1 Corinthians 1)

The Apostle Paul had many weaknesses. And God sustained him through them. Sometimes God doesn't remove the source of our pain, but strengthens us through it with a supernatural level of strength we are unable to get on our own. Paul wrote,

⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. ⁹ But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12)

Nobody said life would be easy. But do you want to go through it with the power of Jesus on you or not?

He still makes house calls

Jesus isn't just sitting in His clinic twirling His stethoscope.

"I know you're in there."

He's actively coming to those who are sick and need Him. You don't have to set an appointment to see Dr. Jesus. And He won't fill you full of symptom-masking drugs with life-threatening side effects. He'll actually heal and strengthen you spiritually. He may even heal you physically. But your spiritual health is His main concern.

Some of us won't realize and admit our true weakness and need for The Doctor even on a deathbed, or as life fades away. Many won't see their need for God until the judgment.

It's good to admit you're weak. This relieves you from the stress of trying to be strong when you're not. Letting Jesus strengthen you and lift you up is much easier, because His strength is lasting. When we try to manufacture our own strength, it can cause us to become weaker through the energy it takes and the stress it causes. There's nothing wrong with being weak. We get into trouble when we think we're strong - then we don't seek the One Who is strong.

But all will eventually see their weakness and need.

Let this invitation from Jesus to all people sink deep into your heart - then just do it.

²⁸ “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11)

Isn't it time to lighten your load and connect with the true source of strength - Jesus?

Call out to Jesus now - "Lord, have mercy on me. I’m so weak. Lord, heal me. My body is full of pain."


Sincerely,
Wes

P.S. Share a story of how God has strengthened you.  

Mosh-pit morality

 
Last Friday my sons Levi and Seth invited me to go to a concert to watch 5 metal bands in Iowa City. These metal bands play hard, fast, ultra-aggressive music. No ballads here. All of the bands at this show screamed their lyrics. I didn't know the bands at all, so I literally understood zero words that were sung/screamed.

But the fans, mostly kids, knew the lyrics. And it seemed the lyrics to many of the songs had deep meaning for them.

Overall, I had a good time. Mostly because I was with my boys and their friends. It does an old dog some good to hang with the pups in their world.

The pit of life

One of the main ingredients of concerts with these types of bands is the mosh pit. This is the place on the floor where some of the crowd dance wildly and intentionally collide with each other as they cross the pit from different directions.

This is in contrast with another part of these shows - the circle pit, where some of the crowd run hard in a circle in the same direction. There's still a lot of contact in the circle pit.

I didn't mosh at this concert. I hung up my mosh shoe before all the kids at this show pooped in their first diaper. I say "shoe" (singular) because the last time I moshed was in the early 90's to the band House of Large Sizes, and I blew a shoe. I don't remember if I found it or not.

The mosh pit is sweaty, chaotic, bloody, hard, fun, loaded with B.O., unpredictable. It's a lot like life. Some people stand on the sidelines, some jump in head first and get the biggest bang for their buck while the show's on. Even if it costs them some pain and teeth.

But one thing about the mosh pit stood out to me as I watched the chaos. When someone got knocked down - who was probably a complete stranger - other moshers would immediately stop and pick up their fallen comrade, then quickly resume moshing.

I thought to myself, "The world would be a much better place if we all stopped to pick up those around us who've fallen." This is preferred to what we see too often in life - people trampling over those who are weaker or just in the way.

The Yoder Floater  technique

The screaming ambassadors

2 of the 5 bands, Phinehas and headliner For Today, encouraged the crowd and proclaimed Jesus from the stage. And I thought their messages were very good.

It was so encouraging to see that God's got His ambassadors in every corner of life, boldly proclaiming the name and love of Jesus.



Sincerely,
Wes

P.S.

Girls just wanna have head-crackin' fun

   

"Jesus just stepped on my toes!"

Whether the question "Does man have free will?" is answered with "Yes" or "No," an age-old wild-goose chase is officially entered. I really enjoy eating goose, not chasing it.

I personally have never heard an air-tight defense for either answer to this challenging question. Though I obviously don't know everything, I do know that I don't want to dive into this fruitless debate.

A better question

I think there's a better question we can ask concerning man's will. A question for which we can find an encouraging, faith-building Biblical solution. The question:

"Who's will ultimately prevails - God's or man's?"

The hierarchy of wills

Look around at the world. Or stare into your own mirror. It seems as though man is currently winning the battle of wills with God. Is God letting man win this battle? Or is man more powerful than God? Or is God "the perfect Gentleman," Who will not step on man's tender little toes, even when it would be good for man if He did?

It's vital to remember that God is still working toward His ultimate goals. And it's also important to keep in mind that God is supernaturally patient (2 Peter 3:8-9). To look around and see what's currently going on and assume this is as good as it gets is being shortsighted.

I submit to you that God's will is infinitely higher and more powerful than man's. And God will eventually accomplish all of His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

But you must look into the future with the eyes of faith to see it.

God's will prevails in judgment

God, "the perfect Gentleman," judges humanity against humanity's will.

As Noah was putting the finishing touches on the ark, CNN polled people and asked, "Do you want to drown in the massive flood?". Not surprisingly, 100% of people polled did not want to die in the flood. But they all died, except those in the ark. God stepped on a few toes that day, and His will prevailed in judgment. (Note: He's not done with these people yet.)

Jesus said in John 5,

²⁸ Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear His voice ²⁹ and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. (Revised Standard Version)

Do you think those who are in the sleep of death will be happy to be raised to face Jesus in the resurrection of judgment? No. But God's will prevails over man's in judgment.

Raise your hand if you want to be cast into the lake of fire at the great white throne judgment. No takers? But an innumerable mass of people will be put into the lake of fire - those who are not found written in the book of life (Revelation 20:15). Again, God's will prevails over man's in judgment.

"So," you ask, "God strong-arms the rebellious into judgment? Does God use His almighty will for anythin' good?"

I'm so very glad you asked.

God's will prevails in salvation

Though sometimes God's judgment is necessary, there is also a time for God's ultimate will - salvation.

[God our Savior] will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4 - King James Version)

Many believe God will save all people and bring them to the truth. Many say God can't do this. Many say God won't do this.

Saul, the hyper-religious Pharisee, hated and persecuted the resurrected Jesus and His followers. With bad intentions, he headed from Jerusalem to Damascus to rough up some Christians.

Jesus met Saul on the way with His own set of intentions - a completely different, good plan for Saul's life. Jesus confronted him, humbled him, temporarily blinded him, and told him he was fighting a losing battle.

Jesus then overwhelmed Saul with grace, faith and love.

Jesus' foremost persecutor, who called himself "the worst of sinners," was changed by Jesus into one of His greatest ambassadors. Saul became Paul and wrote a large portion of the New Testament. God's will prevailed in the salvation of "the worst of sinners."

"Yeah, but Saul was the exception to the rule." Was he? Keep reading.  

Hyper grace

Paul later wrote about his life-changing encounter with Jesus.

13 I, who formerly was a calumniator [blasphemer] and a persecutor and an outrager: but I was shown mercy, seeing that I do it being ignorant, in unbelief.
14 Yet the grace of our Lord overwhelms, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
15 Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all welcome, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, foremost of whom am I.
16 But therefore was I shown mercy, that in me, the foremost, Jesus Christ should be displaying all His patience, for a pattern of those who are about to be believing on Him for life eonian.
(1 Timothy 1:13-16 - Concordant Literal New Testament)

Notice the word overwhelms in verse 14. This is the only occurrence of the Greek word huperpleonazo in the Bible. It's a compound word made of huper (from which we get hyper), meaning over or beyond, and pleonazo, meaning to superabound or to exist in abundance.

So we could say that the grace of Jesus over-superabounded Saul. It seriously overwhelmed him. He couldn't stop Jesus' grace. Definition of grace: Favor given to those who deserve the opposite.

Saul couldn't stop Jesus' undeserved favor, even though he deserved judgment. That's GRACE! And it truly is amazing. God's will prevailed in salvation.

"Yeah, but God had a plan for Saul. Like I said before, he's an exception to the rule."

Verse 16 tells us Saul was the pattern for those who would believe on Jesus, not the exception.

We are all saved by the same general pattern of Saul. We are ignorantly rebellious in unbelief, confronted by the supernaturally-patient Jesus, humbled, shown mercy, overwhelmed by His grace, reconciled to Him. That's how He accomplishes 1 Timothy 2:4.

But wait! There's more!

"Hi! Billy Mays here! You'll not just receive Jesus' undeserved favor, you'll also receive - FREE of charge and with NO shipping and handling costs - faith and love!" 

Notice in verse 14 above that Jesus didn't just overwhelm Saul with grace, but with faith and love.

Jesus gives us the faith that is essential to believe in Him. And the love we need to properly relate to Him. Talk about gifts! Merry Christmas indeed! Four for the price of none - Jesus, grace, faith and love.

It cost Saul absolutely nothing in this transaction (which is always the case when you get a gift). Jesus did all the work. And Saul got this while he was on his way to persecute Jesus' followers. Yeah, Jesus stepped on Saul's toes, and His will prevailed in salvation!

Notice verse 15 - "Jesus came into the world to save sinners." This is part of His enormous, but doable, mission from His Father. ♪♫One sinner at a tiiiiiiiime, sweet Jesus!♫♪

He'll finish this mission. All sinners will be saved, even if billions of toes get bruised in the process.

Lost sheep are found

"Hey Jesus. I've, uh, been looking for You. No, really!"

Jesus said in John 10:11, "I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep."
 
When Jesus goes after a lost sheep, doesn't He realize that maybe Fluffy just wants to be left alone?

Well, Jesus has bigger plans for ignorant little Fluffy. And He's got bigger plans for all of us. Yes, all of us have been ignorantly lost sheep. Jesus has rescued some of us. He will eventually rescue all of us because He "is come to save that which was lost" (Matthew 18:11).

Be encouraged by this story.

Then drew near unto [Jesus] all the publicans [tax collectors] and sinners for to hear Him.
And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, "This man receives sinners, and eats with them."
And He spoke this parable unto them, saying, "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoices more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, 'Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.'
Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."
(Combination of Matthew 18:13-14 and Luke 15:1-7)

Notice what God's will is - "Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." Have we not all been little ones? It's God's will that none of us perish.

Can you see from this story the value of every single sheep?

And the lost sheep was passive in his rescue.

Yes, Jesus can save you all by Himself, just like He saved Saul. He doesn't need your help. He'll lay you on His shoulders and get you where you need to be. Then He'll go back out to get the rest of the lost sheep.

That's why He's called "the Great Shepherd of the sheep" (Hebrews 13:20).

"Overruled!"

God's not concerned with being "the perfect Gentleman," Who never violates our wayward wills.

God, as Judge and Savior, will overrule us. He has to. If He didn't, we would remain lost sheep. And that's obviously not His plan for any of us.

God's will will ultimately prevail over man's. And we should be glad it does, because His will is good, pleasing, and perfect (Romans 12:2). He knows what He's doing, and He doesn't care if it makes sense to us right now.

God says in Isaiah 46,

⁹ ... I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me,
¹⁰ Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure."

Rejoice in this!


Sincerely,
Wes

P.S. So, does man have free will? I like Dilbert's final answer.


 

 

Crushing Jesus

Have you ever felt like God's a gazillion miles away? Or that He's not even there at all? I think we've probably all felt this way at one time or another. But what's the reality of God's nearness to us? How far away is He?

Finding the invisible God

I've often imagined what my life would've been like if I'd lived during other times - the early stages of man's existence, or the wild west in America, or the time when Jesus walked the earth. But I didn't have a say in the matter. So here I am, right where God wants me in 2016.

God determined where you, and everyone else, would be born. And He determined what time in history you would live.

There's one major reason why you were plopped into the circumstances of your life. 

Paul, a follower of Jesus, explained this reason to a crowd in Athens who'd never heard of Jesus. 

²² Paul then stood up in the meeting of the council on Mars Hill and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. ²³ For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you."
²⁴ “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. ²⁵ And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. ²⁶ From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us. ²⁸ ‘For in Him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are His offspring.’... " (Acts 17)

Those words I put in bold, especially the bold italics, were given by God through Paul to give you hope.

"Open your eyes. I'm right here."

God created you exactly when and where He wanted you to be so you "would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him." And this is exactly what will eventually happen for all people. If not in this life, in the next. He'll cause you to find Him, even if He has to grab and crank your distracted, reluctant head.  

God is not far from you!

So why does He sometimes (or maybe all the time) seem so far away? The answer lies in the following story.

Suffering woman seeks, reaches for, and finds God

The purpose of the following uplifting true story is to help us find our God, Who is already near.

As Jesus was on His way, the crowds almost crushed Him.
And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her.
She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.
When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch His clothes, I will be healed.”  
Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched My clothes?”
When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against You.”
But Jesus said, “Someone touched Me; I know that power has gone out from Me.”
Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at His feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched Him and how she had been instantly healed.
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
(Combination of Mark 5:26-34 and Luke 8:42-48)

Awesome story.

The frenzied crowds were nearly crushing Jesus. But only one person in the mass seemed to catch His attention. Someone had sought Him, reached out for Him, and found Him as God desires to happen according to Acts 17:26-27.

A life-changing and life-saving connection had been made between the poor woman and Jesus.

Why some connect with Jesus, and some don't

Was power going out of Jesus to other people in the crowd that were bumping into and nearly crushing Him? It doesn't seem so. If you're merely bumping into Jesus but aren't connected to Him and His power, He's basically "an unknown god" to you, as He was to the Athenians in Acts 17.

So what was it about this suffering woman's touching His clothes that was different from all those who were nearly smothering Him? Faith! According to God's desire in Acts 17:27, she

• sought Him
• reached out for Him
• found Him

When you do these expecting to make a genuine connection with God - the invisible God will somehow make Himself known to you. And you'll know that you've connected with Him.

These are three things that ANYONE, ANYWHERE can do to come to know Jesus. I was just an average Joe in my early twenties when I met Jesus in St. Louis Park, Minnesota in the early '90s. Just me and Jesus in my empty one-bedroom apartment. And I haven't been the same since then.

Are you expectantly doing these three things? This is God's desire for you. And He's crafted the circumstances of your life for it to happen. Why not today? Why not right now, right where you are? Don't move a muscle, except the ones you need to call out to Jesus.

If you've already connected with God, that's awesome. Stay with Him.

Power for you

When power went out of Jesus, the woman received it and greatly benefited. (Don't worry, Jesus won't run out of power. There's plenty for everyone.)

But when you don't know Him, you don't experience His power.

When someone comes to Jesus with faith, they receive a unique, supernatural power directly from Jesus. He's got a monopoly on this power. You can't buy it. You can't sell it. Jesus gives it freely to those who seek Him, reach for Him, and find Him. And His power can do amazing things. For this woman it was physical healing. And I'm sure she was healed emotionally also. Wouldn't you love to talk with her and hear her whole story?

This power also connects us to Jesus so that we know He's near us, even when we may not feel that He is. It's like my relationship with my wife. I always know she loves me, but I don't always get a tingly feeling about it (but sometimes my heart does beat a little faster when I think about her). I would rather know that she loves me than be dependent on fickle feelings to prove her love to me. I can always know, but I don't always feel.

"I tried the Jesus thing and it didn't work."

I don't know your exact situation. But I've heard people say they "tried" Jesus and it didn't work. Some of these people merely went into a church building expecting something magical to happen. And nothing happened other than them adding Jesus to their list of things that don't work. They may have very well been in a dead church where Jesus wasn't the focus at all. There could have been other factors that prevented them from connecting with Jesus.

Seek Him, reach for Him, find Him

Notice in the story above that the suffering woman didn't go to the synagogue for healing (though she may have tried this earlier). She'd tried things that had no power for 12 long years, and she grew worse. Finally, she went directly to Jesus, because she knew He was the One with the power she needed. He was her last hope. And she was healed.

Have you gone directly to Jesus? Or have you simply done some religious stuff - where there is zero power - and gave up.

Or maybe you've done religious stuff for many years, and you still don't know Jesus and His power. Notice above in Acts 17:22-23 that the Athenians were "very religious," but they didn't know God.

Where are you placing your hope for healing, power and salvation? Are you trying everything except Jesus? If so, how's that working out? He's still there, not far from you - seek Him, reach out for Him, find Him.

What does Jesus have in store for you when you come to Him? Love, power, grace, forgiveness, relationship, peace, hope, new life, and so much more. I can try to explain it, but you need to experience it.

Sincerely,
Wes

P.S. Never forget this: You are the offspring of the living, loving, almighty God.

"Hitler escapes from Hell!"

In the distant future ...

British Anchorwoman: "This just in: Adolph Hitler, yes that Adolph Hitler, has escaped from Hell. The Twittersphere is exploding with eye-witness reports of the former Führer eating tacos in New Jerusalem. Let's go live to the scene and reporter Mox Malik."

Indian Reporter: "Yes, Jeannine, I'm here at the so-called 'gates of Hell,' and the place seems secure. There are no signs of a break-out. The enormous gates are completely intact. A huge crowd is gathering to see if the reports of Hitler's escape are true. Sir! Excuse me, sir! Did you see what happened here?"

Jewish Witness: "Yes. I saw the whole thing."

"Could you please tell our viewers exactly what you saw?"

"Sure. I walked over to the gates, unlocked them, and let Adolph go free."

"So Adolph Hitler did not escape from Hell?"

"That's right. Jeannine's lead-in and the headline on this blog post are wrong. Mox, those who come here can't escape from their judgment. Didn't you see the size of the lock? Besides, I have the only key."

"OK. But why did you let him go free?"

"He was properly judged and became very humble. He repented and asked me to forgive him. So I did. He's a new man now. You should go talk with him. He's very pleasant and witty. I bet he'll even buy the first round of tacos."

"You forgave him?"

"Yes."

"Sir, don't you know about all the horrible things Mr. Hitler did?"

"Yes Mox, I'm very well aware of his past. Don't you know what I did?"

"Yes! You released one of the worst people who ever lived!"

"True, I did do that. But I also died for Adolph, just as I died for everyone else so they could be set free from sin and death and be made right with God. I change people. I make them new."

"Sir, who are you?"

"I'm Jesus, the Savior of the world. It says so right in the Bible."


_______________________________________________________
Note: This is a fictional story. I don't know if Hitler even likes tacos. But the general idea of the story is something that will actually happen - the salvation of all people through Jesus, even the very worst of us. He'll do it. And that's great news. I'm excited to see how this plays out in the future.

The following is not fiction:

⁴ [God our Savior] will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; ⁶ Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (1 Timothy)

And one thing is certain - whether in this life or the next - coming to Jesus is the ONLY way to be saved.

Jesus says unto him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by Me." (John 14:6)

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

To learn more about the Savior of the world, read the Bible. For a biblical study of this topic, get the book JESUS and Hitler (slightly less than a buck on Kindle).

Will Jesus fail to save all people? The boiled-down answer

Jesus simplified things. He was the Master of the boil-down. There were over 600 specific laws God gave to Moses for the Israelites. Jesus boiled them down to 2 commandments in Matthew 22:35-40.

That's the way I like it - nice and simple. And I hope you do too.

In this post I'll boil down a major subject in the Bible - universal salvation through Jesus - with just 3 verses from the Bible. And I'm not even sure I need all 3 to make my point. But I'll give you 3.

It's really as easy as 1-2-3

This may be too simple for some people's liking. But here it goes - 3 simple, yet very powerful Bible verses.
 
First: What is God's will?

[God our Savior] will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:4, King James Version)

Second: Who will accomplish God's will?

Then [Jesus] said, “Here I am, I have come to do Your will.” (Hebrews 10:9, New International Version)

Third: Is God able to achieve His will?

Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for Me? (Jeremiah 32:27, KJV)

The answer to God's question is obvious to me. I say, "No, God. There is nothing too hard for You."

What do you say?

Well, there you have it. Easy peasy - 1-2-3. 

A VERY BIG NO-NO

When the subject of universal salvation comes up, all of a sudden many Christians say this is something that God can't do. They say this even though God said it's His will, that He sent His Son to do it, and that He's able to do it. 

Most from the Christian pulpits today preach as though 1 Timothy 2:4 says,

[God our Savior] will not have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (NV - No Version of the Bible says this)

And most followers of Jesus believe this over what is actually written in the Bible.

Is this not adding to God's words? What does God say about this whether we do it directly or indirectly?

Add nothing to what He has said; for if you do, He will correct you and expose you as a liar. (Proverbs 30:6, The Voice - not the TV show, the Bible translation)

Do not add to or take away from God's words. This is a no-no!

When we read the first three verses above, we see what God's will is, Who will accomplish it, and that He is able to do it. And universal salvation through Jesus is a good thing! It's why He came to earth - for all of us!

No. Jesus will not fail to save all people.


Sincerely,
Wes

P.S. If you want a fuller biblical explanation of Jesus saving all people, read the Bible with the understanding of the 3 foundational verses above. You can also click on the book JESUS and Hitler above and dig in. 

The darkest day in the history of the U.S.A.

"Thanks Mom for loving me!"

57 million dead and counting, at a rate of 3500 a day.

Slaughtered right here in the land of the free, and the home of the brave. Murdered by their fellow Americans. And it's all perfectly legal and acceptable according to the powers that be. It's actually a good thing in the eyes of some.

This subject really gets to me. If I come across harsh, so be it. There are some wrongs in life that we should strongly stand against.

January 22, 1973

Since this infamous day, it has been legal to murder a child in the womb in America. A handful of "Supreme Court" justices decided it should be so, and tens of millions have paid the price with their lives through horribly barbaric methods.

"Thank you Mother."

There's no birth certificate. No death certificate. No criminal charges. Their deaths - averaging nearly 1.4 MILLION PER YEAR in the U.S. alone - never make the headlines. You won't find them in the obituary section either. It's as if they were never there.

But they were.

And they were murdered.

Ganged up on by a ruthless, bloodthirsty, money-grubbing "doctor" and clinic staff with their atrocious weapons of death, the innocent little one didn't stand a chance. Even the baby's own "mother" stood in the camp of the enemy. I know, she had a really good reason for murdering her own child. COW CACA! There is never a good reason for killing an innocent child. I've heard all the best excuses. They're all pitiful attempts to justify cold-blooded murder of a defenseless little human. And you know it.

The American killing machine silently devours its victims day by day, year by year. Americans legally killing Americans. You gonna fix this Donald Trump?

A terrorist, whether home-grown or foreign, kills one American and there's an uproar - and rightly so.

"I know you love me Mama and Papa."

Where's the uproar for THE MOST DEFENSELESS among us? The ones who aren't heard. The ones who aren't even asked if they want to live. The ones who can't run away. The ones who can't fight back.

According to the Supreme Court, the perfectly innocent little one in the womb isn't "a person." I'm sure the tiny tots would disagree. But their immature, uninformed opinion means nothing in sophisticated, civilized America. 

The pro-abortion side talks about "safe" and "unsafe" abortion. ALL abortion is unsafe to the little one being dismembered.

From 1973 through 2014, nearly 57 million legal abortions occurred in the U.S. That's like killing all the inhabitants of  Maine or Hawaii - about 1.4 million - every year, year after year after year. This would probably not sit well with all those Maniacs or Hawaiians. At least they could try to fight back.

God knits, man destroys

“Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”

¹³ For You created my inmost being;
    You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    Your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
(Psalm 139)

Most of us would agree that children that are wanted and allowed to live and welcomed to join us on this side of the womb bring us unimaginable joy. And we know that they are wonderful works and gifts from God. I'm blessed to have three children, and I can't imagine the world without them. The innocent ones who are killed would also bring the world joy if given the opportunity.  

At the moment of conception the child begins living and growing into a wonderful creation that will bear the image of our Creator. If the mother and/or other people stop the child from living and growing, are they not killing the child? Of course they are. 

God said to Cain after he killed his brother Abel, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground."

Though the tens of millions who uttered not one word were forced into a silent death, God hears them, and they matter to Him.

How loudly does the blood of these innocent little ones cry out to God? America, do you think God is impressed as you raise your blood soaked hands and sing "God bless America!"?  

Our inconsistent President

In 2012, an emotional Barack Obama spoke about the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut - "The majority of those who died today were children -- beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10-years-old," he said, pausing to wipe away a tear. "They had their entire lives ahead of them -- birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own."

Well spoken Mr. President.

But apparently, to our pro-choice President, the innocent ones in the womb don't have much of a future. So it's OK to kill them.

"Thanks for letting me fly Mom and Dad!"

Do you weep for them Barack? Or must they be 5 to 10 years old to deserve a tear from you? Surely, none of these innocent little ones would have liked birthday parties anyway. None of them wanted to find the love of their life (the opposite sex can be so demanding). Nah, they probably didn't want to have their own kids. Certainly, Mr. President, not one of the 10 million or so babies slaughtered under your watchful dry eyes would have enjoyed any of these things that we on this side of the womb count as tremendous blessings.

They too, El Presidente, "had their entire lives ahead of them."

My stomach turned in a new direction

In the USA, 4 out of every 10 new lives in the womb end up dead through abortion.

♪ ♫ "My Mom and Dad roooock!"♫ ♪

One woman who killed her baby for medical reasons wrote this, "The shot that stopped our Daughter's heart was potassium chloride. We watched the heart stop beating on the US,...it was very sad, but peaceful." WOW! A very odd kind of individual gets peace while sitting and watching their own child's heart stop beating - especially when that individual consented to it! I hope this woman either got a new heart from God or got fixed. Cold-hearted people like this shouldn't have children.

Another woman in the same situation wrote, "My son received a shot to stop his heart. Ultrasound was used with the injection. It was also the only option I was given." Sadly for some women, they think, and are often led to believe by unfit doctors, that this is their only option. Lies! Is not letting the child live an option?

Can God no longer work miracles? Besides, the child is the miracle! Any healing that God would do is just icing on the cake. How could you not want to look into the beautiful, living eyes of your own child, no matter what their physical condition is or how long their life expectancy is.

When I read these two sad quotes, I felt physically weird and sick. My stomach turned in a way it had never turned before. And my heart sank to a level it had never been to before. God have mercy on us.

Doctors are not gods

I'm often amazed at how powerful a doctor's words can be to a patient. I've seen people give up fighting to live because "Doc said I've only got 6 months left." But I've also seen many others fight and prove doctors wrong.  

They are not gods! And some of them aren't even good doctors. 

I'm paraphrasing a joke I heard by the late Robin Williams: If you narrowed it down through process of elimination, you could find the worst doctor in the world ... and somebody has an appointment with him tomorrow.

This joke is funny, unless you are the person who actually has an appointment with a bad doctor, and are unaware of his or her crappiness.

How often have babies been killed because a shitty doctor nudged an emotionally stressed woman or family into it?

Here's one wise couple's pregnancy experience with a bad doctor.

If you have an appointment with an abortionist, I suggest you cancel it. If you are unaware that your doctor is also an abortionist, and he nudges you that direction, fire his murdering ass and walk out. There are other options. 

The unseen consequences

Abortion kills a baby and makes the abortionist's bank account fatter.

But what are the unseen consequences?

"You always so good to me Mama."

How are the parents who did this to their own baby affected short and long term? 

What blessings does God withhold because of abortion? What curses does He bring that may not be recognized as curses from Him?

That little someone who was killed could have been the best president the U.S. has ever had. That little person could have been the one gift from God to humanity who cures cancer. That little, defenseless person could have been so many things - whether great or small. But we'll never know.

Think of all the good that could have been done by these 57 million and their children - citizens contributing to make America better and stronger.

Here are some interesting statistics concerning unseen costs of abortion.

 

So you're pro-choice?

"I choose that you don't be pro-choice!"

The term pro-choice sounds so PC. But what is actually being chosen?

A woman, and maybe others in her life involved in the decision to kill, basically says to the pre-born baby, "My life is more important than yours. And because of that, you must die."

All of the good mothers I know would lay down their own lives for their children a thousand times.

For all who are reading this who are in favor of killing pre-born children - aren't you glad your mother didn't think like that and kill you?

If someone you know is thinking of killing their baby, please try to talk them out of it. Every life is valuable.

Please pray for all people involved in abortion - babies, parents, families, doctors, leaders, etc. Only God can make this right. And I believe someday He will.



Sincerely, and with great sadness on this unhappy anniversary,
Wes


P.S. Killing a pre-born baby IS NOT an unforgivable sin. There are obviously a lot of people who have made the decision to kill their baby. I'm sure most of them feel extreme guilt (and rightly so). But our gracious God will forgive all who come to Him with a repentant heart. Romans 5:20 says, "... though sin is shown to be wide and deep, thank God His grace is wider and deeper still!" 

His grace and forgiveness are there for all to receive.

God says in Isaiah 1:18, "Come now, and let us reason together. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

Reason with God today. 


These kids were too cute to leave off this page.

♪♫ "My future's so bright ..." ♫

"Who loves me more, Mom or Dad? OK, it's a tie."

"I got this handsome face from my Dad."

"I look good in red."

"Pucker up Ma 'n' Pa."

"Trevor, NOOOOOO!"

"Mama, I will make lots of money in WWE."

  

THE most important thing I learned while attending the Baptist Church is ...

"Whyyy are you not a Baptist?!"

... that I'm not a Baptist.


Sincerely,
Wes

P.S. Peace, love and joy to all my Baptist siblings.

Democracy will someday cease to exist...thank God!

Ahhhh... just imagine... no more political ads. Better yet, no more self-serving politicians! No more lies. No more mud-slinging. No more BS!

Do you long for a government that does what is right? Not one based on the majority, because history has shown the majority can be disastrously wrong. But a government based on what is really right - on what God says is right. 

I'm talking about a future when Jesus - God's Son, your Savior, the One Who loves you and died for you - rules on the earth.

The Principle of Contrast

The United States has some real bozos running it. But some countries have leaders who are downright evil controlling the people. 

Why does God allow weak, ill-equipped humans to poorly run this nation and the world? One major reason: Contrast.

One way God teaches us is through contrast. We don't appreciate a blessing until we've experienced a curse. We don't appreciate good until we've experienced evil. We don't appreciate God's provision of food unless we've been hungry. We don't appreciate rain until we've had drought. We don't appreciate life until we've seen death. We won't appreciate Jesus running the earth until we experience corrupt people running the earth. And our experience on the bad side of these things needs to last long enough for us to never forget it when we are enjoying the good side.

Let's be honest. We usually look to God seriously when times are tough. We tend to forget Him when times are good. We're like the "friend" who only comes around when he wants something.

The human race is slow to learn that we always need God - in good times and bad. Who do you think created your heart to beat without you even thinking about it? Who do you think created the air you're breathing? Yeah, we take God for granted.

If you ignore God and put your hope and trust in anything other than Him, He lets you have your way and experience the negative consequences that come with it. If you don't want God to be your King, the only other option is for other humans to rule over you. Bad choice. (I guess a third option could be Satan ruling over you, if that's your thing. Another bad choice.)

So God allows life to suck sometimes so we lean on Him and we'll properly appreciate life when it's good. 

We won't get a vote

"Willy, I told you the ladies dig the dreads."

The earth has been run by corrupt people for so long, I don't know if we can truly grasp how good it will be when Jesus does rule on the earth. I guess we'll just have to wait and experience it. But try to look beyond the voting booths and Donald Trump's hair to get a glimpse of the wonderful future. 

When you go from Bush 1 to Clinton to Bush 2 to Obama some things change - like new curtains in the White House. Maybe even a new First Dog. But it's pretty much government as usual with feeble men in charge. Even the better leaders are limited to what they can do by weak leadership in other areas of government.

But if you go from Bush to Clinton to Bush to Obama to JESUS, it's all gonna change. Can you say "night and day?" No more weak men running the world. Jesus is gonna take over. He won't whine in a political ad to get your vote. He won't need it.

Jesus and His followers - those hand-picked by Him - will reign on the earth. And His followers will act in harmony with Him and answer directly to Him as they rule the earth.

♪♪ You say you want a revolution ♪♪

The political systems we now see will be completely overthrown for the better. There will be a new, real Sheriff in town. Jesus will kick some butt, but total restoration is His ultimate goal. Here's a peek into the future.

¹⁵ And out of [Jesus'] mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And He has on His garment and on His thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords. (Revelation 19)

And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 11:15)

And the new Sheriff's posse will be a powerful bunch. Paul, one of Jesus' future top world deputies, wrote this in the Bible to other future world deputies,

² "Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? ³ Know you not that we shall judge angels?" (1 Corinthians 6)

The reign of Jesus and his followers on the earth won't be weak. Sometimes discipline will need to be dealt out. Jesus said,

²⁶ "And he that overcomes, and keep My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: ²⁷ And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to pieces: even as I received of my Father." (Revelation 2)

When Jesus reigns on the earth, the whole world will learn what is truly right from God's point of view.

When Your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. (Isa. 26:9)

He will not need NATO or other worldwide man-made organizations to accomplish His will. And He won't have to use nukes either. He has all power and all resources available to judge the world.  

⁹ The Lord will be King over the whole earth...¹⁶ Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. ¹⁷ If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain. (Zechariah 14)

Politicians talk about change. Jesus will make all things new, and right, and good.

"But in keeping with His promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells." (2 Peter 3:13)

Jesus is the King of kings, but has not yet come to rule the earth. But He will, just as God has said for a long time.

"Heaven must receive [Jesus] until the time comes for God to restore everything, as He promised long ago through His holy prophets." (Acts 3:21)

It's going to happen. It's just a matter of time. Are you looking forward to it, or dreading it?

God's message to the whole world, but especially world leaders

¹ Why do the nations conspire
    and the peoples plot in vain?
² The kings of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
    against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
³ “Let us break Their chains
    and throw off Their shackles.”

⁴ The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
    the Lord scoffs at them.
⁵ He rebukes them in His anger
    and terrifies them in His wrath, saying,
⁶ “I have installed My king
    on Zion, My holy mountain.”

⁷ I will proclaim the Lord’s decree:

He said to me, “You are My Son;
    today I have become Your Father.
⁸ Ask Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance,
    the ends of the earth Your possession.
⁹ You will break them with a rod of iron;
    You will dash them to pieces like pottery.”

¹⁰ Therefore, you kings, be wise;
    be warned, you rulers of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the Lord with fear
    and celebrate His rule with trembling.
¹² Kiss His Son, or He will be angry
    and your way will lead to your destruction,
for His wrath can flare up in a moment.
    Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.

 (Psalm 2)

While we patiently wait for Jesus to reign on the earth, He can reign in your life right now. If you're not already part of His posse, call on His name and repeat after Carrie Underwood, "Jesus take the wheel."



Sincerely,
Wes

P.S. Until the day Jesus reigns on the earth, we should vote for the best possible people to govern us. And since God is the One Who is able to establish and destroy nations - including the United States - I simply suggest we choose public servants who are most in line with Him. But if they ignore God, don't be surprised when they fail. Keep your eyes on Jesus - He'll never fail.

Do you really want a human to rule over you? Read 1 Samuel 8.

God spoke to me...through my dog

First, I need to clarify. When I say God spoke to me, I'm saying this symbolically. I didn't hear thundering words from heaven, but the message was loud and clear. And He used my faithful pooch, Riley, to deliver the message.

Dog breaks curfew, steals car, goes on binge

It was around midnight, and I was sound asleep. I was awakened by the sound of my 16 year old daughter rushing up the steps. She barged into my room, "Dad, I need help! Riley puked all over!" Did I mention that I was sleeping, and doing a pretty good job of it?  

"Hey babe! Orange Julius run. You in?"

I reluctantly grumbled out of bed, got somewhat dressed, and slogged down to the scene of the crime.

Our living room carpet is light beige. It was now light beige with orange polka dots. Riley had puked up three big bright orange pools of something. There were no chunks. It looked to me like he had snuck out, drove to the mall, and binged on Orange Julius. It apparently was so good that he wanted to come home and share it with the rest of us. He's really thoughtful like that.

As we started to clean, I bent down over the biggest polka dot - about a 12" circle - and I noticed something. About a third of the top of the pool had been neatly skimmed off. Riley had come back for more. Apparently Orange Julius is still pretty tasty even when mixed with some tummy acid.

Then it happened. God spoke to me. As I was down on my knees scrubbing away, He flooded my mind with this Bible verse,

"As a dog returns to its vomit, so fools repeat their folly." (Proverbs 26:11)

God could not have used clearer symbolism to speak to me. But it wasn't just Riley puking that God used to get my attention. The timing of the message was also key. I couldn't wiggle out of this one.

My folly

Just a few hours before Riley passed God's message on to me, I was a fool repeating my folly.

That evening I was watching something on TV I shouldn't have. Something that I'd watched off and on for quite some time. Something I knew deep down wasn't right, but I easily justified it and watched anyway. (Just in case you're wondering, it's not porn. It has to do with violence.)

But like Riley's return for Orange Julius seconds, I came back for more TV upchuck, even though my conscience told me not to. Sure, I enjoyed watching this stuff, but the guilt that was associated with it wasn't enjoyable.

I was obviously being stubborn about this. But God knows how to get our full attention. And sometimes when it gets to that point, it's not pretty. I should have done the right thing earlier, but I didn't.

The position of the message (pool of puke) is also important. Riley's largest Orange Julius deposit was about four feet in front of my La-Z-Boy recliner, where I usually sit to watch TV. And it was about four feet in front of my TV. Pretty much right smack in the middle of my living room. I cleaned the stain as well as I could, but it's obvious something happened there. The remnant of the message on my carpet is like a scar reminding me of my folly.

God prunes us and changes our hearts

Every smelly, gooey swipe of the paper towel reminded me of my sin. I felt bad, but I knew God was right, and that He truly wants what's best for me.

When we understand that what God does for us and to us is always based on His love for us, that makes God's discipline and pruning easier to endure. With this mindset, we know we'll become better people - more like Jesus.

Now when I'm scanning the TV guide using my remote, I'm not drawn to the violent shows like I was before. God changed my heart and my desires. When we get our joy from God, He gives us what we want, because our wants line up with His will.

"Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4)

It's personal

The fact that God gave me this message shows me that He's interested in the details of our lives, and that He'll speak very personally to us. He cares.

Is there something in your life that God's been trying to get your attention about? Is there something you need to add or remove from your life? It could be a person, a thing, an attitude or something else.

The question is, "Are you and I paying attention to God?" Will you and I listen and do what's right sooner or later? We'll see.

A prayer for myself and for you is that we'll all be more tuned into and obedient to God.


Sincerely,
Wes