Tag: faith

The Archer

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The Archer

The breeze flows over the ground and pushes the leaves across the earth. The man stands firm, feet planted, slow smooth breaths. The air fills the lungs, cool and crisp. The string is taught, the bow is lifted and the sight lines up. The air exhales from the lungs, the bow rests, and all three fingers release from the string at the same time. The bow jars forward slightly as the arrow is projected forward at 1535 fps. The arrow soars through the air, the sound of the thud hitting the target 35 yards away. Not everyone can be an archer, just as not everyone can be a soldier, not everyone can play football, or other sports. Our gifts are from God and we must learn to embrace the ones we have. Stop trying to be something or someone you aren’t. Love your gifts and make them the best you can.

Psalm 18 1-3 “I love you, O Lord, my strength.2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18 34-35 “He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. 35 You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great.” The archer is a long time tradition that crosses the globe. The Japanese have a word kyudo (way of the bow). It’s a martial arts form that uses, physical, moral and spiritual development. The myth of Odysseus’s wife Penelope using his bow to find her next husband, someone worthy who can string his legendary bow and shoot it. Archery can take years to master, but you can walk with Christ today.

Archers are warriors, hunters, protectors, they are one with nature. It takes great time and patience to become an archer. As for me, archery has become an important part of my life. Archery is a gift; it’s a passion that when used for mindfulness can allow quiet time with God. Every great army has a great battalion of archers. Today the roll of archers has turned into snipers with rifles. As Gods army has it’s soldiers, I am an archer for Christ, I am patient, aware, and accurate. As the devil uses his flaming arrows of lies and deceit, I shall use the words of the bible as my weapon for Christ. Draw back your bow and let every one of your senses take over. Let the arrows fly and let every one hit their target.

 

Defeat

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Defeat

 In a war you won’t win every battle. You won’t have a successful run every day all year. When the world feels like it’s against you, when it feels like everyone you know is turning their backs on you, when your loved ones betray you, best friends leave you, just know that these things are temporary set backs. John 15:18 “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you.” We all go through pain and suffering, we all feel low at times. Does the tree feel defeated in the winter when it looses its leaves, it looses its looks? No, the tree accepts the natural order of the seasons. There’s a season for love, a season for pain, a season for joy, and when the seasons for pain and suffering come around just know that like the spring rains, the spring warmth, the blossoms always come back, the leaves and the greens always defeat the gray.

Think of pain slipping away as rebirth. Each time we suffer, each time we feel defeated we are given the opportunity to go through our own rebirth. We have the chance to be who we want to be, fight for what we want. We can always redeem our situation. Redemption is only a course of action so why not take it?

Psalm 144:1-2 “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples[a] under me.” You can overcome this world and fly like an eagle because God will never leave you or abandon you.

In the last 12 months I’ve learned what pain feels like, I know what despair feels like and what I’ve learned going through all that is even in the fight to recovery you’ll have your bad days. It’s not a matter of having bad days; it’s how we handle it. The bigger question is if we let those bad days breed and spread. We cannot allow negativity to infect our lives like a virus. We must learn to focus our energy towards positivity, towards the grace of God, towards the wonderful gifts God has given us in our lives. If we ever question anything about our lives never questions God is with us. Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” No matter what the world does to you always follow 2 Corinthians 4:8 “8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”

 Through it all the storm wages on and passes by, the pain will fade but the scars will always remain. Keep them as a reminder of the battles one, or even the mistakes you’ve made. Learn from them. Hebrews 10:35-36 “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” God’s love will always surround us. God’s love is our security blanket to keep us warm, to keep us safe. This life is temporary, Gods glory, Gods promise is forever.

 

 

Hallelujah

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Hallelujah

I trusted and went with the flow.

I put my faith in all the wrong places.

Every breath I drew was that of lies.

No matter how far I went I couldn’t see what was there.

I ignored my God, and I fell to my knees and Cried.

Hallelujah My God, I am sorry for my sins.

Hallelujah My God, I’m sorry for my cries.

I’ve walked so far, and now I know I can’t see, can’t see my way out.

God you are Good, but I don’t understand. The storm wages on around me.

God you’re my God, you are keeping me safe even if I can’t see it.

God you loved me enough to save me.

God you owe me nothing, and I owe you everything.

No matter how my mistakes hold me in the mud.

No matter how deep I am, you save me.

God you are glory. God you hold me close when I can’t breath.

My God always has my life in his hands.

My God knows my heart and knows my pain.

Fear, doubt, and disbelief are only tools for the Devil.

Step out of the boat and reach for Gods hand.

Ye of little faith, me of little faith, at times.

Knowing I failed, watching myself fail, there’s only one course.

Be a warrior again, be a holder of the word.

Shield yourself and using the sword of courage pound your shield.

Stand tall against the Devil; stand tall against the demons that wish to bury you.

Take back the fight and rid yourself of those who wish to do you harm.

Fear nothing for The Lord Thy God is with you.

Justice not Vengeance, for vengeance is for God alone.

Love all, Faith in God, Pray, and fight the fight.

Hallelujah My God, I fall to my knees

Hallelujah for my Lord Saves me.

Cross the Bridge to the Lord,

Leave the life behind you’ve live.

Trade for a new life, a new Love.

Hallelujah for Gods love.

Hallelujah for the bridge to salvation.

The Battle that Rages on

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The Battle that Rages on

Sometimes we lay in our bed unwilling to get up. Some days we don’t want to leave the house or face the masses. Some days we are afraid to be in our own skin. When we look in the mirror whose looking back? Many tell you you’re special, you’re kind, you’re a wonderful person and while that all may be true, but the monster inside lies to you. The healing path is never an easy one, it’s full of monsters that creep around the woods, monsters that sleep under your bed, in your closet. How do we fight back against a monster we cannot see or touch. For some, some people resort to cutting or self-harm to feel physically the monster inside. The physical nature of the manifestation of an internal fight is a scary place to be. How do we fight back? How do we explain to others how we are feeling?

We must step out of our own feelings and realize it’s worth fighting for. We can be redeemed, we can learn to fight back, we can find a new way. Ephesians 1:7 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,” Don’t be a slave to this world, don’t let the Devil win the fight for your soul. Stand high, stand proud, and know that you have the golden ticket. 1 Corinthians 7:23 “You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.” A man died to give us peace. A man died to save our eternal souls. As tough as life may be today, with a lot of prayer, action, and fortitude anything can be changed. People walk again after serious spinal injuries. People learn to live again after everything they have is taken from them. Have no fears for the Angels above watch over us. Gods will, will be and we can fight the path or walk the path. Colossians 1:20-22 “And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,” No matter what we did, what we have in our closet, confess our pain, our sins to Christ. Be washed new and cleansed in the light of the Lord. Run your race but know that one day we will stand and be judged. Don’t just know the word, live it, walk with it. Surrender yourself and all your pain and suffering to the lord.

PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, Heart Break, Betrayal are all serious and should never be taken lightly. Even the strongest can fall victim to the above syndromes. Find peace and guidance by the Northern Star of Christ. When the world is too much and you feel like you can’t take anymore follow in the path of Christ. Luke 5:16 “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” It’s okay for us to be alone when we need to be. We must learn to know what the difference is. We must learn when solitude is the right path, when reaching out and talking to someone is what we need. Never give up hope and never loose sight of the Golden Ring at the end of this crazy ride. Remember when the time comes as a bow is drawn back, so if you feel like you’re being drawn back, the bow will release and the arrow will soar through the air to meet it’s target. You can be Gods Arrows, let yourself be drawn back to pick up tension to fly forward. As an archer is patient, holding the arrow, feeling the breeze, feeling the air, the tightness of the string, knowing his or her own breath, the archer knows when it’s time to release. Never underestimate the power of finding calm. Know that when you fly, you’ll find your own target.

 

ONCE WE WERE SOLDIERS, ALWAYS A SOLDIER.

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ONCE WE WERE SOLDIERS, ALWAYS A SOLDIER.

On September 18th many years ago this young lad stood before a Captain in the United States Army. He rose his right hand, and repeated the Oath of Enlistment. That oath is as follows: “ I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.” What does that mean? Oaths, and solemnly swearing, and of all things to God! Websters dictionary defines an oath as “a (1) :  a solemn usually formal calling upon God or a god to witness to the truth of what one says or to witness that one sincerely intends to do what one says (2) :  a solemn attestation of the truth or inviolability of one’s words The witness took an oath to tell the truth in court.” As a former soldier I took my oath seriously. As circumstances would have it I wouldn’t stay in my position to the term of my contract.

During the time I spent as a soldier I witnessed the forming of a brotherhood. I witnessed laughter, fear, sadness, and unfortunately I even witnessed death and murder. Someone once told me that even though they never served they understand the hardships and trauma that we veterans face. I don’t wish to speak for all veterans, but it annoys me when a civilian says they understand, or worse when they say military life is a choice so the consequences should be thought of and soldiers shouldn’t cry so much about it. For me that oath never went away when I got out. When I got out my mission became helping other veterans. We will never be civilians. Since civilians will never understand, we only have one another. Just because I don’t wear the uniform anymore doesn’t mean I am released from my oath. And it doesn’t mean the mission is over, it’s just changed. The Soldiers Creed says it best and I feel it rings true even after you take the uniform off that last time.

Soldiers Creed

 I am an American Soldier.

I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.

I will always place the mission first.

I will never accept defeat.

I will never quit.

I will never leave a fallen comrade.

I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.

I am an expert and I am a professional.

I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.

I am an American Soldier.

The bold sections are to be paid close attention. What is the mission? When you wear the uniform the mission is whatever you’re told it is. Take the hill, sweep the motor pool, raid this house, and mow this yard. Defeat is never an option. Tactical retreats are one thing, but surrender is never a card to be played on any table. The Devil will task you, test you, and push you to your limits. You must never quit fighting, never quit pushing to accomplish the mission. Today’s mission is brothers and sisters. The fight isn’t over when that uniform comes up. When you get that DD-214 it isn’t the end, it’s just the beginning of a new mission… Reintegration. They want us to fit in with Civilians. Sure some will fit in better then others, some the process is easier then it is on others, but the truth is, once a soldier always a solider. The truth holds true for a lot of veterans that military members don’t like civilians. We are brothers and sisters in arms. We have a bond most civilians will never understand.

The mission today is simple. Love God, Live by God’s word, protect fellow service men and women, raise awareness for Veteran Suicide, help other veterans when they are struggling with life’s hurdles, and live up to the code. Never leave a comrade behind. John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” King David considered to be one of the most beloved war hero’s in the Bible wrote the book of Psalms. Psalms 144:1-2 “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; 2 he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples[a] under me.” Those who train for war see war, see and carry a cross, a burden for which most should never see. War is ugly, and during a war we fight, we serve, we protect our brothers and sisters. Sadly sometimes you can take the man out of the war, but you can’t take the war out of the man. The struggle, the storm often rages on deep inside, though no one can see those scars. Ecclesiastes 3:8 “A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” Getting to peace is the hardest part. It takes a soldier to be there for a soldier.

Today there will be an average of 20-22 Veteran Suicides. The struggle for veterans across the country to handle and cope with life and finding a new place in this world is the most difficult fight a veteran will face. When we see violence it’s difficult if impossible to remove that horror from our souls. For me, I found my purpose; I found my talent, and my new mission. Never underestimate how important it is to focus your energy on positivity. For each and every veteran who returns home the new mission will be slightly different. No person will be giving you orders in the same way, but listen to God’s direction. Don’t loose hope, and certainly don’t give up the fight. To all veterans, not just the Army, God Bless, and keep up the fire.

Sunrise

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The only comfort to ease my soul is knowing I’m loved by God. You break me down, forsaken, left, forgotten, and the burden of loss, failures and doubt creeps in like gouls and goblins in the night. We may never know how long we will walk without a flesh companion but we are promised that God is with us always. We must have faith in Gods plan. We must remember that free will was a gift and a curse. I myself am not innocent and I pray for forgiveness and I pray my new path is pleasing to God and I pray for blessings. To those alone this day trust in the Lord. Have faith, and rejoice in the birth of our savior.

Tomorrow brings new life and as the sun will rise we face a slew of fresh challenges. The river of life can change with one big storm, but as the clouds recede the waters return to a state of a new normal. The river will never be the same again and as destructive as the storm may be the chance to see new scenery, new places, new adventures. We may never know what’s just beyond the river bend, but what we do know is we have the stars to guide us, the compass in our hearts, and faith to fuel us.

Death The Final Frontier

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Death The Final Frontier

It will come for us all. The race will end and then the beginning is new. Death comes for everyone, man, women, child, but through the multitudes only a few will enter the gates of heaven. Several verses particularly talk about heaven.

John 3:5 “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Let the waters of Christ wash away your sins. Be reborn in the waters and give your struggles to the Lord.

1 Corinthians 6:9 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,” We all will make mistakes, but in our mistakes, in our sins, we can find forgiveness. We can trust in the Lord if we can give ourselves to the lord and leave the lusts of the world behind.

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

1 Corinthians 15:50-52 “I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Daniel 12:2-3 “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

Psalm 23:4 “4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

 We don’t know what our future holds. We don’t know when the living life as we know it will pass into the past. The life we live has a finite amount of days to it. We love people, we loose them, and sadly there isn’t anything we can do to change that. Recently I lost a family member that was very dear to my heart. His passing was a bit of a surprise albeit he had some health issues. The pain doesn’t go away or diminish just because they were sick. What we have done, we’ve done, the time will come when we have to answer for our actions. God never asks anything in return except our hearts. God wants us to turn away from the world and focus on Him. The Valley of Death is a scary place. As I have seen death, seen it so up close, of watching my friends die in front of me, watching family wither away and die, and myself nearly dying on more then one occasion. What I have found is death isn’t something to fear. We may never know our time or our importance on this little floating ball in this big ol’ universe, but what we do know is if we have what it takes to make it through that narrow gate, then we too will know peace. If death comes for us know that it’s your divine time to go home. As my uncle’s body returns to the ash from whence it came, peace comes knowing beyond a doubt he made it home. True peace knows that it’s not the depths of the oceans, the expanses of space that are the Final Frontier; it’s the Kingdom of heaven. Do not suffer in loss but rejoice in it. Have faith in the word, and when your time comes, you too will welcome death as an old friend.

What Does it Mean To Have Honor?

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What Does it Mean To Have Honor?

Swords are tempered with fire. If I’m going to be a living weapon for God I too must go through trials, and my faith will be tested by forged in fire. Romans 5:3-5 “3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” When life gets hard how do you react? When provoked do you give in to anger? When we are sad do we turn to others for healthy outlets, or do we follow a destructive path? Hebrews 13:18 “Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.”

The Klingon’s have a code of honor they live by. Death is glorious as long as it’s dying in battle. How people treat one another, how business is done, honor is the number 1 thing to a Klingon. Never dishonor yourselves for when you do, it’ not only dishonor’s yourself, but also your entire family. As Christians we should follow a similar idea. When we dishonor ourselves we represent our Christian brothers and sisters. We represent our families, and above all else, re represent God. “Romans 12:9-13 “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” There’s a saying I heard once, it goes something like this Lord please let them remember the things I get right, and forget the things I get wrong. We will always get it wrong, we will always make mistakes, but the key in that is don’t live our lives intentionally to dishonor ourselves.

There are simple rules to live by as a Christian Exodus 20

  • You shall have no other gods before Me.
  • You shall not make idols.
  • You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.
  • Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
  • Honor your father and your mother.
  • You shall not murder.
  • You shall not commit adultery.
  • You shall not steal.
  • You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
  • You shall not covet.

When we break these rules on purpose, knowing our actions will hurt others, when we hurt others for our own personal gain you dishonor yourself. The Klingon’s aren’t the only race that holds honor to a high standard. The Japanese hold honor to a high standard, the Chinese hold honor to a high standard. That mode of thinking shouldn’t only be held by the Asian nations. If we put that high of priority on our own honor and integrity, and hold the commandments we can make a better world. The word for Honor is “Quv” or “to be honorable” The word for Honor is Russian is честь or ‘chest’. A Jedi’s weapon a light saber is honorable, just like the Klingon Bat’leth is considered to be an honorable weapon. A Samurai sword known as a Katana is their version of an honorable weapon. A member of the Knights Templar had a sword a beautifully crafted weapon, but perhaps not so much as the others, but all of these groups of people have a code, a code of honor. Live like Christ, be kind and love your neighbors, don’t lie, and cheat and steal for your own personal gain.

I read something the other day, “Here’s to Cheating, Stealing, Fighting and Drinking. IF you cheat, may you cheat death; if you steal, may you steal a woman’s heart; if you fight, may you fight for a brother; if you drink, may you drink with me.”

Never underestimate the power of love and faith and courage. Have all these things in God above.

Quiet Meditation

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Quiet Meditation

When the world’s too loud we often can’t hear the sounds of our own voice inside our head. If we cannot find our own voice, how then are we able to listen to the voice of God? We cannot walk in faith if we cannot hear the quiet. No matter the mission we need to ensure time to plan and focus.

One thing I’ve noticed in my years, is when something becomes unhealthy the affect is cumulative. Over time the affects grow and in matters of the heart, scar tissue is built. We may not see it right away, but sadly resentment grows. If someone wants us badly enough we’ll know it, and we wouldn’t have to work so hard for it. Getting affection shouldn’t be a chore, it should come freely and naturally towards the other person because we want to make our partner happy. Love although can be one way, in a relationship it has to be a two way street. When the opposite side of the bridge is broken and there isn’t any traffic flowing, it’s time to find a new bridge. Finding the alternate route is hard, but it’s ultimately what’s best. In Gods timing we will have what we need, but we need to be proactive. Stand tall, stand proud, and let others see how wonderful we are.

There comes a time however when we all must retreat into solitude. We all need a time and place to be with God. Matthew 6:6 “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” It’s important when we pray we silence the world. We must use mindfulness to quiet our inner selves, and focus on our walk. James 4:8 – “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded.” Never are we closer to God then when we know, absolutely certain we are doing Gods work. The closer we draw closer to the Lord then the Lord will draw closer unto us.

Mark 1:35 “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” Rise early, pray, be thankful for the world and life you’ve been given.

Jesus often was known to escape into the wilderness. As for me, the thought for getting away for a little while seems enticing. Sailing the east coast, hiking the Appalacian trail, just my great Dog and me. Luke 6:12, Luke 4:42, Luke 5:15, all talk about Jesus knew the importance of silent meditation with the Father. Knowing how important it is to quiet the world, listening to your own heartbeat, listening to your own breath. Today in this world there are a ton of ideas how to do this. Yoga is a good physical and mental practice. Finding a war room for yourself to make a battle plan. What’s your battle plan?

Why Gamble with Eternity?

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Why Gamble with Eternity?

 Atheists, Agnostics, and those sitting on the fence are often the ones I fear for most. Many have asked me why I believe in God. The answer is both simple and complicated at the same time. For me the belief in God has gone back to my early childhood. God has given me comfort, guidance, hope, and love through the most difficult of my hardships. Given the possible alternatives following Christ, having faith seems to be the bet. There is plenty of scripture describing hell. The time between the book of Psalms and the New Testament is 586 BC to 50 AD. From the time of the New and Old Testament the conversation of Hell and Salvation never faltered. “Revelation 21:8 “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” Then again in Matthew 25:46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” All the way back David talked about the eternity of God, 600 years before Christ stepped foot on the planet. Psalm 9:17 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” You’re talking truth in the writing that wasn’t accessible from Google. Truth was known in a time when Angels would talk to us, intervened in our lives. Today we don’t hear about Angels talking to us, but if we look closely, if we pay attention we can see the miracles when they happen. My life for instance is a miracle. I should have died but didn’t. My life was saved, and spared, and today I have this Blog, teaching and preaching about the Glory and Mercy that was given to me.

What are the stakes? Our lives, our souls are a high stakes poker game. Jesus Christ is our Royal Flush. If we follow him we win every time. John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” It seems like such a simple truth. It seems so easy doesn’t it? Follow Christ and that’s it, you’ve won the golden ticket. But wait, there’s more, then you have Matthew 27:21-23  “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

I bet that’s confusing huh? What Jesus is saying is God knows your heart. It doesn’t matter how much scripture is in your mind, it doesn’t matter how much you give to charity. What matters is what’s in your heart, truly knowing your salvation is in Christ.

Why then is this a high stakes poker game? What if you don’t believe, what if you question the existence of God because of a lack of proof, or a lack of faith? You could loose eternal life. If you are going to live as a good person, believe in a moral compass, then why not use the Bible as that source of strength and courage? All you have to loose is eternal life for eternal damnation. We must ask ourselves if we don’t know what our afterlife holds, then why not put our faith in the one true God. Even if this is a bunch of hoowey, so you live your life to an honorable code. In this world we worship idols, we worship money, relationships, careers, we put all of our faith in worldly things that will eventually get old, decay, fall apart, break, and it’s a deception. It’s not just enough to know Christ exists, it’s about serving, its about true faith. Even Satin knows God, knows scripture, but has nothing but contempt for his father. The Devil wants us to walk a sinful path, he wants us to loose everything by forcing us to fold.

The blind man see’s, the deaf man hears, the lame man talks, the crippled shall walk, the dead shall rise, all in the name of Jesus. The day the Lord spoke to me, a great weight was lifted from my chest. In this high stakes poker game I will beat the house every time because my deck is stacked. I have a Royal Flush every time. God has given me the tools, the knowledge, and has shown me a better way. I have faith and that faith lets me fly on eagle’s wings. There’s freedom in our scars, there’s freedom in our pain. Never forget to stand toe to toe with the Devil at the table he’s betting it all on your cards being cold. The Devil’s bluff is just another lie. Heaven is perfection for all eternity. Earth will fade away, but Heaven will remain. Maybe God is an interdimensional being, maybe heaven is an alternate universe, the question you need to ask yourself is does that matter? Just because it’s beyond our understanding doesn’t mean it isn’t truth. So pick up your poker chips, throw all in, and lay down that Royal Flush because Christ is the only Royalty we will ever need.