Month: March 2016

I love Easter and all it stands for. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins. He was raised from the dead three days later. Because of His sacrifice, we have hope that we will live forever. While Christmas and Easter is the most important observances for Christians, it is a sad and depressing time for others who feel there is no hope. Crisis Hotline Numbers at the bottom of this blog post.

People are finding themselves alone and depressed. For those who doesn’t think there is any hope and that the can’t go on, I would like to say that there is Good News! Help is there for anyone who asks, and not the kind a Dr will give you. You won’t find this in pills or therapy. I is the kind of hope that is based on the promises of God.

For much of my life there has been disappointments and hardships. Not just for me, but for man in general. Over the past few months I have heard about a number of suicides that happened in the little town I live in. I have also had some very dear friends that decided that was the only answer for them.

The latest suicide that happened here in my town was where a guy killed himself at my daughters work. This happened just last week. While I don’t have all the details and I don’t need them, his actions reminded me how much people are hurting. Some of the comments that people made on the news pages was horrible. They were calling the person selfish and making a mockery out of his actions. We don’t know what was going through his mind at the time he took his life. Each and every comment I read, would make me more upset. People don’t get it. I don’t see suicide as selfish. I see it as a call for help that came to late.

Today, more and more people are finding themselves alone and depressed. I have many friends who are suffering with helplessness and depression. For them to just get up in the morning and take a shower is difficult for them. A very dear friend of mine suffers from Manic Depression. She tried to take her life at least 5 times and the last time she almost accomplished it. I would take her to the ER and she was treated like she had the plague when it came to the nurses and the Dr’s in the ER.

I get upset when I listen to what people say about those who have mental illness. It isn’t like they asked for it and they do the best they can do. I would take a medical diagnosis any day instead of having a mental illness. There were times I had to take medications that would alter the way I perceived things. I couldn’t control what I was saying or doing. I thought I was loosing my mind on this medication they prescribed me for Girardia, which is contaminated water. I have no concept of reality and was thinking I was hearing voices. It scared me so bad when I got into my car to go somewhere, I didn’t know where. Just that short experience made me very much aware of some of what those who have mental illness goes through each and every day.

The sadness and despair has a way of overtaking their lives. Those who don’t have mental illness may have times in their lives when they are sad and depressed, but for those who have clinical depression, it has got to be a nightmare they can’t wake up from. Today more and more people are finding life hopeless and they are filled with despair. One of my friends that is going through a divorce has been extremely depressed. Her life is crashing down around her. She is loosing everything and to have mental illness on top of that, it is to much for her on most days.

• Paul wrote that when you place your trust in God He will fill you with peace, joy, and assurance, (Rom 15:13).

When my friend went on to describe what it was like for her to live with Bi-Polar/Manic Depression and she also had schizophrenia, she said it was like she was living in hell and filled with endless despair and constant desires to take her life. she felt hopeless and she knew in her mind that she would be better off dead and that it would make other peoples lives easier if she was no longer around.

Thankfully she is still with us, even though it is a daily battle that she fights. People make lite of those who have mental illness or they think they are going to catch the mental illness like they could catch cooties. People killing themselves because they feel they have no other choice is very sad. When Dr’s and nurses treat them the way they do if they seek help, I can see why they stop asking for help.

Here in St. George, just over the last month, we have had a couple suicides and the comments from the public is appalling. When I hear comments like, “well, at least that’s one less person on welfare” or they are better off dead since they are taking up space in the world, it makes me sick. When people makes these types of comments, I feel they are lower than the one who felt they had no other choice. My prayers goes out to all the families and friends of those who lost their lives because they felt that was all they could do.

A number of years ago, a very special young man that is like a nephew to me hung himself. Brian had many demons and suffered from depression in addition to difficulties in relationships and life. One day he decided he would hang himself. When I got the call from his parents, I felt like the world came crashing down. His choice tore the hearts right out of his parents, siblings and daughter. I don’t think he was selfish, I think he was hurting so bad that he didn’t know where to turn. For him, that was the only answer to end his pain and the pain of those around him. I don’t think he had the mental capacity to see what it would do to those he loved and that loved him. Brian will always be missed.

Then a few years ago, a young man named Frankie killed himself. In his note, he was saying how he didn’t want to ruin his daughters life like his life was ruined. He loved his daughter so much that he didn’t want to destroy her life. He made some really bad choices and was living his own hell on earth. He seen no other way out.

Just by looking at a person, we don’t know what baggage s they carry. I think more needs to be done when it comes to mental illness. It seems like the way society is treating them is by locking them up or ignoring they exist. People and things will always let us down. In Psalms 33;17, the horse, often used as a symbol of power, is declared a vain hope for deliverance; despite all of it’s strength, it cannot save. We are also warned in Jeremiah 17:5 that God warns us against being dependent on man and calls it a curse.

I would love to tell people that even at our lowest points in our lives, God’s word say’s He will never leave or forsake you (Matthew 28:20). He will give you peace and comfort even in the worst of circumstances. I know without a doubt that God will lead us out of the much of our situation and plant our feet on solid ground.

What I find awesome is that, God is the God of new beginnings, and nothing is impossible for Him. It doesn’t matter how young or old you are, we just need to trust in Him because with God, it is always a new beginning and a new day. I was thinking of this today when it comes to a few of my friends who are divorcing, loss of loved ones, financial woes and other things that knock us to the ground, that while those things are bad, trusting God in difficult times forces us to seek His guidance and to trust Him.

Throughout the Bible God proves His faithfulness to His people by leading them safely through, or delivering them from all their predicaments and troubles. He will never leave or forsake His people; His plans are to prosper, not to harm them (Jer 29:11).

I have found in my life when it comes to my medical diagnosis, prognoses and so on is that in Psalm 16 is a great source of encouragement when you are in need of hope, Psalm 16:7-9 states I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoice: my flesh also shall rest in hope.

I could never imagine what life would be like if I didn’t have hope that Jesus Christ is going to be there for me. Help and hope is available to all who ask. It isn’t like we wish God would help out and come to our rescue, but to have complete faith that God is and will be there to rescue us. I stand on the promises of God.

• “May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing  with hope.” (Rom 15:13, ).

When we trust in God, it takes faith and courage, but it is so worth it. The path that God has for us is the only one that will lead us to real happiness and peace. We must put our faith and trust in Christ alone. When we truly do that, we will find or I have found that while there is going to be hardships and sadness, I am able to bear them because His grace is sufficient. Once you open your heart and welcome Him in, you will find hope even in the worst situations. I would never have gotten to this point in my life if it wasn’t for Jesus Christ.

My favorite verse in the Bible is Psalms 46:1. This verse has gotten me through many difficult times in my life. It says, “God is our refuge and strength, ever present in times of trouble”. I love this verse because as Christians we should always pray! Even in the darkest moments when you don’t feel His presence and think you will never smile again, pray anyway, because He is there. He is listening, and is an “ever present help in time of trouble,”

• Even if you reach what you consider to be your lowest point, God’s Word say’s He will never leave or forsake you, (Matt 28:20).

Those who trust in the Lord can find peace during times of crises and trials that often drive others to drink or suicide. This is the blessed comfort of the Holy Spirit, who indwells each and every born again Believer.

Through Him, even in the midst of terrible devastating and humiliating experiences, Christians can have the peace, joy, and hope that passes all understanding, (Phil 4:7).

Jesus is our solid rock, and because of Him, death is not the end. Even when the angels carry us to our glorious home in Heaven, we can know that He is with us, and that it is just the beginning.

Emergency Numbers and Contacts for Southern Utah- Information found on St. George News.

When suicide or violence puts a life in danger, call 911 immediately.

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or may be a victim of domestic violence, these lifelines offer help 24/7:

• National Suicide Prevention Hotline – 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• Utah Domestic Violence LINKLine – 1-800-897-LINK (5465)

Additionally, Utah has crisis support lines available 24/7, for those who feel they need support or want to speak with someone about how traumatic incidents have impacted them.

Copy of Letter we sent with our Christmas Easter Cards a couple weeks ago.

Merry Christmas and Happy Easter

Our family has been doing something different for Christmas over the past couple of years. This year we are continuing with this tradition.

Christmas day is on December 25th each year. But not in our house. For many reasons, we have moved our Christmas to Easter Sunday. The birth of Christ wouldn’t have happened on December 25th anyhow. December 25th has for the most part become more of a day that benefits stores and has become way to commercialized. The day isn’t about Christ.

There are many people who don’t have the money to buy presents for their children, family and friends. Many goes into debt so they can buy gifts or put bills off in place of gift giving. Not everyone will have a hot meal or be surrounded by loved ones. I have known many who have passed away or committed suicide because the sorrow they have experienced during the most joyous of all holidays. Our daughters have families of their own and by the time Christmas in December comes around, they don’t have extra money they can spend on gifts and such. They also don’t have to worry about which parents house they will go to for dinner. By moving our Christmas to Easter, it gives them the opportunity to pay their bills and not feel stressed over money, gifts or time. I don’t think Christ would want us to go into debt and be stressed out over gifts when it is and should be all about Christ.

I know there are elements of the day that are about Christ and it is a struggle each year when it comes to trying to keep Christ in CHRISTmas. I’m pretty sure Christ would be happy with the way things are now. Christ gets lost in the shuffle. So, at our house we celebrate Christmas at Easter. We celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ, while remembering that He died on the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead three days later. We have a big family dinner that is enjoyed by all.It is very pleasant and rewarding when we do our Christmas and Easter like this. It puts the focus on Christ, instead of all the other things and the man in the red suit.

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

But what is the real meaning of Christmas?

Many would say that Christmas is about spending time with family, gifts under the tree and spreading messages of peace and love to those we care about the most. It is for some a time to send Christmas cards out once a year, playing in the snow and wishing everyone a “Merry Christmas”. Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a tree decorated and Christmas music being sung and played over the radio.

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. Christmas and Easter is our families most important observances of the year. It is a time of joy. Christmas is when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. God sent His Son into the world to be born. Because Jesus was born, His life and death is about love, hope and truth. When He came into this world as a babe, He brought salvation to all of us. Without Jesus, we would all die because of our sins.

Jesus was born and He died on the cross for all of our sins. When we confess that we are sinners, we can ask Him to forgive us and come into our hearts.

As we get ready to celebrate the birth and death of Jesus Christ, we know that the peace and joy we receive will last forever. God will meet all of your needs.

•   I John 1:9, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.”

Why Do We Celebrate Easter?

On Easter Sunday we commemorate the fact that Jesus Christ rose from the grave on the third day after His crucifixion and death on Calvary.
“Jesus said … ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die’” (John 11:25–26).
Easter is the day when we celebrate Jesus Christ rising from the dead. Jesus is the Son of God and heroically gave His life to die for our sins. On the third day after He died — the day we now celebrate as Easter Sunday — His friends went to His grave, and found that He had risen from the dead. They saw an angel who told them, “Don’t be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He has been raised from the dead, just as He said it would happen.”

God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.

Jesus is the Son of God. He lived a sinless life and then died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. “God demonstrates His own love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.”

Jesus rose from the dead and now He lives in heaven with God His Father. He offers us the gift of eternal life — of living forever with Him in heaven if we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me.”
May God bless you with His joy this Christmas/Easter season!

Question: “What does it mean to backslide?”

Video – Slow Fade” by Casting Crowns

If I were to ask one hundred people what does it means to Backslide? I would get a variety of answers. 

As I was study the topic backsliding, from a Christian point of view, it simply means that we are moving away from God rather that moving towards Him. A backslider is a person who is going the wrong way in life. I am going to be covering the seriousness of backsliding when it comes to ones faith.

A backslider is someone who is heading down a wrong way street, spiritually. At some point in his or her life, they committed to Jesus Christ and to live a life that is morally correct. When I see people who have been on fire for Jesus and they walk back into the life they had. When a person is being a backslider, that means you are moving away from God.

There are a number of families that I am worried about when it comes to them replacing other things in their lives instead of spending time with the Lord. When I talked to them about what they do all day, they will say they play games and such,I can see in one family that somehow they got turned around.The backsliders is someone who has some a lot of things to demonstrate a committment to christ.There ways reverted back to the person they once was.

Answer: The word backslide, in a Christian context, implies movement away from Christ rather than toward Him. A backslider is someone who is going the wrong way, spiritually. He is regressing rather than progressing.The backslider had at one time demonstrated a commitment to Christ or maintained a certain standard of behavior, but he has since reverted to old ways. Backsliding may manifest itself in several ways, e.g., dropping out of church, losing fervor for the Lord, walking away from a ministry or a family, or falling back into old habits.

I have been thinking about this topic for some time. I want to cover how easily it is for mankind to slip on the slippery slopes in our life. I want to discuss the dangers of backsliding. I’m not sure if this is considered a common term anymore. A person who backsides is a Christian who is distancing themselves from the Lord.

I have been pacifically for a young family who has been getting further and further from the Lord. They don’t say that, but I notice it as well as others do. Before they always made sure of what they did and said when it come to their faith. Slowly, the world is creeping in and trying to stick at them. I totally understand why they don’t feel they can find the right church for them or for others. I find it more disheartened that they do go try out others and not let what happened at once church cause them to make it so someone doesn’t go anywhere. It’s better to keep going forward instead of going backwards which makes Satan upset when you go further.

As Christians, whenever we come across certain Biblical names either of people or places or use of certain words, we may have no other option but to shudder and search our hearts.  Names of people like Judas Iscariot (Matthew 10: 4); Damas (2 Timothy 4: 10); Diotrephes (3 John 9).  David and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11: 3-4); Samson and Delilah (Judges 16: 20) and Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5: 1) point our attention to something very important in our Christian journey.  Then names of places such as Sodom (Genesis 13: 13) and Sardis (Revelation 3: 1) make us have similar feelings.  And to cap it, the presence and use of certain words or expressions In the scripture such as disqualified (1 Corinthians 9: 27); reprobate (2 Corinthians 13: 5, KJV); prodigal; and the expression in Revelation 2: 4, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”; more than anything else, cause us to think seriously about today’s topic

Here are Some verse about Backsliding

• When we wander away from Christ, no loud bang is created because it is a gradual thing. Mention various things a Christian can be involved in that can lead to spiritual decay?  (Col. 3: 1-3; 2 Timothy 4: 10, Prov. 13: 20).  What are the likely outward evidences     or signs of backsliding in a Christian?  (2 Timothy 3: 1-6)
• Fear is a logical response to living outside the will of God. Why do you think Saul was afraid according to today’s text?  Mention other  dangers we are exposed to whenever we fall out of touch with God  (I Samuel 28: 5 & 6; 2 Peter 2: 20-22).
• Our Lord Jesus Christ has made enough provision for us to be more than conquerors. However, every Christian is still faced with the danger and the possibility of spiritual relapse.  What steps can we take or what Biblical guidance can we adopt to survive every temptation that can make us backslide?  (Songs of Sol. 2: 15; Hebrews 2: 1, Hebrews 3: 12-13, Hebrews 10: 29, Matt. 24: 42)

Who is a backslider?  A backslider is a Christian who gets out of touch with the Lord.  This happens when someone who is devoted to God, begins to take his or her relationship with Him less seriously as a result of carelessness, disobedience or negligence.  The backslider is isolated between two worlds – he is not able to enjoy the Lord and he cannot enjoy the world.  Backsliding does not necessarily mean a loss of salvation, but it can certainly lead to it.  This is why the Bible warns believers many times not to compromise their faith in Christ and to repent when they receive the chastening of the Lord.  “And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children?  He said, do not make light of the LORD’s discipline, and do not give up when he corrects you.  For the Lord discipline those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child”  (Hebrews 12: 5-6 NLT).