When most of us decide to give our life to God we may think we immediately have to change everything we do and exist in some “holier than thou” lifestyle. But God tells us that we are NOT saved by works, but by His grace. In other words, there is not one thing you can do to be saved except trust in God.
Romans, Chapter 4, Verses 4 and 5
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Even some of the followers of Satan are good people. Many of them contribute money to help feed the hungry. They love their children and spouses. They work and make a decent living, pay their taxes and do good for the community they live in. So what you do does NOT save your soul. Therefore, your only responsibility as a Christian is to give your total soul to God and allow His spirit to enter your body and mind and work through you.
And God’s spirit will work through each one of us in different ways. He said in the Bible:
Jeremiah, Chapter 18, Verses 3, 4, 5 and 6
Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.
This doesn’t mean that you are a worthless piece of clay — it means that the purpose God designed you to fulfill may be totally opposite than the Christian down the street. You have no way of knowing what your purpose is — but God’s spirit, working through you will accomplish a goal that only you have been created and designed to fulfill. Therefore, throw away those beliefs that mankind enforces as rules and regulations that a Christian person is supposed to follow. Instead — communicate with God and allow Him to do His will for what you were created for.
Some people lose faith and get angry when God doesn’t answer them immediately — even though they fully believe in Him and have faith. But look at it this way: Do you give your child everything they ask for? If your 5-year-old son came in and asked for the keys to the car would you give him his wish? Of course not. You would know that the possibility of him having a wreck and killing himself would almost be guaranteed since he doesn’t know how to drive.
As an adult, you can see far enough ahead of the situation to know the outcome. All the 5-year-old boy can see is his wants and desires at the present time. He cannot conceive the idea of having an accident and certainly doesn’t understand what a car wreck is, or the concept of getting killed or going to the hospital is all about. But you do which is why you are the parent and your 5-year-old is the child.
This is the same way God, our Father deals with our wants and desires. If we ask Him for something that would NOT benefit us, He really is doing us a favor by not giving us what we want and we should thank Him for caring enough to not give us everything we ask for.
Sometimes though, God does give us what we want to teach us a lesson. Again, think of your children. Suppose you are at the grocery store and Timmy asks you to buy him a new toy. You say, “No.” However, Timmy starts whining and begging, “Please, get me a new toy. I really want it.” You again say, “No.”
Timmy then starts trying to find ways to corner you into buying him this new toy. He will ask, “Why can’t I have it?” You normally will say, “Because I said, no.” “But, why?” Timmy continues; “You can take it out of my allowance.”
As you can see, Timmy is doing his best to convince you to buy him the toy. He will whine, cry or begin to threaten your authority. You will either end up giving in to his wishes or punishing him if you feel strongly enough about the issue to deny him the toy.
God does the same in dealing with us. If we are saved and ask Him for something that is not in our best interest, He will say, “No.” However, if we keep whining, praying and begging for it, after awhile He may give in just to show us WHY He originally said, “No” and hopefully we will learn to trust Him next time.
Therefore, be careful what you ask God for. You should always ask for something but add, “Not my will, but your will be done.” Jesus prayed this in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed and asked God to not let Him live through the terrible pain of crucifixion. But if you recall, He ended his prayer with: “Not my will, but thy will be done.”
So don’t get upset with God because He doesn’t grant all your wishes at the exact time you ask for them. Be content in knowing that He knows what is best for you and will only give you things that will benefit you at the time you need them. Be at peace! Trust your Creator. He knows exactly what He is doing! We’re the children who only can see a small piece of the picture which is limited by our earthly eyes.
The 1611 King James Bible
If you are unable to locate a copy of The King James Bible AV 1611 edition in order to compare the verses above to your Bible, click here to view the online version available on this website or click here to download the entire AV 1611 King James Bible in PDF format for reading offline. You must have Adobe Acrobat reader installed on your computer to view the PDF version. Click here and download this free reader if you do not have Adobe Acrobat reader.
When I got my driver’s license in 1974 I was looking for a way to escape the mentally and physically abusive household I had grown up in. That was the same year I drove to the South Drive In on South High Street in Columbus, Ohio and saw the movie: Easy Rider.
That movie made such an impression on my 16-year-old life that I went back and saw the movie 26 times in a row. I also recorded it, came home and typed up the dialogue. Then I studied every frame of the movie until it was embedded in my brain. Why? Because, although Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson didn’t know it, that movie showed me that freedom from my abusive home was possible. All I had to do was get on the open road and start driving.
When I first saw Easy Rider I did not know that most of it was filmed in New Mexico. Instead, there is a scene in the movie where Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper are crossing the Colorado River. Since this was the only landmark I had to go on, I decided that Colorado was the state where I would find freedom and I sat my sights on living here.
In order to accomplish my goal, from 1974 until 1977 I saved every penny I could. I babysat for people to earn money as well as selling products door-to-door. After three years I had managed to save $675 and I used $175 of it for food and supplies before leaving Columbus, Ohio on my trip cross country. Yes, that sounds like very little money today, but those were the days when gas was only 47-cents a gallon and you could buy 25 cans of Campbell’s tomato soup for a buck.
With food and necessities packed, on the brisk morning of October 27, 1977 I left Columbus, Ohio (via Route 70 West) headed for Colorado in my 1965 Ford Falcon. My mother thought I had lost my mind. She said: “You will never make it to Colorado.” I replied: “Oh yes I will. In fact, when I get there I will call you and reverse charges. That way, when you get the bill from the phone company you will have proof that the call was made in Colorado.” And yes, I fulfilled that promise three days later.
I remember leaving Columbus, Ohio around 7:00am and arriving in St. Louis, Missouri around 4:00pm. I stayed at a hotel compared to staying in my car because of the crime level in St. Louis. The next day I drove a total of 26 straight hours from St. Louis, Missouri to Cheyenne Wells, Colorado where I spent the night at the Trails End Hotel. Words cannot describe this trip. Never being further west than the state of Indiana, I saw something new with every mile. In Oakley, Kansas I veered off Route 70 West and took Route 40 West, hoping to eventually end in Colorado Springs. Why Colorado Springs? Because it was the first city on Route 40 with a population of 300,000 or more and being from Columbus, Ohio; I could not see myself making the transition from a town of 1 million to a complete rural environment in Cheyenne Wells.
But when I arrived in Colorado it was nighttime. After spending the night in Cheyenne Wells, Colorado I woke up the next morning hoping to see the land that Easy Rider was filmed in. But instead of finding mountains, red rock and desert – there was nothing in Cheyenne Wells except a duplicate of the 400 miles I had just endured driving through Kansas. I was heartbroken. I felt like the movie Easy Rider was just a mirage and there was no freedom to be found. It was then I headed back to Ohio, taking the long way and dipping down into the panhandle of Texas. I decided to live on the road for awhile so I could think since I was not thrilled about going back to my parent’s home.
After several months of living on the road I eventually returned to Columbus, Ohio, enrolled in college and began to build my life there. But I was never happy. Colorado continued calling to me and I used to play the song “Stairway to Heaven.” There is a line in the song that says: “And the feeling I get, when I look to the west, and my spirit is crying for leaving.” When this part would play, I would always look to the west and know that someday I would return to Colorado.
Twenty-five years passed and I lived a thousand lifetimes. In 2005 I began thinking about the trip I made to Colorado in 1977. One day I woke up and decided to fly to Colorado Springs and find out what happened that made me turn around and abandon my goal of finding freedom. After flying to Colorado Springs I rented a car and drove out to Cheyenne Wells. I immediately understood the problem. Colorado is split into two halves. One half is filled with mountains 14,000 feet or higher and the other half is flat as a board. If I would have only driven 144 more miles in 1977 I would have found the mountains. Looking back on it all now, I know it only had to be meant to be.
After making the trip in 2005, I began flying to Denver and Colorado Springs for vacations every year. I also marketed to attorneys in the area so I could fly to Colorado more often and get paid for setting up law firms. But in 2007 when I died and came back to life (click here for article); I decided that life was too short to wait any longer. In December 2008 God told me that it “was time,” so on February 23, 2009, I left Columbus, Ohio and moved 1,400 miles to Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The move was not something people in my life approved of. First of all I owned a home that had lost $80,000 in equity. People told me I was crazy not to stay in my home during the real estate market crash so I could recoup my losses. I disagreed.
Next, people told me that I would be unable to rent or sale my home. Homes in the neighborhood had been on the market for over a year and no one had rented or purchased them. I disagreed and my home was sold on a “rent to own” within 3 days.
Next, people told me not to move in the middle of winter. At the time I left Ohio there was a major ice storm that covered the states of Ohio and Kentucky. In fact, the state of Kentucky was declared a disaster area and most of the state was without power. I disagreed. I told people that the ice storm was only in Ohio and Kentucky. If I could make it past Ohio, I would be fine.
Finally, people told me that it would take weeks for me to find a place. But God told me to get in the car and start driving because He was going to show me where I was going to live. Low and behold, the first place I looked at in Colorado Springs was perfect and I fell in love with it immediately as soon as I walked in the front door.
Today I still live in Colorado and I am happier than I have ever been in my life. I am surrounded by God’s magnificent artistic hand every moment of every day and I feel closer to Him now. I have placed it in my Will to make sure I am cremated and buried in Colorado; the only place on earth that I would consider close to Heaven. Perhaps you can visit sometime.
The 1611 King James Bible
If you are unable to locate a copy of The King James Bible AV 1611 edition in order to compare the verses above to your Bible, click here to view the online version available on this website or click here to download the entire AV 1611 King James Bible in PDF format for reading offline. You must have Adobe Acrobat reader installed on your computer to view the PDF version. Click here and download this free reader if you do not have Adobe Acrobat reader.
My Precious Friend:
I am sending you this letter by way of one My Disciples. I just wanted to let you know how much I Love and Care about you and how I Greatly Desire to become a meaningful part of your life.
This morning when you awoke, I was already there with you in the Light of MY Beautiful Sunshine that filled your room. I was hoping that you would say Good Morning to me; you didn’t. So, I thought maybe it was just a little too early in the day for you to notice Me.
Again, I tried to get your attention when you stepped out of your door. I Kissed your face with a Soft Gentle Breeze. I breathed upon you My Fragrant Sweet Breath Scented with Flowers. Then Sang you a Love Song through the Birds in the Trees. You just Walked right past Me.
Later on in the day, I watched over you as you were talking with some of your friends. Oh! How I wished that you would talk to Me also. I waited and waited, but you just went along your way.
This Afternoon I sent you a Refreshing Shower and Glistened to you from each Rain Drop. I even Shouted to you a time or two with Rainbows in the midst of MY Fluffy White Clouds. I just knew you would see Me then but you were not aware of My Presence.
This Evening to close your day, I sent you a beautiful Sunset. After that, I Winked at you a thousand times through My Stars hoping that you would see Me and Wink back. You never did.
Tonight when you went to bed I spilled Moonlight upon your face to let you know that I was there with you. I was hoping that you would talk to Me a little while before you went to sleep. You never said a word. It Hurt Me Deeply; however, I continued to watch over you all through the night thinking that, maybe, just maybe, you would say hello to Me in the Morning.
Each and Every Day, I have Revealed Myself to you in many Strange and Wondrous Ways hoping that you would accept Me as your Shepherd. For, I am the Only One that can Supply you with all your needs. My Love for you is Deeper than the Deepest Ocean and Bigger than the Great Blue Sky. I have so very much to give to you and also share with you. Please let me hear from you soon.
Your Loving Friend Forever, Jesus Christ
The 1611 King James Bible
If you are unable to locate a copy of The King James Bible AV 1611 edition in order to compare the verses above to your Bible, click here to view the online version available on this website or click here to download the entire AV 1611 King James Bible in PDF format for reading offline. You must have Adobe Acrobat reader installed on your computer to view the PDF version. Click here and download this free reader if you do not have Adobe Acrobat reader.