Category: Scripture

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Bible Christian God Health Scripture

Drinking & Smoking

Nearly 6 months ago I celebrated 10 years of sobriety. I quit drinking alcohol during the middle of a 14-day transatlantic cruise on the Carnival Freedom (its maiden voyage to the U.S.A. from Europe). I drank for about 22 years. I was mostly a binge drinker in that I could go days, weeks, and even months without drinking a drop of alcohol, but then I’d make up for it all at once – usually while on vacation somewhere. I asked God for His help – His intervention in this area of my life. He came through for me – just as He always does.

In a few days – on the 22ND of April – I’ll mark 10 years of being smoke-free. I quit smoking after over 30 years. I smoked cigarettes from age 11 to almost age 41. I tried quitting a few times previously, but it didn’t work out for me. Quitting smoking was far more difficult than quitting drinking. Yet again I asked God for His help, and I relied on Him in freeing me from yet another addiction. Yet again He was wildly successful. He is always successful. He never lets me down. His promises are genuine. His miracles are abundant.

I quit drinking 14 months into my salvation, and I quit smoking 20 months into my salvation. God said, “Come as you are”, and I did. Whatever addictions you may have. Ask God for His intervention. Believe that He will free you from those chains.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit – who lives in you and was given to you by God ?  You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT)

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Bible Christian God History Ministry People Radio Scripture

Sunday Scripture

Earlier this week I stated that I attended the Greater Miami Youth For Christ annual fundraising dinner after church service last Sunday.

Today following our Lead Pastor’s sermon I talked about a young man by the name of Billy. He was a young Pastor in his early-to-mid-20s serving at a small Baptist church in the far-western suburbs of Chicago. His friend was the Founder of a local Youth For Christ movement in Chicago, and he himself was a fellow Baptist Pastor. One Sunday he came to the suburbs to see his friend Billy preach. He was impressed with what he saw and heard. He asked Billy if he’d be interested in hosting a radio show in Chicago. Billy accepted, and thousands heard his messages on the radio.

Billy was asked to kick-off the first night of the Youth For Christ meetings in Chicagoland. He accepted. Billy served as the first full-time evangelist of the Youth For Christ ministry. He eventually became the first Vice President – with his friend the Founder as President – of Youth For Christ International – which was established in 1946.

The Founder – in his mid-30s at the time – could’ve had any famous preacher from the big city to move Youth For Christ forward to the next level, but he wanted to work with a small circle of younger ministers who shared his vision and truly understood the youth of the day. These young ministers were all born and raised Chicago men – except Billy – from the western mountains of North Carolina. The Founder was totally convinced that there was no one better than Billy to deliver the message of God’s Good News to the youth of the day.

Billy is the Reverend Billy Graham. He held his first Crusade soon after in 1947.

When you are called on this fantastic journey – accept the calling – receive His gifts – and trust that God will lead you every step of the way as you fulfill the purpose that He has given you. God didn’t give us The Holy Spirit to do nothing with it. God gave us The Holy Spirit to change the world.

And then He told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” (Mark 16:15 NLT)

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Bible Christian God Scripture

Sunday Scripture

This morning I preached a sermon titled “Light & Dark”. Here are my highlights:

  • I’m not a big fan of obeying rules on this fantastic journey.
  • When I think of rules I think of religion.
  • Jesus didn’t walk this Earth 2,000 years ago to start a new religion.
  • I am not a religious man.
  • I am a born-again Evangelical Christian.
  • I am a child of the most high God.
  • I’m not on this journey to follow a set of rules.
  • I’m on this journey to have a relationship with Jesus Christ – my Lord and Savior.
  • Religion kills. Jesus saves.
  • From the day of His resurrection – until the day of His Ascension into Heaven – a total of 40 days – Jesus was busy.
  • He was seen in His restored body by thousands.
  • He walked. He talked. He healed. He preached. He loved.
  • Once James saw Him – he became a believer. He was finally convinced that Jesus was surely the Messiah and Son of God.
  • James gave his entire life to God.
  • He was a Disciple. He was a leader in the New Testament Church. He preached. He became a Pastor. He was an Apostle.
  • God is light. There is no darkness in God at all.
  • We walk together with God. We have the light. We are of the light. We walk in the light.
  • I don’t wish to live in spiritual darkness ever again.
  • Be killing sin, or sin be killing you.
  • How do you kill sin ?  By shining light on it. By exposing it.
  • God’s light replaces Satan’s darkness.

Read Matthew 7:21-23, 22:37-40; Galatians 5:13-14; James 1:12-18; 1 John 1:5-2:2, 2:7-11

Categories
Bible Christian God Scripture

Give & Love

As you probably already figured out I currently blog 3 times per week – on Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays. I never blog on Saturday nights – even though the name of this blog is “Saturday Night Retro”. (Saturday is my Sabbath day.)

If I were to add a 4TH night of blogging per week then it would be Thursday. I haven’t decided yet, but let’s try one tonight.

The following is an excerpt from a partially-written early sermon that I wrote in 2017. This hasn’t been preached yet. The sermon around it kinda fell apart on me.

Give freely, and become more wealthy. Be stingy, and lose everything. The generous will prosper. Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:24-25 NLT)

The more you give – the more you get back in return. You’ll become wealthy. You’ll prosper. You’ll be refreshed. And I’m not talking about money here. I’m talking about everything that you can possibly give with each new day – with each new opportunity – that comes your way. Give your time. Give your gifts that God gave you. Give your love that God gave you. You’ve got family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, acquaintances, waiters, cashiers, movie theatre employees, people you come in contact with on a regular basis. Give to them – not because someone is watching – but because they need you. Listen to them. Maybe they need your time. They can surely use your gifts. They can definitely use your love.

You can’t outlove God. A lot of those people out there don’t know God, so they don’t know that God loves them immensely, unconditionally, and eternally. You can be that someone that gives that message to them. You’re a Disciple. Go and tell. Go and give. Give and love !