No matter what you’ve done in your past – no matter what you’re going through now – you’re never too far way from God. He can reach you – right where you are. And when He does reach you – perhaps when you least expect it – will you accept His invitation to believe in Him and follow Him ?
I did – 14 years and 3 months ago.
God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this. It is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.(Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT)
Trust in Christ our Savior.
All rights reserved (c) 2020 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries
After observing the 14TH anniversary of God’s fantastic journey for me I’m now into my 15TH year. I believe that this 15TH year will be greater than the 14TH year, for He is greater, and He keeps life exciting with each new day.
It took me exactly 5 months to enter a church building after the start of my salvation. I walked in to Life Pointe Church in Homestead Florida on a Saturday night in January of 2007 for a rock concert. The next morning I went to our new local movie theatre in town for their Sunday morning church service. (They were no longer holding services at their original church building.)
I’ve been part of a church body now ever since that Saturday night rock concert. It was the first time I walked in to a church building as a saved man.
Growing up in the 1970s my family was Catholic. We attended Sunday service every week in Seabrook Maryland (near Washington D.C.). I actually attended Catholic School 5 days a week during my first and second grades (1973-1975). In 1975 my parents pulled me out of Catholic School and placed me into the local public school system. I attended traditional public schools for the next 10 years (1975-1985).
During the Summer of 1985 (at age 18) I actually attended a couple of Sunday morning Catholic church services on Lackland AFB near San Antonio Texas. I was in Basic Military Training at the time, and it was a convenient way to get away from reality for an hour or two. I didn’t really pay attention during the service. I was just there to get out of the heat, get away from the yelling and screaming, and hang out with some of my dorm brothers.
During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in January and February of 1991 I attended a couple of Sunday morning Catholic church services in a big tent in the middle of the Saudi Arabian desert. Again – it was a convenient way to get away from reality – a diversion from war. I wasn’t spiritual at all. I didn’t know who God was at the time.
I didn’t get to know God The Father, God The Son, and God The Spirit until exactly 14 years ago. A few months later I realized that I would not be fully on the journey until I became part of a Bible-believing church body.
Christ died for us so that we may be saved, and since He saved us we must commit to Him. He told us to love Him. He told us to love others – those who believe – and those who do not yet believe.
He commanded us believers to meet regularly to praise and worship Him, and to encourage and motivate our brothers and sisters in Him. In these last days we must be a strong church that Christ recognizes – one that honors Him above all. When we meet together in corporate worship we practice for what we must do away from the church building, and that is to encourage and motivate and love our neighbor – each creation that we come in contact with on a daily basis.
See God is coming back for His church. He’s not coming back for the manmade buildings or meeting places. He’s coming back for His church body – His creation – committed to Him.
We must be the church in everything we do, and everywhere we go.
All rights reserved (c) 2020 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries
A couple of days ago I walked in to my local neighborhood Honda dealership with the intention of discussing my various options in the next 4 months regarding the end of the 3-year lease of my 2018 Honda Civic. (It was a prescheduled informal appointment with my assigned sales consultant.)
In the couple of weeks after scheduling the appointment and leading-up to the actual day there was that thought in the back of my mind that there was a slight possibility that I would turn-in my lease and start a new lease or even buy a new car on that day. (After all most of you know what usually happens when you walk in to the sales department of any given automobile dealership.)
I ended-up driving an above-average 34 miles on that day (halfway to Miami and back) leading-up to my arrival at the dealership, and I thought to myself that these could be my final miles ever driven in this car.
And it was. Less than 3½ hours after arriving at the dealership I drove away in a brand new 2020 Honda Civic. I told my sales consultant that I didn’t walk in here to buy a new car. I just wanted facts and figures to do a few months worth of research and contemplation. But I liked everything I heard and saw, and I got a good deal. There was no need to procrastinate for a few more months.
Some of the most fun moments on this fantastic journey are the ones that are unplanned, unrehearsed, and unscripted. I mean that’s how this journey began for me 14 years ago this upcoming work week.
“For I know the plans I have for you” – says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster – to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray – I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly – you will find Me. I will be found by you.” – says the LORD.”(Jeremiah 29:11-14a)
As a mostly organized and prepared person I essentially live on a schedule that I maintain for the next 15 days at any given time. It’s a list of things that I need to do, I want to do, and I should do. It even reminds me to blog my 4 posts per weekend. Incidentally – “BUY NEW CAR” – was not on my list of things to do a couple of days ago. Also not on my schedule 14 years ago this upcoming work week – “GET SAVED BY GOD”.
God did that on his own. While my salvation started during this upcoming week of August of 2006 I really didn’t figure much of it out until several weeks and even a few months later. It took me that long to understand what salvation was. See up until 14 years ago I knew of God, but I didn’t know about Him. I didn’t know who He was. He knew me, but I didn’t know Him. Salvation changed all of that.
Seek the Lord while you can find Him. Call on Him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the LORD that He may have mercy on them. Yes – turn to our God, for He will forgive generously. “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts” – says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.”(Isaiah 55:6-9)
Our God invites you to salvation if you’re not already on the journey that He created uniquely for you. It’s an open invitation for as long as you’re still alive and breathing here on the earth. Are you ready today ? How about tomorrow ? Next week ? Next month ? Next year ? Or will you be like me, and not plan for it to happen but just let it happen. Will you respond to God when He rescues you out of the pit of despair – out of the mud and the mire – and saves you forever ? Or will you turn away from Him, and return to doing what the world tells you to do ?
You will have infinite opportunities to believe, follow, trust, and love the LORD in your lifetime. Don’t let the final opportunity that He grants you be the one that you reject. I’ve heard it said that hell is not full of people that God rejected, for God rejects nobody. Hell is full of people that rejected God.
You have no idea what awaits you when you accept God and you allow Him to lead you forth away from the darkness and towards His light.
All rights reserved (c) 2020 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries
On this Sunday we praised, worshiped, and celebrated our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ. After the first song of worship I greeted my church family, and I led a prayer for all of our kids, parents, teachers, administrators, school bus drivers, and all of us affected by the new school season which begins locally tomorrow morning. I prayed for our God to continue to bless all of us in His powerful name for safety and security in and around our schools, and to and from our schools.
Our Lead Pastor continued his message series on the “Road To Heaven” with a lively sermon that looked like a lot of fun for him to preach. I love watching him preach. I’m an Associate Pastor, so I’m observing and learning from him every step of the way. When I preach it is Chris Day proclaiming and teaching God’s Word to anyone who’s listening. My style is a conglomerate of every Pastor I’ve had the privilege of personally serving with, observing in action, and watching on TV over the past 12½ years.
One of my favorite verses of Scripture was part of our Pastor’s sermon today:
But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a royal priesthood – a holy nation – God’s very own possession. As a result – you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.(1 Peter 2:9)
This week marks 13 years of salvation for me. God rescued and saved me on this upcoming week of August of 2006 while I was driving to work in the twilight of the morning. The first miracle occurred on that otherwise mundane morning, and then a few weeks went by before I realized what God was up to. The miracles have been endless ever since.
For (I) have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. (My) new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal living Word of God.(1 Peter 1:23)
Thank You my friends for reading my blog, and for being part of my global church family. I’ll leave you with the same message that I gave to my brothers and sisters today to close out our church service. I’m not a fan of “going to” church or “leaving from” church. I believe in “being” the church and “bringing” the church in everything we do and everywhere we go, so let’s be God’s wonderful light out there (outside) wherever there’s darkness.
All rights reserved (c) 2019 Christopher M. Day, CountUp Ministries
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