The Gospel Of Grace

     Many people think they will go to Heaven because they have lived a good life. Perhaps, they treat all of their neighbors fairly, maybe they volunteer for charity work, and have never broken the law, maybe they were even baptized, or go to church regularly, but the bible, God's Word, says that no one can live up to God's standard of righteousness.

"As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one..."  Romans 3:10.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God..."  Romans 3:23.

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Romans 6:23.

     Salvation cannot be earned, it is a gift of God that must be received by repenting (that is, turning your life over to God), and believing that His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, died to pay the penalty for your sins on the cross.

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."  John 3:36.

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."  John 14:6.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: It is the gift of God: Not of works lest any man should boast."  Ephesians 2:8,9.

      This is the gospel of grace, plain and simple. If you have not received the gift of salvation, please stop right now, and confess to God that you are a sinner in need of salvation, that you want to turn from the path you have been on, and that you believe the Lord Jesus died for your sins.

Contact Information:

Email: phil.419.@gmail.com

Twitter: @419Dave

Google: +David

"Fishers Of Men"

     This Christian fish symbol has an interesting history. It originated back in the 1st century A.D. when Christians were persecuted (and sometimes put to death) for publicly professing their faith in Jesus Christ. Believers would often times have to meet together secretly for worship and prayer, and would use the fish symbol, outside the door, as a sign for other believers to know where they were meeting.

This symbol is also known as the ichthys symbol, this means fish in Greek. The letters in the above symbol are an acrostic (meaning: a poem, word puzzle, or other composition in which certain letters in each line form a word or words), which stands for Jesus - Christ -  God's - Son - Savior. 

"And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And He saith unto them, Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed Him."  Matthew 4:18-20  

1)   "for they were fishers":  These two brothers were simple fishermen, yet the Lord Jesus called them, and greatly used them in His gospel ministry. This is especially encouraging to me. Jesus could have called the wisest, the richest, the most highly educated, but He chose to call these two fishermen to be a part of His gospel ministry! "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant (unschooled, ordinary) men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus."  Acts 4:13.

        "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.":  Jesus still calls them fishermen, only now, He elevates this title to a far higher, more noble position. He is asking them to lay aside their fishing nets, and to start spreading the net of the gospel (or good news). 

3)     "And they straightway left their nets, and followed him." Jesus doesn't call all of us to serve Him the same way, some He does ask to go into full time service for Him, but for others, He wants us to serve Him right where we are. The important point in this, we must be obedient to His calling, whatever it might be, to be willing to "straightway leave our nets and follow Him".

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publishes peace; that brings good tidings of good, that publishes salvation..."  Isaiah 52:7

Contact Information:

Email: phil.419.@gmail.com

Twitter: @419Dave

Google: +David

Perseverance

     The subject I want to consider tonight is perseverance. This is something I have struggled with a lot throughout my life. I have enjoyed the study and preparation I have put into this article, because it has been of help and encouragement to me, and I hope it will be a help to you as well.

"A noble purpose inspires sacrifice, stimulates innovation and encourages perseverance." - Gary Hamel

     What struck me about the quote above, was the word "purpose". It is true that we must have perseverance in order to succeed in something, but if we don't have a definite and certain purpose for why we are doing it, we will not have the motivation to continue doing it, when the times get tough.

     So, when we set out to make a positive change in our life, whether it is starting a new career, taking up a new hobby, quitting smoking, or whatever it might be, first of all, we must stop and think about what our purpose, or reason, is for doing it in the first place.

     For example, if you need to stop smoking and start exercising, your purpose for doing so would be that you might live a longer, healthier life. If you need to make a career change, or start a second business on the side, your purpose might be to better provide for your family. Because, as time goes on, and we don't see much reward for our efforts, we will start to lose patience and get discouraged, and be tempted to give up, but then we can remember what our purpose was for starting the new endeavor in the first place, that will give us encouragement and motivation to keep going on!

     Now, getting back to perseverance, this is how the dictionary defines it:

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary: Perseverance 

To maintain a purpose in spite of opposition or discouragement; not to give up or abandon what is undertaken.

Perseverance is not giving up. It is persistence and tenacity, the effort required to do something and keep doing it till the end, even if it's hard.

      Here are some additional quotes on perseverance:

“I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.”

Christopher Reeve (1952-2004); Actor, Producer, Director, And Writer; Best Known For His Role As Superman

“With ordinary talents and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable.”

Sir Thomas Buxton (1786-1845); British Member Of Parliament

“Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure.”

Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881); Prime Minister Of The United Kingdom

Have "Patient continuance in well doing"  Romans 2:7

 Contact Information:

Email: phil.419.@gmail.com

Twitter: @419Dave

Google: +David

Jesus Says "Come Unto Me"

     Hi everyone! On Thursday's, my article consists of a gospel message presenting the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ.

"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."  Matthew 11:28.

     "Come unto Me": This is an invitation to anyone and everyone! "The Lord is... not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9). He wants us to come, just as we are, but with the willingness to turn from the path we have been on, to trusting and obeying Him. "Come unto Me": The word Me is very important to consider. People will say that there are many ways to Heaven, and that it is not that important what you believe, but that is a lie straight from the devil, scripture is very clear that we are saved by grace, through faith in the shed blood of Jesus, who alone, has paid the penalty for our sin. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." John 14:6.

     "All ye that labor and are heavy laden": Have you burdened yourself with the pursuit of wealth, worldly happiness, position and honor? There is no satisfaction in these things, because there is no end to them, it is a treadmill you must continually labor for. Are you trying, by good works, to gain acceptance and approval of God? "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8,9. 

     "And I will give you rest": The rest spoken of here does not mean a life of leisure, with no work, and without problems and persecution. The rest spoken of here refers to the joy and peace we have, that, once we are saved, we have the assurance of spending eternity with God in Heaven, and not be eternally separated from God in Hell. Also, a believer has rest now, we can have peace and joy, even in the midst of trials and persecutions, because we know He is with us through the storms of life!

Whosoever Will

1. “Whosoever heareth,” shout, shout the sound!
   Spread the blessed tidings all the world around;
   Spread the joyful news wherever man is found:
   “Whosoever will may come.”
   • Refrain:
     “Whosoever will, whosoever will,”
     Send the proclamation over vale and hill;
     ’Tis a loving Father calls the wand’rer home:
     “Whosoever will may come.”
2. Whosoever cometh need not delay,
   Now the door is open, enter while you may;
   Jesus is the true, the only Living Way:
   “Whosoever will may come.”
3. “Whosoever will,” the promise secure,
   “Whosoever will,” forever must endure;
   “Whosoever will,” ’tis life forevermore:
   “Whosoever will may come.”

"For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved"  Romans 10:13

Contact Information:

Email: phil.419.@gmail.com

Twitter: @419Dave

Google: +David

    

     

Midlife Career Change

     Hello! Today I have some encouragement and advice for those who may considering a midlife career change, or learning a new job or business along with what they are already doing.

     Here are a couple of good quotes that go well with this subject:

The biggest risk is not taking any risk... In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks. - Mark Zuckerberg

Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks. -Warren Buffet 

     If you are needing to start a new career later in life, there are risks associated with this. But, usually the need for making the change, outweighs the risks involved, and you have to do it, like it or not. If you have lost your job for one reason or another, if health issues arise, or if your need for better income forces the change, you must get past mental roadblocks first, then you can focus your attention on what to do and how best to go about doing it!

     Some of the mental roadblocks I wrestled with before starting to learn something new were:

1) Fear of failing: I didn't want to invest time and money into something, and then and then fail, and be in worse shape than before I started. But I have finally realized that if I continued to allow the fear of failing to stop me from ever starting anything, I would never change my conditions. I now have the attitude that if I do try something new and it does not work out, I have still learned a lot, and that will help me towards the next thing I try. Sometimes we have to try many different things before we find the one thing we succeed at, but the key is to not get discouraged, but to apply what you have learned from the past, and use that to your advantage towards the next opportunity!

2) Finding the time and energy: I have a full time job as a cross country truck driver, with a very irregular work schedule. Even when I do have some free time, I don't usually have the energy to focus on doing anything that would require much mental  capacity. But I have been excited to learn, that now that I have found something that I really enjoy doing, like writing this blog for example, it is much easier to find the time, and when I am learning and doing something I really enjoy, I have the energy and focus I need to do it!

     Here is a quote from an article that is discussing the subject of midlife career change:

This old dog can't learn new tricks.

Reality: Says who? Of course there will be a learning curve to any new career you try. But isn't having a new professional challenge part of why you seek this change? As Harkness says, the goal is to find a career that taps into your innate strengths and interests. As for the aspects of the job that may intimidate you (such as becoming tech savvy), accept that getting proficient in these skills may be frustrating and difficult, making mastery of these challenges more gratifying.

If these myths are stopping you from pursuing a career change in midlife, expand your thinking about your capabilities instead of focusing on what you see holding you back. Also consider that accepting these myths is easier than taking a risk. View this entire article here.

     The above example is another excuse I used many times. I had never learned another trade, or had any other education, and I had not kept up with all the new technology that is so prevelant in society today, so I was sure I wouldn't be able to learn anything new.

     I hope I can be of encouragement to those that have any of these same fears when it comes to learning and starting something new. If I can do it, and I am far from being the sharpest tool in the shed, so can you!!

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." James 1:5.

"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."  Proverbs 3:6.

In the area of changing jobs, or in any other area in our lives, it is so needful and important to go to God in prayer. He will give us wisdom, guidance and direction. It is not that He won't allow us to fail sometimes, but He has some plan and purpose for all that we go through.

     

Contact Information:

Email: phil.419.@gmail.com

Twitter: @419Dave

Google: +David

Working Diligently

     I think the subject tonight is something everyone is familiar with, and everyone can relate to. This Blog discusses making positive changes in our lives, and often that involves learning  a new business on the side, while we are already working a full time job. So I thought I would give some words of warning against being tempted to get involved in something that promises a lot of money quickly and easily.

     The need for additional income is probably the main reason people consider starting a business on the side, and for most of us, we do not have have a lot of time and energy to devote to this, and the people that offer the get-rich-quick schemes are well aware of this. So, even if it is not our original intent, we can fall prey to very clever ads and marketing schemes that promise a lot of money quickly, without much effort on our part.

     Since lotteries are so popular, many business opportunity companies use the same techniques to get people to buy into their schemes. The mind-set today is getting something for nothing, but in reality, this very seldom works out as it is promised. I know these types of schemes are common everywhere, but with online business opportunities, it is particularly common.

     I know I am not saying anything that everyone doesn't already know, but I hope I can offer up some positive encouragement for going back to the basics, and not getting caught up in the get-rich-quick mindset. Just warning someone against something only goes so far, but if you can offer them something  better, that gives them a positive direction to focus on and work towards!

     Proverbs 13:11 says: "Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase."  I think we can replace the word "Vanity" with lotteries, get-rich-quick schemes, dishonesty, etc. I think it is true, that if we do come into money by any of these ways, it does diminish quickly. When we have done little to earn something, we don't value it near as much as we do when something takes a lot more time and effort to earn.

      Here is a dictionary definition of "Working diligently":
      "Diligently is defined as something done with great persistence, care or dedication. When you work carefully on a project and persist in doing it even when it becomes difficult, this is an example of a situation where you work diligently on the project."

        "The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat." Proverbs 13:4,. In other words, a lazy person will constantly be wanting and desiring things, but unless they organize a plan, and commit to working diligently at it, will it be successful, otherwise it will only remain a dream.

          "The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want." Proverbs 21:5. Good planning and hard work are the keys to success, but people that want something for nothing will fail. 

     

     I hope these thoughts will be of encouragement to you (and myself as well), that anything worth doing is worth doing right, and that when we commit to doing something, we will stick to it and see it through. And even if it takes longer than we had hoped, if we are persistent, our efforts will eventually pay off! 

     Have "Patient Continuance in well doing"  Romans 2:7.

Contact Information:

Email: phil.419.@gmail.com

Twitter: @419Dave

Google: +David

Believe On Him

   

Greetings! On Thursday's I am devoting the blog post to the gospel message. I pray these words will be an encouragement to all who read this. The name of this Blog Site is Positive Changes, and there is no more important and positive change anyone can make in their lives than receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior!



    "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."  John 5:24.

     This is Jesus speaking in this verse, the word "verily" means truly, and by repeating it twice, He is emphasizing the importance of what He is about to say. "He that heareth My word": This speaks of more than just hearing (or reading) something without giving it any real thought, but rather, allowing His word to penetrate our minds, to consider it deeply, and be willing to act on it. 

     "My word", in this context, is referring to the gospel message that Jesus is teaching. He would have us to truly consider, and think about the need of repenting (or turning our lives over to Him), being honest with ourselves, realizing and acknowledging our need of Him. 

     "Believeth on Him that sent Me": God sent His Son to be the sacrifice, to pay the penalty for our sin. Do you believe in God? Do you believe that He is the creator of the world? "For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God."  Romans 1:20 (New Living Translation). 

     We will either spend eternity having "everlasting life" in Heaven, or we will spend eternity in everlasting condemnation, and suffering, and torture, in Hell.

     "But is passed from death unto life": Scripture says "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" and "The wages of sin is death" Romans 6:23. Since we have all sinned, we are seen by God as being dead in our sins, but by believing on God, and the finished work of Jesus on the cross,  we are "Passed from death unto life." This is salvation, there is no other way to be forgiven, and accepted of God, and assured of everlasting life, than by believing the gospel message. 

     Please don't think your life has been to bad, or that you have to try to clean up your act before you can ask God into your life. He wants you to come just as you are, without delay, for He says "Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved". Romans 10:13. and "Whosoever" includes YOU!! 

     If you are not assured of where you will spend eternity, please stop right now, and make a simple, but heartfelt prayer to God, acknowledging you have sinned, but you desire to turn your life over to Him, and that you believe Jesus died to pay the price for your sins, and that you want to receive Jesus by faith, as your personal Lord and Savior. 

Sinner, hear the matchless story;

Listen simply and believe;

From the risen Lord in glory,

Life, eternal life, receive.

Contact Information:

Email: phil.419.@gmail.com

Twitter: @419Dave

Google: +David