What Do You Believe Messages
The messages in audio are on my 'spoken word' playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfMRv647JQfE1TzlDkHeRyQKRbkbbM1oX
These messages and more are in audio on my
Spoken Word: What Do You Believe playlist
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfMRv647JQfGERElPD3cWsSvmRs84xEjl
"God Is Real" Text
I have heard it said, if God was real why are things like this. I have heard it said, if God is good why is there so much bad. There are a lot of questions I can't answer. There is a lot I don't understand. But I do understand God gave us free will. The Lord wants us to do right but He will not make us do right. Things were perfect before the first sin. Then sin entered the world and corrupted all the perfection. Everything has been corrupted. All people have a sin nature. We often make wrong choices. God is real. God is Good. God is All Powerful. God is Holy and Just. There are consequences to sin. God can forgive us if we ask for His Forgiveness with a sincere heart. He is Faithful even when we are faithless. Stop blaming God for every bad thing. There is evil in the world. There will be evil until the Lord comes back. I can't say why certain things are allowed to happen. But I know God is real. I know God is Good. If we will accept Him, God gave us the Way to be saved. In the new world everything will be perfect again.
"Still Don't Think He Said He Is God" Text
For those that say Yeshua (Jesus) did not say He is God, read John 4:25-26. To me, that is very clear. He said it in John 8:58 as well. Yeshua (Jesus) showed He is God. He said He is God. But nowhere is it more clear than in John 4:26. "Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who speaks to you.” "Still don't think He said He is God? To me, He obviously did.
"God Is Faithful" Text
God does not leave us. We leave Him. What are we putting before the Lord? Who are we putting before the Lord? God is faithful even when we are not. We can turn back to God. We can be forgiven. The only sin that cannot be forgiven is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. 1 John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." . Do we want to turn back to God? We can. What are we waiting for?
"Who Do You Want To Please" Text
Are we following the Lord or are we following people? Is our aim to please the Lord or is it to please people? If our aim is to please the Lord, we can't do a lot of the things others do. Many will not understand what we do. Many will not understand what we don't do. We have to be okay with that. We have to be okay with others not understanding. We have to figure out who (or Who) we are trying to please. I want to please the Lord. So you may not understand all I do or don't do. Think about who (or Who) you want to please.
"The Lord Gives Us Signs" Text
The Lord gives us signs. There are signs all around us. Are we paying attention? Look up at the sky. Have you ever noticed anything amazing? I have seen crosses among the clouds. I have clearly seen the letter J. One time I saw the letters T, S, and J among the clouds. J for Jesus. S for Selena. I say T is for my fictional character Ty. He is my favorite of all the characters I have ever created for my writing. I have seen the letter S at least a few times. I'm not even sure how many times I saw a J or a cross. I was blessed to see them. I was blessed to be able to photograph most of them. These are not the only signs the Lord has given. I just think they are the most obvious. As obvious as they were, I would not have seen them if I was not looking. The Lord gives us signs. We need to pay attention.
"The Lord Communicates To Us" Text
The Lord communicates to us in many ways. He speaks to us through His Word, the Bible. He speaks to us through other people. He speaks to us through situations. The Lord even speaks to us through our thoughts. Don't forget that still small Voice. (1 Kings 19:11-12) Let us make sure we are paying attention.
"Did Yeshua (Jesus) Say I Am God" Text
Did Yeshua (Jesus) say I Am God? Yes. Yes, He did. Look at John 8:58. Now look at Exodus 3:14. Look at the reaction in John 8:59. In Matthew 26:59-66, Mark 14:61-65, Luke 22:66-71, and John 10:30-33 Yeshua (Jesus) claimed to be God. Those alive at the time knew what He was saying. They wanted Him dead for blasphemy. Look at Matthew 11:3-6. Yeshua (Jesus) did not use the words "I am God" but He specifically said He was God. Yeshua (Jesus) also showed He was God by doing things only God could do. He forgave sins (Mark 2:5–12). He said He was Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8, Mark 2:28, Luke 6:5). He calmed the storm (Mark 4:35–41). He walked on water (Matthew 14:22-33; Mark 6:45-52; John 6:16-21). Yeshua (Jesus) claimed to be God by what He. Yeshua (Jesus) showed He was God by what He did.
"What Would Jesus Do" Text
WWJD. What would Jesus do? Do we actually think about that? Or is it a catchy thing we say or write? What would Jesus say? What would Jesus think? Do we actually think what would Jesus do? Do we wonder what would Jesus say and think? Do we care how Jesus would feel about what we do, say, and think? How often is Jesus in our thoughts? Are we followers of Jesus in word only? Or do our actions show that we are true followers? Are we followers one day a week? Do we only act like followers when around others? How seriously do we take following Him? Every day in every situation let us think what would Jesus do? We will never be perfect but if we truly follow the Lord we need to have higher standards. WWJD What would Jesus do? Let's take time to think about that.
"Following The Lord" Text
Following the Lord does not mean there will be no pain. It does not mean bad things will never happen. No one ever said following the Lord would be easy. Many will not understand. Some may treat us wrong. Some may leave us. Following the Lord is a commitment I take seriously. I cannot do some things others think is okay. I cannot watch what others think is good. I cannot even say what others think is innocent. The standards of the world are not my standards. The Lord's Standards are my standards. I cannot live up to His Standards but I have to try. My life is full of physical and emotional pain. The physical pain is getting worse. The emotional pain has its days. I have been hurt a lot. I have been through a lot. There is so much I cannot do. Following the Lord is still my priority. I want to hear Him say 'well done good and faithful servant'. (Matthew 25:23)
"Saved Yes; Sin No" Text
If we are saved by grace, does that mean we can do whatever we want and it is okay? Definitely not. Sin is serious. If we are saved, we should love the Lord enough to not want to sin. I'm not saying we won't sin but we shouldn't want to sin. We could not save ourselves. Yeshua (Jesus) had to come in the flesh, live perfectly, die for our sins, then rise again. We can't live perfectly because of our fallen sin nature. But we should feel sin is wrong. Sin is never a minor thing. Our thoughts, words, and actions are not harmless. Everything the Word of God says is wrong is wrong. The Lord gave us His Commands, His Laws, and His Ways in His Word, the Bible. I won't say I understand every part of the Bible but I know it is the Truth. We can't follow the Lord and live like the world. We have to have higher standards. When we sin, we have to repent. We have to truly want to stop doing whatever that sin is. I always ask the Lord to help me not do it again. In John 14:15, Yeshua (Jesus) said if we love Him keep His Commandments. 1 John 1:9 says if we confess our sins the Lord will forgive us. We can't do whatever we want and think it is okay. We have to aim to keep His Commandments perfectly. When we sin, we need to confess that to the Lord. Of course He knows what we did. But we need to confess to Him then ask for forgiveness with a sincere heart. The Lord knows if we mean what we say.
"Who Are You Going To Serve" Text
Who are you going to serve? You have to choose who you are going to serve. If you choose the Lord, you have to do things His Way. If you do not know His Ways read His Word, the Bible. The Bible shows us what the Lord expects. The Bible shows us what the Lord says is right and what the Lord says is wrong. We cannot do things the way many do if we choose to honestly serve the Lord. We cannot fool the Lord. He knows our hearts. Serving the Lord is not always easy. Serving the Lord is a full-time commitment. Choose for yourself who (or Who) you are going to serve. (Joshua 24:15)
"Does The Lord Understand That" Text
I have often heard people say the Lord will understand. Will He? I am guessing that depends on what you are referring to. This is not about us struggling. This is not about us failing at some moments. All of us have a sin nature. It is hard to overcome even if we sincerely want to. We will mess up. We will sin. When we do, we need to sincerely ask for forgiveness. This is about making excuses why we can't do what the Lord Commands. There are many reasons we may not be able to do something. We suffer from different things. Some have said this is how I talk. They say the Lord understands. Some will say they can't do something when they actually can. They say the Lord understands. I can't say if the Lord understands when we make excuses to try to justify what we do or don't do. It is one thing if we do something because we don't know. It is one thing if we slip up. We will all slip up. Ask for forgiveness then try again. It is another thing if we are making excuses because we want to do things our way. Does the Lord understand that? I don't know. But I don't want to chance it.
"There is so much we cannot understand" Text
How can we understand having no beginning and no end? Everything on this side of eternity has a beginning and an end. How can we understand forever? Nothing here lasts forever. How can we understand what we cannot see? We are used to things being as we have seen. How can we understand God coming to Earth as a man? How can we fully understand the God of everything? We can't. There is so much we do not understand. There is so much we will not understand. There is so much we cannot understand. We can learn more but we will never learn everything. We have to go beyond what we can see and hear. We have to go beyond what we can understand. Let us not limit things to our understanding. Let us not limit the Lord to our limited understanding. He is so far beyond our understanding.
"Are We Right With God" Text
Are we right with God? We need to think about that now. Tomorrow is not promised. The next second is not promised. Are we following the True God? Or are we following false gods? Are we following self? Anything and anyone can be an idol. There is so much we cannot see. There is more than we can know. There is more than this world. Are we living for this world? That can be dangerous for the next world. This life is not forever. This world is not forever. Are we seeking the Truth? Or are we seeking other things? We cannot do what everyone does and think we are right with the True God. It does not matter who the other people are. If what they do and teach does not line up with God's Word, it is wrong. None of us know everything. We can be forgiven if we ask God for forgiveness with a sincere heart. The Lord knows if we are sincere. We cannot save ourselves. Idols cannot save us. False gods cannot save us. Only the True God can save us. Read about Him in His Word, the Bible. The Bible teaches us what is right and what is wrong.
"Do We Say It Or Do We Mean It" Text
Do we say it or do we mean it? Do we follow the True God? Do we follow Him in words only? Do we follow Him one day a week? Are we a 'follower' for show? Are we doing things our way or the way others do things? Some things may be okay. But what does the Lord say? We have to know His Word to know what He teaches. Again I ask. Do we say it or do we mean it? Being a Christ follower in words only is not enough. Wearing jewelry that we think honors Christ is not enough. Going to Services is not enough. There has to be more. We have to live it even when no one sees us. We have to live it even when no one hears us. We have to live it even when no one knows. Even when no one knows, the Lord knows. The Lord sees. The Lords hears. We have to live it in our thoughts, our words, and our actions. We cannot do things as the world does things and think we are honestly following the Lord. What does the Lord say about the things others are doing? If the things go against His Word, are we going to keep doing them? We all fall short. We all sin. None of us knows everything. We can be forgiven. Believe. Repent. Ask for forgiveness with a sincere heart. We should be asking for forgiveness every day because we do something wrong every day. Everyone has a sin nature. None of us are perfect. Pray. Read the Bible. If we want to follow the Lord, let us actually follow Him. Let us follow Him even when no one knows.
"Are We Christ Followers" Text
Are we Christ followers? It is not enough to say we follow Christ. Our actions show if we follow Him. Do we follow Christ? I am not asking about labels or religion. Do we follow Christ? People see what we do. The Lord sees our hearts. He knows our thoughts. Do we follow the Word of the Lord? We cannot be true Christ followers if we are not following His Word. Do we follow His Word more than we follow tradition? I am not saying all traditions are bad. Some traditions are good. Some traditions are okay. Some traditions are wrong. We need to compare everything to what the Word of God teaches. We cannot go by what others do or do not do. We cannot even go by our feelings. Being a Christ follower in words is not enough. Many say they follow Christ but follow tradition more than they follow His Word. I do not want to be that kind of Christ follower. My aim is to please Him even when others do not know. My aim is to please Him even when others do not understand.
"There Is A Difference"
There is a difference between a Christian and a Christ follower. I am not saying a Christian is not or cannot be a Christ follower. But the term Christian seems to be used too loosely. Many Christians mean well. Many believe in Christ. But many follow a lot of traditions. They follow a lot of what others have done for years. I am not saying all traditions are wrong. Some traditions are great. Some are right. But what does the Bible say? A Christ follower strictly follows Christ. Following Christ means following His Word. We need to follow His Word, the Bible, first. We will not be perfect but are we trying? We need to be careful what traditions we follow. We may have to get rid of some traditions if we are truly Christ followers. Wearing jewelry does not make us a Christ follower. Going to Church does not make us a Christ follower. Following Christ and His Word makes us Christ followers. I want to be a true Christ follower and a true Messianic believer.
"If You Are...Think About It" Text
If you are following a path because others are, you might be on the wrong path. If your priorities are the priorities of others, you might have the wrong priorities. If your standards are the standards of others, you might have the wrong standards. Never do something just because it is the norm. Never do something just because everyone else is. Think about it.
"Who Or What Do You Follow" Text
Who or what do you follow? Do you ever think about it? We all follow someone or something. The question is who or what and why. Who do you want to please the most? Do you mostly want to do what is best for you? Do you mostly want to do what is best for others? What is your focus day to day? Is your focus on your life? Is your focus on others? Are your thoughts mostly around this world and this life? Have you thought about who you want to follow? Do you follow your lead or the lead of others? Or do you want to follow something higher? Do you want to follow Someone Higher? Do we follow people? Following people would include us. Or do we follow the Lord? Our words may not always show who we follow? Our actions will show who we truly follow. We can say anything but if we mean it our actions should line up with what we say. There is nothing wrong with thinking about this life. We should not neglect ourselves. We should not neglect others either. But we need to remember this world is not all there is. This life is not all there is. Most things do not revolve around us. There is a God above us. He created us. The Lord created everything. Every person. Every animal. Every tree and flower. Everything. God created it all. People sinned by going against what God said. We could not save ourselves. The Lord saved us. We can never fully understand the Lord. We will never follow Him perfectly. When we do wrong we need to ask the Lord for forgiveness with a sincere heart. Then try again. It is the Lord that I want to follow. Who do you want to follow? Think about it.
"Who, What, Why, And How Do You Honor" Text
Have you figured out who or what you honor? Have you figured out how you honor who or what you honor? Have you figured out why you honor who or what you honor? We all honor someone or something. The question is who and what. The next question is why. Why do we honor whoever or whatever we honor? Is it because others honor him, her, or it? Is it based on tradition? Or is it based on our beliefs? Are following the crowd? Or are we following our own mind and heart? The next question is how do we honor who or what we honor. Do we do it our way? Or do we do it their way? Have you figured out who, what, why, and how you honor who or what you honor? If you have, great. Do not stress if you have not. It takes time. Do you think about why you honor certain days? Do you ever think about that? Do you celebrate based on tradition? Maybe you need to look deeper into the tradition. When and where did that tradition start? Do you celebrate because others celebrate? There has to be more than that. Many honor certain days because others honor those days. Many grew up honoring certain days. I was like that most of my life. I celebrated without knowing why. Last year, I really started to look into things. It is important to me to know why I celebrate what I celebrate. I need to know who or what I am honoring. If we say we follow the Lord, what we celebrate is very important. It is not harmless. Think about what you celebrate. Think about why you celebrate it. Then decide if you are going to continue to celebrate your way.
"Who Or What Do You Put First" Text
Who or what do you put first? What is your first thought in the morning? What is your last thought at night? Who or what do you think about most? Most likely who or what you think about most has to do with who or what you put first. Who do you want to please the most? Do you mostly want to do what is best for you? Are your thoughts filled with what you want to do? Do you mostly want to do what is best for others? Are your thoughts filled with how things affect others? What is your focus day to day? Is your focus on your life? Is your focus on others? Are your thoughts mostly around this world and this life? Have you thought about who you want to follow? Do you follow your lead or the lead of others? Who or what we put first matters. Things we do are motivated by who or what we put first. It is good to take care of ourselves. It is good to help others. We should be there for each other. We need to know there is more than us. There is more than the world we see. There is so much we can't see. There is a Creator that we can't see. I fail a lot but it is the Lord that I want to put first. It is the Lord that I want to please most.