Introduction

I was born into a Christian family. My dad took me to church every Sunday starting at age 5. Soon after my little brother and mother joined us. Early on I understood how real Jesus was, and how He would share His blessings and power with those who followed His lessons. Of course as a kid, I was usually asking for help with tests and sports, but as I got older my requests grew, as did my understanding of the Lord.

I am not a biblical scholar. I am a Christian who takes my connection with the Christ very seriously. I have been to hell and back thanks to my own medical challenges, and Jesus accompanied me every step of the way. He showed me how to deal with my issues, as well as help others with theirs.

In my life I have spread the Lord's blessings as far and wide as I could. Oftentimes friends who are not religious have asked me to pray for them. I am one of those people whom you might say never stops praying. I feel that I am a citizen of heaven, and that that kind of status brings with it certain powers and blessings in this world.

This blog is my own gift to the world. Yes, Jesus provided the inspiration for it, but there is definitely some of my own thoughts and experiences wound in. I suggest that you read as much of it as you can, and please share it with your social networks using the buttons we have provided.

Thank you for visiting, and may Christ be with you always!

The man and woman argument aka relationships

Eleven years. I’ve been with my wife for eleven years. Why? Well, we have nothing in common, so that’s not it. We both usually agree that its because we can discuss problems without the situation getting strange.

My parents were kind of a unique picture of marriage when I was growing up. They did not really display any problems to me and my little brother. It was pretty Cleaver-ish. It was not until I was in my teens that I realized their relationship took a lot of work. The trick to their success? They were not willing to quit on each other, regardless of the scope of problems they were dealing with.

I tell lots of folks that if you’re willing to come in second, you are GUARANTEEING that you will ALWAYS come in second. If you are okay with a bad relationship, ALL OF YOUR relationships will be bad.

My life has been as dynamic as any. While I have not traveled extensively, I feel like I’ve been exposed to lots of significant challenges and situations. What little success I’ve had is due to my ability to keep rolling. A famous movie once said that if you’re not careful, every single second of your life will feel like work, even the moments that should not. Here’s where Jesus comes in!

Every moment in this realm IS WORK. What Jesus does is show you a way to convert the pain into joy. He puts your mind somewhere where blessings live. Your God really is the God who made all of heaven and earth, and when you connect to Him, you can reach past the earth and reside purely in heaven. Doesn’t that sound good? Soul in heaven, body on earth (temporarily)?

My dad is a kick! I tell him all the time that there really is such a thing as heaven on earth, and that I gladly choose to reside there. He fires back with - “Why do you feel bad sometimes then? If you’re supposedly in heaven?” My answer? “I’m working on missions for God. I’m sacrificing so someone else can be incredibly happy and joyful.” Pretty hard to debate that one.

Let your soul out of here! Let it spend some time in heaven. It really can be there! That’s why Christ came. He Himself was heaven on earth. He showed us how to get to that heavenly joyous place. You can teach yourself to be there. Just ask for the ability....and like every other prayer....He will provide a solution immediately. Even if you do not sense it right away.

I love working for God! I get more enjoyment from it than anything, except maybe my family. You know what makes it so satisfying? There is always more to learn. And you know what?

Heaven is a great place to do it. Experience more joy on earth by experiencing heaven through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Demanding the best

What’s the difference between Christians and non-Christians? Christ demands the best from us. Non-Christians run through life not even knowing the difference between heaven bound and a box in the ground.

My life in high school included lots of religious debate, mainly with pseudo-Christians, pseudo-Buddhists, and pseudo-Jews. Obviously the reason I preface everything with pseudo is because kids would usually say, “Yeah, my parents drag me to services, but I’m not really into it.” Then they would proceed to talk about their car, girlfriend, or the latest hot movie.

Why is this a problem? Kids don’t take benchmarks seriously, unless it revolves around a tangible reward. Heaven is a very non-tangible reward....to kids. They can see it, but their understanding of it is usually weak, and if challenged, they cannot really explain what it is. Why is this a problem?

Its the carrot. You guys have heard me talk about the carrot before. Heaven is the carrot that Christianity holds in front of the donkey (you) to get you to move that first hoof forward. Don’t take this as a knock. Its not. Its really just an accurate representation of a typical human being. As humans, we chase our food, we chase our sex, and we chase our money. Getting out of that cycle takes a really big reward, and heaven is the only one that fits the bill. Why is that?

Its the best. Its the best that can be offered. There is nothing better. Perfect circumstance. Perfect existence. Perfect joy. No pain. No enemies. No nothing, except exactly what makes you happy. And yet, guess what? The best forego heaven. The best sign up for tours of duty.

Do you really think the most effective souls are just circling God, enjoying His warmth and love? No. They are sent out on missions. Why? They request them. They care about the cause we all work for, and so they are sent to make a change in the system. What’s the system? A more accurate question is what’s not the system.

Understand one thing about your time in a physical state. Understand that its short, its not yours, and you will be held accountable for how you spent it. Levels of heaven? Levels of hell? Folks....no one really knows. No one. Wipe out the chance in the equation and just do the best you possibly can.

God needs the best. Be the best. Be the Jesus in the room.

I'm determined to keep fighting for Christ

I almost did not write a devotional tonight. Then I got a call from a wonderful friend and minister in Toronto, who wanted to relate to me the success he has been having with the folks I have been sending him for job counseling. The results? Absolutely phenomenal! In less than two weeks, I've sent him almost 20 referrals, and almost everyone is on their way to a better job situation. Does your local church do that?

I am just so fired up! God is working in so many awesome ways. I started the system on a whim, hoping to get a person every few days. But now it is around 10 a day! Gosh, it just shows what can happen when sincere Christians reach out and help those they can. I never expected to even have the resources to pull it off, but after I had the idea, the options started flowing from everywhere. People just...well...showed up! A counselor here, an expert there...even attorneys! Can you believe it?

Well, folks, every day I feel honored to be a part of such wonderful work. Christ is moving in powerful ways. I feel like there is no end to this particular part of the ministry. I have always had a passion for helping others, especially through the Internet, and success like this makes me feel like all the personal sacrifice lately has been worth it. Maybe the reason I don't have a conventional job is because God would rather have me doing this.

I would not be surprised. With the Lord, the real servants never stop working, but then again, we would not have it any other way!

Avoid settling

Have you ever sat down in church and wondered if you were even in the right place? Did you spend an hour or two hours listening to readings and talks, but feel like your time would have been better spent somewhere else? Well, if you haven't, I have.

Ministers and pastors have to put a lot of work into doing their jobs. They work with people all week, they handle the administration of the church, and some pastors are also married. What do you think that means from week to week? It means that the true message, the powerful information, sometimes gets mucked up in the normal grind of life.

I'm not here to go on and on in a criticism of full-time pastors, but I do believe in this: If a pastor does not produce a quality message on a regular basis...reconsider where you are spending your time. After doing church for years and years, I took some time off. I did a lot of reading, I created lots of projects, and when I was ready to come back, I did. Now, I was 18, and I would never suggest that anyone avoid church regularly, but the idea is normal. Just like businessmen need sabbaticals and leaves of absence, so too do people need to experience other messages. The most popular Christian denomination in the world, Catholicism, has several churches in every large market. If one priest does not work for you, switching is a piece of cake.

My point is that the message needs to do certain things, and if it does not, then you are missing out on the main mission of Christianity: interpreting reality so that the power of Jesus shines through EVERYTHING. People not only need to grasp the purpose of living, but they must experience the peaceful and powerful nature of God, now more than ever.

Please, if you are a person who feels like you are not benefiting from the Sabbath...SWITCH THINGS UP A LITTLE! I'm not telling you to stop going, but maybe there really is something that you are missing, and your current pastor is not providing it.

Don't accept a lukewarm message. Don't accept a pastor who is not passionate about being a pastor. God does not accept junk, and neither should you.

The impossible is possible in Christ Jesus

What strikes your fancy? Do you want to stop wars? Do you want to heal the terminally ill? How about helping your friends and family through ordeals they might be facing?

You have more power than you think you have. You can travel in amazing ways. You can create in miraculous fashion. You can heal like a disciple of Christ would heal. You can do the impossible!

My little five year old daughter is always asking questions. I tell her about Jesus and praying. Every now and then she catches me talking about deeper subjects, but usually her questions are something like, "Do you help people, Daddy?" or "Dad, how do YOU work with God?" Deep questions really. I want to answer them truthfully, but at five she really wouldn't understand. You see, my work is off the charts, and yours can be too.

Right now you are probably locked into your present state of growth. The fact is that there is much more that you could be doing. Through the Holy Spirit you can move in incredible ways, change things in miraculous fashion, and most of all, create more value for the Lord. I know, value. It is such a business term, but it is the best way to phrase it. God wants value out of you. You are an investment in his eyes. He wants you to grow and prosper so you can better serve Him. Don't think so? Try not growing, and see where that takes you.

Folks, I really want the absolute best for you. But on top of that, I want you to get ready to move at a moment's notice, and move in miraculous fashion. I know that lots of folks talk about end times, but I'm not going to pretend to know when or how all of that will go down. I do know one thing though. It is better to be prepared than to be left mired in the sins of this world. I'm not perfect, but I'm actively trying to work with the Lord to create in the fashion that He wants me to create.

Anything is possible! Lie down, close your eyes, and pray for an hour straight with nothing else bothering you. Do things that you think could not be done.

This is a special life you are living. Do not cut yourself short!

You are imprisoned, but we know how to fix that!

Your thoughts are forced along the same pattern every day. Your weekly routine is the same every week. If you have kids, you go through similar trials every day. If you are married or with someone, you notice how each year becomes a little less interesting than before. When you hit somewhere around forty years of age or so...you realize that you are an energy unit! You are being processed, you’ve always been processed, and once you leave this life....yep, more processing.

Would you like some control? That would be refreshing, don’t you think?

Taking the bull by the horns can be hard. In fact, the reason you have not been able to do it so far is because you STUDY Jesus, but you do not WALK ON WATER like He does! What does it take to pull that trick off? How about an open mind, to start with!

Did you ever take a minute to realize that maybe some of the Christian lessons you received over the years were just plain boring and unnecessary? Some of them are not only engineered to KEEP YOU IN YOUR RUT.....but they DISCOURAGE CREATIVITY and EXCITEMENT! At this point in life...aren’t you interested in some unique experiences?

I started my adventure back to real life by understanding why I was following Jesus in the first place. I wanted to create the kind of effect that He did. I never had a desire to do everything He did, but I really did want those miracles! The miracles always looked so good to me. I wanted to throw them around, spin them this way and that, and bless those who really could use them. So you know what I did? Every day, I asked for the ability to do that kind of thing. I also worked very hard to prove to God that I was worthy of such power.

For over four years I was counselor to the world, running a huge advice site. I answered many thousands of emails. And you know what? It worked! Sometime in there, I discovered that I could create a miraculous u-turn for a complete stranger just with a few practical tips and a prayer or two. Sound simple? It was! And it can be for you too!

The key to the kingdom

...any guesses? Its beliefs, but not quite in the sense that you might be referencing it. The key to the kingdom is wrapped up in a conversation that my daughter and I had today. She is five years old, three months from six.

Maddy: Daddy, how do you talk to God?

Shay: He is a friend of mine. Don’t you talk to friends?

Maddy: Yeah, but I see my friends. I never see God.

Shay: That’s the best thing about Jesus. Ever since He started walking with me, I see Him all the time. When I get up, when I drive, when I work, when I play....He’s always around.

Maddy: Even though you can’t see Him?

Shay: Once you’re good friends with Him, you’ll see Him too.

Maddy: When will that happen?

Shay: In the future.

Maddy: Third grade?

My daughter is so awesome. She treats everyone very well and works at helping the world as best she can. She’s in a private Christian school. They discuss faith-based topics in class. She often comes home with questions about faith. I look at it as a great opportunity for her to start out life ahead of the game. Even if she has a different faith as an adult, or no faith, she will go through her younger years knowing that the most powerful force on Earth works on her behalf.

We live in a small house. Maybe 1500 square feet. But its on a decent sized piece of land. So we have a very large backyard. For a long time I have seen some interesting things back there, and in the house. I tell my girls, my wife and daughter, that angels hang out with us. They not only protect us, but they congregate, and they do whatever it is angels do.

I’ve been feeling the presence of angels for a long time. So much so that one of my best books is about them. I don’t talk to them, or worship them, or anything like that. But they are there, and they remind me they are there. They have put a couple things around our property to remind me that one day I’ll be working for God too, but in a different way than I do now. I don’t pledge to have all the answers, but the comfort of knowing God’s servants appreciate my family and what we do on His behalf is very gratifying.

Teach your kids about the Christ! Make sure they start off life on the straight and narrow path. Regardless of mistakes made further down the line, they will always benefit from hearing about the best moral standards that exist. Being close to Jesus at any time of life is a really big deal! I continually pray that everyone eventually gets to know how awesome it is to have God Himself walking around, caring for their loved ones, and rejoicing when they start discussing their blossoming faith.

The future is what the future is. But kids should start off with Jesus. That is the best way to provide them with a stable foundation for the rest of life.

The interior devil

It gets lots of attention in comedy shows and movies. The angel on one should, the demon on the other. Is there truth to it?

Yep. He can shove himself into your head as easily as you can overlook him. Thoughts that you have classified as normally were really just his suggestions. Have you ever heard one of those stories where a killer says, "The devil made me do it!" Not far from the truth.

You are the one in control, but the suggestions never stop. If you think you will reach a point where they don't come up at all, you are PROBABLY wrong. Why is it like this? How do you stop it?

You slow down. The evil thoughts play out in easier fashion when you are rushing your life and not monitoring your thoughts so much. So be at peace, examine your mind routinely, and then clean out what seems to be evil.

Yes, some of you will have trouble with this. That is because he provides simple suggestions sometimes, like "One more drink won't hurt." After you have already had several. Or, "The boss is not looking, lets goof off for a few minutes." It can be really simple, very basic stuff.

I can guarantee you that a long, awesome relationship with someone of the opposite sex will not last if you do not get REALLY good at wiping out those suggestions. Marriage just takes too much discipline. You won't succeed otherwise. So start now, because you'll need it in the future.

Are you in it for heaven....?

...I'm in it for the Lord! Sound strange? It should not. If you are dedicated, this is the situation.

I do it all day long. I carry out tasks...create better lives...spread miracles...work for others...because the Lord commands it, not for a future reward. Are you operating on an incentive plan? If so...that is not the end of the line. Believe it or not, there is a job waiting for you once you get past that.

What are jobs with the Lord like? Well, the array is pretty large, as you might expect. But the joy? The joy is limitless! Work that satisfies and improves and fixes the world's problems...and follows the Will of God...it does not get any better.

How do you spend your day? Are you working for retirement? Are you working out of fear? Are you working in a semi-slave capacity? Don't want to leave your typical comfort zone? Folks...the leap of faith is waiting for you, and the reward is huge.

Let's compare your day to something that I might be involved in. Four accounts processed? How about you compare that with limitless miracles completed? I know, I'm crazy, right? This is the dialogue that an insane man would present? Just look at that for a while. Instead of grinding till death, I am instead providing the juice it takes to fire up blessings for all those around me, and their friends, and their family. But that's not what people are supposed to do? Folks..this is 2010. God is coming back soon. Don't for a second trick yourself into thinking that people like me are not on every corner, because we are.

Now, at this point I could go on about the war with Satan...yadda, yadda, yadda...you have all heard it before. But what I am going to tell you to do is inspect how you are spending your time...if you are not working with Christ to create miracles for others....jump ship. We're waiting for you to join us!

Flying

Today my daughter asked if I can fly. She does this every now and then, since she's five years old. I tell her what I always tell her: "Maddy, Daddy flies whenever God needs him to." And then she always says..."Dadddd....stop joking!" How nice it would be if it all really WAS a joke.

The plain facts are that when you are on God's team, you do things other folks don't really talk about. Do you think, even for a minute, that priests and ministers spend ALL those years studying (sometimes more than a decade) just so they can lay out a nice speech on Sundays? C'mon, folks! There is more to it than that!

I work for God. Indentured servant. Recruited by Christ. In this role for eternity. So...how would I get from here to the jobs without some divine transportation? How would anything get done in the Kingdom of God? Without His miracles...nothing happens. But...when He calls...I go...in whatever way is necessary.

I don't support the concept of testing God. I don't support the concept of trying to break the natural laws of this planet. But you know what I do support? The active attempts to discover what is not discussed openly. If you think for a minute that the true clerics of this world don't have completely different kinds of discussions when it is JUST THEM in a PRIVATE CONFERENCE ROOM...you are probably just being naive.

This world has all kinds of opportunity. If you want to serve God in miraculous ways...just tell Him that's what you would like to do. Who knows...maybe I'll bump into you on the next mission. :)

Why apathy can destroy you

Even Christians can become apathetic.

Jesus passed along many lessons during his short ministry. One of them was compassion. That was followed up closely by forgiveness. How have you been doing in those areas?

I feel like I put out quite a bit of effort every day. Some days are better than others. Something that I really have been struggling with lately is my tendency to be apathetic about certain things I can’t control. Is that a problem? Not on the surface, but if I look deep inside myself, it is my number one problem.

I’m sure you have heard the stories about how you should always treat people nicely, on the off chance they are angels in disguise....or Jesus Himself. I have taken that lesson to heart many times. However, other times I dump it in the gutter depending on my mood or current financial situation. What is your experience like with that stuff?

The core problem is that the longer you stay in this world, the less you tend to care about that which you cannot control. In truth, we should all be praying for just about everything every second of every day. Is that possible? Of course. In fact I think I pull that off usually. But is it a perfect system? Probably not, because this place only resembles heaven once you have really been in the spiritual war for a while. After you have escorted enough demons home, and ushered fresh angels in, you really do feel like a citizen of heaven. Then some human problem knocks on your door...and in walks sin. Not every time, sometimes almost never. But it is still there.

So....you have to clean the system, routinely. Without a nice scrubbing on a regular basis, your prayers become tainted. Not tainted in the overly evil way, but in the way that is just powerful enough to derail your prayer. We all want effective prayers, right?

Keep those morning, lunch, and nighttime prayers coming. Make sure to ask for a healthy and pure body, mind, and soul. If you want to, ask Jesus to do it every second. That is probably the most effective method.

You wouldn’t want to step back into the warzone without your halo, would you?

Do you believe in luck?

I do not anymore. I believe that the events that unfold in my life are the direct result of my thoughts and actions. I believe that the timing of events that I'm involved in are a free flowing result of God's interaction in my life.

I put a lot of waves out there, meaning that I'm so active in the prayer realm, that I end up touching lots of people and intentions and connections. I just think life is best lived that way. But I also accept the push-back from the enemy. It is an obvious occurrence. When it occurs in strong fashion, it stands out more than anything else. BUT...it is also proof of my effectiveness.

If you are an active Christian, meaning that you pray a lot and share your faith a lot, you should also be getting some push-back. Love that. Accept it. And then turn up the dial even more. That's what God wants from his best servants. We are not here just to have fun. We are sent by a divine being to engage the body of evil in a very real and powerful way. Don't for a second think that non-Christians do this. It is ALL left up for us. ALL OF IT! So turn up the volume.

I am with all of you! This is not your typical prayer group. We provide a lot more than just prayer. This is a place where undeniable power flows right from the Son through the Holy Spirit and into us. You are being given free reign to effect changes that you might not have been involved with before.

Luck? Nope. You are here because God NEEDS you to be here.

Don't blame yourself if your faith feels low

Circumstances can really hurt sometimes. I've been out of work for almost two years.

Lots of folks center in on this concept...this lack of faith. They point to different things in their lives and they say, "Well, if God is not helping me with this, I'm not going to be the kind of servant I should be." Invariably bad decisions and inappropriate actions usually follow. But there is a way around that.

When things fall apart, and they always do from time to time, the best strategy to take is this: be a student. Obviously my family is not thrilled that I have not been working. However, I routinely point out all the great lessons we are learning from this experience. We are not wasting money like we used to. We have streamlined our budget. We think twice whenever we spend money. Those are valuable lessons!

This happens to churches, too. Our church has done the exact same thing because donations are down. They have figured out ways to cut costs and improve the way they do business. Every single human being on Earth goes through this at some point, if it is not their household, it is their employer, or a relative, or.....some aspect of life. Something always goes wrong, and we're left with the challenge of succeeding anyway.

Jesus knew this kind of thing best. Obviously, being who He was, He completely understood what He was going through, but still, even on the cross, He wondered why things were so bad. And what was the result? He succeeded anyway, because the Father was in complete control and made sure everything worked out.

I'm not about to tell you that their is an easy solution to everything. But I CAN promise that God will always offer a way to fix things. It just might require more sacrifice than you prefer.

The power cycle of heaven

Time to learn how to make it work for you.

What did you do today? Who did you see? How did you spend your time? Why did you do what you did? Want a better day tomorrow?

Regardless of what you had planned....do what you want to do. Sound strange? It should. Most people do not do what they want to on Wednesday...they are at work...or school...or whatever. And a huge portion do not do those activities out of desire. They do it out of forced obligation. Time to remove that. Why?

You are here to learn how to create heaven on Earth. No other goal. No other reason. All missions circle around that one. What is the point? How about what IS NOT the point? Everything else, really. It can all go in the garbage can. Anything that is obstructing guaranteed heaven on Earth is something to be avoided. Sound crazy?

It took me a while to figure this one out, but the truth about this world is that if you give it control...it will do as much as it can to enslave you. There is a trap around every corner, and almost all of us fall sucker to them. This group is about finding ways to be an effective warrior for Christ. And it all starts with enjoying your day.

I'm serious. If you don't want it...don't accept any excuses to do it. Spend time enjoying life! Suddenly service to the Lord will make much more sense to you. Been told all your life that God wants you to be His servant? It is true. BUT...what no one tells you is that you are not supposed to give 10% to the Lord and 90% to the world. It is ALL HIS. ALL OF IT!

Let's get moving, people! Jesus is coming and He wants to see who is worthy!

How would you feel if you discovered that dying erased your memories?

Fun topic, wouldn’t you say?

I’m a fan of never-ending life, but obviously I’m smart enough to know that I don’t have complete control over the process. I can work with Jesus as much as I want, but my destination after this life is still in question. If you think you can choose where you go, more power to you, but for the sake of this topic, let’s assume that God is the only one in charge of that decision.

I don’t believe in past lives. But I also don’t have proof to fight that concept. I would love to say that I’ve seen that proof in the bible...but that just has not happened to me. I actually tend to look at the bible with a grain of salt, considering what it had to go through to survive its 6000 year odyssey to present day. To that effect, I must assume that my soul has lived and always will live forever, regardless of its current location or circumstance.

So, living forever. Neat trick! But if so, what happens to my memories? Do they piggyback somehow, even though I, as a soul, am going through tremendous change and travel? Or do they just get wiped, in a sense replaced with some better tool that I cannot yet comprehend? Frankly, I would not be surprised.

I’m traveling from here to there, doing whatever God wants me to do. How do I even know the basics? Like the where, when, and hows of that cosmic eternity? The only conclusion I can come to is that angels assist in the process. How nice! Escorted by heavenly beings, all for the sake of fulfilling the Almighty’s plan. Sounds good to me!

What kind of conclusions have you come to about all of this? Maybe some of you will just point me toward the bible and throw some assumptions in. But you know what? The bible is just good enough to take you to a certain place, and then the rest is up to you. At least that is what I have arrived at, lo these 34 years.

To put this discussion to bed, I would like to finish with the following thought: Live it up, folks! The next stop might not be as nice as you want to think it will be.

The glory of the right-around-the-corner miracle

Within the last two weeks I have been witness to two different blessings, both helpful, but the latter was a big game changer.

I was at work last week when a co-worker whispered into the air that he could use documentation about a specific technology. Coincidentally I had brought in a book of that exact type the previous week. So as I heard him say that, I reached into my desk, grabbed the book, and walked it over to him. As I handed it to him, we both said, along with another co-worker, “Ask and ye shall receive!”

My brother just graduated from University of San Francisco’s MBA program recently. He is staying with my parents for a few days, just doing some job searching and prepping to probably move down to Los Angeles. I had come over to my parents house to work on a few things. As I walked by his desk, he was lamenting the cost of his student loans. After asking him a few questions, I asked him if he would like to speak to one of the experts I used to work with at Wachovia. I knew that his interest rate was abnormally high, so it looked like my expert could help out. Regardless of the exact savings my brother will receive, I’m fairly sure that his situation was improved through that exchange.

Miracles are not always these huge expansive game changers. Sometimes they are just events and people lining up to change reality. They can be big or small, noticed or unnoticed. I am very aware that I trigger lots of miracles each day, miracles that I will never see or receive acknowledgement of. But you know what? I know they happen, and that’s all I need.

As you go through your life, do your best to become the kind of person that creates miracles just with your presence alone. Just being somewhere, looking at people, or imagining something...can be all that is required to really tear it up in this realm.

I’ve told you guys lots of times that this places is permeable. We can really flip things around and reshape reality, almost like hackers at a computer. But this is the GOOD kind of hacking. This is the miraculous hacking that Jesus is VERY MUCH IN FAVOR of.

Bring it home

Have you ever wondered what your kids will be like when they grow up? If you spend more time at home, at least you’ll get a preview.

Some of the most successful people I know work crazy hours, travel all the time, and just don’t see the differences in their kids....WHEN they see their kids. Their connections just are not what they should be. When you work 12 hour days, and basically don’t see your young children until the weekend...what do you expect? Nannies are not the answer.

I used to think my parents had a lot of faults. As I grew up I would pick out stuff I would do differently if I was ever a parent. One of the reasons I always thought that way is because my parents had some strict guidelines, and would let me know when I did not fit into them. Now, as I look at my five year old every day, I tell myself to just do what mom and dad did. That’s because I look at all the trials that life throws at you, and without strong parenting at an early age, life will grind you into powder. I want my daughter to have a natural inclination to do the right thing. I want her to grow up with a good dose of Jesus every day, so that as time goes on she has the inner guidance she needs.

I recently heard some interesting stats on families. Apparently marriages succeed the most when young couples have parents that never divorced. They also benefit from age, since older newlyweds always have a better chance. My wife is fifteen months older than me, and I was a few months into 27 when we got married. At the time I thought that it was the perfect age. Looking back, I don’t even know how people do it when they are 20 or 21. Those first couple years of marriage can be tough. But we went to church, and we spent lots of time with our extended families....who had never divorced.

Guys, I only try and point out important things in these messages. Recently I feel like I have been watching the fabric of America die on the vine. I see basic problems swallowing people up. As I go through my every day life, I don’t know how anybody succeeds at anything anymore. Without a healthy work ethic, and some practical values, there simply is no way to get through life. If your parents are not on top of you to work as hard as you can early in life, the jackals in the future will just tear you apart.

My daughter is this incredible chick. She does so many things perfectly, it can be tough to even notice when she’s screwing up. But my wife and I are always around, and so are her grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins. When she needs correcting, she gets it. And that won’t stop now, she’ll get it forever. That’s because as we get older, the best thing we can do is pass along our wisdom to the younger folks in the family. We don’t stop needing intervention when we’re in our teens, sometimes its required much later in life.

The best thing you can do is bring Jesus home to your kids so they never miss out on the best lessons there are. Make sure you preach early and often. Sing about Him, talk about Him, and be the first one to pray with your kids. They need it all throughout the day, not just at bedtime and before meals. In my family, I breed superheroes. My daughter will be one, and any other children we have will too. Why do I do that?

Jesus breeds success!

The direction of the diction

Wonder what I’m talking about? I’m talking about talking about. This is a message regarding how you verbalize your faith.

I spout it quite a bit. Not to everyone, but definitely a few. I try to talk about God routinely. I love to show folks my cross that I wear each day. Going over theology is fun for me. I routinely get into debates about the existence of God and all the adventures in the world. I try to direct things. I try to move the conversation where I want it to go. I relish the communication. How does this connect with the Lord?

God speaks to you! He speaks to all faithful Christians. The trick is to funnel that communication from your soul to your mouth. Lots of Christians say they talk to God, but can never really repeat sentences when asked. That is actually a significant problem. If you have trouble going over your faith with someone you are talking to, then you will only be as effective as a young child. You will be able to tell people you love God, but you won’t really be able to understand why.

It’s a long lonely road from here to the hereafter. I’m sure you would like to believe that you are riding with a group of Christians, with Jesus in the lead. But when you are on your death bed or in your foxhole, you will feel all alone. That’s not because God has left you. Its because your circumstances have overwhelmed you, and that’s natural. The best thing to do with your life, in order to avoid that problem, is to get used to the Godly discussion. Get used to talking about Him. Get used to sharing Him. Then when the nurse comes in, or your buddy gets shot in a war, you can turn to them and properly enunciate your feelings about the Lord and why you follow Jesus.

The death process

So, everybody wants to know. When, where, why, how. What I’m going to focus on is the what.

It is just a change. Just another change in a long string of changes. Believe it or not, it is fast and simple It is like a jump. You go from here to there, and barely notice the process.

I’m sure everyone would love to know the outcome, but that’s never guaranteed. Believe in Jesus all you want, but the result you get still may not be what you expect.

I’m a big believer in continual jobs. I think that energy is most happy when it is at work. I believe souls benefit from having something to do. Resting and relaxing is usually a temporary thing. Consider heaven as a resort, where rewards are given and rest is achieved. But then other things happen. God puts you to work. He evaluates your strengths and weaknesses, then you discuss a new plan for your soul.

The carrot is a silly thing folks. I don’t have a carrot anymore. Why? God no longer needs to wag a reward in front of me to get me to move. I know I should move. I enjoy moving. The journey is fun for me now. It took a lot of time to get here, but I feel that I genuinely have Jesus and that He’ll never leave.

That is why religion is here. It is not to guarantee the future. It is here so you can enjoy the present, without fear and without pain.