I See God In Everything

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:13)

I See God In Everything

I don't understand how so many are blind,

Unable to see God in the world He designed,

For me it's as clear as me looking at you,

I see God in everything, from my field of view.

 

Not just in Heaven and the Stars up above,
But everything He made has a signature of His love,
From the smallest microbe to the beasts of the sea,
I see God in everything, to include you and me.

 

Some say God doesn't speak to them ever at all,
But that's only because they hide behind a wall,
Just drop your earthy barrier and you will hear too,
I see God in everything, especially in you.

 

Just as I was looking at your one-of-a-kind face,
A truth came to me about the entire human race,
If you still can't see God and you want Him to be clearer,
I see God in everything, just look in the mirror.

 

by James Apple Jr.

 

 

I want to Develop a God Addiction

I have to admit, I have developed many addictions during my 40+ years on  this earth. During my childhood, I was addicted to sodas, ice cream, and candy. Basically, anything that contained sugar in it. During my adolescent years, I was addicted to finding my true-love and hanging out with my friends, otherwise known as “partying!” During the years of my Army career, I was addicted to adrenaline, caffeine, and nicotine. Now, during my mid-life, I have new aspirations for a different kind of addiction.

I want to Develop a God Addiction!

All my life, I had no problems with adopting addictions that are bad for me. Why is it I have such a hard time finding an addiction that is good? Once is a great while I find an addiction that is somewhat good for me, such as exercise or good eating habits. However, what can be better than an addiction than is good for my soul? Just think about it for a minute. Earthy addictions may do good for my body and mind and help keep me attached to this world for a few extra years. But, an addiction to my Lord carries a guarantee that lasts for eternity!

The first step to developing a God addiction is the realization of how vital God truly is in our daily lives. So many of us depend on our personal strengths, but we must remember that God is the creator of everything! That means that God is the author and controller of everything in our world, which includes everything in our lives. Nothing good or bad happens to us unless our God has ordained it to be so. We must remember that God’s will is not our own and when we have anything in our lives that happens that we don’t understand, it is because God either blessed us or He tests us.

Absolutely everything has a purpose. But what about those sinners that have good things happen to them? This is a great question! Even for the atheist that are blessed with fortune and fame. Their blessings are only for this earth. God is somehow using them for His glory in heaven! Their understanding of this is not important. God knows what He is doing and that is all that matters.

The same goes for when bad things happen to Christians that love God. Don’t take it as God doesn’t love me. Just remember that God is either testing your faith or he is using the situation in some way you don’t understand to His glory. We must remember, God even allowed His Son Jesus to be tested by Satan in the wilderness; why would he not allow Satan to test us as well? You may at first think that God is punishing you and maybe He is, but He may be using you in another way that brings glory to Him that you do not understand.

You see, the only way to become addicted to God is through faith. We must not allow circumstance in our lives, both good and bad to influence our belief in what we know is true. God’s will is not our will and we must stop trying to figure out things of this world that we cannot understand or were never meant to understand. We cannot understand because the only One that can understand is God the Father. God doesn’t want us to understand anyway. He only wants us to have faith and trust in Him.

Matthew 18:3 And he said “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Let us pray that we can do our best to put away the thoughts of this earth and start trusting more in God. I believe this is the first step to become addicted to God!

What in Life is Meaningful?

Is it fame or fortune? Is it living in a big house or driving a sporty little red car? Is it knowledge or becoming well-respected and known in your career field? Is it your relationships in life such as finding your true love and being loved by your family and friends?

While many of these things in life are great and very important to many of us. Some, such as loving and taking care of our family is also very important to God. However, all of them are meaningless when compared to your personal relationship with God. Knowing our God is the only true meaning of life because having a relationship with Him was the reason why God created us. It was true for Adam and Eve and still true today. Everything else is nothing more than gifts from God to us that come in the form of blessings.

The Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes teaches us a thing or two about this subject:

Everything is Meaningless

1 The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem: 2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” 3 What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun? 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. 7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. 8 All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. 9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time. 11 There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow. Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

Wisdom Is Meaningless

12 I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. 13 I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! 14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 15 What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted. 16 I thought to myself, “Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. 18 For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes 1:12-18

Pleasures Are Meaningless

1 I thought in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 “Laughter,” I said, “is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?” 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly–my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives. 4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well–the delights of the heart of man. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. 10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. 11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. Ecclesiastes 2:1-11

Wisdom and Folly Are Meaningless12 Then I turned my thoughts to consider wisdom, and also madness and folly. What more can the king’s successor do than what has already been done? 13 I saw that wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. 14 The wise man has eyes in his head, while the fool walks in the darkness; but I came to realize that the same fate overtakes them both. 15 Then I thought in my heart, “The fate of the fool will overtake me also. What then do I gain by being wise?” I said in my heart, “This too is meaningless.” 16 For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten. Like the fool, the wise man too must die! Ecclesiastes 2:12-16

Toil Is Meaningless
17 So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. 18 I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. 19 And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless. 20 So my heart began to despair over all my toilsome labor under the sun. 21 For a man may do his work with wisdom, knowledge and skill, and then he must leave all he owns to someone who has not worked for it. This too is meaningless and a great misfortune. 22 What does a man get for all the toil and anxious striving with which he labors under the sun? 23 All his days his work is pain and grief; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is meaningless. 24 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, 25 for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? 26 To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 2:17-26

As we read in Ecclesiastes, everything of this earth is meaningless. All except one, God! You may say this is a contradiction, but it is not! God may be with us on this earth, but He will never be of this earth! He cannot be part of it because it is impossible for the creator to become part of the created. Think about it like this! If I build a house, am I part of the House or do I live in the house? Of course I am not part of the house. Just like God is not part of the world, He only lives in the world and in our hearts.

Everything about God is spiritual and Holy, which is a complete opposite of what earth is and especially what it has so recently become. Here is something else we should know. Just like God not being a part of this world, we have a choice to not be a part of the world also! When we are living a Christ centered life that has a personal relationship with Him, we no longer belong to this world.

John 15:19 “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”

We have found the only true meaningful thing in life. A relationship with our God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ.

Finding our meaning in life also results in finding true happiness! One cannot exist without the other. This is why a non-Christian will search all their life looking for the meaning of life and true happiness. They search high and low and spend their entire life savings on everything they can think of!

If they only knew that happiness was only one repentance prayer away and is completely free!

Join me in a prayer to pray for those that do not know HIM.

by James Apple Jr.

Please share this powerful message with others!

"God Will Find You!"

Matthew 7:7 "Keep on asking, and you will be given what you ask for. Keep on looking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened."

Dr. Sean, a Theology professor at the Baptist seminary remembered very well the first day he saw Johnny. His eyes needed a double-look to believe what was walking into the classroom. Johnny was about 5’10 and his dark straggly hair draped over almost ½ the length of body. He was wearing what one could described as a Criss Angel look alike costume. Sean did something that he knew was very wrong, something he would repent of later; he judged him by his appearance and labeled him in his mind as very strange. Johnny did, as Dr. Sean suspected, turn out to be an atheist and constantly objected to, made fun of, and smirked at the possibility of an unconditionally loving God.

At the end of the semester, as he was turning in his final exam Johnny asked Dr. Sean, "Do you think I will ever find God?" 

Dr. Sean is not sure why, but he immediately and almost unconsciously said, "No!"

Johnny was surprised by his response and said, "How could you say that, I thought all you Bible-Thumpers pushed salvation on everyone."

Dr. Sean waited til Johnny was almost out the classroom door and said, "Tommy, you may never find God, but I am 100% certain that he will find you!"

Johnny shrugged in shoulder as to say, "I do not care!" and left.

A few years later, Dr. Sean got some bad news that Johnny has terminal cancer, but before he could make plans to go visit, Johnny came to see him. Johnny was in a wheelchair because he was too thin and weak to walk and all of his hair had fallen out from the chemotherapy treatments. But something was different about Johnny. There was something different in his eyes. He was close to death, but his eyes were brighter and looked more alive than ever before.

"Johnny, I heard you were sick and had plans to come visit you.", Dr. Sean said.

"Yes, I am very sick. I have cancer eating away at most of my vital organs. It is just a matter of weeks or days now.", Johnny replied.

"Would it be OK if I asked you some questions about it?", Dr. Sean asked.

"Sure, I have no problems talking about it."

"What is it like to be so young and dying?"

"It could be worse."

"How?"

"I could be fifty and have no values, or could be fifty and believe that sex, partying, and making money are the most important things in life."

Suddenly, Dr. Sean thought back to the first day he met Johnny and how he sinfully judged him for the way he looked. He was amazed at how God used this young man to teach him a lesson on life.

Johnny said, "The reason why I came to see you today has to do with what you said the last day I saw you. You surprised me when you said I would not find God, but he would find you. The truth is, I have thought about what you said a lot since I last saw you and had searched for God. But, it was not until I found out that cancer was spread into my vital organs until I was serious about my search. I was desperate and did everything in my power to find God, but nothing happened. I guess after a while, I just gave up and quit. My father and I had never been very close. I lost my mother when I was young and was never able to connect with my dad. Then one day for some reason I approached him and told him, 'I love you!' He immediately burst into tears, hugged me, and we spent the whole night talking. That was when I realized that God was there, all along. I tried so hard to find him for so long and he was there all along. It was through love that I found him. The last time I took your class, I was not ready for God, now I am and would like to take it again."

Dr. Sean told Johnny when the next Theology of Faith class was to start, but he never made it to the class.

He did talk to Johnny one last time before his death. He said, "I am not going to make it to your class."

"I know Johnny."

"Will you tell your class about me, tell them my story?"

"Of course I will."

"Tell them that God is there, He is always there. It only takes love to see him!"

1 John 4:8 "Anyone who does not know love does not know God, because God is love."

The Bible and Science Agree

Throughout time, scientist have made more than a few scientific errors. The Bible does not give answers to all scientific questions, but the ones it does mention are accurate. It just took secular society some time to learn the knowledge that God already gave man through his inspired Word!

Here are some examples:

1) Scientist used to believe there was only between one thousand and twelve hundred stars in the universe. We now know there are trillions upon trillions of stars; more than man can ever count.

What did God tell us?
"And as the stars cannot be counted and the sand on the seashores cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of David, my servant, and the Levites who minister before me." Jeremiah 33:22

2) Men used to think these stars were all very similar to each other and now we know that each one is unique.

"... And even the stars differ from each other in their beauty and brightness." I Corinthians 15:41

3) Scientist believed in The Steady State Theory, the theory that the stars were just out there. Now, scientists know that star constellations have gravitational binding.

"Can you hold back the movements of the stars? Are you able to restrain the Pleades or Orion?" Job 38:31

4) Scientists used to believe that the earth was flat and of course now know it is round.

"It is God who sits above the circle of the earth." Isaiah 40:22

5) We used to believe that light did not move and we now know that it does and has physical properties such as "light waves" and "photons."

"Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And darkness, where is its place," Job 38:19

6) Doctors used to believe the "bleeding out" a person could help to heal them. Blood is now know to be essential for life and blood transfusions are given to add blood and heal people.

"For the life of the flesh is in the blood," Leviticus 17:11

7) We used to believe that air has no weight. We now know that oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon-dioxide have respective atomic weights that can be measured.

"To establish a weight for the wind, and apportion the waters by measure." Job 28:25

8) We used to believe that winds blew straight across the Earth. We now know that air currents move in large circular patterns.

"The wind blows south and north, here and there, twisting back and forth, getting nowhere." Ecclesiastes 1:6

9) People did not understand how important hand washing was to stop sickness. Of course, we now know that many diseases are spread by contact and washing hands reduces the chances of spreading these diseases.

"During that time, he must wash his clothes and bathe in fresh spring water. Then he will be ceremonially clean." Leviticus 15:13

10) In the time of Greek mythology, people believed the Earth was carried on some one's back. Of course, we now know it floats in space.

"God stretches the northern sky over empty space and hangs the earth on nothing." Job 26:7

11) Last but not least, many even still today believe in "The Big Bang" theory. That our world just somehow came together by chance. Dr. Harold Morowitz, a former biophysics professor at Yale University estimated that the chance formation of the smallest simplest form of living organism is 1 out of 10^340,000,000. To understand the size of this unimaginable odds, you have to imagine a 1 followed by 340,000,000 zeroes. As you can see, these odds make evolution impossible.

Of course, there is a much better and simpler answer to everything.
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1

And just like all the others, the only right answer.

Democrat or Republican? Let the Bible Decide!

Christian Democrat ... That's Impossible!

I do not know about you, but I am so tired of hearing people say they are Christians and vote Democrat. I believe it is impossible to be both because their beliefs are complete opposites of each other. I believe it is also wrong to always vote Republican and call yourself a Christian because many Republicans have beliefs that are contrary to Christian teachings as well. I believe a true Christian has to be Independent of both parties and vote for the lesser evil. It is virtually impossible to vote Democrat because one never finds a Democrat with less evil values than his or her Republican opponent.

If you know one, please cue me in so I can give him or her my full support!

Now, you are probably thinking ... "This guy is nuts!" and "How can he say such nonsense?"

Who care what I think? What really matters is what God thinks ... so ... let's take a look!

Remember, when you vote for a political candidate, you do not just vote for the person; essentially ... you vote for every ideal and belief that person holds. In short, what every impact that person has on society ... either good or bad ... is partly your responsibility.

St. Paul wrote to the church in Corinthians this, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil." 2 Corinthians 5:10

This means that God hold you personally responsible for your actions ... Good and Bad.

Let us take a look at what God thinks about the mainstream political platform that most Democrats support and vote for in the Congress and Senate. Which also translates, what you support when you support the Democrats.

What God says about "Gay Marriage and Homosexuality."
Most have heard the saying, "God made Eve and not Steve!" Well, this is true. Not because I say so, but because God believed a woman was the perfect companion for man, not another man.

"Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him' ... Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man." Genesis 2 18, 22 NLT

"Haven't you read the Scriptures?"Jesus replied."God made them male and female... This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together."Matthew 19:4-6NLT

"That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex ans instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved." Romans 1:26-27 NLT

Their are many others on this subject, but why be redundant ... let's go to the next Democratic platform.

Most Abortions are done for convenience.
Approximately 93% of abortions are done out of convenience. It is very important to understand that the woman's heath is an issue only 3% of the time and rape or incest are an issue about 1% of the time. Democrats would have you think that women's health is the primary issue at stake when supporting "Pro-choice." This is not the case.
The truth is a large percentage of woman regret having an abortion later because she realizes that she did it for her own selfish reasons.

Abortion is an act of Murder.
Did your know that the term "with child" is in the Bible twenty-six times and the reference to "with fetus" does not exist.

Democrats argue that abortion is not murder because the baby is a "fetus" and does not become a human being until after birth. However, even scientist believe that life begins at the time of conception. If you do not believe me, go ahead and research the numerous scientist that attest to this fact.

What does the God say?
He hates those who shed innocent blood! Deuteronomy 27:25
"Cursed is anyone who accepts payment to kill an innocent person. And all the people will reply, Amen." Deuteronomy 27:25 NLT
"I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5 NLT
"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and kit me together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born." Psalm 139 13-16 NLT

Like before, there is many more, but why be redundant. The message is clear.

As I said before, prove to me that it is possible to be both Christian and Democrat!

God Works in Mysterious Ways!

God Works in Mysterious Ways!

Ecclesiastes 11:5 "Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother's womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things."

For the last couple of weeks my family has been involved in a Garage Sale. One of the items for sale was an antique Duncan Fife table just like in the picture to the right. Last weekend, a stranger by the name of Janelle was really interested in buying the table but left and told us that she wanted to think over buying the table because it had some damage and needs repair. Janelle did return the next day and bought the table. She promised that she would hire a wood working expert to repair the table and return it to a "like-new" condition.

This last weekend, Janelle noticed that we were having the Garage Sale for a second weekend in a row and dropped in for a third visit to see if she could find anything interesting.

As she was browsing through my "Ole Kentucky Home" garage, she overheard my Dad talking about our hometown in Tennessee. We were surprised to hear her tell us how she was from the same small city and asked us if we knew any of her family that still lived there. We were all shocked to learn that we knew her family very well. In fact, my Dad and I both previously worked with her nephew. I then jokingly made a remark about how I sold him a car that he never finished paying for; she was astonished and it was apparent that she thought very highly of her nephew. She mentioned how everything was willed to him and he is a well-respected member of the city council. She then did something that no one expected; she took out her checkbook and immediately wrote a check for the full amount owed by her nephew. My wife and I told her that doing this was not necessary, but she would not "hear of it!" She was animate that it was God's will that our paths crossed and she would not leave us alone until she paid me.

Jesus commanded, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone." Mark 16:15 NLT

The funny thing is, my wife and I have been thinking about how we could come up with some money to support a missionary trip for our church missionary. We believe that God "set-into-motion" these series of events that allowed for us to receive money for a debt that was forgiven over 19 years ago. Every cent of this money will go to the missionary trip to Honduras.

To God be the Glory!