Comeback

Comeback!

12 Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

Joel 2:12-13 (KJV)

You know, alot of people think that they have either done something too bad for God to forgive, or that they just aren’t worthy to be a Christian.  I’ve heard people saying these types of things numerous times and it just upsets me.  To “Steve Phrase” the above verses.....It is simply saying that it is NEVER too late to return to God and ask for forgiveness.  The only time it is too late, is after you die.  

Salvation is soo easy to obtain because of what Jesus did on the cross for you and me.  As a matter of fact, you have to try harder to go to hell than you do to go to Heaven.  We all go through things that kind of pull our attention away from God.  I’m going through some stuff myself, and have noticed that they are consuming more and more of my time that I should be spending with God.  You know, it could be work, children, marriage, or money that draw us away from God, but just think about what the verses say.  No matter what is going on, we are to always come back to God and he will have mercy on us.  That is very comforting to me.

The great thing about being truly saved is that the Holy Spirit will always let us know when we are getting off track.  What is sad are those people who are not saved, and turn away from God instead of abiding in His arms.  Those people are the reason for this blog and my book.  We need to pray for the lost everytime they are placed on our mind.  I have had to learn  to just turn things over to God, because I can’t save anyone.  What I can do though is just explain about Jesus and what He did for us, then just let the Holy Spirit take over.  It’s like being on a boat and seeing someone drowning, you keep throwing them a life preserver but they keep telling you they don’t need it.  It’s like they just want to do things their way and are willing to suffer for it.  Those are the people that we just have to pray for.  God is in control and He knows how to reach the lost.  I know this because He reached me!

I kind of got off subject as usual, but that’s just how I am I guess.  Anyway, let me sum up today’s message with some points to remember.....

- As Christians we are never to far from God, that He won’t take us back

- God’s plan is for us to always come to Him and repent

- Try not to stress about those people you witness to and it seems to fall on deaf ears

-  God is still in control!

If you feel the Holy Spirit convicting you of your sins, please ask Him to forgive you right now.  Thank God for sending His Son Jesus to die on that cross for YOU.  Turn away from your old life and turn to His will for your life instead.  People will think you are strange, but compared to those who are perishing, you are strange.  Tell others about your experience with God.  If you are saved, but feel like you have been doing things for yourself instead of for God, just ask for God to forgive you.  Draw closer to Him, and He will draw closer to you.

Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com are selling my book now.  Just search their site for 30 Days of Conviction.  There is an ebook also.  The price for the book is around 10 so buy 2, one for yourself and one to give away.  Thanks for everyone’s support

A Simple Truth-(Redone)

A Simple Truth

 James 1:22

English Standard Version (ESV)

²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

Just to let everyone know, I received the first copy of my book in the mail yesterday.  I will post a link on this blog site and my facebook page as soon as I figure out how to do it. LOL!!!

This has got to be the one of the most meaningful verses in the New Testament.  Don’t let it’s short length fool you, we must understand what it is talking about.  You know for years before I was truly saved, if I had seen this verse and focused some prayer on it, I would have known I was hell bound.  It is simply telling us that if we hear the word, but never tell anyone about it, then we are deceiving ourselves.  To break it down even more:  If we go to church, go to Sunday school, and even go on Wednesday nights to prayer meeting, but never tell anyone about the gospel...........then we are probably not saved.  I think when he says we are “deceiving ourselves”, he is saying what I knew to be true along time ago.  I would do everything in my power to feel confident in my eternity, but never did. Why?  I wasn’t saved.  How could I have known?  I never told anyone about Jesus and what He did on the cross for them.  I was a hearer only.

I used to do the church thing, heck , some Sunday mornings I might even sing, but come Monday morning no one around me could tell that I was any different than them.  Why?  Because at that time, I wasn’t any different than them.  You know, there is a major difference in a truly saved person, and someone who just puts on a show.  I know because for years I put on a show.  If the Holy Spirit isn’t guiding you then there is no way you can walk the straight and narrow.

 (¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.) Mat 7:13

This verse sums up what I am trying to say.  Strive to be different.  Tell others about Jesus.  If you are on a road with a million people and they are all going the same direction, and you start going the opposite direction: Wouldn’t you be easy to recognize?  Just think about what it means to be truly saved.  Are you going against the grain?  Be different.  Be proud of your salvation.  If you don’t think you are saved, then please ask God to forgive you for your sinful life.  Tell Him you are sorry.  Now turn your life over to doing His will not yours.  Don’t put it off any longer.  Remember and ponder on this thought......There are no unbelievers in hell.  Once you breath your last, you will be in Heaven or hell.  It is your choice.

God Bless! Please buy a book when it comes out.  There is nothing I would love to do more, than writing about Jesus and what He did for me and you.

Darkness Never Shines! Re-Post

I pulled this from my library.  I originally posted it last Feb.  Since I have so many new readers via facebook, I kind of thought this would be a good one to show the new readers what some of the original posts were like.

Matthew  5:14-16

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set aside on a hill can’t be hidden. 15 Niether do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candle stick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.  16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven.
John 1:5
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

I’m really feeling the presence of God today as I write this.  I started thinking about something the other day.  You know Darkness can never shine.  Now lets get philosophical for a moment.  Can darkness ever shine on anything?  Do you ever go to the store and ask for a dark bulb?  Why would you?  Light is always evident in darkness.  Light also always defeats the darkness.

I say all of this to discuss today’s verses.  The first verses are very simple to understand.  Truly saved people are to be the light of the world.  We are to be noticed as light.  In today’s day and age, if you are really saved, people should be able to tell.  Why?  Because this world has become so dark that any light is able to be seen by multitudes.  When you walk into a very dark room what is evident when you switch on the light?  Darkness is no more.  If you had turned on a blown light or dark bulb would it have the same affect as a bright light bulb?  Of course not.  Same thing with our lives, we should make a difference in the darkness of this world.  If you go out with your friends, and let’s say they are doing things they shouldn’t; do you shine on them, or do you blend into the darkness?  Think about your salvation!  Can a true light ever be dimmed by darkness?

The next verse I’m going to run with a little so bear with me.  We’ve talked about true light (true salvation) and how it should be very evident in the darkness of today’s world, but let’s also talk about today’s dark world.  Have you ever tried to talk to someone about Jesus and they say something like, “well I got saved when I was 7, but I really don’t feel God moving me to turn my whole life over to Him right now”?  I’ve heard people say things also like this “I’m just trying to be happy while I’m here”.  The truth is, if you understand the gospel but don’t repent and turn your life over to Jesus, you are probably not saved.  When you are truly saved, you understand the consequences of your actions.  You understand that you are to be different than the rest of the world, and not just blend in.  The verse ended with “the darkness comprehended not”.  People that are not truly saved will always try to make themselves happy no matter the consequences. 

Does your light shine in the darkness?  Do you understand what it means to live for God and not for yourself?  If your answer was no, I beg of you to ask God to forgive you for your sinful life.  Thank Him for sending Jesus to die on that cross for YOU!  Repent!  Turn your life over to learning God’s will for your life instead of worrying about what you want out of life.  Read your bible because it is a living word.  Pray for God to guide you to be in His will.

Seek Ye First

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

            “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

(Matthew 6:33-34 ESV)

I  was thinking this morning about how awesome it is when I get to spend time with God.  I mean there are times when it seems like God isn’t close bye anymore, but realistically it is usually when I have been focusing my time on something else instead of Him. The verse today sums how every Christian in the world should live.  We are to seek Him first,  that means over our family, our jobs, our friends, our money, anything that gets in front of God.  The great thing  is,  if we do what He has asked us to do, then  He will handle everything else.

It’s like if I told you that in order for you to live to be 150, all you have to do is eat a particular thing, or take a particular pill.  Therefore if you died at 50 it would obviously be because you didn’t follow the directions you were given.  Same thing with Christians, God had given us a specific set of directions that will allow us to have a fulfilling and peaceful life.  “Seeking Him” not “seeking self”, is the one thing that a Christian can do that will basically put everything else in our lives in order.  You see the next verse is basically telling us that we shouldn’t worry about all of these small life and large life stresses that we do.  In my opinion, anti-depressants are being prescribed at an all time high because Christians are not seeking God’s will.  They are seeking their own will.

If we worry about things too much, isn’t it almost like we are saying,” God I love you and believe in you, but I really don’t think you can handle my problems”.  And God is sitting there telling you, if you would just focus your life on Me and My will for your life, then you would understand that nothing can happen that I didn’t know was going to happen.  You can’t surprise God.

My kids are running around like wild animals, so I’m sorry if today’s message was not as organized as it usually is.

  People, focus your Whole life on God and ask Him to show you what He wants you to do.  With everything I’ve been going through it would be really easy to start living for Steve again, but I promise, the supernatural peace that God has given me lately definitely “surpasses all understanding”.

Please pray and ask God to reveal His will for your life.  He will never have you do something you are not prepared to do.  He will equip you.  How can you know this?  You are reading His will for my life, and as you can see, I’m not a great writer.  I never could write, but now I write a weekly blog that has been published into a book, which will be out in less than 2 weeks.  How awesome is God!

4 AM Rambling

¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.JOHN 3:16  KJV



They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. EPH 4:18 ESV


No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. MATTHEW 6:24 ESV




It’s 4 AM and I can’t sleep.  That usually means God is wanting me to write something.   You know......all the verses in the bible, all of the praying, all of the going to church, all of the giving to needy, all of the love you may give people...............None of this is worth anything to your eternity unless you believe.  Believe what Steve?  Believe that God is real...Believe that He allowed His Son to come to this earth and be beaten and tortured in order to save the same people that were beating and torturing Him.....Believe that Jesus died on that cross for YOU.....Believe that God speaks to us through prayer and His Word among other things.....Yes you have to believe to have everlasting life. 


I’ve heard many folks here recently telling me things like, “ I go to church”  “I’m a good person”, and those things are great but they won’t get you into heaven, because they can’t be able to get you into heaven.  Why?  Because if they could get you to heaven, then why in the world would Jesus have had to come and die for your sins.  The truth is, when people lay out a set of THINGS that they think will help get them to heaven, what they are really saying is I believe but Jesus dying wasn’t good enough.  I have to do things my way not His way.  People God is alot smarter than we are.  If it were as easy as doing good works, then I assure Jesus wouldn’t have had to die for us.  God’s plan of salvation is laid out perfectly in John 3:16.  Read it again and think about what it is saying.

In the second verse, the “darkening of heart” is what the “lost” epidemic is.  People don’t fear God anymore, because people don’t believe in Him anymore.  It’s soooo hard to witness to someone who doesn’t believe in God, because if there hearts have been hardened then the Holy Spirit may not be convicting them anymore, and that should scare the hee bee jeebies out of them.  Most of the time, when people who may have been saved start saying things like God doesn’t exist, I think it’s because they have started living for themselves and it’s easier to do that if you convince yourself that this life is all there is.  The sad thing is that once you take your last breath your chances for salvation are over.  Either you will be in Hell with Satan where it is described as a place of “gnawing and gnashing of teeth”, or you will be in the presence of God in heaven for an eternity of peace and utter joy.

About the last verse I just want to say this.  Here money is the other master, but the core of the verse holds true with anything that is in front of God in your life.  Your spouse, your kids, your job, your self......Any of these things can be you master.  Just remember, if you really believe in God, then you have to believe He is in control.....Quit stressing about small things.......Tell others about Jesus......Ask God to use you in any way.......Live for His will not yours......If money has become an idol to you, then remember this........Cash will catch on fire in hell and Satan doesn’t accept credit cards....


POINT to all of my 4AM rambling?


.................If we could read your thoughts and catagorize where most of the energy in your life is spent...Would it be on God?  Or is it on something else? 
God Bless!!!!

Im Sure!

Im Sure

After all I’ve been through in the past year I was thinking about the fact that if I had chosen not to write the blog or the book, would I still have my family together?  That being said I also asked myself, “Steve, are you sure your calling is real?”

If I had chosen not to write the blog or book, I do believe I wouldn’t be going through the things that I am now.  If I had chosen not to write this stuff, I believe my earthly life would be much easier.  You know, for someone who isn’t saved, this life is the only chance for any kind of happiness.  That’s why lost people make some of the decisions that they do.  They think that they have to cram all of the happiness they can in while they are alive.  And if you think about it, if they don’t come to know Jesus, then they are right in their thinking.  What’s sad though, are the people who choose to turn their back on God and live for themselves for happiness now, instead of living for God and investing in ETERNAL happiness.

Also, I had to ask myself if Im sure that I am being called by God.  I’m sure because of the guidance by the Holy Spirit.  I’m sure because I believe.  I’m sure because of the fact that you are reading this blog or book right now.  I’m sure because I’m at peace when I’m telling others about Jesus.  I’m sure because I’ve gotten more done for God than I ever did for myself.  I’m sure because I’m not a writer.  I’m sure because people who have no reason to, will ask me for spiritual advice.  I’m sure, because of the young man at church camp years ago who wanted me to tell him about Jesus.  I’m sure because of answered and unanswered prayers.  I’m sure I’m being called to some kind of ministry.  And I’m sure that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for my sins, and then rose again.  The question is..............Are you sure that He also did all that for you?  I can tell you all day long that He did, but unless you know it for yourself it means nothing.

God has a plan for all of us.  After we are truly saved, our eternity is just beginning.  We have to look to God and ask for guidance.  I promise you Jesus didn’t die on the cross just so you can say a prayer and convince yourself that you are saved.  You have to understand that you are a sinner and God’s grace through Jesus is the only way to eternal peace.

Use this blog as your way to witness to Christians and especially non Christians.  Try to send this link to 5 people.

God Bless!

Divided House

Luke 11:17 KJV

But He knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house-falleth.

So, Ive been writing these blogs now since Dec and I tell you that Satan has made it his goal to try and destroy my life.  As some of you know, my wife and I were having some problems a few months back.  Evidentally what I thought was an answered prayer to our problems though, wasn't.  I know God has a plan for all of us, but I must admit that right now I'm not sure what mine is.

I love my wife as you all know, but this go around I'm not going to get on here and cry and do the whole "woe is Steve" thing.  I don't believe in divorce, but I also don't believe you can make someone love you who doesn't.  I've been honest with all of you from the beginning, but out of respect for my wife and our marriage, that's all I'm going to discuss about it.  I do beg for your prayers though.  Pray that God will use me sooo much that I won't have time to be depressed.

Now back to the message.  In today's verse Jesus is talking to some people who had just seen Him cast out a demon.  I know He didn't really mean it like I am discussing today, but the great thing about being a Christian is that God will use anything to teach us.  I woke up this morning and prayed that God would just shed some light on what was wrong with my marriage, and I promise I just opened up my bible and today's verse was staring back at me.

 I probably made plenty of bad decisions through the years, but I know that this blog wasn't one of them.  My house had been divided spiritually for along time, and I had made my marriage almost like an idol.  I understand I was trying to do my will not His.  I wish I had been a stronger Christian in the past and maybe I could have had a better relationship with God which would have maybe helped my marriage.  Either way though, my house is divided now and just like it says it will and did fall.

You know, life stinks sometimes, but I have to keep telling myself that God never promised us our life on earth would be easy.  As I've said before, if you aren't being attacked spiritually then you may not be much of a threat to Satan.  I love being a threat to satan's kingdom.  I'm going to tell as many people as I can about God's saving grace through His Son dying on the cross.  We might lose some major battles to Satan on this earth, but remember the war has already been won.  It was won the second Jesus died on the cross for us.  All we have to do is just put our faith in Him and what He did on the cross.  Focus on His will for our lives and not ourselves.  Even when I am stressed to the max, I do have the peace of knowing where I will spend eternity.   Do You?  Please just pray and ask God to save you.  Tell Him you know you are a sinner and you know Jesus died on the cross for you.  TURN away from your old ways and focus on HIM and HIS will. 

My book will be out in about 3 weeks.  Keep me and it in your prayers.  Just pray for me to stay in God's will.

God Bless!  

The Mount blocking Hell

The mountain in front of Hell

John 3:16 KJV  For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

I might preach a little today, so y’all bare with me.  I was listening to one of my favorite pastors on the radio the other day, and heard an awesome message on God’s love.  Some of my ideas came from his message just to let you all know.

OK.  I hear people talking about how “ if there was a God, why would all of these bad things happen”?  I get angry too sometimes, but we have to realize that God doesn’t make everything bad happen.  Most things happen simply because we live in a sin filled world.  All that being said, let me get to today’s message.

God gave us the easiest way possible to salvation, but we have to make the first step and ask for God to save us.  He can save us because of the wonderful sacrifice of His Son Jesus.  No one has to go to Hell.  God doesn’t want anyone to go to Hell.  If he didn’t care about us, do you really think He would have sent Jesus to die.  This was His one and only Son.  If He didn’t love us, would He really have sent His son to be tortured, spit on, and cursed at.  I can’t imagine having to watch my son be tortured by the very folks he was here to save. 

I get frustrated sometimes dealing with lost people.  I mean it’s like they are drowning, and I’ve got a rope throwing it to them, and all they have to do is grab on.  If they would just give up the worldly things in there hands and use them to grab on to the rope (Jesus) , they would be saved.  I worry that these same people one day are going to look up and be in eternal torment.  The sad thing is that God has done soo much to keep us out of Hell, if you end up there it’s only because you climbed over Mount Calvary to get there.  In other words, lost people have to try harder to get to Hell, than they would to get to Heaven.  Grace is a free gift of God.  He can offer it to us because His Son, was a sacrifice to God for all of our sins.  As soon as the first drop of blood fell from Jesus on the cross, Satan was defeated.  Praise God!!!  Just got chills!!!!  One drop of Jesus’ blood kicked Satan’s butt.  That’s how powerful a God we serve.  Satan hates to deal with Jesus’ blood becuase it was at that point he got defeated.

Ok, so we know Satan has been defeated, we know that if you end up in Hell it will be because you climbed and treaded all over Mt Calvary, so why is it soo hard for people to see the truth?  “ The World blocks the view of Jesus”  “ Religion also blocks the view of Jesus”  Don’t get soo caught up in what denomination you are in, focus more on whether you are saved or not and I promise God will send you to where you need to be.

Sorry I was all over the place today, but sometimes I have soo many things going on in my head, that I just have to get them all out before I forget.  Remember this, Jesus is the one who saves, not us.  All we can do is tell people the truth about what Jesus did on the cross for us.  If they refuse to listen they will have to deal with the consequences.  Just don’t be scared to tell them the truth about Grace and Hell.