"Yes, Paul, I read what you wrote, what the Holy Spirit inspired you to write, but...."
Even in our day a lot of well-meaning people would want to try to convince people that we have to keep part of the law to be pleasing to God. Don't be led astray, and certainly don't let someone tried to control you with the law. Read the verse below.

Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.
Colossians 2:16-17 ESV

Because of previous posts, many of you know at least part of my story, which involves a 10-yr prison sentence in the state of Alabama. On the day of my arrest, I surrendered my life to Jesus in a way I had never done before.
Through his word, I experienced radical, lasting life change. Now my message is a simple one: God is not mad at you, and the only way for you to live a fulfilled life is for you to first connect to God through Jesus, and then get on a path to discover and ultimately fulfill your God given purpose.
And the best day to do that is today, because today is all you have.

THREE AREAS OF EMPHASIS FOR MY MINISTRY
* share the Gospel with those who haven't yet believed in & surrendered to Jesus
* encourage believers to discover their gifts & their God-ordained purpose so that they can make a difference
* use my story as a life preserver to those who are drowning in the despair that very often accompanies addiction

MY STORY AS AN OUTLINE:
* the decades of hypocritical living
* the failure & fall
* the wake up & the turn around
* the journey back home into the arms of mercy & forgiveness
* the epiphany & transformation
* learning how to celebrate being a son who is greatly loved by my Father
* being commissioned & gifted to help other prodigals find their way back home

Why does a Christian need to cultivate Biblical discernment?
Three reasons why you need Biblical discernment:

Sometimes you hear the right voice (a believer) say the wrong thing. When this happens, if you exercise Biblical discernment, then you’ll understand that the person simply mis-spoke. We’re all human and we all make mistakes. Mis-stating something doesn’t make someone a bad person. It simply means that they’re human…like you.
Sometimes you hear the wrong voice (a non-believer) say the right thing. When this happens, if you exercise Biblical discernment, then you’ll understand that the person didn’t say the right thing to help you; they said what they said to try to mislead you because…
The wrong voice NEVER says the right thing for the right reason.
Now that I’ve stirred up a hornets nest, let me make some clarifications.

The insights I’ve shared in this post only apply to true Christians - followers of Jesus - who live the way they live to glorify God and point people to the Savior, Jesus Christ. And just to be perfectly clear: Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. In fact, He’s the only Savior, which means that there is NO way to connect to God the Father apart from Jesus.
The Biblical discernment I’m referring to is developed over time by making God’s Word (the Bible) a priority, along with praying regularly and fellowshipping regularly with other believers. Biblical discernment is NOT available to unbelievers. So if you want Biblical discernment, but you have not yet surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus, then your next step is to do what the Bible tells us we have to do to connect with the Father through Jesus:
Believe in God the Father and in His only Son, Jesus Christ.
Confess that Jesus is Lord and that the Father raised Him from the dead.
Repent of your sin (your wrongdoing - we’ve all done wrong).
Surrender control of your life to Jesus, who will then become the Lord of your life.
Accept by faith the forgiveness that God offers freely through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
Believe that you are now justified before God (put in right-standing with God), and that He’s forgiven you of EVERY wrong thing you’ve ever done.
Believe God’s Holy Spirit is now living in you (that’s a mystery, but it’s true), and purpose in your heart to live as God intends, with the help of His Spirit.
Learn to enjoy being in God’s “forever family”, and share with others what’s happened to you. Discover God’s gifts to you, and then use them to make a difference in the lives of other people. Become an ambassador for Jesus! Tell everyone you meet about how He’s changed your life and given you a purpose (a reason for living).
I hope these insights inspire & motivate you to open yourself up to all that God is and all that He has for you! God bless!

Why do Christians ignore the fact that there are many people named Jesus?
We don’t ignore it. It’s actually of no consequence because there are many people named James, John, Peter, Andrew, etc. The important thing is that there is only one person known as Jesus Christ, because He’s the only Messiah - the only Savior. His name - Jesus Christ - is above every other name, and at that name, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus (Christ) is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This stuff isn’t hard. Stop complicating the issue. Of course, the reason people do this is to avoid getting to the heart of the matter, which is this: have I believed in and trusted in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of my sins, so that I can be put in right-standing with God the Father? That’s the issue!

How can I become a better Christian influencer?
For all those seeking to influence others for good, here are 5 things to remember:

#1 Emotional impact is the currency of influence, and it begins with self-awareness. Ask the question: have I been emotionally impacted by the insights with which I hope to influence others?

#2 Influence is valuable. It can be wasted, so it must be stewarded.

#3 Emotional impact happens because of impartation; relationship is the conduit for impartation.

#4 Influence grows when trust has been earned because character has been established.

#5 Real influence leaves a lasting legacy, very often a multi-generational legacy.

To live the most satisfying life possible, discover your gifts and then use them to make a difference. You'll be glad you did.

I hope these insights inspire & motivate you to open yourself up to all that God is and all that He has for you! God bless!

TV Preachers & Beggers

I've had a train of thought congeal within the past few minutes. The type of well-know TV preachers who always end their meetings/broadcasts with "I know there's 10 of you that can give $100...or 100 of you who can give $1000..." We've all heard it until we're sick of it; well, if you're like me you're sick of it. Here's the thought that congealed just a few minutes ago: (1) they learned it from their predecessors; (2) they were taught how to do it by their mentors; (3) they've been doing it so long that they're absolutely unable to understand why it's a problem; (4) it's one of the biggest hurdles for non-believers, especially those who've been hurt by church folks; (5) it needs to stop! Nationally-known church leaders who walk in integrity and who do NOT engage in begging for money need to start addressing it in every way possible, and even demand that these charlatans cease & desist. Now, that's my take on it. What do you think?

Social Media Plagiarism

What do y'all think about these content creators who are sitting at a desk with a microphone (and sometimes headphone) at the bottom of the video (with someone else's original video above them, who do nothing but point upward and say, "You gotta watch this!"? You can find them by Googling their name. But do they ever produce any original content? I can't figure out how our culture evolved to create systems which reward plagiarism. Now, do you wanna know why it bothers me? Because I'm a true content creator who's trying to make a difference with what God has given me - music, insights, etc. I guess since I've ranted again (several times lately) I guess I deserve whatever negative feedback I might get. Nevertheless, I'd really like to know if this bothers anyone else….

REPROBATE: WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?

These questions were asked today: "What is a reprobate? What's so bad about being a reprobate?"

First of all, let's define the term: depraved; morally corrupt; rejected by God. So, what's the big deal? Glad you asked:
* You don't know you're a reprobate because the Holy Spirit never again convicts you of your sin and of your need for a Savior.
* There's no coming back to a place of repentance, again because you're never convicted.
* You live the rest of your life thinking that everything is okay between you & God, but it's not. You're actually on your way to hell, and there's nothing you can do about it.

So, what's the takeaway for us who are born again, who desire to have a Godly influence on others? Whenever you encounter someone who is very cold (or even hostile) toward the Gospel, warn them that they may have already crossed a line. And then plead with them to lose sleep over their eternal state, and call out to Jesus for mercy. We're not God, so we can't say if someone has gone too far, but we can warn them about the cliff they're headed to.

When someone says they’re Evangelical, what does that mean? Is it an entirely different sect of Christianity?
(1) To be evangelical simply means that evangelism is a priority in your personal life and in the life of the church of which you’re a member. Evangelism is the intentional proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, primarily to those who’ve never heard, in order to give them an opportunity to believe & repent and be saved.

(2) It’s the segment of orthodox Christianity that is most aligned with the first-century church. Just read the entire books of Acts, and you’ll see that the first-century church was constantly engaged in evangelism efforts. This is the heart of God the Father and Jesus - to seek and save the lost. It’s why Jesus came.

Why can’t non-Christians talk to Jesus?
Because they’re not connected to God the Father…because they haven’t believed on the One who God the Father sent. And the only way to connect to God the Father is to believe in (to trust in and rely upon) the One He sent, His only begotten (unique one-of-a-kind) Son. And to believe in Jesus is to believe that His voluntary, sacrificial, vicarious, atoning death on the cross is the only provision for my sin problem - in other words, Jesus’ death on the cross is the only way for me to be forgiven of my sin and to be put in right-standing with God the Father. So, since non-Christians haven’t done this, they’re not connected to God the Father; therefore God the Father does not hear their prayers. But if they’ll humble themselves and cry out for mercy and ask for forgiveness, God WILL hear that prayer.

Hello, my name is Jeff, and I have a very compelling story to tell, along with some valuable insights to help fuel your walk. We’re all on a journey which requires fuel. What’s yours? Mine is God’s Word, the Bible. If you’re a fellow believer, then the insights I share could prove to be some of the most practical & useful that you’d find anywhere. If you’re not a believer, then feel free to explore my LORD'S BOOK space and find encouragement for your journey.