Why am I here? The Truth

St. John – Chapter – 14-verse 7

Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life; no man

comes to my Father except by me.



How many times in life have you asked yourself that very question?

I for one have often wondered why I am here.



We’re born, we work, we have families and grow old and then we die.

Sometimes life is good and sometimes it’s not.

I remember nothing before I was born.

I only know that I am here for a short time and then I’m not.



However, that all changed the day I met Jesus.

Over the last 40 years I have come to know the real meaning of who I

am and why I’m still here, as well as where I’m going once I leave this Earth.

I have come to learn that Jesus is the only way.

I have learned that He is the only truth. 

I have learned that life is nothing without Him and only by Him is my life sustained.

I’m sure that you will all agree with this.

St. John – chapter 8-verse 23

And He said to them, You are from below, and I am from above: you are

of this world, but I am not of this world.

St John – chapter 15-verse 19

If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but you are not

of the world for I have chosen you out of the world; this is why the world hates you.

St John – chapter – 17-verse 16

For they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

1) The first verse mentioned clearly shows that Jesus was speaking to the scribes and the Pharisees.

He relays that they were of this world while he was not.

2) The second verse shows very clearly that once Jesus chooses us, we are no longer of this world.

3) The third verse distinctly reaffirms that Jesus no longer considers us to be of this world.

Let’s tie this all together with the following verses.

This is part of a prayer that Jesus was praying to the Father.

St. John – Chapter 17 – verses 15 thru 18

What I request is not that thou shouldst take them out of the world,

but that thou shouldst protect them from evil. For they are not of the

world, just as I am not of this world. O Father, sanctify them in thy

truth, because thy word is truth. Just as thou didst send me into the

world, so I have sent them into the world.

To me, it’s very clear by these words of Jesus that He wishes us to be protected from evil.

He desires that we realize that we are not from this world.

That we become sanctified by the word, going out into the world as He did.

In a nutshell, the real reason I’m still here is because it's the Lord Jesus' wish.

And this is the request He has put forth to the Father.

Ok, so now that I know the real reason I’m still here, what’s next?

Let’s go to the following words of Jesus.

Matthew – chapter 9 – verses 36 thru 38

When Jesus saw the multitudes, he had compassion on them, because

they were tired and scattered, like sheep which have no shepherd. So

he said to his disciples, The harvest is great and the laborers are few;

Therefore urge the owner of the harvest to bring more laborers to His harvest.

This is the real reason why you and I are still here. We are the laborers.

It is our job to bring the truth and word of God to the world.

We are laborers in this great, white harvest.

Every single day, there are people dying without the priceless knowledge of Christ.

And yet another precious soul is lost to the enemy!

It’s time to wake up and really understand why you're still here.

Your life has been spared for a reason. It’s not about how many vacations you

take or what movies you saw last week that were really good and up for discussion. It’s not

about how great your last church service was or how much the Lord has blessed

you today. It’s not about how big your retirement fund is or how much

money you make.

You wake up each day, and you work each day. Life goes on...

However, if you’re a Christian, this is not how your life was designed to be.

Being in Christ, you are no longer considered a part of this world.

You are now a member of the Body of Christ.

It is thus your responsibility to find your position as a laborer

within this great harvest!

But first look around you ... How many people do you know that need to be saved?

You don’t have to look very far...

Family members, friends and coworkers abound.

Yet the numbers of people around us who remain unsaved are overwhelming.

Do you realize that if things remain as they are, they are simply going to be lost?

Do you realize that you have the capabilities within your reach to change all that?

Do you realize that when you stand before the Lord and Father,

you will be questioned on what you did while you were here on Earth?  

What will your answer be?

The truth is sobering.

Do I need to say more? Perhaps I should.

Luke – chapter 10 – verses 17 thru 19

So the seventy whom he had sent returned with great joy, and they

said to him, Our Lord, even the demons have submitted to us in your

name. He said to them, I saw Satan falling from Heaven like lightning.

Behold, I give you power to tread on snakes and scorpions, and

overcome the power of the enemy; and nothing shall harm you.

Mark – chapter 3 – verse 27

No man can enter into a strong man’s house and plunder his goods,

unless he first binds the strong man; and then he plunders his house.

You have been given power to overcome the enemy.

It’s all yours.

You need to step up to the harvest and do your job. How can you accomplish this ? By

spending a great amount of time in prayer. Let every day begin by going before the Lord.

Bind the strong man in the name of Jesus.

Every day as you pray for your family and friends and ask the Father to pour out his love and Holy

Spirit into your loved one's lives.

Ask the Father to put evidence in their lives of who Jesus really is.

Your prayer will result in the saving of cherished lives.

We are here for one reason only, to pray and lead others to the Lord

Jesus Christ. If you choose to only do this once a week, unfortunately your prayer

results will be next to nothing. Perhaps you will see a few saved over the passage of

time, but, how many more could be saved if you would only do this daily.

Why am I here? 

I do believe the truth is quite obvious.

Love, Brother Greg

How DEEP is your Love ?

Sexual predators
That is the topic of today’s message.

I have really struggled within myself, questioning if I should bring forth this topic.
After considerable prayer and thought, I have decided to go ahead and discuss it.

On one hand, it is an excruciatingly painful and heavy subject.
And on the other, it is one that has the capacity to reveal the immeasurable depths of our Father’s love.

If you have been the victim of a sexual predator or have a child that has been a victim, please proceed reading this with caution.

This message may trigger some deep emotions.

You may even be going through a very similar situation at the present time.
If you do decide to proceed, I urge you to please first pray that our Father and Lord fill you with love, wisdom and understanding.

Let's begin ...

Of all the sins that we have to deal with on a regular basis, the sin of sexual crimes and perversion seems perpetually at the forefront.

We are constantly bombarded by news reports of child molestation and rape.
Many of these individuals who commit this crime are likely those whom we may actually know.

Members of our families, teachers, clergy, coaches and even police.

No one is exempt!

While we are well aware that these are all treacherous crimes, the trespass that seems the worst is that of child molestation.
It is this breach that I wish to bring forth in this message.
Again I say to you, please, please, please do not read this message if you are a victim of this crime and are still in the process of dealing with this trauma.

CASE STUDY

The Victim – A seven year old girl.

As you arrive home after picking up your daughter from school.
You notice that she seems very withdrawn.
At the dinner table, you and your husband begin to question her.

“What’s wrong honey, you seem to be awfully quiet this evening?"

“Well, at school today, my teacher made me stay in class during recess while all the other kids went out to play. He said that he had something special he wanted to show me. After the other kids went out, he said to follow him. We went to a room that was kind of quiet and dark. When we got there he shut the door and said this is what I wanted to show you. Then after he showed me he said that I had to show him what I had as well. So I did as he asked because I was afraid of him. He then touched me and it hurt. I then started bleeding and began to cry. Then we left the room and went back to class. I’m upset and afraid because it still hurts mommy and daddy.”

The victims – Mom and Dad

The mother is shocked.

The father is outraged.

“How DARE he do this to my daughter?

I'M GOING TO KILL THIS MAN! ”

We immediately call the police and ask them to meet us at the hospital.
After close examination by the doctors, it is determined that the child was telling the truth.
The evidence is overwhelming.
The police immediately go to the teacher’s house and arrest him, the charge is rape and child molestation.
He is taken to jail.


The accused – Teacher

“This girl is lying, I did no such thing.

How could she accuse me of such a horrible thing?

I’m married and have children of my own; I would never commit this crime!

It’s a lie!”


The accused’s family – Wife and children

“No way would my husband do this.

He’s and upstanding man and pillar of this community. “

“My dad would never do this, how could he?”


The trial – Headline news: Found guilty

Yes we all shout, JUSTICE is served!

We don’t have to worry about this man anymore.

In fact he should have gotten more; even the death penalty would be deserved for this heinous crime!





SENTENCE – 10 to 20 years in the State penitentiary.

How many of us have been through this scenario?
I see this happening in the news constantly.



The victim –

Her life is changed forever.
This is a scar that will remain with her for the rest of her life.
We surround her with our love and prayers.
Her innocence is gone.

Our prayers go unanswered ...
She struggles everyday with this crime against her.





The parents -

They are very angry.
They also are full of fear.

They also feel they did not protect their daughter.

How did this person ever get into our schools?

They shelter their daughter the rest of her youth, never trusting again.

They question,

“How could you allow this to happen God?

We thought you loved us?"

Their anger consumes them, they are very happy this man is in jail, he got what he deserved.
As time goes on, the results of this man’s actions are with them every day.

They see it in their daughter, she has changed.

And they have changed.





The perpetrators family; the wife and children find it very difficult to live in this town after their father is convicted.
They have to move.
The children are constantly being ridiculed at school and shunned by the other children.
The wife can’t find a job because a shadow follows her.
Everyone knows who she is.

The children struggle everyday with the question,

“How could daddy do this?”

They refuse to visit their father in jail, they don’t understand and above all they are afraid.
The wife agrees with the children.

They never hear from him again.


The perpetrator -

“This first year in jail is horrible.
I’ve been beat up at least a dozen times.
The other inmates constantly torment me.
My family has abandoned me.
How could I have committed such a crime?
This pain is too much…
I deserve to die.
I think I’ll kill myself.

No, maybe I won’t …
I’ll just do my time, get out of here and never do such an awful thing again.

Life will get better.”





How deep is your Love?


Proverbs: Chapter 24 – Verses 17 and 18

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he is overthrown. Lest the Lord see it and it displeases him and he turns away his anger from him.

Ezekiel: Chapter 18 – Verse 23

I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner, says the Lord God: but rather that he should return from his evil ways and live.


These three versus show us the compassion and depth of our Father’s Love for all his creation, even for Satan himself.

Allow me to explain.

As you can see from this horrible crime, everyone involved is a victim.

All these myriad of lives were destroyed and changed forever.

Yes, even the perpetrator of this crime is a victim.

The enemy did his job well. 
He destroyed all the lives of the people involved in this sin caused by this one man.
Satan put the thought into this man’s mind.
The man, in his lack of discipline, was consumed by the thought.
It became an obsession with him.
And he followed this thought through.

Meanwhile, Satan continues to seek out more lives that he can consume, like a roaring lion he walks about seeking whom he can devour.


                


It’s not easy sometimes to love those around us.

We learn to love as taught by the Lord.

Love our enemies.

Love our neighbors.

Forgive or you will not be forgiven.

God is Love.

Eventually, we will get it.





However, now I ask you –

“Do you have it in you to Love this man that committed this horrible crime?

How deep is your Love?”

The moment this man gets on his knees and asks for forgiveness by the Father, he is forgiven.
All the promises are extended to him as well.
Jesus came to save the world from its sin and destroy the works of the Devil.

This includes everyone!





Recently, I was in the presence of a child molester.
My thoughts around him were not good at all.
All I could think was “I don’t want this man anywhere near me or my family”.
Needless to say, The Holy Spirit said to me “Where’s this deep Love you profess you have”

Uh-oh – Guilty!
40 years I’ve been a Christian.
I’m sorry Lord, please forgive me.
Will I ever learn!
Yes I will!

The broader picture is very clear.
Satan is the destroyer. His job is to destroy.

The person who committed this crime is a sinner.
His father was Satan.
And I hold Satan responsible for this crime.
As a man or woman, we are consumed by our thoughts.
It then turns into fervent passion.
It’s all a question of who our Father is.

Our will to do good is overcome by the evil one.

As our Brother Paul said, I try to do good and I can’t.




Have you ever reached out to a child molester and tried to love them?

At the root, it’s not truly their fault that they committed this crime.
Their wicked father has deceived them, just as he deceived Adam and Eve.

Yet our Father corrected and eventually forgave Adam and Eve of the sin they committed, as He fully understood how deceitful Satan could be.

Are you ready to forgive the perpetrator of this crime?

Have you ever reached out to a child molester and tried to help them?

I haven’t.

Do I have the love required to reach out?
I didn’t the other day when I was in the presence of one.
So much for my deep love!

Help me Lord Jesus; I want to be just like you and my Father!




As Christians, the one thing we are NOT led to pray for is the salvation of Satan.
It’s too late for that, he has already been judged and condemned to the lake of fire for eternity.
Not only for him, but for all his army of fallen angels that are chained in darkness till that great day.

Our father created Satan and he takes no pleasure in the death of any sinner.
Satan is the first one to sin … as we all know.
The Father takes no pleasure in the death of Satan.

God is Love!
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls.
Rather get on your knees and beg for the deep love that our Father has for all his creation.
This love surpasses all understanding.
We’re called to love everyone.
It’s all about Love.

REACH DEEP my friends.

This Love is in you if you are truly a child of the Kingdom.

Remember the words of Jesus as he hung on that cross dying:

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”




Jesus knew who was behind all the wretched evil that came against him. We need to realize this as well ... that it’s the enemy who is the true source of all evil that has been inflicted upon our Father's children.

He deceived us and will always attempt to deceive us.

There is no truth in him, for he is the destroyer.

He is a liar!



But Lord, I thank you Father for your son.

Thank you for loving us.

Thank you Jesus for you saved us.

All glory to you Father and Lord!


“Again, I say to you – How deep is your Love?"


Love,

Brother Greg