Month: November 2008

We should all be Thankful!

/ Tracy Eldridge / Leave a comment

Thankful to our Creator who sustains us with his power for without it, everything which was created would fly apart. Regardless of the scientific explanation to the contrary, God is the one who is keeping everything going.

I read something the other day that quoted doctors as saying that they did not know what the reason was for people living longer who regularly attend church services. It is simply because they are serving their Creator and He is sustaining them, nothing more than that. But it is folly to those who don’t belong to Christ because they can’t understand it.

Our lives are to be living sacrifices to Him every day, not just when we need Him. Truly, we need Him every day and He desires our service and praise. He doesn’t need us the way we need our spouses, but He desires to know the desires of our hearts like a mother or father desires to know and hear from their children.

The love of God doesn’t depend on our service to Him nor does it depend on us at all. He loves us regardless. He desires our service to Him when we give our hearts to Him and to Jesus. We are not required to do this, but when your heart and spirit are changed by Jesus you will want to serve Him in some way. Being a deacon, a pastor, singing in a choir, teaching a class at church, cooking for the church, doing the best you can do at your regular job whatever that may be, these are all ways of serving Him daily. He doesn’t require us to be missionaries to other people, just to those around us.

All people are important to Him because He created us all. He formed us all in our mother’s womb from the bits of DNA of our mother and father. He knows exactly how you will look, how you will talk, what kind of temperament you will have, what choices you will make and why. The colour of your hair and how many there are on your head and the colour of your eyes are all things that He put there to make you who you are. He knows each of us more intimately than anyone else can. That is the God I serve gladly every day and I hope someday you will too.

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God loves us all, all His children of the World

/ Tracy Eldridge / Leave a comment

People don’t care what you know until they know that you care and that God cares for them. This should be our goal, to let the people of the world, the veterans, Americans, and most of all, people who feel they are without hope know that they have hope in Jesus and His salvation for their lives. No other religion gives people the hope and security of eternal life like believing in and trusting Jesus for our everyday lives and our salvation.

There is a concept of humanity embodied in an African word which comes from the Zulu and Xhosa languages. Ubuntu (pronounced “oo-boon-too”) is seen as a traditional African concept, is regarded as one of the founding principles of the new republic of South Africa and is connected to the idea of an African Renaissance.

A rough translation of the principle of Ubuntu is “humanity towards others”. Another translation could be: “the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity”. This description of the word and principle of Ubuntu comes from the version of Linux I use and it describes a concept from the Bible that we are all here because of the grace and mercy of God. He created us where we are and in the station in which we find ourself, whether we are writers, teachers, Senators or the President of the United States. The very concept of ubuntu is why there is no word for “cousin” in African language. Everyone is thought of as brother, father, mother, or sister regardless of their relationship.

Jesus regarded those who were his disciples as brothers, sisters, and mothers so why can’t we? I know there would be some people who would be against it, but if Jesus did it, why not? Our enemies can be our brother if we can just learn to live and get along until He comes back. There are so many people we could help and show the love of God to if we would do the will of the Father and go to them. Let them know that He loves them no matter what their circumstances are. No matter where they live or what they have done in the past, it can be forgiven by Him who loves us even when we are sinners. He doesn’t love what we do or our behaviour but He loves us because he formed us all in the womb. When we come to Him in humility and let Him into our hearts and lives completely, the whole of Heaven itself rejoices for every sinner who comes to the knowledge of Jesus and His saving grace.

God doesn’t choose who He will let in or not. I know the Bible says that we who are predestined to be conformed to Him will be and those who are not won’t, but that is there because God knows the future and He knows ahead of time who will choose Jesus and who won’t. He doesn’t create you and point his finger at anyone’s life and say, “I will take this one but I don’t want that one”. That is our choice and ours alone, even though He knows the choice we will ultimately make, He doesn’t interfere with our choices. Sometimes it is hard to hear God’s small voice but it is there, and our spiritual hearing gets better as we read and study His word. Don’t wait, pick up a Bible today. Read it, pray over it, read it again. God speaks through His word and it is powerful. He will not leave you or forsake you, ever. If you don’t believe me, ask Him to prove it. I guarantee that He will.

Christians need to rally together, now!

/ Tracy Eldridge / 2 Comments

Our freedom of religion and other freedoms may soon be at stake. Not necessarily from our own government but from attacks outside of it. Our country will be under attack from terrorist groups, if for no other reason than our weak economy and our thinly spread military.

God loves us all and is in control regardless of what may happen. Our lives are in his hands and have always been. Jesus is our guide and our priest between us and God. He makes intercession for us along with the Holy Spirit, although God knows what we need and when we need it. You are His creation not just a collection of cells. God formed all of us in the womb and he knows us intimately. It hurts Him every time a child is aborted before having a chance at life. The life that He intended for that child to have and fulfill. Women have the right to choose, but not to murder and that is what happens when a child, not a fetus, is aborted.

America needs to get back to its Christian heritage and use the Bible as the center of our education system, not restrict people from exercising their rights as Americans. At one time in our history and up until about forty-six years ago, prayer was allowed and encouraged in classrooms. Once that was taken away, along with the study of scripture in high school, teen pregnancies began to skyrocket, violence in and out of the school and the home went up. In short, America began to lose its way. Away from God, and away from our forefather’s dreams of a Christian nation in service to Him.

If our country can acknowledge other religions and their practices, why can’t Christians exercise their beliefs too? Our beliefs are just as legitimate and more because our God created each of us and the universe too. He is the creator, not just some prophet or wise man, and when everyone finally comes to that conclusion it may be too late. Our lives are not our own, we were created to do His will and to glorify Him and His kingdom. When we do that, He will take care of our needs since He knows what they are before we do.