Abundant Living at Christmas Time

Here we are in December headed to Christmas and there are discussions(arguments) every year at this time about what this season means. I am certainly not wanting to get into this discussion. All I want to say about it is this: This season is not only a time of giving and receiving gifts but also a time to remind ourselves why we give. The very act of giving is a demonstration of the heart of God. John 3:16 says that "God so loved the world that He gave... We are living in some tough economic times but that doesn't mean that we should stop giving. As a Christian, our purpose is not to get into arguments about whether this is Christmas, Kwanzaa or Hanukkah. Our purpose is to be a demonstration of God's heart and let our actions speak for us. We are to show those around us that our abundant life is not dictated by the economy or circumstances. Our abundant life is the product of a relationship with a loving Heavenly Father who gave to us because He loves us. Before He asked us to give, He gave first. Before He asked us to do anything for Him, He did everything for us first. He gave us abundant life and that life is a life that gives. Be a giver this Christmas. God loves you.
Merry Christmas!

Abundant Living in Africa

I recently returned from Mozambique, Africa. While I was there I saw poverty, sickness, disease, filth and crime. I saw the effects of a 17 year civil war. I saw all of this within 2 hours of entering the country. It's hard to explain how all of my senses were affected. I've been in many other foreign countries and I've seen similar surroundings but it's still a lot to take in. John 10:10 says that Jesus came to give us life and life more abundantly and I knew that Jesus came to give life to the people of Mozambique. It can be difficult to see life in an environment like this. As we arrived at our first stop in our journey, I was looking for life. We pulled up to Afrika wa Yesu Bible School and the students, pastors and teachers were outside waiting to greet us. They didn't greet us with the normal, "Hello". They started singing and dancing and beating on their drums. It was beautiful. And I saw it! I saw life! It was everywhere! It was in the singing, the dancing, the beating of the drums, their smiles, their eyes. Right there in all of the devastation, in all of the sickness and even in the midst of what looked like death, I saw life. The beauty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that it has power to lift people up above their circumstances and to bring light in darkness and to bring LIFE in death. Abundant life is not defined by material wealth but by the effect that the Gospel has on an individual. Wealth is a by-product of putting the principles of God's Word to use but it can't define life because wealth is subject to the perspective of the individual. Wealth in the United States might mean a nice car and a nice house. While in Mozambique, it might mean having a community water well for the whole village to have clean water. One perspective is not better or worse than the other perspective. They both have to stay subject to the perspective that Jesus' life at work in me is what has brought this wealth. As long as you stay focused on Jesus and the life that He provides, then you won't allow your life to be defined by what you have or don't have. So I encourage you to keep your eyes on what's important - Jesus - and don't get destracted by and caught up in what others call abundant life. Remember, you're God's best and God is on your side.

The First Step to Life

My desire in having this blog is to help people understand, through the Bible, what it means to live an abundant life. An abundant life is a fulfilled life, a successful life and a joy-filled life. Jesus said in John 10:10 that He came to give life and life more abundantly. So the first step to living an abundant life is to accept Jesus into your life. This step is very simple. You must first recognize your need for a savior then Romans 10:9 says that if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you would be saved. You don't have to be at church to do this. You can do it anytime and anywhere. God is always listening. He wants you to have a great life and He did everything He needed to do for you to have it. All you must do now is believe. I hope you will accept this free gift of salvation and start living the abundant life. God bless you.