The Word tells us to always “be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. (1 Peter 3:15). In other words, we should always be ready to give God’s answers to people. We should defend the faith in love […]
Author Archives: SHDJ
Perspective is everything. Jesus demonstrated that “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb 12:2) Jesus set this joy of seeing all of us redeemed before Himself, and that allowed Him to endure the […]
To truly follow Christ means He has become everything to us. Everyone follows something: friends, popular culture, family, selfish desires, or God. We can only follow one thing at a time (Mat 6:24). God states we are to have no other gods before Him (Exo 20:3; Deut 5:7; Mk12:30). To truly follow Christ means we […]
“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Romans 10:17 People have the idea that faith can grow, that we have to get more faith to receive from God. It’s a misconception to think that way. It is a lack of understanding, due to a lack of knowledge. You know […]
Jesus came to Earth as a tiny, weak and helpless baby, born to a simple, humble young girl who miraculously conceived the Child, having never slept with any man! In fact, the news of her pregnancy was so shocking that when the man to whom she was engaged to be married learned about it, he […]
I don’t know if you keep track of where you spend your money. But you should, if only to find out if you are investing it or wasting it. Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up […]
Discipleship is the process of growth from a spiritual baby to a spiritual adult. It means you’re maturing in your faith. You’re getting stronger. You’re developing some muscle. Some Christians get saved but they remain babies. The ONLY feeding they receive is a “bottle” every Sunday from their pastor. That’s not enough to really grow […]
God did not put you on Earth just to live for yourself. He wants you to make a difference in the world. He wants us ALL to make the world a better place! “God . . . has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago […]
What is the reason so few people get things from God? Christians are divided into two different classes: Those who pray who really EXPECT something to happen, and those who just pray and do NOT expect anything to happen. Prayer is first a means unto an end, a connecting link between human needs & divine […]
Faith has lost its meaning to us today. Today the word FAITH means kind of a hazy vague belief of some kind in something or other; the word FAITH doesn’t really mean much. It is as weak as saying “I believe it might rain tomorrow”. But in God’s Word FAITH means much MORE than that! […]
God’s goal and purpose has always been to make you like Himself. When he first created man, He said, “let us create an after our own image” (Gen 1:26). So now that we are born again, He wants us to become like His Son. In other words, he wants you to grow up spiritually. “From […]
I was thumbing through my file of newspaper clippings recently and I came across several amazing articles! The first article was headlined “Four Hugs a Day Shoos the Blues Away!” The article stated that a Dr. Virginia Satir told a gathering of over 4,000 delegates to the American Orthopsychiatric Association that 4 hugs a day […]
Whether you accept & believe in its teachings or not, it cannot be denied that the Bible is the most remarkable, amazing & absolutely UNIQUE book that has ever been written! Once you realise that the religion of LOVE that Jesus TAUGHT, and the religious TRADITIONS that many Christians today PRACTICE have little or nothing […]
“The FOOL hath said in his heart,’There is no God’!”–Ps 14:1. Here’s one.of the best explanations I’ve read on evolution and its ill effects on our society. It’s taken from the writings of D. Brant B. You should use these facts and scriptures when debunking evolution. “It’s so ridiculous for Man to NOT believe in […]
I heard this amazing story regarding our attitude towards others, and how the words we say about them can really affect them and so many around us. “Some people are like billy goats. Why? Because they go around “but-ing” everyone! They will say, “But,” every time they hear something that they don’t want to accept. […]
When faced with a tremendous battle against overwhelming opposition, Jehoshaphat desperately PRAYED and threw himself completely on the LORD, confessing his own weaknesses and inabilities. Then, after receiving God’s promise that HE would give them the victory, Jehoshaphat put his FAITH into ACTION by having the singers and musicians lead the troops, shouting and singing […]
If you’re a parent, you’ll appreciate this article. The responsibility given to parents is the biggest responsibility ever given to man. –to care for God’s little ones. May God help us to take it ever so seriously. Newspaper columnist Abigail Van Buren has composed a “Parent’s Prayer” in which she stresses the practical side of […]
I cannot stop reflecting on His GOODNESS. His mercies, His love, His blessings are never-ending. And He’s made us reflect on His creation, meditate on His Word, and gaze on His Beauty. When you’re in love, you can reflect on all its benefits, for hours, for days, and never tire. –And always find more to […]
Christianity only works if you WORK it. That’s what Jesus said. (Mat 7:24-27). GOD has set in motion a whole set of principles and laws that will work in our favor if we make use of them. It’s not automatic. Reading the Bible is not enough to change you, you have to put its principles […]
Every so often, I like to recapitulate in order to surface and catch our breath. My main vision in putting together the DAILY MEDS is for the purpose of explaining WHAT TRUE CHRISTIANITY IS and defining a path for us to actually be DISCIPLES of JESUS. We have spent a few weeks in “Understanding the […]
The claims of Jesus in the Bible, from a carnal view, are absolutely outlandish and preposterous! If these are false, He would be the greatest deceiver that the world has ever seen!–Or He’d be the greatest lunatic that has ever stepped on this earth. However, since Jesus fulfilled all claims about Himself, then it changes […]
I’m going to go on with this AWESOME revelation about WHO Jesus really was, and is! As we consider the Jesus of the Bible, everyone has their own opinion; some will say that He’s a prophet, others will say that He was a spiritual guru, but Jesus Christ Himself said that He’s none other than […]
In the recent months, I’ve been meditating on the impact that Jesus has had on the world and wondering why would anybody want to ignore Him?…Or worse yet, deny Him? The answer to the latter is pretty obvious in most cases if and where religion was the platform used to introduce Jesus. It is true […]
“The natural man receives not the things of the spirit for they are foolishness to him” (1 Cor 2:14). Some people just don’t seem to understand the miracle of conversion and the idealistic desire to devote one’s entire life to God’s service. Many have been thought to have suddenly gone mad. Like the apostle Paul […]
You have to have conviction or you can’t live. When you’re serving the Lord, you have got to be convinced that you are right, and try to convince everybody else of the same. And be willing to fight for what you believe in. Faith is not passive. The devil will do everything he can to […]
Can you imagine if one out of 5 people in the world was saved because of us, and was an active Christian?! When the first disciples went out evangelizing, within 200 years, 1 out of every 5 people was a professing Christian and the entire known civilized world had been saturated with the gospel for […]
There are actually only 2 religions in the world: GOD-dependence, is true Christianity. All other religions depend on self efforts to SAVE them. You either go after God in full-on obedience and righteousness or you try to make it by your OWN righteousness, through self-dependence. Our righteousness is in Christ and In Christ alone. But […]
Today we’re going to talk a little bit about the second major tactic of the devil. That is to get you to either return to the world or live a life of compromise. Jesus expects us to be focused and determined in our discipline. said, “If your eye be single then your whole body is […]
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the WILES of the devil” (Eph 6:10-17) What are those “wiles” of the devil? If you are born again, the attacks of the devil against […]
Today we will cover a more militant aspect of the life of a disciple. The life of a warrior who represents the kingdom relentlessly. One who must be depended upon and faithful unto the end. The life of a disciple is not always an easy life. It’s a life of battle, difficulties, and hardship. In […]
God created man to love Him. And He is jealous of our relationship and Intimacy. Why? Because in Him are all the right values for life, and he doesn’t want us to deviate after other gods and idols. As a good Father, He wants to guard our attention and our heart from going astray. God […]
If you have been receiving the DAILY MEDS for the last month or so, you have gone through the NEW MAN series where we explained the death of the old man and our NEW IDENTITY in Christ …being born again. We also underscored the fact that THAT transformation took place in the SPIRIT. It is […]
We’ve been talking about what a true disciple of Jesus Christ is supposed to be, and how he’s supposed to live, and how he’s supposed to affect the world around him. So far, we have covered: The importance of witnessing our faith, shining our light. The importance of speaking the Words of God with authority […]
“I give you a NEW commandment: Love one another. You must love one another as I have loved you. By this shall all men know that you are my DISCIPLES, if you LOVE one another” (Jn 13:34-35). All that man was left with after the fall was a human kind of love. But Jesus brought […]
I told you that I would try to lead you through the number of exercises to spell out the different disciplines of a disciple. To be a Christian requires following Christ. –Essentially, to be imitators of Christ. This next one is one of the most powerful tools in the DISCIPLE’S ARSENAL, and we must learn […]
We’ve just completed a series of 12 different DAILY MEDS explaining what true Christianity really means; that is the victory of the NEW MAN, through Christ, living in us. As christians, we are born again and are fully possessed by the Spirit of Christ. We’re totally new creatures, living in a different Kingdom, bearing a […]
There is an underlying message in the New testament that every Christian must fully understand in order to walk into the new creature that God has given them when born again. The new testament talks about the “old man” and the “new man”, or the old self or the new self. Paul in Ephesians 4: […]
Yesterday we talked about DECEPTION and how the devil’s main goal is to deceive people; to lie about what God has said and to get people to disobey God’s Word. Deception sets in motion a process of degeneration: deception produces lust; lust is a perverted, rebellious desire designed to contradict the will of God. Lust […]
We’ve already covered that the old man is corrupt, born from deception, and therefore by default, we were all born a rebel. So, let’s look at the solution for the problem of the old self, since it is a universal problem which each and every one of us faces. First, let’s mention the potential solutions […]
In our last discussion, we talked about God’s solution to not try to repair or revamp the old tree, but rather to cut it down. But let’s talk no more about solutions for trees, but a solution for man’s old self. So there is one solution that God has come up with in order to […]
Yesterday we covered that God’s solution for the old self was EXECUTION. In Romans 6:6 Paul explains that our old self has been crucified with Christ. Meaning that the body of sin has been done away, and therefore we are no longer slaves to sin. That was God’s solution to ending the slavery to sin, […]
Here is a short recapitulation of the different points since the beginning of this dissertation. First, that because of the fall of Adam we were all born corrupted. Second, that Jesus came to redeem us to full relationship with the Father, so that we can be accepted as sons, no longer slaves of Satan. And […]
We’ve talked a fair bit about the VICTORY of the NEW MAN over the old man. How through Jesus, the old man has been crucified and we now live as newly accepted children in the Kingdom of god. We are accepted as sons of the Most High God. WOW… And we have inherited the righteousness […]
Let’s remember Jesus has already defeated Satan at the cross. That was Satan’s total, permanent, irreversible defeat. Jesus has disarmed Satan’s powers and whatever authority he may have over us. He made a public spectacle, triumphing over him by the cross. “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, […]
The battle is already won. Christ won the victory over the devil on the cross. We’re born again in the spirit, but our soul (mind, emotions) and our bodies are not yet redeemed. However, we know the enemy is a deceiver, a liar and an accuser, and since he couldn’t keep us from making Jesus […]
As established in previous discussions, we live in a different Kingdom. And we must live by the laws of the kingdom of light. FAITH is the currency of God’s kingdom. “For without faith, you cannot please God” (Heb 12:6). We were created to PRAISE! It’s a law of God; the more we PRAISE the more […]
I want to do a quick recapitalisation of the 10 different chapters on this discussion regarding “Understanding the NEW MAN” to help you understand where we now stand in the spirit. First we’ve brought out how man was deceived by the devil in the garden. Man was told that he could be as God on […]
In the last few days we have been through a series of DAILY MEDS explaining the VICTORY of the new man and how the old man is DEAD. And how the victory of the Christian is in living in full possession of Christ. Meaning that we should be FULLY possessed by Christ. Yesterday on a […]
One of the most important lessons that all of us Christians need to learn is the importance of confessing what God says. Once born again, we live in a different Kingdom than the world’s kingdom and we must speak the things of God. Proverbs 6:2 says “you are snared by the words of your mouth; […]
Anger is a sin when it is directed at people. Paul says that “we should not let the sun go down on our anger (Eph 4:26), but it doesn’t mean you can be angry and mean all day, for as long as you repent before you go to bed. Rather it refers to our anger […]
It is also through our SPEAKING that we create our own world. Even quantum physics has proven the power of words on the world around us. Plants respond to words. Animals and even our body responds to BLESSINGS or cursings. Out of our mouth proceed blessings or curses. They give life or they take away […]
The more we realize that all that we have, we have received it from a loving heavenly Father, the easier it becomes to give; then tithing becomes a gesture of appreciation, and giving to others an extension of His love. We don’t give out of our wallet, but out of His God is a BIG […]
God expects us to walk in integrity. The Bible refers to integrity as “the pure in heart” or “blameless”. It doesn’t mean sinless or perfect. God is more interested in the direction of our hearts, in our motives more than in what we do. He wants us to be TRUE, THROUGH AND THROUGH. He’s interested […]
How can you be BLESSED and be non-stop blessed? And WHY? Because it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. He wants to bless you all the time, because you’re His child. Mt 6:25-26 says: “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what […]
Boldness is one awesome gift that the Holy Spirit empowers us with: unashamed boldness (Acts 1:8). We have the conviction to SPEAK OUT and to STAND UP for what we believe is right and true and loving, and that’s why Christians must be bold in speaking out their faith unashamedly. If you truly believe in […]
Remember when you became a Christian you turned over the steering wheel of your life to Christ. It is no longer you who lives but “Christ who lives in you” (Gal 2:20). To put it bluntly, you’re DEAD. What a victory!!! You can finally live out the destiny that God has for you by letting […]
You cannot really be a Christian without manifesting your faith. You cannot really be filled with his light and hide it under a bushel. We as Christians must learn to make every encounter a divine appointment; knowing that God wants to love every person we meet. So if we are not used to witnessing our […]
If you want to understand the difference between Discipleship and church Christianity, it’s simple. They’re all on the same team. The Church Christians are fans of Jesus Christ. Whereas Christian disciples are players with Jesus Christ. Jesus has always had more fans than followers. Faith makes a Christian. Life proves a Christian. Trial confirms a […]
Contrary to the teachings of modern education, absolutes do exist in our world. I’ve been thinking about the state of the world and how so many of the younger generation have lost respect for God and humanity. I believe that modern education is largely responsible for this downward trend because young people today are taught […]
The long battle for authority in the earth started in the garden and finished with the empty tomb. Even though Jesus triumphed over sin and death, stripping them of their authority over humanity, winning for Himself all authority, not only in the earth, but in heaven also, the war is not […]
Jesus said, “the Words that i speak unto you, they are SPIRIT & they are LIFE!”— (John 6:63) The main key to Christian strength is spelled out in John 15. “Abide in me and I in you”. The Word is Jesus, the Word is God, the Word is spirit, and the […]
When I was a boy, they had beautiful kerosene lamps in every home. They had lovely glass bowls for the oil, so you could see their wicks and the level of the oil and knew when to replenish them. The lamp burned best when full of oil. When the level got […]
I am Born of God –Confession I have a NEW IDENTITY. Because I believe in Christ, I am born again of the spirit, I am a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (2Cor 5:17). I put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the […]
Once you are BORN AGAIN, you have literally been accepted into the kingdom of God (Eph 1:6) and you have been adopted as a child of God (Eph 3:20). You are no longer a slave to sin and you no longer belong to the kingdom of darkness. […]
A famous Christian who always gave God first place in his everyday decisions was William Gladstone, who was England’s Prime Minister three times and was one of the most famous British political leaders of the 1800’s. The story is told of how every day as he went up the steps of the Parliament building, he […]
The Toughest Mission Field Not for the fainthearted–a serious field, For people who bravely dare To face a challenge greater Than they’ll find anywhere! You’ll wonder if your labors Will ever bear real fruit. It takes the utmost patience, And there’s not an exit route! Have simple faith, persistence, And love that sees beyond The […]
An evangelist once told a former shoe salesman turned preacher: “Dwight L. Moody, there is no limit to what God can do with a man who is yielded and willing to do His will!” Moody looked him in the eye and replied, “By the grace of God, I am determined to be that man!”-And he […]
A motivational speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, “Who would like this $20 bill?” Hands started going up. He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you, but first, let me do this.” He proceeded to crumple the […]
In the story below, by Les Brown, you will read a beautiful account of one man’s influence on someone who could be viewed as less fortunate. His mentor, Mr. Washington simply challenged him to BE ALL HE COULD BE, because he was truly special! We are all so important to the Lord. We are all […]
Why is murmuring and complaining such a big deal in the Bible? I mean… really? What’s so wrong with complaining a little? Not everything is always going right? A little discontentment should not be that bad… Have you ever been around people who are always complaining about something? They’re so difficult to be around. It’s […]
Our very first approach should be to encourage others. Encouragement brings courage in people’s hearts. It lifts them up. And courage brings out faith. And faith pleases God. Why not be the one who smiles? Why not be the one that holds hands? […]
It says “all things are possible to him that believes”. What if you believed that? How would that change your life? What if you knew that you CAN’T FAIL? What if you could proceed as if SUCCESS is INEVITABLE? What if you could LIVE in the possible? Knowing that nothing is […]
It’s impossible to fully understand all that grace entails when you first come to Jesus. “Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (Jn 1:17). Grace replaced the law. But we can begin to grasp the whole concept, the same as a child TRUSTS in the love of a parent. In other words, when you FULLY […]
When you listen to the mainstream media, and you hear about all that’s behind Covid-19, and all the lies we’re being fed by the pharmaceutical industry, the food industry, plus the indoctrination regarding sexual liberties directed to our kids, and so forth, you can’t help but wonder if there is a […]
In baseball, the referee is called the umpire. He’s an arbitrary ruler who calls the shots. The bible says, “let the peace of God be the umpire in your heart” (Cole:15). In decision making, there are usually many variable options, but the one that falls in line with God’s will is usually the one that […]
There once was a king who had a favorite jester in his court. Because of all his good work for many years, cheering up the king and making him happy, the king finally retired him, gave him some property and a good income, and sent him off to see the world. […]
I have worked with some outstandingly talented people over the years. Great musicians, amazing artists and proficient writers. But there were also some “little people” around them, those unseen and unnoticed helpers that made it all work ever so smoothly, through their willingness to do the common tasks. God often uses the most obscure, the […]
In 1913, a young man about twenty years old took a walking tour in the rural province of Provence (pronounced Pró-váhnce), in southern France. A walking tour is when you hike through the countryside with a backpack and sleeping bag, walking mainly on the back roads or trails and sleeping at campsites or local farms […]
Have you ever noticed that the people who irritate you the most, quite often have the same personalities or odd habits as you do! It is like the picture, when you point a finger at someone and criticize them, there are 3 fingers pointing back at you! Jesus said, “Judge not that ye be not […]
We visited a “PULGA” My wife and I spent the last 10 days in Austin Texas where we were able to attend the “South by South West” Music festival. And because we were looking for a gathering of children since I usually Twist balloons for kids, which gives us an opportunity to talk to parents […]
Marriage has to be the most wonderful gift between a man and a woman. On the other hand, the most wonderful gift from God to a man and a woman is a baby. But both of the gifts come with a big responsibility. It’s a lot of work to raise children and it’s a lot […]
People live on encouragement and appreciation. Watch the face of a tiny baby, a child, an adolescent, a young adult and the older generation, the same, when an encouraging, sincere and truthful comment is shared. It will bring a smile, and even more… it will bring courage, and hope and ambition and vision. We […]
How can you recognize a true Christian from anyone else in society? What’s different about them? Don’t they live amongst other people and work in the same workplaces? If so, what makes their faith special or how are they different? Here’s a story about a conversation that took place shortly after Jesus died, between some […]
Recently I was visiting Canada for a funeral. Somehow when a life ends, it causes you to reevaluate the purpose and priorities of your own life. A couple of weeks ago, with some of my relatives, we visited the tombstone of my father and my mother. And […]
I’m going to share a sobering thought with you. Sharing our light is not really an option. Suppose you know something that must be shared with others, and you don’t do it. Isn’t there a responsibility there? Suppose you witness an accident and the wreck on the […]
“Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) Those words are so beautiful, so pure, so full of life…for what is a better way to live than to give your life in loving service for others, whether your husband, wife, children, friends […]
This story of Bamboo” is very dear to my heart. I have lived a very full life and have often been “at the top”. My gifts and talents have made room for me, along with my devotion and dedication to whatever I gave my heart to. […]
I have learned a number of important lessons in regards to “giving” in recent years. If only you take stock of what you have, you realize that there are a number of things in your life that can benefit others, some are material things, but the most important things are the gifts from your HEART. […]
The most difficult people to interact with are the ones that I call “flatlanders”. They are the narrow-minded ones, the ones that are convinced in their own mind that they are right on the strength of their “own truth”, or what they have decided “works for them” and that becomes all of a sudden their […]
We were in Bombay visiting missionary friends on a very tight schedule in the process of making a documentary about “The Life of a Missionary”. We were on a “world tour” and were scheduled to visit many different missions in different countries. We took a total of 40 flights in 3 months and came across […]
My wife and I talk to people all the time. And I would venture to say that the most common problem that people suffer from is fear. It is just so sad to see how so many people entertain fear, and it totally conditions their lives. And it is greatly nurtured by the media, […]
We weren’t “manufactured” with the ability to direct our own life (see Jer 10:3). Take the microwave for instance, it cannot determine on its own how much time it must be ON in order to cook, defrost or warm up whatever you put in. That decision has to be made by […]
It is so sad that the pharmaceutical industry is “selling” sickness all over TV programs with ads to try to make you THINK sick, and they are especially marketing to the older folks. What a shame. Both my wife and I are over 70 years of age […]
Let’s start from the beginning…When God created man, He created him in His image, with full authority and dominion over everything on the earth. God also gave man the power to create, and to procreate, and to multiply that image of perfection. He ALSO gave him one other powerful attribute: The […]
You can PROVE the existence of God by spelling out His well-functioning laws. The world that God created is built on a set of specific and well-defined laws of operation that cannot fail. Why should the universe obey orderly principles and laws if there’s no law-giver? Everything […]
Reputation is what you need to get a job; character is what you need to keep it. Personality has the power to open many doors, but character must keep them open. It’s what you do when you have nothing to do that reveals what you are. It […]
Live BIG God wants us to live courageously and victoriously. If we live in fear we live a small life, because fear causes us to stop and do nothing; the more we rehearse our problems, the bigger they will grow. Fear prevents forward progress. We fear criticism, exposure, the unknown, etc. […]
To have a dream is more than a simple wish. It is a deep craving, an intense longing. Dreaming is an excitement in the inner man. It is an intense desire that takes lukewarmness out of life. Dreaming is not plaintive and beggarly. It is filled with passion and assurance. […]
The life of a Christian has to first be a life of unrestrained faith. –Meaning that we must not only believe, but put our full trust in something bigger than ourselves–God. We’re made in the image of God. So we’re creators too. Christians are to dream!–and DREAM […]
“There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it hardly behooves any of us to talk about the rest of us”. Whether what you are repeating is true or not, it remains a witness against […]