Showing posts with label pray. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pray. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Obama and American Christians are failing Assyrian Christians.


 A small army of Assyrian Christians are fighting back against the advances of ISIS and they are depending heavily on the United States and other Christian nations to help them, but military help has not been forth coming.  There are Christian leaders in the United States meanwhile telling them to pray and telling us to pray for ISIS members and to love ISIS so much they will convert to Christianity.

I wonder if those Christian leaders, that want us to love ISIS to conversion and pray for their conversion, would be begging for military help or our love and prayers for ISIS if they were living in ISIS controlled areas. I know if I was in that group of Assyrian Christians fighting to save the lives of my family members, the lives of my neighbors and fighting to preserve my heritage I would be praying that Christians and Western Allies would provide me the military aid I desperately needed to defend my way of life. Talk is cheap unless you have a dog in the fight!

Obama argues that equipping and arming a rebel army would carry risks for the U.S. and other Western nations. I admit the advance of ISIS into Iraq demonstrated that risk. The Iraqi forces quickly surrendered and abandoned their American-made equipment when ISIS advanced upon them.

The United States has a track record of supporting the wrong people and the wrong fighters. I can recall Iran, Yemen, Vietnam, Egypt, Philippines, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Uganda, Bolivia, Cuba, Brunei, South Africa, Haiti, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Rhodesia, Pakistan and the list goes on. Our leaders seem to have a penchant for supporting dictators are those in power right or wrong.

I would prefer we support those who are fighting for their own land, their own villages, their own cities and their own future. The Iraqi troops had no attachment to the land they were defending. The Assyrian Military Forces began fighting in the summer of 2014 and to this date they have not been adequately supported. They have a dog in the fight! The group started with just 12 fighters. Assyrian Christian women sold their wedding rings and other objects made of gold to finance the purchase of AK-14s and other munitions.

Assyrian Christians lived comfortable lives prior to the invasion and lost everything in one night when ISIS swept through. America support’s the Peshmerga, the Sunnis and the Yezidi, but not the Assyrian Christians of Nineveh? Are these bold speaking Christian’s leaders supporting The United Assyrian Appeal an organization that provides aid to the Assyrian military families who are fighting against ISIL/ISIS? I doubt it!   

"I am one of the servants of Allah.  We do our duty of fighting for the sake of the religion of Allah.  It is also our duty to send a call to all the people of the world to enjoy this great light and to embrace Islam and experience the happiness in Islam.  Our primary mission is nothing but the furthering of this religion. “Osama bin Laden.

Many Christian leaders would like to bury their heads in the sand or look for ways to modify Islamic radical terrorism to fit their own Christian beliefs, but the fact is that violent radical Islamic Muslims are quite clear about their religious goals. Their acts are done specifically in the name of Allah and for the cause of Islam and Islamic rule across the globe.

“The Taliban are simply a band of dedicated youths determined to establish the laws of Allah on earth... The Taliban will fight until there is no blood in Afghanistan left to shed, and Islam becomes a way of life for our people. “Mullah Omar, Taliban leader.

"Our animosity is based on religion.  We hate Americans for their secular ideology." Tehrik a Taliban spokesman.

"In the name of Allah the Avenger, I swear on the holy book to perform my sacred duty as a soldier of Islam in this Jihad to restore to this world the light of divine justice... Allah demands no less for me to die in the cause and be sent immediately to paradise." A Taliban official.

“Islam came for the good of humanity.  If someone doesn't like our good we fight them.” Faruq Khalil Muhammad in Canada.

We are working until we make Allah's religion supreme and we live a precious life in the shadow of Islamic Sharia law, or else be rewarded with martyrdom in the cause of Allah.  We are plotting for the Chinese to suffer the torture of Allah, or else by our hands” Abdul Haq, leader of the Turkistan Islamic Party.

“The attack by the Islamic State in America is only the beginning of our efforts to establish a wiliyah [Islamic territory] in the heart of our enemy. Allah said those who fight you kill them wherever you find them." Statement by ISIS following the shooting massacre at San Bernardino.

How can the Islamic radical Muslims make themselves any clearer than they have? I stand with Reverend Frankly Graham.  We need to be praying for our country and Christians first. We need to be showing love and support for Christians around the world fighting to survive. Obama may think all religions are the same, but I do not. I apologize for Christian (Catholic crusades and inquisition) actions in the past, but that is the past and this is 2015. I know of no Christians taking delight in killing those of other religions like the radical Islamic Muslims are doing today. Christians who use violence against their enemies can expect no special reward from Jesus Christ.

I would also like to remind Obama and Ron Paul about the Islamic Crusades in 630 A.D. Muhammad invaded and conquered Mecca. Later on, Muslims invaded Syria, Iraq, Jerusalem, Iran, Egypt, Africa, Spain, Italy, France, etc. Obama and Ron Paul act as if the Christians are the only ones that conducted Crusades.

The Western Crusades started around 1095 to try and stop the Islamic aggressive invasions. In 1094 Byzantine emperor Alexius Comnenus I ask western Christendom for help against Seljuk (Muslim Turks) invasions of his territory. In 1095 Pope Urban II agreed to help.

It is estimated that Islam has killed at least 270 million people: 120 million Africans, 60 million Christians, 80 million Hindus, 10 million Buddhists, etc. and forced conversions to Islam has been the norm, across three continents—Asia, Africa, and Europe—for over 13 centuries.

Defeat of ISIS is the only thing that will slow down Radical Islamic Muslim Terrorist. Only one thing will possibly stop Radical Islamic Muslim Terrorist and that is for Moderate Islamic Muslims to take up the fight and I do not see that happening.  They are like some American Christian leaders all talk and no action.




Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Don't fight ISIS - Islamic radical terrorist love them!


I just read an article written by JR Vassar the lead pastor, Church at the Cross, Grapevine, Texas.  He claims, “I am saddened by the tendency of some Christians to call for the sending of missiles upon our nation’s enemies more than to pray for the sending of missionaries to the hardest places.” When is he leaving for Syria, Iraq or Afghanistan? I am capable of praying for both.

He admits, “The Islamic State is a horrific evil and must be stopped. The destruction it is bringing on innocent life and human civilization is heartbreaking and should fill us with righteous indignation. Likely, it will take the international community to defeat the Islamic State, and it will almost certainly mean military conflict.” Who does he expect to volunteer for the military conflict non-Christians?

He is, “… grieved that some influential pastors and Christian leaders eagerly call for the bombing of regions that will inevitably lead to the destruction of human life (innocent image-bearers who suffer as collateral damage), and do so without tears and a broken heart.” I do not know of any Christian leader that would call for the bombing of ISIS if they thought there was another way.  I also do not think any Christian leader has ever called for the destruction of ISIS without having a heavy heart when doing so.

He suggested we, “Pray for our enemies and desire their salvation.” He claims God would want us to show them mercy and give them an opportunity to repent. He knows that is what God would want us Christians to do. If he believes in the literal translation of the Bible he must know that God called for the destruction of innocent women, children and animals of the Israelites enemies. I do not believe in the literal translation of the Bible so I think it was more the men of Israel that wanted their destruction, rather than God, but they may have thought that was what God wanted them to do.  The same as Reverend Vassar thinks he knows what God wants us to do as it pertains to the terrorist. If God wanted the enemies of the Israelites destroyed, but does not want our enemies destroyed does that mean God loved the Israelites more than He loves us?

He went on to write, “Our call is to follow the command and example of Jesus who told us to love our enemies and pray for them, and who himself laid his life down for his enemies, even praying for their forgiveness as they killed him. Again, if we are calling for missiles, but not praying for missionaries, we have lost touch with the heart of God.” I am sorry, but I am not prepared to have my throat cut by the followers of ISIS and honestly I do not think he is either. It is easy for him to write or say the things he does from Grapevine, Texas. I guess if his wife and children were caught in a terrorist situation he would prefer to allow them to be slaughtered than try to kill his enemy.

Jesus was not fighting a foreign enemy He was trying to reform His own people – the Jews. Jesus did not have a military, but he had no problem displaying his anger in the temple turning over the tables of the money changers. King David had a military given to him by God and he certainly used it. If we are going to use Biblical comparison King David and his enemies are more like our enemy ISIS and Muslim terrorist than Jesus and His enemies. If it was Protestants and Catholics (Ireland) fighting over differences I would agree with Reverend Vassar, but it is not. It is good versus evil!  

He admits that as we pray to God we know there will never be peace on this earth, “…we know that ultimately complete peace and justice are a world away, in the new heavens and new earth.”

He says, “We do not need to fear Muslims, but love them, befriend them, and seek to share the good news of Jesus with them.” I do love some Muslims, those that are not trying to kill me, my caregiver is Muslim.

I probably have more experience dealing with Muslims than he does, since I have lived on the Island of Mindanao in the Philippines for the past ten years. I live in Davao, but I am not about to travel to Cotobato or Sula where Muslim terrorist are kidnapping foreigners regularly. I welcome him to come to Southern Mindanao at any time and love the Muslim terrorist and the Communist insurgents to the peace table. The Philippine government has been trying to do it for thirty years and have failed.

 “We are not Americans first, but Christians first. We belong to a kingdom that is not of this world — a kingdom with no boundaries or borders. We may disagree on policy or diplomacy, but infinitely more important is that we agree on Jesus, his rule, and his great love for his people and for this world. We don’t have to be divided by our lesser loyalties when we are united by our greatest loyalty.” This all sounds good, but it is not realistic when it comes to dealing with terrorist in 2015. I do not think God intends for us to let Islamic terrorist cut our heads off, destroy our religion, invade our country and not resist.

I think a diplomatic solution would be impossible with groups like ISIS or other groups of Islamic Muslim Terrorist. Reverend Vassar wrote Jesus faced radicals and He did not try to kill them if I am not mistaken Jesus was killed.  Jesus knew pain, suffering, persecution and terrorism first hand is Reverend Vassar willing to do the same, is he willing to sacrifice his family without a fight, I am not.

If men like Reverend Vassar had reached out to the young men that make up ISIS and other terrorist groups a decade ago maybe we would not be in the mess we are in today. I think Reverend Vassar should consider that perhaps the church failed in reaching out to the Arabs in the Middle East.

Paul was once a terrorist killing Christians just at ISIS is doing today and he came to accept Christ as his Savior so there is hope. But, who is willing to go today and try to convert ISIS members. Is Reverend Vassar willing, if not he should not be so asking someone else to.

Jesus’ way of putting His enemies in their place was by shaming them. How does Reverend Vassar propose that we shame ISIS?

Christian leaders should have taken more seriously education reform, business opportunities, economic reforms and employment opportunities in Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Africa and Afghanistan and maybe there would be no ISIS today. Was Reverend Vassar pushing for those reforms prior to now?

I am not Reverend Pat Robertson and I do not say, “Convert or die”. I would like to see them convert to Christianity, but that is not a requirement for me to have peace. But, I do not think it is possible for us now to love the members of ISIS to a negotiated peace. I say that because they are telling us, “Convert or die”.

The Iraqi Christians since 2003 until about 2014 were known for being passive. They finally realized they could no longer be passive and stay alive. Unfortunately they began to stand up for their religious liberty and their freedom too late. Are Americans being ask to do the same by religious leaders like Reverend Vassar? Are we going to wait for ISIS to tell us to convert, pay a tax or die as they did the Christians in Mosul? Did not Obama take the passive role and allow ISIS to grow stronger, accomplish more evil and kill more Christians?

I am not for the destruction of ISIS only because they are killing Christians. I am for the destruction of ISIS because I am against any group of people that practice genocide against a weaker group of people.

ISIS is nothing more than a gang like those in any large city in the United States that kill people in order to expand their territory.  They both are criminals (terrorists) who are determined to murder people in order to gain control. They must be stopped and I truly believe God condemns their actions.

I do not believe God expects us to only pray and take no defensive action against them. Most of us do not sit back and refuse to work and expect God to feed us. Most of us do not refuse to take preventive action to maintain our health simply because we believe God can heal us. Most of us would not sit down on the couch and watch while a robber took our belongings and possibly raped our wife and do nothing but pray. Why do some Christians expect us to only pray and take no military action to protect our families, neighbors, country and us?

I believe in prayer and I have no doubt that pray is powerful, but I also believe God expects us to take action along with prayer. Why don’t we just stop being charitable and pray to God to take care of the poor, orphans and widows?  



Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Many people think they are a Christian, but are they?


If you conducted an informal opinion poll near where you live, and asked ten people to explain what it takes to make someone a real Christian. You might get ten different answers. Ask yourself, "Am I a real Christian.
Maybe you were raised in a Catholic or Protestant home. No matter what your background, I encourage you to take an honest look beyond the myths about what makes someone a Christian.

Let's explore what some say makes us a real Christian:

1.    I've been a Christian all my life; I was born in a Christian home. But since when does where you're born determine what you are? Someone may have been born in a stable, but that doesn't make him a horse. Nor does being born in an airport make someone an airplane. Grace Poe who is running for President of the Philippines in 2016 was born in the Philippines, but some say that does not make her a Filipino. Those same people may say they are a Catholic Christian because they were born in a Catholic Nation. Be thankful for where you were born and for the family and church in which you were raised, but don't assume that automatically makes you a Christian.

2.    A Christian may know that he or she is valuable in God's eyes because He made us and loves us, but you could develop a certain sense of well-being and self-worth apart from knowing what the Bible teaches us about thinking right in an un-right world. So thinking positively about life in general and about yourself in particular doesn't automatically make you a Christian.  Living a clean and moral life doesn't make anyone a Christian. Many atheists live a decent, straight life.

3.    Last Sunday four out of ten Americans went to church. But does that mean that all these people are Christians? Of course not. Even some thieves go to church. Some people go to church because it's a social habit. Others attend because their family makes them go. Some Catholics go to Mass on Sunday out of an obligation. It is true that Christians go to church and take an active part in church life, but attending church doesn't make you a Christian.

4.    Many of us were taught since childhood to give a portion of our income to charity or to the church. Whether rich or poor, we feel it's our "Christian" duty. But that's not what makes somebody a Christian. Yes, Christians give to others more than anyone else. They help the needy and less fortunate. But you can give away everything you own and still not be a Christian.

5.    Maybe you were baptized as a child or young adult. That doesn't necessarily mean you're a Christian. Many violent inmates in penitentiaries were baptized years ago, but few people would automatically consider these inmates Christians. Maybe you take Communion every Sunday if you're a Christian, that's great! But, both baptism and Communion are Biblical and God commands Christians to observe both. But, receiving either one won't make you a Christian.

6.    Eight out of ten people in America say they believe God exists. But are they all Christians? You can be a Muslim and believe in God, but "believing in God" does not make you a Christian. Belief, on its own, makes no difference. That is why belief, by itself, doesn't make someone a Christian.

7.    Many people talk about Jesus Christ and even speak well of Him. They may be teachers, ministers, church leaders, or "just plain folk." But, they may not even believe that the Bible's message about Jesus is true. Are these people truly Christians?

8.    Someone can pray and still not be a Christian. Hindus pray all the time. Muslims pray five times a day. Praying in itself doesn't make someone a Christian.

9.    Christians love the Bible. Some of us read it daily. But just reading the Bible doesn't mean you are a Christian. Karl Marx read the Bible even though he eventually rejected the Bible's authority, and during his adult life called himself an atheist, a communist--anything but a Christian. Nikita Khrushchev, the former premier of the USSR, read the Bible. Yet later he made it his ambition to bury the church. Just reading the Bible won't make you a Christian.
If thinking positively, living morally, going to church, giving to others, receiving a sacrament, believing in God, talking about Jesus, praying, and reading the Bible doesn't make you a Christian, then what does? What is a real Christian?

Being a Christian is believing in Jesus Christ as your savior and making every effort to live a Christian life – the life Jesus Christ called us to live. If you are knowingly fooling around with sin; if you are playing with immorality; if you are not being truthful in your business; if you are dishonest in your school, in your work, in your play, in your home -- then you are not trying to live the life Jesus Christ called Christian to live.

When you come to Christ, He forgives your sins and purifies your heart. That doesn’t mean you suddenly become holier than everyone else. On the contrary, you become more conscious of your shortcomings. But, God makes you righteous and gives you the power to live a more righteous life.

The way of life in Christ is also the way of love. Today, the word love has been robbed of meaning. It's used to describe a person exploiting the emotions of another for his own satisfaction and selfishness. But that is not love. True love wants the very best for someone no matter what it may cost us.

The way of life is also the way of obedience to God. I have written in the past that I do not believe perfection is possible, but Christians make an effort to be obedient to God in all things.  Christians give God authority over their lives. We will go wherever He wants us to go, do whatever He wants us to do and we do not care what it may cost in terms of comfort or reputation.

Life with Christ was not only God's original design for us; it is the way God intends for us to live today. A real Christian knows without a doubt he or she has eternal life. A real Christian knows without a doubt that they are a child of God. A real Christian believes God created everything - Christians may disagree how that creation came about, but we do not deny God is the creationist of all. A real Christian must have a spiritual birth. This happens when we repent of our sins and put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

I again encourage you to take an honest look beyond the myths about what makes someone a Christian, re-evaluate your Christian life today.

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Teachings of Pope Francis - Part V


Our goal is not to proselytize but to listen to needs, desires, disappointments, despair and hope. We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future and spread love. We need to include the excluded and preach peace.
You cannot know Jesus without having problems. We only come to know Jesus on the daily path of life … in order to know Jesus; we need to enter into a dialogue with Him. If you don’t pray, you don’t know Him.

What will my cross be like? We do not know, but there will be a cross and we need to ask for the grace not to flee when it comes.
Faith contains the memory of our encountering God.

A people who do not take care of their elderly and their children have no future. The only commandment which brings with it a blessing is the fourth, the commandment which regards honoring our parents and the elderly.
God is in every person’s life even if the life of a person has been a disaster. You must try to seek God in every human life. There is always a space in which the good seed can grow.

Charity is simple: worshiping God and serving others.
Let us respect creation, let us not be instruments of destruction! Let us respect each human being. May there be an end to armed conflicts. May hatred yield to love, injury to pardon and discord to unity. Let us listen to the cry of all who are suffering and who are dying because of violence.

We can all flee from God. This is a daily temptation: not to listen to God, not to hear His voice, not to hear His promptings His invitation in our hearts.
Are you able to find the Word of God in the history of each day or do your ideas so govern you that you do not allow the Lord to speak to you?

Today let us all ask ourselves do I remain caught up in forms of material security, taking refuge in my own projects and plans. Do I truly let God into my life?
God asks us to be faithful to Him in our everyday life, even if we are sometimes unfaithful to Him, He remains faithful to us. He never tires of stretching out His hand to lift us up, to encourage us to come back and tell Him of our weakness, so that he can grant us His strength.

Saying “thank you” is such an easy thing and yet so hard! How often do we say “thank you” to one another in our families? These are essential words for our life. “Sorry,” “excuse me,” “thank you” - If families can say these three things, they will be fine. How often do we say “thank you” to those who help us. All too often we take everything for granted! This happens with God. It is easy to approach the Lord to ask for something, but do we thank Him.
God invites us to pray. Prayer makes us feel God’s presence. Persevering prayer is the expression of faith in God.

If money and material things become the center of our lives they seize us and make us slaves.
The Kingdom of Heaven is for those who do not place their security in material things, but in love for God.

 

Friday, November 6, 2015

God has a plan for your life!


It would be great if once we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior life would be smooth sailing from then on. But, believers like non-believers have ups and downs and go from highs to lows. That is just life!  Our lives are incredibly busy.  Our schedules are rigorous. Our time is short and precious.
I grew up in a Christian home, my parents were good people, but they were not ones to take going to church seriously.  It goes without saying they could have been better role models when it came to praying, attending church and having faith in God. How did I as a child come to have a desire for Sunday school, Church, Christian youth organizations and realize from a very young age I wanted to be a minster? God had a plan.

I am sure Joseph asks the same questions I did as he experienced the ups and downs in his life (Genesis). His brothers hated him because they were jealous of his relationship with their father and Joseph was a young dreamer who delighted in carrying tales on his brothers to their father. Joseph dreamed one day his brothers would one day bow down to him and he was foolish enough to tell them of his dream. This only angered them more.
The brothers were out doing chores for their father when their father decided to send Joseph to check on them. When they saw him coming they began to plot how they could get rid of him. They settled upon throwing him in a well and leaving him to die. They would tell their father a wild animal devoured him.

Some foreign slave traders came along and they changed their plan. They would sell Joseph to the slave traders. Joseph ends up a slave in the Egyptian Pharaoh’s house. Joseph’s time serving the Pharaoh was filled with highs and lows. He had the favor of the Pharaoh and because of circumstances beyond his control the Pharaoh would turn against him. There was a period of time when the Pharaoh placed Joseph in prison.

He was released from prison when he interpreted the Pharaoh’s dreams, dreams that even the wisest men in Egypt could not interpret. Joseph told the Pharaoh that a seven year famine was coming and that he had seven years to prepare for it. The Pharaoh followed Joseph’s advice and Joseph became second in command only to the Pharaoh. God had a plan! 

The famine became so bad that Joseph’s brothers had to travel to Egypt to ask for help. They did not know they would be asking Joseph for help. Remember Joseph’s childhood dream. His brothers bowed before him when they ask for help.  When Joseph revealed to them who he was they became afraid, but Joseph told them not to fear him. He helped his family through the five remaining years of the famine. It was at that time Joseph realized that from boyhood God had a plan for his life and the ups and downs he experienced were preparing him to save the lives of his family members.
Has God shown you the ‘why and what for’ of your life? Even the years that Joseph did not understand the ‘why and what for’ of his life he never lost faith in God. 

We are passing through a time when great changes are coming in the world. America is not as great as she once was. We elect men and women to office that are not fit to lead. People are becoming more hopeless than I have seen in my lifetime. Many are ready to give up and many have given up. It is more important than ever for believers to constantly remind themselves God is still in control and God brings about possibilities that we can yet see or imagine. As Joseph we must remain faithful to God.
In the summer of my sixth year I was attending vacation Bible school when I became sick. It took about five days for my parents to be told I had polio. I spend months in the hospital. I had the best medical care at the time because exactly 91 days before I became sick my family was visiting my sister and an insurance man knocked on the door and persuaded my father to purchase a polio policy. The policy had to be in effect ninety days prior to diagnosis. God had a plan!

At age twelve I told my mother I had terrible pains in my stomach. She thought I was trying to skip school and she told me to get dressed for I was going to school. My sister dropped by and she convinced my mother that something was wrong and they needed to take me to the hospital. We arrived at the Community Hospital in Jacinto City, Texas and the doctor said it was my appendix. I needed surgery right away and they could not wait until my father arrived to sign release papers. The doctor took a legal gamble and took me in surgery. The appendix burst in his hands as he was removing it. God had a plan!

At age twenty-seven I had just finished my deaconate year. I ran six miles every day at Memorial Park in Houston, Texas. I noticed it was getting difficult for me to complete my run and I was totally exhausted when I did. It took several weeks before I was forced to go to the doctor. I was told I had Guillen Barre Syndrome. It is a disease that affects the nervous system. You have paralysis that resembles a stroke. I thought my ministry and active lifestyle was over. For two years I could not walk without assistance. God had a plan!
In my late forties I had by-pass surgery.  The recovery time then was much longer than now and the suffering was far greater. I was to return to work the following day and I decided to burn a large pile of logs on my farm. I intended to use diesel fuel, but used gasoline instead. When I struck the match there was an explosion and I was burned over all my body. Once again I would spend months in the hospital and at home nursing my wounds. I made a complete recover with only minor scaring. God had a plan!

Six angioplasty procedures would follow over the next 15 years and at times I thought of just giving up. God had a plan!

When angioplasty no longer worked and I could not have any more by-pass surgery they began to put in stints. I now have six and the last two were put in after I came to the Philippines. When they were putting in the last two they administered Diprivan Propfol not knowing I was allergic to it and I flat lined. God had a plan!
I was told when I was in my early fifties I would have to take disability Social Security, but I refused to give up. God had a plan!

Just this year I changed cardiologist because I was told nothing could be done for me. I was in the final stages of heart failure and my medicines were at the maximum levels. God led me to a doctor who referred me to another cardiologist and within a few months I was able to get out of the house and go back to church. God had a plan!
My ups and downs have made me a better minister. It is easier to give advice to others if you have experienced similar problems.  It is easier to understand the emotional turmoil they are going through. Of course I wish life had been all smooth sailing, but then I would not be the person I am today if God had not allowed me to encounter difficulties.  I now realize through it all God had a plan and He was always there with me.

What has God done for you? I bet if you give it serious thought you will come to realize that God has provided you many escapes from disaster. God has a plan for your life.
I recently heard a minister say on television, “In the way I walk and talk, in the way I think and pray, in everything I do, I want to honor God by the way I live each day.” I have tried to live my life in that manner, but many times I have failed. Regardless of the times I have failed God never stopped loving me and never turned His back on me. God will do the same for you. God has a plan!