cheap?

A miner once said to a preacher, “I’d like to be a Christian, but I can’t receive what you said tonight.” “Why not?” asked the preacher. “Well, I’d give anything to believe that God would forgive my sins, but I can’t believe He’ll forgive me if I just turn to Him. It’s too cheap.” The preacher looked at him and said, “Have you been working today?” Surprised, the man replied, “Yes, I was down in the pit as usual. Why?” “How did you get out of the pit?” “The way I usually do. I got into the cage and was pulled to the top.” “How much did you pay to come out of the pit?” The miner looked at the preacher in astonishment. “Pay? Of course, I didn’t pay anything.” “Well,” said the preacher, “weren’t you afraid to trust yourself to that cage? Wasn’t it too cheap?” “Oh, no,” he said; “it was cheap for me, but it cost the company a lot of money to sink that shaft.” Then the implication of what he had said struck him, and he saw that though he could have salvation without money and without price, it had cost the infinite God a great price to rescue lost men

Faith

July 24, 2009
Lois Faye Buck lived a life most people could or most would not live. Diagnosed with Gastro paresis nearly thirty years ago Lois has had to endure hundreds of hospital stays, thousands of needles and blood tests, and countless procedures where a tube with a “balloon” on the end of it was shoved down her throat to open up her esophagus. Due to the Gastro paresis, every three months for as long as I can remember, Lois would have to go and have her stomach pumped, her stomach would build up unprocessed food particles and begin to rot and decay causing her belly to swell and slowly poison her.

Gastro paresis was not Lois’ only illness, Lois had also had kidney problems from the time she was a kid. Because of all the IV’s she had to have over the many years her veins were failing one by one. Which caused her to have a permanent Iv put in to her chest. But despite all of this she never gave up hope as she fought through the pain. Infact it took leukemia and the inability treat her other illness due to the leukemia to taker her from this earth.

Lois was a believer, a Christian that embraced God in every waking moment.The type of Christian that this world could use more of. Through Lois God spoke to many people, he touched many lives “mine included”. Lois’ faith is Christ shown through her every waking moment, she gave everything she could to her church, to her family, to her friends, to her doctors, and even to other patients at the hospital. No matter how sick or how much pain she was enduring, Lois always had a smile about her, a positive glow. When people met her they always commented about her positive attitude. Lois prayed for many years that the lord would heal her to make her pains go away, and for many years she woke up day after day still sick, still in pain and still loving Jesus Christ with all of her heart.

Now most people would ask why would the lord put some one who loves Him so much and dedicated so much of their life to him through such pain and suffering. My thought and answer to this is because he knew her, He knew she could handle his will. He filled Lois not with healing for her self but for the people around her. Through her he brought comfort to others with the same illness. He was able to show love and affection to people who were scared, who were hurting and who were lost. The family was told of how she could calm down her doctors who were nervous….even thought she was the one being operated on. We were told of how she would sit and talk to other patients at the hospitals, and how doctors would put her in rooms with others who were having an exceptionally hard time. Why her? Because the lord knew she could do it. He had her place in heaven already picked out, but he needed her to do his will for a short time here on earth. I’m now a Christ follower mainly impart of my aunt Lois, which is something I know she prayed for often. “I know this because she told me often!” When I was baptized she was the first person I called and I cant explain how happy she was.

On June 28, 2009 The Leukemia finally took its toll. The leukemia made it impossible for Lois to get her stomach pumped of the infection that was building up which poisoned her body. June 28,2009 at 9:45 am “Which, by no surprise to me whatsoever, is what time she would usually leave for Sunday church services” Lois was healed from the pains and sickness that this world brings. The moment she had been looking forward to for her entire life was granted to her. She finally got to go home and walk with the lord.

Walks on water

Happy new year all!

The other day i was playing a war game on Xbox live "Modern Warfare 2" My gamer tag is walksonwatr81. Look me up if any of you play! While waiting for a game to start some one came in to the room and popped off that only Jesus walks on water. Without even taking time to think I quickly replied that "you need to read your bible son, Peter also walked on water." I got a lot of "ohhh's, you just told him and a few man i didn't know that"

Over then next few days the whole walking on water thing just stuck with me, i couldn't get it out off my head. It didn't help that its also one of my favorite stories, so my first blog of the year will be about Peter walking on water.

We will start with the verse

Matt 14:25-31; 25 During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."29 "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

NIV

Peter knew that if he jumped out of that boat he would sink. Thats why he asked Jesus to command him to come. Christ told Peter to come, not only that he might walk upon the water, and so know his Lord’s power, but that he might know his own weakness. As Peter neared Jesus he looked around and he started to doubt what he was doing. When we look off from Christ, and look at the greatness of opposing difficulties, we shall begin to fall; but when we call to him, he will stretch out his arm, and save us. Peter walked upon the water, not for diversion or to boast of it, but to go to Jesus; and in that he was thus wonderfully borne up. Special supports are promised, but only in spiritual pursuits; nor can we ever come to Jesus, unless we are upheld by his power.

He that comes to God, must believe; and he that believes in God, will come, Hebrews 11:6.

Now i must say that when i came up with the gamer tag walksonwatr81 it was mainly because i like the story and I walk as a mode of transportation. Now it means to go to Jesus.

Will you walk on water with me?