Be prepared!

Be prepared. We live in a world of possibilities. Some are good possibilities and some are not. Nevertheless, we prefer to be prepared. Who wants to have a flat tire without a jack or be out of town without emergency funds available?

Of course, we cannot be prepared for every situation; but there are two situations for which everyone can be prepared. We can be prepared for the return of Christ or for our death, whichever comes first. Although we do not know the precise time of either, we do know that one or the other is definitively going to happen. The Bible urges to be prepare (Matthew 24:42; 25:13; James 4:13-14).

So, the question becomes, "How should we prepare?" The following preparations are paramount.

• Secure the true salvation found in the person of Jesus Christ by grace through faith alone. There is no better preparation for death or Jesus' Second Coming that to receive God's grace (God's unmerited favor) offered to everyone that will confess his or her sinfulness, repent (turn from the sins) and trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is such an important step that I have include a few links so that you can better understand God's Plan of Salvation. Link 1; Link 2  
• Watch and Pray. Jesus said, "Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is" (Mark 13:33). Watching would include obedience. If you thought this day you would meet God face to face, you would live it in obedience. And! You would pray and pray again. You would be watchful of what you do and what you say; and you would pray that your loved ones, friends, and even enemies would be prepared to meet a Holy God.
• Share the Word. People that are prepared to meet God are people who are sharing the message of salvation.  Follow @pastorbarr

For His Glory: A Kaleidoscope of Wisdom is a collection of meaningful and powerful reflections from real life experiences coupled with practical biblical wisdom. Going beyond the normal inspirational book, For His Glory unveils a kaleidoscope of commonsense precepts that challenges the reader to discover the wonders of living for God's glory. Eye-opening, life-changing and easy to understand, For His Glory will enrich your life. 

The Madness of Christmas!

The Madness of Christmas!


Once everyone has eaten their yearly quota of turkey and a month-long shopping spree begins, starting with long lines waiting for the best bargains in wee morning hours of Black Friday, we can officially say the Christmas holidays are upon us.  Nevertheless, the craziness of buying and giving gifts along with grown men dressed in Santa suits is not the madness of Christmas. The completely and totally craziest thing about Christmas is that Jesus, God the Son, left heaven and put on flesh like you and me. That is the madness of Christmas.

Although often forgotten, the Christmas celebration is about God the Father sending his only begotten Son to earth as a baby with the mission of dying for our sins. This act of grace the skeptics think impossible and total madness. However, the believer knows the birth of Jesus is the unquestionable act of love by a righteous God. 

The wonder of God’s plan to redeem mankind from their sins is so tremendous, that even the angels are struck with awe. The arrival of a Savior and a Redeemer as Emmanuel (God with us) appeared as madness to the religious leads on that first Christmas day. Yet, there he was, a babe born to a virgin, the Lamb of God. 

The only answer to such madness is love! God loves us with an outrageous love – a love that goes beyond measure! The birth of Jesus is a sign of God’s passionate love for us. The death Jesus is proof of that love for us, and the resurrection is the result of God’s love! Rejoice in the madness of Christmas!

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16  

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10 (ESV)