HELP SOMEBODY

If you want to make the world a better place
Take a look at yourself and then make the change
You gotta get it right, while you got the time
’Cause when you close your heart
You can’t close your...your mind! (Man In The Mirror, Michael Jackson)

Romans 12:2, KJV, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Philippians 2:5, KJV, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:"

Maybe sometimes the mirror needs to be turn around. I've heard it said many times that sometimes it's not the devil, but it's you. That's why Michael said that he was "starting with the man in the mirror." Seriously, how do you expect others to change when you're not willing to? My dad always told me, "Don't throw rocks from a glass house." In other words to busy commenting on other folks issues or the "world's issues" but not willing to take care of yours. Ever think that the reason some things don't seem to be changing in your atmosphere is the fact that you haven't took care of that? Now, "that" could be anything. We all got that nagging issue that doesn't seem to go away. Not saying we still can't offer help in the midst of of trying to help ourselves because honestly when I type these gimmicks called blogs I'm trying to help myself as well as offer help to whoever is reading this.

Matthew 12:33-34, KJV, "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt, for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."

So some of us need to make our mind on whether we're going to be good or evil? Some of us, including church folks, gasp, try to do both. You can't produce oranges by living like an apple tree. Jesus said he'd rather us be hot or cold because if we're lukewarm, He'll spit us out of his mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16) You're not sick of being covered with saliva yet?

You got to love people in order to try and help. My dad's motto when he was a pastor was, "Help somebody." People are begging for help. They are not looking for tricks. They're not looking to be talked down too. They're not looking to be loved. They're looking for a way out. Believe it or not, some people actually do want to get out, but they don't know how. The world needs Jesus, but we're giving them everything but. Andrae Crouch penned, "Jesus is the answer for the world today. Above Him there's no other. Jesus is the way." The Bible says that Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life. No man gets to the Father except through me (Him)." (John 14:6)

Take a look at yourself. What are you producing? Are producing love or hate? Or are you trying to produce both? Why do you think people leave the church? Not only because of the smoke and mirrors, but because when they're supposed to be receiving love, they're receiving hate at the same time. Jesus is love, right? So why not present Jesus when they walk in to the church, rather than sitting them in the back because they don't dress the part. Michael says, "If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make that change." There's a lot of truth in that. I'm not taking anything away from it. May I add though, that if you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, make that change, and show Jesus.

First blog of 2017 so of course it was a little all over the place, but I hope the message got through. Thanks for reading.

Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson

SHOW JESUS...

Doing this via a blog may seem like a real punk move, and I know I have to do this in person. Yet I go on. I would like to apologize to everyone who may be reading this that I may have offended or bad mouthed in anyway shape or form. I also want to forgive anyone who may have done it to me. The bible says that if we don't forgive others, God won't forgive us. i don't know about any of you, but I want to be forgiven. Will this change anything doing it this way? Time will tell. With that being said...

I think one of the problems is that  we try to force people to accept salvation. Don't get me wrong. I know that we are in the end times. I do know that Jesus is soon to come. I do know that we are in the last and evil days. I also know that if Jesus came back too soon, some of the people that we would think would be caught up will be left behind. Matthew 7:21-23 says, "
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." I heard it said recently that we can't sham God. We can't fool God. God sees all and knows all. Galatians 6:7, "Be not deceived; god is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

You can't make someone get saved. You can't make someone accept Jesus. What we do is give the message and let them make the decision. Right? Think about when you accepted the Lord as your personal savior. Was it because someone forced you to? or did you hear a message that convicted tugged at your heart that you decided to follow Jesus. This is a debate in church believe it or not. People say you didn't decide to follow Jesus, you were chosen. Here's my take. Again I may be wrong on this, but I may have been chosen to play on a football team, but that doesn't automatically mean I'm going to play. It doesn't automatically force me to play. Like I was chosen to be one of the soundman at church. I didn't sign up for it. I didn't hold my hand up and say, "Pastor choose me I want to do it!" No. Pastor basically said, "Daniel, I want you to run the sound." and I said, "Ok." That's basically it. So yes God chose you and yes the bible does say that we are "a chosen generation." But does that necessarily make you saved? Does that necessarily get you in to the gates? You still have to believe in your heart and declare with your mouth that Jesus in the son of God and that he rose from the dead, right? You still have to choose or decide to do that right? I'm just saying...again I may be wrong...it's happened before, and it's bound to happen again.

All I'm saying is that we have to go out in he highways and byways as the Bible says, and allow me to say, that can mean Internet highways also? I know it means literal highways and byways, but if folks are always on the net, why not get to them where they're at? We got to show Jesus in and out the 4 walls of the church. There's some people that will never show up to your church or any church, don't they got to know Jesus too? I've heard it said that the church is a hospital, but some people don't know that their sick. So since they don't know we have to be prayed up and studied up so when the opportunity presents itself we'll be ready to speak the word. and you never know it may be the Word that leads them to Christ. Right or wrong?

If you don't know the Lord, the bible says, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." The song says, "Come to Jesus, while you have time. Come to Jesus, make up your mind. He will make your mind brand new. Oh He will take care of you. Come to Jesus while you have time."


Stay Saved,

Daniel Richerson