Watch Out for Information Overload

Fellow Believers,

I noticed a few months ago that as I got excited about Christ and learning more about him that I was trying to read as much Christian literature that I could get my hands on, but I found myself getting my knowledge of God's word from many other books instead of the Bible. I did not think much about it until I ran across this passage:

Ecclesiastes 12:12-13 (Message)

But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There's no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you're no good for anything else. The last and final word is this:
Fear God.
Do what he tells you.

Then I really had to take a look at what I was doing in my own studies and realize that I needed to get back to the basics of simply reading and studying God's word for all it was worth.

I challenge you even in today's information age to read less and focus on what is important and will what have value for you not in this lifetime but the next as well. When you do this you will realize that things get clearer for you just as they did for me.

Keep up the good fight in the Faith as we fight an ever present and very dangerous enemy!

Your brother in Christ,
Mike

Jesus and Eternity

A few days ago as I was preparing to leave my family on a 12 month deployment was I finally able to understand the difficulty that Jesus faced as he talked to his disciples about his final days on Earth, and that he was going somewhere that they could not go.

John 13:36-37 (New American Standard Bible)

36 Simon Peter said to Him, "Lord, where are You going?" Jesus answered, "Where I go, you cannot follow Me now; but you will follow later." 37 Peter said to Him, "Lord, why can I not follow You right now? I will lay down my life for You."

As I tried to tell my almost 3 year old daughter that her father was going somewhere she could not follow it was very clear that she did not understand what I was saying. Like Simon Peter, she said Daddy I can come with you to Afghanistan, and I loving told her again where I was going that she could not come.

Leaving those you love behind is never easy, but because of Jesus' sacrifice for those who chose to believe in him we can spend eternity with our families.

Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? He is coming again. Are you and your family ready?

Your brother in Christ,
Mike