Heaven is for real!

This week a very learned man shared his opinion that there is no heaven. World renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking claims that heaven is a fairy tale for people afraid of the dark. 

My first reaction to his claim was to pray for God to reveal Himself to Mr. Hawking and then scripture came to mind. 

The Apostle Paul told the church members in Corinth that the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. He then referred Christians to Isaiah 29:14 which reads, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."

1 Corinthians 1:20-25 reads, "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men."

Mr. Hawking isn't a believer but he is a very intelligent man. According to scripture, "the man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 2:14

Mr. Hawking is living proof that someone can be very intelligent and yet miss the whole point of eternity. How very sad that he believes that when he's dead–it's all over.

As Christians, we believe in eternal life because we believe that Jesus was truly the Messiah, that He made atonement for our sins when He died on the cross and that He was resurrected through the power of God's Holy Spirit. Jesus told us that He was going to prepare a place for us and that He would one day come back to take us there. That place is in heaven and the disciple John tries to describe it in the book of Revelation. I believe it defies description–John couldn't find the words to explain what heaven is like. 

Paul also said that God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. 

Mr. Hawking may have been somewhat right about one thing without his really knowing it. He said that people who believe in heaven are afraid of the dark. Those who have the Spirit of God within them know that God is light and we will forever be in His light when we arrive in heaven. Scripture tells us that those who don't have God's Spirit are living in darkness. As believers, I suppose you could say we have a fear of the dark, but it's less of a fear and more of a desire to live in the light of God. Those who choose not to believe in God have no fear of the dark because they are already living there, they are comfortable where they are. They have nothing to compare the darkness to.

I may be foolish in the eyes of the world, but I truly believe in heaven and look forward to the day when I'll get to see the mansion that is being prepared for me. Paul put it best when he said, "Absent from the body, present with the Lord." Amen, brother Paul!

God is a faithful provider

A quick glimpse through the Bible is our assurance that God is a God who provides. His promises tell us that He will never leave us nor forsake us and that He will provide for His people.

In Genesis 22:8 Abraham reminds his son, Isaac, that God will provide the lamb for the burnt offering. Abraham was being obedient, he was willing to sacrifice his son because God had asked him. But Abraham knew God's character well enough to know that He was able to do the impossible. Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah in their advanced years. Their son was the result of a fulfilled promise by God Almighty.

God did provide the lamb for the sacrifice and Isaac's life was spared because Abraham was obedient. His first priority was to God.

I have been out of work now for 13 months. During that time, God has provided for all our needs. We have not lost our home, we've never gone hungry, we've had shoes and clothing and we've always had enough to pay our bills. I've seen God's provision in my life on a daily basis. Although there have been days when I doubted if we would have enough, I've never stopped believing that God heard my prayers. Last week I was asked to return to a former job and I have accepted. God has provided this job for me and I give praise Him.

There are so many ways that God provides for us. We often think of provision in a monetary or physical sense, but the Bible teaches us that God provides redemption for His people. The precious blood of Jesus Christ has provided all we need to receive forgiveness of our sins and eternal life. 

God's grace provides a way for us to triumph over temptation and enables us to stand through the trials that we encounter. 

God's love for us provides us with more than enough love to pass along to others. 

The Jewish people have called God, Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide. 

If you have any doubts about God's provision, open your Bible to the following verses and fill your heart with His word about provision. Read Isaiah 43:20; Jonah 1:17, 4:6-8; 1 Timothy 6:17 and 1 Peter 4:11.

Think back over the past few months–how many times has Jehovah Jireh taken care of your needs? Praise Him for His mercy and great love.

Prayer event was great

Finding 3 praise band played for us.

I just wanted to update everyone about our National Day of Prayer event in Brown County Ohio. We had a good crowd, the weather was perfect and prayers were offered for the seven centers of power!

We had a variety of music. From praise and worship, to traditional hymns and a banjo ballad!

Wesley O'Hara played his banjo.

God was glorified on courthouse square in Georgetown, Ohio last night by all who participated in the event.





God's word was read by all those in attendance and our voices filled the square with a sweet sound!


We estimate between 300 - 400 people were there for the observance! Praise God!

The crowd waits for the prayers to begin.

National Day of Prayer

Today we observe a National Day of Prayer in the United States of America. This is a day set aside to seek God's guidance and mercy for the nation.

If ever our nation needed to seek God, it is now. We have experienced growing numbers of unemployment, severe weather affecting the lives of many, increased prices for gasoline and food and wickedness seems to be spreading like wildfire.

I am one of the coordinators for the National Day of Prayer in Brown County Ohio and our task force has spent the past five months working to promote the events we have planned for today. Our main objective is to glorify God Almighty in Brown County.

We have selected people who have a heart for prayer to pray for the seven centers of power within our nation. The centers of power include: families, churches, the government, the military, the media, area businesses and schools. These are the centers which make our nation strong. Having Christians working within these centers of power is vital if we are to remain a Christian nation.

As I write this blog today, there are hundreds gathered in our nation's capitol seeking God's direction and guidance for our country. It is indeed a privilege and an honor to call upon God.

The theme for this year is taken from Psalm 91:2–"I will say to the Lord, 'my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust'."

Holy God, We praise You today and recognize You as our creator, our refuge and our fortress. Your word says that You will never leave us nor forsake us and we are standing on the promises of Your word today. Amen

One of the highlights of our observance in Brown County is a simultaneous Bible reading. All those in attendance bring their Bibles and chairs and sit in the street in front of the county courthouse. At a specific time, everyone will open their Bibles and read scripture out loud–all at the same time. The entire Bible will be read by 350 people in 15 minutes. It is a moving experience and I know that it is pleasing to God's ears to hear His word read by all those present.

If you live in the USA and would like to participate in the NDOP visit this website to find an event near you http://nationaldayofprayer.org/about/find-an-event/

May God continue to bless the USA and may the USA bless God!