Thoughts for December 24, 2016

Reading the Peoria Paper about the shootings in Chicago this past year.

I read of the loss of young life, due to the shootings that Chicago has experienced this past year, and the kids that have lost their lives to gun violence. Life can end at any time, and I think, "Were they walking with the Lord?" I am sure that many were, so in that there is peace in knowing that they are now in a place where there is no violence and blood shed. They are at peace walking and talking with their Savior, something that I will be doing someday. So that makes me reflect back on my life, I was not shot, but my life, as I once knew it, ended in 2009, as I willingly walked into the Federal Prison in Texarkana. My life as a "free man" ended.

The sinfulness of my former life, now, had to be paid. The only thing that helped me walk in with my head high was the love that Jesus Christ had for me. In the months leading to my incarceration, I consumed the bible, and finally saw what God had been trying to tell me all of my life. That His love and compassion for me was always there, even though I thought that I was too far gone for Him to be concerned for me. Satan's lies, up to that point, had succeeded. I was chained by his lies and had been carrying those chains, and the weight they produced, for the majority of my life. So the reason that I was able to walk into prison with my head high was that my Savior had freed me from them, He had taken them away, when He died on the cross for me, and for those victims in Chicago.

As the birth of Christ approaches, reflect back on your life this past year. Are you carrying burdens and pains and sorrows and sins, that have you weighed down? Has Satan been lying to you, be honest! The truth is very hard to look at. But in order to truly understand what Jesus did for us, with HIs birth and death, we MUST be honest with ourselves. To look truth in the eye. For me, doing that was so liberating, so freeing, I felt  the weight, of my sinful past, being lifted away. The lies of Satan came to light, and the "darkness fled from the Light."

By being honest with myself, my hearts door opened and Jesus could come in and took residence there. He packed my sins away and separated them from me, "As far as the East is from the West." And peace entered in. So the tears that came from that freedom and peace and joy flowed, as I suddenly began to understand the "Flow of redeeming blood" that Jesus shed for me.

As the New Year approaches, take some time and reflect back on the past year, be honest, was there an inner peace in your heart? Did sorrows and disappointments take their toll on your health, marriage, your job? Was there frustration that you could not make "better" on your own? Did your world fall apart? And as much as you tried, you could not put things back together yourself? Satan was lying to you! He told you, "You can do this." "Leave your wife, she is holding you back." "Leave your family, you're better off without them." "You are a failure if you can't get that promotion." If those things happened, were you, are you, better off? If not, can you see that what you listened to was a lie?

Just like I could not blame God for my misfortunes, neither can you. The truth, as I finally and honestly looked at eye to eye at, was that the decisions that I made were made because of my selfishness. Getting things that I wanted no matter, what or who got in my way. I had bought into the lies of Satan. But at 8:40 AM on Tuesday August the 26th, I saw the Light. God's voice trumpeted over the lies of Satan, God said, "Todd, I love you!" My sinful world came crashing down and I allowed Jesus to come in and heal me, heal my wounds, change my heart. His love for me, and what He did for me, on the cross, gave me an inner peace and comfort that I was unable to find anywhere else.

Jesus wants to give you that same peace and comfort! He wants to restore you, to bring you along side of Him on the path that He has laid out for you. But know that His correction is done in a loving way because He loves you unconditionally.  He knows the entire length of the path that you are on and the end that it will bring. He knows the trials and tribulations that lay ahead. And He can see the heartache that you will encounter if you don't have a relationship with Him. My correction was hard, but Jesus NEVER left my side! I was able to call on Him at anytime. And He lovingly corrected me and put my feet on His firm path, the path that He had designed for me, before I was created, by Him.

Again, Jesus wants that for you! So no matter how far you think you have roamed away from Him you are NEVER too far to call out to Him for help, because He walks right beside you day by day. Calling out to you to follow Him, allowing Him to guide and direct and WALK with you. So don't believe the lies of Satan! It is not an easy path to follow, at first, but by opening your heart to Him and allowing Him to show you the way, He is there when life gets tough, when you feel like you can't go on any longer. He is just a prayer away. If you can just get a "taste" of the love God has for you, and understand the "sacrifice" that Jesus willingly did for you. You will then see that the ashes of your life, can be made into something wonder. You will be refreshed by the love and compassion and grace, that flows from the One that created you and wants nothing but to bless you in so many ways.

So I pray that you will accept Jesus as your personal Savior, if you haven't already. If you have, begin to open your bible daily and take in the nourishment that comes from HIs word, and allow that word to bring you to a place of fulfillment. God can do for you as He did, and does, for me daily. By giving you an inner peace and joy that cannot be found in anyone, or anywhere, else in this world.