Walking In Truth

When someone’s putting on a show, you are drawn in by the theatrical display that leaves you mesmerized by the wonder and the magic of it all. But outside of the smoke and mirrors, that person is quite ordinary and may not seem as amazing as on stage. The question Pastor Johnny has for you today is if your prayer life is more like a show for people to see or if it’s a genuine encounter with God. Your prayer life exposes the true nature of your heart toward God. You can talk to Him whenever!

In most cases, a thief comes secretly and then is gone before you even realize what’s been taken. You might regret leaving something out that was so accessible for-the-taking. In today’s teaching, Pastor Johnny reminds you that there are multiple warnings in the Word of God about Jesus coming back for those who believe in Him. But for those who haven’t chosen Jesus as their Savior, they’ll be left behind with hearts that weren’t soft to accepting God’s gift of salvation. Don’t wait until it’s too late!

If you hold a hand grenade, it has the power to cause a lot of damage. But it’s not until you release the lever that it gets really dangerous. In a similar way, Pastor Johnny teaches today on how the Holy Spirit is currently restraining the full force of evil that can and will descend on the earth once Christians are removed. It’s not too far from reality to imagine people being happy that the absence of Christians allows them to move forward with all kinds of agendas that go against God’s best.

When you think of something affecting the entire world, the movie, “Armageddon,” comes to mind, where people in urban America as well as nomadic Nepal are equally affected by what’s going on. In today’s teaching, Pastor Johnny introduces what’s known as the “rapture,” where Jesus will come for all those who claim Him as their Savior. This event leaves people completely powerless and unable to do anything except for their decision made beforehand. Have you made a decision about Jesus?

If you see a bright, shiny car that just came on the lot, you’re drawn to the perks of what this immediate toy could bring you. It drives fast, has that “new car” smell, and is clearly the coolest car around. The payments come later and that’s not what you want to think about when you see the car right in front of you. In today’s teaching, Pastor Johnny wants you to know what you’re buying into when you fix your focus on the things of this world and what it offers. There’s a down-side of these things later on.

How great is your faith? When you think about people you care about, how much are you praying and pleading for them to know Jesus? You may not realize how powerful and effective your prayers are for family members and friends. Your faithful prayers to God could have an influence on the events in these people’s lives. Pastor Johnny encourages you today to never underestimate the impact you can have as you display your own faith in God and His power. This type of intervention could be lasting!

Imagine you were telling people this outlandish story about your past and they just thought you were crazy because it seemed so unrealistic. They might mock you or question if you were stretching the truth because the events you were talking about were so out of the ordinary and beyond the grasp of reality. Now think about if you were to tell people about what God has promised will happen going forward? Today, Pastor Johnny explains that people might think you’re crazy for what you believe.

C.S. Lewis had an amazing way of writing Scripture into his books. In “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” Lewis describes the snow melting and the trees budding as signs of Aslan’s coming return. Of course, you realize that this children’s book is not only speaking of a talking lion, but it’s relating these characters to the greatest story of all, in Jesus. Pastor Johnny provides several examples today of how the signs of Christ’s coming return are evident. Are you seeing the signs and are you ready?

Why is it that people are so drawn to end-of-the-world-themed movies and books? Most of them include a succession of natural disasters and somewhat unrealistic scenarios that compile into a large climax of disaster. Within each of us, there’s an innate sense of wanting to see good overcome all the hardship. Pastor Johnny gives many reminders today that the reality you’re living in isn’t far from these fictional stories of grand proportions. What God promises will come to pass!

Being a part of any childbirth can be an eye-opening experience. You see a person go through a series of painful contractions that only get closer together as time goes on. Things seem to get worse and worse, to the point of complete and utter agony. Thankfully with childbirth, there’s a great reward after the intense labor that you endure. There’s a reason why the down-fall of the world is related to childbirth. Today, Pastor Johnny points to the end times being like labor contractions.

Cancer is a horrible disease that at first, goes unnoticed. But as time goes on, its effects multiply in a person’s body and it becomes very difficult to fight off. In most cases, something must be done to kill the disease or the disease is likely to kill its host. Today, Pastor Johnny wants you to know that when you’re living a life of sin, you’re allowing this sickness to take over your life and the effects will spread a numbness into your heart. But your obedience to God is the first step in being healed for good!

A weed starts out very small. It’s not really in the way and even if you see it, it’s not that noticeable. So you leave it there, choosing to not deal with it. Then a week or two later, it’s all- of-a-sudden grown twice as big as it was before. You might avoid it for a bit more, but by the time you decide to actually pull it out, there’s a thick root that’s extremely difficult to pull out. Today, Pastor Johnny relates this idea of having a root of bitterness toward someone and refusing to forgive. Holding a grudge is damaging!

The age-old cartoon of Wylie Coyote and the Roadrunner might come to mind as you listen to Pastor Johnny’s message today. He talks about how you’ll repeatedly encounter stumbling blocks in your life and what you should do when you approach those situations. If you’re familiar with the cartoon, you know that the coyote is persistent in trying to trap or entangle the roadrunner, but he never succeeds and in the process, he ends up being the target of the trap. So be like the roadrunner, un-phased by the traps.

If you’re traveling on a nicely paved road, you appreciate that there’s little resistance and few speed bumps along the way. But sometimes, the most hidden treasures end up being along the windy and narrow road that less people take. It can be rough and bumpy along the way, but you find that it was worth it when you get to the hidden gem that was there all along. Pastor Johnny speaks today on how God is asking you to take concern for others and their awareness of that narrow, but intriguing road ahead.

When you get in an elevator, you know which direction you’re intending to go. You purposefully go up to a higher level where you have a room or a unique vantage point. Otherwise, you press the down button to get to the lobby or the parking garage. Either way, you’re fully prepared to go the direction you’re heading. In your spiritual life, which way are you looking? Pastor Johnny makes it clear today that there are two places a person will go…either heaven or hell. Which route are you taking?

What if you watched a movie and at the end, there was an amazing sequel that outshined the original movie? This is how it can be for you too in your decision to follow Jesus. If you choose to live a life for Him, there’s much to look forward to! But if you choose against what Jesus offers, there’s a horror movie awaiting that you’ll experience first-person. Don’t let that be the case for you or anyone else you know. Today, Pastor Johnny wants you to live in light of eternity, not the darkness of hell.

You have this old, beat up car and it doesn’t even work anymore. You need a reliable car to drive, but you don’t have any money. Wouldn’t it be unreal if the car dealer took your dysfunctional car and gave you a new one for free?! That would be unheard of when it comes to cars, but when it comes to your spiritual life, this is the very thing that God is offering to you. Today, Pastor Johnny encourages you to make good use of this offer and make your life an investment in the future for you and for others!!

There was a popular bumper sticker that said, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” Do you buy in to this mentality? Maybe you struggle with comparison and want to try to compete with your neighbor or your co-worker in how many things they have -getting the next best phone or seeing what they buy and then trying to “one-up” them. The truth is, none of these things will have any effect on eternity, but how you live your life and the way you pursue others will! Today, Pastor Johnny explains how.

What is something that captures your attention or shows the true intention of your heart? It’s easy to get wrapped up in wanting to accumulate money so you can do more things. Buy that boat, upgrade to a bigger house, all the things that money can afford. But what if you were asked to invest in eternal things that aren’t so immediately within your grasp? That takes a bit more motivation that could pull on your heart strings in a way you don’t want. Today, Pastor Johnny helps you see the benefit!

It’s called a domino effect. You might not even notice it at first. It starts as a subtle thought in your mind. But then you notice a growing hardness in your attitude, which affects where you spend your time and who you hang out with. Before you know it, you’re a completely different person than you once were and you’ve embraced something else that seemed more comfortable. Today, Pastor Johnny gives some words of caution in being aware of your heart veering away from God slowly and steadily.