So, this is it. I'm all done. I have Stage 4 Bone and Prostate Cancer.

To my brothers and sisters in the Lord, I look forward to seeing you as we celebrate with Jesus, the One before whom every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He and He alone is Lord of lords and King of kings.

Stay strong. Stay faithful.

See you there!

Rod Holmgren

I am going to stop blogging for awhile. I'm writing another book which is taking most of my time and energy. I want to thank all those who have been following as regular readers. When I'm back is TBA. 

The Existence of God

The existence of the universe is such a powerful proof of the existence of God that only a fool could and would deny that fact. Most people capable of reading and discerning are well aware of the multiple levels of “proof” for the existence of God.

The Bible presupposes the existence of God. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1.

While the First Cause does not automatically point to the God of the Bible, with a little thought it quickly becomes apparent that it can be no other. For example, there can be only one Greatest Conceivable Being. This fact eliminates all religions that are not monotheistic.

The Bible teaches that God can be known through faith, the result of which is a revelation from God to us about Himself. Even those fools who purport to live by reason alone soon succumb to the need for faith to support their own arguments. This is a result of the fall in which sin limits our ability to rationally understand anything. 

Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of The peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon’

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

and where there is sadness, joy

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand

to be loved as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying to ourselves that we are born to eternal life.

Atheists Will Tell You

Atheists will tell you that there isn't any war on Christians. Nevertheless, twice as many Christians were killed in 2013 as in 2012.

from Open Doors USA in its report “World Watch.”

No Worries!

Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, or what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:25,33.

This is a radical statement. So radical is this statement that not only do atheists and pagans discount its veracity, many if not most of those who claim to be followers of Jesus also live out their doubts. Yet we have a guarantee of its trustworthiness. That guarantee is the resurrection of Jesus.

The same power that brought the material universe into existence out of literally nothing material, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, is the same power that will bring security and safety and meet the needs of everyone who dies to self in order to follow their Lord and Saviour.

The resurrection is a powerful message to the whole world. Within 2-3 centuries after Jesus rose from the dead, Christianity supplanted the most compelling world-view of the time, the Greco / Roman philosophy of the time.

The resurrection is historical fact. It's certain and it's for you. The resurrection was proof to the eyewitnesses, and it's proof to you that you are not just dust in the wind. Creator God values you, His creation so much that He not only died to pay the penalty for your sins, He rose again to ensure the defeat of your greatest enemy - death.

Friday's Thoughts on Marriage

This is number 14 in a weekly series I began on December 21^st/13 with a post called, “Married Forever?

Christian marriage is not lacking a supernatural element. As Paul highlights and John 17 expands, a Biblical marriage is to pattern itself after the union of the Trinity; a relationship between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit who live in perpetual love and sacrifice. Jesus on the Cross, speaking words “not My own,” was an example of this loving and sacrificial relationship.

We are created in God's image. 

We were not created to live in our own glory. 

We were not created to worship ourselves. 

“Love the Lord you God with all your strength, heart, soul and mind, AND love your neighbour as yourself.”

It we fail to serve God by loving others, by serving others, we fail live out the nature with which we were created. Violating our nature leads to misery and the breakdown of relationships.

“Who ever wants to save his life must lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” If you seek life as this world understands life, seeking self-protection above all else, you will find misery. If you seek Jesus and put Him first in your life, in your relationships, in your marriage you will have a full and abundant life.

More on this next Friday