behappy | WORLDWIDE INTERNET EVANGELISM

August 11, 2015
by Jerry Cartwright Leave a comment

What do you do when you have no hope left?

This was a real legitimate question by a young lady on Yahoo’s Question and Answers!

Here are some of the answers given as suggestions of hope. It is not surprising that the last thing anyone wants to hear about is religion. All want to use the carnal human approach to help the person. Each one uses their own understanding of the world around them and their experiences to try to encourage the person. Some literally shocked me with their comments. Here are some of the things they told the young lady.

1 “you have already received many wonderful answers and some not so good ones too. I agree that, if you are without hope, you may have a psychological or medical imbalance and it is important to rule that out by seeing a professional. When hope is gone, a person needs something to ‘believe’ in. Search your soul for a positive thought and let it flow further – into a belief. It could be as simple as looking at the stars and moon and realizing that many people are looking at the same stars and moon as you are.”

2 “Well, there are two choices. You either end your miserable life, or you take a step in the right direction and reach out to others in need. Doing something nice for someone else, even when you feel you have nothing to give, is always rewarding, and you would be surprised at how much hope it will give you.”

3 “Oh, please… do we have to throw God at the girl and make it sound like that’s the answer?
As if God is going to come down and throw his arms around her and make everything better… ’cause gee, that’s what he does, right? That’s why everything is so perfect in this world and why everyone that believes in him so much is such a perfect person, right? Here’s a better answer.
Take a good long look in the mirror at yourself and realize that there is hope. And there’s hope because YOU won’t allow yourself to think any more that there’s not.
Trust in yourself… and trust in your best friends to be there for you.”

4 “Count your blessings – reformat your thoughts and think of good things that have happened to you. Do something stupid (but harmless) that you haven’t done since you were a kid”

5 “ACCEPTANCE is the only answer to such a predicament. 99.9% of emotional problems (unless you have a recognized mental condition), stem from not wanting/wishing to accept reality.”

If I was hurting as this person seemed to be, the suggestions above would have been like being hit in the stomach with a sledge hammer. They don’t give good answers because they themselves don’t have hope! Since they don’t want God in their lives they only follow the worldly course of; eat, drink, and be merry because when they die they believe it is all over. They don’t believe in life after death and frantically try to do all they can in this life while they can.

But God does say there is hope for those who are willing to let Him into their lives but there is no hope for those who do not. Job 11:18,20 “Then you would trust, because there is hope; And you would look around and rest securely. But the eyes of the wicked will fail, And there will be no escape for them; And their hope is to breathe their last.”

Hope takes on a whole new meaning when God explains in Colossians: 1:5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, 27 which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

That glory is something very special! God performs a miracle in your life to the effect that God says in 1 Timothy 4:10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

God wants to emphasize your hope more succinctly as He states again in Hebrews 6:19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul

That great anchor is a promise so amazing and encouraging because Jesus Christ did something that utterly guarantees that we will live eternally with Him and His Father in heaven. Jesus being fully God came to the earth and took on the form of a man to shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins, died on the cross for us while we were still sinners so that we might live, was buried and in the grave for three days and then was raised to life and ascended to heaven to set on the throne of God with His Father. Jesus sent back to the earth the great Comforter, the Holy Spirit to dwell in believers filled with faith in Christ to give encouragement, peace, and hope. It is a guarantee of our salvation and resurrection to eternal life.

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

This hope cleanses you from all the pressures, stresses, and problems of this world freeing you from the bondage that the world heaps upon you refreshing your soul.

1 John 3:3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

YES! That is why we need to throw God at the girl because He is the answer!

God Bless You!

June 20, 2015
by Jerry Cartwright 1 Comment

WILL YOU STAND BEFORE THE SON OF MAN?

Acts 1:11 This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

There are truly fantastic and unimaginable things happening in the world all around us which leads many to believe that beginnings of the end times are here. Jesus gave us insight as to what to watch for, He said that when we see the leaves appear on the fig tree know that spring is near. This is an analogy to be aware of when the end of times is here. In Matthew chapter 24 and Mark 13 He gave many signs that would warn us that the end is near.

The question is what will you have accomplished with your life to be able to stand before the Son of Man? The Apostle Paul give us some instruction and explanation of individual situations. 1 Corinthians 7:17 But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.

Every one will not have the same results. We have been given the parable of the talents as a guide.

But we must use those talents shrewdly.

Matthew 25:15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

What is the lesson here? We need to watch and prepare because we don’t know when our Lord will return. We need to put our life to use for the Lord and accomplish profitable works in spreading the Kingdom of God throughout the world. Our lives should display that we are born again and citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven standing for Christ and declaring His salvation for the world. (John3:16)

Luke 21:36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith.

Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

As the Lord says, overcome and endure. The reward is worth it! What He has in store for us is indescribable but he gives us glimpses.

Revelation 2:26 And he who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations —

Revelation 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

Revelation 21:7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

Our God and savior will return in the same manner as He left. (Acts 1:11) What will He find? Will we be asleep spiritually or will we be constantly at attention waiting for His return? Are we complacent or are do we really believe and have faith that our Lord returns.

Luke 12:35 “Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning;

36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.

37 Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.

43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

God bless you! Love the Lord with all your heart! Look for Him every day! Amen!

March 8, 2013
by Jerry Cartwright Leave a comment

THE TEARS OF JESUS

Jesus raised Lazurus from the dead.

Jesus cries over us everyday as He looks upon mankind and desires that we join with Him and not live in poverty, sickness and disease or war with one another in hatred toward their neighbors. Evil abounds in the world and love turns cold. And all this is not necessary, but mankind refuses to accept that there is a God who loves them and continue to send emissaries from nation to nation to decide what is going to happen to billions of people here on earth because they think they know what is best for them. They covet their power too much and will destroy themselves to try to keep it.

(Luke 13:34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!)

Jesus loves all people and created all things for people to enjoy. He meant for all to have all His blessings in great abundance. Jesus doesn’t want anything bad for anyone. Jesus laid it all out for all to see and decide for them selves whether to live in peace, have everything they need in abundance, have good health, be happy and literally live forever. Read what He taught and see for your selves. Jesus offers perfection, utopia, and royalty to those who will believe on Him.

(2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work) (Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.)

Jesus came to this earth and gave His life so that we could have all things that He created and prepared for us. How much greater love and concern can one have for another than to give one’s life for them so they can have blessings beyond understanding? Why would anyone think that believing in Jesus is bad for them? What fault do you find in a God who wants to give you everything?

(3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.)

Just like Jesus wept over the death of His friend Lazurus before He raised him from the dead, Jesus weeps over us today because of His great love for us and He wants to raise us up from the dead and give us eternal life with Him.