God spoke to me tonight. At first I had a simple thought but then it made so much good thorough sense that I decided to write it down.

Everything and I mean everything in this world is geared to make something (or you) appear better than average. That is what things are based on. Performance, looks, status, pay, etc. are all based on that. Jobs, school, degrees and everything else even something as simple as how white your teeth are is based on that.

So people try very hard to always appear “good enough” or “perfect” and unfortunately the older you get the more important or critical it gets and the harder it is to achieve. That’s why becoming a celebrity is so important! What other people think of you builds status, pay, your future and the like. But I have been given the blessing of having gone from one extreme to another and remembering that so I do see a huge difference but God treats me very well even though other humans don’t.

I attend a Sunday school class for handicapped adults and those people are my family and my celebrities. Why? Because we know that God accepts us for who we are and so we’re already good enough and perfect because of Jesus. There’s nothing to prove.

The most difficult thing for us is getting other humans to accept us. We all know that God loves unconditionally, now if humans just felt the same way…

When we are treated a special and positive way by people we like it and if it happens enough then we feel that it is “normal” but what does scripture say?

It says that the last shall be first and as far as I know the last will not be treated well in this world. But God says that is His world they will.

So Celebrity, status & money are not important to Him & He seems to establish His own position for people.

He knows your heart and satisfaction now is not what He’s looking for. Are you?

Each day God gives me something to remember or experience again. Because I was so close to death to me it’s a gift and because it’s good it’s from God.

I have so many things at times to tell you but this is not going to be well accepted. But I live it!

Many people will say that there is a right way and a wrong way to live your life. Now this is correct per the Bible, God’s word. And for the most part I agree with that.

But what I was doing when God saved my life was clearly the wrong way to live my life but He still saved me. So I had to try to look a little closer.

God knows our hearts and from what I’ve been told was found my heart was genuinely His. My behavior was mine but my heart was His. That’s all I can see now.

So I’m not here to tell you to behave as you desire. But I am here to tell you to check your heart and make sure that it is His.

I know that people think that it’s their responsibility to make everyone happy so that they will make them happy.

If my boss is happy…or if my spouse is happy…or if my kids are happy…Etc.

Well surprise! I never make anyone happy but I am happy. Why? Because God makes me happy! Even when I’m not doing good things He still loves me.

Hmmm, that sounds like when He came to this Earth…

One thing that really strikes me hard about Christianity in Society is that people do think of Jesus but they try so hard to make Him accept them. So now we are back to trying to be “good enough”.

That will never happen and that’s why He came here and died for us! He took OUR place because WE could never do it! We’re NOT good enough but He IS.

So trying will do nothing. We’re Humans so we will continue to do bad things but He knew that and came anyway. So all we can do is try to act as He did and thank Him for the forgiveness.

It is done. So for all the things you know about you can try not to repeat them but if you do (and it will happen) just thank Him for the forgiveness which even applies to the things you don’t know about.

Recently Trinity upgraded to a new video player for Gary’s
sermons. Our new player didn’t work with the old one. All the
videos needed to be reloaded...from scratch. Fortunately, Toby
Hoff volunteered to take on this task. Toby Hoff is one of our
adults with disabilities. Toby was not born with a disability…he
was brutally attacked, robbed and left for dead, spent years in
coma. He is now in a wheelchair with many physical handicaps.
Toby types at about 5 words per minute, and I have a hard time
understand him when he talks.
But since he wanted to volunteer I thought the video project might be something he could do. Each video sermon takes
about 1½ hours to upload. When I told him this project would take a lot of time, he told me “I have nothing BUT time.”
Since then, Toby has spent hundreds of hours on a volunteer basis entering and uploading
ALL 18 years of sermon content. This has been tremendously helpful to us…and incredibly
stimulating for Toby. Toby said “I always thought that I learned computers so that I could have my
job, but now I know that God taught me computers so that I could serve Him.”
One of the things that he said that I’ll never forget was “You know…I’m not stupid”. That hit
me like a ton a bricks. Here is someone that the world thinks is useless…and he started to
believe it himself. How tragic!
On a regular basis we have over 50 countries that visit our website. Toby has a worldwide
ministry, right from home in his wheel chair. Pray that God will use this ministry to further
His kingdom.
Now you can watch Gary’s sermons online or on
your iPhone...perfect for preparing for Koinonia!
Toby Hoff

by Bruce Herwig

I have been bothered, shocked and surprised at what I am told that I did while I was married but this is where faith comes in. Yes I have talked to God about it even though I can not remember.

But in His word He says that it has been thrown as far as the East is from the West and He remembers it NO MORE, so I will remember it NO MORE.

I often wonder how many people realize this:

10 years ago I started & managed a computing department, was up for a promotion to Senior Manager, traveled all over the world, made major dollars and then was beaten up and left for dead. At the trauma center ALL OF THE HUMANS said “He’s going to die or at best be a vegetable”. But, did I die? No. Am I a vegetable? No. In fact they said my coma was over in 3 months yet I completely lost 5 years! And when I came out of a 5 year coma I asked for a Bible!

We’re talking about a miracle here!

It’s been 10 years since my attack and I’m happily volunteer working (well) for my Church! I can remember nothing about my education or my former job but I’m doing well putting years and years of sermons on the Internet helping people in at least 50 countries!

And I couldn’t wait to write to you!

Is that not God?

I’ll just admit right at the beginning that some of you will not agree with this.

However, I agree with Paul (and with good solid reasonss) that what I have is not because of me but because of God in me.

For quite some time some of the things I see are not exactly what I read in the Bible even among Churches. Read the following thing that Jesus said:

Matt 6:8
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
NIV

It doesn’t say anything about needing to ask Him several times by many different people. No. it says that He knows what you need before you ask. So why do organizations have prayer chains? He already knows what is needed!

Which brings me to my point. We trust God for:

Life
Death
Hearing our prayers
Forgiveness of sins
Eternal life

Why not something as simple as needs?

The Bible says that He knows our needs before we ask. But it does not say: “so don’t ask” and it also does not say “be sure to have many people ask”.

It’s a reassurance to us of how vast His caring is. We don’t need to try to “be good enough” because face facts: We’re not good and we never will be!

Last week I lost a friend and a brother. He died. He was in my Sunday school class.

So how do I feel?

As a human I was not expecting that at all so shocked would explain it. But as a Christian I know that God would not bring him home unless He was ready for him. Plus I know that he’s now healed of all his problems so I am happy for him and he’s not gone cuz I’ll see him later. Yes. He’s away for awhile but not forever.

As Christians we’re brother and sister because we have the same Father. And we will spend Eternity together in Heaven! So while it may be difficult to accept when they die, they’re just moving from one world to another and we’ll see them again and that is much easier to deal with.

I have been working and I just realized something that is probably obvious to you but I just figured it out.

We are all eternal beings because of Christ. Some will have eternal punishment in Hell, and some will have eternal life in Heaven but both are eternal. But we get to choose one or the other.

Eternal means forever, it will never end.

So with that being said our role or destination for eternity is extremely important because it will be forever.

So this is not just a religious idea. No, it’s much bigger than that because eternity has no end, and God is willing to wait.

Jesus told us how to choose our eternal destinations so there is no guessing. I have chosen mine but have you?

Too many hypocrites I heard her say
I even saw it in the headlines today
How can I follow God when His own people turn away?

Nobody’s perfect but I just want to see
Somebody living what they say they believe
They’ve got all this world needs they say
But I’m wondering why they won’t give some away?

Can she see God for who He really is
In what she sees in you and me?
Can she see God for who He really is
Cause who He really is is all she really needs to see

He slips into Church and he puts up his guard,
They look so happy but his life’s been so hard
He keep’s his distance so they won’t see the scars

It’s all religion all dressed up in white
And God is love as long as you’re living right,
But does he know that Jesus also has scars
And His love can reach him no matter how far?

Can he see God for who He really is
In what he sees in you and me? Yeah..
Can he see God for who He really is
Cause who He really is is all he really needs to see

The skeptics are watching just to see who will fall,
While those disillusioned search for the truth in it all,
Maybe someday we’ll cross their paths unaware
And when they stop and look what will be there?

Can they see God for who He really is
In what they see in you and me? Yeah..
Can they see God for who He really is
Cause who He really is is all they really need to see

Can they see God for who He really is
They really need to see who He really is.

Because God is God in 3 parts (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) and God is OMNI, if God wants for you to do something and you have surrendered to Him then He’ll know what you are going to do and He’ll guide you. He does this so that “no one can boast”.

Just pray and relax! People often tend to put this and that with this and that but He’s God! He can do things that you never would have been able to do or even thought were possible. That’s why He’s God and you’re not!

Do you know that faith is gift from God? It is, so do not be afraid to talk to anyone because God has given us each a measure of faith. Read this:
Rom 12:3
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
NIV
Now what that measure IS and IF they agree with you is between them and God you just need to try to teach them.

Think about Eternity.

Forever is a long time to be wondering: “Why didn’t I ever talk to my friends who are in Hell?”

I don’t know how we’ll be but I would hate to wonder that!

What people choose is their responsibility but MINE as a Christian is to teach them what I know. That is why it’s called “The Good News”!

The time is now cuz it’ll be too late later!

I have been taught an extremely valuable lesson: DON’T WORRY! Yes the God of Psalm 129 is that close to you. Look at what He said

Matt 6:25
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life.
Matt 6:27
27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Matt 6:32-34
your heavenly Father knows what you need. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Until you deny yourself as Jesus said this will be easier said than done. But once you know that everything is not about you it is much easier.

Imagine the next time you drive thinking that, or when your boss demands something or when you or someone gets sick? What a relief! It’s God’s game NOT YOURS!

I just had a friend die and I could have been very upset but I thought God wanted him so I could not complain. It wasn’t my choice but it was God’s.

Being a Christian does not mean only good & proper things will ever come. I mean, come on… we live in a world that is being run by the enemy so how could that happen?

Jesus told us to LOVE OUR NEIGHORS but I’m finding out that we DEFINE our neighbors carefully so they don’t often turn out to be people who we actually need to help and so we simply ignore people who need us.

That is NOT what Jesus was talking about. He even gave us many parables to help us understand what He meant. Remember the parable about the man who was attacked and everyone BUT a Samaritan ignored him but the Samarian took care of him and Jesus said: GO AND DO LIKEWISE.

But do we go and do likewise? No we don’t. We take care of our own priorities and everything else just has to wait.

Is that what Jesus meant? NO!

I am here to tell you that Christianity means so much more than what I’m seeing and I believe that one of my jobs (this time) is to be Jesus for you to tell you that you’re living to be way more than you are now.

You’re NOT a Pharisee, you’re a Christian!

I am part of many ignored groups and I may be poor and handicapped but I have my brains and I don’t like what I am seeing. It took me awhile to sort it all out and see but I have and God expects more from you.

Children are being hurt and no one knows it and there are so many more things but for some reason, a bad reason, Christians aren’t helping.

Remember that Jesus said to deny yourselves right before He died for our sins? And if you deny yourselves then God will take care of you.

But what I’m seeing is that a bunch of people are taking care of themselves.

Stop it!

Most people have never been where I’ve been. But where I have been IS confirmed in Scripture.

I have been in the very good and I have been in the very bad but I have always been God’s child.

That was difficult for me to realize for a long time but now I know that He promised to complete the work that He began in me and He doesn’t lie.

Was it right what I did? No! But He is completing the work He began in me and that makes me very happy!

Yesterday I was upset about some things that had happened that I did not agree with, so upset that I prayed and asked God for help in knowing what to do.

This morning I got the answer. Not in a normal way but in another way. One that I would listen to but not expect to hear an answer from God.

But it was pretty obvious.

I learned:

1. Don’t underestimate the power of
God.
2. YOU may think it’s wrong and He respects that but YOU will not be in control at judgment.
3. He is God.

I was surprised at that and thankful. And remember: He is God and you’re not.

OK my most primary goal is to teach you about the gospel (good news of Jesus Christ). And I know that I can do it. Now whether you believe it is up to you alone.

Without Jesus in our lives our relationship with God is not good. We are unable to change this and God knew that so He sent His son, Jesus to rectify what we would not do for us. And He did.

That should be why we are Christians.

However, after many problems I contacted my Sr. Pastor today and said this:

I have been told several times that if you sin you must specifically confess what you have done to remain saved but because of my injuries I have lost most of my memory so for me to do that is very much impossible. I just can’t remember things.

So if that was true then Ephesians 2:8-9 is not true because it states that salvation is a gift from God and it has nothing to do with you so that you can not boast.

However I am being told that I did… and so for me to confess that is totally incorrect and 100% opposite of what the Bible teaches. My salvation is not because of me! Nor is the fact that I live the life that I live.


And this was the answer that I got:

Toby,
You are absolutely correct - we are not saved by confessing every sin, but by trusting in the Lord Jesus who has paid the price for all our sins, and we aren't even aware of most of them.

So his answer coincided with what I said.

Salvation is a gift from God that He gave you, you cannot earn it yourself. And that is what makes it the good news!

If you have any questions on this then please email me at toby.hoff@gmail.com and I will respond.

Since I woke up this morning this song has been playing in my head. The chorus says:

What I see
Is telling me This world’s gone crazy
But what I feel
Is Gods still on His throne
So what I need
Is to remember one thing:
That the Lord of the gentle breeze
Is Lord of the rough and tumble
And He is still King of the jungle
Yes He is

What a great way to start my day!

Read this:
Eph 5:18-21
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
NIV

It is talking about being filled with the Spirit of God & things that you can do IF you are & it says to submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. It does NOT say “if you are happy with them” or “if you are comfortable in doing so”. In fact it does NOT say “if” at all, and why? Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

However, few people do this for a number of reasons. So what aren’t they doing? Giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ & giving reverence to Christ.

Jesus told us to deny ourselves. So it’s not about you anymore. Therefore if you are uncomfortable then YOU still need to deny yourself.

God is not at all insignificant. We even breathe because of Him:

Acts 17:25
25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
NIV

Without breath we wouldn’t have life!

So because we can breathe we should thank Him but some people don’t.

As Christians God has forgiven us.

But because we have been forgiven we must recognize it & be thankful for being forgiven. How I choose to be thankful may or may not please God but I’ve been forgiven.

So when all we do is employ concern over other things first and foremost it shows a concern primarily over other things and not God. God was already concerned over our other things when Jesus came and took care of those and made the way for forgiveness. So to be thankful and glorify Him should be normal for us.

However this world is being run by Satan and he does not want to glorify God therefore our list of other things may not glorify God and our job now is to examine things and prioritize what do for His glory. That is what we’ll do in Heaven.

Read this:

Rom 5:8
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
NIV

So we weren’t pleasing God but He came, taught, fed, healed, lived & died for us and only after His death He gave us His righteousness and that’s why we can go to Heaven.

That is a lot to do but He did it!

And for some reason I see people who are more concerned with deadlines, other responsibilities and status than they are with God.

Do you think that is why He made Heaven? Because He wants to spend eternity with people who don’t put Him first now but maybe they’ll learn to later?

Good luck!

This morning my roommate left me a printed document to read. I had a choice but I chose to read it. And I was very pleased at what I read. This has been on my mind for along time so I was happy to see it in print!

However I knew that society did not like it so I looked up the meaning of the word society.

The term society is defined as:

Society is used as a noun and it refers to a group of humans that have similar thoughts or beliefs.

A group of humans that have similar thoughts or beliefs. So how can a human define something that God (who is NOT human) said?

And similar thoughts or beliefs says it all.

So I would define society this way:
A group of humans who may or may not be able to define things but still do agree to have similar thoughts or beliefs.

I am NOT part of society.

The way things work in this world is that people are born and then they go through life growing up and being taught by other humans and IF they do things that OTHER PEOPLE THINK ARE GOOD they think that they have done well and as they grow older the rewards change and status grows. And humans try very hard to accomplish that.

But God knew it all before they were even born.

And people tend to forget God and rely on what they or other people can do. And that’s life?

I am very very fortunate because I grew up that way and accomplished much and had much, got beaten up, lost it all and God is still there.

I don’t have to feel lost or wonder why I was born-I know!

So I don’t have to be accomplished or accepted by others to feel good. I know that God loves me and that is all that matters!

Some one else was not highly viewed by society either: Jesus! Read what Isaiah said about Him in Isaiah 53:2-5.

He wasn’t popular or accomplished in this world but He is your Savior. So if He runs your life then you’re ok. Society won’t like you but God will.

I only tell you things that I have read in God’s word and lately I have been told that I’m wrong or criticized so this is my attempt to explain.

This is all from God’s word:

Before we were born:
God formed us
God wrote down all the days of our lives
God is OMNI
Jesus is God too
Jesus is the Father’s son
So being ONMI He still loved us and came and became just like us and gave His human life for us.

Now most Christians believe that much but what they don’t realize is that since God wrote all of the days of our lives in His book before we were even born there is absolutely nothing that you’re going to do that He does not already know about yet He still came to help us.

He knew that when He saved us.

He adopted us.

He gave us His inheritance.

We will live forever.

Sinning is not good but Jesus took care of that once and for all. So a savior is a savior.

I got this from God’s word.

I may not be the most intelligent person but I am God’s child and I live for Him.

Forgiveness is a God thing NOT a human thing.

I’m not happy with many things that I know that I did but there are things that I didn’t even realize too!

But God said that I was forgiven.

Forgiveness doesn’t mean that I didn’t do them it just means that it is no longer held against me.

I do owe a price for my sins but Jesus paid that price for me once and for all.

No, I’m not perfect but I’ve been forgiven and I’m thankful for that.

I have come to where I am today to realize that. I can realize many bad things and there are many that I can’t realize at all but this is the best thing yet!

This has taken me several hours to write. I have made some notes and printed them out and gone by them while writing because this is not an easy thing to acknowledge or understand.

I have experienced some hard times today. I have talked to people about things who have told me what they thought and I have told them what I thought and why I thought that. And both times what I thought did not agree with what they thought.

So what does this mean?

It means that we have to be very careful because not everyone knows what you know. People have preconceived ideas but there are no true experts on anything but God.

The way most people believe is generally based on societal standards. Many people even go to school to learn those standards but not everyone or everything is standard.

For example even Biblical standards can be screwed up by some people for others and if you understand some Biblical principles that does not mean that you understand everything that you’ve experienced.

Even relatively intelligent people can be lied to or led astray by others and not even know it.

You can tell if someone may be able to help you with some things but no one but God can help you with everything.

So my suggestion to you is to ask people questions and do not just assume anything. If you need to then talk to God.

I imagine (just imagine) that God helps me to see some things because 1) He knows that I need them or 2) He knows that I will share them or 3) Both of those and this is a number 3.

I have been thinking about therapy lately. At Robert H. Ballard Rehabilitation Hospital years ago I used to get good Physical and Occupational therapy but after some time they told me to leave and not come back and it upset me! After a 5 year coma these were my friends.

I used to be given recipes and directions by God and they ALL turned out great and I have saved them all. And I used to practice waking a lot with tools and I always did well. That was my goal. To always do what they asked me to do, but they threw me out.

And one time at a Christmas party I was in my wheelchair and on my own I stood up, walked across a room and stood by someone for a picture (I have a copy of that). So why did they kick me out and why am I still in a wheelchair?

Good question. That’s what I asked God and He has answered me.

Therapists are taught that people have to be 1 way only. I am a good example that that’s not true but I am not generally accepted. Hmm, that sounds a lot like Jesus. He was not “standard” and He was not generally accepted either and He had no handicaps.

So instead of being upset and giving up I’ll take pride in being like Jesus and keep pressing on! When He couldn’t win any more Jesus knew and I will too.

I cannot be limited because of their limited knowledge. I know more so I’m not going to stop yet !

Normally I would not write about something as simple as faith but what I see going on around me has changed my mind.

Hebrews 11:1 has an excellent description of faith and it is the backdrop on my computer. Many times Jesus referred to faith so you know that it’s important to have. But what I am seeing is faith is not so important as it is trendy.

So for the sake of popularity people say that they are Christians when in fact popularity and the things of this world are actually more important to them.

Jesus expects more from us than that.

He said to deny yourselves.

Now, you tell me how popularity applies to a nonexistent person?

It doesn’t.

So look at yourself very closely. Do you have faith?