By Jim Hays on 3/17/2010 7:41 AM

On the Fox News Channel the last few weeks, they have been running a commercial that every time I see it, it gets my attention. It’s for a new web site called iamnotashamed.org.

It’s really a lot like facebook, where you just log on and tell why you are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Thousands and thousands of people who call themselves Christians have done this.

The home page of the web site says this:

“I Am Not Ashamed” began as a simple conversation and a prayerful consideration of what message America needs to hear most right now.



We wanted a message that would be a clear call to Christians around the world to stand unashamedly and uncompromisingly on the bible.



Today, “I Am Not Ashamed” has evolved into a full-fledged campaign that encompasses all areas of media—from Facebook, Twitter, the blogosphere and YouTube … to the Internet, print, newspaper, billboards and television.

I believe...

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By Jim Hays on 3/17/2010 7:36 AM

In Matthew 10:32-33, Jesus says, “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.”

When you get right down to it, life is really all about who you are trying to please. When all is said and done, who do we want to claim they love us, claim they're proud of us, and claim us as their own? I want Jesus to do all three with me! None of what I accomplish in life will mean a thing if those three things don't happen when I meet Jesus face to face.

You see, Jesus lived only to please His Father and He was successful! The Father said this about Jesus, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased!” (Matthew 3:17).

Jesus was never afraid to declare the goodness and glory of His Father! He spoke of God boldly and without reservation. Shouldn’t we strive to do the same? What’s keeping us from speaking boldly about God and Christ? What prevents us from...

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By Jim Hays on 3/3/2010 8:55 AM

Paul writes in Romans 1:20… 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Psalm 19:1 says,

1The heavens are telling of the glory of God;          And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Everything that is … was created by God and for God. His creation is a visible reminder of just how powerful and glorious He is. If we fail to pause everyday and admire the beauty of God’s creation, that’s our loss.

You can stare out this window and see the beautiful view it provides and know that there is a God. Anyone who does not believe has no excuse. They’re foolish. Take a look around you! And see the glory of Almighty God.

I like some of the emails I get that have beautiful pictures in a Powerpoint presentation and songs that talk about how great and powerful God is.

But really, the best way to view God’s...

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By Jim Hays on 3/3/2010 8:52 AM

I knew that the Victorian house over here on Parker behind the funeral home was for sale, but they just put up the “For Sale” signs within the last few weeks. I think that’s a beautiful house and Deborah has always wanted a Victorian.

But as I cruised by and looked at the beauty of the outside of the house, I wondered, “What all is wrong inside the house?” Even if the walls and floors are in good shape, what about what’s inside the walls or under the floors. It’s the things you can’t see that can give you fits, right? Things like the foundation … or the plumbing … or the electrical wiring.

Things may look great on the outside … but on the inside everything might be just a great big mess.

And then I wondered, “How many Christians are like that?—on the outside, they look like everything is hunk-dory. But on the inside, behind closed doors, in those places that you can’t really see … things are just a great big mess.”

When we were showing our house in Los Angeles, we would get ready for...

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By Jim Hays on 2/22/2010 11:14 AM

Barack Obama was swept into office on a wave of hopes and dreams founded on his promises of a better life and a more competent government. With this first year in office now behind him, many Americans are considerably less enthusiastic about his performance than expected. A new survey conducted by The Barna Group shows that Christians, who formed a large segment of his support, are even less enthralled with the president’s handling of the job than are other Americans.

In the 2008 election, 42% of all born again adults voted for Barack Obama. The born again vote represented 40% of his aggregate support in the general election.

Job Satisfaction

   Most Americans are not satisfied with the job the president is doing. Currently, just 42% are either completely satisfied (15%) or somewhat satisfied (27%). One-quarter of adults (24%) are divided, saying they are “somewhat...

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By Jim Hays on 2/22/2010 10:58 AM

In October of 2008, my water heater stopped working. Actually, after years and years of use, it finally got so much corrosion in the bottom of it that the bottom fell out.

Water went everywhere. And it took the wife and I about a day to get the mess cleaned up. Then we had to call a fellow to come and replace the water heater.

So for about a day and a half, we had no hot water. And you know as well as I do… that’s a problem. We need hot water to shower in, bathe in, wash dishes in. And like most things, you don’t realize how much you come to rely on the convenience … until it’s gone.

My wife and I had a water problem.

Well, historians tell us that the ancient city of Laodicea had a water problem, too. The problem was there was no water. At least not in the city itself.

Scholars say that there were hot springs about 6 miles away near the town of Hierapolis. But by the time they got that water to Laodicea, the water lost its warmth. It cooled off. And that water wasn’t drinkable...

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By Jim Hays on 2/22/2010 10:57 AM

Have you ever done something… or said something… and wish you could take it back? You wish you could go back in time and undo or unsay whatever you did or said.

Boy, I have… several times. Maybe you have, too.

I heard a pretty good story about a fellow in Los Angeles who rode the subway to work and back every day. And one afternoon, after a hard day, this fellow found a seat and tried to take a nap.

But at the next stop, a lady and her five children got on the train. And her children were just noisy and rambunctious. I mean they were out of control. They were yelling and screaming and running up and down the subway car. The fellow noticed that the mother had her head down and her eyes closed. She wasn’t paying any attention to her kids at all.

And that made the man angry—I mean steaming mad. And he got up from his seat and walked over to the mother. The kids were still screaming and the mother still had her head down. And the fellow said, “Lady… you gotta do something about those kids....

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By Jim Hays on 2/22/2010 10:53 AM

After forty years in the desert, the Israelites finally came to the door of the Promised Land. But God said, “Before you go in, there needs to be a change in leadership. Moses was at the end of his life … and the nation of God was facing many new challenges. Before Moses passed the leadership role to Joshua, he wanted to remind the people of their covenant with God.

Moses knew the people well. He warned them that when they settled into their new houses and got comfortable in their new land, they would forget God—who had provided it all. He knew these people would once again grow complacent and self-reliant and less aware of God's presence—and less willing to keep their agreement with God.

In the midst of their excitement about their new homeland, Moses was deeply concerned about their ability to remember who they belonged to.

Moses tried to protect them one last time by preaching to them passionate sermons, reminding them of God's deliverance, singing a song of hope, blessing their journey...

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By Jim Hays on 1/7/2010 2:21 PM

I received an email from Anna Spruell today and it’s worth sharing.  I love listening to other people’s spiritual thoughts and how they manifest their Christianity.

From Anna:

I get these so called "polls" via email quite frequently asking me to prove my belief in God (and stand up to our corrupt Goverernment) by forwarding it on stating I am not ashamed, etc, etc.  I usually do cause I believe anything that cause someone to reflect on God and Jesus is a VERY good thing.  However, this one was worded in just a way that made me laugh. It said:   Do you believe that the word God should stay in American culture?

Here's my answer:  I believe that unless people become more concerned about the word OF God, and the ways OF God returning to American culture, whether or not the WORD GOD remains (anywhere) will not matter!!!!!!! 

It's time to stop "standing on the principles" of Christianity and start STANDING ON THE PROMISES of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!!!!  Christianity is...

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By Jim Hays on 12/28/2009 7:20 PM

I heard a preacher tell the story of a young man who went to visit his retired music teacher at the teacher’s apartment building. 

The wise old teacher tapped a tuning fork against the table and said, "That is A."  From the apartment above, a woman heard the pitch and sang the note.  

"She’s sharp," said the old teacher.

He tapped the tuning fork again and said, "That is A ... always has been, always will be.  440 vibrations per second and it will be the same 5,000 years from now."

Sometimes, it feels as if everything around us is changing—sometimes for better and sometimes for worse.  Babies...

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