Warriors For Christ, Half A World Apart, Working Together To Build The Kingdom Of God...

I began writing a Christian blog toward the end of March. Who would have thunk over 1,300 people would visit the site from 22 different countries in the next five months.

People from around the world have clicked on 2,800 pages to read the 69 blogs that God has written through me.

About the same time, I started a Praying 4 U fan page on facebook. That too has turned into an international adventure with nearly 100 interactions per week with the 180-plus fans.

God has blessed me and enlarged my territory of influence for him. Through these two ventures I have been able to share scripture, prayer, and stories of how God has worked in my life and through me. God has kept me in his word daily studying to learn more. I have gotten to know some of God's children in places like Zambia, Kenya, Malaysia, Philippines and Pakistan.

I have been praying for people and missions in various places and have received letters that these faithful servants of God are praying for me. It really is a small world in the grand scheme. Here we have warriors for Christ, half a world apart, praying for one another and working together to build the Kingdom of God.

We will never know how much our awesome Father loves us. Be in hot pursuit of the King of Glory and get as close to this super being as possible. Desire the gifts of the holy spirit and use them as you are the hands and feet of the Almighty.

It is written in the bible, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:4 NIV). Paul told us in Philippians 4:13 (NIV) "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." And you can too!

Use the power of the Holy Spirit that God has given you and seek him in everything. You won't be disappointed. Eternity with Jesus and his gang will be worth all the suffering we face here in Satan's Kingdom. All glory and praise to our risen Savior, King Jesus! We shall live forever through him!

May God Bless You,

Rick Hawbaker
'King's Kid'

Rascal...

Our awesome Father loves us more than we can ever imagine. He even loves us on our very worse day. On the day we have our back to him and on a day that we think we certainly don't need or want him, God loves us! Why does he loves us so much? Because we are his children.

I had an older than old man working for me in a big box retail setting. This man, Willy, wore a smile from ear to ear daily and greeted everyone with interest and kindness. Having grabbed the short straw in most every situation, this man lived by himself in a one room empty apartment and slept on the hardwood floors with roaches running around him and mice climbing up the walls.

Many years ago his wife had caught him in bed with another woman. Looking down he told with shame, "the look she gave me will not be forgotten." He never saw his wife or kids again. He filled the void in his life with alcohol and never gave much thought to giving up the bottle.

Once his story was revealed to me, I immediately began helping him and hooked him up with other Christ-followers in the workplace. We provided things he needed and prayed for him. He had been to a Christian church a few times, but didn't feel comfortable sitting there as his past haunted him.

I talked to him almost every day and shared Jesus with him. I would share stories out of the bible and told him how great God is and how he was moving in my life. As God's light shined through me often he told me he wanted what I had and told me so almost every day.

One night I talked to him about our great savior for an hour and a half in the parking lot with a full harvest moon low in the eastern sky. He would not take the leap. He would not jump and receive Jesus as he was Muslim and felt he would be letting down his strong heritage if he turned to Christ.

Finally, I pointed at the moon and said to him, "Willy, you see the moon up there.There is a song by Matt Redman, "You Never Let Go!" that says, 'And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on. A glorious light beyond all compare.'

I continued, "Everytime you see the moon from now on, I want you to remember what I just said because there is a light that is coming for the heart that holds on. A light that is coming for us. No matter what you have done in your past, you are a son of God just as I am. You can have what I have. Repent and believe in him. God loves you!

Willy never did receive God as long as I knew him, but he told me many times that I was a rascal. A rascal because from that night on as he drove home in the dark, he would look at the moon and think about the Jesus I had.

Rick Hawbaker

'Serving King Jesus'

Christ is more than a way to a better life

We are called to be pure, righteous and holy in God's eyes as we are conformed to the image of Jesus.

This isn't something God just does to us. It is a process that God does with our cooperation.

Raising your hand in a church service signifying you now accept Jesus as your savior isn't going to get you off the ground. That is only the start of your new life in Christ.

Mumbling a sentence or two in less than a minute after making a decision for Christ in five minutes or less, is not going to get you the ticket to heaven you are expecting. You have got to change. God needs to work in your heart so that the sins you once loved, you now hate. The God you ignored for years, you now must put first in your life and desire him more and more each day.

You aren't saved by works, but by grace through faith. You receive God through repentance and having faith. Repentance is evidence of our fruit. You must repent and believe. You will show evidence that you have been changed. If there isn't any evidence, you aren't saved.

Jesus Christ is more than a way to have a better life. Christ is your life. If you have a fiery passion for the radiant king of the universe, you will change. You have to walk in the rhythm with the holy spirit and in doing so, you will bring life and peace to yourself and others.

Through sanctification, God will change your life and he will continue to change it as he sets you apart from worldly things. You will not be perfect until the day you pass, but the spirit of God will lead you to be saved. Not saved from sin as you will always sin, but saved from hell, the wrath of God.

Jesus said in the gospel of Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV), "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

In Luke 13:23-24 (NIV) Jesus was asked the question that is on people's minds. The question people do not want to think about, "Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to."

We are told in an Old Testament promise from God in Ezekiel 36:27 (NIV), "I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." We receive grace freely and God's power through his Spirit pushes us to obey God, rather than our carnal nature. In this way we shall reign in life.

There is nothing outside of Christ. He is all we need and all we have. It is all about God. He has given you free will. You can choose him and live forever, or be tormented in hell for eternity.

Your Brother In Christ,

Rick Hawbaker
'Serving A Living God'

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." Romans 12:15

God has laid on my heart a lot of people this past week that are hurting. More than one family is dealing with alcoholism, many are in various stages of battling cancer, and many are stuck in a job they hate. We need to be there for our brothers and sisters and help them in any way we can.

Christians are not immune to suffering. It isn't a matter of if we will suffer. The question is when will we suffer. Paul faced more suffering than most people, but yet he still felt the future glory outweighed the present suffering. That's the mindset we must adopt.

We need to be there for each other. Brother Paul instructed us in Romans 12:15, "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." When you are there for others it isn't what you say that counts, it's the fact that you are there for them. Don't leave them alone. Give them the support that only a friend can give.

In scripture from God's holy word, compassion means to show sympathy, pity, and mercy for another. It also means "to suffer with." Peter told us in 1 Peter 3:8, "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble."

We are to run the race well, but let's remember we are not in competition with one another. Don't beat each other up, but encourage one another. We are not on earth to knock each other out, but to lift each other up.

Serving a living God,

Rick Hawbaker

There Are Better Days Ahead...

Whatever you and your love ones are up against this day, rest assured you can find help through Jesus. God loves us way too much to leave us the way we are. God molds and shapes us as we deal with the storms as we go from one season to another.

Max Lucado wrote, "A season of suffering is a small price to pay for a clear view of God." I thank God for showing me the seasons of pain I go through are to make me better and they have brought me closer to him. The short days of discomfort for me pass and the good effects of my changing are everlasting.

Lucado also wrote, "God never promised to remove us from our struggles. He does promise, however, to change the way we look at them." Instead of complaining and saying, "When is this going to end?" We need to quietly and patiently wait on the Lord. God changes our situation when his purpose in putting us through something has been accomplished.

"Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." (Psalm 30:5 NIV) All praise and glory to Almighty God, maker of heaven and earth. Praise to King Jesus!

There are better days ahead. Matt Redman sings in 'You Never Let Go', "I can see the light that is comin' for the heart that holds on." Hang on and wait in great anticipation for that glorious day that the light comes for you.

Let's give God thanks in everything and praise him as we anticipate the GREAT things to come. "Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; his love endures forever." (Psalm 118:1 NIV)

Rick Hawbaker
'Serving A Living God'

You Too Can Pick God Over Man...

It is hard to surrender to the Lord, but it is only by surrendering ourselves to him that we may become free. Paul Washer is credited with saying, "the freest man on earth is the one who makes himself a slave to the perfect master." We must relinquish trust in ourselves and put that trust in Jesus and become free.

God wants to do so much for us. We are his dearly loved children. It is tough to let go and tough to give up in this fallen world of Satan's. Jesus gave everything he had for you. When he was on the tree, you were on his mind. Look for God working around you today and join him in bringing his kingdom.

Whatever it is that you are facing today, God can help you through it. Pray for his strength and courage to surround you as together you overcome what you are up against.

The bible tells us in 2 Samuel 24 that David was faced with three options from the Lord...three years of famine, three months of fleeing from his enemies, or three days of plague. David told prophet Gad, "I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man."

David picked the plague as three months of fleeing from enemies would be fighting with the neighboring countries and three years of famine would make his people dependant on food from neighbors. David knew better than to put his situation in control of man. He knew that even in anger God would be more merciful and gracious than human beings. He picked the three days of plague.

Like David, we are steeped in sin, but we can repent and be cleansed white as snow. You too can pick God over man.

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save." (Zephaniah 3:17 NIV)

Rick Hawbaker
'King's Kid'

Way To Go God! : )

God led me this day to cross the path of a friend who had been up all night worrying about her health. She had been to the doctor's office for a lot of tests last week and had not heard any results. The unknown is what was getting to her.

She had given the doctor permission to leave the information on her home phone recording as she is hard to get a hold of with her work schedule. They called, but never left a message. Instead they sent her a letter stating she needed to contact them to "discuss some important health issues".

She was scared to death. "Important health issues"-Does she have cancer or diabetes? She was scared to the point she could not think of anything else. Why wouldn't they leave the information on the recording as instructed. Is her time about up?

I ran into her after she received the letter and before the doctor's office was open, so she hadn't had a chance to talk with anyone. She looked pretty weary having only a little bit of sleep. I could see a heavy burden had been laid upon her and it was taking a toll.

The Holy Spirit led me to ask her if we could pray together before she made the phone call to the doctors office. Moments later her, a friend that was with her, and I gathered in a friendship circle and put our arms around each other and prayed.

I lifted her concerns up to God through his son, Jesus. There is power in the name of Jesus and we witnessed it today. After praying, the look on her glowing face was one I have never seen. As she looked up from the prayer to the heavens, she instantly was strengthen and comforted by God our father. The stress and worry had left her.

It was great to have helped bring a piece of heaven to earth today. What a thrill to share Jesus with a friend. Jesus gives and takes away. He gives us our daily needs and takes away our pain and suffering. "Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." (Psalm 68:19 NIV)

God is the great comforter and great healer. He told us way back in Exodus 15:26 (NIV), "for I am the LORD, who heals you." and later in Hebrews 13:8 (NIV), God's word says, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

I was not the only one to witness God this morning. My friend said she definately felt the presence of God. She claims to have immediately felt the power of the Lord. He strengthened her and helped her to make the phone call. He comforted her as she waited and waited on hold to receive results of the tests.

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." (Proverbs 18:10 (NIV). God is our strength and comfort and he is available 24/7. How can he help you today? We can't make it by ourselves. Turn to our loving father for help!

Rick Hawbaker
'Son of God'