Normally I wouldn’t start a blog post this late at night, but after seeing this article on One News Now I just had to pass it on, it is that important.

Too many times in this secular world we Christians are seen as intolerant, old fashioned, and out dated. The secular world doesn’t seem to want our view point, because they don’t think we can still add value to this life, or to this world. Of course they couldn’t be more wrong, as we “add” the proclaiming of the Good News of Jesus Christ to this world, recounting the ultimate sacrifice He made for us while we were yet sinners. We should bear witness to the fact that we cannot do anything to earn this gift, yet it is freely given.

Well, today the US Government, which over the last few years has not stood behind it’s Christian roots, lent credence to how, in at least one area, Jesus Christ and His church do make this world a better place. Under a grant from the Department of Justice The Center for Marriage and Families published a report by University of Virginia Sociologist Bradford Wilcox which shows how men who regularly attend church get divorced less, have happier marriages, and spend more and better time with their children. For details you can check out the article, which includes a link to the actual report.

I am so blessed to have a loving church family in my life to help me grow not only in the Love and Teachings of Jesus Christ, but also as a Father, Husband, and Man. I hope you will point to this study when one of your pre-Christian friends begins criticizing the church about it’s lack of contribution to society. Better yet, maybe you should just witness to them about how it has helped you. Think about it.

There are no excuses why God can’t use you

The next time you think God can’t use you, just look to The Bible to see what He had to work with:

• Noah was a drunk (Genesis 9:21)
• Abraham was too old (Genesis 17:17)
• Isaac was a daydreamer
• Jacob was a liar (Genesis 27)
• Leah was ugly (Genesis 29:16-18)
• Joseph was abused (Genesis 37:22-28)
• Moses had a stuttering problem (Exodus 4:10)
• Gideon was afraid (Judges 6:15) (I’m not entirely sure about this reference.)
• Samson had long hair and was a womanizer (Judges 16:17) (Judges 16:5)
• Rahab was a harlot (Joshua 2:1)
• Jeremiah and Timothy were too young (Jeremiah 1:6)
• David had an affair and was a murderer (2 Samuel 11:2-4) (2 Samuel 11:14-17)
• Elijah was suicidal (1 Kings 19:4)
• Isaiah preached naked (Isaiah 20:2)
• Johan ran from God (Jonah 1:3)
• Naomi was a widow (Ruth 1:3)
• Job went bankrupt (Job 1:21)
• Peter denied Christ (Mark 14:71)
• The Disciples fell asleep while praying (Mathew 26:40)
• Martha worried about everything (Luke 10:40-42)
• The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once (John 4:17-18)
• Zaccheus was too small (Luke 19:2-3)
• Paul was too religious
• Timothy had an ulcer (1Timothy 5:23) and…
• Lazarus was dead (John 11)!

No matter what problems you have or have had (addiction, abuse, size, divorce, worry, physical ailments, etc. etc. etc.) Jesus can heal you of them all. And if He can heal you of them all, he can use you to help others and to His glory! There is absolutely NOTHING that He cannot overcome. This means that as long as we trust in Him, and continue to seek His face, we can be forgiven all our sins and work to make this world a better place!

So take a look at these characters and their habits, memorize one or two that relate to your life and your experiences. And the next time you get discouraged, bring this little weapon out, and say that if God can use them, He can use me!

Feel free to leave comments on characters that relate to you, other characters and their problems. You can also leave what you are over coming, and my prayer partners and I will pray for you (you can also email them to me at the link on the about page).

1. eBibie.com: There are lots of sites out there where you can read and study The Bible (I normally use Bible Gateway when I quote it). But eBible is different, because it allows you to create your own bookmarks and notes like you would in a paper Bible. But what’s even cooler is that you can make them accessible to the rest of the members. This means you can learn from others. What’s more, you can make friends and possibly use the site as a social networking site for the Word of the Lord! ( My wife says this makes me really nerdy but I don’t care, I think this would be the best way to socially network).

2. Another good site that is similar to eBibie is BibleGateway.com. While this site does not have all the cool bookmarking and social features, it has almost every version you can think of including my favorite (Amplified) and in lots of languages. If you want to read The Bible in a different language, or you are looking for a specific translation, this is the place to go.

3. Another neat site that I recommend as a Bible study companion is Bible Map.org. This site uses Google Maps to show you where every chapter of the Bible takes place in the Holy Land. Simply select a book and chapter from the drop down menus and the menu not only moves to the right area, but puts pins on the map to show you specific places tied to that chapter. Click on the pins, and a bubble pops up with more information and links to other articles. I like this idea because it not only provides the maps that many good paper Bibles have but Bible websites don’t, it is provided by He Lives Ministries which looks like a good online ministry (although I have only given it a cursory overview).

4. If you are looking for Bible software, I highly recommend My Bible by Laridian Software. I first discovered this company when I was looking for Bible software for my Palm Treo 700p, and was delighted to find a versatile program that not only has dozens of translations to choose from, but also has dictionaries, commentaries, and other reference material to help you study on the go. Laridian has developed Bible software for virtually every mobile platform out there including Palm, Windows CE, Windows Mobile based pocket PC’s, Windows Mobile based Smartphones, Ipods, Iphones, Ipod Touch, and Blackberry. The software is easy to navigate and allows you to carry the Bible virtually anywhere you go.

That’s great for portable device users, but what if you are primarily a computer user? Last year Laridian released a Windows based version of their software that can be used as a stand alone product or in companion with your mobile device, as all your notes, bookmarks and highlights can be synced together. So you can use the software on your device, on your computer, or both!

I should give you fair warning that while the sites I have listed above are free, My Bible Software isn’t (well, actually the Bible reader software is but the Bible and study material modules cost money). But if you use a portable device it is definitely worth it.

In conclusion, with all these choices, I don’t want to hear anybody use the excuse: “I can’t study The Bible because I don’t have access to it. If you have access to a PDA, smartphone, Ipod, or a library with internet access, you can study the Word of God.

And if that doesn’t work, I suppose you can study the old boring way by going to a local bookstore and buying a paper Bible, or stopping buy a local church to ask if they give Bibles away or sell them at a discount. No matter what way you study The Word, the important thing is that you study His message to us at least a little bit each day. Thus you can rightly say: “Thy Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee (Psalm 119:11).”