Where Have I Been for the Past Four Days?!?

Where have I been for the past four days? That's what many people have been asking. Well, please forgive me for "disappearing" without alerting you, but I have been very busy getting prepared to take a vacation out west (west of Michigan). Yes, I'm going to places like Yellow Stone, the Tetons, and Mount Rushmore. I'm going to other places too, those are just the places off the top of my mind. To follow where (I think) I'm going in my travels, double click the "highly-scientific" map below.



Fortunately, I will be able to update you (with my own pictures) when I get back! That's right, I finally got a digital camera! I wonder what I could do with this opportunity...

Now, I have some other things to take care of. See you in three weeks. While I'm gone, please visit Dcaf's blog, http://thegodisgreatblog.blogspot.com/. He will be a good substitute for me.

Hammer out...!

GOD bless you...

Peace be with you...

Keep your faith limitless...

And don't forget to study the Bible and pray!

Your servant, RC Hammer

GOD's Law...

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Matthew 5:18

Until JESUS comes again, GOD's law will not change. Even if today's views on what GOD's law is, is different from what it was long ago, we can rest assured that it will not under go changes. It's kind of a "Same Dew, New View" type of thing (I hope you know what I am talking about... You know... The thing it says on the cans of Mountain Dew. The can's design is different, but the dew tastes the same... umm... yeah...). Our view of GOD's law might change as time increases, but GOD's law will always stay the same. For example, GOD's law says not to steal. Today, you can steal in many different ways that people back then couldn't do. Like, if you download music illegally from the internet... Could you do that a long time ago? No. Is it still considered stealing by GOD? Yes! So, even though that's a different "view" on stealing, it doesn't mean that it doesn't break GOD's law... Got the idea???

"Come on... Give me a break... I was trying to compare GOD's law with Mountain Dew!"

GOD bless you all. Peace be with you.

Your servant, RC Hammer

Let's Get This Straight...

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Galatians 2:16

I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

Galatians 2:21

For some, this message is just a reminder, but for others this is new. Let's get this straight...

You do not get to Heaven by doing works for GOD. You get to Heaven by believing and receiving (the message) that that JESUS CHRIST died on the cross for your sins and then once you believe it, you accept JESUS into your life. That is how you get to Heaven.

Once, someone told me to clean up a mess that someone else made. I told that person that I didn't do it. Then she told me to just do it anyway, because it would be "honor points" in Heaven. I was shocked! That is totally false. Let me repeat: Your works and good deeds for GOD will not get you into Heaven!!!

Why? Let me explain. GOD is perfect; without sin. We, human beings, are not perfect; we are full of sin. GOD cannot be your presence if you have sinned: Heaven is spotless of sin. That's why we need to ask JESUS into our hearts and to forgive us. Once we do this, HIS spilled blood washes away our sins... and the next time GOD looks at us, HE no longer sees our imperfect sin, but a perfect image of JESUS (in us).

Don't think you've sinned before? You are just lying to yourself... Yes, lying is a sin. The 8th commandment (for Catholics it is the 7th). If you don't think you are lying, think back: Have you ever stolen, used GOD's name in vain, have you ever cursed, have you ever disrespected your parents, or... the list keeps going on and on. If I was talking like an atheist, I would be basically asking: Have you ever done anything wrong... at all?

Still think you're clean? Here's my back up. The Bible says:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:23

How about this one:

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23

So the Bible makes it clear, works do not get you into heaven (check out the Bible verses at the start of this post if you haven't already...). If you want to get to Heaven, remember, the only way is through JESUS CHRIST! Pray to HIM, and ask HIM to forgive you of your sin... ask HIM to come into your life. Then you will have a relationship with GOD and you will be ignited, with the HOLY SPIRIT. You will also have your ticket on the J-Train!... Uh... to Heaven... (Sorry Toby and Kirk, had to use that one).

Does this all mean that once you have accepted JESUS you can do whatever you want (and) keep sinning? Does it mean that you shouldn't do good works for GOD? No! Your relationship with GOD is connect by love... and if you love GOD, you will keep HIS commands! (That verse was John 14:15... it has roots with:

http://theflippingsweetblogtwo.blogspot.com/2007/02/keep-commands.html). If you love GOD, by all means you should try to do GOD's will and not go back to the slavery of sin. Yes, sin holds you captive... and JESUS sets you free from your sin... maybe what I am saying will make more sense in a verse. Then it will be time to rap this post up...:

But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

Galatians 4:9

Just remember that JESUS is the only way to be in Heaven with GOD forever. You can't try to out-do your bad with good. GOD will still see the bad, and it will ruin the good like a black spot on a white carpet. JESUS can wash away that "spot" with HIS blood. JESUS is the only way!

GOD bless you all. Peace be with you. May your cup overflow and your faith be limitless.

Your servant, RC Hammer

Stop, Don't Trip!

When you are being tempted to sin,

think about what good the sin will give you;

It will give you nothing in return,

except death.

For the punishment of sin

is death.

GOD bless you all.

Peace be with you.

May your cup overflow.

Your servant, RC Hammer

Anything...

If you have been following this blog, then you should know this verse:

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Philippians 4:13

Still don't think you have enough abilities or enough strength to face some of the challenges in your life? Oh thee of little faith! Read this:

And He (GOD) said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9

In other words, our weaknesses make perfect GOD's strength!

GOD bless you. Peace be with you. Don't be doubting and keep your faith limitless!

Your servant, RC Hammer

HE Has Risen!!!

Mark 16

The Resurrection

1When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body. 2Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb 3and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"
4But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. 5As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
6"Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' "
8Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
9When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. 10She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping. 11When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.
12Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. 13These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.
14Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
15He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well."
19After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
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Now I have a question for you. Do you think it is important to dress up for Church? Today, I walked into Church wearing blue jeans, track shoes, a Dukes of Hazzard t-shirt, and a gold necklace around my neck... and everyone else was dressed up in suits, ties, fancy dresses and sweaters. I think you get my point. Anyway, I love hearing from you all, so comment whenever you want.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your servant,

RC Hammer

The Promise of Life

I'm sure you know the verse:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

But do you know why you have everlasting life if you believe in HIM? Yesterday was Good Friday, the day we say JESUS died on the cross. HE could have done anything to stop Himself from a horrible Crucifixion, but HE didn't. HE knew that HE had to die on the cross, because that was the reason why GOD sent HIM down to earth. So JESUS died and now, if we believe in HIM and ask HIM to forgive us, we'll have eternal life. Why? Here is where it gets a little complicated, so stay with me.

GOD is perfect and HE cannot be around anything that isn't perfect, meaning that we can't get to heaven unless we become perfect. And we know that it is impossible for a human to be perfect; Without sin. As a matter of fact, the Bible says:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God...

Romans 3:23

Oh great! Now we're stuck! We have to be perfect to live with GOD forever in heaven, but with what we just read, we know we can't ever be perfect! But since GOD loves us so much, HE gave us another option; A second chance. This is where JESUS comes in. Remember the Bible verse above. You know how I added the '...'? That means there is more. The verse goes on to say:

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God...

Romans 3:24-25

What does this mean? Above I said that you have to be perfect and without sin to enter the kingdom of GOD and I also said that no one is perfect, making it a lose-lose situation. Well, when you believe JESUS and ask HIM to forgive you of your sins in HIS name, HIS blood comes and washes away all of your sins. So when GOD looks at you, instead of seeing all of your imperfect sin, HE sees JESUS;( A.K.A. Perfection). And it's just that easy! Although, you might not understand it totally yet. Let me give you a different visual.

Imagine a deep valley. On one side is GOD and on the other side is us humans. If we try to jump from our side of the valley to GOD's, we will fall. It's impossible! But when we believe in JESUS and ask HIM to forgive us, HE becomes a 'bridge' in the valley, connecting us with GOD. Let me show you the highly Scientific chart I drew:

It's just like that! It still surprises me though that GOD sacrificed HIS perfect SON, for us imperfect humans. We still sin a lot too. But since GOD's full of mercy and love, HE lets us live on.

"Tomorrow check the tomb. It will be empty so you don't have to be!"

GOD bless you all! Peace be with you all too!

Your servant,RC Hammer

Love and Obey

If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I (Moses) give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.

Deuteronomy 28:1

Many Christians complain to GOD that things aren't going well for them. They think that GOD doesn't want to help them or something. There are a few reasons GOD might not be answering them:

1. They don't have enough faith and they won't keep asking GOD

2. GOD will answer their prayers when the time is right or

3. The person praying to GOD is not keeping all of GOD's commands.

Today, I am going to discuss the third one. You cannot say that you love GOD and that you're a Christian to someone and then go off and sin. If you did that, you wouldn't have true love for GOD. Being a Christian is about your relationship with GOD; You don't become one just so you don't go to hell when your time is up. No. You become a Christian because you love GOD. You can't have a true relationship with GOD if you disobey HIM without even trying to stop. Your relationship with GOD is just like a relationship with someone else. You have to be kind and nice to your friends (someone you have a relationship with) if you want them to stay friends wit you. It's the exact same thing with GOD.

Of course, it is very difficult to not sin at all. We are all humans: We're going to sin sometimes. But we have to try our best not to sin. If we try to stay obedient to GOD, HE promises us many blessing, like it says in the verse above. However, later in the Bible, it warns us what will happen if we are disobedient to GOD and do nothing about stopping our sin. The Bible says:

However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I (Moses) am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:... (It goes on to names some curses).

Deuteronomy 28:15

If we don't even try to stop disobeying GOD, not only will HE not bless us, HE'll curse us. We have to express our love for GOD by keeping HIS commands. HE will bless us and make us stronger Christians. Our relationship with GOD will be a lot stronger and we will be that much closer to the kingdom of heaven.

"I highly suggest that you read all of Deuteronomy 28. I had to cut out a lot of the interesting parts to make the post more understandable. I hope it is understandable. I'm feeling pretty tired tonight, so forgive me if my grammar is a little messed up."

GOD bless you all.

Peace be with you too!

Your servant,

RC Hammer

Your Invincible, But You Can't Do It?

It's always funny (or sad) to hear Christians say that they can't do something. Aren't they suppose to be the Spirit filled child of GOD, who can do all things through HIM? Why do Christians moan and groan when they don't think they can do something? I mean, GOD created everything, gave life to everything, and can do anything HE wants to for you or Himself. HE's invincible and unstoppable, but still Christians doubt HIM. The Bible says:

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

GOD is all-powerful, and through HIM you can do all things. Why doubt GOD by doubting yourself? GOD even showed us how powerful HE is by raising JESUS from the dead. We can do anything and everything through HIM. We don't have to worry about those 'impossible' challenges in our lives, because if we truly love and believe in GOD, HE will provide.

A step in making your relationship with GOD stronger is to wipe out everything in your mind that says you can't do something. You need to concentrate on GOD's never-ending abilities and trust that HE will provide for you. Trust that you can do all things through HIM.

GOD bless you all.

Peace be with you during this Easter season.

Your servant,

RC Hammer

(.P.S. I might be on vacation while this post is... posted, so you might want to entertain yourself by either trying to read all of my posts or by messing with the polls on my sidebar or anything else over there. Also, comments are greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thank you.)

An Awesome GOD

In the begining, GOD created the heavens and the earth. That includes this. This is just a small sampling of everything GOD has made for us. We should be very thankful. GOD thought of all of this. It is HIS creation. None of this was around before HIM. None of it could be. HE designed the whole world. HE made up what a mountain looks like. Same with glaciers, coral reefs, lakes, sunsets... everything. Many people treat the world with respect because they know it is one of HIS awesome creations. But HIS best creation is us: The people. HE made all of this because HE loves us. HE treasures us. So be kind to tour neighbor, and treat them better than yourself. And remember that GOD loves you enough to give you all of this.

I wonder what Heaven will be like...

GOD bless you all. Peace.

Your servant, RC Hammer