Category: Uncategorized

Common Abomination

Do you want to hear one of the most scathing statements of Jesus? This one hits us right between the eyes when we sincerely consider what the culture exalts. Money. Power. Influence. Busyness. Possessions. Admiration.

Just listen to what the Lord said to the Pharisees, and I will share it in three versions. When reading this scary verse, ask yourself, “Do I value what the world values? Do I basically live like the culture around me lives? Do I aim for what most people aspire to?” Because if the answer is yes, then we are living an abomination.

What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight. (Luke 16:15, NIV)

What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God. (Luke 16:15 NLT)

For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God. (Luke 16:15, ESV)

Do you see how clear Jesus made this? If the world places high value on something, then God is horrified by it. We, His people, ought to live lives pleasing to the Lord. Our lives ought to be antithetical to the general ways of the culture. If it’s popular and exalted and proposed as “the way things should be,” then we need to analyze it against God’s Word

The world says to make your goal the accumulation of riches, a high career status, lots and lots of purposeless entertainment, the admiration of others, a life that is packed full of activities so that others think highly of you, children’s lives that are packed full of activities and sports so that other parents can be jealous of your kids, a big house with many cars and many things, etc.

Have we yielded to the world’s goals? Because what the world does not value is simplicity of living, quietness of soul, the pursuit of godliness, investing riches and time for the kingdom of God, a willingness to spread the Gospel no matter what people think, humility, etc. And those things are what God loves. Remember, what the culture exalts the Lord hates.

– Shelli Prindle

Why Should God Hear My Prayers?

Why should God hear my prayers? I mean, He’s the Creator, and I’m the created. He’s holy and I’m a sinner, so why should God listen to the cry of my heart? I have one word for you – Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood, so that people, like you and me, could be forgiven of our sins and have a way to talk to the God of the universe.

When you pray, not only does God hear you, but He responds to you. Now, He is going to answer our prayers in a much better way than we would answer them, because He knows infinitely more than we know, but He hears you.

You see, to pray “in the name of Jesus” is not just to tack a phrase onto the end of your prayer. To pray in the name of Jesus is to pray because of who Jesus is and because of what He has done. Jesus is the reason that we get to talk to God. Talk to Him today.

– Shelli Prindle

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, … let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith.” – (Hebrews 10:19a, 22a)

He Holds You

Light travels so fast that in the time it takes me to say, “light,” it has already gone 186,000 miles. At that rate of speed, it would take light 2.5 million years to get the nearest neighboring galaxy of stars! That’s right! And scientists tell us that there are billions of stars in each galaxy – and billions of galaxies in the universe. We have no idea how many stars exist and how far away they are. Yet, the Bible says in Isaiah chapter forty, that God holds each and every star in place and calls them each by name.

Stars are just burning balls of hydrogen and helium, but you, my friend, you were made in the image of God. You were made to have relationship with Him. If He knows the stars by name and holds them each in place, then He certainly knows you on the face of this earth. He knows you and He is holding you right now. Please pray and call out to Him.

– Shelli Prindle

“Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.” – (Isaiah 40:26)

Jesus Understands

Did you know that Jesus wasn’t a particularly good-looking person? The Bible says that He had no beauty that anybody would really desire Him (Isaiah 53:2). Did you know that He grew up in the town of Nazareth – on the wrong side of the tracks – a town about which people would say, “Nothing good could ever come from there!” (John 1:46) Did you know that Jesus grew up poor, and that throughout His life, most of His friends completely abandoned Him (Isaiah 53:3)?

And yet, the Bible tells us in Romans 8:34 that Jesus is now at the right hand of the Father praying for His people. That’s right. If you’re a Christian, you can know that Jesus is praying for you, and you can know that He understands. When He came to the earth, He didn’t come as a beautiful, popular, or wealthy person. He came in a way that He could understand the average person. He “gets” our problems and our hurts. When you pray to Him, know that He understands – and that He is praying for you!

– Shelli Prindle

“Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” – (Romans 8:34)

“He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” – (Isaiah 53:3)

Will Christians Really Rise from the Dead?

Biblical Christianity is based on the fact that true believers in Jesus Christ are going to rise from the dead. That’s what Jesus did. He died on the cross for our sins, and He came out of the grave.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the Apostle Paul is trying to answer the question of people who were asking, “But how are the dead raised? And what kind of bodies will they have?” Basically, Paul says, “This is no fairy tale; just look at the natural world around you right now!”

If I, Shelli, were to take a little acorn and hold it in my hand and say, “Hey, buddy, some day you are going to be eighty feet tall and have thousands of branches and leaves come from you – providing shade for houses and people,” he might respond to me and say, “Shelli, you’re nuts!” (Pun intended.)

The fact of the matter is, that we put a seed in the ground and bury it, and it appears to die. Then suddenly, by God’s working, it grows to brand new life! Listen, true believers in Jesus Christ are going to rise to new life one day! I don’t know exactly what our bodies are going to be like, but they are going to be glorious and wonderful! Count on it!

– Shelli Prindle

“But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain … So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.” – (1 Corinthians 15:35-37; 42-43)

How Can I Know that I Am Saved?

People keep asking me, “How do I know that I’m saved?” Listen closely to me, you know that you are saved when you hear the name of Jesus and it matters to you – I mean truly matters to you. You know that you are saved, when you hear the name of Jesus and your heart says, “I love Him! He is the only reason that I have peace with God.”

You see, we are all born sinners. We are all born with the wrath of God on our heads. We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. The only thing that can change our nature and take that wrath off our head and deliver us into a relationship with God is the sacrifice – the love – of Jesus Christ.
You will know that you are saved, when you hear the name of Jesus and think, “He is the One! He is the One that has saved me from my sin. I love Him, and I want to give my life to Him.”

– Shelli Prindle

“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” – (John 3:36)

God Is with You in Your Problem

God does allow true Christians to go through problems, but it comes with a promise. Do you remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the book of Daniel, chapter three? They refused to bow down and worship the king of Babylon, and so he threw them into an industrial-sized furnace. They trusted God, but they had to go into the fire.

Do remember what happened? When King Nebuchadnezzar went later to check on them, he found out that not only had they not burned, but they did not even smell like smoke. He also said that he saw a fourth person in the fire with them, and that person looked like a “son of the gods.” Well, you were right Nebuchadnezzar! It was actually the Son of God, Jesus Christ! He showed up in the fire and actually walked and talked with those boys while they were in there.

Sure, God allowed them to be in the fire, but He was with them the whole time. He protected them. It’s a promise for us. God is with us in the middle of it. God declares to His children, “When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.”

– Shelli Prindle

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” – (Isaiah 43:2)

Work of God

There is not only nothing you can do to save your soul, but it is actually a detriment to your soul to attempt to find salvation through any other effort, but the work of Jesus Christ. What He did on the Cross is the only work that saves. If you have been believing that you can do anything to earn your salvation, you are wrong, and your eternal life is in danger. It is the work of Jesus Christ alone that saves a human being from sin and hell.

– Shelli Prindle

“Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” – (John 6:28-29)

Atheists on TikTok

I am having unbelievable conversations with atheists on my TikTok account! One just asked my why Christians hate atheists, however, he then added, “but I don’t think you hate atheists.” Amen! We must remember that Christ died for us while we were yet sinners! Atheism is sin, but we all sin. And God reaches down to us IN our sin and saves us! Remember His grace. A Christian should NEVER be known for hatred of any human being or group of human beings. A Christian should be known for his or her love of Jesus, and – secondarily – love for other people. We stand and declare truth, even if it offends, but we do it in a way that makes those who disagree with us know that we still care deeply.

– Shelli Prindle

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – (Romans 5:8)

There are a million places to look and find chaos and confusion. Ah, but when you look at Jesus, you find peace and solid truth.

– Shelli Prindle

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” – (Isaiah 26:3)

End Times

The end times are just that, the END times. Relief is coming soon. The important thing is to stay close to the only One who can bring ultimate relief, and His name is Jesus. Live with all you’ve got for Him and His purposes. Be the best witness possible for the salvation of others. We only have so much time, and then the end will come.

– Shelli Prindle

“The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.” – (1 Peter 4:7)

Seeds Scattered on the Ground

The kingdom of God is both unstoppable and mysterious. Jesus likened it to seeds scattered on the ground that slowly, methodically, and automatically grow.

Have you ever actually watched a plant grow (without the benefit of time lapse photography)? We could sit with eyes fixed steadily upon the seed for hours, days, and weeks to observe any progress – and still our human eyes could not catch the “movement.” Rather, we plant a seed and go about our days. We do what we can to water and fertilize, but the earth itself does the work. God has programmed this planet to make plants grow; and the Lord consistently sustains all the energy, processes, and products necessary for the curious work of cultivation and harvest.

We humans plant a seed and do exactly as Jesus said, “[We] sleep and rise night and day.” (Mark 4:27) In other words, we persevere through the stuff of life. We lay our heads down on the pillow at night and arise to a new day. We live out that day, and the next, and the next . . . all the while “the seed sprouts and grows,” though we “know not how.” (Mark 4:27)

This parable of the growing seed is a comforting one to us. God is at work behind the scenes, even as we continue on through the regularity of life! His kingdom is growing, even if the naked eye cannot grasp its movement. The seed we faithfully planted is sprouting and getting larger, even if we go on sleeping and rising.

Be faithful to spread the Word of God. Be faithful to plant the news of Jesus wherever God has asked. Though your days may seem ordinary, God is growing the seed. How He actually works in a human heart is as incomprehensible as the earth’s toiling with a little seed. Against the force of gravity and plunging up through a mound of dirt comes the sprout. So comes the beginning of God’s kingdom in a human heart once the seed of Truth is planted. Through seasons of sun, rain, cold, and heat grows the plant until the fruit appears. Likewise, the fruit of our investment in the proclamation of the Gospel arises despite obstacles and discouragement. Count on God to grow the kingdom as you plant the seed. Sleep at night knowing He is on the move. Wake in the morning assured growth is taking place. Scatter seed and let God work.

As Jesus promised, one day “when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” (Mark 4:29) The final gathering of all that’s been planted and grown will take place and bring to light that which developed in such an unfathomable way. Suddenly, we shall realize just how majestic and impenetrable is this kingdom of God. The mysterious working of God in souls we touched with his Word will shine forth.

Keep scattering seed. Continue letting God work – faithfully and in an often unseen manner – as we go about our days in obedience.

– Shelli Prindle

“The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” – (Mark 4:26-29)