We must do what we must do.

 What does it mean to surrender. Is it a feel good term of just saying okay God take it then when you get up off your knees, you pick it back up put it back in your pocket and take it back home with you and put it back on the shelf on the mantle if you will so you can stare at it.. We know what to say but we don't know how to actually lay it down. We must confess our sins.. what does that mean... it means call it out. Things that are hidden are toxic and will poison you from the inside out. When we call it out, we strip its power from controlling us... Why is this important? because we can't be held accountable for those things not known to anyone but us. God holds us accountable when we die. we must deal with it here and now... If I go before God and whoever is around me and call out for God to remove things from my life.. a good Christian brother or sister will be like okay, we're going to help you hold the line... we're going to be vigilant with you... We are going to stand watch and stand shoulder to shoulder and call out the enemy., then speak against it. we're going to wage warfare of this thing. We're going to stand toe to toe... we will come against that which is trying to end us! Confess, then the bible says repent. I know I am a sinner. I know I messed up, that I was consumed by lust and pornography. I repent of the wickedness in Jesus name. I ask Jesus to cover my sin, to remove the desire. To make me clean again. THEN the bible says to turn away from that which had you bound and flee from the very appearance of evil. RUN the other direction. Don't flirt with it thinking you're good now! MOVE! go and sin no more. get out of the same patterns that have you bound to a demon. rise above in Jesus name.. 

Satan has us believing that we are alone and isolated. he wants us there so he can defeat us... if we stand together he loses. 

hold one another accountable. WE RISE TOGETHER!

All we need is Love: From christian to Christ follower.

All we need is Love: From christian to Christ follower.:  We are entering a season of revival in the world. People do not turn to our creator when things are good. We don't appreciate what we h...

From christian to Christ follower.

 We are entering a season of revival in the world. People do not turn to our creator when things are good. We don't appreciate what we have until it is no longer there by default. We have to be reminded that we need our father to intervene on our behalf because we are a broke and faulty people. If we spent our time on following the will of the father rather than being entertained, then we would discover true freedom. If someone that is lost to the will of the father sees someone that is following the will of the father correctly, then he or she will be drawn to that because deep down we all yearn to be drawn back to our father. Many of us don't understand what it is that we are looking for and we try to find it in sex, drugs, alcohol or whatever else we can find.. until we are reconciled to the father we will have an empty place in our hearts. it's so important to seek and follow the will of the father no matter what because we do not know who is watching us and how what we do affects those around us. 

God is on the move regardless of what satan shows us. He is the master deceiver and only finds pleasure and joy in stripping Gods children from him. He knows that ultimately is the thing that hurts God the most. Convincing you that he doesn't exist. that he doesn't love you, that he isn't there for you. God's love supersedes anything on this planet. many of us cannot even fathom it because we haven't had a good example of what that even looks like. it's important for us to follow and obey. to reflect God, not ourselves. 

Independence or Victory

 Don't get caught up in the idea that you are independent and can do it all on your own. I am that person and I will tell you that it will cause you to struggle far more than you should. Why, you ask? Well, it's simple really. Many times the answer we are begging, pleading, and sometimes even fighting for is right in front of us but, we are so consumed with what issue we're dealing with that's all we see. Sometimes if we teach ourselves to be reliant on an outside perspective to see what we can't, it actually gives us an advantage due to the fact we don't have to fight an immovable object. Just simply step to the side and go around. Again, it's easy to say and much harder to do. If you don't have someone to ask or a higher power to consult, then you're doomed to struggle. If you refuse to ask someone that you do have access to for help, you are also doomed to struggle. Many of us are unaware of the resources we have as humans that comes from our creator. That help comes simply from asking and believing. You might say well, you don't know my situation. While technically true it doesn't remove the fact that I myself have been in a similar situation and took the hard road. 10 out 10 don't recommend. We all need advice from someone that is wiser than us, stronger than us, more spiritual than us. That's not a negative thing although society tells us it is. We all need a mentor that helps us along the way. It's equally important to become a mentor to someone that is going through something that you have successfully overcome. Whether that be addiction, anger, lust, pornography, etc. It is our duty to help those affected by us overcome things so that in the end we rise together. Society tells us to be out for number 1, ourselves. Culture says screw everyone else as long as you benefit from it, however, that will come at price in the end that will be too heavy to carry and too costly to pay. 

Two pulling the wagon are far more powerful than one. You might say, "well of course because there are two." However, it goes beyond sheer numbers. If one = 1 power then two = 2.5 power. One might say how does that compute. Other than sheer strength, there is also built in motivation. One protects the other, and there are fewer blind sides to worry about. It's not good for man to be alone. If you've watched the popular TV show Alone, you have witnessed the battle in the mind when people are removed from their support system. It's more of a mental battle to be there than it is a physical battle. Such as it is in life as well. Be strong and do as much as you can do. However, ask for help and guidance to maximize your steps so you can be a good steward of the time, effort, energy, and resources you are given. 

Independence or Victory. Rarely you will have both. True freedom is giving control to our creator. Battles then are fought on our behalf under the protection of his love and by his power and authority. 

I lift my hands and believe again

Lifting your hands is a universal and international sign of surrender. When I was young, my pastor always said something that for some reason always irritated me. Every chance he got in service he said, "everyone lift your hands" and I never did. Call it rebellion, call it disobedience, call it sin, but it was simply a boy saying why do I need to lift my hands? Ironically the answer was never given by my pastor that I can remember. It doesn't mean that it wasn't important or that he didn't think of it, perhaps I missed church that day. Thing is it wasn't till I was well into adulthood that I finally did  figure it out. 



There are many different reasons lifting your hands is important when it comes to worship. The first and most known reason is that it's a sign of surrender. We all know that an international signal that you are wanting to surrender is raising your hands. Many of us have either seen footage of one of the world wars where soldiers are being escorted with their hands up or waving white flags in the air. When it comes to worship it is important as a signal that you are surrendering control to God. To realize that you cannot overcome on your own and that you need help, you lift your hands to say okay God take over. Critics would say if God is God, then shouldn't he already know? The answer in short is yes, he knows but it takes us realizing that we need help to invite God to take over. We are given free will and God does not violate that...EVER. why do we have evil people? (free will to follow God or follow Satan).

Next, in order to lift your hands to surrender, you have to have faith. It takes faith to lift your hands and say, "okay God, I can't do it on my own and I need help." simply lifting your hands takes faith to say I'm lifting my hands expecting a response. Psalms 28:2 "Hear the voice of my supplication as I cry to thee for help, as I lift up my hands toward thy most holy sanctuary. This was King David saying that he lifts his hands toward heaven. Although it seems like it, it's not an act of defeat. Quite the contrary in fact it is an ultimate act of faith to say even when everything seems bleak and there is no hope, lift your hands and leave it with the only God who is able. Did you read that? HE IS ABLE. In essence it's kind of symbolic of meeting God halfway.

BUT WAIT!!! there's more! Not only is it surrendering the control, the worry, and the stress from the problem, not only is it an act of faith saying God will take care of it, but it's also an act of obedience. It's an act of worship in the fact that God, you are ultimate. You are absolute. There is none other than you. It is an act of blessing God. Look here - David lovingly calls to his faithful God: "So I will bless thee as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on thy name" (Psalm 63:4).

There are more than 28 verses specifically dedicated to lifting your hands in the Old Testament alone. search the word of God and look at the importance of lifting your hands in worship and obedience to God.

Space and and a clear station

Many times I have looked at the heavens in all its glory and thought, "wow, how insignificant am I in comparison to this!" I'll admit that I can be easily impressed sometimes when it comes to the vastness of creation, but nothing impressed me more than one night on a long road home looking out the window and watching the stars rotate around me, occasionally seeing the streak of green or amber in the sky showing me that the atmosphere that God created to protect us on earth from space junk was on the job and effective. Listening to christian radio seemed to help pass the time, people were sharing their personal epiphanies regarding their faith and suddenly I realized that this was one of those moments I really needed to listen deeper. I turned off the radio and continued on the road dimly lit by the moon beyond where my headlights reached and heard a voice speak to my spirit. The interesting thing people get hung up on when it comes to the voice of God is if it is audible. That subject will be for another time. In this case, my spirit was tuned in to the correct channel and the signal was clear (for I had cleared my mind just for this occasion) God has his own way to remind us who we are are and this night he did more than that. He spoke to my spirit saying, it is true that I created all of this, the heavens and the earth, I created everything to work in unison in perfect harmony. It is true that it can be overwhelming but I want you to remember that I created you with the same care that I created all of this. Nothing is chance. You were created on purpose and to me you're more majestic than what you are in awe of.

Remembering a tragic event in history that you have experienced can be a depressing experience. Thing is you want to make sure that you remember the event out of respect to those who lost much and at the same time, you would like to forget the pain and agony we faced, wish even that it had not happened. The greater thought process would be what if. Well, as Corrie Ten Boom once said, "There are no ifs in God's world." So keeping that in mind, we have to transition our thought process to how can we take what we have experienced, even the tragic ones, and turn it for good. Each and every one of us have the choice to either be debilitated or be empowered by tragedy. Just under 3000 people lost their lives on 9/11/01. Many have penned great tributes to those affected and I wish that I could better convey what was on my heart. Truly what we must all understand is that we have a choice each and every day. To either follow the trend which never has sustenance, or follow the greater good. May we each and every one take in consideration our fellow American's when we think of our great nation. May we request from our maker mercy and grace for our people. May we all be able to see past agendas and selfishness and all live for the people so that others may know that we are indeed united.

  

Christmas Wish

Obviously, I have not posted on this blog in quite a while. Almost a year to be exact. Quite frankly, I was not sure that anyone even read it. I still am uncertain to that, however, if one person is able to see light in an otherwise dark situation, well then it's worth the effort. As we approach the coming celebration of the birth of a savior that would give all of us a choice in where we wanted to spend eternity, I think it is important to pause in the hustle and bustle of buying gifts for family friends and significant others and realize just what Christmas actually means. The birth of a savior. The beginning of an intimate relationship with God. The ability to actually have a part of God in our hearts. Until the birth of Christ, there was no possibility of having God in us. We had to go before a priest to request our sins to be pushed back for a year with a sacrifice. Mind you, our sins were not eliminated, just put on standby if you will. The Birth of Jesus changed that very idea that you could not be cleansed. For the very first time in the history of the universe, there was a way being created to have a direct connection to the creator of the universe. I cannot use enough words to express the magnitude of the birth of this little baby. Born to a virgin. The king of kings. Lord of Lords. Healer, creator, and finally the ultimate sacrifice for your sins.
    Some say, okay great, wooo. Christmas, the time of the year when everyone says Merry Christmas, well fewer now than before. You may actually get lucky and see a nativity scene. With atheists being given free reign with no one to challenge their ideas, all mention of Jesus is being removed. However, the name of Jesus will never be completely erased. This goes being on the winning side or losing side. It is important to express to others what it means to have a relationship with Jesus to the ever growing number of people who have no hope, have nothing to look to, don't understand what great peace that we get when we decide to put our faith in God, are forgiven by a savior, and invite the Holy Ghost to come in and help us, to guide us, to protect us. Christmas goes beyond a spirit of helping our fellow man, Christmas was created to SAVE our fellow man. I fear that we have all lost direction when it comes to the calling we all have. Stand up and be bold in your faith. Christmas in heaven's language means saving grace. Christmas for the saints already gone home means a permanent eternal forgiveness. It means everlasting life. It means a way out of a bad situation. It means hope for the hopeless. It means forgiveness to all of us that do not deserve it. It means being united with our creator. It means LIFE.
         Before you go any further in life, before you make the horrible decision that you can make it on your own, before you fail repeatedly because you aren't all knowing, all seeing, turn to Jesus. He, in his mercy has the ability to guide you in life and help you make the correct decisions. He in his mercy has the desire to bless you, and keep you, and SAVE you from pain. TO save you from destruction. To save you from that addiction that you just can't seem to let go of. To break the chains of bondage that is weighing you down and has you on the verge of going under and losing the fight. DON'T GIVE UP. Give it to a higher power. Life does not have to be hard. DO NOT CHOOSE difficulty. Do not be stubborn like me. There is an easier way. Choose Life!! Choose Help. Choose wisely. Trust in the baby that changed everything, the very blood of our creator spilled for you. Just for you. The ultimate gift born just for you.

Come to Me

Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 

Come to me... such a simple phrase isn't it? Such an honest simple thought that maybe we try to complicate it a bit because let's face it. It shouldn't be that easy. We tend to hang on with a death grip to all that binds us and brings us down. Even when it comes to our salvation. God didn't say take 42 steps this direction, stand on your head walk 12 miles in the rain, live in the wilderness and meditate. He simply says, "come to me" 

   SO why is it that we tend to say no it's too hard? It's that little voice in our heads saying, "you can't do it" this is the first lie you will hear. Jesus while dying on the cross cried not out of pain for the the flesh being ripped from his body, the pain of being separated from his love and his longing for you to come to him was far greater. He literally begged for us to run to him. Can you imagine? Beaten, bloody, and weak and his pain is caused by us not running to him. 

    He is calling for you. Not for you to jump through hoops, not for you to do sort of mission impossible if you will. His way was not created to be difficult. Do not let your head over complicate things. Simply, run. Run from pain, Run from regret, Run from hate, Run from depression, run from habits, run from your past. It's always been said you can't run from your problems. THat statement is only partly true, you can run TO Jesus. 

     NONE of us are perfect. I know that I sure am not. I fail horribly probably as much or more than anyone. As long as I get up and turn to run to him, I'll be fine. He will give me rest.

Please come to me. COme to me and let me take your burdens. Come to me and let me take your pain. Come to me and let me give you rest. I'm pleading with you. Think about this. GOD the creator of the universe is pleading with you...wrap your head around this. THE GOD OF GOD's is pleading for you to come to him. How can you say that no one cares? Don't worry about the small junk. Run to HIM

To be yoked or not to be

It is amazing how quickly time flies. I understand it has been some time since I have last written and quite frankly I sometimes wonder if anyone reads this thing or not. However, from time to time I feel the need to share something that is either a realization or an epiphany or perhaps words straight from God. I do not feel that I am wise enough to come up with what I usually write on my own so I am thankful when I am given something. All of that being said, here is the new delivery.

If any of you are like me, I spent a lot of time while dating focusing on the possibilities of one day being more than dating. The one overwhelming thought I had was the warning in the bible in 2 Corinthians 6:14 where is says   Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness. This was so much prevalent on my mind that perhaps some other equally important points weren't paid attention to. Now, thankfully it has worked out but, I do believe that it is easy to be misled when it comes to this passage. 
To be equally yoked has the obvious meanings of make sure you are in the same faith. There are many references to this including but not limited to a house divided in itself will not stand. The good news is this is all very true. However, your faith and that of your spouse is not the only thing you need to be equally yoked on. It just so happens that it is equally important to have the same mindset on raising children, finances, and responsibilities. 
Let me clarify what I am saying here. Let's say you find someone that you really like and feel like you can fall in love with them. Let's even say that you have taken the time to verify that person believes the same as you spiritually. Great! everything will be smooth sailing right? WRONG. It is important to understand that you will not spend your entire life in church. If you are for instance a conservative person financially and the person you marry is not, you will have hardships and problems that will be difficult to over come. It is important to understand that what society teaches us everything will be fine as long as you can see yourself waking up next to this person until you get bored then you can get a divorce for the low price of ----- Just like everything in life, a little foundation or ground work if you will, will make your life so much easier. Here are some things that you should look for.
Habits- Habits are very difficult to break for both parties involved. So make sure the habits that your future spouse has is something you are okay with. The chances of them changing are very slim. Please not this is not limited to tobacco etc. Habits cover a wide range of things.
Finances- If you and your future spouse do not agree on how to spend/save money, you will have a rocky marriage. Am I saying that it will not be possible? No, I am not, however, it is much easier to get this hashed out with a solid plan and the ability to stick to the plan. The thing with plans are that a good plan is useless unless you use/apply it.
Motivation- this may seem a little funny to some of you. However, if you have one person that doesn't have much motivation to do things that are required to run a house and the other has to take up the slack, it causes a lot of friction. the important thing to remember is that when you get married, you are no longer a singular entity. You become a part of another being. No longer are you allowed to think of yourself, You are commanded by God to think of you and him/her with a level of importance equal to or greater than you consider yourself. When children are involved, you are no longer a couple, you are a family, and so on. If your focus is not on those you are responsible for and making sure their needs are met above all others to the best of your ability, you are failing. You are not only failing yourself and your family, but you are failing God as well.
I challenge you to see the yoke as much more than initially thought. do not take lightly the charge of God when you take on others because you will be held accountable before God for your actions.

BURN IT DOWN

Regret, Fear, Hatred, Selfishness, Self Loathing. Each and every one of us can identify with one or more of these words. The problem is, any one of these words are something that will actually kill who you are, more importantly who you can be. The trouble is, each one of these things sneak in under the radar so to speak and you really do not realize they are even there until they have already completely taken over. To get rid of them well, that is even more difficult. How you ask, how can one redeem oneself and change their perspective therefore their potential. It is amazing how something as simple as one's perspective can greatly influence one's accomplishments. It truly is as simple as what my dear great aunt has always said, "happiness is a state of mind, if you aren't happy change your mind." for the longest time, I thought she was a quirky old lady who was really wise about alot of things but I never could wrap my head around this saying, and she said it often. I've looked at her and watched her and wondered how on earth could someone who has been through so many trials in their life have such a positive outlook on everything. She has been tried by fire, and not found wanting. She is a saint in my book, but the reason why will shock you. It's not because she is a devout christian, which she is, it's not because she does endless good works, which she does, it's simply because in her mind, she does not allow any of these things to develop a foundation therefore, they starve out. She has literally burned them all down. She is mighty because she decided to change her mind. She is an over comer because she made a conscious decision to stand on the promise her heavenly father made her. She understands words have power, the mind is mighty, and what you allow in your mind will control you. If you burn these diseases out of your mind, or BURN THEM DOWN, you will be victorious in literally every aspect of your life. With God's help, you can do all things through christ who strengthens you. Phillipians 4:13 I decide to not allow Regret, Fear, Hatred, Selfishness, Or self loathing to gain a foothold in my mind or in my life. I challenge you to share this, to live this, to conquer this with me. We may all stand mighty and strong as my Great Aunt does. She is my hero. If only I can be half the person she is.

Reflections

At different times most of us take a day or maybe two and look back over events in our lives. I have had many different ones, most of which I do not talk about. Actually, I generally have deep conversations about my life because I am a private person. There are, however, events that have happened in my life and I have responded to them in ways that left me to wonder if I misread the interpretation. I am sure more than once that has happened. Many times in my life I have created a more difficult situation for myself trying to help someone else. While some might say this is a sign of sainthood, (which it is not) I have realized that in doing so, I have turned away help that was meant for me. Very few times I have met someone that were built like I am in the sense of having a servants heart and being genuine in what they say and do. Unfortunately for me, I am the one that lost. This post is to remind you that when you are fortunate enough to have someone to be that person for you, uplifting, encouraging, selfless, etc. do not take it for granted. It is hard sometimes because you think that they have better things to do than spend their time and effort on you, but it is for a reason. Do not mess up something good because your self worth is low. Pushing someone away because your self worth is low only hurts you, and you're worth much more than you give yourself credit for. Experience talking, let someone build you up once in a while especially if they are sincere.

Meet me halfway

At least once in our life we have heard, "meet me halfway". While this is a good practice to commit in our every day walk, it is not conducive in our marriage. When you become married, the bible says that two become one. Therefore, if you only give half well, that's not enough. In a marriage it is necessary to 100% everyday.  100% because 50 just won't do. The Bible says in everything you do, do as if it is for Christ. Don't you think marriage is important enough to qualify? Many don't and it is sad, and it is also why we are now the worlds leader in divorces.

Relationships Part I

       Relationships are the things that we all struggle with at least at some point in our lives. We struggle to make friends sometimes, we struggle to not create enemies, we struggle to keep our partners happy etc. The number one thing required for a good relationship is the willingness and I'll even say eagerness  of both people to be in that relationship. I've seen many cases where a relationship was made by one person working triple over time for the relationship, and the other person on cruise control. While this may work for a time, this will not survive long term, matter of fact I'll go as far to say, it will not survive the first few tests of the relationship. A relationship that is based on this will completely exhaust the person trying so hard to a point to where that person no longer cares. The dangerous thing about this type of relationship is that once that point is reached, there is almost no turning back. This is the point where nothing you say or do will make any difference because they have reached their limit. A relationship is much like a battery in the effect that if you use it too much without recharging it, soon it will be dead.  It is important that one must take the steps occasionally to recharge it. If you leave the battery dead too long, it will soon be worthless and unable to recharge. A perfect relationship actually has no one party making the most effort. A good relationship will have two people equally pulling the same direction for a common goal. Any time you have two of anything working together, you accomplish at least 3 times more work than if you had just one. Not only do you have the effort of those two people but, you also have the mental support, emotional support, and the desire to not let the other person down. Therefore, at that point, the pair does not even realize that instead of doing 1x the work or even 2x the work, the limit is only set by the desire to succeed. This is important in relationships as much as it is in anything else. The Bible says for us to not be unequally yoked. It's no surprise this analogy was made in our relationships. If two oxen are yoked unequally, they will fight each other to the point of exhaustion and then you have two worthless oxen and a load that hasn't moved. So a couple that are unequally yoked will have the same outcome. They will spend so much time fighting one another that not only will they exhaust themselves and become worthless, they will also not accomplish their goal. If you truly want a meaningful, prosperous relationship, pull with your partner, in the same direction, on the same page, with the same spirit. There will be no valley you can not climb out of and no mountain to tall to overcome.

Relationship matters

There is ONE thing all humans on planet earth have in common. At the core of the human species, one single solitary thing is priority to the sanity of mankind. Would you care to guess what it might be? Well, I'm sure many of you have looked at the title and have been clued in to what it may be. There will be many who, for the sake of arguing would disagree but, please hear me out. There just so happens to be only one thing that God did not originally create but added into creation itself. You guessed it, the woman. Women were not initially created by God, but God saw that Adam was lonely and longed for a what..... okay, so now that I have your attention, this post isn't about the importance of men to women and vice versa, this post is about relationships. The very foundation of Christianity is based on one simple thing. Our personal relationship with Jesus Christ is what will ultimately grant us eternal life or the lack of will cause our demise. The sad part is that the general population and even much of the religious organizations do not emphasize the importance of healthy strong relationships.

          We tend to overlook the complete picture in relationships, and our younger generation is not taught to value relationships. Instead, they are taught to simply replace the person rather than invest time, effort, and patience with them. The important thing here is to understand that Jesus came to earth not only to die a horrible death for our sins, not only to be an example to how we should and could live, not only to love us unconditionally but, Jesus came to this earth to show us he will literally give his life to have a relationship with us. Now, many of us have a difficult time understanding relationships and rightly so, they are not easy to understand, but well worth the effort.

        I will be doing a series on relationships, and the important aspects that we all should strive for on this. This blog is not written based on my expertise, rather it is based on what I am led to write, so please bear with me on the time frame it is posted. God sees fit to use someone as unworthy as me to deliver a message to people at random times, and if it only reaches one, it's worth all the time spent. I encourage you to invite your friends to follow this page, God is graciously using me to do his work and I could not be happier about it. 

God is Love

God is love. We all have heard this at one point or another. Most of us at one time or another have seen the inside of a church and have heard these words but apparently most of us do not grasp the concept as to how much we are loved. We are told that we cannot even fathom the concept of love without first having God in our hearts. We love to play off of the word love for commercial holidays and to persuade someone to do our bidding but we do not understand love. Even Webster does not have the true meaning of love. How many times have we seen reality shows and the like totally centered around love. The pursuit of love is endless it seems like and the world has totally missed the road to love. I have lately been struggling with people that claim to know what love is overusing the phrase and the word without the possibility of meaning what they are saying because they do not know love. Who's at fault? Is it our parents that have given us a misconception of love? Is it our tainted ideologies due to our experiences? Is it because we refuse to accept the fact that maybe we cannot grasp the overall idea? I am no philosopher by any means, but I feel we miss the mark of love by such extreme limits it is just sad.
There are those that say I know what love is, but do not understand God. It is such an unfortunate thing to only see one dimension of love. Love is much more than wanting to be around someone, Love is much more than goosebumps, Love is much more than companionship, love is much greater than life. The Bible says, great is the love that one would lay down his life for his friend. You cannot say "I love you" but refuse to commit acts of self sacrifice. You cannot honestly say "I love you" to someone then say I refuse to be pleasing to that person. Too many people are only out for convenience, To say I love you so they will get what they want. It costs nothing to SAY I love you. If you honestly love someone it will pour out of everything you do. Your constant waking thought will be to please that person, no matter what.
I realize that it seems I am rambling at this point but true love is not stressed enough, which is crazy to me since this is ultimately the very single thing everyone on this planet craves, needs, and is necessary. We cannot exist long without love, yet society is teaching us every day of the week a misconstrued version of love and what's been happening to the world? Where there is love, there cannot be greed, where there is love there cannot be selfishness, where there is love there cannot be hate, where there is love there cannot be anger, where there is love there cannot be failure. This is the very thing that Jesus died on the cross for. He died on the cross to show his love for us. Each and every one of us were given hope because of LOVE. Jesus did not endure hell just to eliminate our sins. If that were the only reason, he would not have followed through! Yet this is what is taught every day! The cross was the ultimate act of LOVE. Yet we as people walk through our miserable lives so caught up in garbage that we cannot see daylight, because we are not focused on love. Love is the ONLY thing that matters. It is the most important commandment that GOD himself mandated from his creation. Love the Lord with all your heart, your mind and your strength. PERIOD. This commandment is priority one! on all levels. why was lucifer thrown out of heaven? because he no longer loved God!. Love is the only thing that will create good.
There is so much on this subject that gets over looked its just pitiful. Christians around the world for years have been condescending to anyone that did not believe exactly the way they did. This is a sin that will send many so called christians to hell. It is not our jobs to stick our fingers in someone's face and yell you're going to hell you rotten piece of dirt. We are commissioned to love, to spread that good news that God so LOVED the world. There is a reason that this verse is the most important verse in the bible. There is a reason this is reiterated over and over.
If you claim to love your fellow man but refuse to help him, you're a liar.
If you claim to love your spouse but do not honor them, you are a liar.
If you claim to love your spouse but put yourself in front of them, your a liar.
If you claim to love Jesus, but do not submit to him, you're a sinner.
There is hope, there is a way out of suffering and pain, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it's the cross, where the greatest act of love that has ever been committed took place. It was done just for you in mind. You cannot fathom the love that GOD has for you.

Living with your choices

Usually the last thing we think about when we make decisions is will we be able to live the rest of our lives with our decisions. I have mentioned in this blog a time or two about the words we speak having power and when we put words into the universe they are always there, never to be re captured. The same is true with our choices. We make many choices on a daily basis, question is, are we willing to pay the price for them?
My life has always been trying to bring all those around me up so the world will be a better place. The problem is I have made choices in doing this, that have negatively affected other people, and those choices and the effects are sometimes too much to bear. None of us are perfect, at least I know I am not, but I try, I get up everyday and start over, everyday. I have set backs, I deal with pain, I get discouraged and broken down, but I won't quit trying to make a difference, I have just changed how I approach situations. I have been absent from the blog for a while due to attempting to do what I am supposed to do, but a calling is a calling and I will be getting back to the blog soon. I apologize to those who actually read this, all three of you.

Condemnation

            Many times we are easily distracted as humans much less as Christians in doing what we should. There are far too many avenues in which we can get lost in while trying to navigate life. Simply put "Mantenere la fede" We all have been in situations where the only thing we can think about is the thing that is slapping us in the face or trying our patience or both. It can be scary "taking the road less traveled" and these days, doing what is right even when no one is watching is a road being traveled less and less, but we should not fear or be ashamed no matter the outcome of us doing what is right. Recently, I personally have seen what happens when you "stick to your guns" and refuse to do what is popular to achieve a higher status or recognition at work. I was demoted and sent out of the office for my belief. This choice is one that I would make again with only slight difference.
          It is far too easy to take the easy road in life, or love, or anything else for that matter. A wise man once said that life is not only the destination but the journey as well. Life teaches us many lessons, and if your lessons are anything like mine, many are not fun to learn. Choices are important, and life changing. The smallest decision sometimes makes the biggest differences. So make your choices make a positive difference. We each hold great power in the words we speak and the actions we make to make the world brighter, or darker. As I have written before the battle rages everyday between good and evil, and what you do feeds either one or the other.
         So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10) make your choices with the word as a back up, for there can be no greater help but your creator. God still loves you and wants to help you even if you don't consider yourself to be a "christian". all that is important is that you understand that you have a personal relationship with God.
        For many years I was taught that a good Christian did not associate with sinners and that you stayed away from people that were not like you. I do not believe this is what God had in mind when he sent his son to the cross. The most recited verse in the bible is John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son, that who so ever believed him would not perish but have everlasting life." the sad part is many churches automatically skip the very next verse which I feel is just as important John 3:17 says that God sent not his son to condemn the world, but so the world through him might be saved... If God says very plainly I do not condemn the world....how is it that many churches feel they have a right to condemn sinners for many various reasons? Why is it that we all as Christians think it is okay to look down our noses at people living in sin? I work with a guy that actually makes me sick because anyone that does not believe exactly like him is going to hell... I've got news for him and all like him. That mindset right there sends thousands of people to eternal death every day. Many simply do not have an desire to come to the father because they want no part of it.
          God is love, not condemnation. God will not condemn you, and has never desired to make anyone feel like they aren't special. This is the reason God made all people unique.

Follow Me............

Follow me... and I will make you fishers of men. Matthew 4:19 

 

It is no coincidence that Jesus chose this phrase over and over again throughout his 30 years of preaching, teaching, and healing on this planet. It is also not just a "fluke" that in everything he taught, he also lived. How many of us have had a person of authority, (a boss, a supervisor, a team leader) that were very good at delegating jobs and work, but rarely "practiced what they preached"? All too often we see someone that we look upon as a leader but instantly lose respect due to the fact that they did not lead by example, rather they led by orders.
        Many times we lose sight of the whole reason Jesus walked this planet. Those of us that grew up in church and Sunday School know that Jesus came to earth to die for our sins. John 3:16 ""For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  What is less known is this wasn't the only reason! God sent his only son to show us how to live. SHOW us by EXAMPLE how to live. Jesus could just as easily have fallen to temptation like all the rest of us. He walked a human life. Because Jesus kept his heart pure he was the lamb chosen to give you and me hope of a new life, a better life, one after this life is over. It is our commission from Christ to "follow him" and to "lead" others to Christ. You will not find anywhere in the Bible where it says, go unto the world, grab people by the nose, yell and scream at them and tell them they are going to hell while you look down your nose and act like the pharisees in the bible. Apparently people don't remember that Jesus himself really did not like the Pharisees at all who those put themselves above all others and did not follow the law they commanded others to follow. John chapter 8 is a good place to read about this.
     Even Paul, my personal favorite apostle, was very specific in his letters to Corinth. Read 1 Corinthians 11:1 "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." Paul was very adamant about spending all of his time encouraging others and focusing on the will of God. This man just would not quit! Paul lived such a example that many who harmed him eventually followed him. How many of us can say that our enemies turned and followed us?  I posted on my Facebook page today, "A good man leads, a great man leads by example." This quote weighed heavy on my heart all day today and I really don't think most people really understood what the phrase said to me, then again, maybe it wasn't for anyone else but me. I like most people make many mistakes, but it's the idea, that Jesus is still telling us 2000 years later that, you know your commission is to drop your concerns and follow me, in turn I will teach you to lead BY EXAMPLE others to fulfill their place in heaven. This isn't like the Jehovah's Witnesses. God has set aside a place in Heaven for everyone ever created. All we have to do is pick up the cross and follow him and lead others to him. I could go on and on about all the scriptures in the Bible telling us to "follow him" According to statistics, Jesus says "follow me" 23 times in the bible. Keeping in mind that Jesus states only 4 times more (27 times) the phrase "I am" I would think this is really powerful.
          Keep in mind that you are always being watched. Like it or not, people determine who you are not just by what you say, but more so what you do. When I was much younger, I did a really good job of following God closely. I didn't do a lot of things of the world and had no problem being around people that did, the way I saw it, it was my commission to be a light and to be an example. There came a point when I became overcome with selfishness and stopped putting effort into being an example eventually falling into sin. I had a friend come to me and said, " you were always the one I looked at for consistency, no matter what you stuck to your faith, but I'm disappointed in you." This was said to me almost 10 years ago and still haunts me to this day. I led people astray because of my selfishness, and willingness to throw my hands up and turn from God. I am working on getting back to God, and to reflect his image by everything I do, I'm not perfect, not even close, but I am not going to go down with out a fight again. I have made a commitment to God that I will do my level best to lead by example. To follow him.

Doorways

We all make choices. Each choice we make is a doorway. We either open a door to darkness and allow darkness to freely walk right in and make itself at home. Once you have opened a door, it is much more difficult to close. We need to be ever mindful of what is on the other side of the door before we open it. If you are in a bad neighborhood, you wouldn't simply open the door without looking through the peephole, you should guard your heart and soul with the same cautiousness and even more so. There is spiritual war fare we all fight regardless if we realize it or not. Battle can be won by simply not opening the door. Be mindful of what you watch, what you listen to, what words you speak because as I've written in other posts, words are so extremely powerful and once you have uttered them, you will never be able to take it back. God spoke the world into existence. spoke... his voice split the heavens wide open. The bible says that God created man in his own image. (Genesis 1:27) do you not think he also gave us the power of words? Be very careful what you say and do..
      At some point we all as adults have seen or heard "hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil" remember the cute little monkeys ? This could be a comical way to look at it, but the truth is, the key to a pure heart is to put away all things that are not of God. To turn your back on sin and evilness and turn your face to God and start walking a brisk walk. We sink and fall and stumble and become useless when we take our eyes off of God. I personally lost a lot when I turned from God. but it's so amazing how quickly he restores your life, your peace, your hope when you turn your eyes back to him. Let's look at Peter. (Matthew 14:29) Peter saw Jesus walking among the waves and was frightened. Jesus bid him to come to him and Peter got out of the boat in a raging storm and walked on water. But soon Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and immediately started to sink. When each of us take our eyes off our father, we sink. We sink in despair, in hopelessness, but fortunately our father reaches down and takes us by the hand and pulls us from the muck, the sin, the evilness, the doubt, the fear and replaces all of those with hope, and love, and forgiveness.
          It does not matter what you have done, or said. Jesus tells us, Go and sin no more. He died so that we could have complete forgiveness, and hope, and peace. There is so much more to hold with God than without him. Turn away from the things that are questionable, if you doubt, turn away from it. If you question if it's a sin, don't do it. Put your eyes on God, he is the key to every doorway righteous and good and true. Be mindful of the door ways in your life. Close the doorways that do not give God glory, and honor, and praise. This world is not our home and we only have one soul. guard it wisely. Do not freely give it away to darkness. Lock it in the grace of heaven to which only Jesus has the key. He took the keys to death hell and the grave for you and me. Only he is able to protect it.

          Love like Jesus, reach out to others like Jesus, reflect Jesus. This is our commission to all. I am more driven right now to be like Paul then anything. If only we could kill the flesh and live for the Glory of God, how great is the reward. No riches on earth could compare. Remember this is NOT home. We are only passing through. It is not the past that defines us, it's how we reflect Jesus. How clean is your mirror?