Tag: christian

Maximum Effort

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Maximum Effort

As a person we all have ideals, goals, dreams, but what does that mean? Me personally I enjoy photography, writing, archery, but what does this really mean? Our goals are usually our own, but are we in tune to what God wants from us? Do our goals match those of Gods? As David knew from an early age he was destined to become King, we aren’t as lucky knowing our destiny. How much effort do we put into our futures? What do we put our efforts into? Colossians 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” Whatever we do should be the best we can for the Lord. Romans 14:19 “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” In all things we should put our efforts in Love. Love the Lord and that fact that Love isn’t always easy, that’s what makes it worthwhile. No mater the path we are put on by God shouldn’t we put in as much effort as we do the things of a worldly nature that make us ‘happy’? Hebrews 10:36 “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” What if we put all that effort in getting rich, or climbing the mountain, building empires, our careers, as we do to spread the word of the Lord? What if we put all that effort into loving our neighbors and remember the teachings of the Lord? Romans 15:5 “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had,” As the climbing of a mountain takes courage, strength, and endurance, so does giving our maximum effort to Christ. Remember the most important mountain to climb is the mountain to Heaven. It won’t be easy, but we were told it wouldn’t be. Never quit moving forward. Colossians 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” Whatever you do, do your best. Always remember, get out there and make a difference. Climb that mountain, go the distance.

What Color is Your Lightsaber?

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What color is your Lightsaber?

As the country has been engulfed in pop culture you’d be hard pressed to find any household where someone doesn’t know the name Star Wars, or Lightsabers. The bigger question is what do light sabers have to do with Christianity? In the world of Star Wars each light saber’s color represents the holders personality and specialty. As seen on screen there is Green: Peace through force when necessary. Blue: Justice and Protection. Red: Evil and Power. Purple: Moral ambiguity. Yellow: Intrigue and pursuit (patrol). There are many, many more colors. When you start to break down your place in this world each of us has a personality, and that personality will match up with a particular color light saber. My color, much to my own chagrin would most likely be blue. (My favorite color is green) Being a Jedi Guardian Using Force on a physical level, light saber combat rather then strength with the Force. Protecting civilians. Romans 12:4-6 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;” As we are one bodies in Christ, so as the Jedi’s mission with the Jedi counsel. Protect the universes and maintain the balance within the force. Proverbs 27:19 “As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.” When you consider the color of your own light saber, how do we use our gifts for the Lord? Do we want to be a villain, a protector, a negotiator? Christ recruited fisherman, tax collectors, zealots, and with each of their own particular gifts, and personalities they used them in their own way of teaching and preaching. As each personality of the Jedi provided them a place in the universe, so do our gifts for the great commission. As my gifts lead me to a protective role and justice, I know now how to use my particular personality for Christ. Some people have a moral ambiguity and this purple light saber would often fall to people who follow the rules they want to, but bend them when they feel it suits them. Red obviously is that of evil. Those who fail to follow the Lord, those who have an appreciation and love of Sin would hold a red saber. Find your place by evaluating your own saber color. Which force are you? Do you fight for the light or the dark? Are you a Jedi for Christ, or a Sith for Satin?

Fighting the Devil one Battle at a Time.

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Fighting the Devil one Battle at a Time.

As a man who has seen war, I myself know the horrors that mankind can create. The sad part is even what I have seen isn’t the worst thing out there. My experiences in war were tame by most standards. The war between men however is nothing compared to the battle going on around us that we cannot see. Every whisper, every pull on a heart to go in the wrong direction in life is part of the fight. The first thing we must understand is no matter what happens to our bodies in this life the true fight is our souls. 2 Corinthians Chapter 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare [are] not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” We all know that the Devil plays games, pulls at our desires, our sinful nature, but what we don’t usually realize is part of the chess match with the devil is also a race against the clock.

Though the end of our life is not known to us, it is to God and we but only one chance to win the war for our very souls. At the end of our life we have only one chance to know in our hearts where our salvation lays. We must lay down our hearts to the lord and protect ourselves from the games of the Devil. Ephesians 6:12 “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” The Devil loves to bring chaos to order. Heaven was order, it was created as perfection, and the Devil destroyed that direct link with the God almighty. Trusting in the Lord is always difficult and even more so when we can’t understand our own pain, our own suffering. We don’t understand the testing of faith. The Devil prays on our weak points, our weaknesses in our very heart. When we are given the free will of choice and we choose hate, when we choose cruelty over love, we have lost the battle.

The war is not lost but we cannot loose battle after battle. We cannot give in to those desires, we must not walk that path because the longer we’re on it the more likely we are to continue to scrape away those things in our heart that point us to God. We must not let the darkness within take hold. We must take every situation into account and know when to put on the Armor and go to battle. The war ends the day we die for us anyway. The clock ticks on our lives and as a time bomb always goes off and finds it’s target, death always gets it’s prize. How do we welcome death? Is it as an old friend, and enemy, an opponent in a game of cat and mouse? It seems to me we should embrace life to make the most out of it, to spread the Gospel as much as we can, but when the time comes be so comfortable in the life you’ve live, the love you’ve shared, the scripture you’ve learned and used that you welcome death because the juice is worth the squeeze. Heaven is the end of the war, the end for those who live faithfully. The end may come at any time, and as we never know when the battle ends, when the war ends, what side of the war are you on? What team do you play for? As for me, I’m team Jesus.

Be Strong Against the Wolves

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We are lost and wary, we are low and sad, we feel as if the whole world is against us. Our lowest days are true test of our fortitude, our faith. The loss we feel when we are betrayed, the loss we feel when our loved ones pass. We are cheated, we are attacked but who’s doing the hurting, who’s doing the attacking? The hardships in life we face are not always hardships we have control over. Sometimes they are caused by acts more powerful then us, and sometimes it’s caused by a persons power to choose. Many ask why was I created, why am I here? The simple answer is because God loves us and he created us to know us and for us to know Him. What does that mean? Before we were born God knew us, God loved us from conception till we return to Ash. God’s hope for us is for us to know and love Him. “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” We are placed on this world with our feet in the sand. We are not alone in our walk. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” “Keep steady my steps according to your promise, and let no iniquity get dominion over me.” Never do we understand all things, but we are called to a higher understanding. We will be tempted, we will be battered, and we will be beaten for our belief. Matthew 10:16-17 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;” We will fight the war on a spiritual level. We will be attacked for what we believe, we will be hated for it, and it may come to pass that we are placed on trial for it. Matthew 10:22 “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” Do you have the strength to stand against the enemy, against the devil himself? Can you stand toe to toe and facing death choose eternal life? Never forget that this life will end one day with or without the help of the masses. Death is certain, it comes for us all, but in that death we can be certain when we die if we just believe in Christ as our Lord and Savior, we too will truly live. We shall not die an eternal death for we are saved by it.