Tag: faith

Beautiful Change

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Beautiful Change

God is our rock, our anchor in the storm, our light to guide us home. Through all things God is with us. Praise God when life is hard, Praise God more when life is great. You make the choice to listen to the word and believe the truest of words. God is the voice of truth. The storm will always leave and when it does the skies never look so clear, so bright, so beautiful. When the caterpillar goes into the cocoon it will emerge more beautiful then it ever thought possible. Gods grace once it touches us changes us. Fundamentally changing who we are from the inside out. Find that healing in Christ’s name. The scars will always be there, the failings will never be erased from time, but today is a new day to choose to follow God. WE make choices every day in which we are judged. Make the choice today to follow God. Let God into your heart. It’s never too late to choose God. Never too late to fall to your knees and give up all you are. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.

Through a Lens

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You see the world through a lens. A particular viewpoint of perspective says what’s good for me, but it may not be good for you. No matter what happens we must have faith in God. No matter what you think, or what you feel remember Romans 13:1-2“Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.” Today’s world is a volatile and sometimes unforgiving place, but in all today’s world we must have the faith that everything is according to the plan. Never give up on moving forward. Never give up on the next day.

Carry Your Burdens to Find Light at the End of the Tunnel

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Carry Your Burdens to Find Light at the End of the Tunnel

Matthew 16:24-26 “24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”

 Luke 9:23 “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

 Mark 8:34 “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

 What does it mean to pick up your cross and follow Christ? The walk with Jesus as our Lord and Savior is never an easy one. We are called to sacrifice our earthly desires, called to love Christ and let go of our sinful desires. Do we deny God; do we deny our Lord and Savior when pushed, when threatened with reprisals, or persecution? Do we have the fortitude to bare the burden of what it means to be a follower of Christ? Remember as the 11 Apostils followed Christ were brutally tortured and killed for it. Amongst strong opposition they never waivered in their faith, they saw Christ for what he was, they saw Him in the flesh. It was once said, “You have seen with your own eyes and yet you doubt, imagine those who will never see.” Colossians 1:11-12 “11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” The cross is not a race; it’s a long marathon. The travel takes time. The travel takes fortitude.

When we are weak, we must look to God to help us. As Christians we must help our brother and sisters when they are in need. We all stumble on our journey. Even Christ fell on his trek to meet His destiny. Thus teaching us another lesion about humility, about pride. Galatians 6:2 “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” If Christ was willing to bare the sacrifice for all mankind’s Sins what are we willing to bare for Christ? Are we willing to take public ridicule, or even worse loosing people we care about? What is eternal salvation worth? The life we spend here on Earth is merely a short while, but the end result is perfection in Heaven. Our burdens will be great, John 15:18-21 18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. 20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me.” It was foretold that the world would turn on Christians. It was foretold that the life of a Christian would be difficult and full of anger and hatred.

Entering Easter remember what it truly means to give it all, to give up life, and sacrifice ones self for something bigger then yourself. Are you truly giving up something to follow Christ? Are you truly in your heart following? What does following Christ mean to you? As Christians we face more opposition today then we ever have. Do we sit silent and watch as the world tries to snuff out any last resemblance of our right to choose what we believe in? There’s too much empirical evidence to prove Jesus Christ the man lived. Denying the truth is simply the same as denying the oceans are full of water. 11 men could not have held together some conspiracy. The fulfillment of scripture prior to the New Testament, the fulfillment of the crucifixion, that not one of Christ’s bones were broken, yet he underwent excruciating amounts of pain. Do not doubt, do not forget what’s at stake. Christ bore the burden of sin for us, what can we do to possibly measure up, nothing. All we are asked is to love one another, love Christ, love God, and obey the commandments. Do this and eternity may very well be yours.

 

 

The Beautiful Snowball

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The Beautiful Snowball

The idea of the snowball effect is usually how things happen and it gets bigger as it rolls down hill. Sin has a cumulative effect. The more you sin the easier it gets. The sin of man is something to be afraid of. We sin and rarely ask for forgiveness of it. We rarely lay down our sins to our brothers and sisters and hardly ask for their forgiveness as we’ve sinned against them. How often do we lay down our sins to God and ask to be absolved of them? Psalm 51:4 “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.” The sins we put to others can be horrible. Revelation 18:5 “5 for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes.” But those sins continue to grow and blacken our soul if left unchecked.

What about the other direction? What about the good we do, the wonderful works we do in the name of God? Salvation is not found in works, but simply in our true belief in God. When good things happen, when life is positive, the same kind of snowball can be created. The small good things in life can turn into great good things in life. 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” Allow yourself to rejoice in the good of life. Allow yourself to give thanks to the Lord for such great gifts. Pay the gifts forward to others. There are many verses about the abundance God gives us. In this country generally we have more then we need. Even our poor live better in this country then they do in most other nations. Proverbs 19:17 “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.” When you give away in charity God will repay us.

When the source of the snowball is love the greatest of commandments, we can accomplish anything. We all have our places in this world, and it’s our job to listen to the directions of God to find it. Proverbs 22:9 “He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.” Never forget the greatest of gifts mankind as ever had. God’s only begotten Son was given to us to fulfill the prophesy of the messiah. When good things start to happen praise to God. Do not turn away just because the storm hits. The snow can be both destructive and beautiful. For everything in the wrong hands can be used as a weapon. The snow can be powerful. It’s that power we must be careful of. What do we do with that power? What do we do with the gifts God has given to us? Do we rejoice and pay it forward, or do we squander it and let our greed take over? Ponder this and figure out what kind of Christian you want to be.

 

Reaching High

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A song, a photo, a medical breakthrough, an expose’, what do you want to be remembered for? Ash to Ash Dust to Dust and just like that all that’s left is memory. Some people want to get by day to day and never put much thought in the end game. A young mans dream to make such a difference in this life to reach higher then others but falls short. The dreams of a child often never become a reality. What actually holds us back? Is it a lack of faith? Is it a lack of opportunity? In this life we often only get once chance. In this life we can look back 10 years and just like that it’s gone. What do we hold onto? The heart of a warrior, with the desire of the greats, but standing still. If you gave everything, jumped into the deep end, stop holding back and reach for that one golden ring of glory. To be the hero to someone, to be wanted, to be loved, to be someone’s all. The truth is as every new day comes the battle can always change. If you feel like you’re on the loosing side find a new tactic. Never stopping reaching for the sky. Follow your heart, never stop reaching for the sky. If you have the heart of a lion, the faith of warrior, never stop moving those feet. Never stop moving forward. Never hold back from the one above. Have the faith to move a mountain and answer your call. Never settle for 2nd It’s okay to give everything to God and know that you are literally 1 in 16 billion. You are special, you are unique, so when God calls on you, be ready to answer the call. Never back down, never quit, never surrender. 2 Chronicles 15:7 “Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.”

God’s Not Dead

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God’s Not Dead

Matthew 16:16 “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The words speak for themselves. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good. God touches our hearts, He works miracles in our lives, allows us to beat the odds, and blesses those who believe. As the old saying goes someone’s never gone as long as we remember and believe in them. As for me and my house I believe in the Lord. I serve the Lord today, tomorrow, always.

Jeremiah 10:10 “But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.” I will not lay down and deny God in my heart. I will not be silenced. I will not allow others to bring me down, and force me to change my mind. I will not let the Devil pull me away from my God. The Devils schemes and lies are strong and powerful. The Devil tries to tempt you away from Christ. The Devil tried to tempt Jesus and at every turn failed. The Devil can be beat, and will be beat. The Devil is prophesied to fail to take control over this world.

Revelation 20:10 “10 Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” We must not be fooled by the whiles of the Devil. Christ tells us how to fight the devil. Using the Armor of God, prayers for our enemies, loving everyone. We don’t want to be caught on the wrong side of the final judgment. Revelations 20:11-14 “11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave[a] gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire.”

 Miracles do exist. We don’t see them everyday, but all over the world, people’s prayers are being answered. Cancer is disappearing, diseases are disappearing, and insurmountable odds are being overcome. Faith is the only thing we have some days. Faith gives us hope when there is no reason for it. Faith in the Lord Almighty gives us peace when the world is unrelenting. Romans 12:21 “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Through Christ all things are possible. Through our living God we can accomplish many things. 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” God’s love for us is perfect. Our salvation is perfect. The perfect gift was the gift of salvation bought at an extreme price. Praise to God.

 

 

The Rise and fall of an Age

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The Rise and fall of an Age

 As the son rises and falls over the vast sky the sun also rises and sets on chapters of our lives. When each chapter comes to a close we must remember that in all things fall to the glory of God. Psalm 113:3 “From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD’S name is to be praised.” When I’m with the Lord I feel peace. When the sun sets on a chapter of my life I raise everything to the Lord and I know that I’ll be all right. Ecclesiastes 1:5-7 “The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. 6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. 7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.” Because of Jesus we are told not to worry about tomorrow, for it will worry for itself.

The pain that comes from heartbreak, the pain that comes from loss, yet the joys that come from birth, and rebirth, the joys of success, and peace, all comes from the Lord. Daniel 2:21 “And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding:” The truth will set you free. Of course it’s easier said then done. We are left with scars of times long past. We pray for absolution, that sometimes never comes. 2 Timothy 4:2-4 “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” No matter the time, the season, the place, God’s on the move and is still in control. We must have faith and understand that sometimes we too will have to stand up and scream to the world that God is in control.

James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” Will you be judged by man, or allow man to judge us and stand right before God? We always get the choice to live life pleasing to God. Will we be the ones to deny God to save our own skin? Throughout all times God asks only Loyalty and Obedience. It’s easy to praise God when times are good, and things are in perfect alignment, but when it falls apart, that’s when our faith is tested. Psalm 31:14-15 “But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!” Scream Hallelujah, because God is good.

As we move towards Easter remember what the resurrection did for us. Remember what our future means because Jesus bled and died for us. He fulfilled the promise of scripture and the change of seasons happened that first Easter morning.

No matter what season you’re in, no matter what chapter you’re in, the sun will rise and fall and the old will pass away into memory. Try not to fear tomorrow. Try instead to embrace it, and see the positives in the changing river.

 

 

Draw Back Your Bow

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Draw Back Your Bow

Are you ready for war? Are you ready to take aim and take the shot? Isaiah 49:2 “2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me a polished arrow; in his quiver he hid me away.” Like the days of old an archer must keep his skills. Shoot your bow, fire your arrows, and practice often. Much like anything that takes skill you must surround yourself with it to maintain your skills. The Bible is no different. In order for us to be good and solid in our faith, we must first understand it. As an archer we must understand how the arrows work. We must understand how the wind, the geometry, the strings, the aerodynamics, all of it works together in harmony.

The world tries to tell us faith is an old custom, outdated, and no longer needed to explain the world. I believe it is that faith that explains the world. The never-ending battle of good verses evil keeps us questioning the order of things. For those who follow without faith they simply believe that people are the route of all problems. Though Sin is the route of most problems in this world, the pull, the chaos the Devil brings in his wake is the rest. The Devil pulls at ones heart to force sin into being. The true nature of love is the stay at Gods hand of judgment. God could easy strike down sinners but offers sinners every opportunity to repent ones sins. Psalm 7:12-13 “12 If a man[a] does not repent, God[b] will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow;13 he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.” God uses us to witness to the lost. God prepares us for the everyday war against Satin. As each side has their minions, their soldiers, how do we prepare?

Psalm 16:8 “I have set the LORD always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Though it may be difficult at times we must stand fast and ready ourselves. Wear the armor proudly, and house the quiver with the arrows of God. Psalm 18:39 “For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.” Ready yourself and prepare your bow for the fight. The fight against good and evil is waged in the shadows, but don’t be disillusioned, you and I will be caught up in it. Our fate is in our hands. Do we want to spend eternal damnation in Hell, or do we want to spend eternal salvation in Heaven? You have to pick a side.

As for me, when the time comes, and make no mistake, it will come, Draw Back Your Bow, and let the arrows of truth held in the Quiver of Righteousness fly and with the guiding light of God, find each of it’s targets. Preach and Teach, Study so when the day comes you too can shoot with accuracy. Draw Back Your Bow and take aim right into the black heart of Satin.

Turn Around

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Gods not dead, praise Gods in my heart, God is with me and my family, God is blessing and caring for my loved ones. Thank you God for opportunities, grace, mercy, and love. You’re never too far gone to turn around and walk back to God, one step away, faith and Gods love can wipe away all your mistakes, your not alone, Gods love and grace can turn you around, can put you back in the light. God is always there with us. Be a new bloom, be a blossom for Christ.

Deuteronomy 31:6 Be Strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

Be the Butterfly

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Be the Butterfly

Before Christ we were destined to die once and only live once. A promise made by God to life, the curtain of eternal death, and restore the gates of Heaven and allow all the possibility to enter was bestowed. Eating of the fruit from the tree of knowledge was the turning point for humanity. Genesis 3:6 “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” We fell from grace that day, to live a life as a worthless doomed worm upon the ground. A promise however in a prophecy stated that one day the savior would come, and would save us from our sins. Isaiah 53:5-12 But he was pierced for our transgressions he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” While there were foretelling of the details, the importance is all were fulfilled.

Do you wish to remain a lowly caterpillar or do you wish to ascend to be a beautiful butterfly? 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” When you follow Christ you undergo a fundamental change. You can never be the same again. The light inside snuffs out the darkness and forever will you know you cannot in good faith or good conscious remain a habitual sinner. Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

 That coming to Christ moment in your life is like being awakened from a long cocoon. When you emerge you will be forever changed. The truth is we undergo two changes. The first is our heart. Second is upon our death. John 3:3 “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” When you arrive to heaven the body will be remade into perfection. Ephesians 2:5-6 “even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” We are destined to have a room in heaven. John 14:3 “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Revelations 21:1-4 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,[b] and God himself will be with them as their God.[c] 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” When the day comes we will be transformed like the butterfly. Follow Christ and allow Gods light to transform you. The realm of Heaven is perfect, and so shall we. The only one to stop our transformation is you and me. Allow yourself to undergo the revolution and be one with the Heavenly Father.