Tag: god

Second Chances

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Second Chances

How often in life do we get a redo? How many chances do we get to overcome true adversities and mange to come out of the storm with your head held high? In life Gods gifts are big and small. Our faith will often be tested and pushed to the brink. It is often only at the brink were we fully realize our true potential. No matter the path we believe we are on the only true path is that of Christ our Savior. The strength of character to live a life in Christ is a path that is not for the faint of heart. What does it mean to truly live a life in Christ. We have struggles so we are tested. We have faith and courage to keep that faith. For it is our faith that keeps us true to the larger course. The forest grows with no help from man, and yet we feel the need to control our every minute. The true power is no power at all. There is no power of man that is true power. Power is an illusion that is made up to make us feel better about ourselves. When the sun rises on the morrow what power do we as mortal men have?

We can build great monstrosities, we can create wondrous pieces of technologies, but the true power is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us strength beyond our wildest imagination. We have the ability to overcome death and enjoy eternal life. 1 Corinthians 1:18 “ For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” Wise men live and die but those who truly choose life understand that the flesh of this world is but temporary in the eternal plane. To live life is to understand what that life is built upon. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” The path of Christ will be one of trouble and pain and as Christ was tortured in this life we too will bare a cross, one we must truly accept.

The second chance is a second chance of life. When this world ends and it will end, which side of the wall do you want to reside? Will you labor for Christ to live inside the walls of paradise or will you accept the world as it is believing that you are in control, that you have power within your life? When threatened with death one often faces a realization that either they are afraid, or welcoming the unknown. The other side is beyond human comprehension. Isaiah 45:5-8 “I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things. Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the Lord have created it.”

Facing ones own mortality is the truest of second chances. To see death, to witness death, and to hear the voice of God and the love and compassion of our Father is a gift. Know that for our sins we are not in bondage any longer. If we remain in chains it’s of our own doing. Lay down your heart and follow Jesus. Do not give in to the prince of darkness, he will deceive you, he will lie to you, fool you. The prince of darkness will steal you from your place in paradise for the promise of worldly desires, for it is in those desires that sin is truly born, and true death is a reality. Isaiah 40:28:31 “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

Who We Are?

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Who we are?

We are mothers, fathers, brothers, Sisters. We are doctors, retail, manufacturers, security professionals. We are white, Asian, African American, Hispanic. We all come from the same place, we all have a Mom and Dad. We may have fundamental differences in ideologies, but we are all residence of this place. We are all here for a short time. We are all sinners. What makes some people good and some people bad? People who claim Christ as their Lord and Savior can still do bad things. We must understand that we all fall short to the glory of God. No matter what we think, we are children of the king. Perfect in our own way. Created for a purpose. When we are burdened by life’s unfair nature where do we turn? Do we have enough self respect to know that whatever we may look like, whatever we may sound like we are perfect in Gods eyes. We are his creations. God loves us in all of our imperfections but we need to learn to embrace them. Tall or short, glasses or no, freckles or not, handicaps or not, we all all children of the King. Our souls are the most important thing about us. Stop making skin deep judgments. Look at a persons soul. Live as the person Christ would want you to. Stand up to bullies who make fun of what they don’t understand. Rise up against those who prey on the weak. Stand firm against those who would use and abuse others for their own personal gain. If you’re going to be a lion, be a lion for Jesus. We all have insecurities about ourselves. We all wish something would be different, but you are the one in a million and that’s saying something. Who you are can never be duplicated. You are a unique creation and anything that unique is special. Psalm 139:13-14 “You alone created my inner being. You knitted me together inside my mother. I will give thanks to you because I have been so amazingly and miraculously made. Your works are miraculous, and my soul is fully aware of this.” Never underestimate your importance. Isaiah 64:8 “Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.” Be in tune with God and let him shape you into a warrior for Christ. Psalm 119:73-74 “You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands. May all who fear you find in me a cause for joy, for I have put my hope in your word.” Never loose faith in yourself. Be beautiful inside and people will see the beauty shine from within.

The truth is, this is something I struggle with every day of my life. For years I was ridiculed in school, berated for the way I looked, dressed, even sounded. For years I was tortured in school by bullies. To this day I have lost two wives to affairs. The long-term affects of this heartbreak have forced me into great struggles of self worth and my own self-esteem. As I find myself questioning myself, my own self worth, scripture is my guide and my comfort. I have my faith to guide me. I have my love for Christ, but more importantly, I have love FROM Christ that I know one day my struggle will end. Never forget how important life is, and no matter what happens you are special.

On a personal note, to a friend that offered to help spread the word about this page and showed herself to  be a beautiful lady. Thank you for the kindness!

 

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.

Quenching Your Thirst

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Quenching Your Thirst

As the weather gets warmer we will undoubtedly be working outside, playing outside, going out into the sun. The average person can go without any kind of liquid for 3 days, some have gone as much as 6 or 7 days but that’s rare. The ability to drink liquids is so important. We must stay hydrated or our vital organs will start to shut down. What does this have to do with Christ? As we know Christ said at the last supper “Take this cup, and drink, for this is the blood of my body, which will be given up for you.” When we drink from the blood of Christ we thirst no more. John 6:35 “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.”

As Christians something we have a tendency to do is want and want. We rarely are satisfied with what we have. We are rarely satisfied with the newest and greatest for long before we envy what others have, we covet the things we don’t have or what we want. We can think about these things as Lust. “Philippians 4:11-13 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” If you drink of an earthly cup you will never be fulfilled. If we are always thinking things could be better, the grass could be greener we will never respect what we have right in front of us. 2 Cor. 12:9-10 “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” …Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” These things can be said for money matters and how we spend what we don’t have, spend our hard earned money on shiny baubles, things that would make us happy. This can also be said for marriage and relationships.

Why do some people cheat? Why are some people unfaithful? Why do we look with lust towards others? The answer is simple we fall short on Romans 12:2 “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” If we cannot find joy in the gifts God has given to us we will always want more. We must learn to be grateful for what we have. Respect our gifts and pray for change according to Gods will. Luke 12:15 “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” The water we drink will always leave us to thirst, the ash in our mouths never to satisfy as the food we eat. Only the blood and bread of Christ will satisfy. We must learn to give thanks. Colossians 3:5 “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:” Satisfy your lust, to love Christ. Satisfy your thirst by the blood of Christ, and your hunger by the body of Christ. Love your wives, love your husbands, but never put one greater then that of God. God must be the number 1 in your life. Proverbs 3:6 “ In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.”

 

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.

Rearview Mirror

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Don’t let your rearview mirror be bigger then the windshield. We all have regrets and mistakes, missed opportunities. Today, leave the past where it is. Love conquers all, forgive others, forgive yourself. Hug your wives, your husbands, your parents and your children. Dont let yesterday ruin your day. We never know how much time we have. Life is short and only God knows the whole plan.

Matthew 6:34 ‘Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’

Sideline Christians

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Sideline Christian

As we move day to day in our lives we have the tendency to have a hands off approach in the lives of others. We often sit back and watch as someone follows a self-destructive path, falls into drugs, falls to depression, or worse commits suicide. Why do we sit back and rarely stand up and say anything? If we equate life as a Basketball game we as Christians have benched ourselves. We sit on that bench and we say God will take care of it, God will answer prayers, but is it that simple, of course not. God put each of us on this planet for a reason. We can look to God to fix things, to change the course of events, but truthfully, God generally has a hands off approach. That’s where we come in. IF we Christians were to actually get off the bench we could be the ones to change things. It’s not enough to pray, we pray for God to lay his hands on someone’s heart, to heal someone’s sickness, but it’s us that can be the positive effect on someone’s life. It is said that we (Christians) cannot be the one to breakthrough someone’s heart that God can do that. I challenge that notion. If a child in Cambodia never hears the words of God, is never exposed to scripture that child is not likely to know Christ. We have missions trips that go to the far reaches of the world to spread the word, but here at home, here in our own back yard, here in our families, we remain a silent observer. When Christ was on mission at one point he returned home to continue is mission. Mark 6 tells us that when Jesus went to his own hometown the people where astonished at his wondrous teachings, but quickly turned on him. Mark 6:2-6 “ And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. 4 But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. 5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 6And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.” It’s often harder to preach and teach to our own families, friends, and neighbors. They often know where we had fallen short, known of our mistakes and our transgressions, but that never makes the word less true. We must always face our own failings, and not let those failings stop us from getting into the game. We are commanded by the great commission to spread the Gospel, to teach the good word, spread the good news. Doing it takes conviction, strength, and I would say preaching to your own family and friends is harder then any mission trip you may go on. Never let fear of rejection or fear of judgment stop you from doing what’s right. As Jesus said kick off the dust from your sandals and keep marching on, God is on the side of truth. In this life we are not promised an easy path, in fact we are told that for all that follow in Christ will mean our own persecution. Stand firm in your Godly convictions, face the masses, never be afraid to speak the truth. Get off the bench, and help guide those around you. Pray for guidance, pray for the sinner, pray for those around you, but most importantly never give up hope. This life is only lived once so while you’re here make a difference.

Sins and Sinful Nature

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We mustn’t let others overshadow our own sins. We are responsible for our actions. We are responsible for who we hurt, what we do, the type of person we want to be. Just because you did something yesterday doesn’t mean you are forever bound to be that person. We can never justify our sins but instead we must take ownership of it and remember who’s truly in control. Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” When Cain killed Able and that hatred of heart was first spoken of, we understand the true nature of sin. No one sin is worse or better then another, for all sin is equal footing. Galatians 5:19-21 “19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Note it doesn’t say if you only sin a little, or it’s all right to do this as long as you aren’t killing people. Sin before God and we all must answer for that when eternity is at stake. Psalm 119:25-29 “19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” King David knew his wrongdoing and suffered for it. Knowing we all sin we must always remember it isn’t just what we do on the outside, it isn’t just the good works, the words that we speak, it’s the content of our heart. Let no one question the true content of your heart.

Let everyone know God by knowing what God can do through us who are unworthy of the true gifts of Heaven. Our eternal life was bought and paid for, but do not squander the gift. Do not fall victim to the lies of the deceiver and believe that we can live a life of sin and expect to enter into perfection. We all sin, but in our hearts we must hate and rebuke the sin. Take responsibility for your own actions, your own desires, your own transgressions. Be not afraid to lay down your sins to the Lord, and help others face their own sins. Be the conduit for Christ to talk through you. Live for the Lord and let all others see Christ in all that we do.

Love, Forgiveness, overcoming sorrow

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You know what I’ve realized? I’m not weak. Struggling with emotions especially strong ones doesn’t make me weak. Luke 22:44 “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Jesus was under so much stress knowing he was going to die his capillaries broke. Struggling with strong emotions doesn’t mean you have little faith. We often loose the ones we love, sometimes it comes with warning, sometimes it happens suddenly. 1 Samuel 30:6 “And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” David was promised the throne at a mere 14 years old. He would be in his late 30’s by the time he would sit on the throne. Having faith is not always easy. Knowing the promises God has made to us and having patience to see it through is very much different. Knowing the world is a cruel fallen place we must understand the nature of sin. We must understand the meaning of Gods grace and all that we have because of Gods grace. We must understand that as difficult as it may me we must know Love. 1 Corinthians 13:2 “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.” Without love we are nothing. Without God’s love we have nothing. We are commanded to love and Corinthians explains exactly how to do that. If we are to love that also means that love must be strong enough to forgive. Forgiveness isn’t optional. Forgiveness isn’t a choice it’s a directive. When Christ died it was to pay a price that we couldn’t possibly ever pay. Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.” Ephesians 4:31-32 “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” As it is written so shall it be done. Patience is not something that comes easily. Reaching out to brothers and sisters for strength isn’t easy and it shows great trust and courage. Bare ones faults, bare ones cross and never give up on hope.