Tag: jesus christ

The Signal

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The Signal

Batman sits atop a roof in the midst of another gloomy night in Gothem. The evening fog covers the low levels of the city, while it looks like a storm is moving in. The lightning and the thunder can be heard in the distance but with each passing minute Batman knows it’s only a matter of minutes before the storm will be right overhead. The wind picks up and his cape begins to flutter in the breeze. Soon the cape is wiping in the wind. Without fail the bright spotlight flickers on and soon the sky is lit with the symbol that criminals fear, the bat shines in the sky, without a moments hesitation Batman dives off the roof, his cape becomes ridged and he’s gliding between the buildings. He’s off to fight crime, causing fear in the criminal underworld. The Bat isn’t a symbol of hope, but fear, a warning to those who wish to do harm to their city.

 

We as Christians have a signal too. We see the cross as our symbol, and even though we worship on our Sundays I ask if we are jumping into action upon the signal God puts into our life? When the Holy Spirit starts to whisper in your ear nudging you to go forth and spread the gospel, are we getting up and going out to evangelize? Imagine if the Bat Signal were to go up into the sky and Batman stopped going out to answer the call. Imagine in our real world, what would happen if when you call 911 and the police, or fire, or paramedics never answered the call. The world would quickly turn to chaos as we have to fend for ourselves, and homes burned, family dies, and law is taken into our own hands.

Are you a person of action when Jesus calls upon you? It’s important to be a people of ‘Do’ and not a people of ‘not my responsibility’. Scripture tells us that we must not just sit on our hand, but work, to do work for the Holy Spirit and we should be driven to do good works.

James 2:14-17 ESV“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

James 1:23-25 ESV“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

Recently I have had the privilege of hearing about the beautiful things happening within my church as we have entered the mission trip presentation month of September. I have heard so many wonderful things about how missions are changing the world one trip at a time. A very good friend’s wife went to Honduras and spoke about the thousands of people that the mission was able to help. Missions that are changing the world is not a new thing, but the question is, are you ignoring the call to get involved? My church offers several different mission trips every year and the call, the signal has been put up for the entire church to see. Not everyone is called to go overseas, but everyone is called. Everyone is called to bring precious glory to the Heavenly Father. We are called to work for the Lord in any way that our gifts allow. I say to you that we are all called, and we all have the power within our own hands, gifted by the Holy Spirit to do good things for God. Jesus Christ has called us to go forth, and we are told to do good in the name of the Lord. Matthew 28:16-20 (NKJV)16 “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [a]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [b]Amen.”

We see the symbol of the Cross shining brightly in front of us and those who choose to stay in their seats, comfortable and safe, who refuse to get up and do more then just listen to the sermons on Wednesday and Sunday, I say this, you are sinners. James 4:17 ESV“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”You sit back and let others do what you are called to do, and you dishonor yourselves, and you dishonor the cross. You dishonor the Christ who died for you, and you willfully sin in your laziness, or worse, cowardice. We are told in scripture that we are protected. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NKJV)3 “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.” And also Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV)6 “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

We ought not to be afraid to leave our comfort zones, but courageous that we are doing the Lords work and we will be blessed for it. We have a duty to preach the word of the Lord, to take care of the homeless, the helpless, to give up in spreading the truth of Jesus Christ. We all struggle, and we all fall short, but Christ is always there for us. No matter what you have going on in your life trust in God to help see you through. Make good choices, Godly choices, and plant good seeds so you may bear the sweet fruit, which is fed by the Holy Spirit. Be of joy and courage in your times of troubles, and let Jesus give you strength to show you how to share what you have experienced in Christ with others who’ve never known the name Jesus. Do not doubt yourself, for if God is for you, then who can be against you. The signal is set up, the Cross is lit, and you are being called, will you back down, or will you answer your Lord who calls upon you?

 

 

The Lover After You

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The Lover After You

I was in love, and I was loyal, you took my heart, and you broke it. I took the blame, it was all my fault. What did I do, that was so very wrong? Time went on, and time began to heal, God saw fit to send me to you. Years go by, and the love grew strong, till one day, something was wrong. You decided to leave, you found someone knew, despite the promises between me and you. I watched you leave, as my heart shattered, what could I do, a life without you?

It’s been two years now since my wife left, two years this month. As September is known in my life as the month of Hell, I find it fitting I have started trauma therapy in the month of September. There’s been a lot of emotions lately that have sprung forth from the deepest depths of my psyche, and I often don’t know what to do with them. I find myself longing for companionship now two years later. With very little activity in that department, I have found myself becoming discouraged. The advice I was given recently pointed out that my relationship and trust in God might not be as strong as it should be. I have been thinking about how complete my life would be if I found someone special, but the truth is, God it seems has other plans for me right now. I can’t help but wonder why God’s seen it fit to keep me alone, but in this time of separation, I need to be reminded of the power of the Holy Spirit and trust that God’s grace is sufficient for me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV)9 “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

It’s not an easy thing feeling alone and isolated. It’s not an easy thing to desire something with all your fiber of your being, and being told no over and over again. It’s not easy seeing so much happiness come from so much pain. Knowing that God works in every situation, and knowing that in ever instance we have a choice to work to bring glory to God in our actions, or to let opportunities pass us by. I can never be whole without God, and there’s a hole in my heart. It’s likely I’ve been trying to fill it and pack it full of hopes for the future and not actually asking God what His plan is for me. While God will sometimes give you the desires of your heart, God always answers prayers in His time, not our own. Sometimes unanswered prayers are the blessing, and we need to realize that God can not only see the present, but our future also. We must learn to turn to God and allow God’s love to fill us up. We must trust in the love of our Father and crawl into his lap when we feel sorrow. We must learn to trust in Him, and we must learn to be patient in our wait for prayers to be answered. We must learn to continue moving forward and continue running the race even while we wait for the Lord to grant us our desires. It’s not an easy thing waiting on the Lord but we must wait with faith, and know that in God’s time things are perfect for us, and we must be bold, we must be confident because that trust in the Lord must be absolute. We don’t have to like everything God does, but we have to respect it. We can argue with God all we want but we will always loose.

I wait for a new love to find me. I wait for the new tomorrow I have longed so much for. I wait, but I must learn to do so with more patience and more understanding. More importantly, I must remember that it’s not me that’s the problem. I must learn to treat myself with more respect. I must learn that I am worthwhile, and I am worthy of love. I must learn that I am not what I have believed for many years. I am not worthless, and I am worthy of someone’s love. I am special and I have a lot to offer someone that may come into my life. I cannot let the Devil tell me otherwise. I must keep my heart clean from the lies I’m told every day in my life. For so many years I’ve believed the lies that were told to me, and now I’m trying to rewrite a lifetime of beliefs that are harmful. It’s not easy to move forward after you loose something so precious to you. It’s not easy fighting back against the constant rejection and testing of your faith, but in all things Christ will overpower the lies of the Devil. Know in your heart that when someone leaves you, or when someone cheats, cheating isn’t about you it’s about them. It’s about their own personal gratification and what they will do to feel good, no amount of pain they cause others will stop them. You will find a new love someday, have faith in God, and trust in the plan.

The Rough Days

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The Rough Days

When someone tells you “I don’t care” in regards to a way you feel about something, I think few things in life cut that deep. We are lucky to never hear that from God. God has never once said He doesn’t care about us, or our feelings. In fact, scripture tells us to cast all our anxieties, our worries, and struggles unto the Lord and He will give us strength and peace. So if you’re feeling like you’re alone today, or maybe you are alone today, remember the Lord God is always with us. He shall never leave you or forsake you. Trust in God to deliver you from the storm and keep moving forward. Some days you find yourself overwhelmed with spiritual attacks and everything else seems like an amazing struggle, such as posting a blog. The day was such an off day for me, not only did I not post, but I didn’t prepare one for the next day. Struggling with a failing AC unit in NC. On a HOT September day, dealing with homework, and recovering from the hurtful things that had been said early in the day, before I knew it the day had slipped away until it was after midnight. Some days it’s like you’re shackled and you can’t do anything to get yourself free. We are only human, and we can only take so much before we just need a little while away.

 

It’s not easy living your life having so many people tell you what your value is. It’s not easy fighting the insecurities that are lied to you from the Devil. It’s not easy wondering if you could have done something better, or should have done something different. The thing is, we are called by God to do God’s work, and God makes no mistakes. God calls each and every one of us into service who will head the call. The signal is shown because Jesus Christ said go forth and baptize all the nations. If we are called for such an amazing service, an amazing honor that God would use each and every one of us for the glory of Heaven, then we should know how much value Jesus places on each and every one of us.

 

If we were superheroes for Christ we would have a signal in the sky telling us where we needed to go to minister to the helpless, the hopeless, the lost. We don’t have the luxury of having some ‘Bat’ signal in the sky, but we do have the Holy Spirit to guide us where we need to be. We must learn to answer the call, and realize that no matter how we feel, the lies we believe aren’t truth. God’s truth is that every one of us is made in His image. Every single person has a purpose and are made exactly how we need to be made. We encounter trials and trauma’s that can often leave a lasting scar and sometimes we suffer long term. The Devil will influence people to treat us poorly and sometimes it makes us feel bad, and in worst cases it makes us feel worthless. While it’s not easy to overcome difficult trauma’s we must not fall victim to the hurtful lies. Find value in your work for Christ and you will find your value in the Love Christ has for you.

 

God is Good

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God is Good

This seems like such an easy message, but so few truly understand just how impactful it can be, God is good, and God is good all the time. I have been down and from the deepest pits of despair I have know that God is still there. I may not have always been on speaking terms with God for my own selfish, lost reasons, but God as Abba (Father), has never turned His Holy back on me. When we are upset and angry with God it’s us that walks away. We are children who storm off and slam the door to our rooms. I was an angry person for so long I ran from God. We would fight constantly. I felt like I was being taken out to the whipping shed so often I couldn’t sit down anymore. What I couldn’t understand was it wasn’t God, God wasn’t the source of my pain, the Devil was.

It’s easy to feel like you’re alone, but the truth is we are never alone. Romans 8:28 ESV“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” We know that no matter what we are going through God is there. Psalm 31:19 ESV“Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!”

Living life with depression isn’t easy. Living life with severe depression can be debilitating. Knowing God is there is sometimes the only hope people have that suffer from depression is trusting God is still there. I’ve spent time laid up in my bed and the only thought that’s gotten me up is knowing that I need to post a blog entry, or homework, or to go to church. Knowing these things are to bring glory to God is often the only thing that gets me moving. I can’t imagine how people who believe in nothing find anything hopeful when things in life don’t go very well. Worse, when people suffer traumas and if not one, or three, or even five traumas later if they believe in nothing, how they manage to keep moving forward is something I will never understand. Psalm 145:9 ESV“The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” Knowing everything the light touches, and everything it doesn’t is all under the mercy of God is such a warm thought. Knowing that everything in my heart is touched by God, and every sorrow I feel Jesus Christ felt and took it for me. Knowing that the love of Jesus Christ is what lights up the darkness. The darkness that covers those with true horrors in their life is lit up by the grace of God.

Sometimes in life when you need to fix something, you have to make a mess before you build it back up and make it pretty. The human heart, and the psyche are sometimes the same way. In trauma therapy you often need to talk about the worst things in your life you you’ve ever experienced, and you talk about it some more, and then some more, and each time it feels like the wounds are fresh, just as painful as the first day it happened. Going over the events, and talking about them, and talking about the emotions in a particular way is how we slowly start to clean up the mess. Knowing that God is there keeping you safe, keeping me safe, has been a comfort. Knowing I am broken to pieces right now, is only a temporary thing because I know that one day God will use me to help others and bring precious glory to His holy name. Trusting in the Lord and that He has plans for me keeps me fighting and moving forward. Even when I don’t think much of myself, I know that the Lord loves me. Jesus Christ died for me, and I know that one day I will leave this broken life behind, and I will go home to where I truly belong, and why, is because God is good all the time. God is Love, God is Grace, God is Joy, and God uses broken things just like me. If God can use a broken man like myself to spread the Gospel, God can use anyone to show others hope and joy, and faith that tomorrow will be better because this life is only temporary. We have work to do in this world, and we can’t let the Devil win. We must hold strong, and never give up. If God never gives up on us, we can’t give up on ourselves either, and we certainly can’t give up on God. We are never alone.

Drive

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Drive

Sometimes in life when the dogs are hyper, and the stress is mounting, all you can do is go for a relaxing drive. Yesterday, I was sitting on the couch and my oldest dog Riley was restless. After playing with her, and trying to figure out what she wanted, I asked if she wanted to go for a car ride. She went straight for her Service vest and I said okay. Cooper my youngest dog, who doesn’t usually want anything to do with the car decided he also wanted to go, so we got in the car and started to drive. Before too long I decided to drive to the North Carolina, Virginia border, and then decided to go further. In total the ride was about an hour and fifteen minutes. While I was out driving it occurred to me, as long as there wasn’t much traffic it was nice to be out on the road. By time I got back home it turned out to be a nice time out with the dogs.

How often in life do we forget to take a moment for ourselves? I know for me, I need to schedule fun into my life because if I don’t I forget, and the mundane of life creeps along until my weeks or months have finally gotten to me. It’s important for all of us to remember that doing things we enjoy, and taking to recharge is essential. Christ often took time to retreat away from his friends to have quiet meditation, time to rest and spend with God. Luke 5:16(NKJV) 16 “So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.”

Christ was leading by example, and the example started in Genesis as we see God resting on that seventh day. It’s important to take time to rest, or even just go for a relaxing drive with the animals. For me, going for a drive with the Dogs was going for a drive with friends. While I was out driving I had time to turn to God. I listened to K-Love, which always plays good Christian music. I was reminded of the scripture in Matthew 11:28-30(NKJV) 28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am [a]gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

In this verse you find a simple thought, come to Christ with everything you have, and in the power of the Holy Spirit, you shall be renewed. Christ took the burden of sin for us, so everything else in comparison is easy. Not saying we don’t suffer in this life, but it’s certainly better then fiery pits of Hell. Take time to recharge your battery once in a while. Take time every day to turn to God with praise, worship, and unloading your burdens. Have that relationship with God because there’s no other relationship that’s more important. We should all remember to find a little rest each and every day.

 

 

 

Are You Just Hanging Around?

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Are You Just Hanging Around?

It’s not an understatement to say there are a lot of people who will complain, and feel down about themselves and their lives, but how many truly put forth the effort to change their circumstances? People want God to fix everything for them, and they expect God to deliver the answer to their prayers and never have to put their boots on the ground to make anything better. Scripture talks about laziness and the need to work hard for what you want in your life.

I have seen so many people in relationships where financial hardships seem to rule the day. How many men today refuse to work to take care of their families? How many single mothers are there because the father of their child has decided not to work to take care of their responsibilities? I have listened to a great many people tell me all kinds of stories and I have seen some who work incredibly hard to try and better their situations, and some who only complain about it but offer no real sustenance of change. Scripture is clear about the importance of taking care of and providing for ones family. 1 Timothy 5:8 (NKJV) 8 “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

 Another point I’d like to make is those who live in financial hardships. While I understand sometimes it’s just the way life goes, but others I have to say it seems largely someone’s own fault. Americans love the overspending lifestyle. Americans love to spend and rack up credit card debt. Americans also love to get degrees that are not likely to make a return on their college investment. With so many people building debt at an alarming rate we as Americans have failed to understand scripture. Proverbs 10:4 (NKJV) 4 “He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.” We must learn to work hard and in our work not waist time being lazy. We as Christians must learn that hard work will reap big rewards. We must take pride in what we do.

In all we say and do work to bring glory to God. If instead of us being upset about how bad our boss is, we look at what we do is for the Lord, working should bring us more joy. In the event we don’t like our work, or where we live, or our situation in general, we may not be able to change our situation right away, but we need to always work to better our circumstances. Colossians 3:17 (NKJV)17 “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

 When I think of motivation I think of Batman. There’s a difference between being patient and being lazy. Batman often skulks around on rooftops waiting to crack a fist on some thug’s head. Batman is always calculating in his actions. Nothing is done without purpose. I think we can all take a few notes from Batman’s pages. We must learn to train our lives to be with purpose. We must always work to better ourselves and never become stagnant or lazy in life. Batman is always training to be better then he was, and is always learning and growing. We must remember that for the Lord we too must always learn and grow. We must always be willing to go the extra mile, and when we sew well in good soil, we too will reap the benefits of our many works. If you want change, you must be the change. If you don’t like where you are, work to make it better. This doesn’t mean it’s easy, but nothing in this life ever is. The thing with living life in bad situations is how unwilling we are to do what is necessary to improve our lives. We truly have become lazy and expect God to drop all the answers into our laps like a cosmic Santa Claus. This isn’t at all what scripture teaches us. Work for what you want, and bring glory to God in everything we do.

 

 

 

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It’s a wonderful thing to be able to share the blessings and teachings of Christ with all of you. For those who read my works in Christ, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Recently I came across an amazing home business based in Travel and Entertainment that’s the real deal. The savings found through this business are amazing. If you shop online, like to go to movies, or travel, this gift card for you can save you up to 50%. Please enjoy your gift as a symbol of my appreciation and gratitude. God Bless.

Have a Fighting Heart

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Have a Fighting Heart

There are nights we hurt, when the lies of the days, or the weeks have just gotten us down. There are years when we feel like no matter what we’ve done we aren’t good enough. There are years when we experience so much pain we don’t know how we’d ever be able to put ourselves back together. There are times when the bullies never stop, the attacks continue to come, and no matter how hard we try to run away from the pain it seeks us out, finds us, and breaks us into a million little pieces. The thing with trying to put yourself back together is you can’t. You cannot ever put together a broken heart, or a broken spirit because you didn’t make it. You don’t have the instructions so when you try to do it on your own, you’re without a doubt going to get it wrong. There’s an answer to how to fix the broken things in your life, and that’s Jesus Christ.

In my youth I struggled with bullies to the point where I cried to God to let me die in my sleep. I hated who I was, where I came from, and wanted nothing more then to hide and never be seen again. I know I wasn’t worth anything. I wondered if I ever could be loved, and I questioned how God could have made such a mistake in me. As years passed I slowly buried those feelings, and I found a fighting nature. I grew up placing my value in what other saw in me, and I missed the meaning behind the Gospels. I would watch as one person after another leave for one reason or another, and I would continue to pile that pain, all those rejections into the closet and dead bolted the door. I had no idea how to feel better, or what to do to fix my brokenness. I made mistakes, and sadly I would pay for them. I had the best of intentions to try and put humpty dumpty back together again but every time I tried there were chips and cracks that seemed to be spreading out further and further into my own psyche. Those cracks largely affected my self-esteem and as I watched one person after another leave I questioned my worth and my value to the point it very nearly killed me. There’s a important lesson to be learned in all of this however and that’s without Christ we are nothing. Without the love and grace given to us by God we would be hopeless in a dark world, condemned to an eternity of fiery torment and torture.

While I was driving to Church a new song I’d never heard before came on K-Love, Beautiful by MercyMe. The song seemed to come right through the radio and place a healing hand over my heart. The lyrics spoke to my cracked and fractured heart, and I realized, for so many years I had missed my healing all along. It’s not about how other see me, it’s how God sees me, and that God has given each and every one of us gifts, and talents to use, to bring His name Glory. We are so important to God, yet we don’t value ourselves very well. If you are sitting there reading this and if you believe you’re not worth anything, just take a moment to remember that Jesus Christ wants a relationship with you. You are made for so much more then you’ll ever know. God tells us in scripture that one hair on our head is more important the all the birds. We need to have the heart to fight because in this world of spiritual warfare we must not allow the lies of the Devil to break us down. The lies we are told are not truth, and we cannot keep them inside as if they were. We must rid ourselves of those negative hurtful thoughts, and remember that we are treasured by God and not one of us is created as a throw away. Every single one of us has a divine purpose by God. Every single one of us is given talents we must learn to use. Every single one of us is exceptional, and unique. We must keep our eyes focused on the Lord, and let the healing touch of Christ cover us like a warm blanket and remind us just how extraordinary we are. We all have a purpose and we aren’t alone in our walk. 1 Peter 4:11 (NKJV)11 “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the [a]oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the [b]dominion forever and ever. Amen.” In all things we do through our pain or our triumphs we must do it to the glory of God. If we are not using our gifts we are wasting them. We know that nothing goes to waist in our universe. Matter cannot be destroyed, just changed, so we know that we are here for a purpose. We can choose to waist our potential, or we can rise above the challenges and be something great before the eyes of God. To read more about the dangers of wasting your talents I urge you to read the parable by Jesus in Matthew 25:14-30https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+25%3A14–30&version=NKJV

 

Beautiful By: MercyMe

Days will come when you don’t have the strength
When all you hear is you’re not worth anything
Wondering if you ever could be loved
And if they truly saw your heart, they’d see too much

You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
You are made for so much more than all of this
You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
You are treasured, you are sacred
You are His
You’re beautiful

Praying that you have the heart to fight
‘Cause you are more than what is hurting you tonight
For all the lies you’ve held inside so long
They are nothing in the shadow of the cross

You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
You are made for so much more than all of this
You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
You are treasured, you are sacred
You are His
You’re beautiful

Before you ever took a breath
Long before the world began
Of all the wonders He possessed
There was one more precious
Of all the earth and skies above
You’re the one He madly loves
Enough to die

You’re beautiful
You’re beautiful
In His eyes
You’re beautiful
You were meant for so much more than all of this
You’re beautiful
You are treasured you are sacred you are his
You’re beautiful
You are meant for so much more than all of this
You’re beautiful
You are treasured you are sacred you are his

 

It Can’t Be All Bad

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It Can’t Be All Bad

Recently I was reading the news. It’s a chore now that I don’t enjoy doing, but I want to stay at least somewhat informed of big issues or happenings around the world. As I was skimming through the headlines, I quickly remembered why I don’t enjoy reading the news, IT’S ALL BAD! I searched for a while only to find a few ‘throw away’ posts but nothing really of anything extraordinary. Here’s the thing about news though, the things that are most popular is what you’ll find. Nothing sells better like bad news, or something sexy.

I was looking at new ways to light my Hogwarts Lego castle and I moved the internal lights to the front to light up more of the exterior of the castle. When I did this I realized I could see areas of the castle I hadn’t seen at night before. It got me thinking about the news and what we see, or rather what we choose to see. Things can only stay in the dark if we don’t shine light on them. The shadows that haunt this country, or even those that haunt us as individuals can only remain shadows if there’s not enough light to force the shadow away. If there’s a dark spot we should be able to turn the light on and force that darkness to retreat. Of course the excessive bad news is the work of a sin-ridden world. We know that the sin will continue to grow, and it’ll continue to spread like a wildfire cancer upon this earth. The sin will grow and become more visible as long as Christians don’t take control of how things are run. Christians have allowed our own homes to fall to the deepest depravities and we do nothing. Men leave their responsibilities as women are having children more and more out of wedlock. We see child crime on the rise, and as the jails are overflowing with criminal activity we can only blame ourselves. I know it all seems very bleak and cold, but there is hope, Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 5:10“10 But [a]may the God of all grace, who called [b]us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, [c]perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

Don’t fear the darkness; simply turn on the light and watch as the shadows scatter in fear. We know how the story ends, and we must live our lives according to Christ. Titus 2:7“in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,” No matter how dark the world gets we are commanded not to conform to it, but to be a good representative, an ambassador of Christ. We know where we are going when we die, but those who are still lost in this world still need to be unplugged from the system. It’s our job to educate, to guide, to lead by example. If we can’t do that we have no business calling ourselves Christians. We must hold ourselves to a higher standard not because I say so, but because Jesus Christ said so. How long will we allow our own homes to crumble to ruin over and over again? How long will we allow the neighborhoods to crumble all around us? How long will we allow the poverty in this great nation to grow and have more and more people struggling to make ends meat? We must stand up and do better. We must evangelize harder, preach louder, and not allow the world to stifle our voices any longer. Don’t let the darkness snuff out our candle of light and hope. Light is stronger then dark, and we must remind the world we won’t be pushed around or bullied any longer.

Nick of Time

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Nick of Time

How often do we sit in the middle of our trials and we don’t know what God’s waiting for. I know I have sat here and I have begged God to deliver me from the evil. When things don’t go according to my plan I get frustrated. When the storm lasts forever and we just want out we begin to doubt God, and we begin to think negatively of our relationship with god. James 4:14“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” I have watched so many suffer from depression after the loss of a girlfriend, a job, a friend, and think that they will never feel better again. In my life, I have faced days where I have felt like tomorrow wouldn’t come. When we don’t know what tomorrow will bring it can often bring emotions of anxiety, fear, confusion, sadness, and hopelessness.

When I am in the most despair I often find that right when I need it the most God sends exactly what I need, when I need it. We want things done in our time, but we don’t understand the nature of God and God’s timing. 2 Peter 3:8 “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” In the movie Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo is waiting under a tree for the gray old wizard Gandalf to show up. When Gandalf finally shows up, Frodo says,“You’re late!” and Gandalf responds with “A wizard is never late Frodo Baggans, he arrives precisely when he means to!”  God is the same way, and when God decides when it’s time we need to be on the look out.

2 Peter 3:9“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” God has made us a promise of the return of Christ, and when that day comes we are told to be ready. But God has also made us another promise, to never leave, nor forsake us. We need to remember that when we are going through hard times the Lord is right there with us. When we need help the Lord will always send it. It may not be in the way we expect, but if we go through life with our own expectations we may miss the blessings God sends to us in our time of need.

If you were Batman and you were fighting a dragon, things may seem dire but just when you need it the most Superman comes to help. Psalm 31:15“My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!” When David was being pursued and hunted, and he prayed for deliverance, he still knew that it would come at God’s appointed time. Faith in the Lord is the first and last place we must turn. There will be a lot of troubles along the way, but God will always give us what we need, when we need it.

Silent Prayer

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Silent Prayer

I sit here in the dark, on my bed, with just the dim lights from my new Lego set and the computer. The sounds of classical music come from the speakers of my laptop. I realized I haven’t really spent much time with God lately. I’ve been so busy worrying about school, and worrying about my other stressors in my life, that I have forgotten to pray. I have been thinking lately of all the trials I’ve gone through, and I realized I cannot do this on my own. I have been hearing the voices telling me I’m not worthy of God’s grace. The voice tells me I’m a failure, and I’ll never amount to anything. I hear the storm is too strong, and I’ll never make it. While I know this is all lies, it’s hard for me to continue being rejected, to continue failing, falling flat on my face, and not feel those negative feelings. So, when you find yourself low, and you don’t know what else to do, prayer is the first place you should go. Prayer is something we need to be doing every day, and according to scripture it’s something we need to do without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-1816 “Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” The first thing we are told is to rejoice, and while sometimes this may seem difficult it’s important to remember that even in our hardships we have an opportunity to praise Jesus because it gives us a chance to show others how Christians ought to behave in times of trouble. We can witness to others even in our own trials and tribulations, if we remember to turn to Christ in even the darkest of days.

One thing we forget to do is pray even when things are going great. We forget to rejoice when the world is peachy keen and everything is going right. We forget to thank God for the blessings we have, and even when it seems like we have so very little, we fail to put some perspective on what we do have. I have been to 3rdworld countries where I have seen poverty that we can’t fathom here in our country. While we do have homeless, even our homeless eat better then those in other countries. I’ve seen people who don’t eat at all if they don’t work, and many don’t get the chance to work simply because of where they live. I have watched as children have begged for food simply because it may have been days since the last time they had a meal. Even when we feel we have little, to other parts of the world, we are rich.

So in my time here in the dark, I find myself struggling between the flesh and the spirit. Romans 7:21-25 21 “I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” As Paul explains there is a war going on inside him. The war of the laws of Sin, and his desire to do good battle with one another. As I struggle with the feelings I have, knowing that God’s grace is sufficient for me, it’s hard to stay positive. Even knowing what Jesus has done for me, the struggle is still strong. Sometimes, I feel like I’m not a ‘good’ Christian because I have such negative feelings about myself. Sometimes when I feel low, I feel like I’ve done something wrong, and I’m not where I should be in my faith. But then, once again I realize that those are all the lies from Lucifer himself trying to bring me down, to raise doubts, and to do harm in my relationship with God.

David himself struggled a great deal with doubts, with depression, with hardships, and even in the very end he was considered a man after God’s own heart. This is a man who faltered a great deal, and by all mortal accounts was an awful man. While we would deem his actions and behavior deplorable and knowing those types of things would not happen today and have anyone get away with them, he repented of his sins. He did however suffer the consequences of his actions. We must remember to pray and in our prayers follow the standard Christ gave to us.

Matthew 6:9-13

9 In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

10 Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

As we forgive our debtors.

13 And do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.

[a]For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

 

Many people believe that these are the words to pray, but that’s not what Christ said, He said “IN THIS MANNER” so he was merely citing an example of how to pray. Addressing who you are praying to. Then he brings glory to the one whom you pray to. He’s then saying, whatever your will is, I will accept because you are great, and I am not. He offers thanks for the needs we have that are met by the Lord. Then he asks for forgiveness for the wrongs we’ve done, and in turn offers forgiveness to those whom we have wronged. He asks for the strength to avoid the temptations of the flesh, of sin, and to rise above the powers of Satan in this fallen world. He ends with acknowledging the power of God, in Heaven, on Earth, and the glory of God. Within that template you can ask God for the desire of your soul. You can bring your prayer requests for those you feel the need to pray for. God wants to have a conversation with you, and hopes you will come to the Father with all the troubles, and desires of your heart. So when we sit in the dark, in our quite place away from the world, away from technology, and when we can actually hear ourselves think, we need to remember what’s important, and what is right with our relationship with the Lord. Don’t give up and don’t despair in the dark days, today, or tomorrow.

 

 

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