Tag: nightmare

Tough Changes

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Tough Changes

Have you ever been in a situation where you dreaded to face changes? I recently experienced the need to change my cell phone case. It wasn’t allowing me to use the functions as they should have been and it became more of an inconvenience then the protection it added. I think tough changes are hard for many people to go through. Changes at your job can be tough, and stressful. Changing schools can be tough for many. Moving out of your parents house and getting your own place can be an incredibly hard change to go through. All of these things are easy or difficult depending on each individual person. While for each situation everyone’s reaction is drastically different, and while some love change, and others loath it, one of the biggest things to change is our actions.

A popular saying is “some people never change.” Another popular saying is “once a cheater, always a cheater.” While both of these are very popular, how true do you personally think these sayings are? From my personal experience I believe they are right on the money. I think the hardest thing we will ever do is change our personality to change our actions. I’ve always said humanity would never change without a major outside force. I always figured a global extinction event such as asteroid, or drought, or contagion would be the most likely just behind nuclear war. Alien invasion (less likely) could potentially bring humanity together to face a common enemy. That being said, most people do not change without something big, and life changing occurring within their life or someone very close to them. Cancer, or a near death accident has a way to change someone’s perspectives. While we often see a spiritual change in some during these times, it doesn’t always stick. The biggest change most will ever experience is the coming to the savior Jesus Christ. It’s the change in the heart that can change a man completely.

Romans 12:1-2“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” In the Lord we are born anew. In the Holy Spirit the soul is reborn in fire. When the Lord takes hold of our hearts, we cannot not be changed. We must push forward in the Lord and we must face that like the Phoenix, we are reborn in the burning fires of the Lord, and in our new selves we are compelled to repulse the desire of the sinful flesh. 2 Corinthians 5:17“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Change isn’t always easy, and even when you begin the following of the Lord, change isn’t always easy even after choosing the Lord. In our struggles though we should turn to our siblings in Christ and ask for them to help keep us accountable and true. We grow and we sprout from seeds in Christ and grow into a wonderful flower. The beauty in this world is only limited by our own stubborn selves. We often want to stay in our struggles because we are unwilling to change our own actions. We must change our lifestyles if we are ever expecting to change our own lives. I have watched my life grow and change in my financial walk with the Lord, my spiritual walk with my God, and even how I treat my friends. While life is full of tough challenges, changing our hearts to follow the Lord, and living in love, and denouncing hate shouldn’t be so hard, but the draw of sin is strong. Keep your faith, and keep your eyes on Jesus and always strive to change yourself to better please the Lord to what we see in scripture. Never give up hope on those around you who may be stuck in sin, and who don’t treat others with respect or love. It

The Power of Love

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The Power of Love

How does someone love through the pain? How does someone love through the betrayals? How does someone love after torture? How does someone love after immeasurable loss? How can someone endure so much, and still manage to see the sun rise and get up and continue walking? The cruelty of the world can beat us down like a prizefighter, one blow after another and when we hit the mat it’s easy to want to stay down and not get punched in the face again. The grace of God was given to man despite the torture, the ridicule, the murder of eternity. No matter what horrible things we’ve done as a society, the war, the slavery, the racism, the most important thing to remember is the truest of truths and that’s the power of love.

I was talking to someone once who had undergone an enormous amount of pain, she was raped, and she struggled with feeling safe and normal again. The key I told her was forgiveness. She asked me how I could forgive so many for the pain they had done to me, and my response was simple. Luke 23:34 “And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.” We must remember that even after torture, and being hung on the cross, Christ new forgiveness was routed in love. That love supersedes all. We could never do enough to overcome our own sin. We could never do enough works to bribe our way into heaven. But through love we have been given the blessings of such, and the forgiveness to go along with it. Our forgiveness to others must come from our hearts. Forgiveness is never something someone can earn, never something they have to work towards. Forgiveness is about correcting the balance within ones self. If we are not just made to forgive those whom we know, it’s ever more important to know that love is not exclusive. Luke 6:35 “35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” Even our greatest foe, our worst nightmare, the worst mankind has to offer must be loved.

When you are in love with someone, and your heart aches for them, when the time apart from them seems like an eternity, when just the sound of their voice, the flutter within your own heart at the text that comes from them, the smile you get from ear to ear is infectious. The joys of being in love with someone, and how the worry of the world fades away. One cannot be blinded by love in mistake for lust or infatuation, however the true art of loving someone beyond that will bring absolute beauty to ones life. The greatest thing we can feel in our life is love.

Jude 22-23 “22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment[a] stained by the flesh.” The sins we make are because of our sin nature. The draw of the Devil pulling us to loose control and focus on our deepest desires even if they are despicable to what is right and wrong. We must love even the sinner, even the worst of the sinners. This isn’t an easy charge, but to love our neighbors isn’t just a suggestion, it’s a commandment. Matthew 22:36-40 “36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

 It’s never easy to do, but when we are hurt and our pain is eating us from the inside out, the pain we have, the sorrow that stains our heart, we must learn that love is the cure. Loving must come from within. Romans 12:9 “9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” In order for us to find peace, and to be at rest even in the hardest of times, we must learn to focus our thoughts on love. 1 Peter 4:8 “8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” No matter what the event, whether it’s murder, it’s rape, or war, or terrorism, or thievery, or just getting cut off in traffic, no matter what it is, forgiveness must start from within.

Christ set us free with love, and we must learn also to set ourselves free. We can’t just forgive those who harm us, but when we make mistakes, when we wrong others, we must first attempt to apologize and repent meaning make actual steps to right the wrongs we have done. We must also learn to forgive ourselves. We must learn to be at peace with our sinful mistake, and do all we can to make it right. We may not be granted forgiveness from those whom we hurt, but that’s between them and God. All we can ever do is attempt to repent for our mistake and hope it’s enough. If it’s not enough for the flesh, we must as the bigger question, was it enough to God’s standards? We have no one to please on this earth, only God is the judge that matters. While forgiving others may be easy for some, the forgiving of ones own faults and sins may be the hardest thing anyone ever does. Remember that God loves you no matter what, and that power of love is strong enough to overcome any obstacle. Love is strong enough to overcome hurtful words, hurtful actions, and hurtful beliefs. Not everyone will love the way they should, not everyone will love and be able to hold onto that love, but Love is still the greatest of all, and no matter what ‘people’ say, Love is the greatest of commandments. Again to use the motto of Hard Rock Café’ Love All, Serve All. In the words of Celine Dion:

We’re heading for something
Somewhere I’ve never been
Sometimes I am frightened
But I’m ready to learn
(‘Bout) Of the power of love

 

 

 

HOLD ME

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 HOLD ME

My God my God I need your love. I need your grace, and I need your mercy. My God my God, I am lonely at night, and I need your love. My God my God, I’m afraid at night even though I fight with all my might. The silence in my world, I hate these silent nights. I want to calm my heart from the storm inside. My God my God, I’m on my knees, I’m praying to you oh Lord. Wrap me in your arms tonight and protect me. My God my God I trust in you, I believe in you. My God my God you can protect me from all these problems, you can free my soul, and bring me peace today.

My God my God please Hold Me today for I am weary. My God I read your words, and I hear your voice. I know of Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” I feel you here, and I stay on my knees. I know you Love me my God, and I know I am safe. I know that in time this nightmare will leave me.

Oh my God I trust in you. Ephesians 3:17-19 “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” When the storm inside is strong, and it thunders so loud in the silence, I pray to you my Lord. Quiet the storm and protect my spirit.

My enemies are vast oh Lord, but not of man, of the loneliness I feel. Romans 5:8 “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” I know you gave me so much Lord, and I know I should not ask, but put your arms around me Lord and protect me this day. 1 John 4:16 “So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

 Today, or this night my Lord, you will provide me happiness in your Holy Name. I trust in you, and I know that in my heart you are with me. One day I will find what I seek according to your will my Lord. You will raise me up, and protect me. You will give me serenity in my time of crisis. I do not hate my enemies Lord, and I pray for those who’ve brought forth pain unto me. I believe in you, and your commandments my Lord. 1 John 4:19 “We love because he first loved us.”

When I rest my head to sleep, I trust in you to give me peace. When I rest my soul I know where my truth resides. I tear down my walls and trust in you. I’m not looking for a miracle, just looking for some peace of mind. I know all things are possible Lord and in your time. Hold me tonight let me know it’s going to be all right. I am on my knees praying for a win, praying for a change, and I know it’ll happen. You gotta have faith, and I’ve got faith.