Living Imperfectly on God's Perfect Path

     I do not know how many times I have thought to myself that I just don't measure up to God's perfect standards. I seem to make mistakes all the time, showing me just how imperfect that I am. It is so frustrating to read in the Bible the way I should be and then falling short on doing so. I thank God for his mercy and the patience he has for me. Where would I be without it? Not in a very good place.
     My imperfection does keep me humble. In no way can I stand tall and prideful before God. I would just look foolish, so I bow before him and ask him for forgiveness of my sins. I know in my heart he has love for me and his love will forgive my shortcomings. Matthew 18:21,22 "Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" ²²Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times." God is merciful toward us but I would like to become a person who needs a little less forgiving. Philippians 3:12 "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own."
    It is a daily battle to up hold your Christian values in this devil controlled world. 1 John 5:19 "We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." But if we do need help we can pray to God and he will hear us. 1 John 5:14 "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us." And Jesus will protect us from the devil if he sees us trying our best to live by his word. 1 John 5:18 "We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him." God loves us as his precious children and just like a good Father, he will protect us and help us anyway that he can.
     Yes, I am living imperfectly on God's perfect path and even though I think to myself that I am not measuring up, the important part is that I am not giving up. I do not look at it like it is an impossible task that I was given. God knows we are imperfect human beings and that is why he sent his son Jesus Christ to die for our sins, we could not have forgiveness of our sins without him. We could not have a chance at eternal life in God's kingdom without the love and help of our Savior. We are imperfect humans beings and we cannot find our way on our own.
     God has not given up on us and neither should we give up on ourselves. In God's eyes we are worthy enough to be saved even though we are imperfect. Don't let the devil to deceive you, you are loved by God and always will be. It is your own choice whether or not to accept it. God is like the sun overhead and the devil is like the dark clouds that try to block out any sunlight from getting through. God's light is always shining down upon us and the devil is trying to make us to believe there is no hope or light at all. Even worst he is trying to make us believe his darkness is the light. 2 Corinthians 11:14 "And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light."
     My love for God and his word has kept me going upon the path to his kingdom. His truth and righteousness is what I believe in and in how I want to live my life. I have seen how bad people live their lives and their path will never be mine. I have by choice made God's way my way and never have I regretted it. I feel I have been blessed by his spirit and that someday I will be with him in his kingdom even though I am living imperfectly on God's perfect path.

Joy to the World

     Beyond the sadness, the despair and the darkness within our world there is still joy. Luke 2:10,11 "And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the lord." Through the dense darkness of our world God show us the light through his son Jesus Christ. Jesus read these words in a synagogue. Luke 4:18,19 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, ¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

     Yes, there is joy to our world through our Savior Jesus Christ. He brought to us the good news of the kingdom of God. Luke 4:43 "but he said to them, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose." Why was he preaching the good news? John 6:38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me." Jesus said in John 6:35 "Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." John 6:40 "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." Do you see where the long lasting joy in our world comes from? It is not from what man has done but what Jesus Christ has done and will do in our future.

     Jesus Christ has made us joyful by releasing us from death and giving us a resurrection of eternal life. 1 Corinthians 15:21,22 "For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. ²²For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." He has made us joyful by bring us closer to God. Ephesians 2:17-19 "And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. ¹⁸For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God," We were once strangers but now through Jesus Christ, we our members of the household of God. I find that to be pretty joyful.

     I could go on and tell you all the beautiful and joyful things that Jesus Christ has done for us but it would take a very long time to do so. I just wanted to say that true lasting joy that we have in this world comes from Jesus Christ and all the good that we do comes from following his example.
     Let the heavens sing of his glory and let us praise him for all that he has done for us, for he is our light through the darkness and our joy when we are sad. He is bring in a new tomorrow and a joy to our world that will last forever. Even in our darkest hour we can still say, "Joy to the world for the Lord has come."                                                                                                                             (ESV)  

We Must Take a Stand

     I know this will not be a popular post but I have to say, that we who want to be true Christians must take a stand for our faith. We cannot say there are many roads to heaven. John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life, No one comes to the Father except through me." Acts 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Yes, we must get along with our neighbors but not to a point where we abandon our faith and deny our God.
     Jesus made demands to his followers that will cause divisions within their own families. Matthew 10:37,38 "Whoever loves father or mother more than me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me." He is saying we have to take a stand within our own family; by not letting our own family's views and opinions turn us away from following him. We have to stand firm in our belief that our eternity and our family's eternity lies within hands of God, and no one else.
     When we take a stand for God, we make ourselves enemies of the world. James 4:4 "You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." So just being a Christian will cause conflict within our own life. Why? 1 John 5:19 "We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." We carry the light of God within us and the world prefers staying in the dark. John 3:19,20 "And this is the judgement: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ²⁰For everyone who does wicked things hates the light, lest his works should be exposed." We are seen as a threat to some people because our very presence make them feel guilty about their lifestyle. But do we really want to make people who do evil things comfortable?
     We cannot say everyone is right in the way they believe, so as to just get along. Revelation 3:15,16 "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." If we do not take a solid stand on the word of God, we will be rejected by God on the day of our judgement. Instead, we should be showing our devotion by doing what Jesus Christ told the apostle Paul to do in the book of Acts 26:18 "to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me."
     Compromising our faith is not an option for us Christians, to God it looks like we are not committed. He will look upon us like we are lukewarm, someone who stands in the middle between good and evil, someone who does not take sides. 2 Corinthians 6:14,15 "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? ¹⁵What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?" We cannot act like the world and still be accepted by God. We must choose God over the world and say without a doubt that Jesus Christ is the way, and the truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through him. We must believe in God with all of our heart and make a firm stand upon his word.                                                                                    (ESV)

The Light of Hope

     I sometimes wonder where is the human race heading. I hear bad news on television but I can look around me and still find hope. I listen and watch how people act towards one another and I can say there is still kindness in the world. There are still people with compassionate and loving hearts out there. Even if it looks totally dark outside I can still see lights shining through that darkness.
     Where does those lights come from? It is from those who refuse to let hate and violence rule over their lives. From those who live around darkness but do not let it enter into their hearts. They have something that separates them from others and I believe that something is the Holy Spirit of God. They love what is right over what is wrong and live their lives in the light of righteousness. They do not believe in hurting others for personal gain. They rather help than take if they can.
     Sometimes even if it is silly, I walk outside and try to imagine a world filled with good people. Maybe and just maybe to feel a little of what it were to be like if I was in heaven. A place where the spirit of God lives in everyone's heart. I wonder what it would be like to live in that kind of world? However reality brings me back to where I am now but I do see what we could be if we all wanted it to be different. We could all work hand in hand together to bring about a better world. I hold that hope inside of me and I know that I am not the only one.
     Jesus said to his disciples in Matthew 5:14,16 "You are the light of the world...." verse 16 "....let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Yes, there is still light in our dark world. It is carried in the hearts of those who follow Jesus Christ. They who love the Lord and live by his word. They will not let the darkness win but carry that light of hope to those who have none. The followers of Jesus Christ will help to make people's lives brighter and by doing this it will bring more of God's light and love into our world.            

God's Will is Made Clear

     Here is a common theme that is stated throughout the Bible. It is clearly written where it cannot be misunderstood. 1 Samuel 12:14,15 "If you will fear the LORD and serve him and obey his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well. ¹⁵But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king." Doesn't these two verses make it easy to understand, what God wants from us? He wants from us and from those who rule over us, our obedience and not our rebellion. In verse 14 it said that if we and the people who have authority over us obey God, it will be well for us. However, in verse 15 it said if we do not obey the voice of God and rebel against his word, the LORD we be against us. I could not explain the will of God more simply than that.
     I believe that those two verses 14 and 15 in 1 Samuel chapter 12 could summarize a lot of sermons and writings about God. They tell us exactly without any parables to what God wants us to do and what will happen if we do not. It is put in a very basic way that anybody can understand.
     The prophet Samuel goes on to tell the people in verse 20 that they have done evil against the LORD but yet there is still hope for them if they would just turn around and serve God with their whole heart. He tells them in verse 22 that the LORD will not forsake them and that God wants them to be his people.
     Even though the people had committed sins against God, Samuel told them in verse 23 that he would continue to pray for them. 1 Samuel 12:23 "Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way." Samuel did not let the people's evil ways discourage him from carrying out his duties as their prophet, to him that would have been a sin against the LORD.
     Samuel instructed the people in what to do, in first Samuel 12:24 "Only fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you." But he also goes on to warn them what would happen if they do not in verse 25 "But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king." Again in simple language, he said, if you and those who rule over you do evil things, God will punish you both. Samuel is saying that the national authority with all of their might cannot not save you or themselves from the judgement of God.
     First Samuel chapter 12 verses 14 and 15 states things so simply, that you do not need hours of Bible study to understand them. The verses simply say to us, to respect, serve and obey God.They also say do not rebel against his words but accept them and do them and you will do well. However, the verses said if you do not obey the voice of God and rebel against his commandments, the LORD will be against you. Samuel even made it clear that if those who rule over us, do evil things, God will punish them, as well. God wants us to know his will and I think he made it very clear to us in first Samuel chapter 12 verses 14 and 15.                                                                                                                                            (ESV)
   
     

The Tears of God

     Jesus weeps over Jerusalem. Luke 19:41,43,44 "And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, ⁴³For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side ⁴⁴and tear you down to the ground...." Jesus Christ foresaw this destruction happening at 70 A.D. by the Roman army. It saddened his heart because he so loved the people of Israel.  
     God tried so hard and went to great lengths to bring Israel back to him and yet they still rejected him. Jesus said in Matthew 23:37 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" God told the people of Israel that they were his treasured possession in Exodus 19:5 "Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine." God loved them but they did not return his love by keeping his commandments. They rebelled against him leaving God with no other choice but to punish them for their wicked deeds.
     How hard this must have been for God to punish the ones that he loved most of all. He loved them and watch over them, he sent many of his beloved prophets to them, so to turn them back from their sins and bring them back into his favor. In the same way, we were out of God's favor and to bring us back into his favor, God out of his great love for us, sent his own son to die for our sins upon the cross. Jesus, just like the prophets of old brought God's word to us and sad to say, just like the prophets of old he was killed for doing so.
     The people upon this world has brought much heartbreak to God and only by God's grace we are still here. We should thank God for not giving up on us. He still looks down upon us as his precious children. He has plans for us and in his eyes (sometimes tearful), God has decided we are still worth his effort.
    The tender heart of God can be hurt by the wicked things that we do, just like a parent would be hurt by their child's destructive behavior. Even though a child may hurt a parent, a parent out of love will still reach out to them and forgive them, so to bring them back, just like our heavenly Father reaches out to us, for our return. Most parents want the best for their children and God wants only the best for us as well.
     I never want to bring tears of sadness to my parent's eyes, neither do I want to bring tears of sadness to my heavenly Father's eyes. Those who I love and those who love me I only want to make them happy. I only hope that I am doing well in my heavenly Father's eyes, so that any tears of sadness can be turn into tears of joy.      

I Will not Give Up

     I will not give up on my belief of a better world. I will not say to myself that all is lost. I believe we can change if we really want to. The darkness that is around us can be conquer by the light that is within us. All we have to do is to nurture it and make it grow.
     Surrendering to the darkness is not an option for me, I will not let it win and I will fight against it. I will not let my hope slip away, nor will I give up on my faith, for without faith there is no hope. If we live without a light source, how can we see? We are beings who need light to live.
     When one is lost, he can also be found. When one is hurting, he can also be healed. There is hope and a solution to our problems, if we do not give up. We do not have to settle for darkness and hopelessness. We can see in our daily lives there is a night and there is a day. When there is light there is no darkness and if we are surrounded by darkness and we turn on a light, darkness is no more. Living in the hopefulness of light is better than living in the hopelessness of darkness. John 8:12 "Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Ephesians 5:8,9 "for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light" ⁹(for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),"
     My hope is in God and his salvation for us. Darkness shall never dominate my soul. Jesus Christ lights my way and gives me hope for my future, even beyond this mortal life on Earth. Trials and tribulations are apart of life but we can get past them relying on the words of God and holding strong to our faith in him. God will never abandon us, if we do not push him away. If we do not give up and we carry the love of God within our hearts, we can get past our troubles and help the world around us to change.

If I Only had That

     If I only had that thing or that person in my life, my life would be much better. How many times have we said this to ourselves? There is something missing in our lives and we think that someone or something can fill that void within us. We go about guessing in what we need and end up just accumulating things that leave us unsatisfied and having unfulfilling relationships.
     What others have, we think we need to be happy. We may even start to envy other people's wives, girlfriends, husbands and boyfriends or even their material possessions. thinking if we had someone or something like that, it would makes us feel complete somehow. Just as the old saying goes, the grass is always greener on the other side. We are at lost as to what will make our lives feel better. We make the same error in thinking that someone or something will complete me, over and over again. Why do we do this? I think it is because we do not know how to do anything different. We have become limited or narrow minded in our thinking. We limit ourselves to solving our problems with material things hoping they will take care of our spiritual needs.
     Jesus Christ said in Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." So there is a person that can help us make our lives feel complete and his name is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, our saviour is pointing to our heavenly Father as the source for all of our answers to our spiritual needs. Our fulfillment in life does not rely on having a certain material possession or having a physical relationship with someone. It depends on us having a close relationship with God, by putting the will of God first in our lives and seeking out his wisdom in everything that we do.
     For me, when I say if I only had that, I am referring to the qualities of God's Spirit that would make my life feel much better. If I only have his limitless love. If only I could forgive completely as he has forgiven me. Whatever I am lacking in my life, I turn not to the world for my answers but to God, for he knows exactly what I need (Matt.6:8). I had not always done this, but like a child who had to learn to walk, I fell down a lot in life before I could understand how to walk. I made mistakes, but what is important is that I learned from them and I realized that God's way is the best way every time. Seeking after the world only brought pain into my life but seeking after God has brought me much happiness.
     Matthew 4:4 "But he answered, "It is written. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." Jesus Christ spoke these words to the devil who was trying to tempt him. He relied on the words of God for his defense. Not only did Jesus tell us to live by the words of God, he live his life by them as well. They not only provided him with wisdom but also protection against the devil's temptations. The word of God is not an option we have in life, it is as vital to our lives as water and air. We need his wisdom, love and protection so that we can be happy, and be fulfilled.
     If I only had that feeling of completeness and wholeness in my life and the answer is that I can, by seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.                                                                                                                          (ESV)
         

Little Bits of Wisdom

     I was throwing out some of my old papers and I found a paper that I had written a long time ago. Upon on it, I had written down some of my thoughts about life. Back then I was always jotting down my thoughts about why are things the way they are, trying my best to come to an understanding about my world. I thought I would share them with you.
 
  Here are a few of my insights that I had written down:

     I believe a lot of people just gave up trying to change the world. They just settle for a place of their own, a place of comfort to live out their lives. But that comfort is only an illusion while living in a chaotic world. You are never really isolated from what goes on around you. Our individual happiness can be destroyed so easily or made less by the evil within our world.
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     People makes or agrees to the value in all things like money, diamonds, and gold. It is people that actually puts value on them. Take away the people and there is no more value. The value on things only exist within our human mind. The money and gold that we value, I doubt that any creature in nature would place any worth on them at all.
    If we all lived on an island and we all agreed that shiny shells were valuable. Then someone came to the island with a ship full of gold and fine gems, we would not think he is rich for he does not have any shiny shells that we highly value.
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     Don't let others compromise your values. Every time you do, you die a little within.
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     Do whatever it takes to make that flower of love and happiness to flourish within you without hurting yourself and others.
               ______________________________________________

     The rule of love and the rule of happiness is to love yourself and to love others. Be happy with yourself and find happiness among others. Preach about love and preach about happiness, and if you make a lot of mistakes along the way, just keep on loving and being happy. ---- from the Orator of Beautiful Words. 


 
 

Being Our Fleshly Self or Our Spiritual Self?

     Everyday we have to decide in how we are going to be. We have to decide in how are we going to reacted to the different situations in our life. Are we going be our fleshly (primitive) self or our spiritual (higher) self? In the Bible, it speaks about our flesh always being in conflict against our spirit. So in a way we have two choices, listening to our flesh or listening to our spirit.
     Our fleshly human body seems to be perfectly suited for this world. It feels, taste, hears, sees and smells. It knows when to eat and to drink. It deals with some of it's needs automatically and tells us what else it needs in order to stay alive. This basically functioning body is given to all of us at birth, as it was design by God. But as we all know the human body is much more than it's basic self. Within it is where our conscious self resides. The conscious self is like the parent and the body is like the unruly child that needs guidance. If the conscious self does not bring discipline to the body. The body will rule itself by basic instinct relying on it's impulses and desires as a guide.
    We can see how our undisciplined mind works in a child that is growing up. The child needs a lot of discipline and instruction in order to just survive in this world. A child is motivated by it's basic impulse, causing it to want something or to do something, even if it is harmful and dangerous to itself. A parent is needed to guide the child so to help it to learn self-control. The parent knows it is vital for the child's survival to learn the difference between what is right and what is wrong.
    God is our heavenly Father and he is trying to keep his children from harm. He sent his only begotten son Jesus Christ to us, so to instruct us in how to live our lives. He showed us that he wanted us to have total control over our bodies, to let the spirit rule over the flesh. He wanted our conscious self to embrace his teachings in order to bring discipline to the body and lessening it's control over us. God is telling us and showing us through his son Jesus Christ that our mind with the help of his Holy Spirit that we can gain control over our flesh and not be it's slave.
     Our conscious mind (the parent) can rule over the body (the child) with God's instruction and help. We can show love over hate, forgiveness over vengeance and live upon this earth as higher spiritual beings. However, we can see how those who reject God's plan, act in a fleshly way. They let their bodies (the flesh) rule over their mind. They hurt themselves through their addictions as well as hurting others by violence and verbal abuse. They are people who do not say no to their bodies desires. They spoil the child (the body) by not saying no and the body will act like a spoiled child and keep on trying to take control over the conscious mind (the parent). They do not understand their conscious mind is the master and their body is the slave, thus they become the slave to own their body's desires.
     Galatians 5:16,17,24 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. ²⁴And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." Those who believe in God, obey his words. They do the work that is needed to grow in a spiritual manner. They subject their flesh to the higher laws of God. They know that their bodies are the temple of God's spirit (1 Cor.6:19). They know that the Spirit within is guiding them in the right direction and bring them into a closer relationship to God. We are God's obedient children and he is preparing us to be with him in his kingdom.
     God's way is the better way to live. Living in an unselfish way, having control over your body and mind. By doing this, you would be a member of society that is loved rather than being feared. You would bring honor to yourself and to your family rather than shame. God's way is the higher way for us to be. Just like a good Father, God is looking out for our benefit by telling us to be a more spiritually minded and not to give in to our temptations and fleshly desires. He knows that the sin that we practice will only bring about destruction to our soul.
     God's way, Galatians 5:22,23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control; ...." What more can you asked out of life if your have these qualities. You would feel complete and whole within yourself. No more feeling unsatisfied, God's Spirit would bring satisfaction to your whole soul. Being around those who have the fruit of the Spirit would make you feel happy, joyful and give you the feeling of being loved. This is God's way, the perfect way for all of us to be.
   
         

I can Stand Tall even When I am Knockdown

    This is what I can say to our world. I am content with my life and you cannot hurt me. If you think that I deserve your love that is fine with me and if you think that I do not, that is also alright with me. I will not let you take control over my life and how I feel. I am content and at peace. The Lord has strengthen me and made me strong. He has put his love within my heart and it will not be taken away by anybody or by anything in this world. Knock me down and I will get right back up as I was, a child of God.
    Even if I was surrounded by violence I will not live my life in a violent way. If I was surround by corruption, I will not be corrupted. God has put his laws within my heart and I will live by them. Righteousness over unrighteousness every time.
     I am not perfect but I will strive to be perfect as God is perfect. I want to be like my Father in heaven. I want to live in the light of his love and be like that love while I live upon this earth. I know that God's goodness is for everyone and not for a limited amount of people. I want to praise God now and forever for what he has done and will do for all his children within our world.
     Yes, I can still stand tall even when I am knockdown, for God will never abandon me. He will be with me until the day that I die and even beyond that. I am forever his and he will forever be my God and I will always say, "Glory be to God forever and ever, Amen!"  

From Separate Lives, We Become One with the Lord

     From separate lives we become one with the Lord. When we heard our Lord's call we merge our path with his. We come to him out of many reasons, each unique to ourselves. How can one man satisfy so many people with his words and by his actions? What Jesus Christ has for us we wanted. What he did for us we needed. We needed a way out of our current condition. We needed hope for our lives. In him we found the answers that we were looking for and the healing for our hurting soul.
  The Lord said to us:
Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied."
John 4:14 "but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become to him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
John 11:25,26 Jesus said to her, " I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die...."
     Jesus Christ lifted our spirits up and gave us eternal hope that there is more to our life than suffering and death. Each of us with a different story to tell, can agree that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). Jesus drew us to him and now we are better than we were before. We can say with confidence, what is written in Psalms 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
     Our road in life though separate is leading us to come together someday so to stand together in unison in praising the Lord. Revelation 7:9,10,17 "After this l looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" ¹⁷For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
     Jesus Christ connects us to him as his large congregation upon this Earth. Something inside of us wanted to be close to him and to his people. We were looking for a new home, and in him, we found that home that we were looking for. It is built upon his love and his words and promises. We were on separate paths but now we reside within his church, our new home. A new home filled with our brothers and sisters who love the Lord as much as we do. We begun on different roads in life but now we stand together on the same path to Jesus.
                                                                                                                 (ESV)  

Working to Be Loved?

     How many times do you feel that you need to work for love? People sometimes tell you that nothing is free in this world and that you need to work for what you want. So does that mean I will have to work hard just to be loved by someone? Our parents gave us love and we did not have to work for that. However, sometimes I feel if I disappoint them or anyone else that have loved me, their love will become a little bit less. I think to my self, I must now work hard to gain back their approval and their love. And then I wonder to myself does all love come with conditions and if you really mess up in your life, could you find yourself without anyone to love you at all.

     Maybe everyone should make out an individual list so to give to others their conditions you have to meet before they could love you. Then if you are not receiving any love from that person, you can look at he's or she's list and see what you are doing wrong. Ha! Just kidding. But I do believe that our love has limits, we are not as limitless in our love as God or Jesus Christ. If someone really hurt us bad, we will not like them anymore, let alone to love them. God and Jesus still love those who rejected them. Jesus said while hanging upon the cross. In Luke 23:34 "And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know what they do...." 

     Jesus told us to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. He said this in Matthew 5:44-46 "But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶for if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?" This is a great love that many of us has yet to attain. For I have seen many friends break up just over a few bad words. I even find myself harboring some bad feelings toward others on some occasions. Jesus went on to tell us in Matthew 5:48 "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." I am not perfect, so I to like many of us, am still working on my own perfection.

     Yes, I am still working own my own perfection. I am not there yet and probably will not get there until Jesus Christ returns. I will be praying a lot to God for forgiveness for my shortcomings and I will be asking others for their forgiveness if I mistakenly hurt them in anyway. I am trying to grow in my spiritual maturity as fast as I can but sometimes it feels that it will take me forever to do it. I know I need to understand more about love and I know that others do to. Knowing that we are imperfect beings who require a whole lot of forgiveness, I will try not to overly judge others if they hurt me in someway, in that way I can keep a road open for friendship. 

     Working to be loved, it sometimes feels that way. As we see in the Bible, God wants us all to give and receive love freely between us. If we feel there is a need to earn somebody's love then we are doing it wrong and they are doing it wrong if they are putting conditions on their love. Love is freely given to us by God and he wants his children to freely give that love to others, with no earning required.      

Undeserving Me

     Why did Jesus die for me? I did not deserve it. He endure the pain of his crucifixion and he did nothing wrong. He only loved us with his whole heart. His loving nature was rejected by others. His kind words were not listened to. He took my death and made it his own. Why Lord did you do this for my undeserving soul?

     Out of my stupidity, I brought about my own pain and from his mercy I was forgiven. I walk away and he waited patiently for my return. He welcomed me back with his love, and his comforting words. Even if I had brought shame to myself, he stood by me with his wise counsel. 

     Lord, why do you put up with me? I lived like a madman who knows nothing at all and yet you wasted your valuable time on me. Because of my imperfection, I stumble and fall and in my time need, you held me up so that I could walk. 

     Why do people say cruel things about you? I see nothing in you to hate but everything in you to love. I thank God everyday for your compassion and love, undeserving they are for me.   

I thank God for Giving Me a Choice

     I thank God for giving me a choice, to be the kind of person that I want to be. No one has control over my mind. I can walk the path that I choose and I can believe the way I want to believe. In my opinion, this is the way it is for all of us. There are those who choose to do bad things but I do not have to be like them. I can spend my time doing good, it is my choice. I do not have to be like them and they do not have to be like me, we are all given a choice in how we choose to be.
     I know there are exceptions, like the severely mentally disabled people, who seem to be at the mercy of their impulses but most of us have the freedom of choice. When I say freedom of choice, I mean the freedom of doing good over evil, of choosing righteousness over unrighteousness, even in extreme conditions. In chapter 3 in the book of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image and order his people to worship the image, when the music played. If anyone did not fall down and worship the golden image, they would be thrown into a burning fiery furnace.
     There were three people who did not worship the golden image. Their names were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. King Nebuchadnezzar became furious with them and told them if they do not serve my gods or worship the image that he had made, he would cast them immediately into the burning fiery furnace. They gave their answer to the King in Daniel 3:16-18 "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the King, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. ¹⁷If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. ¹⁸But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
     The story goes on to tell us that those men were thrown into the fiery furnace but an angel from God protected them, they were not harmed, nor even their clothes smelled of smoke. King Nebuchadnezzar told them to come out of the furnace and then he order his people to never to speak against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego again. This story shows us even when our very lives are on the line, we still have a choice whether or not to be faithful to God. Our enemy does not have control over our mind and we can still make a choice. Maybe it will be our last one upon this earth but remember what Jesus said in Matthew 10:28 "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
     I thank God I am given a choice to serve him even unto death. I do not have to do as others do. I do not have to murder my brothers and sisters. I do have to steal or to cause any harm to anyone if I do not want to. I can try to do good all the days of my life and serve God until the day I die.  God has given us all, this vast freedom to choose up until the day of our final judgement. It is left to all of us whether or not we spend our days doing evil or doing good.      

In Time All that We do will Come to an End

     All that we do will come to an end. All that we work hard for and to build will disappear in time. Then what is left? Maybe some ruins, showing that someone was here at one time. It is beyond our power to capture eternity. We are only here now in this present time, then sometime in the future we will be gone. I believe that was the point that King Solomon was trying to make in the book of Ecclesiastes.
    King Solomon told about how he felt after he had done many things in his life. Ecclesiastes 2:11 "Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and the striving after the wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun." King Solomon said that all that he had accomplished will not last forever. He concluded that a person reward is the reward of enjoying the the task and nothing more. Ecclesiastes 2:24 "There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. this also, I saw, is from the hand of God,"
     I feel for what King Solomon was trying to do, he was trying to attain as much wisdom that he possible could. He tried to know everything but in doing so he found no permanence in anything. He said in Ecclesiastes 3:20 "All go to one place. All are from the dust, and to the dust all return." He was referring to the flesh of men and beasts. God said that to Adam in Genesis 3:19 "....for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return." No matter how hard we try, we can not last forever. We are temporary beings that create temporary things, like King Solomon said all is vanity, meaning it will not last.
     So all of this leads me to a big question, what are we all trying to accomplish with our limited time we have on Earth? Whose glory are we working for God's or ourselves? King Solomon said in the end we will all have to answer to God. Ecclesiastes 12:14 "For God will bring every deed into judgement, with every secret thing, whether good or evil." So would it not be wise on our part to put what God want us to do, first in our lives? Yes, we could go our entire life ignoring God but as you can see there will be an accounting in the end, and then it will be to late to make any apologies or to show any regrets. The scriptures have been around for a very long time, there are not to many people left that can claim a total ignorance of God.
    King Solomon does give us good advice on how to spend our days while we are here. Ecclesiastes 9:9,10 "Enjoy life with the wife, whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. ¹⁰Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going." King Solomon tells us we need to enjoy our life with our wife, if we have one. He also tells us to try to enjoy the things that we do and do as much as we can because our time here is so short. He also advises us never to forget about our service to God. Ecclesiastes 12:13 "The end of the matter; all as been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."          

Losing Control

     Losing control is pretty scary for most of us, after all we want total control over our lives. We try to plan for everything even for the things that might happen to us. Sad to say, even with all of our well thought out planning the unexpected still occurs. Our entire world can be turn upside down so easily by accidents, severe weather, fire, earthquakes and even by unexpected health conditions. The control we think we have can slip away so quickly leaving our lives in complete disarray. During these out of control situations we desperately look to someone for help, to help us out of the chaos and to help us get back on our feet again.

     Who do you usually turn to when you feel your life is totally hopeless? The answer for me and I think for most of us is God. We will pray to God for help. There is something inside of us that instinctively says, "Please, help me God!" This reminds me of this quote by James Morrow, "There are no atheists in foxholes' isn't an argument against atheism, it's an argument against foxholes." When we are near death and there is no one else to turn to, I think in my opinion that most of us will send up a prayer to God for help.

     Losing control over your life can also happen due to emotional stresses in your life. When your life isn't turning out the way you expected. When your life's problems and burdens becomes way to much for you to handle alone. In those trouble times, I find comfort in reading the Bible. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." God said in 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." These verses tell me that during the trouble times in my life I can depend upon God's help. He will strengthen me and give me rest for my emotionally tired soul. God also said he will never abandon us. Hebrew 13:5 "Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."                                                                 (ESV)

   
     P.S. I have made a youtube link to Carrie Underwood's Jesus, Take the Wheel. This song is about a woman who loses control and then she asked Jesus to take over.   

Be Thankful

     Sorry to say, that I have not really been thankful for the things that I do have in life. I have gotten so use to looking ahead and trying to attain the things that I do not have, that I rarely look back in appreciation of the things that I do have. I think that the old saying holds true that we really do not appreciate the things we have until we lose them and that goes for our health as well.
     In the Bible, Colossians 3:15 says, "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." This is good advice, I need to slow down and just let in the peaceful spirit of God and then in that peaceful state of mind give thanks to God for all the things that I have. I know to well in life that what you have today you might not have tomorrow. So being thankful now is a very good thing to do.
     I know how the lack of not having things can consume your time. We think that we need many things to make our life happy but in fact if we are truly happy inside we can get by on less and be just as happy. I find that I am at my happiness when I am just praising God and reading his word. Colossians 3:16,17 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
     We may get to busy to stop and be thankful but I am telling you, you will regret not appreciating the people around you, your health and the things that you do have now. There are many things in this life that can happen to you and to the people that you love. Now is a good time to be thankful and not later. Live this moment and be thankful, for tomorrow may never come.

I am not Good Enough

     How often do we become our own worst enemy by thinking less of ourselves? We sometimes think that we are not good enough and that others are much better than we are. We think they are more deserving and more capable. But we are so wrong in our thinking for God does not see us in a negative way as we see ourselves. He see our full potential of what we can be and what we can accomplish. He has helped so many people throughout history to realize they are more than what they thought they were.
     In the Bible there are stories in which God had helped people who thought they could not accomplished a certain task. For example, Moses thought he was inadequate for the task that God had given him. Exodus 3:11 "But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" We see that Moses thought he could not do this. God reassured him that he could with his help. Exodus 3:12 He said, "But I will be with you, and this be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain." What Moses thought he could not do, God showed him that he can with his help.
     The prophet Jeremiah thought he could not be, whom God wanted him to be. He said to God in Jeremiah 1:6, Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." Then God told Jeremiah in verses 7 and 8 "But the Lord said to me. "Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. ⁸Do not be afraid of them. for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord." God saw something in Jeremiah that Jeremiah could not see in himself and with the help from the Lord, Jeremiah became a prophet to the nations.
     We are all more than what we believe are ourselves to be. If we were not God would not waste his time on us. God loved us enough to sent his only begotten son to die for us. He would not have done that if he did not think we were worth it. God has given us all a chance of everlasting life but only with his help and God is willing to help us if we want him to. With God's help we can reach our full potential and be the people that God's see us to be. The apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
     

Majority is not Always Right

      I was thinking about the times in history where the majority was so wrong. People even fought and die for a cause that they believed was true but history showed their cause to be inhumane. An example of this would be the Nazi's campaign to exterminate the Jews and also in the U.S., where in the Civil War, the south fought for slavery. Later on the nation went on to backed the segregation between it's people. In time, the majority was proved wrong and the minority was proved to be right. These were only a few examples. I know you can think of a whole lot more.
     On a smaller scale, in the circles where we hangout, we sometimes have disagreements with other people. We sometimes find ourselves in the minority and if the majority strongly disagrees with you; They may go to the extremes to make you change your mind and even harm you for believing differently from them. Holding strong against a majority of people is a hard thing to do, but if we are morally right, we will be prove to be right in the end.
     Jesus Christ was always persecuted by the majority. They thought they were right and he was wrong. They were proven to be wrong by hanging the son of God on the cross. The majority is not always right and we will have to continue to stand up for what is right even if we are only a few in numbers.

Don't Let Sin Rule Over You

     Don't let sin rule over you, you must rule over it.  God gave this advice to Cain before he even killed his brother Abel. In the story of Cain and Abel, both made an offering to God but God favored Abel's offering over Cain's. Cain was hurt by this and became angry, he wanted God to like his offering as well. God saw that Cain was angry and said to him in Genesis 4:6 "The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? and if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it?"  But did Cain take God's advice and rule over his desire to hurt his brother? No, he did not. Cain let his desire to sin take control over him and in his anger he killed his brother.
     God has given us a whole book of his divine wisdom in the form of the Bible and yet the whole world is still suffering because of the bad decisions that people have made. If we do not make the effort to resist our temptation to sin and not rule over it, it will rule over us, just as God had said to Cain from the beginning.
   
 

A Coin of Little Value

     I have look through some of the memory boxes of some people, who were close to me that passed away through the years. I wonder to myself what those little trinkets, those mementos meant to the people who passed away. I had no clue and sorry to say they had little meaning to me but I knew they meant a lot to the people who kept them.
     I to have little mementos that mean a lot to me but to anyone else they are totally meaningless. I think that is probably true for the most of us. We have little keepsakes that we value while others would think they are absolutely worthless.
     In the bible in Mark 12:41-44, it said that a widow put two small copper coins of little value in an offering that meant a lot to her. They were all she had to live on. What she highly valued wasn't much in the eyes of others. Yes, this story was about her giving all she had to God whereas others only gave out of their surplus but it also illustrates to me, the things that we value maybe not be valued by others.
    For me, I think some people would think this blog as a coin of little value. It has no monetary value. The subject matter isn't popular and I have a small readership. People would shake their heads at me and say why waste your time. I think that is what defines a coin of little value. It is important to you and maybe not to anyone else. So I will keep my coin of little value and add to it, as well as putting mementos in a box just because they are special to me.
   

My Frustration

     My frustration, why can't the the world be different? Why can't there be more love, peace, caring, and tenderness? Why can't humankind just do what is right all the time, so that we would not have fight for it? Yes, I am complaining, sometimes the frustration builds and I feel I have to let it out with a bunch of whys?
     I kind of know the answers to my whys and there lies my frustration, because I cannot do a great deal about it, only a small deal. I cannot change the world and if people do not want to change or they are not ready to change, then it is left into the hands of God to make the change. I can make the necessary changes within my self but I cannot not change others, it is their own individual choice to make.
     We have a freedom of choice that was given to us from the beginning. Genesis 2:16,17 "And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, ¹⁷but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." From the beginning God had given men and women a free will to do as they pleased, however he had made it clear to them there are consequences to their decisions. He said clearly to Adam, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. So in my frustration I say to myself, Why Adam, why did you do it? Again, I kind of know the answer to why.
     In Genesis chapter three it talked about a serpent who deceived Eve. Genesis 3:1 "Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?" Most of us knows how the story ended. The devil use the serpent to tempt Eve into eating the fruit, then she gave the fruit to Adam who ate it without question, and we have been plagued by death and hardship ever since.
     Why do we have to fight for what is right all the time? Revelation 12:9,13 "And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world---he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. ¹³Therefore, rejoice, O heaven and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!"
     It said that Satan is the deceiver of the whole world and he is very angry. So who is Satan's anger directed at while he is on the earth? Revelation 12:17 "Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea." So Satan is literally at war with the disciples of Jesus Christ, who try their best to keep the commandments of God.
     Now lets look at the commandments of God. Remember the Ten Commandments; the ones which said honor your father and mother, you shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal or bear false witness against your neighbor. Sounds good to me but Satan absolutely hates them and anyone who keeps them because they come from God.
     Jesus Christ gave us a new commandment. John 13:34,35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." So Satan is against love and anyone who will practice it. You can see why will we always have to fight for what is right because we are fighting against a powerful opponent who hates righteousness. He will not give us an inch and we will have to fight an upward battle all the way.
     I probably will keep on complaining and in my frustration say why? Why? Even if I know why. Just to relieve my frustration in someway. I do wish that most people with their freedom of choice would choose to do good over doing what is bad. I wish they could understand that they are being manipulated by an entity who hates God and anyone who serves him. So why? Why? Why?  

God Loves Us like a Father and Mother

     God gave birth to us like a mother. Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Deuteronomy 32:18 "You were unmindful of the Rock that bore you, and forgot the God who gave you birth." Like a mother, God comforts his children. Isaiah 66:13 "As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem." God compares his compassion like that of a woman for her child. Isaiah 49:15 "Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you."
     God also cares for us like a father. 2 Corinthians 6:18 "and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty." God provides for us like a father. Matthew 6:31,32 "Therefore do not be anxious, saying. 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all." God protects us like a loving father caring for his children. Matthew 18:12,14 "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? ¹⁴So it is not the will of my Father who is in the heaven that one of these little ones should perish."
     God does love us like a mother and a father because we are his children. He comforts us and show us compassion like our mother. He provides and protects us like our father. There within him are the qualities of a compassionate mother and a protective father. God's love for us is perfect in every way. God is beyond our description. We may try to describe him but we will fall short every time. I want to say to God thank you for being like a loving father and mother to me. Your tender care and love has made a great difference in my life.                                                                              (ESV)

We are More than Our Body

     As I grow older different health problems arise sometimes limiting me from doing certain things. I find I cannot do the things that I once could do. But I asked myself am I any less for it? Does my body define who I am? When I look at those with physical disabilities, deformities and those that have become limited by health conditions and old age, I can see we are more than our bodies. The person that we are inside define us and not our flesh.
     I talk to a woman that said to me she feels more younger inside than what she sees in the mirror. So I believe the mirror does not reflect back an accurate description of who we are, especially of who we are inside. The only way we can really come to know each other is talking to each other and not judging each other from a distance.
     In 2 Corinthians 4:16 it said, "So do not lost heart. Though our outer body is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day." 2 Corinthians 5:1 "For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." Our outer body is wasting away and when we finally die, our eternal home in heaven awaits us. It is our inner self, our spirit that will reside there. So, our body is not all that we are, we have a spirit and that spirit within us is our true self.
     Those of us that are no longer youthful or cannot get around as much, this physical state of being will never be who we really are. People may judge us by our bodies alone but a day will come when they to will look into the mirror and say this is not my true reflection and I am more than my body's appearance.
   
     

God's Immeasurable Love and Forgiveness

     I found the ninth chapter of Nehemiah to be an interesting read. It told how disobedient the people of Israel were in the past and how God forgave them over and over again after they repented. He loved them like a loving Father and he punished them for the bad things that they had done and then he forgave them after they asked for his forgiveness. The ninth chapter of Nehemiah told about God's love, patience and long-suffering for the nation of Israel. It showed me just how immeasurable God's love and forgiveness really is.

     Nehemiah 9:9 "And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea," Nehemiah goes on to tells us the story of the exodus in verses 10-15 that God parted the Red Sea and cast their pursuers into the depths. Then God led them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. God gave them the ten commandments by Moses. He gave them bread from heaven to eat and water for them to drink. But after all what God did for them, they still disobey him and made themselves a golden calf to worship. 

    God punished them for their rebellion by sending them out into the wilderness for forty years but he also kept an eye on them and helped them to survive. Nehemiah 9:17-19,21 "....But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them ¹⁸Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, 'This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,' and had committed great blasphemies, ¹⁹you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness...." ²¹Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell."

     After they were in the wilderness for forty years, God let them enter the promised land. Nehemiah 9:23,25 "You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess." 25"....So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness." But their obedience to God did not last. Nehemiah 9:26,27 "Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. ²⁷Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies." 

     Nehemiah goes on and tells us that these people again went back to sinning and then God punished them and they again repented and God forgave them. This cycle of disobedience, punishment, repentance and then God's forgiveness was repeated over and over again showing God's unlimited patience, love and forgiveness for his people.

     God's love for us is the same today as it was for his people long ago. Psalm 103:17 "But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children," Psalm 100:5 "For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations." Why does God have this kind of love for us? Because God is love (1 John 4:8). Who is always shining down his love and forgiveness upon us, because he cannot be any less than a loving God. He can see pass our imperfections. And in his infinite mercy gives us the opportunity to repent and have everlasting life through his son Jesus Christ. God's love and forgiveness for us is truly immeasurable.                                                                                               (ESV) 

History of My Personal Blog

     When I started my blog I was kind of naive. I wanted to share God's word and change the world by doing it. Well I guess I still haven't changed, I still want to share God's word and change the world by doing it. Mostly I just wanted to tell the world how I felt about God and how he is so important in my life. I got so tired of keeping it inside of me and needed to find away to express it more openly. So I started my blog and it did made me happy, for now I had a way to express myself.
     When I release my blog, it did not have that global impact that I had imagined. A lot of people did not read it. My blog was virtually unknown. ugh! My naivete was broken. Oh well, life goes on. I stilled enjoyed writing my blog, even though it was not getting the results that I hope for. I met some musicians in a band once, they to wanted to change the world with their songs. I believe that most of us want to do something to change our world and make it a better place to live.
     Anyway, I will continued to blog. I did take a year off of blogging. I think I was a little disillusioned about how big my blog was going to be and how it turned out to be. I read stories about bloggers hoping to make big money from their blogs and it did not turn out as they excepted and they quit blogging. I never wanted to make money on my blog but I did want to touch people somehow with my writings and tell them how I felt about God and his word. Some people say that the scriptures are like God's frozen spirit, when people read it, it thaws out within their hearts. I just wanted to point people to his word, so that the spirit of God could change them and make a difference in their life as it had in mine.
     My expectations of my blog has changed, I no longer feel that I can change the whole world with it. lol. What a blow to my ego, but I have to let go of my fantasy and be realistic. I do love my blog, it gives me so much satisfaction. It is about my journey through God's word and my discovery of it's meaning to my life and to our world. I find that God's word has so much depth and with it so many views to its meaning, thus causing so many denominations in our world. I like exploring it and theorizing about it. Through this exploring of God's word, I want to expand my knowledge about God, to apply it to my life and grow to be a more spiritually mature human being. I want to be who God wants me to be because he knows a whole lot more about me than I know myself. His way has always been the perfect way after all he did create us, our world and the entire universe, you have to admit, he does know something.
     I will continue to blog even if others do not think much of it. I do have many other things that I can do with my time but none of them gives me as much satisfaction as this blog. When I look into God's word it has so much wisdom that I cannot find anywhere else. Every post that I write, leads me to another. When I find one answer, I find I have many more questions to follow. It is an endless journey but for me it is a most enjoyable one.
   

God's Plan

     I love this topic God's plan, whenever I hear it preached or when I read about it. It gives me so much hope that one day our world and our lives will be made so much better when Jesus Christ returns. Generation after generation of Christians have been waiting on his arrival with open arms. Even though I may not see his return in my lifetime, it still makes me feel better about my own future and that of our world's. When I see and hear about so much trouble and badness that is going on, I am not brought down entirely by the news because the word of God tells me that a better world is on the way. God's word reassures me that the devil will not win and Jesus Christ will be triumphant in the end. Just thinking about makes me feel better already.
     Why did Jesus Christ come into our world? Because it was part of God's plan to redeem us from sin and death and to bring us back into a perfect paradise condition. Ephesians 1:4,5 "even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love ⁵he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will," God with his far reaching sight, saw us holy and blameless before him and he saw us brought to him through Jesus Christ's sacrifice.
     God had a plan at the beginning. God told the serpent right after it deceived Adam and Eve that Jesus would come to bruise it in the head and it would bruise Jesus's heel (Genesis 3:15). This meant that Satan was behind Jesus Christ's crucifixion, it was like that he gave Jesus a minor wound to the heel because Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Whereas, Jesus Christ will give Satan a fatal wound to the head, when he throws the devil into the lake of fire forever (Revelation 20:10). God has not forgotten about us, everything that he has said, did come true and will come true.
     A lot people act like Jesus Christ is not returning at all. Its like when Moses went up mountain to receive God's ten commandments and those people who were waiting for him thought he was not coming back, they started to rebel against God and made themselves a golden idol (Exodus 32:1,8). As for us, the apostle Peter tells us the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise. 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." A vision(a revelation) has it's appointed time. Habakkuk 2:3 "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end--it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay."
     I am not a rebellious person, even if the Lord does not return in my lifetime I will not be doing wrong against God or to others. I do not see or feel that upholding Christians values as burdensome, nor that I only do it because I fear God's punishment. On the contrary, following Christian's principles has help me a lot in my life. It has brought me to have little to no regrets in my life. The word of God has brought me hope and comfort during the sad times. And through prayer I have been strengthen to carry on. I am not a perfect man, I have on occasion got my fingers burnt by sin and that is why I hold God's word even closer for its wisdom and protection it gives me.
     God's plan is a wonderful plan for us. A home forever in paradise under our loving Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Why would anyone want to rebel against it. No more suffering and pain but only pure love and happiness for us all. Yes, I will eagerly wait on the Lord's arrival as long as it takes, for what else can compare to God's plan.        
       

The Blooms and Sunsets that no one will See

     I was thinking about how many flower blooms and beautiful sunsets that come and go without anyone seeing them. Flowers seem to give it their best even if there is no one around to applaud their efforts. So does the sky above give us something beautiful to look at, even if we are not around to see it. Nature does the same thing with it's colorful birds and creatures that roam the earth. It seeks no approval or reward it just does what it does best all the time.
     I was wondering why can't I be more like the flowers, the sky and nature, and just do my best without wanting to show it off or to seek some kind of reward or approval? Why is there some kind of vanity within me that wants to be noticed and to say to others look what I have done? I would like be to able to make something beautiful, make a masterpiece and be satisfied within myself, then walk away without wanting to show it off to someone for some kind of positive feedback. I seem to have some vanity, where nature has none.
     Will a person do their worst if no one is around to praise him? I think not. What painter will make their paintings ugly just because no one is around? What singer will sing their worst because he or she is not on a stage? People who are trying to created something will still do their best even if they are all alone. There is something within them that makes them want to achieve a perfect expression. So people are doing wonderful things that I will probably never hear or see, just because they love what they do.
     Each of us that have something to express will create their own blooms and sunsets to present to the world. Maybe some will get noticed and be applauded for their good work. However many others will have to make do with less. But we have to asked ourselves why are we doing it in the first place? Are we doing it because we love doing it or are we just trying to get noticed? Even still, I think a little vanity runs through all of our veins and we want people to love what we love to do. We want their approval and praise for the work that we have done.

Do you have a Hardened Heart?

     Do you have a hardened heart? A hardened heart according to definition is insensitive, showing no kindness or sympathy for others. However, the spiritual hardness of the heart can take on other forms apart from having no sympathy. For example, Jesus was trying to teach the apostles about the the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod but the apostles did not understand him. Mark 8:17,18 "And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, "Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? ¹⁸Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember?" So having an hardened heart can keep you from understanding, seeing and hearing clearly, and even remembering, biblical teachings and instruction. This was stressed in Matthew 13:15 "For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed...." Mark 6:52 "for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened."
     The apostles hearts were not unsympathetic to others but they were insensitive or not aware of what Jesus Christ was trying to teach them. Their hearts were like, they were to hard for any understanding to get through. Even so, Jesus Christ was patient with them and took time to explain his teachings to them. Jesus Christ wanted his disciples to become more spiritually minded than just looking at the surface of things.
     I also have some difficulty in understanding some of the teachings of Jesus Christ. It takes many hours of research and study for me to comprehend them. Perhaps, my heart is also a little bit hardened. Jesus Christ talks about a helper that he will send to us to help us to understand and remember his teachings. John 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to you remembrance all that I have said to you." At times when I was studying God's word, the verses of the Bible became very clear to me. I believe this was caused by God's Holy Spirit helping me to understand.
     The Holy Spirit plays a big part in our own personal understanding of God. 1 Corinthians 2:12 "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God." Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." 2 Timothy 2:7 "Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything." These verses show us where true understanding comes from, from God's Holy Spirit.
     Ephesians tells us that a hardened heart can darkened our understanding. Ephesians 4:18 "They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of their heart." A hardened heart can separate us from God making us think that our way is the best way. Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death." If we follow the course of our hardened heart it will only lead us to death and not to eternal life with our Lord. We have to trust in the Lord and soften our hearts so to let the Holy Spirit in to guide us. Ezekiel 11:19 "And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh."
                                                                                                                 (ESV)  
   
   
   

We the People are Important

     People, they are all around us. We interact we each other on a daily bases. Our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers and friends affect us in someway. We depend on each other and look to each other when we need help. The community around us prospers or self-destructs depending on what kind of people that are in it. We need each other. Our life is either made happy or sorrowful by each other's attitude. We cannot overlook, ignore, hurt or disrespect each other without feeling the consequences of our actions. If the God of all creation sent his only begotten son to die for us because he loved us so (John 3:16), then we must all take good look at each other and see each other as brothers instead of just obstacles that we have to endure or people to use to get what we want.
     When we respect and help each other, we honor the Lord. Matthew 25:37-40 "Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? ³⁸And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' ⁴⁰And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." Proverbs 14:31 "Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him."
     We are told to do no wrong to our neighbors but to love each other. Romans 13:8-10 "Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." ¹⁰Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." Why love, because everyone of us needs love. We are our heavenly Father's children. He created us to love, to be like him. 1 John 4:8 "Anyone who does not love does not know god, because God is love."
     We the people are important. We are important to God and he wants us to be important to each other. He looks down upon us like a loving Father. He wants us to treat each other as he would treat us. He wants us to love one another and to forgive each other. Matthew 6:14,15 "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, ¹⁵but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses."
     So where are we getting that hurting each other is alright? How are we to build a community on a attitude of survival of the fittest or if we act superior to all others? It is not the plan our creator has for us. Galatians 5:13,14 "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
     The more we take to heart the commands of God the more we will come together as one people. Building each other up, supporting one another when in need and loving each other like a family under God. This is what God wants for us and this is what we really need and want for ourselves, so that we the people can finally have a lasting peace and security in our lives.
                                                                                                                      (ESV)
   
   
   

Perseverance

     Perseverance definition: [to persist in or remain constant to a purpose, idea, or task in spite of obstacles.] If we are to persevere, we have to really believe in what we are doing, if not we would just give up. We can use perseverance to accomplish our job or to try to win at sports. We can apply it to many different things in our life in order to succeed. In our faith, perseverance is important, we have to remain constant to our purpose in serving God and our loyalty to Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:25 "Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable."
     The apostle Paul endure many trails and tribulations and he persevered. 2 Corinthians 11:24,25,27 "Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. ²⁵Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; ²⁷in toil and hardship, through many sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure." The apostle Paul had great devotion and great perseverance, he never gave up his faith in God. Revelation 2:10 "Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life."
     Our commitment to Jesus Christ is a lifetime commitment, we will and must remain constant to our purpose to serve Jesus Christ in spite of any obstacles that may come along. For we our given a promise, "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life." We persevere because we look to that for which is to come. Revelation 21:4 "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." We believe in the teachings of Jesus Christ and want to be just like him. Romans 14:17 "For the kingdom of God, is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." We want all what the Holy Spirit can offer us. Galatians 5:22,23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control;...." We believe with all of our heart and soul that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6) and we will persevere in our life and in our service until we are with him in his kingdom.                                                                                                                                                  (ESV)
   
     
     

Forgiveness for the Deceived

     I was thinking about what Jesus said in Luke 23:34 while he was still hanging upon the cross, "And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." In Acts 7:60 Stephen said, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." He said this while he was being stone to death. Jesus Christ and Stephen wanted those who were putting them to death to have a chance of forgiveness. I believed they saw their oppressors as being deceived and wanted them to have a chance at redemption, when they finally come to realize the real truth.
     In my opinion, not many of us could do this, praying for the ones who are putting us to death and asking God to forgive them. I would love to be that spiritually mature but I fear that I have still some ways to go. Jesus warned his disciples in John 16:2 "They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God." 2 Corinthians 4:4 "In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." Those who are bring harm to God's congregation are blinded by Satan, that is why, I believe Jesus said we are to forgive our brother many times. Matthew 18:21,22 "Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" ²²Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times."
     The apostle Paul reminded a congregation how they once were in Titus 3:3-5 "For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. ⁴But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, ⁵he saved us,..." The apostle Paul talked about himself in 1 Corinthians 15:9,10 "For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰But by grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me." Many of the past Christians were blinded and deceived by the devil but yet through the forgiveness of Jesus Christ they changed who they were and carried on the messages of Jesus Christ.
     We can see the importance of forgiving our brothers and sisters in order for them, to one day come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Our future is secure in the hands of Jesus Christ, whereas their future if unchanged could lead them to an eternity in darkness. Endurance on our part and keeping our unyielding faith can help them to find God. People can change, Jesus wants us to give them that opportunity to change through our forgiveness. How are we to teach them about Jesus Christ's love and forgiveness, if we are cursing at them?
     The apostle Paul tells us how to be in 2 Timothy 2:24-26 "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, ²⁵correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, ²⁶and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will." The apostle Paul also tells us what each of us will have to face. 2 Timothy 3:12 "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,"
     People who come against the disciples of Jesus Christ are coming against Jesus Christ himself, for we are not representing ourselves but the kingdom of God. They truly are, just as Jesus Christ said, "for they know not what they do." Our eyes are open to the truth whereas their eyes are shut tightly against it. So we forgive them for their sake and for ours, in hope that one day their eyes will be open. In all honesty, I do not know if I could be as forgiving as Jesus Christ or Stephen was to their persecutors. But I will keep on praying for the love and the strength to be able to.                                                                                   (ESV)