My Lifetime Faith

     My faith in God is a lifetime faith. I will believe in him and put my hope in God as long as I shall live. I will have faith in God during the happy times of my life and the sad. I will keep my faith when I have plenty or even if I have less. I will keep my faith even if my prayers go unanswered. I will wait on the Lord and accept his will. I will not leave God or throw my faith away. I will believe in God and wait on his kingdom. My faith maybe weakened through my trials and troubles but it will not be gone. My love for my God and my faith in him sustains me through my bad times and his Holy Spirit guides my way. My faith in God will always be with me for it is a faith that I will have for a lifetime. 
      In the book of Job, we can see the trials that Job had to endure and yet through it all, he kept his faith. The devil took everything that Job owned away from him and he even caused a windstorm to destroy his sons and daughters. Job lost a great deal and he was hurt deeply however he stilled held on to his faith. Job 1:21-22 "And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away, blessed be the name of the LORD." In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong." Job 13:15 "Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face." Job said if he were to die by his suffering, he would still hold on to his hope and faith in God. However he still wanted to asked God, why was he made to suffer?
     Daniel's friends Shadrach and Meshach and Abednego was pressured by King Nebuchadnezzar to bow down to a golden image, when music was played. However when they did not bow down to the golden image, the King order for them to be thrown into a fiery furnace to be killed. The King asked them, "And who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?" This is what they said 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. If 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. But 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."
     We can see when the three men were faced with their own death, they continued to hold tightly to their faith. They refused to commit the sin of idolatry. They told the King even if they were not rescued by God, they would still keep their faith in God and obey him by not worshiping the golden image. In the end an angel of God protected the three men while they were in the fiery furnace. After they were released from the fiery furnace, the King Nebuchadnezzar said bless be their God and made a decree that no one was to talk against their God and he also rewarded them with a promotion.
     Another person in the Bible who had a strong faith in God was David. Before David was made King, he was pursued by King Saul. King Saul was jealous of David's popularity and thought that one day he would replace him as King of Israel, so King Saul tried to have David killed. Many years David had to run for his life. He prayed and relied on God's help and protection. He wrote many of  the chapters of Psalms while he was on the run. Those chapters of Psalms reflected his feelings while he was in hiding.
     David was under much stress and worry. He did not know when God would deliver him from his troubles. Psalm 6:6-7 "I am weary with moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes." Psalm 13:1-2 "How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?" Even still when he was under much emotional stress, David still held tight to his faith in God. He praised the LORD in Psalm chapter 18 for his deliverance from his enemies. Psalm 18:1-3 "I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies."
     Just as Job, King David, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego held tight to their faith in God, I will also hold tight to mine. Their faith was a faith for a lifetime and so is mine. We will go through many trials and tribulations. We will have many problems and obstacles to solve but we do not have to go it alone, we have our faith in God that he will help us along the way. We have many examples of people within the Bible, who held firm to their faith and their examples can help us in solving our own troubles. I want to be able to say those words in 2 Timothy 4:7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 1 John 5:4 "For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world---our faith."   

Worshiping God In My Daily Life

      I want to do as much as I can in my worship to God. I want it to be a daily worship. I want to thank him and praise him everyday. My mind will be thinking of God throughout my day. Psalm 66:4 "All the earth worships you and sings praises to you; They sing praises to your name." If the earth and the things upon it worships God and sings praises to God, I wish to join that chorus. Luke 19:39-40 "And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." He answered. "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out." Revelation 5:13 "And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever." There is a sea of worship upon this earth that is going up to God and a lot of people are not even aware of it. If all of the things that God created glorifies him in their very existence, I cannot let my worship to be any less. 
     I must give glory to God in everything that I do. 1 Corinthians 10:31 "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." If I give honor to the Lord in all the things that I do, I would be in harmony with the nature that is around me. We both would be praising God with our whole being. Psalm 150:6 "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!" Psalm 95:1-6 "Oh come; let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!"
     In my daily worship I will honor God in my thoughts. I will think upon his goodness and righteousness. I will place his words within my mind and heart as a protection against sin. Psalm 119:11 "I have stored up your words in my heart, that I might not sin against you." In my daily life, when I am busy I will still keep the Lord upon my mind and I will stay within his presence and not drift away. I will always thank God in prayer for all the things that I do have in my life. Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
     When we meet with others, we must do what is right and good so to honor our Lord in heaven. The way we live our life is our worship to God. We want him to look down from heaven and be pleased in how we are living our lives. We want to be pleasing to the Lord by our works and actions. Whether or not the tasks is small or big, we will do our best in trying to accomplish them while bringing honor to our Lord.
     In my daily life, I will do my best to have more of the Lord's spirit than the world's. I want to feel united with all of God's creations. Just like those creations, I want my very existence honoring our Lord in heaven. I do not want to be standing in the wilderness and be the only thing that is not honoring the Lord. I do not want to be living contrary to the will of God while the earth glorifies him and obeys his voice.

Psalm 145:1-2 "I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever.

Revelation 4:11 "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power. for you created all things; and by your will they existed and were created."

Psalm145:10 "All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD, and all your saints shall bless you!"

Job 12:7-10 "But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; The birds of heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Whom among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind."
      

My Faith In God Is My Rest

     My faith in God is my rest. Psalm 62:1-2 "For God alone my soul waits in silence, from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken." Psalm 4:8 "In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety."
     My soul is at rest for God is my rock and my salvation. He is someone that I completely trust. He is someone that I believe in with my whole soul. My soul is at rest for God is in complete control over what is happening upon this world. My present and my future is in his hands. What is there to be anxious about? Why should I worry, if I have a faith without any doubts and I fully trust in the Lord.
     If I were to say to the Lord in prayer, "In to your hands I place my troubles." Then after praying I continue to worry and think to myself if God even heard my prayer or if he will even answer it. How would I find any rest if I have weakened my faith with doubts of worry? Would not God see within my mind in how little faith I had in him when I prayed? Our rest in God is so very important to our relationship with him. We should be at rest when we cast our burdens upon him that are to heavy for us to carry alone, in so doing we should feel much lighter and more at peace. If our faith is strong and has no doubts we should feel within our heart that God is not far away from us but standing close to us as our friend.
     If we believe God to be real then we will find comfort when we pray. We must talk to God as our friend and not as a stranger. We must wholeheartedly trust in him to answer our prayers. We can find our rest in our faith and our trust in God. We can live in peace knowing we have salvation through his son Jesus Christ. Through his resurrection, we have comfort knowing that death has no hold on us anymore. We can have peace knowing the Kingdom of God is drawing near. The chaos within our mind can be broken by the peace that Jesus Christ gives through his words. Our rest, our comfort and our peace that that we have through God's Holy Spirit sustains us through our day and it makes us feel closer to God.
     My relationship to God can be hinder by my lack of rest in the Lord. To much worry and anxiety can cause a distance between me and him. It can cause a lack of peace for my soul. If my goals in life are different from what God wants me to do, this will cause a distance in my relationship with him. My rest will be broken if I feel that I am not going in the same direction as God. There could be a thing that you are doing that is displeasing to God and preventing you to have your rest so you must be willing to let it go. A strong relationship to God is to receive what God wants us to receive and let go of the things that God wants us to let go of.
     My faith in God is my rest. It is my belief in him that brings comfort to my heart and soul. My rest is me doing what God commands so to be pleasing to him in his sight. I find comfort in believing that God sees me and hears me when I pray. I want to live in peace knowing that I will be accepted by him and be welcomed to live within his kingdom. My rest is lessening all of my worries by placing them within God's hands to help me solve. 

Philippians 4:6-7 "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

John 16:33 "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

Isaiah 26:3 "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."

Psalm 3:5-6 "I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around."

     

My Surrender To The Lord

This is my surrender to the Lord:
      
     "I stand before the Lord without any distractions. My mind is only focused upon him. Within my mind, I can see clearly his presence before me. There is no resistance within my mind to make that view hard to see. I lay down everything that I have and that I am at his feet. I throw away that which has kept me away from surrendering my life to him. Through the Holy Spirit and his words, I will listen to his voice and do as he says. Before his throne, I bow as his obedient servant. I will refuse the things that he rejects and love the things that he loves. I will walk the path that he wants me to walk. I will live for him until the end."
     In our surrender to God. We are showing him our love. Jesus tells us what is the great commandment in Matthew 22:37-38 "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. This is the great and first commandment." We are showing God our love when we surrender our heart, soul and mind to him. If we give him our love from our hearts, we will draw near to God and he will find us, meaning we will make a spiritual connection to him. The LORD said in Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." Deuteronomy 4:29 "But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and all your soul." If we give to God our surrender of our heart, mind and soul, we will draw closer to him and find him. We will make a spiritual connection of our heart to his.
     In our surrender of our heart, mind and soul to God, we must follow Jesus and obey his words. Matthew 16:24-25 "Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." By denying ourselves and taking up our cross, we will be trying to live a spiritual life and not a fleshly one. Galatians 5:24 "And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." This is our spiritual worship to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. Romans 12:1 "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."
     In our surrender to God, we want to be pleasing to him. We want to know if we are doing anything that he does not like and we want him to guide us in doing what is right. Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" The apostle Paul was worried to if he was doing anything wrong that would disqualified him from receiving praise from God. He wanted to make sure he was practicing what he preached. 1 Corinthians 9:27 "But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified."
     Our surrender to God is more that just words, it is giving God our heart, mind and soul. With our mouth we will praise and thank him. We will openly declare him to be our God and with our heart we will love him. Our mind will be thinking about his words and how to put them to use in our life. Our body and soul will being doing the necessary work to support his church in spreading his Gospel to many others. Our commitment to God is with our whole being. We surrender to him wholly and completely. 

Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
     

Not Again

      How many times have we said those words, "Not again!" Sometimes life can be so cruel and unrelenting. You may have went through a bad experience over again. Like when your car breaks down and you fix it and then it breaks down again. You could have had a health problem that you thought you were over it and then you find out that it has returned. You might had to fix your house from either storm, water or fire damage and then sometime later you had to fix it again from the same kind of damage. Sometimes we have to deal with the same type of problem and we think to ourselves, "Not again." 
     We are only human and we can only take so much before we start to break. Our mind and our heart is not made out of stone. The problems we face in life can effect us mentally and physically. They can wear us down and make us feel tired from constantly trying to solve them and then having the same problem return again. Life makes you feel you have no control when you fix your house from storm damage and then you hear another storm is on it's way. What can you do but pick up the pieces over and over again. Not again we may say but life says yes, again.
     What can we do? We must continue on in our life, the best way we can. In the reality of life there will be good times and there will be bad times, we just have to endure the bad times to get to the good times. We can try our best to make sure that we experience more good times than we experience the bad. 
     How to face a problem that we have? We cannot linger on what should have been but on what we can do now to solve it. We must break down our problem into smaller steps that we can fix and then go step by step in solving it. Do not say, "It can only be done one way." but be flexible in your thinking and try another way if your original plan did not work. You do not have to go it alone you can seek out help if you need it. You can pray to God and ask for his strength and guidance and have faith that your problem we be solved.
     We must do our best to endure and persevere, even if the same problem keeps coming our way. We must not give up and give in to the hopelessness that we may feel. In time our life will be better. We just have to work through the 'Not again' times of our life knowing this will not last forever. We can trust in God to help us see through our problems and help us to find the answers that we need.

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Philippians 4:6-7 "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

 

None Participation, Could It Be Hurting Your Life?

     I wanted to write this before you read this post so I would not be hypocritical. The things I am telling you to do in this post I should be doing as well. If you see a 'you' in this post it should read 'you and me'. If you feel you are living a sedentary lifestyle than an active one and if you feel you should be getting out more and meeting people, this is how I also feel about my life. I wrote this post for you and me so we can start to think about the changes that we might need to do so to make us feel better about our life.
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      Being only the watcher and not the doer could be hurting your life. Seeing people having fun and not being apart of it, you could be losing out in making a connection with others. Reading about love and not being around people who can love may make you feel lonely. Not being apart of a group that is working on something, you may lose out on an opportunity to develop a friendship. Not going out but staying in, the isolation could be making you feel sad.
     We need connection and the feeling of belonging. We need to find the people who we feel comfortable with. I know that being a Christian we are no part of this world but we still need to be around some people who are like us so to have some kind of support and fellowship. Being all alone in this world is not good for our mental health. I know that some people like being alone and if that is their choice then I am fine with it. I am saying that if you feel disconnected from life maybe it is time for you to become more active in life than sitting on the sidelines and watching.
     In doing things, going places and meeting people we will find out more in what we like to do and the people we like to be around. By becoming more active in our life, we might be able to find out what we are looking for. It could be the beginning in finding out what was missing in our life. Being more active in our life, we will benefit from the activity and be more healthy by doing it. We do not have to drastically to change our lifestyle but with the little changes that we do it could make a difference in our life.
     You could find a church that you would like to go to and participate in their activities. You would meet new people that may have the same beliefs that you have and maybe even make a new friend. You could find a community center that has activities that you like. You could find a group with the same interest that you have or even go to a book club that you like. You need to find a place that makes you feel comfortable and that you would not mind visiting again in order to make you feel like you want to be around other people.
     Do not put a high amount of pressure upon yourself fearing that you may say something awkward causing people to not to like you. We all seem to have some amount of social anxiety. The people that you meet may have the same anxiety fearing that you may not like them.  I am not trying to cause you more anxiety by suggesting to you to go out and meet with others. I am just suggesting that a lack of social interaction may have left you feeling a little bit lonely and sad. I know that some people may have a physical condition that has left them not able to get around. Some people may have a mental condition called social phobia that prevents them from going outside. I am just saying do what you can to interact with others so that you do not feel so isolated and alone.
     In the Bible it has many verses telling us to be together, to encourage each other, to love and to help each other. Jesus and the apostles did not live in isolation but they were interacting with the people who were around them. Here are some Bible verses telling us how we should live our lives.

Genesis 2:18 "Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."
Hebrews 10:24-25 "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
Ephesians 4:2 "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love"
Galatians 6:2 "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."   
     

Lord, Help Me to Keep Moving Forward

      Have you ever been in a situation, where you feel that you cannot take one more step? You feel tired and exhausted because you cannot find any rest for yourself. You feel there is never any let up to the obstacles that you face. When you get past one then another takes it's place. This causes your energy to become depleted. You want to keep moving forward but your body has become to weak to move your feet to go on. Your faith in God is still with you and your hope in him is still alive but your body and mind has become so tired. You look up into heaven and say, "Lord, help me to keep moving forward do not let me to just keep standing still."
     It is like we are standing in three feet of snow and we still have a will to move forward but the wind is blowing so hard against us and every step we take is so hard to do. In our mind we ask ourselves when will this end and we pray to God to rescue us so that we can continue on.
     I am not a quitter but in my mind there is a question to what to do? How do I move forward if I can barely move my feet? I must think deeply within my mind in how did I get to this place of being stuck and not being able to move? How did I work so hard and tried my very best and still in up in a place like this? My mind aches at trying to find an answer. Who cares, you may say to yourself if I do not move forward and stay and die in this state of mind? I say that your family will care, your friends will care, your sons, daughters and wife will care. If you have anyone in your life at all, they will care and God most definitely will too. However I must say that the world in general may not care. In these things lies your power to move.
      I see that maybe there are some ways that you can move forward. One way is from the help of your friends and family by their support and love. You can get strength through your prayers and worship of God. You can also seek out professional help through a therapist. Another way is that you can get mad at the world and say, "If the world does not care if I stay here and die I will move forward in spite of them all." You can start by twisting and turning your torso. You can move your hands up and down and around. You can kick your feet in anger. You can still jump up and down. This is the beginning to moving forward again. Showing yourself that not all is lost that you can still move your body. By doing these things you are firing up your mind and your body to take a few steps forward. You can say to yourself, "I will not stay here and die in this hopeless state of mind." Then push with all your might to take a step forward.
     We must find a way to free our mind and not be locked up in hopelessness. The world is still going to continue on whether we are stuck in one place or not. We have to find a way to adapt and move forward. By changing the way we think and by changing the direction we are going in maybe we can bend like a reed and not break like a rigid stick to find a way around our troubles. 
     I maybe stuck right now but I been stuck before and figured my way out. I have used perseverance and endurance and even by pure will power alone I have made my way forward. I do not quit or throw up my hands in surrender to the troubles I am facing. I will push forward even at a slow pace until I find a solution, an answer, a way through or a way around my obstacles in life. When you stop trying you start to become hopeless inside but when you continue forward and do not give up you show yourself there is still hope and that you will find what you are looking for. You are playing for more time. As the saying goes, "Time heals all wounds." Maybe all you will need is some time to heal and rest.
     I will still keep on looking and praying to God for my answers. I will not give up on my faith no matter how hard my life may get. God said in Joshua 1:9 " Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Exodus 14:15 "The LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward." Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you." Isaiah 40:29 "He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength." Psalm 73:26 "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."     

Forgive Them

     Forgive them, Jesus said in 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?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times." Even when he was on the cross, Jesus said to his Father in heaven in Luke 23:34 "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do..." These are the scriptures I think about when someone that I am close to or that I know may say something very hurtful to me and I see it as a very different kind of verbal attack. They did not do it in anger but in a very casual way showing to me that it was not a purposeful attack on me. It did not really mean much to them when they said it. They even forgot what they said to me. However to me it was like a gut punch that took my breath away and I needed sometime to recover. They could sense my distress but they did not know what caused it. I just tell them that I am not feeling well and need sometime to rest.
     I knew exactly what it was as soon as my friend said those hurtful words to me. It was not a personal attack by my friend instead it was a well place attack by Satan to test me. He wanted to see how I will react and how much damage he can do to my friendship and to my relationship to God. I have experienced these kind of attacks before and they are so unexpected and they hit so hard. I usually need a few hours of prayer asking God for his strength and protection to recover. I will also use distraction like reading and watching television to get my mind off what was said. After a few hours of praying and using distraction I will start to feel better. I did not yell at my friend or caused him distress in anyway because I knew that Satan was just using him to get to me.
     Jesus went through something similar with the apostle Peter. Matthew 16:21-23 "From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord. This shall never happen to you." But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." Satan was using Peter to get to Jesus. Satan wanted Jesus to doubt his mission and not go through with it. However Jesus saw that Satan was using Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan!" He did not get angry at Peter but at the one that was using him.
     I find these verbal attacks by Satan so tiring to me. The more older I get the more more tiring they become. I sometimes think that Satan is trying to wear me down. These attacks can be designed to attack your faith, your self-worth and it can create doubts that you are even loved. Satan will use someone to attack any of your weaknesses and this attack will usually be from someone that you are close to so to make it unexpected and more damaging to your mental state. If it breaks up your relationship then so be it he is more than happy that it did. He wants to separate you from your friend and from your friendship with God. This is why you must use forgiveness for your friend because he was not the one that was verbally hurting you but being used by Satan to test your faith, your forgiveness and your love.

Everyday

      Everyday I give him praise. Everyday I give him thanks. Everyday I feel him standing with me. In the hardships of my life I draw strength from him to carry on. Are you there Lord I asked and yes he is, everyday in my life. Where I am running to but to him. Everyday I bow to him in worship. Everyday, I need Jesus in my life.
     When I am hurting and feeling sad, I find comfort in the Lord. The Sun my not shine everyday but Jesus shines everyday in my life. He shines even at night and on the darkest days. He knows my heart and he knows my soul. He knows where I am weak and where I am strong. Everyday he watches me and guides me to where I must go.
     Pitiful man that I am but Jesus still loves me and cares. I depend upon the light of his words. I need the hope that his words bring. Everyday, I seek out his instruction. Everyday I am awake and I am aware because of the Holy Spirit's discernment within me. It keeps me from doing nothing and sleeping my life away. Even though there is a haze of darkness over the world, the words of Jesus clears it away for me to see. Everyday I am grateful and humble before the Lord.
     Everyday I can feel the fear within the world but Jesus says do not fear. His love chases the fear away. The world has fear but Jesus has love so everyday I choose love over fear. Fear will paralyze us but the love of Jesus will free us.
     Everyday I will walk the path that Jesus wants me to walk. I will do my best to serve Jesus and be pleasing in his sight. Everyday I want to pray and give thanks to God. Everyday I want my faith to be strong and my worship to be without an end. 

Death To Life in God's Kingdom

     Before Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, we were bound by death. A death that we inherited that was caused by the devil deceiving Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve sinned and passed down that sin and death to us. The bible said in Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." We were lost in our sin and helpless to save ourselves.
     Satan is cruel and heartless, he not only brought down Adam and Eve into sin and death but accuses their descendants of sinning before God. Revelation 12:10 "And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God." Zechariah 3:1 "Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him." Satan uses accusation to create condemnation and shame, making us feel that we could never be forgiven. He creates a feeling of hopelessness that we will always be sinners deserving of death. Even before Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, Satan tempted people into sinning and then accused them of it. He was trying to keep them in an unforgiven state of mind. 
      God saw what Satan was doing to his people. He saw that his people needed a redeemer. They needed to be freed from the sin and death that Adam and Eve brought upon them. God sent Jesus Christ his only begotten son so to free us. Romans 5:18-19 "Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many will be made sinners, so by the one's obedience the many will be righteous." 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 "For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive."
     Even though Satan may still try to accuse us, we now have Jesus Christ to intercede on our behalf. Romans 8:33-34 "Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised-- who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us." Jesus Christ sacrifice justified us before God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Romans 5:1 "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
     Satan accusations against us are being brought to nothing before the throne of Christ. God as forgiven our sins so the devil cannot use our sins against us. Jesus Christ has released us from the fear of death by opening up the gates of heaven. We have hope and we have salvation. Our future is secured in our belief in Jesus Christ. One day we will all be standing in God's kingdom.

Even Though He Died, The Memory of Him Still Lives On

     There was an elder within the church that I was going to. He had a vibrant personality. He was friendly and kind. People felt comfortable being around him. Even though he was an elderly man, he was energetic and always constantly doing something that was church related. His mind was very sharp, he was like a human Bible encyclopedia. He knew Bible scriptures, dates and history very well. He could almost answer any question you had about the Bible. He would often be the leader at Bible study meetings. He was so happy and alive during his lifetime that when he died my mind did not see him as dead because within my mind his memories are so vivid and full of life. Even though he died my memories of him are not of a dead person but of someone that is still alive. 
     When I found out about his death, I was surprise that I did not have a great amount of sadness because I remembered his joyful energy that he had in life and that memory of him overshadowed his death. My mind knew he was dead but because he lived his life with so much passion that he did not feel dead within my mind. I found this to be so fascinating because many people that had died within my lifetime my mind sees them as dead but with him my mind sees him as alive. He lived his life with so much joyful energy that all my memories of him are of a happy man that was full of life. My mind knows he is dead but my memories of him are very positive making him feel to be alive within my mind.
    During church services, he would often give talks about the Bible. His Bible talks were always simple and down to earth. He was always smiling and making jokes and describing scenes from his own life in order to make clear a Bible scripture or story. He was like a mentor to me. He took me along when he went to visit others so to see how they were doing. He encouraged them to keep their faith in God and when it was time to leave he quoted a Bible scripture or two and said a prayer. He was well like by many people. When he past away many people missed him. He left us with so many happy and positive memories. Even though he died, he left me with memories of him that made him still feel alive.  

I Am Walking in Circles

     I am walking in circles if I am not walking towards God. There was a period of time in my life, where I was just in a routine of eating, sleeping and working. I would watch videos, play pc games and read different kinds of news articles. I felt like I was wandering around aimlessly through life without a purpose and a direction. It felt like I was just walking in circles and doing the same things over and over again. My life felt like it had no meaning. I could feel a distance between me and God. I use to read his word and pray to him more often but I was not doing this and I could not tell you why. I realized that if I am not walking towards God, I am aimlessly walking around in a circle.
     Somehow I let the doing other things in my life get in the way of my relationship to God. None of the other things that I was doing was getting me closer to God. They were actually taking up my time and the time I needed to use to draw near to him. This had taught me a good lesson, a life without God is meaningless. It makes you feel lost and empty inside. If I was not walking towards God, I was not going anywhere but in circles. I needed God in my life more than I needed to do other things that took my time away from him. God is my purpose and my life.
     I am not saying that you cannot do other things in your life but make sure you are not leaving out God in your life. Make time for him. If you are not making time for God, you will definitely feel that there is something missing in your life. God gives you a purpose in life and he gives you meaning and makes you feel that you have a direction to walk in. Without God in our life, we are just walking in circles.
     I thank God that this time in my life without him was a short one. I could never live without him for a long time. I would have a depression that would not end. I need his light and love. I could never live my life just walking around in circles, I must have a direction to go in and that direction is towards God. 

I Place My Thoughts

       I place my thoughts upon heaven to where God and Jesus Christ dwell. I place my thoughts upon the light and love of God that shines down upon those to whom he loves. His light guides my way and his love brings warmth to my heart. I place my thoughts not upon the darkness but upon the hope that God gives. I choose to think about the goodness of God over that which brings me sadness. I will not let my mind to be a captive to darkness but to set it free by thinking life uplifting thoughts instead of life diminishing ones.
     I place my thoughts upon good memories and the joy that they bring. Whatever that lifts me up and makes me smile is where my thoughts are. Why take a dive into the depths of misery instead of resting upon a happy shore? Why are you drawn to despair instead of being drawn to what gives you hope? Do not let yourself be suffocated by this world but turn your mind towards heaven so to see God's salvation for us. The Kingdom of Jesus Christ is coming soon to take away all of our feelings of hopelessness and to wipe away our tears. I place my thoughts upon his kingdom and all the hope and happiness that it will bring.
     Even though I maybe surrounded by problems that are out of my control, I will still place my thoughts and prayers upon God for my deliverance. I will never surrender to the darkness but only to the will of God. I place my thoughts upon the words of God to seek my answers. There is a light that shines through the darkness and shows me the path to which to travel. The Holy Spirit of God lights my way. The illumination of God's Spirit is filled with his love and uplifts my soul and mind. I place my thoughts upon God for it is the only way I can truly live and survive.  

The More Wiser and Knowledgeable I Have Become

     I find the more wisdom and knowledge that I gain, showed me clearly how limitless wisdom and knowledge are. If there is a sea of wisdom and a sea of knowledge and I put one hand in the sea of wisdom and the other hand in the sea of knowledge and then pull them both out, how much more is left to learn but two whole seas of knowledge and wisdom. My mind is looking at the impossibility to know all things in my lifetime. I will only come to know a fraction of it during my life. I never wanted to be a ignorant man or a unwise one but when I look at both the vast seas of wisdom and knowledge, I feel I am lacking in both wisdom and knowledge.
     I stand before God and the universe as a humble man knowing very little in what God knows. How small will I feel when I will stand before my maker? I want to believe I am smart and wise but when I look up toward heaven I feel like a little man standing upon a immense world created by an immeasurable God. In all of my knowledge and wisdom all I can do is to kneel down and give reverence to God.
     I will keep on trying to learn so to have knowledge and wisdom but I will not become arrogant and prideful in doing so. How can one be arrogant when standing before the seas of wisdom and knowledge? How can any mortal man that does not have limitless knowledge and wisdom and have only a limited amount of time to live and to learn thinking himself to be equal to an immortal all knowing God. Is this not insanity? This man who may think himself as a God because he has a mountain of gold. He maybe able to stack his money as high has the moon but he is not God nor will he ever be. He is just a man with a limited amount of knowledge and wisdom who will die one day and be no more.
     The more wiser and knowledgeable I have become the more resistant I am becoming to learn anything more. I use to want to know everything but now if someone wants to tell me something I just say I do not want to know. The sea of knowledge and wisdom is great and I do want to learn but I refuse to drown in it. I am starting to enjoy the simple things in life that requires less thinking and more enjoying. My mind has always been in a mode to understand and learn but I think my mind needs some quiet time and just enjoy the things that are around me.
     I give praise, honor and worship to God. I stand humble before him for his knowledge and wisdom is far beyond my own. What I really want to know is more about God and how does he want us to live our lives? God is our future and I want to know all about him. Yes, I do want to keep on learning so to have knowledge and wisdom about God's love and the joy that it brings.

James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

Proverbs 2:6 "For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;"

Proverbs 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom."

1 Corinthians 13:2 "And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge... but have not love, I am nothing."

God Will Tell Us How

     When God wants us to do something, he will tell us how to do it. In the six chapter of Genesis, God told Noah that everything that is on the earth shall die. However he also told Noah how he could save himself from the destruction by building an ark. God even told him how to build it. In Exodus the third chapter, God told Moses to talk with Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. He told Moses exactly how to do this, all Moses needed was to follow his instructions. Moses did what God instructed him to do and the children of Israel was set free. In Joshua chapter six, God told Joshua how to conquer the city of Jericho. Joshua did as God instructed and the walls of Jericho fell. When God wants us to do something, he will tell us how and all we need to do is to follow his instructions in order to succeed.
     Even in todays world, God is still telling us what he wants us to do and how he wants us to do it within his word the Bible. All we have to do is to read and follow his instructions within it. John 6:28-29,40 "Then they said to him, 'What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" Jesus answered them, this is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." 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." God's words within the Bible told us how we could have eternal life and all we need to do is to follow them.
     Jesus commanded us to love one another. How do I do this? All I have to do is to look in the Bible to find out what love is and how it acts. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful, it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." John 13:34 "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." 1 John 3:18 "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth." There are many Bible verses that tells us how to love. It is God's word and we need to apply them within our lives. God is clearly showing us what he wants and how we need to do it.
     God has given us many instructions to follow within the Bible. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." If we want to know what God wants from us and how to do it, just read the Bible and find out for yourself. God has shown us many times in the Old and the New Testament that if he wants us to do something, he will tell us how and all we need is to do it. 

Our Desperate Cry

      In our desperate cry, Father hear our prayers. See the desperate situation that we are in. Deliver us Father so that we may continue to live without a feeling of hopelessness. Let not the devil entrap us. Let not the devil to win. Let your son be our guide and our way. Holy Father, creator of Heaven and Earth hear our prayers and rescue us from this hardship that we are facing. We cry out for your help. We cry out to be seen and to be heard so to have our prayers answered. Oh Father come quickly so that our hope does not fade.
     In our desperation we cry out and say, "Lord, please hear me and see the darkness that surrounds me. Keep me safe from the devil's work." Protect our heart's from this darkness for is trying to take away our love. It is trying to take away our peace and to set our world ablaze with hate and violence. Protect our souls and protect our families from the evil that is within our world. Lord if we are surrounded, help us to find a way out. Let not the righteous die by the wicked. Let the righteous live a full life. Show us the way Lord Jesus so that we may follow you and be saved.
     In our desperation, we are near the edge and trying our best not to fall off. Lord hear our cries and come quickly to our help. Lord Jesus clear all the fog away so that we may see what is in front of us and what is in back of us. Give us the strength to carry on and the wisdom to do what is right. Please, find us if we do get lost and hold our hand to support us when we stumble and fall. The world does not care for us but you do. Let us feel the warmth of your love so to chase away the cold. Lord, please watch over our lives.
     In a loud cry, I say, "Lord come soon so that your Kingdom will take away all of our desperation!" In your Kingdom, no more cries for help will be needed. No more tears will be shed because of our pain. Our Lord Jesus will be here to comfort us and to fill all the world with his love. Loving God from Heaven, I will be here eagerly awaiting for this new world that is to come.
     Glory be to God for his time is getting closer and our deliverance from evil is getting near. Our time of desperation will be ending and our time for rejoicing will soon begin.

In Psalm 91:14-16 the LORD says, "Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation."

Psalm 40:1-2 "I waited patiently for the LORD; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure."
 

My Late Night Viewing of Christian Music Videos

     I ran across a video on YouTube that I use to watch on cable television late at night. It is a part of a series of videos called Reflections. The Reflections videos are scenes of nature with music and Bible scriptures. When I was younger and working the second shift at a job. I would come home around midnight. Before I would come home, I would stop at a convenience store and by me some snacks. I would go home sit on the couch and turn on the cable channel that had the Reflections videos on it. Luckily for me they were always playing at the same time when I got home. I would just sit on the couch relaxing eating my snacks and watching the Reflections videos before I went to bed. This was my routine for a few years while working the second shift job. I thought I would include a Reflections video so you can see for yourself what I was watching.      

     Now in the present I watch Christian music videos on YouTube late at night. I have seen many different videos of Christian music artists singing their songs about the Lord. One of my favorite singers is Brooke Ligertwood. I like many of her songs. I like her cover of the song "Breathe". I watched it many times. I would like to show this video to you maybe you will like it as well. In addition on this video the singer David Funk will be singing after Brooke the song "What a Friend I've Found".

Make No Room for the Devil

      Make no room for the Devil within your mind, body and soul. Keep him out of your life. Close all the doors to the ways that he may be able to tempt you. Purify your mind so it is clean so the Devil may not torment you in anyway. Even though the devil may control our world, we can make sure that he cannot control us. We can surrender to our God in heaven our mind, body and soul. We can give God control over our lives. We can make our body a temple to his Holy Spirit. We can pray to God to help us in our fight against the Devil so that our lives may be free from him.
     Ephesians 4:27 "and give no opportunity to the devil." The devil will take advantage of any weakness that is within you. He is someone who will make your situation in life worst. If you do not want him to influence you, you need the help of the one who defeated him and rose into heaven. Matthew 28:18 "And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Romans 16:20 "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you." We need Jesus in our lives and the power of his Holy Spirit to keep Satan away from us.
     James 4:8 "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners and purify your hearts, you double-minded." If you want to draw near to God first clean your hands from any sin that you are doing. Purify your heart by the blood of the Lamb. Quit being double-minded by loving this sinful world and trying to love God at the same time. 1 John 2:15 "Do not love the world or the things in the world, If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." If we want to keep the devil out of our mind and heart, we must not divide our love between God and this world.
     Remember what happened to Lot's wife in Sodom? An angel spoke a warning to Lot and those who were with him in Genesis 19:17 "And as they brought them out, one said, Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley, Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away." Genesis 19:26 "But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt." Lot's wife did not obey the warning from the angel from God. She look back at the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah that were being destroyed by God and she was turned into a pillar of salt as her punishment. In a like manner, God will be bring destruction upon this wicked world of ours and then provide us a new place to live. We must love God and not this world that is ruled by Satan. We must never look back and long for the world that we left behind because if we do, we to could be punished and be destroyed along with it.
     Love that which gives you life and not what gives you death. Purge all that is within you that is coming between you and God. Do not hold tight to anything that will bring down the wrath of God upon you. Worship God with all your heart and soul. The word of God brings you near to him and your resistance to his word is what separates you from him. The Bible said in 2 Corinthians 7:1 "....beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bring holiness to completion in the fear of God." Make no room for the devil but make room for God and his Holy Spirit.
       
     

A Gathering in the Spirit of Christ

      A gathering in the spirit of Christ. I am not talking about a regular church meeting but something that is more than that. This gathering was just a thought, a glimpse within my mind. It is the best large crowd gathering that I could imagine. It is a gathering that I never had a privilege to be apart of or if it can even exist in this world due to our fallen nature. It is a large gathering of people coming together with unconditional love. A love without judgement, prejudice or bigotry. I was picturing a gathering of acceptance, where people were accepted without any fear of rejection. They were comfortable because they could trust the people that were around them. They had a feeling that they could relax and be themselves. There at that gathering of people with unconditional love, there was no one there who will hurt them verbally or physically.
     This gathering in the spirit of Christ people respected each other and they did not over step the boundaries of others. People's feelings were respected at this meeting. There was no mockery or insults aimed at anyone. There was no belittling of someone making them feel inferior and unwanted. There was only a unity of peace and goodwill. There was not anyone stealing or lying to each other. No one had ulterior motives to get you to believe in something for personal gain. There was no drunkenness or disorderly conduct. The spirit of Christ prevailed. In this gathering, people did not let their sinful nature take control but allow the Holy Spirit of God to guide their way.
     In this large gathering, there will be no one slandering you by gossip or talking behind your back to spread malicious rumors. In this gathering there is no upper, middle or lower class because they realized that we are all God's children. In this gathering, people are making a connection and finding the people who understands them and loves them. In this meeting if a person was lonely their loneliness would start to disappear. In this place, people who live by the spirit of Christ were helping each other to find their way. In this gathering there is unconditional love that reached people's hearts and healed their soul.
     It this large gathering it was not people coming together in a church meeting, setting in their seats and being on their best behavior for a few hours. In this meeting everyone was talking to each other in a friendly and kind manner as if they were all close friends. All these people in this gathering had love within their heart and the Holy Spirit within their soul. You felt like that you were welcomed and that you belong here. It is as if you were looking for this place all your life. It felt like a home to you all during the time that you were there. It was as if you saw the best of what people could be. As I said before this large gathering was just a thought within my mind and the most perfect meeting that I could have imagined. I just wanted to write it down so I would not forget.
     I do not know if such a large gathering like this could take place in our world perhaps if there were more people that were able to give unconditional love. If there were more people, who were in the spirit of Christ so that they can have the help of the Holy Spirit to control their sinful nature. I like to think there is a large group somewhere that can accomplish this gathering. I hope that we do not have to wait until we go to heaven before we can find such a gathering of unconditional love. 

1 Peter 3:8 "Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind."
Galatians 6:10 "So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."
Romans 12:16 "Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight."
Romans 12:18 "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all."

Our World Needs Believers to Become Followers

     I heard many people say that they believe that there is a God and a heaven. I wish that they were more than believers but also followers of Jesus. Our world can be a hard place to live and for some or even for the many who are working to survive. Their work can take up a lot of their time. I understand that we have so little time to spare and that we feel tired most of the time and that is why we let our worship of our God to fall short. However if we would take a good look around us, we can see our world is needing more than just believers it needs followers. Our world needs people who are making time for God in their busy schedules so to have time for service and for prayer. We need to make time so to say to the world that Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. 
     Our world is needing more followers who are living their lives by the teachings of Jesus and to grow in numbers so to lessen the darkness that is upon our world. Our world is becoming more violent and people are losing their hope. We need the teachings of Jesus about his love, forgiveness, compassion and kindness. The world needs to hear about Jesus's sacrifice that took away our sins and gave us a hope to live in his kingdom. There is good tidings to the world for the Lord has come and will come again. We need his followers to bring us this good news of God's Kingdom.
     Evil is strong upon our world but God is stronger and he will one day cleanse our world from evil and bring us a lasting peace and happiness. So I say, become more than a believer, become a follower and help other followers fight against the darkness that is within our world. Become strong in your faith and let the light of God guide your way.

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."
1 Peter 2:21 "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps."
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. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."