Our God is our Savior

     When you are living your life, you can lose your way.  You can lose your sense of purpose. You can become so tired that it feels like all you are doing is watching time pass you by. You do what needs to be done but the joy is not there. You do care to what is going on around you however you lack the interest and the motivation to do anything. You are at a lost to what to do because you have veered from your course and from the source of your very existence. It is the source that brought you your happiness and joy. It uplifted you when you were down. It gave your life meaning and hope. The source that I am talking about is from God himself.
    How many times do we get lost in life, many I believe. We may know a lot about the Bible and our hearts are for God however we will still lose our way sometimes. God will still need to seek us out so to bring us home. Our human condition is weak and we need God as our strength. When we find ourself separated from him our life begins to have little joy or direction. Without God in our lives our life's meaning will become increasingly cloudy as time goes by. We will go into a slumber state of mind until we seek him out again.
     Over and over we will repeat our error. We do not have to be to hard on ourselves. We are just imperfect human beings trying to do our best. We need forgiveness and understanding more than judgement and punishment. We need God in our lives to guide our way. We need his love. We need his light so to see through the darkness. Our God is our savior, we cannot live our lives without him. Lost we are without him but with him we are saved.

Isaiah 12:2 "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation."
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
Psalm73:26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 

I Am More

     Sometimes life can seem overwhelming. Our anxiety increases with the added stresses to our life. We can become depressed and even begin to feel a little hopeless in our situation. It can feel like your mind is surrounded in darkness and you cannot find a direction to go in. In this time of my own mental confusion, I realize something about myself I am more than my overwhelming condition. I am more than my weaknesses. My mind may feel that I am drowning in a sea of darkness but I can feel somehow that my spirit is still strong. My spirit is telling me that I am more than what I am feeling. It tells me that I am not defined by the troubles that I am facing. It says I am more greater than the sum of all my problems.
     In my sea of trouble I can see all I have to do is to swim upward toward the light to feel free again. It seems to me that this world has a way of producing a fog of darkness that surrounds the mind making it feel depressed and hopeless. You can become lost in it and it becomes a struggle to just live your life. I know it's a mental condition but sometimes I feel like it is more than just that. It blocks out your happiness and joy it makes you feel that life is not worth living. It feels like it's something evil that is trying to block out all the light of hope from reaching you.
     When my mind is surrounded by a darkness I struggle with it for a time and then some light breaks through. When I am in this depression all my thoughts turn inward on my mental suffering but when I focus upon God my thoughts move outward and God's Holy Spirit have always move the dark clouds away. He had rescued me out of this mental condition so many times I have lost count however I have gathered much insight through my suffering but I rather be well than to suffer.
     It says in 1Corinthians 6:19 that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit whom you have from God. Romans 8:9 "You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him." I feel because I have the indwelling Spirit of God within me the dark clouds that sometimes surround my mind can never totally take control. I can always break free with God's help. 
     I am more than my problems for the Holy Spirit of God dwells within me and with his help I can manage my problems. They cannot break me for his spirit is there to strengthen me. I do not lean on my own understanding but on the wisdom of God. He has shown me that I am more for I have his spirit to guide my way.
     

Troubled Times

      Troubled times are upon us. Matthew 24:6-8 "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that that you are not alarmed, for this must must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of the birth pains." All these things must occur before the second coming of Jesus Christ.
     Many men and women are becoming more disobedient to God and are not following his teachings. Matthew 24:12 "And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold." The people who are not obeying God are acting without any restraint like the people in 2 Timothy 3:1-5 "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people." Because of their disobedience to God their love will grow cold and their heart will become hardened. These people will become more violent and bring war and death into our world.
     We can still have hope in these trouble times by keeping our faith in God and believing in his words and promises. A day will come when our Lord and Savior will return and bring a lasting peace to our world. Isaiah 2:4 "He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." Matthew 16:27 "For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done." Revelation 21:3,4 "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 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."
     

The Importance of Touch

      When we were babies we depended upon our parents for all of our needs. Our parents held us and touch us in order to care for us. Touch played an important part in our development. We bond through physical touch. When you engage in pleasant touch, like a hug, your brain releases a hormone called oxytocin. This makes you feel good and firms up emotional and social bonds while lowering your anxiety and fear.
     There is a medical term for a lack of touch it is called Touch Starvation. According to WebMD Touch Starvation is a condition that happens when you don't get as much physical touch as you're used to or any at all. Some people experienced it during the pandemic while social distancing but it can happen with any lack of physical touch. We need the human touch because it can help regulate sleep and digestion, build your immune system, and help fight infections. When you don't get enough physical touch, you can become stressed, anxious, or depressed.
     According to WebMD it says you can fight Touch Starvation even when you can't physically interact with other people. You can video chat which lets you visually interact with others. Online exercise will help you to interact in a social setting which may make you feel less lonely. Interacting with pets is a form of touching that could ease some touch starvation symptoms. The article said that studies show that oxytocin levels peak in dog owners when they caress their pets.
     Dacher Keltner a university professor of psychology said, "Touch is the fundamental language of connection' "When you think about a parent's child bond or two friends or romantic partners, a lot of the ways in which we connect and trust and collaborate are founded in touch." In a survey 40,000 people from 2 countries took part in describing touch. The three most common words they used were "comforting", "warm" and "love".
     Touch increases our feelings of well being in social environments. When we feel that we are anxious or in danger a kind touch can reassure us that we are not alone. When we are going through a deep sorrow a hug from a friend can make us feel better. Your child who hugs you can make you feel loved. During a team sport a touch from a team mate can make you feel that he has your back. Touch also could be a pat on the back, a handshake, a high five or a friendly hug, we feel the need to reach out to each other and touch. Human beings are a herd species and we need to feel connected and touch is a form of connection that bring us closer together. 

He Rescued Me

     As a child I lacked a father figure. My father was a alcoholic lets say he was just absent from my life even though he was around. My mother was just the opposite she was attentive, loving and kind. She had a bible study once a week at the house and I would sit and listen to them talk most of the time. It was there where I learned about a heavenly Father who look over his children in a loving way. I was immediately drawn to the conversation for a loving father is what I was lacking in my life. I began to study more about this heavenly Father and how he care for his children.
     By studying the scriptures, I found that our Father who is in heaven is a God of love (1John 4:7,8). A God who watches over us and protects us from harm (Psalms 121:5-8). A God who provides for us (Phil 4:19) and a God who listens to us (Jer. 29:12,13). He was everything that I could want from a father. So I began my journey to know more about him so to become closer to him and him to me. He became my father figure that was missing from my life. He was my role model to which to follow and to learn from. He gave me hope and meaning to my life. Where there was fear there is now peace. Where there was darkness there is now light. He rescued me with his love.
     I told you this story not to draw your sympathy or pity. I told you this story to give you hope that whatever you are lacking in your life God can fulfill. Life can be hard and we can become broken inside but God can fix us and make us whole again if we let him. He can and will rescue you if you call out to him. Your are his child and he is your loving Father who cares for you. Your suffering can end if you lay down your burdens upon him. Jesus Christ who is the image of God (Col.1:15) said these words in Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

I Made the Choice to Follow You

     From all the voices I could have followed I stood my ground and followed you. The glitter and the temptations that were around me I ignore them all and looked to you. When some people fell away and said that you did not exist I did not believe them and still held on to my faith. Some say we no longer have a need for you because you are out of touch with our modern times, I saw through their blurred vision and saw that your wisdom could stand the test of time. You are the beginning and the end of all things no one is greater than you. I made my choice to follow you and listen to your words of salvation and hope.
    When trouble times that were upon me you gave me the strength to carry on. The sadness that I was drowning in you rescued me from it's depths. When I was lost you found me and shown me a way out. You watched over me and comforted me even if I were at that time standing at a distance from you. You never gave up on me and waited patiently for my return.
     What thing or person within this world is greater than you? The whole world lies in your hands and creation itself is your design. Where on Earth that has not been touched by your spirit? Where on Earth can people go where your spirit is not there? Your eyes see everything, your mind understands everything there is no place where a person can hide their actions from you. The angels of heaven report to you everyday.
     Our God of love and of peace, why do we stand against our God of salvation? Why do we not put him above all else? Is our distractions more important than him? Time we have so little of and we give our life away to our desires leaving our names unwritten in the book of life. Glory be to God for the future we will have despite ourselves. Centuries has past and mankind has no answers to the violence upon the land and the fear upon our hearts and minds. Destruction continues to march onward taking our lives away.
     I made my choice to follow you, God of my salvation for your path leads to your kingdom. A kingdom of eternal peace and security. A kingdom of love and happiness. Where death is no more and neither will there be suffering. Man cannot rid his world from suffering but you can by the power of your Holy Spirit. My hope is in you, I place my life in your hands. There is nothing in this world that is greater than you. I make this choice to follow you as long as I can.

   
     

     

Citizen of The Kingdom of God

     If I am a future citizen of the kingdom of God how should I act now? Would I not want to live my life differently than from the world? If I did not change my life would not the people around me say, "Why should I change my life if a citizen of God's kingdom lives no differently than me?" Would they not think that if God accepted you without a commitment to change, they will be accepted as well? You maybe their first example in how a citizen of God's kingdom acts and their only opportunity to learn more. So I say to you brothers and sisters within the Lord do your utmost to represent the kingdom of God well for the sake of those who have yet come to Christ.
     When I look towards my future I want to be with Jesus within the kingdom of God. If I want to be a citizen of the kingdom of God should I not be acting like one now? I cannot say to myself I will continue to do as I please and when Jesus returns only then will I be totally devoted and act righteously. Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." These words mean you cannot place a pursuit over your service to God making it the most important thing in your life. You cannot expect to serve your desires and enter in God's kingdom with only a half-hearted devotion to him. I do not think God will be satisfied with the little crumbs from your worship.
     The apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:19, 20 "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God." So we are indeed fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. We will be just like the great multitude who will come out of the great tribulation from every nation, tribe, peoples and languages and we will stand before the throne of God and worship him within his kingdom (Rev.7:9,11). I believe that if we are future citizens of the kingdom of God shouldn't we now conduct ourselves as those citizens to live our life as though we were standing before the throne of God. We should not wait until the end is nearly upon us so as to make the changes to our lives.
     I will do my utmost to make changes to my life. I will trust in Gods words and not doubt his wisdom. I will try my best to fight against my sins and weaknesses so to have a clear conscience and a clear mind. I would like to live my life as an open book with a nothing to hide mentality. I would like there to be no barrier between me and God. As a citizen of the future kingdom of God I must align my life in a way that Jesus Christ wants me to live as to love, kindness, compassion and mercy. I must be more forgiving and have a strong faith believing in God with my whole heart, mind and soul. I must be willing to be whole heartedly at making the changes that I need so to live like a citizen of the kingdom of God.