Many of us have doubts. Doubts about the decisions that we have made. Doubts about our future. We seem plagued by many uncertainties in life causing us to have many doubts within our mind. If we bring our doubts into our worship, we could start to doubt God that is even listening to us or even cares. Maybe our doubts would even make us start questioning the very existence of God. Yes, doubts can be devastating to our faith.
Being a Christian you have to have faith in order to believe. Hebrews 11:6 "And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the assurance of the things hoped for, the convection of things not seen." If we have doubts, our faith will be weakened. We will think to ourselves that what we pray and hope for will not be realized. Our doubts could create a barrier to our connection to God, causing us to lose faith. In losing our faith, we may start to look else where for our answers.
The apostle Peter started to have doubts when he walked on water. Matthew 14:28-31 "And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water," 29He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." 31Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" Peter started out with a strong faith but he let doubt enter his mind, his connection to God's spirit was blocked by his doubts, causing him to sink.
Even if we want to sincerely serve God and we have doubts about our ability, thereby having doubts that the Holy Spirit can work through us successfully, this will cause us to fail at what we are trying to accomplish. Matthew 17:18-20 "And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. 19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" 20He said to them, "Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move nothing will be impossible for you."
Here is another story telling us not to have doubt in our faith. Jesus Christ was hungry and he saw a fig tree without any fruit. He said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again!" And the fig tree withered at once. Matthew 21:20-22 "When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree wither at once?" 21And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen. 22And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." So we have been shown again, how powerful our faith can be if we do not doubt. Our faith must be pure and untainted by doubt in order for it to work.
We can see that even Jesus Christ's disciples had trouble maintaining their faith. They had doubts to what they could accomplish, but Jesus said to them, if they cast their doubts aside and have a pure faith as small as a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible for them. Doubt becomes a barrier to our connection to God, whereas faith without doubt builds a strong one. Faith without doubt can make miracles happen. (ESV)
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Sunday, April 26, 2015
A Different Voice, for a Different World
If every ones voice is the same, how would change come? Jesus Christ brought a different voice into our world and changed us forever. He said in Matthew 22:37-39 "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. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus Christ had tremendous power and he still does, and he came to us not as a tyrant, but as someone who loves us. His voice was different from all the powerful people in the land.
How different is the world from Jesus Christ? In our culture we still idolize the physically mighty men over the wise. We still highly value the material over the spiritual. Riches on earth our main goal rather than riches in heaven. Our eyes and mind are not upon God but upon ourselves. Its like we are the same people that Jesus Christ was preaching to in his day. Our voices sounding more like theirs, than that of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came to bring a different voice into our world, so to change it. As we can see, if our voices do not change, our world will stay the same.
Jesus said in John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." Why do we listen to him? John 4:13,14 "Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty, 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 in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." His words bring satisfaction to our souls. We were thirsty, we hungered for something that was missing from our lives. In Jesus Christ, we found that something. His words quenched our thirst and brought life to our lost soul.
Jesus Christ's brought a different sound to our world, a sound of hope. He freed us from death to give us eternal life. He open our eyes to the lies and brought us the truth. In a world filled with hate and violence, he told and showed us how to love. Jesus Christ stood against all that is wrong with our world and conquered it with his love. His voice gentle but powerful. His words humble and strong. The voice of Jesus Christ are his words and they will be with us forever, in our minds and in our hearts. His is a different voice, so to bring about a different world, filled with righteousness and love.
How different is the world from Jesus Christ? In our culture we still idolize the physically mighty men over the wise. We still highly value the material over the spiritual. Riches on earth our main goal rather than riches in heaven. Our eyes and mind are not upon God but upon ourselves. Its like we are the same people that Jesus Christ was preaching to in his day. Our voices sounding more like theirs, than that of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came to bring a different voice into our world, so to change it. As we can see, if our voices do not change, our world will stay the same.
Jesus said in John 10:27 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." Why do we listen to him? John 4:13,14 "Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty, 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 in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." His words bring satisfaction to our souls. We were thirsty, we hungered for something that was missing from our lives. In Jesus Christ, we found that something. His words quenched our thirst and brought life to our lost soul.
Jesus Christ's brought a different sound to our world, a sound of hope. He freed us from death to give us eternal life. He open our eyes to the lies and brought us the truth. In a world filled with hate and violence, he told and showed us how to love. Jesus Christ stood against all that is wrong with our world and conquered it with his love. His voice gentle but powerful. His words humble and strong. The voice of Jesus Christ are his words and they will be with us forever, in our minds and in our hearts. His is a different voice, so to bring about a different world, filled with righteousness and love.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
God makes us Strong through Our Humility
When we are feeling hopeless in life, a lot of us turn to God in prayer. Life humbles us, so as to set us back on the right course, meaning looking to God for our answers. When we are lost, we want God to find us. Through our weakness, we are humbled and then we look to God, to makes us strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9,10 "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness," Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardship, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." When we are weak our arrogance disappears and we become meek and humbled before the Lord. Our heart and mind become more receptive to his spirit.
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." When our strength is not enough, God can carry us through our troubles by his Holy Spirit. We have to put our trust and faith in God, so to let him guide our way. If we give ourselves totally over to God, he will empower us and bring us through our troubles. Calamities can happen in life and isn't good to have God on your side when they do.
If we would only be more humble and ask God to be our guide. God would not have to bring punishment down upon us in order to make us see. A lot of us are planners and we need to make a plan where God is apart of our lives. We need to humble ourselves and accept God's authority. Instead of living a life that is against it.
Psalm 147:6 "The Lord lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground." 2 Chronicles 7:14 "if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." By humbling ourselves, we show our Father in heaven our love and respect. We acknowledge that he knows what is best for us and we bow before his infinite wisdom. God said he will heal their land, maybe that is the answer to our world's problems. If we all, would be humble before God and let him take control, he would make our world better. (ESV)
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through him who strengthens me." When our strength is not enough, God can carry us through our troubles by his Holy Spirit. We have to put our trust and faith in God, so to let him guide our way. If we give ourselves totally over to God, he will empower us and bring us through our troubles. Calamities can happen in life and isn't good to have God on your side when they do.
If we would only be more humble and ask God to be our guide. God would not have to bring punishment down upon us in order to make us see. A lot of us are planners and we need to make a plan where God is apart of our lives. We need to humble ourselves and accept God's authority. Instead of living a life that is against it.
Psalm 147:6 "The Lord lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground." 2 Chronicles 7:14 "if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." By humbling ourselves, we show our Father in heaven our love and respect. We acknowledge that he knows what is best for us and we bow before his infinite wisdom. God said he will heal their land, maybe that is the answer to our world's problems. If we all, would be humble before God and let him take control, he would make our world better. (ESV)
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Do You Feel Welcomed?
I feel sometimes that a church can be overly judgmental of it's members, making you feel like that you are not really welcomed. I want to feel comfortable in a church where I worship and not feel like an outsider. I do not like being judged, by what I wear, how long my hair is or my status in society. I want to be in a church where they embrace you and not judge you.
What is the reason that I go to a church? To worship God and to be around like minded individuals. When we submit ourselves to God and live by his word, we find ourselves more alone in our new view of the world. Others around you seem to not understand the way you feel. We want and need to find a place of worship for support and to make us feel that we are not alone in our love for Jesus Christ.
Maybe when you found Jesus Christ it was the first time you felt someone to love you as you are, and you did not have to earn it. When I said, not have to earn it, I mean to receive love without conditions. This is what drew us to Jesus Christ in the first place his unconditional love for us. Now we want to find and to worship in a place that has that kind of love for us. We do not want to be over burden with many conditions in order to be accepted. If a church could show unconditional love to its members, how happy that church would be.
Maybe I am naive, but I think a church should be more than a place we go, to be preached at. I think we should feel at home, a place where we feel we are around friends instead of strangers. After all, does not the congregation represent the body of Christ. We being the body of Christ should feel close to each other. They being your brothers and sisters in Christ, we should feel free to be ourselves around each other rather than pretending to be somebody that we are not, just to fit in.
Jesus said to us in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." What a beautiful welcome that is, now we just need to find a place where we feel like, we are welcomed.
What is the reason that I go to a church? To worship God and to be around like minded individuals. When we submit ourselves to God and live by his word, we find ourselves more alone in our new view of the world. Others around you seem to not understand the way you feel. We want and need to find a place of worship for support and to make us feel that we are not alone in our love for Jesus Christ.
Maybe when you found Jesus Christ it was the first time you felt someone to love you as you are, and you did not have to earn it. When I said, not have to earn it, I mean to receive love without conditions. This is what drew us to Jesus Christ in the first place his unconditional love for us. Now we want to find and to worship in a place that has that kind of love for us. We do not want to be over burden with many conditions in order to be accepted. If a church could show unconditional love to its members, how happy that church would be.
Maybe I am naive, but I think a church should be more than a place we go, to be preached at. I think we should feel at home, a place where we feel we are around friends instead of strangers. After all, does not the congregation represent the body of Christ. We being the body of Christ should feel close to each other. They being your brothers and sisters in Christ, we should feel free to be ourselves around each other rather than pretending to be somebody that we are not, just to fit in.
Jesus said to us in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." What a beautiful welcome that is, now we just need to find a place where we feel like, we are welcomed.
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Knowing the Real Truth
Knowing the real truth in life is important. In the bible, Jesus said in Mark 8:36-38, "For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his father with the holy angels." We can live our life as we want to but we could lose our soul in the end. A lifetime of worldly pleasure could get us an eternity of spiritual torment. As for me, I want to know what is the real truth in life rather for me to find out when it is to late.
It is interesting to note in verse 38, "For whoever is ashamed of me...." I have seen this play out many times. People try to fit in by acting like the world and not as a true follower of Jesus Christ. I have seen people act one way in church and another way out in the world. I have felt they were to embarrass be labeled as a christian and thought they were going to be outcast by others. Sometimes going along with the crowd is not the right action to take.
Jesus speaks of a separation at final judgement between the sheep and the goats. Matthew 25:31-33, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne, 32Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left." Jesus will say to his sheep that are on the right side, Matthew 25:34, "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
Jesus will say to the goats that are on his left, on the day of final judgement. Matthew 25:41,46, "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." By reading these scriptures, you can see it is important to know the truth and to live your life as it was meant to be lived.
As for me, I do not want to waste my life traveling down dead end streets. I want to know that I am on the right path. Knowing the real truth to me is knowing Jesus Christ and his word. My future will not end at death but continue onward into his kingdom. Maybe a lot of people do not think about what is in store for them at the end of life but I think life is to short not to. I want to live my life the best way that I can and that means learning about the real truth and living my life based on that truth. 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." (ESV)
It is interesting to note in verse 38, "For whoever is ashamed of me...." I have seen this play out many times. People try to fit in by acting like the world and not as a true follower of Jesus Christ. I have seen people act one way in church and another way out in the world. I have felt they were to embarrass be labeled as a christian and thought they were going to be outcast by others. Sometimes going along with the crowd is not the right action to take.
Jesus speaks of a separation at final judgement between the sheep and the goats. Matthew 25:31-33, "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne, 32Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left." Jesus will say to his sheep that are on the right side, Matthew 25:34, "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."
Jesus will say to the goats that are on his left, on the day of final judgement. Matthew 25:41,46, "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." By reading these scriptures, you can see it is important to know the truth and to live your life as it was meant to be lived.
As for me, I do not want to waste my life traveling down dead end streets. I want to know that I am on the right path. Knowing the real truth to me is knowing Jesus Christ and his word. My future will not end at death but continue onward into his kingdom. Maybe a lot of people do not think about what is in store for them at the end of life but I think life is to short not to. I want to live my life the best way that I can and that means learning about the real truth and living my life based on that truth. 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." (ESV)
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Trying to Get it Right
Making the right decisions in life is sometimes hard to do, because of what we think is not always right. We might make a snap decision out of anger or an impulse. We might let our emotions get the better part of us or in an opposite way make a decision in a pure intellectual way without any empathy for others. Life can become very complicated at times and our path very unclear. But all we can do is to try to get it right, and do the best we can with what we have.
For me I have try to advance my knowledge of the Bible and try my best to understand what Jesus Christ wants me to do. I have found the more that I have lived by the words of Jesus Christ the better my life has become. For example, when I was in high school I participated in a door to door ministry that my church was doing at the time. At that time my grades was about C average but when I started to do the door to door ministry my grades went up to A's and B's. This surprised me, the only thing I was doing different was going door to door trying to spread the message of Jesus Christ. I felt good at doing this because I believed that I was making a difference in our world. I was following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ and trying to make disciples of others. It brought me more happiness to my life and I felt that my mind was more open and connected to the spirit of God. This uplifting energy that I was feeling was making a substantial difference in my school work.
So some things we decide to do, will make a major impact on our lives while others things that we do will effect us less. Sometimes things will happen to us that is out of our control and we have to adapt our lives around it and try to live with it. We have to cope with the problems that comes along in our life using our decisions. I use my Bible to help me solve my problems and make my decisions. I find the answers that I find there are a lot better than the ones that I can come up with on my own.
Trying to get it right in my life is an on going process. I will always try to do the best that I can while using God's word as much as I can. Sometimes I feel so limited in this physical body, I feel at times I want to bust free of it and fly with the angels and to know all there is to know and be perfect in every way but alas, I am still a human being and I will just have to deal with my limitations. The breath of life is still within me and there is still more for me to do.
For me I have try to advance my knowledge of the Bible and try my best to understand what Jesus Christ wants me to do. I have found the more that I have lived by the words of Jesus Christ the better my life has become. For example, when I was in high school I participated in a door to door ministry that my church was doing at the time. At that time my grades was about C average but when I started to do the door to door ministry my grades went up to A's and B's. This surprised me, the only thing I was doing different was going door to door trying to spread the message of Jesus Christ. I felt good at doing this because I believed that I was making a difference in our world. I was following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ and trying to make disciples of others. It brought me more happiness to my life and I felt that my mind was more open and connected to the spirit of God. This uplifting energy that I was feeling was making a substantial difference in my school work.
So some things we decide to do, will make a major impact on our lives while others things that we do will effect us less. Sometimes things will happen to us that is out of our control and we have to adapt our lives around it and try to live with it. We have to cope with the problems that comes along in our life using our decisions. I use my Bible to help me solve my problems and make my decisions. I find the answers that I find there are a lot better than the ones that I can come up with on my own.
Trying to get it right in my life is an on going process. I will always try to do the best that I can while using God's word as much as I can. Sometimes I feel so limited in this physical body, I feel at times I want to bust free of it and fly with the angels and to know all there is to know and be perfect in every way but alas, I am still a human being and I will just have to deal with my limitations. The breath of life is still within me and there is still more for me to do.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Individuals but yet United
We are a group of individuals who come together to worship God. From different walks of life, different occupations, different races and different genders we come to the house of God to worship. We have different individual likes and tastes but yet we become united in our worship. Romans 15:5,6 "May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." When we gather together in church, we become of like mind and one voice glorifying our Father in heaven.
Romans 12:4,5 "For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many are one body of Christ, and individually members one of another." We see that we are members of one body and each member has a different function and by being connected to the body of Christ, makes us connected to each other. The apostle Paul said in Philippians 2:2 "complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind." Even though we are individuals, we are called to be united in our faith.
The unity of spirit and mind is needed to make we, who are the body of Christ to grow. Ephesians 4:15,16 "....we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity. (ESV)
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