august 21st, 2011

Misunderstood.

The verse Phillipians 4:13 is misunderstood at times. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." You can't do anything. You can't jump 100 yards, you can't go throughout your entire life without lying, and there are plenty of other things you cannot do. There are numerous people that go around and spit this verse out like they have super powers. I heard this in the sermon today, and it made me listen. Basically what Paul is saying is that whatever he is faced to encounter in his life, he can do it because of Jesus, the one who gives him strength. 

"I've found the recipe for being happy, whether well fed or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. Which is Jesus Christ himself." -Eugene Peterson

There is quite a large difference between saying that phrase and saying "You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength." I am not saying that this saying is a wrong phrase in the text; however, it's how you interpret this verse if it is wrong or not. You can make it through anything with Christ. He always listens to you. It's just like our children's sermon today... Cell phones are quite nifty these days, and they can do so many things! Sometimes they do not work, for example, when they don't have service or they go dead. You can't get get in contact with someone that way; however, when you want to talk to God or get in contact with him.... you don't need batteries or 4 service bars to talk to him. God is always listening to your prayers, and he knows every one of our thoughts. 

Are you content with your life? Are you happy? Ask yourself the question about what makes you happy.... Is it money? relationships? profession? We are relying on things that will soon disappear into thin air to make us happy. It is Christ himself that will never disappear out of your life. That is what the whole letter is that Paul is trying to grow and strengthen the knowledge and love for Jesus Christ. 

Are you going to be content in every situation that comes your way?

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.

august 14th, 2011

The Prayer of Faith

I have come to the realization at this time period in my life that I need to be praying a lot more. Not so much for the sake of myself, but the numerous people across the globe that are suffering more than I ever could be. 

I have dealt with some teenage issues recently that all teenagers deal with at one point or another. I'm hurt in ways, and I have been grieving. I have finally learned the point of picking myself up and telling myself to quit laying around in your self-pity. I'm soon to be 18 years old within the next month, and I am maturing as each day passes. With my trials throughout my teenage years, I have learned to lean on the Lord above. He is the rock and salvation of this world. 

"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has a great power as it is working." - James 5:13-16 

Most of us as human beings naturally pray for ourselves first before others; however, it's not wrong to pray for yourself. You should pray for yourself to grow as a child of God and to ask for wisdom from him. As I age I realize that there are so many people other than myself that have their lives in a much worse condition that I could even imagine, and these are the individuals that I have been praying for (f.e. spouses that are going through divorce, children that deal with that as well, the hungry, the sick, and etc.). Everyone needs prayers. Life is a journey, and it never was guaranteed to be easy. 

Let's pray for one another, and be there for someone that is grieving and suffering. It will make a difference, and that's a fact. The Lord listens to every prayer that is said, and none of them go unheard. 

Prayer goes a long way. You'll be surprised how much one prayer can impact someone's life.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.

june 16th, 2011

Life keeps going.

I am at a point in my life where I am growing up, and I am at the point where I am discovering myself and the things I want to achieve in life. I have set goals for myself, and I will see what happens with those goals. Hard times will come along in life, and it's how you handle them that make you strong. Life will keep going regardless of whether you set your mind to that time. When things have gotten tough for me... I have learned to pick up the pieces and keep moving. Life is hard, and it never was guaranteed to be easy. 

The one thing that gives me this strength is God, the Lord above. You can do all things through him. Some of us slip off our feet when times are going so great, and you stop thinking about God. God is there for you through the good AND the bad. We should NOT push him aside just because our lives are going so great. He is my motivation, and my solid rock. My relationship with the Lord is everything to me (needless to say, I am not the best Christian, but I sure do try). 

My dad and I had an hour long talk I'd say tonight, and he was giving me life and relationship advice. I took it all in, and I listened to every word. Life is what you make it, and only you can make yourself happy. Your choices are what makes your life, and the decisions you make are what your future will look like. I am growing as an individual, and I am growing as a child of God. I am keeping my head held high, and I am strengthening my relationship with God as each day comes. 

Life is what YOU make it. God will only push you farther if you allow him to be in control of your life. 

P.S. It's much easier, fyi.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.

may 9th, 2011

Rejoicing is not always Right

I am going to talk about Osama Bin Laden's death. We all know his crime and the devastation he has brought to numerous families in America from September 11th. I believe it is right that he died; however, I will not rejoice in his death. I will not rejoice in anyones death. 

"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." - Martin Luther King, Jr. 

College students were starting riots when they heard of Osama's killing by our American soldiers. New York City was celebrating. America itself was celebrating and rejoicing in his death. I want to make this as clear as I possibly can make it... I do not believe that what this man did was right in any form or way. He deserves punishment for killing so many individuals. Hitler I believe in the same way. He deserves cruel punishment for what he did to many Jews over the period. My point today is that there are people that deserve to die; however, as children of God we should not rejoice in anyone's death regardless of the reasoning. We should feel the relief of that he cannot do it again to more individuals across the world, but there will be another man and/or woman that will come soon doing another horrid sin just like this. There are good and bad people all across the world, and God loves all of us. 

I am under the realization that it is relieving to the families to know that justice has been served after many years of pain of losing their loved ones. I would be devastated if I was in the position, and I would have to remind myself that I cannot rejoice in his death. We cannot throw hate on top of hate. We can have the possibility of things blowing up in our faces. Overdrive hate with love. I have to tell myself that on a daily basis  when someone says something rude or hurtful; I turn the other cheek and move forward. Life is what YOU make it, and it's your choice of whether you let others make an impact on it or not. 

Love.

Love everyone; love the people you know and the ones you don't. Pray for the ones that need God's love and guidance. We all need God's love... some more than others. His love is never ending, and it's always there. 

and remember... never rejoice in a person's death. They may deserve dying, but we should not be as cruel as in rejoicing in someone's death. God is the one that will handle his punishment. Not us. Osama Bin Laden will stand at the gates of the Lord our God, and he will get what he deserves. Only God knows, and we shall move forward. Amen.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.

april 30th, 2011

I need patience.

Yesterday, I had to work, it was a busy, hectic, and stressful night needless to say. I was thinking rude comments in my mind about some people that were rude to me, and I didn't speak them aloud. I wanted to say things to some people, but I didn't. I was wanting closing time to approach a lot faster than it actually was. I was becoming impatient; if you cannot tell by now that I am an impatient person as it already is. I am impatient about all sorts of things, and that is one of my flaws. I wish to become a more patient person with life, and most importantly... I will pray to become a patient child of God. 

The Lord has blessed me with many miracles in my life. I need to ask for patience in every situation that I am approached with. Everyone has a time in their lives that they are impatient (some more than others, meaning myself). 

"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" - Psalm 27:14

When I have asked for God to send me patience, I have to realize that I have to do my part in receiving that characteristic. I have to do my fair share. I am quick to anger, and I need many blessings in that circumstance. I have to understand to push it aside and ignore rude remarks, and I have to keep a steady attitude and move forward. There are some things that are worth getting a little upset over; for example, if you are abused, someone you love has died, or any major, disappointing event. We still need patience and blessings when situations like this come about. We need patience for the small angers and the big angers. I have been told time and time again since I was able to speak that I am hard-headed. I need to be like the ones that are able to have anger control, and I need their long fuse. If someone does something hurtful to you or someone you love, we have to learn to forgive. We cannot just put a band-aid over the issue and be done with it; however, we have to comprehend that the healing process will take time. Forgiveness takes time, and it takes patience as well. The people that have strong patience... I admire you. 

I have thought about this over the time and there are many ways to help make yourself a more patient person. First, if you are impatient to get off of work (like myself that works in the fast food world, YAY... not) and someone comes in as you are closing ( if many do not know, I am an employee at the local restaurant in my hometown) you want to just be rude as possible, and say "Go away! I am tired, and I want to go home." Take a breather, and think how would you like if you were hungry and walked into a restaurant and had the cashier say rude remarks or have a bad attitude? It would make you feel bad, wouldn't it? I have to do that, and majority of the time I don't think about things like that. I will also make the comment, if you are thinking rude remarks, it is just the same as saying it aloud. 

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." - Colossians 3:15

Second, think to yourself how patient our Lord is with us. Remind yourself of the love that Jesus Christ has for each and every one of us. He loves us; even though, we are sinners. We make him angry at times for some our decisions and life choices ( I bet! ). I can't count how many mistakes I have made in my 17 years of living. I have barely began my life as a person yet, and I have already made numerous mistakes. God still loves me... and he still has patience for me. He has patience for all of us. Never forget his love and his patience.

Jesus Christ died on the cross for all of our sins, and he died for all of the problems and issues we may face. He put to death all of these horrid things that take place in what we call our lives. When you start to think of all the terrifying things, those angered moments don't seem so important do they? 

Remember his love and his patience for you. He won't ever lose patience for any of us. 

"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." - Colossians 3:17

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.

april 22nd, 2011

It's Good Friday today!

I apologize for not being on in basically a month. I have had a lot going on with school and working. Easter is on Sunday.

Good Friday is the Friday before Easter, which is the day Jesus was crucified. He died for our sins with his love for God and for us. I woke up and went to school today, and I was debating on whether to attend the local Good Friday Service at noon. I wasn't really that interested; however, I chose to attend. I would have seriously regretted not showing up. The service was very moving, and I enjoyed everything (including the Word that was spoken, the music that was sung/played, the scriptures that were read, and basically everything that was taken place). What I am getting at today is that we sometimes choose not to show up to a church event or a service, then we choose to do otherwise. I came to the realization that I do have a relationship with God; however, it isn't as strong as it needs to be.

Last Sunday was a special day for me, and it meant a lot. I was able to listen to my preacher's sermon, and it opened my eyes tremendously. It might have shaken some people up, but that is the truth and everyone in the church needed to hear it (including me). You are not considered a "good Christian" just because you do good things most of the time, you aren't a "good Christian" just because you go to church every Sunday, you are saved by the grace of God because of Jesus. If it weren't for Jesus dying on the cross we would not be alive today breathing the air that God put here for us. His love for his Father is unbelievable, and he gave us all life. We should be thanking our Lord and Jesus Christ for all they do for us. Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, so we can be forgiven. We all sin on a day to day basis. Shouldn't we at least try to lower the amount of sin we commit? I sure do try, and I understand that we were all born sinners. All of us are sinners; regardless of what anyone tries to tell you.

Let us all try to appreciate Jesus Christ as our Savior, and we all need to come to the realization that it is because of him that we are saved and not by our own deeds.

Understand that and comprehend that please; I have to do it myself as well. I always focused on what I would do to become a better Christian. When in reality it is because of Jesus Christ that I am a child of God and a saved Christian. Yes, it still matters on how I act and what I make of my life. I should still make wise decisions and follow God's commandments. Follow the Word of God, and follow his ways. Stay true and gracious to his ways. Forever he will love us and keep us close. Never are we far from his presence.

Forever will he love each and every one of us.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.

march 30th, 2011

I confess.

I apologize deeply for missing a whole week.

I have a lot of stuff going on, and I just can't make the time to write every day.

I am going to start writing when I possibly can. It might be everyday, or I might skip a day or so.

Bare with me and my strange thing of a life!

Hope you enjoy!

Today is a day I will talk about friendship. Friends come and go, but your true friends will be there throughout every step of your life. If you take advantage of the ones that love you, you will regret it more than anything. Be thankful and loving towards your friends. Stay truthful and never stab one another in the back. We all to some extent have someone or some people that we do not particularly like, correct? Shouldn't we all love everyone? Despite our differences we should all get along and accept one another for who we are. I have a difficult time biting my tongue at times, and I seriously need to work on that. I tend to spit out hurtful words to someone and later on I completely regret it. We all are God's children, and we should respect him by loving one another. Everyone. Not excluding one person or a few. Everyone. I've seen "friends" go behind one anothers backs and just do some cruel treatment. It's awful, and it's sad. If we all just try each and every day to give a stranger a smile... you would be surprised at how much that might boost someone up.

This past Sunday I served at Fifth Street Ministries. It is a homeless shelter in Statesville. I've been there a few times before, but I had never served the people food before. It opened my eyes to see how thankful they were for each and everything that they had. My sister was a greeter, (can you believe my sister got assigned as the greeter? Perfect job for her) and she asked everyone how they were. One lady was approaching the line, and my sister asked her, "How are you ma'am?," and the lady replied with one word..."Blessed." It opened my eyes to the highest hills. The people that were there were as sweet as can be, and trust me... You WILL be expected me back to serve. Not to make myself to feel better, but to see those smiling faces. I was awakened on Sunday at how truly blessed I am. I have a loving family and friends that truly care about me. I have a roof over my head each and every night. I have heat, and a warm bed to sleep in every night. The essentials that I have... I take for granted everyday. Thank everyone for all they have done for you. Especially thank your parents. We all take them for granted way more than we should. Thank God for being blessed. He truly is our Father, and we should love him and thank him for everything he does to impact our lives.

I am truly blessed.

Blessed. I. am. blessed.
Thank you Lord.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.