january 22nd, 2012

Running from God

I tend to sometimes only talk to God when I need him, or I need his forgiveness. Do some of you do that too? It's as if I am running from him, or as if I think I don't need him when the going is good. I need, you need, and we all need his presence at all times. We all run at some point, but one of my resolutions for not just this year, but the many more to come... is to not run from God, but towards him. 

We sometimes don't believe that others deserve to have God's grace, and that is an awful thing to believe. God is a God of second chances.. or numerous chances. We all make a mistake over at least once at some point or another. We all get the occasional thought of "I can't stand her/him... I wish God would just lay it on them!," is that the kind of thoughts we should be thinking? No. Of course not. We all lose our way sometimes, and sometimes it takes mistakes to realize that we do need our Lord during the good and the bad times. We need his loving presence around us all the time. We should be welcoming our fellow sinners that surround us all, and help one another in ways that one cannot by themselves. 

Remember this.... Judging others does not define one, but defines yourself.

So, are you going to run away from our Father... or towards him? It's your choice.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.

december 25th, 2011

Merry Christmas Everyone!

"For Unto Us a Child Is Born!"

For Better or For Worse

When you are at a wedding, you hear vows of course. 

"For better or for worse..

In sickness and in health...

Richer or for poorer..."

The sad part is... majority of the couples across the world are only in it for the better. The couples don't stick through the worse... or the difficult times. When you marry someone, you are making a lifelong covenant in front of the Lord and other witnesses. Divorce is a normal thing these days, and I don't look down on anyone that is divorced... your business is not mine. You must love the Lord and trust in him... ask him before you marry to make you a good husband/wife and ask upon his name to give you both the strength to make it through a life together as one. 

Ask yourself this... Do you love God? Do you love the one person that has sent his one and only Son to die for our sins on the cross when none of us deserved it? Do you love the one that gave you life? Yes, God has some high standards.. and that pushes some people away. All of us at some point try to believe, "Oh, I'm not a bad person. I care for people." God considers hatred to be murder, and lust to be adultery. You can't love someone because you can't give someone something you don't have. You can't truly love your spouse or loved one until you realize what love truly is. You love your spouse whether they deserve it or not. You love everyone whether they deserve it or not... God loves all of us even though we don't deserve it. We have rejected him over and over again, we've spat in his face, and pushed him away. I strongly believe that you can't love someone without loving the Lord first. 

"You shall have no other gods before me." - First Commandment

This is all between you and the Lord. Are you going to continue to reject him? Can't we all see that we need his forgiveness and his love? 

Marriage is a beautiful thing... if it's handled correctly. Love one another, treat each other with the same amount of respect, support each others dreams and ambitions, stay faithful and honest, be each others best friend, never give up even through the hard times, and most importantly... you both must love the Lord before anything else in your life. People sometimes get married for the wrong reason, and end up divorcing. Majority of the humans on this Earth are only concerned about "my needs, or my rights." Put that person before yourself, and make sure their needs are met. A marriage can be destroyed just as quick as it was started. Are you willing to let your marriage fall apart? 

Marriage is a sacred institution established by God and one that is mean to last for life... not for just the better times. 

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.

december 4th, 2011

Remember We Have Been Graced

Have you ever had someone tell you that you are blessed? when in reality... you believe you are not so much. We all go through times in our lives that we are depressed, dealing with family issues, addictions, any personal problem.. it gets us down, doesn't it? 

Gabriel came to Mary to announce that she was giving birth to a son, and his name was going to be Jesus. She didn't understand how she was the one who would receive the favor of God. The reasoning that she didn't believe she deserved it was the same was we all would think... we sometimes believe that in order to receive God's grace we have to deserve it, earn it, or be special in some sort of way. We are all special in God's eyes. We are his children. Mary knew that this child was not going to be just any child.

God told Mary that the grace he was giving her was going to be difficult. It will put her in situations that will put her out of her comfort zone, and it will test her faith. He wanted to show everyone through Mary that the individuals that considered themselves weak, insecure, not good enough, unimportant.... that the world will know that God's glory is not dependent on human power but the grace of Lord above. 

We should be God's servants, and use our lives serving him. Of course it will be hard; it never was guaranteed to be easy. We should know we are graced by our Lord.. regardless of the numerous amounts of difficulties we face throughout our lifetime. We are truly blessed because God sent his one and only Son to die for our sins so we could be forgiven.

"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends." - John 15:13

Now that Christmas is coming up in a few weeks... are you going to believe that you have been graced by the love of Christ? and NOT because you are tying to earn it, deserve it, or be good enough or special enough to receive his grace? Mary is a perfect example to show that we can get through rough times and still do it because of His grace and love for his friends. 

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.

october 31st, 2011

Never forgotten, Always cherished

Two years ago, a sweet angel had her life taken. I grew up with Abbey in the same neighborhood, and I remember Abbey, Dylan, Katie, and myself riding sleds when it snowed. The energy and outgoing presense she brought to anyone she was around was unbelievable. She was nice to anyone, regardless of whether she knew you or not.

Everyone loses a loved one throughout their lifetime. It's never easy, and I've been told it's just like losing a body part.... you can't get it back, but you learn to live without it. You will still miss it, and wonder what it would be like to have it back. It's never forgotten, and it's always cherished. It's hard to learn to deal with the coping and emptiness without that person. However, the memories are always to be cherished and remembered.

You never know when you can lose a loved one, so treat them right. Respect everyone surrounding you because you never know when their life could be taken. Life is a precious thing that can be destroyed in a matter of a couple of seconds, and then there is nothing you can do to take it back. Live each day with love and grace, never have regrets because it would change who you are today.

I hope to one day touch at least one person's life, or in any way have someone read these posts and inspire them. The loved ones that we have lost are now in the hands of the Lord in his loving gates. They are safe and loved in his protection. That is what reassures me that everything is alright. My grandfather died last year, and I have yet to heal the pain of the loss. He lived his life, and it was his time to pass. I cannot be selfish for wanting to keep him in this world in pain.

Occassionally, I will take a ride over to the cemetery and have some moments with the loved ones I have lost. I talk to them... and tell them I haven't forgotten them and that I love them dearly. I cherish every moment had I got to have with each one of them, and I never will forget them. You will always be loved and missed. But the good Lord has you now, so I know everything... is the way it's supposed to be.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.

october 23rd, 2011

I'm Gonna Love You Through It.

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on it sown way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong doing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7,13

The divorce ratings are skyrocketing these days. It makes me sad, and it worries me that when it comes my time to get married I will not have a strong marriage like my mother and father have. I have heard of twenty year marriages go down the drain from adultery. The women that have the strength to get through that kind of tragedy... I admire you in so many ways for your strength and courage for picking your lives up and moving forward and setting a good example for your children. Those men/women that have committed adultery will answer to the Lord above for their wrong doings, and they will soon come to the realization that they have committed one of the Lord's Ten Commandments. 

Treat your spouse with the most utmost respect and love. I was lucky and blessed as a child to grow up with parents that love each other with all their hearts, but what I admire about them the most is they put the Lord before themselves. If you put your life in the Lord's hands and trust in him with your soul, mind, and strength... everything will fall into place in which the Lord intended it to be. 

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." -Ephesians 5:25, 31-33

There is a section in Colossians, that I have read a few times about Christian households:

"Wives submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them." - Colossians 3:18-19

As you have noticed, it repeats the same message throughout the Bible. Women and men in a marriage are supposed to love one another, and not commit adultery, they are supposed to live for the Lord, and follow his ways together. You all make the vows on your wedding day, and you shall stick to the words you have spoken in front of the Lord's alter.

I have to put in a few inspirational words for the loving women/men that support women/men that are in the forces, you are a wonderful tribute to this world. Your strength is outstanding, and all I can possibly tell you to help with the pain... is to pray, pray, oh... and pray. Have faith and hope that the Lord will bring him/her home safe. I want to thank all of the brave men and women for your courage for keeping us safe. You never get thanked enough. God bless you all.

When my day comes to be the bride... I will make sure I know who that man is. As my mother has always told me... "When you find a man that loves the Lord more than anything... you've found him. How can he love you if he doesn't love the Lord?" I have that on replay in my head on a daily basis. My precious day will come in my near future, but in the time being... I will live my life for the Lord and treat my loved ones with the most respect and love I can possibly give them. 

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.

Amen.

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.