Are You Going As Far As You Can For God?

If you've ever saw the movie, Facing the Giants, you probably recall the death crawl scene.

Briefly, this movie is about a football team that is losing game after game. The coach gets right with God, and begins to put teaching the players about God before the actual game of football, which is ultimately successful. I highly recommend to watch this movie if you haven't already.

One day at practice, to show the players that they can do more than they think, the coach chooses a player that is a senior, who everyone looks to as a guide, to do a death crawl. A death crawl consists of a player holding another player on his back, and they must see how far they can crawl on their hands and feet across the field.

The coach wants the player to give the others a good role model to look toward, and show that he putting all of his strength into everything he does, so that the others will do the same. A blindfold is placed on the player's eyes, so that his view of the field will not influence how far he crawls; the furthest he had ever crawled was to the thirty yard line. As soon as the player begins to crawl, the coach is cheering him on, and when needed, pushing him to go farther.

The player begins to plead to be able to stop, or at least rest a moment, but the coach just keeps pushing and pushing him to go further and further. By the end of his crawl, the player is about to give up, and the coach tells him, "Just 30 more steps," then "10 more," then "one more." When the player falls down in defeat, he cries out in pain. The coach bends down to look the player in his eyes, and tells him to look up and says, "You're in the in-zone."

Everyone that was there stood in amazement with their jaws dropped. None of the players believed that he could make it that far, but the coach did.

Much like a coach in football, God is our coach. He is pushing us to go farther for Him. Are we doing all that we can for Him? Or, are we just doing enough to get by?

In life, there are a lot of times that we will be put in situations that scare us. Situations that we have never faced before, and have never successfully been through. Does that mean that we don't try? God knows our strengths, and He is fully aware of what we can handle. Plus, God will be with us every step of every day of our lives. We don't have to go through one single thing alone, for God is always cheering us on, and pushing us to do more for Him.

So, it is time to ask ourselves; are we just doing enough to get by? God has a limit for everyone, and He doesn't want us to stop until we reach that limit. God will let us know when that limit is in front of us, but until then, we have got to keep pushing ourselves to be more for God. If we let God have control of our lives, we will look up one day, and be amazed at where He has taken us.

Receiving Jesus VS. Professing Jesus

There is a huge difference in actually accepting Jesus as your personal savior, and solely professing to know Jesus. By receiving Jesus into your heart, I mean, asking Him for forgiveness and dedicating your life to Him. By professing Jesus, I mean, a person is simply saying that they know God, when they truly don't. Or in other words, putting on a fake to the world. I have personal experience in both of these.

When I was around twelve, I got under conviction. God was drawing me to Him one night at Bible School, and the teacher prayed with me, and after the prayer, I thought that I was saved, simply because I went through the process of praying to God. I professed to everyone that I accepted Jesus into my heart, but in reality, I hadn't at all. At the time, I didn't really understand what it was to get saved. I knew that I needed salvation, but I didn't fully understand the severity of the sacrifice Jesus made for us. So, needless to say, nothing changed in my life. I continued living in my sin, and God was clearly not present in my life. For a long time, I told the world I was saved because I didn't want them to think badly of me, and I wanted to believe that I was saved. Though, this was only taking away chance after chance of me getting truly right with God. Thankfully, God kept giving me opportunities to get saved, and thank God, I accepted Jesus on March 31st, 2011. After I did get saved, and I committed my life to God, which wasn't instant, I saw everything in such a new light.

I think that a huge problem in Christianity is that people are fooled by the world and the devil into believing that they are saved when they really aren't. I was fooled for about 3 years, believing that I was saved, and it was completely my fault. I let my emotions and the devil convince me that I was okay with God, but me saying that I was saved didn't do anything. When I accepted Jesus, and gave my life to Him, that is when I got saved. 

There's so many beliefs on how a person gets saved, but there's only one way. A person must accept Jesus into their heart if they want God to be in their life. There's not going to be any change until this happens.

Romans 10:9-10 - "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

I personally was so amazed by the change that I experienced. After I professed to getting saved, I was so confused why nothing changed, and why God wasn't working in my life. When I committed myself to God, I saw drastic changes to obstacles that I never thought I would overcome. A major obstacle being, saying 'I love you.' I've never been the most loving, but because Jesus showed me love, I am now doing the same.  

Before becoming truly saved, I was lost in the world of sin. I had no joy for God, no desire to read my bible or pray, and I certainly wasn't thankful towards God. The desire didn't come until the salvation was real. With salvation comes a love for God and a want to live for Him. Until Jesus is accepted into a person's heart, the real effects of a Christian relationship with God will not happen. 

Elements of Christian Love

What elements does the Bible say that a Christian's love should possess? 

1) Ask for nothing in return: You love for the good of others, not because of what you may receive. God asks nothing of us when He saves us, so we shouldn't as well.

1 Corinthians 16:14 - "Let all your things be done with charity."

2) Willing to sacrifice: The willingness to sacrifice things and even yourself for others is a very courageous thing to do. Our flesh is naturally, very selfish and we love ourselves, so when we give up something for the good of others, this shows a truly, loving heart.  

John 15:13 - "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

3) Love your enemies: As time passes, and the world becomes more overtaken by sin, it seems that the number of enemies of Christians grow. Not only is the number of people that are not getting right with God growing, but the sins are becoming worse as well. It's hard for me as a Christian not to be angered by the world living as if God doesn't even exist. Just a couple of days ago, I heard that someone called Jesus a failure. It's despicable to think people would treat God like this, but we must pray for those people and be a witness for them, for God has mercy, and with our witness, they might see that they need God as well. 

Luke 6:27 - "But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you."

4) Sincerity: God's love is nothing but sincere. Everything that God does, He does with a pure heart, with nothing but pure intentions. In life, we cannot do for God, while having ill intentions. God's love and light deserves to be represented with exactly that; love. People can see when someone is being fake, and that is only going to represent God wrongly. 

Romans 12:9- "Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good."

5) Above all, love God: What more can I say that this verse doesn't? "We love him, because he first loved us." What a simple, but beyond amazing statement. God loves us, and He gave us the most incredible gift when He granted us salvation. For this reason, and the many others, God is to be first in our hearts and lives. 

1 John 4:19 - "We love him, because he first loved us."

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

A common question that is asked concerning God is why He allows people to suffer. God has his reasonings behind allowing sin, and here are a few: 

1) To remind us of sin: 

When Adam and Eve first sinned when they ate of the tree of knowledge, after God clearly told them not to, they were exiled out of the garden by God, and God punished each of them, which lead to suffering. He stunted Adam's ability to grow vegetation, and He made child birth painful for Eve's sin. Suffering is man's fault. God didn't want His creation to suffer, but man sinned against God, and because of this, we have to face the consequences for the failures of the human race. Thankfully, sin reminds us that we have a savior that can save us from all of those sins. 

2) Awaken the lost: 

John 8:24 - "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am [he], ye shall die in your sins."

If everything was perfect, no one would see a need to change their lives. They would be more than happy with the life that they had, and there would be no reason to do anything different. Though, because there are bad times in life, we seek something that can help us, and that something should be God. God can't promise that we won't suffer, but He can give us hope through the salvation of our sins. 

3) Depend on God: 

Philippians 4:19 - "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Suffering reminds us that we need to rely on God. God is the only person that can help end our pain, and He wants to be the guide of our lives. When we cast all of our cares and burdens to God, we can trust that whatever happens, it will be the will of God. If we are to rely on God, we will not suffer alone. 

4) Suffering will not be forever: 

Romans 8:18 - "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

Suffering reminds us that we will not be in pain forever, and that we have a Heavenly eternity to look forward to. The outcome of sin was suffering, and the outcome of suffering will be Heaven if we accept God, for suffering will show us we need God. 

Suffering is obviously not a desired feeling, but it is what shows us that there is God above, and that we need to be saved from the sins that we commit everyday. It also reminds us that we have God who will help us through any suffering that we might endure, and who we will see in Heaven someday, where suffering will be no more. 

Revelation 21:4- "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

Sinners Are Not to Be Envied

Anyone that serves God has probably at least once become angry at the world. Not necessarily because of their sins, but because it seems that they are able to get by with those sins with no consequences.

In the book of Habakkuk, Habakkuk also felt this way about the people around him. During this time, there was much violence in Judah. The people of Judah had turned away from God, but Habakkuk stayed faithful to God. Habakkuk hated what what had happened to the people of Judah, and didn't understand why God let them by with their sins. 

This frustration leads to Habakkuk questioning God of His intentions, and in turn, God answers Habakkuk. Habakkuk questioned God why He had let violence go such a long period of time, and God answered saying that he was rising up an army of Babylonians, a very violent people, to come and take down the people of Judah. Further along, Habakkuk questioned God's intentions of why He would use such a sinful people to come destroy the city of Judah when God was supposed to love the people of Judah. God replies with saying that He would use the Babylonians because they are a fearless people, and they wouldn't back down. God also says that the Babylonians will not go unpunished though, for they have sinned as well.

No matter how it seems, no one is going to get by with their sin, for it will eventually catch up to them. It is better to live for God than to live in sin. Living for Gid will bring about a much better outcome, which will eventually be Heaven. While those that have decided to live in sin will unfortunately spend an eternity in Hell. Sinners may have a luxurious life on Earth, but their eternity will not be worth the short life lived on Earth. 

Be Addicted to God

In the Bible, God gives several reasons why one should not drink alcohol, for it is a sin. Here is six of those reasons: 

1) Alters Thinking: Proverbs 20:1 - "Wine [is] a mocker, strong drink [is] raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."

Alcohol takes away a person's deception of right and wrong. They can't think clearly, which prevents them from thinking in a Godly mindset. When one cannot decipher what is Godly and what is not Godly, their flesh is going to take control, and lead them in the wrong direction. 

2) Addiction: Isaiah- "Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, [that] they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, [till] wine inflame them!"

Alcohol is addicting. Many people will start out drinking a glass of wine here or a bottle of beer there, but once they become addicted, it takes over their life. Addictions are not easy to control or even predict. It can lead up to consequences you're not prepared for.

3) Gateway Sin: Galatians 5:19-21 - "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness."

Alcohol leads to many other sins. Because a person can't think correctly, they are going to do things that they usually wouldn't. A lot of the time, alcohol brings out emotions that a person wouldn't usually express. For example, if a person likes another as more than a friend, the distorted thought process could lead to premarital sex, which is fornication, and said in Galations.

4) Becomes Problem Solver: Proverbs 31:6 - "Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts."

Due to the fact that alcohol takes away a person's ability to think straight, people will take advantage of this to forget their problems. Though, alcohol just multiplies the problem. The true problem that a person is facing grows, even when the person is blocking it out of their minds with alcohol. Dealing with the problem in a straightforward manner is what will bring about a solution, not hiding from the problem. 

5) Cannot Enter Heaven: Galatians- "Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told [you] in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

God says that drunkards will not enter into Heaven. This is the worst thing that alcohol can do to a person. Drinking is a sin, just like murdering someone; God states this clearly in this verse. Sin will send a person to Hell. Of course, a person can be saved and still drink, but the relationship with God isn't going to be there, and for those that are not saved, alcohol is a huge obstacle in the way of ever reaching God. 

6) Changes the Heart: Hosea- "Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart."

Addiction to alcohol has the ability to change the nicest person in the world into the biggest jerk. I'm sure that we have all saw someone that has been affected by alcohol use. Half of the kids that I went to high school with, some of the best friends I had, aren't the same people inside that I used to know; all due to alcohol and sin that flourished from it in their life. 

Having the "cool" image that drinking alcohol can bring about isn't worth sacrificing your soul. Alcohol distorts everything good in your life, and turns it into something ugly. Relationships can be ruined, hearts broken, and lives completely turned upside down. Life is hard, and the only person that can help is God. God will face the problem head on, and right by your side. He never makes you face a problem alone, but if you turn to alcohol, you might be surprised to be alone someday, still having the same problems as before, but with more depth. Choose God over the world. If you're going to have an addiction, make it serving God, because that's an addiction that won't let you fall. 

The Errors of Predestination

Predestination is simply the belief that before we are even born, it has already been foretold if we will be saved or not. Predestination guides those that are destined to be saved unto the Lord, while those that are not destined to be saved, has a lessened chance of coming to repentance.  

Revelation 3:20 - "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." 

In this verse, God does not say those that are predestined to be saved can call unto God, and He will answer. God says that ANY man that would call upon him will be saved. 

2 Peter 3:9 - "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

Once again, God doesn't say that some should come to repentance, but ALL. 

God does not point out any specific people to be saved. Salvation is not some kind of exclusive club; it is for anyone that is willing to repent and live for Him. 

Romans 10:9-10 - "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." 

In this verse, God says that we are saved by faith, a personal belief in our heart, which we have the opportunity to believe, because Jesus died on the cross for our sins. 

If we were predestined to a specific eternity, did Jesus die on the cross with only a certain amount of people on his mind? Did God tell Jesus to go save this and that person, but leave the others alone to a life of sin? No, of course not. Jesus loves all, and doesn't want anyone to die lost. He died on the cross, knowing that anyone who was willing could come to salvation, and live in Heaven with Him one day. 

The Bible does not support the belief of predestination. It speaks of a savior that died so that anyone could be saved if willing to repent. In the Bible, God speaks about people that commit their life to Him, not because they were chosen to, but because they believed. God supports a life that is devoted to Him, and trusts in Him for a joyous eternity. God doesn't choose who is saved, we do, and I hope that everyone will be willing to choose God. 

Today is the Day to Change Your Life

2 Corinthians 5:17 - "Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

When God saves us, we are made new, but we have to be willing to give our hearts to God, and this doesn't always happen instantly. When I got saved, I kept a lot of my bad habits, even though I knew that they were wrong; I wasn't strong enough at the time to give them up. As time went on, the guilt kept building and building inside of me because I knew that I was sinning against God. I am now at the point that the burden is becoming too much to bear, which is why I have decided to make some drastic changes. 

Throughout my life, I have made many mistakes; the biggest one for me is how I have shut my heart off to love. Even after becoming saved, I did this, which is incredibly wrong of me to do. I haven't loved my family like they have loved me. I haven't said 'I love you' like I should, or said 'thank you' like I should, but I have decided to change that today. No longer am I going to let love feel like a weakness to me, because it's not, it's the greatest strength that we could ever have. Today is the day that I'm going to devote to having a more loving heart, and to express that love better than I ever have before.

I want to be held to this commitment that I am making today, which is why I am posting it in a blog post. I want others to see that I am making a devotion to God, and it should be kept no matter what. I want to be held accountable for what I do. It's about time that I take this leap of faith, and I hope that others will not wait like I did, and change their life today. 

5 Things That Makes Being a Christian the Best Thing In the World.

There are endless reasons that being a Christian is the best thing in the world, but here are 5 of my top reasons: 

1) Hope For A Better Day: No matter what might occur in my life, good or bad, I know that I can count on an even better day. The salvation that God gives us promises a place in Heaven. In Heaven, there will be no night. The day will continue through all eternity, and the joy of being with our Lord will never cease. 

2) We Have A Guide: If I didn't have God and His word guiding me through life, my life would be in complete wreckage. Looking back at some of the decisions that God stopped me from going through with, I don't know what I was thinking. I'm so glad that I don't have to make decisions on my own, because the plans that God has is more amazing than I could ever imagine. 

3) We Have The Ultimate Friend: God is the ultimate comforter and encourager. No matter where we are in the world or what we are doing, God is with us. He sees everything we do, and He's there when things go bad or we need support. His powerful hand knows exactly how to cease our pain or sadness, and we will never be on our own.

4) We Are Loved: I think we can all confess to feeling lonely or unloved at some point in our lives. Though, God always reminds us that He is always there with us, and he loves is beyond belief. He gave up his only son, for goodness sake. God gave the ultimate sacrifice, and that's enough to show God's love, yet, He shows His love more and more each day. 

5) We Are Blessed: I've been so blessed in my life that it puts me to shame sometimes. I haven't done for God like I should've throughout my life, and I surely don't deserve all that He has given me. Waking up everyday is a blessing in itself, and I would like to thank God for every breath He has given me. Thankfully, one day I'll be able to stand on front of Him and thank Him, for He has given me the most important blessing of all, salvation from my sins. 

Before Meeting Your Helpmeet

One definition of a help-meet can be, "a helpful companion or partner, especially one's husband or wife." In the sense of marriage, a help-meet is someone that loves another person, and wants to be with them for the rest of their lives, through thick and thin, to help and comfort them through every step of life. In a Godly relationship, marriage is much different than the normal, everyday marriage. A Godly marriage has God at the center of the marriage. Not only do the two people have to worry about taking care of one another, but they must also make sure that they are living for God, and encouraging each other in their walk with God. Of course, a Godly marriage may take more work because they are following more rules, but having God at the center of one's marriage will be what keeps the two people together, and will continue their love throughout their lives.

Preparing for this type of relationship is very important because a relationship begins before even meeting the other person. You can touch the other person's life without even knowing them, and you can get yourself ready to be a better spouse as well. Here are 5 ways to prepare yourself for this meeting:

1) Love Yourself: Ephesians 2:10- "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

God made us exactly how he wants us to be; even the quirks and imperfections, and they should be honored because they are from God. If we don't love those things about ourselves, how do we expect someone else to love them? By having different qualities that others might not possess, we are special to the world, and someone will adore the qualities that God gives us. 

2) Seek God: Psalms 119:10- "With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments."

God blesses when we are following Him and His word. If we are to honor Him, He will honor us, and give us a Godly spouse. A strong relationship with God will lead to a great, loving relationship with the right person, because God will be the at the center of it.

3) Pray: Philippians 4:6,7- "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

Finding the person that we will spend the rest of our lives with is one of the biggest decisions that we will ever make, therefore, we need to pray a lot about it. We need to pray that God will lead us and direct us to the person, and that we will be a Godly spouse to whoever it may be. Also, we need to pray dearly for the person we are supposed to be with. It is important to pray about the other person's life and walk with God because this is the person that we will raise a family with, and it's important to know God is the center of their life. 

4) Trust: Proverbs 3:5- "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

Waiting for something so important takes a lot of patience and trust. We must trust that God knows exactly what He's doing, which He does. It's important to have faith in God because He knows what's best for us, while we would mess everything up if we were in control. 

5) Be Pure: Hebrews 13:4- "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge."

In any Godly relationship, it is super important that purity is a key element. Before marriage, two people that are in a relationship with one another should enter into marriage being pure because this is how God wants it to be. Refraining from immoral behavior will only make the relationship stronger because they are using their strength to wait until marriage, and they are telling one another that they consider each other worthy of waiting for, even before meeting the person they will marry. Waiting for the one, special person to marry, and then being able to act how married couples should, tells the other person that they honor them and God enough to wait. 

The Future Is Not Promised; Do For NOW!

Matthew 6:34 - "Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof."

Throughout life, we are constantly told to think of our future; from parents, teachers, family members, etc. As soon as we're born, people are wondering what we will grow up to be, but why? For all we know, the next day might not have even came for us. We have to enjoy the moment, and worry about living for now, for God. 

I have to look at myself first. I'm one of the worst people to obsess about the future. I am always worrying about having a family one day, or choosing the right career path that will help me in my future. Every time, I make a decision about my future though, God performs differently. I'm not in control of my future, God is, and it always turns out better than I could have planned for myself when I let God have that control. 

Follow the saying, Let go and let God. Our plans will fail us, but God's won't. He knows what will make us happy, and He has already seen our future. We have no Earthly idea what will make us happy in our future. God knows where to lead us, and He will get us there with no problem.

Psalms 118:24 - "This [is] the day [which] the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

The time is now. Do for God now, and don't worry about anything else; life will fall into place. There are people that needs to be told about God's mercy NOW, people that have been sucked into the sinful world needs help getting back to God NOW, and it needs to be done before it's too late. God is working NOW, so give your all to God, and let Him work in your life. Also, let Him use you to help others find God, for eternity is waiting, and it could come today. 

Silence is Golden

Ecclesiastes 3:7- "A time to rend , and a time to sew ; a time to keep silence , and a time to speak."

Proverbs 17:27,28- "He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit. Even a fool,when he holdeth his peace , is countedwise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding."

God says that there is a time to stay silent. During this time of silence, God is working. 

In life, there are times that we get angry, and we can say the wrong thing and go against what God would've wanted for that situation. Or we can get impatient, and say something out of the blue, without considering the consequences. I know that there are many times that I do this, and there are many times that I would like to tell someone exactly how I think, but I can't do this while following God's path. 

When we are in a situation that it is important to consult God, but yet, we say what we want anyways, we are changing the plans that God had for that situation. God could be working, but because we have went ahead with our own thoughts and opinions, God's plan has been overtook. If God would have us to say nothing at all, He is dealing with the situation, alone. 

Silence can be what someone needs to take a step toward getting right with God; an interruption could be detrimental. For example, if someone is building up the courage to ask a question about God but they are interrupted, this could take away the motivation they had, therefore, they don't ask the question. 

We have to always consider if God would have us to say something, or if it is best to bite out tongue. Saying something that is not of God could do damage to someone else's or our own relationship with God. We must always consider the consequences when we are speaking to someone, and we must know when to leave someone be. We might doubt what the best might be for us or another person, but God always knows what he's doing. God's actions speak much louder than our words ever could. 

Using Our God-Given Talent For The Lord

Romans 12:6 - "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to the proportion of faith;"

Matthew 25:15 - "And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey."

When God created each of us, he made us unique from every other person on Earth. No one person that has ever existed has had the exact makeup and qualities as another person. Everyone has different talents, hobbies, likes, and personalities. One person may be a great singer, another a great speaker, or maybe a great teacher. We all have something that we can use for the praise of God. 

Whatever characteristics that we may possess, God has a plan on how He wants to use those characteristics. He doesn't give us talents so that we will use them for bad. God gives us talents, so that we might use them to spread the word of God and the wonderful news about His merciful salvation. Life is about finding God's salvation and leading others to find it as well. We have no reason to use our talents for our own praise because we don't control it, God does. He deserves the praise for anything Godly that we do. 

Any talent that we have comes from God, and we should treat it that way. We should treat it with the upmost respect that God intended. We should clothe our talents in modesty. For example, if you have a great voice, use it for God with Godly songs, or if you are a great speaker, use your voice to speak of the Lord. No matter what your talent is, you can use it for God. Go into the world, let your talents shine, and win people to the world. 

Talk the Talk, AND Walk the Walk

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

This is a very simple statement that we have all, no doubt, heard before. Though, do we really think about what this entails?

Matthew 5:16 - "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

A person can say that they are living for God, but their actions do not always match their words. When a person can talk the talk, plus walk the walk, this is when they are going to be a blessing to fellow Christians, and influence others to join the walk with God. 

As time goes on, it seems that it becomes harder and harder to trust people's word. When a person is a sinner, it is even harder for them to decipher between who is a true Christian and who isn't, because they don't have that knowledge that God instills in is when He saves us to be able to know who is really of God, which is the main reason why sinners needs to see Christians enjoying being a Christian.

God doesn't save us, so that we can sit around and simply be saved. Instead, He wants us to go out into the world, and share His word. He wants us to be a representation of the love and mercy that God gives everyday. Sinners need to see that being a Christian is the greatest thing in the world, and this can only come from the physical sight of happiness. 

If we are to let our actions do all the talking, God will take care of the rest. He will work in so many peoples' lives, through the actions that God allows us to do. He will bless us in His time, and give the joy that comes from helping others. 

Beware of Sharks

A thought came into my head the other day when I saw a picture of a whale and shark that someone had posted on Facebook. The top pictured showed a Killer Whale, the bottom picture was a Great White Shark, and then there was a joke at the bottom. Though, what I thought about was the fact that they have both killed people, but they are looked at differently. Of course, it's not the animals' faults that people are in their feeding grounds, but these animals' actions can display those of the human race. 

The Killer Whale does not harm near the amount of people as the Great White, though, it's called a 'Killer' Whale. The Great White Shark does harm, but it is called 'Great.' How does this compare with the world today? 

The Killer Whale can be compared to Christians. No doubt, Christians mess up sometimes, and as soon as they do, it seems as if sinners, and sometimes even other Christians, are waiting to put them down. They are waiting to ridicule them and shame them for sinning against God, even if they are not living for God themselves. People will call out hypocrite unto them, or 'Killer,' in this sense. A lot of the time, no matter how the name-caller is living their own life, they will make sure that the person that is trying to spread God's word is taken down because they want to see them fail. Also, people don't want to be told that they are living their life wrong. When Christians try to tell the world of their sin, many will persecute the Christian for 'judging' them. They want to be able to live their life of sin, therefore, they make the Christian seem like the bad guy. 

The Great White Shark is the sinners of the world. I can't think of many cases where a person that was living a Godly life was praised for what they do in the media, instead, the people that are living their life against God is greatly praised. For example, as soon as we turn on our TVs, we see celebrities, singers, movie stars, etc. being praised. These people have the ability to influence millions and millions of people, and they are doing just that. The only thing is, these people are teaching their fans to be drunkards, liars, fornicators, etc. Though, at the same time, they are looked at as being great role models. When these celebrities are praised, they are telling the world that they should be like them, which leads to a destructive path. Sinners, much like the Great White, has the ability to destroy someone's life, and lead them far from God.

In the world, there are many sharks. They can be anyone; teachers, family members, friends, and maybe even church members. There's always going to be sharks, and it is up to us to decide who we are going to consider to be role models. Are we going to follow our fellow Christians who are trying to live for God, or are we going to follow the world who hates the work of God, and denies Him? None is great except for God, and the world needs to get back to a time where this truth was followed. 

Sharks will destroy, but I know someone that can mend the worst wounds, God. 

The Benefits of a Good Name

Proverbs 22:1-"A goodname is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold."

Having a good name in Christ simply means that you display to the world what a Christian should possess. This consists of characteristics such as kindness, mercy, and most importantly, love. With these characteristics, God will bless you with great benefit: 

1) Better Witness: To be able to witness and influence others to choose God, we must first show what it's like to live for God. If we act in sinful ways, all it is showing to the world is that our Christianity is fake, and hasn't changed us in anyway. Having a good testimony that people look to for guidance will reach more people. 

2) Sincere Love: When a person becomes a Christian, many times, they lose their old friends. Fortunately, they gain new friends in Christ. A good name will attract the right kinds of friends, and you will be able to see who loves you for you. 

3) Improved View on Life: When I wasn't serving God, I had a very clear image of what I wanted my life to be, but I was completely wrong. Once I started following God and His word, it seemed like everything fell into place. I found out who my real friends were, I found within myself what I truly was meant to do, and I was able to better my relationship with God. I've found that other people can see the difference in me, and it feels good to be able to influence them. Not bragging on myself, but I am so much happier with the way I see my own self than ever before, solely because I found a good name.

Being a Christian, and actually putting God's word to action in your life can bring a lot of troubles into your life. You can lose friends, maybe even family, you might have to give up things you love or love to do, but living for God has so much more benefit. It might seem great now that people look up to you for sinful behavior, such as being able to drink the most alcohol, but sooner or later, you'll be left with the wreckage of a sinful life. God has promised that if we live for Him, He will bless us, and give us eternity in Heaven, which is far much greater than anything that the world can do for us. 

Work towards having a good name in Christ. Go out there, and win people to the Lord. Show them how great it really is to be a Christian, and to walk in God's footsteps. 

How to Be Happy in Your Walk With God

Proverbs 17:22- "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."


Having a joyous and thankful heart is one of the key characteristics that a Christian must possess, in order to see their relationship with God flourish. God is looking for the purest of hearts to represent Him. If Christians drag around all the time, tired and sad, people are not going to be influenced to find God in their own life. In a world that is becoming more sinful and stressful, how can we make sure to be happy?

Find Wisdom: Proverbs 3:13 - "Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding." Wisdom comes from learning about God, and knowledge of God comes from the Bible. If we are to read and study our Bible, we can have the hope that comes from God's word, and have the knowledge to explain God's love to others. When there is hope, there is happiness.

Do Good: Ecclesiastes 3:12- "I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life." When we do right by God, we will find God's blessings. God rewards those that follows Him, and good works will not be in vain. 

Be Content: Hebrews 13:5-"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." If we are unhappy with the things that we have now, nothing in the world will ever bring us happiness, because we are always going to want more. In reality, if we have God, we have everything. God's love is more than enough, and no possession can replace that. 

Love Others: Galatians 5:14-"For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Hate take more energy than loving someone. Hate brings strife and darkness into a person's heart, while love cleanses the heart. If we are to love those around us, a positive outlook will follow. 

Worship/Serve: Exodus 23:25- "And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee." When we praise God for what He has done for us, we will find joy in our hearts, for a grateful spirit is highly honored by God. By coming together in our place of worship, we can find happiness among our fellow Christians, and find encouragement from one another. 

God is the center of happiness. If we are to follow Him, we are guaranteed an eternity of happiness in Heaven. No work of God will ever go in vain, for it will be cherished. Obey God and His word, and sadness and depression will be feelings of the past. 

One Lie Brings Much Destruction

When David had gained much power in the kingdom, Saul built up motivation to kill him, in order to protect his throne. David fled to Nob to protect himself, and went unto the priest, Ahimelech who asked him why he was alone. David answered in a lie saying that Saul had given him orders to come, but not to let anyone know of the details of the orders. 

David told Ahimelech that men were supposed to meet him, and he asked for five loaves of bread for him and the men. Ahimelech had no plain bread, so he have holy bread unto David. 

The chief of Saul's herdsmen, Doeg, was at Nob that day as well. When David asked Ahimelech for a weapon, saying it was part of Saul's request, he was given the sword of Goliath, Doeg seeing the exchange.

David fled Nod after reviewing materials, and went to Adullam. When David's brothers, his father's clan, and everyone who was indebted to him had heard of his fleeing, they went to him, bringing a total of four hundred men with them. 

Saul heard where David and his men were, and he was angered, asking all of his men why they hadn't told him. Then Doeg spoke up to Saul saying that he saw David go to the priest, and there, the priest gave him food and a weapon. 

Saul sent for Ahimelech, along with Ahimelech's family and other priests in Nob. Saul questioned Ahimelech about the plot that he and David had against him, and Ahimelech denied the accusations, saying that he had no evil intentions. Though, Saul would not believe him, and told Ahimelech that him and his family would be killed. 

Saul told his guards to kill the priests of Jehovah becasue they had plotted against him, but the servants would not do as they were told. So, Saul told Doeg to kill the priests, and he followed orders, killing eighty five men. 

One of the sons of Ahimelech, Abiathar, fled to David, and told him what Saul had done. David said that he knew Doeg would tell, and that he felt responsible for what had happened to his family. David promised Abiathar that from that day on, he would protect his life before his own, for he was now indebted to Abiathar for he was to blame for his family's death. 

Because of the simple lie that David told Ahimelech, it cost eighty five men their lives. If David would've simply told Ahimelech the truth, Ahimelech would've had the opportunity to choose his own path, but because Ahimelech was told a lie, he didn't have the discernment to consider the outcome. This goes to show that our sins can not only harm our own lives, but it can cost others as well. 

A lie has the power to bring about much evil. Even the most simple lie can really do harm in someone's life, and more importantly, their relationship with God. Lies aren't worth the consequences that come about because of them. If we are to be honest, even when it's hard, or we think we are saving someone from the pain of the truth, we can prevent a lot of future heartbreak. Sin will always find you out, and a lie is not an exception to that 

The Rich Man's Downfall

In Luke chapter 16, the story of the rich man is told. The rich man was clothed in expensive, purple clothes and lived an extravagant life. 

One day, a beggar came upon the gate of the rich man's house, and he was sick with sores covering him. The sick man wanted only crumbs from the rich man's table, but he was not given any. Dogs then came to lick his sores.

The beggar died soon after, and was taken to Heaven by angels, to Abraham's side as the Bible says. The rich man also died, but he opened his eyes to the lake of fire, Hell. 

The rich man saw Abraham and Lazarus, and begged for Abraham to send Lazarus to give him a drop of water to drink, but Abraham did not because the rich man done evil upon the Earth.

The rich man saw that there was no escape to the torment, and begged that witnesses would be sent to his brothers, in hopes that they would not join him in Hell. 

There are three lessons that can be seen here: 

1) The Doom of a Proud Man: The rich man was a very proud and self-centered man that was living his life for himself. He thought very highly of himself, and was not willing to bow down to anyone, even God. In his mind, he was on top, and that's not how it's meant to be. To be a child of God, a person has to sacrifice a lot, and come before God with the knowledge that He is much more great and powerful than they are. Because the rich man would not look past his own desires and bow down before God, and repent, he was sent to an eternity in Hell.  

2) The Importance of Repentance: Unfortunately, the rich man figured out how important repentance was too late. As soon as the rich man opened his eyes in Hell, he regretted everything he had done in his life. He no longer had the security of his possessions and riches on Earth, instead, that is what got him in Hell. The man had been so obsessed with his riches that he denied God, and risked his eternity. He didn't want anyone else to end up in such torment, which is why he begged for his brothers to receive a chance at repentance. 

3) A Giving Heart: The rich man was so selfish that he was not even willing to give to a dying man. It takes a very hard heart to see a man dying, and not try to help him in the slightest. He had plenty to give him, and the dying man was only asking for crumbs, but the rich man closed his ears off to him. Even the dogs, who are metaphorically represented as being unbelievers in this situation, relieved the man's pain by licking his sores. 

The rich man lived a great life on Earth, but once that was gone, it had no substance anymore. Material possessions can have value to us, but we can't allow them to take over our minds. Riches has the ability to change the best person into someone similar to the rich man, for it is the root of all evil. 

No amount of money or material things is worth dying and going to Hell for. The rich man found this out too late. He put all of his "eggs in one basket," so to speak. The man depended so much on his riches, he didn't realize the most important thing, God. 

We shouldn't let anything come before God in our lives. Even as saved people, we can let worldly things get in the way of our relationship with God, which is wrong. Of course, we can't lose our salvation, but we can sure mess up before God. If we are to live a life of God, we must give up all the sin and material things that could prevent a better relationship with Him. A sinful life is not long enough or precious enough to risk our relationship with God and our eternity for.

Mary, the Chosen Servant of God

Mary and Joseph were engaged to be married when an angel came unto Mary, telling her that she was to become pregnant with the Son of God, Jesus. Mary questioned the angel, seeing that she hadn't been with a man. Though, Mary had faith saying, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word" (Luke 1:38). 

The term, handmaid, ultimately means servant. According to Google, a servant is someone who is "a devoted and helpful follower or supporter," which is exactly what Mary was. Mary was telling the angel that she was willing to give her entire life for God and abide by His word, even when it seemed completely crazy to her. Today, if a woman was to tell us that God had given her a baby, without being with a man, we would think she had lost her mind. Same goes for Mary, who was shocked by the angel's words, but still stood by God.

Doubting God when He tells us that something is going to happen, even when it may seem impossible, is preventing us from furthering our faith in God. If we want God to use us in his ministry, we must be like Mary, and have strong faith in Him, no matter what the request is. God works in mysterious and amazing ways. God's will isn't always going to be obvious, and we have to be prepared to face the worst or strangest sometimes. 

Mary's life turned out incredibly well, and it was all because she kept her faith in God. She could have turned away from God, and brushed the ridiculous words off her shoulder, but instead, she chose to embrace the words of God, and accept any ridicule that may have came her way for the way that her becoming pregnant looked to the world. Because of her faith, she became one of the greatest roles in the history of the world; Jesus' mother. 

In life, there are going to be plenty of challenges that comes our way. God will test our faith with requests that may seem ridiculous, and might bring a lot of ridicule from others into our life, but if we choose God, He will carry us through. Mary trusted in God, and He brought her through, and she received blessings beyond belief. God will do the same for us if we stand for Him. God has the ability to use us in great ways in the world, and we have to be willing to  abide by His word to do so. He wants the most faithful and trusting servants to represent Him, and if we do so, God will shine our light out into the world. 

When the Masterpiece Gets Ruined

Ephesians 2:10

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."

Yesterday, I was playing with play dough with my little cousin. I worked very hard on making a giraffe from the play dough, and I finally got it to where it was perfect in my eyes. Once I got done, I was very proud of the work that I had done. Though, knowing the play dough would dry out, I had to take it apart and put it back in the containers. This sparked a thought in my head; it doesn't matter how much time and effort you put into something, it can be easily destroyed within seconds.  In a sense, we are God's play dough. He sees us as his masterpieces. When He formed Adam and Eve in the beginning, He formed them to be perfect in His eyes. Though, they soon ruined that image when they ate of the tree of knowledge, and ruined the perfection that God had put so much effort into creating. In society, we put such an effort into preserving famous works of art from the past. We see paintings of Van Gogh and Michelangelo that are praised and adored, but what about God's work of art?  Being God's creation, we are all special in our own way, and the beauty that God gave us should be preserved and honored. The beauty that God gave us comes from having a pure heart, modest appearance, dedication to God, etc. When we sin, our beauty is damaged, and God is disappointed.  As Christians, we should try and protect God's masterpiece. We should present ourselves in a Godly and kind manner to the world. We should be something that others look at as an example for their own life. God's work should not be in vain.

Why Waiting is Apart of God's Plans

Patience is one of the most common characteristics that people lack. People find it very difficult to even wait five minutes for something. When we are in a restaurant, we want our food to automatically get to us, or when we start a new job, we want to reap the benefits of making money right away. We are in the generation of "I want it right now," but God's plans are not on our time. God uses waiting to test us, to see if we will do what He says. There are different tests that God puts us through concerning finding our will, and here is just a few:

1) To test our trust in God: Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

It's easy to say that we trust God, but what happens when we are forced to wait? The majority of the time, we lose faith in God. We want something so bad at the exact moment that we figure that God isn't going to stand by His word when there isn't an automatic answer. When we start doubting Him, God loses faith in us as well. If we aren't willing to trust God, why would God send us blessings? God wants to bless those that wait on Him. He wants to have faithful servants that He can trust to be a light to the world. 

2) Appreciation: Hebrews 13:5 - "[Let your] conversation [be] without covetousness; [and be] content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

If we don't appreciate what we have now, what makes us think that we will appreciate something else that God gives us in the future? God wants to be able to know that we will honor and appreciate what He does for us. He doesn't want His blessings to us to be in vain. 

3) Patience: Isaiah 40:31 - "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint."

God wants to know that we honor Him enough that we are willing to wait upon Him. When we rush God, it seems as if we are taking advantage of God for His blessings. We want a quick answer to our prayers, when in reality, God is waiting to answer us because He is creating something much greater than we could imagine. 

4) Motives: Proverbs 21:2 - "Every way of a man [is] right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts."

God wants to see that we are praying for the right reasons. A lot of the time, we pray for things that we want, instead of things that we need or have a good reason for. We need to be selfless when we are praying for something or someone. Once God sees that our heart is true, then, He will choose how He wants to answer our prayers. 

Our hearts are not always set on the things of God when we are praying for something or someone, which is why it is so important to put it in God's hands. God knows exactly what the outcomes and consequences of something will be, and He will do what is best for us. All we have to do is give our burdens to God, and wait upon Him to show us His will.