It has come to my attention many times and often that people say one thing but do another thing. Why is this? Well I am not one to speak on behalf of others, so I do not know. I've been contemplating how to handle this topic for a while now and this blog has been sitting in my drafts for a few weeks. I pray that I what has been on my heart does justice to this topic and can be put into words that you can understand.
"Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary use words."
In all honesty, it is easy to say that you are a Christian. Well...what is a Christian? I'm glad you asked: a Christian is a person who has professed their belief in Jesus as Christ and follows the religion ased on the life and teachings of Jesus. This means that you must admit that you are a sinner and are truly sorry for your sins, believe that Jesus came and died for your sins, and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life. After you have confessed these things in front of you new brothers and sisters in Christ, a change must occur. I'm not saying that this change will happen over night, because it doesn't. It take time...and a lot of it.
This blog is not for those who have just given their lives to Christ but for those who have been in Christ for a while, for those using their spiritual gifts to benefit God's people and His kingdom.
As the quote stated above, we must preach the gospel at all times and when necessary we should use our words. For those who do not understand: ministry is most effective with the life that we live.
Imagine that I am new to the church scene and I live my life how I want to live. If I see you doing the same things that I do, and you are trying to get me to give my life to Christ, it would make no sense for me to listen to you. You were at the club last night and you showed up to church late and in the same thing you had on last night, now you're shouting in church how God changed you? You are getting in bed with the whole choir, and you are trying to tell me right from wrong? You are constantly bad mouthing people behind their back and have the audacity to smile in their face? I can't take you serious. Why would I listen to one word that came out of your mouth? Even if you are speaking the word of God to me, all I can think about is the life that you are showing me.
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisess, you hypocrites! you are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outsid but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything enclean. In the samy way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous jbut on the inside you are full of hypocracy and wickedness. (Matthew 23:27-28 NIV)
Not only are you hindering the worship of others, but you are hindering the worship and possible relationship that you can have with the Lord. We must serve God with a pure heart. It says in Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God."
When they say that actions speak louder than words, they weren't lying. Before you can open your mouth to say that another person, "God is good," they have already seen how you act and what you do. Be careful in what you do, what you say, and how you act, especially if you are putting God's name out there for people to see. You are making it easy for non-believers to just throw in the towel and give up on God. He never gave up on you so show people why you call Him your Father, you way maker, you delieverer, you Savior.
I am going to end with this scripture and let you ponder on the life you are showing to others. In Peter 1:15-16 it states, "But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
The Worried Christian?
I want to start this blog off a little differently that the others, with a prayer.
Dear Lord, I come to you praising and blessing Your Name. You are the One who created everything in this world and beyond and you still took time out to create me as the unique being that I am. I thank you for life more abundantly, for the people that you have blessed me with, and for everything that you have done for me. I ask that you use me as the vessel that I was created for, that I let go of me and catch a strong hold to You, and for forgiveness of my sins, known and unknown. May the words of this blog be pleasing to You and bless all that are able to read it. I thank You in advance for the blessing that You have placed in our lives. You are awesome and able to do exceedingly, abundantly and above all that we could ask for. I love You Lord. In Jesus name I pray. ~Amen
For me and many of my friends, we are close to the end of this semester, and this semester has been...well, it's been all over the place. Getting prepared for the future can be a lot, and I mean it really is a lot. One of the most quoted passages in the Bible about worrying is found in Philippians.
.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
A "worried Christian" should be an oxymoron. These words contradict the very being of the other. A question was posed in Matthew 6:27, "Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to you life?" There is a simple answer to that question: no! If anything, worrying takes away time that you could be productive in what you are worrying about. Think about how much time you spent worrying about a test that you thought you couldn't pass...if you took that time to study instead, then worrying would be pointless.
Worrying isn't healthy to you either. Proverbs 12:25 states, "Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up." This anxiety and worry that you are holding on to is weighing your heart down. With a heavy heart you become depressed, miserable and alone. Not only is worrying something God told us to not do, but it affects us physically. This distress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. These effects are very real and not good for your body. You can't praise the Lord with your whole self when there is something wrong with your body.
If God is able to cause nature like the flowers, trees and even the grass to grow, what makes us any different that He will not take care of us? Matthew 6:28-30 explains that God has caused the grass to grow. Grass does nothing to grow but be grass. We can't worry about the things in our lives when nature is growing all around us.
There was a lot to say about worry in the 6th chapter of Matthew. It continues to say in verses 31-34 (with an emphasis on 34), "So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." So why worry? We shouldn't. I had to find a place to state my favorite Bible verse, Philippians 4:13, "I can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens me." God did not give us the spirit of fear, nor worry, nor anxiety.
So there it is in a nutshell. Worrying is pointless and takes up time that we could use more productively. I may not have the answer to how you can get rid of your worries, but I can say that it is IMPOSSIBLE to pray and worry. If you are praying and worried you're not only wasting your time, but you're wasting God's time. He can't help you if you are not willing to be helped in the first place.
I will end with this Bible verse, and I will be on my way: 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV) "Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you."
Dear Lord, I come to you praising and blessing Your Name. You are the One who created everything in this world and beyond and you still took time out to create me as the unique being that I am. I thank you for life more abundantly, for the people that you have blessed me with, and for everything that you have done for me. I ask that you use me as the vessel that I was created for, that I let go of me and catch a strong hold to You, and for forgiveness of my sins, known and unknown. May the words of this blog be pleasing to You and bless all that are able to read it. I thank You in advance for the blessing that You have placed in our lives. You are awesome and able to do exceedingly, abundantly and above all that we could ask for. I love You Lord. In Jesus name I pray. ~Amen
For me and many of my friends, we are close to the end of this semester, and this semester has been...well, it's been all over the place. Getting prepared for the future can be a lot, and I mean it really is a lot. One of the most quoted passages in the Bible about worrying is found in Philippians.
.
Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
A "worried Christian" should be an oxymoron. These words contradict the very being of the other. A question was posed in Matthew 6:27, "Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to you life?" There is a simple answer to that question: no! If anything, worrying takes away time that you could be productive in what you are worrying about. Think about how much time you spent worrying about a test that you thought you couldn't pass...if you took that time to study instead, then worrying would be pointless.
Worrying isn't healthy to you either. Proverbs 12:25 states, "Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up." This anxiety and worry that you are holding on to is weighing your heart down. With a heavy heart you become depressed, miserable and alone. Not only is worrying something God told us to not do, but it affects us physically. This distress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. These effects are very real and not good for your body. You can't praise the Lord with your whole self when there is something wrong with your body.
If God is able to cause nature like the flowers, trees and even the grass to grow, what makes us any different that He will not take care of us? Matthew 6:28-30 explains that God has caused the grass to grow. Grass does nothing to grow but be grass. We can't worry about the things in our lives when nature is growing all around us.
There was a lot to say about worry in the 6th chapter of Matthew. It continues to say in verses 31-34 (with an emphasis on 34), "So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." So why worry? We shouldn't. I had to find a place to state my favorite Bible verse, Philippians 4:13, "I can do ALL things through Christ which strengthens me." God did not give us the spirit of fear, nor worry, nor anxiety.
So there it is in a nutshell. Worrying is pointless and takes up time that we could use more productively. I may not have the answer to how you can get rid of your worries, but I can say that it is IMPOSSIBLE to pray and worry. If you are praying and worried you're not only wasting your time, but you're wasting God's time. He can't help you if you are not willing to be helped in the first place.
I will end with this Bible verse, and I will be on my way: 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV) "Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you."
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Love and Relations
Love...love is a topic with so much depth to it and yet it is compromised of only four letters. L-O-V-E... What about these four letters put together make people go crazy? Now to that I do not have an immediate answer for, but these letters placed together make one of the strongest words in the English vocabulary.
To love someone is to give your all to them.
We know the scripture John 3:16, "for God so LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." God loved us so much that He gave His Son to save our lives. So this love thing is something serious. It is not to be taken lightly, especially when you decide that you are in love with someone else.
In love, you give a power to that other person. When you give your all to them because of love, there is no going back. This love doesn't have to be the physical love that you may be thinking of, but also your mind and soul. Giving this love to another person and sharing your world with each other is an experience that is deep within itself.
It's question time!
1. In your relationship, is there an even amount of give and take?
2. When you say, "I love you," can they look you in your eyes and say, "I love you" back?
3. When the two of you get together, are you able to be together without physical contact as an end result?
4. Are you able to just be with each other, not saying a word, and it be comfortable?
If you said no to one or more of these questions, it looks like there is some needed evaluation in your current relationship.
If you are putting in more work than your partner, ask yourself why. Love needs an equal balance because without that equality in it, you're just in love alone and they may be in "like" with you. That person liking you is completely different from you loving them. It has always been easy to tell if someone means what they are saying by their eyes. Next time you say that you love them, look to see the way it is being said back to you.
Sometimes love doesn't need words. That doesn't always mean to go ahead and get it on because you love each other. Sometimes it is nice to just be with that person you love. Get together with them and do homework together, cook dinner, go on a walk, or something! There are many ways to share your love with each other. I did mention that love was mind, body, AND soul, didn't I? Not mind OR body OR soul... Well if you missed it...love is mind, body and soul!
It says in 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV), "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness."
With that scripture we learn, in a relationship standpoint, that we need to find someone that is equally yoked as us. If you are unaware of what a yoke is, it is a frame fitting the neck and shoulders of a person, for carrying a pair of buckets, one at each end. If one side has more water in the bucket, it makes it impossible for the person carrying it to walk. Think of it this way, you and your partner are buckets. If you are full but your partner is only half full, then the relationship [or person carrying the yoke] will have a hard time trying to walk, thus making instability in the relationship.
This is the part when you check not only your partner, but yourself. Don't worry, I'll wait...
Your love should include three people: you, your partner, and God. That is it! No more and no less than that. Simple? Why yes it is. God should be in the center of all you do; this includes relationships as well. A relationship without God is just two people trying to make something happen. If it is in God's will, then it is going to happen; if it's not His will, it won't work. It's important to not let others into your relationship as well. Your love and the love you share with your partner is not for anyone but you, your partner and God.
Well, I feel that I have said enough for now about this subject. I will leave you with this one thing, and I will be on my way: "Today I caught myself smiling for no reason...and then I realized I was thinking about you." [I know it's cheesy, but it's cute! :)]
To love someone is to give your all to them.
We know the scripture John 3:16, "for God so LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." God loved us so much that He gave His Son to save our lives. So this love thing is something serious. It is not to be taken lightly, especially when you decide that you are in love with someone else.
In love, you give a power to that other person. When you give your all to them because of love, there is no going back. This love doesn't have to be the physical love that you may be thinking of, but also your mind and soul. Giving this love to another person and sharing your world with each other is an experience that is deep within itself.
It's question time!
1. In your relationship, is there an even amount of give and take?
2. When you say, "I love you," can they look you in your eyes and say, "I love you" back?
3. When the two of you get together, are you able to be together without physical contact as an end result?
4. Are you able to just be with each other, not saying a word, and it be comfortable?
If you said no to one or more of these questions, it looks like there is some needed evaluation in your current relationship.
If you are putting in more work than your partner, ask yourself why. Love needs an equal balance because without that equality in it, you're just in love alone and they may be in "like" with you. That person liking you is completely different from you loving them. It has always been easy to tell if someone means what they are saying by their eyes. Next time you say that you love them, look to see the way it is being said back to you.
Sometimes love doesn't need words. That doesn't always mean to go ahead and get it on because you love each other. Sometimes it is nice to just be with that person you love. Get together with them and do homework together, cook dinner, go on a walk, or something! There are many ways to share your love with each other. I did mention that love was mind, body, AND soul, didn't I? Not mind OR body OR soul... Well if you missed it...love is mind, body and soul!
It says in 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV), "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness."
With that scripture we learn, in a relationship standpoint, that we need to find someone that is equally yoked as us. If you are unaware of what a yoke is, it is a frame fitting the neck and shoulders of a person, for carrying a pair of buckets, one at each end. If one side has more water in the bucket, it makes it impossible for the person carrying it to walk. Think of it this way, you and your partner are buckets. If you are full but your partner is only half full, then the relationship [or person carrying the yoke] will have a hard time trying to walk, thus making instability in the relationship.
This is the part when you check not only your partner, but yourself. Don't worry, I'll wait...
Your love should include three people: you, your partner, and God. That is it! No more and no less than that. Simple? Why yes it is. God should be in the center of all you do; this includes relationships as well. A relationship without God is just two people trying to make something happen. If it is in God's will, then it is going to happen; if it's not His will, it won't work. It's important to not let others into your relationship as well. Your love and the love you share with your partner is not for anyone but you, your partner and God.
Well, I feel that I have said enough for now about this subject. I will leave you with this one thing, and I will be on my way: "Today I caught myself smiling for no reason...and then I realized I was thinking about you." [I know it's cheesy, but it's cute! :)]
Friday, November 26, 2010
On the Subject of Love...
"Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." Well, what is love?
This is one of the most talked about topics in the world. It's in songs, poems, movies, plays, book, etc. In the Bible we see there is a whole chapter dedicated to love and explaining what love is in 1 Corinthians 13. It is taught that you can have any spiritual gift and give all your possessions away, but without love, it means nothing. If you look on dictionary.com you will see the dictionary definition of love. As a noun there are fourteen different meanings alone. So where do we go from here? When talking about love, there are so many ways that I can go from here: family, friends, significant others, and everyday people.
I think I'll start with the everyday person. You're walking down the street and you see someone walking in the opposite direction drop there things. You rush to help them pick up the things that they dropped. This may be considered a good deed to some, but it is also a way to show love. 1 Corinthians 13:4 "...love is KIND..." To be kind to a stranger, is only but one way to show love; a love that is defined in the Bible. Mark 12:31 says that we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves. You wouldn't hurt yourself intentionally, so why hurt others?
Loving your friends. A friend is someone who is supportive and will help keep you on the path that you need to be...even when you don't want them too. Although you may fight with your friend, you love them. How is this love different from loving the everyday person? Let's take the example from above. Your friend is walking in the opposite direction of you and you see them drop their things. You rush to help them pick up their items and then you walk back to their destination to make sure they won't drop their things again. You have now taken the love for a person you don't know and showed a stronger love. You didn't have to walk that friend to their destination, but because "love is patient", you took some time out of your day to be there for them. Now this is just a simple example and love transcends from helping with groceries, but to see the progression can be helpful.
Family! AAHH!!! What more can be said about them? If you know me, you know I love, Love, LOVE! my family...even when I don't like them, I love my family. Family is my passion, and the way to my heart is my family (and of course my God). The love that I show for my family is the love that I know they give back to me. I would do anything for them. "[Love] keeps no records of wrong" and "it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." I feel that this is pretty much self-explanatory. Protect family, trust family, and forgive and with that love will persevere. I could go on forever talking about family love, but like I said, it's my passion.
The significant other: what you've all been waiting for. So you love your boyfriend/girlfriend, but why? She/He makes you smile. She/He is cute. She/He likes the things you do. You just have this unexplained "connection" between the two of you. Or maybe you lack a true definition of love, and the only connection of love in your relationship is when you "make love". Let's take everything in consideration. Think about the your significant other and make a list of the things you like about them. Is your list looking a bit shallow? If it is, then it looks like some reevaluation is needed in your relationship. What drew you to this person? I hope that you know the person that you pretend to be will catch the eye of someone, but sooner or later they will see the real you. If you are not the person that you put on, and that love that was developed is not on a firm foundation, the relationship will be rocky and prone to fall.
Seeing how relationships with a significant others has so much to sift through, this will have to be continued later. "Love and Relations" on the way...
To end this subject of love I will end with this: 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT) "Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love."
This is one of the most talked about topics in the world. It's in songs, poems, movies, plays, book, etc. In the Bible we see there is a whole chapter dedicated to love and explaining what love is in 1 Corinthians 13. It is taught that you can have any spiritual gift and give all your possessions away, but without love, it means nothing. If you look on dictionary.com you will see the dictionary definition of love. As a noun there are fourteen different meanings alone. So where do we go from here? When talking about love, there are so many ways that I can go from here: family, friends, significant others, and everyday people.
I think I'll start with the everyday person. You're walking down the street and you see someone walking in the opposite direction drop there things. You rush to help them pick up the things that they dropped. This may be considered a good deed to some, but it is also a way to show love. 1 Corinthians 13:4 "...love is KIND..." To be kind to a stranger, is only but one way to show love; a love that is defined in the Bible. Mark 12:31 says that we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves. You wouldn't hurt yourself intentionally, so why hurt others?
Loving your friends. A friend is someone who is supportive and will help keep you on the path that you need to be...even when you don't want them too. Although you may fight with your friend, you love them. How is this love different from loving the everyday person? Let's take the example from above. Your friend is walking in the opposite direction of you and you see them drop their things. You rush to help them pick up their items and then you walk back to their destination to make sure they won't drop their things again. You have now taken the love for a person you don't know and showed a stronger love. You didn't have to walk that friend to their destination, but because "love is patient", you took some time out of your day to be there for them. Now this is just a simple example and love transcends from helping with groceries, but to see the progression can be helpful.
Family! AAHH!!! What more can be said about them? If you know me, you know I love, Love, LOVE! my family...even when I don't like them, I love my family. Family is my passion, and the way to my heart is my family (and of course my God). The love that I show for my family is the love that I know they give back to me. I would do anything for them. "[Love] keeps no records of wrong" and "it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." I feel that this is pretty much self-explanatory. Protect family, trust family, and forgive and with that love will persevere. I could go on forever talking about family love, but like I said, it's my passion.
The significant other: what you've all been waiting for. So you love your boyfriend/girlfriend, but why? She/He makes you smile. She/He is cute. She/He likes the things you do. You just have this unexplained "connection" between the two of you. Or maybe you lack a true definition of love, and the only connection of love in your relationship is when you "make love". Let's take everything in consideration. Think about the your significant other and make a list of the things you like about them. Is your list looking a bit shallow? If it is, then it looks like some reevaluation is needed in your relationship. What drew you to this person? I hope that you know the person that you pretend to be will catch the eye of someone, but sooner or later they will see the real you. If you are not the person that you put on, and that love that was developed is not on a firm foundation, the relationship will be rocky and prone to fall.
Seeing how relationships with a significant others has so much to sift through, this will have to be continued later. "Love and Relations" on the way...
To end this subject of love I will end with this: 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NLT) "Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love."
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
We must start somewhere...
When it comes to life, we all have a starting point. Whether it is birth, a renewed life with God, a transition in schooling, or even a new life within a relationship, it all has a beginning. There are many steps in starting something new:
1. Have you thought it through? The only time we don't have an option in starting something new is in birth. An odd thought I know, but it's true. When I decided to start my life with Christ, it wasn't because everyone I knew was doing it. I chose a life with Him because He showed me the way. Trust me, I thought about it a lot!
2. Get the right attitude. There is no way that you can start something new or change yourself if you are thinking and acting the same way. When you are single, you are free to be single, and life that life. You can't act the same way or do the same things you did when you were single after you enter a relationship.
3. Consider your friends. Time and time again, we learn that not everyone in our life is meant to be there for a lifetime. This is what we call seasonal friends. Just as the seasons come and go, so do some friends. The hardest part of life is when you discover that someone you really connect with is only a seasonal friend. You must be strong and let go; they may be the thing that is holding you back from your blessing.
Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10
Staring new isn't always easy. There are people from your past, things from your past, that try and bring you back down to where you used to be. You can take this post in the carnal realm or in the spiritual realm, as long as you understand life will not be a walk in the park always. Not to say life sucks, but sometimes it takes work. We must find the things in life that make it worth living. In a new life, those things will be different that what they were before.
With that, I will leave you with one more thing: "Laugh as much as you breathe, love as long as you live"
1. Have you thought it through? The only time we don't have an option in starting something new is in birth. An odd thought I know, but it's true. When I decided to start my life with Christ, it wasn't because everyone I knew was doing it. I chose a life with Him because He showed me the way. Trust me, I thought about it a lot!
2. Get the right attitude. There is no way that you can start something new or change yourself if you are thinking and acting the same way. When you are single, you are free to be single, and life that life. You can't act the same way or do the same things you did when you were single after you enter a relationship.
3. Consider your friends. Time and time again, we learn that not everyone in our life is meant to be there for a lifetime. This is what we call seasonal friends. Just as the seasons come and go, so do some friends. The hardest part of life is when you discover that someone you really connect with is only a seasonal friend. You must be strong and let go; they may be the thing that is holding you back from your blessing.
Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10
Staring new isn't always easy. There are people from your past, things from your past, that try and bring you back down to where you used to be. You can take this post in the carnal realm or in the spiritual realm, as long as you understand life will not be a walk in the park always. Not to say life sucks, but sometimes it takes work. We must find the things in life that make it worth living. In a new life, those things will be different that what they were before.
With that, I will leave you with one more thing: "Laugh as much as you breathe, love as long as you live"
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