Christianity

I've been doing some studies about Christianity.

Religion in the U.S. vs. the World:
	United States	World
Christian	83%	33
No religion	13	15
All non-Christian religions	4	52

What do these statistics mean?
83% of American's say they are Christian's. The rest of the world says only 33% are christian. That is a sad, sad number! I decided to shed some light on Christianity.

What is Christianity exactly? The dictionary says;

• relating to or characteristic of Christianity; "Christian rites"
• a religious person who believes Jesus is the Christ and who is a member of a Christian denomination
• following the teachings or manifesting the qualities or spirit of Jesus Christ

There is a difference between saying your a christian and acting like your a christian. You must believe! That's right! You actually have to get off your butt and walk the walk, not just talk the talk!

What does it mean to be a believer in Christianity? The dictionary says;


A believer in Christianity; An individual who seeks to live his or her life according to the principles and values taught by Jesus Christ; An individual who has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ; Of, like or relating to Christianity or Christians; Kind, charitable; A male given name ...

We must have a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Think about it for a second....

When you are in a relationship with your boyfriend, husband, mom, dad, siblings, friends etc... What is the MOST important thing?

Communication!

You can't have any kind of relationship at all with it!

The same thing goes with Christ! He is your best friend. LORD of all! You can't get to know him without talking to him. You can't get to know him without reading his Word.

I know, I know. You think about talking to God. But when you think about His Word you think boring.....

Your wrong! Whatever your into, may it be romance, action, drama.... it's ALL in the bible! I'm not saying "Read 1 or 2 chapters in the Bible and set 1 hour aside everyday." No. Truth be told, I don't even do that.

You need to start out slow. Start with 1 verse each day! Yes only one verse. Apply that verse to your life for that day.

I say this because once you start that, you will begin to do more and more and more. If you do too much at once it's going to scare you away!

How do I know this?

Because anyone who starts to know God, will soon see how merciful he really is. How he has amazing grace and how deep his love is!

Once your relationship with Christ grows you will start to see his works take effect in your life. You will start to see changes you never thought was possible. It's amazing my friends! Then when you really feel the love of Christ working though you, you will be able to share it with the world.

Tell people about Christ. Don't ever stop! It will pay off. It's not impossible to get someone to believe. Just keep praying! It will pay off one day!

Be strong in the Lord and NEVER give up hope!

Are you walking the line?

How do we prepare a way for Jesus coming?

It's simple...

• Focus on him.
• Read his Word.
• Respond immediately to his direction.

Salvation is for all people. Don't let your fear of your future alone, afraid of spending all eternity in Hell, motivate your faith. NO, let your faith be motivated by wanting to be a better person. To want a changed life. Don't let your faith arise when things get bad then go back to your old ways when things get better.
God is not a game. Faith is not a game. John the Baptist said in Luke 3:9 "every fruit that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire."
That means if you don't live a good life, live your life for Jesus, then you will go to Hell.
We must put all our faith in Jesus Christ and live it out every single day!
Turning from sin must be followed by action, or it's not real. You must act on what Jesus says, not just try to say the right words.
Do you find yourself asking "What can I do?"

Well here is what John the Baptist said in his teaching.

Luke 3:11-14
John replied, "If you have two coats, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry."
Even corrupt tax collectors came to be baptized and asked, "Teacher, what should we do?"
"Show your honesty," he replied. "Make sure you collect no more taxes than the Roman government requires you to."
"What should we do?" asked some soldiers.
John replied, "Don't extort money, and don't accuse people of things you know they didn't do. And be content with your pay."

So think for a second. Are you being honest? Content? Giving?

Today I want you to write down these questions and answer them honestly.
No one will see them but you and God.

How many ways can you change in your life to start living right?

What motivates your faith?

Are your words matching your actions in faith? Why or why not?

Second Guessing Your Savior?

Do you sometimes doubt your salvation?

Do you doubt the forgiveness of your sins?

The work of God's Word?

Matthew 11:4-6

Jesus told them, "Go back to John and tell him about what you have heard and seen-- the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor. And tell him: 'God blesses those who are not offended by me.' "

I think every one of us have doubts at one point in time. Jesus was trying to say, when you stop and look at all the miracles God does. The miracles you see and hear, there is no need to doubt who he is!

When you start to second guess God, here is what you need to do:

1) You need to look at the evidence in the scriptures.

Pick up your Bible and read it! All the proof is written right there. Gods word is promising. There is nothing but truth to be found in it!

2) Look at the changes in your life.

Sit down and think back on how you used to be.

Now take out a piece of paper and write down all the times God has helped you.

Can you even count them all?

How much have you changed?

No one is perfect. The only perfect man is Jesus Christ. You may not be perfect, but you are not like you used to be. That is something you can give God great thanks for!

3) Turn to Christ

When you doubt, don't turn away from God. That is the last thing you should be doing. Instead turn to him.

Pray, ask for his guidance, and give him your all. He will never fail you and will never let you go without. When you look at all he has done for you and you turn to him, there will be no doubt that he is our one true God.

He can give you strength beyond imagination. But when your strength runs out, that is when his starts!

What kind of things has God done for you?

Verse of the Day

Romans 13:12-14
The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So don't live in darkness. Get rid of your evil deeds. Shed them like dirty clothes. Clothe yourselves with the armor of right living, as those who live in the light. We should be decent and true in everything we do, so that everyone can approve of our behavior. Don't participate in wild parties and getting drunk, or in adultery and immoral living, or in fighting and jealousy. But let the LORD Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires.

Our God

Lately I've been getting irritated. My daughter has a few things going on health wise right now, and have for awhile. Every time I hear the doctor say "She will need surgery" or "It'll never go away on it's own" I get frustrated.

I don't like how some doctors are so wound up in medicine they forget about the one true healer...... God!

Every time I find myself wanting to break down because of what my daughter goes through, I keep hearing this song. I know God talks to us in many different ways. This particular song strikes an interest to me. I hear it on the radio and in church. Seems like every single time I start thinking about my daughter and how I want God to heal her so much, this song pops up.

Chris Tomlin - Our God
From the album Passion: Awakening

Water You turned into wine
Open the eyes of the blind
There�s no one like You
None like You
Into the darkness You shining
Out of the ashes we rise
There�s no one like You
None like You

CHORUS
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome and power
Our God, Our God...

Into the darkness you shining
Out of the ashes we Rise
There�s no One like You
None like You.

Chorus (X2)

And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?
What could stand against?

Chorus (X2)

And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?
And if Our God is for us, then who could ever stop us
And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?
Then what could stand against?
Then what could stand against?

Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome and power
Our God, Our God...
Our God is greater, our God is stronger
God You are higher than any other
Our God is Healer, awesome and power
Our God, Our God...

God was trying to tell me when He is for us no one can stop us and when He is with us NO ONE can stand against us.

He was trying to tell me, he is greater than any problem on this earth. He is stronger than we could ever imagine. He was trying to tell me that HE is our healer. I keep looking in the wrong places.


I took it like this. God is our shoulder to lean on throughout our lives. He is right there to hold our hands. Again, it's all about trusting God completely. He was telling me if I lean on him and trust in him then he will take care of things.

I feel once again God wanted me to share my personal story with you to help you see that you are not alone in this struggle of life. That God is our rock, our foundation. If we try to take the wheel ourselves then things fall apart. God already knows our story of life. Look to him and he will direct you in the right path.

" But what if I get sick, or something horrible happens? Is that in God's will too?"

That is a question I hear often. This is the answer.

John10:10
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

Acts 2:21
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

God is our savior. He loves you. He never plans for you to get sick or hurt in any way. That is the work of the thief (Satan). The Devil only comes "to steal and kill and destroy."

God sent Christ so that we "may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)."

Call upon the LORD and you will be saved!

Trust in him. Never have doubt in your heart that he saves and heals. By doing so you will have many blessings ahead of you.

Just an update.....

Lately God has been telling me something I have failed to see. There has been some conflict lately with different parts of my family and I have been feeling some side effects.

Being myself I tried to deal with things my way. I was trying to make everyone happy. I felt the load of stress upon me almost to the point where I wanted to break down. I kept seeing two verses popping up at me. I knew in my heart they were coming straight from God Himself.

These are the verses I saw:

Matthew 11:28-30
Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light."

Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Still I tried to do things my way. Let me assure you my friend this is not the way to go!

It wasn't until I was talking to someone close to me that I got the message. I then grabbed my bible and re-read those messages.

God wanted me to not only give him all of my stress, burdens, worries to him, but he also wanted me to "wait upon" him. To "wait upon the LORD" means to patiently expect his promises in His Word. To strengthen us to rise above our difficulties in our lives. He wanted me to completely trust in him!

That was something I was not doing. I had let the stress of my family come upon me instead of the peace of the LORD coming upon me.

I couldn't take it anymore. I knew then what I needed to do. I literally fell to my knees and prayed for God to take away all my stress. I asked him to help me not worry about what I have no control over. That his will be done and to give me peace with whatever he decides.

My friend I tell you I felt no worries, no stress, no burdens any longer! God completely took them all way. I know now I should have done this in the first place. Would have saved me lots of stressful days!

Why am I telling you all this?

It's simple....

The LORD wants me to tell you the peace he can bring you. He wanted me to share my personal story with you so you can see for yourself how truly amazing he can be, no matter what your situation.

There is a song that matches exactly what I want to say:

The Sidewalk Prophets
'The words I would say'

"Be strong in the lord and
never give up hope.
Your gonna do great things.
I already know. God's got his hand on you
so, don't live life in fear.
Forgive and forget, but don't forget why your hear.
Take your time and pray.
Thank God for each day.
These are the words I would say.

From one simple life to another.
I will say.
Come find peace in the father."

So from one friend to another I say come find your peace in the LORD.

It's the greatest feeling you will ever endure. That is a promise!

No excuse for Christ

Do you have knowledge about God?

Do you know what you should do but other things in your life keep you busy?

I know many of you can think of every excuse in the book. You say "I'm too tired" or "I don't know, it just seems impossible."

My friend, the only thing I can say to you is if you think something is impossible for God, you are only looking through the eyes of a human. For nothing is impossible for God.

Jesus specifically spoke about following him in the bible.

Matthew 8:18-22
When Jesus noticed how large the crowd was growing, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake.
Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you no matter where you go!"
But Jesus said, "Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but I, the Son of Man, have no home of my own, not even a place to lay my head."
Another of his disciples said, "Lord, first let me return home and bury my father."
But Jesus told him, "Follow me now! Let those who are spiritually dead care for their own dead."*

Following Jesus is not always easy. Nor is it always comfortable. Often you give things up when you follow Jesus. Like popularity, some friendships, your treasured habits, even your leisure time.
The things your giving up here on earth to follow Christ is high. But the true value of being a follower of Christ, like being one of his disciples, is even higher. Think of it as an investment that last for all eternity and comes with great rewards.

The disciple in the scripture used his father as an excuse to put off following Jesus. Jesus did not take his excuse nor will he take ours. We shall not put off following Christ!

Jesus will direct those who want to follow him. He will not hesitate to demand for complete loyalty.

The bottom line?

Even though our loyalties compete for our attention everyday, nothing should be placed above a total commitment to living for him!

Ask yourself about your priorities in following Christ.

Remember, there are no excuses.