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.

God is knocking

Have you ever told God you'd help fulfill his will and when you hear his answer you step back and say "Wait whaaa??? Do you really know what you are doing?"

Maybe he told you to forgive someone.

Maybe he is telling you to move or switch careers.

Whatever He is telling you don't be afraid! God loves you and would never steer you wrong.

God knows you personally. He knows your name, rather you know him or not. He is knocking at your door waiting for you to answer. We all have many pressures in life, but it's how you react under that pressure that really counts. It can show how you are on the inside, even determine your future. It effects those around you. We must remember to be patient and pray.

No matter what your going through it is great to know one thing. God is already working behind the scenes on you prayers before we even pray! How great is that?!

God is in control and knows what will happen.

So what do you do in the meantime?

1) Pray to God

2) Listen to what God has to say

3) Obey God's commands!

The bible tells us:

Colossians 3:2
Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth.

We must keep heaven in our minds. What lies ahead for all eternity not just here temporarily on earth. Every time you listen to one of God's commands you are fulfilling his will. God's will is far better than any life we could plan for ourselves.

In other words: He knows what he is doing. No matter how fishy it sounds, do it anyways! You must meet him half way. You can't just go part of the way and turn back because it got too hard.

Would you go to the grocery store, fill your cart half way then put everything back because you decided it's too hard to figure out the meals for the week? NO you wouldn't. So why would you tell God you will do as he commands and then back out cause you decide you don't want to do it?

Colossians 3:15
And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And be thankful.

You must live in peace. Let God take the wheel of your life. Let him direct you and you must follow. Don't worry about the unknown, for it's never the unknown. God knows all! Be thankful for what the LORD has given you!

Dust your self off. Calm down when the pressure hits.
Trust in the lord! For he is great!

When God knocks at your door, will you answer?

The truth about worrying

Are you a worry wart?

Do you keep yourself awake at night because your brain won't shut off?

Do you try to find ways to solve your problems but find yourself going in circle?

Well, worry no longer!

The bible gives us seven reasons not to worry!

1) The same God who created life in you can be trusted with the details of your life.

Matthew 6:25

"So I tell you, don't worry about everyday life-- whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn't life consist of more than food and clothing?


2) Worrying about the future puts a damper on the efforts for today.


Matthew 6:26

Look at the birds. They don't need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are.


3) Worrying harms you more than it helps you.


Matthew 6:27
Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of coarse not.


4) God doesn't ignore those who depend on Him.


Matthew 6:28-30
"And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won't he more surely care for you? You have so little faith!

5) Worrying shows God you lack faith and understanding in Him.

Matthew 6:31-32
"So don't worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs,

6) Worrying keeps us from the real challenges God wants us to pursue.

Matthew 6:33
and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.

7) If you live one day at a time it will keep you from being consumed with worry.

Matthew 6:34
"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.


Think about it. How much do you worry in a day?
What is worry exactly?
It's a strong feeling of anxiety. It's the fear of the unknown.

Statistics show about worrying that:

40%- never happens

30%- has already happened at some point

12%- are needless worries

10%- are petty and unimportant

8%- actually happens

4%- actually happen are beyond our control

4%- happens and we have some control over the results


So showing the statistics, do we really need to worry?
The answer is easy: NO!
When you are in a situation and you find yourself starting to worry, take some time out and pray. Remember you are only hurting yourself!
Do what you can and let God do the rest. No need to fret.
Take one day at a time.

We are not meant to know our future. Just face it, life would be dull if we did know right?
Worrying can lead to stress which can lead to health problems.

Take time for yourself and do something relaxing! Just enjoy the "right now" and let God take care of the "what's yet to come."

Isn't it great knowing God has our whole lives planned out for us and all we have to do is listen and follow?

Sounds great to me! Are you in?

How can God help us?

Are you aware of all the ways God can help you?

Are you scared?

God says: "Don't be afraid"

Do you feel like your alone?

God says: "for I am with you"

Don't think God wants a relationship with you?

God says: "for I am your God."

Think you are weak?

God says: "I will strengthen you"

Need help during a hard time?

God says: "I will help you."

Isaiah 41:10
Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

We all need to know all the ways God can help us. He is our creator, our almighty God. He never leaves or forsakes us. God sent his son Jesus Christ to understand the needs of us humans. He sent him knowing the pain and agony he would endure for us sinners.

Close your eyes for a second. Think about your past.
What were you like?
Were you into drugs?
Alcohol?
Stealing?
Maybe you had some sort of sex addiction?
Maybe some of you think "oh if I wouldn't have changed my ways I would be dead or in jail right now!"
Some of you might be in need of a change rather you know it and want to admit it or not.
Now think for a second on those hard times. How did you change?
What made you want to change?
Ever had something happen and you were like "Man how did I get out of that one?"
It wasn't by accident, that was God!
If you haven't changed then you need to wake up and smell the coffee beans.
God is there with you and he's been throwing signs at you.
Be quiet and listen to what he has to say!

God is with us every day of our lives. He is our strength, our rock, our sanity. He makes sense when the world doesn't.

I have a challenge for you. Write down your hard times and how you made it through them.
Count those times and look for yourself what God has done for you.
Then you can say "you know what, I'm not perfect but thank God I'm not how I used to be."
Continue to write down times as your life goes on. Write down your prayers and the answers God gives you.
That my friends is YOUR living proof what God has done for you and your life.

Never have doubt in your heart about what God and his power can do for you. He wants to help you. The question is: Do you know how he can help you?

Verse of the Day

John 3:3-8
Jesus replied, "I assured you, unless you are born again,* you can never see the Kingdom of God."
"What do you mean?" Exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?"
Jesus replied, "The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.* Humans can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven. So don't be surprised at my statement that you* must be born again. Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit?"

Who is the boss in a marriage?

So I haven't blogged in a few days. Something has been rubbing me the wrong way and I just didn't know how to approach it. The subject of 'who takes the role in a marriage' keeps coming up.

I myself have been married for 4 years and I've always looked at it as, both are equal in a marriage and they should work as a team. I kept wondering to myself what God thought about this.

Most men think they are the "Head of the household." The bible does say the man is just that "the man of the house." But does this mean the man should completely ignore the woman's feelings and do what he thinks is best?

According to the bible, we are supposed to trust God. We are supposed to cooperate voluntarily out of love and respect for God and for that person, ideally submission is mutual.

Ephesians 5:21
And further, you will submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Both the man and the woman are called to submit to each other in a marriage. What does this mean exactly?

For the wife this means to willingly follow her husband's leadership in Christ.
For the husband this means putting aside his own interests to care for his wife.

Each must care for the happiness for the other. According to the Bible, the husband is the spiritual head of the household, and the wife is supposed to acknowledge that and respect it.
But a husband who honors Christ will not take advantage of his role, and the wife who honors Christ will not undermine her husband's leadership.

(In 1 Corinthians 7:32-38 it talks about how a husband must worry about how to please his wife and how a wife must worry about how to please her husband.)

Every decision must come from God in a marriage, and the husband makes all the spiritual decisions. But he must acknowledge his wife's feelings as well as his own. So even though the husband has the spiritual say, they each must work as a team! Working to make the other happy as well as their LORD and Savior happy.

1 Peter 3:1-7
In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands, even those who refuse the Good News. Your godly lives will speak to them better than any words. They will be won over by watching your pure, godly behavior.
Don't be concerned about the outward beauty that depends on fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should be known for the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.
That is the way the holy women of old made themselves beautiful. They trusted God and accepted the authority of their husbands. For instance, Sarah obeyed her husband, Abraham, when she called him her master. You are her daughters when you do what is right without fear of what your husbands might do.
In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat her with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God's gift of new life. If you don't treat her as you should, your prayers will not be heard.

So, if your married or are engaged to be married hear this...

Pray together. Be quiet when you have a problem and you will hear what God is telling you to do. Trust in the Lord and Never give up hope! Respect one another and don't take advantage of your authority God has given you. Love your spouse as you love God, but make God your number one! Remember we are equal partners in God's gift of new life.

When you love and trust God and one another, this will not be hard to do.

Think about it. How do you treat your spouse?

Finding New Life in the Lord!

So you think you can do things on your own huh?

You don't want to believe that there is a God out there? Even though he's been giving you sign after sign almost as if he was smacking you in the face?

Here is what God says about people who chose to live this life without Him:

Zephaniah 1:17-18

"Because you have sinned against the LORD, I will make you as helpless as a blind man searching for a path. Your blood will be poured out into the dust, and your bodies will lie there rotting on the ground."
Your silver and gold will be of no use to you on that day of the LORD' s anger. For the whole land will be devoured by the fire of his jealousy. He will make a terrifying end of all the people on earth.

The believers' should not fear of this day. For they have accepted the gift God has given them and believed in Jesus Christ. They have put their trust in Christ alone.

John 3:18-19
"There is no judgment awaiting those who trust in him. But those who do not trust in him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God. Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.


Why ignore the signs any longer? Our God is a loving God indeed, but if you chose not to obey him and live a life for yourself instead, he will get angry and judgment will come to you! He gives you your entire lifetime to chose, so it's your fault if you don't chose his path he has for you.

John 9:41
"If you were blind, you wouldn't be guilty," Jesus replied. "But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.

Jesus was not talking about being physically blind. He was talking about being spiritually blind. If you are self- satisfied and not opening up your hearts, then you are blind to the truth that only the Holy Spirit can give. You will be rejected by God himself for this.
But if you open your hearts and see the truth, then you wouldn't have anymore guilt. That means nothing eating you away anymore. You will be accepted by the LORD and recognize how sin had truly blinded you from knowing that truth.

In fact if you open your heart, accept the truth, ask for forgiveness, and repent (turn away from) then God don't remember what you did in your past!

Hebrews 10:16-17
"This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their hearts so they will understand them, and I will write them on their minds so they will obey them."
Then he adds, "I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds."*

What a great promise! Wouldn't you want God to forget all your mistakes?

Wash you clean and make you a whole new person?

Make the change now! Your "Maybe later" might be too late!

Jesus still heals!

If you are looking for healing, God is the answer!

Don't believe me? I have a personal story about someone in my family.

My aunt, we'll call her Joy, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had to undergo surgery and have one of her breast removed. After surgery they found more lumps. A certain doctor said the cancer had spread further than they originally thought and gave her five years to live.
Everyone was upset but Joy just stopped and was silent. She then looked up at the doctor and said "I don't know what you believe, but I believe in the man upstairs and I know he will heal me!" The doctor then said "Well, most woman in your condition only live about five years."
The look on the doctor's face said it all. He didn't believe in such a thing.
No matter what anyone said to Joy she stood strong and still said "God is going to heal me." She was so positive and had strong faith. She believed that God is the healer of all!
She went through some more testing and when the results came back everyone was stunned.
The results showed the cancer was all gone! The doctor was shocked about these results. To be on the safe side, she will undergo chemo and radiation.

See my friends. My aunt Joy had such strong faith, and because of this, God healed her!

No matter what any medical person says, from the littlest things to the big things, God is the only one who knows your expiration date! He knows all.

Why get all worked up? Your only hurting yourself in the long run.
You stay up all night cause your worried about certain problems. You pray and pray, yet you still worry. Again I ask you why?

If you pray and you still worry then you need to take a step back and rethink things for a second.
God created you. He loves you, for God is love. He is right by your side during your storm but he is at peace! He already knows what is going to happen. He is just waiting for you to completely trust him. He wants to heal you! You just have learn how to receive his healing.

1 John 3:8

But when people keep on sinning, it shows they belong to the Devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God's family came to destroy these works of the Devil.

The devil wants to destroy you! He wants to see you hurting. He gets pleasure in your pain. So that sickness is not the work of God but the work of the Devil. As first John 3:8 tells us "the son of God's family came to destroy these works of the Devil."

By putting your trust in God he will destroy the works of the Devil. How great does that sound?!

So what is stopping you from trusting in the Lord? It's never too late to start reaching out to him.

A Chistian or not a Christian? That is the question.

Ever wonder if your really a Christian?

Wonder where you'd honestly go if you died tomorrow?

Romans 8:9
But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.)

A Christian is anyone who has the spirit of God living in him or her. If you have truly trusted the Lord your God, gave yourself to him and allowed him to work through you. Trusted him with your salvation, then the Holy Spirit lives in you and you are a Christian. Jesus promised us to send down his Holy Spirit so you can rest assured the Holy Spirit lives in you.

There are certain steps now that you are a Christan. Certain Laws of God we need to follow.

1) We need to believe that eternal life comes through him.

1 John 5:5
And the ones who win the battle against the world are the ones who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

2) We need to act as Christ directs us to!

Romans 8:5
Those who are determined by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.


3) You will find help in your daily problems. You will find help in your praying.

Romans 8:26,27
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groaning that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will.

3) You will be empowered to serve God, to do His will!

Act 1:8
But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere-- in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

4) Finally you will become part of God's plan to build up his church.

Ephesians 4:12,13
Their responsibility is to equip God's people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ, until we come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God's son that we will be mature and full grown in the Lord, measuring up to the full stature of Christ.

This may sound like God is asking for a lot. But when it comes down to it, when you feel the Holy Spirit in you, you will be surprised the things you are willing to do for the Lord. You will feel a great, unexplainable feeling that will make you want to be ready to do God's Will.

True believers are on constant standby, waiting with great patience for God to tell them what to do next. You need to have faith. You need to believe in our Lord God Almighty. Things will come easier with God by your side. But don't try it for two weeks and be like "Oh this didn't work! God is not helping me like you said so I give up." It will take time. Time that only God knows! We are not meant to know.

Trust and Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. He doesn't want to see you hurt. For when you hurt he cries. Satan is the one who hurts you!

John 10:10
The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.

God loves us. We are his children. He wants us to come to him when we figure out "Hey, I can't do this on my own" when we are broken. Give your selves to God and you will find great strength. Come to him broken and lay your sins down at the bottom of the cross. Let him work through you. You will not regret it!

You can live your life however you want. For there is only one life to live. But your earthly life will depend on how your soul will spend all eternity. Is that with God in heaven or is that with Satan our deceiver and spend forever in pain.

It's your life which do you choose?

Believe in God

There was a story I heard about a woman that about brought me to tears. This woman's life in the past year is unbelievable and is living proof we all need to trust God completely.

One day a woman, we will call her Faith, was out walking her dog like she does everyday. She tripped on a broken piece of sidewalk and fell flat on her face. As her face fell on the cement she could here her teeth shattering, jaw braking. She done major bridge damage, busted all her teeth, and sliced open her lip. That added up to a total cost of $8,000 not including medical bills.

She didn't have money to fix her teeth so she just had to leave them. While in the hospital for her accident she discovered she had a bowl obstruction. All she could think of was more money. Faith received phone calls from medical bills all over the place. When she answered all she said was "I can't afford to pay the bill unless we have a payment plan."

Faith knew God must have been helping her with something because everyone who called accepted the payment plan. Through this time she kept praying and asking God "God why have you allowed this to happen to us? Where are you? I'm not sure we can take anymore of this." God answered her and said "I'm right here with you. It will be OK."

When Faith went to turn to her husband he just said "It's OK, God will take care of it." She wished she had the strength her husband had. If they hadn't been through enough already Faith's husband had to go in for a stress test, as anyone with heart disease has to do. Faith's husband had to be taken in to the hospital. His blood pressure was over 250. Again, all Faith could do was think more money!

Her husband still said "God will take care of it." Faith finally broke down. After adding up the total from all medical bills they had it was up to $15,000. She cried out to God "God, I can't take much more. Where are you? Why are you allowing these things to happen? When will you get us out of this mess?" God's answer surprised her! He said "I'm right here! I've been here the whole time! Now, will you trust me completely?"

At that very moment Faith completely trusted Go. Then things started to happen! When she received her bills in the mail some of them were already paid. She sent payments in the mail and the money came back. Some bills' totals' were lower then they used to be. She realized that God was behind all this. She didn't know how this happened, but she was glad that God was taking care of them. He was so filled with joy that Faith had totally trusted him he blessed them. He took care of his child.

My friends, this story of this woman, Faith, is a perfect example. She was at her wits end, feeling like giving up. But she still prayed and prayed, and put all her trust, belief, and faith into God. Look at the wonderful reward she got!

Rely on God even if you feel you can't. You will find the most amazing rewards in the end!

Belief

Have you ever wondered why it's so hard to believe what God has done for us?

Do you ever think maybe something he did for you was just a fluke? That maybe God will never do anything for you again?

We all have our doubts. Jesus has taken us through a lot of trials in our lives. Still, we find our selves second guessing him at times.

Mark 8:17-18
Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said, "Why are you so worried about having no food? Won't you ever learn or understand? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? 'You have eyes-- can't you see? You have ears-- can't you hear?'* Don't you remember anything at all?

Even after the many miracles the disciples saw Jesus do, they still failed to believe God would help them in time of need. Their hearts were too closed to take in all God can do for them. We must not be like the disciples! We must remember what Christ has done for us and have open hearts not closed ones.

Psalm 18:30
As for God, his way is perfect. All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.

God is a shield to protect us when we are too weak to face life problems on our own. He doesn't want us to stay weak. That is why with prayer and belief he strengthens us so we can fight the battle of evil on our own for him! His promises are true. We must have faith but faith requires belief!

Luke 9:18-20
One day as Jesus was alone, praying, he came over to his disciples and asked them, "Who do people say I am?"
"Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are the one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead."
Then he asked them, "Who do you say I am?"
Peter replied, "You are the Messiah sent from God!"

Christian faith requires to hold on to beliefs for ourselves. We need to have faith and believe that he is the Son of God. When he asks us "Who do you say I am?" he wants us to take a stand, believe, and have faith.

We need to do more than just live our lives for God. We must believe and have faith!

God is our medicine. Point blank. Period!

Without him we are nothing. He did NOT make us to do things on our own. Even the strongest man alive is weaker than God and still needs prayer and God's shield of strength.

So when Jesus asks you "Who do you think I am?"
He wants us to have faith and believe in him.

Who do you say Jesus is?

Childlike Faith

About a week ago I had started making everyone sit down for dinner. I was really tired, it had been a long day between the kids and the house chores. I really didn't sleep the night before. I had become irritable and I just started to get mad about everything. Well, out of no where my son said "Mommy, God don't like it when your mad." In an instant I was stopped in my tracks and excused myself to pray.

Children have the kind of "Childlike faith" God wants us to have.

Matthew 18:1-5
About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Which of us is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Jesus called a small child over to him and put the child among them. Then he said "I assure you, unless you turn from your sins and become as little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.

We need to not be childish but Childlike! Meaning have humble and sincere hearts. Like children we must have a guileless trust in God.

We must have faith in God. Believe that he can do anything. We must not let our education stand in the way of the faith we need to believe in Jesus. We need to be totally dependable on God like an infant is dependable on their mother!

Some people believe in science. What they don't realize is science is constantly changing. They only believe in what they see. Does science ever forgive them?
Does science ever promise a wonderful afterlife with no pains, worries, and so forth? No! Science, life, man made things, humanity is all consistently changing, but God's Word never does!

Mark 14:31
Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will remain forever.

The bible is a book of truth about the past and the future. It is our lifeline.
We must believe everything in it. We must believe that Jesus really died for us. We must thank Him for the cross. If we believe we will not be surprised on what is yet to come, because Jesus himself warned us!

Mark 13:23
Watch out! I have warned you!


So are you going to be childish? Meaning arguing about who is better, or other meaningless things. Or are you going to be childlike? To come to God with sincere hearts. The choice is up to you, but only one will enter the kingdom of God!

Listen

As followers of Christ we are to pray every day, read the bible every day, and follow God's Law!
This may seem easy, but it's far from it! God created us for a purpose and it's up to us to find out what that purpose is!
I am a woman of God. A follower of Christ. I try and spend as much time with God as I possibly can. Though I've noticed I've been slipping a little.
I am a busy mom, those of you who have children know what I'm talking about. I try to pray but often get interrupted by my kids asking for stuff. I'm busy feeding, playing, then tackling the house work. When I do have time to pray it's early morning or late evening, when the kids are still sleeping and when they are in bed for the night. But by those times I'm so tired all I want to do is sleep. That makes me feel like I'm ignoring God's call for me.
I read my bible verses and pray for God to help me with my struggle each day. I know that he will help me in his time, not mine. The road to get there is just a tad bumpy.
We need patients, strength, courage, and obedience. All of which come from God.


Mark 11:24
Listen to me! You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it!


If all we have to do is pray and believe to receive what ask for, as Jesus said, then what are we waiting for?! Easier said then done right? Wrong! We just make up excuses because, again, we are lazy!
You wanna know what God told me about my struggles I've been having? He said "Stop being lazy!" Boy did that wake me up. Now I feel as if I need to share this with others. We are, as humans lazy at times. We blame fear for not doing things, when in all honesty we are just lazy. There is not such thing as "I can't find time for God."
We must give God the time he gives us everyday! A little tip: Write down your helpful verses in a booklet (small as your hand) and keep it with you at all times. This way when your feeling "Lazy" or frustrated or whatever struggle you come along, you can look up your verses. You can be reminded of the things God promises!
So stop putting God off, he's never done it to you! Go, listen! He's waiting!

Joshua 3:9
So Joshua told the Israelites, "Come and listen to what the Lord your God says.

Love Has Come

I want you to think about all the people in your life that you love.

Now think about how you treat those you love.

Are you angry when they don't do something for you?

You get irritated when they keep nagging at you?

We all think we know what love is, yet when we look at what the bible says, we don't.


1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Love is not a mood. God is love! When something happens, sometimes we blame God for our troubles, dilemma's, or even sometimes death or sickness. Let me assure you my friend, We are God's children. He doesn't want us to hurt, get sick, or suffer.

Think about how much you love your children, step-children, grandchildren, or even niece/nephew. Now take that and multiply it by infinity! That is only a tid- bit on how much God loves us!

John 10:10
The Thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.

Jesus said this in John 10:10. This is proof that the devil will "steal, kill, and destroy." The devil wants to see you at your worst. He wants you to suffer. God loves us. He wants us to be faithful and live happy lives.

We should love one another as God loves us. How do you start loving everyone unconditionally you ask?

Start with your own family. Think about it, when you have company over do you not offer your company a beverage or snack? When they need something do you not get it for them? You treat your company with respect.

Now you need to treat your family the same way! Start with your family. Work your way up. If you let God work through you then you will find this easy. Again read the bible which is your manual! Pray to God, he wants to hear from you! Do what you can and let God do the rest!

Mark Schultz - Love Has Come
From the album Come Alive

VERSE 1:
I know this life is filled with sorrow
And there are days when the pain just lasts and lasts But I know there will come a day When our tears are washed away With a break in the clouds His glory coming down And in that moment

CHORUS:
Every knee shall bow
Every tongue confess
That God is love
And love has come for us all
Every heart set free
Every one will see
That God is love
And love has come for us all

VERSE 2:
For anybody who has ever lost a loved one And you feel like you had to let go too soon I know it hurts to say goodbye But don't you know it's just a matter of time 'Til the tears are gonna end You'll see them once again And in that moment

BRIDGE 1:
Oh, and on that day
We will stand amazed
At our Savior, God and King
Just to see the face
Of amazing grace
As our hearts rise upand sing

BRIDGE 2:
Glory, glory, hallelujah
Thank You for the cross
Singing glory, glory, hallelujah
Christ has paid the cost

Got Jesus?

Sometimes people get mad at God for not "answering their prayers." Someone once said you sometimes don't hear the answer but feel a pull in a certain direction to where God wants you to go. But again you have to (excuse me for being straight forward here) Shut up and listen. God is speaking to you but your just not quiet long enough to hear what he has to say!

Isaiah 40:27-31
O Israel, how can you say the Lord does not see your troubles? How can you say God refuses to hear your case? Have you never heard or understood? Don't you know that the Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth? He never grows faint or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; he offers strength to the weak. Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will give up. 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.

It's like that song "He is my strength when I am weak. He is the treasure that I seek. He is my all in all." He is our all in all!
Think about it, how many times before you act upon something you do, do you console God? Ask him if this is his will for you to do this?
Not many can say that is what they do. But the bible says you should.
Now lets say you ask God for an answer and you don't get what you want to hear. You think what he wants will be to hard for you to do.

In Mark 5:36 the bible says
But Jesus ignored their comments and said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid. Just trust me."

Jesus want's you to trust him. Remember his Holy Spirit is with you always! He will not fail you. He will give you rest for your soul no matter what the problem is! You have to remember he helps you but you must give him all your burdens to see full results! Trust him completely and live a life for him! Be like Christ!

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. Lem 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."

Your soul is your mind. Jesus gives you peace of mind. All you have to do is confess your sin, repent meaning turn away from, and give all your burdens unto him! Tell him you give him your all! He died for you so that you may be forgiven and have everlasting life! That is more than enough evidence to prove he cares!
So the next time someone makes you mad, or you feel like you have too much on your plate, think to yourself "Got Jesus?"

He is YOUR God!

We are never going to be happy until we realize one thing. This is the only life we got and we must make the best out of it! The life you have is a precious gift from God.
If your living in a run down apartment or a bad neighborhood, have a roommate you can't stand, or just living in such stress and you feel like your never going to get out of your current situation. Then let me tell you you got an awful lot of praying to do my friend. Just because you pray for a certain something and it's not happening within your time span, don't mean it'll never happen and your stuck there for the rest of your life. You have to DO something about it! Don't just lay around on your butt all day and eat till you feel like throwing up. If you are tired of your Job then go to school. And don't give me that Mumbo Jumbo crap saying "oh I can't afford it or I don't have time." That is why they invented monthly payment planning and online schooling for! In other words MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN!! Pray your little butt off!
Ask God for guidance and ask for peace of heart for the current situation your in. God does answer your prayers but IN HIS TIME! I know I say that a lot but I just really want to get the point out there.
You have to cherish what you have right now because in a flash it could all be taken away! Life for right now. Take it day by day. Keep a prayer journal and jot down what you prayed for. Then put down the answers you get from God. Keep it near by, that way when a dilemma comes along, you will look back and say to yourself "Hey it's not impossible after all. Look what he did for me at that point in time. What a wonderful answer I got then."
God loves you no matter who you are. He is right there waiting patiently. He don't want you to worry yourself sick. He wants you to turn to him and put all your burdens on him. There is no reason to worry! Put your all into him so you can get to that point where, when facing problems, you can say "you know what, I'm not worried. God's got this!" I have a perfect example for you of my own experience I'd like to share:

Last Tuesday I went down to the court house to get my kids birth certificates. I brought this folder with me that had my childrens' birth announcements, social security cars, and some other important papers. Well I didn't even noticed that I lost the folder until yesterday when I was frantically searching for it. I ended up calling the office I was at almost a week ago and they said they didn't have the folder I had lost (but I knew I lost it at the court house!) I prayed for it all night and hardly slept. Prayed and prayed and prayed and prayed for God to help me find this folder. I kept thinking about identity theft, thinking I'll never get those birth announcements again and on and on. Well, this morning when I was getting ready for my women's heart to heart group at my church, I got a phone call from the court house. The same office I called yesterday that said they didn't have my folder. She said before she closed someone came to her and said she found it. Now think about it. How did this woman know to call me? Why would someone hold the folder for a whole week then decide to say "oh I found this". I mean I was there a week ago. Now this, I KNOW this was God! He had not only answered my prayer, but he also was telling me "Hey, trust me! I got this!"

My friends. I hope you can experience this great, wonderful, unexplainable feeling that God gives. A friend of mine (you know who you are) left me this verse and it speaks to me so much so I'll leave you with this.

Isaiah 41:10
Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am YOUR GOD. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

Words I would say

Tragedy can hit just about any time. You wonder why, scream, cry, then comes the doubt that God really cares. You might feel week, feel like giving up and think things might be better if it all ended.

1 Samuel 31:3-4
The fighting grew very fierce around Saul, and the Philistine archers caught up with him and wounded him severely. Saul groaned to his armor bearer, "Take your sward and kill me before these pagan Philistines run me through and humiliate me." But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his won sword and fell on it.

When nearing death, we respond to God the same way we have been responding all along. Facing death only shows us how we really are. You can't take matters into your own hands. Saul did and look what happened. He took his own life, giving into humanity without even talking with God, or asking him for his guidance with his dilemma. You have to have the courage to follow God's law above human commands! Think about it. How do you want to face death? You have to start living that way right now. It's never too late ya know! Believers' are not supposed to fear death. For God has a great promise to all believers.
Whether it be death, health problem, or whatever your dilemma, you have be strong in the Lord! You can never give up hope! God loves us. He is there no matter what you think. We may not understand why he has brought grief upon us, but just pray for peace in your heart. Trust that he has a plan for you and your life. God is there, he is just at peace because he already knows what is going to happen. He is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and Omega! Like I've said before, God lets things happen to see who you are going to turn to. God wants us to come to him broken. He wants us to say "Lord I need you. I cannot do this without you." Thank God for your blessings and ask for strength and his guidance that only He can give!

Here is a song that really spoke to me. I think it's acceptable to what I blogged about today!

Sidewalk Prophets - The Words I Would Say
From the album These Simple Truths

Three in the morning, and I'm still awake
So I picked up a pen and a page
And I started writing just what I'd say
If we were face to face
I'd tell you just what you mean to me
Tell you these simple truths

Chorus
Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope
You're 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 you're here
Take your time and pray
These are the words I would say

Last time we spoke you said you were hurting
And I felt your pain in my heart
I want to tell you that I keep on praying
Love will find you where you are
I know 'cause I've already been there
So please hear these simple truths

Chorus

Say from one simple life to another
I will say come find peace in the Father
Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope

You're 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 you're here
Take your time and pray
And thank God for each day
His love will find a way
These are the words I would say

No such thing as impossible!

Have you ever thought something was impossible? That you gave something your all but you don't think "your all" was good enough? Or maybe you just feel so burnt out your tired of trying.
Well, I was listening to K-Love on my way home today and hear this song with this amazing verse. It said "Impossible isn't a word. It's just an excuse not to try."
It's so true! I mean things are only impossible if you are looking through the eyes of a human. But if you are looking through the eyes of God nothing is impossible!
Rather it be trying to get that 'A' on that exam, trying to find a cure, or even trying to become abstinent because your sick of living in sin with your boyfriend.
You know, people ask me their advice about their relationships. Well, if you would have asked me maybe about 6 months ago I would have not seen a problem rather they were married or not and gave them my advice. But now that I'm a true follower of Christ, I see things differently. I think sex (along with living together) is not right before your married. I know I've heard my friends say "yeah, well it's easy for you to say, your married."
Rather I'm married or not, it don't matter. Again that is just an excuse to not try! You can do it but you just don't want to. You need to trust God and stop worrying about what the world thinks. The world don't love you! God does!
People don't see that sex before marriage is what causes all the stress in the relationship. I know I'm probably going to have many people tell me I'm wrong for writing about this, but I feel God is telling me to do so. Sex was only meant for marriage.
My bottom line here in my blog today is this: No matter what your battle is you can get though it! Satan will bring you down, tell you you are worthless and you can't do it, but you CAN! Look up my friends and you will find strength you have never endured before. Don't let the what if's keep you from doing what is right! God will never forsake you! I'll leave you with this

Mark 9:23
"What do you mean, 'If I can'?" Jesus asked. "Anything is possible if a person believes."

Verse of the day

Mark 8:31-38
Jesus Predicts His Death the First Time

Then Jesus began to tell them that he, the Son of Man, would suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the leaders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, and three days later he would rise again. As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and told him he shouldn't say things like that.*
Jesus turned and looked at his disciples and then said to Peter very sternly, "Get away from me, Satan! You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God's."
Then he called his disciples and the crowds to come over and listen. "If any of you wants to be my follower," he told them, "you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will find true life.
And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul* in the process? Is anything worth more than your soul? If a person is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, I, the Son of Man, will be ashamed of that person when I return in the glory of my Father with the holy angels."

Love don't Judge

Do you judge others simply because they are not like you? Do you find every detail that you think is "wrong?"
I would find myself judging others who are not believers. I would pick out their sins, flaws, and almost trying to shove God's Word down their throat. In my mind I thought since I am a believer I should only be friends with other believers, or I would try to get my friends to become believers. You can't judge others because even YOU have flaws. I know you probably don't want to believe it but I'm speaking truth here. God is love and when you accept God in your life you have to spread his love. Be Christ like. Be kind, spread the love around, pray and use God as your strength and guidance and soon enough, in God's time (not ours!) they will want what you have!
If you hung out with believers all day long you would never save anyone. You need to find those who need the saving, the sinners who don't know God yet. We need to reach out to those in need who think they don't need the saving!

Mark 2:15-17
That night Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to be his dinner guests, along with his fellow tax collectors and many other notorious sinners. (There were many people of this kind among the crowds that followed Jesus.) But when some of the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees* saw him eating with people like that, they said to his disciples, "Why does he eat with such scum*?
When Jesus heard this, he told them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor-- sick people do. I have come to call sinners, not those who think they are already good enough."

Now, you don't have to talk to them about God all the time. Just be kind and ask them how their day went. Then if they have problems help them, pray with them, pray FOR them! Give them verses from the bible that has to do with their situation. God can do amazing things if you just be kind and let him work through you. Just because someone is not like you don't mean you can't be nice. They are after all God's creation. No two humans are alike ya know. Everyone has different styles, interest, and hobbies. You need to ask yourself every day "what am I doing to make others happy?" Do what you can and ask God to do the rest!

Look through the eyes of Jesus

Do you have something you struggle with everyday? We all do, rather we to admit it or not. I have to admit I struggle with anger and frustration. I've been praying and reading my scriptures every day. It's getting better as the days go on. I know that is all thanks to my wonderful Lord and Savior!
When you struggle with something you don't just look up a verse once and think "Okay, I got this now." NO, you have to work on it EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!!!!
I get angry and frustrated sometimes easily. Rather it be something just not going my way, my kids not listening, found out I lost 20 bucks (which has happened unfortunately), or I just waking up on the wrong side of the bed.

The Bible says in Mark 3:5
He looked around around at them angrily, because he was deeply disturbed by their hard hearts. Then he said to the man "Reach out your hand." The man reached out his hand, and it became normal again!

Anger itself is not a sin. It's what your angry at and what you do with your anger. Think about it, when your angry what do you do? Do you punch walls? Throw the most heavy thing you can think of across the room (or at someone)? Scream and cuss till your face turns red?
We all can do some crazy, sometimes harmful things when we are angry. But we should take what Jesus did as an example. Jesus was angry about the Pharisees' uncaring attitudes. But he did something constructive with his anger. He healed the man's hand. When we are angry we need to take a deep breath and do something constructive. Find good solutions. Don't tear people apart. You are not only hurting them, but also yourself. God made us to be loving and care for one another. Not to destroy people!
So the next time you are angry, try to think through the eyes of Jesus. Ask yourself "What Would Jesus Do" and pray for help with your problem. Read your verses everyday and I promise you my friends, you will find help in your everyday problems. With God NOTHING is impossible!!

Dressed with love

Have you ever just woke up and said to yourself "I'm gonna be grouchy today." God didn't make us to be grouchy people. He wants us to be loving and caring as he is to us.

Colossians 3:12-14
Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony.

Love is the greatest thing of all. You must wake up, even if your not feeling it, and love love love. Like the verse says love is a "piece of clothing you must wear." We must put on love every morning. Do something for someone else. Don't be selfish and do things that only please you.

Romans 8:8
That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

Selfishness is a sin. Therefore if your sinning you cannot please God. You must think though the eyes of Jesus! No one likes someone who is selfish. You must do what you know not what you feel. You can't control how you feel but you can control how you act. So what it comes down to is Ignore your feelings. Be nice to your family! Be selfless as Jesus was.
The cross means more to me now more than it ever has in my whole life. Why you ask? Because I GET IT! I understand what Jesus went through, why he died, and that it should have been me up there. Jesus was the most important man alive. We should all try to be like him. You have to wake up and smell the coffee. God is real! There will be judgment when you die. Do you really want to be separated for all eternity away from God in the fiery pits of hell? Turn away from your sins now. It's not too late. God is a very forgiving God. He loves you and wants to help you! Love with all your heart soul and mind! You have nothing if you don't have love.
So remember, when you wake up dress yourself with love and God will help you the rest of the way.

Just Beautiful!

There was a story someone shared with me that just touched my heart. I mean it literally brought tears to my eyes, it was that beautiful.

There was a woman who started a bible study at her church. She was a firm believer in God. She ended up getting sick with cancer and was bed ridden. She had a nurse take care of her day to day as she could not do it herself. One day when her nurse came over the woman woke up and said "Today I'm going to die. I can see Jesus in the distance and he is coming for me." She went in and out of sleep throughout the day. When she awoke again she continued to say "Jesus is getting closer. I see him, he is coming for me." She fell back asleep and when she awoke again she said "Jesus is standing at the foot of my bed now. It won't be long." She fell back asleep for a while. When she awoke she said "Jesus is standing next to me and he is holding my hand." She died a few moments after that.

How amazing is that? I mean I can only imagine. No one gets excited about dying but let me tell you what, that gets me excited! What a way to go. I hope I go like that. Jesus gave her such peace with her heart and she was ok with dying. I mean can you imagine dying with Jesus holding your hand? Just amazing. This give us believers something to look forward to! I'm shouting it to the world Jesus is Lord!

Just not ready yet

Have you ever tried to get someone to be a follower of Jesus? Does it seem like the more you try, the more stubborn this person gets? I know sometimes this can get very frustrating. Makes you feel like yelling "You need Jesus" at the top of your lungs and slugging them with a bible over the top of their heads! But that is not the right way to do things. No matter what they say!
Getting to know Christ takes time. You are the only one who can truly make the decision to live a christian life and ask Jesus to be your personal Lord and Savior.

Mark 4:11-12
He replied, "You are permitted to understand the secret about the Kingdom of God. But I am using these stories to conceal everything about it from outsiders. So that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:
'They see what I do,
but they don't perceive it's meaning.
They hear my words,
but they don't understand.
So they will not turn from their sins
and be forgiven.'*

Jesus told stories to try and explain the Kingdom of God. Jesus was trying to say in this verse that, if you don't understand the stories he tells, stories of God's truth, then you are not ready for it. God only reveals truth to those who will act on it and make it visible in their lives. So if you are talking with people about God, if they are not ready they won't understand. That is where patients comes in. You have to "wait it out" as long as it takes. But take every opportunity to tell them about God. Pray persistently that the Holy spirit will open the eyes of their hearts so they can receive the truth and act on it! One day your prayers will pay off. Don't be all "Well God, your taking a long time.It's about time you change them now!" You truly have to be patient. Rather the unbeliever be your spouse, best friend, sister, brother, mother, father ect.... Just know God does everything in HIS time. Not ours! His minuet could be our ten years! He has a purpose for everything he does. He delights in our faith!
So remember keep on spreading the good word of God. Also, if your praying for someone to change, God might just want to use you to help that person change. Can you take his challenge?

Giving up determination

When life throws you curve balls, what are you most likely to do? Do you get mad because things haven't gone your way? Do you sit in your room and pout about it? Be determined to find out the reason why this has come upon you?

Job 3:10
But Job replied, "You talk like a godless woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?"

When something goes wrong don't try to let the urge to understand why you suffer overwhelm you. That only makes you question God. You have to understand that knowing God is better than knowing answers. Pain in life is not always punishment. By letting pain get to you, that's like telling the Devil "Okay, you win." God has a plan for us all. He is at peace because he knows the outcome. We need to praise God and put our whole trust in him, despite our questions that remain unanswered. By praying to God and trusting him, sometimes he will cure your problem. But sometimes he lets the problem go on but give you peace in your heart! He gives you the strength to go on and recover.
Going through the hard times in life can give us the opportunity to identify with Christ when he suffered on the cross for us.... for you! So often when we don't think our LORD understands, remember how he suffered for us. All his blood he shed, the pain he endured. We may not understand all life's problems, but yet we were not meant to.

Ecclesiastes 3:11
God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.

Remember when that curve ball comes at you, God is our rock. He is our strength and never leaves our side! Are you ready to put your trust in him?

God has all answers!

When you have a problem who do you turn to? Your mom? Sister? Dad? Brother? Aunt? Uncle? Best friend? Do you often find answers to those problems when you go to them?
Some don't realize that we can come up with all kinds of solutions for our problems, but that don't mean they are the right answers.

Proverbs 16:1
We can gather our thoughts, but the Lord gives the right answers.

Think about it. God is our creator. He knows our hearts, souls, every thought we have. Wouldn't it only be right if we listen to his commands he gives? God loves us and would never steer us wrong. He knows ALL!

Proverbs 16:33
We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.

Even if we choose our own answers doesn't mean things are gonna turn out the way we thought they would. We can NOT stop God's Will! That is why God directs us in the right path. Stop what you are doing, pray, and read your manual (your BIBLE!). Listen to what he is trying to tell you. And remember

Proverbs 15:3
The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.

Don't ever think you can hide from him. He is everywhere. When you find yourself stressed out, think to yourself "It's ok for I know the one who knows All!" It's ok if you don't have an answer to your problems. You are not supposed to know the answers. God wants you to come to him and say "God I trust you!" What is stopping you from putting your trust, your faith in God? Are you ashamed? Your pride getting in the way? Afraid of what your friends or maybe even your family will think of you? Our lives here on earth are short, but what lies after our death of our bodies is what is most important! You rather live the word of God and spend all eternity in Heaven, or you live it your way and spend eternity in hell permanently separated from God. I am not sure who said this but it's my favorite saying:

"I'd rather live life right and die to find out there is no God, then live life wrong and die to find out there is!"

So when it comes down to it, who are you gonna let "take the wheel?" Yourself or God the creator of all?

Peace of mind

Frustrated? Lonely? Tired of doing the same ol' thing? Think you need new friends? Feel weak? Feel like your at your wits end?

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."

You will find a friend in Jesus and you can accomplish anything with the power that the Holy Spirit gives you!

Philippians 4:13
For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.

The feeling that Christ gives you is indescribable, but the best feeling I've ever had. Pray persistently and God will speak to you, you just have to listen. You can't just say "Oh I know Jesus, he is my best friend" you have to live the word of God! Don't just talk the talk. Dog gone it, if you are gonna talk the talk and not walk the walk you are just fooling yourself. You have to talk the talk AND walk the walk. Stop cussing, think about it what does cussing do for you anyways? Just makes you look like a fool. Stay away from temptation, be kind when someone hurts you, respect people, stop gossiping, and stop telling people your feelings. When you need to talk to someone about your problems, talk to God! Put down the phone, lock yourself in your room and tell God "God I'm not leaving till you make me okay with this." When you are at your weak moments, which we all have because we are only human, pray for patients and strength. God is right there. You can tell him anything and he will never ever tell anyone else. He lives in you! Know that your redeemer lives!

So you can keep fooling yourself and never find peace of mind, or you can look up to the one and only who knows all and find your peace of mind! Have the positive outlook on life that he only gives. Which will you do?

Safe

Here is a song that I feel like I need to post up. It has a ton of meaning and is one of my favorites.

Phil Wickham - Safe
From the album Heaven & Earth

Verse:
To the one who's dreams are falling all apart
And all you're left with is a tired and broken heart
I can tell by your eyes you think your on your own
but you're not all alone

Have you heard of the One who can calm the raging seas
Give sight to the blind, pull the lame up to their feet
With a love so strong He'll never let you go
oh you're not alone

Chorus:
You will be safe in His arms
You will be safe in His arms
'Cause the hands that hold the world are holding your heart
This is the promise He made
He will be with You always
When everything is falling apart
You will be safe in His arms

Verse 2:
Did you know that the voice that brings the dead to life
Is the very same voice that calls you to rise
So hear Him now He's calling you home
You will never be alone

Bridge:
These are the hands that built the mountains
the hands that calm the seas
These are the arms that hold the heavens
they are holding you and me

These are hands that healed the leper
Pulled the lame up to their feet
These are the arms that were nailed to a cross
to break our chains and set us free