Oblivious to the Obvious

 

Our society is so oblivious to the obvious. We need to change that. We need to open their eyes up and show them the truth. The truth that there is a God, the truth that everyone is born the gender they are supposed to be, because God makes NO mistakes. The truth that every baby is a precious gift of life. They need to follow the blueprint that God gave us in the beginning of the book of Genesis. Go read it. Titus 2 clearly stats how women and men are supposed to act. So, why don't they? Well, our world is run by ungodly minds, who try to please people, not God. What happened to 'In God we trust'? Where did it go? I'll tell you. The people of this nation threw it in the gutter. They stomped all over it, and wiped it from their minds. They ARE OBLIVIOUS TO THE OBVIOUS. And now Target has gone with them. Parents are banning their teens from going to states that disagree with the ways of the world. How ridiculous? People are filling the minds of young kids with lies, and confusing them of what their gender is. That leads to suicide. That is child abuse. So what are we Christians doing about this? Are we hiding away in our homes, afraid of shinning light in this dark place? Are we cowards who cringe in the corners of places, too scared to open our mouths to what's true, right, noble just? What ever happened to putting on the full armor of God and fighting to good fight? We need to get off our butts, and start living out God's plan for our lives. We need to show this world who the REAL leader is! People are DYING AND GOING TO HELL all the time!! Are we even trying to share our faith with them, or do we care about the eternity of others. If you want to SHINE YOUR LIGHT in this dark, chaotic, death trap, then stand up with me and put your battle clothes on because we are going to STAND UP FOR CHRIST!

Serve Him Only

There are many ways Christ can and will change your life. He wants you to love Him and serve Him and accept Him as your Lord. But when you do, you must surrender EVERYTHING to Him. He deserves every bit of our attention, and our self. He created us, so we should live in a way that pleases Him. We need to “Offer our bodies as living sacrifices” because Christ sacrificed so much for us. We need to serve Him because He is our Master. We should love Him with our whole heart because He loves us with His whole heart. Being a Christian is not easy at all. But it is SO worth it, because we know that when we die, we will live with our wonderful Master. But that is not the only reason why it is worth it. I have seen many people who claim ‘I don’t need God’ and ‘I can take care of myself’ then their life falls apart. It’s proof that we will never have a good life without God in it. He cares for all our needs and gives us all the love in the world.  It’s worth it because serving ourselves is a huge waste of time. Why would we want to serve our unsatisfied, complaining, selves when we can serve a loving, caring, and powerful, Lord Jesus. “We cannot serve two masters” as my pastor said Sunday. Do you want to serve God, or yourself?

How God changes our lives.

Personal reasons: I am able to find hope in dark times, comfort in scary situations, and  true joy.

Biblical reasons: When you become a Christian, you will have eternal life when you die. We have the power through the Holy Spirit to overcome hard times and to fight temptations.

The changes that take place after accepting Christ as  Lord and Savior.

1. We have a hope even in dark times because we know that Christ will get us through them.
2. We have the Holy Spirit to guide us and enable us to decipher right from wrong.
3. We are no longer afraid of death because we know our eternity rests in God’s loving hands.
4. We can pray to Him and ask Him and confess to Him all things.
5. Lifestyles and other activities that “Used to be okay” with us are now disturbing and we feel the need to pray for the people who do those things.
6. We have a heart that cares for the lost ones because of the love Christ gave us.
7. We feel the peace of God in good and bad times.

Jesus Is Love

This morning my siblings were arguing so I decided to read them this verse. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-8
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keep no record of wrongs: Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 

Then I thought," This is basically describing Jesus." So then I figured if I replace the word 'Love' with 'Jesus', then maybe they would actually listen to the verse and want to obey it. since Jesus is love, I did and here it is.
"Jesus is patient, He is kind. Jesus does not envy, He does not boast, Jesus is not proud. He does not dishonor other, Jesus is not self-seeking, He is not easily angered, He keeps no record of wrongs: Jesus does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Jesus never fails!" 

After I did that, it gave the verse a whole new perspective for my siblings and me.We can read it and think,"This is Jesus. How can I be like Him today?"
Then we can read the list of what Jesus(love) is and strive to be like Him.

I thought I'd just share that little idea with you all. Hope you enjoyed it!

Just a Random

So I was listening to Pandora and a song by Paul Cardall came on. It is called "Sacred Nature". It reminded me of the song "Your Great Name" so I decided to look up the lyrics to that song.
I never realized how amazing they were so I am going to share them with you.

"Your Great Name"

[Verse 1:]
Lost are saved find their way at the sound of your great name
All condemned feel no shame at the sound of your great name
Every fear has no place at the sound of your great name
The enemy—he has to leave at the sound of your great name

[Chorus:]
Jesus,
Worthy is the Lamb
That was slain for us,
Son of God and Man
You are high and lifted up and all the world will praise your great name

[Verse 2:]
All the weak find their strength at the sound of your great name
Hungry souls receive grace at the sound of your great name
The fatherless—they find their rest at the sound of your great name
The sick are healed and the dead are raised at the sound of your great name

[Chorus:]
Jesus,
Worthy is the Lamb
That was slain for us,
Son of God and Man
You are high and lifted up and all the world will praise your great name, your great name

[Bridge:]
Redeemer, My Healer,Lord Almighty
My Savior, Defender, You are My King

[Chorus:]
Jesus,
The name of Jesus,
You are high and lifted up and all the world will praise your great name
Jesus,
Worthy is the Lamb
That was slain for us,
Son of God and Man
You are high and lifted up and all the world will praise your great name, your great name, your great name

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

Strength and Patience

(I had another panic attack last night. It was really bad. Please pray that God will relieve me from them and that another one won't happen.)



________________________________________________________________________________________

Isiah 40: 31
"but those who wait in the LORD will renew  their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

What a great reminder of how being paient pays off. God will strengthen us when we wait.
pa·tient

ˈpāSHənt/

adjective

1. 1.

   able to accept or tolerate delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.

   synonyms:

   forbearing, uncomplaining

2. 
   

How easy is it for us to be paitent? For me, not very. Well, here are three verses that tells us ways to be patient and wait on God's timing.

1. 
   
2. 
   

James 1:19-20

"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, (2) because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires." 

James 5:7-9

"Be paiten, then brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farner waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. (8) You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. (9) Don't grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The judge is standing at the door!" 

2 Peter 3:9(ESV)

"The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentace." 

strength

streNG(k)TH/

noun

1. 1.

   the quality or state of being strong, in particular.

We can only be strong through the power of Christ. 

Here are three verses on strength. 

Philippians 4:13

"I can do all things through Him who gives me strength."                (Him as in Christ)

1 Corinthians 16:13

"Be on your guard, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong." 

Psalm 118: 14

"The LORD is my strength and my defense; He has become my salvations." 

I hope these will help,

Emma. 

(All of the verses are NIV unless I put this ex. (ESV))

Just a reminder

Praise to God for a Living Hope

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Fighting Unbelief

Hebrews 3:12-13
"See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful heart, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."

Recently, God has been testing me by allowing to devil to send me untrue, negative, lies. It scared the daylights out of me. But, even though I am still struggling, I can go to the Word and find peace through that and praying. God will speak to me through His word, and reassure me that I will over come this through Him.

I know that post of my posts are about trails. Well, that's because I have MANY of them. And the Christian life is FULL of TRIALS. If we didn't have trials, how would we persevere and grow stronger as a believer? We wouldn't know the power of God or His love for us. Let us praise Him even in deep water.
Oceans by Hillsong is a great reminder of how He gets us through trials and tribulations.

 

1 Peter 5:10
"And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

My new trial is unbelief. I asked God why it was that, and I am not sure. Maybe He is testing me to see if I remain strong in my belief in Him. If any of you have struggled with this, PLEASE COMMENT. I would love to hear all of the passages that got you through it. Pray for me also.

Suffering For Being a Christian

1 Peter 4:12-19

“Dear Friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. (13) But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings for Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed. (14) If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. (15) If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. (16) However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. (17) For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? (18) And. “If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

(19) So, then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.”

                                                  <<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>

As Christians, it is normal for us to suffer. It will even feel like we are standing on burning coals and a shower of fire pouring upon us. Trust me, I know. But rejoice, because we are suffering as Christ did. “We will be overjoyed when His glory is revealed.” Let us be insulted, bashed, crushed, driven to the worst; let us crumble, break down, and be beaten. But let us also be brought up again and given greater strength in Christ when we call upon His loving name. God will renew our strength when we use it all. But when He gives it to you, praise Him. Praise Him for never leaving us or giving up on us. Even though we fail Him everyday, His love for us is still greater.

Keep Your Heads Up

On Monday night, I went to a revival meeting at Park Hill Baptist. It was about praying for a revival for different things. It was really emotional in a good way. :) I had a good cry.

Here is something that we can all do. They did it at the meeting, and it really helped.

• First, before you pray for ANYTHING, confess the sins that you committed that day to God and ask for forgiveness. Then forgive anyone you need to forgive. 
• Close your eyes and draw a mental circle around you. Pray for a spiritual revival in your personal life. 
• Draw a mental circle around your church, and pray for a spiritual revival. 
• Do the same for the city and state that you were born in. 
• Last, but certainly not least, do one for our nation. 

Our nation is suffering. But when I think about that, this same verse always comes into my mind and gives me hope. 

Jeremiah 29:11-14

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD,"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and i will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD,"and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD,"and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile." 

The LORD promises us hope, a future, and deliverance. As bad as our world is, God's plans for it is a MILLION times better. Even though it seems like the world will NEVER get better, God promised to listen to our prayers, and be found by us, and deliver His people. 

Always remember this quote: (This is my version of it) 

“Everything will usually get worse before it gets better, but when it does get better...remember  who God is, and praise Him for it. The devil will bring you down, but God will help you up. Things will get hard, dangerous, scary, though, and bad. But life is good because God is good." 

Love Through Surrendering

Lose Your Status To God
John 15:20
"...A servant is not greater than his master."

We should not try to be equal or greater than God. He is our Master; we must submit to Him. A servant does what his/her master has commanded him/her to do.

• Use what God gave you (your gifts) to show other God through you to bring Him glory 
• Focus on God's mission that He has given you for His glory
• Make sure that pride does not get in the way of things that God has in-store for you

Do everything like God is standing there beside you. 

Romans 12:6-8

"We have different gifts. according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then in prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, the give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully." 

These are all things that we can do out of love (for God and others) to use for God's glory. 

Conquerors Through Love

Romans 8:37-39
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Just take a minute and think that passage through. God's love for us is so strong and powerful, that NOTHING IN ALL CREATION can separate us from Him. NOT A THING!! We should have love like God does. We should be so loving that people think that the only we can do is love. That's how people will see Christ through us. By our love. Like in that song,"And they will know we are Christians by our love." 





Romans 12:9
"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil, cling to what is good."

Turn away from what is evil. Love conquers all things, so we have the ability, through God's love, to turn away from evil and to turn to what is good, pure, and holy. 

L.O.V.E

Love Fulfills the Law
Romans 13:8-10
"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments,"You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not covet," and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

If we love one another, we have fulfilled God's law to us. 
Every command God gave us, we obey it out of love. 
How can we apply this to our daily lives? 

We can....
Take time away from our own desires to satisfy the needs of others.
Spend time helping one another.
Lifting others up in prayer.
Doing small things out of love for others.
Saying,"Let me do that for you."
etc.


There are a lot of loving things we can do for one another, we just have to be self-less and take time out of our desires to do those things. 

1 Timothy 1:5
"The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith."

We should do loving things not hoping to get something in return, but to do it because God loved us first. 

All You Need Is Love

I will be doing a post on  LOVE everyday until Valentines Day.

Post 1 on LOVE. 

1 John 3:16-18; 23
"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth....And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us."

Jesus showed us His love by dying for us, even when we didn't love Him.
Let us show our love for Him by loving one another just as He commanded us in
John 13:34-35
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another."

1 Corinthians 13:4-8
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs: love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love. Never. Fails."

Is our love for one another that strong? If not, why? Since God loved us so much and sent His only Son to die for us, since Jesus willing laid down His own life for us, why is it hard for us to love one another? God is love. We can love, because He loved us first. 

God First, Others Second, Ourselves Last

Selfishness is the root of all sin. Almost everything we do is out of selfishness. The world says,"Do what makes YOU happy." "Your happiness comes first!"
But Paul(Through Christ) says,

"Do not look to your own interest, but to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:4)
John(Through Christ) says,

"If anyone has materiel passions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?" (1 John 3:17)

Philippians 2:6-11
In your relationship with one another, have the same mind-set as Christ. 
"Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." 

Even though Jesus was given equality with God, He did not use it to His own advantage, rather, He made Himself nothing for God's glory, and for our salvation. He was given the name above all names, but He still took the form of a servant and suffered a death on the cross for God's glory, and for our salvation.

Jesus is a great example of God first, other second, ourselves last. 

2 questions to ask yourself:
1. Am I good at putting others ahead of myself?
2. What's in my heart? Selfishness, or love for others ahead of myself?
(more like 3)

(My notes from Sunday School) 
Sometimes we even put ourselves ahead of God because of our selfishness. Step out of the center stage and put God in the spot light. (Then other, and ourselves last.)


Selfishness also has to do with disobeying our authorities, including God.
We want to get our way, and do things for ourselves. Me, me, me first. Not: What would God and my authorities want me to do? Who do I need to put first? How could my selfish actions affect those around me? Could it put someone in danger? Could it make people lose trust in me? Am I displeasing the LORD when I do this? These are the things we HAVE to think about when we want to do something out of selfishness. HOW WILL IT AFFECT OTHERS?

Philippians 2:3
"Do NOTHING out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves."

God Is Good All the Time

2 Timothy 2:11-13

"If we died with Him,
   We will also live with Him;
 If we endure,
    We will also reign with Him,
 If we disown Him,
    He will also disown us;
 If we are faithless,
    He remains faithful.."


We do not deserve God's grace, but because of His great love for us, we have received it. (1 John 4:19)

2 Corinthians 12:9
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.."

His grace is enough!

Romans 5:1-11
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God! (meaning: It is as if we never sinned; we have peace with God through Jesus. Because of His grace we have through faith)
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (When we are suffering, we are growing stronger in character (as a Christian) because we are relying on God(We should be))
And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are given the Holy Spirit to guide us and discern our intentions of heart)
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungoldy. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, (No one is righteous, no not one. So that is why Jesus died for us; we are not righteous and He died out of love)
Though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (As in verse 7, Jesus died for the unrighteous out of love)
Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him! For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now  received reconciliation." 

How rare it is for someone to die for His enemy. But Jesus did that on the cross for us! We were His enemies, but He still died for us! What a great example of 'Love your enemies'. This passage sums up God's grace, Jesus's love, and how even though we were enemies of Jesus, He still loved us and died for us. Now we are children of the King!

(Dad sent this to me and I thought it was really good)

I once learned a precious lesson from a little girl!

(George Everard, "Victory in the Battle!" 1885)

I once learned a precious lesson from a little girl. I was walking along a road in my town, when a little girl came walking by my side. I saw that she was not a poor child seeking relief, so I wondered what she needed. After a few moments I bent down and asked her if I could do anything for her; but I only heard a sob. Soon I tried again, and, after a little delay, I just heard the words, "Rough men! So frightened!" 

I looked around and saw some railroad workers returning from their work, and I imagine they were not very sober, and had been fighting or quarreling along the way. So I took hold of the child's hand, and inquiring where she lived, I took her to the gate and saw the little girl cheerfully run up the garden and enter her house.

It seemed to me just a type and picture of the way in which a Christian should act in temptation. Go near to Christ, and put confidence in Him. Go and nestle by His side and under His wing--and remember that He cares for you, and will go with you and protect you. Take hold of His hand and tell Him your trouble--and look to Him to go with you every step of your homeward journey. And He will do it. He won't reject your humble suit. He won't turn away from you and leave you. Oh no! He delights in those who flee to Him and trust in Him! He will keep them from their fears and dangers, and bring them to the Father's house in peace.

Through It All

Well, I just got over the stomach bug(I HATE IT) and a song came to mind.
It is really encouraing because it tells us that no matter what we go through, God will get us through it ALL.

Through It All (Written by Andre Crouch)
("All things work together for good to them that love God.." Romans 8:28"

(v. 1) I've had many tears and sorrows, I've had questions for tomorrow,
There've been times I didn't know right from wrong;
But in every situation God gave blessed consolation
That my trials come to only make me strong.

(Chrous)
Through it all, through it all, I've learned to trust in Jesus, I've leanred to trust in God;
Through it all, through it all, I've learned to depend upon His word.

(v. 2) I've been to lots of places, and I've seen lots of faces, there've been times I felt so all alone; But in my lonely hours, Yes those presious lonely hours, Jesus let me know that I was His own.

(Chrous)

(v. 3) I thank God for the mountians, and I thank Him for the valleys, I thank Him for the storms He brought me through; For if I'd never had a problem, I wouldn't know that He could solve them, I'd never know what faith in God could do.

(Chrous)

The last verse stuck out to me the most. If we never had a problem, we wouldn't know that God could solve them. I for sure think at times,"Ugh, why can't I just have a perfect life with no problems?"
Well, then if we did, how could we know that God can solve them?
And we wouldn't know what fatih in God could do.
I love that song so much!

Living by Faith, Not by Sight

Psalm 34:4

“I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears.”

Isaiah 41:13

“For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”

Why should we be afraid when God is holding our hand?

He will help us, and guide us along the path of the righteousness.

2 Corinthians 5:7

“For we live by faith, not by sight.”

Do not live by sight. Things of this world are ugly, dirty, and sinful. Why would we want to live by them? If we live by faith, we can see the light of God! 

 When we live by faith, we are letting go of the things of this world, and grasping onto the things that are eternal, holy, and beautiful. The things that will last forever. The things that won’t be burned up in fire. The things that will satisfy our hunger and thirst and yearning for something which we cannot see, but know is there. That’s why we should live by faith,not by sight.
Living by faith is living for God.

Child of God

As a child of God, I struggle a lot. I started asking myself: Am I really saved?

The answer is this: If you put your trust and faith in Jesus, then yes, you are saved.

Romans 10:9

“If you declare with your mouth that ,”Jesus is Lord.” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you WILL be saved.”

It is THAT simply. I tend to make it harder than that. I tend to think: There has to be more to it. Right?

NO! There is nothing else to it.

But, when we do become saved, we must live out our lives for Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:1-2

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Be children of God by showing His love to other!

Just how are we to do that?

James 2:18

“But someone says,”You have faith; I have deeds,” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show my faith by my deeds.”

If we don’t go out and spread God’s word to others, how will people know we are Christians?

THEY WON’T.

Let us not be the type of Christians who hide away.

LET US BE BEASTS FOR GOD!

Matthew 28:19-20

“Therefore, go out and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you to the VERY end of the age.”

Guard Your Heart

Luke 6:43-35
"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruits. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of."


People see us as the fruit we bear. Ask yourself: Am I bearing good fruit, or bad fruit?
We need to check and see where are heart lies. Is it for ourselves? Or is it for God?
If our heart is focused on ourselves and not God, we need to have a heart change, and ask God to work on our hearts and change us deep inside.
1 Timothy 2:15
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."


Ephesians 4:29
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

"The mouth speaks what the heart is full of."
Is what we say reflecting off of our hearts?

We Are Not Fair Save to the King

I am reading a really good book called Hinds Feet on High Places.
Part of a song in the book really stuck out to me.

I am not fair save to the King,
Though fair my royal dress,
His kingly grace lavished on
My need and worthlessness.
My blemishes He will not see
But loves the beauty that shall be. 

We are not good enough in any way for Jesus to save us. But because of His grace that He lavished on us, we were saved. We are worthless without Christ. He will not look at us and see our sins, but He will look at us and see our beauty.

If you haven't read that book yet, I encourage you to. It is REALLY good.

When Life Knocks You Down, Kneel

1 Peter 5:8-11
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy-the devil-prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To Him be the power forever and ever."

It is good to know that everyone struggles too, and that we aren't the only ones. I feel like that a lot.
Me most of the time: Oh no! I am the only one in the world that has had this happen to them. 
My reaction when I read this verse: Ha! I knew I wasn't the only one.
 

So we are NOT alone in our struggles and cloudy days. Everyone has them, but it is how we handle them that matters. I tend to handle them with: stress, anger, irritation, and other negativity. Which I should NOT do. So here are some verses that will help us in our struggles/bad days to not be discouraged or stressed.

John 14:27
"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do NOT give to you peace as the world gives. Do NOT let your hearts be troubled and do NOT be afraid." 


Romans 8:31
"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

Proverbs 12:25
"Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up."

Romans 8:28 
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light." 



(P.S This would be longer, but it's my bed time)

Get On A Spiritual High

It's time that I get my spiritual life back into groove. So I created this step by step list to help me get back into it.

Step 1. Take a deep breath, then PRAY>
Step 2. Confess any sin that needs to be confessed.
Step 3. If you need to talk to a fellow Christian, talk!
Step 4. Feel any better yet? Good, now PRAY again. Tell God how you feel and what you are dealing with.
Step 5. Pray once more for guidance as you are getting your spiritual life back into order.

Ask yourself some questions:
What needs work?
Write out your own list of these that need work in your life.


More Steps. (My pastor mentioned these in the sermon on Sunday) 

1. Guard your heart. (Proverbs 4:23)
2. Choose God above everything else.
3. Where does your heart devotions lie?
4. Re-commit your heart to God.

I did this, and it helped me SO MUCH!