Trouble in a person’s life is not a sign that God is against or punishing you, but that He is trying to bless you. We live our lives waiting for blessings, and complain when bad occurrences happen repeatedly. How do we expect to see the blessings God has in store for our life when we refuse to obey and acknowledge Him?
It can be quite difficult to desire, develop, and maintain a close relationship with Christ. It has been that way since the beginning of time, and even more so now days since our world is filled with temptations of evil surrounding us. Casual Christianity has become common in today’s world, which is a tragedy. The message of the Bible, God, and how Christians live is very distorted and looked upon as hypocrisy. An outsiders view of Christianity could be confusing, because many Christians who claim their religion do not act as the bible commands. What I think that the world forgets is that we ‘Christians’ are humans too. We fall, we give in, and we sin. We are not perfect - however we should always strive to be perfect like our Lord. The more we participate in the world’s activities, the further we are from God. God does not wish harm, sorrow, or pain for his children, but a life of love, joy, and faith. Every human will have pain, death, heartbreak, and disappointment; but with God in our lives we maintain hope. Hope it what drives us, faith is what fills us, and love is what gives us fuel.
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
—1 John 5:14-15
As a Christian, I sometimes forget to simply ask God for what I am searching for. I have searched for a pure love, peace in my family, friends with faith, and to better myself. I have tried multiple times to gain these without asking God, and did not succeed. I had relationships, I made friends, and in the end none satisfied me. One of the worst feelings is having everything you could possibly want or need, but not feeling complete. If we simply ask God for what we want, he will answer our prayers. It may not be the way we asked for, but He will do things the way that will bless us greatly. To truly glorify God, we must give up what means the most to us at times. Relationships, careers, cars, worldly ways, or sports. God will lead each of his children where they belong when it is time, and he will fill the emptiness in our hearts with His love and a new and righteous life.
Having God as a foundation is vital to having a successful relationship with Him. Make Him the center of your life; your relationships, your friendships, your career, your home, and your actions. Don’t be afraid of trials, because without them you would never need faith. we cannot experience blessings without some sacrifice on our own behalf.
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. - Jesus (John 16:33)
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
About Time
I haven’t wrote a Christian blog in such a long time, and I will openly tell you. This whole past year I have been struggling with my faith - never doubting, but putting it aside. I never thought it would be so hard to pick up a bible, pray, or even wake up for church on Sunday morning. That is what happens when one separate themselves from what God has in store for them. I gave in to sin in many ways, disregarding all the knowledge and scripture I had learned over years and years. As many know, I did go through a break-up, and afterwards I changed. My heart was so empty, lifeless, and confused in every way possible. I felt as if I had no friends, no life, no future, and no one who understood me. I was eighteen years old and had never gone out, drank, smoked, been to a party, or anything that common teens do. It wasn’t because my parents held me back or that I had been sheltered, I had made the decision that those things were not what pleased God, and my goal in was to live for God.
The further away one gets from church, from Christian friends, wise mentors, the further they are to receiving God’s true blessings. I can spit out verses straight from the bible how drinking is wrong, how bad character corrupts good people, how Christians shouldn’t enter places that aren’t pleasing to God, and everything in between.
Proverbs 23:19-20 - A wise person will not be among the drinkers of alcoholic beverages.
Proverbs 23:31 - God instructs not to look at intoxicating drinks.
Isaiah 5:22 - Woe to "champion" drinkers and "experts" at mixing drinks.
1 Peter 4:3-4 - The past life of drunkenness and carousing has no place in the Christian’s life.
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
Especially to those who are in a relationship, or who have been. Those feelings of worry and nervousness when the people you care about is out. When they’re around girls half dressed, dancing, and drunk. When people are drunk, doing drugs, or smoking around them. When the people who might be driving home have drank, or that they could possibly get arrested. When the advice their friends gives them is “F- that. Lets go out.” When their friends have cheated previously, or have much different views of what is wrong and right in life. How comforting is that supposed to be? Should a wholesome, Christian relationship have to even have those circumstances in it? The answer is NO, because it’s not in our hearts to give in to the ‘fun’ Satan wants us to experience that only takes us further from Christ.
God says that once we are Christians, our old ways have passed. He washes our sins clean, and we become renewed. God transforms ones heart - causing their words, actions, activities, and personality to ultimately change. There is no semi-changed, waiting till your older, or procrastination in Christianity. It does not matter what you have done before, because we all fall short of the glory of God; however it does matter what you do after you have accepted Christ into your heart and have chosen to love Him. The LAST thing you would do after you proclaim your love for someone is to ignore them, put them aside, or push them away. Try doing that to your girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband. It doesn’t work in human relationships, and it doesn’t work with God. The difference is the forgiveness that God offers, but remember that it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
Maybe it’s coming to a time in your life where your realizing that the things you’ve been doing don’t get you anywhere, and they don’t do anything for you. Maybe your heartbroken from a relationship and have tried all the wrong things to feel better, but see that none have helped. If you’ve lost someone and turned against God with anger because it wasn’t what you wanted, perhaps you see that what you wanted just isn’t working out. If you honestly think that having a big house, nice cars, hot boyfriend/girlfriend, one night stands, getting drunk at nights, and lots of money will make you happy, then you are sadly mistaken. Those are temporary happiness’s that can never fill your heart with what you need. People need love, genuine love. We hurt when were cheated on, if someone says something cruel to us, when we are degraded, when someone is chosen over us. Having material things that can all be taken away in an instant, by fire, water, wind, theft, etc; none will compare to true love. Feeling loved is the best feeling in the world, and that is only one of the many wonderful things God has to offer to each and every person. He will make you whole. He will fulfill your desires. He will make you feel loved. He will give you fellowship. He will give you a meaningful and precious relationship. He will perform miracles in your life. He will give you everything that you truly want, and all you have to do is believe and obey in Him.
Maybe your under the impression that living a “Christian” lifestyle is boring, but it sure doesn’t hurt to try. I guarantee that if you read your bible, if you pray, and if you do as the Bible says then you will notice the change. It wont matter what people say, because God is the one that will change your heart. You will love differently, you will have your eyes opened to new things never seen before, your interests will chance, and you will experience a whole and happy feeling. If you have a friend going through a hard time, then remember…
Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
Be a true friend, and give them the true guidance they need. Throw away the old life you have lived - no matter what you’ve done, and give it up for God. Don’t live in darkness anymore, and begin to follow the light. You have one life, one soul, and one chance. We have seen our friends and family pass away in the blink of an eyes - disease, drugs, drinking, car accidents. No one but God knows when people will die, and the same goes for the day Christ will return to earth. We want to be ready for judgment day, not unsure of our eternity. Be careful what you say, they will either acquit you or condemn you.
Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are testable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
As a start to your new life, try reading Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the gospels. A Christian’s goal is to live as Jesus did, and to develop a relationship with God. Though we can never be perfect, we can always strive to try. Nothing the bible says will ever harm you, it can only strengthen you and bring you closer to God. Get ready to be blessed and filled with a lifetime of joy if you choose this path.
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
The further away one gets from church, from Christian friends, wise mentors, the further they are to receiving God’s true blessings. I can spit out verses straight from the bible how drinking is wrong, how bad character corrupts good people, how Christians shouldn’t enter places that aren’t pleasing to God, and everything in between.
Proverbs 23:19-20 - A wise person will not be among the drinkers of alcoholic beverages.
Proverbs 23:31 - God instructs not to look at intoxicating drinks.
Isaiah 5:22 - Woe to "champion" drinkers and "experts" at mixing drinks.
1 Peter 4:3-4 - The past life of drunkenness and carousing has no place in the Christian’s life.
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
Especially to those who are in a relationship, or who have been. Those feelings of worry and nervousness when the people you care about is out. When they’re around girls half dressed, dancing, and drunk. When people are drunk, doing drugs, or smoking around them. When the people who might be driving home have drank, or that they could possibly get arrested. When the advice their friends gives them is “F- that. Lets go out.” When their friends have cheated previously, or have much different views of what is wrong and right in life. How comforting is that supposed to be? Should a wholesome, Christian relationship have to even have those circumstances in it? The answer is NO, because it’s not in our hearts to give in to the ‘fun’ Satan wants us to experience that only takes us further from Christ.
God says that once we are Christians, our old ways have passed. He washes our sins clean, and we become renewed. God transforms ones heart - causing their words, actions, activities, and personality to ultimately change. There is no semi-changed, waiting till your older, or procrastination in Christianity. It does not matter what you have done before, because we all fall short of the glory of God; however it does matter what you do after you have accepted Christ into your heart and have chosen to love Him. The LAST thing you would do after you proclaim your love for someone is to ignore them, put them aside, or push them away. Try doing that to your girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband. It doesn’t work in human relationships, and it doesn’t work with God. The difference is the forgiveness that God offers, but remember that it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
Maybe it’s coming to a time in your life where your realizing that the things you’ve been doing don’t get you anywhere, and they don’t do anything for you. Maybe your heartbroken from a relationship and have tried all the wrong things to feel better, but see that none have helped. If you’ve lost someone and turned against God with anger because it wasn’t what you wanted, perhaps you see that what you wanted just isn’t working out. If you honestly think that having a big house, nice cars, hot boyfriend/girlfriend, one night stands, getting drunk at nights, and lots of money will make you happy, then you are sadly mistaken. Those are temporary happiness’s that can never fill your heart with what you need. People need love, genuine love. We hurt when were cheated on, if someone says something cruel to us, when we are degraded, when someone is chosen over us. Having material things that can all be taken away in an instant, by fire, water, wind, theft, etc; none will compare to true love. Feeling loved is the best feeling in the world, and that is only one of the many wonderful things God has to offer to each and every person. He will make you whole. He will fulfill your desires. He will make you feel loved. He will give you fellowship. He will give you a meaningful and precious relationship. He will perform miracles in your life. He will give you everything that you truly want, and all you have to do is believe and obey in Him.
Maybe your under the impression that living a “Christian” lifestyle is boring, but it sure doesn’t hurt to try. I guarantee that if you read your bible, if you pray, and if you do as the Bible says then you will notice the change. It wont matter what people say, because God is the one that will change your heart. You will love differently, you will have your eyes opened to new things never seen before, your interests will chance, and you will experience a whole and happy feeling. If you have a friend going through a hard time, then remember…
Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
Be a true friend, and give them the true guidance they need. Throw away the old life you have lived - no matter what you’ve done, and give it up for God. Don’t live in darkness anymore, and begin to follow the light. You have one life, one soul, and one chance. We have seen our friends and family pass away in the blink of an eyes - disease, drugs, drinking, car accidents. No one but God knows when people will die, and the same goes for the day Christ will return to earth. We want to be ready for judgment day, not unsure of our eternity. Be careful what you say, they will either acquit you or condemn you.
Such people claim they know God, but they deny him by the way they live. They are testable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good.
Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
As a start to your new life, try reading Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the gospels. A Christian’s goal is to live as Jesus did, and to develop a relationship with God. Though we can never be perfect, we can always strive to try. Nothing the bible says will ever harm you, it can only strengthen you and bring you closer to God. Get ready to be blessed and filled with a lifetime of joy if you choose this path.
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
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