I wrote this for my college blog. It is exactly the same as the old school blog, just on the college site. :)
With more and more entertainment filling our lives, more messages
entering our brains, more false morals being taught in movies, books,
television, advertisements, and more, the idea of anything having
purpose has slipped from our thoughts, as Satan wants it to. Purpose is a
thing that makes us uncomfortable, and we strive to avoid interacting
with it for that reason, but we end up fulfilling a purpose anyway,
God's or the world's. Wouldn't it just be great if we could just sit on
the fence and not worry about making any moral choices? Maybe. . . . If
you completely ignored the consequences of choosing or not choosing to
love the Creator God.
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christianity. Show all posts
January 29, 2018
November 5, 2017
A Quick Note! Patience, Trust, and Hope
Patience: Patience involves waiting
and remembering that God is in control and He will do things His way in
His timing (which is always perfect.) Patience involves allowing Him
this authority in our lives without complaining. It's something I can
work on. :)
Trust: Trust is when we know everything we can at the moment. But sometimes it seems like we reach the dead end. All that's left are the things you are unsure about. Either you haven't learned it yet, or you have to wait for it, or there seems to linger an annoying doubt or uncertainty that seems to pull down on your ears. You can shake it off, but the thought just lingers a bit. Trust is knowing that, as humans, we can't do anything more. It's leaving the rest to God and believing that God is going to "remember" us as He "remembered" Noah. Not that He forgot him, but that God was ready to do the next thing. God doesn't leave anything unfinished.
Trust: Trust is when we know everything we can at the moment. But sometimes it seems like we reach the dead end. All that's left are the things you are unsure about. Either you haven't learned it yet, or you have to wait for it, or there seems to linger an annoying doubt or uncertainty that seems to pull down on your ears. You can shake it off, but the thought just lingers a bit. Trust is knowing that, as humans, we can't do anything more. It's leaving the rest to God and believing that God is going to "remember" us as He "remembered" Noah. Not that He forgot him, but that God was ready to do the next thing. God doesn't leave anything unfinished.
April 10, 2017
Bible Devo Thingy Thoughts About Verses
I've been thinking about stuffs. A lot of verses have been coming to my mind. I wasted the time I had to write this sooner when the thoughts were fresher, so now I will just go off the verses I have and write and hopefully, I will remember some more things.
At school we were talking about A Farewell to Arms in a socratic seminar. I am very blessed to have open minded, hard-thinking classmates that are pretty much all Christian. The point is not exactly to speak what you believe, but what the author believed, what the character believes, and how those beliefs relate to your own, so it all interconnects. In A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway, it shows the thoughts of the main character, Lt. Frederick Henry saying:
February 10, 2017
Satisfaction
I go into the storage room, see the open bag of veggie straws, and without thinking, reach in and grab a few. My mind awakens by the sound of the salty crunch. Wait a second, I’m not supposed to eating these. These are for school snacks. … Uh oh. How many of these have I eaten already today? I look into the bag. There was about an inch’s worth left in the bottom of the bag. Goodness! The level of veggie straws has gone down noticeably! How did that happen? I’m still craving another crunch, but at that point, if I took much more the entire bag would be gone! I get aggravated that there is nothing to eat. Walking through the kitchen, past the large bowls of fruit and the fridge full of bread, cheese, meat, greens, rice, and more, and head to bed angry at my growling stomach.
September 2, 2016
Identity as a priest in God's Kingdom. A Bible study thingy. :)
I am not me. Me has died completely while I live on. But I am not some reincarnation of me either. I have a different identity. My old identity is dead because it died with Jesus, but what is my new identity? Well, of course it is in Christ because, in God’s eyes, I have the same purity and holiness that Christ has. But what do I do, now that I have been saved? There are many roles explained in the Bible that I can strive to be, such as a soldier, and a farmer, and an athlete, which each have a new perspective of the work God has laid out for us. Throughout my life, I will strive to learn and grow and become all of them, if I’m given enough time.
One thing that has struck me somewhat recently is that God also calls us to be priests. A kingdom of priests to be exact. Exodus 19 shows what it takes to be holy and pure and dedicated to the work of the Lord. Exodus 19:4-6a says, ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ The people tell Moses that they will do whatever the Lord desires them to do.
July 15, 2016
Quote- (Why does evil exist?)
For God judged it better to bring good out of evil than not to
permit any evil to exist. The same creature who stubbornly turned away from His Light
and violated the image of the Creator in himself, who had in the evil use of
his free will broken away from the wholesome discipline of God's law--would it
not have been just if such a being had been abandoned by God wholly and forever
and laid under the everlasting punishment which he deserved? Clearly God would
have done this if he were only just and not also merciful and if he had not
willed to show far more striking evidence of his mercy by pardoning some who
were unworthy of it.
~Augustine
~Augustine
May 4, 2016
May 1, 2016
April 29, 2016
Poems I've collected/written for school. Theme: Roads to Travel
Sorry for the wacky format in some places. I copied this from another document, so that's where it comes from. :)
The Roads I Travel
Another path may be unmade.
Where I'm the first to trod fresh earth.
I might go where the stars are laid
And watch their daily death and birth.
Although my mind might power these
They are adventures nonetheless.
How else to go through cliffs and trees
Is there but through my thought process?
The roads on earth and roads unseen
That I have traveled far and wide
Told me life is a path in Him
And Christ will lead me from inside.
Yet Christ is walking with me too.
He takes the burden of my pain.
His grace is new as morning dew.
His blessings come with life like rain.
And so I travel on these roads
Because I know I'm not alone.
Since I no longer have my load
The path I take will bring me home.
Ode to Air Travel
By Gregory Pincus
My seat belt is fastened – it’s snug and secure.
Been sitting here hours... and feels it for sure.
I finished my books during airport delays.
It turns out my iPod’s been uncharged for days.
I’ve studied the plane wing: I’ve counted the rivets.
I’ve noted my seat cushion’s deepening divots.
I spilled all my water (my pants are still drying).
I hear one babe cooing... and 17 crying.
The man right behind me drones stories so boring,
I think I’m preferring my seat-mate’s wheezed snoring.
My back aches in tense, upright, locked tight position.
It’s clear 30A has a stomach condition.
Yet just when I think I can’t take anymore,
And I’m wishing my window would turn to a door,
I hear these great words (over 30B’s cough),
“This is your captain… we’re cleared to take off!”
The Call of the Wild
Roads Go Ever On
By J.R.R. Tolkien
My God, who should I look to in distress?
Who shall I lean upon when all else gives?
My soul longs for salvation from this mess
And wishes dearly to break through and live.
I've starved myself from the food of your Word
And lived upon you're “putting up” with me.
And now it seems my prayers you haven't heard,
It's only unconfessed iniquity.
I know who I can stand on in the flood!
The Solid Rock who gave Himself for me.
My sins are gone, they vanished in His blood
For Jesus was crucified on the tree.
Henceforth, God sees me as his perfect child.
Through Jesus, I have now been reconciled.
The Roads I Travel
My Original Poem
The roads I take are not
mere lanes
Of useless asphalt on the
ground
And though they lead to
places plain
Finer sites can still be
found.
My road will curve up in
the sky
To conquer clouds with
wings of flight
Or bend to where the
oceans lie
The wondrous deep of wavy
light.
Another path may be unmade.
Where I'm the first to trod fresh earth.
I might go where the stars are laid
And watch their daily death and birth.
Although my mind might power these
They are adventures nonetheless.
How else to go through cliffs and trees
Is there but through my thought process?
The roads on earth and roads unseen
That I have traveled far and wide
Told me life is a path in Him
And Christ will lead me from inside.
Yet Christ is walking with me too.
He takes the burden of my pain.
His grace is new as morning dew.
His blessings come with life like rain.
And so I travel on these roads
Because I know I'm not alone.
Since I no longer have my load
The path I take will bring me home.
Ode to Air Travel
By Gregory Pincus
My seat belt is fastened – it’s snug and secure.
Been sitting here hours... and feels it for sure.
I finished my books during airport delays.
It turns out my iPod’s been uncharged for days.
I’ve studied the plane wing: I’ve counted the rivets.
I’ve noted my seat cushion’s deepening divots.
I spilled all my water (my pants are still drying).
I hear one babe cooing... and 17 crying.
The man right behind me drones stories so boring,
I think I’m preferring my seat-mate’s wheezed snoring.
My back aches in tense, upright, locked tight position.
It’s clear 30A has a stomach condition.
Yet just when I think I can’t take anymore,
And I’m wishing my window would turn to a door,
I hear these great words (over 30B’s cough),
“This is your captain… we’re cleared to take off!”
The Call of the Wild
By
Robert William Service
Have you gazed on
naked grandeur where there's nothing else to gaze on,
Set pieces and drop-curtain scenes galore,
Big mountains heaved to heaven, which the blinding sunsets blazon,
Black canyons where the rapids rip and roar?
Have you swept the visioned valley with the green stream streaking through it,
Searched the Vastness for a something you have lost?
Have you strung your soul to silence? Then for God's sake go and do it;
Hear the challenge, learn the lesson, pay the cost.
Have you wandered in the wilderness, the sagebrush desolation,
The bunch-grass levels where the cattle graze?
Have you whistled bits of rag-time at the end of all creation,
And learned to know the desert's little ways?
Have you camped upon the foothills, have you galloped o'er the ranges,
Have you roamed the arid sun-lands through and through?
Have you chummed up with the mesa? Do you know its moods and changes?
Then listen to the Wild -- it's calling you.
Have you known the Great White Silence, not a snow-gemmed twig aquiver?
(Eternal truths that shame our soothing lies.)
Have you broken trail on snowshoes? mushed your huskies up the river,
Dared the unknown, led the way, and clutched the prize?
Have you marked the map's void spaces, mingled with the mongrel races,
Felt the savage strength of brute in every thew?
And though grim as hell the worst is, can you round it off with curses?
Then hearken to the Wild -- it's wanting you.
Have you suffered, starved and triumphed, groveled down, yet grasped at glory,
Grown bigger in the bigness of the whole?
"Done things" just for the doing, letting babblers tell the story,
Seeing through the nice veneer the naked soul?
Have you seen God in His splendors, heard the text that nature renders?
(You'll never hear it in the family pew.)
The simple things, the true things, the silent men who do things --
Then listen to the Wild -- it's calling you.
They have cradled you in custom, they have primed you with their preaching,
They have soaked you in convention through and through;
They have put you in a showcase; you're a credit to their teaching --
But can't you hear the Wild? -- it's calling you.
Let us probe the silent places, let us seek what luck betide us;
Let us journey to a lonely land I know.
There's a whisper on the night-wind, there's a star agleam to guide us,
And the Wild is calling, calling . . . let us go.
Set pieces and drop-curtain scenes galore,
Big mountains heaved to heaven, which the blinding sunsets blazon,
Black canyons where the rapids rip and roar?
Have you swept the visioned valley with the green stream streaking through it,
Searched the Vastness for a something you have lost?
Have you strung your soul to silence? Then for God's sake go and do it;
Hear the challenge, learn the lesson, pay the cost.
Have you wandered in the wilderness, the sagebrush desolation,
The bunch-grass levels where the cattle graze?
Have you whistled bits of rag-time at the end of all creation,
And learned to know the desert's little ways?
Have you camped upon the foothills, have you galloped o'er the ranges,
Have you roamed the arid sun-lands through and through?
Have you chummed up with the mesa? Do you know its moods and changes?
Then listen to the Wild -- it's calling you.
Have you known the Great White Silence, not a snow-gemmed twig aquiver?
(Eternal truths that shame our soothing lies.)
Have you broken trail on snowshoes? mushed your huskies up the river,
Dared the unknown, led the way, and clutched the prize?
Have you marked the map's void spaces, mingled with the mongrel races,
Felt the savage strength of brute in every thew?
And though grim as hell the worst is, can you round it off with curses?
Then hearken to the Wild -- it's wanting you.
Have you suffered, starved and triumphed, groveled down, yet grasped at glory,
Grown bigger in the bigness of the whole?
"Done things" just for the doing, letting babblers tell the story,
Seeing through the nice veneer the naked soul?
Have you seen God in His splendors, heard the text that nature renders?
(You'll never hear it in the family pew.)
The simple things, the true things, the silent men who do things --
Then listen to the Wild -- it's calling you.
They have cradled you in custom, they have primed you with their preaching,
They have soaked you in convention through and through;
They have put you in a showcase; you're a credit to their teaching --
But can't you hear the Wild? -- it's calling you.
Let us probe the silent places, let us seek what luck betide us;
Let us journey to a lonely land I know.
There's a whisper on the night-wind, there's a star agleam to guide us,
And the Wild is calling, calling . . . let us go.
By J.R.R. Tolkien
Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.
Roads go ever ever on,
Under cloud and under star.
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen,
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green,
And trees and hills they long have known.
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone.
Let others follow, if they can!
Let them a journey new begin.
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet.
Still 'round the corner there may wait
A new road or secret gate;
And though I oft have passed them by,
A day will come at last when I
Shall take the hidden paths that run
West of the Moon, East of the Sun.
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.
Roads go ever ever on,
Under cloud and under star.
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen,
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green,
And trees and hills they long have known.
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone.
Let others follow, if they can!
Let them a journey new begin.
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet.
Still 'round the corner there may wait
A new road or secret gate;
And though I oft have passed them by,
A day will come at last when I
Shall take the hidden paths that run
West of the Moon, East of the Sun.
The
Road Not Taken
By Robert Frost
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
“Our Journey Had Advanced”
“Our Journey Had Advanced”
By Emily Dickenson
Our
journey had advanced —
Our feet were almost come
To that odd Fork in Being's Road —
Eternity — by Term —
Our pace took sudden awe —
Our feet — reluctant — led —
Before — were Cities — but Between —
The Forest of the Dead —
Retreat — was out of Hope —
Behind — a Sealed Route —
Eternity's White Flag — Before —
And God — at every Gate —
Our feet were almost come
To that odd Fork in Being's Road —
Eternity — by Term —
Our pace took sudden awe —
Our feet — reluctant — led —
Before — were Cities — but Between —
The Forest of the Dead —
Retreat — was out of Hope —
Behind — a Sealed Route —
Eternity's White Flag — Before —
And God — at every Gate —
Sonnet to the Lord
My SonnetMy God, who should I look to in distress?
Who shall I lean upon when all else gives?
My soul longs for salvation from this mess
And wishes dearly to break through and live.
I've starved myself from the food of your Word
And lived upon you're “putting up” with me.
And now it seems my prayers you haven't heard,
It's only unconfessed iniquity.
I know who I can stand on in the flood!
The Solid Rock who gave Himself for me.
My sins are gone, they vanished in His blood
For Jesus was crucified on the tree.
Henceforth, God sees me as his perfect child.
Through Jesus, I have now been reconciled.
One of my favorite songs.
Here are verses from one of my favorite songs. Here's the video:
Here are the related verses: Psalms 27:1 (Whom shall I fear?) Psalm 44:5 (and more verses along the lines of God crushing our enemies,) Ephesians 4:17, (and there was another Psalm that I just read that talked about God being our sword and shield, but I forgot which one it was! >:( ,) Isaiah 58:8 (God being before us and behind us,) 2 Kings 6:15-17 (God of angel armies,) Psalms 46:1, (He's always by our side,) Psalms 146:10 (the Lord Reigns forever.) Does anyone know of a verse that talks about God / Christ being our friend? I'm sure there's a lot in the Bible about it. Acts 4:12 (God alone can save.) Just as God delivered His people from the captivity of Egypt, Jesus has delivered us from the captivity of our sins. John 16:33 (Victory is the Lord's,) and Romans 8:31 (nothing formed against us will stand,) Psalms 95:3-5 (the whole world is His,) 2 Timothy 2:13 and Deuteronomy 7:9 (God is faithful.)
Here are the related verses: Psalms 27:1 (Whom shall I fear?) Psalm 44:5 (and more verses along the lines of God crushing our enemies,) Ephesians 4:17, (and there was another Psalm that I just read that talked about God being our sword and shield, but I forgot which one it was! >:( ,) Isaiah 58:8 (God being before us and behind us,) 2 Kings 6:15-17 (God of angel armies,) Psalms 46:1, (He's always by our side,) Psalms 146:10 (the Lord Reigns forever.) Does anyone know of a verse that talks about God / Christ being our friend? I'm sure there's a lot in the Bible about it. Acts 4:12 (God alone can save.) Just as God delivered His people from the captivity of Egypt, Jesus has delivered us from the captivity of our sins. John 16:33 (Victory is the Lord's,) and Romans 8:31 (nothing formed against us will stand,) Psalms 95:3-5 (the whole world is His,) 2 Timothy 2:13 and Deuteronomy 7:9 (God is faithful.)
March 20, 2016
How are we empowered by the Holy Spirit?
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your
gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about
anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:4-7
Do you ever feel like you’re being watched? I have some good news for you! You are. Everyone you interact with are watching how you live and react to things. You are also using their examples of living as well be it for good or bad. (This is usually for little things that one is unaware of, but one can still recognize when he doesn't want to live like somebody else or even subconsciously reject an example. Either way, our brains are always analyzing other people's lifestyles.) Have you ever met someone who acts really weird and you wonder what makes them live like that? A few days ago, I met someone who just walked around asking everyone if they wanted to be her friend and have them a hug if they said yes. :-) Why on earth was she doing that? As Christians, we should be the same way. (Okay. She was a little crazy, but what I mean is, people should react to us the same way I was surprised by her.)
From the verse, our joy, gentleness, and confidence should be evident to the people who watch us and the people we serve.
“Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good. His love endures forever.”
Psalm 136:1 NIV
Again, we have joy, gentleness, confidence, and now thanks and praise.The world does not have these things. Just watch some popular TV shows in a restaurant or at the gym or something and you will see what I mean. What praise can they give? They can only take pride in themselves. What gentleness are they able to show? Only what their tempers and other feelings allow. What confidence do they have? Only what their god’s give and there is no other God than the God we serve. These people live in the dark land of work that only reaps thorns and blood, war that settles nothing, and a broken society that harvests hate and utterly ignores the God that is able to save them.
How can we hope in this dark world? We are loved and saved by Jesus. He gave us light, peace, joy, gratitude, and filled us to the overflowing with his love. We are a light in the dark land because we have His Holy Spirit. What are we to do?
We are to let Christ’s love that overflows out of our cups land on the
oppressed, the hungry, the wanderer, the naked, to everyone made in the
image of God. Then our light will be to them like seeing the dawn again
after dying. They will wonder how we are so different, so holy, so joy
filled and radiant. It is because the Lord is with us. When we cry for
help, He tells us He is right beside us and will support us.
Later on, in verse 11, Isaiah says that when the Lord guides, satisfies, and strengthens us, we will be called repairer of broken walls and restorers of streets with dwellings. If you watch the highly recommended With All Your Heart video series, Ray Vanderlaan talks about God’s nation on a fertile hillside. Each farmers owned one level of the hill that spread horizontally across the side of it. The other farmers owned the raised or lowered levels on either side. The levels held up by rock walls: walls made of stacked rocks carefully fitted into each other to be firm and smaller rocks crammed in the cracks. If these walls fell, all the fertile soil that may have taken years to nurture would erode away at the next rain, never to be retrieved.
To be a repairer of broken walls is to be one of those farmers, who works on his wall and on his neighbor's wall because both would be affected if one wall collapsed. A repairer of broken walls is somebody who loves his neighbor and takes care of them; he is one who takes a firm responsibility in his community and keeps it strong.
So my main point are that when we have Christ, we have joy, gentleness, confidence, peace, thanksgiving, praise, light, purpose, and the ability to spread these great things to others because God wants to gather all His children back together.
Also, when people wonder why you are so different, when people ask you for a reason for the hope that is in you, be prepared to give an answer with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)
Philippians 4:4-7
Do you ever feel like you’re being watched? I have some good news for you! You are. Everyone you interact with are watching how you live and react to things. You are also using their examples of living as well be it for good or bad. (This is usually for little things that one is unaware of, but one can still recognize when he doesn't want to live like somebody else or even subconsciously reject an example. Either way, our brains are always analyzing other people's lifestyles.) Have you ever met someone who acts really weird and you wonder what makes them live like that? A few days ago, I met someone who just walked around asking everyone if they wanted to be her friend and have them a hug if they said yes. :-) Why on earth was she doing that? As Christians, we should be the same way. (Okay. She was a little crazy, but what I mean is, people should react to us the same way I was surprised by her.)
From the verse, our joy, gentleness, and confidence should be evident to the people who watch us and the people we serve.
“Give thanks to the Lord , for he is good. His love endures forever.”
Psalm 136:1 NIV
Again, we have joy, gentleness, confidence, and now thanks and praise.The world does not have these things. Just watch some popular TV shows in a restaurant or at the gym or something and you will see what I mean. What praise can they give? They can only take pride in themselves. What gentleness are they able to show? Only what their tempers and other feelings allow. What confidence do they have? Only what their god’s give and there is no other God than the God we serve. These people live in the dark land of work that only reaps thorns and blood, war that settles nothing, and a broken society that harvests hate and utterly ignores the God that is able to save them.
How can we hope in this dark world? We are loved and saved by Jesus. He gave us light, peace, joy, gratitude, and filled us to the overflowing with his love. We are a light in the dark land because we have His Holy Spirit. What are we to do?
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I."
Isaiah 58:6-9
Later on, in verse 11, Isaiah says that when the Lord guides, satisfies, and strengthens us, we will be called repairer of broken walls and restorers of streets with dwellings. If you watch the highly recommended With All Your Heart video series, Ray Vanderlaan talks about God’s nation on a fertile hillside. Each farmers owned one level of the hill that spread horizontally across the side of it. The other farmers owned the raised or lowered levels on either side. The levels held up by rock walls: walls made of stacked rocks carefully fitted into each other to be firm and smaller rocks crammed in the cracks. If these walls fell, all the fertile soil that may have taken years to nurture would erode away at the next rain, never to be retrieved.
To be a repairer of broken walls is to be one of those farmers, who works on his wall and on his neighbor's wall because both would be affected if one wall collapsed. A repairer of broken walls is somebody who loves his neighbor and takes care of them; he is one who takes a firm responsibility in his community and keeps it strong.
So my main point are that when we have Christ, we have joy, gentleness, confidence, peace, thanksgiving, praise, light, purpose, and the ability to spread these great things to others because God wants to gather all His children back together.
Also, when people wonder why you are so different, when people ask you for a reason for the hope that is in you, be prepared to give an answer with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)
February 5, 2016
January 30, 2016
Until He Comes!
We are in a time period where Jesus has come to die for our sins, but we're still waiting for Him to come back again. The Israelites were given careful instruction for how to worship and praise God in the Old Testament. Now that Christ has come and paid the price for our sins, what are we supposed to do to worship and praise God? (Assuming we are already saved. What I am about to talk about is not something you have to do, but what the Holy Spirit inspires us to do when we accept Him into our hearts. Also, I want God to be speaking through me at this point, because if I were teaching from my own "wisdom" I would really be a hypocrite right now. I'm trying hard, though, now, and God is definitely shaping me everyday to be more like Him.)
In the greatest commandment, we are told to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves. All the laws and the prophets hang on these two commandments. Matthew 22:37-40 In one way, I would say that this means that out of the love we have for God, and the love He has given us, we are to love others. When He washed His disciples' feet, Jesus, the Teacher and Lord of the whole earth, makes himself humble and washes the stinky, dirty feet of His friends, making Himself their servants. "Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet," He says to them. (John 13:1-17) Jesus also says in the last three verses of Matthew to teach others through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. Matthew 28:18-20
Paul also sheds light on what our role is now that Christ has come. In the fourth chapter of Second Timothy, verses the first through the fifth (As Charles Dickens would have put it, :) which I will let you look up yourself, Paul says to always be ready to preach the Word! We need to correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. (That is very important.) In doing the work of an evangelist, we spread the Sound Doctrine of the Gospel. Even though we do go through hard times and persecution in doing this, it's still kind-of nice! God gives us all the words to say, and if you look at the last verse of the previous chapter, you will see that when the Holy Spirit works in you, nothing can go wrong when you preach out of the Bible. Also, In Ephesians 6:10-17, he talks about being a warrior. (I've probably brought this up every time, but I just love that verse.)
Out of what Jesus and Paul have said (and they say much more than that,) the Holy Spirit calls us to be servants/slaves, preachers/ambassadors, and warriors now that we have accepted Christ into our hearts.
Servants/slaves: A servant is someone who works for someone all the time, really hard, and doesn't expect anything back. We are to be slaves not only to God and righteousness by being faithful to Him, but also to others to show the power of God. And again, we serve others because the Lord and Teacher of the universe has served us. Plus we are to love our neighbor as ourselves.If we are willing to serve ourselves for our benefit, we should be just as willing to serve others in the same way.
Ambassador/preacher: In the real world, an ambassador is a native of one country that lives in a different one, who is hired by the leader of that country, to bring that leader's message to the leader of the other country in person. (Does that make any sense? Look it up on google if it doesn't :) We are called to be ambassadors of God's kingdom to bring His Good News to the people of this earth. A preacher/ ambassador for Christ does not always have to stand behind a podium. An ambassador of Christ may be just a regular person who does every little thing for the glory of God. That person preaches with loud words when people notice him, even though he uses no words. The awesome part of when you preach like that is when people ask, "Why?" "Why are you always serving me so much? I haven't done anything to you." "Why do you always forgive me?" "Why do you always do thing for God?" What an opportunity to preach the Word while actually using words! And again, they won;t be your words, they'll be His.
Warrior: (see the AHH! I missed two weeks! post :) This is my favorite part. It is so cool. Obviously, a warrior is someone who fights for a certain cause. When we are warriors, we fight against the devil, his demons, sin, and temptations. However, God is really the Big Fighter. We only fight (and succeed in fighting) these evil things when we are properly equipped with the Armor of God. In other words, the only reason why this could ever work is because the Big Fighter, God is really fighting through us.
And we are going to start of as experts. Yep.... NO! We will definitely not start off as experts. In fact, we will be really bad at it at first. Life is a long, hard path, and when we live our best, God will work through us and make us better people. I may be farther or less far along in the Christian path than some of you guys, that does not make me a worse or better person than you. It is all in God's hands. Think about it in terms of us starting off as a boring block of rock. God has His chisel and he is slowly but surely turning us into something magnificent and that something magnificent is finished in Heaven.
When we live as an servant, ambassador, and warrior, we worship and glorify God greatly. We definitely can sing and dance to praise Him, but we also praise Him when we live these things to the fullest and when the world asks, "Why?"
Ephesians 4:1-7 When all the body of Christ strives to be a slave, preacher, and warrior, all evil will tremble, for that is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 15:56-58
November 20, 2015
November 12, 2015
Bible Study Thingy!
The last few weeks I have not only been really busy,
but I couldn't think about anything to talk about. This time, Ray
Vanderlaan inspired me a bit.
Have you ever heard the saying, "You are what you eat?" That is very true about Christianity. The saying encourages you to eat healthy. The Bible does too, both physically and spiritually. (I Tim. 4:6-16). In the world, a lot of evil happens. Satan has been successful in distracting us through fear, pride, envy, etc. (You probably get it; we see it everywhere.) The people in the world are desperate for the good news. Do you read the Bible? (trick question) That's not enough to survive this world. Many people are like the foolish man who have built their house on the sand. I've been that person. No, it's not enough to just read the Bible. We've got to EAT IT! (Of course, reading the Bible is not what saves you, but is what gives us the tool against lies which is the Sword of the Spirit)
This is what Psalm 1 says:
"Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers."
Ray Vanderlaan said that the word 'meditate' was translated from a word that really means something more like 'devour'. We are in a desperate world and reading the Bible is not enough to build us up into a person like Christ. We must devour the Word and ravish in it. You are what you eat! When our delight is in the Word, which is one thing I am personally working on, we become a strong, mighty tree. We are fed by the Lord (streams of water,) we are a pleasant shade in the desert, our fruits of the Spirit are good, and our leaf will not wither. We will survive this world! Jesus Christ was the Word of God in human form. When we eat the Bible and have faith in Him, we become more and more like Him. It is not by our own strength that we are saved, it's His! We only have to accept Him and stand our ground like Ephesians says. That's still gonna be tough. Our faith gets stronger when we go through many trails. Therefore, HANG ON TO HIM! He's been through it already, He knows the way, and He never fails!
"When your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name,
Lord God Almighty."
Jeremiah 15:16
Have you ever heard the saying, "You are what you eat?" That is very true about Christianity. The saying encourages you to eat healthy. The Bible does too, both physically and spiritually. (I Tim. 4:6-16). In the world, a lot of evil happens. Satan has been successful in distracting us through fear, pride, envy, etc. (You probably get it; we see it everywhere.) The people in the world are desperate for the good news. Do you read the Bible? (trick question) That's not enough to survive this world. Many people are like the foolish man who have built their house on the sand. I've been that person. No, it's not enough to just read the Bible. We've got to EAT IT! (Of course, reading the Bible is not what saves you, but is what gives us the tool against lies which is the Sword of the Spirit)
This is what Psalm 1 says:
"Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers."
Ray Vanderlaan said that the word 'meditate' was translated from a word that really means something more like 'devour'. We are in a desperate world and reading the Bible is not enough to build us up into a person like Christ. We must devour the Word and ravish in it. You are what you eat! When our delight is in the Word, which is one thing I am personally working on, we become a strong, mighty tree. We are fed by the Lord (streams of water,) we are a pleasant shade in the desert, our fruits of the Spirit are good, and our leaf will not wither. We will survive this world! Jesus Christ was the Word of God in human form. When we eat the Bible and have faith in Him, we become more and more like Him. It is not by our own strength that we are saved, it's His! We only have to accept Him and stand our ground like Ephesians says. That's still gonna be tough. Our faith gets stronger when we go through many trails. Therefore, HANG ON TO HIM! He's been through it already, He knows the way, and He never fails!
"When your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name,
Lord God Almighty."
Jeremiah 15:16
October 27, 2015
Go Operation Christmas Child!!!!!!!
If you decide to pack your own box, which is more likely than letting me pack it and send it for you, I suppose, I promise that you will find joy in sending a little kid somewhere on this globe a present that will make him very happy. It also teaches kids the gospel! That's the best part.
October 7, 2015
School Blog Bible study
Again I want to talk about faith, but this time the promise that God gives when we have faith. Hebrews 11:1 says,
"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
Faith is a sure hope. It's not, "Oh, I hope I get pizza for dinner," or "I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow." That kind of hope is unsure. You don't genuinely know if your gonna have pizza for dinner or that it won't rain tomorrow. The faith shown in the verse is a hope in God's promises that you do know will happen. It's because God never fails. The cool thing about faith is that when we put our faith in God, we no longer have to try to see everything. God sees what is about to happen. He sees everything we don't, and he guides us through life's obstacles when we listen to Him closely. This is sometimes a problem for me! I like to try to see things for myself sometimes. Sometimes, I forget about my faith in God and kind-of leave it behind. Usually God lets me. I learn a lesson every time I bump into something that only God could have seen in my life. God allows this so that I can remember that things don't work out well when I make myself "God." So I fully restore my faith, pray, and put my trust in God again to have a sure hope. Faith is a daily thing, I think. As a child of God, I always have the goal in mind. However, dieing to sin like the Bible says is hard. Christ however, is running right beside me and He picks me up when I stumble, so I have to accept Him every day even after I've accepted Him for life. I guess it just helps remind me constantly even though my choices don't lose their value, 'cause humans forget things easily. Does that make any sense at all?
The world is falling apart because they do not have a sure hope. I say 'they are falling apart' as in the world because though we are in the world, as Christians, we are not of the world. The world is falling apart, Christ is holding us up. John 15:19
Anyway, one of my favorite examples of faith is the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Here are the most powerful words from it that the three Hebrews said:
16 "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, 'King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.'"
This verse shows that God not only watches over His children, but he also protects them. I like how they say that God may choose to bring them to heaven, but that's still protecting them, right?
Another great example of faith: Luke 21:1-4:
"As He looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 'I tell you the truth,' He said, 'This poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
This humble woman knew that God would not forget her and even in her poverty, she trusted the Lord. She knew that He would provide for her, so out of the love of the Lord that she had in her heart, she gave to Him her last cents. This brings the third good point: God provides for us. When we humbly give our all, He returns to us everything we need to live on. That woman probably never knew that Jesus had noticed her on earth; instead, she has been an amazing example of faith to me because of this. It reminds me to be a humble slave to God like I wrote about the first time. I love Him and He will give me all I need because He loves me.
To summarize this whole study thingy (I don't know what to call it.) God watches over us day and night. Psalm 121 He protects us like he protected Shadrach and his friends. (Even if we are harmed or killed he has protected us from the Evil One.) He provides for us and cares for us as dearly loved children. Don't we worship an awesome God?
"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
Faith is a sure hope. It's not, "Oh, I hope I get pizza for dinner," or "I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow." That kind of hope is unsure. You don't genuinely know if your gonna have pizza for dinner or that it won't rain tomorrow. The faith shown in the verse is a hope in God's promises that you do know will happen. It's because God never fails. The cool thing about faith is that when we put our faith in God, we no longer have to try to see everything. God sees what is about to happen. He sees everything we don't, and he guides us through life's obstacles when we listen to Him closely. This is sometimes a problem for me! I like to try to see things for myself sometimes. Sometimes, I forget about my faith in God and kind-of leave it behind. Usually God lets me. I learn a lesson every time I bump into something that only God could have seen in my life. God allows this so that I can remember that things don't work out well when I make myself "God." So I fully restore my faith, pray, and put my trust in God again to have a sure hope. Faith is a daily thing, I think. As a child of God, I always have the goal in mind. However, dieing to sin like the Bible says is hard. Christ however, is running right beside me and He picks me up when I stumble, so I have to accept Him every day even after I've accepted Him for life. I guess it just helps remind me constantly even though my choices don't lose their value, 'cause humans forget things easily. Does that make any sense at all?
The world is falling apart because they do not have a sure hope. I say 'they are falling apart' as in the world because though we are in the world, as Christians, we are not of the world. The world is falling apart, Christ is holding us up. John 15:19
Anyway, one of my favorite examples of faith is the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Here are the most powerful words from it that the three Hebrews said:
16 "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, 'King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.'"
This verse shows that God not only watches over His children, but he also protects them. I like how they say that God may choose to bring them to heaven, but that's still protecting them, right?
Another great example of faith: Luke 21:1-4:
"As He looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 'I tell you the truth,' He said, 'This poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
This humble woman knew that God would not forget her and even in her poverty, she trusted the Lord. She knew that He would provide for her, so out of the love of the Lord that she had in her heart, she gave to Him her last cents. This brings the third good point: God provides for us. When we humbly give our all, He returns to us everything we need to live on. That woman probably never knew that Jesus had noticed her on earth; instead, she has been an amazing example of faith to me because of this. It reminds me to be a humble slave to God like I wrote about the first time. I love Him and He will give me all I need because He loves me.
To summarize this whole study thingy (I don't know what to call it.) God watches over us day and night. Psalm 121 He protects us like he protected Shadrach and his friends. (Even if we are harmed or killed he has protected us from the Evil One.) He provides for us and cares for us as dearly loved children. Don't we worship an awesome God?
September 29, 2015
School Bible study thingy. I missed two weeks this time. :(
I am really sorry; I have been really busy, so I couldn't do the
Bible study post thingy! Anyway, I want to write about faith. My
favorite verses from the bible come from Ephesians. Chapter 6:10 through
17 says:
I know I have kind-of already talked about it, but I love this verse, so I decided this should be my topic. Here is why I like this verse.
Life is hard. There are struggles and hardships around every corner, it seems. In reality, it is a war. Spiritual warfare is active in every human being. The devil is temping everyone to give up. He wants us to abandon God and he is trying his best to make it happen. Lies or almost-truths fly at us to force us to devalue ourselves. Bad messages are being wedged into the minds of the lost so that they might desire something else other than God. Those who have blocked their ears to the Savior's voice have found themselves in the sinking sand of depression. The spirits of those who have lost their purpose have tried to become what they aren't in order to be accepted by men. Those who aren't on their guard because they believe that there isn't war at all are attacked without a spiritual weapon to defend them. These people's hearts are not firmly fastened to the truth. Life is impossible in the presence of the enemy. Or is it?
The Christian life is one of hope, for our powerful ally, the Lord Almighty has won the battle and rendered death defeated. It is still here, but it has no power over us. Christ has won the victory! He has given us Truth, Light, Guidance, a Firm Foundation, Purpose, Strength, and a Stronghold because He is those things. The enemy has not yet been sent to hell, but he still is at work in the world. Christ is with us, and he has offered the tools to stand firm, should we take it. We have the Belt of Truth to, well, hold all ourselves together.
Romans 1:16 New International Version (NIV) says:
"16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile."
That's what the Belt of Truth does and how it helps us to stand firm. Next, we have the Breastplate of Righteousness. It holds our structure upright. I picture it as the part of the armor that shines like the sun because righteousness loves the light. Or should I say, it shines like the Son, for Christ is the perfectly righteous Son of God. Our feet, then, are also firm on the solid Rock, in the shoes of the readiness of the Gospel of peace. The roman soldier shoes of the time this passage was written in were called caliga and were kind-of like cleats with metal nails sticking out the soles. They were firm, good for long marches, and, well, they helped the soldier stand their ground. It is the same for the spiritual footwear. The Shield of Faith extinguishes the flaming arrows designed to burn in our hearts with degrading lies about ourselves. The shield is the strongest tool of defense to stand our ground. The Helmet of Salvation protects our minds from the wrong messages coming at us from the world. The sword of the Spirit is our hope, for the Word of God counters all the hurling accusations from the Evil One. All these are to help us stand strong.
And we are not alone. No, we can talk to our Almighty Father anytime, because He is fighting for us and He is our friend. This armor is to encourage us to have faith in God. He wants us to believe that He will provide what we need, even protection.
Ephesians 6:10-17New International Version (NIV)
The Armor of God
"10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."I know I have kind-of already talked about it, but I love this verse, so I decided this should be my topic. Here is why I like this verse.
Life is hard. There are struggles and hardships around every corner, it seems. In reality, it is a war. Spiritual warfare is active in every human being. The devil is temping everyone to give up. He wants us to abandon God and he is trying his best to make it happen. Lies or almost-truths fly at us to force us to devalue ourselves. Bad messages are being wedged into the minds of the lost so that they might desire something else other than God. Those who have blocked their ears to the Savior's voice have found themselves in the sinking sand of depression. The spirits of those who have lost their purpose have tried to become what they aren't in order to be accepted by men. Those who aren't on their guard because they believe that there isn't war at all are attacked without a spiritual weapon to defend them. These people's hearts are not firmly fastened to the truth. Life is impossible in the presence of the enemy. Or is it?
The Christian life is one of hope, for our powerful ally, the Lord Almighty has won the battle and rendered death defeated. It is still here, but it has no power over us. Christ has won the victory! He has given us Truth, Light, Guidance, a Firm Foundation, Purpose, Strength, and a Stronghold because He is those things. The enemy has not yet been sent to hell, but he still is at work in the world. Christ is with us, and he has offered the tools to stand firm, should we take it. We have the Belt of Truth to, well, hold all ourselves together.
Romans 1:16 New International Version (NIV) says:
"16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile."
That's what the Belt of Truth does and how it helps us to stand firm. Next, we have the Breastplate of Righteousness. It holds our structure upright. I picture it as the part of the armor that shines like the sun because righteousness loves the light. Or should I say, it shines like the Son, for Christ is the perfectly righteous Son of God. Our feet, then, are also firm on the solid Rock, in the shoes of the readiness of the Gospel of peace. The roman soldier shoes of the time this passage was written in were called caliga and were kind-of like cleats with metal nails sticking out the soles. They were firm, good for long marches, and, well, they helped the soldier stand their ground. It is the same for the spiritual footwear. The Shield of Faith extinguishes the flaming arrows designed to burn in our hearts with degrading lies about ourselves. The shield is the strongest tool of defense to stand our ground. The Helmet of Salvation protects our minds from the wrong messages coming at us from the world. The sword of the Spirit is our hope, for the Word of God counters all the hurling accusations from the Evil One. All these are to help us stand strong.
And we are not alone. No, we can talk to our Almighty Father anytime, because He is fighting for us and He is our friend. This armor is to encourage us to have faith in God. He wants us to believe that He will provide what we need, even protection.
September 8, 2015
For my school blog #2 (I missed a week)
Recently, one of my classmates brought up something that has been on
my mind for a long time because I said something that kind-of sounded
harsh (at least to me). The basics of what was said was that when one
was young (child/teenager), one can goof off and enjoy life while one
can. At first that set off a few red flags in my head, but then I
realized there's a lot more to this than what appears at the top. Let me
show you what I mean. Jesus did this in the Bible:
"He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:2-4
This is what I said: "There are benefits to making a difference in the world when you are young. Do you try to make a difference? No offense at all, but for me, in this fallen world, I believe that I already have a responsibility to live for Jesus and shine my light to the broken and discouraged people around me. Teenagers have such a terrible stereotype and I want to break it. We are not lazy. We do care for the world and the people in it, so we better show it through our actions."
I still believe that, but it makes me wonder what kind of child are we supposed to be living like. The worldly image of a child and the Heavenly Father's children are complete contrasts.
The world expects and encourages us to do, be, think, etc. whatever you want to be happy. That's where the stereotype comes from. There are many of my fellow teenagers that don't really care about anything but themselves and some that don't even realize that they have a duty. I have been both of those teenagers myself. Satan is working in the world to get it to turn away from God. This may mean that the teenagers may be tempted to turn towards themselves and to try to live on their own with things from the world. This is the worldly child. It is easy to be one of these. ( I know from experience... ) It make sense that you only get a chance to be a worldly child once. However, a worldly child turns into a worldly adult and it is hard to break those early-built bonds and habits in that stage. Thankfully, Jesus is graceful. He gives us the strength to turn back if we are lost when we have faith in Him. The point is, though, that the world says to be that kind of child while you have the chance.
We are to be children of God. On one hand we should be children who get up again when we fall because we know we have a Savior and treasure in Heaven; children who are important with Christ. On the other hand, we need to be humble like a child; putting others before us. We should glorify God by our actions in everything we do. We are not citizens of this world, but citizens of heaven going through the world. This is who I am with Christ. I am not perfect; not by a long shot. Through Christ's strength, I will strive to be holy because He is holy and make a difference in the world for His good.
I do not understand what exactly my classmate meant by what was said, but I do know that we have a big choice to make as young human beings and even as adults, I guess. Which child are we gonna be? The worldly child or the Heavenly Father's child?
http://www.thinkinclusive.us
"He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:2-4
This is what I said: "There are benefits to making a difference in the world when you are young. Do you try to make a difference? No offense at all, but for me, in this fallen world, I believe that I already have a responsibility to live for Jesus and shine my light to the broken and discouraged people around me. Teenagers have such a terrible stereotype and I want to break it. We are not lazy. We do care for the world and the people in it, so we better show it through our actions."
I still believe that, but it makes me wonder what kind of child are we supposed to be living like. The worldly image of a child and the Heavenly Father's children are complete contrasts.
The world expects and encourages us to do, be, think, etc. whatever you want to be happy. That's where the stereotype comes from. There are many of my fellow teenagers that don't really care about anything but themselves and some that don't even realize that they have a duty. I have been both of those teenagers myself. Satan is working in the world to get it to turn away from God. This may mean that the teenagers may be tempted to turn towards themselves and to try to live on their own with things from the world. This is the worldly child. It is easy to be one of these. ( I know from experience... ) It make sense that you only get a chance to be a worldly child once. However, a worldly child turns into a worldly adult and it is hard to break those early-built bonds and habits in that stage. Thankfully, Jesus is graceful. He gives us the strength to turn back if we are lost when we have faith in Him. The point is, though, that the world says to be that kind of child while you have the chance.
We are to be children of God. On one hand we should be children who get up again when we fall because we know we have a Savior and treasure in Heaven; children who are important with Christ. On the other hand, we need to be humble like a child; putting others before us. We should glorify God by our actions in everything we do. We are not citizens of this world, but citizens of heaven going through the world. This is who I am with Christ. I am not perfect; not by a long shot. Through Christ's strength, I will strive to be holy because He is holy and make a difference in the world for His good.
I do not understand what exactly my classmate meant by what was said, but I do know that we have a big choice to make as young human beings and even as adults, I guess. Which child are we gonna be? The worldly child or the Heavenly Father's child?
http://www.thinkinclusive.us
August 26, 2015
For my school blog.
| Why I am free |
1 Peter 2:13-17 New International Version (NIV)
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17 Show proper respect to everyone: love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.Obviously, we should respect the government, but that is not what I want to talk about. Ultimately, my King is Jesus. If the government should go wrong, I will follow Him. I will follow Him first anyway, though. In this world our job is to make disciples of all nations. (Mt. 28:19) That's the mission field. What would freedom be defined as in God's present kingdom on earth? In the US, many people think that freedom is the right to be able to do anything they want to do. They are "free" to think whatever they want to. They may live in whatever way is the easiest for them. I've been guilty of thinking like that too. A lot of times, that is true for the United States.
Jesus is perfect, so He should be able to define freedom for a human being. This passage says that to be free is to be slaves of God. At first that makes no sense at all. In fact, even Christians around the world who live as slaves of God don't seem very free sometimes. That's one of the amazing things about God. He is not only able to grant His children physical, worldly freedom, but He also gives spiritual freedom. He sets the heart free and filled with joy when His children do His commands. All the hard work and persecution a Christian may go through will not be done in vain. Instead, he/she will be rewarded greatly for the battle they faced on earth.
That is why I am free. Not because I live in America. Not by any worldly measure or definition of freedom. No. I am free because I am a slave. I am free because my Master is perfect. He is good. I am free because I don't have to worry about life in this world; I have hope in the life to come. Most of all, I am free because my Savior came to earth to die for me. I was sinful, but Jesus paid for it with His own life. I am free because He is holy. I will live a life worthy of what I believe in.
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