Before The New Year

                For the past two years, every week before New Years I grab a sheet of paper and a pen and I write down what I desire from the New Year. I do not write New Years' resolutions. Those I can keep to myself, if I ever make them. This paper is my statement of purpose. I write down the things I am concerned about or desire from God and post them on my wall. It is how I began my faith, and as each Item on the check list is marked off, I have another reason to praise the Lord that I can always look back on. This is not for me or for my own reasons; but about God and putting His kingdom first and making it a goal.

                Before New Year's comes, I will write another one of these statements. I challenge each and every one of you to do the same. Take a piece of paper, pray, and write down what you desire from God. This is not a wish list, but a moment to bring your concerns and needs to God from the bottom of your heart and to watch Him answer the prayers that you have brought Him.

                I dare you to grab a piece of paper, a pen, write down your deepest prayers, post it somewhere in your room, and watch what God does with those things within the year of 2013. It may not be what you expected; but I promise you that if you bring your prayers to God with all seriousness, you will see Him move on it. Trust the Lord for the New Year and see what will happen. It is a perfect way to look back on former years and give glory to God. Why not start making praise-worthy memories this year?


                                                                                                                                         -D

A Task

                Matthew 28:19 says, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." Jesus gave us a task and we, as Christians, have a duty to fulfill it. If we truly call Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, this mission would be on our mind.

                If Jesus Christ is our Lord, we would listen to His command and follow it, as one does when their Lord gives a command under His own authority. If Jesus Christ is our Savior, truly, we would want to share this joy and peace with everyone. This command should not be something that we groan at, but something that we are excited to do because our Savior has given us the chance to be a part of someone else's salvation, and our Lord have spoken us to move in His authority. This command should bring us joy, yet too many of us are sitting around, not doing the will of God.

                By sitting around and not helping, by not going out and sharing the good news and making disciples of all who we can reach, we are choosing to bring death upon others. We don't need to corrupt someone to bring death. If we are not bringing the Gospel, life, we are allowing death to step in. We must be on task at all times. We have been giving a mission of the utmost importance from the highest authority throughout all of space and time. What is keeping you from doing this task?


                                                                                                                                         -D

John 14:27

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

                When I was going through medical tests and blood work was being done, I could have either relied on the doctor or on Jesus. When the doctor called me back about my blood work, he said, in a tone of pure panic, "I just looked at your blood work and it seems that you are horrifically anemic. I need you to come into the office as soon as possible."

                I said, "Sure, I will come right in," and hung up the phone. The first thing I did was jump up and down in sheer joy and thanked the Lord for the gift that He just gave me. Now, for those of you who do not know; anemia is when your blood does not hold enough oxygen and this can be deadly if you have an severe case. Now, why was I jumping up and down? I honestly could not tell you. All I can say is that I had Jesus in my life; and instead of looking at future bills, pills to take, diets to change, lives to alter, like most people would; I saw an all glory to God opportunity on the horizon. I saw a thorn in my side that God would get glorified from, if He removed it or not.

                This is not the way that the world thinks! We have to realize that when we have Jesus in our lives, we do not think or act like the world anymore. The things that once made us happy suddenly make us feel shame or disgust. The things that once looked boring could end up being fun. Some things change and some things don't; but when you know Jesus, you know a peace that surpasses all understanding. No one can truly explain the peace that we have in knowing that we are saved and secure in Jesus Christ; but we do know that if we have no Jesus, we have no peace; but once we know Jesus, we know peace.

                If there is something in your life that is pure trouble and chaos and stress, invite Jesus into the situation and allow Him to take the lead and watch the type of peace that will set into the atmosphere. Pray, read your Bible, and do the will of God and peace that you cannot understand will overcome you and all you will be able to do is be joyful and be at peace when the rest of the world is not. If you need some peace, you need some Jesus. It's just that simple.


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Blog Update

                I will not be blogging tomorrow, on Christmas day. I would only like to say, for today, that we should be focusing on Christmas and what it is all about. Remember that we picked this day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Look at your family and your household. If there was no Christmas tree, no decorations, no lights and string, and no gifts and presents, would you still be celebrating Christmas or would you have nothing to do? Examine yourself, your family, and your household. Christmas has a purpose behind it. Are you celebrating the purpose of Christ, or the purpose of gift giving and decorating for a day, as if we were forbidden to give gifts and be generous any other day of the year. Just examine your heart and bring it to Christ. It is the only gift that He asks of you: your heart. After all, He gave you the gift of salvation and forgiveness.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Road To Recovery

                Sometimes, we come to a point in our lives when we need to choose: do I keep that thing in my life, or do I drop it to have a relationship with God. This "thing" could be a person, an ex, a current relationship, a bad habit, alcohol, violence, an attitude, a mindset, a location, or anything at all that is causing you drama. The major choice comes down to this: will I leave it for God, or will I leave God for it?

                Sometimes we have old "things," that were from before we got saved, or from when we were trying to grow in God, that just refuse to let us go. We struggle, we pray, we run, we hide, but we cannot avoid it. It seems to know when it follows us. That is when we have to trust in God and call upon Him in our times of trouble. Do we really want to be over that thing, or do we just pray and run because that is what we are supposed to do? Do we truly, with all of our heart, want God over that thing?

                If that is the case, pray and remind God that He said that His grace is sufficient for you, even when you have a thorn in your side. (2 Corinthians 12:9) If not, and you want to love God more than that thing, remember Proverbs 3:5-6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your path." If you do not want to choose God over that thing, all that I can say is God bless.

                If you want God to be first, and all the other things be go away, even if it hurts, you have to be willing to let go. God won't always take everything with Him. Sometimes, He will tell you to let go of something, for your own good and for it's own good. You have to trust that the Lord's will is best.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Father's Love For You

                We often get tossed around by the waves of life: school, work, friends, family, relationships, economy, health, and so much more. Things may not be going your way, and everything may seem to be turning on you, making you think that you are all alone and that no on is there for you. Life may be beating you down and you may be getting to the point where you are tired and have nowhere else to go.

                God says that there is no more loneliness  There are no more cloudy days where you have to cry in the midnight hour over fears that will just not go away. The sacrifice that Jesus Christ did on the cross for you was not just to forgive sin; it was also to restore relationship between you and God, the God who will never leave you or throw you away (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5) He will never abandon you because of your feelings, your thoughts, your sins, or your circumstance. He took the cross! He loves you and wants you to know that He is right there for you.

                Here is a love letter, from the Bible, from God to you. If you want to experience this love, all that you have to do is ask Jesus Christ into your heart as your personal Lord and Savior who has washed you clean of your sins, and He will step in and begin to work in your life. 


               My Child,

Not only can I hear you, but I know everything about you (Psalm 139:1). I know when you sit down and when you rise up (Psalm 139:2) I am familiar with all your ways (Psalm 139:3). Even the very hairs on your head are numbered (Matt 10:29-31). For you were made in My image (Genesis 1:27). In Me, you live and move and have your being (Acts 17:27-28) For you are My offspring (Acts 17:28). I knew you even before you were conceived (Jer 1:4-5). I chose you, when I planned creation (Eph 1:11-12). You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in My book (Psalm 139:15-16). I determined the exact time of your birth, and where you would live (Acts 17:26). You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). I knit you together in your mother's womb (Psalm 139:13). And brought you forth on the day you were born (Psalm 71:6). I have been misrepresented by those who don't know Me (John 8:41, 42, 44). I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love (1 John 4:16). And it is My desire to lavish My love on you. Simply because you are My child, and I am your Father (1 John 3:1). I offer you more than your earthly father ever could (Matt 7:11). For I am the perfect Father (Matt 5:48). Every good gift that you receive, comes from My hand (James 1:17). For I am your provider, and I meet all your needs (Matt 6:31-33). My plan for your future has always been filled with hope (Jer 29:11). Because I love you with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3). My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore (Psalm 139:17-18). And I rejoice over you with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). I will never stop doing good to you (Jer 32:40). For you are My treasured possession (Exodus 19:5). I desire to establish you with all My heart, and My soul (Jer 32:41). And I want to show you great and marvelous things (Jer 33:3). If you seek Me with all your heart, you will find Me (Deut 4:29). Delight in Me, and I will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). For it is I, who gave you those desires (Phil 2:13). I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine (Eph 3:20-21). For I am your greatest encourager (2 Thess 2:16-17). And nothing will ever separate you from My love again (Romans 8:38-39). I have always been your Father, and will always be your Father (Eph 3:14-15).
                Love,
                Your Heavenly Father


                                                                                                                                         -D

Not That Awesome

                Allow me to first say this: God's patience is infinite, and mine is not. I can't measure up to God and I have a short fuse for people who want to attack the glory of God.

                Lately, I have seen so many people go to church or say that they are Christians and not live a single bit of it out. It is one thing to fall short, but it's another thing to not even want to be on the path. I have heard everything from, "God needs to give me what I want," to "God needs to be humble," from multiple people. I am always left in pure rage. I would say speechless, but scripture always comes to mind, such as Proverbs 16:5: "Everyone who is arrogant in his heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished." Or Galatians 6:3, "For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself."

                Before I go on, ask yourself this. What does God owe you? "Well, I go to church every Sunday and Bible Study every Wednesday and Community Group every Monday and I go to all the church events and go to all of the charities and I help as a volunteer, and I'm always in the prayer group, etc. etc. etc." Great for you! That is wonderful! The church owes you a thank you; but what does God owe you? Allow me to tell you: nothing.

                Asking God why He is messing up is like asking an Alaskan how they deal with all that heat. It just doesn't make sense. God breathed life into your body. God formed you in your mother's womb. God gave you elements to put a roof over your head, crops to put food on your table, a source of income to pay bills, and enough left over to have expenses such as internet and cell phones and transportation; and you dare ask God to pay you back?

                You wonder why your marriage won't work, why your job won't pull through, why your car isn't getting fixed, why school isn't getting less stressful, why your friends keep causing you drama, why the pain isn't going away? James 4:6 says, "But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Before you go to God with a list of reminders of all of the "good deeds" that you've done, tell me if any of those add up to this: God sending His only son, who is perfect and blameless in all ways, to be a poor Jewish boy who would be bullied, spit on, kicked, put down, driven out of cities, and tortured through the punishment given to only the scum of the Earth for the wrongs and the mess ups that YOU did. No amount of going to church can measure up to going to the cross; and no amount of charity work or good deeds could match up to living a life without sin and dying for someone else who would come to you and say that you owe them something.

                Does hearing this make you feel bad? Do you not like the guilt trip? No one does; but the truth isn't always warm and fuzzy. Until you can humble yourself enough to realize that Jesus is the King upon the throne who died for you, and you are the sinner who has broken His rules, you cannot go anywhere with God. He opposes the proud! Until you stop trying to be bigger than God, and realize that you have no power or authority in His court you will continue to suffer by the hands of your own arrogance while God waits patiently for you to come with a humble heart. It is not about making you feel bad, it is about always remembering who is greatest and where we stand with Him. Once you come in humility and patience and seek His face, He will reward you for being a faithful servant and be gracious towards you.


                                                                                                                                        -D

For My Servant

                When I was reading 1 Kings and 2 Kings, I noticed something special. David was a faithful servant of the Lord's. Many times, after David passed away, and his children began to rule on the throne, Solomon began to follow in David's foot steps for years, but he had a weakness. He loved foreign women. Now, God is not against interracial marriage; but these women were bringing in their false gods, which angered the Lord. When Solomon did not remember the Lord and married many wives who corrupted the land, the Lord became angry at Solomon for turning away from God and breaking his word.

                1 Kings 11:11-13 says, "So the Lord said to Solomon, 'Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. Nevertheless, for the save of David your father, I will not do it during your life time. I will tear it out of the hands of your son. Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem  which I have chosen."

                Later on, we also see God say, "I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant." (2 Kings 19:34) We see that, because David followed the word of the Lord and was a faithful servant who honored the Lord, God kept him in mind when his children began to go crazy.

                Now, in these days and ages, we see so many chaotic things going wrong and so many  sins rising up and overtaking the world; but we have to remember what God did for David. If we stay strong in our faith, no matter the persecution, God will defend our families and close ones for our sake, and for His sake; because it brought honor to God for Him being merciful and personally loving for the sake of David. If you worry about your children, your siblings, your families, your close friends; honor the Lord and trust in Him to do what is just and fair. God is sovereign over all. Serve Him and let His will be done. God will honor His faithful servants. He always has and He always will because He is a loving and just God who honors those who honor His glory.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Alone

                There are many people in the world that feel alone. So many people make jokes such as: emo, lone wold, goth, wall flower, etc. Yes, maybe that is how the world labels these types of people; but as Christians I wouldn't even dare you to say that in front of God. He makes every person special and has a plan for every person; yet there are not enough people going to and from to help spread this love. We, as followers of Christ, who is God, who is love (1 John 4:8) should always be spreading love to all people, even those who scare us or those who we think we are better than.

                Look at Jesus! He hung out with prostitutes, tax collectors, the sick, the poor, the needy, the homeless, the drunkards. All in all, He hung around the outcasts and showed them love. It's easy to love those who do good for us and make us feel good; but when was the last time that you loved someone who did nothing for you? When was the last time that you loved someone who was labeled "Don't-go-near" by society? When was the last time that you loved a human being that, wasn't a friend or family, just for the sake of loving them?

                We must go out and show love to those who feel alone! We must remind them and God made them on purpose (Psalm 139:13-16, Psalm 119:73, Isaiah 44:24, Job 10:11, Job 31:15) God loves everyone, even when you hate them. God loves them because He made them and He has a purpose for them; so the next time that you dare to call yourself and Christian and then make someone feel like an outcast with the same tongue, remember who made your tongue and remember who made that person.

                There are lonely people out there who need more than just a preaching. They need someone to be Jesus in their lives. Someone to love them, no matter the mess. Someone to hold them, no matter the tears and the issues. Someone to be there for them, no matter the time. We are called to do these things and more; so what is stopping you from doing what your Lord commanded you to do?

                Just remember 1 John 4:8: "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." Keep in mind that there are no restrictions on who to love and who not to love; because God has no restrictions on who He love.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Not A Saint

                Counting other people's sins doesn't make you a saint. You're not a saint if you sin less. You're not a saint if you don't commit adultery  You're not a saint if you have a title at your church and know everyone by name. You're not a saint if you don't see anyone calling you out on your sin. You're not a saint if your children are in the church. You're not a saint if you feed the homeless. You're not a saint if you spent all of your savings on the less fortunate. You're not a saint if you can log sixty hours or more a week in the church. You're not even a saint if you go on a sixty day fast in a twenty-four hour prayer group.

                You're a saint when God calls you and washes you clean by the blood of Jesus Christ. Nothing else can make you a saint; and once you are a saint, you are not sinless. The difference between a sinner and a saint is that a sinner sins and continues on. A saint is conscious of sin and knows the law of the Lord. You are not a saint if you stop sinning, you're a saint when you strive for God under the grace and mercy of the blood of Christ. It's not about titles, hours, numbers, events, or anything of the sort.

                Romans 6:23 says, "for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." It is a free gift, that means that you cannot earn it. The only thing that our work has bought us was death. We have to stop trying to work out way towards salvation and realize that our sainthood, our brotherhood with Christ, is strictly a free gift from Him to us that we could never live up to. So before you judge someone on their sins and on their behavior  remember that God is the only one who's judgment matters, and He will ask you why you were trying to be the final judge, as if you were so high and mighty. Let us continue being saints, helping one another, and remembering our place in perspective with Christ.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Jesus All Throughout

                When we think of Jesus in the Bible, we often think of the four Gospels, and sometimes the book of Revelation. This is true, you can find Jesus there; but Jesus is in more places than that. He is all throughout the Bible, even the Old Testament.

                In Genesis 3:15, God speaks of the heel of the offspring of Adam and Eve being bitten by the snake (the Devil), but that the offspring shall crush the head of the snake. This offspring is Jesus Christ, son of man (Adam is Hebrew for "man"). We See Jesus from the very beginning.

                In Exodus the 12th chapter, we see the people's need for God to come and save them from the rulers of the world, just as Jesus promised that He would do for them. We see the people's need for Jesus and God bringing the people out of slavery, being the savior that He is.

                All throughout Leviticus  we see sacrifice systems, which shows us that we, as sinful humans, need a sacrifice to atone for our sins, and that we need to continually sacrifice because no sacrifice is perfect; until Jesus comes.

                We see in Numbers 21, that when the people messed up and a flood of snakes came into the camp site and began to kill people; all who looked at the bronze snake that was on the pole withstood the venom and were not killed by the snakes let in by their sin. Just as all who look at Jesus Christ on the cross are saved from their own sins.

                In Deuteronomy, we see that Moses could not cross the river into the promise land; but Joshua could lead God's people into the promise land. Moses, being the law, could not bring the people into the promise land that God called them to be into. The Law could not bring salvation; but Joshua (Joshua, Hebrew for "Yahweh is salvation") was able to bring them across the river and into the promise land; just as the law could not save us, but Jesus, our savior, can and does.

                We see Jesus Christ throughout the whole Bible, and it is God that has been throughout all of history. Look at the pursuit of man and you will see a pursuit of God in some way, shape, or form. God has always been, is still, and will always be throughout our lives. Whether we are seeking God, seeking to be like God, or seeking to get away from God, our lives will always be centered around Him, whether we see it yet or not. Jesus is all throughout every life that has ever been made.


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Yes

                It's funny to see how many times we can go to church, pray for hours, read our Bibles, go to Bible studies, go to community groups, and go to worship nights and think that those are the things that God wants. It amazes me when people believe that God wants you to live in the church building, as if there was nothing else that He could possible want. In all honesty, we think that God is so big and mysterious that He must want things that we cannot fathom. In all honesty, God just wants one thing: He just wants a yes.

                When He died on the cross it was not a standard of what kind of suffering we should be doing; He suffered for us. Nothing will ever match up to Calvary. What He did was confess His love for us in a way that we could understand. What we call crucifixion was something like proposal. It was Him coming to redeem His bride, giving her the chance to be with Him once again. All God wants is a yes. He doesn't want you to log hours at the church or read a certain number of Bible verses each hour. He just wants a yes. Just as you will say yes on your wedding day, a yes that will change your life forever, God is asking for that same life changing yes.

                A yes to what, you might ask? A yes to His call. He has proposed to you. He has laid down His live for you. He has made an offer for you. Will you say yes and accept it? Now, before you say yes and jump and praise, know what that yes means. God says, "Will you be Mine?"

                If you say yes, you are saying yes to trusting Him. If you say yes, you are saying yes to putting Him first and letting His word have authority over your word. If you say yes, you are saying that His word is law and He is the one that you will rely on. If you say yes, you are saying that you will trust His word and trust His promises. If you are saying yes, you are saying that you want God to use you however He wants. If you say yes, you must say it with your heart and soul. If God says, "There is more that I require of thee," will you still say yes?

                Will you still say yes if He doesn't remove the thorn from your side? Will you still say yes if you have to cut out some relationships? Will you still say yes if you have to give up doing some things that you want to do? Will you still say yes if there is more that you have to learn? Will you still say yes if God is calling you? Will you still say yes if you have to give up your independence for God-dependency?

                What is keeping you from saying yes with your heart and yes? Bring it to the Father.

Stars

                Please, try to count how many stars there are in the universe. You can't? Why not? There are too many? Well count faster. There are too many to count and too many to see? Well, count harder. We've been counting for years and we still don't know the end of the stars? There are too many stars for us to even see? You can point to a black patch no bigger than a grain of sand at arms length in space and pull up over ten thousand galaxies? Well... I guess that is a lot of stars... But we should be able to count them. What do you mean there are too many?

                Well, God made every star in the sky.  He made them Himself, so He knows them all and knows how many there are. We should be able to do the same thing. We can't? We don't have that kind of technology or time yet? But, we are made in God's image so we should be able to do it. We are even naming stars! We've got this. We can be as great as God. There is a reason that He loves us, after all. We are great!

                What do you mean space is too vast? What do you mean there are too many stars? What do you mean no one man can count all of the stars? Well, if no one man can count all of the stars, then how does God know them all by name?

                I guess He's just much greater than us.

                "He determines the number of stars; He gives to all of them their names." Psalm 147:4

                "When I look at Your Heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him?" Psalm 8:3-4

How To Overcome Obstacles To Belief

                When we do not know if we can believe, if something is in our way, we have an obstacle that keeps us from believing. We have all had one or two, maybe even dozens that we have not recognized. When nothing is going on with us and God, and we are hesitant, we probably have an obstacle in front of our faith and God is waiting for us to rely on Him to help us overcome this obstacle. When we have an obstacle, we need to overcome it in order to believe.

                The first step is recognize Jesus Christ. If we do not truly know who Jesus Christ is, we will not know where to go. If we are looking for Jesus as shrines and on mountains, we probably won't find Him. We have to seek Him and try to understand who He is. We cannot expect Him to adopt our time schedule. We must be humble and seek Him. In 2 Chronicles 7:14, God says, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." If you want to find Jesus, follow those steps: truly humble yourselves, pray to the one and only God, and seek Him through His word and through prayer, and turn away from your sins in true repentance. This is not a formula. It's all in the heart. If you don't truly mean it, God knows your heart.

                The second step is recognizing your unbelief. If you are doubting or not putting faith in God, one of three things have happened: you have lost belief in Jesus as the Messiah, you have lost belief in God's promises, or you have lost belief in the testimony of others. If you have lost belief in Jesus as the Messiah, you do not believe that He is who He says He is. You do not believe that He is the true living God and that He is all that He says He is. If you have lost belief in God's promises, you do not believe that God is working for your God or that His word is true. You have lost faith in His credibility. If you have lost belief in the testimony of others, you do not believe in the redemptive power of God. You do not believe God can save. Once you truly recognize that you are the one doubting God, then you can be humble enough to move on.

                The third step is to know and believe the scripture. God will overcome all obstacles if you let Him. How do you know what He wants you to do or not do if you are not hearing Him, and how do you expect to hear from Him without reading His word? His word is His message to us. We must dive into the scripture and begin to trust more in God than in ourselves. You have to put faith in God to pull through on your behalf.

                The fourth and final step to overcoming obstacles in order to believe is to be in the presence of God and to have Him open the scriptures to you. Allow God to take control. Just let your heart worship Him and praise Him, no matter what storms may be up against you. While I am in a storm, I love to sing the song, "Praise Him in Advance," because it reminds me that God is still with me and that I will praise Him the whole way through it. Yes, obstacles will come from life, but we have to trust God to do what is good for us. God never said that it would be easy, but He said that it would be worth it. We just have to let go of our problems and trust in God to be greater than us. If we are not letting go and letting God, how do we expect Him to work on our behalf? God is never going to leave you, so we must stay in His presence and let His word sink into our heart so we can carry it with us. This is how we overcome obstacles and believe again.


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Consider... The Resurrection

                "The Gospel message of God's redemption and restoration of man through Christ rests on the truth and hope of the resurrection." -Pastor Bruce

                I want to challenge you today to consider your belief in the resurrection. Luke 24:1-12 says, "Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. and it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, they behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the Earth, they said to them, 'Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.''" And then they remembered His words. Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened."

                First, consider the obstacles and allow God to remove them. As the women were walking to the tomb, they had to have known that there was a stone in the way. The tomb that Jesus was buried in had a circular stone that sealed the cave away. It would take several strong men and a device to lift the stone in order to go back into the tomb.  The few women would not be able to do it; but as we see, the stone has been removed. They stayed faithful, and God removed the obstacle for them. Now, it is important to know that the stone was not moved for Jesus, in His glorified body, can pass through walls (John 20:19). The stone was not moved for Jesus, it was moved for our belief.

                Second, consider the evidence. Is Jesus dead or alive? Well, in verses 3-6, we see that the stone was rolled away, which could not be done by one man, especially from the inside of the tomb. The tomb was empty and angels asked, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!" We see that Christ is risen. If it was not Jesus rising, who would the suspects be? The Roman guards, the Jewish leaders, or the Disciples. When Roman guards are placed on duty for a corpse, if the corpse goes missing, the Roman guard who failed to watch the body will have to go through the same punishment as them. It was not the Roman guards. They would not pick a suicide so harsh. If it was the Jewish leaders, they would have brought out the body of Jesus at the Pentecostalism in order to stop thousands of people from believing in a man that was not their God. If it was the Disciples, all of them suffered an inhumane death, and at least one of them would have broken and confessed that their religion was a lie; but their lives and actions were transformed and they died for what they believed in. No one would go through such horrible pain to die for a lie.

                Third, consider what Jesus said. He prophesied about His death and His resurrection many times (Luke 9:22, Luke 18:31-33) Either Jesus was telling the truth and this is what was happening, or not. The chances of it not being what Jesus said, considering everything that He said would happen was happening, would be impossible, not improbable. 1/3 of the Bible is prophecy, and 2/3 of those prophesies have been recorded to come true. The last 1/3 is the second coming of Jesus Christ, but the signs of it's coming are happening even today.

                Finally, fourth, consider your response. You will respond in one of three ways when hearing about the resurrection: You will either believe and want to share the news like the women did, you will disbelieve like the disciples did, or you will investigate and confirm it on your own, like Peter did. Weigh the evidence and make your own decision.


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Ticket To Hell

                Why does no one like the fire and brim stone preaches? Because they're true. Does that mean that you're about to read one right now? No. I am not that type of preacher, but I will say that it is a scary image to be in Hell for a never ending amount of time. I do not like the scare tactic, but I like the truth.

                When I was younger, I said that I would come to God when I was old and had more experience. Basically, without trying to admit it, I said that I'll make time for God when I'm old and can't do all of the fun things that I can do not. I was trying to push off God, and there are two problems with this idea. Anyone who says, "I will serve God or become a Christian later," these problems come for you too.

                The first problem is that we do not know if we will live that long. James 4:13-17 says, "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them."

                We do not have all of the time in the world. That is a lie. We do not know about tomorrow. Who knows the day that they will die? We do not get a week's notice before we get cancer. We don't get a phone call by the drunk driver that is going to kill us as we are minding out own business. To think that you will live all the way to an old age is arrogance at it's finest. Nothing about you makes you so special that you cannot be killed before you want. You have to realize that when you say, "I'll become a Christian when I get old," you might just not make it to "old." To be honest, you might not make it to tomorrow. Plenty of people didn't make it to today.

                The second problem is that we are lying to ourselves. We will not just magically fall in love with God simply because we are old or because we received even more proof of God. You may force yourself to remember the promise that you made to yourself; but if you are doing it out of keeping your word, you are doing it out of fear, and that is not what God wants. He wants a right relationship with out that comes out of humility and love. We are lying to ourselves if we are saying that we will just fall in love with God because we turned sixty. We are doing it out of fear, and that is why Matthew 7:22-23 says, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive our demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" Just because we say that we will serve the Lord does not mean we get out of Hell. If you have a right relationship with God our of humility and love, then He will give you the salvation that He gave freely at the cross.

                It comes down to this. You may be able to fool yourself with your lies, but you cannot fool God. He knows your heart and how it is, and no explanation by you can change His mind when He sees the truth, because He already knows what you are about to say and what you are about to do. You cannot escape the truth with empty words and false promises. It comes down to this. If you do not Love the Lord with all your heart, mind, spirit, and body, it means nothing. That will not change for any amount of lies that you tell, for the truth is the only thing that matters.


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Teaching Prayer

                "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6) If we begin to train up our youth in Christ now, they will keep these ways as they grow older. Trust me. I am living proof of that.

                When you have a child that is seeking after God, we must train them up in the way that they must go. I am personally and specifically talking about prayer today. We must train up our children in the way of prayer. I am not saying teach them how to pray big fancy prayers or pray in public, but teach them to pray the desires of their heart. No one needs giant words to be heard by God. We should be teaching younger ones to pray and learn to ask God for things as much, if not more, then they ask men; and the rest will be taken care of over time. Let us turn to God and let us focus on Him to do all things. In order to do that, we must train our children to pray.

                Mothers and fathers, give your children a turn to pray at the dinner table. Brothers and sisters, pray with your little siblings before bed every night, and give them a turn too. Aunts, uncles, and cousins, show your nieces, nephews, and cousins how to pray and ask them to pray with you. Friends and mentors, ask your little ones to pray with you. We must train up our youth to be a prayerful people; in that case, they learn to turn to God instead of themselves. Let us grow a generation of prayerful followers of Christ.


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Stressful Times

                I am currently in college and we are at the end of what it called, "dead week." It is the week before finals, the most intense tests of the semester, and everything on campus comes to a stop in order to allow students to study. I, personally, do not get stressed out by these times because I see God keeping me comforted. I know that if I keep Him first, everything else works itself out.

                That sounds lazy, doesn't it? Well, I would like to call it faith. Romans 8:28 says, "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." I know that, because I love God and He has called me to be here, I have no reason to stress.

                No, I am not saying stop studying just because you are in college. I am saying, put God first and remember His goodness. He comforts you when you are anxious and He gives you peace when you are afraid. Yes, study and learn; but do not turn it into a bigger thing than it is. Yes, much rides on finals; but not your eternity in Heaven. Let us keep perspective.

                Many times we come up against stressful situations. It could be a promotion at work, a new job, an internship, moving into a new home, leaving home for the first time, sending your kids off for the first time, becoming grandparents, etc. All in all we must remember that all things work together for the good of those who love God. If you love Jesus, keep that first and let God handle the rest. Just take a deep breath and remember that your God cares about everything in your life and He will be there to support you and guide you through whatever you are in the midst of.


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Thy Will Be Done...

                "There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, in the end, 'Thy will be done.' All that are in Hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there would be no Hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. Those who knock it is opened." - C. S. Lewis.

                There are two kinds of people in the word: those who are for God and those who are for themselves. Those who are for the one true God, Jesus Christ, are called Christians, followers of Christ. Those who are for themselves are not. Which type of person you choose to be is your own personal choice. Both are broken sinners who deserve Hell, but the ones who put God first have realized the extent of their brokenness, seen what Jesus Christ has done on the cross, and responded in repentance and accepted salvation. That is the only difference. Because they have turned their lives over to Christ, they have chosen to go to Heaven with Jesus Christ.

                There is no such thing as a God who will "send you to Hell" in the way the world sees it. If you have chosen not to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you have chosen Hell and God is allowing you to make that choice of your own free will. You know the consequences, and no amount of tears or pity can change that. We cannot be upset about where we go because we have chosen to go there. It is like driving to a party. If God gave you a GPS that tells you the way there and you choose not to listen and do your own thing, you can't be upset if you don't make it to the party.

                Jesus Christ gave us mercy to have a choice of Heaven through the cross or Hell through our actions. We have no excuse and no right to be upset if we have decided Hell. It is not "too hard" to be a Christian. Salvation is a free gift. Jesus Christ did all of the work. This means that the choice is ours to make and it is free and easy. In the end, either you or God will say, "Thy will be done." You have no reason or right to be upset or feel as if it is out of your control. God is listening to you with full ears. Once you have made your choice, remember that you have decided your own fate. God is only fulfilling His word, so there is no reason to get mad.


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False Doctrine

                "I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them." (Romans 16:17) "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1)

                We, as followers of Christ, must understand that the Bible and the Bible alone is our guideline. Sounds strict, right? Well, the Bible is the word of God. Anything that tries to contradict the word of God, that means make you live against how the Bible says to live, is called false doctrine.

                Let's say, for instance, you pick up another book which goes perfectly along with the Bible, except for one off thing about getting drunk. You must choose which is more important. If you choose something outside of scripture over the Bible, you are accepting false doctrine, because the Bible is the word of God.

                How can we get a relationship with Christ? Only through prayer and your Bible. Both. No other book and no other source will give you a right relationship with God. It does not matter how convincing your other source sounds; if it contradicts scripture, then you are not building a relationship with God. It's like going across the globe to have a conversation with your neighbor: that's not where your neighbor is and you are wasting time. God is not in those other places and you are wasting your time looking for Him there. The word is all truths for Christians.

                Many times, I have seen people try to argue scripture with what other people say and what other people do and what other people write; but in the end it is not the word of God. How can we argue with God using flawed human beings? When God says that something is this way or something is not, we know it from scripture, not people. Why are we so ready to argue the will of God? Is our flesh in that much control of us that we are willing to overlook God and what He says so we can have it our way while still thinking that we are forgiven? When we take in false doctrine, we are no longer following Christ. We are following whatever God fits our desires and needs, and we have created an idol. A whole new religion that fits us. God was not made to serve our passions; we were made to serve God.

                Sometimes we have to give up what we want in order to serve God, but we should do that with a heart that wants to. We should want to serve God more than love that person in that way or do this activity on this weekend. Are we willing to put aside what our flesh wants and surrender to the God who is truth and knows all things?

                Titus 3:9 says, "But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless." 1 Timothy 6:20-21 says, "O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called 'knowledge,' for by professing it some have swerved from the faith . Grace be with you."


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Christian's Repent...

                As Bryan Carver once said, "birds fly, fish swim, Christian's repent..." We, as Christians, are called to repent at all times. Why? Because, as sinners, we must repent of sin and constantly run to Jesus Christ and the cross. Why is that? Because Luke 13:3 says, "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

                We should always be willing to repent of our sins. Now that we have experienced Christ and know of the goodness of His love and kindness, we have no reason not to repent. In fact, we have every reason to repent. We have seen the goodness that is Jesus Christ, and to refuse to repent is to refuse to be on the side of God.

                To repent means to change mindsets, to change allegiance  It is like rooting for one sport's team, realizing that you do not like them and that another sport's team is better, and then switching sides. For Christianity; it is realizing that we are sinners and how great God is, and turning away from sin to be on God's side.

                There is nothing about us that should be telling us not to repent. We are not too big to repent. In fact, the more we grow in Christ, the more we will realize how often we need to repent. So, "birds fly, fish swim, Christian's repent..."


                                                                                                                                          -D

The Glory Of God

                I was talking to one of my mentors yesterday and he presented to me an idea that I had thought of, but never to this extent. He said that everything that God does is for the glory of God and He loves His glory more than anything else, because He is righteous and just in upholding the importance of His glory, knowing that it is the most important thing in all existence.

                At first, I was taken back, because I was not aware of this idea to such a deep extent. I knew that God was all about His glory and that we were made to glorify Him. His glory has always been important and always will be. I knew that much. I just had no idea that His glory was the most important thing in the world. It never clicked to me. I never spent that much time dwelling on it.

                But when I thought about it, God is the main character of the Bible, not humanity. His glory is important. He came out of love to sacrifice for us so that His glory through grace, mercy, and love will be preserved. If He did not come for us, He would not be glorified as the loving, merciful, gracious God. Now, this does not mean that He stops loving us and only loves His glory. He still loves us, but not everything is about it. It is all about God and knowing who God is. Thinking that God made us to serve us would be practicing a religion that is clearly not Christianity. He has glory and we must understand that His glory is what represents the truth of who He is; and to say that His glory is not important is to say that the truth of who God is is not important.

                It is a powerful concept that I had not given much time to, but it makes perfect sense as it begins to flood every verse and every praise. It is about God and the glory of God. We are not loved less, but we are not the center of attention either. God loves us and His glory. He is able to love more than one thing at a time. The Bible makes it clear that He loves is and that His glory is something that is not to be messed with. Allow the idea to sink into your mind as you read the word. It will be more about God and how amazing He is, and less about us and how great we can be; because, in the end, it should always be about our Lord and Savior. Let's stop trying to be the main character in God's story.


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Faith To Move Mountains

                When the Disciples were out in the waters being tossed and turned by the waves, they ran to Jesus for help. The storm was strong enough to destroy their boat, so they turned to Jesus for help. In Matthew 8:26, "He replied, 'You of little faith , who are you so afraid?' Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm." We have to have faith in Jesus. How much faith? Well, let us not put a limit on how much faith we need. Instead, let us set a goal for how much faith in God we want.

                Let us not look at faith like a difficult thing to obtain that will be so hard to get. Instead, let us look at a strive towards faith is a way for God to grow us, and a way for God to mature us. Let us seek after faith in a way that we can see the beauty in it. Matthews 17:20 says, "He replied, 'Because you have so little faith, I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

                Let us take on that attitude. We can do all things through our faith in Christ. There is no sickness too deadly that Jesus can't heal. He healed people of sicknesses and injuries all of the time! There is no debt that Jesus can't get you out of, He took His Disciples and turned their whole lives around and gave it purpose! There is nothing that cannot be done through Christ. Jesus has all authority and all power. He loves us and gave us the Holy Spirit in order to help us. Let us not be subject to the world, but let us open our eyes and see that Jesus wants us to have more faith so that He can work greater in our lives.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Ready Or Not?

                Jesus says that no one knows the day or the hour that He will be coming back (Matthew 24:36) so we do not have any date of expectation. We must be ready for Him to come at any moment, arriving on the spot to take those who have giving their lives to Him and to leave those who have chosen to stay away from Him.

                When I was younger I would say that I would get back to Jesus when I got old, but I never thought that maybe I wouldn't live that long. Maybe I wouldn't even make it to twenty five. I was so sure that I would not have to worry about it. In fact, I was so sure that I didn't even want to think any other way. In all honesty, I was just so afraid of Jesus coming back at any moment that I had to make up my own reality. I was in denial and I did not want to face the truth that Jesus could come back in the middle of me sleeping, in the middle of school, in the middle of me doing my own thing. He could even come back in the middle of me sinning. I had no control, so I just pretended that I did.

                Allow me to ask you this, and be honest with yourself. If Jesus came back right now, would you be going up with Him or staying behind? If you are staying behind, ask yourself this. What are you working towards that the grave can't destroy?


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Discipline From Love

                Proverbs 3:11-12 says, "My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline, and do not resist His rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son He delights in." Sometimes we get disciplines by God. He will humble us or take something away, or even allow something to happen. Instead of being mad at Him, we should be thanking Him for these things.

                Just as a mother smacks a child's hand when they go to touch fire, or when a father spanks their child after they steal something, God disciplines us because He wants us to learn better. He does not do it because He has to, or because He finds joy in making us feel bad, or because He just gets angry. He does it because He wants us to learn not to do it again.

                We have to accept that when we do wrong we deserve punishment. We also have to understand why. Punishment isn't just given to people who do wrong. It's a way or teaching that person not to do it again. Punishment has a reason behind it. Discipline was made for a reason. So let us not be quick to flee from discipline. Instead, let's begin to understand that God uses discipline for a loving reason, and He disciplines us for our own good. We will never be wise enough to not be considered children in the eyes of God. We will always have something to learn, so let us embrace God's love and learn instead of flee from Him and force more discipline upon ourselves.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Not As Loyal...

                Over this Thanksgiving break, and a little bit before hand, God has been teaching me a valuable lesson. I am not as loyal to Him as I want to be. In fact, I am not as loyal to Him as I wish I could be. I will easily stray away and I am not in control of my flesh just because I love God. I have to pray on my knees, read my word, and stay in a Christian community in order to even have a hint of something close to loyalty to God.

                It is a bitter lesson to learn, but one that I needed to know. I was so quick to say that I will never leave God's side and never walk away from Him, but even Peter denied Christ three times. I was so quick to say that God had done such a great thing for me and that I would never ever do something as stupid as rebel against Him, but even the Israelites turned away from God in less than forty days after He opened the Red Sea. What makes me so much more righteous than them? Nothing. I am destined to fall on my face time and time again, knowing that I am a sinner who needs to be humbled and reminded that I am not the loyal one.

                I was so quick to say that I would never leave God, but God is the one that will never leave me nor forsake me. I was so quick to say that I will pray my way out of temptation, but even the Disciples fell asleep when Jesus Himself commanded them to pray. I needed this revelation to realize that I was being prideful. It was prideful of me to assume that I could be as loyal to God as He has been to me. I needed to realize that I am on a walk with Christ and I was trying to run ahead of Him. I need to keep pace, day by day, and let God do His thing.

                I was asking for humility, not knowing that God would give me what I asked for.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Keep It Christ Centered

                Sometimes we fall and sin and have rough days. Sometimes we need help. Sometimes we need help up. Even when we are sinning or feeling defeated, we need to keep one thing in mind: keep ourselves Christ centered.

                Even when we feel guilt or feel pain or feel as if things could not get better, we have to remember that God is in control and that we must let Him be in control. We are sinners who cannot handle everything. We will sin. We will fall. We will go through trials. We will go through persecution. All in all, God is forgiving and God's grace is sufficient and will be enough for everything that you need. Just rely on God and let His strength and grace be enough for you.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Speaking Life?

                There has been this idea in many Christian's ideologies that we can speak more than just words. This ideology basically states that what we speak can alter reality, just as God spoke life into the world and made things, because we are made in the image of God. There are Christians that believe this and Christians that don't. I am a Christian that used to believe this before I was serious about my faith. Now, I research everything, and there is no scripture in the Bible that says that we can speak anything into existence but words. I can boldly say without regret that if we believe we can create anything to any degree, we are as arrogant as Lucifer because speaking anything into existence is a power that God and God alone has.

                Search anywhere in the scripture, and no man spoke anything into existence. The closest scripture is Proverbs 18:21, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat of its fruit." This is directly referring to us spreading the Gospel, but it is so easy to take out of context. We must stop believing that we are as great as God. In fact, Psalm 12:3-4 says, "May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts, those who say, 'With our tongues we will prevail, our lips are with us; who is master over us?'"

                Not everyone will side with me on this, and I am fine with this. If you would like to post your evidence against me, please do. I am open to hearing new things; but I have searched the scripture and there is nothing about us having the power of creation. That is a power only for the Creator and not the creation. Instead of getting mad and shutting this out, challenge it. If speaking something into existence is truth, bring scripture, as the word of God is the only true evidence for this.

                We must be careful with this ideology because it is false doctrine waiting to set you up for disappointing and a spiritual attack. To think that any part of you is powerful enough to create something out of nothing is to be as arrogant as the Devil, so watch what comes out of your mouth, because your tongue has the power of life through the Gospel or death through false doctrine.


                                                                                                                                         -D