Trusting God

                Sometimes, we hear the phrase, "trust in God," or "trust in Jesus," and never truly know what it means. What does it mean to trust in God? Sometimes we try to trust in God but it just doesn't work out. Other times, we do not even know how to begin to trust in God. How do you trust in God?

                In order to trust in God, we need to know how to do this. No matter how many times someone says, "trust in God," sometimes we just don't understand how. How do I trust in God? How do I do it? The strange part is, you just do it. Now, when I first had that revelation I said, "alright, so how do I just 'do it'?" It is simpler than it sounds. You just put your trust in God, even when you do not know how to. You trust Him, even when you are afraid or scared or nervous to do so. We have all gone on roller coasters or jumped into someone's arms. We do not always feel easy about it, but we trust that everything will go well just this one time. Just as a child jumps into their father's arms, trusting him to catch us; we must do the same. We have to take a leap into our Heavenly Father's arms and trust that He will catch us. No matter how scary it may seem, we have to first trust by putting it into practice.

                We have to be willing to make that jump, and sometimes we have to jump out of our security and into the unknown. We have to jump away from the world and into God's arms. In God's arms, we cannot see the expensive car, the big promotion, or our name in lights. We have to trust what God says, that He will bring us greater joy. The money and the clothes will last a life time, but God's happiness will last millions of times longer than our life, and His happiness is so much more fulfilling. We have to trust that when we jump from the world to Him, He will have everything prepared and knows what is best for us.

                The last, and most important, step is the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit is our Helper and our Provider. He will help us make the transition and provide all the courage that we need. As Christians, the Holy Spirit is inside of us at all times. We can call upon Him to help us make the jump. The Holy Spirit will always be here for us.

                We can trust in God because He will never go back on His word. Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You." We can trust in Him to be worth the jump because He is greater than the world. Psalms 32:10 says, "many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in Him." The best benefit, is that when you trust in God, He will show you that you can trust Him again. He will bring you so much peace and joy that you will be able to trust in Him again and again and again. When you trust in Him, there is no safer place to be. Isaiah 12:2 says, "Surely God  is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord Himself, is my strength and my defense; He has become my defense."

                It may seem scary to trust Him at first, but once you take the leap of faith, there will be no greater joy and no safer place than in His arms. All you have to do is ask the Holy Spirit to help you to trust in God and let the Holy Spirit do His job. The rest He will help you do. God will give you no reason to regret trusting in Him.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Fear

                Fear is a powerful emotion. It can cause us to stop using logic. It can force us to stop whatever we are doing and focus on one thing. Many of us are afraid of the dark, or falling, or death, or, like me, spiders. Fear is a real emotion that everyone feels at one time or another. Sometimes we have to face our fears, and it is never fun. There is one benefit of having a Heavenly Father: He is there with us in our fear so we do not need to be afraid.

                Psalms 23:4 is the famous verse, "even thought I walk through the shadow of the valley of death, I shall fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." This means that we have nothing to fear, even in the scariest place on earth, because God is with us protecting us. He comforts us. What can be more comforting than that? After knowing that He can protect us from the scariest place on Earth, it is clear that He will protect us from spiders. Over in Isaiah 41:13, He even says, "for I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear, I will help you." He holds us by the hand and helps us, just as a parent holds a child's hand when they cross the street so they do not fear cars. Our Father is with us, even in our fear.

                Sometimes our fears are not spiders or the darkness. Sometimes we fear our situations and do not know what to do. Luckily, God is there for us even then. In Exodus 14:13, "Moses answered the people , 'Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring to you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again." Moses made a bold statement. He said to hold on because God will deliver them. Deliverance, in this context, basically means that God will take them out of a situation and into safety. Moses was right, because the Israelites were delivered from the Egyptians.  The same can be said for us. If God did it for His children once, He can do it for them again. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, "be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." That is a powerful statement when you are afraid. It is hard to be strong when we are afraid, much less courageous; but God is with us and He goes with us. If our God is with us, who could ever stop us? He will not leave you during your struggle. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will never walk away or say that you are not good enough for His help. He will be there supporting you the whole time. If you are on His side, He will get you through it.

                2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness, but of power and love and discipline." God did not intend for us to be afraid. He gives us power and love. He can supply us more power whenever we need us. Fear is not of God. Love is of God. When fear of any kind comes, God gives us power to overcome it. Psalms 27:1 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?" This is a true statement as well! If God is the one that saved me, who is there to fear? The words of others mean nothing now because God is our judge, not them. We are no longer a part of their world, and their words mean nothing. God is in control of my life, who can harm me? No one. Who can rip my life out of God's hands? No one. Who can trick my life out of God's hands? No one! My life is safe in God's hands because no one is stronger, faster, or smarter than God. When I give my life to Him, He is in complete control no matter what others say.

                In Luke 1:30, an angel appears to Mary to tell her good news. One key things that he says to her is, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God." If we have favor with God, as every Christian does, than what do we have to fear? God is looking over us. With this in mind, "we say with confidence, 'the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6) God is on our side, so what can man do to us? Our souls are saved and our lives are in God's hands. Who is equal to God? No one. So who should we fear? No one.

                Fear is an irrational state of mind because it is such a powerful emotion; but we have something that can overcome this fear and tame it. In John 14:27, Jesus gives us a gift. "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." The gift that Jesus gave us was His peace. His peace is unlike the world's peace, because the world's peace is delicate and can be easily broken. His peace can withstand the trials of fear and disruption. We cannot treat is as the world's peace. It is not delicate. It can only be disturbed if we allow it to be. Even in the midst of our situation, thanks to the peace that Jesus gave us, we can still praise God and worship Him and walk with a smile. We can still be joyful.

                When we are afraid, we must remind ourselves who walks with us. Whether is it darkness, a spider, or a situation, our God is greater than our fears. There is no one who can overcome our God. We must pray for peace and let God take control when we become afraid. We can rest in Him, knowing that He has everything under control for us. If our God is with us, what could stand against us? Nothing. Our God is greater than any fear that we have, and that is something worth praising!


                                                                                                                                         -D

2 Corinthians 12:9

                "... Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecution, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." - 2Corinthians 12:7-10

                Focusing on this conversation that Paul is having, many of us can relate to the first piece. We all have something that bothers us and brings us pain or distraction. There is something in Paul's life that is keeping him from giving God his all, or so he thinks. There is something that is making Paul weak. When Paul asks God to take it away, God refuses multiple times.

                Imagine how Paul must have felt. "God, please take away this thorn so I can serve you better!" He wanted to please God and He asked God for help to serve God. In response, God says no. Doesn't God want the best for us? Doesn't He want us to serve Him and worship Him? How could He say no to enabling that?

                Well, that is a simple answer that may not seem easy to handle at first. God said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." When we give up our strength and trying to glorify God in our own way without including Him, God may shine brightly. His grace is more than enough for our weaknesses. Moses was not a good speaker, but God gave him help and showered His grace upon him. We all sin, but God uses us still. Adam and Eve messed up and had to endure punishment that effected all of man kind, but God still used their blood to bring forth Jesus Christ. It is because of our weaknesses that we can see God's glory. If Adam and Eve were perfect, it would only be logical that they somehow brought forth the perfect Jesus. If Moses was a great motivational speaker, "let my people go" would be as powerful as "four score and seven years ago." It is because Adam and Eve fell that the glory of Christ was so much more powerful and shocking. It is because Moses had a stutter and could not speak well that God's glory of His miracles and powerful words brought an entire people out of slavery. It is because of our weakness that God can shine bright and make Himself glorifies.

                His power is made perfect in our weakness. By this, He is saying that His power may be fully shown in the areas where we lack ability. I was horrible at math, and every time I passed I thanked God because I knew that it was not my subject or my doing for passing. I am an English major, so I do not thank God the same way when I do well in English. I thank Him for blessing me with the gift, but I don't jump up and down and sing praise and worship for His goodness when I pass English like I did when I passed math. It works like that. When we are bad in an area and success happens, it is all because of God. That is how God's power is made perfect in our weakness. He is able to step in and take full glory when we are bad at something.

                None of us are perfect, and we will always have something that we are not good at. We must not try to remove the thorn in our side, but ask God to shine brightly in that area of our life. Look at Philippians 4:13. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." We can do all things if we allow God to work. We must not try to become perfect. Instead, allow God to show His perfection in our weakness. He covers what we cannot do. We must offer our flaws to God and allow Him to work in us.


                                                                                                                                         -D

God's Answers to Your Prayers

                God has three answers to prayers: "Yes," "Not Yet," and "I Have Something Better In Mind." When we ask for something, we are asking the wisest being that ever existed to answer our prayers. He knows what is best for us. He knows what we need and want. Sometimes, He is ready to bless us and is just waiting for us to pray for it. Other times, He is preparing you or what you are asking for, so He will not give us when we need or want before we are ready for it. The rest of the time, God is wiser than us and knows that we do not need what we ask for, or that He already has something better in store because His plan is perfect. Prayer is a powerful tool, but we must be prepared for more answers than just "yes."

                When we pray, God sometimes says yes. He knows what we need and want and He loves us deeply. Luke 11:13 says, "if you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" Our Father in Heaven loves us deeply and wants to pour out more blessings than a life time could handle. Romans 10:12 says, "for there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him." He will not hold back from some do to their race or background. Once you are a child of God, He will begin to pour blessing after blessing on us. 1 John 5:14-15 says, "this is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have what we asked of Him." When we come to God, asking in prayer for something of His will, pray knowing that it will be done in His timing. When you pray, be bold! Not disrespectful as if God was some kind of genie; but knowing that we you pray in unity to His word, He will grant it without hesitation. God wants us to pray and He wants to answer our prayers!

                Sometimes, God says, "not yet." There are many reasons why that can be broken down into three reasons: 1) we are not ready to handle what we are asking for yet, 2) He is still preparing it or us, or 3) we have not met the conditions of prayer. Yes, there are conditions of prayer. What are these conditions? Well, the first condition is coming to God in faith. We cannot come to God in prayer without faith. We cannot ask Him if we do not expect Him to be there listening. James 1:5-7 says, "if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord." Until we come in faith, we will receive nothing. Not only that, but our faith must be bold (Hebrews 4:16). The second requirement is that we must come in the name of Jesus. We cannot come in our own name because we will ask for worldly, flesh things. We must come in the name of Jesus, because then we are in line with the word and when we ask will be able to be answered. In John 14:13, Jesus says, "and I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorifies by the Son." We must come as redeemed children of God through the blood of Christ, not in our own powers or strengths. We do not have what it takes to be heard. Only Jesus does. The last requirement is that we cannot expect our prayers to be answered if we have not confessed our sins in our hearts. If we come before God with unconfessed sins in our hearts, just as Psalms 66:18 says, "if i regard inequity in my heart, the Lord will not hear." Over in Isaiah 59:2, it says, "but your inequities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear you." We must confess our sins so that we may be truly Heard by God. This is broken down into so much more. We cannot expect God to answer our prayers if we are not living for the Lord ( John 3:22, Proverbs 28:9) or if we are not doing His will (John 9:31). We cannot expect God to answer our prayers if we are not at peace with those that we are praying with (Matthew 18:19). Last, but not least, we must persist in our prayers (Luke 11:5-9) Continuing to ask shows God how important the prayer is to you. All of these requirements are just a longer way of saying "praying in the Spirit." When you pray allowing the Spirit to move you, He does all of this for you. It seems like a long lift, but all it is saying is "confess your sins to God, be in line with the word, and pray to Him like you know He will do it."

                Sometimes, God even says "No." But, remember, His plan is perfect and He is wiser than us. When He says "No," it is because He has something greater in store for us. But wait, doesn't God say that if we humble ourselves and pray in the Spirit, we will have our prayers answered? Why would God say no? Well, to be honest, we are not nearly as smart as we think that we are. We cannot see clearly. We only see the past and our present. We do not know what is going on around us the way God does. We could be asking for a wife to be made from our current girl friend when God is preparing a bride for you across the country; but all we see is a relationship going bad that we do not want to leave out of fear of being alone. We may ask God for a car to help us get to and from church, but God may be having us commute to meet someone who will change your life forever, or you may change their life and even save their soul; but all we see is getting up at six in the morning to catch a ride all around town. We may be praying a friend into salvation but we only see their life of sin getting worse and we wonder where God is; but God sees the hearts and He knows when someone is ready for salvation and what they need to get there. To us, it may look like the person is getting worse with God; but for all we know, they could be getting closer to an experience that sends them running into God's arms for good. We do not know the future or anything outside of ourselves. We do not know God's plan so we must be patient and accept His answer. Yes, be promises to answer our prayers, but "no" is also an answer. We must be prepared to hear that answer as well and trust God to do His work because His plan is so much greater than ours.

                None of this means to stop praying, God asks us to pray. We must know that there are more answers than "yes" and "yes, here is some more." There are also "no's" and "not now's" but we have to be willing to submit to God's will and let Him do whatever He desires to do because He knows us better than we know ourselves and He knows everything. He does not need to run His plan past us to get our approval. We must be willing to walk in the Spirit, knowing that God is in control, even when our eyes show chaos and struggle. Know that God is sovereign and has the perfect plan. His plan will always be better than ours.


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Why a Fruit?

                Galatians 5:22-23 says, "but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law." Of all of the things to use as an example of the evidence of the residence of the Holy Spirit, why did God pick fruit? Looking in Genesis 1:12 we see God creating trees. "The Earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seeds according to their own kind, and trees bearing fruits in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good." God decided to use fruit because it was set in stone and was unchangeable. An apple tree will never produce an orange, and a lemon tree will never produce a cucumber. A tree produces it's fruit, and you tell a tree by it's fruit. If someone is not producing the fruit of the Spirit, they are not coming in the Holy Spirit.

                We are the trees, and whatever we are spiritually are the spiritual fruits that we produce. The fruits of the world are Galatians 5:19-21, "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God." We are not to judge others, but use these fruits to gauge where we are. If we are out getting drunk and hooking up every night, we are not showing the fruit of the Spirit. We are showing the fruit of the world. If we are constantly starting fights, spreading gossip, and destroying friendships, what fruit are we growing?

                We must be honest with ourselves and say that we have flaws; but even so, what are we operating in? Are we showing the world our fruit, or the Holy Spirit's fruit? We allow the Holy Spirit to step in so that we may grow His fruit and not ours; for our fruit will not inherit the Kingdom of God for us.

                But what if we are trying and we aren't all that patient, or kind, or gentle, or faithful or anything else of the Spirit? We are still trees. If you plant an apple seed on Monday, you can't expect to be eating apples by Wednesday. It takes time. We must continue to nurture the seed that God has placed in us, the Holy Spirit, by watering it with the Word, by giving it sunlight through prayer, and by even going through some hard times. When your tree needs to grow more, you put fertilizer on it. Well, fertilizer is horse manure. We must be prepared to experience some not so great times either. But, even when we get the horse manure on us, we must remember that it is helping us grow and we are not alone. So listen to James 1:2-4 when you're being showered with fertilizer: "Consider it a pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything."

                We must not only expect these trials, but take joy in them because they will help us grow. Now, not ever trial is here to help us grow. Some are made by us; but we must praise God in the midst of the storm and allow His will to be above ours. That is how we grow in the Spirit and produce His fruit. We must be willing to nurture the seed that God has given us, because it is evidence of God's residence in us. If we want to allow God to grow, we must cooperate and submit.

                There are only two types of trees in life. Trees that produce fruits of the Spirit, and trees that produce fruits of the world. We must make a personal choice: "Which tree am I going to be?" Then, go nurture the seed that you have chosen to accept.


                                                                                                                                         -D

The Only Judge

                Last night, a friend of mine asked me for forgiveness. I asked him what for. He told me that he was talking behind my back. I wanted to forgive him on the spot, but I wanted to know what he had said first so that it would never have to be talked about again. He told me that he was talking behind my back, calling me judgmental and that I thought that I was so righteous and whatnot. My first reactions was, "he's right." I told him that I was the one who needed to ask for forgiveness. I realized that I was being judgmental towards him because I felt as if I was the better Christian and needed to teach him. Who am I to say who the "better Christian" is, if there even is such a thing?

                Who am I to judge others? I did not make them. I do not know what they have been through. I do not know them truly. I only know what I see, and to judge them on what I see is just as bad as picking a wife according to looks without getting to know her or even caring about her personality. Romans 5:8 says, "but God showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." If God loved us while we did wrong, what right do we have to cast judgment when we see someone sinning? Are we better than God that we do not need to show love? Matthew 7:1 says, "judge not, that you be not judged." We have no place to judge. The only one who can judge is the one who sits upon the great white throne. That is the seat of God.

                Revelation 20:11 says, "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from His presence, and there was no place for them." There is one great throne, there is someone already seated upon it, and no other throne can stand up in its presence. All of our high horses will drop us the moment that judgment day comes, and it will be a long drop if we do not get off not and humble ourselves. I have much work to do. No matter how important we may think that we are or what roles and positions and titles we have, we must remember Romans 14:4. "Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand." No one that we see belongs to us. We cannot judge anyone, no matter how right we may think that we are. God is the ultimate judge and that is the end of it. There is no pre-judgement where we may judge others, or a second judge to make sure that God made the right call. Who are we to judge others? No amount of titles and positions make us any closer to God than any other man. We are all sinners who have fallen short. It does not matter if I see someone who has murdered. I cannot say, "well I am a sinner, but at least I didn't murder someone," because sin is all sin in the eyes of God and it is all offensive and deserved death.

                Matthew 7:1-6 says, "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' where there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." We cannot pass judgment until we are perfect. None of us are truly perfect. Yes, we are perfect in the sight of God; but how many of us can go a year without sinning in any way? Even anger, pride, envy, or ungodly thoughts? None of us can do it. That is why we were all in the boat to Hell; and that is why Jesus came for all, not for some who needed it, because everyone needs Him.

                We cannot judge others. None of us are perfect enough. None of us are good enough. All that we can do is humble ourselves and let God work in us. Let us worry about ourselves before we even consider judging others. The next time that we want to judge someone, let's remember this: Who are we that God needs our help judging? Is God not omniscient or omnipresent that He needs us to be second judges to clean up His mistakes and catch the things that He missed? We are not all knowing. We do not know. We must focus on ourselves. How can we judge someone for having a hole in their shirt if we are walking out of our house naked? God is the only judge. We must not offending Him by trying to get on the great white throne.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Working Out Our Patience

                We all sometimes have trouble keeping our cool or, in one way or another, being patient. Patience is one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), which means that patience is a sign of the Spirit making residence in our lives. Just because we get patience from the Spirit does not mean that we always use it, or even know how. Even then, sometimes we want more patience; but the only way to get more patience is to have more bothersome things come up to test our patience. We gain patience by waiting, and that is not always fun. In fact, the old English word for patience is "long suffering."

                We have to think of patience as a muscle that is going to be well needed and used daily. The only way to make a muscle grow is by working it out. The only way to gain muscle mass is to hit the gym or do some work outs. We have to think of patience in the same way. We have to be willing to feel the burn and not give in during the work out. Just like push ups, if you make a goal to go to forty, do not get to twenty and roll over and call it quits. We have to be willing to feel the burn when we work out our patience. Things will come to annoy us, but we have to be willing to try harder and be an hour more patient than the day before, or day more patience than we were last week. We must be willing to be annoyed and not lash back with anger or aggression or immaturity.

                People will get on our nerves, that is just a part of life no matter what you believe in; but Ephesians 4:1-3 says, "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit int he bond of peace." We have been called to a different life, so we cannot act as the world says to act when we get impatient. We must continue to show patience, gentleness, humility, and love. We must be willing to love those who bother us. Many times, the ones who bother us and make us want to scream and shout or be immature just want a friend or someone to talk to. As Christians, are we not supposed to be a light in the world, willing to lend an ear to those who are hurting? Other times, those who annoy us (like siblings) do it because they look up to us and want to just have our attention. Even then, we must show them love and patience because we are called to be their example and show them God's love at all times. Other times, people annoy us at work, at school, at home, and it is not out of wanting our attention. Sometimes, people just do not like us. That is another part of life no matter what we believe in. For those who annoy us for no attention seeking reason, knowingly or not, we must be that much more patient. We must be joyful and patient at all times with them to show them God's love because you may be the only Jesus that they have. If you think, "well they are already a Christian," or "I don't really care if they get saved. They are just so annoying!" Well, remember this: God put you in their lives for a reason. When you stand before the father at the end of time and He asks you if you were kind and loving to that person, what will you say? That you saw one of God's creations and chose to reject them after God placed you there to bring life?

                Your patience is your tool. True patience. Not patience that stays silent, rolls its eyes, and groans when it's annoyed but decided not to leave. True, loving, humble, meek patience is what God asks us to show when something irritates us. That does not mean become happy machines that never get bothered. We are allowed to have bad days and be sad when things happen to us; but we must be patient with others and be willing to show God's love at all times.

                How do we become more patient? We must prepare for it. Wear wrist bands or other articles of clothing that will remind you to be kind and patient. Set up signs in your house or in your car to remind you as well. Have close friends keep you accountable. Friends who will want to see you succeed; and when they say be patient, you listen to them. Read the word, because great examples of patient are in there. Pray for help. It is a hard tool to master, but it is a powerful tool to use. We must grasp patience and be willing to use it, even when we do not feel like being patient.

                There was once a great man who showed more patience than anyone that I have ever known. He had a great relationship with his son and his daughter. Their relationship was perfect. They were always happy and smiling and playing and in perfect harmony. I could never imagine a better relationship. One day, the man's children did something their father told them not to do. It tore the family apart. Now, the Father is waiting to gain His family back, generation by generation. He is patiently waiting for everyone to return to Him, never turning His back on us or walking away from us. His patience has lasted thousands of years. His patience shall continue for many more days. He is the most patient man in all existence, and we were made in His image. If He can be patient for thousands of years, we can be patient for eight hours with annoying co-workers.

                He could have walked away at the flood. He could have walked away when everyone rejected Jesus Christ. He could have walked away when the Church became corrupted. He could have walked away at the Crusades. He could have walked away when false Christians came in His name and dirtied His reputations. In the midst of all of this and more, He has not left us. Think of ever sin you have ever done. He has been there with you through it all. He could have left you many times, but He decided to stay. He is waiting to reclaim His family. We can be patient. We have a God who will help us. All we have to do is ask for help, and He will surly give us help with open arms. Are you ready to work on your patient?


                                                                                                                                         -D

The Trinity: Closer

                The Trinity is an important part of the Christian religion, because it is one of the basic facts that must be agreed upon for a denomination to be considered Christian. Muslim and Jehovah Witness are not considered denominations of Christianity because they do not believe in the Christian Trinity. They believe that The Son and the Father and the Holy Spirit are different God's or are unequal in one way or another. True Christianity, according to the original Bible, believes in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as equal forms of one God.

                We cannot bring God down to a human level and say that the three are separate in any way. They are one in the same and we must respect that even if we do not understand it. The Trinity is still far beyond our comprehension. The three are completely one.

                Again, the Trinity is not saying that these three forms are different gods. All three are God in different equal forms. God has the ability to take on three separate forms, just as H20 has the ability to take on three separate forms and still be H20. The difference is the "who" and the "what." God is the "what" and the Trinity is the "who." Each "who" of God is self conscious and acting of His own direction; but they are not independent from each other because they are all one. They do not contradict each other or oppose each other. They are unified at all times.

                It would be easy to say that these three forms support each other and work well together, but the truth is we cannot truly comprehend their three-in-one unity. While Jesus Christ was on Earth, the Father directed the Son using the Holy Spirit. The three worked together as equals to fulfill the new covenant. Earlier Christians knew to reconcile things with The Father, through the atoning works of the Son, and that it was mediated to them by experiences through the Holy Spirit. Each form has an important role in our lives and are all equals fulfilling promises and working in our favor for our good. Just as earlier I showed you the Son being with the Father during the creation (John1:1) but the Holy Spirit was with the Father in the beginning as well (Genesis 1:1-2). All three have been in existence always, and always will exist, and have been working together as equals. No one person of God is greater than the other, regardless of what amount of fame we give to one or the other. God is equal in all three parts and is tightly connected in unity.

                The Trinity is truth of Christianity, and reveals many things to us. In Genesis 2:18, God says, "It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." God said that it was not good for man to be alone, and in Genesis 1:26, God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness..." God made man in His image, needing relationship like God's relationship in the Trinity. As God exists as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; God made man to exist as man, woman, and God. A three part perfect relationship that Jesus came to restore.

                The Trinity shows us our need for communion and the importance of a God centered relationship, it shows us about God and His nature. The Trinity is an important part of Christianity, because if one does not believe that Jesus is equal to the Father, or that the Holy Spirit is not God, this could cause serious problems with one's faith. That is why the belief int he Trinity is a basic need for every Christian denomination. The Trinity is God working together perfectly in unity. We depend on the Trinity to be real; because if it was not, Jesus would not be God and our salvation would be pointless. This Trinity's truth is closely connected to many other key facts of the Bible. To deny the truth of the Trinity is denying the truth of who God is. It is difficult to understand that the tree are not separate. Even though we see them as three separate forms with three separate roles, they are all one doing the same thing. None of them makes a move without the other two helping. God is three in one, and to try to take roles and separate them would be blasphemous.When we begin to embrace the Trinity, we begin to search after God and who He truly is. It is a blessing that we have a God that is so much greater than our nature, because that is how we were able to be saved.

                "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." (2 Corinthians 13:14)


                                                                                                                                          -D      

The Trinity: Opener

                Today, I will start a series about the Christian Trinity and what the Trinity is.

                To all of those who do not know what the Trinity is, it is the word commonly used to refer to the existence of God. It is the definition of God as three divine roles, but they are all still one God. Many people have an issue with this idea because Christianity is supposed to be monotheistic (following one God) but there seem to be three (The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit). I will make sure to clarify this in a moment.

                These "three" are all omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. This is a fact about God. God must be all three of these things. Many people believe that these roles are not limitations, but a system set up for salvation. God the Father calls us (I am not referring to predestination, but to the fact that God calls souls to be with Him.) (Ephesians 1:4) God the Son cleanses them and redeems us. (Ephesians 1:7). God the Holy Spirit seals our salvation (Ephesians 1:13)

                Now, this raises a supposed contradiction in the Bible. There is only one God, but why does it look like there are three? If they all have a functional role, the idea of three persons work; but even that does not answer why the Bible says that there is one God but there seem to be three. Well, no matter how many times God says He is the only God, some people will not believe on His word alone because this is a question of his existence. Here is how the "three persons" are still one God.

                H2O is the formula for water. Imagine filling a contained room with H2O in the liquid form (water) and freezing some of the water so there is a block of ice in the center of the water. H2) has now taken two forms, but still is the same thing, H20, just in different forms. Now, imagine adding steam into the room. H2) now has three forms, liquid, solid, and gas, but none of these forms are any less H20 than the other. They are all the same thing, but in different forms.

                Now, water is not the same as steam or ice. I can chew on ice, but not on water or steam. I can swim in water, but not in ice or steam. These three forms of H20 all do different things, but they are not any less of H20 than the other; just as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are all the same God in different forms. This is how the Trinity does not violate the fact that Christianity is a monotheistic religion (one God religion).

                To clarify, God is not one person. He is not God as the nature, Jesus as the vessel, and the Holy Spirit as the force. God is three persons to one nature. There is only one God, but there are three persons to be identifies with. He is not one person taking three forms (The Father becoming the Son, becoming the Holy Spirit) but one nature in three unified forms. The distinction seems minor, but it makes the difference. God the Father is separate from the Son and the Holy Spirit.  The are all God, but not all one another; just as ice and water are both H20, but ice is not a liquid, and water is not a solid.

                The Trinity can seem tricky until you break it down and look at it. Nature is something and Person is someone. God is a what, and the trinity defines the who. There is only one "what," and this "what" takes on three "who" forms to be identified with. We identify the "whjat" with a "who," like identifying H2O with a liquid form or a solid form.  There is one "what" that comes in three "who" forms. The who is not the same as the what. Just as H20 is the "what," steam is the "who." This does not make water any less H20 than steam or ice. The forms are simply that, forms of the "what."

                That is the Trinity: The three "who" forms of the "what" known as God. There is one God who has three forms, just as H20 has three forms. None of them are any less God than the next, but they are God in  forms that we can comprehend.

                (Because of new discoveries, I have edited this lesson to better follow the truths of the scripture.)


                                                                                                                                         -D

The Way We Speak

                "It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person." (Matthew 15:11) We must watch our words every day, because it is such an easy sin to fall into. I am speaking about our words. We know not to curse, and many people have different views of which words are curse words (only certain words, anything you couldn't say in a PG 13 movie, anything you wouldn't say in front of a Kindergartner, etc.) but it does not matter which words we agree upon or not. Ephesians 4:29 says, "let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear it."

                I am known by most of my friends for never cussing, and I plan to keep it that way; but I am speaking about the attitude of our language. If I say something negative out of spite or unrighteous anger, just to tear someone down or make myself feel better, it is just as bad as dropping the "F" bomb. Ephesians 5:4 says, "let there be no filthiness or foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving." A derogatory joke, sexist, racist, or otherwise, is just as bad as a slur of the worse language known to man. Inappropriate comments, crude pick up lines, and anything that is rude or shameful is just as bad as cursing. Our mouths are gifts from God and we should use them as such.

                Exodus 20:7 says, "you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who holds Him in vain." So the new phrases of "oh my gosh" are fine, until you replace "gosh" with "God." Our language is serious to God, as it should be. A person judges you upon your actions, and your speaking shows action. If you come off as making racist remarks, such as calling someone a "Jew" in a derogatory manner, or sexist jokes about women belonging in the kitchen, how will they be able to believe you when you say that the love of God loves everyone equally? If you cuss up a storm, how will you be able to say that God sets you apart from the world or fills you with His love that can overcome hatred?

                Colossians 4:6 says, "let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each other." Proverbs 17:27 says, "whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding." We must learn when to speak and when not to speak; and when we speak, our language must be able to build others up and be positive. That does not mean be an annoying ball of sunshine that is constantly overly positive; but it means we have no reason to be negative.

                We are promised Heaven and life abundantly in Christ. What do we have to be negative about? We are filled with God's love, why should we judge people upon race or gender? We have a love that overcomes all, why would we turn to foul language that brings forth anger? We have Christ, why would we need to be negative?

                Colossians 3:8-10 says, "but now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator." We have no reason to turn to foul language of any kind because we are being made new in Christ. We must not turn back to old ways, but speak God's love so that we may open the doors to sharing His gospel to everyone that we speak to. Our language reflects what we believe. Let's represent Christ well.


                                                                                                                                         -D

The Perfect Plan

                Psalm 103:19 says "the Lord has established His throne in Heaven, and His kingdom rules over all." When the author says all, he means all. That includes your finances, your relationships, your families, your futures, and everything else you can think of. God has control and will not allow you to fall unless you try to fall. Even then, He will catch you. The most amazing part about God being so powerful and so sovereign is that He is also the wisest in the universe. He knows all and never makes a mistake.

                We must be willing to allow His plan to come before ours. Our plan may look good in the moment, but He knows every moment in time. He can see far beyond what we can see, and He knows everything that we know and everything that we do not.

                Imagine this: you are sitting at an airport and are listening to your favorite new song. There is a part where the music is too loud and you cannot clearly understand what the lead singer is saying. You try to guess what the line from the song was, but you cannot understand it. Then, you feel a tap on your shoulder. You turn around and see the lead singer of the new song that you are listening to.

                "What are you doing, there?" They ask.

                "Just listening to your latest song! It is so good. I am trying to figure out this one line though." You respond.

                 "Can I help you out? What part is it?"

                "Oh, no thank you, I've got this."

                How ridiculousness would that be! You know that God knows everything and that He is in control and wants to help us. He sent His son and His word as vehicles and manuals to get us to where we need to be. Why would we not submit to His will when Romans 8:28 tells us, "and we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them."

                If we simply submit to Him, He will let everything work out for the good. That does not mean to stop trying to live, but to listen to God and know that He wants good things for us, so we may want to listen. His ways are higher and His plans are perfect. Why would we create a day to day plan that will surely mess up when we could go with God's perfect plan? He knows what He is talking about, because He is the one that made us and everything else in the universe.


                                                                                                                                         -D

The Kingdom of Heaven

                Matthew 10:7-8 says, "as you go, preach this message: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is near.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." Many times in the Bible, Jesus is inspired to speaking of the Kingdom of Heaven and it's approach. He tells us to be prepared, for it is fast approaching. He tells us to heal, evangelize, exercise, and bring the presence of the Kingdom of Heaven. Last night I spent five, almost six, hours with my newer disciple and we experienced the Kingdom of Heaven together at full force. for those five or six hours.

                The Kingdom of Heaven is God's kingdom, and it cannot be overthrown by the Kingdom of Darkness. Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to many things, like a mustard seed that brings forth the largest crops (Matthew 13:31-32) or like yeast that works through all of the dough (Matthew 13:33) or like a treasure that is hidden in a field, and when found, a person will sell everything that they own in order to have the treasure or a merchant looking for great pearls and selling everything that he owns once he finds them in order to have them. (Matthew 13:44-46)

                The Kingdom of Heaven is powerful and worth everything. We must understand that. We cannot go to Heaven and be apart of the kingdom unless we are willing to put the kingdom first in our hearts and in our lives. We must be willing to let the power of the kingdom work through us. I am no healer, but I am a pastor and a few other things. I know that I cannot do everything, but what God has allowed me to do for Him, I will do with all of my heart because the Kingdom of Heaven is the treasure worth selling my everything for. To me, nothing is too important to keep when it comes to the kingdom. If God wants it, I will give it to Him; because things will fade, but my soul will move on to either the Kingdom of Heaven or the Kingdom of Darkness. I have chosen my side, and I am planning on sticking to it.

                Because God has invited me into the kingdom, I will drop everything in order to go. Nothing is worth an eternity without God. The Kingdom of Heaven is fast approaching, and I have chosen to be apart of it. If you want to make this decision as well, all you have to do is accept Christ into your heart as your Lord and Savior and put the Kingdom of Heaven first in your life. I cannot think of one thing that is more important than an eternity with God.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Disciples

                Yesterday, at work, my second disciple came back to Christ! It was a struggling experience, but it was well worth it! In Luke 10:15, it says "in the same way, I tell you, there is a rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." As one of my closest friends says, "every time a soul is saved, there is a party in Heaven." Saving souls is not a small thing. It is a huge celebration! It is so important, that Christ came and died on the cross just to open up the opportunity. It is so important that Christians go to other countries and risk their lives in situations where the penalty for preaching the gospel is death just to save souls. It is important and a big deal when a soul is saved, and it should be celebrated; but that is not where Christ stopped. The last thing Christ told us to do, just as He was going back up to Heaven, was to make disciples of every nation (Matthew 28:18-20)

                It is our duty as Christians to go out and make disciples. That does not mean that you have to go to another country, or that you can sit in your room. I will touch that subject another time. What is important, whether you are down the street or across the world, is that you give your time to God in order to save souls and make disciples. Now, saving souls should not become a game or a competition. That is un-Christ like. Every soul is still a human being who deserves to be treated as a human being. Every person deserves to be treated as a human being and not an object. In addition, the number of disciples that you have or have had should not be a competition either, because you will often learn a thing or two from them as well. Treat them as people, not objects or numbers.

                I find it interesting how hard my disciples make me think, because of the questions they ask. Most Christians that I know are either too afraid to ask, never thought of it, or answered it already so it never came up. It gives me an opportunity to see if I was paying attention to God when I took my time out to learn. It also gives me an opportunity to allow the Holy Spirit to talk, which is always nice, but difficult to do because it requires total submission and humility, and I am far from humble.

                In the end of all of this, I am glad that my disciple is back, and I praise and thank God for his return! I am not here to make anyone try to win souls or make disciples; but I am saying that it is an important part of the Christian life to help others find Christ and to help teach those who are seeking answers. We must teach out of love and not our own goals. It was only when I stopped trying to win his soul and tried to love him and understand him that the Holy Spirit spoke to him and allowed the opportunity. We must love people as human beings and not as tools or objects to be won. We must truly show God's love at all times. That is the only way to expand the Kingdom.

                I write this in dedication to my "Golden Boys" (Inside joke everyone, sorry)

                                                                                                                                       -D

               

Service and Idolatry?

                I love to serve others. It is one of my favorite things to do. I love to pay for others, take others out, and make others happy. A few months ago, a Christian leader who is a good friend of mine told me not to make serving others an idol and not to put serving above God. I thought that I had nipped it in the bud, but apparently not because last night I spent all of my money and (unknowingly) went over the amount in my bank. Now, as I have said before, money means nothing to me, and if I was totally on my own, I would not have cared; but the face of the matter is that negative balance upset my mother (and may effect her) and just because money means nothing to me does not mean it is the same for her. That is what upsets me: not the lack of money, but the fact that it effected someone else.

                Exodus 20:3-4 said, "you shall have no other gods before me. you shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven or on earth or in the waters below." We cannot make an idol out of anything, even God's works. I love to serve others, but if my service is not coming directly from God's love, I am putting service above God. 1 Corinthians 13:2 says, "if I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." If we do God's work without His love, and put the name of God above God Himself, it is idolatry. If we put works above God's will, or our Christian reputation above God's will for our lives, we have created an idol out of what God has given us.

                I have learned that I have much more to learn than I can imagine. I know that I will make mistakes and will learn new things, but I cannot let serving others become an idol, or my service could do more harm than good. How can someone experience God's love without truly seeing His love? How can I show God's love if I am too busy trying to "do the right Christian thing" as opposed to whatever God is telling me to do? God's will comes first. Anything that comes before God is an idol.


                                                                                                                                         -D

My Word is My Bond

                Lately, I have discovered the importance of our words. With words, we convince people of certain things, especially when our word becomes our bond. Now, whether that is through swearing, taking an oath, or even making a pledge or promise, when we give our word we are expected to do what we said.

                Looking at Numbers 30:12, "Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the people of Israel, saying, 'This is what the Lord has commanded. If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.'" God takes our word seriously. If we say that we are going to do something, he expects us to do it. In fact, he would rather us not make a promise than break it. (Ecclesiastes 5:4-7)

                Making an oath, promise, or pledge all require two things: you say what you mean, and you commit to what you say, even if the commitment becomes a life long life change.

                Imagine if Jesus was like us, breaking His word constantly and not taking His words seriously. Before the earth was even created, He made a commitment to die on the cross for us because He knew that we would sin and He knew that the cross would be the only way to save us. He could have destroyed us or even backed out of dying at the cross. He could have lived the perfect life and died a natural death instead of the cross. He would have set the example, which we needed; but it would not have saved us. He made a commitment and followed through.

                When God made a promise to David that He would bless his seed (AKA make Jesus part of his bloodline) He did not back out and keep Jesus from the world. He kept His word and did everything that He said that He would.

                Yes, it is hard to keep our word sometimes, especially when we have to do something we hate doing; but Jesus was probably not thrilled about having to take the cup of wrath. He was probably happy to save us, but not to be in pain. There is one bright side to what He did. He gave us the ability to keep our word like He did. In John 14:12, Jesus says, "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father."

                Because Christ died for us and rose again, He gave us the Holy Spirit which allows us to do what He has done. The Holy Spirit allows us to have the determination and perseverance that Jesus had. We have the power to do what we say, but let us not speak foolish things either. We must watch our tongues, because God will expect us to follow our oaths. So we must practice what we preach, and preach what we practice. We have the power to do so because of the Holy Spirit. So let us take our word as seriously as God does.


                                                                                                                                         -D

In All We Do

                1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God." While talking to my "disciple" earlier on last week, he told me about his future plan and how he wanted to glorify God. He is a humble spirit, and I loved the idea of giving everything to God; but I began to think to myself. When I read this verse, I often think of my future career and money and plans that may take years; but the verse says do "everything" for the glory of God. Everything calls for just that, everything.

                This verse tells me that my talking, my hanging out with my friends, my lazy days, my work, my school and classes, my every moment should be devoted to the glory of my God. How do I do this though? I remembered something that one of my mentors said. "An elderly Christian man can go to his favorite restaurant and ask the waitresses if they need prayer or just minister to them every morning. A working man can be an example of Christ at their job and for their children, always being willing to be an example to others and share the gospel. A college student can minister to roommates and other college students by living the example, going out and helping and spreading God's word." Of course, the word "man" can apply to women as well. The point is, we are called to live to glorify God; not just with our big picture future, but with our day to day living present.

                Why must Christians glorify God, though? 1 Corinthians 6:20 says, "you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." We glorify God for saving us from a death that we deserved, and a death that we could have never bought our way out of. Because Jesus Christ saved us from Hell, we dedicate our saved lives to glorifying Him. We glorify Him because He deserves it. He did not need to save us. He has everything that has ever been made. He saved us out of love, not necessity. That, in my book, is worthy of glory. That love is unlike any other and deserves true worship at all times.

                How do we glorify God with everything? How can a basketball player glorify God? He or she could thank God at all times and put the success towards God and not themselves and use their wealth to further the kingdom of God. How can a taxi cab driver give glory to God daily? By being kind and generous to all of their customers and being willing to minister to anyone who steps into their cab. How can someone who does a stereotypical office desk job glorify God daily? By being a light in the office and shining God's light, always being willing to help without anything in return.

                There is always a way to glorify God, so just as Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." Do everything for Christ, not for yourself or men. That is what we, as Christians, are called to do.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Pain Develops Results

                Everyone knows about the New Years' resolution to go to the gym more, for whatever reason; and at the end of December it sounds like a great idea that you are fully on board with. You're completely on team workout; but then it's time to go to the gym and you start feeling the burn. All of a sudden, you start telling yourself that you don't need to drive all the way to the gym because of gas or lack of time, and many times, the gym just disappears until Summer rolls around and you want to look fit for your swimwear. Anyone can be a fan of anything, but once sacrifice comes, then you will either give that something your all or drop it and step away from the struggle. The same thing applies to Christianity.

                Now, I am not saying that I know who is and who is not saved. That is between every person and God, one on one. I can only testify for myself and hope for the best; but that is a topic for another time. When it comes to our faith and what we believe, someone in life will always want to question it because not everyone believes int he same thing; or, using Christians as the example, someone or something will make you feel attacked for being a Christian. You may loose friends, or even have to give up your favorite weekend activity. Once you have to loose something for Christ, you make the choice: which one is more important? You make a choice between letting the thing go, or letting go of God. It's like lifting weights. God may put on another twenty pounds to help you grow stronger, and you can either push through the pain and grow stronger, or drop the weights and notice how little time you have to make it to the gym.

                You find out if you are truly devoted to something when you have to sacrifice to keep it. Just like the gym with heavy weights, or sports with practice, or college with finals, there will always be a call to give up something in anything you do. When we sacrifice for something, we give it our all, because we have invested into it. For Christians, we sacrifice the world and everything in it. This is a sacrifice that we have to do daily. It sounds scary saying it that way, but that is how it is with everything. For the gym, you have to sacrifice the laziness and time and gas and anything else every day that you go to the gym. For sports, you have to sacrifice time and other things that I would know if I was a sports type of guy. For college, you have to sacrifice money, time, and sometimes even a job or a fun weekend out. Everything calls for a sacrifice, and we must choose what we are willing to make sacrifices for.

                The sacrifice for Christ is the world, your old life. John 12:25 says that, "whoever loves his life shall loose it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." Just like working out, there is a little pain in the beginning, more pain in the middle, and amazing results at the end. There is no easy sacrifice for something worth while, but Christ is there to help those who ask for His help.

                I shall leave you with these words from Romans 12:1, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." This is your call to abandon your old ways and sacrifice the world in order to worship God. It was not an easy sacrifice for me, but I made sure that my relationship with God was not like my New Years' resolution to try to work out.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Love is Harder than Hate

                I was talking to someone yesterday and the conversation jumped over to love and hate. He said that hate was the most intense emotion, and I said that love was. This is why I believe love is more intense than hate.

                It is easy to hate. Anyone can find any excuse to hate someone, and for hatred, all you have to do is point out flaws and things that you dislike. Hatred allows you to walk away from a situation when you have had enough. Hatred does not call you to be patient with someone who rubs you the wrong way, or be kind to someone who has no intention of being kind back to you. Hatred tells you to walk away when it doesn't go your way.

                Love does the opposite. Love, true Agape love, God's love, calls us to be patient and kind, regardless of if the person rubs us the wrong way or wants to be kind back or not. Love, God's love, calls us to be humble, one of the hardest acts that any human being can ever do. God's love calls us to consider others before ourselves, and to sacrifice what we desire for the happiness and well being of others. This love tells us to forgive, and more importantly, forget! When someone does us wrong, we do not hold it over them or remind them. We truly forget it, just as God casts our sins into the sea of forgetfulness (Micah 7:19) This love does not delight in evil things, such as: abuse of others, social order that excludes others, or anything that is unlike God.

                Hate can feel more intense, but there is one difference between love and hate. When someone hates you, and you hate back, you are thriving off of an emotion that already exists. God's love says that when someone hates you and is your enemy, draw out love and conquer hatred with love(Matthew 5:43-48). If two people hate each other, it is intense and can drag everyone who is around into the hatred; but the emotion fades, and the people will forget why they hated the other one. When the hate fades, nothing is left and people move on. When a couple love each other, truly love each other, they are on display for all to see and they inspire other couples; but when the love fades away, and the butterflies are gone, they still have love! They do not have the intense emotions, but they have the remains in their heart. They can look at each other and want the best for each other in every aspect of their lives, even when the butterflies are gone. That is why love is more intense. When the emotions fade, the love remains. Hatred is directly related to emotion, and when those emotions fade, so does the hatred.

                Look at what happens when a hateful person comes against a true loving person. When the world hated Christ, the living embodiment of God's love, the world killed Him and crucified Him, but Jesus rose again and, instead of killing everyone who harmed Him, He gave forgiveness and love and won over thousands in a matter of days. Love is more powerful than hatred every time, no matter how deep the hatred.

                Love is so powerful that it is the only emotion that can invite the God of the universe (John 14:21-24) Hatred cannot invite the omnipotent sovereign ruler of all creation, only love can do that. Hatred can invite other hateful creatures, but love can invite a congregation of loving people, a flock of hateful people, and the God who created all of these people. Love, in my opinion, is harder to do than hate; but is a much more intense emotion that hate can ever be. Hatred could not drive Christ to die on the cross for us. Only love could motivate Christ to die on the cross for us, forgive us of everything we have ever done, wash us clean of our sins, and take on the punishment that we rightfully deserved. Love is the only emotion intense enough to cause someone to forgive. Look at Christ on the cross. No other emotion could get Him there for our sins. That is how powerful true love is.

                                                                                                                                         -D

Bills Bills Bills

                Money, money, money! Here, in the United States, money seems to be the most important thing to most of our culture. It seems to be important to most human beings who run on a currency based system. Personally, money means little to me, if not nothing. The only reason my bank account isn't constantly empty is because my mother would worry about me eating if it was. I have different views than many people that I know, when it comes to Christians. In fact, I do not think I know one person that has the same view on money as me.

               My view of money goes something like this: it is of the world, and it is out of your hand as fast as it gets into your hand. If I get a dollar today, I won't have it in a year; but give me salvation today, and I will have it for an eternity. I use money to further the kingdom, whenever God allows, and to help others, whenever God says. 1 Philippians 4:19, "And my God will meet all of your needs according to His glorious riches in Jesus Christ." I never worry about my needs because I know that they will be met.

                When I see people stressing out over saving or having enough, I cannot understand the stress at all. When I treat my friends, they sometimes flip out and say that I cannot pay. I do not understand the big deal about money. When talking to a friend about my view on money, he said, "no matter what, you need money. Can you survive without money?"

                I was pulled away from the conversation before I could answer. I thought of Matthew 6:26, "Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Even if I was broke, and had nothing in my hands, I would be content because my God will provide and I believe that without a shadow of a doubt. I do not need money to survive, I need God to survive. Some people would say, "well wouldn't God give you money to survive?" And to that, I would say yes, He does; but He can also provide in other ways. He can provide through people, kitchens, shelters, or even food directly from the fields. I believe that I do not need money to survive or live, but I can survive on God alone.

                That is why I do not stress when I run low on money, because I know that God will provide for me. I see that I am low, and praise God that I ever had money in the first place. I know that everything will be handled thanks to God. He has everything under control, so I do not make money important. Only God is important, and He will always provide. Because I have faith in God, I have faith that all of my needs will be met. That is my view on money, and why I am never stressed out about money; and so far, every need I have has been met so I have no complaints.


                                                                                                                                         -D