Gluttony

                Gluttony seems to be a sin that is not often talked about, if ever. In fact, I can only remember hearing about it being preached once, and it was during a spoken word. I cannot remember a single youth group, Bible study, or church sermon where someone spoke of gluttony. I suppose, living in this day and age, so many of us can easily fall into gluttony that we do not even know what it is. Most people assume gluttony is eating pounds of food every day and weighing over three hundred pounds. This is not the only form of gluttony.

                The easiest way to know gluttony is to ask yourself this: are you eating until you are fool, or until you are satisfied? Will you go back for a second plate of food because of how good it tastes, even though you know you could not eat the whole plate? Are you grabbing snacks in between meals because you want something that tastes good and not just food for energy? What is your motive behind eating? That is gluttony. Not large amounts, but large motives.

                Yes, we must eat healthy and right. This is a command from God! "Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple." (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) Your body is a temple, so yes you are called to treat it well. That mean do not eat fast food all day. There is no way around this, and if you are making excuses to destroy God's temple, remember that He will destroy you as well. Gluttony seems to be a sin so easy to brush over and ignore, but it is serious. A sin that you do not look at is a sin that has every opportunity to trap you. We are called to eat right, even eating with self-control on healthy foods as well.

                Eating with self-control has always been a good sign that many people today are missing. Ecclesiastes 10:17 says, "Happy are you, O land, that your king is the son of the nobility, and your princes feast at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness!" If you cannot control your own appetite you are under the control of your flesh. "Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on Earthly things." (Philippians 3:19) If you fall prey to this vice, you must come out of it. It is a sin like any other.

                Once again, gluttony is not about how much you eat specifically or how often you eat, but why you eat. Are you eating to keep the body that God has given you healthy? Are you eating out of depression or loneliness? Are you eating just to eat more than the other person? Are you eating until you are satisfied or until you are full? Even eating in proper portion and eating just to enjoy the taste of food as opposed to eating to be healthy and energized can go wrong. We must watch what we eat and why we eat it. Let us take care of the body of Christ; because if we can't even take care of ourselves, how can we expect Christ to take care of His church?


                                                                                                                                         -D

Do Not Conform

                When you are a Christian, there are two roads to take: The road that is narrow, or the way that is broad. Here is the thing about both roads: Jesus calls us to "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." (Matthew 7:13-14) We, as Christians, are being called to get off of the broad way and walk the narrow road in order to follow Christ Jesus. We are following a path of life, not destruction.

                It is easy to stray off of the path, though. We live in a world where many are walking the road that leads to destruction. We are surrounded by people who will go out and do things that are against Christ, and they may do it often around us or even offer us to join in. We, as followers of Christ, cannot let this become an excuse. We have our own road to follow. We cannot choose to sin simply because "everyone else is doing it", or because "it's not a big sin."

                What if Jesus did what everyone else was doing? He would have been sinning all of the time and He would have become imperfect, and our salvation would have never come. We would be hopeless, never being able to go anywhere but the grave and Hell. But Jesus did not follow the crowd. He did not walk the broad road. He walked the narrow path.

                Some of you might say, "Well that was Jesus. He was perfect." Well, 1 Peter 1:16 says, "For it is written: Be holy because I am holy.'" God is calling us to be holy regardless of how we feel about it. It is a fact that God is calling His people to be holy; holy meaning set apart, completely different. He is not calling you to conform to this world, He is calling you to be separated. Are we not supposed to listen to God? 1 John 2:15-17 says, "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - come not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever."

                How can you read this and say, "Well Jesus was perfect and I'm not so it's OK to sin some more?" God is calling you into holiness, not perfection. He is calling you to love Him, not the world. I could pull out scripture and argue this for days, but here is what it comes down to. Do you love God and respect Him for who He is? If you said yes, then you should be willing to give up anything for Him. He died on the cross for your sins. You can either take His grace and mercy, or go face Hell yourself. There is no way around it. He paid the ultimate price for you, and you stand here and say that you refuse to give up something for God? When did money die on the cross for you? When did expensive cars and clothes redeem you out of the true pit of Hell, and not just a metaphorical one? When did anything in this world die and rise again so that you may go to Heaven instead of Hell? Never. So why would you ever compromise your faith for an object that will pass away in a few decades? Christ is forever, and only what you do for Christ will last.

                If you say you love God, then prove it. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey my commands." (John 14:15) Do you love God? Don't say yes because it is the right answer. God is calling you to be holy and not be of this world. No excuses. Jesus said that He sent the Holy Spirit to help us in all things, even in being holy. Call on the Holy Spirit for help if you have true faith. This is the call to you. If you love God, cast away the things of the Earth and follow Him with all of your heart like He asked. He held nothing back for you. He stepped down from Heaven, came into the form of a poor man who had nothing, and died the death that you deserved. If you are not willing to put God first after what He did for you, you are an ungrateful child who does not deserve what God has done for you. Do not expect full time benefits from working a part time job. If you have faith in God and you love Him, don't just say it, live it! This is your call, right here. Step up if you truly love God! There are no excuses at all. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. (Philippians 4:13) So step up and God will give you the strength to do the rest.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Integrity

                Integrity is the soundness of one's moral principals. It is the adherence to one's moral code. If you have integrity, it means that you follow your moral code and do not backslide or make excuses. If you say that stealing is bad, you refuse to steal because it goes against your moral code. Christians should be people of integrity. If we say love our enemies as ourselves, we will do it because we know what is right. When we say that something is sinful, it is wrong, and we should be avoiding it.

                Well, why should a Christian have integrity? God forgives everything, so why should we put in that much extra work? Well, Proverbs 10:9 says, "Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his way crooked will be found out." Proverbs 11:3 says, "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them." When we walk in integrity, we are secure and we are being led to where God wants us to go. If we do not have integrity, we will constantly be falling into pits and falling away from God and into temptation. Without integrity, we will just go after anything that looks good, no matter how bad for us it is. Proverbs 28:6 says, "Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways."

                It is an easier life to live with integrity. It may look hard on the inside, but here is what others see when they look at your integrity: "One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest in much." (Luke 16:10) If you are not able to do the small things with integrity, you are not trusted to do the big things with integrity. If you are not willing to clean the bathrooms, you are not one who is easily trusted to run the company. Integrity is important. Why? Because you will be known as a person who does what they say. If you do not follow any moral code, then there is no point in believing you when it comes to something as paramount as truth and Christ. How can I believe that you follow the only good man to ever exist when you were just stealing without any sense of regret? Living a life of integrity also brings protection from others. 1 Peter 3:16 says, "Having a good conscious so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame."  When you walk with integrity, no one can gossip about you or curse you, for their words will have nothing to back them up on. You do exactly what you say is right. You live by your moral code.

                Living a life of integrity is not a walk in the park, but the benefits are well worth it. Not only does God call us to live a life of integrity, but even the world knows that integrity is a characteristic worth having. God finds integrity so important that Proverbs 20:7 says, "The righteous who walks in his integrity - blessed are his children after him!" Integrity is a big deal.

                How do we, as Christians in a sinful world, show integrity for God? Simple: Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." (Colossians 3:23) In everything you do, do it for the glory of God. (Colossians 3:17)


                                                                                                                                         -D

Jew Or Gentile

                "In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and shares together in the promise in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 3:4-6)

                Once Jesus died on the cross, there was no division between Jew and Gentile, because both were one in the body of Christ. Now, in our current culture, we do not understand the big deal. We are separated by two thousand years and a whole culture change. Allow me to depict the relationship between Jews, God's chosen people, and Gentiles, anyone who wasn't Jewish.

                If you are not Jewish, you are a Gentile. Keep this in mind. The Jews were the only people who God revealed His plans to. They were God's chosen people. All of the Gentiles knew God as Israel's God and no one else's. The Jews taught that the Gentiles were made by God as fuel for the fires of Hell. If a Jewish person walked through a Gentile city, they would kick the dust off of their feet before entering into their own Jewish city. They did not even want Gentile dirt on their land. If a Jewish person marries a Gentile, that Jewish families holds a funeral. Their child is dead to them. The Gentiles hated them back, too. They always wanted to kill the Jews. They were always at war with the Jews. They always wanted to oppress them or enslave them or initiate a mass genocide against the Jewish people.

                Now, look at this in context. God choose Abraham to be the father of the Jews. God sent Jesus into a teenage Jewish woman named Mary. Jesus came in the flesh as a Jewish man, and thirty three years later, was hung on a cross right outside of Jerusalem, the capital city of the Jews. It would only make sense to believe that the God of the Jews sent His Son in the form of a Jew to die in Jewish territory to pay for the sins of the Jews. It would only be logical.

                Now, when the disciples went out and spread the word, the Jews were all running to the Lord. It was wonderful! Until something unthinkable happened. While the disciples were preaching, some Gentiles heard the Gospel and accepted Jesus into their hearts. These Gentiles began to prophesy and speak in tongues just like the Jews. No body knew what to think!

                The Jews must have been thinking, "They must be some second class Christians. Their inheritance must not be as great as ours. They must be receiving a smaller portion." This was not the case at all. The great mystery that was revealed was that the God of the Jews came as a Jewish man through a Jewish woman to be hung on Jewish land in order to die for the sins of everyone! This was mind blowing!

                Racism at its finest broken by Jesus Christ at the cross! What we must remember is that when we first look at Abraham, when he was still Abram, he was an idol worshiping heathen just like the rest of us. He was no better than anyone else. Because we are all one in Christ, it is impossible for me to be better than you, and it is impossible for you to be better than me. We are all one in Christ, and that is the end of it.

                "Although I am the least of all the Lord's people, this grace was given to me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the Heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose that He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence." (Ephesians 3:8-12)

                The mystery of the Gospel is that God does not just love the Jewish community. He loves everyone and died on the cross for everyone's sins! His grace and mercy is not just for the select few; He came for everyone!

                "There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)


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The Verdict

                The wonderful thing about Christianity is that we know the ending before it happens. We know that, no matter how bad our past was and no matter what we did, we are blameless in front of God. We know that, standing in front of God on that final day of judgment, we will be told "well done my good and faithful servant." We will be counted as blameless.

                The only thing that is better than knowing the ending before it happens, is living in the ending before it happens. As Christians, we are able to live a life of love and integrity. We know that God has cleaned us and has called us out of slavery to sin. We know that we have been freed and that we will be counted as blameless. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

                We are forgiven! Not in the future, but right when you ask it! The moment that you come before God and ask for forgiveness, He will forgive you of your sin right on the spot. No need for a due process of law. He has already told you the verdict. "'Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.'" (Hebrews 10:17) God says that we are not guilty, and no one can tell you otherwise. God is the only one who is perfect and can judge. His ruling is the only one with true everlasting authority. His decision is the only one that matters. If you ask to be forgiven, you are made clean. You can be made "not guilty" simply by asking the loving God for a new start.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Praise The Lord

                All day I have been singing praise and worship songs to God for no reason what so ever, except for the fact that the Lord is good! It is good to know that God does not have to do something in order to deserve praise. It is even better to know that I do not have to do anything in order to feel joyful. In fact, I did nothing today in order to deserve this joy! God was just gracious and gave me a good day!

                In all that we do, let us not worry about deeds and stress; but instead just praise the Lord. Even now, as you are going through a good time, praise the Lord for being so good! Do not forget who gave you all that you have. Even now, as you are having a bad day, praise the Lord for being so good! He is allowing you to have bad times so that you can experience the good. He will let you face your consequences to help you grow. He will allow you to feel tested in order to grow your faith and show you how far in Christ you have come. In all things, praise the Lord, for He was good, is good, and will forever be good. There is no reason not to praise Him!

                Do not be timid or afraid of praising the Lord. Sing His praises if it is on your heart! People walk around singing secular music or humming beats or rapping. Why will you not sing praises to the Lord? Are you embarrassed to praise the Lord with all of your heart, or is His worship so holy that you cannot speak it in front of sinners? We must put away this mentality of being judged and judging others and just praise the Lord! We are no better or worse than anyone else. There is nothing that can overcome us.

                Let us put all things aside and just praise the Lord continually! Do not shove God into fifteen minutes before you start your day or a quick prayer before you go to bed. Praise Him at all times! Again, I shall repeat it to make sure that you know the importance, praise the Lord!


                                                                                                                                         -D

How Would You Live?

                Imagine if every Christian rule disappeared. Imagine if an angel of God came to the Earth and said that God repealed every law. No matter what, if we accepted Christ into our lives, we were going to Heaven. Sin no longer was against God, and we could do as we pleased. We could live as we want, and there was no such thing as right and wrong. Just living. Either you accepted Jesus to go to Heaven or you didn't.

                If this reality were true, and nothing you did was bad or wrong and evil, what would you do? If there were no consequences to sin, would you still be acting the same way? Be honest with yourself. Would you go out and get drunk? Would you go back to gossiping? Would you do drugs? If none of this was considered a sin, would you go back to doing it? If there was no wrong, how would you be living? If there was no rules, how would your life look?

                I know many people who would go back to doing drugs and hooking up if they could. I know many people who would try to be a "good person" and just do things on occasion. What would you be doing?

                For me, I would try to be more loving. I would try to show God's love more. I would try to be more like Christ. Yes, I know that I would be tempted to get angry and not think about it; but I would not truly want to do it. I would want to spread the love of God that much more. This question is not asking "how many rules would you keep?" It is asking, "how would you live?"

                If you no longer were obligated to follow the rules of the Bible, how would you live? Will you follow Christ out of gratitude, or out of an order? Will you love your neighbor because Christ have loved you so much that you just can't help it, or because Jesus told you to do it? Will you tell the truth because the truth will set you free, or because you know that lying is bad? Will you follow God out of gratitude, or because you don't want to go to Hell?

                We must examine our hearts. How do we expect to overcome lying when we don't really want to change. God cares about the heart, not the perfect human. If we do not want to stop lying because it hurts others and just because God said so, we do not truly want the change with all of our hearts. Yes, we should obey God; but we should also have an urge to obey God for good reasons and not just because it said so in the Bible. We obey God out of our heart. Is your heart trying to please God out of gratitude, or trying to please a rule book out of fear?


                                                                                                                                         -D

The Mind

                I had a revelation some time ago. We sin first in the mind. This may not seem like a big deal to some of you who understood that already, but that means that our mind is the first place of attack.We must be prepared in our mind at all times. When sin enters our minds, we can do one of two things: kick it our or think on it. If you kick it out, you move on and are fine. If you think on it, your thoughts become plans and ideas that fester in your heart, and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Luke 6:45) and what we speak we begin to act upon. By letting sin take control in our mind, we allow it to take control in our hearts and in our actions. It is so simple and quick that we must always be on guard. "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the spring of life." (Proverbs 4:23)

                How do we stop this? Most of us have been living deep in sin and have been used to allowing those thoughts in. Before Christ, there was no point in not meditating on sin. What else was there to do? We didn't have a reason not to sin. Our first step in renewing our minds to think like Christ and not like the world. Romans 12:2 says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." By letting God renew our minds, we gain a new way of thinking. We gain the ability to think of good things; but just because we have the ability to do good does not mean that we loose the ability to do bad. We still have free will. We must choose a side and stay on it. James 1:8 tells us that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

                Once we accept Jesus Christ into our lives, we have the ability to think good thought and abstain from sin. With the blood of Jesus comes the power to say no to sin. We must submit ourselves to God. Resist the Devil and he will flee from us (James 4:7). We must remember that Christ was the victory and when we live in Him we die to the world. We no longer live in sin, but we live in Christ. We have control, so we must now use it. 1 Corinthians 10:5 tells us to take every thought captive to obey Christ.

                Your mind is a battle field, and you must stay in control. Christ is there to keep out any sin, but you must choose to let Him work. "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, least we drift away from it." (Hebrews 2:1) It may seem hard at first, but remember that prayer helps with everything. Through prayer, God can give you the strength to overcome. Now, instead of loosing our minds to sinful thoughts, let us change our thinking. "Finally, brother, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8)


                                                                                                                                         -D

The Rings

                Marriage is serious business, especially in the Christian community. It is so serious that I am willing to make this statement: If you are not willing to work hard enough to keep that person for the rest of your life, leave them now and stop wasting your time. Now, I am speaking to the couples who have been together and are engaged, not the couples that just got together last month. Marriage is serious business; so serious that we say "Til' death do us part." Marriage was made to last a life time.

                The Bible says, "A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones." (Proverbs 12:4) Women, if you are not making your man feel like a king, you are failing him. This does not mean wait on him hand and foot like some servant, but make him feel appreciated. Do not fight him every step of the way or undermine him every morning. Love him! Men, if your wife is disgracing you, fix it. Do not go to other men and complain or go to other women to try to fix your problems. Man up and fix your relationship. If you are dating this girl, as a Christian, it is because you see wife materiel  Man up and fix your marriage like a true man of God! Through thick and thin, for better or worse. Not every day will be rainbows and butterflies; and when it's not, make it work anyways.

                The Bible also says, "Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find? The righteous man leads a  blameless life; blessed are his children after him." (Proverbs 20:6-7) Men, if you say, "Til death do us part," you had better mean it. Even now, as I type this, I can feel the holy fury that God has over those who say this line and divorce for no Biblical reason. You fell out of love? Child, please! The butterflies went away? That should have been expected! You cannot live on Earth in that state forever. You would need to focus and eat and do so many other things. Those are emotions. Only God's love lasts forever. Just because you "fell out of love" does not mean that you have permission to divorce. You said "Til death do us part." Say what you mean and mean what you say. Man up and back up your words! If you said that you'll love her forever, do it! Women, if your man is not faithful now, he will not be faithful later. One does not make such a drastic change during a relationship. You want a husband who is faithful to you and you alone. No other woman on the side. You deserve better. You deserve a faithful man who will compliment you, verbally and physically. You deserve a man that will bless your children and will cover you. You deserve a man who will help you live, not cause you to struggle. If he is not imitating Christ, do not be afraid to leave him for another. You deserve better, no matter what any man says.

                Matthew 19:4-6 says, "'Haven't you read,' He replies, 'that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate." When we get married, it is a holy union. Let us not defame the glory of God. Instead, let us be a light of how marriage should be. Divorce rates are now over 60%. Let us become an example of how a pure, loving and God-centered marriage should look like. Let no one separate what God has joined together. Let us go into marriage with a clear mind, knowing the purpose and the gravity of our decisions.


                                                                                                                                         -D

You Are Not Alone

                "Then the Lord said, 'It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.'" (Genesis 2:18) From Genesis to Revelation, we can see that humans do not like being alone. In fact, humans cannot handle being alone for long periods of time. We need companionship of some kind.

                Yesterday at church, one of the worship leaders told us all that she was contemplating suicide on her way to church. Her depression had come back for a massive attack. She was in tears, broken and trying to keep it all together. She admitted that she could no longer keep on her church face, nor did she want to. We stopped worship right away and all huddled around her and prayed out loud for her. Everyone hugged her and gave her words of encouragement.

                As I watched this amazing act of love, I knew that the church was the answer to so many problems. This worship leader was not smiling and filled with joy. She was in an environment that loved her dearly. Not because of what she contributed to the church, or because of her title; but simply because she was hurting and the body of Christ was compelled to love her out of depression. This is showing us that we are not alone. We have a church body that loves us; and best of all, we have a God who's love never fails us! We can cast all of our anxieties on Him, because He cares for us! (1 Peter 5:7)

                Sometimes the world will try to make you feel as if you are alone, but you are far from alone. In fact, your God is always right beside you. You can always talk with Him through prayer and through the word. You can always go to a true brother or sister in Christ and know that they will not judge you or look down upon you. Instead, they will love you. They, just like you, are the body of Christ and are willing to show His pure love at a moment's notice.

                There is no reason to be afraid. God is always here for you. We just need to accept His presence and call upon Him in prayer. He is never far away, He is near. Always. He will never take away His presence. We just need to feel it. If you ever feel alone, cry out to God! If you ever need someone to get you through a rough time, pray and find a true brother or sister in Christ. They will give you a shoulder to cry on, words of comfort, and a pure love straight from God.

                "Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6)


                                                                                                                                  -D

Are Tattoos Bad?

                I have not met a Christian with my point of view on tattoos that is my age. I have nothing particularly against tattoos. They are an expression of yourself and what you feel and think. I have no problem with expressing yourself. Everyone should express themselves. Again, I have nothing against people who get tattoos, I just do not feel it necessary to myself. I have never had the urge to have a tattoo. In fact, I find the urge pulls me in the other direction.

                I understand that tattoos are a form of expression and representation of a part of one's self. Again, I have no problem with this at all; but I am a man of action. I know many friends who want to get Biblical tattoos for themselves; not to show off to others, but to remind themselves of Christ every day. I find no problem with this idea; but again, I am a man of action. I would never want someone to know that I was a Christian because of a tattoo or an article of clothing. If someone cannot tell that I am a Christian through my actions, I am not representing Christ properly. If someone knows me as a Christian because of a tattoo instead of the love that I show them, then I might as well not even call myself a Christian. I should be showing God through His love to others.

                The reason why I will never get a tattoo is not because of some religious rule of my upbringing. It is because I am a messenger of Christ, and I want to represent Him strictly by Him and not by myself. I want His love to show, not a tattoo of Him. If my actions are not speaking loud enough, then I am in need of change.

                1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?  You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."  Our body is a temple that was purchased by God. I look at it this way. Whatever I would do to my body, I should be willing to do to a church. If I am willing to tattoo my body, I should be willing to spray paint on a church. If I am willing to eat right, I should be willing to fill the church with good Heavenly food. Our body is a temple and we should respect it as such; because it does not matter what we think, it is God's temple and we will have to tell Him what we did with it.

                Aside from all of that, Leviticus 19:28 says, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoos marks on yourselves. I am the Lord." It is up to you and your relationship with God if you will follow this law or not. I, personally, will choose to put God's will above mine. I know that many people say that many of the Old testament laws no longer are needed due to the coming of Jesus Christ. I agree. But I also agree that not every law was put into remission. This is a personal choice, and I have made my decision. Not everyone will agree with me, and I am fine with that. I will not judge a fellow believer for having a cross on their shoulder. I do not think that it is wrong to represent Christ. All that I will say is that the urge is not on my heart, and that God's will shall always be first to me.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Giving Thanks

                "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (1 Thessalonions 5:18) No matter what, we are called to give thanks. As Christians, we are supposed to have that thankful heart. Why should we not be thankful? We have Heaven, God, and a relationship with our creator? What are we to not be thankful about? "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Colossians 3:17)

                Imagine this. You pray before bed and wake up. When you wake up that next morning, you only get what you thanked God for the day before. How many of us we have a bed or blanket? How many of us would wake up with all four walls surrounding us and the roof over our hears? How many of us would wake up to breakfast, to sunlight, to clothes, to hearing nature, to sight, to our hands and feet, to our health, to our sanity. Over all, how many of us would wake up at all? How grateful are we, really?

                 How can we become more grateful? What can we do? Over all, just realize what you have. Not everyone has had food in the past three days. Not everyone your age woke up this morning. No everyone has the same opportunities you have. If you say, "my life is so bad," that is not true. Look at you right now. You are reading off of the internet about God. Some countries won't even allow anyone to worship anyone other than their god, so you are blessed with freedom. So many people don't even have internet access or a place to get it, much less a laptop or a phone or a friend that can let them use the internet. You are blessed! Your life may not be easy, but you always have some reason to thank God. If we think with Him as the center of our lives, we always have a reason to be thankful. "Through Him let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name." (Hebrews 13:15)

                Let us also be thankful for God's help! He does not need to help us, yet He does so out of love. "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13) It is by God's good grace alone that we have the strength to overcome sin and that we now have the ability to triumph. God has given us the strength to change from a sinner to a saint by His blood. If that is not a reason to give thanks to God, I do not know what is! He has given us countless reasons to praise Him and give Him thanks.

                How do we thank God for all of these good things? From a working state of mind, to a living body, to the ability to feel His love, to His son dying on the cross for us. "I appeal to you therefore, brother, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." (Romans 12:1) If we want to thank God, we lift up our days to Him. We let what was our become His. Let us be thankful for everything that we are. Let us give Him our time, our energy, our words, our everything. Let us thank Him every morning and every night, and let us show Him our gratitude through our words and actions. Even when things look bad, let us be grateful to God for the good He has done for us.

                "Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same thing to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you." (Philippians 3:1)


                                                                                                                                         -D

Approaching God

                "In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above Him were seraphim, each with six wings: with two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another: 'holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole Earth is full of His glory.' At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke." (Isaiah 6:1-4)

                The presence of the Lord is nothing light. His presence is powerful and full of glory. Some might even like to say that this scene is like holy horror because of how powerful it. The presence of the Lord is powerful, it is not just peaceful. God is a powerful force. As my friend Joey once said, He is a high voltage God. This is not some reason to run away from Him. You see, He gives us full access and safety to approach Him. Because of the blood of Christ, we can now approach Him! How do we approach God, though? Well, let us read on.

                "'Woe to me!' I cried. 'I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the king, the Lord Almighty.' Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the alter. With it he touched my mouth and said, 'See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.'" (Isaiah 6:5-7)

                Let us take after Isaiah's example when we approach God. Let us be humble and keep in mind how holy God is in comparison to us. He is holy! He is nothing like us, and our presence as sinners is unworthy of His time. It is by His cleansing power and His will that we are able to stand before Him as saints when we should be sinners. Why do we have this freedom to go before the God of the universe? Because He loves us enough to sanctify us and let us enter into His presence. Just like Isaiah, we should be humble and ready to repent of sin at any moment when we approach God. This is the most important aspect. Let us be humble before a mighty God!

                Though I would say humility is the number one aspect of going before God, there is another part of that attitude that many people overlook. When we go before God, we must be ready to go!

                "Then I heard the voice of the Lord say, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' and I said, 'Here I am. Send me!" (Isaiah 6:8)

                When we go before God, let us go with a servant's heart just as Jesus had. Let us be willing, if not excited to ask God, "What can I do for you, Father?" Let us put God first and truly come to Him on our hands and knees, falling to the floor as we allow His presence to flood us. Let us not be afraid to be humble before the Lord because of what other people think of how comfortable we may be feeling. I believe that God is worth the act of repentense. "So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk,  that by it you may grow up into salvation - for indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good." "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God."  (1 Peter 2:1-3), (Ephesians 2:8) Let us approach God with a humble servant's heart.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Obedience Over Sacrafice

                Many times, we look at how good we are doing with God according to what we have given up for Him or what trials we have gone through. It is easy to say that we are faithful to God simply because we have gone through a painful time. Well, just remember this: even Judas gave up his whole life to follow Jesus Christ. It is not about our sacrifices, it is about our obedience.

                It does not matter if we sell out house, give away all of our money to charity, give our car to someone in need, sell everything in our closet, and go work at a missionary. If you are not obeying God when He tells you to move, you are just practicing self-righteousness. "If I give up more than ten percent for tithes this week, God will bless me." Well, maybe He will. In fact, He will do just that, if He told you to give more than ten percent. We must remember that God is alive and active. He is not a machine or a system. If He says obey, obey. Jesus Christ even said if you love Me, you will obey my command (John 14:15). We have to remember that our obedience is what God is after, not how much pain we can take and how much we can give up in a life time.

                When Saul was sent out to go defend his land, God told him not to take any of the things for himself. Saul decided that he would take the best of the land and bring it home to sacrifice to God. This was not what God had told Saul to do. When Samuel found this out, he went to Saul and said, "does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams." (1 Samuel 15:22)

                God wants our obedience, not our sacrifices. He wants us to obey more than He wants us to give.  To think that works alone is what will get you into Heaven is incorrect. You must first have faith in God and then He will command your steps. Those works that God is pleased with comes by faith and obedience, not by doing our own ideas of what we think God would like. "To love Him with all your heart , with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices." (Mark 12:33) We must love God first and do as He says, not as we think He will like. Listen to the Lord and do what He commands. That is how you will please Him.


                If you feel as if you have been doing much for God and nothing has been happening, truly as yourself if you are doing much for God or much for yourself. To sacrifice over obeying God is selfish. He will not honor that. Sacrifice is not bad at all, but obedience must come first. "To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice." (Proverbs 21:3)


                                                                                                                                         -D

They are Called Gifts!

                It is easy for us, as humans, to grow prideful of our spiritual gifts. If one is a prophet or speaks in tongues or preforms miracles or heals, it is easy to have the attention drawn to you. It is easy to become egotistical, thinking even humble thoughts in an egotistical way; such as "I don't want to use my gift because all of the attention will be drawn to me." We must remember the fundamental key! Whether it is prophesying, speaking in tongues, healing, teaching, service, mercy, leading, exhortation, music, or anything at all, it is a spiritual gift, not a spiritual talent!

                A spiritual gift is something that is brought to us out of kindness and love, not for what we have done. It is not a spiritual reward, or a spiritual paycheck, or a spiritual due. It is a spiritual gift. We did not do anything to deserve the gift. We only accepted what God had to offer us. We must not grow prideful in whatever God has given us. We must remain humble and under the good grace of God, because He did not have to give us these gifts. He did not have to bless us with such wonderful things, but He choose to do so anyways. Let us not be arrogant and rude; but instead be cheerful and thankful to God for including us in His plan!

                Romans 12:6-8 says, "having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhorting; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness." Let us use our gifts to the fullest, knowing that they are from God.

                If you are not sure what your spiritual gift is, take a spiritual gift test! It's as simple as going to Google and typing in "spiritual gifts test." Have an elder of your church or someone who is wiser than you look you over and see what they say. In the end, pray about what the gift is. God has given everyone a spiritual gift and He calls us to know it and use it. "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brother, I do not want you to be uninformed." (1 Corinthians 12:1)

                When you know your spiritual gifts, remember this: "as each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies - in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 4:10-11)


                                                                                                                                         -D

What is Praise and Worship?

                Praise and worship is the last part of the five ways of spiritual growth. Why is praise and worship a part of this? Well, praise and worship lifts the heart to God and invited Him into your presence. When you give Him praise and worship, you lift yourself above the worldly things and overcome the flesh. You can overcome any emotion, any trial, any feeling or thoughts through praise and worship. Through this act, you lift yourself above yourself and your situations and bring yourself before the Lord.

                On top of this, it is the way in which we should serve the Lord. "Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing!" (Psalm 100:2) Why should we not be singing out of joy for what God has done for us? He saved us from death! We will sing a song in public because it has a good beat, but we won't sing a song about the God who loves us and saves us just in case we get offended? There is not a song in the world that will not offend someone. Even kid songs will offend some people who feel that they are too old to hear that type of music. It is impossible to please everyone, so why try? Why not just please God, the maker of Heaven and Earth and the one who saved you and loves you?

                If we ever come before God not feeling well about it, or feeling tired of praying, let us put praise into our time with Him! "Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name!" (Psalm 100:4) This will lift up your spirit and put you in the mindset of how amazing God is! It is your weapon against negative emotions! Psalm 103:1-2 says, "bless the Lord, oh my soul, and let all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not His benefits." Sometimes we just are not feeling praise and worship. That is when we need to speak to our souls and tell it to praise God! Why? Because God has been too good for you to not praise His holy name! At all times we should be blessing the Lord and giving Him praise and worship!

                We can also praise Him with more than singing. We can praise Him with dancing or playing instruments. (Psalm 149:3; Psalm 150:3-4) When it comes to praise, God rejoices over you! "The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will comfort you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing." (Zephaniah 3:17)

                Why would we not praise God? Why would we not worship Him? Why would we ever let what others think of us stop us from loving the Lord? What is Jesus was too afraid of what others thought to die on the cross for us? What if He decided not to die on the cross because someone wouldn't like Him or would laugh at Him? Well, you would have no reason to praise and worship; but He did, so you have every reason to praise and worship! So do not let a moment go by where you do not praise and worship the Lord, because that is a moment you cannot get back. Do not be ashamed, let your praises ring! Lift them up to God and let the beautiful sound bless the Lord!


                                                                                                                                         -D

What is Prayer?

                Matthew Henry once said, "you may as soon find a living man that does not breath, as a living Christian that does not pray." Christians depend on prayer more than anything else because it is our direct connection to God. We should be praying before we worship, praying before we read the word, praying before we make big decisions, important decisions, or before we do anything. We should pray in the morning and at night. To be honest, we should never stop praying (1 Corinthians 1:4; Ephesians 6:18; Philippians 1:3-4; Colossians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:17)

                A Christians cannot grow without prayer being a part of their lives. The more you prayer, the more you talk with God, and talking with God is how we grow. There are four types of prayer: adoration, which is to give praise and glory to God, confession, which is to repent of your sins and tell God what you have done, thanksgiving, which is to give thanks to God for all that He has done, and supplication, which is to make a request unto God. These for prayers are what the Christian life is based around. We must repent of our sins always! If we want to get to know God, we lift up adoration and worship Him with our prayers. If we want to just be positive and thankful, we make sure that God hears our thanksgiving. When we have a need or a desire, we pray with supplication.

                Well, now you know that Christians should be praying and it is good for us. It is one of the five ways of spiritual growth, after all; but what about the next step? How should one pray? Well, in all honesty, with prayer and meditation at hand, it is easy to find out how to pray.James 1:6 says, "but let Him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." When you pray, know that God will do it! Simple as that! Do not let doubt set in. Psalm 66:17 says, "I cried to Him with my mouth, and a high praise was on my tongue!" Just open up your mouth and praise God! Who cares what it sounds like or what attributes you are praising God for? Just let the praises ring! Prayer can be in singing and art as well! Psalm 95:2 says, "let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!" When we give thanks to God, let it out in any way! It does not matter how many times you say it, let the praises ring! Oswald Chambers once said, "we have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties."

                When it comes to prayer, it is our lifeline to God. We cannot afford to brush off this aspect of a Christian life. How can we go without talking to our Lord and Savior? I have never seen a real Christian who does not pray. It is more than necessarily. It is fundamentally essential. If you want to see a Christian's relationship with God, ask them about their prayer life. It is the easiest way to tell about a Christian's faith and trust in God.

                If there is an issue between you and God, pray right now! What is more important than prayer? What is more important than talking directly to God? Our prayers should never cease! We should never stop praying through the whole day. R. A. Torrey once said, "those persons who know the deep peace of God, the unfathomable peace that passeth all understanding, are always men and women of much prayer."


                                                                                                                                         -D

What is Reading?

                Many Christians, and non-Christians, own a Bible somewhere at home. It is the number one most sold book in the world and has always had that title. It is also the number one more stolen book in the world, as well. Why is this book so popular, and why should Christians care?

                It is the word of God! The Holy Bible is God's word given to us in a physical form, and the word of God is Jesus (John 1:1). The word of God is useful in so many ways. One of the friends that I am growing close to had some trouble getting into reading the word. He would rather ask questions than read the word. Let me make it clear that there is nothing wrong with asking questions to get knowledge; but if you do not know the word, the answer could be completely false and you could fall prey to false doctrine because of your lack of Biblical knowledge. We must prepare ourselves with the word. We must put God's word in our heart. As Psalm 119:11 says, "I have hidden Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you."

                If we are ever wondering why we are not growing spiritually, let us look at the Bible. After all, it is one of the five ways of spiritual growth. When we feel like we do not know God, He has make Himself clear through His word. When we feel uncertain about God or something we have learned, the Bible has all truths. When we need help knowing if something is of God or not, the Bible will tell you. When you are thirsty and seeking life and peace, the Bible has an unlimited supply of it right inside of the pages. Everything a Christian needs is presented between Genesis 1:1 and Revelation 22:21.

                Gotquestions.org helps to explain this point. "We read the Bible because there is so much false teaching. The Bible gives us the measuring stick by which we can distinguish truth from error. It tells us what God is like. To have a wrong impression of God is to worship an idol or false god. We are worshiping something that He is not. The Bible tells us how one truly gets to Heaven, and it is not by being good or being baptized or by anything else we do (John 14:6; Ephesians 2:1-10; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:10-18. 5:8. 6:23, 10:9-13). Along this line, God's Word shows us how much God loves us (Romans 5:6-8; John 3:16). And it is in learning this that we are drawn to love Him in return (Matthew 7:24-27). The Bible equips us to serve God (2 Timothy 3:17; Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12). It helps us know how to be saved from our sin and its ultimate consequences (2 Timothy 3:15). Meditating on God's word and obeying its teachings will bring success in life (Joshua 1:8; James 1:25). God's word helps us see sin in our lives and helps us get rid of it (Psalsm 119:9, 11). It gives us guidance in life, making us wiser than our teachers (Psalms 32:8, 119:99, Proverbs 1:6). The Bible keeps us from wasting years of our lives on that which does not matter and will not last (Matthew 7: 24-27)

                If we want to learn more about God and grow stronger in Christ, we must be willing to dive into the word. This does not mean read a book of the Bible a day. You start wherever God calls you in whatever portion God calls you. Maybe you are reading a verse or two a day, and maybe you are reading a paragraph or an excerpt a day. It does not matter how you start, just as long as you get into the word of God every day in order to grow.

                2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that, "all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." If we want to become wiser, learn more about God, or spiritually grow, we must grab a hold of God's word and dive into it daily.


                                                                                                                                         -D

What is Fasting?

                Fasting is, in the most common sense, willingly abstaining from food, water, or both for a set period of time. Of course, there are hundreds, if not thousands of different ways to fast. You can fast things that are not food and water, or you can fast more than food and water. My favorite way to fast is the Daniel fast, where you do not eat or drink from six in the morning until six at night.

                Fasting is safe and easy. As long as you do not do anything reckless, such as go a month without food or water on your first fast, you will be fine. Many times, I wanted to go days or weeks without food but I was rushing into things. My mother used my pastor as an example. "Our Bishop can fast the way he does because he has gotten used to it. His body is ready for going days without eating now. You should take it slowly. Just miss a meal for a day."

                At first, I did not fully understand what my mother meant. I was excited to fast and ready to go! I was determined, who cared about the rest? She was my mother, though, so I decided to listen to her and compromise. My first fast was the Daniel fast. The day was long and I was hungry, but I devoted my time to prayer and reading. When the fast was over, I was all but reluctant to eat. That is when I understood my mother's words. When it comes to fasting, we must ease into it.

                Why should Christians fast? Well, for starters, it is healthy for our bodies to fast every now and then. It cleans out our digestive system and purifies our bodies. It lets our body do more using the energy that it normally uses for digestion. It is a great body cleaner. Aside from the healthy side of fasting, there is also a major spiritual side to it. After all, it is one of the five ways of spiritual growth.

                Fasting, hand in hand with prayer, brings major results to one's life. When asking my disciples what fasting is, they all gave the same type of response: "it's when you give up food and stuff to give that time to praying and reading." Exactly right! When we give up food and meals and Facebook and other things, we do not simply give it up for a while to prove we could do it. We are giving up the desires of the flesh in order to edify the spirit. The time we normally would be spending on Tumbler would go straight to praying for those in need or praying to God for more of His presence or anything at all. The time you would spend on Facebook will be spent meditating on the word. The time you would be spending eating a big dinner and laying around would go to prayer and praising God. Fasting, in hand with other spiritual disciplines, creates a more spiritual aware state of mind and helps to build a closer relationship with God.

                Not everyone can fast food. Some people have been told, by their doctors, that they cannot afford to miss a meal for medical reasons. In this case, there is more of a reason to fast things like television or the internet or the cell phone. Everyone can fast something, but it comes down to this: are you willing to crucify the flesh in order to grow in the spirit, or are you going to let your flesh have control?

                Fasting is an act, like prayer, that can be done at any time for any reason. Often times, I fast simply because I can. I will try new fasts and new ideas. It is always interesting to try these new things. It brings me closer to God and I learn so much within those hours.

                If you are ready and willing to fast, I would say two things. First, pray to God of when to fast, what to fast, why you are fasting, and how long to fast. Second, I would say to remember Matthew 6:16-18. "And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fast may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."


                                                                                                                                         -D

What is Meditation?

                Meditation is commonly thought of as an Eastern religious idea, but how many of you knew that meditation has a different meaning? We all know of the Eastern version of meditation: sitting cross-legged and relaxing. The idea of that form of meditation is to empty yourself of everything and invite other things into you to fill you up. This is not Christian meditation. Christian meditation is when we receive God's word and allow it to sit in our minds and hearts in order for us to understand it. It is taking the word of God and allowing the Holy Spirit to speak to you through this word.

                Anytime you sit down and re-read a verse because it captivates you, or you sit and think about what it means, you are meditating on the word. This does not take candles and special clothing or special conditions. It just takes God's word and a little bit of time to think on it.

                Philippians 4:8 says, "finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." We are to meditate on good, God centered things. Anything that is glorifying the Lord, these are the things that we are supposed to be meditating on. Psalms 104:34 says, "may my meditation be pleasing to Him, as I rejoice in the Lord."

                We meditate at all times. Anything that we think of for more than four seconds is something that you are meditating on. It does not matter what it is about. If it is consuming that much time or more, you are meditating on it.

                Why is meditation important? Well, meditation is one of the five ways of spiritual growth. When we meditate on the word, our mindset changes, our hearts change, and we begin to center our lives around God and His ways. If we want God to become a bigger part of our lives, and if we want to get closer to God, we must begin to meditate on God and His word.


                                                                                                                                         -D

Examining Our Hearts

                Last night, the local church that I go to, Emmaus, announced that we were in the midst of the last service. I could feel the shock and heaviness that fell over the crowd. It was hard for people to swallow. This loving community where many came to learn to love God and find a community in Christ was going to disappear forever. It was touch news to handle, but there was a reason to rejoice.

                It is not easy to see God's plan at all times, and it is not easy to be happy about it during every second; but people were able to see the good that was going to come out of it. People were able to see that God was taking away the building and the structure in order to build the people. He took away the building and meeting time in order to have people step out on faith and focus on God and God alone. This change is not a trial or a judgment; in fact, it is a blessing in disguise. God is about to change many lives, and this is the way that He will do it. In this change, all of the people at Emmaus will be forces to examine their hearts and see how far they have come with God.

                Sometimes, things like this happen so that we can examine our hearts. We have to look inside and ask God what He wants us to do. Even in the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit came and fell upon the people at the Pentecost  but it did not stop there. Many wonderful miracles and powerful signs and spiritual families were being made. It was like a spiritual paradise, almost a Heaven on Earth. As good as that was, it was not God's plan. He had told them to fan out, disperse, and spread the good news.

                Imagine the people! "But God, this is so good! We are doing miracles in your name and breaking bread and enjoying fellowship! Why would we ever want to leave this place?"

                That is a hard temptation. When things are going well, we can praise the name of God so easily. God wants us to do more than enjoy the good times. He wants us to spread those good times outwards. He wants the Gospel to be more than just a local thing. He wants it to be global! Because the people listened to God and spread out as He said instead of selfishly staying in their momentary paradise, God was able to spread the Gospel world wide. It is not just in one area, Christians are all over now!

                Not every situation that God gives us will look pretty in the moment. It is fine to cry and be upset, and it is natural to feel things things; as long as you do not let them consume you. At some point, you need to rejoice for God because He is about to do something new. We need to examine our hearts, see where we are with God, and see where He wants to take us.


                                                                                                                                         -D

But God

                Two of the sweetest words in the English diction: "BUT GOD." There is no phrase, adjective, adverb, or noun that can describe the power that is within this. These two words define the Gospel in totality. The power and the passion behind these words cannot be fully expressed behind a computer screen, or even face to face. It must be felt in the heart, and it is overwhelming.

                Ephesians 2: 1-3 says, "and you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others."

                According to these verses, we were dead in our sins. We were sinful people who followed the Devil. According to this verse, we did the Devil's will. According to this verse, we were children of wrath, making us the children of the Devil and not God. According to this, we were the worst of the worst. We deserved Hell as much as the Devil. We deserved the worst life imaginable.

                BUT GOD!

                "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourself; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:4-10)

                We were dead in our sins, BUT GOD gave us life in Christ Jesus. We were children of wrath, BUT GOD corrected our paths. We were enslaved to the Devil, BUT GOD set us free. We were children of the Devil, BUT GOD adopted us into His family. We were destined for Hell, BUT GOD gave us a new destiny. We were wondering in the darkness, BUT GOD sent us a light.  We were incomplete and worthless, BUT GOD said that we were worth dying for.

                We were sinners who had no excuse and deserved Hell, BUT GOD so loved the world that He gave His only son so that anyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

                BUT GOD is the most powerful statement that could ever be made. Because of this statement, we do not get what we deserve. We are made whole. We are loved and accepted. Looking at our sinful lives, God is the last person that we should ever expect to love us, BUT GOD is the only one that loves us unconditionally.


                                                                                                                                         -D