Why we need Jesus?

We always love the loving God. The one that gives us peace in despair, that lifts us up when we are down, the one that gives us strength when we are weak, even if we follow Him or not. However, the real issue is not if you are in despair, down, or weak the real issue is our sin. There is no point of us being 30,000 feet up in an airplane and me giving free parachutes without telling you why you need to put it on. You see, I was in the cockpit of the plain and I saw that in 5 minutes we would hit a mountain top. And if you don’t put the parachute on, you won’t survive. It might be uncomfortable for those 5 minutes to wear a parachute on your back, but trust me, it will save your life.

Struggles of a Christian: Principle 1

Today I’m not going to just write a devotional, but in some ways a small sermon. I would record it but I’m kinda shy so maybe in the next couple of months I will be recording some sermons or just small thoughts to encourage you. As you can see, this article is going to be about struggles that we as Christians go thru. A lot of times it’s so easy to make it seem to everyone that every thing is ok, but deep inside we know it’s not. I want to be as straight forward as I can and be honest with you guys. I really hope this encourages you and helps you in your walk with God.

The first struggle that I’m going to talk about is the lost of the first love. I don’t know if some of you after maybe months or years of becoming a Christian have noticed that your spiritual life is lacking a little or maybe a lot. You don’t pray how you used to, you don’t read the Bible how you used to, it’s just not the same. And many of us keep living our normal life, yet knowing that something is not alright. We might still be going to church, and maybe even working in a ministry, but we know deep down that there is something wrong. So, the question that many of us ask ourselves is, how do I get back? How do I go back to what I once was, when I was full of passion, full of love, full of God. What must I do?

Application: Be Encouraged by Jesus!

If you haven’t read today’s devotional, Be Encouraged by Jesus, then click on it and read it before reading this. Application it’s just a life example of how we can apply this devotional into our daily lives. You know, a lot of times we start focusing on things that really don’t matter. We can pass one day, two, a week, maybe even a month without even talking to God. And what I mean by talking is not just the “Thank you God for another day,” or the good night prayer, but actual time with God. The dangerous thing is that the more we start focusing on all these other things, the less we focus on Jesus. And our lives become empty, just living life like all human being without knowing that the Spirit that raised Christ from death lives in us. Therefore, my first application will be, don’t lose focus off of Jesus. Devote your life daily to Him, every single day and be open to His leading. Don’t get distracted from the daily chores like Martha did, instead of focusing on Jesus.

The second application I will give about this devotional it’s about suffering. I think every single person in this world has suffered, either physical pain, or emotional pain, maybe even persecution for being a Christian. When all these things happen, it doesn’t matter how painful or hard they are we need to focus our eyes on Jesus and follow His example. He was able to endure the cross, He was able to forgive his murderers because He knew what lay before Him. He knew that after this small pain He was going back to the Father. And as Christians we need to understand that no matter how great the pain, the glory that we will receive is far greater than anything on this earth. So keep persevering, don’t give in, don’t give up, fix your eyes on Jesus and the eternal life that we have secure in Him. He is the author and perfecter of our faith.

Be Encouraged by Jesus!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12: 1-2

Times might be difficult and it might be hard to persevere sometimes on the right path. It is so easy to get decieve and so easy to just live normal life. But, Paul tells us that in order to persevere we need to fix our eyes on Jesus. He is the source of our faith but not just the source, He is also the perfector of our faith. We didn’t just get saved and God left us to go after the next. He is the perfector of our faith, He works in us and walks with us. Therefore, we need to follow His example in that He was able to endure the cross because He knew the joy that lay before Him at the right hand of God. So we should also endure tribulation and focus our eyes solely on Him knowing what lays before us-that is eternity with Him.

Summary:

We can easily in times of confusion and chaos lose hope or focus. That is why we need to constantly focus and fix our eyes on Jesus and in the hope that is lay before us-that is, eternity in the glorious presence of our God.

Changing Churches

Today I would just like to share a little bit of my struggles and what I’m going thru right now. I have been a Christian for 3 years and have just attended one church in those three years. But for the last 2 years I have been feeling really uncomfortable there. And the reason is because of difference in Biblical doctrine. I once thought that I should stay at the church and try to make a difference, I did as much as I could but lately I have felt that it’s time to move on. Now, I’m not leaving that church because of small difference or things I don’t like, but because of what I believe are false teachings and doctrines. I want to go to a church where the truth is spoken and where I can really serve (even though I was serving at my church, but because of these difference I couldn’t serve wholeheartedly). So right now I’m in the process of changing churches and this is a lot more difficult than what I thought. However, even this process has gotten me closer to God and to my girlfriend. I just want to do God’s will and follow Him wherever He leads, but sometimes the right decision is the most unpopular one, and sometimes it’s hard to make those unpopular decisions.

I was just wondering if some of you have gone thru something like that, and what was your experience like?

God bless you all.

At The End

Looking back I asked myself, “What have I done”? You know, it was so easy for me to think that going to church, singing songs, doing some good things here and there was going to be good enough. I mean is not like I’m living a life in sin anymore, cause now I’m free. However, I also asked myself another question, “Where are my fruits”? I mean, honestly where and what are they. If I would have to stand before God, what can I show Him that I have done with all He gave me. My honest answer was, “I can’t think anything.” I didn’t feel so confident about standing before God anymore, no because of sin but is/was my whole life about Him, and making much of Him and less of me. Or had it become more about me with God on the sidelines.

I was going through that thinking process while I was in an airplane with an oxygen mask on because the plane de-pressurerize 30,000+ feet in the air. Not knowing what to think, what was going to happen I was face with the “at the end” questions. At the end what did it matter if God was not my main reason to live? When you are face with the last moments what are you going to think, what are you going to do?

I want to see a generation of youth that radically stands up for God no matter the circumstances. That doesn’t live a double live but is crystal clear in front of God and everyone else. That doesn’t condemn people to Hell, but that rebukes them with love. People that are not scare of speaking out about God even though it is not the most “cool, or accepting” thing to do. People who don’t water down the Gospel for financial gain or to not be persecuted. People who love God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength with no strings attached. A generation that will stand up and say, you can have all this world, just give me Jesus. All I need is Jesus. Who through love and compassion will reach the lost so that they will be found. People who will worship God in truth and Spirit not just with spiritual songs but with their whole life. People who are willing, at the end, to leave everything to follow Him!

Just some thoughts

I somewhat felt inspired after seeing a lot of statues in Facebook from people that I know. Here are some thoughts that just came up.

- If you would come close to God and seek Him with your whole heart, He will come near you. Don’t miss the opportunity to get to know your Creator by the things that you have heard about Him, or the things that you have seen others do in His name, or because of your past experiences. Get to know Him for whom He really is, seek Him and He will reveal Himself to you and you won’t be the same.

- Many people call others religious. But just because you live your life completely for God and try to do everything to please Him doesn’t make you religious… It makes you religious if you live your life for yourself and on Sunday pretend that you live for God. It’s easy to deceive even your closest friends but it is impossible to deceive God.

- It’s so easy to walk away from God. We think that because life is “good” it mean that God is pleased with us. But, don’t be deceive, without holiness no one will see the Father. Your life might seem “good,” but that doesn’t make you any farther or closer to God, He makes the sun raise to the godly and ungodly. The question is how good is your relationship with Him? If you love Him you won’t do the things He hates.

- It’s sad to see that some people might have had a bad past or might be going through dark times. And instead of seeking God’s amazing love they turn to things that won’t fill that emptiness. Like “smoke this and everything goes away,” but when the effect dies down the same emptiness comes back. Others think that they need to be or act a certain way to be loved and accepted. While God just wants to show them just how much He loves them if they would come to Him.

God bless you all.

Great Preaching

God bless you. I havn’t posted anything in a long time, but today I decided to post something. I’m probably going to start again to write in this blog. Currently the blog still is getting a decent amount of views per month and I know that God want’s to do something. I don’t know who is reading these posts, but if the Holy Spirit touches even one life then it was worth it. Here is a sermon from Francis Chan, and I think it explains the way that I have always felt since God saved me. Hope you enjoy it.

Pay evil with good!

You have heard that it was said,‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.

Matthew 5:38-39

How many times have someone cursed at you and you have cursed at them back? How many times has someone do you wrong and you try to get your revenge? How many times have you been in need and someone resist to help you, so you resist to help them when they are in trouble, or you begin to talk bad about them? Our society, our cultures have taught us to repay evil with evil, it’s the common sense thing to do. However, Jesus threw all that away and said that we should not resist an evil person. That if someone slaps us in the right cheek, then to turn the left one. But we aways do the opposite. I encourage you today, and tomorrow, and for the rest of your life that every time someone does you wrong, you will think about this passage. And instead of thinking about how pay back with the same coin, that you will think about blessing, forgiving, helping, giving, loving, caring for that person that hurt you. This is how people will know that we belong to Christ, when we pay good for evil and love each other regardless of the circumstances. God bless you all.

When problems come, don’t run!

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Romans 5: 3-5