3 Conversations that I found helpful

      I have not Blogged for the last 2 months. I have just been very busy working. But now I am back with my latest take on things.
Over the Summer I was getting upset with how my relationship with God was going.
We know that God never goes anywhere. We are the ones who tend to stray away.
And that is pretty much what happened, I let myself get back into a selfish mindset.
But I was so dried up, I wanted to feel God's Spirit poured out on me again.
So I crawled back to God, asking for Him to draw me close once again. And he has.
      

      Last month I was working this question. "How can I constantly be near to God?"
The answer is simple, We have to seek Him out.
I have also noticed 3 things that have been very helpful to getting near to God.
I call them "The Three Conversations"

1. Conversation with God (Prayer/Worship)

2. Conversation with Believers (Fellowship)

3. Conversation with Non-Believers (Evangelism)

      The First of the three is Conversation with God, known as Prayer and also Worship.
In Psalm 5:1-3, David says, 

"Give ear to my words, O Lord; Consider my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray. O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch."

      David was just one of the many men in the Bible who talked to God and Relied on him.

Jesus would often get away from the crowds and go pray to the Father. Because Jesus was constantly in prayer withe the Father, He knew the Lord's will and could carry it out. 

As Christians we are to model our lives after Christ. Jesus Prayed, so We Pray. 

     

      The Second of the Three is Conversation with Believers, Fellowship.
Romans 15:1-2,

"We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up."

      As Christians we are to help each other bear the burdens of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
We are all Brothers and Sisters in Christ. All together in one Family.
Acts 2:42-47 talks about Believers being devoted to the apostles teaching and fellowship.

Verse 44 says,

"And all who believed were together and had all things in common."

They were relying on each other. Take advantage of the church family that God has given you. Be committed to it, serve, and allow yourself to be humbled by being served.

The Third and Final piece is Conversation with Non Believers, Witnessing, Evangelism.
I really don't like the term Witnessing, I feel like we have slightly lost the meaning over time.
When you witness something, what are you doing? Think about it.

If you witness a car accident, you are seeing it happen.

You are observing, experiencing something.
Non Believers are actually witnessing us. They are seeing our lives, how we act and talk.
Matthew 5:16, 

"...Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

      We are to shine the light of Christ in our lives. Share what Jesus has done with us.
Be approachable, open and friendly like Jesus.
This is where we take all we have learned and put it into practice.

1. Conversation with God (Prayer/Worship)

2. Conversation with Believers (Fellowship)

3. Conversation with Non-Believers (Evangelism)

Getting To Know God

The Old Testament is filled with great stories of God's work within his people.

This is where many Christian children's story books come from.Today there is much emphasis on the New Testament and The Gospel.

I would not argue the importance of that, since it is the key to understanding our salvation. However, there is so much to know about our God.More than we can even understand.
The Old Testament is a window that we can look through to see the very nature of God.

I have started my plan to read through the Bible. I have never done it, but I really want to and so I am doing it. I am reading New Testament and Old Testament at the same time. I am currently in Numbers in the Old Testament. I can say that I was not very excited to read through Leviticus and Numbers. But now, as I read through it, I see so much of God's Character being revealed. I used to see God as this Giant glowing white old man who was grumpy and didn't really have a personality. But the more and more I read the Bible, I see that God has a Personality, a perfect personality!

God is not a God of Chaos and Confusion, but a God of Order and Creation. He loves to create and see us create. He had specific ways he wanted things built for the Israelites. He created all that we have on Earth, all the results of the combinations of things we can create. God enjoys watching us create, we are practicing our gifts. Like a child mimicking their parent as they work, so we do the same when we create. God has had this beautiful plan for everything since the beginning of time.

God is a God of Justice, but is also Compassionate and Forgiving. There are so many times in the traveling of the Israelites where the people complain and go against God and his rules. God is always ready to fry um all with fire from heaven, but Mosses talks to God face to face and asks him to spare them. God has mercy on them and only bakes those who are in complete rebellion to him. I was laughing while reading in numbers 16 this morning. God was getting so fed up with the children of Israel complaining about everything, in verse 45 God says "Get away from the midst of this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment." So we see that God gets angry, but Mosses and Aaron made atonement for the people and turned God's wrath from killing all of them. But still, 14,700 died. So we see that God does have a personality, he gets mad when we go against him, but now have Jesus who is our mediator instead of Mosses, and Jesus is God. Mosses was just a man and could not stop all of God's wrath.

There are so many characteristics to God, they are innumerable, but what I want to emphasize is that God is real, he has a personality, he has feelings, and he is passionate about his creations. We need to see Him that way. We are made in his image, we were designed after him. God IS the perfect blueprint, Jesus IS the perfect creation from that blueprint. Jesus' personality reflected God's own personality to its maximum ability through human form.

I want to know God like I know my friends and family members.

I want to know what he likes, what he hates, how to please him, how to be lovely in his sight.
I hope that this is your goal too.

The same producer of the entire universe talked to Mosses face to face.
You can talk to Him too.

Know that God is real.

He is watching you right now. Wanting to talk with you.

Do it.

Talk with your Designer, Savior, King and Friend.

Boys to Men

There is a beauty in the innocence of a young child.
Knowing how much garbage there is in this world and then seeing a little child who knows nothing of it. As you watch the child get older, you start to notice them learning new things, simplistic yet selfish tendencies. The child will have a choice between right and wrong, fully understanding, and still they will choose the wrong. When children are young, we pretty much accept this type of behavior, knowing that they are learning and hopefully grow out of it. However, I have noticed this behavior in many many boys who claim to be men today. So, when do boys become men?

Some would say to look back at the times of Christ, at the age of 13 the males were considered men. That would be awesome if males today could be considered "Men" at 13, however with the pressure of our culture and all other obstacles in our world today, that simply won't work for most boys.

Some would say the age of 18 is when you are an adult, I would not agree with that considering this is the age that most graduate from public high school.

Some would say age 21. Because you can legally get drunk does not make you a man. You want to be your own man? Don't get drunk on your 21st birthday! Go against the grain.

I feel that age does not define becoming a "Man".

Emotions are running wild in today's "Men". I see guys getting so self centered, having full blown pity parties in front of people. I seen guys blow up in front of girls and guys over the smallest things. I hate seeing boys who call themselves men just sulking around in sorrow or letting anger run them.

"Get a hold of yourself you sally! Grow up, shut up, be a Man."

I'M SO SICK OF EMO BOYS! Emotions aren't bad, they are good. But if you can't control them, you have no right calling yourself a "Man".
There was once something known as chivalry. It has been lost with today's generation, save a few good men. Chivalry is all about protecting and respecting women, encouraging other men and just pouring yourself out in general. Upholding standards and rules, doing the right thing. If you are willing to help others without expecting anything back, you are moving in the right direction.
There is hope, but it needs to start with a change of heart.
Find your identity in Christ.
Be a man like Jesus was. Serving to Death. Loving to Death.
Stop being selfish, look at the needs and cares of others.
If you want to grow, you have to look outward.

Why I live this way.

To him I will cling in good times and bad.

The master writer of my life story.

If I am happy or if I am sad.

To him I will give all the glory.

He sends me here, He sends me there.

I will listen and obey.

I know His plan is perfect, I know that He does care.

That is why I live this way.

Hard Core Love

Hard Core Love

How much does God love us?
To try an grasp how much God Loves us, we must try to grasp how Awesome God is.
Do you trust and love someone when you first meet them?
Or do you try to get to know them and build trust over time?
This is how we try to understand God. It is a growing relationship.

This is interesting because God's love towards us is unconditional.
He loves us before we even know him.

But, let's not get ahead of ourselves.

How Awesome is God?

I was recently at the beach, I picked up a handful of sand and slowly poured it out back on the beach. As I watched it become rejoined with the rest of the Sand, I thought,
God knows all. He created all.

I focused on one grain of sand. God knows everything about it.

When it was first created.

Where it was created.

How long it has been on this beach.

What the complete contents of the grain are.

Does the grain of sand have a personal name? Not just a categorized, scientific name.

But a personal name for each grain? The Lord knows all the Stars by name.

Why couldn't he have names for every grain of sand. Or specific names for every single thing in the universe?

Just a thought.

When you look at mountains, you feel an Epicness, an awe about them. They are powerful collections of land forced from the ground into the sky.

These mighty giants, when compared to God are nothing. You can't compare it! Its 1/Infinity. These mountains in all their splendor are a simple mirror of God's Might, yet they do no justice to how powerful he is.

God knows all, every grain of sand, every mountain, every hair on your head.
I think it's funny how little we trust God knowing all this.

We have worries and thoughts, everything that we think of comes from our brain, this 3lb pink lump of fiber floating in our head.
I'm not devaluing what God gave us to work with. The human brain has come up with a lot of cool stuff. Everything that man has ever thought or invented has come from this little clump of matter that's under a foot long. But, compare the size of or brain to God. It's nothing!

Here are Three ways I found that God loves us.

1. Through Provision.

Our God is The God who provides.

We have never failed a day, never came against a day we could not pass.
God has always guided us through hard times.
Always helped us get through the days we thought would never end.
If we view each day separately we see that God has been gracious to us, providing what we need for that day.
And sometimes we see that what we thought we needed was different then what we really needed and what God provided.

2. Through Creation.

Everything on Earth declares God's Glory.

He has created all things, in heaven and earth for us to experience and take part in.
To mirror his awesomeness, to help us understand him, to bring us close to him.

Every star in the sky to contrast the His Vastness. He is Infinitely Big.

Every atom and molecule to contrast his Intricateness. He is Infinitely Small.

Holding the universe in his hands, and at the same time working on the microscopic scale. He is Master Creator.

3. Through His Son.

God sent his Son, Jesus, to be a sacrifice for us.
To Suffer.
To be covered with so much sin that God had to turn his back.
When He turned his back, It got dark during the day while Jesus was on that cross.

There was earthquakes, thundering and darkness when God stopped looking at his Son.

To me, that was an absence of God's visible Love.

He sent his only Son to Die for us and he had to look away.
Jesus had a plan. He followed it through. He made a way to save his people.

Hard Core Love.

Carpe diem

So, recently in my quiet times in reading the Bible, God has been showing me tons of verses on trusting in him and not being anxious. I kept reading them and asking God why he keeps showing me these verses.

I was like, "God, I get it. I trust you!"

God was like, "No. you don't"

So today I was praying and God revealed to me that I was focusing on the wrong things. I was focusing on not worrying and not being anxious. I was looking at what not to do instead of what I should do. The Lord showed me that I need to concentrate on the day that he has given me. Not the month, not the week, just one single day. The Lord put an image in my mind as I was praying. That the days were like boxes on a assembly line. God was preparing each one and sending them down the line to me. Each one is perfectly created by God, and unique in its own way. I, being on the end of the assembly line can only receive one box at a time.

It's the same with the days, God told me that each day is perfectly created by Him and he has all they days lined up and is waiting to sending to me. However, my only goal is to completely focus on the day at hand. Seeking his will, and searching for ways to serve others. Not worrying on the days to come, God has those perfectly prepared for me. I will take the days that he gives me one at a time, seeking his will in that day. In doing this I am focusing on the good things in life instead of what to avoid.

In Matthew 6:25 Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, saying what will you eat or what will you drink, nor about your body, what will you put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" And so I urge you to do the same. Don't worry about your future. Focus on the day at hand, and seek the Lord's will in that day. He will direct your way and show you what he wants you to do and you will be at peace like never before!

Blind Faith

Luke 18:35 - 43

Jesus was walking on the road to Jericho, on the side of the road was the blind man Bartimaeus.
While Jesus was coming up the road, Bartimaeus heard the crowd approaching and asked the people around him what was happening, and they told him that Jesus was passing by. As soon as he heard this he started to cry out to Jesus. The people around Bartimaeus tried to quiet him, but this only made him cry out even louder. Jesus heard the blind man's cry and he stopped walking and commanded that Bartimaeus be brought to him. When he was at Jesus' feet, Jesus asked "What do you want me to do for you?" Bartimaeus said, "Lord, let me recover my sight!" Then Jesus replied, "Recover your sight; your faith has made you well." Immediately he gained his sight and followed Jesus, glorifying God. And all the people that witnessed it gave praise to God.

The first thing I notice is how badly Bartimaeus wants to see and how strong his faith is.
Imagine the emotions flowing through this man. You have heard of Jesus, a traveling teacher that can cast out demons, raise the dead, and heal the sick. It just so happens that this teacher is walking down your road! So Bartimaeus starts yelling,
"Jesus! Son of David, have mercy on me!"
All the people around him are telling him to shut up, but he knows that Jesus can heal him! So he yells even louder!
"Jesus! Son of David, have mercy on me!"

I would ask if we have faith like this? Do I have faith like this? When something comes up in my life, whether it's finances, sickness, relationships or whatever. Do we have the faith to trust that Jesus can fix it? Is He the first place we turn to for help? If not, Why?

Jesus heard Bartimaeus' cries and commanded that he be brought before him. So they brought him to Jesus, and when he was before him, Jesus asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"

Interesting. Jesus asked what Bartimaeus wanted him to do. This guy is blind. He is also a beggar. I'm assuming that when Jesus saw how this guy was dressed he knew he had some issues.
I mean blind and poor, you are very lucky if the colors match. Looking at Bartimaeus, Jesus knew he was blind. So why did he ask? Jesus was asking to see if this man had faith.

"Lord, let me recover my sight!" Jesus says, "Recover your sight, your faith has made you well."
Immediately he was healed. Think of the admiration, his sight returns and the first face he saw was Jesus, his healer.

After he was healed he followed Jesus, glorifying God. All the people that witnessed it were amazed and gave praise to God. Witnessing this miracle built up the faith of all the surrounding people and it brought glory to God. When God does something in your life, tell somebody! Tell lots of people!
It can strengthen their faith and their relationship with God.

To sum it up.

1. Do we have faith in God to take care of us? Are we ready to cry out to him when the world is trying to silence us?

2. God wants to know what we want him to do. He tests our faith.

3. When God does something in your life, tell somebody! It is so encouraging to hear that God is working in the life's of other believers in the community and all over the world! Also, if you share some good news, be ready to listen to what the other person has to say!

Dear God, thank you for your word!
Holy Spirit, thank you for speaking to us!
Jesus, thank you for saving us!

The End.

Witnessing

This is my first post from Kauai!

Aloha Friends!

God is doing some major construction in me!

I feel so full of life! I have been rising early and spending time in the word, praying and giving my day to God. I can certainly say that it makes such a huge difference on the day! I can't even describe the feeling of joy I have right now!

Thanks to all who are praying for me!

Last night I attended a Hawaiian Cultural Orientation,

I ate some new interesting food and loved most of it.

I was not really into raw seafood, then I ate some Spicy Poke. Good stuff!

Anyway, we also learned about the locals, and how to witness to them.

It didn't really hit me until I got back to camp and was laying in bed thinking about it.

Witnessing is not as scary as I once thought. I can be bold and have fun doing it!

It simply begins with friendship, showing interest in a strangers life, building a connection with them. If I start just talking about life with them, eventually, life talk should bring up their core philosophy and beliefs. I am feeling the commission more and more as I grow in the Lord. It will be challenging, but I look forward to it, knowing that I can only grow more and I will be helping others.

Don't just tell them how to live, show them.

Go Forth.