New Life

An ordinary man lived a great life. He didn't really have a belief. He believed in science and didn't put an emphasis on anything. He provided for his family. They didn't have many problems in any aspect. They were genuinely good people. As a young boy, he could remember friends who believed in God and other things; however, he never pondered on such ideas. Throughout adulthood, he was never a wicked or evil man, though he was far from perfect - exactly like the majority of people. As he aged more and more he began to think that this world did indeed need a creator. Yet again, this thought or any other thought like it never actually took root in his mind. Before long, his full life ends in old age. On judgement day, he stands before God. Hmmm, what can I say? "God, I didn't really believe in You, but here You are. I was never even told about Your Truth - at least not when I was listening. Maybe at a young age I wouldn't have listened. But in my wise and old age

In today's society, being Christian means you're a goodie-goodie. You follow all the rules. At most people only find your beliefs annoying or stupid. But is this how God intended for us to live? To a degree - yes; Jesus says "Blessed are the peacemakers." However, Christianity doesn't always mean submitting to the powers of this world. All throughout scripture, God tries to keep His people holy and pure from the corruption of this world. This would then mean that His will is not for us to blend in with the world and its evil. In Acts 24, Paul is brought on trial before the governor. Paul is thought highly of by today's Christians. He was very influential and wrote much of the New Testament. In his time though, he was hated. (Jesus was also hated... there must be a connection here). So, it must make sense that if we lived like Paul, or more importantly like Jesus, we would also be hated. Acts 24:5-8 reads: "'We have found this man to be a troublema

Opposition always come at the worst times. Doing things for God can get very discouraging at times as a result of opposition. We may see it from internal sources, the world, the devil, etc. In Ezra 4:4-5, we read, "Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building, and hired counselors against them to frustrate their purposes..." The opponents brought troubles against the people of God. The Israelites had been rebuilding the House of God. As they make progress, the opposition comes. Discouragement from other peoples, as well as authoritative figures making them stop their construction. In this same way, different ungodly sources bring disappointment and opposition. We must look to God even more during these times. We need to rely on Him and reach to Him in order to overcome this. These things only need to bring you down when you're doing something great for God, when you are living in the potential God has given to y

Idols are anything that is set before God. As western societies, there are little tangible stereotypical idols that are worshipped. However, there are things that are given more love and attention than God. He's the one who created us, forgave us, redeemed us, and provided for us. He deserves all the attention and glory. Many problems we face, especially sin, chains, and addictions, are not based on us trying to overcome. It's deeper than that. Breaking addictions and overcoming sin is often based on desires and the source of our spiritual "eating". God needs to be the source of our feasting and drinking. Our spirits will constantly hunger and thirst. If we allow ourselves not to be satisfied with God and His holiness and the things He offers, then we will naturally fill desires with sin and the world. When we fill our desires with God, sin no longer is satisfying. This allows God to have is true place in our life, and sin to be destroyed at its roots. In Jeremi

The upcoming presedential election has been the main source of attention lately. It can get stressful and depressing for anyone. Many Christians begin to worry what's happening to the world, or what's happening to this country, etc. This worry and fear isn't Biblical. The only fear we need is the fear of the Lord (fear, or respect, for God). In Matthew, Jesus says, "Therefore, do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your Heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:31-34) This scripture shows us that we don't need to worry. Our focus should be on God and Spiriual things. Although it i

Lately, I've heard messages and have been reminded of several things in a variety of different ways. A couple of those things would be prayer and change. Recently I've heard sermons on each of these. This, of course, could only be products of the new year. But I feel like God is bringing these to the front of my mind for a reason. As Christians, we believe in prayer - at least on paper, that is. In reality, very few of us truly spend intimate and intense time in prayer with our creator. In James, we read that we should pray, and that prayer is a powerful tool. What's the point of putting a tool in our "tool box of beliefs" if we don't use it? For me, prayer is a big part of my life, but I see that I need to improve as well. I plan to make a better effort to keep a prayer list and have prayer topics, as well as being consistent in my prayer life. I encourage all believers to pick up their cross and do whatever it takes to constantly be in contact with their c