First of all, Merry Christmas! I'm thankful that you've chosen to check out my blog today. It is a special day today because it's our Worship Wednesday, so I'm going to be covering some Christian topics. Mainly I want to explain how God and Jesus are symbols of giving. GOD GAVE HIS SON JESUS"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16, KJV
JESUS GAVE AND GIVES BLESSINGS |
Jesus was killed for basically causing too much of a ruckus. The Pharisees didn't like that Jesus questioned some of the things they did. They didn't like that he healed people and made miracles. Jesus prayed in the garden before he was taken. He was so stressed out that he cried blood, which is a medical condition called Haemolacria. |
JESUS GAVE US THE GIFT OF SALVATION
"Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began..." - II Timothy 1:8-9
If you don't know what happens next in the story of Jesus, I'll tell you. Jesus died but three days later, he rose from the grave. He conquered Hell and the grave. Jesus' sacrifice gave us eternal life and forgiveness from our sins. One thing that has always sort have bothered me are those old hymns. |
The thought is that people are made up of two parts: the body and the soul. The one that you feed most will be the one that becomes stronger. So, if you live a worldly life of greed, you're feeding your body. If you live a life where you connect with God through prayer and worship, you're living a soulful life.
Any Christian will tell you that Jesus gave his life so that we could be forgiven of the wrong that we’ve done. However, Jesus gave much more than his life while he was on Earth. Let’s talk about it:
1: HIS TIME
Jesus gave his time to the people who needed it most. Those included the sick, the people living in sin, and others. He even gave time to those who abused God’s word or some of the laws of the time that were extremely critical and harmful to his people. Time is an important gift you can give to someone this season. |
2: HIS GIFTS
Because he is the son of God, Jesus was able to do many wonderful and amazing works through the power of his father. He never held this back from anyone who needed it or asked for it. He even re-attached the guard’s ear after one of his disciples cut it off in the garden when the Pharisees were coming to take Jesus. |
3: HIS WISDOM
Take some time to share some wisdom with someone this season. Teach them to do something they cannot do by themselves.
4: HIS HEART
Jesus put his heart into everything that he did. The scriptures tell us a story of Jesus’ passion and love for all people. He loved people who society didn’t love: adulterers, lepers, and tax collectors, among others. He never denied them anything and always did his best to help them in their situation. We should all aspire to put our hearts into all that we do, especially in the Christmas season. |
5: HIS EAR
Jesus is a listener. When on Earth, he always took time to hear from people and learn about them. He listened to their stories and helped them in their time of need. What most people lack in their relationships is, sadly, communication. It is one thing to hear someone say something, but it is another to listen and really comprehend what they’re saying. This is a blessing, and more people need it. |
Today, I want to reflect on a passage of scripture that I don't think I really took a lot of time to absorb and understand. It was sort of a footnote in the last message I heard at church (at the time of writing this), but I was amazed when I heard our pastor mention it.
GOD IS FAITHFUL TO US
"But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left." Exodus 14:29
In the above passage, God delivers the children of Israel from the Egyptians following several lifetimes of slavery. Moses parts the Red Sea with the power of God and the Israelites were able to escape. It is a common Biblical story, I'm sure you already know it! But there was something interesting in the passage that our pastor drew our attention to: the words "dry land." |
We all know how water works. Water that soaks an area of the ground will often turn muddy, making it harder to walk through. It can cause someone to slip or get stuck. But the Bible indicates that the children of Israel were able to walk across the area on "dry land." This passage really struck me because God helped the children of Israel escape captivity in a unique and somewhat unconventional way. |
And there are so many other examples in the Old and New Testament of God's faithfulness to provide for us, usually in a way we wouldn't think of. For a few examples:
- God gives Abraham a son in his old age while his wife is barren
- A woman is healed by touching the hem of Jesus' garment
- Jesus divides seven loaves of bread and a few small fish to feed 4,000 men and even more women and children
Personally, I can attest to having my prayers answered in a unique and unconventional way. I remember praying for finances for my family and getting a call a few days later from my grandmother asking if I had put some money in their account. I've had other things happen, such as my journalism job being replaced by a better opportunity at the job I currently work. Both of these were super unconventional in the way they came to me. |
THE MESSAGE
What I feel led to say is this: Everyone experiences times when they feel as though their prayers are going unanswered. With our human hearts and minds, we yearn for an immediate answer to what is bothering us. In actuality, we should wait upon God because he often puts things into our lives when it will make the best impact for us. And, just like he did for those Old and New Testament people of God, he will make the way clear for us. |
This unfortunately keeps a lot of people away from the faith. I've heard many people ask why they should believe in a God who lets people have cancer or allows tragedy to happen. In fact, atheism experienced a noticeable growth after Sept. 11, 2001. What people fail to remember is that not all things are from God. A lot of things come from the enemy. This goes into a whole other debate about God's all-powerful nature. If you have questions, pop them in the comments!
Personally, I try to remind myself that God has always answered my prayers in the way it best impacts me. I remember praying about all three of the men I dated, and all of those relationships, except the one that resulted in my marriage, ended.
All I ask to non-believers or those who aren't sure is to be open-minded and learn more about God and the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You would be hard-pressed to find a Christian who hasn't experienced a prayer being answered in an unconventional way.
But one thing I almost always speak up about is Jesus. I want everyone to have as much information as they can so they can make an educated and informed decision about their faith. When I see something that seems wrong, I try to correct it or provide more information.
I absolutely adore the church we're going to. It seems like something is always said that hits home for me in one way or another. Some may say that that can be found in any church. But, if you're a churchgoer who has had a negative experience in a church, you know how different the atmosphere can be. A few Sundays ago, I got the metaphor I needed to relate my faith to others. |
DOCKING THE BOAT
Our lives are a lot like a journey across the sea. Our ultimate end will be to dock on solid ground. If you're crossing the ocean in an old ship, it could take you months to get to your final destination. But, at times, the captain may want to drop the anchor. The anchor is a constant reminder that you can ground yourself at any point. |
This series of sailing, anchoring, and taking up the tides again continues all of our life until we dock at our final destination: eternity.
WHEN THE ANCHOR DOESN'T HOLD
What people so desperately need to remember is that faith grounds us. But our faith can easily sink without something else. That something else can be different for everyone.
For me, that something else is the evidence I've found and have been taught. The clear evidence that Jesus lived, ministered, died, and rose again. Evidence that other people knew about Jesus. Evidence from eye witnesses and even hostile forces that wanted Jesus to disappear.
Here are some things others may tether to their faith:
- Blessings (home, food, AC, heat, a job)
- Family
- Supernatural experiences with God
- Your testimony
- Acts of kindness
All of these things are excellent ways to remind yourself that you can step out on faith knowing and reminding yourself that God did for you once and he will do for you again, but in HIS time. If you step out on faith without that tether of security and confidence and things don't happen how you want them to, your faith might sink and disappear from your life.
God's goodness is all around us. We can't just give up when the enemy throws his punches. Tether yourself to weather the storm.
7/3/2019
"TURN THE OTHER CHEEK" DOESN'T MEAN "BECOME THE PUNCHING BAG:" HOW TO RESPOND TO HATE
Read Now"But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on they right cheek, turn to him the other also." - Matthew 5:39
Just by logic, most would interpret this to say that you should let someone continue to abuse you either physically, spiritually, or emotionally. In fact, the lack of "retaliation" when someone wrongs you might be why some people don't want to learn more about Jesus. So, I wanted to clear some things up for today's #WorshipWednesday post!
LOOKING AT CONTEXT
During this verse, Jesus is teaching a number of moral lessons to a multitude of people. What is vastly important is to recognize the verse that comes just prior to the one I quoted at the beginning. Remember that it is important to read the verses around the verse you've picked out. People tend to cherry-pick the Bible, use verses out of context, and use those verses to control others and their opinions on certain views. |
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:" Matthew 5:38
It seems clear that the culture to which Jesus was teaching had strict laws on the treatment of others. If someone wronged you in some way, you were generally entitled to getting that thing back from them. You might even get to walk away with more. You've likely seen the scene in Aladdin where Princess Jasmine grabs and apple and gives it to a child. The shop keeper sees this and wants to cut off her hand because she used it to steal something from him. Same concept back then! Here is a verse from Deuteronomy (Old Testament): |
"Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." Deuteronomy 19:19-21
WHAT JESUS MEANS IN THE TEXT
Strength is mentioned numerous times in the Bible. Most of the time, it is in reference to the strength of the Lord. The Bible emphasizes that we're all human. When someone hits at us, our natural reaction is to hit back. It takes the strength of something supernatural to help up to control ourselves with grace and dignity when under fire. |
I notice that, when I'm dealing with something and decide that I'm going to respond, I usually have to write out my natural feelings, backspace, and write something with a little more grace and dignity. It is by no means 100 percent graceful or kind. I'm sure I leave a few jabs in my response. However, I try my hardest and I'm learning more and more every day. |
TIPS FOR RESPONDING WITH THE LORD'S STRENGTH
- Pray about it. You can take a bit of time to think about it. I did this after I received a short, rather emotionless condolence from my father after my grandpa died. I decided to pray and think on it for a few days, and decided the best thing to do was walk away from the situation. I didn't respond as best as I should. I took time to point out my father's flaws and where he went wrong in supporting me and my brother. However, I didn't make a gigantic fool of myself.
- Try journaling your "human" thoughts about your situation, or find a trusted friend to vent to. I get a lot of advice from my mom, husband, and the four close friends who I sometimes vent to.
- Take some time. Don't respond right away. The quicker you respond, the less graceful and kind your response will be.
- Know when to respond and when to ignore. In life, there are some people who will get it when you respond to them. However, there are others who are oblivious to their own behavior and don't recognize that they are being rude or mean. Know when to avoid the abusers and when to stand up for yourself and others.
- Don't be a doormat. Jesus is often referred to as a door, but he never refers to his creation as a doormat. If you don't think the person will respond to your kindness, it is OK to simply walk away. It's OK to decide not to hang out with them anymore. It is OK to decide that they are toxic. Jesus thinks so much of us, even though our actions say otherwise. If he doesn't think that way of you, don't think that way of yourself.
One of the pastors jumped up on stage after the last worship song had ended to tell the congregation that the head pastor was out, and that we would be watching a video of a service that was previously recorded. I was pretty excited, because I never leave church without a good word.
But this was the word that I needed to hear.
I usually try to alternate between Wellness and Worship Wednesdays, but I think that today will be a sort of hybrid. Today’s post will be about applying the lesson that I learned to a life with anxiety. Specifically, I think today’s post will help you combat imposter syndrome. I saw a post from a fellow local blogger. She said that she had woken up with imposter syndrome, meaning that she didn’t feel good enough. |
I often find myself waking up and wondering what in the world I think someone as small and insignificant as me is going to accomplish. Sometimes, this burden gets even heavier when you don’t get many views, likes, or shares on your post. You feel like you’re not reaching the right people.
I think I finally am beginning to understand the message God had for me when we watched the sermon on Sunday. The sermon was out of Mark 5.
“And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains…” – Mark 5:1-3
I don’t want to spend too much time on this, as I don’t want to regurgitate the message and pass it off as my own. What you need to know is that Jesus left the many to tend for the one who needed him most.
This really hit me, because Christians often fail to truly and deeply understand how personal our relationship is with Christ. Because his sacrifice was universal, we don’t understand how it applies to the personal. Have you ever noticed how exclusive things make you feel special? I can’t tell you how many emails I get that say “you’ve been specially selected to receive this exclusive discount.” |
He came to this man after leaving the thousands of people, some of which I’m sure could have used something from him. He met the man right where he was. This man was said to be filled with demons, and his name was Legion. Our pastor explained that, while demons do exist, demons were also said to be things like different ailments or problems.
It sounds to me like this man was most notably depressed. He cut himself and cried. He was alone. He felt abandoned by everyone and everything. The people he likely grew up around threw him out and made him live among the dead. He felt worthless. Like nothing he did would ever matter. Then along came Jesus. In the Biblical narrative, Jesus tells the demons to come out from the man. They go into a herd of pigs and the man is free from them. His whole life changes. |
My anxiety has not gone away, but I can attest to the fact that it is a whole lot better when I stay close to Jesus. Most of all, this story taught me that, if Jesus thinks that I or this man who was so bound down by society and his own problems are both good enough, why shouldn’t I?
Jesus left thousands of people to help one man. If that doesn’t have you smiling bigger each and every day, I don’t know what will. This week, remember that you are loved. Stop telling yourself you won’t amount to anything, or your efforts are in vain. Do what you love, and never apologize for it.
For today’s Worship Wednesday post, I wanted to talk about some of the science behind some of the conditions that Jesus suffered from on his way to the cross. And, if you’re a non-believer who thinks I will be saying “he didn’t really die and rise from the dead,” then don’t bother reading. I fully believe this happened.
So, let’s get in to this:
JESUS SWEATS BLOOD
In Luke 22, we find Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. During this chapter, Jesus has the Passover meal and heads to the Garden along with some disciples to go pray. “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” – Luke 22:44 |
While this could just be a sort of imagery in Luke to mean that Jesus was praying with great effort, it seems his situation would warrant the medical side of this very real condition.
JESUS SCOURGED
After he is betrayed by Judas, Jesus is taken to Pilate by the Pharisees. According to the American School of Oriental Research, there were many devices used by the Romans to scourge those who were to be punished. One of these include braided whips with bits of metal at the end. Although there isn’t a ton of information about it, we know that it was bad by the repeated language in the gospels. In Mark 14, we are told that Jesus was struck in the face again and again. We also know that he was stripped of his clothes before he was scourged. |
CROWN OF THORNS
Mocking was a big part of Jesus’ crucifixion and is mentioned a numerous amount of times. In Mark 15:17, it says “And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head…” Imagine having a bunch of thorns sticking into your head at all sides. The thorns are commonly believed to be from the Euphorbia milii. |
I never really connected it before, but I wonder if they chose thorns because of his parable of the seeds where he says that seeds are often chocked by thorns. Interesting!
But, at this point, we know that Jesus is severely stressed, he has taken a beating with a very dangerous weapon, and he has had a crown of thorns placed on to his head.
CARRYING THE CROSS
According to medical Dr. Bill Gaultiere, the weight of the cross was insane. The French architect Charles Rohault de Fleury did some research on the fragments of a cross in 1870 and determined that Jesus’ cross weight about 165 pounds. It was three to four meters high (9 to 13 feet tall) and a cross beam that was two meters wide (6.5 feet wide). |
“And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.” – Matthew 27:32
JESUS' TIME ON THE CROSS
It is a popular belief that Jesus was nailed to the cross during his crucifixion. These nails were large and made of metal. It is said he had a nail in each hand as well as one through both of his feet. Because his feet and hands were nailed, and his back was torn up from the scourging, he would have to suffer a great amount of pain |
Usually, to make sure that they couldn't escape, the guards would break their knees. This didn't happen with Jesus.
"Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water." - John 19:32-34
This makes the person want to breathe to get more oxygen in the body. However, if the person can't breathe well, it causes damage to tissues which cause capillaries to leak!
For today’s post, I want to discuss the ideas from theologian, philosopher, and writer Dr. Thomas J. Oord. I will then respond to them with my take and opinion.
DR. OORD’S SOLUTIONS FOR EVIL
GOD CANNOT STOP EVIL BY HIMSELF
There is some evidence of this in the Old and New Testament. We. Have Jesus, who was sent to live as a man in the New Testament. Several times in the Old Testament, God uses his people (and adversely other people against the Jewish people) to judge the nations. So, yes, this does present some evidence that God “can’t do it alone.” |
GOD EMPATHIZES WITH US
Well, I think this is kind of easy to say. Of course, God empathizes with us. If he didn’t he would not have sent Jesus down to live among us. Jesus was God in the flesh. He came down to experience life and its hardships like losing family members, being mocked, being sold out by the people who follow you, and being killed. |
GOD SQUEEZES GOOD FROM THE BAD
Oord was very clear in that God doesn’t cause the evil, but makes sure that good can later come from that experience. You see this in many cases. You see people whose families were abusive becoming an amazing parent. You see people whose children have died after driving drunk who work to educate the world about these things. People have also been able to help pass laws because of some hardship they endured. |
GOD NEEDS OUR HELP FOR LOVE TO WIN
I’m on the fence about this one. In one hand, we know that a characteristic of God is that he is omnipotent, or all powerful. However, we do know that there are some things God can’t do. He can’t lie, he can’t defy rules he has already made, etc. So, while I don’t think that God is super limited and doesn’t actually need our help, I think he wants it. |
MY OPINION
“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should sine unto them.” – 2 Corinthians 4:4.
Lucifer, who has become known by many names like Satan, the devil, the deceiver, the enemy, etc., has decided to reign over this world. He does this by trying to stop those who care for the Lord from spreading God’s message. You’ll likely see many people in the world who are not Christians who seems to prosper. Satan has them in his grasp, so it’s light work for him.
I think the biggest piece of evidence to my opinion is that God is set to reclaim the earth in the Book of Revelation. It talks heavily about his return throughout the Bible. In the end, good will triumph over evil. We see heaven as good and the earth as evil. God doesn’t like evil, and he will punish it in the end and for eternity. Anything apart from God is evil. Evil will not win, but it can take down lives just like good can build them up. |
I’m a Christian, as you likely know. The article that was shared was a blog post about how woman should not be equal to men because the Bible tells us so. I was troubled to see a young woman sharing this because I don’t see anywhere in the Bible where it says a Christian woman should be lesser than a man.
For the purposes of this blog, I want to tell you what I mean by "feminist." I simply mean someone who believes that men and women should be equal in right, pay, and by societal standards. I know that men and women each have different talents and abilities (i.e. birthing children).
Here are a few reasons why I believe with all of my heart (and Bible) that Jesus and God are both feminists:
1: GOD CREATED WOMEN
You’ve probably heard the term “it’s a man’s world,” quite a lot. But thank the Lord the world isn’t filled with only men. God created women from men, but it was to give man a partner. Let’s look at the verses in Genesis: “And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” So you see here that there is actually specific instructions given to the man, not the woman. It wasn’t until after Eve and Adam ate of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil that God “curses” women in a way with periods and patriarchy. “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.” Genesis 3:16 God’s intention was always to have man and wife as equals. It wasn’t until sin entered the picture that that changed. But there’s more. |
2: MUCH OF THE OLD TESTAMENT IS JEWISH HISTORY & LAW
Unless you are Jewish, a lot of the Old Testament is just for your information. If it was super important to the Christian faith, it was brought over to the New Testament. For example, it was Jewish law to not eat pork or anything with a split hoof. That law is not in the New Testament (see 1 Timothy 4:4). So, what does the New Testament say about women and wives? Well, in Galatians 3:28, it says: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male or female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” This shows us that Jesus changed things when he came to offer himself up as a sacrifice for everyone, not just dudes or the Jewish people. |
In 1 Peter 3, it says “Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;”
3: JESUS GAVE MORE POWER TO WOMEN THAN ANYONE IN
HIS TIME
Jewish women in Jesus’ time did have to follow the law that came from the age-old curse of being ruled by their husband (thanks Eve). But Jesus did so much for women in his time. First of all, he saved Mary Magdalene from being stoned to death for adultery. After that, he allowed her to travel with him, even to the crucifixion. And in some of the gospel accounts, she was the first one to see him after his resurrection. |
In Mark 14, a woman came into the house of Simon the leper where Jesus was and broke a box of expensive oil/ointment that was very precious, over his head.
“And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.” Mark 14:4-5
4: GOD’S LOVE OF WOMEN
Let’s name a few of the women who God gave an amazing responsibility to:
|
CONCLUSION
Also, to address this here at the end, chastity in the Bible is meant for everyone, not just females. Never does it say that only females should abstain from sex. Rather, in 1 Corinthians, it says that a man should not have sexual relations with a woman unless he has his own wife.
So, I want to give a praise of thanks to the Lord for loving me and valuing my life, no matter my sex/gender. To all of you Christian women, you can continue to be great while respectfully and lovingly submitting yourselves emotionally, spiritually, and physically (if you’re on the same page, this is consensual) to your husbands.
At any sign of abuse, do not read the Bible and think that God wants you to stay. Physical and sexual abuse is frowned upon, and it violates the one flesh union.
We have a saying in the news business: “If it bleeds, it leads.” This means the most controversial stories like murder or hit-and-runs are always printed above the fold so you could see the horrific headlines on the newsstand. Sales and views always went up when someone was murdered, or whenever some white-collar worker got mixed up in a town-wide scandal.
I’ve often found myself being the interviewer, the reporter asking all the questions to the grieving person. This is the first time in my life that I’ve become part of the headline rather than part of the byline. It’s hard, and I never realized how easy I thought it was.
It all started last week. I was replying to messages and scheduling social media posts at my job, when I found myself nervously staring down at my phone, impatiently waiting for a message from my mom. I couldn’t wait any longer.
“Did you find her?” I remember typing the words with shaky hands and quivering breaths.
My mom had called me minutes earlier to tell me that she couldn’t find my grandmother. She was supposed to be going to a doctor’s appointment, but she never arrived. This worried me because my grandmother has dementia, is over the age of 70, and drives like a maniac, so she really shouldn’t be driving anywhere.
On top of this very troubling development, I learned that my grandfather, who has been in the hospital since August 2018, now had MRSA (an infection caused by staph bacteria) in his lungs. Things have continued to progress with my grandfather, and there are talks about a meeting this weekend with hospice care. We learned from the doctor last weekend that he will just continue to get infected by the next lung bug until he is too weak to fight. Last weekend was the first weekend that I saw all hope drain from his eyes. |
I try to remind myself on a daily basis that Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary was one of the biggest headlines of His day. Jesus was a rebel. He went against the grain of society in the humblest and kindest way possible (except that time he literally flipped a table). His motivations were always pure and God-driven.
But Jesus still ended up on the cross. He still suffered and died for me and you. He was scared, too, judging by the fact that he began to sweat blood (Luke 22:24) in the garden before he was taken to be crucified.
According to the US National Library of Medicine, Hematohidrosis is the name for the condition Jesus suffered from. The condition is rare and causes humans to sweat blood. This can happen for a number of reasons, including excessive exertion and psychological factors (like high levels of stress).
One of my favorite verses is 2 Timothy 1:7, which says “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Fear comes from the enemy. I’m human and unconsciously swayed to act in fleshly manner. Naturally, I am a scaredy-cat. I will tell you that I totally ignored the fact that my car’s engine light (which had been on for a week and that same morning on the day I left) turning off to run with my tail between my legs back home for fear that my grandfather was going to pass. |
“And the Lord God called unto Adam and said unto him, Where are thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” Genesis 3:9-10
The verse in 2 Timothy reminds me that God is in control and God will always win, and it reminds me to talk a look at the power, love, and sound mind that God has given me, rather than harp on the worldly things I often tie myself up in.
Whether my grandfather passes sooner rather than later, or if he lives another five years, that verse from 2 Timothy will always remind me that I am a child of God, not of this world. Satan has no hold on me, no matter what he tries to hurl at me.
I’ll close by saying this: Jesus took the “if it bleeds, it leads” saying seriously. He was a revolutionary leader who every true Christian strives to follow and model their lives after. If you want to become a child of God, you can click “details” below to learn how you can accept Christ as your savior. |
- Admit to God that you are a sinner
(Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23). - Repent, turning away from your sin
(Acts 3:19; 1 John 1:9). - Believe that Jesus is God's Son and accept God's gift of forgiveness from sin
(Romans 5:8; Acts 4:12; John 3:16; John 14:6; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 1:11-13). - Confess your faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord
(Romans 10:9-10,13).
HOW TO GET TO HEAVEN
God is a perfect being who designed each and every one of us. He is sinless, good, and perfect. However, after Eve ate that apple, sin was released into the world and, as a result, everyone was born into sin and everyone does wrong. Only those without sin can enter into Heaven. But don't worry, Jesus came down to Earth and paid your sin debt do you could go to Heaven. Jesus is our salvation and offers us a way to Heaven. A way to live with Him forever. Here is what you have to do:
A—ADMIT
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