I was recently asked to record a video for the Jewels for Christ International School. The school was hosting a retreat for children between the ages of 10-16 years old. The theme was honoring God with our lives. I was compelled to speak about honoring God through obedience.
Welcome to My Burning Heart 4 Jesus! This ministry began in June 2014.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Monday, November 7, 2016
2017 Proverbs Challenge - You are invited!
Click on the link below that will take you to Facebook to read more details about how the challenge work and the 2017 Proverbs Challenge that will start January 1st until January 31st. Make sure you select that either you are "going" or "interested". Invite your friends and family!
https://www.facebook.com/events/591543601052247/?ti=as
Sunday, November 6, 2016
Heaven for everyone?
Universalists believe that everyone will get saved. Atheists, homosexuals, murders, fornicators, idolaters, witches, drug users, prostitutes etc. are all going to heaven. So I guess "the wages of sin is death" is meaningless? So where it says in Revelation that the lake of fire is the second death, God didn't really mean that? God meant every word about sin and hell. Before I go on, I feel compelled to make this very clear. My opinion and my thoughts and my feelings mean absolutely nothing when it comes to the opinion, thoughts and word of God. But here is what the Bible has to say on the matter. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, no revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God." Unless the unrighteous repent of their sins and believe in the Gospel. Thank God that He made ONE way to be saved and not several ways. The one and only way to be saved is through Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 10:1 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber."
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ (2 Cor.10:5). So if you comment, please don't say that I am being quarrelsome or this is just my opinion because every thought of mine is captive and made obedient to Christ. But I digress. When Jesus began His ministry, read in Mark 1:15 "The time is fulfilled," He said. "the kingdom of God is at hand: repent and believe in the gospel." John 14:6 Jesus said " I am the way, the truth and the life: no one comes to the Father but through me." A few verses late in verse 15 Jesus said "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." A couple verses later destroys universalism. In John 14:16-17 Jesus said "I will ask the Father and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever: that is the Spirit of truth, whom the WORLD cannot receive, because it does not see Him whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you."
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Little gods - The lie that got us into this mess
I opened up one of my Bible apps on my smart phone and it opens up to Genesis chapter 3, the fall of man. Most followers of Christ know the story about creation, Adam and Eve and the fall of man. It's taught in Sunday school to little children and it seems like folks think they are too mature or its below them to go back and study how sin came about. The lie of mankind being little gods, has infiltrated the church body.
The little gods doctrine is taught outside of church as well in other world religions. The little gods doctrine has been established in some churches even though the doctrine is in complete contradiction of the Bible. Isaiah 37:16 "O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, of all kingdoms of the earth, thou hast made heaven and earth." We were never to be like God and we will never be God or even little gods. God, there is only one like Him and it is Him who dwells in heaven.
The little gods doctrine then makes Jesus deity lesser than it actually is. Jesus was 100% man and 100% God at the same time. Jesus was God, who came and dwelled with us . Read John 1:14. The only one who could live up to God's high and perfect standard is God. So then are we saying that we can meet this perfect and high standard? We cannot on our own without Jesus Christ. Which is the entire reason why Jesus came and died for our sins so that we can be reconciled unto Himself.
From the beginning of chapter 3 of Genesis the serpent inserted doubt into the mind of Eve. "Didn't God say that you could eat off of every tree in the garden?" Eve's response is that they could but the tree of knowledge of good and evil we shall not eat and NOT EVEN TOUCH THE TREE. From the beginning it was in our nature to add to God's command. God never said to NOT touch it. God said don't eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But I suppose to be safe and to not fall into temptation, Adam and Eve agreed to not even touch that tree because they did not want to die.
Genesis chapter 2:17 is where you can read the very words of God and He never said to not touch the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis chapter 3, verses 4 and 5 is the lie that our ancestors fell for and unfortunately, many are still falling for now. The serpent told Eve that they would not surely die, but that God did not want Adam or Eve to be like Him. That their eyes would be opened and that they would know between good and evil. Eve then saw that the tree was good for food, it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, so she took the fruit and ate and gave to her husband and he ate also. Their eyes were opened and realized that they were naked.
We all know the rest of the story. Adam and Eve made aprons of leaves to try to cover themselves. God came and they hid from Him because they were afraid and were naked. God punished the serpent, the woman and the man. But even after that God was still merciful. He clothed Adam and Eve with skins and to make sure that they did not live forever in this fallen state, God drove them out of the garden of Eden so that they would not eat of the tree of life.
Some will use and twist the context of Genesis chapter 1 verses 26-27 that God had to submit to the idea that everything must reproduce its own kind. The idea is that when God gets together, he makes little gods like as if God is like an animal or a human that reproduces and births its own kind. Didn't God say that there is no one like him, never has been and never will be? So why all of a sudden does God have to submit to some sort of idea and why are we trying to make Him out to be like us or even worse, to be like an animal?
God's image is His the mind, will, feelings, character, and personality of God. God did not say let make gods. He said let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness. In Psalm 82:1 "God stood in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods." Psalm 82 6:-7 "I said "You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you, nevertheless, like men you shall die, and fall like any prince." John 10:34 Jesus said "Is it not written in your law 'You are gods?" In Aramaic and Hebrew it is judges, not gods. They were judges who ruled over Israel before the days of the kings, these judges had the power of life and death of the people. As a Christian you have to judge. We are children of God, adopted into His family via Jesus Christ. We are suppose to speak on behalf of God and we represent God on earth. As the New Testament church we are to pass judgment on spiritual matters. We are not gods but we speak on behalf of God as people hearing the word of God through us. Let me give you this example. Have you ever given a power of attorney or received power of attorney from a family member? What does this mean when you have power of attorney? It means you can legally speak on behalf of someone or act on their behalf. God has given us His authority to speak on His behalf and to act on His behalf. So if I gave my wife, for example, a power of attorney, does that means she becomes me? No because that is ridiculous. But my wife can act on my behalf with my permission. So why then do people think that because we have this God given authority to have dominion on earth and represent Him, that it makes us God?
2 Peter 2:1 "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction." We are taught in scripture to be humble and not to think highly of ourselves. Does not then this doctrine of little gods claiming to be a little god to me sounds like those who teach and those who believe this doctrine are not very humble at all and want to put themselves in the same class as God? God is uncreated, so how can something created be in the same class as the uncreated God? We are creatures, we are not deities. Brothers and sisters, open your eyes, open your ears and open your Bible! Listen to what the word of God has to say! If your Pastor, Bishop, teacher, etc teaches that you are little gods, leave that church immediately! This type of teaching will send you straight to hell along with the leaders of your church. "My Pastor said so" will not be a legitimate excuse before a holy God on the day of judgment.
The little gods doctrine is one that Satan used from the very beginning and still uses it today. God's people are destroyed by their lack of knowledge. So get knowledge and while you do that, get understanding! God gives wisdom and revelation to those who ask for and He gives it with out reproach. The devil wants you dumb so that he can deceive you. God wants you smart so that the devil cant deceive you. God through His word, which is in the Bible, has equipped us to know what is acceptable in His eyes and what is not. But to fully understand these things we must have the Holy Spirit to teach us. So if you don't understand the Bible, ask God to teach you through the Holy Spirit. It is very important because your life and the lives of others depend on it.
The context of God's word is also very important. To get the context of a verse read before and after it. For example, Philippians 4:13. Oh this beloved verse that many people say is their Bible verse. But if they read the context of the verse, they would see its not about being to do anything through Christ. Some have even gone as far as saying that you can sin because Christ strengthens them. Paul was saying that whether he was flat broke or in abundance, in good or bad times, he could do anything through Christ who strengthened him. If you don't believe me, I invite you to dust off your Bible and read it for yourself. The little gods doctrine is wrong. It is blasphemy and heresy. People who teach this need to repent and also those who believe it.
Monday, September 12, 2016
Questions Christians cant answer
I came across a post on Facebook that was shared by Sam Shamoun. He has a ministry where debates Muslims to show them that the God of the Bible is the one and only true God, and not Allah, the god of the Qu'ran. Look him up on YouTube and see his videos and learn how to answer questions that you may have to answer one day. I actually met Sam once at the Phoenix Arab Festival about 2 years ago. What an honor to meet such a great man of God. But I digress. The picture that he shared asked the following questions:
1) Where in the Bible did Jesus say He was God?
2) Where in the Bible did Jesus say "worship Me"?
3) Where in the Bible did Jesus say He was the incarnation of God?
4) Where in the Bible did Jesus say He came to die for our sins?
5) Where in the Bible did Jesus say He was the begotten Son of God?
Disclaimer: I do not consider myself a Bible scholar or some type of Bible know it all. I just love Jesus, I love the truth and I love to read the word of God. But these questions are not very hard to answer. Not to make excuses, but I can only speak for myself when I say that right off the top of my head I don't know where the answers are located in the Bible, but I know the answers. The first question is definitely one I remember because it is a question that most Muslims and nonbelievers like to ask and try to stump Christians. Memorize John 8:58 and Exodus 3:14. So I would like to encourage my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to learn how to answer these questions because we must be ready in and out of season to give an answer for the hope that we have. Read your Bible! Your life and the life of somebody else depends on it.
So here is my attempt at answering these questions...
1) Where in the Bible did Jesus say He was God? John 8:58 "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM." Reference Exodus 3:14, God said to Moses "I AM who I AM; He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent you.'" Also, in John 18:6, when the Jesus was arrested and He had asked whom the Roman soldiers were looking for, the soldiers said they were looking for Jesus the Nazarene. Pay attention to the reply of Jesus. "I AM He" and the group that came to arrest Jesus fell back.
2) Where in the Bible did Jesus say "worship Me"? Jesus never said to worship Him but He did not refuse worship from anyone who did. If He did not want for anyone to worship Him, He would have told them to stop. One example can be found in Matthew 14:33 says And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, "You are certainly God's Son!" Another example of Jesus not refusing worship is the story of the ten lepers in Luke 17. I want to point out in, starting in verse 12 through 15 the following:, "As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us" When He saw them, He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they were going, they were cleansed. Now one of them, when he say that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him." Once again, someone worshiped Jesus and the Lord did not correct them or stop them from worshiping Him.
3) Where in the Bible did Jesus say He was the incarnation of God? John 14:8-11 - 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.
4) Where in the Bible did Jesus say He came to die for our sins? Matthew 20:28 - "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” So in this verse Jesus explicitly says that His purpose was to serve and not be served and to give His life for the ransom of many." This particular verse is crystal clear and there should not be any ambiguity or question that Jesus did in fact come to die for our sins.
5) Where in the Bible did Jesus say He was the begotten Son of God? Son of God means that Jesus shared the same attributes as God the Father. It does not mean that God has sexual intercourse with a woman and had a son like humans do. The problem is that people try to make God into a man when the Bible clearly states that God is nothing like us. He is HOLY, HOLY, HOLY. He is perfect in his holiness. Another way of putting this is if God could take a "selfie", the picture would look like Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 14:9 "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." Jesus is the personification of God. In John 18:37 the Bible says "For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth." When Jesus asked his disciples who they thought he was, Peter said in Matthew 16:16 "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus actually praised Peter for this. If Peter was in error, Jesus would have rebuked Peter.
My conclusion is the problem is "Does the Bible answer my questions exactly as I word them?" But the Bible does answer the questions that are being asked and is very clear. If the word of God which is in the Bible is not good enough for you, then nothing else will. In Proverbs chapter 1 the Bible says that fools refuse wisdom and instruction.
1) Where in the Bible did Jesus say He was God?
2) Where in the Bible did Jesus say "worship Me"?
3) Where in the Bible did Jesus say He was the incarnation of God?
4) Where in the Bible did Jesus say He came to die for our sins?
5) Where in the Bible did Jesus say He was the begotten Son of God?
Disclaimer: I do not consider myself a Bible scholar or some type of Bible know it all. I just love Jesus, I love the truth and I love to read the word of God. But these questions are not very hard to answer. Not to make excuses, but I can only speak for myself when I say that right off the top of my head I don't know where the answers are located in the Bible, but I know the answers. The first question is definitely one I remember because it is a question that most Muslims and nonbelievers like to ask and try to stump Christians. Memorize John 8:58 and Exodus 3:14. So I would like to encourage my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to learn how to answer these questions because we must be ready in and out of season to give an answer for the hope that we have. Read your Bible! Your life and the life of somebody else depends on it.
So here is my attempt at answering these questions...
1) Where in the Bible did Jesus say He was God? John 8:58 "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM." Reference Exodus 3:14, God said to Moses "I AM who I AM; He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent you.'" Also, in John 18:6, when the Jesus was arrested and He had asked whom the Roman soldiers were looking for, the soldiers said they were looking for Jesus the Nazarene. Pay attention to the reply of Jesus. "I AM He" and the group that came to arrest Jesus fell back.
2) Where in the Bible did Jesus say "worship Me"? Jesus never said to worship Him but He did not refuse worship from anyone who did. If He did not want for anyone to worship Him, He would have told them to stop. One example can be found in Matthew 14:33 says And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, "You are certainly God's Son!" Another example of Jesus not refusing worship is the story of the ten lepers in Luke 17. I want to point out in, starting in verse 12 through 15 the following:, "As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us" When He saw them, He said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they were going, they were cleansed. Now one of them, when he say that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him." Once again, someone worshiped Jesus and the Lord did not correct them or stop them from worshiping Him.
3) Where in the Bible did Jesus say He was the incarnation of God? John 14:8-11 - 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.
4) Where in the Bible did Jesus say He came to die for our sins? Matthew 20:28 - "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” So in this verse Jesus explicitly says that His purpose was to serve and not be served and to give His life for the ransom of many." This particular verse is crystal clear and there should not be any ambiguity or question that Jesus did in fact come to die for our sins.
5) Where in the Bible did Jesus say He was the begotten Son of God? Son of God means that Jesus shared the same attributes as God the Father. It does not mean that God has sexual intercourse with a woman and had a son like humans do. The problem is that people try to make God into a man when the Bible clearly states that God is nothing like us. He is HOLY, HOLY, HOLY. He is perfect in his holiness. Another way of putting this is if God could take a "selfie", the picture would look like Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 14:9 "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." Jesus is the personification of God. In John 18:37 the Bible says "For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth." When Jesus asked his disciples who they thought he was, Peter said in Matthew 16:16 "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus actually praised Peter for this. If Peter was in error, Jesus would have rebuked Peter.
My conclusion is the problem is "Does the Bible answer my questions exactly as I word them?" But the Bible does answer the questions that are being asked and is very clear. If the word of God which is in the Bible is not good enough for you, then nothing else will. In Proverbs chapter 1 the Bible says that fools refuse wisdom and instruction.
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Full submission or no admission
A disciple of Christ has understood that they must live a life completely and utterly sold out for Jesus Christ. All through out the bible and including Jesus says that a disciple of Jesus must forsake all. Yet, sad to say, you don't see that very much in the church today. Some may say that I am being judgmental and that I should not call out people on their sin, but if I don't, who will? Jesus won the war on the cross, so as the victor He gets to decide what the conditions of surrender we must accept. There is no negotiating, no adding or taking away from the conditions of surrender which He has laid out. You either take them or leave them. To accept these condition means to obey these conditions and to refuse them means to be in rebellion and you are an enemy to His kingdom. There is no gray area where you can profess Christ and still live as a worldly person. There isn't much else I can say to try to prove this point. So I will let the word of God speak for itself. What I will say is that we are living in a time where time is something we do not have a lot of. The end is drawing nigh and we all must chose whom we will serve. We must fully submit to Jesus Christ or there will be no admission into His kingdom.
Matthew 10:38 - And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Luke 9:23 - And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luke 14:28-33 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it - lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
Matthew 16:25-26 - For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Philippians 3:7-9 - What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.
"The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 2:14), rather, "the carnal mind is enmity against God" (Romans 8:7). But even though "we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3), "…you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight" (Colossians 1:21-22). Thus, having been "reconciled to God through the death of His Son" (Romans 5:10), you have received "exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:4). Therefore, "do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world" (1 John 2:15-16). "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (James 4:4). "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor" (John 12:25-26).
Matthew 10:38 - And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Luke 9:23 - And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Luke 14:28-33 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it - lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
Matthew 16:25-26 - For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Philippians 3:7-9 - What things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.
"The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 2:14), rather, "the carnal mind is enmity against God" (Romans 8:7). But even though "we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3), "…you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight" (Colossians 1:21-22). Thus, having been "reconciled to God through the death of His Son" (Romans 5:10), you have received "exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:4). Therefore, "do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world" (1 John 2:15-16). "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (James 4:4). "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor" (John 12:25-26).
Monday, August 8, 2016
Almost famous..how long does famous last?
I am not as "hip" with music as I use to when I was younger and after being born again, I don't listen to secular music so much anymore. The song 'Almost Famous" by G-Eazy I heard it on the way back home from a men's retreat this past March 2016. I was passenger and the guy who gave me a ride there was playing this song on the radio. I was listening to the lyrics and it posses a good question. "How long does famous last?" People, in some way, shape or form, are looking for approval, 15 minutes of fame or a way to immortalize themselves in history. There is a saying that goes "To be known is to be loved; to be loved is to be known." But know that the desire, craving, yearning for fame from this world is nothing in comparison to being known by God. In fact it is so important, it can be the difference between eternal life or eternal damnation. In Matthew 7:23 Jesus said this about the Great White Throne judgement scene "And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
Being famous, no matter how long it is, is not a long time. Even if a person was born into fame, for example Prince William or Prince Harry of the UK, it will be short lived. Lets say they live to be 70 years old. Well how does 70 years compare to eternity? Its nothing! Its like a drop in the ocean. Even people who have lived long ago and are still mentioned in our history books, their fame will only be as long as this world will last. From the looks of if, that will come to an end soon. The only things that last for eternity are things that are done for God and in His name. I would like it if my blog would become more famous and well known. I mean, who doesn't desire a little lime light? But over time the Lord has shown me that I should seek Him and live a life that He approves. So whenever it will be when it is my turn to pass away and go home to be with the Lord even if my blog is still not well known here on earth, since it has been done in the name of Jesus and I know that I am known by God, my blog and all the other things I have done to serve God will have eternal weight. God knows about my blog! That is amazing when I think about. God knows about the things you have done to bring Him glory and that is all that should matter. Look up the song called "He Knows My Name" by Francesca Batistelli. This song puts things into perspective.
The dictionary defines the word fame 'as the condition of being known or talked about by many people, especially on account of notable achievements'. Fame within itself is not bad but the intentions of fame is what is bad. Is someone intending to just make themselves famous or are they trying to make Jesus famous? There are many stories where men of God became famous but God is the one who made them famous and known throughout the land because they made God known. Today I was reading the 3 men in the furnace in the book of Daniel. Because of their faith, not only were they delivered from certain death, the king promoted them and decreed in all the land that if anyone talked bad about their God, they would be cut into pieces and their house would become a dung hole. Some examples people are famous for their talents, for their position in society and some for some not so good things are the likes of Michael Jordan, who is known to be the greatest basket ball player ever. President George Washington was known for being a general in the revolutionary war and also being the first president of the United States. Kim Kardashian is famous for a sex tape she made. Once the money runs out, you cant perform your talent like you use to, and folks have got tired of your outlandish life, or you die, then what? In Psalm 49:17 the Bible says "For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him." So all your victories, your trophies, fame, fortune, power and money you cant even take that with you into the after life.
In James 4:14 it says "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." Our life here on earth may seem like a long time but it really isn't. Our life is like a vapor. Here one second, gone tomorrow. We are not guaranteed the next heart beat, our next breathe, the next minute, the next day, etc. Then why do people live life only for now, this short time? We should have eternity stamped on our eyes. Have you given it a thought lately where will you spend eternity? Because eternity is a long time to be wrong. I pray to the Lord and I tell Him that I have to get this right because hell is not a place for me. Death comes to us all, the young and the old. The only way out of here is death or rapture. So while we have a chance, lets live this life for Christ. Luke 12:16-20 "And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" God is sovereign over our lives. He knows the exact time our soul will be required of us. Lets be ready for that time always.
Young with too much cash, watch how I came up fast
They say I'm next to get it
They bring your name up last
And while I made it splash
Rappers came and passed
But still I ask myself
How long does famous last?
(I ain't worried 'bout it tonight) How long does famous last?
(Blow all this cash, I might) How long does famous last?
(Tell her welcome to the good life) How long does famous last?
(Ooh) How long does famous last?
* Matthew 16:26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
* 1 Peter 5:6-Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
* Romans 12:And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Brothers and sisters, there is no inheritance in sin. All I am saying here to you is to be about the business of our Father. Don't love the things of the world and be transformed by the renewing of your mind. I am not judging G Eazy. Its obvious he is not saved or born again, I just used his song because it inspired me to write about the love of the world and the things of the world. It also reminded me of the sad condition this world is in. People use money, sex, drugs, alcohol, work, friends, music, and fame to numb the pain and fill the emptiness in their life by filling it with these things. The only thing that will fill the void is Jesus Christ. The longing of all man kind is Jesus, its just that not everyone knows that. That is what we, disciples of Jesus, have been commissioned to do. To go into the world, proclaim the Gospel, tell others about the things that God has done and to warn them about sin and the impending wrath of God. We are not suppose to keep the Gospel to ourselves and we are not suppose to hide out in our church buildings. No. We are to go where the lost are and preach to them or share our testimony to them. I know that not everyone is called to be an evangelist but that shouldn't stop anyone because we can all evangelize. Some say that we need only live out our Christian lives in front of nonbelievers and that should be enough. I don't agree with that because it is not found in the Bible. Jesus didn't commission us to be good boy and girls in front of the naughty folks so that they can be saved. No! He said to go out and preach and teach. Read Matthew 28 if you don't believe me because those words are spoken by our savior Himself. Many of the problems we have in our country and in this world are because believers are too scared or have limited themselves to the church grounds, or just to live out their lives without ever telling a soul about the good news of Jesus. If this makes you mad, good. I want to provoke your faith and provoke you to get up and do something about it. Go tell your friend, family member, neighbor, the person at the store about Jesus. Is really easier than you think.
Anyways...I got off track. Where I was concluding this blog entry with was, there would probably be less songs about the love of this world if the body of Christ would go and tell them about the love of God shown through the life, death and resurrection of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Also telling them that they are sin but that there is hope. Hope is found in Christ alone and in no one else. So how long does famous last? Not long at all. In comparison to eternity, its nothing and in my opinion. Earthly fame is just not worth it. Everything of this world will pass away but the words of God will never pass away. Anything done in the name of Jesus will have eternal weight and reward.
Being famous, no matter how long it is, is not a long time. Even if a person was born into fame, for example Prince William or Prince Harry of the UK, it will be short lived. Lets say they live to be 70 years old. Well how does 70 years compare to eternity? Its nothing! Its like a drop in the ocean. Even people who have lived long ago and are still mentioned in our history books, their fame will only be as long as this world will last. From the looks of if, that will come to an end soon. The only things that last for eternity are things that are done for God and in His name. I would like it if my blog would become more famous and well known. I mean, who doesn't desire a little lime light? But over time the Lord has shown me that I should seek Him and live a life that He approves. So whenever it will be when it is my turn to pass away and go home to be with the Lord even if my blog is still not well known here on earth, since it has been done in the name of Jesus and I know that I am known by God, my blog and all the other things I have done to serve God will have eternal weight. God knows about my blog! That is amazing when I think about. God knows about the things you have done to bring Him glory and that is all that should matter. Look up the song called "He Knows My Name" by Francesca Batistelli. This song puts things into perspective.
The dictionary defines the word fame 'as the condition of being known or talked about by many people, especially on account of notable achievements'. Fame within itself is not bad but the intentions of fame is what is bad. Is someone intending to just make themselves famous or are they trying to make Jesus famous? There are many stories where men of God became famous but God is the one who made them famous and known throughout the land because they made God known. Today I was reading the 3 men in the furnace in the book of Daniel. Because of their faith, not only were they delivered from certain death, the king promoted them and decreed in all the land that if anyone talked bad about their God, they would be cut into pieces and their house would become a dung hole. Some examples people are famous for their talents, for their position in society and some for some not so good things are the likes of Michael Jordan, who is known to be the greatest basket ball player ever. President George Washington was known for being a general in the revolutionary war and also being the first president of the United States. Kim Kardashian is famous for a sex tape she made. Once the money runs out, you cant perform your talent like you use to, and folks have got tired of your outlandish life, or you die, then what? In Psalm 49:17 the Bible says "For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him." So all your victories, your trophies, fame, fortune, power and money you cant even take that with you into the after life.
In James 4:14 it says "Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." Our life here on earth may seem like a long time but it really isn't. Our life is like a vapor. Here one second, gone tomorrow. We are not guaranteed the next heart beat, our next breathe, the next minute, the next day, etc. Then why do people live life only for now, this short time? We should have eternity stamped on our eyes. Have you given it a thought lately where will you spend eternity? Because eternity is a long time to be wrong. I pray to the Lord and I tell Him that I have to get this right because hell is not a place for me. Death comes to us all, the young and the old. The only way out of here is death or rapture. So while we have a chance, lets live this life for Christ. Luke 12:16-20 "And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" God is sovereign over our lives. He knows the exact time our soul will be required of us. Lets be ready for that time always.
Exert from "Almost Famous"
Young with too much cash, watch how I came up fast
They say I'm next to get it
They bring your name up last
And while I made it splash
Rappers came and passed
But still I ask myself
How long does famous last?
(I ain't worried 'bout it tonight) How long does famous last?
(Blow all this cash, I might) How long does famous last?
(Tell her welcome to the good life) How long does famous last?
(Ooh) How long does famous last?
So many verses come to my recollection when I hear/read the chorus of this song. Here are just a few that come to mind:
* Matthew 16:26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
* 1 Peter 5:6-Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
* Romans 12:And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
* Galatians 5:19-21Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
* 1 John 2:15-16Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
* Proverbs 19:1Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
* 1 Peter 1:24-25For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Anyways...I got off track. Where I was concluding this blog entry with was, there would probably be less songs about the love of this world if the body of Christ would go and tell them about the love of God shown through the life, death and resurrection of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Also telling them that they are sin but that there is hope. Hope is found in Christ alone and in no one else. So how long does famous last? Not long at all. In comparison to eternity, its nothing and in my opinion. Earthly fame is just not worth it. Everything of this world will pass away but the words of God will never pass away. Anything done in the name of Jesus will have eternal weight and reward.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
What I have learned from owning a cat and dog about God
Now, how could the Lord possibly show me and anyone anything through a cat and dog? I have learned a lot about how God sees us, about human nature and why He has given me these to wonderful creatures to make me more holy and into the likeness of Christ. I hope that this message makes you laugh, makes you examine yourself and also appreciate our furry friends a bit more. If there is one thing I have learned in the time I have been born again is that there are no coincidences when it comes to God.I want to start off by sharing a verse in Proverbs 12:10 that says that the righteous man "regardeth the life of his beasts". The regard your pets or farm animals (if you happen to have them) is to give attention to, to to have concern for them. That is all good but I see people taking that to an extreme. They basically worship their pets. Show them affection, take care of them and be kind to them. That is all you are required to do. I know people in my personal life who exalt their pet higher than God and they don't know that they are doing it. Do not exalt anything, including your pets or animals above the Lord. I was guilty of this and I have repented of it.
I will start with my cat. His name is Ollo. We got him for free from a friend of my wife in August 2011. He was only 10 weeks old when we got him. We were told that the cat was a girl. When we took the cat to get spayed the vet called and told me "Mr. Diaz I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?" I said bad news first. The vet said "Your cat is not a she, its a he." Now, I've told people this and they laugh at me like I should have known. First of all, we were told that the cat was female. Second, I am not going to looking at the my cat's privates to know for sure. Anyways, the good news was that the neutering was going to cost me less. My cat was named Maggie but once we found out she was a he, we changed it. Me and my wife came up with Ollo after watching the kids movie "Mega Mind". In the movie the main character answers the phone and instead of saying "Hello" he says "Ollo". We thought it was a good fit and it stuck. Ollo loves to bite, plays very rough and is very moody. We got Ollo before I was born again and I wasn't exactly very kind to him. But after being born again I have learned so much from him. I have learned how to love someone and forgive them even when they don't love or forgive me back. Ollo has free will and he does what he wants and I have to respect that or else he will let me know I've over stepped my boundaries. I praise God for Ollo because God blessed my family with an amazing creature with so many colors and amazing abilities. I know also that all creation is waiting in earnest anticipation for the revealing of the sons of God and they groan and travail. So when Ollo gets mad or hisses at me, instead of disciplining him, I tell that I understand why he is doing what he is doing Yes, I talk to my cat. If God can make a donkey talk, he can make my cat understand my words. The last thing I want to share about Ollo was a time when he left for 4 days. On the 4th day my wife came home from work late that night and asked if Ollo had come back home. I said no. I suggested that she pray about it and I would pray with her. So she prayed and pleaded with the Lord with tears in her eyes. We went to bed and about 3:30am we heard scratching at the door. Ollo came back home! We praised God and loved on Ollo that morning. We gave him hugs, kisses, food and his treats. Reminds me of the prodigal son. He was a changed cat when he came back home. He was a lot nicer for some reason. The Lord heard our prayer and I believe got Ollo back home. The Bible says that God cares for the things that matter to us. This mattered to us, so it mattered to Him. Praise the Lord because His mercy is steadfast and endures forever more.
Our dog Angel has a slightly different story and I have learned something different from her. She is the complete opposite of the cat. She is usually happy, very friendly, extremely loving and very playful. We got her through another friend of my wife's from her job. He had bought Angel for his girlfriend but they broke up and she gave him back the puppy. He didn't want the dog. So we bought Angel for $60.00. She is a Chihuahua/Jack Russel terrier mix. I had been praying for a dog because my kids were terrified of dogs. It tore me up inside to see my kids so frightened because this happened all the time. Me and my wife came to the conclusion that the only way they would get over their fear of dogs is by having one as a pet. So we prayed for the perfect dog for our family. When we first saw Angel we all fell in love with her. Her little waggy tail and big ears. She was about 3 months old when we got her in June 2015. Angel is tiny but she has the biggest heart in our family. She is very loving and affectionate. But I learned that sometimes we don't always need to be loved overwhelmingly by others. Gods love is perfect and unwavering. Although Angel has all black fur, I still praise God for His handy work. She may not be a pure breed dog but that does not take away from her beauty. The most beautiful part of Angel is her love and her big heart. She is also very good with my kids. She is tender and playful with them. God truly heard our prayers and gave us the desires of our heart. I didn't think it was possible but the Bible says that with God all things are possible. Through Angel, I have got a taste of what God's unconditional love is like. Not matter what, when I see Angel, she will greet me and give me all kinds of love.
God has used the cat to humble me and has used the dog to comfort me. Before I got born again, I was kind of like a cat. I had to come when I wanted and how I wanted. I wasn't going to be forced or else it would just push me away. God sent me one guy to draw me back to the Lord. Even then I felt reluctant. After that it was just the Lord calling me and showing that I needed Him. I came at free will. When my cat comes and snuggles up with me unexpectedly, I don't turn him away and he knows I wont. He knows that I will love him and pet him. Its feels so sweet when this happens. On the other hand, Angel, when I call her she comes running with her tail wagging and her ears up with such eagerness to see what I wanted. She obeys the call and she freely comes as well. She doesn't have to and when she does she does it eagerly. Oh if we were more like that. If we were more eager to obey our calling from God and do it with out complaining and full of joy. Jesus said that if we love Him that we should do what He commands. I know that I write a lot about it but it is worth being repeated because it is the truth. Some people don't like cats because they have a mind of their own but the like dogs because the dog does what you tell it. Some people like cats because they are independent and don't need so much attention. But they don't like dogs because they are so needy. Think about it though, aren't we like that with God sometimes? We have a mind of own and free will. Yet we reject Gods love. We are needy but God doesn't turn us away. We think that we are independent but we need God to take care of us. God loves it when we obey Him.
I want to share this link about 10 Biblical truths about animals
I will start with my cat. His name is Ollo. We got him for free from a friend of my wife in August 2011. He was only 10 weeks old when we got him. We were told that the cat was a girl. When we took the cat to get spayed the vet called and told me "Mr. Diaz I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?" I said bad news first. The vet said "Your cat is not a she, its a he." Now, I've told people this and they laugh at me like I should have known. First of all, we were told that the cat was female. Second, I am not going to looking at the my cat's privates to know for sure. Anyways, the good news was that the neutering was going to cost me less. My cat was named Maggie but once we found out she was a he, we changed it. Me and my wife came up with Ollo after watching the kids movie "Mega Mind". In the movie the main character answers the phone and instead of saying "Hello" he says "Ollo". We thought it was a good fit and it stuck. Ollo loves to bite, plays very rough and is very moody. We got Ollo before I was born again and I wasn't exactly very kind to him. But after being born again I have learned so much from him. I have learned how to love someone and forgive them even when they don't love or forgive me back. Ollo has free will and he does what he wants and I have to respect that or else he will let me know I've over stepped my boundaries. I praise God for Ollo because God blessed my family with an amazing creature with so many colors and amazing abilities. I know also that all creation is waiting in earnest anticipation for the revealing of the sons of God and they groan and travail. So when Ollo gets mad or hisses at me, instead of disciplining him, I tell that I understand why he is doing what he is doing Yes, I talk to my cat. If God can make a donkey talk, he can make my cat understand my words. The last thing I want to share about Ollo was a time when he left for 4 days. On the 4th day my wife came home from work late that night and asked if Ollo had come back home. I said no. I suggested that she pray about it and I would pray with her. So she prayed and pleaded with the Lord with tears in her eyes. We went to bed and about 3:30am we heard scratching at the door. Ollo came back home! We praised God and loved on Ollo that morning. We gave him hugs, kisses, food and his treats. Reminds me of the prodigal son. He was a changed cat when he came back home. He was a lot nicer for some reason. The Lord heard our prayer and I believe got Ollo back home. The Bible says that God cares for the things that matter to us. This mattered to us, so it mattered to Him. Praise the Lord because His mercy is steadfast and endures forever more.
Our dog Angel has a slightly different story and I have learned something different from her. She is the complete opposite of the cat. She is usually happy, very friendly, extremely loving and very playful. We got her through another friend of my wife's from her job. He had bought Angel for his girlfriend but they broke up and she gave him back the puppy. He didn't want the dog. So we bought Angel for $60.00. She is a Chihuahua/Jack Russel terrier mix. I had been praying for a dog because my kids were terrified of dogs. It tore me up inside to see my kids so frightened because this happened all the time. Me and my wife came to the conclusion that the only way they would get over their fear of dogs is by having one as a pet. So we prayed for the perfect dog for our family. When we first saw Angel we all fell in love with her. Her little waggy tail and big ears. She was about 3 months old when we got her in June 2015. Angel is tiny but she has the biggest heart in our family. She is very loving and affectionate. But I learned that sometimes we don't always need to be loved overwhelmingly by others. Gods love is perfect and unwavering. Although Angel has all black fur, I still praise God for His handy work. She may not be a pure breed dog but that does not take away from her beauty. The most beautiful part of Angel is her love and her big heart. She is also very good with my kids. She is tender and playful with them. God truly heard our prayers and gave us the desires of our heart. I didn't think it was possible but the Bible says that with God all things are possible. Through Angel, I have got a taste of what God's unconditional love is like. Not matter what, when I see Angel, she will greet me and give me all kinds of love.
God has used the cat to humble me and has used the dog to comfort me. Before I got born again, I was kind of like a cat. I had to come when I wanted and how I wanted. I wasn't going to be forced or else it would just push me away. God sent me one guy to draw me back to the Lord. Even then I felt reluctant. After that it was just the Lord calling me and showing that I needed Him. I came at free will. When my cat comes and snuggles up with me unexpectedly, I don't turn him away and he knows I wont. He knows that I will love him and pet him. Its feels so sweet when this happens. On the other hand, Angel, when I call her she comes running with her tail wagging and her ears up with such eagerness to see what I wanted. She obeys the call and she freely comes as well. She doesn't have to and when she does she does it eagerly. Oh if we were more like that. If we were more eager to obey our calling from God and do it with out complaining and full of joy. Jesus said that if we love Him that we should do what He commands. I know that I write a lot about it but it is worth being repeated because it is the truth. Some people don't like cats because they have a mind of their own but the like dogs because the dog does what you tell it. Some people like cats because they are independent and don't need so much attention. But they don't like dogs because they are so needy. Think about it though, aren't we like that with God sometimes? We have a mind of own and free will. Yet we reject Gods love. We are needy but God doesn't turn us away. We think that we are independent but we need God to take care of us. God loves it when we obey Him.
I want to share this link about 10 Biblical truths about animals
Monday, July 25, 2016
Romans 8 - Why it is my favorite chapter in the Bible
My favorite chapter in the Bible is Romans 8. Whenever I feel down and out, when the enemy has been kicking my behind, I am renewed and strengthened after I read this chapter. It is also a good reminder to walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. I am going to point out some of the verses that always stand out to me in no particular order and I hope and pray that they help you out as well. This is hard to do because the entire chapter is a plethora of wisdom. By the way, I will be using the King James version of the Bible.
Romans 8:16 - "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" The basic thing that a brand new believer MUST believe and trust that they are a child of God when they are born again. The Spirit will bare witness of this. But to help anyone who may be struggling with this, let me help you out because I struggled through the same thing when I first got born again. One way you can tell that you were born again is that you hate the old sins you use to be okay with. Things that use to entertain you don't do that anymore. Not only are you concerned with your own salvation but also the salvation of others. Those are just a few examples I could think of right of the top of my head where the Spirit bears witness of this. In 1 John 2:12 John writes "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake" I recently heard a sermon 1 John 2 and John is writing to new believers, babes in the faith. Also, I want to mention that part of the armor of God is the helmet of salvation. Know in your mind that once you have believed in Jesus as your Lord Savior and you believe that He was raised from the dead, you are saved.
Romans 8:16 - "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" The basic thing that a brand new believer MUST believe and trust that they are a child of God when they are born again. The Spirit will bare witness of this. But to help anyone who may be struggling with this, let me help you out because I struggled through the same thing when I first got born again. One way you can tell that you were born again is that you hate the old sins you use to be okay with. Things that use to entertain you don't do that anymore. Not only are you concerned with your own salvation but also the salvation of others. Those are just a few examples I could think of right of the top of my head where the Spirit bears witness of this. In 1 John 2:12 John writes "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake" I recently heard a sermon 1 John 2 and John is writing to new believers, babes in the faith. Also, I want to mention that part of the armor of God is the helmet of salvation. Know in your mind that once you have believed in Jesus as your Lord Savior and you believe that He was raised from the dead, you are saved.
Romans 8:3 - "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh" In Galatians 3:24 Paul writes "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." So the law shows us that within our own power we can not live according to the way God has commanded. The law teaches us that we are sinners in need of a savior. In James 2:10, James writes "For whoever keeps the entire law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of breaking it all." The heated discussions I have had with some folks want to go back to the law and they actually teach that to others. The flesh is weak and we can not be made perfect by the flesh. Folks still want to live according to the Levitical law! I am not saying to do away with the law. Jesus was able to live out the law perfectly and then was punished on our behalf in sinful flesh. Again, in Galatians 3:11 "But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith."
Romans 8:19 "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God." Romans 8:22 - "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now." The next time somebody goes off on you, reviles you etc, to think of it this way, they are groaning and travailing in expectation of the revelation of the sons of God. All of creation is cursed including all the animals and plants. They are waiting along with us for Jesus to come back and break the curse. I want to share with you an example of this. My cat Ollo is a beautiful creation that the Lord blessed my family with. I praise God for such an amazing creature. Ollo is truly a demonstration of God's handy work. He can be very sweet but sometimes out of nowhere he will get mad and bite me, scratch me, growl at me, meow at me and hiss at me. Instead of returning evil for evil, I will love him back and I tell him that I know that he is groaning and travailing in expectation of the manifestation of the sons of God. I will try to remember this the next time I have an angry customer to deal with at work or somebody is angry at me for sharing the Gospel. It should move us to compassion not to ridicule someone or something because of what this verse is telling us. Also, another example of this that comes to mind is when my muscles are sore from my injuries I got from serving in the Army, I groan and travail in earnest expectation of the sons of God. Come Lord Jesus, Come!
Romans 8:18 - "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Here is a bit of encouragement for you. No matter what you deal with as a believer in Christ, no matter the suffering and persecution you have to endure for the sake of His name, they are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. One million years from now and we have been in New Heaven and New Earth, when we look back we are not going to say "All that suffering I had to endure was worthy of this". On the contrary, we should be like "I endured a lot of things to get here but 'MAN, THIS IS ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT I DREAMED OR EXPECTED!!!'" There was a time where I was using medical marijuana to ease my P.T.S.D. and the aches and pains of my body. But the Lord later showed me that I needed to deny myself that legitimate pleasure and endure the pain and suffering. It carries eternal weight in glory that will be revealed upon His return. I resisted though. Then one day the presence of the Lord came upon me heavy and said "Chose this day whom you will serve!" I chose to obey God and I have not regretted it since. I still ache and I have back spasms but I know that it will be worth it and then some. The Lord needs me sober for the mission He has planned for me. So if you are going through a hard time, suffering from illness, do not fret and don't complain. Remember this verse.
Romans 8:28 - "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." This has got to be one of my top favorite verses in the Bible because I have experienced this very verse for myself many times in my life. Some of you know recently I was involved in a car accident. If I had not been born again, that would have been a catastrophe and I would have been so angry and depressed about it. Thank God He has had mercy on me and made me righteous and I walk blameless before Him. I already knew that all things work together for the good of this who love Him and are called according to His purpose. But how do we show Jesus that we love Him? Actions do speak louder than words. Jesus said in John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments." Even Mary, the mother of Jesus said in John 2:5 "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." We have all heard the saying "God has a wonderful plan for your life." even when things don't seem to be going your way or you don't understand what is going on, remember that God will work things out for your good because you love Him and you are called according to His purpose. Nothing will stop what God has planned.
Romans 8:37-39 - "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Sometimes we don't feel like we are more than conquerors. Isn't great to know that the truths of God's word isn't based on how we feel? Hallelujah! But in all things we are more than conquerors. If you are struggling with sin, that is a good thing. Because you are fighting it. You may stumble and you may fall, but you keep fighting and struggling. God will give you the victory over that sin. For example, I am on the brink of conquering fear of speaking to people in public about the Gospel. Its so close that I can almost taste victory. I tell you what I did and this what I suggest you should. Keep praying, keep praising, keep reading the word of God and keep your faith. God makes us wait to increase our faith and test us. Be like Jacob and keep contending for your blessing. I remember asking God what was wrong with me. Ends up nothing was wrong with me and I am not the only one who deals with this. The problem is that I haven't been discipled and shown how to do this. When was the last time someone took you out to teach you how to preach the gospel, heal the sick, and cast out demons? Probably never. But we all know about it though! Jesus said to go out and preach the Gospel, make disciples, show them how to do the things He commanded us to do. What we in the western church have done is memorized and memorized it in Greek but we have not gone out done what He told us to do. So now I am praying that the Lord would bring someone into my life who will disciple me. I have plenty of knowledge but my obedience does not match my knowledge. My obedience is lower than my knowledge and in that gap is filled with fear. Many of us suffer from this. The cure is acting on the word of God. Taking a leap of faith and trusting that God will do what He said he would do. We need to become an apprentice of someone who knows how to do these things. We must also remember that the only thing that separates us from God is sin. Nothing else will separate us from His love which is in Christ Jesus. Keep your garments clean but repenting of sins if and when you do slip up. Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins.
Please prayerfully read Romans chapter 8. Whenever I am down or need strength, this is where I find it. What is you favorite chapter in the Bible? Or your favorite verse? Place your response in the comments below. I am looking forward to reading them!
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Crosstrek
Cross, noun, an upright post with a transverse bar, as used in antiquity for crucifixion
Trek, noun, a long arduous journey, especially one made on foot:
Arduous, adjective, involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring
The Lord just recently blessed my family with a new vehicle. Its a 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek. The reason we had to buy a new vehicle was because me and my wife were involved in an auto accident on June 17, 2016. We walked away from the wreck with just some soreness and a bit shook up. The other driver seemed okay as well. But both of our cars were totaled. It wasn't easy this whole situation. We only have one vehicle, I missed a day from work, and we didn't know where we would get the money to buy another vehicle. But God had a plan. Because of this accident, many people got the word, my testimony shared with them or they received a Gospel of John tract. I'm not boasting. This was all the Lords work. I am just glad to be a part of it. 2 weeks roll by and we finally went out and got a vehicle. My younger brother came all the way from San Diego, Ca to let me borrow his spare pick up so that we could get around. If it had not been for that, my story would be different.
So what does this have to do with anything? Well, it has to do with picking up your cross and following Jesus. Its about denying yourself. Its about obeying the Lord. Its about trusting the Lord even when things don't seem like they will ever get right. Being without a way to get around for 2 weeks was hard. Having to spend money to pay for the LYFT rides that was meant for groceries was hard. Talking to strangers about the #1 most controversial man who ever walked the face of the earth was hard. My brother driving all the way out to Phoenix, AZ with a pick up that has no AC in the middle of summer was hard. Let alone, going to go buy a car and buy it was hard. God had a plan though and He gave us all the grace and strength to endure and overcome. These are examples of picking up your cross and following Jesus. A crosstrek! I had asked the Lord a day or two prior to the accident to show me that He loved me and He delivered in a way that I wasn't expecting.
Trek, noun, a long arduous journey, especially one made on foot:
Arduous, adjective, involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring
The Lord just recently blessed my family with a new vehicle. Its a 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek. The reason we had to buy a new vehicle was because me and my wife were involved in an auto accident on June 17, 2016. We walked away from the wreck with just some soreness and a bit shook up. The other driver seemed okay as well. But both of our cars were totaled. It wasn't easy this whole situation. We only have one vehicle, I missed a day from work, and we didn't know where we would get the money to buy another vehicle. But God had a plan. Because of this accident, many people got the word, my testimony shared with them or they received a Gospel of John tract. I'm not boasting. This was all the Lords work. I am just glad to be a part of it. 2 weeks roll by and we finally went out and got a vehicle. My younger brother came all the way from San Diego, Ca to let me borrow his spare pick up so that we could get around. If it had not been for that, my story would be different.
So what does this have to do with anything? Well, it has to do with picking up your cross and following Jesus. Its about denying yourself. Its about obeying the Lord. Its about trusting the Lord even when things don't seem like they will ever get right. Being without a way to get around for 2 weeks was hard. Having to spend money to pay for the LYFT rides that was meant for groceries was hard. Talking to strangers about the #1 most controversial man who ever walked the face of the earth was hard. My brother driving all the way out to Phoenix, AZ with a pick up that has no AC in the middle of summer was hard. Let alone, going to go buy a car and buy it was hard. God had a plan though and He gave us all the grace and strength to endure and overcome. These are examples of picking up your cross and following Jesus. A crosstrek! I had asked the Lord a day or two prior to the accident to show me that He loved me and He delivered in a way that I wasn't expecting.
Here is what the Bible says about our crosstrek.
Matthew 16:24 -25 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
So how could these two verses possibly compliment one another? Jesus said is any person who wants to come after Him, be His disciple, that person must deny themselves. What exactly would this person deny? Legitimate comforts, luxuries and fleshly desires for the sake of living a righteous life and serving the Lord. In my case, being without a car for a couple of weeks so that about 10 people could get the word of God. Or how my brother heard the call from the Lord to let my family borrow his pick up. I can only imagine and speculate what may have occurred if myself or my brother would have not obeyed or began to complain and not obey the calling of the Lord. Picking up our cross, enduring this long, arduous journey on foot we call life, is the burden of being a follower of Christ.
What an honor to share in abundance of the sufferings of our Lord but also we share in the abundance of comfort through Christ like it says in 2 Corinthians 1:5. We take comfort that the work of the cross was sufficient to defeat sin and death. When Jesus gave His last breathe and said "It is finished!", that meant all that needed to be done to save us sinners was complete. By grace through faith we are saved. But faith without works is dead and works without faith is dead. How could we call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ if we don't preach the gospel, or heal the sick, or live a holy life? There has to be proof that there has been a transformation on the inside that is manifesting itself on the outside.
Todd White gave a great analogy by saying that when you squeeze an orange you expect to get orange juice. But if you squeeze an orange and apple juice comes out, something isn't right. Then why should it be any different when a disciple of Jesus is "squeezed" through trial and tribulation, the Jesus in that disciple should come out? If anything else comes out like worry, complaining, anger, etc, something is very wrong. This is one the Lord blessed me with. If I were to say I am a dog, besides thinking I am a looney, wouldn't you begin to say, "Nick, you are not a dog. You don't bark, you don't walk on four legs, you don't have a waggy tail and you don't have fur covering your entire body." So, I cant say I am a dog because I dont have the tell-tale signs of a dog. So how could someone say they are a disciple of Jesus or Christian if there are no tell-tale signs? No preaching, no healings, no miracles, no faith, no prayer life, etc?
Me and my family got squeezed. It would have been really easy to give in to our flesh and whine and complain about our terrible situation. But instead, the Jesus in us came out. At the accident scene, we prayed with the other driver and I gave him a Gospel of John tract. I wasn't angry with him. I gave a tract to a police officer. I denied my legitimate right to get angry, hate the other driver and question God on why He let such a terrible thing happen to me. We live in an ABC world. Anything But Christ. BUt us believers know that its "All 'Bout Christ". Tell you what, the times in my life when things got hard or a big mountainous problem arises, I know that is a test of faith and I am closer to God than ever. Each time catastrophe strikes and we are squeezed, what should come out is the Jesus in us. Sanctification is a life long process. Its a strenuous trek with a cross on our back as we follow Jesus to eternal life.
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live
in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."(Galatians 2:20)
in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."(Galatians 2:20)
Monday, June 13, 2016
I have a mustard seed, and I am not afraid to use it
In real life I have never seen a mustard seed. But I have searched on Google for pictures of a mustard seed and its a very small seed. Why Would Jesus compare faith that could move a mountain to a mustard seed? Its so tiny. What He is saying is that it doesn't require a lot of faith, but it does require some faith. Faith is defined as "complete trust or confidence in someone or something:" and "strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof."
Hebrews 11: 6 - But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Without any, zero, nada, zilch, no faith you cannot please God. You must believe He is God. In fact the verse states that God rewards those who diligently seek Him. The dictionary defines the word diligently as the following "in a way that shows care and conscientiousness in one's work or duties:" And just because I was curious, the word conscientiousness is defined as "(of a person) wishing to do what is right, especially to do one's work or duty well and thoroughly."
Matthew 18:3-4 - And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
I want to tell you today that if you believe in Jesus and He is your Lord and Savior, you do have faith. You don't need a lot to accomplish great things on His behalf. Its not you who is doing anything but trusting in God. So what is child like faith? When you tell a child, for example, "Don't touch the hot oven or you will get burned." they trust and believe you that you are not telling them this to harm them. But they believe and trust that you have their best interests for them. In that same way, have faith in what God says in the entire Bible. All the promises of God are yes and amen through Jesus Christ. Do you believe that? Rebuke the devil in the name of Jesus and tell him that you have a mustard seed and you are not afraid to use it!
2 Corinthians 5:7 - For we walk by faith, not by sight:
Easier said than done but all things are possible through Jesus. When we pray, we must have faith that God will answer. We may not see it yet but God will answer. We must trust in His timing, His wisdom, His judgement and in His power. Know that He is God. He sees and knows everything. God is everywhere! He knows each and everyone of us personally, better than our own selves. If the God who created everything in the heavens, in the sea and on the earth, what makes you think He cant handle your problems? We act like King Saul was with David. He wanted David to sing the evil spirits away and fight his battles. But Saul didn't want David to be king. Let Jesus rule your entire life. He can do so much more with your life than you ever could.
Saturday, June 11, 2016
Second Anniversary Message 2016
Two years ago on June 10th 2014, after much hesitation, I wrote my first blog entry. I never would have imagined that two years later I would still be writing in it and that My Burning Heart 4 Jesus has expanded to many other social media venues. If you all don't know, My Burning Heart 4 Jesus is on Google Plus, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr and YouTube. The Lord has been good and faithful by continuing to inspire me to write and drawing people unto Himself via My Burning Heart 4 Jesus. I am honored and humbled at the fact that its been a work of God and I get to be a part of it. If its the Lord's will this blog will continue to be written in until either I die, the government shuts it down or the Lord returns.
I have a couple things that I want to share with you that will edify and encourage you. First, don't be discouraged if you don't have a huge following. Its not about the quantity, but what matters is the quality. Jesus started out with thousands of followers, then hundreds, then 12, then 3 close disciples, then one beloved disciple, and then dying all alone. When I started this blog, I had high hopes of having a big following. To be honest, that never happened. I'm not complaining because the Lord has taught me to be content with what I have because EVERYTHING above nothing comes from Him (James 1:17). That's fine with me because the followers that follow this ministry are quality. There was a time I had about 1000 followers on Facebook and it wasn't it all it was cracked up to be. Like somebody told me once "Id rather go to war with six Navy Seals than 1,000 girl scouts."
A few days before writing this entry, I downloaded this song by J Prince called "Be Still". Its a song based on Psalm 46:10. "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."Oh how I love that verse, so powerful. I was thinking of a way to explain what God means by this. Lets say you go to the dentist for a bad toothache. You get to the dentist office and you sit in the chair and the dentist tells you to open up. As he takes a look you are squirming, panicking, closing your mouth and talking too much, he tells you in a firm voice "Be still!" Why? So that he can do what he has to do to make you better. Know that he is a dentist and he is the expert and you just need to be still so he can help you. In that same way, we sometimes have to be still and let God help us. Sometimes it means just waiting on Him. We have to cease from our worrying, trying to do things on our own, being impatient, and having no faith in Him. We just need to be still and know that He is God. Kind of reminds of Psalm 23 where it says He makes us lay down in green pastures and He leads us by still waters. Let that marinate for a while.
I was looking up at the night sky. I think about the stars how God made them and knows them all by name and that He put the stars out that very night just for me to behold so I could be in awe of Him. It also makes me think that one day He is going to crack that sky open and return to set things right and take us to be with Him. Even so come, Lord Jesus come! I live in the city and you can not see many stars in the sky. But when you get away from the city and head towards the wide opens spaces of nature, you can see the night sky full of stars. Even in the city, the stars are still amazing and God is worthy of praise. A couple of months ago I went to men's retreat and it was far away from the city. Oh...the sky looked magnificent because it was full of stars. It made me worship God . In that same way, as we withdraw ourselves from the cares of this world, the more we can see God. Also, as we withdraw ourselves and spend time with the Lord in prayer and in the word, the more clearly we behold His beauty see Him working in our lives. God wants us to enjoy the simple things in life. He wants us to enjoy His presence.
Lastly, I wanted to share that I just started a new job with a major retail company in their fraud prevention department. Tell you what, this is the job that I have been dreaming about. I had other jobs that offered higher pay and closer to home. But this is where the Lord wants me and I am blessed because of it. But where I was going with this is I was talking to a co-worker , I don't recall what we were talking about, but he said something intrigued me 'Put your "I" before your "E". Put your intelligence before your emotions.' Then I shared with him that feelings are real but they are not always the truth. He seemed intrigued also by my response. But then the Lord expanded on this saying. 'Put your "F" before your "U". Put your faith before your understanding.' We have let out emotions be the caboose, our intelligence and understanding follow next and let our faith in the Lord be the locomotive that leads the way. If emotions lead, you are not going anywhere. Neither with your intelligence and understanding. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, and in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
So what is next for My Burning Heart 4 Jesus? I don't know because the Holy Spirit is the one that is leading. My hope and prayer is that whatever I share helps someone out in some way. That someone gets something out of what I write. Even its only a few people. Amen because the Lord drew them in and that word was meant for them and no one else. I am just glad to be a part of His plan and to be used by the Lord. Most importantly, that truth would always be spoken and reverence for God's word. Please continue to lift up this ministry in your prayers. Please keep me in your prayers that the Lord would continue to grant me wisdom, knowledge, understanding and discernment. I love you all and may America bless God!
I have a couple things that I want to share with you that will edify and encourage you. First, don't be discouraged if you don't have a huge following. Its not about the quantity, but what matters is the quality. Jesus started out with thousands of followers, then hundreds, then 12, then 3 close disciples, then one beloved disciple, and then dying all alone. When I started this blog, I had high hopes of having a big following. To be honest, that never happened. I'm not complaining because the Lord has taught me to be content with what I have because EVERYTHING above nothing comes from Him (James 1:17). That's fine with me because the followers that follow this ministry are quality. There was a time I had about 1000 followers on Facebook and it wasn't it all it was cracked up to be. Like somebody told me once "Id rather go to war with six Navy Seals than 1,000 girl scouts."
A few days before writing this entry, I downloaded this song by J Prince called "Be Still". Its a song based on Psalm 46:10. "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."Oh how I love that verse, so powerful. I was thinking of a way to explain what God means by this. Lets say you go to the dentist for a bad toothache. You get to the dentist office and you sit in the chair and the dentist tells you to open up. As he takes a look you are squirming, panicking, closing your mouth and talking too much, he tells you in a firm voice "Be still!" Why? So that he can do what he has to do to make you better. Know that he is a dentist and he is the expert and you just need to be still so he can help you. In that same way, we sometimes have to be still and let God help us. Sometimes it means just waiting on Him. We have to cease from our worrying, trying to do things on our own, being impatient, and having no faith in Him. We just need to be still and know that He is God. Kind of reminds of Psalm 23 where it says He makes us lay down in green pastures and He leads us by still waters. Let that marinate for a while.
I was looking up at the night sky. I think about the stars how God made them and knows them all by name and that He put the stars out that very night just for me to behold so I could be in awe of Him. It also makes me think that one day He is going to crack that sky open and return to set things right and take us to be with Him. Even so come, Lord Jesus come! I live in the city and you can not see many stars in the sky. But when you get away from the city and head towards the wide opens spaces of nature, you can see the night sky full of stars. Even in the city, the stars are still amazing and God is worthy of praise. A couple of months ago I went to men's retreat and it was far away from the city. Oh...the sky looked magnificent because it was full of stars. It made me worship God . In that same way, as we withdraw ourselves from the cares of this world, the more we can see God. Also, as we withdraw ourselves and spend time with the Lord in prayer and in the word, the more clearly we behold His beauty see Him working in our lives. God wants us to enjoy the simple things in life. He wants us to enjoy His presence.
Lastly, I wanted to share that I just started a new job with a major retail company in their fraud prevention department. Tell you what, this is the job that I have been dreaming about. I had other jobs that offered higher pay and closer to home. But this is where the Lord wants me and I am blessed because of it. But where I was going with this is I was talking to a co-worker , I don't recall what we were talking about, but he said something intrigued me 'Put your "I" before your "E". Put your intelligence before your emotions.' Then I shared with him that feelings are real but they are not always the truth. He seemed intrigued also by my response. But then the Lord expanded on this saying. 'Put your "F" before your "U". Put your faith before your understanding.' We have let out emotions be the caboose, our intelligence and understanding follow next and let our faith in the Lord be the locomotive that leads the way. If emotions lead, you are not going anywhere. Neither with your intelligence and understanding. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, and in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
So what is next for My Burning Heart 4 Jesus? I don't know because the Holy Spirit is the one that is leading. My hope and prayer is that whatever I share helps someone out in some way. That someone gets something out of what I write. Even its only a few people. Amen because the Lord drew them in and that word was meant for them and no one else. I am just glad to be a part of His plan and to be used by the Lord. Most importantly, that truth would always be spoken and reverence for God's word. Please continue to lift up this ministry in your prayers. Please keep me in your prayers that the Lord would continue to grant me wisdom, knowledge, understanding and discernment. I love you all and may America bless God!
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