Thoughts ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZONPRTOFF dateof comment Look Inside Data Conditions:Order: 1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10|11|12|13|14| Dateof Comment 07/09/2023 I do not get a thrill going through pain and suffering. If you think that you are the only one with problems, you are wrong. There are people in the bible who have experienced and support my views: Jabez did not like pain and suffering either: 1 Chronicles 4:10 He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request. {Could this mean that prayer is a good start to relieving pain and suffering} I have to admire Job for the pain he endured. Is there another man who could do what he did without rejecting God? Unlike you and me who have Gods written word and Jesus Christ, he did it without both. He was never excited to go through this period either: Job 6:10 At least I can take comfort in this: Despite the pain, I have not denied the words of the Holy One. Job 6:25 Honest words can be painful, but what do your criticisms amount to? Job 7:15 I would rather be strangled— rather die than suffer like this. Job 9:28 I would still dread all the pain, for I know you will not find me innocent, O God. Job 14:22 They suffer painfully; their life is full of trouble.” Job 15:20 “The wicked writhe in pain throughout their lives. Years of trouble are stored up for the ruthless. Job 30:17 At night my bones are filled with pain, which gnaws at me relentlessly. Job 30:27 My heart is troubled and restless. Days of suffering torment me. Job 33:19 “Or God disciplines people with pain on their sickbeds, with ceaseless aching in their bones. King David did not like the pain either: Psalm 25:18 Feel my pain and see my trouble. Forgive all my sins. Psalm 38:6 I am bent over and racked with pain. All day long I walk around filled with grief. Psalm 38:17 I am on the verge of collapse, facing constant pain. Psalm 48:6 They were gripped with terror and writhed in pain like a woman in labor. Psalm 69:26 To the one you have punished, they add insult to injury; they add to the pain of those you have hurt. Psalm 69:29 I am suffering and in pain. Rescue me, O God, by your saving power. It always looks like the bad guy gets a pass to pain: Psalm 73:4 They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. Malachi 3:15 From now on we will call the arrogant blessed. For those who do evil get rich, and those who dare God to punish them suffer no harm. Always remember this that if you are serving the enemy, he will leave you alone because you are ineffective to God's Kingdom. This does not honor our King. Psalm 73:14 I get nothing but trouble all day long; every morning brings me pain. Psalm 90:10 Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away. Psalm 109:22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is full of pain. Jesus wanted a way out of pain and suffering if possible: Matthew 26:39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Many of God's Children have had their lives shaped by pain and suffering. Even their salvation has come from it. This happened in the first letter of Paul the church in Corinth: 2 Corinthians 7:8-9 I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. Acts 5:41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. Will anyone get into the Kingdom of God without some sort of pain or suffering? Acts 14:22 where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God. Romans 8:17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Our actions can cause pain in the life of others: Philippians 1:17 Those others do not have pure motives as they preach about Christ. They preach with selfish ambition, not sincerely, intending to make my chains more painful to me. Serving Jesus is a discipline: Hebrews 12:11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. 1 Peter 4:1 Living for God So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. Everything may seem negative up to this point, but this is what you will see if you endure: Romans 8:18 The Future Glory Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. Romans 8:23 And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. 2 Corinthians 1:5 For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 2 Corinthians 1:7 We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us. 2 Thessalonians 1:5 And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. Hebrews 5:8 Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. (True for us also.) 1 Peter 2:20 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. James 5:13 The Power of Prayer Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Now for the Big Finish: Hebrews 2:18 Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested. James 5:11 We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy. Take heed of this last verse. We need to turn our lives over to Jesus now to reap the full benefits of what he wants to offer us. This is a promise from our King himself: Matthew 11:28-30 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” 07/02/2023 It is quite a privilege to be a child of God. but we also have to remember that we have been commanded to live like Jesus Christ did. I know I have areas in my life where I do not mimic what Jesus does. These areas can be changed. Paul talks about us being over confident in our walk with the Lord: Romans 12:3-5 NLT 3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. God checks out our hearts to see what's in there. He makes the final decision on how we are living our lives. His talk withe Jeremiah says it all. Jeremiah 17:9-10 (New Living Translation) “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.” Even if we never love like Jesus does, we do not need to be discouraged. Just realize that we need to continue working in those areas that need improvement. Prayer can weaken strong holds in our lives that we fail to remove on our own. The Holy Spirit can develop our thinking and living so that people will see characteristics of Christ in our lives. It is amazing what Jesus can do if you release your entire life to him. 06/22/2023 We know that Jeremiah 29:11 talks about God having a plan for lives: Jeremiah 29:11 NLT 11 For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. As we begin to do things for our King, the enemy does everything in his power to get us to go somewhere other than where God put us. He knows that going against God's plan will either cause failure or complete destruction if we do our own thing. If we do not stay where God put us, it makes us vulnerable to the cause of the enemy. There is protection and blessing when we serve God where he wants us to be. When God took Israel out of Egypt, they began complaining and moaning about things and they ended up walking in the desert for forty years. During that time God did take care of them with the manna, quail and water from the rocks. That was the period of time for that generation to die off. But it was also true that there were no blessings given during that period of time because God did not want them there. They were supposed to be in the promised land already. When they finally did go into the promise land then the people begin to see God's blessings manifest. Even my buddy experienced the temptation to work with gangs in New York City. They would have paid him well with excellent accommodations. Before he said yes, God said, "Moving to New York glorifies you. You were called to serve where I sent you in Denver. " My buddy gratefully accepted what God had to say. Because he obeyed God, we both are witnessing miracles and blessings of what God is doing in Colorado. God is expanding things beyond our wildest dreams. He has expanded the gang ministry to include families in the ghetto, feeding and saving the homeless, prostitutes giving their lives to Jesus, and relationships with all those cool people in law enforcement. Finally, the last thing is the wonderful college students God has us minister to just to keep us young. If he would have disobeyed, God would probably have killed the ministry that we would have tried to change to glorify ourselves. We would have given up everything God had planed for us. Always remember this verse: Mark 8:36 NLT And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? This is a promise if we serve where God wants us to be: Psalm 91:1 (New Living Translation) Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty Even with the long weekends, my buddy always experiences the rest that David is talking about. Live where God wants you to live and you will begin to experience his abundance. Also never seek a church for what it can do for you but ask God to show you a church where you can both serve and glorify our King Jesus Christ. 06/13/2023 Have you ever thought about when God created us that he created us with everything we need. There is one room in our bodies that he leaves empty. This room was designed to bring glory to our King. We have the free will to decide what we want to put in there. It is a fact that if we decide to worship the devil that He can give us wealth, fame, and the life of luxury. All of this was not designed to fill this empty spot. Oh, don't kid yourself we can try alcohol, sex, and drugs to fill this area. We are still left with an empty depressed feeling. God calls it our heart. This is how he designed it: Ecclesiastes 3:11 NLT Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. This is proof that our heart brings glory to Jesus: Isaiah 26:8 NLT Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name. This is what happens when you give your heart what it desires: Jeremiah 15:16 NLT When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies. Your heart is like the stones. If you do not let your heart worship our King, it will cry out: Jeremiah 20:9 NLT But if I say I’ll never mention the Lord or speak in his name, his word burns in my heart like a fire. It’s like a fire in my bones! I am worn out trying to hold it in! I can’t do it! This is what happens when you put the right thing into your heart: John 14:27 NLT “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. When you have Jesus living in your heart, do not do anything to make him leave: 1 John 5:21 NLT Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. A heart filled with Jesus is true freedom: Galatians 5:13 NLT For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. This is what happens when Jesus is replaced with sin: Galatians 6:8 NLT Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. A defiled heart is asking for these two things: James 5:5 NLT You have spent your years on earth in luxury, satisfying your every desire. You have fattened yourselves for the day of slaughter. Jude 1:16 NLT These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want. It is not easy to keep your heart clean, but we must start by being obedient to our King: 1 Peter 1:14 NLT So, you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then. This verse fits 2023 in America: Jude 1:18 NLT They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. As a church we need to unite and stand against these evil people. A compliant church will always lose to the power of the devil because we never take a stand. As men and women, we can vote and speak up. On the spiritual side we can pray and bind the enemy. In order to live this life of power, Jesus must be residing in that once empty room. On a final note, do not ever doubt what you can do for God. Paul says it well: 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NLT 26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. 06/08/2023 God has given us a wonderful family ministry in the ghetto of Denver. What makes the families so cool is how they see God: Psalm 90:2,4 (New Living Translation) Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God. There is a lot of gun fire and violence in the ghetto. But when God sends us, this is how the families survive there and how we get things done: Habakkuk 3:19 (New Living Translation) The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. This is so true. I have heard how the families come together to worship God on Saturday morning. Saturday morning is dedicated to worshipping God and blessing the new families in the middle of the danger. They totally understand the strength of God. This is something we should all strive for. The families understand what happens when Jesus is allowed to make a home in their hearts. This verse demonstrates what they all strive for. We should also do the same: Ephesians 3:17-19 (New Living Translation) Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. I have heard about the families fullness of life and power that comes from the real God. The families that God has asked us to bless in the past are looking for new specific families in the ghetto who are in need. Even though they do not have a lot themselves, it does not stop them from sharing in their own homes with the new families who have even less. They are deeply rooted into God's love. My goal is to be as deeply rooted into God's love as they are to the point we live for what God wants and turn every aspect of our life over to him. I am thankful that God uses this ministry to restore the faith of each family that is blessed. God get the Glory and the Victory on this one. 06/05/2023 Have ever thought about how well God did when he created everything including us. He even did it without my advice. When he finished creating us, he wanted us to become part of his plan. God gives us all talents and special abilities. These things were designed to bring us money to live on and to do things for the kingdom of God here on earth. Everyone of us have some talent that will benefit the Kingdom of Heaven. The problem we may develop is pride if we think God cannot do things without us. Even worse is believing that we can do everything on our own. David had something to say about this pride: 1 Chronicles 29:11-15 “O Lord, the God of our ancestor Israel, may you be praised forever and ever! 11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things. 12 Wealth and honor come from you alone, for you rule over everything. Power and might are in your hand, and at your discretion people are made great and given strength. 13 “O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! 14 But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us! 15 We are here for only a moment, visitors and strangers in the land as our ancestors were before us. Our days on earth are like a passing shadow, gone so soon without a trace. Really, life is a gift from God. We need to humble ourselves when we begin to realize how fragile we are. I am alive today because God has a purpose for my life. There is no other reason. If we and our children are willing to continue to serve God with our whole hearts, the Lord will remain amongst us for a long time: Ps 103:17-18 NLT But the love of the Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments! We all need Jesus Christ and to develop a relationship with him. The Holy Spirit will help in this area. Let's not forget how we fit into God's plans. 06/01/2023 If you are like me troubles can wear us out. This can make us tired and sometimes wanting to give up. I do not see many verses from Lamentations, but this caught my attention when my buddy sent it to me. It makes me appreciate the foundation of our God. This verse was written centuries ago but God has not changed. Everything holds true for us today. We even have the Holy Spirit to strengthen us. He was sent by Jesus Christ when he returned to the Father. Our ancestors did not have the access to him like we do. He makes these verses even more powerful. Our God stands with us each morning. He is always excited to walk with us each day. Only our stubbornness will make him fall back but He never leaves us. Lets give thanks each morning and believe that this is what God wants to do for us: Lamentations 3:22 NLT 22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. 23 Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” Our traits should be depend on him, quietly wait which can be tough, and submit to him at an early age: 25 The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. 26 So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. 27 And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline: I feel that the KJV version really paints a picture of who God is. It is like getting up early in the summertime in the morning. With our high altitude the air is crisp and fresh early in the morning. This energizes me and makes me want to start the day in a positive note: God is like that! Lamentations 3:22 KJV 22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. 27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Use the Holy Spirit and continue to look for the things God. He will reveal more things to us as we develop that personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 05/25/2023 One of the greatest challenges in life is getting along with other people. James has a good start on how to improve our people skills: James 1:19 (New Living Translation) Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. This verse is a must if you are trying to get along with people. It is interesting that when you listen to what people or God has to say, you are demonstrating interest. God loves it when you interested in what he says. People are no different. The next step with people is our response. What they are saying may be totally stupid or even demonic. Sometimes people do this to get a reaction. By controlling our our anger we throw water on their fire by remaining cool. By being slow to speak gives us time to say a quick prayer and process the situation. Stupid replies many times will cause negative results. Always stick to the truth and never forget about the concept of love. Jesus applied this last statement and was crucified. Just as he did, never compromise the truth. This is how God's children should do it to get along with his other children. This brings unity to the church: Romans 12:10 (New Living Translation) Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. After all the above occurs, we are learning to work within God's people. Now we are ready for this step: Romans 15:2 (New Living Translation) We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. Now we have formed a powerful and spotless church. The next step requires a powerful church to accomplish: Mathew 24:14 NLT 14 And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. After this step is completed, Jesus will return for his church. So let's become bold and become that church that he will be proud of. 05/22/2023 There is one party in specific in our government who is constantly pushing racism and division in our culture. The love of money influences both parties in the desire to get money at whatever cost the public may face. Our government uses the selfish influence of the have nots to take things away from those who work and earn their wealth. They will take it even if it means destroying a section of our society. I have even noticed that the selfishness each one of us will make us support those committing evil if there's a free lunch involved. These people do not get their ideas from God's word. It is the contrary. James said it well: James 3:17-18 NLT But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. Another man Paul said basicly the same thing: 1 Corinthians 1:10 NLT I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. Which one are you? Do you live and think as the world or do your thoughts follow these verses? You cannot please God unless you think the way these two men do. Jesus Christ is the solution to all of this. When Jesus begins to rule our lives, we begin to think exactly as these two verses quote. Jesus Christ has always been the answer to everything since the beginning of time. 05/12/2023 I like to go to biblegateway.com to see what the verse of the day is. It was fitting that being mother's day weekend that this verse would appear: Proverbs 31:10-31 NLT A Wife of Noble Character 10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies. [ I have seen many successful marriages because of Who You women are. You are to be commended on all the hard work that you've done to not only bring up a family but to keep your marriage intact. I do have to admit many times us husbands have not always been there for you. You are worth your weight in rubies. ] 11 Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. [This is a gift of peace that every husband should appreciate. We need to be exactly the same to our wives.] 12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. [ How many of us husbands are successful just because of our wives. We also should support our wives to make them feel good about who they are. It doesn't hurt that she become successful also. ] 13 She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. [ She is definitely creative in all the things she does.] 14 She is like a merchant’s ship, bringing her food from afar. [ Luckily for us she only has to go to the Costco store to get food.] 15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan the day’s work for her servant girls. [I see this happen by the ladies more than I see men doing this. Again ladies thank you for your sacrifice in doing this. Men we should greatly appreciate our wives who do this.] 16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard. [Definitely sounds like a farmer's wife to me. Women can make the same decisions that men do.] 17 She is energetic and strong, a hard worker. [This definitely makes the husband's life easier. We should appreciate the sacrifice our wives do for us.] 18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night. [I know my wife always got up in the night when the kids needed stuff while I slept. This is another thing to not be taken granted of.] 19 Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. [This one also goes for you wives who are cooking meals and cleaning the house for the family. This job is very important and usually pays little. If you do this job not complaining it definitely pleases God because you are being a servant to all. Husbands do not take advantage of your wife's servant hood. We are also to be servants to our wives as Jesus was a servant to us.] 20 She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. [ This is another thing that our wives do better than us men.] 21 She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes. [ Another great service that women do for us husbands. Most of us men couldn't care less about shopping for clothes for our kids.] 22 She makes her own bedspreads. She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns. [We should remember this because our wives do want to look good for us if we only appreciate them. We need to love our wives just as Jesus Christ loved the church.] 23 Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders. [ Husbands make sure that this is true. Our actions can reflect on our wives and we want them to look good to everyone else.] 24 She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. [ Even though our wives may not make clothing but I have seen how creative they can be with coming up with ideas to make money. Make sure that we encourage our wives in anything godly that they do.] 25 She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. [Anyone who has turned their life over to Jesus Christ will experience this. We as husbands should experience the same thing.] 26 When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness. [Our wives are capable of coming up with good advice. As husbands we should listen to what they say so that we may catch things that we would otherwise miss. Our wives were meant help us make our lives better. As husbands we should also do the same for them.] 27 She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. [She definitely can't be too lazy if she's going to keep up with those kids. It is amazing to watch what some of the wives do for their families. As husbands we should not be just lazing on the couch, we should also be apart of what our wives are doing.] 28 Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: [Pay close attention to this verse husband's. It was only put here in the Bible because it is true.] 29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” [I pray that all of you hard-working wives could experience this verse. This would make you feel like you're on top of the world.] 30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. [All of you women who live this verse are extremely powerful. You have kept marriages together and saved the lives of your children. This is one of the greatest things you have ever done.] 31 Reward her for all she has done. Let her deeds publicly declare her praise. [Husbands really pay attention to this verse. This will encourage your wife Beyond her wildest dreams. Also do it because she deserves it.] 05/03/2023 I have watched people including myself trying to outdo the next guy. There is nothing wrong with this. Paul in his letters talks about running the race to win. The question that I am about to ask does this make you exalt yourself above everyone else? Or is it your attitude to tell your secret to someone else to help them to succeed. This all makes a difference. That's the reason why Paul wrote to the Philippians church about having the attitude of Jesus Christ: Philippians 2:5-8 (New Living Translation) You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Once are attitude becomes like Jesus Christ, we'll be raising our petitions up to God that will please him. John has something to say about that in our prayer life. 1 John 5:14-15 (New Living Translation) And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for. Again, Paul covers his basis. If our prayers are not answered right away, we are not to give up. He talked about this to the Romans: Romans 12:12 (New Living Translation) Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. What does it mean by "keep on praying". Jesus had something to say about this: Luke 18:1-8 NLT 18 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’” 6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man[a] returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” Why would God allow this in his word if it was not true? If it is valuable enough to you, you will want to continue praying daily. Do not expect to get an answer from God if you have selfish desires. This does not honor the Lord and can jeopardize your salvation. Do not expect God to answer you if you are a doubter. James has something to say about this: James 1:6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 04/27/2023 Have you ever thought about how much emphasis Jesus puts on the individual. Jesus would have come to this earth just for my sake to save just me. That is how much he loves us. The parable of the Sheep tells us his dedication to locate us and bring us back into the fold: Luke 15:1-7 NLT 15 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! 3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! Unlike the Sheep though, Jesus will not drag us back like a Shepherd for the Sheep would do. We still have the choice to reject him and he would leave us alone. But he never really leaves us alone. He still hopes that we will decide later to let him bring us back into the fold willingly. Always remember though that tomorrow is never promised and if you do not make that choice before that day you will be separated and sent to the Lake of Fire. Zacchaeus is proof of one who accepts the offer of Jesus Christ: Luke 19:8-10 (New Living Translation) 8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” 9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” Just remember every time that person returns to the fold of Jesus Christ, the angels in heaven rejoice. This shows you how valuable you are that they would do this. It was hard to fathom that this is the whole purpose of Jesus Christ coming to Earth in the first place. 04/17/2023 We should know by now about the only place in the bible that God commands us to test him: Malachi 3:10 NLT 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! I firmly believe we are going to see in this decade the largest transference of wealth from the wicked to God's people who tithe because of God's plan. Have you ever thought about what that would be like? Sounds pretty cool but remember what Timothy said about the power of money: 1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows. I have thought about this and have talked it over with my prayer partner asking these questions about wealth: 1. Am I going to change my friends? This will be the first sign of trouble in your life. You are beginning to exalt yourself. 2. How are planning on using it? If you use it all on your own pleasures you are on the path to trouble. I believe one should spend money on yourself to prove to everyone that God can bless people financially to have some cool stuff. Do not forget about contentment though or it can ruin you. Remember Malachi 3:10 where you cannot out give God. Invest his money back into his Kingdom to be blessed even more. Have fun doing it. I have seen how investing money into God's families in the Ghetto has changed the community forever. Those who have received God's blessing have experienced large increases in faith and are coming together to worship God in a King Soopers parking lot. It is the type of worship that make me envious on how well they worship God. Nothing fancy at all but they are totally focused on pleasing God putting the clock out to pasture. God deserves this Kind of worship. The people in the ghetto greatly appreciate blessings. The first thing they do is put you on their prayer list. Could you imagine that if everyone who is blessed by your obedience is praying for you? You could have 100's of prayers going up into the heavens lifting you up. Now, that is a lot of prayer power. I believe Jesus Christ is going have the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit ever. He needs us and our resources to accomplish his great plans. God's desire was to have the families protected in the Ghetto. I was given the privilege to help fill his desire. I do not want to have great wealth deviate me from seeing and filling God's desires. I believe as long as you heart stays in God's Kingdom, you will use great wealth wisely. 04/12/2023 When Jesus Christ hung on that cross, the criminals spoke to Jesus: Luke 23:39-43 NLT 39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” 40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” 43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” I thought about what the criminals said to Jesus when I read this verse: Romans 5:6-8 (New Living Translation) When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Even though both criminals were probably scum, Jesus did not care. He was looking at the one man's heart when he laid his life down for us. Jesus laid his life down for the loveable and for the unlovable. This includes the politicians who run our government today. I never have seen so much hatred they have against the people. Unlike Jesus, I would have extreme difficulty laying my life down for these kinds of people who persecute the innocent. This next verse emphasizes even more what he did for us: 1 Peter 2:24 (New Living Translation) He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. But remember there is no record of the other criminal giving his heart to Jesus. This means he is spending eternity in the Lake of Fire while his buddy is in the Kingdom of God where Jesus is. So, it will be with those who persecute us today. Until we all come to Jesus Christ, our fate will be the same as the criminal who rejected Jesus Christ. 04/10/2023 I noticed that a lot of people seem to be worried about a lot of things. I mean banks are failing, inflation It's the worst that it ever has been. The borders are open with lot of chaos going on and there's a lot of child trafficking going on. Look at all the weird stuff that people are doing that are not scriptural. The craziest thing that's going on right now is that good is bad and bad is good. We definitely have things switched around . A lot of people are worried about all this going on.Paul had something to say about this when he wrote a letter to the Philippine church: Philippians 4:6-7 (New Living Translation) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Praying is a good thing. But until we learn to trust God, our prayers will be weak. I also believe having support from other brothers and sisters also takes away the worrying by encouragement. God has had even had me produce funny videos, just so people can laugh. Laughter also decreases worrying. We need to trust God that hes got everything under control. There is so many verses in he Bible that talk about heart aches. David talked about them and had to turn everything back to God. Sin can cause us to worry. Paul wrote about this to the Romans: Romans 8:1-2 (New Living Translation) So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. Jesus Christ is the answer to the worry of sin. He will forgive anything we may have done but do not abuse this gift. If you have no desire to change you better start worrying. 04/04/2023 Easter is on April 7, 2023. Paul summed up Easter in one sentence. Ephesians 1:7 (New Living Translation) He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. This arrangement made by God and his son at the beginning of creation changed everything for you and me. It made it possible for us to enter the Kingdom of God. No one could go into heaven until Jesus conquered death. Everyone should appreciate what Jesus did when he sacrificed himself for us. Before him, a lot of blood had to be shed to purify us. It never reached the purity of what his shed blood accomplished. Jesus really had to love us a lot to put himself through the intense beating and finally crucifixion. The least we should do is honor him by serving him and standing for the things he holds dear. Next is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Loving our neighbor still is not as difficult as the sacrifice he made for us. Jesus even sent the Holy Spirit to help us to love even the worst neighbor. Let's give Glory to Jesus Christ this Easter. 03/23/2023 I am beginning to believe that the only place you can find truth is in God's word. I get up each day and all that I see is the lying mainstream media and government. I know that I am right because God is exposing them like never before. They have been lying to us for a long time. I am not even sure if the people we see in the news are even real. So many people have look alikes or they wear masks created by Hollywood to look like someone else. At least God doesn't fake a thing. He is always real and never deviates from truth for no one: John 17:17 NLT 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. I like how God's number 17 is used twice for truth. But this is what happens next if we do not get to hear the truth. There are only 2 options in life. We serve either God or the devil. You cannot serve two masters. John 8:44 It’s because you can’t even hear me! 44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. 45 So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! We need to fill our minds with godly truths or we will be like those that Jesus was talking about above. 03/21/2023 I know God is looking for the thankful heart but what happens when we complain. DEUTERONOMY has something to say about our complaining: Deuteronomy 1:34-37 NLT 34 “When the Lord heard your complaining, he became very angry. So he solemnly swore, 35 ‘Not one of you from this wicked generation will live to see the good land I swore to give your ancestors, 36 except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see this land because he has followed the Lord completely. I will give to him and his descendants some of the very land he explored during his scouting mission.’ 37 “And the Lord was also angry with me because of you. He said to me, ‘Moses, not even you will enter the Promised Land! Complaining can take us far away from the things that God wants to do for us. In fact, God can give what he planned for us to someone else. Even if we stop complaining we still need to listen to what God says or we may see the same results like Moses faced. 03/15/2023 Have you ever thought about what it takes to love like Jesus. Peter did in one of his letters. He created a list and I feel like it must be in this order: 1. Moral excellence 2. Knowledge 3. Self-control 4. Patient Endurance 5. Godliness 6. Brotherly Affection 7. LOVE Of course, there are seven steps. We know of the number 7 in God's Kingdom. 2 Peter 1:5-8 (New Living Translation) 5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. The amplified version adds a lot more detail to this verse: 2 Peter 1:5-8 (Amplified Bible) For this very reason, applying your diligence [to the divine promises, make every effort] in [exercising] your faith to, develop moral excellence, and in moral excellence, knowledge (insight, understanding), and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, steadfastness, and in your steadfastness, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly affection, and in your brotherly affection, [develop Christian] love [that is, learn to unselfishly seek the best for others and to do things for their benefit]. For as these qualities are yours and are increasing [in you as you grow toward spiritual maturity], they will keep you from being useless and unproductive in regard to the true knowledge and greater understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ. You cannot get up one day and love. It is a process and the work required to make Christ like love with greatly please our King once we implement it. Here are some more encouraging verses that show what love can do: Colossians 3:12 (New Living Translation) Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Philippians 2:1-5 New Living Translation Have the Attitude of Christ 2 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Our attitude has a great impact on what we can accomplish for our King like the last verse says: 03/03/2023 Isn't it interesting how God has to explain himself. Yes, because we do not get it. Our problem is because we think the way humans think. God is not bound by human thought. He had to explain this to Isaiah: Isaiah 55:8-9 (The Message) “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, Doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them. Even though we think that God may be wasting time, he is a very constructive and organized God. Many times, he waits on us to ask him to make things happen. We are living at a time where the church was enjoying the surplus of God's blessing and ignoring the takeover by evil. Evil was benefiting from are "so what" attitude. I was told many times to stay silent because you will just start an argument. Evil loves to start an argument and that is why it has been winning. Finally, the church has been praying against evil and is beginning to stand up for what is right. I firmly believe that what God is doing today would have been going on decades ago if we asked him and lived his will. Everything he does has a purpose. Jeremiah 29:11 says: Jeremiah 29:11 New Living Translation 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. If you do enough research, you will see that our God has been doing things behind the scenes his way for his children. Wait a little longer and it will be epic like no man has seen before. Look at the moving of God in our universities. The hardest part in all of this is just being patient and obedient to his calling. If you are like me, I would love to see it all happen now. Just watch and see how big our God is going to win.
