John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend[a] it.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own,[c] and His own[d] did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
I love the above verses. It sounds like a wonderful fairytale. But it’s not. It's real.
The Word was Jesus. Jesus was with God. But Jesus is also God. (Think about a King and a Prince and the King has given equal power to the Prince). God created people to live in harmony with Him. Then tragically people began doing their own thing and walked away from God. God gave His word that he would sent a Savior. He sent Jesus. Jesus was the word. Jesus became human and lived on earth. He was sent to save the people. But the people rejected him (the very ones he had helped his father create) and the people killed Jesus. Jesus was the light that shined in the darkness and humans were the darkness that did not understand.
Because of the sacrifice that Jesus made (He was God so he knew what was going to happen) we can now have a personal relationship with God. You can whisper in your room and He will hear you. You can think something and he will hear you. You can be alone and no one else is watching, but God is seeing you. God wants to talk to you, to love you and have you love him back. He wants to show you His power and what He can do. He wants to help you, teach you. He wants to show you what your ultimate purpose is. But He won’t do if you don’t want it.
Why did I give my life to Jesus? He is awesome! When I have hurt, emotionally or physically, he has healed me. When I have felt all alone He has been my best friend. When I have felt confused he has showed me what’s right. When I have felt like I have no purpose He has given me reason to live! Not just once, but over and over. There is power in a relationship with God who created the world and created you!
Arlene
Saturday, April 18, 2009
why?!?!
Why do Christians believe in someone they can't see? Who do they believe in and why do they believe? I can't speak for some people out there but the reason I believe in Jesus Christ, that He died and rose again to forgive me of my sins, is because I had a real encounter with Him. I really met Him. I don't believe in Him because it is a good thing to do or it's the right thing to do. I believe in Him because He showed up in my bedroom a little over 6 years ago and I have not stopped living for Him since then.
Jesus Christ is not fiction to me. He's real. And I know because He showed Himself to me. You shouldn't give your life to Him because it's the moral thing to do (that's boring) but give your life to Him because He is real and He really died for you and has allowed for you to live forever with Him. You can't tell me He is not real just like I can't tell you the clothes on your back are not real. Christianity is not an invitation to good and boring living, it's an invitation to what is real in life. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ in your heart and you have been reading these devotionals ask Jesus to make Himself real to you and mean it with your heart.
Mick
Jesus Christ is not fiction to me. He's real. And I know because He showed Himself to me. You shouldn't give your life to Him because it's the moral thing to do (that's boring) but give your life to Him because He is real and He really died for you and has allowed for you to live forever with Him. You can't tell me He is not real just like I can't tell you the clothes on your back are not real. Christianity is not an invitation to good and boring living, it's an invitation to what is real in life. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ in your heart and you have been reading these devotionals ask Jesus to make Himself real to you and mean it with your heart.
Mick
Friday, February 20, 2009
Keep your friends close, and Christians closer!
Devotional after devotional I’ve said that being a Christian, is not something for the weak minded. Simply put, it’s not easy! However – choosing to be a Christian is what sets you apart from the rest of the world. It’s what I truly believe makes a good person. If you don’t choose to believe in God, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not a good person, or it’s impossible for you to be one, but Christians are truly more likely to live blessed and better lives because of the choices and decisions set before them.
In contrast, being a Christian has its easy side as well! For example, developing a relationship with the Lord is easy as… being a Christian! Now raise your hand if you’re confused. If you raised your hand… take a moment to look at your hand and realize how you might look right now. You thought it, not me! All jokes aside, the concept is pretty simple. The easiest way to develop a relationship with Christ is being a Christian. Again, being a Christian calls you to make the right decisions. This includes putting yourself in situations that will keep you free from sin, hanging around people who support your religious belief and wouldn’t put you in situations that would make you do things that aren’t of God, and continually informing yourself on what is right and wrong.
Fresh out of my teen years and rapidly approaching adulthood, I can look back on my youth, over all my experiences and say I’ve learned a lot along my Christian walk, and as I continue to grow I look towards the future and see I still have much to learn. Just looking back now and thinking about my friends and the people I use to hang with, I think to myself if I died tomorrow, never saw them again, or even if they were asked if I was a Christian now, only a handful of them would be able to say I believed in God. In the same token though, I believe a lot of them could say I was a good person or a good friend. I can admit to my spiritual weakness back then, and can say I gave in to their requests and did many ungodly things. After I renewed myself within Christ however, I did turn around for the better. I then made the decisions a strong Christian makes, and was able to tell my friends “no” when asked to go out to the club, or when I thought I’d be put into a situation that wasn’t good for my relationship with God. You as a Christian have to be strong-minded enough to make these decisions on your own. Your friends might not understand. This is one way to put people who support your belief around you. If you find they don’t want to be your friend anymore because you’re choosing to do what you believe in – then ask yourself how much of a friend are they? True friends stand out among the rest.
Putting yourself in safe situations also takes discipline. Your friends aren’t to blame for this either. You as a Christian – knowing what is right – have to know the consequences that will come from your future actions. So spend a lot of time thinking before you act. That’s something I live by. The best way to stay free from sin is to stay clear from it. Your words are just as important as your actions as, so watch what you say! A lot of my friends have disagreed with me about cursing being a sin. Many don’t realize that sin is “knowing” or “realizing” something is wrong, and “doing it anyway”.
This leads me into my next discussion. How do you know what is right? Or how do you find out rather? I personally, look to the word for an understanding of what’s right by God. Depending on man alone is irresponsible and can at times be misleading. No one is more responsible for your salvation than you. Going to church – by far – is not a bad idea to look for guidance. If anything, church is the one environment you should most definitely be affiliated and involved with. This allows for an opportunity to surround yourself with the right type of people. But the Word you may hear there gives purpose and hunger to find them and confirm for yourself within the Bible.
There is surely more to being a Christian and strengthening your relationship with Christ. Doing the right thing is the easiest way and a great start to working towards this. The hard part is disciplining yourself into doing these things, especially when it’s not what you really want to do. And with all that said, this is the end to this month’s devotional… Finally, right?
Be blessed and stay blessed, family!
- C.j.
In contrast, being a Christian has its easy side as well! For example, developing a relationship with the Lord is easy as… being a Christian! Now raise your hand if you’re confused. If you raised your hand… take a moment to look at your hand and realize how you might look right now. You thought it, not me! All jokes aside, the concept is pretty simple. The easiest way to develop a relationship with Christ is being a Christian. Again, being a Christian calls you to make the right decisions. This includes putting yourself in situations that will keep you free from sin, hanging around people who support your religious belief and wouldn’t put you in situations that would make you do things that aren’t of God, and continually informing yourself on what is right and wrong.
Fresh out of my teen years and rapidly approaching adulthood, I can look back on my youth, over all my experiences and say I’ve learned a lot along my Christian walk, and as I continue to grow I look towards the future and see I still have much to learn. Just looking back now and thinking about my friends and the people I use to hang with, I think to myself if I died tomorrow, never saw them again, or even if they were asked if I was a Christian now, only a handful of them would be able to say I believed in God. In the same token though, I believe a lot of them could say I was a good person or a good friend. I can admit to my spiritual weakness back then, and can say I gave in to their requests and did many ungodly things. After I renewed myself within Christ however, I did turn around for the better. I then made the decisions a strong Christian makes, and was able to tell my friends “no” when asked to go out to the club, or when I thought I’d be put into a situation that wasn’t good for my relationship with God. You as a Christian have to be strong-minded enough to make these decisions on your own. Your friends might not understand. This is one way to put people who support your belief around you. If you find they don’t want to be your friend anymore because you’re choosing to do what you believe in – then ask yourself how much of a friend are they? True friends stand out among the rest.
Putting yourself in safe situations also takes discipline. Your friends aren’t to blame for this either. You as a Christian – knowing what is right – have to know the consequences that will come from your future actions. So spend a lot of time thinking before you act. That’s something I live by. The best way to stay free from sin is to stay clear from it. Your words are just as important as your actions as, so watch what you say! A lot of my friends have disagreed with me about cursing being a sin. Many don’t realize that sin is “knowing” or “realizing” something is wrong, and “doing it anyway”.
This leads me into my next discussion. How do you know what is right? Or how do you find out rather? I personally, look to the word for an understanding of what’s right by God. Depending on man alone is irresponsible and can at times be misleading. No one is more responsible for your salvation than you. Going to church – by far – is not a bad idea to look for guidance. If anything, church is the one environment you should most definitely be affiliated and involved with. This allows for an opportunity to surround yourself with the right type of people. But the Word you may hear there gives purpose and hunger to find them and confirm for yourself within the Bible.
There is surely more to being a Christian and strengthening your relationship with Christ. Doing the right thing is the easiest way and a great start to working towards this. The hard part is disciplining yourself into doing these things, especially when it’s not what you really want to do. And with all that said, this is the end to this month’s devotional… Finally, right?
Be blessed and stay blessed, family!
- C.j.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
why choose God?
I can’t speak for many others because I don’t know their story, but I was fortunate enough to have been raised in a Christian household. It was easy then for me to accept Christ into my life because I knew Him. Then as I grew older, old enough to understand things for myself, the challenge of choosing to continue to live for Him confronted me.
It was a short time before I had my own car and my parents separated, leaving the church. I couldn’t make it a lot of times because I had no ride. I promised God and myself that I would start going back to church as soon as I got a car and I did just that. But, why?
Back then, at that age I was deeply rooted in my youth ministry, where Jesus was made more and more real to me. The feeling that came with living right and having Jesus in my heart gave me peace, and became something I never wanted to leave from me. It’s the reason I continue the struggle to live right and later led to me being born again after a long while of backsliding. I use to blame my church because our youth group stopped meeting, and I lost interest. But I had no one to blame but myself. The Word wasn’t spoon-fed to me, so I didn’t want it. It felt so weird trying to do my own thing afterwards. I really couldn’t see how people lived without God. God will never leave you, or abandon you (Heb 13:5). And that part of the scripture holds true today. Throughout my whole rebellion stage, he was right there when I was making bad decisions, allowing me to see my sin. After feeling there was no running from him, I gave in realizing, “If God refuses to leave me, why leave him?” And I’ve continued to remain faithful with that in mind.
God is something special. He’s everything special actually! If you feel like you’re going through life with no purpose, seek God. Seriously! He’s not going to make himself real to you unless you’re serious about finding him. Close your eyes and open your heart and ask him to make himself real to you. Then really believe and expect him to.
It’s nice to get to a point with God where you have somewhere to turn, someone to lean on, and someone to put your trust in. The best part of living for God is the feeling you have when you know you’re doing the right thing, and the will to do what is right when you’re not. God gives my life purpose, and He is the reason I live. To those who haven’t found Him yet, ask yourself what your reason for living is. And if you can’t seem to find an answer… ask God!
And to those who think that God can’t see through all your sin, try Him! Christians are far from perfect. I can tell you that first hand! But it’s our yearning for perfection that sets us apart.
Bless and Stay Blessed!
- C.J.
It was a short time before I had my own car and my parents separated, leaving the church. I couldn’t make it a lot of times because I had no ride. I promised God and myself that I would start going back to church as soon as I got a car and I did just that. But, why?
Back then, at that age I was deeply rooted in my youth ministry, where Jesus was made more and more real to me. The feeling that came with living right and having Jesus in my heart gave me peace, and became something I never wanted to leave from me. It’s the reason I continue the struggle to live right and later led to me being born again after a long while of backsliding. I use to blame my church because our youth group stopped meeting, and I lost interest. But I had no one to blame but myself. The Word wasn’t spoon-fed to me, so I didn’t want it. It felt so weird trying to do my own thing afterwards. I really couldn’t see how people lived without God. God will never leave you, or abandon you (Heb 13:5). And that part of the scripture holds true today. Throughout my whole rebellion stage, he was right there when I was making bad decisions, allowing me to see my sin. After feeling there was no running from him, I gave in realizing, “If God refuses to leave me, why leave him?” And I’ve continued to remain faithful with that in mind.
God is something special. He’s everything special actually! If you feel like you’re going through life with no purpose, seek God. Seriously! He’s not going to make himself real to you unless you’re serious about finding him. Close your eyes and open your heart and ask him to make himself real to you. Then really believe and expect him to.
It’s nice to get to a point with God where you have somewhere to turn, someone to lean on, and someone to put your trust in. The best part of living for God is the feeling you have when you know you’re doing the right thing, and the will to do what is right when you’re not. God gives my life purpose, and He is the reason I live. To those who haven’t found Him yet, ask yourself what your reason for living is. And if you can’t seem to find an answer… ask God!
And to those who think that God can’t see through all your sin, try Him! Christians are far from perfect. I can tell you that first hand! But it’s our yearning for perfection that sets us apart.
Bless and Stay Blessed!
- C.J.
Monday, January 5, 2009
baby born to die
Matthew 1
18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins."
22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him "Immanuel" which means, "God with us"
Luke 2
10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
These are some of the most common words and ideas about Christmas: Presents, Tree, Decorations, Wreath, Family, toys, Snow, Christmas lights…. We could go on and on. I think Christmas is the most beautiful holiday that we have. I love all the lights, the trees, the snow (well, not here but it’s snowing somewhere!). But the biggest thing is that Jesus came to us! He came to live among us in order to die for our sins. It was the most beautiful sacrifice in history! Better than any other love story that has ever existed.
We were lost and God came to be with us and show us the way.
During the next couple of days look around and thank God for all the wonderful things he has blessed you with: people that love you, gifts that you’ve wanted, a little relaxing time off from school, whatever he’s blessed you with, thank God.
But pause, read some of the scriptures concerning Jesus’ birth and thank God that He love you enough to come down and meet you where you are at.
Have a wonderful New Year in 2009!
Arlene
18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins."
22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him "Immanuel" which means, "God with us"
Luke 2
10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
These are some of the most common words and ideas about Christmas: Presents, Tree, Decorations, Wreath, Family, toys, Snow, Christmas lights…. We could go on and on. I think Christmas is the most beautiful holiday that we have. I love all the lights, the trees, the snow (well, not here but it’s snowing somewhere!). But the biggest thing is that Jesus came to us! He came to live among us in order to die for our sins. It was the most beautiful sacrifice in history! Better than any other love story that has ever existed.
We were lost and God came to be with us and show us the way.
During the next couple of days look around and thank God for all the wonderful things he has blessed you with: people that love you, gifts that you’ve wanted, a little relaxing time off from school, whatever he’s blessed you with, thank God.
But pause, read some of the scriptures concerning Jesus’ birth and thank God that He love you enough to come down and meet you where you are at.
Have a wonderful New Year in 2009!
Arlene
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas
Tis’ the season to give thanks, again! A time for celebration, and a time to bless and be blessed. Sounds like the past couple months all summed up, huh. What this isn’t though… this is not a time to leave cookies for Santa, or sit on his lap at the mall, or stress over this being the worst Christmas ever. Yes I said it! As long as you realize Jesus Christ who died for your sins was born this season, you can have the best Christmas you’ve been able to live through.
I’ll be honest for a bit (not that I haven’t ever been… in my devotionals that is...), but I just looked up Christmas in the dictionary to see if the “mas” meant anything, like “birth” or something and I didn’t find that. What I did find was that one definition defined it as a Christian celebration turned American holiday. Now, that made me a little mad (if you couldn’t tell already)! But then I thought to myself, “at least it referred to Christianity.” Just the whole separation from church and state thing with going from Christian to American thing got me a bit heated. Some government we have!
Getting back to Christ though, the story of His birth is as familiar as any of the other great tales, and is equally memorable and equally significant as his death. Oh big whoop, a baby was born! No! Back in the book of Genesis, the world was given no chances. You sinned, you died, or drowned in a freakin flood! No questions asked! But over 2000 years ago, around this time God gave us a chance and with that chance another, and another, and another. And what do we give? Don’t know about you, but I gave my life, my heart, my soul, and am now working up my talents for the advancement of his kingdom, and still wouldn’t be able to match his grace if there were two of me!
It was suggested that I speak from the heart when writing for you guys, and I welcome any feedback from those who take the time out to read what I have to… write, and so from my heart, I just wanted to express this message. I’m slowly beginning to realize we go through hard times to buff us toward the greatness God has planned for us - much like pressure on coal creates diamonds. It’s something I live by and wear on my favorite hat. But I thank God for having me go through hard times this Christmas. It’s a learning and growing process I’m very thankful for.
So in closing, please remember the real reason for this season, give thanks, bless and blessed if you can, but furthermore, while it is my main man Jesus’ birthday, remember your father blessed you with the ultimate opportunity on that faithful day. If you don’t get what you want, know that God truly knows the desires of your heart and there may be a reason for it! If you don’t get anything, know you’ve received everything (that endless opportunity) from your heavenly father! And if you get everything you wanted… you lucky little… Christian! And to the next person who says “Happy Holidays!” to you, don’t hesitate to politely correct them by replying with “Mary(I know how it’s spelled!) Christmas and a blessed New Year to you too!” …Happy New Year works too, though!
Merry Christmas guys!
C.j.
I’ll be honest for a bit (not that I haven’t ever been… in my devotionals that is...), but I just looked up Christmas in the dictionary to see if the “mas” meant anything, like “birth” or something and I didn’t find that. What I did find was that one definition defined it as a Christian celebration turned American holiday. Now, that made me a little mad (if you couldn’t tell already)! But then I thought to myself, “at least it referred to Christianity.” Just the whole separation from church and state thing with going from Christian to American thing got me a bit heated. Some government we have!
Getting back to Christ though, the story of His birth is as familiar as any of the other great tales, and is equally memorable and equally significant as his death. Oh big whoop, a baby was born! No! Back in the book of Genesis, the world was given no chances. You sinned, you died, or drowned in a freakin flood! No questions asked! But over 2000 years ago, around this time God gave us a chance and with that chance another, and another, and another. And what do we give? Don’t know about you, but I gave my life, my heart, my soul, and am now working up my talents for the advancement of his kingdom, and still wouldn’t be able to match his grace if there were two of me!
It was suggested that I speak from the heart when writing for you guys, and I welcome any feedback from those who take the time out to read what I have to… write, and so from my heart, I just wanted to express this message. I’m slowly beginning to realize we go through hard times to buff us toward the greatness God has planned for us - much like pressure on coal creates diamonds. It’s something I live by and wear on my favorite hat. But I thank God for having me go through hard times this Christmas. It’s a learning and growing process I’m very thankful for.
So in closing, please remember the real reason for this season, give thanks, bless and blessed if you can, but furthermore, while it is my main man Jesus’ birthday, remember your father blessed you with the ultimate opportunity on that faithful day. If you don’t get what you want, know that God truly knows the desires of your heart and there may be a reason for it! If you don’t get anything, know you’ve received everything (that endless opportunity) from your heavenly father! And if you get everything you wanted… you lucky little… Christian! And to the next person who says “Happy Holidays!” to you, don’t hesitate to politely correct them by replying with “Mary(I know how it’s spelled!) Christmas and a blessed New Year to you too!” …Happy New Year works too, though!
Merry Christmas guys!
C.j.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
what's the real reason?
I want to touch on the real reason for this season. We need to be reminded of it because it is very easy to forget. The black fridays, getting gifts for family and friends, all the advertisements and commercials of the next best gift to buy for someone. It can get distracting and for some people it gets overwhelming. I am not saying that all this is wrong. It's fun to get gifts and to give them (Remember...Jesus said, "it is better to give than to receive"). But we can get so caught up in all this stuff that we lose the real meaning of why we celebrate Christmas.
Do you want to know the real reason for the celebration of Christmas? Good. The reason we celebrate Christmas is to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. A little over 2000 years ago Jesus was born of a virgin named Mary. That's right she was a virgin. How could she give birth to a child if she was a virgin? I am glad you asked. God supernaturally planted His seed inside of Mary so that she could give birth to the Savior of the world. It's what we call 'the immaculate conception'. It wasn't natural but supernatural. Jesus is a supernatural person who came to become like us so that he could understand what we go through and then take our place on the cross to die for our sins so that we could be forgiven. His birth forever changed the course of this world. And that's why we celebrate Christmas.
In all the hustle of getting and receiving gifts and all the commercialness (don't know if that's a real word but I hope you get what I am saying) of the season please don't forget that our Savior Jesus Christ was born so that you could have the life you were meant to have. Don't forget the "Christ" in Chirstmas and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Have a Merry Christmas!!! And if you have not given your life to this Jesus that we talk about please don't hesitate to contact us and we can help.
Mick
Do you want to know the real reason for the celebration of Christmas? Good. The reason we celebrate Christmas is to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. A little over 2000 years ago Jesus was born of a virgin named Mary. That's right she was a virgin. How could she give birth to a child if she was a virgin? I am glad you asked. God supernaturally planted His seed inside of Mary so that she could give birth to the Savior of the world. It's what we call 'the immaculate conception'. It wasn't natural but supernatural. Jesus is a supernatural person who came to become like us so that he could understand what we go through and then take our place on the cross to die for our sins so that we could be forgiven. His birth forever changed the course of this world. And that's why we celebrate Christmas.
In all the hustle of getting and receiving gifts and all the commercialness (don't know if that's a real word but I hope you get what I am saying) of the season please don't forget that our Savior Jesus Christ was born so that you could have the life you were meant to have. Don't forget the "Christ" in Chirstmas and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Have a Merry Christmas!!! And if you have not given your life to this Jesus that we talk about please don't hesitate to contact us and we can help.
Mick
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