One of the more challenging parts of being a Christian is having, and keeping a righteous relationship. For me, I can say that’s the hardest part. I’m a firm believer in practicing what you preach, so a large part of me really didn’t feel I should even write this message to you, mainly because I don’t always follow what is right. How selfish of me though. Why would I feel I was in sin if I didn’t know what was right? I believe I do though, and as with all my previous devotionals, I refuse to let my feelings and sins get in the way of your path to righteousness. You have a right to know, and know you will…
Relationships for Christians are very different from the everyday couplings of the world. Things like abstinence come into play mainly. I’m really no expert when it comes to Christian relationships, but I speak from experience when I say they are no easy task, especially when both sides aren’t Christian. We as individuals are shown love and intimacy in movies and books and all throughout entertainment, and like everything else the world has to offer, we are drawn to that and in turn want it for ourselves. The world claims many weak minded people because of this. I’ve talked with many of my close friends about this, and they’ve felt that because they’re so deep in these types of sin and can’t find their way to the light, they feel God may never accept them. I can understand how they feel, I’ve messed up plenty of times and never once felt God turned his back on me, or ever would.
Amidst all this though, I’ve chosen to hold off on working on a relationship until after I graduate because of the degree of seriousness involved in keeping a healthy and righteous relationship. With that said, I can’t really speak on relationships from a more direct standpoint, but those I have had prior to this decision weren’t close to the example I’d like to be able to set one day. The righteous pick themselves up and learn from their mistakes though, as I am doing now.
The easiest ways to fight temptation are to catch it early and avoid it. Once you’ve fallen victim to it, it takes a very strong-minded spirit and supernatural help to unbind those unholy desires – those being words of wisdom I can actually stand behind.
To my young readers, this final message is very important. Do not give in to what the world tells you or leads you to believe. Please! I was told time and time again, and refused to listen. I found out for myself that saving yourself for marriage is so worth the wait. Truly, if you listen to nothing I say listen when I tell you this: You are not missing out on anything, and it will be nothing you expect if you don’t wait till the right time. For those who feel you’ve already messed up, it’s never too late to save yourself again! Don’t feel like it’s over for you. We serve a very forgiving God. As long as you’re willing to pick up the pieces and press forward, success isn’t far off for us!
- C.j.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
how do you know for sure?
How do you know what decision to make? How do you choose what's right? How do you know what decision to make when it seems like any decision is a good decision? Have you ever been there? I have. Is there a difference between making a good decision and the right one? Do you even care? Does it even matter because whatever happens just happens?
I don't know if you have been in a place of confusion like the questions show up above. I have and it can be pretty frustrating. I want to talk to you about making choices. How do you make the right choices when no one around you is making them and you don't have an example or someone to tell you what to do? How do you know what to do when your dad or mom is not around to show you how?
I have been in a place where I felt like I had to make every decision by myself. I felt like there was no one there to tell me what to do and how to do it. So I always wondered...why do things have to be hard? I became (and still even now to a certain degree) dependent on the fact that things are just supposed to be hard. Life is hard. Making decisions is hard. Choosing what to do between different things is hard. Why does it have to be like that?!! Where was my dad when I needed him the most. When I needed the most guidance because the biggest decisions of my life were just ahead of me.
I am here to give you an answer that made me free and helped me beyond my wildest dreams. Do I believe we need dads to show us the way? Yes. I believe it was meant to be like that. But most of us don't have that chance. And it gives way for us to have an even better replacement for that void in our life.
If you read in the bible, David had to make an important decision in his life. His own people were ready to kill him and everything was just going wrong. It got so bad that the bible says David had to "encourage HIMSELF in the Lord". There was no one around to pump him up or to hype him up. But what's more important is what happened next. The bible says..."David asked the Lord, saying, Should I pursue the army? should I overtake them?" Do you know what happened after he asked Jesus? Jesus responded and said..."PURSUE!!! Because you will surely overtake them, and without fail recover all" Dang! What an answer.
What was the key? David didn't turn to his friends or family or co soldiers or what we do the most, he didn't turn to himself. He turned to the Lord Jesus and got His answer. That's what we need to do when faced with big decisions. I am not saying that you will always hear the Lord on every little matter. There are some things He knows you can answer. But when it comes down to a crisis and a major decision in your life who do you turn to? I think that's clear and I hope that you will turn to Him next time you come across a life crisis.
Mick
I don't know if you have been in a place of confusion like the questions show up above. I have and it can be pretty frustrating. I want to talk to you about making choices. How do you make the right choices when no one around you is making them and you don't have an example or someone to tell you what to do? How do you know what to do when your dad or mom is not around to show you how?
I have been in a place where I felt like I had to make every decision by myself. I felt like there was no one there to tell me what to do and how to do it. So I always wondered...why do things have to be hard? I became (and still even now to a certain degree) dependent on the fact that things are just supposed to be hard. Life is hard. Making decisions is hard. Choosing what to do between different things is hard. Why does it have to be like that?!! Where was my dad when I needed him the most. When I needed the most guidance because the biggest decisions of my life were just ahead of me.
I am here to give you an answer that made me free and helped me beyond my wildest dreams. Do I believe we need dads to show us the way? Yes. I believe it was meant to be like that. But most of us don't have that chance. And it gives way for us to have an even better replacement for that void in our life.
If you read in the bible, David had to make an important decision in his life. His own people were ready to kill him and everything was just going wrong. It got so bad that the bible says David had to "encourage HIMSELF in the Lord". There was no one around to pump him up or to hype him up. But what's more important is what happened next. The bible says..."David asked the Lord, saying, Should I pursue the army? should I overtake them?" Do you know what happened after he asked Jesus? Jesus responded and said..."PURSUE!!! Because you will surely overtake them, and without fail recover all" Dang! What an answer.
What was the key? David didn't turn to his friends or family or co soldiers or what we do the most, he didn't turn to himself. He turned to the Lord Jesus and got His answer. That's what we need to do when faced with big decisions. I am not saying that you will always hear the Lord on every little matter. There are some things He knows you can answer. But when it comes down to a crisis and a major decision in your life who do you turn to? I think that's clear and I hope that you will turn to Him next time you come across a life crisis.
Mick
get to know Him
How do you develop a relationship with God?
It's a simple answer for which many people do not know the answer.
How do you develop relationships with your friends and those you love?
-spend time with them
-listen to them and talk to them about yourself (get to know each other)
How do you develop a relationship with God?
-spend time with him
-listen to Him talk and talk to Him about yourself
You spend time with God by spending time worshiping, praying, reading the Bible.
How do you listen to Him talk? You can do this by reading His Word. You can listen to Him by listening to preachings. You can listen to a song that encourages you in whatever you are going through. Prayer is simply having a conversation with God. Talk to Him, sincerely from the heart. Then in turn listen to Him speak. There have been so many times in my life that I have been praying about something and when I opened my Bible to read what I read was related to what I was praying about. That's God speaking!
You develop a relationship with the Lord when you read your Bible (you're listening to Him speak), when you pray (you are speaking with Him).
And the awesome thing is that you can pray anywhere! While your riding to school you can have a conversation with God without ever saying a word out loud and that is enough! You can be all alone with God in the midst of a crowded room.
Get to know God. Read the Bible and see what He's about and what He's saying to you. He is speaking all the time, all we have to do is take time to listen.
Psalm 85:8 (New King James Version)
8 I will hear what God the LORD will speak,
For He will speak peace
To His people and to His saints;
It's a simple answer for which many people do not know the answer.
How do you develop relationships with your friends and those you love?
-spend time with them
-listen to them and talk to them about yourself (get to know each other)
How do you develop a relationship with God?
-spend time with him
-listen to Him talk and talk to Him about yourself
You spend time with God by spending time worshiping, praying, reading the Bible.
How do you listen to Him talk? You can do this by reading His Word. You can listen to Him by listening to preachings. You can listen to a song that encourages you in whatever you are going through. Prayer is simply having a conversation with God. Talk to Him, sincerely from the heart. Then in turn listen to Him speak. There have been so many times in my life that I have been praying about something and when I opened my Bible to read what I read was related to what I was praying about. That's God speaking!
You develop a relationship with the Lord when you read your Bible (you're listening to Him speak), when you pray (you are speaking with Him).
And the awesome thing is that you can pray anywhere! While your riding to school you can have a conversation with God without ever saying a word out loud and that is enough! You can be all alone with God in the midst of a crowded room.
Get to know God. Read the Bible and see what He's about and what He's saying to you. He is speaking all the time, all we have to do is take time to listen.
Psalm 85:8 (New King James Version)
8 I will hear what God the LORD will speak,
For He will speak peace
To His people and to His saints;
how to know a fake
I know some of you have a lot of friends and people that you are close to. Some of us don't have as much because we choose not to. Either case is not better than the other but at one point or another we had to take the time to develop a relationship with someone. And I am talking about someone you don't know. Do you remember how you did that? What did it take to get to a point where you had a best friend? Or someone who you are real close to? Someone who knows you and you can trust. But how do you know who you can trust? Or how do you know who's real or not?
You had to take the time to hang out with them in different situations and different places. It took time. And sometimes through time you found out that people weren't for you, or they were fake, or they were just using you. But then by hanging out with people you found out that there were people who had your back and that you could trust. You would have never known you could trust them if you didn't take the time to hang out with them in different situations and in different ways.
Did you know that's the same way you develop a relationship with Jesus? Jesus is a real person who you can take the time to build a friendship with. If you take the time to hang out with Him He will prove to you who He is and how much you can trust Him. Will it be easy? NO!!! It is hard. You have never done it before. He will let you go through some really hard stuff but He has also given you what you need to go through the hard stuff. But do you know one of the great benefits about hanging out with Jesus and getting to know Him?...The bible says "He will never leave you or forsake you" What a friend, right? Who can make that promise but Jesus Himself. He's got some swagger but He can back it up. Trust me, I know. He has proven Himself to me and there is no one who is with me at all times like He is.
Stay tuned for our up coming devotionals because they will show you how to hang out with and how to get to know Jesus. Thanks and talk to you later.
Mick
You had to take the time to hang out with them in different situations and different places. It took time. And sometimes through time you found out that people weren't for you, or they were fake, or they were just using you. But then by hanging out with people you found out that there were people who had your back and that you could trust. You would have never known you could trust them if you didn't take the time to hang out with them in different situations and in different ways.
Did you know that's the same way you develop a relationship with Jesus? Jesus is a real person who you can take the time to build a friendship with. If you take the time to hang out with Him He will prove to you who He is and how much you can trust Him. Will it be easy? NO!!! It is hard. You have never done it before. He will let you go through some really hard stuff but He has also given you what you need to go through the hard stuff. But do you know one of the great benefits about hanging out with Jesus and getting to know Him?...The bible says "He will never leave you or forsake you" What a friend, right? Who can make that promise but Jesus Himself. He's got some swagger but He can back it up. Trust me, I know. He has proven Himself to me and there is no one who is with me at all times like He is.
Stay tuned for our up coming devotionals because they will show you how to hang out with and how to get to know Jesus. Thanks and talk to you later.
Mick
because of what he's done
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
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
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.
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