Scripture Thursday — 1 Peter 4:12-13

11 03 2010

Hello readers! Today is Scripture Thursday and we will be looking at a great verse today!

1 Peter 4:12-13 (NIV)

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”

Let’s look at different translations:

(ASV) “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you:13 but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy.”

(The Message) “Friends, when life gets really difficult, don’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job.13 Instead, be glad that you are in the very thick of what Christ experienced. This is a spiritual refining process, with glory just around the corner.”

(KJV) “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.“

——

So what does this mean?

Right now I am going through some trials of my own. This verse really spoke to me, because when I go through these trials, I always think, ” Woe is me..” In retrospect, I really should be thankful that my trials aren’t as bad as Christ’s were. Christ suffered a whole lot more than anyone person has or ever will. I also have to think and know that God will pull me out of this.

What does this verse mean to you?

Until next time readers, God Bless!

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Categories : 1 Peter, Scripture, Scripture Thursday, Trust

Tech. Tuesday — The Bible and the Iphone

9 03 2010

Good afternoon readers! Sorry about the late post, but it is Tech. Tuesday! Today we are going to look at the Bible and the Iphone. Ever since the Iphone came out, it has been considered the best  “smartphone” technology, and continues to be the best according to consumers. Several thousand applications have been developed to be used on the phone and itouch devices.

One of the most important applications I have on my phone is the Bible. Several different applications have been made for the Bible, but I use the application created by the folks over at YouVersion.com.

It gives you the capability to view many translations, see what others think about a verse, read a Bible plan, etc.; all from your phone screen. How cool is that?

So readers, do you think that the Bible applications are a necessity for a “smartphone” user? If you do, what application do you have? If not, why not?

Until next time readers, God Bless!

* I and this blog do not get paid to share this with you.

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Categories : Scripture, Tech. Tuesday, Technology

Are You… Lost??

2 02 2010

Hello readers! The popular tv show Lost starts its final season tonight. I haven’t seen any episodes, but from what I have heard, it is a good show. The focus of this post is not about what is going on on tv tonight, but what is going on in the world around us and even what is going on in our own backyard.

There are so many people in this world that are considered to be “lost” or ” un-saved”. I can’t even fathom how big of a number it is. This is either by a decision to not follow Christ, or just simply not even having the opportunity to know Him.

The largest group of people who haven’t had the opportunity to know Him fall into what the church likes to call the  10/40 window. Most of the people groups still unreached by the gospel live in places stretching across the maps of northern Africa and Asia. For more information on the 10/40 window click here.

Now I would like to turn attention to an even more important topic.. Are you… Lost?

Here in the United States, most people have heard about the man named Jesus. But some of them don’t have a relationship with Him. Do you have a relationship with the Son of God? If not, here is some information on how you can establish that relationship.

The message of the Bible is abundantly clear. We have all sinned against God (Romans 3:23). Because of our sin, we deserve to be eternally separated from God (Romans 6:23). Because of His love for us (John 3:16), God took on human form and died in our place, taking the punishment that we deserve (Romans 5:8; 2 Cor. 5:21). God promises forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven to all who receive, by grace through faith, Jesus Christ as Savior (John 1:12; 3:16; 5:24; Acts 16:31).

If you would like to become a Christian, please pray this prayer with me.

Lord, I know I am a sinner. I am coming to you to repent of my sins. I believe that you sent your one and only Son to Earth, He died, and arose on the 3rd day. I am truly grateful for your love. Please come into me now and make me new.

In Your Name I Pray… Amen.

Until next time readers, God Bless!

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Categories : 2 Corinthians, Acts, John, Relationship, Romans, Salvation

Supernatural Church

1 02 2010

Hello readers! Well, it has been a great ride through Francis Chan’s Forgotten God Today we finish the book by looking at Chapter 7.

In this chapter, Mr. Chan points out the difference between a Holy Spirit led church, and churches that don’t. He says that society has created a whole brand of non-Holy Spirit following churches and even Christians who are not disciples. These are a new group of ” followers” who do not follow.

I like what he says in the middle of page 143 as well.

If all God asked for were faceless numbers to fill the churches, then we would all be doing all right. Most of us would feel pretty confident. But simply having a good speaker, a service that is short and engaging, a good venue, and whatever else we add to the mix does not make a “good” or “successful” church. God intended for His bride, those who claim His name, to be much more than this.

God is not interested in numbers. He cares most about the faithfulness, not the size, of His bride. He cares about whether people are lovers of Him.

Some churches of today, and the people who attend them could be compared to the prophets of Baal. (1 Kings 18), more than Elijah. Elijah was the prophet of God. Below is a brief summary provided by Mr. Chan.

The prophets of Baal had a loud, passionate worship gathering that lasted from morning till evening. When they were done, they had a great time of fellowship. But “no one answered; no one paid attention” (18:29). After all of that, Elijah prayed. God heard his prayer, and fire came down from heaven. After it was all over, the prophets of Baal were saying, “The LORD— he is God! the LORD— he is God!” (18:39 NIV). They didn’t say, “Elijah is a great speaker” or “Elijah sure knows how to connect with God!” They were stunned by God. They were in awe of His power. They knew that what they experienced could not have been manipulated by Elijah. They experienced the power of God.


Along with the gatherings we attend as church goers, we need to use the same principle in our personal lives. People should be able to see the transformation in our lives after we accept Jesus Christ into our life. They should see His works in us and say, “The LORD– He is God” instead of, “Wow, Isn’t _____ a great person?”. We shouldn’t  let people think we are responsible for the change. The Holy Spirit should be the main focus!

Well readers, I am going to stop there. I wanna leave you with some questions.

  1. Do you attend that is like the prophets of Baal or the prophet of Elijah?
  2. Does your church pride itself on a great speaker, a great worship, great programs, number of members, etc…? Or does it pride itself on its following of the Holy Spirit?
  3. Is the Holy Spirit the focus in your life?

Until next time readers, God Bless!

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Categories : 1 Kings, Book, Forgotten God

Just Stop and Think

28 01 2010

Morning readers! Today is another day that has been given to you by Him. I hope that it has been great so far. We have one more chapter in Francis Chan’s Forgotten God to go, but I wanted to share my thoughts at the moment.

With the crazy, non-stop world we live in today, do you ever sit back and take a moment to just stop and think? Do you even have the time to really think about the actions you take day in and day out?

As I get older, a statement my dad said to me as a child becomes more and more clear.

“Think before you act.”

I recently watched a video that Francis Chan called “Just Stop and Think” and it really made me, well, stop and think. It is 15 minutes long, so turn up your speakers, gather the family, and watch the following video. It will forever change you life!

Until next time readers, God Bless!

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Categories : Forgotten God, Life

The Job Hunt Continues

27 01 2010

Hello readers. I hope every one of you is doing well today. Today I wanted to do a little bit more personal post than usual. I hope you don’t mind.

Currently, I am unemployed. Today is January 27,2010. I have been unemployed since December 3, 2009. There are several feelings that come to mind when I think about this period of my life. Most of these feelings aren’t the best in the world. On the bright side, there are several things that may not have happened during this period if I was employed.

The feelings that come to mind when I think of myself as unemployed are those like I said, not the best in the world. They mostly those that would fit in the category of depression (ie. failure, disappointment, not being able to provide for my wife and I, etc..).

I have searched for jobs in my area in fields I have experience in, and well nothing. I have had a couple of interviews, even ones with second and third interviews for the same position, but still nothing. I recently completed my college education, and that isn’t even helping me out.

————————–

On the bright side of things, I have done some things in this amount of time that I probably wouldn’t have done, or wouldn’t have been able to do much of.

I started this blog. Yeah, I have blogged before, but not to this extent, and not with this much passion to do so.

I have read a book all the way through. This hasn’t happened in a long time.

I have grown closer to God.

—————–

So, I continue to look for a job. Prayers are much-needed. I know that God will put me where I need to go, but honestly, I wish He would do it a little bit quicker.

Until next time readers, God Bless!

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Categories : Book, Depression, Employment, Life, Trust

Forget About His Will for Your Life!

26 01 2010

Hello again readers! I hope all of you are having blessed days! Today we will be discussing Chapter 6 of Francis Chan’s Fogotten God. Only two more chapters to go. Let’s make them really count by opening our hearts and minds to what God is saying.

Ever ask yourself or even others, “What’s God will for my life?” There are only a few people in the Bible who got their life plan from God in advance. Abraham was one of these people. God told him to pack up his family and everything he owned and start walking. Abraham didn’t know where he was going or if he would ever return. No details were given to him at all. God said go, and he went.

Mr. Chan says we need to forget about God’s will for my life. He continues to say that God cares more about our response to His Spirit’s leading today, in this moment, than about what we intend to do next year. In fact, the decisions we make next year will be profoundly affected by the degree to which we submit to the Spirit right now, in today’s decisions.

It is easy to use the phrase “God’s will for my life” as an excuse for inaction or even disobedience. It’s much less demanding to think about God’s will for your future than it is to ask Him what He wants you to do in the next ten minutes. It’s safer to commit to following Him someday instead of this day.

Do you agree with the last two paragraphs above? It makes a lot of sense, doesn’t it?

God wants us to listen to the Holy Spirit on a daily basis, and even during the day, as difficult and stretching moments arise, and in the midst of the mundane. We need to learn to pray for an open and willing heart, to surrender to the Spirit’s leading that friend, child, spouse, circumstance, or decision in our lives right now.

In Galatians we read Paul say the following:

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh…. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (5:16, 25).

Questions I wanna leave with you today:

  1. What does your walk with Christ and the Holy Spirit look like?
  2. Are you following the direction of the Holy Spirit, or are you wanting the Holy Spirit to follow you?

Until next time readers, God Bless!

*Thanks for reading! Please take a moment and subscribe to my RSS Feed or for an email subscription click ” Subscribe To This Blog” on the right side of your page.


				

				

				
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				Categories : Book, Forgotten God, Galatians
			


		


		
			


				
A Real Relationship (part 2)

				
					25
					01
					2010
				

				

					
 Afternoon readers. Today we are going to continue Chapter 5 of Francis Chan’s Forgotten God. As mentioned in a part 1, this post is going to cover two obstacles that may be stopping you from having real intimacy with God.


Comfort (Maybe Your Life Is Too Safe)


The first obstacle Mr. Chan presents is comfort. The Bible says that the Spirit comes through in times where we would normally be afraid (Luke 12:11-12). Jesus refers the Spirit as the “Helper” or “Comforter.” Mr Chan asks a great question here.


Why would we need to experience the Comforter if our lives are already comfortable?


The Bible says that it is those who put their lives at risk and suffer for the gospel (Phil. 1:29) who will most often experience His being “with you always, even to the end of age” (Matt. 28:20 NASB).


Are you being too comfortable?


Volume (Maybe Your Life is Too Loud)


I like the question that Mr. Chan asks at the beginning of this section.


When was the last time you had an uninterrupted conversation with anyone? No phones, text messages, or to-do lists running through your mind?


Some of us would have to think for a while to come up with that answer. Our lives are becoming so fast paced and full of continual multitasking, it is hard to focus on one thing or one person. This constant going and going and going probably has affected your prayer life, I know it has affected mine.


Jesus didn’t get to experience the technology we have today, but he did have tons of people pursuing Him at once. At any given part of the day, people were looking for Jesus. He had the priority of His relationship with His Father, and found ways to escape. He took the time to focus and be quiet (Mark 1:35). He was willing to remove Himself from people’s reach in order to pray and commune with God the Father.


Mr.Chan says something so true here.


Our lack of intimacy often is due to our refusal to unplug and shut off communication from all others so we can be alone with him.


Francis challenges us at the end of this chapter to read John 14-16. He tells us to get in a space free from distraction and soak in the words we read. He says to notice particularly how Christ desires that His disciples have peace and how He comforts His disciples with the truth that they are not left alone. Part of His answer to how we are to have peace and be comforted is through the provision of the Holy Spirit, the other Counselor, who He promised would come one He left.


So right now, take the time to read John 14-16. Afterward, come back for today’s questions.


—–


    

  1. Does your personal baggage keep you from enjoying intimacy with God?
    2. 

  2. Do you ever want to distance yourself from Him because you feel so much shame over your sin?
    3. 

  3. What obstacles do you have in your life keeping you from Him?
    4. 



Until next time readers, God Bless!







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				Categories : Book, Forgotten God, John, Luke, Mark, Matthew, Philippians
			


		


		
			


				
Commercializing Christmas

				
					21
					12
					2009
				

				

					
Good morning readers. Today I wanted to  go outside our study of Job and bring up a topic that has been on my mind for the last couple days.


With Christmas being only four days away, I wanted to talk about Christmas.


More and more each year, I see the world, specifically the United States, forgetting the true meaning of Christmas. I don’t know when the commercializing of Christmas really began, but as an adult I am able to open my eyes to it more than a small child.


Christmas shopping for some of us is a year round activity. We focus on what we are going to get one another throughout the whole year. Some people’s Christmas shopping begins the day after Thanksgiving on Black Friday. Commercializing Christmas has gotten so bad, that it even takes over the holiday of Thanksgiving all together. I first hand have seen people camping out at large retailers during their Thanksgiving holiday just to get the latest gadget for Christmas.


Also, have you ever noticed how people’s attitude changes during the Christmas season? People or more in a hurry, and seem to be more rude this time of year. People seem to want to give more to others in need. Most of the time I believe it is out of guilt, instead of out of wanting to actually help.


Oh, and another thing. People and businesses are more inclined to say Happy Holidays, instead of Merry Christmas in hopes that they don’t get sued. Yes I understand that it may be the ” politically correct ” thing to say, but I believe this contributes to the loss of the real meaning of Christmas.


———————–


All this post is really meant to do is to open your eyes up to the true meaning of Christmas. It is to celebrate the life of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is also a time to spend time with family and create memories that will last for eternity.


So during this Christmas, remember what you are celebrating.


” Without the birth of Christ, there would be no Christmas. Without Christmas, there wouldn’t be a Christmas break, and winter would be really boring.“— Shannon Fouts, wife of Pastor Rodney Fouts.


Until next time readers, God Bless!


*Thanks for reading! Please take a moment and subscribe to my RSS Feed or for an email subscription click ” Subscribe To This Blog” on the right side of your page.

				

				

				
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				Categories : Christmas, Life
			


		


		
		

			
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