Mark 1:35
In this particular verse of the first chapter of Mark, we learn about the praying habits of Jesus. We learn that He woke up while it was still dark and no one was up and he went to a solitary place where He could meditate on the word alone and not be distracted. We can also apply this habit of prayer in our own lives and wake up before the rest of the world and and go to a solitary place where we can have a one on one conversation with God without any distractions, so that we may focus on Him.
Philippians 4:6-7
This scripture basically says that if we have faith in God and we pray and have supplication with thanksgiving in our hearts, then the peace of God will give us understanding and will keep our hearts and minds through Jesus. This is such a powerful scripture because it shows that there is no problem, situation or circumstance that the all mighty God can not handle. It also shows that when we pray for our problems and our situation, God hears us and understands, so He will keep our hearts and minds focused on Jesus so that He can help us through our situation or our circumstance no matter how big it is.
James 5:16-18
The effect of the prayer of a righteous man, according to verse 16 is that we CONFESS our faults to one another so that we may be healed and so the righteous man can avail much. Elijah and his prayer life is mentioned to show him as a man who prayed EARNESTLY so God answered his prayer for it not to rain for 3 years and 6 months and when he prayed again, it rained and the earth brought forth fruit. God is truly amazing, powerful and mighty and he works in wonderous ways. In essence, we should be earnest prayers like Elijah and then we may EARN our blessing that we have been waiting for.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Prayer and it's key importance in life
Matthew 7:7-8
In this text, Jesus is giving us instructions regarding prayer. He also makes a promise to us. His promise is that if you ask it will be given unto you, if you seek you shall find and if you knock the door will be opened unto you. The Lord has given us instruction and we have a will, which is to be obedient and follow the instructions He has given us. And when you are obedient God says in verse 8 that EVERYONE that asks will receive, EVERYONE that seeks shall find and EVERYONE that knocks a door( of opportunity) will be opened for them. This is one of the many promises that is in the bible, but it guides us as we pray to not be afraid to ask, seek or knock, when we want God to do something for us. We just need to hold up our end of the deal and be obedient and hear him out that way He will continue to bless exceedingly and abundantly beyond our expectations.
In this text, Jesus is giving us instructions regarding prayer. He also makes a promise to us. His promise is that if you ask it will be given unto you, if you seek you shall find and if you knock the door will be opened unto you. The Lord has given us instruction and we have a will, which is to be obedient and follow the instructions He has given us. And when you are obedient God says in verse 8 that EVERYONE that asks will receive, EVERYONE that seeks shall find and EVERYONE that knocks a door( of opportunity) will be opened for them. This is one of the many promises that is in the bible, but it guides us as we pray to not be afraid to ask, seek or knock, when we want God to do something for us. We just need to hold up our end of the deal and be obedient and hear him out that way He will continue to bless exceedingly and abundantly beyond our expectations.
Are you a "milk drinker" or a "beef eater"?
After reading Hebrews 5:12-14, I describe my level of spiritual maturity as good because I know how to discern between good and evil. I consider myself to be a beef eater, because I understand the difference between good and evil. Babies can only drink milk because they can not eat whole foods, just as a milk drinker can not tell the difference between what is good and what is evil. Now if I had to rank my level of spiritual maturity on a 1(low) to 10(high) scale, I would give myself an 8 because I know I am still growing spiritually but there is still much more I have to experience and learn in the spirit. I notice a change and the difference when I am put in situations which have me to use my conscience to help decide whether the situation is good or bad. An easy way to tell if something is evil is this: "If it is something that you would not do in front of your parents, assuming that they are beef eaters, then it is probably something that will lead you down a path of sin."
Thursday, May 29, 2008
He is an awesome God and He is worthy to be praised
Psalm 1: 1-3
According to Psalm 1:1-3 actions and decisions that must be made by a man who desires to grow spiritually is not walking in the counsel of the wicked meaning he should not let evil take control of him or what he believes in. Rather a man after God's own heart should delight in the word of God and meditate on it day and night. He is patient and waits for his season to come and when it does he prospers.
Jeremiah 17: 7-8
Spiritual health in verse 7 is based on having faith and trusting that God has the power to overcome any and everything that may be going on in your life. Let go and Let God! The person's condition in verse 8 is described as not being afraid because when you have trust in God you know that He will take care of you and that you will be alright.
These two passages that talk about spiritual health teaching us that if we stop worrying and let God have His way in our lives we will be alright and He will take care of our every need. But we must keep in mind that we should rejoice when we read and hear the word and we should also meditate on it day and night because He is an awesome God and He is worthy to be praised!!
According to Psalm 1:1-3 actions and decisions that must be made by a man who desires to grow spiritually is not walking in the counsel of the wicked meaning he should not let evil take control of him or what he believes in. Rather a man after God's own heart should delight in the word of God and meditate on it day and night. He is patient and waits for his season to come and when it does he prospers.
Jeremiah 17: 7-8
Spiritual health in verse 7 is based on having faith and trusting that God has the power to overcome any and everything that may be going on in your life. Let go and Let God! The person's condition in verse 8 is described as not being afraid because when you have trust in God you know that He will take care of you and that you will be alright.
These two passages that talk about spiritual health teaching us that if we stop worrying and let God have His way in our lives we will be alright and He will take care of our every need. But we must keep in mind that we should rejoice when we read and hear the word and we should also meditate on it day and night because He is an awesome God and He is worthy to be praised!!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Samuel Annoints David (1 Samuel 16:1-13)
What is Samuel's mission? Since God had rejected Saul as the king over Israel, God asked Samuel to appoint one of the son's of Jesse of Bethlehem whom God has chosen.
Describe Samuel's response when he saw David's brother, Eliab. He was in awe because he realized that when he arrived, he knew for sure that the Lord's annointed stands before the Lord.
In a few words, what did God say to Samuel? God told Samuel not to be distracted by his appearance or his height, because the Lord has rejected him. God does not look at what man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart.
Acts 13:22
Why did God choose David to be king? Because God found David son of Jesse as a man after His own heart and he will do everything I want him to do.
God's message to our heart:
God's message to our heart states that He looks at the heart unlike man which looks at outward appearance. He wants us to be willing to be a man after His own heart and to do everything He wants us to do.
Describe Samuel's response when he saw David's brother, Eliab. He was in awe because he realized that when he arrived, he knew for sure that the Lord's annointed stands before the Lord.
In a few words, what did God say to Samuel? God told Samuel not to be distracted by his appearance or his height, because the Lord has rejected him. God does not look at what man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart.
Acts 13:22
Why did God choose David to be king? Because God found David son of Jesse as a man after His own heart and he will do everything I want him to do.
God's message to our heart:
God's message to our heart states that He looks at the heart unlike man which looks at outward appearance. He wants us to be willing to be a man after His own heart and to do everything He wants us to do.
The Parable of the Lost Son (Luke 15:11-31)
What does this story teach about...
1. The father? Even though his son was lost or a long way off, he still saw him and showed that he still loved and cared about his son, which basically shows that his love was unconditional just like the love Jesus potrayed when he died for our sins.
2. The lost son? It shows that all the wealth got the best of him and he spent it all and under certain terrible weather conditions his situation became one of need.
3. The older brother? He was jealous of the younger brother because the older brother was always obedient and has always be a slave for the father and he felt that he deserved it way more than the younger brother.
4. Admitting your mistakes? Admitting your mistakes relieves you of that guilty conscience that you may have and you also grow and learn from admitting your mistake(s). But not everyone is willing to admit their mistakes because of their fear of what someone may think or the consequence they may have to face. It is a big part of life humans go through but some may be avoided because of the guidance of parents or others that may have went through such mistakes.
5. About forgiveness? Forgiveness should be a part of our physical life as well as our spiritual life because we as humans are not sin free for we have all sinned at one point or another in our lives. But we must realize that it is God's mercy that allows us to recieve another chance. When we do our part which is confessing the sin and completly turning away from the sin, God will do his part by granting us his mercy and forgiveness that we may learn from the sin so we will not commit the same sin repeatedly.
What is God's message to our heart? As 2 Timothy 2:15 states, "Present yourself to God as one...who correctly handles the word of truth." God wants us to be truthful and admit our mistakes so we learn from it and we do not repeatedly commit the same mistakes over and over.
1. The father? Even though his son was lost or a long way off, he still saw him and showed that he still loved and cared about his son, which basically shows that his love was unconditional just like the love Jesus potrayed when he died for our sins.
2. The lost son? It shows that all the wealth got the best of him and he spent it all and under certain terrible weather conditions his situation became one of need.
3. The older brother? He was jealous of the younger brother because the older brother was always obedient and has always be a slave for the father and he felt that he deserved it way more than the younger brother.
4. Admitting your mistakes? Admitting your mistakes relieves you of that guilty conscience that you may have and you also grow and learn from admitting your mistake(s). But not everyone is willing to admit their mistakes because of their fear of what someone may think or the consequence they may have to face. It is a big part of life humans go through but some may be avoided because of the guidance of parents or others that may have went through such mistakes.
5. About forgiveness? Forgiveness should be a part of our physical life as well as our spiritual life because we as humans are not sin free for we have all sinned at one point or another in our lives. But we must realize that it is God's mercy that allows us to recieve another chance. When we do our part which is confessing the sin and completly turning away from the sin, God will do his part by granting us his mercy and forgiveness that we may learn from the sin so we will not commit the same sin repeatedly.
What is God's message to our heart? As 2 Timothy 2:15 states, "Present yourself to God as one...who correctly handles the word of truth." God wants us to be truthful and admit our mistakes so we learn from it and we do not repeatedly commit the same mistakes over and over.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
What is Your Heart's Desire?
I have started a new christian enrichment book called A Young Man After God's Own Heart by Jim George. I really like this author because he takes you on a journey and he is really open about his life. I have read his book titled A Man of Influence and I am almost half way done with his book titled A Man After God's Own Heart which is for my christian enrichment class. It starts off with understanding, what is your heart's desire?
TOUGH DECISIONS FOR TODAY:
My heart's desire is to be more like a that of a man of after God's own heart. Changes I can make for my life start with living more by God's grace and repenting for my sins and also making a 180 degree turn away from them. My actions show that I have accepted him as my Lord and Savior and I am trying to live my life by looking to God and His grace for my guidance and strength. I know it is time for me to turn my life into an extreme adventure of following Jesus Christ and to do that I must understand what God looks for when he looks at my life, learn more about being a Christian and have an even stronger desire to have a heart of a man after God's own heart.
TOUGH DECISIONS FOR TODAY:
My heart's desire is to be more like a that of a man of after God's own heart. Changes I can make for my life start with living more by God's grace and repenting for my sins and also making a 180 degree turn away from them. My actions show that I have accepted him as my Lord and Savior and I am trying to live my life by looking to God and His grace for my guidance and strength. I know it is time for me to turn my life into an extreme adventure of following Jesus Christ and to do that I must understand what God looks for when he looks at my life, learn more about being a Christian and have an even stronger desire to have a heart of a man after God's own heart.
Monday, January 14, 2008
God is up to something great in 2008!
Yes, we have made it into another year! God has brought us out and is up to something great in 2008. We are truly blessed when you look back and think about all that He has done for you, all of the situations that He has delivered you from and his ability of always coming in the nick of time. I have also started a 52 Week Bible Reading Plan to finish the bible within a year. I love how it breaks the bible into to different sections according to the day of the week instead of just trying to read the bible from Genesis to Revelations without any type of plan. Also because as some person has mentioned if you have a plan you can develop a habit and in general it takes about 30 days for a person to fully develop a habit. I believe that this bible reading plan can keep a person on track and it is worth the effort. I will talk with you later.
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