Staying Pure For Marriage

I've deeply found conviction on how it would be like to be married. A small worry that I have is that as a kid I watched a lot of pornography. It was a sin that I don't think will ever be excusable if caught in the present with a spouse. I have heard of some couples consenting to pornographic material to try to spice up their sex life. In my opinion, it's wrong to financially advocate these porn stars because it encourages them to live a life that could be filled with emptiness and guilt. Sex is among the most intimate acts that is treasured with a committed spouse. It's in our genes to be monogamous lovers and a lot of times, I think a special relationship gone bad can stigmatize the individual's emotions. God wishes to protect individuals who struggle with lust:

"Marriage must be honored among all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers." (Hebrews 13:4)

I believe that when you factor in loving a pure woman for a wife, you want to really build her up and be solely devoted to her because you know that's how to make her life content. The influence where relying on porn like a drug to arouse oneself and use as a medium for sex is foolish. It's because pornography also promotes masturbation and ejaculation outside of the marriage box. This can make some lonely guys guilty and lack in confidence, which is in fact the most reported results of watching porn. I myself am finding that I want to keep pure for the reason of enjoying sex in marriage. Committing to having great sex with only the spouse reaps a great reward. We should be the judge of one night stands or relationships that don't seem to tie a knot.

Right Influences

Life in a nutshell for me feels like bonding with the right influences. Could the world be possibly be driven by powerful television ads that target emotionally driven teens and young adults? I'm personally starting to question the usage of my personal time off from a struggling sales environment. Of all aspects and of the least probability, I find myself associating with the principles of the Bible and as a believer of Jesus. This does not mean I have a religion of anything though. Religion to me is something a person subjects to authority other than a governing constitution, even if it be against his or her will. I personally find having a relationship with Jesus is not a religion because it's something I seek after out of my personal desires.

It's so much more powerful to exercise spiritual freedom out of having no human interference. A Muslim told me that he relied on a teacher to be able to connect to Allah. In contrast, the Bible states in 1 Timothy 2:5, "For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity- the man Christ Jesus." (NLT) Jesus stated in John 4:14 that "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst" (KJV). God came down to Earth in the form of man and sent his Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus stated to the jealous religious leaders that he was the Savior of this world. I'm not quite sure how the Jehovah Witnesses have this idea that only 144,000 people are going to be saved. It implies a lot of laboring to find entrance in heaven, and obviously, being a prisoner to false teachings of the Bible. Ephesians 2:8-9 states that salvation comes from Jesus alone and that no man's works will convince God the person is holy.

Search For Controlled Direction

Life's temperaments fill us joys and sorrows.
Having a deeper sense of being creates a sense of belonging.
Words that form in the individual's heart to create a touched heart.
Subtle reminders that go unseen but can arise underneath the nose.

Questions continue to formulate in my childlike mind.
Getting to be polished and refined by trials of fire.
Taking control of time to fulfill the dreams of ourselves.
To be vaguely honest, suffering through lack of participating.

The source of life should be searched until grasped for its eternity.
Life has its positive moments, ups and downs, times of despair.
Pain that is unimaginable through some parts of the world.
A time and a place arises to be filled with God's love and show compassion.

Power of Freedom Decision Making

It is wonderful that everyone reaches an age of maturity where he or she becomes responsible for making big decisions. Being placed in this spot can be really exciting or possibly not that alarming for someone who possesses a lot of grit. I think the issue some people fail to address or meditate upon is their personal beliefs. I remember awhile back, someone told me that he was only living life for himself. It's really sort of a surprise that selfishness hasn't really generated happiness for him. God does love us so much that he inspired the greatest missionary Paul to give us this advise:

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (KJV, Philippians 4:8)

I see this post has a way of questioning life philosophically. It may seem like a waste of time to read, in that being caught in the moment, one would need to raise money or go do something he or she likes. I personally recall being locked up in the flesh and keeping to myself to the point of having no friends to comfort me. This may be strange to bring up, but I think the Holy Spirit of the Bible really has an effect even on unbelievers. Acts 1:8 states

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost [Holy Spirit] is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." (KJV)

The Holy Spirit in a nutshell gives all believers the power to love unbelievers. It may not seem like they love you, sometimes because everyone falls under the thread of sin. This doesn't mean that God's Words contradict a Christian's life. The Bible is a non-conforming, God-breathed book (2 Timothy 3:16, Romans 12:2) that inspires a noble and repenting life (Matthew 3:2).

Porn Addiction Counsel From Grace of God

Matthew 5:28 states "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." (KJV)

The topic of pornography addiction is a really sensitive topic for me. I surely condemn all participations of it that I ever stumbled across. It's still bad enough that I messed myself up in it for awhile. There's really no excuse for the things I've done, and it's not very easy for me to write up on this. It brings me great regret to think that of all the people in the world, I have to be one of those Joes who get locked up in the fleshly mindset and ignore God's request to keep the heart clean. It's like battling with an off and on drug addiction and pride of being able to be stupid. Now that I've identified the problem and state God is larger than life, it's time to make prescription for myself and others if they want to follow:

1) It's just time to deal with the fact that some guys belong to a crowd of having hyper sex drives. Patience is a long tested virtue that will work on self and allow God to prepare the right companion for fulfillment.

2) The hormones will come and go. It's really rough when you want to blame someone, especially if you are fighting to stay single, when you get attracted to her. I really thank the Lord for giving me a mourning heart, whenever I was tempted to do something evil for sexual selfishness.

3) Learn to calm down and let it go quietly. The Bible instructs the man to love himself and not be in animosity with any imbalances. This is so that the man will also learn to lead his future wife, who tends to be a lot more sensitive!

4) Educate yourself more about Scriptures. I've found submitting to Scriptures and listening to the Word of God taught by bold pastors has made me discern things about myself a whole lot better!

5) Pray about it. I think a wonderful benefit to praying to God as ourselves is that it can keep us from gossiping. I'm able to transfer all my thoughts that I would normally be tempted to gossip to Jesus and not let it out with others. This is an extreme benefit in that I'm able to know that those gossip leaders have false powers that lead to nowhere in life and only inspire misery.

6) Make friends with some role model sisters in Christ. When I've fallen in darkness, what makes my heart break a lot is to think about those wonderful sisters. It's like I'm doing them a disservice. Last thing God needs is another lying scumbag taking advantage of people for personal use.

7) Get to know yourself. It's so important to be able to keep track of feelings, state of minds, and hormonal elevations. Every success in spiritual battles comes from relying on the Spirit of God. Being able to monitor ourselves and remembering to observe God's Word is a picture perfect model of a soldier of Christ.

8) Most important of all, be honest with self and God! Don't make reasonable justifications for the cycle of addiction that you are stuck on. This is totally a downfall. I'm sure the devil likes to mess with our heads and make us feel bad, as to give us reason to ignore the entire situation.

9) Take the leap of faith into the unknown. It's going to be difficult leaving behind the current life and maybe painful at first, but it has to be done if it's hindering with your life. If what you desire doesn't come to pass, why not let the addiction go? Let go of the security blanket. Repent and allow yourself to become a fully transformed creature in the eyes of God.

I write this in hopes to rescue that one person who needs it the most and happened to stumble on this page. Perhaps you will be used by God and become highly reputed by others as God's kingdom is established.

Staying Healthy According to Scriptures

The Bible expects every believer to honor their bodies with God. (1 Cor 6:20) I've noticed that a possibly common issue that pops out of the minds of brethren is to do good things to our bodies. Reasonably, we could conclude that God really loves us so much that He would like for us to be always healthy. I don't think this is always the case though and can really throw a lot of people off. For example, why do we have viruses and bacteria that makes our loved ones sick? The interpretation should instead be to follow God's standard because believers have been bought with the blood of Christ. The Bible sees our bodies as temples, and we should abide by the Word of God. I see it as putting our mind on heaven. Just think of it, how would people react once they are exposed of their foolish desires and how selfish it was? A friend of mine wants to be a fitness model to get all the girls. His dad, having been in the business, keeps advising his son to give it up out of concern for being bottled up in empty relationships- money is also a major factor that motivates a lot of intelligent people.

Being sick could also serve as a purpose of reminding us of how the world is filled with pain and until the coming of Jesus, we will be struggling under our sins. I myself have been enjoying communicating through writing and personally preaching to myself. Even with this benefit I have obtainable, I still struggle with the fact of how I wish I was taller, had more muscles, and more hair! I feel a little locked up because I can't find this absolutely satisfying reason in the Bible to exercise and put on Rogaine for gaining some benefits. The Bible definitely has its mind on Christ and won't be appeasing to any reader's selfish desires.

God states that we were all made in the likeness of Him and in Psalm 139:14, we were naturally born with beauty. Being a young guy still, I can still obtain these physical benefits to increase my confidence in myself. The question that's been a little headache is if I obtain big muscles, for instance, will I turn into an arrogant and conceited person? First off, the heart has to be right with God. Secondly, we should be doing all we can to serve under the influence of the Holy Spirit. This means being active in Bible study and obtaining wise teaching from anointed individuals. We must be doers of the Word, not just bench-warmers! (James 1:22)

A suggestion I have received from google searching is that if too much Bible study makes you backslide then get a hobby! We each have a certain threshold of faith, and God molds us individually with different trials. We all belong to the same body, even though we are different parts, we are all spiritually equal. Surely, one could do more but it's not by works we are saved! (Ephesians 2:8-9) It is a true blessing to walk with the Lord, and we should invest some time to increase our faith in Jesus. As one gets closer to the full counsel of God, he or she becomes more like Jesus in the Spirit! It is a satisfying journey to serve the Lord and to cast my eyes primarily on Him. Too often, I have been seeking for the approval of others and as a result, brought down. Anyone who has been away from fellowship could detail how Jesus is portrayed as peaceful man by turning the other cheek! John 5:22 states Jesus is the judge in heaven. We should keep in mind many do feel hell should be a logical place. I know this may be a little hard, but we should pray for those who wrong us to have a relationship with Jesus. Pastor Bob Coy of Calvary Fort Lauderdale said "Hell is a logical place." Raul Reece of Calvary Diamond Bar said it's a place of grinding of teeth (imagine slowly and painfully losing an inch off your vertical teeth length) and burning - so painful that only demons deserve to live there. Oh yeah, God totally deserves to be revered. Evaded the topic a little to discuss about God's undivided attention, but getting back!

My take about exercising or improving our appearances is fine, as long as it does not contradict the Bible. I think whatever could be done naturally without harming ourselves fits God's boundaries. Proverbs 16:24 describes the Word of God, "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones." Jesus gave permission in the gospels to visit the doctor if we get sick. (Matthew 9:12, Mark 2:17, Luke 5:31). 3 John 2 states that John wishes the elders to be in good health and to prosper in all things. Isaiah 6:10 and Proverbs 3:8 imply being lazy is a sin and producing fruitful labor in body comes after a literally physical transformation in the individual's actions that comes from the heart's attitude, which gives a definition of repentance. Keep in mind, the Biblical context shows that the men of Israel were called by God to train themselves to defend their nation during the times of war.

Spirit Filled Life

God's Word never comes back with void. I know how many of us hopeful evangelicals wish how we could be so on fire for God. It's really important that believers spend at least a little time studying the Bible and praying. It's amazing how we could gain better understanding by the little we give to God. Hebrews 4:12 says that the "word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword."

It's true that a lot of Christians can cut themselves short from reading the Bible daily. I myself have this issue. Addressing this starvation of receiving God's daily bread, I believe that we just need to discipline our walk. By being more determined on what we state as "Yes" and "No" and then sticking to it with an undivided heart. It's by our faith that we are able to discern each other's principles. Ephesians 6:12 states, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

Brain fry

Wow, I put too much thought on a little thing. I think my life is characterized with no structure whatsoever at the moment. Putting the focus all on myself makes me realize that I am very limited with skills. I've been doing a lot of thinking over the last few years, and there's just like nothing that can dissaude me about how Jesus came to save man from his own sins (John 3:16). The hard part about it is that it's been really a struggle to share it boldly with others.

I have a lot that I wish to mourn about. Jesus states "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted." No matter how much I give to be like Jesus, I can't stop the habit of being a sinner. The Holy Spirit definitely works to convict believers into being righteous people. My emotions have been a large part of my life and have always brought me down by relying solely on them. The Bible says we shouldn't use our feelings to judge ourselves or others.

Manager's Grasshopper

Boy, look on the bright side. Some people seem like they have what it takes and then just blow it. I feel like that type of person is me. I remember faking like I was a smart student, by always being quiet and putting my head down to sleep. I would smile at the teacher- try that for a change.

I realize that I just don't want to disappoint myself and still have nerves popping all over the place. I am still young and probably because of these nerves blowing up on me every once in awhile- it's probably going to have to be my lack of concentration. I think when I don't give it all or have a fixated thought on a performance that already passed like ten minutes ago, I totally meltdown when people need to rely on me.

God's pretty amazing with my ability to communicate to others. I don't think I'm always the center of everyone's life. There are others who like to generate their talk by sharing with others. I think my honesty has gotten to a point where I can literally state my negatives because I know that the inevitable is going to happen. For me, being a Bible believer fills me with credibility that a new day is coming where the world will be at perfect peace and harmony with our Creator.

Fast Start

Stuff is happening to me and things are very dear.
God's ways are not intrusive and help constructively.
Humbleness to develop and being stuffed with inventive gravel.
Frustrations can come from recovering and then it goes reappearing.

What's the limit to our creative expressions with the Spirit's impressions?
Need to read in the morning the Bible and become again stable.

Freedom Apart From Sin

Freedom in the Holy Spirit is characterized to me as infathomable. It's all an exercising of faith especially in that this body which so many people have trouble figuring out or even doubting discuss about it and even partake in it without ignorance! My problem all along has been listening to men of God and other brethen. It's been getting really easy for me to talk and talk about everything happening in my life, in regards to my spiritual walk. All I know is that Micah 6:8 commands all Christians to love justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. 

 

I'm realizing that many unbelievers are basing off Christians as a bunch of hypocrites and ignorant men who stay in the way of others who want to go through with sensitive things such as abortion, fornication,  homosexuality, and cheating just to name a few. It should apparent to everyone who use their brains that we can't possibily satisfy all our needs in this lifetime. People form or partake in families to be engulfed by loving their own to find happiness. Ultimate happiness is selflessness folks, and surly possibly a downloading of free MP3 music, playing video games, watching favorite T.V. shows, drinking at bars, or watching pornography could satisfy today's single men but do you ever see them go without complaining?! Complaints are feedback to the outward soul that something isn't going right. Is there something you wish to complain about? It's all about pleasing God because it's good for us. We take it in by REASONABLE faith in the Bible because it's an annointed document- don't interpret it wrong now because the Lord will get you for that.     

Curiousity with New Faces

Imagine this: you meet up with a bunch of new people and then you start hanging out with them. You absolutely know nothing about their past life, but continue to associate with them out of just wanting to. One day, you feel like you have a good understanding of each of their personalities. Perhaps, your single-minded heart wants to captivate one of them who you can't get your mind off of.

I've had the privilege of typing in some of these friend's names on a search engine. I discovered that many of these names come out with some interesting searches. One of these friends have a really unique name and it made me laugh to see his front-page photo in a colorful background. In conclusion to my subjective research, I really question if these friends are more mysterious than meets the eye. For example, could one of them have been actively aspiring to be a CEO for a business? Could another be an extremely well communicator and know a lot of things, even though she always comes out humble? I'm glad these names associate with a lot of positive characteristics. Believers in the name of Jesus tend to have this "Salt of the Earth" mantra. They are numerous and attractive. We all should strive to be selfless individuals with the God-given talents we were all given.

Coolness in Restored Friendships

I've found a quick revelation. The Bible states that the best friend is someone who lays his life down for someone. It becomes a really headache or annoyance sometimes, if a friend gives you a hard time because you can't see eye to eye with him. Furthermore, when there's no other physical support around it's easy to get carried away with the thought of getting vengeance.

I realize that my strengths and weaknesses should not be complemented with a fake surface of pride. With all this pride in my past relationships with mending wierd friendships, I became slightly confused as to what the right thing to do was. The Bible states to not to be yoked upon and fellowship with unbelievers, but does it mean that we shouldn't carry the yoke of their burden? The answer to that is no because Jesus laid down his life for us sinners, who hadn't yet to come to know him yet. John 3:16 states "God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." This is amazing truth, and when our lives become all about focusing on ourselves then we are bound to fall somewhere along those lines. I realized the amazing simplicity of placing trust upon God with these words, "I'm sorry." By stating them with sincerity I noticed that life for me became more free and realized that the things I have been doing were for God's kingdom.

New Vision With Studying

This is just a small fun post. I figure that learning for me is all about learning a material as comprehensively and rapidly as one can. And then you review the material you didn't retain. I think learning is rewarding and actually a fun drive to have. It also helps you out with discipline and trains you to let go of some thoughts that would make you unproductive.

I'm so glad that God is around to accept our apologies for having anxiety in our lives. We simply have a loving Creator who would never want to see us going on living life miserably. Biblical values are keen, truthful, and literally feel good to uphold. Allowing God to come into our hearts once again and having a restoration of joy and faith is a miracle for our individual identity.

Joy In Faithfulness

I believe that I haven't written anything so compelling for the masses to hear. It doesn't matter to me how many lives I am able to influence through leadership. What I am really aiming for is the full counsel of God's Word. It is amazing how the simplicity of the gospel can get believers carried away with a few unanswerable questions. Perhaps, some things that we can't understand about life will be revealed to us in heaven. An interesting note to make is that all believers have the mind of Christ. This means that even though our hearts are still evil and make sinful judgments daily, our minds are able to conform with Christ's seed in our hearts. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states:

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (NLT)

All believers will study the Bible and fellowship with others at a church, not out of feeling chores, but out of genuine love that can only originate with God. Meeting at a big decision in my life, being in the state of desiring marriage gets me to examining how much I'm able to rely on God for strength when doubts of the right spouse surfaces. Philippians 4:13 states "I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me."

Our relationship with God is greatest thing to invest in because no love beats God's love. If we simply come to accept this new life with Jesus Christ, we are free from the bondages that once held us captive. We no longer fear death and have uncertainty with our lives; in other words, we have reasonable joy!

How it feels to have no job

I am feeling very stupid at the moment. I am having a hard time finding a job! I invested in some home-based businesses for the moment because I feel like they can make me some money. The things I have invested in are: website marketing, air purifiers, and liquidated kid's clothes. Boy, I am having a really hard time getting a job. I'm looking around different government sites and notice the competition is so high for me. It's really hard for me to get a job for some reason.

I feel like I am branded because I can't get a job by submitting resumes online. I think I'm just one of those hopefuls looking for an interview but not getting one. I'm just going to find any job related to my degree.

An Inconvenient Choice To Consider

I'm not really proud of all my accomplishments. Mainly, I don't think it's me who makes everything happen. It's all really about seeking a relationship with God and growing in faith with Him. Believers just can't look up to the sky and expect a miracle to happen anytime they want. This isn't how God designed people to behave. God designed us with the privilege of being able to choose to glorify His name or not. Man was designed to never enter sin, which was God's intention all along. Then Satan came, who proclaimed Himself to be God and tempted Adam and Eve into eating a forbidden fruit. Of all likeness, it's been of human curiosity with some of us to want to stick our hand in the cookie jar without the approval of our parents.

God decided to create us to have autonomous function in worshiping by His Spirit or not. Isaiah 59:2 says "But your iniquities have separated you and your God." Our sins create a barrier with a relationship of God. God will never hear our selfish prayers, even though we sometimes carry out our actions to get what we want, which could be unethical sometimes. Many in this world today are still ruled by their own conception of a god. It is a fact that atheism is also a religion. To prove it, it's a set of beliefs that glorifies the existence and humanity of man above any other conception- it makes man their own god. So many are lost and chained to this world; I once witnessed to someone who was living for his family. He sounded like a sound fellow, but I think he was too focused on trying to please his kids instead of disciplining them. I believe undisciplined kids can be a handful to deal with.

It could be seen as an understatement to state it is foolish to neglect wise counsel. Most of us know that the elements of being financially well-off comes from investment of time, the amount invested, and having the right knowledge. The Bible has a plan that will set the right course in any man's life. An example of a consequence that results from sin is the story of Pharaoh. Exodus 7:3 states "And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt." This shows God judged Pharaoh because he would not stand out of God's plan for the people of Israel. Israelites have a bad history of getting oppressed and for being stubborn in their own ways. In a way, many of us can relate to their culture in that we could very well be controlled by other principalities that hinder our fulfillment of desires. Christianity isn't about having a religion, but a true relationship with a loving God who knows what's best for us. Want to challenge this (?)- read the Bible and bring some issues to me. I assure you that no man who does not live in the Spirit will have an accurate discernment of God's Word. The Bible explains Christians are like sheep who are tended to by the Great Shepherd, Jesus and pointed in the right direction for the field of harvesting. (John 10:27) Jesus said, "I came that they may have life abundantly." (John 10:10)

You may sense the Holy Spirit is knocking on your heart to open it. If you feel there needs to be a great change in your life, then accept your Savior Jesus by faith. Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin. Through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for your life. (Romans 5:8, I Corinthians 15:3-6, John 14:6). We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives. (John 1:12, Ephesians 2:8,9, John 3:18, Revelation 3:20). If you have never accepted Jesus and want to do it now, simply repeat this prayer, "Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I confess to you of all my sins. Please forgive me. Wash me. Cleanse me. Baptize me by your Holy Spirit." Congratulations, respond to your new faith by using this verse: And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Acts 2:42 ... Mainly it's stating to read the Bible, fellowship with others in a loving and growing church, and pray to God daily for others and yourself, as well. Try to gather enough facts to convince an unsaved friend.

God's Grace Upon All of Us

I'm really starting to feel that I'm taking on Biblical concepts that work against my flesh. I can't really pinpoint a verse at the moment but I'm thinking about how Christians contend with people who do not have a relationship with Jesus. I feel that the last two posts I have conjured up may really be unpopular thoughts that could be portrayed by few as an attack in their lifestyle. I really feel this emotion of wanting to close my heart to the Scriptures, when I fully don't understand some aspects. I've been receiving them from the last two posts. I think it's probably mainly because I was trying to think about how popular this blog is. As long as we stick to the guidelines of wanting to follow the Bible, who can really be against us? This is not brought up during a lot of sermons, but the Bible confirms that anyone who never accepts Christ and blasphemies the Holy Spirit will end up in hell:

"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy [against] the [Holy] Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men, Matthew 12:31"

The Holman Bible Dictionary states that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is being in a state of hardness in which one consciously and willfully resists God's saving power and grace. Theologically speaking, if one comes to a point of recognizing and repenting of sin even in his or her last breath on Earth, then he or she has not committed the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Joyfully, it's neat that God's grace is really cut and dry- it's free and requires no religion. It's basically about establishing a personal and real relationship with our Creator of this world. The acceptance of Christ can be done anywhere in the world at anytime- the Scriptures do state that Jesus chose and blessed his believers with the Holy Spirit (John 15:16 NKJV). This implies to me that our Savior has an appointment for each one of us to agree upon the true doctrine of his name!

I'm not sure where this part is in the Bible right now, but I remember what the well-respected evangelical Pastor Greg Laurie said. Literally speaking, a verse in Hebrews shows that when God judges an unbeliever, he or she will need to really step over the body of Jesus to enter into the fires of hell.

My Motivation to Share Love of Christ

To be in a different state of desire, I've truly come to a point in my life where the focus should never be on me. I know a lot of people struggle with the issue of self-confidence and that by looking at this verse Phil 3:3, it states "For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh." What it says to me is that whenever we get thoughts of how we can rely on ourselves, then it's stating that we are not letting God take care of that aspect in our life. Meaning, we should consider leaving behind everything in this world to get closer with God.

I think always being in a struggle with my life has not been easy in the beginning. I used to feel that others had way more than I did and that if I had those possessions then I would not feel like an outsider. I believe God placed me in a childhood that was really hard for me fathom emotionally. To come to terms with the embarrassing feelings and shyness over others, I really had to stop avoiding those thoughts by distracting myself with other things.

I was a typical smart Asian boy who excelled in school, but felt like an inward loner who was not accepted by people. I felt like in order to be accepted, I would need to keep my opinions to myself, especially thoughts that could equate to gossip. That's how I managed to live throughout my childhood; with hearing sayings like how "Silence is Golden" and other things with teachers yelling at noisy kids and rewarding the quiet ones with citizenship awards. I do recall how I really complained about some issues of hypocrisy with my friends, but hey we are all boys rebelling just for fun to look tough with one another. I didn't always have a clear sense of direction in my life, but I managed to find some caring people who opened themselves up with me. It was awesome to be accepted without me ever saying a word.

A lot of people, especially Catholics in general, like to judge others by their actions. Many see the human faulty nature in how we may appear to be holy outwardly, but in private we do things that we would prefer to not let anyone know about. As a result, rumors have tended to destroy some people's images. I'm not saying that everybody can be perfect all the time. There are areas where we all falter and wish we could develop more on, but something is holding us back. Isaiah 43:18 states to "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past." Jokingly, it's a little hard to tune out that I'm a short man who wishes to be taller. I've gotten used to it because it's like if I don't live as a human, then might as well die not trying.

The value of sharing the gospel is that we are all sinners proclaiming that Jesus died on the cross for us. God himself came down in the form of man and claimed Himself to be the Son of Man. No one can do this except for God- as Luke 1:37 states Nothing shall be impossible with God. (KJV) Our paths can't be blinded especially when we have a heavenly relationship waiting for us. Today in a sermon, I heard that it is all about establishing a relationship with God first and then packing up on scriptural knowledge to assist our new walk with Jesus. I just love challenges that unbelievers place, as long as I don't get hurt physically for sounding offensive to them, even though it may be that they are still hiding in darkness. I think I'm ready to go out there and make friends with the whole world and tell them how lovely it is to have a relationship with God.

Life With Our Distractions

I know life really has its temperaments and things are out there to distract us. Sometimes our lives seem to be tied together in a bowl. We each have differences and other circumstances to deal with; for me, it has gotten to a point in my life where I need to rely on prayer. Even if our lives were growing up with the Lord, sometimes, chaotic moments stir our lives to come crashing down to a dark area of our lives. In a sense, without having faith life would really be meaningless.

Just because you wouldn't practice Christianity doesn't really mean that you will never place trust in anything. We either serve our own purposes in darkness or wake up to the fact that an ultimate plan was truly crafted for us. The Bible states that we can serve only one master. Our actions will either lead us away from the Lord's intended purposes or get us to truly experience fellowship with Him. Matthew 6 shows in the King James Version:

6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

The Bible states that God is love (1 John 4:8), and I think it means that anyone who does not advocate God's commands about love are practicing deceit. Jesus' great commandments are to love God with all your heart and soul and love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:28-31). Why are we inclined to love God or believe in Him? John 3:16 states that "For God so loved the world that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." The Bible is not a contradiction folks; we will not mystically live forever in this world because of our undying need to continue sinning even though the Lord has washed His true believers away with forgiveness. Most of us will die a physical death even though some die twice after being revived from the dead. It is through this death that the believers can have assurance that we will spend eternity with God.

Scriptures indicate that even an evil mother would not want to stop spoiling her child. Even believers sometimes have a hard time to place their trust in God to heal their child's sickness or deal with hardships in their life. Prayer is definitely an arsenal tool that comes free-it's talking to God for all of His believers. It is a privilege to have for someone praying by faith and in the Spirit. I think many who oppose Christianity are inclined to walk only by sight. We would rather place our own understanding before the Bible's statement. Maybe, it feels too high in moral standards. I hear a lot of critics trying to contradict the Bible and stir doubt by talking about vague passages. We certainly live in a different period as to when the Bible originated, but with some historical research, the Bible is only meant to get richer. Face it, too many are caught up about denouncing religion or wanting to handle things without the proper advice. Ultimately, we will all be responsible in the end for whether we decide to accept or reject the Savior of this world. Revelations 3:20 states:

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. (NKJV)

The Holy Spirit works in everyone's life through the preaching of the gospel, witnessing by others, and your personal convictions about erring morally but those who reject it will not stand at the time of judgment. Naturally, before Christians come to know God; the Holy Spirit reveals Himself to them. It is of great value to our faith to not to take the Lord's name in vain, as it was highly cherished in the Jewish culture. I've learned that they would respect the Scriptures so much that every time the scribes would copy the word God onto another piece of ancient-like paper (perhaps papyrus), they would perform a ceremonial washing of their bodies. As one brother stated, those were some really clean scribes. This brings up another point that the body of believers were so meticulous about copying the Bible that it should not have failed in delivering accurate Messianic text from generation to generation.

If anyone wishes to receive the Lord, simply state this prayer:
"Lord Jesus, I acknowledge to you that I'm a sinner. I repent of all of my sins. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me. Wash me. Cleanse me. Baptize me with your Holy Spirit and help me be the person you want me to be." If you truly meant this prayer, then congratulations! I pray you will find yourself investing some time to read the Bible, pray to God, fellowship and attend a good Bible teaching ministry with others, and eventually share your faith with your loved ones who do not know Christ.