Learn with Lena

2007-04-24T07:40:00.000-07:00

Strength in Storms (continued)

As I mentioned yesterday we will all go through storms regardless if we are walking with God or not. During our storms it is important to remember to:
2. Pursue God in the storms. How do we do that? Follow God's word. Continue to read, pray, and stay in fellowship throughout your trials. The strength you receive from dong these things will help you get through your storms.
If we pursue God through the storms he will turn that storm into a blessing.

3. Also we need to pray for spiritual insight. Storms can bring blessings if we allow them to. We can learn a lot through our storms if we are praying for spirtual insight.

4. Obey God's Word. God's word is what we all need to build our foundation upon. In the midst of our storms we need to be persistent in obeying God's word.

Tomorrow I will share with you how you can use storms for good in your life.

2007-04-23T20:55:00.000-07:00

Strength in the Storms

I wanted to share a great sermon that was delivered this Sunday by my Pastor. Some of you may be familiar with similiar sermons, however, I just really think it is important to revisit this topic every now and then to help keep us focus through our trials and tribulations.

First of all we must realize that we will all have storms in our lives regardless if we are walking with God or not. I think a lot of people think that when we you are a Christian and walking with God then you should be free of trials and storms in yor life, when sometimes you are faced with even more storms. A few things that we must remember to help give us strength in our storms:

1. Expect Storms (1Peter 4:12)
Storms will come to everyone. And sometimes God will use storms to have people come to Him.
As mentioned above sometimes when ou walk with God you go through storms because people will challenge your faith, for example Job, Daniel, and Joseph.However if you ask God to help you, he will. But we also have to keep in mind, that God will come in HIS time not ours. WE must be patient and Keep our eyes on Jesus and not on our circumstances. Remember when Peter called out to Jesus for help during the storm and Peter trusted God and began to walk on water as he focused on walking to Jesus. However, he began to doubt and began focusing on the storm around Him, and what happened? He began to sink. He began to sink because he took his eyes off Jesus and began to focus on the storm around HIM.

We will too be like Peter if in the midst of a storm we continue to focus on our circumstances and not on Jesus. Of course this is difficult to do when you are in a midst of a storm (ie crisis), but if anyone can bring you out of your current situation it is Jesus. So why not put all your energy into focusing on Him instead of your circumstances?

2007-04-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

The Foundation of the Revelation

Human predictions end up looking silly, but God's word is accurate. Trust God's Word including the Revelation because it wil come to pass. We must begin to understand the book of Revelation.

Guidelines for understanding the book of Revelation:

1. Everything that can resonably understood literally, should be taken literally!

2. When comparative words "like or as" are used, it should be interpreted as figuratively.

3. Descriptions that are obviously figuratively should be taken figuratively. For example Revelation 1:16, Jesus did not have a sword out of his mouth, but instead the sword represents God judgment.

4. Symbols should be interpreted consistent with their meaning in other scriptures. Nearly every symbol that is used in the book of revelation has been used in other scriptures. Connect the symbols when you read. There is no hidden mystery.

Many times the book of revelation is used to scare Christians. However, the book of revelation brings blessings when reading it. We should not be afraid to read it.The book of revelation was written so that we can know how to live our life. The more we live like Jesus, the more we become like Him in his purity and holiness.

2007-04-16T08:52:00.000-07:00

Introduction to Revelation

Revelations 1:3 States, " Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prohpecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."

I want to be confident in knowing my fate and what will happen at the 2nd coming of Jesus. So I am devoting the next couple of months to following the sermons from my Pastor online as he goes through the book of Revelations. I think a lot of times people are afraid of this time that is inevitable because it is unknown territory. Of course we fear what we do not know. So I am hopeful that I can feel secure and confident in my position when the time comes of what my destiny will be by understanding the Book of Revelation and the 2nd coming of Christ. If you would like to follow along as well with the online sermons you can visit: http://www.sunrisechurch.org/files/Sermons/stream/jan_7p.m3u to listen to the message.

I will post here every day the message that I am listening to and then make my own comments in relation to the sermon or just reiterate what I learned.

The more you discuss and engage in a topic the more you learn. So I hope to learn from you too. Please participate in our discussions.

2007-04-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

What does Easter mean to you?

Growing up I never knew the true meaning of Easter. I only knew it had something to do with Jesus and we didn’t celebrate it. I grew up in as a Muslim in an Islamic household.

But now as an adult I know the true meaning of Easter which is, the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. Easter acknowledges that Jesus is alive. Of course alive in the sense that He is in Heaven, not walking around here on Earth. Alive in the sense that he rose from the dead after being crucified on the cross. Alive in the sense that he is no longer buried in his tomb... his tomb is EMPTY! Easter is not about the Easter Bunny or about hunting for eggs. The true meaning of Easter is to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, which gives us hope. Hope knowing that life after death is real, Hope knowing that a better life now is real, and Hope knowing that when I commit my life to Jesus I will live eternally in Heaven with Him.
With this knowledge I can now pass that on to my child. I don't want him to get caught up in the hype of Easter with egg hunts, candy, and the bunny, that he doesn't even realize the purpose of Easter. I will make sure that I educate my child so he will always know the true meaning of Easter.

So what does Easter mean to you? Please share with me.

2007-03-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

Purpose and Teaching of Proverbs

Many people have told me if I want to gain wisdom to read proverbs. There have even been suggestions to me to begin memorizing some of the verses. Every now and then I will flip through Proverbs and find a handy verse. However, there are many times when I am reading through this book and I catch myself saying, "Huh?" What does that mean? Trying to decipher through the book of proverbs can be a duanting task for some. For me, I wanted to know the purpose of this book and it's origin. So I did a little research on my favorite site:www.ibs.org and found this:

According to the prologue (1:1–7), Proverbs was written to give “prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young” (1:4), and to make the wise even wiser (1:5). The frequent references to “my son(s)” (1:8,10; 2:1; 3:1; 4:1; 5:1) emphasize instructing the young and guiding them in a way of life that yields rewarding ends. Acquiring wisdom and knowing how to avoid the pitfalls of folly lead to personal well-being, happy family relationships, fruitful labors and good standing in the community (see outline, p. 1279). Although Proverbs is a practical book dealing with the art of living, it bases its practical wisdom solidly on the fear of the Lord (1:7; see Ps 34:8–14 and note). Throughout the book reverence for God and reliance on him are set forth as the path to life, prosperity and security (cf. 3:5–10; 9:10–12; 14:26–27; 16:3,6–7; 18:10; 19:23; 20:22; 22:4; 28:25; 29:25). Such godly wisdom is a virtual “tree of life” (3:18; 11:30; 13:12; 15:4) that yields the happy life that God fashioned the creation to produce.

2007-03-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

Those that Transgress against us

Psalm 94:12-23

When I said, "My foot is slipping," your unfailing love, LORD, supported me.
19 When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.
20 Can a corrupt throne be allied with you— a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?
21 The wicked band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the LORD has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge.
23 He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the LORD our God will destroy them.

As I read through this, I thought about all the times I felt like the world was crumbling down all around me and reflected back to those moments. It was without adoubt that when man wasnot there to support me or lift me up, God was always there. I also thought about all the times that I felt betrayed or hurt by someone who was just "evil" and this passage helps as well. Those that transgress against me may have temporary satisfaction or achievement, but God willprevail in the end and they will be destroyed. Is that wrong to feel comfort knowing that they will be punished by God? It may be, but in a way it brings peace tome knowing that I don't have to deal with their actions because God will get them in the end. This may be my way of sick revenge and that tells me that I have not fully forgiven someone if I am still concerned about revenge. So that is something I am working on: True Forgiveness in the same way God forgave me.

2006-12-18T12:55:00.000-08:00

I got this message in my inbox from a friend who always sends me inspirational scriptures and what not. I just wanted to share it with everyone.

YOU SAY
GOD SAYS
BIBLE VERSES
You say: "It's impossible"
God says: All things are possible
(Luke 18:27)
You say: "I'm too tired"
God says: I will give you rest
(Matthew 11:28-30)
You say: "Nobody really loves me"
God says: I love you
(John 3:16 & John 3:34 )
You say: "I can't go on"
God says: My grace is sufficient
(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)
You say: "I can't figure things out"
God says: I will direct your steps
(Proverbs 3:5-6)
You say: "I can't do it"
God says: You can do all things
(Philippians 4:13)
You say: "I'm not able"
God says: I am able
(II Corinthians 9:8)
You say: "It's not worth it"
God says: It will be worth it
(Roman 8:28 )
You say: "I can't forgive myself"
God says: I Forgive you
(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)
You say: "I can't manage"
God says: I will supply all your needs
(Philippians 4:19)
You say: "I'm afraid"
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear
(II Timothy 1:7)
You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"
God says: Cast all your cares on ME
(I Peter 5:7)
You say: "I'm not smart enough"
God says: I give you wisdom
(I Corinthians 1:30)
You say: "I feel all alone"
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you

2006-12-04T20:41:00.000-08:00

The Grace of God

How wonderful it is knowing that I am under the grace of God. It is great knowing that my sins have been paid for through Jesus Christ. My commitment now is to do good to others because I know that any good that I do for others is really good that I am doing for God. My goal is to please God and God alone. I know everytime I do something good for someone else that God is smiling down on me. I am making Him proud. I feel I owe it to God, because he gave me this undeserving gift of grace. So my payment in return is to do good to others to please God. I know that there is no good deed that is going to earn my way into Heaven or eternal life with God. However, I do know that God smiles every time I do something good for another human being and expect nothing in return.

Thank you Lord for the blessings you have bestowed upon me and help me to be a blessing to others. AMEN.

2006-11-21T08:55:00.000-08:00

How to Help People
by Pastor Jay Pankratz

From time to time I like to review and reflect on the message from the weekend that was delivered by my pastor. I think this is one of those days that deserve a reflection and review. This past weekend Pastor Jay uses Acts 13:15-52 to exemplify how we can help people.
All of us have friends and family in our lives that rely on us for advice and assistance. What do we do when they come to us for help? Often times we try to give them our own advice or what we think they should do. Instead this brief lesson will show you how you can help others in need:
Let's begin.
1. Utilize the word of God as your solid foundation. Fully embrace the Word of God tohelp people. Repeeatedly quote the Word of God to help people. Instead of interjecting our own opinions and advice, use the Word of God. Acts 13:1-52, 2Timothy 3:16-17,Acts 20:35, Psalm 119:50,Psalm 119: 105

2.Focus on the Son of God as your central messsage. Focus on the death and resurection of Jesus to help people. Focus on forgiveness and justification for repentence to help people.
To forgive means to release a debt and is a change of a condition. Justification means to be judged as righteous and is a change of position. Let them know that God doesn't see your sins when you accept Jesus into into your life. And only Jesus can remove the guilt that you feel in your life. Let them know that no religion or good works cansave you from your sin, only Jesus.Acts13:26-41, 1Corinthians 15:3-6, 11 Peter 3:18, Psalm 51:3-4

3.Trust the Spirit of God to make a mighty impact in the lives of others. Trust that the Spirit of God can empower the word of God to bring people to God. Trust that the Spirit of God can give you the strength of God to overcome the opposition of the world. Relay these messages and thoughts to those that you are helping. Acts 13:42-52, Isaiah 55:11, Jeremiah 23:29

Now what step do you need totake to make Jesus and the Word of God a Central Focus in your Life?

I need to memorize Bible verses. I want to do this not to impress people or just for the sake of memorization, but instead for the sake of helping others. If I can recall a verse or passage from the Bible that relates to a person's situation when they come to me for help then I can really start to impact their life with the Word of God.

What about you, what are you going to do the next time someone comes to you for help? Are you going to rely on your own thoughts and ideas or are you going to refer to the Word of God?

2006-11-13T11:42:00.000-08:00

My Family and my my walk with Christ

It is very important to me to balance my time with my family with my walk with Christ. Although on my priority list God comes first, then my family (husband and then kids), I feel as though I am not spending enough time with my family. I recently been evaluating everything on my plate, my plate of life that is. To help me understand what I should cut out and what I should leave as is. All of a sudden it dawned on me during our parent dedication class what I should do. Actually in all honesty it didn't dawn on me, Pastor Emory shared with the class the ifference between your walk with God and ministry. He informed us that many times get confused about their walk with God and think that being involved with ministry is NECESSARY and comes before their family. This is a misconception. Although God should be your first priority, you don't have to be involved in ministry to walk with God. He went on to further explain that may times families are torn apart because one member wants to devote themselves to ministry while neglecting their own family.

As I sat and reflected on that, I really began to think about how much time I was putting into ministry and thought that I may need to take a break or pull back just a little bit to make sure that I was giving my family their proper time. Although I want to grow in my walk with God, I don't want to neglect my family in the process. And I think there is a unique skill that we all must learn to help us balance the two and it is called TIME MANAGEMENT.

With that said, my goal is to make sure that I am being consistent in ministry, but not at the expense of my family. I have been praying every morning about making my family a priority. Make sure you are making your family a priority as well.

2006-11-08T11:57:00.000-08:00

Am I walking with God?

Every Wednesday for the past 6 weeks I have been attending Bible study at my church. The Bible Study is entitled God's Story. It is a study and video based on Anne Graham Lotz.

Today in class we watched the video dealing with Genesis 6:1-8:1. This particularly deals with Noah's Ark and his committment to God. During this video, I was forced to ask myself: Am I walking with God? Throughout my journey of building my relationship with God I want to continue to evaluate myself and during this video session I did.

Anne identified some keys areas that would help me assess if I was truly walking with God:
1.Have I surrendered my will to God
2. Am I obedient to God?
3. Do I trust God?

These were the key questions that I asked myself while I was listening to the video. And I have to say it is tough being completely honest with myself. I would like to say yes to each of these questions, unfortunately I cannot. There are times where I beleive I could say yes to each one individually, but can I confidently say yes, I have surrendered my will to God. No. There are times when I want to do things "MY WAY" because I think it may be more convenient only to find out that I have caused myself more heartache.

Am I obedient to God? No, not always. Again sometimes I like to do things my way and not God's way.

And lastly, do I trust God. Naturally, I want to say yes. But do I trust God when I am going through the difficult times? And again, I must say yes. This is one area I think I am doing pretty good in. However, since I am human, I must say that I do have my doubts from time to time.

So in dealing with these challenges I need to spend even more time in prayer and God's word. The more I depend on His Word the easier it will be for me to walk with God.

2006-11-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 18:13

"He who answers before listening, that is his folly and his shame."

How many of us are guilty of this? I know I am. Many times I will try to give a response to someone without fully listening to their request. This can be very arrogant to think that we know what an individual needs just by looking at them or listening to them partially.

I want to be a better listener. I want to not just listen to someone to give a response, but truly listen to what they are saying to me without lining a response up in my head. A lot of times, I am so concerned about responding to a person's comment that I may not listen completely to their entire statement. I listen to what I want to hear and then begin tuning them out so that I can prepare my response in my head. This is a habit that I want to break quickly. Being a mother, I want to be able to listen tomy son without prejudging him and without trying to quickly solve his problems with my advice. Sometimes it is better just to listen...and this is what this proverb is instructing us to do.

Reflection:Thank you Lord for listening to me entirely when I call on you.

2006-11-03T11:25:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the Bible Experience

I know I have mentioned this CD collection of the New Testament before, but I've just gotta rave about it a little more. I have been listening to it in my car while running errands and at home while doing housework. I absolutely LOVE it. Listening to the CD really helps me to visualize what is going on. I am a multi-sensory learner. I have to hear it, see it, and sometimes do it to fully comprehend what I am being taught. That's why the The Bible Experience CD is so awesome for me.

Listening to the CD helps me recall the information that I previously read. It also give me an opportunity to reflect on the message as I visualize it. If you have not bought this collection of CDs yet, it is well worth it.

I just finished listening to part of Acts. I remember reading about Pauls "acts", but now that I am listening to it, I can vividly see what went on during this time frame. It is exciting to gain a little piece of the puzzle each time I read and listen.

2006-11-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 16: Commit to the Lord

I learned that proverbs were written primarily for instruction, insturction for one's life that is. They were written in the form of commands for us to take action or take heed to certain behavior.

According to the prologue (1:1–7), Proverbs was written to give “prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young” (1:4), and to make the wise even wiser (1:5). Well I surely need knowledge. So I feel releived that I can turn to proverbs and gain a lil wisdom.

Although Proverbs is a practical book dealing with the art of living, it bases its practical wisdom solidly on the fear of the Lord.

Keeping this in mind as I read proverbs 16, the verse that caught my immediate attention was proverbs 16:3, "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

I seem to be so busy at times with the things of this world, but this verse stood out because it reminds me that if I a seek God first that everything else will fall into place. This is something that I constantly have to remind myself. I feel a sense of peace when I take time for my devotions or listen to my Bible CDs or even blog my reflections. So this verse really is something that I need to reflect on everyday. As a matter of fact, I think I am going to write it on a notecard right now and place it on my mirror in my bathroom and on my refridgerator.

2006-11-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

Proverbs: The book of Wisdom

I am now reading in the book of proverbs. There is so much wisdom in this book. I wanted to read this book to help guide me through some decisions that I need to make. I am trying to meditate on a verse each day that jumps out at me and really speaks to me. Today the verse that really caught my attention was: Proverbs 15:29 " The Lord is far from the wicked, but hears the prayers of the righteous."

Reflecting on this passage help me to understand that through prayer I can always call on God if I stay righteous in my actions. So no matter what I am going through, I need to pray in order for God to hear me. Although He might now answer my prayer right away or in "my time", I must remember that God is always "on time".

2006-10-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

The Bible Experience

I am so excited I just got my copy of the newly released Bible Experience CD. This is an audio CD of the New Testament performed by actors/actresses like Angela Bassett, Cuba Gooding Jr, Samuel Jackson, Bishop TD Jakes, Blair Underwood, and Denzel Washington just to name a few. I started listening to it to today and it really makes the New Testament come alive. As a new Christian, it is refreshing to hear the narrative performed in this manner. It really helps me to connect with the Bible. I can even read along as listen to the CD. If you have not checked it out yet you gotta go to this site: http://www.inspiredby.com/ and check it out yourself. You will not be disappointed.

2006-10-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

My new life in God's Love

My relationship with God is secure becasue through Christ, I am forgiven and accepted by God. In addition to providing this secure relationship, God also desires for me to walk closely with Him and communicate with HIm throughout the day. This is called fellowship. I have been using the words relationship and fellowship interchangeably, but apparently there are some distinct differences.

When we choose to sin, our relationship is not affected, but our fellowship is interrupted. For example, No matter what I do , I will always be my earthly father's child. Even if I rebel against him he is still my father and I am still his child. That is the relationship that will never change. However, how we interact with one another would be strained, that is our fellowshi. How we communicate with one another.

My relatinship with God began wehn I received Christ (John 1:12), it is everlasting (1Peter 1:3,4) I is Maintained by God (John 10:27-29), and it never changes (Hebrews 13:5). However my fellowship with God began whenI received Christ as well (Colassians 2:6), it can be hindered (Psalm 32:3-5), it is maintained in part by me (1 John1:19) and it changes when we sin (Psalm66:18).

These are all truths that prove that our relationship with God is different from our fellowship with God. I must work each day to sustain a fellowship with God so that I am always connected to Him. This is an eye opener for me. I now know that I will always have a relationship with God even when I see, because my actions do not determine my relationship with my heavenly father, just as they would not determine my relationship with my earthly father. What an eye opener and an ahhh ha moment for me.

2006-10-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

Dealing With Doubts in my new relationship with Christ

As I continue to review the Campus Crusade for Christ pamphlet I realize that thoughts of doubt come in when I begin focusing on how I feel about this new relationship with Christ. It is all new to me and it is kinda scary. However, as I read on, I found, although my feelings are important, my relationship with Christ is based on facts not on feelings that can change from day to day.

Doubts, uestions, and varying emotions are parts of everyone's life, but tthey are very unreliable gauges of anyon'es relationship with Christ. The Christian lives by faith in the trustworthiness of God and His Word. I need to place myfaith in the trustworthiness of God and His Word. The more I learn His word, the more I will beable to answer any doubts with solid facts. This is crucial for me since I converted from Islam to Christianity. I do have doubts sometimes, but I do believe in the word. So it seems like a constant battle within me. But as I read more and begin to grow spiritually, I know that it will all come to gether and make a lot more since to me. But the key is to stay in theWord, Pray, and be involved in ministry. The more I surround myself in the Christian lifestyle, the more I will learn.

I realize that being a Christian is an ongoing process, and that it is everchanging in the sense that as you mature spiritually your relationship with God changes. I am looking forward to my spiritual growth.

2006-10-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

Understanding truths about my new relationship with
Christ

There are many exciting things that are true in my new relationship with Christ. However, understanding these truths will help me to build a firm foundation on which to grow. I want to be confident in my walk with Christ and know that I am doing the right thing at all times. I still sometimes struggle with the things of this world versus what God wants me to do. I know that if I understand the truths about my new relationship it will give me clarity in my walk with God.

So let's begin. Here are the five truths about my new relationship with Jesus:

#1. Christ forgave my sin. In Colossians 1:13,14 the Bible states, " For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." This lets me know that Christ forgave me for all my sins..past, present, and future. What a relief to know this in my heart.

#2 Christ made me a child of God. John 1:12 says, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name,he gave the right to become chidren of God." How wonderful it is to know that when I received Christ I began a loving relationship with God. If any other relationship in my life was not loving I can find comfort in knowing that I have a loving relationship with God.

#3 Christ came into my life and He will never leave me. Hebrews 13:5, says, "Keep your lives free from thelove of money and be content with what you have because God has said, Never will I leave you;never will I forsake you." This is so hard to do for me. I want the things of this world and I want to be happy. However, I have to be careful not to place my happiness in the things of this world, but instead place my happiness in pleasing God. Is it wrong for me to want the things of this world? No I don't think so. But I think it can be detrimental when I become so obessed with worldly things that I lose my focus and take my eyes off Jesus.

#4 Christ gave me a new life. 2Corinthians 5:17, " Therefor if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come!" I get excited thinking about how my life has just begun. When I trusted Christ to be my Lord and Savior, I began a new spiritual life. And God will increasingly produce many new qualities in me as I grow in Him. I am excited about that as well. I can continue to grow as long as I keep my eyes on Jesus.

#5 Christ gave me eternal life. 1 John 5:11-13, "And this is the testimony; God has given us eternal life and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son does not have life. I write these things so that you who believe in the name of the Son of Fid so tha you may know that you have eternal life." Eternal life is based on th the acceptance of Jesus. So because I have accepted Him into my life, I will have eternal life.

I am certain that if I die tonight I will spend eternity with God. This is the benefit of placing my faith in Christ. I cannot earn this gift. It was given to me by the grace of God. HOw awesome is our God. Thank you Lord.

2006-10-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

My New Life in Christ

Knowing Jesus Christ is the most exciting relationship I can have. It is the beginning of a life of tremendous adventure with an all-loving, and all powerful God. It is great to know that He is on my side. Today I am going to review the 4 Spiritual Laws that a person needs to know to begin a new life in Christ. A brief review of these will help me and you as we grow in our relationship with Christ. I was recently introduced to these 4 Laws as I participated in my one to one follow up and so now I am going to share them with you:

Law One: God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.

Law Two: Man is sinful and separated from God. Therefore, he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life.

Law Three: Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin. through Him you can know and experience God's love and plan for you life.

Law Four: We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.

How can a person who has received Christ know with certainty that he will spend eternity with God? This question will be answered over the course of the next couple of days as I examine each spirtual law and delve into passages.

I can be confident in my new relationship with Christ because I have been completely forgiven and accepted by God. Only Christ's death on the cross is sufficient to provide this proper relationship with God. So because I choose to believe in Christ, I can be secure in my relationship with God.

Ephesians 2:8,9 states, "For it is by grace you ahve been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works so that no one can boast.."

There are three important words in these verses that explain our acceptance before God: grace, saved, and faith.

Grace means an unmerited favor, an undeserved gift. I didn't deserve this relationship with God nor did I earn it by any good works. Rather is is a free gift from God that I accepted when I received Christ. I didn't realize the true meaning of grace until I read this and reviewed it with my mentor. I always thought my relationship with God was earned by doing good works, but it states clearly in the Bible that it cannot be earned.

Saved means rescued, spared from disaster. When I received Christ's death on the cross as payment for my sins, I was rescued (saved) from eternal condemnation...from having to pay the penalty for my my own sins.

Faith means a beleif, trust, commitment of mind, attitude, action. Faith is beleiving or trusting God and His word. When I received Christ, I put my trust in Christ and His death for my sins.Instead of believing in my own ability to earn God's favor, I now trust that I have been reconciled to God through what Christ has done for me.

So if I was standing before God and He asked me, "Why should I let you into heaven?" I would say because I believe in Christ and I believe that he died for my sins. God would know that I understood that I couldn't earn my way into heaven through any good works, but instead my good works were done out of love for him and to please him. Just as he loved us so much to give us his only son. My good works are done in appreciation for the sacrifice he made.

2006-09-14T23:13:00.000-07:00

Raise the bar...Connect with God (pt 2)

As discussed yesterday, the key to raising the bar in your life is connecting to GOD. And God wants to help us raise the bar in our lives.

4. Raise the bar in our STORMS. In Mathew 14:29-32 Jesus commanded Peter to get out of the boat and walk to him. Because Peter had faith he did just that. He began walking on water. However, the wind around him started blowing and Peter began to sink. In this example, Peter loss sight of Jesus. He took his eyes off Jesus and started focusing on his "storms" around him. At that time Peter began to doubt his faith and began to sink. We in many ways are like Peter. For a period of time we will have unwavering faith and have our eyes focused on Jesus and then our circumstances will begin to get the best of us and we begin to get swallowed up by our storm. Instead if we can learn to keep our eyes on Jesus even through the storms in our lives, then we can relax knowing that he will bring us through.

This message is for all those that have gone through something or who are currently going through something. Know that when you keep your eyes focused on Jesus and not on your circumstances he will raise you out of that storm. Although it may not be according to your time schedule, he will pull you through if you keep your eyes on him. By keeping your eyes on Jesus means:
1. Reading the Word.
2. Praying
3. Attending Church regularly.
4. Getting involved in ministry (helping others).

"Lord thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed upon me up to this point in my life and the many more that are yet to come. Thank you for having mercy on me and always being there when I need to talk to you. I praise your name, in Jesus name I pray. AMEN."

2006-09-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

Raisethe Bar...Connect with God!

This is the theme for the next couple of weeks at Sunrise Church so I am going to share it with you all. I love how our Pastor started off the sermon: Imagine talking on your phone and whispering to God: "Can you hear me now?" You hear nothing in response, so you say it a little louder, "Can you hear me now?" still you hear no response. Finally, you yell it at the top of your lungs, "CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW!" and God responds back to you, " I could hear you loud and clear the first time."

Sometimes if we are not connected to God we will not hear Him as clearly. Our connections may be like poor cell phone service and interrupt intermitenly. The connection may drop from time to time, or we may not get any reception at all. Whatever the case may be, we need to stay connected to God by raising the bar in our lives. And God wants to help us raise the bar in various areas in our life.

1. God wants us to raise the bar in our achievement. God doesn't just want us to succeed professionally or have material success. But instead God wants us to have eternal life achievement. (Mathew 4:19, Mathew 17:20, John 14:12)

2. God wants us to raise the bar in our relationships. Satisfaction will come in your relationships when you connect with God. (John 4:17, 13-14; 1 John 4:7)

3. God wants us to raise the bar in our family. According to statistics, americans have a 1 in 2 divorce rate, among those that attend church the divorce rate is 1 in 25, among those that attend church weekly AND read the Bible the divorce rate is 1 in 1,100. What chances would you like to take? This statistic proves tht if we connect with God our family will be united. (Mathew 15:22, 28; Psalm 127:1a) The Lord must build your house to make it a strong foundation.

The key to raising the bar is connecting with God....to be continued!

2006-09-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

Mathew 10

So I was correct, Mathew, the tax collector was one of the 12 disciples Jesus chose to carry out his word and to follow him. I did not know that Jesus sent the disciples to carry out his word and heal the sick and raise the dead. According to Mathew 10, he gave the disciples authority to do these things through him. I couldn't help but wonder, if Jesus was speaking in the literal sense. Were the disciples really given the ability to drive out evil spirits and heal every disease? Or was Jesus referring to the souls of the lost people.

Jesus indicated that he did not want them (the disciples) to go among the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but he wanted them to go to the lost sheep of Israel. Jesus wanted the disciples to reach out to the people that were lost. This in interesting to note, because that is suppose to be the role of the church today. The church today is suppose t reach out to those souls that are lost. Unfortunately what happens in many churches, though, is that they only help those that belong to their church. Sometimes churches are afraid to go beyond their doors to reach out to the lost people. And as I read Mathew 10, I see that's exactly what Jesus wanted us to do: reach out to lost people and bring them to God.

2006-08-31T07:44:00.000-07:00

Mathew 8,9

In Mathew 8,9 Jesus went from town to town healing the sick and curing the diseased. Now I know where all these stories come from. I have heard of them before, but there is something powerful in reading it for myself. I often wondered why Jesus was healing all these people. Was he trying to prove to the people his power? There were several people that came to him just to ask for his help. I wonder if these people stayed faithful and followed Jesus after he healed them of if they took his healing for granted and turned their back on Him.

As I read on in Chapter 9, I see the calling of Mathew and I can't help but to wonder if this is why this chapter is entitled "Mathew". According to the word, Mathew was a tax collector. I haven't read on to chapter 10 quite yet, but I think I remember the people being angry that Jesus went to Mathew's house to eat with him because he was a tax collector and he overcharged people with ridiculous interest. The people were upset and asked. "How can you eat with a sinner?" Which is interesting, because, they were all sinners, just as we are today. But for some reason they did not see themselves as sinners.

This reminds me of Mathew 7:3 "Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" They were quick to judge Mathew, but did dismissed their own sins.

I think Jesus purposedly ate with Mathew to send a message to the people and also to soften the heart of Mathew and teach him.

2006-08-29T07:27:00.000-07:00

Mathew 7: Judging Others

I think we are all guilty of judging others. It seems easier to see what everyone else is doing wrong or unjust than see what we are doing wrong ourselves. In Mathew 7, Jesus states so clearly, "Do not judge, or you too will be judge. For in the same way you judge others, you wil be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." So you will will be judged in the same manner that you judged someone else.

Also Jesus asks, "Why do you look at the speick of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" Many times we are so worried about what the next man is doing that we overlook and ignore our flaws, our sins, and our wrongdoings. First we must examine ourselves and get ourselves together before turning and judging someone else. Jesus even calls those that act in this manner a "hypocrite". Do not try to fix someone else's problems before you fix your own.

Jesus tells us not to be a hypocrite and not to judge others. Be concerned only with yourself and your own actions of faith.

2006-08-28T09:23:00.000-07:00

Mathew 6

Jesus is giving instructions as to how to deal with giving to the needy, prayer, fasting, worrying, and treasures in Heaven.As I read in Mathew 6 today, there was one particular verse that stood out to me the most, 6:18 "...your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you." This was most intriguing to me because I thought of how important it is to give and serve discreetly. Some people, give generously for all men to see. This is because they want to be noticed by men. Some men pray loudly and long becuase they want everyone to know that they are praying. This verse specificaly says whatever you do to worship God, do it discreetly not to be noticed by men, but to honor God.

Another verse that struck me while reading was 6:21, "Where your treasure is your heart will be also." Meaning if we focus on the treasures of this world our heart will be here. However, if we focus on te treasures of Heaven our heart will be with God. I know in the end I want my heart to be with God literally and figuratively. The next verse goes on to say, " The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good,your whoe body wil be full of light. But ifyour eyes are bad, your whole body wil be full of darkness." There is only one way to keep our eyes good, and that is to keep them focused on Jesus. And in that way our body will be full of light.

2006-08-25T07:19:00.000-07:00

The Power of Faith (cont)
If we make the right choices by faith wil our lives be easy and rewarding? (Hebrews 25-26, 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 17-18)

Making the right choices by faith is not easy and many times we will face uncomfortable circumstances and trials. However, by making the choice to be faithful and to continue to serve God, He will bring us out of it all. We may not be able to see the end result immediately, but faith is trusting God. We must trust God and know that if we think and act according to his word that we will be rewarded. Many times we cannot see the reward because we are so focused on the world's gifts and luxuries. But if we take our minds off this world and realize that this is only a temporary holding cell it becomes easier to make decisions based on faith. Because then we know that we are really striving to be with God eternally and that is the true reward.

In everything we do, look to please God and the rewards of his kingdom.

2006-08-24T07:43:00.000-07:00

The Power of Faith (cont)
What risks did Daneil choose to take by faith and what was the result? Daniel 6:10

In Daniel chapter 6, there was was a decree written by the King. Actually, I am not sure that the decree was written during this particular time or some time before. As I read the text, it seems the decree was written some time before and was suppose to be enforced by all succeeding Kings.

At any rate, the decree stated that during the next 30 days anyone who prays to any god orman except the King would be thrown into the Lion's Den.

The background information in the chapter is as follows: King Darius appointed 3 administrators, one of which was Daniel. Since Daniel was so distinguished the King had planned to set him over the whole kindgdom. So all the administrators and satraps would have to report to him. Of course they did not want that. At this point the administrators and the satraps tried to fins something to charge against Daniel, but could not. They knew the only way they would fis something would be if it had something to do with the law of God.

They knew that Daniel prayed three times a day. He did not pay attention to this law of the land because he was committed to being faithful to God. So the administrators found the decree and reported this back to the King Darius. They reminded the King of the decree and also let him know that Daniel was praying. King Darius had no choice but to throw Daniel in the Lion's Den.

However, because Daniel was faithful in prayer and to God, he was spared. Daniel stayed in the den all night long and the Lions did not touch him nor harm him. He came out without any wounds.

Application: Sometimes we have to take risks of faith for God to show him we will be faithful.

2006-08-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

What are four areas of power that authetic faith in
God will bring to your life according to Hebrews 11-24-29?

There are 4 areas of power that authetic faith in God will bring:
1. Faith will give you the power to make right choices. In Hebrews 11:24-26. Moses had the choice to stay with the Pharaoh or to go and lead the people. If he stayed with the Pharaoh he would have enjoyed a life of luxury and would not want for anything. But instead he chose to endure temporary pain for the gain of God's kingdom. He chose to lead the people. Because Moses had faith in God, he was able to make the right choice. As in Moses situation, the right choice is not always the easiest choice. We will be tempted to follow our worldly desires, but if we have faith and and trust that God's word will assist us through then it makes it easier for us to make theright choice.

2.Faith will give you the power to persevere in adversity (Hebrews 11:27) Moses was able to persevere as a sheppard and lead the people. He was faced with many challenges and many times things did not go his way. However, Moses had faith in God, so he was able to persevere through all the turmoil.

3. Faith will five you the power to receive God's protection and blessing (Hebrews 11:28)
Because Moses was faithful the firstborn of Israel did not die. If we keep coming to Jesus he will bless us and give us new hope. He will renew our spirits and give us the blessings that we need to conquer all that comes our way.

4. Faith will give you the power to overcome obstacles (Hebrews 11:29)
Think of all the obstacles that the people endured while with Moses. However, since Moses was faithful they were able to overcome them all. In this example in Hebrews 11:29, the Red Sea parted and let all the people pass, but then closed and drowned the pursuing Egyptian army. If we have faith in God he will help us through our trying times, even when it seems impossible for him to help us out of our situation.

Faith is trusting God to the extent that I think and act according to God's Word and rewards. I want to practice living faith. To do this, my actions must align with the word of God. That is my challenge as well as my goal.

2006-08-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

The Power of Faith
Hebrews 11:24-29

"Faith is trusting God to the extent that I think and act according to God's Word and reward."-Pastor Jay Pankratz

I need to memorize this statement. Faith can be so powerful in our lives if we just beleive this one simple statement. Faith can give us victory over so many things in our lives if we just trust that God will take care of it for us when we are faithful.

In our Bible study we were to read Hebrews 11:1, 6 and then give our definition of Godly faith. Well after reading them both, they are self explanatory. Godly faith is beleiving in God enough that we are certain that He exists. Godly faith is also knowing that without faith in Him it is impossible to please Him. And if we earnestly seek Him, he will reward us.

Now although we are guaranteed positive results from God when we seek him and have faith in him, this does not always mean that we will be rewarded with earthly things. Sometimes we are so caught up in this world that we cannot see beyond our present state to eternity. Our goal should be to gain positive results for eternity. God will reward our faith with a comfortable spot with Him in eternity. So although, the luxuries of this world are nice and we all want those things, we must make sure that our eyes are still on Jesus and that we remain faithful to gain eternal rewards and not earthly rewards.

2006-08-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

What can we do to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus?

It is difficult to keep our eyes on Jesus and not on the things of this world because we are human and we can be temptated. However, the best way for us to keep our eyes on Jesus is to first receive and accept Him in our hearts wholeheartedly. When we have Jesus in our hearts he will guide us in everything that we do and therefore help us to make wise decisions and deter us from sin.

Secondly, we need to be faithful in our worship. That means attending church every week. If there is service offered throughout the week, we should attend those services also. If we are being faithful in worshipping him, it takes our concentration off the things of this world and places our focus on Him.

Next, we should be in the Word of God. We should have daily devotions and read our Bible everyday. Now for those of us just starting off, trying to read the Bible everyday may be a little overwhelmeing. So I would suggest starting off by reading every other day and gradually adding a day until you are rady to consistently read every day. The goal is to understand the Word of God, not to just read the Bible to be reading it and to say you read for the day. So if trying to read everyday doesn't allow you to comprehend everything that you are reading, then start off slow and gradually work your way into reading more each day. Your faith is a marathon, not a sprint. Don't exhaust yourself in the beginning and then have nothing left to finish the race of faith.

Lastly, to keep your eyes on Jesus, be devoted to prayer. This is something that can be done every day. When you think of prayer, don't think that you have to get on your knees and pray beside your bed every night or every morning. Instead begin praying when you have down time. Pray in the car, while in line, in the doctor's office, in the grocery store, while exercising, etc. Jus think of all the times you could take a minute to just give thanks to God. There are more opportunities to praise God during the day than you can imagine.

I would suggest start a routine, by praying in the morning and then anytime you have any down time just give thanks to God. You will be amazed at how much you can pray throughout the day, when you just take a minute to realize how much you have to be thankful for.

Keeping these four concepts in mind will help you keep your eyes on Jesus. We may fall a little short in some areas, but continue to strive towards them all and you will be able to keep your eyes on Jesus.

2006-08-16T10:40:00.000-07:00

Why is Jesus the ultimate model for out faith and why do we
need to keep our eyes on Him?

I want to reflect on this study question from my Bible study today by looking at Hebrews 12:2-4. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus because as it says in Hebrews 2, he is the author and the perfecter of our faith. Jesus is the perfect example of what our faith should look like. He did not sin and he stayed steadfast in his faithfulness to God despite conflict. If we keep our eyes on Him we will not become weary and weak for sin. We will know that there is a greater reward than anything that can satisfy us here in this world.
What makes this difficult for man, is that sin can be pleasurable for a short time. We get caught up in the pleasure that the sin will bring to us for that short time but forget that it is then followed by grief, guilt, trials, and dissatisfaction. Of course we don't see the immediate impact of our sins sometimes and that's why we continue to sin.
However, if we keep our eyes on Jesus it becomes more difficult for us to sin because we are so focused on Him that we are not distracted by the obstacles of sin. This is what I am striving for. I want to be strong enough in my faith that I will not be overcome by sin. I want to learn to remove the things in my life that hinder me from growing stronger in my faith and prevent me from keeping my eyes on Jesus. As I begin to remove these obstacles I will become closer to Jesus.
Actually, I can already feel a change taking place in my heart. When I make decisions now about certain things, I always have God on my mind about what to do and how to handle the situation. Unfortunately, I have not overcome the need to please men (my friends and the people around me). I am a work in progress. I will continue to seek Jesus in my quest to be more faithful.

2006-08-14T07:35:00.000-07:00

Seven Questions toFind God's Will Regarding Change (cont) 3-7

The third question you should ask yourself is: Does God's Word clearly confirm theneed for this change? When you are looking for advice in making a decision, go to God's word. Let God's word guide you and then follow what God's word clearly tells you to do. Remember just because your circumstances all line up, does not mean it is God's will for you. Turn to His word and measure up the circumstances against his word. Which brings me to question #4:

Do the circumstances support God's leading on this issue?
After looking for confirming evidence in God's word, then look to see if the circumstances are lining up with his Word. Don't try to line up your circumstances to fit your wants. Many times we think that it is God's will for us to do something, because the circumstances may seem to line up, but are these circumstances confirming God's word? Have you tried to manipulate the circumstances to fit your needs? Take a look at Acts 11:11-15, Revelation 3:8, and Romans 8:28 to see what His word says about this.

Question #5: Will it help the spirtual needs of others?
Remember it is not all about YOU! When you make a decision it affects many people, including your family. Ask yourself when you contemplate making a decision if it is the best thing for all the parties involved. Think about yourself in your present situation and how you can help others in the situation you are in currently. How can you be a blessing to others right where you are? Try to be a blessing in your circumstance instead of waiting for another opportunity and trying to change your situation. (Acts 11:13-14, Phillipians 2:13-14).

Question #6: Is it supported by Godly leaders?
Most times when we make a life decision, we want to seek the advice or opinions of others in our life. However, not everyone is worthy of giving you sound advice. When you make a decision make sure to seek the advice of other spiritual leaders and follow their advice. These people will give you advice based on the Word of God. So don't ignore the advice of a spiritually mature individual. Proverbs 15;22, Acts: 11:12-18

Lastly, ask yourself: Are there repeated confirmations?
God will always give you confirmation that you are making a sound decision. There will be repeated confirmations in your daily life and things will line up against God's word. If you don't see these confirmations do not move ahead until you gain certainty. As you walk with God he will make things very clear for you. So if you are not walking with God, then do not make life changing decisions on your own. Be patient and walk through all 7 steps before taking a step or making a decision.
Acts 11:10,12, 18; 2Corinthians 13:2

2006-08-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

Anointed: Am I maintaining a healthy spirtual life?

Questions 2 that we need to ask ourselves when trying to find God's Will regarding change is: Am I maintaining a healthy spirutal life? If we are in constant contact with God, his Will for us becomes quite clear. We will know God's will for our lives when we have a healty relationship with him. That means we need to be in prayer, be in His word, and be in ministry. If we are walking with God he is able to communicate with us and we will clearly be able to discern from His will and our selfish wants and desires.

Don't ever make a decision when you are not walking with God.

Verses to look at for guidance:
Acts 11:5 and Romans 12:1-2

I like Romans 12:1-2 " Do not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

2006-08-07T10:03:00.000-07:00

Anointed?: Seven Questions to Find God's Will Regarding Change

Last week I posed the question to everyone: How do we know we are anointed to perform a certain job? And what keeps us from following our selfish desires and disguising them as being anointed or the will of God? Well I am estatic to report my findings.

I went to church yesterday and my Pastor was preaching on this very topic. I turned to Ivan and smiled. I was so excited and very tuned in to what he had to say. According to Pastor Jay there are 7 questios that we shold ask ourselves to find God's Will when we face change. Throughout the week I will examine each one of these questions and the scriptures he presented to back them up.

The first question you should ask yourself is: Have I minimized the influence of criticism and comfort? Anytime you make a change you will criticized. If you make the right decision based on God's will you will be criticized and if you make the wrong decision you will be criticized. However, we cannot let the our critics dictate our decision. Sometimes we make a decision based on what is most comfortable for us. We like to take the path of least resistance. However, we should not be trying to please man, but always striving to please God. We know that if we try to please man, we will never completely satisfy all the parties involved. However, if we keep our eyes on Jesus and strive to please Him then we will not be forsaken.

Don't try to minimize your comfort level or criticism from others when making your decision.

Take a look at the following versus for guidance:
Acts 11:1-3, Galatians 1:10, Phillipians 1:29

2006-08-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

Business Credit

I printed out the steps to establishing business credit back in November formt eh art of credit message board, but unfortunately that moard is not longer available. So can anyone give me those steps AGAIN. Thanks

2006-08-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

ANOINTED

As I read in the book of Psalms I cam across the word anointed. I have read this word many times and have heard people throw the word around a lot. I never really knew what it meant. So I decided today to research what the word actually means. I found out that the word "anoint" means to pour oil on a person's head. Anointed means that God's Spirit was selecting that person do a special job.

So how do we know when were are truly anointed to do a special job or when we are really just following our own will. I hear people say all the time that they were anointed to speak in the church or to minister to others. How do they know they were really anointed to do such a thing? Who makes this determiniation. How do we really know God's Spirit is selecting a person to do a certain thing? I sometimes wonder if we are following our hearts desire and not the will of God. We know that the will of God will not lead us astray. We know that if we follow His will through His word than we cannot do wrong, but how do we know that we have been anointed and that it is God's will for us to do a certain job or duty? Hmmm....these are things that I ponder from time to time. What keeps us from following our selfish desires and disguising them as being anointed or the will of God?

2006-07-31T09:40:00.000-07:00

Book Of Romans

Although I am at the end of the book of Romans, I decided to go back and figure out the author of these instructions and to whom he was writing. I found out that Paul was writing these letters to the people of the church, the Jews and the Gentiles. However, the letters were more particularly focused on shedding light on the Gentiles.

These letters that he wrote in the book of Romans fall under the books of the Pauline Epistles. There are 9 books in all under this category and all the books that fall under the Pauline Epistles are books that were written by the apostle Paul as instruction to churches and individuals.

The reason why I was so curious to know the author and the intended reader was because while I was reading I thought of myMuslim background as Apostle Paul stated that you cannot judge a man by what he eats. You cannot condemn he for what he chooses to eat or not to eat. Immediately when I read this I connected to my Islamic background and the emphasis placed on not eating pork. But I knew Islam was not introduced quite yet during this time so it he wasn't talking about Muslims.

As I continued to research to find out WHO Paul was referring to I discovered he was referring tothe Jewish Christians. The Jewish were being rejected by the larger Gentile group in the church because of their dietary constraints and the sacred days that they observed.

In Romans 14:5 Paul writes, "One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God."

Basically Paul instructs the Gentiles not to pass judgement on the Jews. He then goes on to state later in Romans 14:22 "So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin."

I love this last statement "...and everything that does not come from faith is a sin." You cannot hide what is in your heart from God. He knows if you are being faithful. This is a great reminder to us all to be faithful in our actions and not to judge the next man.

2006-07-28T10:52:00.000-07:00

This was a difficult week for me. I struggled to be faithful in my daily reading. It wasn't that I didn't have th time either. It's b/c I did not making reading my Bible this week a priority. I chose to do other things like surf the internet. I am disappointed with myself that I could not focus and get up each morning and read like I had been doing. But today is a new day and I cannot dwell on the past. So I am proud of myself today. I got up and read. I read 3 chapters in the book of Romans. It's such a joy to read and start to understand what I am reading. I am a new Christian who converted from Islam, so I am like a child in my understanding and knowledge of Christianity. But the more I read the more I understand. For example, I always thought if you do good deeds you will go to heaven. Do good deeds to earn your way into Heaven. However, as I read and even as I had a follow up meeting with a friend, I discovered that you will not be judge by your good works. We have been given grace by God and you do good works because you want to honor God, not because you want something in return. This was such an eye opening experience, because until recently I didn't even understand what GRACE meant. But now I know it means and undeserving gift.....I have to pause my thought b/c Chauncey is having a fit and wants my attention so I will finish this thought later

2006-07-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

Psalm 89:14 Righteousness and justice are th foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you. Blessed are those that have learned to acclaim you,who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord.

I am saved by grace and not by my works. So I "walk in th light of your presence, O Lord" because I want to honor and love you not because I want to see what Ican get in return.

2006-07-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

Be a Slave to Righteousness...
Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Of course not.

Romans13 states: Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace

As I read further in Romans I discovered: 16Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

Believe it or not if you are a Christian you are still a SLAVE! A slave to righteousness.

2006-07-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

Keep your eyes on Jesus

In Bible study today we discussed Mathew 14:22-33. In these versus it describes the situation where Peter and the other disciples were caught in a storm. Jesus appeared to them, they thought he was a ghost initially and were afraid. Jesus told them not to fear because he was their Lord. Peter spoke up and engaged in conversation with Jesus. To sum these versus up, Jesus told Peter to walk across the water (in the midst of a wind storm). Peter had faith and did just that, but began to sink.

We discussed why Peter began to sink. We came to the conclusion that he began to sink because he began to doubt the power of the Lord. He started focusing on the circumstances around him (the wind) and not on Jesus. Peter neglected to keep his eyes on Jesus, thus began to sink.

We are so like Peter in many ways. As Christians we focus on Jesus for a period of time and then we begin to lose sight of him in our current circumstances. We think that we can handle them on our own....and just like Peter we begin to sink when we begin to have these thoughts.

Thought of the day: Keep your eyes on Jesus.

2006-07-18T08:54:00.000-07:00

Psalm 87:11 11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

This is my prayer today. The first 6 words jumped out at me because I want to learn so much. And I know the only way for me to learn is to submerge myself in the Bible and in prayer and devotions. On a scale from 1-10, I would give myself about a 6. I am not quite where I want to be in my knowledge of the Bible or Christianity for that manner. It will take some time to reprogram my brain from Islam. There are lots of questions that Iahave and I know if I just continue to read and attend Bible Study that my questions will be answered.

2006-07-17T08:45:00.000-07:00

As I read Romans 4, I began reflecting on the word and trying to figure out what I could take from the reading of Abraham. The one thing that stuck out the most was Abraham's faithfulness to God. Abraham did not waver his faith that God would give him an abundant offspring. Although Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was way pass her child bearing years , he trusted that God would deliver his promise and give him a family. This made me realize that I too must be steadfast in my faithfulness and trust that God will keep his promise if I am faithful to His word.

2006-07-13T08:09:00.000-07:00

Psalm 84:12 O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

I want to trust in the Lord with all my might and all my soul even when things are not going as planned. It is easy to trust in the Lord when things are going smoothly and when I am not faced with any turmoil. However, it is more difficult to realize God's plan for me and to trust Him when I am going through something. My prayer is to give me the wisdom to trust in you Lord today tomorrow and always no matter what I am going through.

2006-07-11T09:29:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 16:2 "All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but his motives are weighted by the Lord."

So in every decision that I make, I must ask myself, Are my motives sincere? The Lord knows what truly lays in my heart. I may be able to fool man, but I cannot fool God. Many times I feel uncomfortable beacuse I am afraid of what people may think about me or my actions. Soemtimes I think people will think I have ill intentions. But really I should not be concerned with what others think, because God knows my true intentions and He knows what I do is to please Him.

2006-07-10T10:18:00.000-07:00

Acts 26:32 Agrippa said to Festus, " This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar." This man of course is referencing Paul, but I am now confused, because Acts 27 talks about Pauls sail to Rome and he is still treated like a prisoner. At one point the guards wanted to kill all the prisoners (inlcuding Paul) because they feared they would all escape due to the inclement weather conditions.

However, once Paul finally arrives in Rome he is allowed to live by himself with a soldier to guard him. I am not sure if this soldier is guarding him to protect him from all those oppose what he is preaching or if he is still a prisoner.

They found Paul guilty of anything and while he lived in his home, preached to all those who came to see him.

As I reflect on the conclusion of Acts I see that Paul has stayed steadfast to preaching God's word. Through all the trials and tribulations he stayed firm in his belief and relaying the Good News to all that would hear him. This is an example of how we should be on fire for God and His word. No matter how steep the circumstances may be, we need to remember that if we keep our faith in Jesus that he will make us victorious in the end.

2006-07-07T07:56:00.000-07:00

I continue to read in Acts about Paul and his attempt to prove his innocence to the authorities. Everyone that he states his case to cannot find him guilty of anything, yet he remains in captivity. Currently he is pleading his case to the King Agrippa and they have not found him guilty of anything. At one point they call him insane, but they (King Agrippa and Festus) do not beleive he deserves death for his actions.

Proverbs 16 states, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and you plans will succeed." I believe this is very evident in Paul's plans. He is being successful because he is committing to God. I think we all want to be successful in some area of our life, but many times we loose sight of that because we are chasing a dollar. Although, I want to prosper in this world, it is more important to me to gain favor from God and to help others around me. I want to be tight in my relationship with God and everything else will fall into place. That's why I've committed myself to getting up each morning and reading my Bible before I do anything else. God must be at the center of my life and I am making Him a priority. I feel myself transforming. I know it sounds corny, but I really reflect on my actions now. I ask myself. " Would God approve?" This helps to keep myself in check. I pray every morning that I can be the Christian God wants me to be and that I lead a Christian life in all that I do.

I realize it is difficult because there are sooo many temptations of this world, but I am committed to God's plan.

2006-07-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

Psalm 80:19
19 Restore us, O LORD God Almighty; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.

I want to be restored and I want to be saved so that I amay dwell in the kingdom of the Lord. However, it is not enough for me to just say it. I must live these words as well. If I want God tohave mercy onme then I must show Him that I am willing to make the sacrifirices within this world and be an example to all those around me and that surely is my intentions.

2006-07-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

Acts 23:12-35

In these passages there is a plot derived by the Jews to kill Paul. They vowed not to eat or drink until they accomplished their mission. However, he is swiftly transferred to Caesarea and is now awaiting his accusers (The Jews), so that the govenor can hear the case and make a decision regarding the fate of Paul.

Reflection: The Jews are very disturbed by the words of Paul and they I beleive they feel threatned by what he is telling the people. Although, he is only relaying the Good News, the Jews refuse to accept it and they are consumed by their plan to kill him. Interesting enough sometimes we become consumed with our own plans that we go to extremes to accomplish what we want instead of the will of God.

2006-07-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

This is a test. I have posted two entries and they are not showing up.

2006-06-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

1 Kings

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a question about this era that I am reading. I wanted to know if this was the Kingdom era. As I read more and more I am learning that this is indeed the Kingdom era. I am amazed at all the unrighteous kings that came after David. Many of them manipulate God's word to get what they want. But in the end they end up being the one cut short.

2006-06-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

1 Kings 11

God took away Solomon's kingdom because he did not serve Him like his father, David did. However, He did keep His promise to David by giving one tribe to Solomon's son.

Reflection: God will keep His promises to us if we serve and obey Him.

2006-06-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

Acts 14
Paul was truly a servant for the Lord. He choose to stand up for God and the teaching of the good news. In this chapter the people of Lystra tried to label Paul and Barnabas gods. They even called Barnabas Zeus( I was wondering if this is where the origination of the greek gods came from?), however, Paul would not allow them to worship or label him a god. He told them that he was only human just like them and he tried to make them understand that God was using him to deliver the good news, but they would not listen.

Application for today: Many times even when we are told the truth, we choose not to accept and do our own thing instead. As a result we cause ourselves a lot of grief and pain.

2006-06-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

Acts 13

Today I want to comment on Acts 13. In particular, I would like to reflect on the reaction of the Jews when Paul and Barnabas came to speak to them. Acts 13:44 states that the Jews were jealous of Paul and began speaking abusively against what he is saying. Paul came to deliver the Good News to the Jews and when they chose not to accept it, he delivered it to the Gentiles. The Jews then becam jealous because he had so many people gathered around to hear what he was testifying.

In some ways we can be jealous just like the Jews were. Although someone may have good intentions for us, we get so overwhelmed with jealousy that we cannot see the "good news" that someone may have for us.

God help me not be jealous of any man. Instead help me to listen and be open to what he may have to say to me and recieve the knowledge that they may present. Amen.

2006-06-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

2 Samuel

I have a question for anyone out there that can provide insight to me. As I read along with 2 Samuel, this book seems to mainly reference King David. I participated in a Bible Study class at church which gave us the story of the Old Testament.
I remember reading about David as one of the Figures in the Bible and the Era was the Kingdom Era...so is the book of 2 Samuel associated with the Kingdom era?

Also, the storyline was summarized for us which stated: "David, the greatetst King in the new monarcy is followed by a succession of mostly unrighteous kings, and God eventually judges Israel for her sin, sending her into exile."

Is this the same David in the book of 2 Samuel that they are referring to. Because David doesn't seem that "great" to me. There is a lot of wrong doing during his rule. If anyone can shed any light on this I would truly appreciate it.

2006-06-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

Reflection on Proverbs 14:29
A patient man has great understanding, but a quick tempered man displays folly.

This Proverb really hits home with me. This is something that I struggle with. I pray for patience almost everyday. It seems like I always want things done right now and right away. Sometimes I even act and speak prematurely about a situation. It's not until AFTERWARDS, that I realize that I acted tooo hastily or that I spoke too harshly. I want to learn to hold my tongue and be patient in the eyes of the Lord. I want to be able to be patient enough to let things come to me.

A lot of times I may speak on a subject or do something in haste and then later on when I reflect on it, I realize how silly I was. And then I really feel uncomfortable or embarrassed by my actions. So if I practice a little more patience in my actions and with my words, then I will have time to reflect before I act or speak. I am really going to take this proverbs to heart.

2006-06-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

2Samuel 16-19

2006-06-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

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