Friends with Unbelievers

Verses that inspired this entry :Acts 26:17-18


   Yesterday I wrote about my brothers in Christ Jesus.
    Today I am writing about being friends with Unbelievers. I know the Bible has much to say about being friends with unbelievers, but I have to start somewhere. So allow me to being on a personal level.
  First, let me pose a question. Do I turn my back on those who don't believe in God? I say no. Jesus never turned his back on me, so why should I? I have two good friends who are atheists. Some would say to run far away from them and that you can't be friends with such people. Once again, I point to Jesus who was and is friends of sinners. We are all sinners. All of us. Those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior and have ask for forgiveness for their sins are referred to as born again.
I am called to be a light to a world in darkness. I am not perfect, but I do my best to be an example of Christ to my two unbelieving friends. I am called to pray for them daily and love them unconditionally just as Jesus loves me.
  What about the people I don't love? Or those that I have a difficult time of showing the love of Jesus to?
                                                             To Be Continued....

Brothers in Christ

Book that inspired this entry:Philemon


    I am blessed with many brothers in Christ. The list is too many to name. God uses these men to strengthen my walk with God on a daily basis, their love for Jesus inspiring me to seek Jesus more and more everyday. when I get off track, my brothers in Christ help guide me back on the straight and narrow path.
   The good Lord knows that I can be stubborn to my brothers viewpoints. These men are patient with me just as Jesus is patient with me every second of the day. Along with patience, my brothers provide  me with kindness and understanding. They get what I deal with on a daily basis and I do my best to give back to each of them in return. Once again, God has blessed me with tremendous Men who hold me accountable and I thank and praise the Lord for them. They know who they are so there is no need to list them by name. May God bless them all.
 

Thankful in suffering?

Scripture referenced or inspired for this writing:
Psalm 95:1,Matthew 5:12,Acts 5:41,1Peter 4:13,16

How often do I thank God for anything that he has done for me?
How often do I thank God for answering my prayers?
How often do I thank God for sending his son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins?
How often do I thank God for the suffering that I go through on a daily basis? I bet that last question was an unexpected one. Should I really thank God for suffering? Yes. Want proof? Let's look at The Bible for the truth.
  In 1 Peter 4:16, Peter says "if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name." In 1 Peter 4:12-19, Peter talks about persecution for being a Christian. He's thanking God when he comes under fire for believing in Jesus Christ. In Acts 5:33-42, the Apostles were flogged for proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ and were soon released, ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus.(Acts 5:40)
 Verse 41 says "The Apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name." So yes, even when suffering, I am to praise God. I will rejoice and be glad and thank God for all that he has done for me and all the suffering I have gone through for the cause of Christ because it makes me a stronger person in Jesus.
  That's not to say that I will never wine or complain when things are bad. I am a sinner who happens to be born again in Christ Jesus, living in a fallen world that chooses darkness instead of the light of Christ. When I start to complain, I must remember all the blessings of God. That is when the pain becomes bearable.


 

A Commitment for November

  Last week, I was challenged by a fellow writer to enter a writing challenge that would have me writing every day for the month of November. If you know me, I will accept  just about any challenge put in front of me. Whether you think this is foolish on my part remains to be seen. I accepted the challenge with no idea in mind to write about. Today, with God's guidance, I have found the forum to write about. This here blog, which I seldom ever post anything. I have challenged myself to read my Bible every single day for the month of November without fail and then blog about what God reveals to me. I hope that you will check back every day and see what God has inspired me to blog about. I hope and pray that what I write will glorify God and inspire someone out there to seek God and change his or her life for the better.
  Consider this entry as my first entry for the month of November and at least twenty nine more to go.
The goal, at least for this month, is to write every day. I like to set my goals high, so why not write about my relationship with Jesus Christ and what is revealed to me through God's Holy Word.

Giving up everything for Jesus?

       In Luke 18, starting at verse 18, a young man comes to Jesus asking "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"(v.18) Jesus tells him to "sell everything he has and give to the poor and you will have treasure in Heaven. Then come, follow me."(v.22) But the you man could not do what Jesus asked of him "because he was a man of great wealth".(v.23)
      The question I have for you (and myself) today is this-Can you give up everything you have to follow Jesus? Can I give up all I have to follow Jesus? Give up my house? My family? My car? Cellphone? All the possession I have to follow Jesus? Yes, because I know that in return, Jesus will give to me far greater things than I'm already blessed with-a relationship with him, right here, right now and with in him in Heaven, for eternity.
 I end with some more wisdom from Jesus in verses 29 and 30. "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them,"no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."

On my own? or by the Spirit's leading?

    I know that God has blessed me with the gift of writing, and yet I do not use it to my full potential.
    I think that might be considered a sin, not 100% sure about that.
    When it comes to writing, I find myself paralyzed by fear. I know that's a sin.
     I am to fear God, not anyone or anything outside of him.
     There are two types of fear. The fear of God and unholy fear. I give way more attention to unholy fear and that I know is a sin. I pray that God will take this fear away from me and leave me only with the fear and reverence of God.
   I must let the words flow. My inspiration comes from the Holy Spirit. Words do not come by me alone. They come from Jesus, who lives in me. Some reading this might think this is a crock of crayons. Like Philippians 4:13 says, I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
 When I do things on my own, they fall apart. I know that if I seek the Lord in all I do, that he will lead me in the right direction.

Questions II: Amazed by God?

Mark 2:12(NIV)-He got up(the paralyzed man), took his mat and walked out in full view of them all.
This amazed everyone  and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

When was the last time that you were truly amazed at something God did?
Or, are you not amazed at all, because you don't believe in God?


I believe that God is the creator of everything good. With man, everything is flawed. Everything that man has touched is flawed.

So I ask again-when was the last time you were amazed at God's handy work?