by Diego D.
A child can be born to most men on this planet. However, not all men who have children are fathers. A father must always love, discipline and protect his children.
A father always loves his children. In the good and bad times, during those mountain top experiences and even during times of great disappointments.
A father must be ready to discipline children. With wisdom, encouragement and grace they must do this. During most times, discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but by doing this, he will soon see the fruits of his work. A child that does not receive discipline brings hardship and pain to their family.
A father must protect his children, he must protect what was entrusted to his care, doing the right thing at the right time, putting himself on the line whenever needed. Protecting his children sometimes involves assuming the hurt, knowing their needs, and in some cases, even dying in their places. A father is always ready to jump in front of a bullet for his children. This statement leads me to the story of a father who had an unmeasurable amount of love for all of his kids. He was committed to do anything for them. Day and night he rejoiced to see his children learn, grow and prosper. From the first day of kindergarten, to their college graduation, he was there for them, he was committed to love and protect them everyday of their lives. He had great plans for them, plans to prosper them, to give them hope and a future.
One day, one of his children disappointed him greatly. Because of his many mistakes and bad choices, the man's youngest child was now face to face with death. After a series of events, he was held by criminals requiring ransom money in order to preserve his life. His father knew they would never be able to come up with the money required in exchange for his child's freedom by the end of that day. Acting out of love, feeling the urge to protect his child right away, without taking any chances, this father negotiated a deal to place himself into the enemies hand in exchange for his son's freedom. As the ordeal unfolded, the hostage exchange was successful, and the young man's life was redeemed. Sadly, even under the supervision of the authorities and the careful planing to resolve the situation at hand, the brave father was murdered. As for his son, he was given a new beginning, a new chance to start again; all of this, at the cost of his father's life.
In the end, the father's love preserved his child's life, dad paid the ultimate price for his son's mistakes. Ultimately, what came to represent a tremendously sad day for that family and all who came to learn about this bittersweet act of love, also became a great lesson of altruism. For many years, the story continued to be told by many generations inside of that family, and by those who came to learn about it. Eventually, this story faded away and it became some sort of a tale inside that family's legacy. Although some people may have forgotten, it does not change the fact that this one act of unconditional love gave life to one young man and to those he came to father.
Having a child is not very hard.
A child can be born to most men on this planet.
However, a Father is ready to lay down his own life for his children.
Bottom Line
In a much similar but bigger and greater way than this little fiction I have put together, Jesus laid down His life for us and paid the ultimate price for our sins. He willingly died for us, laying down His life as our ransom. He did this to pay for our souls and deliver us from where we were once heading. He gives us the choice, the opportunity of eternal life in Heaven! "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 Can you truly say you know all about what this man did for you? What do you know about Him? Not making a decision for Jesus is making a decison about Jesus. Don't let your opinion about "Religion" keep you from having a relationship with God. Do not let your decision about Jesus be impacted by your lack of knowledge about Him. Do not let your false concepts, lifestyle and influences keep you from knowing him at a personal level. In Thessalonians Chapter 5, verse 21 the Bible tells us - "Test all things; hold fast what is good."
Know for yourself what a great Father He is an the amazing love He has to offer.
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
But I am a "Good Person"!?
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
Good person or bad person, all must be saved.
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:13
Is He your Father?
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name." John 1:12
"All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God." John 4:15
Thoughts…
After recently talking to a few people on the streets, I found out that many believe in God, but still they do not seem to be interested in learning about Him. They are either too busy with life, or they just don't care. It is amazing that a person is willing to gamble their eternity because they do not "care" or "don't believe" in something that they have this whole opinion about and yet they haven't even tested it for themselves. Faith and love for God is something that has been sadly overtaken buy the temporary pleasures of this world. As one of my friends at church recently said, "The world is ripping us off." Yes, sinning feels good and it may be fun, it brings joy and pleasure - temporary, joy and pleasure.
Too many ruin their lives because they are slaves to sin, slaves to things that control them. Depression, loneliness and emptiness, these are all side effects of self sufficient living. Yet, somehow this so called "book of rules", inspired and approved by God, can supernaturally set us free from all these things. The Bible is not a book of rules but a book of freedom. By the power of the the Gospel, we are no longer slaves to things that once controlled our lives, our behavior changes, our lifestyle changes. We are no longer prisoners to sin, we are set free! Have you ever seen a prisoner after serving his/her sentence running around on their orange jump suit? When we are truly in love with God, we want to jump out of our prisoner clothes and tell the whole world about Him! We christians are often looked at as fanatics, but it is very interesting to me how when we see people crying on TV over their "fanatic" love for some celebrity, the action seems to be more normal than seeing someone in love with The Creator of the universe.
Final words...
Do not conform to your time in this world, which is ripping you off from the gift of God. A world that is lost and full of false and temporary riches. Invest your time, faith and energy in something that is real and will last you an eternity. Be transformed by the living God who waits patiently for you to turn to Him, all because He loves you. Or you can just say it's all made up and reject the gift of God and ignore the one who has died for you. After all, we all have free will. But if you do believe in God, It's time to get serious about what you believe in, because person cannot just "believe" in God. The devil believes in God, does that save him? You're either in or you're out, there is no half truths. You're either hot or you're cold, there is no lukewarm. We are imperfect, defective people who need Jesus, the son of God. Only he can make us perfect in His eyes. One thing is for sure, we will all die one day and be face to face with our Maker, The Judge, The King of Kings, our Creator. It is time to restore our relationship with our Father! Remember, a Father is ready to lay down his own life for his children, have you accepted his offer? Please take this moment to and reflect upon all you have read.
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." Mark 12:30
God Bless,
Diego <><
If after reading this post , you have committed your life to Jesus for the first time or have recommitted your life to Him, please e-mail us at hopewriters@gmail.com, we would love to hear from you and be encourage by your story.
Stand Firm
by FIONA L.
SHARING FROM "Streams in the Desert by L. B. Cowman"
Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.
Exodus 14:13
This verse contains God’s command to me as a believer for those times when I am confronted with dire circumstances and extraordinary difficulties. What am I to do when I cannot retreat or go forward and my way is blocked to the right and to the left?
The Master’s word to me is, “Stand firm.” And the best thing I can do at these times is to listen only to my Master’s word, for others will come to me with their suggestions and evil advice. Despair will come, whispering, “Give up - lie down and die.” But even in the worst of times, God would have me be cheerful and courageous, rejoicing in His love and faithfulness.
Cowardice will come and say, “You must retreat to the world’s ways of acting. It is too difficult for you to continue living the part of a Christian. Abandon your principles”. Yet no matter how much Satan may pressure me to follow his course, I cannot, for I am a child of God. The Lord’s divine decree has commanded me to go from “strength to strength” (Psalm 84:7). Therefore I will, and neither death nor hell will turn me from my course. And if for a season He calls me to “stand firm,” I will acknowledge it as time to renew my strength for greater strides in the future.
Impatience will come, crying, “Get up and do something! To ‘stand firm’ and wait is sheer idleness”. Why is it I think I must be doing something right now instead of looking to the Lord? He will not only do something - He will do everything.
Arrogance will come, boasting, “If the sea is blocking your way, march right into it and expect a miracle.” Yet true faith never listens to arrogance, impatience, cowardice. or despair but only hears God saying, “Stand firm.” And then it stands as immovable as a rock.
“Stand firm.” I must maintain the posture of one who stands, ready for action, expecting further orders, and cheerfully and patiently awaiting the Director’s voice. It will not be long until God will say to me, as distinctly as He told Moses to tell the children of Israel, “Move on” ( Exodus 14:15).
Charles H. Spurgeon
Be quiet! Why this anxious heed
About your tangled ways?
God knows them all. He gives you speed
And he allows delays.
It’s good for you to walk by faith
And not by sight.
Take it on trust a little while.
Soon will you read the mystery aright
In the full sunshine of His smile.
In times of uncertainty - wait. If you have any doubt - wait, never forcing yourself into action. If you sense any restraint in your spirit, do not go against it - wait until the way is clear.
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Please feel free to share your entry with us as Fiona did this week. To share what you have to say send us an e-mail to hopewriters@gmail.com for more information and details about writing your entry please visit the following link http://hopewriters.blogspot.com/2010/01/welcome-let-us-share-and-encourage-one.htmlv
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SHARING FROM "Streams in the Desert by L. B. Cowman"
Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. Exodus 14:13
This verse contains God’s command to me as a believer for those times when I am confronted with dire circumstances and extraordinary difficulties. What am I to do when I cannot retreat or go forward and my way is blocked to the right and to the left?
The Master’s word to me is, “Stand firm.” And the best thing I can do at these times is to listen only to my Master’s word, for others will come to me with their suggestions and evil advice. Despair will come, whispering, “Give up - lie down and die.” But even in the worst of times, God would have me be cheerful and courageous, rejoicing in His love and faithfulness.
Cowardice will come and say, “You must retreat to the world’s ways of acting. It is too difficult for you to continue living the part of a Christian. Abandon your principles”. Yet no matter how much Satan may pressure me to follow his course, I cannot, for I am a child of God. The Lord’s divine decree has commanded me to go from “strength to strength” (Psalm 84:7). Therefore I will, and neither death nor hell will turn me from my course. And if for a season He calls me to “stand firm,” I will acknowledge it as time to renew my strength for greater strides in the future.
Impatience will come, crying, “Get up and do something! To ‘stand firm’ and wait is sheer idleness”. Why is it I think I must be doing something right now instead of looking to the Lord? He will not only do something - He will do everything.
Arrogance will come, boasting, “If the sea is blocking your way, march right into it and expect a miracle.” Yet true faith never listens to arrogance, impatience, cowardice. or despair but only hears God saying, “Stand firm.” And then it stands as immovable as a rock.
“Stand firm.” I must maintain the posture of one who stands, ready for action, expecting further orders, and cheerfully and patiently awaiting the Director’s voice. It will not be long until God will say to me, as distinctly as He told Moses to tell the children of Israel, “Move on” ( Exodus 14:15).
Charles H. Spurgeon
Be quiet! Why this anxious heed
About your tangled ways?
God knows them all. He gives you speed
And he allows delays.
It’s good for you to walk by faith
And not by sight.
Take it on trust a little while.
Soon will you read the mystery aright
In the full sunshine of His smile.
In times of uncertainty - wait. If you have any doubt - wait, never forcing yourself into action. If you sense any restraint in your spirit, do not go against it - wait until the way is clear.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Please feel free to share your entry with us as Fiona did this week. To share what you have to say send us an e-mail to hopewriters@gmail.com for more information and details about writing your entry please visit the following link http://hopewriters.blogspot.com/2010/01/welcome-let-us-share-and-encourage-one.htmlv
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Honest Sharing
by Diego D.
Do you ever feel lost? Day after day with zero motivation? Doing just enough to get through your day? Although you are thankful for all that God has given you, and for the people He has placed in your life, you can admit that sometimes you step back and watch others live their lives, while yours seems to have lost its colors. Your faith in God is what keeps you going, along with those moments with your family. The rest just seems bland.
I pretty much know what I'm supposed to do in times like these. Still I can't say I have successfully climbed that mountain. I pray about it so often that some days I just keep it to myself (As if I can do it on my own). It works for a few days before I feel myself shutting down and running back to recharge. Hoping to restart but ending up in standby mode again...
Since this might not apply to you right now, you might be a little critical or just not getting the point. However, I'm sure that you will relate at some point in your life, or maybe you've already been there. We all know that sometimes in life, there are such seasons and there could be many reasons for God to allow them to take place. However, you can't quite put your finger on that reason, and wish you can just flick that switch to make your light shine again.
"For My yoke is easy and burden is light." Matt. 11:30
Praying that God will show this verse real to me.
Diego <><
Do you ever feel lost? Day after day with zero motivation? Doing just enough to get through your day? Although you are thankful for all that God has given you, and for the people He has placed in your life, you can admit that sometimes you step back and watch others live their lives, while yours seems to have lost its colors. Your faith in God is what keeps you going, along with those moments with your family. The rest just seems bland.
I pretty much know what I'm supposed to do in times like these. Still I can't say I have successfully climbed that mountain. I pray about it so often that some days I just keep it to myself (As if I can do it on my own). It works for a few days before I feel myself shutting down and running back to recharge. Hoping to restart but ending up in standby mode again...
Since this might not apply to you right now, you might be a little critical or just not getting the point. However, I'm sure that you will relate at some point in your life, or maybe you've already been there. We all know that sometimes in life, there are such seasons and there could be many reasons for God to allow them to take place. However, you can't quite put your finger on that reason, and wish you can just flick that switch to make your light shine again.
"For My yoke is easy and burden is light." Matt. 11:30
Praying that God will show this verse real to me.
Diego <><
This I Pray
by Diego D.
Praise be to God, the One who created me inside my mother's womb and knew me before my birth, The Lamb of God, The great I AM. Praise be to Him! He is my fortress and my strength, the Rock of my Salvation, the beginning and the end. He is and was and is to come. Only He can move the mountains, calm the seas, bring the dead to life! He is the Lord of all eternity! The Creator of the universe!
I lift this generation to You Lord. You who became sin, to erase all my sins even though You have never sinned. For You are holy Lord and You have made me holy. You Lord, are the One who goes before me, the One who takes away all my worries and straightens my path. I am so glad that I know You, but most importantly that You know me. Come and live in our home Lord, come live in our hearts! We believe and witness Your wonders each and everyday. Let us not fall into temptation, be our daily bread, forgive our sins. Take control of our lives and protect us by the power of Your name. Do not let us conform to this world for it is not our home; guard us from the evil one and from the wickedness of this world.
Thank you Lord for I was blind and now I see! Thank You for You have shown me your ways, which are more precious than silver and gold. You have sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of me and I can feel Your light calling me to shine brighter in this world. Let nothing come between me and Your plan for me! I pray that you bring me the fire and the desire to further your kingdom and honor your name each and everyday. Thank You for the gift that has come upon our lives, let this young child of God bear Your fruit and become an honorable son of God. Help him honor his father and mother so that it might please You, and bring glory to Your name. I also thank You Lord for the person you have chosen for me to share my life with. Bless the road ahead of us and help us to be in Your will. Lord I thank you for all these things and I pray in the name of Jesus. Let the blind see, let the deaf hear, let the mute talk so that the whole world might know of Your wonders! Let Your Word be like a blazing fire in our hearts. Let us not become invalid from our sin, for You have come to set us free.
Glory be to You Father God who takes away the sin of the world. To God be the glory; let Him be known throughout the continents!
Amen.
Your son who loves you,
Diego <><
Praise be to God, the One who created me inside my mother's womb and knew me before my birth, The Lamb of God, The great I AM. Praise be to Him! He is my fortress and my strength, the Rock of my Salvation, the beginning and the end. He is and was and is to come. Only He can move the mountains, calm the seas, bring the dead to life! He is the Lord of all eternity! The Creator of the universe!
I lift this generation to You Lord. You who became sin, to erase all my sins even though You have never sinned. For You are holy Lord and You have made me holy. You Lord, are the One who goes before me, the One who takes away all my worries and straightens my path. I am so glad that I know You, but most importantly that You know me. Come and live in our home Lord, come live in our hearts! We believe and witness Your wonders each and everyday. Let us not fall into temptation, be our daily bread, forgive our sins. Take control of our lives and protect us by the power of Your name. Do not let us conform to this world for it is not our home; guard us from the evil one and from the wickedness of this world.
Thank you Lord for I was blind and now I see! Thank You for You have shown me your ways, which are more precious than silver and gold. You have sent the Holy Spirit to live inside of me and I can feel Your light calling me to shine brighter in this world. Let nothing come between me and Your plan for me! I pray that you bring me the fire and the desire to further your kingdom and honor your name each and everyday. Thank You for the gift that has come upon our lives, let this young child of God bear Your fruit and become an honorable son of God. Help him honor his father and mother so that it might please You, and bring glory to Your name. I also thank You Lord for the person you have chosen for me to share my life with. Bless the road ahead of us and help us to be in Your will. Lord I thank you for all these things and I pray in the name of Jesus. Let the blind see, let the deaf hear, let the mute talk so that the whole world might know of Your wonders! Let Your Word be like a blazing fire in our hearts. Let us not become invalid from our sin, for You have come to set us free.Glory be to You Father God who takes away the sin of the world. To God be the glory; let Him be known throughout the continents!
Amen.
Your son who loves you,
Diego <><
Let The Waters Rise
by Lauren DeAssis
Mikes Chair
"Let The Waters Rise"
Don't know where to begin
Its like my world's caving in
And I try but I can't control my fear
Where do I go from here?
Sometimes its so hard to pray
When You feel so far away
But I am willing to go
Where you want me to
God, I trust You
There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will swim in the deep
'Cuz You'll be next to me
You're in the eye of the storm
And the calm of the sea
You'll never out of reach
God, You know where I've been
You were there with me then
You were faithful before
You'll be faithful again
I'm holding Your hand
There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You
God Your love is enough
You will pull me through
I'm holding onto You
God Your love is enough
I will follow You
I will follow You
"Sometimes it's so hard to pray, when you feel so far away"
Wow. Have you ever felt that way? I know I have. This song pretty much embodies what I feel like during those times when I feel like God is not listening, He doesn't care, or He has forgotten about me. Of course we know that God is NEVER far away. It is us who put the distance between ourselves and Him, not the other way around.
I think what I love most about this song is that it basically says that even though I can't feel you God, can't hear you God, can't see you God, I know that "Your love is enough, it will pull me through." His love is ENOUGH. His. Love. Is. Enough. It really is. We know that He loves us, and we know that we can hold on to His promise that he WILL pull us through. "I will follow You....I will follow You..." No matter what, I will follow Him, and He (alone!) WILL pull me through.
Same goes for you. Put your trust in Him, no matter the raging seas that are in front of you, no matter how high the waters rise, you won't drown. He's holding your hand.
Holding His hand,
Lauren
Mikes Chair
"Let The Waters Rise"
Don't know where to begin
Its like my world's caving in
And I try but I can't control my fear
Where do I go from here?
Sometimes its so hard to pray
When You feel so far away
But I am willing to go
Where you want me to
God, I trust You
There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will swim in the deep
'Cuz You'll be next to me
You're in the eye of the storm
And the calm of the sea
You'll never out of reach
God, You know where I've been
You were there with me then
You were faithful before
You'll be faithful again
I'm holding Your hand
There's a raging sea
Right in front of me
Wants to pull me in
Bring me to my knees
So let the waters rise
If You want them to
I will follow You
I will follow You
I will follow You
God Your love is enough
You will pull me through
I'm holding onto You
God Your love is enough
I will follow You
I will follow You
"Sometimes it's so hard to pray, when you feel so far away"
Wow. Have you ever felt that way? I know I have. This song pretty much embodies what I feel like during those times when I feel like God is not listening, He doesn't care, or He has forgotten about me. Of course we know that God is NEVER far away. It is us who put the distance between ourselves and Him, not the other way around.
I think what I love most about this song is that it basically says that even though I can't feel you God, can't hear you God, can't see you God, I know that "Your love is enough, it will pull me through." His love is ENOUGH. His. Love. Is. Enough. It really is. We know that He loves us, and we know that we can hold on to His promise that he WILL pull us through. "I will follow You....I will follow You..." No matter what, I will follow Him, and He (alone!) WILL pull me through.
Same goes for you. Put your trust in Him, no matter the raging seas that are in front of you, no matter how high the waters rise, you won't drown. He's holding your hand.
Holding His hand,
Lauren
Leading By Example
Growing up in Brazil my family always brought me to church. Sometimes by walking there, sometimes by driving me or by my ear. Like it or not I was there, and today I thank them for that. One verse I always used to hear from my grandmother was
Alegrei-me quando me disseram: Vamos à Casa do SENHOR! Salmos 122:1
I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD." Psalm 122:1
and that is a verse I will never forget. I wasn't always the best kid to my parents as a teenager. My grandparents were such an example to me growing up. If you knew them you could just see God's light in their lives. We (Dad, Mom n' Brother) lived in a house built above theirs for most of my childhood and when I was around 11 we left Rio de Janeiro and moved to NJ. Then I was without my grandfather calling me to the side and whipping out Bible verses on me whenever he heard me misbehave upstairs. I know that if he was with us in NJ he would let me know what the Bible had to say about what I was doing wrong. Without that, I definitely gave my parents a run for their parenthood. (whatever that means lol)
Like most teenagers there was a time of the usual rebellious behavior in my life. That is when God worked my grandfather back into our lives in NJ five thousand miles away from his home in Rio. Once again, when I needed it, he would always call me aside and tell me what the Bible had to say about a situation where I misbehaved and why it wasn't pleasing to God. I often didn't want to hear it, but I knew he was right so I always listened, sometimes for 30+ minutes. I didn't realize it then, but looking back I see that God had placed him in my life to guide me on the right path during the most crucial time of my teenage years.
Alegrei-me quando me disseram: Vamos à Casa do SENHOR! Salmos 122:1
I rejoiced with those who said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD." Psalm 122:1
and that is a verse I will never forget. I wasn't always the best kid to my parents as a teenager. My grandparents were such an example to me growing up. If you knew them you could just see God's light in their lives. We (Dad, Mom n' Brother) lived in a house built above theirs for most of my childhood and when I was around 11 we left Rio de Janeiro and moved to NJ. Then I was without my grandfather calling me to the side and whipping out Bible verses on me whenever he heard me misbehave upstairs. I know that if he was with us in NJ he would let me know what the Bible had to say about what I was doing wrong. Without that, I definitely gave my parents a run for their parenthood. (whatever that means lol)
Like most teenagers there was a time of the usual rebellious behavior in my life. That is when God worked my grandfather back into our lives in NJ five thousand miles away from his home in Rio. Once again, when I needed it, he would always call me aside and tell me what the Bible had to say about a situation where I misbehaved and why it wasn't pleasing to God. I often didn't want to hear it, but I knew he was right so I always listened, sometimes for 30+ minutes. I didn't realize it then, but looking back I see that God had placed him in my life to guide me on the right path during the most crucial time of my teenage years.
Another lesson I learned from him was to pray about everything and be faithful to God at all times. I can still remember many nights where I would see him on his knees by his bed before I went to bed, during the night and when I got up. That would often be the picture of him throughout the day as well, reading and praying, seeking God for everything. His knees would often "shed" as they were calloused from praying so much. The Bible shows us that Jesus knelt in prayer to God in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:41), as did his disciples. It is a sign of humility and respect before God. Now it is very clear to me why my grandfather did so.
I hope that today you can recognize the person in your life that is an example to you, and I pray that God would help you hear what He's trying to say through them. My grandfather still influences me to this day, even though he went home to be with the Lord a few years ago. As Christians, we should always leave a godly impression in each other's lives, as my grandfather did in mine, and also be sure to listen to the advice given by God through others.
I hope that today you can recognize the person in your life that is an example to you, and I pray that God would help you hear what He's trying to say through them. My grandfather still influences me to this day, even though he went home to be with the Lord a few years ago. As Christians, we should always leave a godly impression in each other's lives, as my grandfather did in mine, and also be sure to listen to the advice given by God through others.
"KEEP LOOKING UP - JESUS IS COMING BACK!"- Sooner than you think!
God Bless!
Diego <><
Diego <><
Respect Honor Glory
Give to the LORD the glory due His name;
Bring an offering, and come before Him.
Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!
1 Chronicles 16:29
One of the joys of being a christian is knowing that God has prepared a place for us (John 14:2) and that one day we will be in heaven with Him for all eternity long, which is an incomprehensible overwhelming amount of time to think about! But that should never be our only motivation when following Jesus. We should honor and obey Him for who He is, giving Him all the respect, honor and glory due to Him and not just because of his promises and benefits.
It is easy to forget the rules when mom and dad aren't home or when your boss is not around because as men most of us have the habit of not doing what we should be doing when an authority figure is not physically present. And when they are present we often do the right things motivated by selfish reasons - to impress them, be rewarded or maybe trying to be someone you're not to please them. That is exactly what we tend to do with God sometimes. Even though we can't see Him in person we have to be reminded that He is omnipresent and knows and sees all things. He knows who we really are behind closed doors, in our thoughts and in our hearts, there is no hiding from Him. As His children we should always give Him all the respect, honor and glory due to His name, look at what He says in this verse:
"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty..." Malachi 1:6
One more thing, so many times we find ourselves praying, singing, saying... "Give Him all the respect, honor and glory" that sometimes we forget what it really means. So instead of me telling you what it means because I often don't do these things myself, instead of you hearing someone telling you what it means why don't you really think about it and do the research, use your bible search for keywords, go before Him in prayer and ask Him to open your eyes so you can fully understand it and put it into practice.
He has equipped us with our bibles and the Holy Spirit though Him all things are possible, and yes there will be hard times, sometimes you won't fit in or be liked because of your faith. Be glad because you are doing it all for Him! The bible tells us in Romans 5:3 to rejoice in our sufferings - easy to say right? But He doesn't expect us to do it on our own He says to cast all your worries upon Him. If your life is hard and you are facing tribulations, persecution or whatever it might be while you are giving him all the respect, honor and glory don't be weakened! He told us this would happen and that is why we should cling to Him at all times, He sees us through it all He is God!
So again, ask yourselves this question:
What does it mean to give Him all the respect, honor and glory?
Let us know!
Comments and e-mails are much appreciated =)
God Bless!
Diego <><
Bring an offering, and come before Him.
Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!
1 Chronicles 16:29
One of the joys of being a christian is knowing that God has prepared a place for us (John 14:2) and that one day we will be in heaven with Him for all eternity long, which is an incomprehensible overwhelming amount of time to think about! But that should never be our only motivation when following Jesus. We should honor and obey Him for who He is, giving Him all the respect, honor and glory due to Him and not just because of his promises and benefits.
It is easy to forget the rules when mom and dad aren't home or when your boss is not around because as men most of us have the habit of not doing what we should be doing when an authority figure is not physically present. And when they are present we often do the right things motivated by selfish reasons - to impress them, be rewarded or maybe trying to be someone you're not to please them. That is exactly what we tend to do with God sometimes. Even though we can't see Him in person we have to be reminded that He is omnipresent and knows and sees all things. He knows who we really are behind closed doors, in our thoughts and in our hearts, there is no hiding from Him. As His children we should always give Him all the respect, honor and glory due to His name, look at what He says in this verse:
"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty..." Malachi 1:6
One more thing, so many times we find ourselves praying, singing, saying... "Give Him all the respect, honor and glory" that sometimes we forget what it really means. So instead of me telling you what it means because I often don't do these things myself, instead of you hearing someone telling you what it means why don't you really think about it and do the research, use your bible search for keywords, go before Him in prayer and ask Him to open your eyes so you can fully understand it and put it into practice.
He has equipped us with our bibles and the Holy Spirit though Him all things are possible, and yes there will be hard times, sometimes you won't fit in or be liked because of your faith. Be glad because you are doing it all for Him! The bible tells us in Romans 5:3 to rejoice in our sufferings - easy to say right? But He doesn't expect us to do it on our own He says to cast all your worries upon Him. If your life is hard and you are facing tribulations, persecution or whatever it might be while you are giving him all the respect, honor and glory don't be weakened! He told us this would happen and that is why we should cling to Him at all times, He sees us through it all He is God!
So again, ask yourselves this question:
What does it mean to give Him all the respect, honor and glory?
Let us know!
Comments and e-mails are much appreciated =)
God Bless!
Diego <><
Trusting
"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who
sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over
from death to life." John 5:24
You have crossed over to life. Now what?
A big part of our lives as believers of God's word is trusting Him. In the bible God tells us numerous times to trust in Him and we see the outcome of that throughout the bible. As man (humans) it is our nature to try to take care of everything and do what we think is right before our own eyes at the moment. I would be the first to tell you that even though I know that I know that God takes care of everything if we just trust Him, I find myself struggling in this area.
"It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man."
Psalm 118:8
Trusting in "man" can also be applied as trusting yourself by trying to do it all on your own and trying to manipulate a situation based on your own understanding and not God's knowledge. "It's ok I got this." - Sometimes without knowing it that is what we are telling God.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5
Let this be a reminder to myself and you guys that whenever you are faced with a hard situation or decision just know that in the end you can be sure that God will work everything out. Trust Him.
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me"
John 14:1
I would appreciate any input or other verses that would encourage us on this topic =)
God Bless,
Diego <><
sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over
from death to life." John 5:24
You have crossed over to life. Now what?
A big part of our lives as believers of God's word is trusting Him. In the bible God tells us numerous times to trust in Him and we see the outcome of that throughout the bible. As man (humans) it is our nature to try to take care of everything and do what we think is right before our own eyes at the moment. I would be the first to tell you that even though I know that I know that God takes care of everything if we just trust Him, I find myself struggling in this area.
"It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man."
Psalm 118:8
Trusting in "man" can also be applied as trusting yourself by trying to do it all on your own and trying to manipulate a situation based on your own understanding and not God's knowledge. "It's ok I got this." - Sometimes without knowing it that is what we are telling God.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5
Let this be a reminder to myself and you guys that whenever you are faced with a hard situation or decision just know that in the end you can be sure that God will work everything out. Trust Him.
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me"
John 14:1
I would appreciate any input or other verses that would encourage us on this topic =)
God Bless,
Diego <><
Welcome! Let's share and encourage one another =)
Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:22-23
Hello guys, this is Diego writing the first blog to what I pray will be a place for us to draw near to God and each other with a true heart and share our faith as we live day by day in the Word. All this to encourage one another!
So, I was sitting on the computer last Saturday listening to worship music feeling so encouraged by it. Then I realized that most times while we're at church, a retreat or talking to another christian we have that feeling of "This is it! I will change my ways and I'll keep the fire going and read my bible everyday, follow God with all my heart and give Him my best, etc..." Only to be disappointed weeks or even a few days later after we go on with our lives facing daily challenges amongst other things realizing we didn't follow through.
On a good note to keep that fire going we always have our bibles for guidance, our Lord to trust and cast all our fears and troubles upon and one another to talk to. Now with another tool called technology we often spend quite some time online sharing e-mails and messages with each other but they don't really get posted to the public and often get forgotten about in our inbox. So here we have this blog, another tool to share our lives and testimonies with other believers through writing, commenting, reading, praying, and all of this will stay posted on the web for us and others to visit anytime.
How will it work?
To start I will probably be sharing some things with you guys blogging once or twice a week since we might not have a big audience in the beginning or maybe no audience at all, but lets be positive here lol. Jokes aside I do believe God has put this on my heart and I encourage you guys to share! And whenever you feel encouraged to write a blog post please send me an e-mail to hopewriters@gmail.com and I will make your e-mail a blog entry to be shared with others (the world wide web) - Maybe you don't have the time to write one - You can still share anything from prayer requests to praise request! EVERYONE IS WELCOME! LET US KNOW YOU ARE THERE!!! =)
Our official e-mail is hopewriters@gmail.com please shoot us an e-mail to join our mailing list so you can be notified about new posts and also if you feel encouraged to share anything, as I mentioned before.
You can also post your comment right here on the bottom of this post by clicking the comment link =) and if you have a Blogger account feel free to follow us.
Please pray that God will help this blog to grow and reach out to many lives. I am now waiting on you guys to send some entries, come on guys I know you're outhere don't leave me hanging let's get the fire going!
"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Hebrews 3:13
God Bless!
Diego <><
Hello guys, this is Diego writing the first blog to what I pray will be a place for us to draw near to God and each other with a true heart and share our faith as we live day by day in the Word. All this to encourage one another!
So, I was sitting on the computer last Saturday listening to worship music feeling so encouraged by it. Then I realized that most times while we're at church, a retreat or talking to another christian we have that feeling of "This is it! I will change my ways and I'll keep the fire going and read my bible everyday, follow God with all my heart and give Him my best, etc..." Only to be disappointed weeks or even a few days later after we go on with our lives facing daily challenges amongst other things realizing we didn't follow through.
On a good note to keep that fire going we always have our bibles for guidance, our Lord to trust and cast all our fears and troubles upon and one another to talk to. Now with another tool called technology we often spend quite some time online sharing e-mails and messages with each other but they don't really get posted to the public and often get forgotten about in our inbox. So here we have this blog, another tool to share our lives and testimonies with other believers through writing, commenting, reading, praying, and all of this will stay posted on the web for us and others to visit anytime.
How will it work?
To start I will probably be sharing some things with you guys blogging once or twice a week since we might not have a big audience in the beginning or maybe no audience at all, but lets be positive here lol. Jokes aside I do believe God has put this on my heart and I encourage you guys to share! And whenever you feel encouraged to write a blog post please send me an e-mail to hopewriters@gmail.com and I will make your e-mail a blog entry to be shared with others (the world wide web) - Maybe you don't have the time to write one - You can still share anything from prayer requests to praise request! EVERYONE IS WELCOME! LET US KNOW YOU ARE THERE!!! =)
Our official e-mail is hopewriters@gmail.com please shoot us an e-mail to join our mailing list so you can be notified about new posts and also if you feel encouraged to share anything, as I mentioned before.
You can also post your comment right here on the bottom of this post by clicking the comment link =) and if you have a Blogger account feel free to follow us.
Please pray that God will help this blog to grow and reach out to many lives. I am now waiting on you guys to send some entries, come on guys I know you're outhere don't leave me hanging let's get the fire going!
"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Hebrews 3:13
God Bless!
Diego <><
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