Take a stand for.. the solution to New Year's resolutions!

Take a stand for.. the solution to New Year's resolutions!

New Year's Day had no religious significance, it's just another day on the calender. It's a new year, filled with promises and resolutions to be fulfilled. Resolutions in which we all know that most will not last. Statistic brain says that losing weight is the number one resolution that Americans make, statistics also say that it is the number one commonly broken new years resolution. Many resolutions are forgotten and broken, I'm sure you yourself can also name a few that you haven't been able to fulfill as a year ends or even the month of January ends. The common American resolutions are not typically spiritually aimed. 

The problem with resolutions
Much of the world looks at New Years Day and thinks of the new "beginnings" it can bring and its promises, the renewal, change, and some corrections to be made,  in hopes to lead a new, "better life". We make promises to our selves and break them from time to time. The answer to the problem of broken promises and all these unkept physical promises isn't to try harder. The answer is looking to our great promise keeping God, who always keeps his word.

God keeps His promises
God makes promises to his people and he always keeps them. God's biggest promise to his people was a promised savior. A savior would be wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities (our sins), who would bring peace, and by his wounds healing. Isaiah 53:5 This promise was fulfilled in Jesus.

Newness of life
The bible is filled with its own resolutions. When we are baptized we are given a newness of life. Romans 6:4 "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." Once we receive that "newness of life" through baptism, we are resolved to live it for God. This should become much more than a resolution, it should become your priority as a Christian.We are to "lay aside" our old ways as a Christian. James 1:21, "Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls".

So what is your goal for 2014?
Here's a suggestion. 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
Paul resolves to let nothing get in the way of telling people about Jesus. This would be an excellent spiritually fitted New Year's resolution. Tell everyone you know, your friends, your family, neighbors, anyone who will listen about Jesus. Our soul, along with theirs is at stake! This world is not our home and we are only here for such a short time compared to eternity. Don't let the treasures and lusts of the world block your pathway of getting to Heaven some great day. Do whatever you need to do to tell people that Jesus is the promised one of God, and that he died to save us from the punishment we deserve.

Solution to new year's resolutions
Let's make a great effort this year to make Gods plans our plans.
Here's some ideas..

• Transform to be more like Jesus. 2 Corinthians 3:18
• Serve one another in love. Galatians 5:1
• Humbly & Sincerely praise the Lord. Psalm 71:14, Psalm 89:1
• Look forward to going to every worship service. Hebrews 10:25, Psalm 26:8, Psalm 27:4
• Love your brothers & sisters. Romans 12:10, Hebrews 13:1, 1 Peter 1:22
• Diligent in bible study. Acts 17:11, 2 Timothy 2:15, 1 Peter 3:15
• Give gladly to the Lord without grudging or stinginess. Deuteronomy 15: 7-10, 2 Corinthians 9:7
• Pray often. Mark 14:38, Luke 18:1, Ephesians 6:18

I'm not saying it's wrong to want to get fit this year, to want to volunteer, to learn how to do something new. Do it!

I'm simply saying, God has and will always have a bigger agenda for us. His plans to transform our lives for the better, all we have to do is put Him first! What could be a better thing to look forward to in 2014?

I hope that you have made spiritual resolutions for 2014, because those are the one that will count. What better change to make than a change that will positively impact The kingdom? If you haven't made a spiritual resolution, it's not too late!

What's yours?

Take a stand for.. Praying & Gratitude & Communication

Take a stand for.. Praying & Gratitude & Communication

As an early birthday present, two things my boyfriend got me this year was a prayer journal and a Gratitude & Acts of Kindness book. Both of these are now added to my daily study tools I will be using, I love that he had got me these two things. The last thing I will be sharing is an idea I got from attending a youth day event.

The prayer journal quickly became very important to me. I view my prayer life as very necessary and important and this will help me gather all my thoughts together and pray on these things throughout the day. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing".
God has done so much for us that sometimes we overlook that He is the one that blesses our lives. This is why it is important we remember Him and all that He truly does for us, It is only appropriate to thank Him. I call it "prayer triggers". My prayer triggers are..

• When I wake up in the morning
• Before I go to bed
• Before eating
• Whenever I recognize a blessing in my life

What are some of yours?

Our life comes straight from Him! A Christian with a close relationship with Him will pray in the good times, as well as the bad times.

As Christians, through prayer we can receive mercy and grace to help in time of need. Through prayer we can find the peace t\hat guards our hearts and mind. Philippians 4:6-7

The second thing I got was a Gratitude & Acts of Kindness booklet. Both of these were from Books-a-million. I love using this, it really makes me see even more how much there is to be grateful for. Count your blessings! :) Giving thanks for a little and you will find a lot! In Colossians 3:15 Paul writes, "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." Being grateful and thankful causes us not to be prideful. 

Today, I am grateful for..

•  His example 1 Peter 2:21 and John 13:15
•  His leadership Ephesians 5:23 and Colossians 1:18
• His sacrifice John 10:17 and 1 John 3:16

This was given to me at a youth day I recently attended at Oceanside church of Christ, as well as the idea. The speaker had given each of us a small notebook and called it a "Jesus Journal". She told us that we could simply just open it up in the morning and write "Good morning Jesus." or write to Him before we go to bed. Finding time to talk to Jesus like this is such a great idea, we don't want Him to feel like we are ignoring Him. I'm writing in mine in the format of "Dear Jesus,..". 

Feel free to comment below and let me know if you do any of these things and how you enjoy it, or if there is anything you can share with me! I would love to know and hear back from you! :) 

Take a stand for... staying full in the Spirit!

Take a stand for... staying full in the Spirit!

Galatians 5:25 "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

We live in a world against us, but that is to be expected. Yet, we are to still live Godly lives and push towards that goal. So many people are one push away from losing their temper, one shove away from just snapping, and one smart remark away from just going off. This isn't the right attitude is it?

James 1:19 tell us, "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;"

Stay filled in the Spirit and live in it. If not, then it is our flesh that destroys our life and relationships. Just because you are a Christian, doesn't always mean you are staying filled up in the Spirit, it doesn't mean your trying daily to walk that straight and narrow path. You can not just simply be one way at Church and another way at school, work, etc. We are Gods children everywhere! Are you staying filled in the Spirit? You can not get full by reading a devotional. You can not get full by listening/singing to a worship song.
How can I get full?
You get full by rejoicing in the Lord and Who He is! (Philippians 4:4) You get full by living Godly! (Romans 12:1) You get full by reading His Word! (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

 Do decide to live pleasing to God. It will greatly benefit you! It has definitely benefited me through my new journey following Him. When you allow yourself to follow His commandments and stay full in the Spirit, then let me assure you that it is so easy to respond in love. When you know God, you will then know what true love is. God is love (1John 4:8). Live in His overflow! He's reaching out, run towards him and live in full Spirit! And please, whatever you do.. do not back away. Stay firm, do not be moved! (Psalm 16:8)
Rejoice in Him! Boast in Him! Glory in Him alone!
Don't push God out of your life, let Him guide you and bless you. You will become happier overall, I know I have.

Isaiah 50:7 "For the Lord God will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set my face like a Flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed."

I love this verse! Set your face like stone, determined to do His will! As Christians we are in a constant battle with the world and ourselves. Standing up for God puts you straight into the battle, right as if we had a spiritual target right on our backs. We are that one person that stands out in a full crowd. I used to reject it and be ashamed. But now I am stronger than I have ever been and I will continue become stronger, this is the mindset we should have.  And then it will become easier and easier to set your face like stone, not being ashamed to do His will! You aren't in it alone, God is always there and He will help you! Pray for His guidance, talk to Him. Choose to set your face like a flint (stone).

What are different ways or things you do to stay full in the Spirit daily? I would love to hear what you have to say on this, any feedback would be very much appreciated! :)

Taking a stand for..watching yours words!

Taking a stand for..watching yours words

Proverbs 18:21 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit."
Do you ever find your self running into one of your failures and weaknesses? Maybe one of those weaknesses is the things you say, weakness of the tongue, gossiping. We can think of it this way: every word that comes of your mouth can either be life or death, immediately affecting our spiritual life. Either for our good or for our own destruction. It's true that your life today is a result of the words that you spoke yesterday.

A lot of the times, the problem is we don't think before we speak when we are speaking of others. We are always told to think before we speak, but do we really ever? It kind of like "in one ear, and out the other". But, we are told to think before we speak for a reason. We are told so many other things for a reason, reasons that will benefit us. So, we are told to think before we speak but do we ever really think deep about why we should think before we speak? What would be the damaging consequences if we don't think first?

Before you think about opening your mouth to speak about somebody else, ask yourself these questions:

• Is what I'm going to say true?
• Is what I'm going to say edifying that person? (Meaning is it building up or strengthening that person)

Ever wonder why bad news spreads so much faster than good news does? We can know that definitely talking about someone in negative ways, God does not like. Read Numbers 12:3-9

Talking negatively or spreading things about others can cause a lot of harm. James 3:1-12 tells us about the dangers of the tongue and what it can cause. James says the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. Meaning we have the power to say evil and horrible things, this can cause so much damage in our lives. The words of James is true. Honestly, have you ever been the victim of gossip about you? It hurts doesn't it? It can bring someones self-esteem down and much more. It has caused so many suicides in teenagers. God tells us such things for a reason. So next time you think about talking about someone, just remember how powerful those words really are and what fire it can truly start.

Read James 3:5 carefully. James says that even though the tongue is a little member (small part in our body), it "boast[s] great things". Which means that even though our tongue is a small part compared to the rest of our body, it can make so much difference. Especially when it is about talking about someone else.

Recognize that our mouths should be used praising and honoring to glorifying God. Recognize that God can be very angry with gossip from having read Numbers 12:1-9

So, think before you say things. <-- And let that phrase actually mean something to you when heard. God tells us things for a reason. We have to be able to stop ourselves before we gossip and damage the lives of others. And even if the word doesn't reach out to that person you are speaking of, God can still know what you are saying and you are still damaging a relationship with Him.

James 1:19 "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath"
Proverbs 25:11 "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

How should we be?
Philippians 1:27 "Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ.."


Please feel free to comment, I'd love your feed back and to hear your thoughts on this! :)

Take a stand for... Priorities (JOY- Jesus, others, yourself)

Take a stand for... Priorities

Often we find ourselves being overwhelmed by too many things to do or to prepare. Even women in the bible felt the same way (Luke 10:40). To set priorities is to determine what is important to you and how your time is to be spent.

If you were to be completely honest with yourself, who or what takes priority over your life first and foremost? Could it be your family? Job? Money?

No matter what is going on in our life, God should always be the number one priority. Our first and most important.
Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you."
I encourage you to read Mat. 6:25-34, because if we put God first and not worry what lies ahead or what we will eat or drink, God will provide it for us. God knows us more than anyone else, look up to Him, He knows what you need. We can not both worry and trust God at the same time because worry destroys the single-hearted devotion Jesus described in verse 33.

Romans 12:11 "not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;"
God wants us to set priorities in our life and then organize our time and our tasks so that they reflect those priorities and do not allow the little details to overwhelm us. Take this time to read Colossians 3:1-17

God wants us to realize that the most important person we are is the one that we are with Him! Honestly, the moment I started fully letting God into my life and putting Him first in my life, I became my most happiest and I continue to feel so blessed and thankful now than ever before. God is just that good. All my worries are gone, my stress is gone. My stress used to be just the typical stress of a school student, being overwhelmed with work. But now I'm not stressed, I get more work being in college but somehow I'm always able to finish everything days in advance and still able to study and read my bible everyday. God found the time for me to do this and much more for Him. I truly am blessed and I have no intentions of ever putting Him anywhere else than first in my life. He is always with us. Hebrews 13:5 "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." "

Okay, so how can I put God first in my life?

• Be consistent in your priorities, put God first place. (Matt. 6:33)
• Talk to Him regularly in quite time in prayer. (Ps. 55:17, Luke 5:15,16)
• Examine your own heart. (Eccl. 3:1)
• Keep yourself spiritually fit. (Is. 30:15)

Remember, Jesus had met with the Father in intense prayer and meditation to determine His priorities and to prepare Himself for each day. (Luke 5:15,16)

Also, make sure you are putting others first before yourself. 

We can remember it like this..

JOY

• J- Jesus
• O- Others
• Y- Yourself

Jesus first, others second, yourself last. Easy way to remember our set of priorities. 

One last thing to leave you with...

Ecclesiastes 7:8 "the end of a thing is better than its beginning"

Put God first because experiencing eternity in heaven, rather than hell, will be much better than having lived here. :)

*image courtesy to bruncee

Taking a stand for.. Breaking the barriers and being alive in service. That's right ladies!

Taking a stand for.. Breaking the barriers and being alive in service. That's right ladies!

This morning I attended a ladies day at Concord Church of Christ in Orlando. And let me tell you, those ladies did a fantastic job. From the wonderful lessons that will be applied-- to the hard work you could visually see that they put in to it. For those who do not know what a ladies day is, it is a day where ladies gather together to spiritually strengthen by fellow-shipping and learning the word God. I never really understood how much work that the ladies in the church put into these, for the spiritual growth of many and for that I am just so thankful for every ladies day I have gotten to be apart of. Lording willing, I would very much enjoy to be a speaker at a ladies day someday.
I've learned so much today, and I thought it'd be very beneficial if I shared that with you with my input into it as well.

Ladies, are you bringing your service alive to Christ? Or are you just simply coming and going to church on Sunday and Wednesday. Maybe you think that's enough, maybe you're too busy, maybe you have other things to worry about, maybe you think you know everything there is to know already?
Is that the right mind set? Absolutely not. Don't create these type of barriers for yourself. If it's one thing I learned, barriers are very dangerous in our spiritual life. Get rid of them!

First of all, we have a purpose. Don't you ever think that your were born for no apparent reason.
Ephesians 1:3 "Blessed be the God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." NKJV
Ephesians 1:14 "who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to praise of His glory." NKJV

Can I just say, wow! Regarding the first verse, God has given us every spiritual blessing to have a relationship with Him. And the second, He is the guarantee of our inheritance! We owe it all and more to Him. He knew us before our own mother did. He specifically chose us to be here. We have a purpose, don't create barriers that will get in the way of doing more for Him.

So, lets hear some of the women made barriers, we call it the three "-ings"
#1- Longing for a trouble free life.
Okay ladies, first of all, realize that God never promised us a trouble free life! The problem is how we react to these troubles that we face. They become barriers.
John 16:33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" NKJV
Ladies stop worrying, do not miss the joys of today! Besides, we have something so much greater to look forward to now don't we. :) I urge you to stop longing for a trouble free life. Why? Because it creates a barrier between us and God. Pray pray pray! God will take care of in the troubling time. Ask others for prayers too, talk and communicate with your sisters. We all need the prayers, we all need to be there for each other. You aren't lonely in this world. We are here for each others.

#2- Losing our way when things get bad, trouble, and trials.
What happens to us when we face troubling events in our life? How do we react? Does it show?
Do we doubt?
Sometimes it seems like we lose our way in trouble times, God didn't create us to be like that. Satan is always at work, he never takes a break. These are the times when you MUST stay strong in the faith. Hold your faith.
James 1:2-3 "count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience" NKJV
So, growing in the midst of trials is not easy but helps build patience. Which is absolutely necessary.
Trials help us to grow!
Two very interesting verses that were brought up that really spoke to me were..
Job 40:6 "Then the Lord spoke to Job out of a storm."
Job 38:1 "Then the Lord answered Job out of a storm."
- In the midst of a storm, God is working it out for us! It may not be the answer we want, but He has a plan. You might not be able to see it at the time but He answers.
Losing our way creates a barrier.

#3- Living our lives and making decisions based on our feelings
We need to be careful with this, because we could seriously hurt someone with the things we do or say. God gave us emotions, He has given us everything that we have. If you do or say something that shouldn't have been said or done.. make sure you confront that person and apologize for whatever you did based on your feelings.
Our heart is the core of all this. It is a vital function on how we are living our life and making decisions. What are you filling your heart with?
Jeremiah 17:9-10 "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord search the heart"
The heart refers to the mind, the source of thinking, feeling, and action. The Hebrews viewed the heart as a center of life. It is desperately deceitful. Yet God not only knows your heart, He searches it. The heart and the mind encompass human emotions and together uncover the hidden elements in a persons character and personality.
What do you hold in your heart?
Gods word needs to be in the drivers sear of your life.
1 Corinthians 4:1 "Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God."

GOD HAS A PLAN FOR ALL OF US!
Use the talents and life He gave for serving Him in any chance you can!

Please, keep fast to your faith! Hold on to it and be stubborn with it. Be stubborn with it because you must not let go of that faith. Keep building it, always.God needed you and knew everything about you.
We have a living hope and a love that never ceases.

We need to be alive in our service to Christ
Always be willing to serve God in ALL things
How can we be alive in our service to Christ though?

• Know God loves you.
• He knew you before you were born
• You have a purpose
• Believe in Gods purpose
• Bring others to God
• Follow His commandments
• Spend time reading the bible daily and praying
• He sent His son to die for you

There is always something you can do to bring service to God. Whether it's bringing a meal to someone, sending a card, making communion bread, praying for others, or even participating in things that will help you grow spiritually such as ladies days. We can never learn enough. There is always something to do!

Digest and dig into the Bible, really look and read for yourself. You are responsible for your own soul. Don't you ever think that there is nothing you can do, don't create that barrier between you and Christ. 

Be different than the world, most people don't know why they are truly here,..but we do! Share that news with all who you come across! You know the truth, share the gospel someone one else can have the chance in eternal salvation. He died for them too. 

Closing with this:

How to serve God during the difficulties in life

• Be open to serve God every day in every way.
• God will not give you more than you can handle.
• Seek God in prayer to guide you so you don't over commit
• People are lost and need to know God and you may be the one to share God with them.
• You need to be different from the world.

Do not take the life He gave you for granted, use it to glorify Him.

There's so much out the you can do, no matter what age, there is NO excuse.

*Photo courtesy to wallpaperswide

Take a stand for.. choosing Christ!

Take a stand for.. choosing Christ!

Is being a christian really worth it?
Confession time. All of middle school and almost all of high school I viewed going to church as boring and I would have rather been sleeping in or just staying home and watching television. I felt like being a Christian I just had to sacrifice so much and going to church was getting in the way of socializing, being on my phone, sleeping, and the list goes on. I would sit through bible study and worship and I wouldn't take anything in that was being said. I mean don't get me wrong, the preacher is great and sound teaching, I just didn't have God as number one at the time as I do now. Looking back, it seems like I made God seem to be at an inconvenience during those preteen and teen years. I do not think I was the only teenager who felt like this either, there's so many teens that need to be reached out to. My friends knew me as a Christian, but did they really see Christ in me then? Did my actions show that? I don't think it did. And I regret it. But fortunately, God is a forgiving God. (1 John 1:9)

What changed though? What made me chose Christ over the world? What made me feel like being a true Christian was really worth it?

I realized that if Jesus gave His life for me, then why is it so hard that I live a life that pleases Him? It's just so simple as that. Nothing in this world is going to get me to heaven other than opening my bible up and preparing myself so I know in my heart that I will not be punished for any wrong I have done here on this earth. I realized that I can die at anytime, just like that my life can be taken from me. So I can't just act reckless during my teen years and be responsible during my adulthood years. I need to take a stand for Christ now, because no one is guaranteed another day. The problem in this world, is that there isn't enough fear for God.

Wait, so why fear God? He loves everyone and wants the best for everyone right?
Wrong! The truth is God does not just accept you for who are. You can't just live your life in sin and expect to get to heaven. And you know people actually think this? It really makes me sad. That they can go out and party, drink, whatever they think is "fun". But what happens after that? If God loves us despite our sin, why did Jesus have to die? Lets just live and do whatever we want because God accepts us for as we are.. right? No! Such thinking removes the meaning of His life, death, and resurrection. And that, is seriously dangerous thinking.

Point is..
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgement, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 NKJV)

My prayer for every teen and adult is that you please please please keep searching for the truth. It will do you such a greater service in the end. Do you even realize how short this life span is? Well, compared to what? ETERNITY! This life we have on earth is so entirely short than the life after this. Why waste it doing things God is not pleased with and taking Him for granted. Do you not know what is at stake?
Do whatever it takes for you to find the truth and then continue in Him. He has revealed Himself and his plans for the world. Find that God is worth everything.
And Jesus proved that our souls are worth Him dying for our sins when He was nailed to the cross. Now it's time for us to do our part in making sure we get to heaven. He didn't just die no apparent reason.


What must I do to be saved and know that I have a spot in heaven once this life is over?
Hear
Romans 10:13-17, John 6:45,Revelation 1:3
Believe
John 2:30-31, Hebrews 11:6, Acts 16:31
Repent
Luke 13:3-5, Acts 17:30-31, Hebrews 11:6
Confess
Matthew 10:32-33, Romans 10:9-10
Be Baptized
Mark 16:15-16, Romans 1-:9-10
Live Godly
Titus 2:11-14, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Peter 1:5-11