Definition of Love

1 Corinthians 13:1, If i speak in the tongues of man and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 


          "Love"
The most heard of word, but the most underused word in existence. Heard all the time at the end of phone conversations, in advertisements, everywhere! The word is used very loosely and often times is not meant. On the other hand, most children have never even heard their parents say "I love you" to them. People just want to be loved, but there is so much fake love around, it is hard to find such. Also, it is hard to give real love when we are around a generation of "love" all the time. Love today means someone saying "I love you dear" and then proceeding to walk off with someone else and gossip about the person they just said I love you to. Love today means saying to someone's face, "I just love you!" And then later in the day not forgiving the person for something that they said later on in the day that hurt them. Then they text everyone and tell them of the injustice. I don't know about you, but this kind of love seems shallow and fleeting. Is this just me?

The bible is very clear about how we are to love each other. Let's look into it. 1 Corinthians 13-4-7 says that Love is:

*Patient
*Kind
*Does not envy
*Does not boast
*Is not proud
*Is not rude
*Is not self seeking
*Is not easily angered
*It keeps no record of wrongs
*Loved does not delight in Evil
*Rejoices with the truth
*Protects
*Trusts
*Hopes
*Perseveres
*NEVER Fails

Wow, that is a tall order to live up to. I don't know of anyone who can live up to all of those all of the time on their own. But you know when we call on the name of the Lord, he will come to our rescue. He delights in the child that asks for his goodness. He rejoices when we hunger to have his love. He longs to give us his love. It doesn't matter if you have a hard time loving people! It doesn't matter if you can't forgive someone. You can still have love. You will learn to forgive that person. It may take some time, but the Lord will help you if you are truly serious about following him in love.

But you can't just pray that the Lord will give you love and not practice. You have to practice this. It's tough, difficult and sometimes torturous to let things slide off your back, but you will be SO happy that you did it in the long run. When you practice, try not to gossip. Decide in your heart in the mornings that you will not gossip today. Purpose to keep your talk praising to God and not negative about people. Practice, practice, practice! You may fail, because you are a human, but don't just say, "I'm human, and we gossip sometimes." Do not do that. Say, "Forgive me Lord for displeasing you. I repent of what I have done." And go and apologize to the person that you gossiped to whether they started it or not. This will show them, that you are trying not to gossip and maybe it will stop them from doing so as well.

Forgive faults quickly! Let things slide. Pray! Prayer to the Lord will get rid of offense quickly. Spend time in the word when you are hurt, or write down bible verses about offense and read them when you are hurt with someone. Say in your heart, "I forgive you" to the person. They most likely don't know that they hurt you and you are not doing any good keeping it in your heart. It will only fester and turn you into a not so very nice person. Just realize that you don't know the circumstances in their life at that moment in time, and they could be saying rude things to cover the hurt inside of them. Be there for them, and pray for them.

"Love always perseveres.... Love never ends." These two are like closers. All of those things in the list we should do with perseverance that never ends. Follow that person that pushes you away and love them. Pray for them all the time. Pray for unending love for that person. Fast for them. Do things in a right heart. Not just because I said so. Do it because you know that this is what the Lord delights in, and you want to be just like him. Keep on loving.


~Whatsoever things are true
Philippians 4:8

Have Yourself a Selfless Christmas

Luke 1:35, The angel answered, "the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 

Luke 1:38, I am the Lord's servant,"Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Obviously we all know that this season is not our own but it is for Jesus, our Savior who came to earth in the form of a man to save us from our sins. We have all been taught that in Sunday School and in our homes for years. But sometimes the story can become just a little bit like a routine to us. Putting up the manger scene. Reading the story of Jesus at church. But do we really take the time actually listen to the story and find the meaning of it?

An angel visits Mary one day and tells her that she is going to have a baby, even though she is a virgin. Mary at this time is engaged to a man named Joseph. Back in Mary's day, to be found pregnant, engaged or not, meant to be stoned to death for bringing dishonor to your family. But look at Mary's reply in Luke 1:38 again, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said."

Wait...... Did you hear that? Or maybe it's what you don't hear. Listen again. "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." Did you hear it this time? It's the sound of no complaining to God. It's the sound of selflessness and humility. It's the sound of Mary totally giving her life to God's plan.

Honestly think about the things you complain about, just for a second. A hard test, a breakup, having to get up to get a remote? We have become an age of complainers! Complainers tell God how unjust he is to them. People who complain tell God that they could do life better. It's insulting, and it is totally selfish. Just the opposite of what Mary's reply was.

Let's continue on. Luke 2:7, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
This is the second part of our story that we will look at.

Jesus, gave up his thrown in heaven, his perfect life, his angles who worshiped him, to come to be born in the most humble of humblest ways: in a barnyard. Again, complete Selflessness, and humility. This story is about selflessness. About thinking of others above yourself. About becoming lowly and serving others. It's about Jesus' selflessness to you and me! It's to show us the best example that we could possibly live by. So think about what you can do! It's only a couple more days until Christmas. Think of some ways that you can help make the people around you have the best Christmas they can possibly can. It doesn't sound fun, but when it's all said and done with, you will realize that you get the most out of this story by copying our Savior and loving others around us by serving them.

Merry Christmas to everyone. I hope and pray that you all try at least one selfless thing this week. And remember to give thanks to Jesus this week all the time for his selfless attitude toward you and me.

~Whatsoever Things are True
Philippians 4:8

Persecution

Matthew 5:10 - Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

~On July 25, according to Human Rights Watch for Lao Religious Freedom, officials rounded up 17 of the 20 Christian families in the village – a total of 80 men, women and children – and detained them in a local school compound, denying them food for three days in an attempt to force the adults to sign documents renouncing their faith.

~Unconfirmed reports indicated that a incident took place in Lower Juba province of Somalia in July, when Christians found with Bibles were publicly executed.

~On June 8 Compass learned that eight Christians held at the Adi-Quala prison were taken to the medical emergency facilities as a result of torture by military personnel at the camp.

~Imprisoned and tortured for her faith since December 2007, a 37-year-old Christian woman died of malaria in Eritrea’s Wi’a Military Training Center in July after authorities refused to provide treatment for her. Weakened by ongoing torture, Azib Simon contracted malaria only a week before she died. She had attended one of the independent evangelical churches that have been targeted by the country’s Marxist-leaning authoritarian regime. Simon’s death made a total of five Christians confirmed to have died in Eritrean prisons after being tortured for refusing to recant their faith, with at least one other Christian dying of illness in prison later in the year...

Do you get it? All of this persecution in different countries going on right under our noses. Things like this are happening all the time. Christianity is a dangerous religion for people in other countries. They are being tortured and held in prisons and shot and executed daily. These people who have this happen to them stand strong in their faiths. They don't lose faith with God, and they are willing to die and be persecuted for their maker.

Some of the Christians in America go through kids making fun of them at school for their faith, and they ditch that Christianity stuff. It's just not for them. I'm sorry, but there is something wrong there. Look at those examples of people dying from torture! And we have a problem when someone tells us we are a loser cause we are wearing a shirt that says John 3:16? What is wrong with this county!? Why can we not stand against words, when there are Christians standing in the midst of a burning room refusing to leave their faith. We are cowards. We should be standing up strong for our Lord. We are called to be warriors of Christ! No one can be a warrior who is afraid to be embarressed in front of people in their works or schools.

People, we have GOT to step it up. Get up off of your couch and go witness to your next door neighbor already! Go and start a youtube profile telling about the Lord. Do something for Christ! You will be persecuted. If you are not, it means your not doing anything for Christ. Lets be the generation that's on fire for Christ. And remember, "Blessed are those who are persecuted!" You will be blessed. Being persecuted and keeping on, shows that we are serious about Christ.

Dear Lord, help us to withstand the darts of the Devil, and keep us bold for you. We are going to be a generation for you Lord. We want to live for you every day of our lives, help us to reach out to people, and let us remember that we are blessed for you. We love you Lord. Amen. 

 ~Philippians 4:8
Whatsoever Things are Trues

Submission is Key

Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. 

In the work place, in the church, in the homestead, almost anywhere you go you will find people in authority. Bosses, pastors, teachers, parents, the president. All of these people have been put into a position of authority and they must be held in the highest of respects. Treating these people with less than such is an insult to God's face, because he is the one who put them there in the first place. Obey God by obeying authority. Do not gossip behind these people's backs, and always say yes sir, yes ma'am with a smile. These are just little things that you should do to show respect to these people.

I know, I know, I've heard it before, "But you don't understand, my boss is horrible! He's rude and treats me like dirt." Uh, Hello! Jesus knows exactly how that feels!

Matthew 26:59-60 The chief priests and whole Sanhedrin were looking for false evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward.

1 Peter 2:23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate.

it's not always easy to show respect and submission to bad leaders, but we can learn from Jesus that God will be out defense. Our actions as a Christian will defend us if we are living right. We may be persecuted and hated for it, but if we live right, the Lord will be our defense, but only if you show respect to your authority. The Lord cannot bless you if you gossip behind your bosses or teacher or coach's back. If we submit to our authorities we will be better disciplined in the end and better respected. Remember the Lord God himself put this person in that position, so please the Lord and show respect to your authorities.

Dear Lord God, help us to be strong in not retaliating when we are wronged by someone above us. Help us to act in a way pleasing to you and our authority. We love you so much Lord and we are hungry for your soon coming return. Amen

~Whatsoever things are true
Philippians 4:8

Conformity

Romans 12:2- Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve God's will, his good pleasing and perfect will.

Definition from the World English Dictionary of Conformity:  Compliance in actions, behaviour, etc, with certain accepted standards or norms.

To sum it all up: going with the flow. Conformity to the world should be the enemy of the Christian life. It often times is not though. some Christians walk around holding the hand of the world, unwilling to let go to follow Christ with their all. We would not have the mindset that we can hold both the Lord's hand and the worlds. It is IMPOSSIBLE to do so. In Matthew 6:24 is says, "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." So what this is saying is this, "Christians" Who are holding the worlds hands, they hate and despise Christ. These are some of the Christians that Matthew talks about in Matthew 7:22-23, "Many will say to me on that day "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?" Then I will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Away from me you evildoers."  

We MUST transform our minds to the likeness of Christ, or bear the consequences of Eternity in Hell. We must put down our conformity to the world and mold ourselves to God's perfect and pleasing will. 

How are we to just lay down our old self and pick up a new one? I doesn't sound easy. Well, here's a quick news flash, It is not going to be easy. The Christian life was never said to be easy. If you heard that it was, you were lied to. In fact the Bible says, "for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it, but small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only few find it. (Matthew 7:13-14) 

So what must we do to find this gate? The answer is this, "Be transformed by renewing your mind." Renewing your mind is to start over with your whole mindset, lifestyle and ethics. Again! Not going to be easy. 

Mindset: To do this we must not fill our minds with music that is not praising to the Lord. This also applies to movies and books. (I could go on and on on this subject, but I'll save this topic for another blog entry). These things are a must! If these things fill your mind and life, then God cannot. 

Lifestyle: We have to start living by the ten commandments. (Exodus 20:1-17) We have to start censoring our mouths, by not saying anything negative, or using swear words, especially not using God's name as a cuss word. This is important because the Bible says that on the day of judgement we will be called into account for every idle word that we have spoken. Also, people will not take you seriously if you constantly have dirty jokes and bad words oozing from your mouth.  

Ethics: We need to change our ethics about the way we live. We cannot be lazy in Christ! We have to work hard to bring people to God's kingdom and to do the things of God's will. (This is not a suggestion! Mark 16:15, Go into all the world and preach the good news to all of Creation.) Also we must strive for excellence in every aspect of our lives. Our grades, work, words, even going to church on time. The Bible says on this, "If you eat or drink or do anything at all, do it for the Glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Teens, Adults, Kids, we HAVE TO WAKE UP! These are the end days, and how many of us want the Lord to come back and find us sleeping? That is a scary thought. We need to be seeking the Lord with all of our being. We should be studying the Bible and listening intently for the Lord to speak to us. Don't conform any longer! Live for Christ. 

~Whatsoever things are true 

Philippians 4:8 

 

Thank You God

Hebrews 12:28-29

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

It is that time of year again! Thanksgiving week! It's one of my favorite times of year, and it's one of many, MANY people's favorite time of year. I went and asked a couple of people what they thought of when I said the words Thanksgiving Day and these people came up with several different replies.

- Food
- Turkey
- Football
- No school/work
- Family
- Black Friday

I love all of these things. This holiday is very appealing to me because it's placed perfectly in the year, it is a time of family, a time to lay back and do nothing and a time to fill our bellies.

This is also probably one of God's favorite times of the year. This is the day were we get the privilege to praise our Maker all day for the things that he does for us, and is doing. Unfortunately, our society has strayed away from that aspect of the day and formed it to just be the things that are listed above. They want to take the day of Thanksgiving and turn it into a day of Selfish Getting. The Lord has been all but forgotten on the day that was meant for him.

I know that two years ago on Thanksgiving day, it was almost 12:00 am, and all of the sudden I remembered that I had not said one word of thanksgiving to my Lord. I prayed quickly so that I could get in a couple of words to him before it was the next day. I thought it was funny that night, but the next day as I thought about it, I became repulsed with myself that I had forgotten completely until the day was almost over to even thank my Creator who gives me life, and who blesses me daily. I didn't even give him some of my time during that day because I was so focused on pleasing myself.

I had decided from then on that I was never going to allow that to happen again. I decided that instead of forming the day for myself, I was going to give of myself to the Lord and thank him for everything that was done for me that day. Every time I filled my plate, I would thank him. Every time I was blessed with my family's company I would thank my Lord. I gave of myself to him that next time by spending more time with him than normal, even if it meant getting up at 4 in the morning to do so.

It is very tough to find time to do things like that when family and friends are away. That is why it is so important to ready your mind the week of Thanksgiving by giving him thanks for everything that is done. This week try to remember to thank him for everything he is doing for you. For every meal,  For every conversation, for every breath. Jesus gave his life on the cross for us, so this should be a piece of cake challenge. I'm starting today (the first day of the week) and I will continue through Thanksgiving. Pray that in this week that you will please the Lord, and that this week will continue throughout your year. That you will grow more thankful to the Lord for everything, even the bad things. Don't let this Thanksgiving day be once every year. Make it a every day thing. The Lord will pour blessings into your life when you focus on praising him. So let's thank our Creator.We have so much to be thankful for. Praise the Lord!!

1 Chronicles 16:8 - Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples.

~Philippians 4:8
Whatsoever things are true

ALL for God's Glory.

1 Corinthians 10:31- The answer is, if you eat or drink, or do anything at all, do it all for the glory of God.

Human nature. It starts from the day of your birth and tempts you until the day you die. One of the many things that EVERYONE wants, is to be seen by people, and to put their best forward and for people to see and praise them for it. We all want it, and we all do it from time to time. We want for people to know that we gave $1,000 dollars to charity, or that we give up our every weekend to help old people. Now, don't get me wrong here, it is not a sin for people to know what you have done and are doing for the Lord. Not at all! Sometimes that is one of the ways that the Lord will bless you! But what is wrong, is to flaunt what you have done for the Lord. To boast in yourselves. You can flaunt yourself in different ways.

-You can boast loudly, using your words to build your image up in front of people.
-You can boast silently, doing good things out in front of a lot of people so that you can be seen by all.

Both of these types are not pleasing to the Lord. He will refuse to bless you if you do either. The Lord can see your heart clearer than you can yourself. He knows the reasons you do good things. He knows if it is for self-image and to be seen, or if it is to proclaim God humbly in your heart. He can see our hearts clearly.

Did you know, that you can do good things for God everyday without flaunting yourself in front of people.


1 Corinthians 10:31
The answer is, if you eat or drink, or do anything at all, do it all for the Glory of God.

If you do your every day things always thinking about doing your best for the Lord, that is one great way to practice being diligent in your work for the Lord silently. Nobody knows that the reason you are such a great dancer is because you do your best for the Lord almighty! Nobody knows that the reason your desk is so clean is because you keep it that way for the Lord. Nobody knows that you make your bed every day because you want to be diligent in keeping orderly what you have been given by God. These seem like small things, but in reality, they train you to be humble, diligent, enduring, and all of these things silently. That is what the Lord wants. He wants you to do these things, because he want's to bless you.

So next time you feel like boasting yourself in front of everyone, just remember that you are God's kid, and he is SO proud of you, he will boast to the angles about you! You don't need to be recognized by the earth, you need to be recognized by your father in heaven.

By, Whatsoever things are true
(Philippians 4:8)

New Creation

(2 Corinthians 5:17) therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come.

We have all done things in our life that we regret doing. Maybe it was a stolen car, or a relationship that went too far, or something nobody knows about but you. Whatever it is, it may haunt you in someway for a long time. Through guilt, or memories, or through a person who will never let you forget. Maybe you are worried that you will never live it down.

Well, there is hope. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that if you are in Christ, then you are made brand new! the old you is gone and forgiven, and you are free to start fresh.
The Bible says in Psalm 103:12, As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

The Lord will forget our past sins? Is it really so easy? It is easy, but there are steps to the process. In Romans 10:9 it says, "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
That is the first step to being IN Christ Jesus. Then after that we can have a personal relationship with him, as long as we continue to keep the Lord in a high respect, and try hard to follow God's commandments. We all mess up! So when we fall, that's were God's forgiveness comes in. And the Bible verse 2 Corinthians 5:17. We are a new creation to God when we repent to the Lord. That is good news! So, keep on living for God and enjoy your freedom in Christ!

By, Whatsoever Things are True
(Philippians 4:8)

Enemies in God's perspective

But I say to you, love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44)

How are we suppose to live out this Bible verse? Maybe Jesus didn't understand how mean this person is to you. Or maybe this verse doesn't apply to your situation.
This is not true in any way. Jesus had many enemies in the Bible, but he loved them all. He was compassionate to the people that tried to kill him. He even forgave the whole worlds sins as he was being tortured on the cross. He prayed, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) Jesus forgave and even Loved his enemies constantly. There are so many examples!
The Lord talks about forgiveness constantly in his word.

Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."


Mark 11:25
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

There is so much to say on the subject of forgiveness. And I know it will be hard to forgive! But pray daily for the Lord to help you to love the person you are holding offenses over. When you don't forgive someone, you are only hurting yourself and the Lord. You are not hurting the other person, because they don't even care if you forgive them or not. Just remember that the Lord died for EVERYONE'S mistakes, not just yours. Please the Lord and forgive those who don't deserve forgiveness, because you were once like them.

Whatsoever things are true

Philippians 4:8 says,

⁸Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

This is a hard verse to live by. Especially with all of the many evil things that are flying around these days. How is it possible to think on things that are pure or of good report when there is cussing in my school or workplace, when there is bad music that plays in the stores that I shop in, when there is so much pornography posted on the internet, when my own family does not keep a rein on their lips. How can I avoid these things so that my thoughts may be pure?

Well, as you may well know, it's almost impossible to avoid these things daily. You cannot get away from these things, but it is possible to keep ones thoughts pure and void of evil. It says in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

We cannot possibly keep our thoughts pure on our own. We need God's help every second of the day. We should be spending our time in prayer throughout the day to keep our focus where it should be. And also spending time reading our bible even if it's just a couple of verses a hour or two. Doing this will keep our focus where it should be... On God! 

Also common sense and wisdom says, stay away from areas on the internet that could lead you into temptation. Seduction into bad places on the internet will put up a wall between you and the God almighty. It hurts him every time we look at a women/man in lust. Why would we do something to hurt our savior intentionally? Staying away from evils like these will keep our minds pure, and it will be easier for us to say no when a tempting or seductive thought enters our minds.

Keep fighting the good fight for our Lord and Savior!

By, Whatsoever things are true
Philippians 4:8