Who's In Control?

See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. -Is 49:16

God is in control and he loves us so much that we are tattooed on the palms of his hands. So even when we are confronted with the trials of life we can live in the comfort of his omnipotence....

What Church?

No verse today just read Acts 2!!!!

When you read through the book of acts and learn about the young christian churches you see more then just four walls. You see a family gathered in one place for one purpose, to give all there attention and praise to God. Now I know your thinking "well that sounds about right" but the big difference is that they actually acted like a "family". Living together, eating together, worshiping together, they were almost like brothers and sisters. Is this what we see today? Does this generation of churches have that same kind of devotion? Its a tough question to ask but can you honestly look in your church family today and say there's not this guy over here who no one talks to, this girl over here who's been shunned because shes a flirt, etc....what is that? That is not the brother sister picture that you read about in the book of acts its just four walls. And lets look at what kind of environment you have when you are apart of a church divided by gossip, drama, and judgment. You have a hostile environment that people look at from the outside and what kind of example is that? Or if you walk outside those doors and take off your mask and go do the things that you know are sinful how can you expect to be a witness to others or your so called family. We as Christians, as brothers ,as sisters, as ONE body need to be ONE generation willing to stand up for Christ...willing to be like the Church of Acts.

~Here is a list of 5 Characteristics we should follow as a church family~

1. Fellowship: Which means joint participation to have a partnership with one another.
2. The breaking of bread: All through out the bible including Mathew, Mark, Luke, and yes Acts we see people sitting at one table coming together sharing food and drink and giving praise to God. We should strive to do so Just as Christ did with the disciples during the last supper.
3. Prayer: Everyone should know how important this one is but its one thing that people rarely even think about. Well think about this Jesus prayed so hard he bled.
4. Healthy relationships: We cannot expect to come together like a family if we don't act like one. So this means throwing out the judgmental glances and the behind the pews gossiping.
5. Jesus: This one might seem silly but a healthy church is one that gives glory to its founder and I don't mean the pastor. Obviously we need leaders in the church but remember who's leading them.

Fear

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. ~Psalm 23:4

Have you ever been scared? Have you ever had a genuine fright come over you? Your body seems to just shut down and you are convinced that the worst case scenario is gonna take place. As a kid I use to think about how scared I would be if I was ever caught in a tornado. Just the thought of my house being ripped from the ground and swung up into the air with my family inside was truly frightening. Well There was one Saturday afternoon my dad took me to the mall and since we didnt do so often I was very excited. We looked around at each shop and then at the end of the day we would share a pretzel and a coke. Well on this day that started off without a care in the world suddenly took a dark turn. While we got into the car and proceeded to leave the parking lot I heard the sirens. My worst fear was looking me directly in the face and I wasn't prepared to face it. I looked over at my Dad and he seemed so calm as he reassured me that we would make it home before anything could touch ground. He took my hand in his and we drove home the rest of the way. My dad gave me comfort and it was something that any father would want for there child in fear. You see its the same with God were his children and just like a father he is there in the midst of our greatest fears reassuring us. Whether were walking in the darkest valley or were riding it out through a tornado warning GOD is there. In the book of Mark we read about Christ sleeping on a boat with his disciples around him. The boat rocking gently back and forth soon turned into crashing waves and powerful winds. Such a storm struck the disciples with fear as they ran to Jesus begging him to help them. As he awoke he asked the frightened men why they has so little faith to which after he spoke aloud "peace be still". The boat soon stopped rocking and the sea had calmed leaving the disciples in awe at Christs power. See we are no different form the disciples; we are confronted with fear and we immediately abandon ship. Why do you think Christ asked them why they had such little faith? To many times are we confronted with fear and we forget who is in control. Its not the Tornado, the storm, the cancer, the bills, the.....Its GOD. 

Understanding God

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD ~Isaiah 55:9

Whenever I read this verse it reminds me of all the times I was angry with God, so angry because of something in my life that didn't go the way I thought it should have. I can remember loved ones dying and being taken away from me and crying out to God saying "why Lord why did you do this to me", I could not except what had happened. I know a lot of us have been in that situation where we are angry and broken down at what God put in our pathway but rarely do we see it from his point of view. You see we do not understand the things that God does because "his ways are not our ways" and could it be that our code of justice and what should be right with the universe is not as developed as the creator of that universe? Could it be that God knows best and while we are so hurt and so out of breath over things that we cannot begin to even understand his reasons. He says that as high as the heavens are above the earth that's how much higher Gods ways and Gods thoughts are then ours. So I guess what its really trying to say here in Isaiah is that we might not get why this happened or why this took place but God has a plan for you and me and if he is really GOD then who are we to ask why. So he knows what will be and what will transpire in each and everyone's life the hard part is learning to let God take over. To stop asking the questions why this happened to me and to ask God whats next for me. If you go on in Isaiah and read the verse before 55:9 it says "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand."

Learning To Live by Dying

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have put to death their human nature, with all its passions and desires~Gal 5:24

Death To Self being the title of this blog means exactly what Gal 5:24 says to put to death your old human nature, all its passions, and all its desires. As Christians we often forget that while our physical body stays the same our spiritual body changes. You see there was this guy named Jesus and he loved us so much that he made the ultimate sacrifice and died for you and me. Now I don't know about you but I don't know what I did to deserve that kind of love. We as human beings are dirty inside and out and it is our nature to lie, cheat, and steal yet Christ chose us. He chose us to be given a chance at Salvation to have the slate wiped clean to literally be new....So you see we must embrace this "Death To Self" attitude in order to really understand how to walk by faith, how to live for God, and to seek HIS desires instead of our own.