What would you be willing to give? (day 6)

What would you be willing to give up for another?
What would you be willing to give up for a friend? A stranger? A enemy?

Would you be willing to give up a favored item? Money? Would you be willing to dedicate part or all of your life to helping that person? How far would you go?

If the person lost their job, would you give them money?
If they lost their house, would you let them stay with you? would you give up some of your time to help them find a new place?
What if their life was at stake? Or worse yet, their Soul?

How far would you be willing to go to save a person?
Whether it be saving their life, or saving their soul. What would you be willing to give up?
Would you be willing to dedicate your life to it? Would you choose to do anything?
Would you be willing to let God decide what you would give?

There have been times with me, especially recently, where I have found me asking myself that very question. I had realized how much I trully was willing to let God decide. I found myself on my knees praying to the Lord, that I would be willing to do anything to help this person. The cost wound up being the loss of some of my things. But, I was more than happy to 'pay' it. I would have even been willing to go farther!

"I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls...."(2 Corinthians 12:15) Paul was more than willing to do anything if it meant winning their souls to Christ. He said quite often how he basically; was good at being a doormat for others, and that he 'enjoyed' it too. He was willing to dedicate his entire life to helping others. He was willing to let God decide what he would give.

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friend."(John 15:13) Jesus didnt tell us here that we needed to die for our friends; though I'm not saying he wont ever tell you that. Much easier than dying, is laying out you life; willing to be treated as a doormat, for the sake of another.

What would you be willing to do?
What would you be willing to give?
Would you do anything?
Would you let God decide?

The feel of forgiven (day 5)

Forgiveness.

For many, thats one of the hardest things to do. To go up to a person; no matter what they've done, nor what they've said, or how they've treated you--and say 'I forgive you.'

"Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him." (Luke 17:3). Forgive. Forgive if they ask forgiveness.

Have you ever asked for someone to forgive you, and they said 'no'?

If so, remember how it felt? Remember how bad you felt when you realized you wanted to be forgiven? Remember how bad you felt when they said 'no'?

If thats never happened to you, could you imagine how that would feel? could you imagine how terrible it would be to whole-heartedly say you are sorry and feel bad for doing something? and then the person refuses to listen? The person would reject you. Hate you. Want nothing to do with you. No matter how hard you begged them?

Could you imagine God doing that?

Refusing to forgive you even if you ask Him with all your being? Refusing to pick you up and take you in His arms and embrace you?Could you imagine?

But God does forgive. His forgiveness is infinite! So long as we are willing to say we are sorry.

Are you ready for this? "And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. " (Luke 17:4). So, not only does God want us to forgive them once, but He tells us to forgive them as much as possible!

"Help us to forgive just as you have forgiven us"(me) if God forgives us infinitely, shouldnt we at least attpempt to forgive as much as possible?

So now, this begs the question: what would you be willing to forgive?

Would you be willing to forgive someone if they 'accidentally' took something that was yours?Would you be willing to forgive someone if they made fun of you?
If they hurt you emotionally? Physically? Whether it be an accident or not?
Would you forgive them for wanting to hurt you?
How far would you be willing to go? What would you be willing to forgive?

Personally, I have asked myself that question many times; and now I am almost positive that I could forgive a person for anything.

There was a time, fairly recently, where I had the opportunity to forgive someone when others would have turned their backs on the one seeking the forgviness. But I was so overjoyed that the person was asking forgivenes; that I couldnt forgive the person fast enough!
One thing i found out from that, was that--many times, not only does it feel good when you are forgiven; but also when you forgive.

But wait! There's more...a lot more.
" 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother.....? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.' " (Matthew 18:21-22)
So now, not only does God want us to forgive those who "tresspass against us"(6:12) not only once, nor seven(no matter how many that may seem). No, He wants us to forgive seventy times seven times. four hundred ninety times.

four, hundred, ninety, times.
To one person.

And thats still nothing compared to the amount of forgiveness God will give; even within the next minute! Nothing! God only reqires us to forgive a fraction of the amount He does in moments! That fraction would be so small, it wouldnt even be worth attempting to figure out.
And we seem to have trouble forgiving even a fraction of the amount we should. We have trouble forgiving even once!

We as Christians should Love everyone, if you Love someone; shouldnt you forgive them?

Love, as you Love yourself (day 4)

The Lord tells us many times throughout the Bible, to Love one another.
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye Love one another; as I have Loved you, that ye also Love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have Love one to another." (John 13:34-35)

Did you hear that? We are commanded by the Lord to Love, because He Loves us! He Loves us!

But a problem that has reared its ugly head for quite some time; is the problem we all seem to have with Loving others.

I mean, sure, we can 'love' our family...but what about people we've never met before? Those who hate us? Our enemies? How about the ones who treat us like dirt?
"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy." (Matthew 5:43). It seems we all follow that part a little too well.

But listen to what Jesus says about that. "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." (Matthew 5:44)

"This is my commandment, That ye Love one another, as I have Loved you. "(John 15:12). Jesus Loves us. More than we could ever imagine. and He wants us to let that Love show by Loving others as we love ourselves. Thats Love on a Spiritual level. The ability to Spiritually Love, comes from the Holy Spirit abiding in us.

Not the loose term we all seem to use now-a-days. 'I love that show!' or 'I love that music!' How about, instead of 'loving' material things, we Love as we should?

it may seem hard at times, but we must learn to Love. Examine Christianity, its a relationship, a Romance. It's centered around Love!

Christianity is a Romance! That makes us Romantics! Lovers!

Are you in Love?

Stand up! (day 3)

96% of teens wont stand up for God....copy and paste if you're one of the 4% who will
† Christianity Is NOT Just A Religion †
† It's A Relationship †
† Let Your Lights Shine Bright †
† For Christ Is To Return Soon †
† Love Jesus †
------------------------------ --------------------
If you believe this is true and you except Jesus as your personal savior copy and paste this and spread the word of Jesus!_______________________________________________________________________________

Too many of us are scared when it comes to things like this.

Not too long after I posted this on another site, a teen (now friend) messaged me saying they were one of the four percent willing to 'stand at gunpoint' for God.
at the time, me and this person are only two of the about 10 people I know of (was friends with) who are saying they are willing to stand at the face of anything--and we mean anything. Especially death--and still remain steadfast to Christ; even before that type of situation arises.

Even at my school, Faith Christian Academy, the only one who suggested this was true with them,was my Bible teacher.

What do we have to be afraid of? What do we have to fear?

Nothing.

"And the Lord said to Paul, 'Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you,'" (Acts 18:9-10) If they threaten our lives then they are threatening us with Heaven!

"to live is Christ, to die is gain."(Philippians 1:21) Stand up! Speak up! Don't be scared of the world's empty threats. Those threats are nothing.

If you are 'willing to stand at gunpoint for God', please leave a comment saying so. I would love to hear from you.

Arrogance is bliss? (day 2)

Speak up! But don't be arrogant.

We Christians can't pretend were 'perfect little angels' and everyone else is beneath us. How do we expect to win people to Christ that way? "Not perfect, just forgiven."

"For it is by grace you have been saved--and this is not from yourselves it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8) if we act like the 'ourselves' in that verse, then its not helping anyone. God showed us grace, compassion, love, mercy and forgiveness; so shouldn't we do the same? "Help us to forgive just as you have forgiven us."--me

We have to learn to show them that we know we are not perfect, that without God we are just like them. Live like we're forgiven. If we don't show them that we know there is only one thing (which can grow like fruit [of the spirit] into more) that separates us from them; then that will only turn them from us.

"people [think others] not of [their] religion are bad....If that kind of thinking was encouraged...., it would just cause hatred"--an atheist on another site. If we don't show them we're different, then they will group us 'religion-wise' with the other religions of the world.

And if they do that, then that causes several things to go wrong.

We have to show them we think otherwise than the quote above . But we cant do it to where we're on their level, living the way the rest of the world does. Because that's an un-Christian lifestyle.

The only difference between us and the rest of the world, is that we know the truth, have accepted it, and are forgiven because of it; and they aren't. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)

We need to speak up and show others we know the truth. But not with an arrogant know-it-all attitude. Because we don't.

If we are going to speak boastfully and arrogantly and like we know-it-all, then maybe it were better to remain quiet in the first place.

And we cant be judgmental about others either. Only God is the real judge.

If we speak up and show verbally that we know the truth, then we need to back it up with our actions.
one of the things that the world hates the most now-a-days is a hypocrite. Don't be arrogant, lest you be called a hypocrite. And if a Christian is a hypocrite, that only turns others away from the truth.
"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;" (James 1:22-23)

Don't just speak; show.

Stand up! (day 1)

Now-a-days we Christians are all to chicken to have our voices heard.

But why? What do we have to fear?

"If these (His followers) are quiet the rocks will cry out" (luke 19:40)

If we're too scared to raise our voices how do we expect to get our 'job' done? If we don't make our voices heard, who will speak? The rocks?

That seems utterly ridiculous that we're too chicken to open our mouths, that in order for us to be heard; it would take the rocks speaking?

That almost like saying 'We will speak when pigs fly.'

Jesus commissioned us to "go make disciples of all the nations." to go tell the world about Him! That's our 'job'. Can we do that if we are as quiet as though we've zipped our lips shut and hidden away the key? That's like the light under the bowl. Are we going to hide that away too?

If someone asks you 'Are you a Christian?' do you answer, 'Yes, but...' or 'Sort of.' do you hide and shut your mouth and refuse to speak?

Or do you make your voice heard and truthfully respond 'Yes.' and smile?
Then we answer any questions that come our way, or think 'Now, its time to hide.' and seek 'shelter' under the same bowl that we hid our candle under?

There is no gray when it comes to this.

Speak up! The world can't hear us over everything else!