This week I wanted to look into the idea of God’s will for our lives. Isn’t that what The Church longs to know? What does God want them to do with their life? This was what I was struggling with last week but I’ve figured out why it was going so poorly. The best advice I’ve heard is to stop worrying about God’s will for your life. You see, this isn’t some sort of puzzle that we can figure out by thinking about it. The way God works is by changing you inside so that your entire life is transformed, He doesn’t just give us the answers to life. He never promises us a long-term plan because that would defeat the whole idea of relying on Him daily. You want to know what God wants you to do with your life? What He wants you to do with… read more
Insights
Last night something happened that made me contemplate my relationship with our heavenly Father. Here is what happened. My 8 years old nephew, Daniel, asked me to play a cartoon movie for him, so he gave me the name of the cartoon characters and the name of the movie. I went to YouTube and started searching for the movie. As I was going through the pages of the search results Daniel was getting impatient, and every time he saw the cartoon characters on a video thumbnail he pointed to the video and jumped up and down, and every time I went to the next page of results he grew more impatient with me—he wanted to watch the movie now! Finally, I grew impatient with him so I asked him to read what the title of one of the thumbnail he was pointing to said. He read the name of the… read more
Now let`s consider the demands of creation versus the demands of the theory of evolution. First, creation demands the presence of a Creator. The theory of evolution demands the absence of a creator. Second, creation demands the creation of matter. The theory of evolution has no explanation for the origin of matter. Third, as for the time span of the existence of the universe, creation demands the time span of recorded history. The theory of evolution demands eons of time, billions of years. Fourth, creation demands a `spirit world`. That is, the presence of a `higher power`, one who created this universe and governs its operation. This `higher power` is the giver of life. The theory of evolution does not allow for a higher power or a giver of life. The theory of evolution says life emerged spontaneously from non-living matter. Fifth, there is the fossil record. Creation demands a… read more
Today I have a note from a great friend named Scott, hope you will be blessed by what he wrote: If you asked me today if I was religious, I would tell you “no”. This might seem weird if you knew that I go to church as often as I can, read and believe every word of the Bible, and pray to God. The reason I would say that is because of what people think when they hear “religion”. People tend to think things like laws, judgmental people, power, repetition, and as the result of some recent and unfortunate events, crazy people predicting the end of the world. Feel free to add your own words to the list. Chances are it’s not what Jesus Christ and His way is all about. – It’s not about religion and obligation, it’s about freedom and love. You might not know but the word… read more
I went for a walk alone downtown and I spent it pretty much talking to the Father. When I reached the harbor front I was very pleased with the beautiful scene of the full moon and its light reflection on the water. But deep inside my heart was heavy as I had many worries. So I decided to walk back and keep talking to the Father, then I thought, “Why so busy and always in a rush? Sit down for few minutes, rest, relax, enjoy the scene and focus on your prayer.†So I sat down looking at this serene sight, and I started praying again but my worries were still there–I still didn’t have inner peace. Then I decided to pray the words of John the Baptist in John 3:30 “He must become greater; I must become less.†So I prayed those simple words with all my heart fully… read more
The boy stood with back arched, head cocked back and hands clenched defiantly. “Go ahead, give it to me.†The principal looked down at the young rebel. “How many times have you been here?†The child sneered rebelliously, “Apparently not enough.†The principal gave the boy a strange look. “And you have been punished each time have you not?†“Yeah, I been punished, if that’s what you want to call it.†He threw out his small chest, “Go ahead I can take whatever you dish out. I always have.†“And no thought of your punishment enters your head the next time you decide to break the rules does it?†“Nope, I do whatever I want to do. Ain’t nothin’ you people gonna do to stop me either.†The principal looked over at the teacher who stood nearby. “What did he do this time?†“Fighting. He took little Tommy and shoved… read more
I wanted to look at the book of Acts because I always hear about how different the Church is today compared to the early Church. Armed with some lessons from Hans Peter and my Bible, God has already been putting things on my heart! It’s something we’ve all heard before; the Church isn’t the building, it’s the people inside the building. Take this deeper though, and this you’ve heard as well, wherever you go you bring Jesus with you. You don’t go to “church†(the building) to meet with God; He’s with you wherever you go, YOU bring the Church wherever you go. Does your version of Church change throughout the week? What does it look like with your co-workers? How about around your friends? Does it differ from your church attitude on Sunday? I ask these questions because if your version of church is simply changing your attitude you… read more
This photo to me, encompasses the beautiful basics of photographing the ocean, the water rushing over your feet as it makes it’s way back to sea while a fresh wave brings a cleansing flood. Experimenting with different shutter speeds to get different motion in an ever-changing environment, all while breathing in the refreshing air that only comes from the sea, It’s just pure bliss! Right now life is simply amazing! I am just constantly filled with joy and I’ve finally found my true purpose. I can’t even find the words to describe it; perhaps comparing it to a mountain top experience is the best way. Last night a bunch of us went over to a friend’s house and we just talked about God and how He has been working in us lately. I wish you could have been there, I wish you could have seen the passion, felt the joy,… read more
I have this message on my heart, it’s one that I’ve had for a long time. It has been a subtle theme in many of my messages but I’ve finally identified the root of it. It’s not a nice message; it’s one that I have spent many hours thinking about and studying. It’s based on Matthew which says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 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 in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’†Matthew 7:21-23 During our trip to California something happened to me. Spiritually, it was a very difficult… read more
I want to talk about a topic I think most Christians won’t like, but I feel burdened to talk about it, so please if you start reading the next line, keep reading to the end…otherwise you will get the wrong idea. Growing up in a Christian family meant I had neutral feelings towards Israel or the Jews. But as I started reading the Bible starting from the Old Testament at the age of 16 I started to be really impressed by the Jews because of their rich history, God’s mighty work among them, and their lasting legacy. When all other civilizations disappeared they still existed. And being a teenager and wanting to find a purpose in life and belong to something, I really considered going to Israel and becoming a Jewish Rabbi!!! Later on when I came to Canada and started reading novels about the Holocaust I again admired the… read more
I am sharing this because it is a wonderful and heartfelt dream that I have been seeking the Lord about for the past several years. It is answered prayer and one that will come to pass in Gods perfect timing. I must wait, wait for it, wait for the Lord Jesus concerning such. You may find yourself depicted in this dream. I pray the Lord touch you through and through and minister even unto you as He has to me. I share this because it brings truth of what the Lord is going to do in these last days, not just with me but to all those who are of His True Body. I’m going to share things of myself that I don’t often speak of but pray about privately. Of late my body has been racked with pain coming from different places, mostly the left side of my body…. read more
As we hear frightening “predictions” about the year 2012, we would be led to believe that the world is coming to an end very soon. We see the disaster/doomsday movies like Independence day (1996), The Day After Tomorrow (2009), portraying destruction on a massive scale. We have programs on TV such as, “Life after man”, which looks at how life would be after mankind is wiped out. We also heard about the Y2K bug, global warming, the melting of the ice caps and the long forgotten, “hole in the ozone layer”. The Mayan calendar stops at the end of the year 2012, resulting in all sorts of religious, scientific, astrological and historic reasons why this calendar foretells the end of mankind or life as we know it. The Mayan predictions have many people in an uproar, coupled with the natural disasters seen all over the world, global distress, global economic… read more
Today I watched the Francis Chan sermon called “Holiness†and he talked about some verses that we don’t normally hear about. “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For ‘the two,’ He says, ‘shall become one flesh.’†1 Corinthians 6:15-16 The image that Paul paints here is very strong. You see as Christians we are all part of the body of Christ, this isn’t something to be taken lightly. We all know that sexual immorality creates a spiritual bond between two people. When we are involved in sexual immorality as Christians, whether it be pornography or sexual activity outside of marriage, it’s forcing the spirit of Christ within us to engage… read more
The children of Israel had strayed away from God and taken up the worship of idols. Jehu was chosen and anointed to clean the idols and all those who worshipped Idols out of Israel. He did, however he did not leave the ways of sin behind. Instead He continued to dishonor God and do wrong in His sight. And the Lord said unto Jehu, Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jer-o-bo’am, which made Israel to sin. 2 Kings 10:30-31 Once we have come into a new… read more
The Bible teaches that the Heavens, Earth, and all life on Earth was created by direct acts of God during a relatively short period, calculated to be sometime between 5,700 and 10,000 years ago, by Biblical scholars. The Genesis accounts of Creation teaches us that God created the Earth in six 24-hour days, taking a literal interpretation of the Genesis accounts of creation. The evolutionary consensus, supported by a 2006 statement by 68 national and international science academies, is that it is “evidence-based fact” that the universe has existed for around 15 billion years, that the Earth was formed about 4.5 billion years ago with life appearing at least 2.5 billion years ago. Evolutionist would go as far as to laugh at those who believe that the earth is much younger than what we have been taught under the guise of science. Now, 5,700 to 10,000 years is a very,… read more
You know those mornings where you wake up, and you just breathe in the day? The days where you are genuinely excited about what is to come!, or when you walk out of your house into a fresh Summer day, and the air smells sweeter then it ever has? The days where you just inhale everything that is around you – and you tell yourself… ” Remember this moment, Remember this day, Remember this feeling”. Picture your favorite day, or a moment where you felt so on top of the world that you can’t help but smile at everything! Now… picture your life everyday…waking up every morning with that feeling, that excitement, that purity! Some people may say that its impossible to feel this way all the time, but I must say I completely disagree. Because lately, when I open my eyes to a new day, I can’t help but… read more
You’re not just another man. You’re not just another teacher. You’re not just another priest. You’re not just another god. You are the great I AM, the one and only. Beside you there stands no other, you are the infinite one, by your word kingdoms arise and fall, and by your sovereign whim men live and die. You never sleep for you never tire and you are in need of no thing from anyone or anything. You sustain yourself by the might of your own mighty right arm. No man of the earth or angel of the heavens can bring any word against you, nor can we offer anything to you to increase your worth. You dwell in inapproachable light which emits from your own holy righteousness. You are and by you all other things exist and have their being. You sit enthroned, in total control of all… read more
Go ahead, smile you are at the end of a long week. You have probably faced at least one individual this week who affected you negatively in some way. Did you get irritated? Did you almost lose your cool? No, that was last week. We do not always have smooth days, yet somehow Friday comes and it is alright. You are going home and you won’t have to worry about a thing concerning work until Monday. Today you may be saying TGIF! (Thank God it’s Friday). A long time ago someone experienced a week none of us would have liked to endure. He was betrayed, like some of us may have felt this week. He was abandoned by His friends, that may have happened this week too. Did you call someone to talk to them and felt as if they had ran out on you? He endured verbal abuse. How… read more
One of the things we have been pounded with is the amount of time necessary to allow mutations to produce modern-day species. The evolutionists are desperately looking for time, because if you can produce enough time, you can hide the many weaknesses of the theory of evolution. But eons of time are an absolute necessity, simply because of the amount of mutations necessary, as we saw in the previous post. There are a number of `clocks` that are used to judge the age of the universe. We will see whether or not these `clocks` are reliable. We will see whether or not the universe is really as old as the theory of evolution postulates. The first is radio-metric dating. Potassium argon or uranium lead is used to determine how old something is. Carbon-14 is radioactive carbon. Carbon normally has 12 electrons, but occasionally a carbon atom has 14… read more
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the things I find my hope, security and strength in. Its easy to say I have faith in God, that He’s in control, that He loves me, that I can do all things through His strength and that His grace is always sufficient for the day. However, how does that play out in the day to day? To illustrate I’ll share how my week went and perhaps give you some insight into why this has been on my heart. My week usually starts on Tuesday, or at least the beginning of the work week does. The alarm goes off at 3:10 am and usually, if I’ve gone to bed early, its not so bad, I’m well rested and ready to go. I get up, get dressed, and jump into the Jeep to head off to do my thing for Pepsi. I turn my… read more
Many people believe that if they are good (perfect in every way), they will go to heaven, when they die. The question is sometimes asked, if all of the “good people†in the world do not believe in Jesus, will God send them to hell when they die?, well my answer is no, they would not go to hell! read further and you will understand my statement. Genesis 4:7 tells us, If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. A righteous God would not send someone that has lived his or her entire life as a good person (committing no sin against man, God or himself) to an eternal damnation to hell, but unfortunately there are no such person living today, the… read more
I had a friend whom I truly loved with all my heart. If she would’ve asked for my eyes I would’ve given them to her easily. Anyway, in early 2007 she ended our friendship and that hurt me deeply since she was my best and only close friend. One day as I was going to work I felt so sad, so rejected, so betrayed, so humiliated, so ugly, so worthless, so stupid, so bitter, was so full of hatred and vengeful, and angry. I literally dragged my feet to work but as I entered the warehouse I decided that this is not me: I am a child of the living God, I haven’t been following Christ until now only to give in to bitterness and unforgiveness, I am the man who everybody asks, “Why are you so happy?†and now I was so bitter, sad, and angry. I decided that… read more
This is my dear mom. I really cannot describe how much she loves me, and if I start then I won’t end. The sacrifices she has made, her service to me, her attention and care, and her constant thoughts and striving to provide for me good things is truly amazing. If I spend the rest of my life serving her and giving her good things I would still not be able to give her half as much as she has given me until now. The thing that amazes me about her is not only how much she cares about me but the manner she does it! She doesn’t ask for anything in return, she does it sacrificially, and it seems that it is her joy to take care of me! All she wants from me is to be happy! How good of a deal is that? Beside she is an… read more
I think all of us have two sides to our personalities: sometimes we are out going and sometimes we like to be alone; sometimes we like classical music and other times we just want to listen to electric guitar; sometimes we like change and sometimes we don’t. Generally speaking I love routine, I don’t like change; however, in my relationship with God I like change for many reasons: 1) The word ‘relationship’ is an active and dynamic word to me. For example, we cannot have a meaningful conversation with someone—and know that person personally–if we keep repeating the same dialogue to them every day. 2) God’s goal for our lives, and it should be our goal too, is to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ. And we all know He is perfect and so if we keep growing spiritually every day for the rest of our… read more
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