Sold Out

Job 25; Mark 13-14

Mark 14:29-31

²⁹ Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”

³⁰ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice^e]">[e] you yourself will disown me three times.”

³¹ But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.

Peter was a rash man. He spoke before he could think about what was going out of his mouth. He was the type of man that was very emotional. He was led by his emotions and sometimes that got him in trouble. Peter was gung-ho for Jesus. He loved the cause and believed with all his heart that Jesus would save them. He was next to Jesus when he did miracles, when he healed the sick and stood up to the Pharisees. He was sold out.

There are good reasons and bad reasons to be sold out.

Good: you believe in something bigger than yourself. /The cause you are following is for the greater good. / You know you are doing something that is not selfish and helping others at the same time.

Bad: You can get so tied up in something that you forget why you were sold out in the first place.

I am a sold out Christian. Yet, in time I have realized the pros and cons and tried to keep my emotions in check and see the reality of it all. Sometimes there are people in my life who are also sold out but become sell outs. I don't want to do that. I want to remain sold out and know that I am not perfect. Believe that Jesus loves me for who I am and he remains loving me even with my faults. I don't ever want to doubt in Gods existence and choose another path just cause life doesn't deal me the perfect cards. I want to keep walking on the road that God is guiding me on and remain focused on him.

Peter had the right idea. He thought with all his heart that he would NEVER betray Jesus. But even a disciple of Christ can be led astray. We are all guilty of sin, and betray Jesus with that sin. But the good thing about Peter? He came back, on his knees, broken and ready to try again.

Father,

Thank you for brokenness. Peter was a broken man after he realized what his heart truly held. But he came back and I thank you for allowing me to come back. Thank you for helping me be a better person and showing me what my heart truly entails. I am not perfect nor anything close to it, but I want to be close to you. Close to your heart, close to your life. I love you.

I forever love you Always, Amen.

Search Deep

Job 20; Mark 3-4

Job 20:4-7 ⁴ "Surely you know how it has been from of old, ever since man ^a]">[a] was placed on the earth,

⁵ that the mirth of the wicked is brief,
the joy of the godless lasts but a moment.

⁶ Though his pride reaches to the heavens
and his head touches the clouds,

⁷ he will perish forever, like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, 'Where is he?'

Job was a good man. He loved God and did all he could to give all he had to God. He was chosen personally from the devil as a test. God knew Jobs heart; the devil didn't yet the devil thought he would be able to sway Job away from the Lord if he destroyed him physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But even when his wife, his friends, his family turned their backs on him, he remained focused on God.

Jobs friend in this passage was trying to tell Job to search his heart because he must have done something wrong. People think if bad things happen, you must have done something bad. If your life is wrong than sin must be lingering in your heart and to get life right again than you must get the sin out. But that's not the case here, and its not always the case now. Job loved God and wasn't afraid to show it. Yet he was a good man with bad things happening to him. We can't always be quick to judge a situation by looking at the surface. That's what Jobs family and friends did. They saw him and started pointing fingers accusing him of sin, but Job was clean.

As human, it is easy to judge a situation by just looking at the outside of it. I can see something and easily pick someone to blame and get it over with. But once you hear the heart and whats truly beating inside of it is when you see the truth. I am someone that has to hear the heart because I have been judged superficially too many times and i don't wish that on anyone. Its a horrible feeling, like anything you do can never be right. But if i want to be just, and be like Christ, than I have to search deep and not stop searching until i really see someones heart and not their surface.

Father,

Thank you for allowing me to see things through your eyes. I know I don't always get it right and I am quick tempered and forgive me for those times that I have judged someone on their outside look and not seen their true heart. Help me to be better and see better and know better. Be my guide and my help in my time of true need.

I forever love you always

Amen

Beautiful Difference

Job 19; Mark 1-2

Mark 2:27
²⁷Then he said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. ²⁸So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath."

At this point of Jesus' time, he was beginning in his journey as the Messiah. He was letting the people see his works and miracles. He hadn't given a big teaching or given any explanation of who he was or what he was doing. He was being Jesus.

So many people today are easily swayed by words, propaganda, agendas, etc. They buy into such seriousness and don't learn to live life happy. Jesus said that the Sabbath was made for man, therefore it is our choice of how we spend the sabbath. We are to give God our attention and service to him, we are not to work, but enjoy that day. However the Jews wanted to keep to their old traditions and not change it in any way. They didn't want to help people on the sabbath. They didn't want to go out of their way to lend a hand on the sabbath. They didn't want to open their home to anyone on the sabbath. Because years before that's how the people of old would do things.

But Jesus is saying the old is gone and the new is here. Jesus came to change how we see things. He wants us to stay focused on the prize, to win the race...however there are some people that run, walk, crawl, jump, skip, slide...and Jesus says "that's just fine". Jesus wants us all to get to His kingdom but we will all go in different ways, and as long as those ways are pleasing to Him, than go for it.

Father,
Thank you for making things differently. I am blessed to see different people, different colors, different seasons, different styles and be happy for it. I know that everyone is unique because they were made in your image and by your hands which makes all the difference beautiful. You are beautiful.
I forever love you always,
Amen

God is Simple

Job 13-14; Acts 17-18
Acts 17:24-25 ²⁴"The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. ²⁵And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.

Paul was a dynamic speaker. Whenever he would preach he would give his heart and soul to matter. He knew that God was real, that the Crucifixion was real, and he knew what God did for this earth and its people. However, other people didn't know and he was determined to tell them.
Paul was upset that people wouldn't listen and didn't care about the God that was keeping them alive. They had temples and statues built for other gods that didn't really exist. The people wanted something tangible but there God is something spiritual. And that's what Paul wanted them to understand.

God is powerful. He doesn't need a temple for himself or a statue for us to guess what he looks like. The church is a essentially a place, not for God, but for his people. We build churches for ourselves, to come together and worship Him. But we can do that anywhere. We can come together and worship and talk about God outside, in our homes, or even in the bathroom. God is everywhere. It's when we use those churches to build idols of Him is when we come into the wrong.
God wants us to love him, know him, have a relationship with him...simple things. He doesn't want us to build things, reject people, or hurt others in His name. He may have created the world, created us humans, given us life and breath, but He is simple because all he simply wants is love.

Lord,
Thank you for creating me. For creating this beautiful world full of its beautiful splendors and wonders. No human could have created such color, mountains, flowers, seasons, or differences in this world. It was from a divine being so much greater than a human mind. It was you. And I thank you for the love you gave to me first and i am so blessed to have you in my life.
I forever love you always
Amen

10/13/10 Baptism

Nehemiah 9-10; Acts 2 Acts 2:38-39 ³⁸Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call."

Baptism is a big decision. It can change your life or it can be just another day. When someone gets baptized they are telling God that they are going public with their relationship with Him. They are telling the world that they repent for their sins and are giving their life over to Him. And because of that decision to be baptized they will also have the chance to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

To receive the gift of the holy spirit, your spirit needs to be clean and holy. And once you repent and are baptized, its symbol that you are white as snow. That your spirit is pure and you have given your heart over to God. It doesn't mean that you won't sin anymore, it just means you will work harder at not sinning and if you do than you will go to God and confess your sin.

Father,
Thank you for repentance. Without it i would be filled with bitterness, anger, sin, spite, pride, rejection, and so much more. Only through the confession of sin can I move on from the stupid things i have done and hand them over to you. Thank you for leaving the gift of the Holy Spirit on this earth for me to trust him, love him, and be with him always.
I forever love you always
Amen

At least thats what I'm going to do

Esther 9-10; Luke 19 Luke 19:5-7

⁵When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." ⁶So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.

⁷All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.' "

Jesus was an 'every ones man'. He loved all people, no matter who they were or what they did. And He still does.

There have been people lately who have killed themselves because of their shame of the sin. They may not think its a sin, but i know its a sin. However, being homosexual (sin) is the same as lying (sin). The difference with people now a days is that they feel they can harass others just because they don't like who they are or what they look like. It's true I am against homosexuality...the sin...I am not against the person. There is still a soul, a spirit, a life underneath it all. The same goes for me. I am not going to bully, judge, or even harass a homosexual just because I don't agree. What I am going to do is love on them.

The problem with today is people go and judge, picket, and say dumb things in the "name of God". That is NOT GOD!! My God loves all people. My God will find them and tell them to get out of hiding and say 'lets go have some dinner'. And during that dinner, he would listen to them. Crack jokes with them, hug them, even pick up the bill. Zacchaeus was a thief. He stole peoples life savings, rent, food money, diaper money. He stole from the rich and from the poor. He had no shame, until he realized he was doing wrong and wanted to make things right.

Lets not be like the old Zaccheaus and steal the most precious thing to a person: their integrity. There are many things that get taken from us, but why should we take from others? We are not to be like old Zaccheaus, but we are to be like Jesus and not judge and love.... At least that's what I'm going to do.

Lord,
Thank you for making me a Christian thats not perfect. I couldn't stand perfection because I know thats not what I am built for. I am here to love on your people, sinners and all. I am a sinner and i ask today for your forgiveness if I have judged someone. I ask for forgiveness if I have made someone feel less than. It is not their fault, its mine. You are what makes me keep going and you are my strength when I am weak. Prepare me for whats to come in this life so i can proclaim who you really are...A loving and kind God.
I forever love you always
Amen

Queen

Esther 1-2; Psalm 150; Luke 17 Esther 2:15,17,20 ¹⁵ When the turn came for Esther (the girl Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.
Esther was the type of woman every woman should strive to be like. The fact that she was beautiful physically wasn't what made her the queen. In verse 15 Esther had favor from God. When someone has favor it means their heart is right. When someone has favor it means God is listening to their prayers. When someone has favor it means they have a close relationship with God.
¹⁷ Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
It is easy to fool people. When someone is constantly nice and kissing butt people like it. However, there are some people that cannot be fooled. In the beginning Esther had favor with the people. She was favored by the other women, she was favored by Hegai, she was favored by those around her. And all of her kindness, gentleness, could have been a grand act to get her way into the kingdom. However, the one person she had to impress was the king.
²⁰ But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai's instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.

The reason that Esther had true favor was not her beauty or even the way she spoke. But she was humble and submissive. Even after Esther had the crown and was queen she still went back to Mordecai to get advice and know what to do next. Her true intentions were not to turn her back on her uncle or people but to raise them up and do what she can with the power and authority that was given to her.

Too many people forget where they came from. They forget their past and turn their back on their humble roots. God brought us up in certain ways and we cannot take that for granted.

As a person with a title, I am not one to throw that title in peoples faces. I am to work even harder to help those in need and be there for them. God put me in a certain position which I am to hold in high regard and know that God has all control in my life.

Lord,
Thank you for taking control. Thank you for allowing me to be me and for putting me in this position for this time. I know you have things set out for me and I cannot wait to know your incredible plans for my life. I trust you as my God and my king and I know that I am your child.
I forever love you always
Amen