Perspectives

Psalm 8

"O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise.... When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly things and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet." (v. 1-6)

I remembered the last movie my mom and I were on a date. The movie was called "The Dead Poet Society". It was a very inspiring movie. The main character was an English Professor who was very different from the other instructors. He not only taught english, but about life through english. His methods were uncommon and risque, but very effective. In one scene, he had the students form a line behind the instructor's desk at the front of the room. When it was the next student's turn, he wanted to stand on top of the desk and look around the classroom from a different perspective.

HIs point was to take time to evaluate each situation and circumstances through different perspectives. A mountain to an a fox from the ground looking up may seem enormous, almost endless, and may seem impossible to tackle, whereas an eagle flying above looking down may see the mountain as small, almost flat, and may have already been overcome.

As sons and daughters of God, let us also take on new perspectives of each situations and circumstances differently. If we truly believe and accept God's unending and unconditional love, then there should be no fears. We should be joyful to know that He has taken us in as His royal sons and daughters, and have put everything else under us. If we put our faith in Him, and relinquish these situations to Him, then He will provide us the best solution.

A Slow Death

Proverbs 25:26

"If the godly compromise with the wicked, it is like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring."

They say that the best way to cook a frog is to slowly raise the heat of the pot to boiling. If you were to place a frog into boiling water, it would jump out. However, if you placed the frog and slowly raised the temperature, the frog wouldn't know the difference. Unfortunately, compromises operate the same way. It slowly chips away at us that can lead us to major trouble. We will wake up one day and wonder how we got to where we are, and not realize the path we had taken in the past. It is uncommon (or almost impossible) for us to one day sin and fall away from God. We don't just simply find ourselves as a stranger to God. We had made small choices that slowly removed ourselves from the presence of God.

Our pastor reminded us one Sunday morning that we simply do not just stay still. We are either slowly building our faith and our walk with God, or we are slowly walking away from God. Every moment we are making these choices, and in time we will see the results. The challenge is whether we are working to build ourselves or allow our relationship with God falter. Take every moment to spend with God!

Gift of Grace

2 Corinthians 8:1-9

"And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. OUt of the most sever trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability.... For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich." (v. 1-3, 9)

I remember when I was younger how the Macy's parade was the parade of the year. It was spectacular. All the floats were amazing, and the balloons kept getting bigger and innovative every year. The parade was always fascinating, but the end always brought about the greatest joy. At the end of the parade was Santa's float. It was the sign of the start of the countdown to Christmas. In fact, Christmas music would begin to play over the radio stations. As a child it was so exciting to know that Christmas was near, and we also knew what that meant... gifts.

Christmas always brought excitement. Although I never believed in Santa Claus, I knew that my mom and dad had graciously spent their hard earned dollars to provide me some wonderful gifts. I became very good at figuring out what some, if not most of them were. I felt like a prince being showered with gifts and with love.

Unfortunately, not everyone can share in this experience. Some would be lucky to have shelter and food on Christmas. I know that we have been taught that is not about the receiving, but the giving that is important. However, most have translated this to your family or friends. There are those who have no family or friends who need the gift of giving. Let us enjoy our Christmas by also giving a helping hand to someone who needs some help. Just as Paul made it clear, it is not a commandment, but an encouragement. There are so many opportunities out there: (Samaritan's Purse) Christmas Shoebox for children around the world in third-world countries, Compassion International where you can sponsor a child, and Roof in the Inn who helps the homeless find shelter during the cold season. There are so many more, so please consider giving the gift to those who needs it this year.

Knight in Loving Armor

Ephesians 2:1-10

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." (v. 4-9)

My daughter currently loves to play dress-up. Her favorite thing to do is to pretend that she is a princess. Is this one of all, if not most, of little girls' dreams; to be swept up by a handsome prince to be taken to their beautiful castle? I believe a similar desire is true for all adults, including men (but not as romantic). How many of us had dreamt of winning the lotto? The "what if" scenarios would swim into our heads. Oh the joy we would have it if it becomes true!

Oh, but it has. The dream of our lifetime has occurred. Jesus Christ gave everything away, including His life, so He could give us the gift of life. Eternal life as royalty with our Father in heaven. It may not be riches of gold and silver, but it is riches of life full of joy, happiness, and love. In the end, isn't that what we seek. We have been so drawn to the idea that money would buy us this. Luckily, there are some romantics that attempt to convince us that true love is what gives us happiness. Well, God's agape love is unconditional; it does not get any better.

So, let us keep reminded of this. Let us enjoy the gift that He gives, and live our lives as prince and princess. We should be filled with joy and happiness.

Living: Overcoming Death

1 Corinthians 15:12-26

"For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men." (v. 16-19)

If we cannot believe that the dead can be given new life, and especially doubt our own resurrection, then our faith is indeed futile. We are then considered hypocrites, since Christ too then could not have been risen from the dead. Christ could not be more than a prophet. In fact, the pharisees would more correct in that He was a false prophet.

However, Christ was indeed more than a prophet. He was and still is the Son of God. Christ was born as the Living Word, died, and rose from the dead on the third day. He was born as a man, so He can be the ultimate sacrifice for all our sins. If this is the truth that we believe, and accepted His gift of new life, then we should live as His sons and daughters. Let us not allow anything in this world tell us differently. More importantly, let us not allow anything else either steer us from the truth and also allow anything to take away our joy. We should always be cheerful; for if death cannot take us, then what can... other His love for us?

Prepared with the Truth

1 Peter 3: 13-17

"Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. 'Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.' But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."

When I was younger, I used to believe that I knew very well what the Scripture said. Although I knew that I did not know everything, the things I did know were quite clear and that I knew how to live life according to things I did know. In my passion to help others, I started to share with them how to best live their lives. I also enjoyed debating with those who thought differently. It all seemed very logical.

Unfortunately, when it comes to people, it isn't always logical. People have emotions that plays heavily in their ideas and understanding. To ignore these is to ignore them as a person. The truth will always remain the truth. It will never change, and cannot change. However, how it is expressed can greatly affect how it is received. If the truth is shared in a peaceful, loving, and humble way, then it is more likely to be accepted, if not at least heard. However, if it is done as criticism or causes shame, then it can fall on deaf ears or sometimes cause rebellion against the truth.

We are to be prepared with the truth in all occasions. Such preparation is not just the logistical reasons, but preparation of our mind, spirit, and our emotions. Otherwise, we may be able to state the truth, but it can be clouded by the errors of our emotions.

Unknown Future

Romans 8:28-30

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified."

In the midst of trials and tribulations, we quickly turn to God for help. However, in many cases it is either done out of desperation, or just words seeking His intervention and not Himself. We do want our God to help fix our problems, but not be a part of it. In other times, we may be joyful and very content with our lives. We enjoy it, and we may give God credit, but again do not want God a part of our lives in fear it may cause us to do things that may ruin the good life. If we really think about our relationship with Him, there are probably many instances we treat him like we do our plumber. We may have our special plumber, and when the pipes are broken, we want them to immediately come to our house and fix it. As soon as it is fixed, we want them to leave so we can continue with our lives.

The problem is that life is never a constant. It is ever changing. Every action we take causes other events to occur leading us down a path. The world around is also changing and events are taking place that also affects the path we take. There is no magic formula that defines how we should live and by doing so will result in the exact events we desire. This can make it challenging. We sometimes hope that God would simply lay out exactly what we should do to live a better life. However, if this was done, then what freedom would we have? Therefore, the unknown of the future can be fearful.

However, we do not have to live in fear. We have something better. God wants us to have our freedom in life, so He gives us the promise to take care of us. To be taken care by someone requires a relationship. He promises us good things if we "love him." To love someone requires us to have a relationship with them. It means that we want them as a part of our lives. The plumber would not only be welcomed to our homes to fix our pipes, but to stay have dinner with the family. If the plumber is our wife, she would even stay at the home. Not only will our pipes be fixed whenever it is needed and without any fear, but more importantly we have a relationship.

God wants us to invite Him into our lives... to be a part of it. We can enjoy our walks together, and when issues arises we can have the confidence that it can be overcome because He will help us through it. When times are good, we can party with the Lord. My pastor recently said, "we should have no fears in the unknown future when we have a known God." To know our God is to have a relationship with Him. When He is a part of our life, what do we have to fear?

Our Comforter

Psalm 119:25-88

"I am laid low in the dust; preserve my life according to your word.... My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.... May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant. Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight." (v. 25, 28, 77-78)

9-11, Hurricane Katrina, and now Hurricane Rita... such devastations. I cannot imagine how difficult it would've been if I was in the middle of these catastrophes, or if I had lost a loved one to these. How devastating it must've been. All would seem lost leaving very little hope.

Although, immeasurable to these events, most of us reach a point in life where all seems to be lost. Our depression is a catastrophe in the making. Life seems to spin out of control, and little hope may be left. It may be life threatening such as cancer, or simply stresses and depressions in our lives.

Regardless of the storms we go through life, we can find a calm in the storm. There is only one place we can turn to without any fears and can always rely on. There is one person who is always the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. One person whose love for us is unchanging and without any conditions. He will always meet our needs if we turn to Him. He will pick us up when we are down and carry us if necessary. He is our Lord and our Saviour... He is our Father in heaven.

We can find shelter in Him, and will be comforted in our times of difficulties. We just simply need to turn to Him, release ourselves to Him, and let Him take care of us. Let us therefore fix our eyes on Him, and lean on Him.

Be still, My child, and know that I am God!

Wait thou patientlyI know the path you trod
So falter not, nor fear, nor think to run and hide,
For I, thy hope and strength, am waiting by thy side. -Hein

Heavenly Pursuit

Romans 8:9-14

"Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation - but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God." (v. 12-14)

Like most parents, my parents asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. When I was very young, my first response was a mailman, and my cousin, who was like a brother to me, answered that he wanted to be a truck driver. Our parents laughed at our response, but I guess both of us was fascinated by the fact that they were able to get around without any boundaries. As I grew older, my ambitions grew as well... sometimes maybe faster. Like most, I wanted to be famous and rich. Famous not like an actor, but in terms of developing something important or perhaps being the Director of the CIA. The short-lived TV show Doogie Howser was fascinating, because it was a young teenage boy who had an extraordinary intelligence who achieved his MD by high school and was practicing medicine. That was the level of ambition that grew... unfortunately, my IQ did not grow as quickly as my ambitions.

It is very easy to get caught up in our dreams, especially when the world advertise how important it is. Even at a young age, we are indirectly being "encouraged" of how important it is to be either a doctor, engineer, lawyer, or teacher (although the last two are now not as encouraged). We are constantly being filled with ideas of how important it is to be someone, have something, or be somewhere to live a good life. In some cases, these are good. However, how does this line up with our new self as a Christian? More importantly, how does it line up with God's vision for our lives?

As children's of our Heavenly Father, we have become a "new creature." Our sinful nature needs to die, and we must be led by the Spirit. Although this Scripture is focused on our nature which primarily translates to our being, it also describes our place value in our lives. Our pursuits in life should also be changed. How its value is measured should also change. Therefore, what we pursue, whether it be what we become, what we do, what we have, where we are, and how we do must be valued differently. Let us therefore focus on God and pursue heavenly things.

Constant Flow of His Love

1 John 4:16

"We know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him."

It is amazing and wonderful to know that our God loves us dearly. His love is unconditional and the same yesterday, today, and forevermore (Hebrews 13:8). He is love. If His love was any different, we would have great challenges. We may in fact question it. However, because His love for us is immense, without prejudice, and unchanging, we can rely on it. We should not have to worry about anything, since we know we have a safety net, His love, that will catch our falls. It is wonderful to know and have such confidence (faith) in Him.

However, this should not be kept as a secret. His love needs to be shared with others. We need to also encourage one another and remind one another of His love. In fact, if we truly embrace His love, then love should naturally flow from us. Let us therefore, open our hearts, minds, and hands to receive His love. Let us then open the floodgates, to let it continually flow through us and out of us... for His love is unending and will continue to flow.

Seek, Ask, and RECEIVE!!!

1 Timothy 6:6-19

"But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." (v. 11-12)

Often times it is easy to offer a prayer to our Father seeking for help. We could ask others to pray for us regarding areas of needs. However, what do we do ourselves in order to help ourselves? It is easy to ask for help, but if we ourselves do not take the appropriate actions, then is heart in the right place? I was reminded by someone with a mutual friend who grew puzzled by the actions of our mutual friend. Our friend had admitted to having a drinking problem and sought our help in both prayer and encouragement. After several weeks had gone by, we had noticed that he would continue to stop by the bar on the way home from work. When confronted, he informed us that he wasn't dropping in to drink, but to just relax from a hard day's work. We encouraged him to seek other areas to do this. We even suggested the three of us meeting at any place he would be interested for this purpose. Unfortunately, instead of fleeing from such places where the temptations were the greatest, he continued to place himself in difficult situations. Although he seemed to be doing better after sharing with us his needs, he eventually succumbed to the temptation and was drawn further into his problem. It was not until he hit the bottom, before he began to climb out of his situation.

Seeking for help is the first step in the right direction leading to admittance to a need for help. However, if actions do not follow after the need has been realized, then it becomes very difficult to overcome it. It is easy for me to ask God to help me be a better father to my children. However, what am I doing to allow such change to occur? The action itself is not the critical element, but the attitude itself.

It is interesting how we do not want someone else including God to necessarily dictate how we should live our lives including controlling our lives. However, when it comes to a need, we expect to snap our fingers (effortlessly) and be instantaneously changed overnight.

We must indeed seek God first and ask. He will provide all our needs. However, if we ask, then we must also be prepared to receive. To receive we must open our hands and accept. Opening our hands is an action... it is the changing of our heart... our attitude. Let us therefore not ask with a close mind and hands, but ask with an open heart waiting to receive His blessings!

Peace Like a River

Isaiah 48:18

"If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea."

I recently had to counsel a young man who recently had a divorce and have been struggling to put the pieces back together. The divorce was a complete surprise to him, and all else didn't seem to matter. His job suffered to almost being fired. He had internalized the entire situation and crawled deep into a deep whole in hopes that it never happened. He removed himself from the world, including his friends. He had considered suicide in hopes to quite any remaining thoughts.

Oh how tragic for a young man who had many talents, and had quite a bit of talent to offer to the world. He shared how he felt as if he was unworthy and had nothing to share. He felt as if everything he did always resulted in failure. This reminded me of how many of us react when faced with difficulties, and especially depression.

On the most part, when we are depressed we would replay the troubles in our minds over and over again. As we replay the problems in our minds our depression and/or frustration just grows. we wished it never happened, or we blame ourselves for the mistakes we had done. "If we had just done it differently," we will tell ourselves or, "we just do not deserve it." While relive the past, our stress simply just builds. This is like a dam in a river. As we replay the issues, it is like a dam is being built. As we internalize the issues, there are very little areas to release the problems. The waters have no place to run beyond the dam when there are no areas to release. The stress will only increase as more water is stopped. Eventually, the dam will break or the water will overflow only to leave devastation.

A natural river may have may have many twists, turns, and some turbulence, but it is always moving forward. It never turns back, nor does it retrace its steps. It may create new paths when it becomes necessary, but it is always moving forward. As I heard someone say, "you can never stand in the same river twice." This is the peace we find with the river. We need to continue moving forward, and not dwell in the past. We must learn from our past, but it is in the past. Following Him will also lessen our need to look back. We need to move forward and strive to reach our goals, especially with following the path back home to God.

Miracles Needed: Forgiveness of Sin

Luke 5:17-26

"Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.... He said to the paralyzed man, 'I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.' Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, 'We have seen remarkable things today.'"

Star Trek was always one of my favorite shows growing up. I remember how the show would push the envelope as to the future. It would be great to have such a thing as a teleporter. One of the greatest things about the future is about the new technologies in medicine. However, one key rule they abide in (the prime directive) is to not interfere with lesser developed civilization to prevent any possible changes in their development of their future. This is a great idea. It would be mystifying for those who has very little medicinal expertise to encounter such technologies... it would be considered a miracle. In fact, the Native Americans and many other past civilizations had medicine men who were considered the miracle men. If we were to take our advances in medicine today and take it back in time, they would consider it miracles.

Wouldn't it be fair to say that many miracles do happen, even in the hands of men? Advancements in medicine has improved the lives of many. Miraculous cures are found on a regular basis. People are living longer and more people are cured due to the advancements of medicine.

When Jesus asked the question as to which is easier to say, "Your sins are forgiven," or "Get up and walk," it left a thought to ponder on. It may be easier to say one's sins are forgiven, but the truth is to tell someone paralyzed to get up and walk is much more easily accomplishable. The Pharisees were indeed correct that only God can forgive sins. However, they were not able to reconcile the truth that Jesus Himself is God. Jesus understanding their difficulties healed the man to display His authority. People were also amazed and gave Him praise.

It is true that all of us needs miracles in our lives. We need to see His handiwork to recognize He is God at first. However, once we embrace Him as our God, we need to mature in our walk with Him as well. Unlike the Pharisees, we acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior. We therefore should seek Him, and not His handiwork. Are we spending time with Him and developing a relationship with Him? Or do we continue to spend most of our time seeking His miracles? Is our prayer life about Him helping us in our situation? Or is about being more like Him? It is no longer about doing, but about being. And as we become more like Him, than then actions will easily follow.

Hurricane Katrina has been devastating. It has ruined many lives. The tragedy is astounding and unimaginable. It is unfortunate to see the finger pointing, but it is also great to see the number of people mobilizing to help the victims. Unfortunately, the sins of men has been even more devastating. The death rate is incomparable, and the ruined lives are far greater. What mobilization is taking place due to this natural disaster? Let us not only pray for the miracles needed for the devastated lives due to the hurricane, but let us also focus on the lives that need saving from sin.

Beyond Just Hearing

Isaiah 50:4-5

"The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know what to say to all these weary ones. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. The Sovereign LORD has spoken to me, and I have listened. I do not rebel or turn away."

How easy is it for us to quickly offer a prayer when we are in need? I remember when praying was one of the most difficult things to do. While attending College (a Christian College) whenever we had group prayer, the last person who had their thumbs up was "elected" as the person to pray. It was always difficult. I was glad when one of my friends eventually asked whether this was right. It should be a privilege to be one to pray, and not to be "stuck with it". Looking back, I wonder if most of us was more afraid of God in our prayers, or what we had to say in front of friends? Prayer is primarily for God.

As we mature we come to realize that prayer is an easy part of every day of life. It is simply our conversation with our loving Father, and it can be done anywhere and at any time. However, our relationship... our communication is not just about speaking to the Lord. We must also listen. We must also spend time to listen to what He has to say to us. After all, He is not a "suggestion box" where we just leave our suggestions and requests. A relationship requires us to listen and to follow. Ah... yes, we need to "follow" as well. I recall a teacher asking if there was a difference between "hearing" and "listening". Indeed there is. Hearing is defined as "to perceive (sound) by the ear." Whereas listening is defined as "to make an effort to hear something" or "to pay attention." Listening takes hearing a step further through an "effort" to understand. This is true with reading Scripture. It is easy to simply read the words. It is another to make the effort to understand and let it dwell in our hearts. We need to listen, understand, and let His words live in us and through us.

The Perfect Drink

John 4:9-14

"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (v. 13-14)

Just yesterday I went down to the second floor of our building to get a drink from the vending machine. I typically take with me a bottle of water, but on this day I happened to be without. After a long day, and without drinking much at all, I was thirsty. It was quite frustrating to find that it was not working. Granted, I was not dying of thirst, but it just left an unsatisfying and somewhat a helpless feeling.

I have been fortunate enough to never had known what it felt to be dying of thirst, and therefore expending all energies to seek water. However, I have some sense of what it is to feel thirsty and seeking that "perfect" drink to quench it. And if it is not "perfect" and does not satisfy completely, our search continues. As it takes longer than desired and not easily found, our search becomes more desperate and sometimes "clumsy" through compromises.

How about our thirst in life? What do we seek after? We may not be "dying of thirst", but many of us have thirsts yearning to be quenched by that "perfect" drink. It is also with the smaller things that keeps us so busy. What takes up our time?

There is only one "perfect" drink that never runs dry. All we need to do is drink because it is easily given. God is the only one who can satisfy our desires... our heart... our lives. His love is without condition and without limits. What more should we ask for? Why attempt to expend our energies on seeking our own solution, when the best one has already been handed to us. Instead, let us enjoy our time with the Lord who more than quenches our thirst.

"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." (Jeremiah 2:13)

Our Main Calling

Exodus 19:1-8

"You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself." (v. 4)

I remember accompanying a friend in a move from Boston to Cincinnati. We had a wonderful time sharing our ideas and thoughts. We always challenged each other spiritually. One of our major topics was whether it was important for churches to set visions and thereby create programs. We both knew the potential consequences when programs begin to dictate ministry instead of allowing the Spirit to lead it. Regardless whether it is a church or us as an individual, we can easily be caught up with the "work of the Lord" and allow it to drive us instead of God Himself.

However, I believe it is important that we understand God's will for us. I believe He guides us and therefore does provide us a vision and a goal. After all, He did command Moses to lead His people to first take them away out of captivity and into the Promise Land. The people were eager to leave captivity and seek the Promise Land. However, during the journey how often did they focused on the promise that they began to turn away from God Himself?

God Himself and instructed Moses to remind them how He took them away from captivity and brought them to Him. This is a reminder that our primary calling is to Him. His works then follow. Unfortunately, we all can easily be caught up in the works and lose sight that God first seeks our intimate relationship with Him first. God provides us visions and goals so we have a path to follow, but let us not lose sight of Him while walking this path. This path was set so we can enjoy our walks with Him, not to focus on the path itself. Therefore, let us always first seek Him, enjoy our fellowship with HIm, and then allow His works to follow.

Who Do You Worship?

1 Kings 18:21

"Elijah went before the people and said, 'How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him.'"

In the midst of terrorism... as immorality and darkness seems to overtake the world... while religion seems to drive faith out of churches... while it seems as if the world will only get worse... we must not fall into the trap that there is no hope and that matters will only get worse. It is easy to be distracted by what is wrong with this world and believe that there is no hope. It may not be in a grand scale as the corruption of this world. It may be about our country, our state, our neighborhood, or church, or even our family. Things may not seem as if it is going well, but where is our focus? Is it with the winds blowing or the waves of water that may be crashing down on us? Is it because of the miracle of walking on water seems to be unreal or impossible? Ah, where is our focus now?

Israel had many encounters of despair, but in many instances God raised a godly person, a prophet, to help lead them to hope... he lead them back to God. During the wicked times of Israel where wickedness and idol worship prevailed, God intervened. Elijah whose name means "The Lord is my God" was sent to deliver the message to Israel to put their faith in God. His question was simple: who do you worship? We need to decide who in our life will we put our faith on. We cannot waver back and forth, but must decide how we will mold our lives. Do we put faith in our money? Do we rely on our jobs? Is our faith on our pastor? Do we put faith in our own abilities? Or do we put faith on our Heavenly Father and lay our lives in His hands?

There is hope in all situations. We should recognize the events around us, but our focus should not be on it. After all, God is hope and therefore if we put our faith in Him then we will always have hope. Let us shape our thoughts... our being on Him and let us rejoice for He is good!!!

Spiritual Training

1 Timothy 4:1-11

"Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy singing that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe." (v. 8-10)

It has been so hot and humid here in Charlotte during the past several weeks that it has been quite difficult (and lacking motivation) to continue my cycling regiment. My primary goal was to get back in shape and lose some weight. After two weeks of non-activity, I have already felt the impact. My weight was immediately back, my energy levels have dropped and my migraines have increased. Regular exercise not only reduced the number of illness, but it has made me feel better overall. Unfortunately, it also takes work. However, in time it becomes easier.

Our spiritual being also requires a regular regiment of exercise. We must train ourselves to be godly on a regular basis. It will not only reduce temptations in our lives and our chances of sin, but will also allows us to have pure joy and feel bette overall. We will be awarded ultimately in the end, but we are promised to be impacted currently ("holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (v. 8b).

Therefore, let us train on a regular basis, have hope in the our loving Father, and receive His blessings in our lives starting today.

No Regrets

1 Peter 4:12-19

"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, 'If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?' So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." (v. 12-19)

Oh what a joy it was when we first learned of the truth of the love of God and the gift of life He gives us. When we accepted His gift of His Son and became His son and daughter, we were absolutely embraced by His love. We were at first saddened when we recognized the sins we have committed, but were then lifted up in pure joy from His love.

As we matured as sons and daughters, we continued to face many trials and tribulations. It was difficult to strip away our old nature. It sometimes seemed easier to do the same things, especially when our friends made fun of us and/or didn't support us. It is even more difficult when it seems as if we can "cut corners" to be in a better place for ourselves, especially when it comes to our pride.

However, as sons and daughters we know the truth. The truth is that we have been set free from the bondage of sin through the blood of Jesus Christ. We have become sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, and are inheritance of His kingdom. Even though we may suffer, we suffer for Him. Christ suffered the worst in our place: rejection by His own people, and rejection and separation from the Father as He bore our sins. Therefore, there is no regrets. Everything we do we do as His sons and daughters. We can find pure joy in His joy over us.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:7-8)

Peace in Life: Two Step Process

Psalm 119:33-48

"Do not snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my hope in your laws. I will always obey your law, forever and ever. I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame, for I delight in your commands because I love them. I lit up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees." (v. 43-48)

As humans we are always seeking to find peace in our lives. We desire a comfortable life with the freedom to do anything without any worries. We want to lead a joyful life with hope for all circumstances. Fortunately for us sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father this is possible. We will always find truth and hope in the Living Words that God has given us. However, the peace and freedom we seek does not come from just reading the Scripture. It comes from having faith and living accordingly. The Word is living because it should be living in us and through us. We cannot simply read the Scripture as a historical book. Prescriptions are provided. If we are to gain the health and benefits it provides, then we must have faith in it and actively partake in it. We are to "walk about in freedom" because we "have sought out His precepts (v. 45)."