a blessing...

we are blessed. yes, we are blessed as Christians, but our blessings are often misunderstood, even by us.

it is commonly heard, "look at how the Lord has blessed me," as an introduction to a person's story of great prosperity or even favor, but it is looked down upon when a Christian suffers, even when Christians suffer constantly, either because of illness, or bad circumstances at work, unsaved family members, or limited finances.

we are so much like Job's friends, who, instead of thinking that Job was blessed to have been spared from death or that he was blessed by being saved, accused him of deserving every calamity that happened to him.

even when a friend or family member tells us about how God blessed them with health, finances, etc, we so quickly think, "why not me? why hasn't the Lord blessed me?" as if His blessings are limited to the perishable things.

those blessings in actuality will not remain. and although it sounds like a harsh thing, those blessings are the equivalent of a sand particle compared to the ever-lasting blessings such as the fruits of the Spirit and salvation!!

how could we, in our futile minds, forget such a "great a salvation?"

Paul did not have problems remembering the blessings of God upon his life. yes, anyone on the outside could very easily have said that Paul was damned in life as well as in death. even a Christian brother or sister might have easily thought, "the Lord has blessed me so much because i have a roof over my head, food, family, health, and possessions, yet my brother Paul has nothing, not shelter, nor food, nor family, nor health, nor anything he can call his own other than the clothes on his back. i am blessed, but he has been cursed. the Lord has been good to me, but not to my brother Paul."

oh, but we are so wrong. so, so wrong. you see, the Lord doesn't bless in only a certain manner. the Lord's blessings are all around us, in life, even in death, in happiness and in suffering, in peace and in calamity, BUT the true blessing, which not all possess, is salvation and the fruit that it brings, which is where Paul placed all of his confidence in.

you see, where the world might be boasting in God's blessings in the perishable things, those who suffer with Christ can boast in the eternal blessings, those that will not rust, mold, or die.

to desire someone else's life: family, home, possessions, health, etc., is like desiring a cubic zirconium over a diamond. it is easy for us to know the real value of both these items, but why do we struggle so much finding the real value between blessings?

Paul died in the most solitary way. the blessings that he lacked, he never was able to obtain, but the Lord showered him with diamonds of blessings unseen by the naked eye but seen by the spiritual one - salvation, a heart that endured for the sake of his beautiful Lord, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which brought him "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).

this is the real blessing in a person's life. you can "have it all" by american standards, health, 2 1/2 children, a suburb home, a flat screen t.v., but this is all as dung, as Paul would consider it, if one does not possess salvation.

just as those who quickly run to tell others about God's materialistic blessings in their lives, Paul made sure that he quickly spoke of God's eternal blessings through his suffering.

in the same way, we must talk to others about the marvelous way that He has blessed us, through our illness, loss, need, sadness, grief, through everything. we are not to think as Job's friends, who believed he was afflicted because he was not blessed; rather, Job was afflicted because God wanted to bless him, for through Job's suffering, he was able to see God's grace and mercy all the more clearer than those around him that were prosperous.

2 Timothy 1: 8-14

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, ⁹ who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, ¹⁰and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, ¹¹ for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, ¹² which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. ¹³ Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

Imitation is the Simplest Form of Flattery

Individuality is important in this world. Our character sets us apart from the rest of the world. No two people are the same, and the same can be said about our physical image. From time to time, however, someone's look can be copied.

Famous people are often in the spotlight, giving the world something to imitate. The onlookers take notes and try to duplicate a certain packaged image: the hair, the make-up, the tops, the jeans, the shoes, you-name-it.

We think of this behavior linked to only celebrities, but many ordinary people have their styles imitated by close friends, family, peers, or colleagues. In fact, if one would search this topic on the internet, we would find numerous blogs of annoyed individuals complaining of someone who stole their "look."

Perhaps we can relate. Maybe we took someone's look and made it our own, or visa versa, maybe someone decided to show up to an event looking exactly like you. It can be flattering having someone change their entire look to one that is more like yours, but it seems to make many irritated.

"Don't worry about it," some people write back, adding that, "imitation is the simplest form of flattery. If they took your look, you should be proud."

Our physical individualism is so valuable to us - because it is who we are identified as - that when someone tries to take it and make it their own, we feel threatened, almost as if that person has stolen a part of our person and taken credit for it.

As Christians, we must not, however, possess an individual Christianity that only belongs to us. Our inner being, our Christlikeness, should be a bigger reflection of who we are in the world than our physical attributes or style. It is what should make us different from the pot that is melting together in a hot stew of moral relativism, and we must never feel threatened by another person who wants to be the same. This identity, we share with other Christians. We are clothed with the same garment that Christ has clothed us with.

Everyone has a signature look; mine has mostly been long, wavy hair, moussed up with bangs pinned at the front; feminine tops; a cozy black cardigan; cool flared jeans, and heels.

But my image in Christ is like many others and is easier to part from than the every day wardrobe I own. My image in Christ is not my own. In fact, I am an ambassador to Christ. I represent Him. He owns my heart, mind, soul - my all.

I might feel a bit awkward sitting next to a person who is dressed head to toe like me, but if that same person began to follow Christ because of my example, I would be so humbled and grateful to God. People have come and gone, asked me, "Where did you get your blouse?" or "What kind of mousse do you use on your hair?" but those questions pale in comparison to the quest for Christ, "How do I change my life?" "How did you do it?" "When did God change you?" "Can you pray for me to change?"

God is so wonderful because even in our imperfection, He reflects His image upon our lives. If this makes others desire what we have, that is good because we live in a way where we do not desire what the Jonses have; rather, we desire what they do not have - Christ.

Paul says in Hebrews 6:12 "imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." and in Hebrews 13:7-8 he "Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

So to this I say, imitate away! Paul was confident enough in his faith to tell others to imitate him, which not only displays his confidence but his faithfulness to the Lord. And what should this teach us who are being watched? We must always remember that others are diligently watching, either for us to fall or to show what a real Christian looks like. This is our beauty, not in what we look like outwardly, but in the heart, that frames our faces with the light of God.

Isaiah 53

¹Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
²For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

⁴ Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.

How beautiful is this Savior, who although he lacked the outer beauty that we consider so important, he overflowed in inner beauty, bearing our grief, carrying our sorrows, and hanging on a cross, a sacrifice that brought us everlasting peace. His humility and gentleness should be continuously imitated by His children in order to have the world imitate them; the flattery and all the glory, we'll leave that for the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 1

1Paul, Silas^[a] and Timothy, 
      To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: 
      Grace and peace to you.^[b]

Thanksgiving for the Thessalonians' Faith

 "2We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. 3We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

 4For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, 9for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath."

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-The Word of God has power. There is no such power that will bring a person to conviction and repentance. Because God has chosen, He has empowered us through the Holy Spirit to imitate Christ. Without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, no fruit would come forth, and this fruit is our testimony. We need not tell the world how God has changed us, rather, our daily lives should be testimony enough to the world. This is why Paul states that he and other Christian men did not have to speak of their conversion because the church had displayed the fruits of the Holy Spirit with their actions.

Matthew 7:18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

While it is possible to do good works without the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to feel the power of God in our hearts without His Spirit, and this power is what enables others to identify us with Christ. If we do not feel the power of the Holy Spirit compel us to follow His Scriptures, we must pray and seek Him. The only way is through Jesus Christ.

Prayer: Lord, please give us the assurance of salvation. Let us never doubt we are your children. In all we do, may we seek to glorify You with our words, actions, and thoughts. May our plans be your plans, so that in all we do, we will be known in the world as being children of God, that no one person will ever doubt our salvation. Help us represent you well. Convict our hearts daily of our wrongdoing. Help us love unconditionally as your Son Jesus did, so that we too will be blameless and spotless in Jesus' righteousness. In His sacred name, we pray. Amen.

"The Son Also Rises"

Few words

I am so tired and weary today, yesterday, perhaps tomorrow. Had I not rested on this Rock by the grace of God, I would have walked away from the Lord by now and perished in a second. Thank you dear Father in Heaven for placing hope in my heart; Thank you.

The Lord is my desire, and my family shall serve Him

Upon having conversations with several friends, I have come across the topic of materialism, and in my mind, I came to the final conclusion - we are all tempted by the many, many things that the world has to offer.

The temptation of our eyes comes from the heart. It's a circle that never ends. Our eyes see, our hearts desire; our hearts desire, and our eyes seek. This temptation has been in us since we can remember.

In this world, a child is tempted by toys. By the time he reaches a tender age of two or younger, his vocabulary consists of popular television characters; his eyes search the isles for his t.v. personalities. It should be evident to all that from the time we are young, we have been tempted by what our eyes behold.

That same child goes from desiring the newest toys and videos to desiring the latest technology as a teenager. A male adolescent goes on saving his money to get the most recent video games while girls seek out the clothes racks in their favorite department stores for that name-brand, perfect outfit, no matter the cost. Their eyes desire and never stop craving; their hearts are never content.

A young man gets married and seeks a woman to marry. He must build himself up before he gets the girl of his dreams, and this he does by building himself a reputation and status. In doing so, he has much to offer, even part of the moon. A beautiful young woman marries a man who can offer her financial stability, and together, they can keep up with the Jonses. Together they will work for those things that their eyes behold.

I remember my marriage vows so clearly, especially because the judge who married my husband and I was quite strange, but he said one thing that I laughed off the first couple of years of marriage. Part of my husband's vows was "I cannot promise you the world..." It's true. He cannot promise me the world, nor can he purchase part of the moon for me. I have learned to understand that more and more as I seek His ways.

As a Christian wife, I cannot afford to desire what the world uses to tempt. I cannot afford to desire an extravagant home in the suburbs, expensive jewelry, name-brand clothes, or even the best toys for my future children. My husband cannot afford to behold these things either. How are we to glorify the Lord if we live our lives only to obtain what will some day rust and mold? That beautiful dress will someday be eaten by moths. That purse will some day lose its value. That vehicle will one day break down, and the house of my dreams will be someone else's dream house when I die. In my mind, my dream house used to sit on a hill with several acres of land. I had horses and sheep and even a clothes line where I could hang clothes out to dry if I desired without being afraid of any restrictions.

I have had a new dream home for a while now. I ponder on it many times. I pray for the day that I can obtain that dream land of mine. It still sits on a hill, but this hill cannot be reached by climbing up the ladder of success. The only way to get there is to behold what is real and true in this life, and that is by beholding the Lord, Jesus Christ. Not many understand this because many have been blinded by the glittering lights of the center stage of success, of diamonds, and of status. We have become so driven that we have taken it upon ourselves to work for material wealth and success rather than working to glorify and magnify our Savior.

As a wife, will I ever desire what other wives possess? I probably will for a split second here and there, in a moment of weakness, most definitely, but the Lord has placed a tremendous, great burden in my heart, and that is not to glorify Him by obtaining things for myself; rather, that whatever I have, I may share with His church.

Will my husband ever desire success and status? He probably will until the Lord corrects his heart and leads him to the right path, humility and servitude to God's children, forsaking all of his selfish desires. What does it benefit him that God fill his pockets with money if he cannot extend it to those who do not have food on the table? Is this what God wants us to work for? Absolutely not!

Will my children desire what other children have? Most definitely. What will I say to them? What will I tell my husband? What will I tell myself when I am tempted by the deceivingly beautiful things in this world? I will tell them exactly what Jesus said to my heart this morning:

19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

-Matthew 6:19-24

Thank you Lord for your precious Word.

Words of Wisdom

Old Testament

• The Lord will make you the head, not the tail (Deuteronomy 28: 13)
• Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless. (Ecclesiastes 1: 2)
• There is a time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
• Be happy while you are young (Ecclesiastes 11: 9)
• Do not awaken love until it so desires (Song of Songs 2: 7)
• The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1: 7)
• Do not be wise in your own eyes (Proverbs 3: 7)
• Pride goes before destruction and haughtiness before a fall. (Proverbs 16:18)
• A prudent wife is from the Lord (Proverbs 19: 14)
• Laziness brings on deep sleep (Proverbs 19: 15)
• Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19: 21)
• Wine is a mocker and beer a brawler (Proverbs 20: 1)
• Even a child is known by his actions (Proverbs 20: 11)
• The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old (Proverbs 20: 29)
• Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife (Proverbs 21: 19)
• He who loves pleasure will become poor (Proverbs 21: 17)
• Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die (Proverbs 23: 13)
• Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth. (Proverbs 27: 1)
• As water reflects a face, so a man’s heart reflects the man (Proverbs 27: 19)
• Never are the eyes of the man satisfied (Proverbs 27: 20)
• Riches do not endure forever and a crown is not secure for all generations (Proverbs 27: 24)
• When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers (Proverbs 28: 2)
• Better a poor man whose walk is blameless than a rich man whose ways are perverse (Proverbs 28: 6)
• Who hates ill-gotten gain will enjoy a long life (Proverbs 28: 16)
• A man tormented by the guilt of murder will be a fugitive till death (Proverbs 28: 17)
• Mene-Tekel-Peres (Daniel 5: 25)

New Testament

• Do not judge, so that you may not be judged (Matthew 7: 1)
• If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. (Matthew 5: 29)
• Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. (Matthew 7: 6)
• Therefore by their fruits you will know them. (Matthew 7: 20)
• And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, The old is good. (Matthew 9:17)
• But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)
• And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5: 3-4)
• Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:24)
• Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial (1 Cor. 6: 12 and 1 Cor.10: 23)
• Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s (Matthew 22: 21)
• Love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22: 39)
• Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer! While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived (Matthew 26: 46-47)(Noun Judas has since been used to refer to a traitor.)
• Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? (Matthew 7: 3)
• Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (Matthew 7: 7)
• I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.(Acts 20: 35)
• With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God. (Mark 10: 27)

Someday, He will return

Hosana by Hillsong

I see the King of glory
Coming down the clouds with fire
The whole earth shakes, the whole earth shakes
I see His love and mercy
Washing over all our sin
The people sing, the people sing

[Chorus]
Hosanna, hosanna
Hosanna in the highest (x2)

[Verse 2]
I see a generation
Rising up to take the place
With selfless faith, with selfless faith
I see a near revival
Stirring as we pray and seek
We're on our knees, we're on our knees

[Bridge]
Heal my heart and make it clean
Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks Yours
Everything I am for Your Kingdom's cause
As I walk from earth into eternity

[Chorus]