" You know, O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do justice and to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God."
- Micah 6:8
Friday, November 16, 2012
Re-Teaching The Faith
I heard this paragraph from someone when we were discussing what it means to "live in the present [for God]". This is the opening paragraph in the book that the person was reading and it was nice to hear, what might seem weird to us, how our ancestors might have viewed God.
This makes me aware of my present surroundings a little more, so as to pause and imagine that God is in the moment there with me helping (guiding) me to my future (His providence for me). We spend so much of our time filling up our boredom and extra time with games on our tablets, itouches, and phones and also texting that we don't really look around us and actually live in the moment. If we just stop and take a deep breath, imagine God in the room there with us, and try to ignore the urge to take our cellphones out... we might actually get to experience the day in a whole new way.And if you ever get bored, or say that you're bored, just pause for a moment and just ask yourself to God, "Ok God, what do you have for me next"? Just like your coach tells you in the sport to "get in the ready position", God is telling you to get into that position too. We need to be ready for anything.
"Today....
God still speaks to us as he used to speak to our ancestors at a time when there were neither spiritual directors nor any system of spirituality. To be faithful to the designs of God then comprised the whole of one's spiritual life. They knew only that each moment brought a duty which must be faithfully fulfilled. Those spiritually inclined needed nothing more. They were like the hand of a clock which, minute by minute, crosses the appointed space, for, ceaselessly prompted by the divine grace, they attended without thinking to each new task offered them by God at every hour of the day."
This makes me aware of my present surroundings a little more, so as to pause and imagine that God is in the moment there with me helping (guiding) me to my future (His providence for me). We spend so much of our time filling up our boredom and extra time with games on our tablets, itouches, and phones and also texting that we don't really look around us and actually live in the moment. If we just stop and take a deep breath, imagine God in the room there with us, and try to ignore the urge to take our cellphones out... we might actually get to experience the day in a whole new way.And if you ever get bored, or say that you're bored, just pause for a moment and just ask yourself to God, "Ok God, what do you have for me next"? Just like your coach tells you in the sport to "get in the ready position", God is telling you to get into that position too. We need to be ready for anything.
Armor of God 2
"Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with you loins girded in truth, clothed in the righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace. In all circumstances hold your faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
- Ephesians 6: 13-17
- Ephesians 6: 13-17
The Armor of God
"You're feet shod in readiness for the Gospel of Peace"
What does it mean to be "shod in readiness"? What does that look like? For starters, one can presume that, like anyone, one must have shoes in order to protect your feet from danger that's on the ground. When you go into battle, you do not no have shoes.. it just doesn't make sense. The same thing for when you get up in the morning to go to school or work; you do not not wear shoes when you walk into school or the office. So then why would you not be "shod in readiness" for God? He all gave us a mission to spread his word; the word of God, so why don't we? I heard a talk done by one of my youth ministers a few weeks back and hep put this in a new perspective. He said that so many of us have faith, but how many of us spread it? When we get "shod in readiness for the Gospel of Peace", we're actually creating a "movable faith". We let our understandings of God move us to anywhere we need to be (where God needs us to be), so that others may learn from us and come to acknowledge Him too.
"Stand fast with your loins girded in truth"
The usual clothing of a Roman was a long tunic-like dress, sandals, and that's pretty much it. the only problem was, the Roman soldiers wore similar style clothing, so they had to use a belt to wrap up the tunic to save it from being dragged or caught on something in the midst of battle. When you go outside today, you'll probably see more people wearing some sort of belt to hold up their pants. It's simply just that way. You wouldn't want your pants to fall down in public, so then why let you self be subjected to humiliation by Satan if you're not "girded in truth"? God gave us 10 commandments and one of them says "thou shall not bear false witness" (interpreted as "thou shall not lie"), so standing fast in "truth" helps us keep to that commandment.
"Clothed in righteousness as a breastplate"
The breastplate of righteousness is the one piece of armor that protects your torso. In medieval battles, knights used to wear iron plated chest armor that covered them from their neck to their belt area. This piece was usually one solid piece of armor due to the fact that they didn't want swords or arrows to puncture through them like chain-mail did. Today soldiers in the field of battle wear Kevlar body armor that nearly protects everything around their body (especially their torso). Just as the soldiers put on their body armor, so should we be "clothed in righteousness". We need to keep out the hatred and violence to dictate what is wrong and what is right. This breastplate of righteousness helps us do so.
"Take the helmet of salvation"
One of the most important pieces of your body to protect is your head. Soldiers from all over the world, through the centuries, have always put on a helmet to protect their head while in battle. When you put on the "helmet of salvation", you're not just saying 'I am saved', you're telling the devil that there is no way for him to touch you. God has saved you and you stand only for Him. Whoever dares to harm you has to deal with you and God who is protecting you. And if God is protecting you, then who's every going to be able to hurt you?
"The sword of the spirit, which is the word of God"
The "sword of the spirit" is you main offensive weapon. When someone asks you a question about your faith; "why is there only 1 God"?, "Why do you take the Eucharist at mass every Sunday"?, even, "Why is Sunday considered the 'holy day'"?, you want to be able to respond to them with a legitimate answer. If we take our time and read the Bible everyday, then we can know God's words and be able to use them to change others' hearts and thoughts. We can help them in their ways and misunderstandings of Christ because in the end, our goal is to not just preach, but to bring the wisdom and understanding of God to everyone we know.
"In all circumstances, hold your faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one"
Let your faith lead you in your decisions and use your faith as a shield to block the negatives of this world; all the sins, hatred, and wrong decisions. Don't let your guard down so that the devil make sneak in at any moment and tempt you to sin or turn your eyes away from God. God is our savior. We need Him to get to heaven; to eternal bliss with Him. Your shield of faith helps you do so. It helps you deny the devil entry to reach out to you or to even touch you through other means.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
24
- "But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned to me by Lord Jesus- the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God."
Monday, August 27, 2012
Re-Teaching The Faith
This is a post from someone I found on Facebook one day talking about Nicki Minaj and how in one of her songs she used inappropriate texts to make her song flow. I personally agree with the guy, but the comments I found below this post were just rude and ignorant. I believe that religion now in days is completely in jeopardy due to the fact of people making fun if it, or even using it to sound "cool". I find it wrong to use religion to your own benefits. If you believe in God, then that's great, but don't mix God's words into a song with lyrics about how good drugs, sex, etc. is good. It sends the wrong message to people.
--"This post may or not reach you, but it's the best I can do in order to perhaps bring to your attention and through it; your concern. I'm not sure if you're a person of faith, but what I know is that there are people out there who do follow a religion. They hold it in high esteem as religion pertains to their beliefs and therefore it can hold a very spiritual dimension in their lives. Every religion has a God; whether it be Christianity, Jew, Sikh, or Muslim. For people who believe in God, God is the center point of their faith and life because it is He who has created them and it is to Him they shall return. Therefore, everything he/she does is indebted to Him as He is the Creator of 'Cause and Effect'. Disrespecting one's God is also then considered disrespect to the person him/herself. In your song "Beam me up Scotty", you mentioned the following lines, "Assalamu Alaykum, where the f*** is akbar". In case you didn't know, "Assalamu Alaykum", is a greeting of peace which means, "May (God's) peace be upon/with you". (It is also important to note that 'As-Salam-The All Peaceful' is also regarded by Muslims an attribute of God.) 'Allahu Akbar' means "God is the Greatest". This message is not to insult you, but to excuse you as you may not be familiar with the teachings of some faiths. At the same time, I do not excuse the ignorance of putting Arabic words into your song without knowing their meanings and significance. Perhaps try checking their meanings before inserting them? Lastly, I don't know your intentions as sincerity is a matter of heart. Many musicians and artists have attacked minorities and different faiths, but disrespecting is not a good and acceptable trait as a person. Your voice reaches many people and you are an influence to the world. People are, and will, follow(ing) you for as long as your voice is heard. I would sincerely ask you to please stop disrespecting people's faith and start showing sympathy towards other, their feelings, and (their) religion.
--"This post may or not reach you, but it's the best I can do in order to perhaps bring to your attention and through it; your concern. I'm not sure if you're a person of faith, but what I know is that there are people out there who do follow a religion. They hold it in high esteem as religion pertains to their beliefs and therefore it can hold a very spiritual dimension in their lives. Every religion has a God; whether it be Christianity, Jew, Sikh, or Muslim. For people who believe in God, God is the center point of their faith and life because it is He who has created them and it is to Him they shall return. Therefore, everything he/she does is indebted to Him as He is the Creator of 'Cause and Effect'. Disrespecting one's God is also then considered disrespect to the person him/herself. In your song "Beam me up Scotty", you mentioned the following lines, "Assalamu Alaykum, where the f*** is akbar". In case you didn't know, "Assalamu Alaykum", is a greeting of peace which means, "May (God's) peace be upon/with you". (It is also important to note that 'As-Salam-The All Peaceful' is also regarded by Muslims an attribute of God.) 'Allahu Akbar' means "God is the Greatest". This message is not to insult you, but to excuse you as you may not be familiar with the teachings of some faiths. At the same time, I do not excuse the ignorance of putting Arabic words into your song without knowing their meanings and significance. Perhaps try checking their meanings before inserting them? Lastly, I don't know your intentions as sincerity is a matter of heart. Many musicians and artists have attacked minorities and different faiths, but disrespecting is not a good and acceptable trait as a person. Your voice reaches many people and you are an influence to the world. People are, and will, follow(ing) you for as long as your voice is heard. I would sincerely ask you to please stop disrespecting people's faith and start showing sympathy towards other, their feelings, and (their) religion.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Proverbs 25:23
The north wind brings rain;
And a backbiting tongue,
Angry countenance.
Proverbs - 25:23
"Do Unto Others As You Wish Was Done Unto You"
You know there's a saying, "Do unto others as you wish was done unto you". That's a pretty key sentence. While it means so much, how many of us actually follow by it's rule? Everyday we go out into the world with this idea, but when we come home at the end of the day; what did we do with that sentence, that goal? There's so much at stake in this world, but we're too blinded by society and the media that we make it a habit (almost a mission), subconsciously, to drive the ones we love away from us. Every thought, every word, every action; it impacts others in so many ways that you cannot even understand.
Every day there people out there who will do anything to get what they want. There are gossipers, crooks, thieves, murderers, etc. who are out there to destroy what you have, twist what you want into something bad, and to disgrace you for our faith. It is your job to fight it; not just to block it, but to actually fight it. No that does not mean get a superhero costume and go fight crime. It does however mean that if you see something that's not right in the eyes of the Lord, try to stop it. Talk to your friend who's doing drugs, or your coworker who's having an affair. Even if they don't really listen, the fact that you are out there trying to spread the word of God, shows that you care about them; about their lives.
Many of us have used our words against each other. Ever heard of the phrase, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."? While there are some who have a very high level of patience with people who tend to get mad easily, most of you will tend to snap back at someone being rude to you. That's understandable, we have feelings, we're human. The choice though comes when we realize that while that person is yelling at us; is it really because of something we did, or are they just personally resentful alot of times? Gossipers spread rumors and lies about others that ruin reputations and lives sometimes. Is it worth saying something as a comment on Facebook to someone about someone else and hearing later that the person you were talking about hurt themselves or killed themselves due to what they read on how other people saw them?
Our words and our actions impact people everyday, every time we say or do something. It's our choice whether we choose to say words of compassion and to do acts of kindness, rather than say words of thoughtlessness and do acts of sin or greed. You may say something now to a friend or someone you meet randomly and it may not impact them today, or tomorrow, but later.. in the future is when it will hit them. Then how would you feel knowing you caused them that hurt? Would you want someone to do the same to you? "Do unto others as you wish was done unto you". If we all just live by those 10 simple words, that mean so much; our lives, the people we come in contact with, and the world.. will live so much better than it does now. Such a simple phrase, yet goes unheard or unacted upon for so many.
What could've you done differently yesterday? What could you have said differently to someone yesterday. What will you do or say to someone today to make it better. And finally, what are your goals to help others do/say stuff in the future that better this world?
You know there's a saying, "Do unto others as you wish was done unto you". That's a pretty key sentence. While it means so much, how many of us actually follow by it's rule? Everyday we go out into the world with this idea, but when we come home at the end of the day; what did we do with that sentence, that goal? There's so much at stake in this world, but we're too blinded by society and the media that we make it a habit (almost a mission), subconsciously, to drive the ones we love away from us. Every thought, every word, every action; it impacts others in so many ways that you cannot even understand.
Every day there people out there who will do anything to get what they want. There are gossipers, crooks, thieves, murderers, etc. who are out there to destroy what you have, twist what you want into something bad, and to disgrace you for our faith. It is your job to fight it; not just to block it, but to actually fight it. No that does not mean get a superhero costume and go fight crime. It does however mean that if you see something that's not right in the eyes of the Lord, try to stop it. Talk to your friend who's doing drugs, or your coworker who's having an affair. Even if they don't really listen, the fact that you are out there trying to spread the word of God, shows that you care about them; about their lives.
Many of us have used our words against each other. Ever heard of the phrase, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."? While there are some who have a very high level of patience with people who tend to get mad easily, most of you will tend to snap back at someone being rude to you. That's understandable, we have feelings, we're human. The choice though comes when we realize that while that person is yelling at us; is it really because of something we did, or are they just personally resentful alot of times? Gossipers spread rumors and lies about others that ruin reputations and lives sometimes. Is it worth saying something as a comment on Facebook to someone about someone else and hearing later that the person you were talking about hurt themselves or killed themselves due to what they read on how other people saw them?
Our words and our actions impact people everyday, every time we say or do something. It's our choice whether we choose to say words of compassion and to do acts of kindness, rather than say words of thoughtlessness and do acts of sin or greed. You may say something now to a friend or someone you meet randomly and it may not impact them today, or tomorrow, but later.. in the future is when it will hit them. Then how would you feel knowing you caused them that hurt? Would you want someone to do the same to you? "Do unto others as you wish was done unto you". If we all just live by those 10 simple words, that mean so much; our lives, the people we come in contact with, and the world.. will live so much better than it does now. Such a simple phrase, yet goes unheard or unacted upon for so many.
What could've you done differently yesterday? What could you have said differently to someone yesterday. What will you do or say to someone today to make it better. And finally, what are your goals to help others do/say stuff in the future that better this world?
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Inspirational Quote
Sow a thought and you reap an action;
Sow an act and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit and you reap a character;
Sow a character and you reap a destiny.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sow an act and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit and you reap a character;
Sow a character and you reap a destiny.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Commitments
Commitments are hard.. right? We join the high-school football team and we realize that with all the practices, games, and school-work; how would we ever have the time for ourselves? That's the thing with commitments. You have to give up one thing to get something else that you want. We have to be able to not only keep our commitments, but also find ways to help others complete their commitments. After-all a commitment is in fact a promise.
God wants us to make a commitment (promise) to him. He wants us to get to know him more, feel his presence, and most of all to help others reach him. When you make that commitment to him, that promise; its not to just him.. its to yourself too. God won't punish you for slacking off every now and then, but rather the guilt that you feel for yourself on slacking in that promise will make you're think how you're doing things these days.
If we just take a little time out of our day to pray, or help someone get to church, or even to just talk to someone about God who seems to have lost their way. It's the little things that help make a commitment to God go a long way. After-all, he loves us no matter what happens.
God wants us to make a commitment (promise) to him. He wants us to get to know him more, feel his presence, and most of all to help others reach him. When you make that commitment to him, that promise; its not to just him.. its to yourself too. God won't punish you for slacking off every now and then, but rather the guilt that you feel for yourself on slacking in that promise will make you're think how you're doing things these days.
If we just take a little time out of our day to pray, or help someone get to church, or even to just talk to someone about God who seems to have lost their way. It's the little things that help make a commitment to God go a long way. After-all, he loves us no matter what happens.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Inspirational Quote
God gives you the strength to do incredible things.
When fighting for a cause;
We only being human can do natural things;
God will provide the super things.
Bible Study
So, yesterday I went to "Bible Study" with my CYO group and we studied Joshua 10-11, which talked about how Joshua and the Israelites had to defend the Gibeonites (because of their recent alliance with them)and ultimately defeated not 1, but 2 attacks from all the kings of the 'promise land'. If you're not familiar with this story, then go back and read from the beginning of Joshua to better understand what I'm talking about. Anyways, in these 2 chapters God has not only acted as if to forget of Joshua's mistake of making an alliance, but also fights his hardest for him, so that Joshua and his people can live in peace in the 'promise land'.
I think that this story shows that, even if we sin we can still come back to God and he will not only forgive us for our sins, but also act like it never happened. It goes without saying that, "when we're at our lowest point, that's when God fights the hardest for us". He'll will do incredible things for you, if you just take the time to talk to him. In the Joshua story, God throws hailstones from the sky onto the enemy; killing more than the Israelites killed with their swords and Joshua even knelt down and prayed for God to stop the sun, so that they could continue fighting and God did so! How incredible is that?!
Anyways, we also watched this video showing a skit by "Lifehouse" with the song "Everything" about how we can be in love with God one minute, get distracted by ordinary things in life the next and sin, but when we ask for his help and repent, he's willing to fight like never before to get us back.
Just watch. I hope you enjoy, thanks.
Copy and paste into the url
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFRYdGihOl4&feature=related
I think that this story shows that, even if we sin we can still come back to God and he will not only forgive us for our sins, but also act like it never happened. It goes without saying that, "when we're at our lowest point, that's when God fights the hardest for us". He'll will do incredible things for you, if you just take the time to talk to him. In the Joshua story, God throws hailstones from the sky onto the enemy; killing more than the Israelites killed with their swords and Joshua even knelt down and prayed for God to stop the sun, so that they could continue fighting and God did so! How incredible is that?!
Anyways, we also watched this video showing a skit by "Lifehouse" with the song "Everything" about how we can be in love with God one minute, get distracted by ordinary things in life the next and sin, but when we ask for his help and repent, he's willing to fight like never before to get us back.
Just watch. I hope you enjoy, thanks.
Copy and paste into the url
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFRYdGihOl4&feature=related
Why This Blog?
I'm writing this blog in order to share with you what most teens don't think about.. God.
While we teens run around doing crazy things, socializing, and worrying about school, how many of us stop to actually think about what we're doing, who God is, or even the simplest question; "How did we get here?" I'm not going to preach in this blog, but I do wish that you look carefully at how i talk about God and what he means to me. I also hope that if you're not a believer; that someday you find him and if you already are; that's great, but don't stop now. Keep up your faith and dive into the words/life of Jesus and strive to be like him. Thank- you, Zach
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