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Monday, July 31, 2006
I had on new clothes, New sneakers on my feet. I was there for class on time, Went to the back and took my seat.
Yeah, I'm moving up,
I'm already grown. Soon I'll be graduating, And out on my own.
I talked to some of my friends,
We were all having fun. Said some things I shouldn't have said. Did stuff I shouldn't have done.
I knew I was different...
I felt God touch my heart, I knew I should set a standard, But then I'd be set apart.
Walking to the bus,
I was not looking for strength. I heard the car tires screeching, But now it's too late.
I'm standing in this room,
And I can see the heavenly gate... Oh no! I never prayed. I thought I had time to get it straight!
An angel walked to me,
He had a book in his hand. I knew it was the Book of Life, When would this dream end?
I told him my name,
And he began to look. Then he looked at me sadly and said, Your name is not in this book.
Angel, this is a dream,
No, I can't be dead! He closed the book and turned away, He whispered - You cannot proceed ahead.
No . . . no this can't be real,
Angel, you can't turn me away. Let me talk to God, Maybe he'll let me stay.
He led me to the gate,
Jesus came to me. He did not let me in but said, Beloved what is your need?
Jesus, I cried, please,
Don't cast me away from you. Tears ran down his face as he said, You knew what you needed to do.
Lord, please I'm young,
I never thought I would die... I thought I'd have plenty of time, Death caught me by surprise.
Lord, I went to church,
Please Jesus, I believe. He said you would not accept me, My love you would not receive.
Lord, there were too many hypocrites.
They weren't being true. He took a step back and asked, What does that have to do with you?
Lord, my family claimed to be saved,
They weren't real. You know. He said, I died for you, Now I have to go.
I fell to my knees crying to Him,
Lord, I planned to be real tomorrow. I couldn't make Him understand, I had never felt such sorrow.
Then it hit me hard, I said,
Lord, where will I go? He looked into my eyes and said, My child you already know.
Please Jesus, I begged,
The place is so hot. It seemed to trouble and grieve him, He whispered, DEPART FROM ME, I KNOW YOU NOT.
Lord, you're supposed to be love,
How can you send me to damnation? He replied, With your mouth you said you loved me, But each day you rejected my salvation.
With that in an instant,
Day turned into night. I never knew such torture could be, Now too late, I know the Bible is right.
If I can tell you anything,
Hell has no age. t is a place of torture, Separated from God and full of rage.
You know, I thought it was funny, a joke,
But this one thing is true. If you never accept Jesus Christ, HELL IS WAITING FOR YOU!
He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. -Proverbs 28:13 Once someone sins, what is usually what they will do? Try to cover it up. Why? because they don't want to remember what they did, but does it work? No, because the person still feels guilty about it. What should they do? If they confess their sins to God and ask for forgiveness, He will have mercy on them.
Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. -2 Timothy 2:22 Again, do not pay attention to temptation, but obtain the good things that come from Jesus. You must call out to him honestly.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." -John 14:6 I've heard many sermons using this verse. Basically, Jesus is the real deal. He is not fake. He is what makes life meaningful. He is the only way to heaven.
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted to beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. -1 Corinthians 10:13 Why is there such a thing as temptation? Some people believe that God is the one that tempts you but in reality, He'll never do that to you. It's the devil that cheers you on to sin, but as soon as you do, the devil goes against you and makes you feel guilty. It's true that God tests you, but only what you're capable of. His reasons might not seem logical at the beginning, but He knows why. The feeling of guilt was made so that you'll come to God to ask for forgiveness, but the devil turns it around it makes it so that you'll get away from God like if you're not worthy to be with Jesus. Do not fall into that trap. Always go to Jesus no matter what.
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. -Romans 12:1-2 These verses are the main logo for my church's youth ministry. What it means is to give yourself to God. Do not be apart of this world. Continue filling yourself up with the word of God, so that you can be an example to others. My pastor always reminds us of what Peter said to Timothy: "Show yourself!" Be the person that God wants you to be. You can't change yourself so go to God. He'll do it.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. -1 John 2:15-17
"Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful." -Mark 4:18-19
Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." -John 8:34-36
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. -Philippians 4:19 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident. One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. -Psalms 27:1-6
"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you." -Matthew 10:16-20 (also see "Traveling")
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. -Hebrews 4:16
I called on the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? -Psalms 118:5-6 (also see "Traveling")
"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" -Luke 21:34-36
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh*, to fulfill its lusts. -Romans 13:14 *mankind "Take off the mask, and put on the Lord Jesus Christ." Those were the first preachings of my Youth Pastor at my church. What I got from it is to get rid of your old self. Become the person that God has created you to be. Of course, He'll help you.
Wine is a mocker*, strong drink is a brawler**, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. -Proverbs 20:1 *copycat **noisy fight One might say that this verse sounds like drinking and doing drugs is not a good idea. That is true but in a deeper level the wine and the strong drink can represent the things of this world that you love the most (things that aren't right in God's eyes). Intemperance - a lack of temperance or restraint. Can you control yourself when you do the thing you love most (that you know is bad)?
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke* upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." -Matthew 11:28-30 *a tie or bond Don't you get tired of the same old thing? Don't you fell that sometimes there are not enough hours in the day to do it all? God is saying that you can come to Him with all those problems and He'll help you out. He'll carry it for you so that you can take His. You'll see that now you feel more relaxed.
I will lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore. -Psalms 121 When you travel to a new place, don't you feel scared at times? I mean, you have no idea where everything is and you feel lost. Maybe you got a map or a friend to help you out, but nevertheless you still don't know the neighborhood your like home. In this psalm, David is saying that if he ever needs help, he knows that he can look up to God. You can do that too. Ask Him to guard you from all kinds of danger (also spiritually) and He will do it. What kind of God will let you get lost?
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance. -Psalms 42:5 Some Christians when they first start, they are fired up. They have that passion within them. They read their bibles everyday, pray constantly, go to every service, but then when tribulations come they lose that understanding. Maybe not that soon. This is a reminder that God is in control. Trust in Him. Hope in Him. Praising Him can get you out of all your obstacles.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ. -Philippians 4:6-7 Peace is one thing that we can barely understand. Nowadays because of wars and constant fights around us. Well, Jesus knew about peace. If He is in you, then you'll have peace. How? Tell Him to come into your life, have a relationship with Him, and you'll see that you'll be more relaxed.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. -Psalms 32:8 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. -Proverbs 3:5-6 Are you stuck? Do you know where you're going? If you have realized that He knows what's best for you (because he created you), pray to Him about your life. He will respond. He will tell you the way.
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned. -Psalms 34 Why are you depressed? This psalm, in other words, is saying, "There is no reason to be depressed." That's exactly right. He has delivered you from the devil and continually keeps you safe. He is always there for you. Just like a dad protecting his child. What a great God He is.
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." -Matthew 5:43-48 There are many haters in the world. They are the ones that seek revenge all the time. Here, Jesus is explaining the reward for loving your enemies. I bet you all have heard of that saying, "You shall love your enemies," but who would? He is saying that if you love only the ones that love you, what will you benefit from that? He uses the phrase tax collectors because they take money from everyone equally, not just the ones they hate. With God's love in you, you can love your enemies and be perfect just like Him.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. -2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Comfort is the word that keeps popping up in this verse. It means a feeling of relief so this verse means that God is a god of relieving pain. If you are sorrowful, then God can take that agony away. He will always be there for you through all your troubles, and then you can help others go through their misfortunes. God shows us so we can show others.
"But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ' Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift." -Matthew 5:22-24 This passage is basically warning you not to get angry with anyone and call them names. Work it out with that person. I think the gift that is mentioned here is your offering because an offering is like a gift to God. When you're angry with someone, God cannot accept your gift. You must first forgive that one person then give your gift. I may be wrong, though.
"He who loves his life will loose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor." -John 12:25-26 Why did I title this death? I still haven't figured that out yet. The answer will come in due time.
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. -1 Peter 5:6-7 If you are worried about something or someone, then listen to this. God is saying, in this verse, that if you are worried then calm down. God is always in charge of things. He knows what He's doing. He cares about you.
Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me. But You, O Lord, be merciful to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them. By this I know that You are well pleased with me, because my enemy does not triumph over me. As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and set me before Your face forever. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen. -Psalms 41:9-13 Have you ever had a friend who betrayed you? Well, this passage is saying that even if friends fail, God won't. Although they left you, God won't. He will raise you above your troubles and He'll make sure that your enemies won't affect you.
Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say; "The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" -Hebrews 13:5-6 If you feel lonely then this is the verse for you. It is saying that God will never leave you. He is always with you, helping you, and going through everything you are. If He is with you, then no one can harm you.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other thing created, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:31-39 In these couple of verses, it's saying that nothing can separate us from the love of God. He will always love you no matter what you do because you are His creation. He hates sin, not the sinner. It is also saying that you shouldn't be afraid of losing because He is always with you.
"And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both the soul and the body in hell." -Matthew 10:28 In this verse, Jesus is saying not to be afraid of those who can hurt you on the outside. Only God can destroy your life because He created it, BUT He loves you so much that He'll never do that. Even if you think you deserve it because of all the horrible sins you've committed, He will never kill you or hurt you. Sometimes He will allow Satan to trouble you but only to teach you a lesson (not in a bad way). He has to instruct us, like a parent with their child.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray . . . Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. -James 5:13-15 This passage is basically saying that if you're sick, pray about it with a group of people with faith to God. It doesn't necessarily have to be physical. It can be emotional like sorrow or depression. Whatever it is, God can help you. You just have to believe it.
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