Is Anybody Listening?

"Is anybody listening or am I talking to myself...talking to myself...talking to myself? Nobody's listening. Guess I'm just talking to myself...talking to myself...

If seeing is believing once you see me in the flesh. One thing I'll guarantee is that you'll see that he's been blessed. I got a couple issues that might need to be addressed. My mind has been design to not be easily impressed. I wish that you would read between the lines that I express. To see that I'm not at all defined by my success. Until then there's no disguise to hide behind this stress. I confess. I'm the one that got myself inside this mess."

-Jin (Running Through My Head)

I like this portion of the song...not just because of the way it flows...but what I got out of it is that you Must confess your sins or faults or shortcomings. Sure, God already knows them, but until you confess them to Him yourself, you won't be able to move forward.

After confessing and making the needed changes in your life, you will become a new creature in Jesus Christ.  Most probably won't believe the transformation because they knew the old you. But God is able. Sure we will have "a couple issues that might need to be addressed", but it's an everyday walk.


He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. -Proverbs 28:13

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. -1 John 1:9

Stay encouraged... God Bless

Who You Represent?!

I decided to listen to Tye Tribbett's Victory album on the way to work today, and that lil' part of the Intro that said: "Who you represent?!" stuck in my head... Answer: "We represent the Kingdom of God!"... or do we?

Matthew 6:24 states that: "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." -KJV

To get further understanding, I googled "mammon".

According to Wikipedia...

" Mammon is a term, derived from the Christian Bible, used to describe material wealth or greed, most often personified as a deity, and sometimes included in the seven princes of Hell."

That makes sense. We shouldn't put material things ahead of God, but oftentimes we do.  Who's missed a day of church so that they could clean their car?...cut their grass?... Greed... if you're not mandated to work on Sundays (or whatever day/time services are), why work? Is that extra dollar really worth more than food for your soul? And not just making it to church, but just to spend that time with God... I hear you. You're not greedy over money, nor do you put that much value on material things... Okay, let's go a little further.

So, mammon is sometimes included in the seven princes of Hell... Who are they??

1. Lucifer - Pride
2. Mammon - Greed
3. Asmodeus - Lust
4. Satan - Wrath
5. Beelzebub (also called Baal) - Gluttony
6. Leviathan - Envy
7. Belphegor - Vanity and Sloth

Ahh yes... they represent, what are called, the seven deadliest sins. Probably some of the hardest to deal with because they're rooted deeply within the heart. These are pretty self explanatory, but let's dig a little bit anyway.

Pride: Yes, God is blessing you...Yes..God is blessing you.... Yes! GOD is blessing you! You did not do this on your own. Don't proclaim God, but all the while saying, "Yeah, I did that!" on the inside. Following pride is a great fall.

Greed: We already covered this earlier...

Lust: Definitely a major problem in this world today. Sad to say, it even happens in the churches today.  It's important to get your mind focused on Jesus. Put those feelings in their place!

Wrath: You know how they say, "Let go, and let God."...you definitely have to just let it go. Do not harbor anger in your heart due to something someone might have done to you. Forgive them and move on. Even if you think they don't deserve to be forgiven...didn't God forgive you?

Gluttony: Okay, I agree, food is good! But you know when you overeat, you feel miserable.  So why keep doing it.  It goes back to your body being the Lord's temple.  It's hard to do what God wants you to do and go where He wants you to go when you're overweight or sick due to eating too much.

Envy: *singing* "God's got a blessing...with your name on it!" That's right...With YOUR name on it! So don't want what others have.  What they have is theirs. Be happy for them and thank God for what you have, because it's yours!

Vanity: You're fearfully and wonderfully made...yes! But don't take that scripture to the extreme.  Looks aren't everything.  And eventually, the outer beauty will fade away.  This also includes clothing and make up.  It's okay to dress nice, but don't let that define who you are.  Just because you have the baddest, most expensive outfit on, doesn't make you any more holier than the next person. Strive for inner beauty which comes by the fruits of the spirit.

Sloth: Stop being lazy! Get up and go serve the Lord the way He should be served.  Sure, we may get tired,  but we must bare the cup.

Okay...back to who we represent... Do you represent the kingdom of God?  I challenge you to prove it.

If you represent the kingdom of God:

• Boldly state your belief and live Holy... it is possible!
• Give up the secular music... those lyrics are products of mammon
• Give up going to the club...  self explanatory
• Quit the fornicating... it is possible to wait 'til marriage, and not too late to start waiting again
• No more "shackin' up"... either get married or get your separate places
• Stop talking about each other... treat others how you want to be treated
• Be a blessing to others instead of looking for someone to bless you all the time.

I understand that no one is perfect, but we shouldn't constantly use that as an excuse. It's okay to make mistakes, but don't create bad habits.

In conclusion, Joshua 24:15 says "...choose you this day who ye will serve... as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

Once again...Who you represent?

WHAT TIME IS IT?!?

As I was driving home today, I began to think about time...

I recalled something I saw/heard on tv.  Someone was asked, what makes a good reality show? And they replied by saying "usually putting people in an environment or situation which they have a limited time frame to complete the task."

So I was like...that's true.  In most cases, money is the reward, or some awesome vacation.  The characters in these shows would do anything and everything in their power to be sure to finish on top... #1.  They want that grand prize, and they would do whatever it takes to achieve it.

But here's a REAL LIFE situation:
We're on this Earth...

For how long?...We don't know. (Therefore, we're sorta racing against time.)

What's the reward?... Heaven...or Hell.  (As far as I know, no one that believes in the two wants to go to Hell!)

Question is: Are we willing to do whatever it takes to make it to Heaven?  We don't have much time!

Answer His Call

So, yesterday, God had me to do something... Go a day without speaking to someone that I've been getting used to talking to everyday. Initially, I thought it was just a matter of being sure I was putting God first. After the fact, I realized that there was more I could get out of that...

I felt bad not responding to them when they reached out to me. How many times have God called you, and you di...dn't answer? You should feel bad about that, but more often than not, we don't. Yet, we expect Him to answer us right away when we call on Him. Shouldn't this be a 50/50 thing here? (well actually, it should be 100% on our part. He already did enough for us, and He's so caring that He continues to do even more.)

So yeah..let's truly put God first and answer Him when he calls. Because if we continue to ignore Him, He'll eventually stop calling... And we all know how that ends...

Do We Really Trust God?

Do we really trust God.... I mean like REALLY trust Him? Do we really put Him first? I mean like REALLY put Him first?... 

I found myself thinking about the story of Abraham, and how he was being obedient to God...following instructions to sacrifice his only son. I'm sure he was plenty relieved when God told him to put the knife down. But fact is, he trusted God and proved to God that He's most important in his life. ...

 

I'm glad that much isn't required of us today, 'cause most of us would surely fail. We can't even sacrifice something as simple as time for Him. (Yet we all want to go to Heaven...which is when we will spend ALL of our time with Him.) We don't want to sacrifice 10% of our earnings. (When it all belongs to Him in the first place.) And we don't want to present ourselves as a living sacrifice because we seek acceptance from people in the world, rather than from the One who matters.

 

Think about it: What does God want you to sacrifice? And are you willing to do it?