"...I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with love I have drawn thee." Jeremiah 31:3
Definition of Love:
1. Powerful attraction to another.
2. A warm concern.
"Love" That is a very powerful word in our society today and everyone is trying to find it. It's in the books, it's in the media, at school, home....everyone is looking for it. Why did God make love? Love in a sense, is an example of our relationship with God. When we get saved, we are made into a new creature and in his image. We start building our relationship with him. We talk to him, we commune with him. We become as one in the spirit. Doesn't that sound like a man and his wife? When a couple is married, they become one in the flesh and now belong to that other person who they've commit their life to. Many people take these vows and relationships lightly and many marriages are ending in divorce today with a 50% ratio.
Are we taking our commitment to God lightly? When we knelt at that alter of prayer did we say "Lord, I give you my life...but!" and you hold back on something you don't want God to change or maybe you're not willing to give up. If you came to God in the right way, you came begging him to change your life and didn't hold anything back when you came to him. It was a complete surrender. We need to follow where he leads us, listen when he calls us and awnser if he asks us.
Ruth 1:16
Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.
How is your relationship with God? Are you following him where he goes? Or are you just going with the flow of things? Listen to the still small voice.
Has God ever asked you to reach out to someone who you've thought they were inadequet? They weren't 'Cool' enough or they were just plain out annoying? "...Thy people shall be MY people." There's a dying world out there and are we doing anything to reach them?
Matthew 5:22
"...I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."
Raca: A jewish word which means Vain, Empty or Worthless.
Matthew 5:44 "I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you..."
God showed us love freely are you showing others that same love?
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Hope and Faith
"...Hope thou in God." Psalm 42:5
God tells us in the scriptures to hope in him. The definition of Hope is 1. Belief that something Good may happen.
How many tiemes do we put Hope into practice? It can be easy to say 'God isn't going to help me, I'm stuck...theres no way out!' Are you putting your Hope in God? Are you trusting in him? I want to make a point that Hope and Faith go hand in hand. To have Faith is to believe and know that God will come through. Faith is the action of Hope.
Faith: Belief; Confidence. 2. Loyalty
Habakkuk 2:4 "...But the just shall live by his Faith."
If God tells us that we will live by our Faith, then what are we putting our Faith in? Faith is an important factor in our walk with Christ. To have Faith is to hope and to Hope is to have Faith. Without these our experience would be dead. Without Faith we can do nothing.
Proverbs 13:12 "Hope deffered (Postponed/yielded) Maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life."
Ephesians 6:16 "Above all, taking the shield of Faith, where with ye shall be able to quench the firey darts of the wicked."
What is our foundation of hope and faith? The awnser is Jesus. We in ourselves cannot build our own foundations, then we're taking away from God and it no longer becomes his creation, but we become our own making our 'Religion' or our proffession that Christ is Lord, vain. Ultimately resulting in the downfall of our selves. However, we can be certain on the Foundation that Jesus lays for us for he tells us that he is our 'Rock' and 'Our Salvation.'
Psalm 62:1-2
"Truly my soul waitheth upon God: From him cometh my salvation. He only is my Rock and my salvation; he is my defence, I shall not be greatly moved."
Put your Hope and Faith in action today and see what God can do for you.
God tells us in the scriptures to hope in him. The definition of Hope is 1. Belief that something Good may happen.
How many tiemes do we put Hope into practice? It can be easy to say 'God isn't going to help me, I'm stuck...theres no way out!' Are you putting your Hope in God? Are you trusting in him? I want to make a point that Hope and Faith go hand in hand. To have Faith is to believe and know that God will come through. Faith is the action of Hope.
Faith: Belief; Confidence. 2. Loyalty
Habakkuk 2:4 "...But the just shall live by his Faith."
If God tells us that we will live by our Faith, then what are we putting our Faith in? Faith is an important factor in our walk with Christ. To have Faith is to hope and to Hope is to have Faith. Without these our experience would be dead. Without Faith we can do nothing.
Proverbs 13:12 "Hope deffered (Postponed/yielded) Maketh the heart sick, but when the desire cometh it is a tree of life."
Ephesians 6:16 "Above all, taking the shield of Faith, where with ye shall be able to quench the firey darts of the wicked."
What is our foundation of hope and faith? The awnser is Jesus. We in ourselves cannot build our own foundations, then we're taking away from God and it no longer becomes his creation, but we become our own making our 'Religion' or our proffession that Christ is Lord, vain. Ultimately resulting in the downfall of our selves. However, we can be certain on the Foundation that Jesus lays for us for he tells us that he is our 'Rock' and 'Our Salvation.'
Psalm 62:1-2
"Truly my soul waitheth upon God: From him cometh my salvation. He only is my Rock and my salvation; he is my defence, I shall not be greatly moved."
Put your Hope and Faith in action today and see what God can do for you.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Troubling Statistics
These are some of the statistics in the USA concering our teens. What can WE do as Christians to reach out to these young people and young adults? It might just be you who is able to awnser their cry for help. Don't ignore the cry!
Suicide Rates in the USA for Teens:
1.3% of all deaths are from suicide.
On average, one suicide occurs every 16 minutes.
Suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death for all Americans.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people aged 15-24 year olds.
(1st = accidents, 2nd = homicide)
Suicide is the second leading way of death for 25-34 year olds.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students.
More males die from suicide than females.
4 male deaths by suicide for each female death by suicide.)
More people die from suicide than from homicide.
(Suicide ranks as the 11th leading cause of death; Homicide ranks 13th.)
There were over 800,000 suicide attempts in 2005
These statistics are from 2005 and recent studies have shown there has been a 15% increase since.
Teenage Pregnancy Rates in the USA:
Three-quarters of a million teens between 15 and 19 become pregnant each year.
Teens who become pregnant are less likely to attend college.
Nearly a third of pregnant teenagers choose abortion.
Out of all teen pregnancies, 57% end in birth.
Very few teens who become mothers plan on doing so.
Two-thirds of teen pregnancies occur among teens 18-19 years old.
These stats were between 2005-2006 there has been a 3% increase since.
Underage drinking in the USA:
Three teens are killed each day when they drink alcohol and drive.1 At least six more die every day from other alcohol-related causes.
Americans who began drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence.
It is estimated that teenage girls who binge drink are up to 63% more likely to become teen mothers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 4,554 underage deaths each year are due to excessive alcohol use.
Alcohol use plays a substantial role in all three leading causes of death among youth - unintentional injuries (including motor vehicle fatalities and drownings), suicides and homicides.
There is growing evidence to suggest that alcohol use prior to age 21 impairs crucial aspects of youthful brain development. In one recent study, heavy-drinking adolescents who had been sober for three weeks still scored 10 percent lower than non-drinking peers on tests requiring verbal and nonverbal recall and skills needed for map reading, geometry, and science.
Suicide Rates in the USA for Teens:
1.3% of all deaths are from suicide.
On average, one suicide occurs every 16 minutes.
Suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death for all Americans.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people aged 15-24 year olds.
(1st = accidents, 2nd = homicide)
Suicide is the second leading way of death for 25-34 year olds.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students.
More males die from suicide than females.
4 male deaths by suicide for each female death by suicide.)
More people die from suicide than from homicide.
(Suicide ranks as the 11th leading cause of death; Homicide ranks 13th.)
There were over 800,000 suicide attempts in 2005
These statistics are from 2005 and recent studies have shown there has been a 15% increase since.
Teenage Pregnancy Rates in the USA:
Three-quarters of a million teens between 15 and 19 become pregnant each year.
Teens who become pregnant are less likely to attend college.
Nearly a third of pregnant teenagers choose abortion.
Out of all teen pregnancies, 57% end in birth.
Very few teens who become mothers plan on doing so.
Two-thirds of teen pregnancies occur among teens 18-19 years old.
These stats were between 2005-2006 there has been a 3% increase since.
Underage drinking in the USA:
Three teens are killed each day when they drink alcohol and drive.1 At least six more die every day from other alcohol-related causes.
Americans who began drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence.
It is estimated that teenage girls who binge drink are up to 63% more likely to become teen mothers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 4,554 underage deaths each year are due to excessive alcohol use.
Alcohol use plays a substantial role in all three leading causes of death among youth - unintentional injuries (including motor vehicle fatalities and drownings), suicides and homicides.
There is growing evidence to suggest that alcohol use prior to age 21 impairs crucial aspects of youthful brain development. In one recent study, heavy-drinking adolescents who had been sober for three weeks still scored 10 percent lower than non-drinking peers on tests requiring verbal and nonverbal recall and skills needed for map reading, geometry, and science.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Happy Valentines Day!
NOTE: I thought this was interesting and fitting for Valentines Day! I didn't do a check on the history myself - it's a devotional off the web but I figured that you guys would be interested in it anyway. So here it is! Happy Valentines Day!
"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (Jesus, John 15:12-13).
In ancient Rome, the 14th of February was a pagan holiday in honor of Juno, the goddess of women and marriage and the queen of the Roman Gods and goddesses.
Later, however, it became a Christian holiday named after a Christian priest. An Internet report says that, "According to church tradition St. Valentine was a priest near Rome about the year 270 A.D. At that time the Roman Emperor was imprisoning Christians for not worshipping the Roman gods. During this persecution Valentine was arrested. Some say he was arrested because he was performing Christian marriages, but others say it was for helping Christians escape prison.
"During the trial they asked Valentine what he thought of the Roman gods Jupiter and Mercury. Of course Valentine said they were false gods and that the God that Jesus called Father was the only true God. So the Romans threw him in prison for insulting the gods.
"While in prison Valentine continued to minister. He witnessed to the guards. One of the guards was a good man who had adopted a blind girl. He asked Valentine if his God could help his daughter. Valentine prayed and the girl was given her sight. The guard and his whole family, 46 people, believed in Jesus and were baptized. When the emperor heard about this, he was furious that Valentine was still making converts even in prison, so he had Valentine clubbed and beheaded.
"Valentine knew that he might get caught in his Christian activities. He knew that if he told the court the truth about the Roman gods that he would be thrown in prison. And he knew that if he continued to witness to Christ in the prison he would make his captors angry. But he continued because he loved the Lord and his fellow humans. He was willing to risk his life to free the prisoners and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who needed to hear it." (Source unknown.)
Remember to give out the Valentine that God gave us - Jesus.
"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (Jesus, John 15:12-13).
In ancient Rome, the 14th of February was a pagan holiday in honor of Juno, the goddess of women and marriage and the queen of the Roman Gods and goddesses.
Later, however, it became a Christian holiday named after a Christian priest. An Internet report says that, "According to church tradition St. Valentine was a priest near Rome about the year 270 A.D. At that time the Roman Emperor was imprisoning Christians for not worshipping the Roman gods. During this persecution Valentine was arrested. Some say he was arrested because he was performing Christian marriages, but others say it was for helping Christians escape prison.
"During the trial they asked Valentine what he thought of the Roman gods Jupiter and Mercury. Of course Valentine said they were false gods and that the God that Jesus called Father was the only true God. So the Romans threw him in prison for insulting the gods.
"While in prison Valentine continued to minister. He witnessed to the guards. One of the guards was a good man who had adopted a blind girl. He asked Valentine if his God could help his daughter. Valentine prayed and the girl was given her sight. The guard and his whole family, 46 people, believed in Jesus and were baptized. When the emperor heard about this, he was furious that Valentine was still making converts even in prison, so he had Valentine clubbed and beheaded.
"Valentine knew that he might get caught in his Christian activities. He knew that if he told the court the truth about the Roman gods that he would be thrown in prison. And he knew that if he continued to witness to Christ in the prison he would make his captors angry. But he continued because he loved the Lord and his fellow humans. He was willing to risk his life to free the prisoners and spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to those who needed to hear it." (Source unknown.)
Remember to give out the Valentine that God gave us - Jesus.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Merry Christmas
I was looking for a devotional on a good christmas story, and what better story is there than the one of Jesus? I found this poem and I hope you all enjoy it.
<3 Amber
P.S. - Here's the site if you want to go on it and check it out!
http://www.allisonsheart.com/pagelist.html
~ Oh How The Angels Sing ~
In the sparkling crystal coolness of a quiet winter night,
Was a boy child in a manger bathed in soft and holy light.
As a star shined high above Him, as the angels sang for joy,
They were welcoming the King of Kings in a tiny baby boy.
On a hillside shepherds huddled 'round a warm inviting flame,
It was just another winter night; How soon their lives would change.
For suddenly surrounding them were angel voices clear,
Singing, " Glory to God in the highest," The shepherds shook with fear.
When all at once the fear was gone, replaced with peace untold,
As angels brought good tidings, the story did unfold.
They told of how a King had come and in a manger lay,
In a quiet town in Bethlehem in a stable filled with hay.
Of how this little boy child was of a virgin birthed,
Fulfilling old time prophecies of Messiah come to earth.
The angels bade the shepherds to go and find the babe,
To seek the King of Glory in a manger filled with hay.
As suddenly as they had come the angels now were gone,
With them went the brilliant light and the night sky filled with song.
Yet over tiny Bethlehem on that cool and cloudless night,
Hung a sparkling star of promise; What a wondrous, glorious sight.
The shepherds made their journey while following the star,
They were looking for the tiny babe; It couldn't be too far.
When from a simple stable a baby's cry was heard,
The shepherds knew the melody was the Promise of God's Word.
They fell before the tiny King and worshipped Him with joy,
While all around the angels sang to the little baby boy.
For the humble little stable held a King beyond compare,
Not just an ordinary babe, but a Gift from God so rare.
At last those things had come to pass the prophets had spoken of,
God's Promise now had come to life; How great the Father's love.
That He would choose to send His Son in a tiny baby boy,
And make His life a sacrifice; How the angel's sing for joy.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Memo from God
I thought this was super cute!
MEMO FROM GOD
To: YOU
Date: TODAY
From: THE BOSS
Subject: YOURSELF
Reference: LIFE
I am God.
Today I will be handling all of your problems. Please remember that I do not need your help.
If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it. Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box. All situations will be resolved... but in My time, not yours.
Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now
If you find yourself stuck in traffic; Don't despair. There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege.
Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the man who has been out of work for years.
Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return.
Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; Think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children.
Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk.
Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine.
Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose? Be thankful. There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity.
Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Guidance and Direction
This morning when I went to do my devotions I had a lot on my mind that I couldn't stop thinking about. I felt a little bit at a loss because there have been trials that seem like mountains, too big to climb and really scary. Well, I decided to dive into Gods word, using a book given to me for graduation I was able to study out 'Guidance'. This is what I got out of my devotion:
When you don't understand something, we need to go to God because he said he would give us the wisdom to understand it but we need to ask for it.
James 1:5-6
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."
When we don't know why we have to climb the mountain - we should ask god for wisdom how to climb and have faith that he'll help us.
Deuteronomy 31:8
"....He it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed."
Gods with us, Jesus walked down the road before us and God promises that he won't forsake us or fail us, he might not remove the trial but he's going to help us through it.
Anyway, I got a blessing out of this and was able to get some help out of it so I thought I would share it with all of you. It's not much but I got some help out of it.
When you don't understand something, we need to go to God because he said he would give us the wisdom to understand it but we need to ask for it.
James 1:5-6
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."
When we don't know why we have to climb the mountain - we should ask god for wisdom how to climb and have faith that he'll help us.
Deuteronomy 31:8
"....He it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed."
Gods with us, Jesus walked down the road before us and God promises that he won't forsake us or fail us, he might not remove the trial but he's going to help us through it.
Anyway, I got a blessing out of this and was able to get some help out of it so I thought I would share it with all of you. It's not much but I got some help out of it.
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