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How faith changed my life!
I have been praying about writing this but God continues to place this on my heart. I have been writing about experience in my past blogs about what God has put on my heart. Some people have asked me questions about how I can write and post things about God after the decisions I have made over the past year. The first thing it’s not about me it’s about what God has done for me. Yes I have made some bad choices over the past year and not lived a life that I used to teach about. I am not proud of the things I have done or the people I have hurt, but those were choices that I made no one put a gun to my head. People have no idea of the cost that I deal with every day. I will tell you this there were things that I was doing that caused me to have cloudy thinking in my life. However I take responsibility on my choices and don’t blame anyone but myself. The life I was living was Empty religion. I was allowing the outside to look so clean but the inside was not clean at all. Think of this way if I was a cup the outside looked clean but the inside was full of mold and all kind of crap. When you live a life this way you can make things look good when they are truly not. I was not doing God any favors living this way. So if those people ask how could I preach the word but not live it the answer is I can’t. This is the reason I was dying inside and an unhappy person. But the question is how can I teach and post these things about God when I lived that life? It simple I allowed God take me as that cup that I was clean on the outside and dirty on the inside and wash it with his blood. God says if you come to him and ask he will allow it to happen. The question I asked was for him to forgive me and cleanse my from my sinful life that I was living and he did. The biggest challenge was for me to forgive myself and this is a work in progress. Look at Luke 11:39 “Jesus said now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and evil.” Yes this was me I was a acting like the Pharisees I was doing all the correct things outside and acting like I was following Gods laws but I was not and inside of me was dirty . So for you who ask how I can post these things I can because I have been washed by the blood of Christ. No I am not perfect at all I still struggle with sin and the choices that I made. I am the one who has to live the cost not you. Who among us has sinned? All of us have sinned. But the good news is this: When we do ask for forgiveness and turn out hearts to God, He forgives us absolutely and completely. Yes our sins cost us know or later. Genuine repentance requires more than simply offering God apologies for our misdeed. Real repentance may start with feelings of sorrow and remorse, but it ends only when we turn away from the sin that has put God at a distance. In truth, we offer our most meaningful apologies to God, not with our words but with our actions. Just as the people we hurt with our sins we have to show them our actions of sorrow not just our words. Repentance involves a radical change of heart and mind in which we agree with Gods evaluation of our sin and then take specific action to align ourselves with his will.
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Don’t Miss the sign
I was driving down to Tampa for work to see a client. As I was driving I missed the exit sign where I was supposed to get off at. I was not paying attention and had to drive out of my way to find a place to turn away. I remember thinking this is crazy and I was so mad. I was tired and ready to get to the hotel and relax but instead I had to go 20 minutes out of my way. Another time I was driving and not paying attention to the speed limit sign and yep you guessed it I was pulled over for speeding. Yep 30 minutes and $200 later I was on my way to where I needed to be and I was late and it cost me money and time. So think about the signs God puts in front of us that we don’t pay attention to. What are some of the things that it cost you by not paying attention? We are so focused on the things that we want or what we are doing at the time we miss the things God puts in our life. I remember telling the cop when I got pulled over that I didn’t see the speed limit sign and it needed to be placed in a better place. He looked at me like I was crazy and said it’s where everyone can see it. I road back by that area the next day and yep it was clear as day where everyone can see it. I thought how many times have God placed something in my life and I missed it because I was so focused on my own desires and my selfishness. It’s like I want to see what I want and not the commandments that have been placed in front of me. As I read Proverbs 13:13 “He who despises the word will be destroyed, but he who fears the commandments will be rewarded.” The Holy Bible contains thorough instructions which, if followed, lead to fulfillment, righteousness, and salvation. But, if we choose to ignore Gods commandments, the results are as predictable as they are tragic. Just as me not follow the speed limit it cost me money and time. A righteous life as many components: faith, honesty, generosity, love, kindness, humility, gratitude, and worship, to name but a few. If we seek to follow the steps of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we must seek to live according to His commandments. Let’s us follow his signs and leadership. This way we can live our lives as examples for those that have not found Christ. Think of it this way have you ever been driving down the interstate speeding and noticed a car pick up their speed to follow you? Its because they are following you. Actions speak louder than words
One thing I have learned over the past year is that actions speak louder than words. I had a dear friend tell me that Actions speak louder than words. We are all so good at saying what we are going to do but do we show with actions? I know I have done this to people that I love. I can tell you it’s not a good thing to do. Being in sales one of the things I have learned is when you tell clients you’re going to do something they want to see actions and if they don’t they will not trust you or your word. The thing I have thought about is why can we do this at our jobs but can’t do it with friends and Family? Sometimes we have to learn the hard way from this. This brings me to Romans 14:23 “If the way you live isn’t consistent with what you believe, then its wrong” As Christians, we must do our best to ensure that or actions are accurate reflections of our beliefs. Our theology must be demonstrated, not only by words but, more importantly, by our actions. In short, we should practical believers, quick to act whenever we see an opportunity to serve God. Are you the kind of practical Christian man who is willing to dig in and do what needs to be done when it needs to be done> If so, congratulations: God acknowledges your service and blesses it. But if you find yourself more interested in the fine points of theology than in needs of your neighbors, it’s time to rearrange your priorities. God needs believers who are willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work for him. I know I am not the one who should be writing this because I have not lived the life that called me to be over the past year. I have lived not by actions but by words. By living just by words are not good enough you have to live by actions. So I ask you to live by actions not by words, I don’t want you to go through losing friends and family. You Are Not Alone
For He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5c) On the morning of October 29, 2012, hundreds of thousands of people in portions of the Caribbean and the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States faced their worst nightmare … “Superstorm Sandy.” This post-tropical cyclone with hurricane-force winds and its unusual merge with a frontal system affected 24 states, including the entire eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine and west across the Appalachian Mountains to Michigan and Wisconsin, leaving death, injuries, and utter destruction in its wake. Families everywhere, especially in hard hit New Jersey and New York, were jolted out of normalcy and the comfort and security of the homes and communities they once knew. They were thrust suddenly and unwillingly into the darkness and despair of loss. If you and your family have ever been affected by a natural disaster like this, you may feel as if you've been abandoned by God. However, if trouble has hit your life in some other disaster, or form of tragedy—the death of a loved one, a dreaded medical diagnosis, the loss of home and property, or the loss of your job, you are experiencing your own superstorm. You may feel as if your whole world has been turned upside down, and wonder how you can possibly survive the loss. In times like these, you can feel very much alone. But you are not alone. In the midst of unspeakable sorrow God is with you. Even if you do not feel Him near, God is there. He promises to never leave you alone. Therefore, wherever you are, God is. He is with you before, during, and after "the storm," never losing sight of you, or your suffering. Even as you ponder how you will begin picking up the pieces of your life, God is there … loving you beyond understanding, holding you up, and making a way where it seems there is no way. Reach out for Him today. He is a very present help in times of trouble (see Psalm 46:1). Healthy Choices
Think about when we are trying to lose weight what do we do. We put a plan together from exercising to eating healthy. However some people think I will just go workout and still eat what I want. Then they get aggravated because they see nothing happening. Why is that? It because for you to really lose weight you have to eat healthy you have to put the right things in your body for the fuel you need to build muscle then muscle burns fat. However Healthy choices can apply to everything in life not just losing weight. Think about the music you listen to the TV shows we watch the people we hang around with. I am not saying at all I have mastered this in my life, but I will tell you have learned what I can do when you put things in your life that should not be there. When you allow these things to come in your life you will start allowing them to set root in your life. Think about this, when you’re hanging around certain people or person you will find yourself starting to talk like them and act like them. It’s not because you’re a follower or week it’s just what we do as people. So I ask who are you surrounding yourself with. I don’t care how much leadership you think you have you will find yourself doing this. God calls us to be followers of him not others. Again please hear me I’m not saying I have mastered this I have just learned this the hard way. It goes back to eating and exercising. Think about it you eat and exercise in time your body will start to have issues. So there is no difference in life of whom or what we put in our minds soon it will catch up with you and you have issues. TRUST ME I KNOW FORM EXPERIENCE!! Psalm 42:11 says” I shall yet Praise him, who is the health of my countenance and my God.” The Journey toward improved health is not only a common-sense exercise in personal discipline, it is also spiritual journey ordained by our Creator, God does not intend that we abuse our bodies by giving in to excessive appetites or to slothful behavior. To the contrary, God has instructed us to protect our physical bodies to the greatest extent we can, to do otherwise is to disobey him. Gods plan for you includes provisions for your spiritual, physical, and emotional health. But, He expects you to do your fair share of work! In a world that is chock-full of tasty temptations, you may find it all too easy to make unhealthy choices. Our challenge, of course, is to resist those unhealthy temptations by every means you can. Rest assure: when you ask for Gods help, He will give it to you. I know he will because he has done this in my life over the past year. Angry with God
I few years ago I remember getting a job that I always wanted in the Pharma industry. It was like a dream come true. Things were looking good or the family; I finally got a job where my wife at the time could stay home with the girls. It was a great job. A few years later I had the opportunity to move to another pharma company and it paid better and all things you want. So I took the job because this is what I wanted. This job was seemed a lot better than the last job. I was doing or well at the job and about a year into the Job I received a phone call that they would be announcing layoffs. I few days later I received the call that my area would be affected and I lost my Job. This was a bad day for me. I remember that week I was so mad a t God. I thought you gave me this job and now you are taking it away from why. I was in the front yard and I was yelling at God. I hit my knees and yelled why? I remember God saying to me this is not the job I gave to you this is the Job you took without asking me. This is what you wanted to so I let you go your way. I thought to myself and said you know what you are right. I wanted this Job because of the money and it was what I wanted not what God wanted. However I was still mad at God. Matthew 27:46 says “My God my God, why have you abandoned me?” The thing is he didn’t we abandoned him. We went our own ways. It’s ok to be angry at God for a short time, but don’t walk away from your relationship with him. Don’t allow your anger to become uncontrolled. Instead work through the anger and emotions. Your relationship with him will grow deeper and stronger. In time, you will look back on this time with a renewed spirit of the glories God can do. I know this to be true. I know there are things that don’t go the way we want and we do get angry, but God has a plan for us. There are things we lose in life that we thought we would never lose. I know this to be very true, but we have to look at our actions and deal with our consequences of not listening to God and going our own way. Avoid Marriage on Autopilot
I have learned that in a Marriage you can’t live in Auto Pilot. When you find your marriage in Auto Pilot things will start to go in Directions that you don’t want. Have you ever gotten in your car, driven to your destination and not remembered how you got there? Your thoughts wandered somewhere else and your brain went in autopilot mode while you drove from point A to point B. so think about this in a marriage. How you got to a point in your marriage and wondered how we got here. It’s probably because you went into autopilot and your mind wondered away from what you needed to do. Just like we have to fight to stay present behind the wheel, we have to fight the temptation to go into autopilot in the marriage. We have so many things that get in the way of what we should focus on and that’s our spouse. Don’t go through you marriage in Autopilot make sure you pay attention to each other. Make sure you keep the dating in the marriage. When you find yourself falling into this trap with everyday life stop grab your spouse and just go for a walk. Remember life will wait. This goes for our spiritual life also. Hebrews 2:1 says, “We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we don’t drift away.” Paying careful attention requires an active listening and our full focus. We want to protect ourselves rom drifting away from our Faith and our Marriages. We do this by listening to God and doing what He says. In Mathew 4:4, Jesus says Gods word is as important to our survival as food. God speaks to us as we read the Bible, pray and listen to His voice. There are many verses in the Bible about marriages so read and listen to them. I know I am not the one who should be given advice on this but God has put this on my heart to write. As Christians, we know our final destination. However, we don’t want to drift and miss all that God has for us on our Journey in our life and Marriages. Are there and areas in your Marriages where you need to pay more careful attention? Is there anything God is asking you to do in your marriage that you’re not? The Trap of Addiction
What is addiction? So many people link addiction to Drugs and Beer, but there are so many other things. I have learned over the past year of my life I allowed the gym to be my addiction. Is it wrong to work out and stay in shape no? God calls us to take care of our body; however I took it to the next level. I allowed the gum to control my life. I was there at 4am and then again at 6pm. So where was my time with my Kids? That’s right there was no time. I allowed myself to get caught up in the worldwide of the lifestyle of the gym. I was so focused on my own selfish ways that I lost focus on the things I should have been focused on. Allowed addiction of the gym and other things cost me a lot. So today I ask that you think about what is your addiction and what is it costing you or will cost you? Don’t wait until it is too late and wake to realize what you have lost!! James 4:7-8 “Therefore submit to God, Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts.” The dictionary defines addictions “the compulsive need for a habit-forming substance; the condition of being habitually and compulsively occupied with something. That definition is accurate, but incomplete. For Christians, addiction has an additional meaning: it means compulsively worshipping something other than God. Unless you’re living on a deserted island you know people who are full-blown addicts – probably lots of people. If you, or someone you love, is suffering from the blight of addiction, remember this: Help is available. I come to find this is so true. And if you’re one of those fortunate people who never experienced with additive substance, congratulations. You have spared yourself a lifetime of headaches and heartaches. Lost in the Crowd
I remember years ago we went to Dallas to Visit my brother and sister. Kalie was about 6 years old and Kendall was about 2 years old. We went to see where John Kennedy was shot and it was very interesting. There were so many people there. Kalie decided to walk away from us and she got lost in the crowd. I remember going crazy not knowing where she was at. I went one way and her mom went another way. After a few minutes we found her walking in this crowd of people. I remember her saying dad I was following them. I looked at her and said baby you can’t just follow people you have to stay with mom and dad. She looked up at me and said because I will get lost right and I said yes. Don’t we as adult’s o the same thing? We lose track of God and follow other people because we like the way they are going. I have learned this over the past year that I did what Kalie did. I Lost track of my Father and followed other people because I wanted to go that way. We do this because we are selfish and prideful. I know for me I have been a selfish and prideful person over the past year putting my wants in front of what God wants from me. By me doing that I became so lost in the world. I am glad my father found me however God knew where I was at he was just waiting for me to come home and hold his hand. This brings me to this verse Proverbs 29:25 “The fear of man is a snare, but the one who trust in the lord is protected.” Rick Warren observed, “Those who follow the crowd usually get lost in it.” I know these words to so true in my life. Instead of trusting God for guidance, we imitate our neighbors and suffer the consequences. Instead of seeking to please our Father in heaven, we strive to please our peers, with decidedly mixed results. Whom will you try to please today: you’re God or you associates? Your obligation is most certainly not to neighbors, to friends, or even to family members. Your obligation is to an all knowing, all powerful God. You must seek to please Him first and always No exceptions. People who constantly, and fervently, seek the approval of others live with an identity crisis. I found this to be true in my own life. I didn’t know who I was and I let other defend me instead of letting my Father defend me. By doing this I lost myself, friends, and other things. So all i can share with you from my own experiences is don’t follow the people around you follow the Father. He knows best!! |
AuthorJust a man who follows Christ and writes for fun.. Archives
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