Woe to me

Today's passage was Matthew 7. It

Judging OthersAsk, Seek, Knock The Narrow and Wide Gates, A Tree and Its Fruit, and The Wise and Foolish Builder.

There is a fella who I have in my life who is just very hard to love. There are times where I get really tempted to see why they believes in what they believe in.There are times when you ask him/her a question he/she will just tell you they have no answer or no thoughts. The word of God just does not seem to hit the person.

For a period of time I've wanted to know what is up. This is probably my downfall I am not finding enough outside of my schedule to get to know this person. Whenever I see them in bible study it is just very easy for me to judge them from the outside in. Woe to me for I have not seen the speck in my own eye.

All along I should have been praying for God to open doors for the TRUE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST CRUCIFIED to be really revealed.

God change me from the inside out.
Amen.

Today's Reading Psalm 144

Today was not too pretty of a day. Monday night I took a 2hr nap and stayed up all night studying for an exam. I studied over hours studying the structure of bones and everything! To my dismay - the exam did not even have more then 10 questions about bone structures!!!! I basically studied for the wrong thing and BOMBED the exam. After my exam and class, I just slept through the day.

Guess what? God is still good. This is something I started to remind myself each day. God is good, God is good, God is good. The more I meditated on God's goodness I just felt a peace that surpasses all understanding consume my body.

I need to say I can definitely see God changing this dead heart of mine. It has progressively been crazier about him and his Kingdom.

Today, I did some reading of other passages but thought I would write about Psalms 144.
There are definitely alot of moments in my life where I have been thinking if this God is still really out there, (alot more than ever) which is why today's passage struck me a bit.

(vs 1-2) In alot of the psalms, David and or the Sons of Korah will always praise God even if their souls are downcast - maybe we need to remind ourselves of all the things God has done for us in the past. We really need to reminiscence on the goodness of God otherwise we will forget how active he has been in our lives. We need to remember the depth of our fall and how far he has brought us.

Today, my new friend Jared told me I have been a blessing for him in his faith. Which is what I really needed. Lately I have not seen or heard God work in my small group nor in the campus ministry. So thank you God for being God and sitting on your throne controlling everything!

(vs 3-4) It is easy to forget that each day God wants to and continues to sanctify us. It is easy to take the righteousness he gives us and accredits us with and tell ourselves we are good people. But we definitely have forgotten that our unrighteousness was imputed upon Jesus when he laid his life on the cross. The righteousness that we have right now is from him. It does rock my mind wondering why Jesus loves me.

Key verse (15): Blessed are the people of whom this is true; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.

I honestly don't know where God is going to place me in the future. I am not the best student ever. I am not the smartest person ever. It is RIDONKCULOUS knowing that though it looks like I am "losing" in life - I know that it is going to be okay because he has promised that when I lose my life that is when I will find it. God has each and every moment of my life planned out for me. If I seek first the kingdom of God everything else will fall into place.

This is such an awesome reassurance he gives us.

No retreat, no regrets, no reserve. Christ is worth it.
AMEN

Today's reading matthew 6.

Brian Bielby is one of the guys in my small group. He brought up a point I had not thought about it. I know it doesn't say anything in the bible about this, but I thought it was pretty legit.

He said, sometimes when we pray, we pray "father thank you for (fill in the blank), they've been such a blessing in my life, thanks for building them up to be the godly person they are." Everyone then starts saying "yes jesus" and a whole butt load of energy just comes from people.

Is that something we should do less of? I know alot of it has to just do with the heart; however sometimes it can even stumble others and make em think this is how to do it.

If someone is reading this, can you give me a comment if "⁵"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in ful" may relate to that?

Is it wrong to thank God for things like that? Definitely no. Brian made a good point. He said that we should first tell the other person that, unless we are just in our rooms praying to the Lord by ourselves - otherwise it may just seem like we are just praying up a show. But yeah if you are reading this, don't think I am attacking anyone. I've been doing this a while.

But anyhoo, my time with the Lord has been getting much more solid and consistent. Now the prayer life. Hopefully my life will be known for a life of petition and intercession.

The promise:
"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

The problem:
School has been getting rougher and rougher. God has placed more and more on my plate. The amount of people I met and got to know is ridiculous. I don't know who are the ones to be much more intentional with. Small group has been rough and it is discouraging because it makes me wonder what my purpose is here for. I feel like I just don't want to sheperd anymore - but I know I can't stop.

The thoughts from this weekend away;
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. When trials come, they will show where my hearts desire is. I have not always been the most amazing student ever. So lately I have been tihnking I need to hit the books as much as possible. My heart's desire has always been to know Christ and to make Him known. Joe reaffirmed that to me this weekend. If I really cared about a certain thing in my life I need to seek it - to make him known in my small groups and the relationships I have made with people this semester. I know I cannot mess up the plans God has for me. Jesus has said lose your life and you will find it - come and follow me.

Yes it has been tough and it will probably get tougher. I can only keep seeking Him because He promises that I/we will find Him.

The following is from a book I have byDietrich Bonhoeffer called The cost of Discipleship.

The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death—we give over our lives to death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. It may be a death like that of the first disciples who had to leave home and work to follow him, or it may be a death like Luther’s, who had to leave the monastery and go out into the world. But it is the same death every time—death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man at his call.

Something I shared with my sg

Man, it is tough when those of the Faith have no desire for their father in heaven. Wed night we talked about being in the silence with God.. This is a message I sent to them to encourage them in their walks with God. In parenthesis are some of the thing's that this passage spoke to me about.

Psalms 1

1 Blessed is the man

(Satisfied is he who.... the Kingdom of God belongs to Him, cuz the one who is blessed is the one righteously following Him)

who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
(how do we do this? According to psalms 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.)

or stand in the way of sinners (didnt share this but this came to my mind - being salt and light does not mean you tell people how to live, tell em by your life, dont try to be good cop)
or sit in the seat of mockers.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

(God TEACHES us how to DELIGHT IN HIM, he teaches us HOW we can not feel distant from him, he tells us HOW TO DO IT, we would be foolish not to listen to it. Joshua 1:8Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. )

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

(We would be foolish not to SOAK in the promises of God and take His word on it... Apart from him you will bear no fruit - When you apart of the vine - when you belong to the faithful one YOU will be built up well - there is no other foundation greater than Jesus)

4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

(The WAY everlasting is the only one that will allow you to reap GOOD)

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

(You feeling distant from God? Are you following him faithfully-obediently? Prob not... Take HIS word on it.)

Woe to me

I'll be honest, I was half awake when I wrote yesterday :p so Christopher would get off my back. I knew what I wanted to say yesterday but after I snoozed after 1-2 mins, I forgot my whole point.

I have been running around too much. Yesterday I spent 4hrs cooking fried rice, it could've fed 40-50 people. I don't have too many moments of peace because I am always in the midst of serving or always busy trying to get something done.

I am being exhausted because I am not giving Christ the time to give me rest. This is how this passage relates to Elijah. He had been going around and doing things in the name of God. At the end of the day, he flat out said to God in verse 4 "It is enough; now O LORD take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers."Elijah man of God got worn out, it was not until he went into the cave until he was refreshed.

So whats the point? Turn off the noise - which includes visual noices such as facebook, aim and such when you read your bible and spend that time meditating on the areas of our lives we need to surrender over to our Lord Jesus.

What was I saying yesterday? I am worrying about getting into the college of nursing, I am worried about leading my smallgroup, I am worried about my living situtation for next year. The problem is I am not spending my time in the quietness to let God speak. If I was letting him speak, I would be reminded of his promises - the ones he promised to us when we would let him be Lord of all.

Our biggest mistake

Todays reading 1 King 19We let Satan rob our lives too many times.

We need to learn how to live life and live it to the full. If I told you I worry about my future/career, spouse, current small group, grades, being the only christian in a pool of people, etc. Would you not tell me it is foolish to worry about it 24/7?


I knowfor myself I need to live my life with hands wide opened and take charg e of what is in front on my lsg.

Look at Elijah. He thought he was the only one who cared for God.. Many too many times we think that God does not have it in control. If I do believe he is the real thing why is my life not showing it!

Raymond A

Matthew 5

The beautitudes and the sermon on the mount.

Jesus did not really preach anything new. Throughout time it has always been about the Kingdom of God. The only new thing that that the son of God would be the one to take away the sins of the world.

For me the scariest verse in the bible is mathew 7:24.
Jesus acknowledges that there are people who will do things in his name - he does not deny the miracles.

How do we know we will not be like the one who says Lord did we not prophecy inyour name?

Read the beautitude and the sermon on the mount in context. Jesus had been talking about blessed are you when...

Examine your own life, are you bearing fruit? In tough situtations are you being meek, poor in spirit, and etc...

The ones I have been being challenged with are being meek and being

Good night world its late!

The day after the victory

Today's reading: Matthew 3

Before I start, I just want to throw a shout out to God. The unimaginable happened today. While cooking dinner, I thought about my pops and all the bad things I've said to him and the things I yelled at him for and how I brought him down. God placed it on my heart to go to Chicago soon to talk to him and apologize for the things in the past that I have said. I called him tonight and told him what I wanted to say - the same for my mum. If you know my family, we do not say things such as "I'm sorry" or things such as "I love you" This was not easy and I can now die a happy man having my family know know the love God has for me has transformed my life and they are living witnesses of that.

At Clearview church we have been going over a seruies called Jesus is the true and better (fill in the blank) which was inspired by Tim Keller. So far we have gone over Sabbath rest, Adam, Abel, and Abraham. For this month, I am going to read through Matthew. I got my idea of what to write today from the Clearview sermon series.

John the Baptist.. you are an awesome hero of the faith but I need to say that Jesus is the true and better John the Baptist. John the baptist said it himself, the one who will come after him is much more powerful than he is and he admits he cannot carry the sandals' of the one to come. Throughout time God has been patient. He has wanted to restore the perfect relationship between himself and his creation. He wanted to bring the message of the Kingdom of heaven, which is nothing new, it was something John the Baptist preached.

What are some similarities between JTB and Yeshu?
Jesus did not care about money or material possesion, he preached that God tells us not to worry because he will provide for us everything we need.

They both spoke the truth. They were not afraid that people would be offended. They preached the message of reprentence.

Why is Jesus much better?
Jesus was the one who fulfilled the prophecies of the past. Jesus came and brought the Kingdom of Heaven to earth. He is the one who restores the Kingdom of God. He is the one we confess to and find forgiveness through. He is the one who lived up to the will of the father - sinless. He was obedient to even death on the cross. He is the one who defeated hell and will not let the gates of hell prevail. He was the one who died and rose again to show us that he is the one with the key to an eternity in heaven with our creator - God.

Thanks Jesus for being far superior than anyone else and everything else.

The depth I have fallen

Today's reading: Matthew 2 - the visit of the magi, the escape to egypt, the return to nazareth,

For the Israelites their closest moment and experience with God was their great escape from egypt to the promiseland. From there they dwelled with God, traveled with him, and just heard his voice to them through the prophets.

For me my greatest moment and experience with God was the death and resurrection of my Jesus. It was when I accepted in my heart that Jesus Christ laid down his life for me so that I could have life to the fullest.

What does this have to do with the passage and me? Well I am just going to share some thoughts that came up on my mind while reading this passage.

When you REALLY BELIEVE in something, you take action upon it. King Herod knew what God was capable of, he tried with all of his strength to not let Jesus take the throne. He took action on it. The Magis had an idea of the one who was going to save Israel - they went on a long journey to worship him.

Mary and Joseph knew GOD and they loved Him. They were obedient.

Everything has been about me lately. I have been exhausted from school and ministry. I know my relationship with God is genuine - I know he loves me and I know I love Him, but why is it that I don't act like it?

My devotion to the one I love has struggled these past few weeks. I have struggled with pursuing Him, I have struggled with honoring Him, I have struggled to love Him. I have not been feeding his sheep nor have I been feeding myself. I am Peter, I've made so many broken promises and he still chooses to stay close with me. God I love you, thank you for being so faithful and being true to your word. I pray today be a fresh start. I pray for faith that drives me to pursue you. I really do believe your love for me is real give, give me the grace to act on it. I am so glad your mercies are new each day. Your mercy extrends from the east to the west. Thank you for your forgiveness.

I will never forget this promise of yours that you repeat over and over again.

Ezekiel 37:27 - my dwelling place will be with them, I will be their God and they will be my people.

Jeremiah 24:6-7 - my eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land, I will build them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart.

I love you and thank you father.