Trust

John 6:5 & 6 is one of my favorite verses. "Jesus looked up then, and seeing that a vast multitude was coming toward Him, He said to Philip, Where are we to buy bread, so that all these people may eat? But He said this to prove (test) him, for He well knew what He was about to do." It blows me away. Jesus was testing Philip to see if he trusted in Jesus' power. As the story goes on, Philip starts to panic a little as he tried to come up with a plan. But all along Jesus had the perfect plan. Wait, did you get that? All along, Jesus had the perfect plan! Don't you see, we are like Philip, we only partly trust in the power of God and the Holy Spirit. Because if we did completely trust Him, we would never find ourselves panicking for a plan. God places us in difficult circumstances, trials, or hardships with a purpose in mind, but we fail to see it. Most of the time, when we aren't sure what our next move should be, or don't have a plan, we panic and stress. We tend to look in all the wrong places for an answer that can only be found in Christ. Jesus has everything under control at all times. From the beginning of time, God has known everything that will ever be, and it is all according to His plan. In John 5, Jesus feeds 5,000 people with only a few pieces of bread and a couple fish... He can handle your situation. Trust His power and love and be confident in His plan. It may be unknown to you right now, but trust me, whatever it is, it is perfect. 

Let's Face It.

Here's to the lost, hurting, and broken Christians. Heres to the people I'm burdened for. 

Let's face it. Nobody wants to believe they have problems. No one wants to admit they mess up. No one wants to change. Nobody wants help. Even though they know the consequences of their lifestyle and choices, they can't accept the need for change in order to live a life pleasing to the Lord filled with joy and peace. Somehow they become content with where they are. I mean they say they are Christians, but do their actions back up their claims? I'm not pointing fingers, I'm not near perfect. But I know my faults and I turn to the Lord for help and guidance. I see brokenness, and I am burdened. 

Often times, Christians take Christ's grace for granted. They think that since they've been "saved" that they have been granted a free ticket to live however they please. They get this idea that since they've prayed the prayer, that they can use grace and forgiveness as an excuse to live in constant sin instead of turning from it. It's not like that! You see, God's Word is like an all you need to know guide to Christianity, and spending time reading it is crucial to faith. Read it, and you will see how God feels about sin. They say they've accepted Christ but they push Him aside or place Him in a box and only get Him out when they desperately need something. They forget why they are here. They forget that line "by grace I have been saved". BY GOD'S ABUNDANT GRACE we have been given life on this earth, and while we are, we are given a choice: Life or Death. It's that simple. LIFE- accept God's grace and live  according to His plan and live in a way that brings glory to God. DEATH- believe satan's lies. Live like the world, please yourself. Those are the choices! Only two. Many people have "chosen life" but are not living like they have done so. They've become halfway Christians that live in mediocrity. Such a lifestyle does not please the Lord, so much so that He makes it clear several times in the Bible. (A few: 1 John 3:9, Romans 12:2, in Matthew 18:8 & 9 He commands us to rid ourselves of any sin or wrong doing, and Hebrews 12:13-14, and the one that speaks most clearly about leading a mediocre life is found in Revelation 3:15-16.) God is extremely clear about how Christians are called to live a Holy life completely sold out to Him. And the thing is, God promises so many rewards and blessings for His faithful servants. Not to mention He provides rest, peace, and joy. They are too caught up in the moment. That moment then becomes a way of life. Whether it be sex, drugs, alcohol, partying, and so on. Yes, all these things feel so good in the moment, but it only lasts for a short while, so then they do it again. And again and again until they HAVE to have it or else they will be miserable. But they HAVE to break the cycle if they truly want abundant life with Christ, and who doesn't? It's not impossible to stop and change. It's hard- but the other side is so much better and fulfilling. How are they missing this? I mean yes, I've been there. Fortunately, for me, I didn't dabble in too terrible things. However, I sought refuge, peace, and pleasure in the wrong places, namely, self harm, but that was before I found Jesus. When I found Jesus, I was covered in grace and mercy and love and I was fulfilled so much that I didn't need those things to find an escape or to be happy. So now I have a personal relationship with Jesus, and yes, I have done things that do not honor God. Yeah, I've let my desires over come me a few times. I've crossed lines that I can't uncross. But I've recognized my mistakes and I've been forgiven and I make a continual effort to turn from the things that tempt me. It's a constant battle, but God doesn't expect me to be perfect. He only asks that I rely on Him and repent from these things and try not to make the mistake again. I wish everyone could understand this, because their lives will be so much better. Again, I'm not saying I am perfect. In fact, I'm writing this to myself. I only used the pronoun 'they' because I was originally writing to 'the lost, hurting, and broken Christians'. Really I should go back and change it to 'we', so let's face it, WE all have brokenness.