Are you really putting God first?

Sep3

Question: How can I be sure my decisions put God first instead of just pleasing myself?

Answer: You can start by making sure your decisions don’t go against the word of God! The two ways you can be guided with this is by praying for the Holy Spirit to help you, and by studying to know God’s word. In reading the Bible, we learn about the many promises Our Heavenly Father has made to us. One of these promises is that He will be there for us, and He will give us His Holy Spirit to guide us.

Jesus said, “…when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth…” (John 16:13 NKJV)

Unfortunately, there are times when we try to talk ourselves into believing that what we want is equal to what God wants. But this may not be the case. For example, we may want to support those who promote sinful behaviors, especially if they are people we like. We convince ourselves that it’s okay to support their sinful agendas as long as we’re not actually committing these sins ourselves and we like the good things these people may also do.

But God’s word says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones” (Proverbs 3:7-8). If your support helps these people or others sin against God, then you are sharing in their sin! You are choosing to put their desires ahead of God’s commands. That’s not putting God first! As Believers, our first obedience must be to God. For to God, obedience is better than sacrifice. (See 1 Samuel 15:22)

A different type of example of not putting God first could happen in the way we respond to our achievements. When given the opportunity, we may enthusiastically give credit for our success to many people– our parents, teachers, mentors, and even ourselves. While acknowledging the help of all these people is fine, we must remember to give the main credit to God! He is the one who blessed us to be able to achieve that success by providing us with the various people, skills, wisdom, and opportunities that helped us to achieve. Therefore, make sure to give God the credit for His many blessings in your life.

Now, we are not perfect people. The only perfect one to walk this earth was our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! So, there are going to be times when we fail to put God first. Just remember that God loves us even when we fail Him. Pray for the Holy Spirit to help you keep God first in your life. He will guide you and keep you on the right track.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3: 5-7)

Amen!

Staying calm through the chaos

Aug6

Question: As a Believer, how do I handle all the chaos going on in the world?

Answer: Trust God and remember that He is still in control! Even though we know that we need to have this strong faith, sometimes doing so can be difficult. Many of us may struggle to stay calm as we deal with the challenges in our lives. For example, many people or their loved ones are struggling with health issues. Some people are dealing with financial problems. Still others may be trying to repair personal relationships or resolve problems at their jobs. All of these issues we deal with personally. They can make our daily lives hard and even chaotic at times.

Then, there are also the troubling issues we face when we look around our world. We anxiously follow the news about wars and conflicts happening between nations. Our hearts go out to the many innocent victims who suffer because of these conflicts. We may wonder if divisions among various groups in our own country will lead to more instances of animosity, violence, and chaos in our communities.

And although the Bible warns us that many people will turn away from God in the final days (2 Thessalonians 2:3) it’s still hard to believe as we see it happen. We watch as many in our culture go against God’s Word just as He warned through the Prophet Isaiah: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil….” (Isaiah 5:20 NKJV)

They act as if they know better than God, when obviously they do not and never will! “Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes…” (Isaiah 5:21) The Apostle Paul clearly describes them by saying, “Professing to be wise, they became fools,” (Romans 1:22)

And we feel the tension as we prepare ourselves to resist those who are trying to force their promotion of sin on the rest of us. As Believers, we must recognize that these challenges which cause chaos in our world are actually spiritual battles. They can be dealt with only by following the Word of God. We know that we can be “strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” We can trust God to take care of us through all situations (Ephesians 6).

But, before you are ready to follow God’s Word, you must accept God for who He actually is, our Almighty Father, the Creator of Heaven and earth (Genesis 1). You must accept His Son Jesus Christ as our One and Only Lord and Savior. Accept that Jesus died on the cross and rose again to life on the third day to take the punishment we deserved for our sins. You must ask Jesus for forgiveness for your sins, turn from your sins, and live your life to please Him! (John 3:16, John 14:6, Acts 4:12, 1 John 1:9, Acts3:19)

Pray for God’s Holy Spirit to comfort, strengthen, protect, and guide you as you deal with all the challenges of life. Pray that you will be blessed with the joy, hope, and peace that only God can provide. Also, pray for those in need around the world and for repentance and salvation for all the spiritually lost.

Remember the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians. He reminds us to “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).”

Believe and follow God’s Word. Then you will know how to stay calm through the chaos of life!

What do you need to repent of today?

Jul1

Question: God knows I like getting my own way. Does He really expect me to change my ways?

Answer: Yes! God commands us to put Him first, not ourselves. In Exodus 20:3, the Lord says, “You shall have no other gods before me.”(NKJV) So, if getting your own way means doing something that displeases God, then He expects you to change. For example, if you prefer to keep siding with people, organizations, or things that promote sin, rejecting the commands of God, He expects you to change. If you don’t, you are making these things into idols or “little gods” in your life. You are choosing to put these things ahead of pleasing the true and living God. This is wrong! God expects us all to repent and turn away from all sin!

So, what would prompt Believers into wanting to support these sinful things anyway? Well, sometimes it’s because changing our way of thinking can be hard. An example of this is when we really like someone and don’t want to acknowledge any fault in them — even when they promote sinful things. We may make excuses for why the sins they are promoting really aren’t that bad. We may rationalize that other folk out there are doing worse things. Those other folks may be doing worse things. But we still must admit that the sinful behaviors of the people we like are also wrong. If we don’t repent, we will have to answer to God for calling these sinful people good and giving them our support. God says in His Word: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil…” (Isaiah 5:20a)

Another reason Believers sometimes call “good” what God says is sinful is because we don’t want to be seen as unintelligent, anti-social, or hateful by the world. But by studying God’s Holy Word, we learn what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had to say about this. In John 15:18-19, Jesus says, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” Jesus goes on to say that those who treat you this way do it “because they do not know Him who sent Me.” (v.21) In other words, the world does not know and follow God.

Even when you hear people who promote sin say things that appear to affirm God, they are in reality working against God. You need to turn away from following after such people. Repent of your sins and pray for God’s Holy Spirit to help you live for Christ.

Remember that you will never be perfect. Only Jesus Christ walked on this earth and never committed any sin. Therefore, when you fall short and sin, ask Jesus to forgive you and repent. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Likewise, pray that you will be honest with God. Ask Him to reveal to you what you need to repent of today. Jesus said, “…Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) Jesus also said that “there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7) That’s how much God loves you and cares about you.

So, do what is pleasing to God. Repent today!

What excuses are you making to God today?

Jun3

Question: How do I do a better job of living my life for God?

Answer: The first step to living our lives to please God is to understand that we are all sinners. We can’t enter Heaven in our sin, so we need a Savior to take away our sin. Because God loves us, He sent His Son Jesus Christ to be our one and only Lord and Savior. (Read John 3:16) God gave His Son to die on the cross to take the punishment we deserve for our sins. Jesus rose to life again three days after His death and lives with God in Heaven. When we have accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord, have asked Him to forgive us, and have repented, He cleanses us of our sins.

But know that Salvation only comes through Jesus Christ! “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4: 12 NKJV)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new…. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (Read 1 Corinthians 5:17-21)

Once we are saved, the next step to living our lives for God is to know God’s words to us through the Holy Bible. The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness….”

In knowing the importance of the Scriptures, we can understand why Believers must stay in God’s word. We can understand why we should regularly read and study the Bible. Through these Scriptures, we also learn of our need to pray regularly. We learn that we need to pray for God’s Holy Spirit to bless us, to guide us, to comfort and help us as we deal with life’s challenges.

A third important step in living to please God is to understand that living for God is not merely a suggestion. It’s also not something you apply to one area of your life but not to another. It’s not something you do just on Sundays. And it’s not something you make excuses not to do because of the unfair actions of others towards you.

You can’t tell God you are making decisions in your life that go against His word because you want to be accepted by those in the sinful culture. You can’t even blame your life choices on the fact that there are some hypocrites in the church.

God already knows about everything that’s going on in the world. He is still in control and will deal with all these things in His own time! He wants us as Believers to love and trust Him and to live according to His word. In part of what’s known as The Great Commission (See Matthew 28: 18-20), Jesus instructs His disciples to “make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you…” His word expresses His desire for how He wants us to live!

So, as you talk to God today through prayer, see to it that you are not making excuses for why you are not living to please Him! Instead, follow the instructions of Jesus and live your life according to God’s word. Ask His forgiveness and repent when you fall short. He loves you and will forgive you.

Show your love for Him by choosing to live your life to please God. No excuses!

Why is everybody so angry?

May7

Question: I’m encountering more and more people being mean these days. Why are people so angry?

Answer: It does seem as if we are witnessing an increase in people being mean and “behaving badly!” Many people seem perfectly fine with acting out angrily against others. For example, if you choose not to speed down the road, impatient drivers will speed around you…even cutting you off while cursing you out in the process. Another example is teachers having to deal with parents or students speaking to them rudely and even threatening them because the student received a bad grade. In other cases, teachers and administrators are being rude and unfair to parents and students when they disagree with what they are being taught. Each side can get so angry at the other that they refuse to even try to work peaceably on solutions together.

More examples of anger can be seen in the huge rise in violent crimes. More and more cities are becoming so overrun with crime, the people there feel like they’re living in a war zone. Murders, rapes, and assaults are increasingly being committed – even against the elderly and small children. There is an environment where there is no regard for life! So many people just seem to be mad at the world!

We also see this anger being displayed shamelessly through social media. Instead of using these platforms for positive things like sharing God’s Word or nurturing relationships with positive pictures and thoughts, some choose to do just the opposite. They would prefer to share mean posts and comments! They forget that while they can hide from people behind a computer screen they can’t hide from God. He sees and hears everything that we do and say and will judge us accordingly if we don’t repent of our sins!

But people continue to take out their pent-up anger on others everywhere from in the home to out in the community. They lash out at co-workers, doctors, flight attendants, grocery and restaurant employees, rival sports fans, and even fellow churchgoers. These displays of anger are especially sad and disappointing when we see them coming from those who say they are Believers!

The bottom line is that when we are being mean to people, we are committing sin! We are being disobedient to God because Jesus said, “And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.” (Luke 6:31 ESV)

We learn from the Apostle Paul that God wants us to show love to one another just as God shows love to us. Part of showing this love is to be kind to each other and not rude (Read 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7). Paul also reminds us to be kind and control our anger in his letter to the Ephesians. “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil….. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear (Ephesians 4:26-27, 29).”

He goes on to say, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4: 31- 32)”

Since none of us is perfect, there will be times when we get angry. In fact, there are times when we witness evil that we should get angry. Even Jesus looked on the religious leaders with anger when they were opposed to Him healing a man on the Sabbath (read Mark 3:1-5). But we are not to hold on to our anger until it causes us to sin.

Believers must remember to pray to God in Jesus’ name and lean on His Holy Spirit to help us deal with our anger. Then, we can truly stop being so angry! Amen!

You can count on Jesus!

Apr10

Question: I find it hard to trust people these days, Too many people are dishonest and just out for self gain. Do you think this is why I find it hard to trust in Jesus?

Answer: Yes, this is probably at least part of the reason. But, unlike people who are all born in sin, Jesus Christ never committed any sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21) That is why Jesus Christ is our one and only sinless Savior. We can’t go to Heaven with our sin. The wages of our sin is death (Romans 6:23). But, because God loved us so much (John 3:16) He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross in our place. Jesus took the punishment we deserved for our sins. He died but rose to life again on the third day! He now sits at the right hand of our Heavenly Father! Based on His ultimate sacrifice for us and being sinless, we know that He is honest and we can trust Him.

For those of us who accept Jesus Christ as our only Lord and Savior, there is everlasting life in heaven one day. Accepting Christ as our Savior is the only way to Heaven (John 14:6). We can’t do enough good works to earn our way there. We are saved by the grace of God through our faith in His Son Jesus! We can put our trust in His plan of salvation for us.

Since Jesus never sinned that means He never lied. Therefore, you can count on everything He says to be true. You can trust in His Holy Word. And, as Jesus said of Himself and God, “I and My Father are one.” (John 10:30 NKJV) When we read about Jesus, we are also reading about God. So when we read that ”All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16), we know that we can trust the Scriptures to be God’s words to us.

Included in God’s Word are many promises to those of us who are Believers. He promises to stay by our side and never forsake us. He promises to bring us peace. In fact, His Word says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesu.” (Philippians 4:6-7) We can trust that He will help us and comfort us.

So, by these promises, we know that we can depend on Jesus to do what God’s Word says He will do. And, His Word says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). That means we can always count on Jesus to be there for all of us who believe!

A Family Needs a Firm Foundation

Mar5

*** Praising God for blessing me to be celebrating my 10th year anniversary as a Christian Living Blogger! What an honor it has been to be able to share the importance of God’s word and tell people about salvation through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior! My blog has been read by people from 98 different countries. God is good! I’m re-posting my very first blog post below. It’s just as relevant today as it was when I first posted it in March 2012. *** ( 98 Countries listed at bottom of this page.)

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Question:  In these challenging social times, how do I help my children be strong Christians?

Answer: It’s true that traditional Christian values are being challenged from every direction.  If your son or daughter attends public schools or universities, they are most likely being taught to believe ideas and ways that are contrary to God’s biblical teachings…in addition to the regular reading, writing, and math.  Most parents are not aware of this.  That’s why parents need to be very active in keeping up with what’s going on in their child’s school.  However, the bottom line is that parents cannot be with their child every minute.  Therefore, it becomes even more important that parents are teaching their children from a very early age what exactly their family believes.  Proverbs 22:6 tells us to train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.  This training will be their firm foundation.

Sadly, too many Christians today don’t even know themselves what God teaches us in His Word-The Holy Bible.  As Christians, we need to read and study the Bible for ourselves.  Plus, it is extremely important to attend a true Bible believing, Bible teaching church.  Be aware that many places call themselves a church, but they don’t even teach that the Bible is true.  If you are in a church like this, you and your family need to leave NOW!  Learn God’s Word!  Being strong in the Lord starts with you and your children understanding that we are all sinners in need of a Savior.  Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, is that Savior.  Once we ask Jesus to forgive us our sins, repent, and accept Him as our Savior, we can go on to grow in our faith in the Lord!  Know that we cannot strive in this world by our own strength.  God gives us His Holy Spirit to guide and comfort us through this life…until we die from this world, and move on to eternal life in Heaven!

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Reaching 98 Countries….and counting! Amen!

Are you being pulled away from your true love – Jesus?

Feb5

Question: My life has been so busy lately; I haven’t been able to fit in going to church or even reading my Bible! What should I do?

Answer: There are certainly many things in our lives that can demand a great deal of our time like our jobs, schooling, and family obligations. But there are other things that we do where we can be more flexible when it comes to our time, like socializing, participating in our favorite hobbies, or volunteering in various community activities. While all these things can be good to do, you can’t say that you have time for them, but you can’t find time to devote to God!

The truth is, Satan can use our busyness to pull us away from God. Even as Believers, we could be blinded to this truth. We’d continue to say we love God and we love His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, but fail to put God first in our lives.

When this happens, we need to acknowledge our sinful neglect of God and pray to Jesus for forgiveness of our sins. “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 NKJV) God’s willingness to forgive us is one way He shows His love for us. Believers must always remember that God also showed us His love when He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins and raised Him to life again on the third day. Jesus took the punishment we deserve for our sins. That’s true love!

We are reminded of God’s love in many verses. For example:

-“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

-“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” (1 John 4:9)

-“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16)

-As Believers, “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

So, make time to attend church regularly (Hebrews 10:25), study your Bible (2 Timothy 3:16), and live every aspect of your daily life to please God. Don’t let anything pull you away from your true love – Jesus!

Stop trying to handle life’s challenges on your own! You need Jesus!

Jan1

Question: How do I stop feeling overwhelmed from trying to deal with all the challenges in my life right now?

Answer:  Stop trying to handle everything on your own! As Believers, we must remember that we need to
lean on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  God already knows we are going to face difficult situations in life.  We will face situations that will make us feel everything from troubled and depressed to anxious and overwhelmed. Knowing this, He guides us to His Son Jesus through His Holy Word.

For example, Philippians 4:6-7 tells us to "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (NKJV)

Therefore, we need to start refocusing our minds and hearts on Jesus.  We need to carry all our burdens to Him in prayer.  Pray for His Holy Spirit to comfort and guide you. Pray that He gives you wisdom to know how to deal with every situation in a way that pleases God. And remind yourself of Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." 

Also, know that "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear..." (Psalm 46:1-2a)  Remember this as you deal with your own physical illnesses, or with strained relationships with family and friends, or with facing other troubles in our world. 

Just turn it all over to Jesus.  He loves and cares for us.  He says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

Amen!

Don’t have a Jesus-free Christmas!

Dec4

Question:  In the hustle and bustle of the season, how can I make sure I’m keeping Christ in Christmas?

Answer:  Even dedicated Christians can sometimes find themselves consumed with every tradition of the holiday season except what’s most important.  They can forget that Jesus really is the reason for the season!  Christians know that this is the time of the year we choose to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Therefore, we should make the time and make the effort to keep Christ in our Christmas!  But, if we know this, then why don’t we do it?

Unfortunately, some Christians can get as consumed with creating the picture-perfect Christmas experience as the world does. They fill themselves with anxiety trying to get the best super sales on the most popular gifts.  Adults get worked up over seeing their peers gifting themselves with the latest “must-have” gadgets and new technology.  They wear themselves out trying to keep up with the trends of the crowd. They forget to  pause, reflect, and be thankful for the greatest gift – Jesus Christ.

Likewise, many Christian families find themselves in turmoil during this season.  Married couples fight over which in-laws they are going to spend Christmas Day with.  Parents argue over how much money they are going to spend to make sure their children have this year’s hottest toys. They fill the family calendar with so many seasonal activities that they find themselves exhausted.  Yet, they fail to make time for the most important things – reading, meditating on, and discussing God’s Word.

Most importantly, during this season of spending extra time with family and friends, too many Christians fail to include in their discussions talk of their walk with the Lord.  They tend not to share with their family and friends how God has brought them faithfully through this year.  They are willing to talk about everything else but Jesus.  It doesn’t have to be this way.

Don’t have a Jesus-free Christmas!  See that you and your family are keeping Christ in Christmas. There are many ways you can do this.  For example, plan to take your family to a church Christmas program that tells the story of Christ’s birth.  While decorating the tree, play or sing Christmas hymns that give praise to our Lord.  Make sure to share with your family and friends how God has blessed you this year.  And, always make sure your family knows the story of the birth of our Savior.  Luke 2: 1-20 spells out in detail how Jesus was born in Bethlehem.  This Bible passage may be one you’d even want to read aloud together.  Listen to a reading of this account by clicking here  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCKpwaRxIww&feature=youtube_gdata .

And, have a very Merry CHRISTmas!

Helpful Links:

Focus on the Family    www.focusonthefamily.com

Crown Financial Ministries   http://www.crown.org

The Christian Broadcasting Network  www.cbn.com

World Magazine   http://www.worldmag.com

(Re-posted from my Dec. 2014 Blog Post)