True Repentance - How do we get there?

Pslalm 119:1-16 speaks about what we must strive to do.

You must:

• Walk in the way of the Lord. Live a habitual pattern of obeying the Word of God.
• Seek God with your whole heart, which is complete commitment to the Lord.
• Keep God's precepts. Passionately desire to obey His word.
• Keep his statutes, having your eyes fixed on all his commandments.
• Praise Him with an upright heart.
• Learn his righteous rules.

How can you keep your ways pure?

• Guard your heart according to his word.
• Seek him, keep his commandments always.
• Memorize scripture. This helps you to avoid sin.
• Always keep God and His commandments in your mind. 
• Try to memorize the ten commandments. Watch this video by Living Waters. It really helps!
• Delight in God's admonitions and do not forget them.
• Pray consistently. (Psalm 116:2)

Don't forget to watch the video!

Does God Hear Us?

Psalm 116:2 says,

"Because he inclined his ear to me,therefore I will call on him as long as I live.".    -ESV

The Centrality of Christ

Colossians 1:13-23 says:

13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,

14  in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

15  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,

20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

21  And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,

22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

23  if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

-Taken from the ESV

Same Sex Marriage, Abortion, and America

Same sex marriage: Through following a distorted meaning of “love,” some in the present day
have condoned homosexual practice, without realizing that biblical love excludes
homosexuality because of its sinfulness. Christians can best share the gospel with
homosexuals by calling their lifestyle what the Bible calls it—sin. Genesis 1–2,
Matthew 19, and Ephesians 5 describe clearly the way that God has instituted
marriage as a monogamous, heterosexual relationship. Genesis 19, Jude 7, and 2
Peter 2 illustrate how the Fall almost immediately eroded the purity of human
sexuality, including a devastation of the divine institution of marriage. Leviticus 18
and 20 and Romans 1 lay out very plainly God’s instructions about how repulsive
homosexuality is in God’s sight. Yet Isaiah 56 and 1 Corinthians 6 make plain God’s
plan for homosexuals to find freedom and forgiveness through a life-changing faith
in Jesus Christ. The door is wide open for homosexuals and lesbians to accept God’s
invitation. - John MacArthur

Abortion: Abortion is murder. That many people who have had abortions call themselves Christians does not change that fact that abortion is the the taking of one's life. The statement that "Christians" have had abortions does not mean that it is OK to kill a baby in the womb, whom God has created... I, too believe in equality and education, but God's Word has to come first. If we do not put God first as a country, we fail. Am I judging? OK, sure.It is OK to judge, as long as we judge lovingly. I don't hate those who are gay or who have had abortions. But I haven't forgotten that I too am a sinner and am not excluded from God's law. I have failed as well, but supporting abortion and gay marriage is going against the Word of God...and that is wrong.

Disturbed Prayer

Disturbed Prayer

O Christ Jesus,
when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love
and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You,
we shall see Your hand,
Your purpose, Your will through all things.

St. Ignatius of Loyola
                                                         ~~~~~~

Disturbed Prayer

David: A man after God's own heart?

"I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who
   will do all My will." - Acts 13:22

This verse speaks about David (See I Samuel) as a "man after God's own heart". However, some may find themselves confused upon reading this. Israel's greatest king was not without some serious faults. The one most remembered is when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and then had her husband, Uriah, killed.

There is a lot more to this story, but the point I'm trying to make today is that we are all like David, in that while judged by human standards, we claim to be good, but by God's standards, we are not. When put our faith in God, we are given what's called an "alien righteousness". This means that since Jesus paid for our sins, our sins are now forgotten - past, present and future sins, and God can now see us as righteous, not because of the good that we think we have done, but because of the payment that Jesus paid in our stead. 

Oh, and this doesn't mean that Christians now have a license to sin, by the way. When someone is born again, he/she is give a "new heart" with new desires...a desire to follow and serve God. We now battle against sin instead of being its buddy and giving in to it without a second thought. Follow me?

This is how, even though David sinned, he could be seen as a man after God's own heart. He had faith in God and in the future messiah. He was forgiven through Jesus Christ, since Jesus paid for the sins of all who have repented and put their faith in him. All sin. Past, present, future. David's sins, my sins, your sins.

Remember Our Protectors

Please remember our soldiers in our prayers. They are out their literally putting their lives on the line to allow us to keep our American freedom and protect us from those that are against us. Remember that this country was built on Christian values and many, although not all, of the founding fathers of this country we live in were devout men of God, often quoting scripture and using the Word of God as a guide to make this country great.

Although America's culture is seemingly changing for the worst, our military are still out their giving their lives for us...