LEADERS NEED GOD

We, as Americans have the obligation to go out and vote for a leader whose background proves that he/she will lead this country towards what our forefathers have planned for a progressive country.

But within their principles are those based on biblical teachings of Jesus Christ.

In this country's haste to prove that a person of color can do the same job, if not better, than the president before him, a dark-skinned man was voted into the seat.  If 13% of the population is composed of black people, then majority then majority of the rest of the 87% also voted for Obama.  This alone proves that America isn't racist.  If it is, then this man would have never been able to become president.  The problem is, this country seems to be worse off now than we did before him.  The division has widened.

If the country made a mistake, it is time to correct such mistake.  A morally sound, Godly person must take over.  Sure, change won't happen overnight but as long as the country is moving back toward the original goals, then we will at least be headed on the right track.

People in leadership roles need God's help.  Just take David, for instance.  The giant Goliath was very intimidating, obviously because of his size and height and attitude.  Naturally, David, by himself, could never have measure up to Goliath, which only goes to show that size never was a factor.  He was still able to defeat the giant because his God was way bigger than his enemy.

God gives us a great gift, power, instead of fear or timidity.  But in order to deserve such power, we have to affirm it, accept it, and use the boldness of God through trust.  He promises that if we are placed in a position of leadership, He will be with us.   Tackling such a task alone, without God's help, is a recipe for failure.

Until my next rant...  LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

PURE JOY EXPERIENCE

Do you know what joy really feels like?  Have you experienced that pure happiness when you are with your loved ones maybe sitting around the table just shooting the breeze or playing board games, messing around with each other and feeling so comfortable that you want to remember every detail of what is going on so you can store it in your happy memory bank?  I have.  My son and future daughter in law visited from Massachusetts this past two weeks and my daughter and her boyfriend visited from San Jose as well and we just sat around joking, having fun, singing silly songs, etc.  Simple yet very memorable.  

Included in this scenario are pure belly laughs that reach deep down as such deep happiness!  Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit.  Perhaps the reason why it feels so good is because it is a pure feeling from God.  I believe God wants us to feel such joy in our spirits just as a precursor to what He has in store for us in His kingdom.  But I can't help but believe that such joy pales in comparison to the one we will experience with God in heaven.

I am pretty sure true joy from God doesn't come from living a sheltered life but neither does it come from ignorance of the world's paint.  It comes from a deep assurance that God is good and is working for good in all things.

God wants us to know that regardless of the tough situations we are now experiencing in the world don't shake us because we know that He is there to keep us safe.  He wants us to know that we can walk through life in peach and rest knowing that we are trusting in Him.

When God says, "Cast your anxiety on me" 1 Peter 5:7 and "Do not worry about tomorrow" Matthew 6:34, He is directing us back to Him so we can rest in pure joy!

He wants us to to experience true joy, not to be oblivious of the world, but to instill in us His strength to live and love others in the midst of it.  We need to take full advantage of this GIFT FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT!

Until my next rant... LOVE ONE ANOTHER!!

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME

Of all the ways we choose to adopt, God's way is the best way.  Why, you ask?  

For one, wouldn't it be easier if we just had a little pocket speaker that told us what to do?  If there is a decision we need to make, we usually agonize over the right one so we could end up with doing the least work or the least trouble, right?  Some people even ask their parents which path to take because they put stock in their wisdom with life's experiences.  We try to convince our children to choose the way we think is better for them because of a similar experience we may have learned from in the past.

With all the worries, with all the decisions, with all the trials and errors we had to experience, we wonder, is there possibly an easier and less painful way to go through life?  

The answer is a resounding YES!  Most people mock others who say that God has spoken to them.  They ask, what was God's voice like?  Was it booming?  Was it soft?  There is no right way to answer this.  God's voice is that push in your heart, that little tug, followed by a lightbulb moment!  A suggestion that makes the most sense and one that has not occurred to you because you didn't pray about it first.  Pray about it.  That sounds so cliche'.  Well, it is more complicated than that.  Praying about it is not asking God to give instant response.  Sometimes He is instant, but sometimes He takes longer.  Perhaps it is because His plan for you is such that the events leading up to it have not happened yet.  God is not a puppet master.  But He does know how your life will end up and the events that occur leading up to that end.

The best way to stop wasting your time is to really talk with God and ask Him for His input.  In one way or another, He will give you the answer and the answer is such that it will make so much sense that you can only surmise it is His handiwork.

Wouldn't it be so much better to just put your life in God's hands to do His will rather than playing a tug of war with Him?  Where you give Him the charge of your life and then immediately taking it back away from Him.  It's really not that complicated.  Once you have tapped into that priceless flow of grace, you will never use anything else.

Until my next rant... LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

YOUR FULL TRANSPARENCY TO GOD

God is the ultimate know-it-all.  No one on this earth can claim that stake and only embarrasses themselves if they do.  

Despite the fact that He is all knowing, His grace is still freely given as a gift to our unworthy selves.  Jesus also paid a high price for it, so we didn't really get it for free, but He wanted to give it to us nonetheless because of His perfect loving nature.

In Ephesians 2:8-9 Paul says "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast."

Humans cannot fathom God's grace because in our world, nothing is given to us for free.  There is and always will be a catch when dealing with our fellow human beings.  Just imagine how awkward our feelings are knowing that we cannot offer God anything of enough worth that will match His gift of grace.  Grace is the perfect way of God based on His deep love for us.  This deep love will also never be felt from any human being no matter how much they love us.  It is intense and overwhelming, a love that we can never ever give back no matter how much we try.  That's who God is, He is too good and His love is too much!  He is overwhelming LOVE.

There is, however, a way to be able to give it back to Him.  God does not require much other than when we sin (because He understands we will sin), we need to repent and return.  Remind yourself of what Jesus did in order for you to do so.  Then, no matter how difficult, lift your sin and guilt to God and be prepared to receive that love from Him in exchange.  Sit in the intensity of the moment and don't run from it.

As you experience all the different types of feelings, know that you're experiencing the intensity of God's love.  How lovely and glorious it is too feel His heart?!  Let it sink in to yours of how incredibly good God is.

Until my next rant... LOVE ONE ANOTHER!