Wow. That's all I can say. God keeps His promises.
Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
Whether you believe in strength in numbers or whatever one thing is clear. We are not meant to tackle Christianity and life on this earth alone. God purposefully puts people into our lives for us to have meaningful relationships with, Godly relationships. Not just relationships that don't go below the surface but deep down spiritual based relationships.
Man time is something that was started after going to Cayo Costa last year for spring break. Only a couple of us have been showing up this year and for the past few weeks we haven't met because we were all so busy. Last night we met for the first time in prolly a month and it was amazing. People often say you don't know what you got till it's gone, that was so very true in this case.
God just opens up our eyes so much more when we sit down with fellow Christians and talk about our ups and our downs. Yes, the downs too. I have realized that in good fellowship you can't bring only half of yourself to the table because more than likely the half your not bringing with you is a half full of sin that you are ashamed of. I'm the same way but I am fighting through it. Trust me when I say that confessing your sins to others does many things for your spiritual growth.
When you share your struggles with others it helps for a stronger bond between the group making the environment even more loving and more comfortable for everyone involved. This can only lead to more great fellowship down the road. The second thing is does it makes others aware of what your going through. More than likely your not the only one going through a particular problem. This then allows you to talk to other Christians about how overcome whatever it is your struggling with.
For the sake of keeping this short (cuz I have had a couple extremely long ones) I will just end with saying please please please get into some sort of fellowship. Read the Word together, share your struggles and your accomplishments, and pray together.
11.14.2008
11.13.2008
Quick thought
This one will be short I promise.
I got into a debate with someone tonight and I figured I would share just in case someone else out there is wondering this. The question was "The Jewish God is the same as the Christian God. So do Jews go to heaven too?"
My blunt answer to this would be no. This is how I have come to this conclusion.
In John 14 Jesus is answering a bunch of questions the disciples have about where Jesus is going and how to find the way to the Lord. John 14:6 reads: Jesus anwered,"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Jesus lays it out on the table pretty simple if you ask me. The only way to the father is through Christ and without Christ we are still separated from the Lord.
Therefore, since those of Jewish faith do not believe that Christ was God in the flesh they aew not able to experience God through Christ.
(I hope this all made sense cuz I'm really tired and it may just sound like rubbish)
I got into a debate with someone tonight and I figured I would share just in case someone else out there is wondering this. The question was "The Jewish God is the same as the Christian God. So do Jews go to heaven too?"
My blunt answer to this would be no. This is how I have come to this conclusion.
In John 14 Jesus is answering a bunch of questions the disciples have about where Jesus is going and how to find the way to the Lord. John 14:6 reads: Jesus anwered,"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Jesus lays it out on the table pretty simple if you ask me. The only way to the father is through Christ and without Christ we are still separated from the Lord.
Therefore, since those of Jewish faith do not believe that Christ was God in the flesh they aew not able to experience God through Christ.
(I hope this all made sense cuz I'm really tired and it may just sound like rubbish)
11.04.2008
This might make people mad but...
When I was a brand new Christian I heard a sermon by Francis Chan but I really didn't think to much about it until recently. In the sermon Chan addresses the deceases and those who we love that now reside in heaven.
When Lauren and Miranda died a year and a half ago (wow i didn't realize it had been that long already) everyone kept saying things like "they are in heaven right now looking over us." At the time this made me happy at the time but I no longer think thats the case. (This is the part that might make people mad) I do not think that people in heaven are looking over us. We would be selfish to think they are, in my opinion.
In Revelation 1 John describes what happens upon him seeing the Son of God. In the first part of Revelation 1:17 John says "When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead". Fell at His feet as though dead. John, who had seen and traveled with Jesus as He performed miracles, was in awe of the full glory of the Lord. John then goes on to describe the scene of heaven when God beckons him there.
" 11Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"
13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!" 14The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped. "
Angels in the THOUSANDS praise the Lord on high.
If this is whats going on in heaven are we really cocky enough to say that we are better than that? Are we more interesting than the Lord? I would have to lean on the side of no for this one. I think it's safe to say that our loved ones in heaven have better things to focus their eyes on than the crappy and broken world that they have left behind for the perfect creation that is heaven.
When Lauren and Miranda died a year and a half ago (wow i didn't realize it had been that long already) everyone kept saying things like "they are in heaven right now looking over us." At the time this made me happy at the time but I no longer think thats the case. (This is the part that might make people mad) I do not think that people in heaven are looking over us. We would be selfish to think they are, in my opinion.
In Revelation 1 John describes what happens upon him seeing the Son of God. In the first part of Revelation 1:17 John says "When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead". Fell at His feet as though dead. John, who had seen and traveled with Jesus as He performed miracles, was in awe of the full glory of the Lord. John then goes on to describe the scene of heaven when God beckons him there.
" 11Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. 12In a loud voice they sang:
"Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!"
13Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!" 14The four living creatures said, "Amen," and the elders fell down and worshiped. "
Angels in the THOUSANDS praise the Lord on high.
If this is whats going on in heaven are we really cocky enough to say that we are better than that? Are we more interesting than the Lord? I would have to lean on the side of no for this one. I think it's safe to say that our loved ones in heaven have better things to focus their eyes on than the crappy and broken world that they have left behind for the perfect creation that is heaven.
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