Why Hide?

Jeremiah 23:24 New International Version (NIV) 24 Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord. Often as humans we find that we want to hide every little thing possible from our Creator out of fear that has been instilled within our hearts by the sin we've committed and Satan, himself. Yet, we do not have to -try- to hide everything or anything from the Lord because He already knows and sees it from above. In Jeremiah 23:24 it explains that who can hide their everything from the Lord when He sees it already? Why are you trying to hide when you, the human, have known that the Lord is filled within the Earth? The Lord is everywhere. He knows and sees your every action and thought. I find that, when we try to hide from God, we are only distancing ourselves from the One who wants nothing more than to love and discipline us. We are His children and He wants a relationship with every single one of us. When you run and hide, you're placing a gap between the trust that you are to have with God. Yet, that gap is technically not even really there because He has promised to be by your side the entire time, even when we run and hide. He has promised to be with us and protect us. I want all of you to to read Isaiah 43. In this chapter the Lord reminds Jacob of His love and protection for Him. He shares with him how He knows his actions towards the Lord, but is still loving, forgiving, merciful, and is keeping His promise to His people because He loves them and they are His! What an amazing Father that we have! Isaiah 43:2 New International Version (NIV) 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Brothers and sisters, do not fret when you grow in faint and weary, He's there for you to pick you right back up and He continues to walk with you. He watches over your every foot step so that you will not drift away from Him. (Personally, I know that I can hold to this because I have my moments just as any other person out there of the faith who tends to drift away from the walk with the Lord. I've been at my lowest of lows, hardship, and have tried to hide and fight away in attempts to handle it all on my own...NOPE! He never let go and kept me there and corrected my path so that I can be free and have life in His name! He does this for His people because He wants -you- to have life in His name.) Psalm 142:3 New International Version (NIV) 3 When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way. In the path where I walk people have hidden a snare for me. When we feel the life of a disciple getting tough and hard because of the world of darkness we live in, God knows and is always ready to step in and take control. Ultimately, God has control over all of our situations, even when we try so hard to hide our faults within those situations, He still sees them. Yet, what is awesome about this is, He sends His Spirit to convict our hearts so that we may recognize what the sin(s) may be and so that we can just come out of that darkness where we were hiding within to only make it revealed to the light. Despite He already knows, He still wants us to reveal it to Him in the light and surface so that He can take it from our hands and say, "It is finished..." (John 19:30) When we confess what was all hidden within our hearts to the Lord, He sincerely does take it all away to renew our hearts for Him and to feel and know that love He has given and shown for us. Psalm 104:30 New International Version (NIV) 30 When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground. Isaiah 40:31 New International Version (NIV) 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Although, we are encouraged and comforted by knowing the Lord will strengthen us, the convicting word of God in 1 John 1 is definitely also comforting in a way because we are reminded of how we ought to be living our lives for Christ and this verse also will give us encouragement deep within to be sure we are being honest in our walk with Him; 1 John 1:6 New International Version (NIV) 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. My brothers and sisters in Christ, Do not fear to make all of what is hidden from the Lord, revealed into the light because He has promised to renew your strength so that you may not grow fain and weary while in this Earthly life. He has promised to bring you a renewal of your mind so that you may be able to stand firm and a-test to the faith and what God's will is for you. Romans 12:2 New International Version (NIV) 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will. Job 11:15 New International Version (NIV) 15 then, free of fault, you will lift up your face; you will stand firm and without fear. Psalm 33:11 New International Version (NIV) 11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Brothers and sisters, I pray that He will give you the strength and courageous heart to stand firm in this world and to stand up against the demons and give all that is hidden in that darkness to only be revealed into light and make known to the Lord. By doing so, I pray that your relationship with Him will be strengthened, renewed, and He would show His unconditional love by picking you up, dusting you off, and saying, "Go in peace and serve in the name of the Lord." I pray that He would keep you in His hands and give you such a comfort that you will no longer feel afraid to just go to the Lord with anything and you would no longer hide from His face. I want you to know that He loves you all so much that He would never want harm or any form of hurting in your heart. No Father wants that for their child. You are His. I pray that by what I am sharing with you is encouraging and reassuring. I pray for you all. In Him, Mak 2 Corinthians 4:6 New International Version (NIV) 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a] made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. Titus 3:5 New International Version (NIV) 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

Recogonizing Weaknesses and being Strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9 New International Version (NIV) 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. Weaknesses. We all of them. Whether they'd be within the emotional attributes or physical, either way, they're there. They are apart of us. These weaknesses that we may have do not define who we are nor what type of heart we possess, but rather they help us to recognize what we can lift up to the Lord in prayer so that we have strength to face and over come those weaknesses. Our Father in Heaven wants nothing more than for us to come to Him in prayer so that His light can shine on us while we are feeling vulnerable and weak. To feel vulnerability is certainly not a bad thing because that means we have the open mind and heart towards God who is more than happy and willing to mentor, teach, guide, discipline, and love us, but we need to be willing as well. In the state of vulnerability we are risking our hearts to be willing to step out from our comfort zone for a change. Often, this change is for the better and the very fact we are feeling the conviction of the Spirit so that we may turn to God with prayer; praise, thanksgiving, conviction, and worship. And when we do this we are recognizing what it is that's weighing within our hearts to lift up to God and put it in His hands, rather than us sitting here trying to take and be in control, all on our own. The moment you recognize and lift up your weaknesses because you sincerely know what you cannot go alone on the path of life without the direction of God, He is going to take all that weakness and make you strong because He had taken the weaknesses and vulnerability of others and made them strong, too! His son, Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins so that you may be strong in His name. God gives strength to His children because He loves and cares about all of His children just that much. Sometimes, it's hard for us to simply accept that we have a Father in Heaven that gave His son, Jesus, for our sins so that we may have life in His name, living a life of love, kindness, hope, and strength so that we can reach out to others in His name and be a light in this world of darkness. When I think about this, it makes me think about just how dark this world really is and what goes on in our daily lives that can leave these wounds, these wounds that bring upon certain weaknesses, but then, I remember that we don't have to live this way. We don't have to live a life filled with weaknesses caused by a variety of different wounds. God never wanted that. He wants us to live a life filled with hope, the hope that will lie deeply within us in knowing we are promised so much more. When I look back upon my weaknesses and the wounds that I've encountered, how I've grown in my faith to only be made stronger and healed, I also remember Jesus Christ faced many of the same events we do in our lives. May not be the -exact- same, but enough for Him to know how we feel and deal with them. By this thought, I cannot help, but be COMPLETELY comforted in knowing there is SOMEONE who understands every single emotion we may face, even my own. Isaiah 53:5 New International Version (NIV) 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. "By His wounds we are healed." He takes upon His own wounds to heal ours so that WE ARE HEALED. Think about it... He has healed us from our wounds so that we may not 'know' that pain any longer, but to rejoice! To rejoice in the fact we have a God who loves us so much that we can be healed, free, and strong! By going to the Lord in prayer and lifting it all up to Him, you are displaying a renewal of your inner strength within your faith saying that there is hope. There is healing. There is strength made out of these weaknesses. Isaiah 57:10 New International Version (NIV) 10 You wearied yourself by such going about, but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’ You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint. Do not faint. Do not be wearied by the wounds, weaknesses, and hardship that you face because you are facing a renewal of your strength, hope, and up mostly, your faith in Christ. You can be and -ARE- more than any of your weaknesses because you are chosen by God. By His Son, you ARE healed, strengthened, and renewed. In knowledge of this, rejoice, praise Him, take heart, and continue on with your life in His name! --------- Writer's note: Friends, I write to you, the audience, possessing a constant hope in knowing that what I share from the depths of my heart is beneficial to your faith in Christ Jesus. If you do not know who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for you, or that you're curious, but feel nervous, I pray that God would work in your life and where you stand so that you may see His face and know of His great love for you and all of the people He has created. I pray that He would also turn your heart to Him and make you vulnerable so that He may work through you with a great comfort and love. I pray that He will give you direction, guidance, and wisdom in your life so that you have a hope and comfort instilled in your heart knowing that He has control and plans for your life. Jeremiah 29:11 New International Version (NIV) 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. I also pray that you would know, He has promised an eternal life for YOU with Him in Heaven. John 6:51 New International Version (NIV) "51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”-Jesus Christ Jesus loves you and so do I. Though, I do not know who all read my entries, nor where you stand with your faith in God, but do know that whoever you are, I pray for you because I hope that you have life in Him and out of the love that Christ Jesus has instilled within my heart. In Him, Mak

The Problem of Uncertainty

Problems, we all have them. Although, they may be a daily struggle on how we are capable of formulating an answer to problem or how we are to simply deal with them. How are we to deal with the feelings of uncertainty so that we may regain the feeling of knowing and being very certain with our faith, calling, and life? This was raised in a sermon I had heard during a traditional church service I attended yesterday morning and this subject really made its own mark on my heart because it hit home. Now when I say it hit home, I am not talking about my faith. I am certain of my faith, but as to my calling I have begun to experience a whole entire semester of uncertainty as to what my calling may be. It's often that we will experience these feelings at some point in our life time, it's just even more common during the stage of the college time. During our time here on Earth, God has certainly called us as His chosen people and has called us for a purpose. We can have certainty in believing so by our references: 6 "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession." Deuteronomy 7:6 16 "But I have raised you up[a] for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth." Exodus 9:16 9 "I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you." Isaiah 41:9 We have certainty in knowing that we are chosen and called to serve God. God leads His people and will direct all of His children according to His plan as to how He wants His children to live and serve Him. I firmly believe that is so, but I am unsure as to where and what I should be doing. I guess that's apart of just giving it all to Him even more so and saying, "Okay, God, I know that I really can't do this alone. I haven't a clue as to how I can just serve You." Yet, I know that we are called to go out and make disciples of the nations...we are disciples called to reach out to others and share of God's great love for us, by the sharing of the Gospel. 19 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" Matthew 28:19 Sometimes, I question just how God will use me to do so and how He will use my talents to glorify Him and bring people to Him. Yet, how He does it, is what amazes me because I am so unsure as to how He may be using me to reach out to others. Although, I have an idea that He is using me and my talents of writing and art to glorify Him by having me share my faith, thoughts, and what I know to be true of Him to bring glory and share Him with you. What bothers me, I guess is that my education is messed up in a sense and I am unsure as to where my calling is..like where I should be and what my career path consists of. I know that I love sharing the Gospel, working and volunteering with the church, working with youth by sharing the love of Christ, and teaching them about Jesus Christ, how they are to live their lives in the Faith... I love making art and writing. I love working on computers and all of that. If anything that makes me happy, is sharing the love of Christ with people and using my talents to glorify God, seeing the results and just...getting that feeling in knowing I've changed a life by bringing them closer to Christ and how they're able to open up their hearts to not just me and others about their lives and faith, but to God. I love being able to pray and serve God, the church, and others. I love doing things for others, it makes me so happy to know that I can make a difference. I want to make a difference in lives that can be touched by God. How? I don't know, but I want nothing more for others to know how much God loves them and that there is life in Him. Yet, I want to them to realize the realism behind life. Life isn't meant to be easy and to be a Christian is no way any easier, but to live without faith means you have nothing at all. To have faith means You have what matters and that is God, who is the very meaning and word, Love. God is Love. Yet, with my faith and how I love I am no way uncertain with it, rather, I am very certain and know that God loves and is the one God who has called me to share this. Friends, these are the four essential truths that offer certainty: (This is from my outline from the Church sermon. I have felt called to share this) 1) Eternal life is real life. "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:13 2)Life- Real Life- is found in Jesus. "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." 1 John 5:12 3) If you have the Son, you have life. "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name." John 20:31 4) The journey of the believer begins with hearing and then believing and then living. "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32 "We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." 1 John 5: 18-20 We live in a culture that is filled of uncertainty, but we, as God's people are able to live in certainty of our knowledge of what Christ has done for us, by dying for our sins so that we may have an eternal life. This eternal life being life of the ages...God's love is steadfast and never-ending. It goes on beyond all of the ages and generations. Despite being uncertain with His plans despite He has promised that His love will be pouring down upon us and that His plans are to prosper and give us hope for a future and not to harm us, we can live in certainty by His word. His Word gives us comfort in knowing we can be certain with our future, because it consists of His plan, the plan that is full of love and so much of Him. By knowing that we have life in Him, this form of certainty and comfort defeats the problem of uncertainty. Praying that this form of certainty defeats your uncertainty, even if you're a college student like me who feels unsure in some cases, but still is holding onto God's promises. If you're not a college student and still can relate, hold on to His promises. His promises are richer than anything of this world and last. Press on and stand firm friends. Prayers and Love, Makaya

Steadfast Faith

22 "If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him and to hold fast to him—" Deuteronomy 11:22 Greetings, I hope that everyone is well and that times are full of persevering. This, I hope for you so that your faith is steadfast and not ceasing. I am writing to you in the matters of not only the share of my faith and its trials, hardships, and lessons learned, but the matter of making sure that you are able to learn from my writing and what is contains. As of recent, there has been this series of trial, hardship, and lessons that have really caused me to question as to why it may be occurring at this time in not only my life, but the lives of those around me and seeing how it is affecting them, too. Besides that, I've been analyzing my own faith and how it is is being steadfast during the times that make me either question or almost want to doubt. But I do not go into doubt because I have the certainty of the promises from a Savior and that's what keeps me looking to God for guidance. It's kind of funny how everything has just been really playing itself out. I say this because so much difficulty is happening. I am going to share with you what's been going on and how I'm trying to keep not only my eyes on Jesus, but attempting to influence my family to do so as well. Although, it is the works of me who will cause my family to look to God, rather, it is the work of the Spirit. 1) Education: School really screwed me over in a sense that I will have to transfer again and that really has me bothered. I question as to why my education has been so difficult for me to maintain and be in this constant vernacular, but what can I do? Nothing. I can do nothing to change this, but to hope that a plan will be revealed to me in time of what God would want me to do about it. Yet, that is a struggle of mine in my faith because I am the type to be analytic, logical, plan-oriented (not all of the time, but I like to be), organized, realistic, idealistic, and innovative. I enjoy having an idea of what is to come close down the road in the future, but that raises the question in my faith...How do you know what will be happening then, when you aren't sure as to what you're going to do or what will happen in a few seconds, minutes, later in the day, night, next day, etc. You can try to plan all of you want, but ultimately one will never know because they aren't capable of playing out the plans God has for them. Solution: Trust in God with all of your heart and pray for a steadfast faith, holding onto Him. Do so because trusting in God shows that you are trusting in His plans for your future. He is to further and give you hope, not to harm you. How do you have faith, besides believing, when you can't trust in Him? He wants you to trust Him. He like a friend who is waiting for that friend to rely on Him for anything and everything. He is faithful. 2) Finances: Money and finances alone is an issue for everyone it seems and causes us to feel unsure as to what or how God is providing for our lives. Lately, I feel that finances has caused my family's faith to be in a bind because we are struggling immensely. Rent, bills, and even to have food on the table, everything together is a struggle. Rent and some bills left unpaid and paid in small increments (rent that is), and bills turning in late. Yet, my mother feels it has only worsened ever since today's earlier event. After work, my mother had gone to the bank and there, the vehicle broke down. Then, to only learn that our money is in the negatives due to some unfortunate matters. To get that back on track, only way to fix it is by giving in the next pay on Thursday to only exchange it, it seems. Therefore, for a month we will go without money to pay for rent, rest of the bills, and food. Tough, yes. ( I am not explaining the situation to go for some pity party or anything, I'm using this to explain...just saying) My mother is losing hope and has questioned, "Why does this happen to me? I hate this. I am so sick and tired. I am tired of living not even pay to pay. I am tired of living this way. I can't do anything right." To hear this from my own mom makes me really...not so much feel horrible, but my heart breaks for her because I can't really do much to help her and the situation. I've shared my hope and told her, "Don't worry, Mom. This isn't the worst that could happen. We have each other and that is so much more. Everything will be alright. Just another rough spot to press on through." Frankly, I am hopeful and can be optimistic, but I am highly a realist. Therefore, for me to say such isn't so much realistic for the most part, but it's a matter of keeping hopeful for the unknown. I trust that God will provide for us because He has done so and continues to do so for us despite it isn't every little awesome thing out there. But through this, we are able to realize that to have things taken care of, food, and possessions aren't anything to us, they're not ours, they're Jesus's. God will help provide for all that we struggle with and comfort us because He has promised to do so. We are to look to God in these situations even. These situations are large ones that tend to take our focus away from God, what He has promised, His ways, and what He is planting in us because we live in a sinful world, but when we return to Christ, we realize that God is greater, His love runs deep, long, and wide, and that nothing else matters. What He provides is not of this world and is not of the Earthly matter because it runs deeper and it is RICH. Despite the hardship of on the verge of being very financially unstable, WE ARE RICH. Yes, I said that. We are RICH. We are rich in love, kindness, perseverance, and faith. We, as humans will naturally question the hard times, but when those questioning moments pass, we always return to God with certainty because of His promises and steadfast love He has displayed towards us and continues to do so. Conclusion to all of this, To have a steadfast faith isn't a matter of just trusting in God alone, but it is hearing, believing, and living your faith loud despite all of the ways of this world that may distract you from God and what He has told you to trust in and let Him worry about, opposed to you worrying your life away. We are so much more to Him than things of this world and we forget often that our relationships with God are so much more than what we face in our lives, that being consisted of work, finances, educational issues, relationships, etc. God has got this and has taught us to hold fast to Him because these times of trial and hardship do not last, but what does last is the eternal life we are promised through His Son, Jesus Christ. Through the blood of the lamb, we are saved and promised an eternal life. This eternal life meaning to be of the ages. Eternal life lasts age after age. Our steadfast faith is to last through the ages, just as His love for us has. His love is steadfast and strong, He never let's go. Press on and keep steadfast in the love, promises, and faith that you have. God isn't going anywhere, therefore, no fear, He is here and alive. I am praying that we as disciples in the world will look to God and help others to look to Him in the times of confusion, hardship, and trial so that we do not let go of the faith we have in Him. <3 Mak

A hardship, blessing in disguise it is!

The topic of divorce isn't an easy one nor is it really a subject that I am so much fond of, but it is on my heart. Just awhile ago at dinner, there were some people that I was sitting with that were discussing divorce and how it's really common now'a days. Which, they're right, it is common. Yet, what stood out to me about this was what a young woman stated, "I feel that everyone who goes through divorce, after about 5 years later they are rather mean or bitter. Not everyone, but majority." I strongly disagree with that statement? Why? Because it hits home for me. (I am not saying that what she said is right or wrong, but that is a very strong generalization that is not good to assume people will become bitter over time from that form of hardship.) Why do I disagree with this? 1) Not all divorces that happen were due to horrible reasons, but for the better in some cases; ie: possibly sustaining stability and emotional health for children. 2) For a possible reason for not being in love anymore and want to do the right thing by not holding each other back from a form of happiness or something along those lines. 3) Could be abuse going on and needed to get the law involved so that divorce would occur. And whatever other reasons that could have caused divorce, but we do not want to discuss those reasons nor really extend the list due to numerous reasons not being healthy or good. I feel that whenever someone discusses divorce they may go by the generalizations so much because to experience is a completely different sense of understanding that is brought to the plate of divorce. One can know and hear of divorce from family or friends, but to experience and know the emotional toil that brings to the heart is something one will never understand unless they face it. To not bring in personal matters so much, but the reason I firmly cannot agree with this young woman's statement is for the fact I know plenty of people very well who have unfortunately experienced divorce and aren't bitter people. Divorce in a sense has brought these people strength to know it's okay and can move on. Or, it's taught them that it was for the better for them and the other person, despite how hard it may have been for others impacted. My mother is a wonderful person. She has experienced 2 divorces, yet, 1 of them is from my older sister's father and he is still great friends with my mother and family today. He's a great guy. Very mature of them to sustain something there for Erica's sake, despite that was years ago..and she's 38 years old now. As for the other divorce for a better reason and personally, I am glad that it happened, well..so is all of my family, especially my mother despite she faces fear and hurt from what came of the marriage and divorce process. This one really hits home for me... for four years of my life my mother was married to a man who really hurt my family emotionally and physically. To escape that marriage for my mother was the hardest thing she ever did, but did it! She had the strength to say no and leave him. At 15 years old, I didn't know what to really do or say especially living in fear, yet I didn't feel fear around this time so much because at 14 years old I was saved by Jesus Christ and came to know within that year God didn't want fear in my heart... by using that form of love, I shared that with my mother and said to her, "God knows the pain and will take it away. Don't fear Mom, be strong and God will do the rest." I asked her to trust not only what I suggested, but mainly in God because being a 15 year old kid, I couldn't really do much. Words are powerful, but for me, I was a bit actionless. Anyways, I'll never forget whenever she said she was done and fought with him for so long over us leaving. What did she do? Took us kids, (brother and I), and left. We moved in with my older sister. There, hope was restored. Looking back on that time, I bring this up to strongly say, my mother is not bitter over the experience, but VERY strong. My mother has a strength that I don't know many to have. My mother is a strong woman who is someone I immensely look up to for her iniative to take action to protect and care for her family out of love. That love my mother had shown us, she sacrificed so much for us. She sacrificed a home, items, and many possessions that she paid for and owned (yes, my mother owned the home we lived in) and gave ALL of that up to protect the family (us kids) and said, "To hell with all of this. Nothing is more important than my family. The love and happiness of a family is all that I'll ever need to live and you can keep all of this. We don't need it because my family knows what it means to love and be a family." And dang it, we did. We sacrificed a TON to stick together. What's funny about this, a lot of our things...we lost over time from this experience and we didn't care. We had each other. We had a love that was sustained by sacrificing worldly attributes. That divorce taught us to be strong in the love we have for one another and others. I remember whenever I was 18, my mother discussed with me further her thoughts (being that I was a kid at the time, you shouldn't discuss so much of those matters with a child)..well, she said, she regrets ever being with that man due to us hurting, but right there I told her that what we went through, as hard as it may be to believe is God's way of us gaining so much more. We gained wisdom, understanding, love, what it meant to be sacrificial, to live a happy life with one another despite losing so much of this world...we gained understanding what it meant to be truly happy even if we didn't have everything to share within the world. Because, we realized it wasn't important compared to what we shared the most, that being love. The love we shared then and do now is GOLD compared to that bronze. All that she gained as a divorce woman is golden and she as a single mother has a strength and the ability to be a great mother by her own is something she deserves all the more praise for. Okay, I know that I am about to get mushy gushy and everything over my own mother and brag, but I cannot help, but say, I AM THANKFUL AND REJOICE IN THE LORD OF THIS EXPERIENCE BECAUSE OF GOD GIVING HER THE STRENGTH THAT SHE NEEDED IN THAT TIME AND EVEN NOW TO BE A GREAT MOM. Also! If it weren't for them getting married, I would have never met the people who God used to help with the decision of being saved by Christ or just becoming a disciple of God! If it weren't for that also, how else would I have helped bring my parents and family closer to God? Divorce isn't easy, but this experience made us stronger and rejoice in God, our Savior. Honestly, my mother is the greatest mother in the world. I love her so much and she's one of my best friends. I can tell her anything and she's there for her family in the drop of a penny. No matter where you're at, what time it is, anything, she's there for her family and drops what she's doing for the family out of love. She is...definitely one of the most sacrificial people that God has blessed me with because she knows what it means to love and so much more. My mother has a heart of gold and with her attributes as a mother, I want to be just like her in that sense. It's rather funny to me because we're such complete opposites in personality, but the sacrificial and altruistic attributes are gained from her. My mother went through much hardship, but gained so much. She is happier and still just as loving. By that, I defend to say, not all people who face divorce are bitter. Despite God may not agree with divorce nor does He like it, I firmly feel that God had my family go through such a battle to only triumph so much more to really grow closer to Him. I know that's really odd to say, but I can't help yet feel that way. What does He think and have to say? Well, in Mark 10 Jesus discusses that ever since the beginning of creation God created a man and female to leave their families to only be joined together as 'one' in flesh and God joined them together and man shall not separate them. Although, He also states that anyone who is to divorce their wife to marry another, vice versa, is committing adultery. The covenant of marriage is broken by the sin of man, leaving divorce. God says that to divorce, you must give your wife a certificate of divorce and not marry again. (I feel a lot of people do not follow this nor do they fully understand the importance of marriage and how vital it is to be prayerful about a marriage...) Despite God does not agree with or like divorce there is an: important matter to remember is that we were born under the curse of Adam being sinful by nature. What man does to sin, can destroy what is good in God's eyes, but by living a Christian life we can help guide our hearts and minds to not be sinful so that what is good isn't destroyed. Unfortunately, in this case of my mother, what man did was sinful in nature and destroyed what God placed together. I question whether or not this man's intention was good from the start or just changed over time, but that isn't for me to know or even really ponder over, neither is it for anyone else. As to why God may have placed them together is unknown and I know that what is unknown from God is usually better to be in that lost place because it protects our hearts. God understands that we aren't perfect and are sinful, but this is why He sent His only son our Lord, Jesus to save us. God knows we aren't going to be leading perfect lives that live by His 10 commandments, but wants us to really live a life that does abide by the Law so that we can use the Law to help people see Christ within us, by also living of the direction of what Jesus taught us in the Gospel. (This makes sense right?) What people who have divorced can do right by is, by loving. John 15:11-17 New International Version (NIV) 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit —fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other. We are to continue on with great strength and love for one another giving God all of the praise, thanks, and rejoice for what may have been a hardship, now is nothing more than a memory that is to be dissolved into the world... something that won't and doesn't last. What lasts, is love. It goes beyond generations and is everlasting. By the hardship of divorce and great love that God taught and shown us through His son, Jesus, we gained a stronger and greater love that is everlasting. Praise be to the Lord, the King of Kings, and the great Morningstar, for we go through rough times, but only to come out stronger and loving by His great power, strength, and love! <3 Mak PS. Mother's Day is coming up. Remember to thank your mom for everything. She deserves it more than you may realize! I love and adore you, Mom. :)

What is a right relationship?

"A right relationship with God produces right relationships with fellow human beings."-Dr. Martin Luther (Note-Large Catechism-Commandment One)

Luther comes right out and says the very direct truth as he does with everything.
In order to have a right relationship with anyone, you must have a right relationship with God.

What is having a right relationship with God?

Let's break this down:

Firstly,
within the Ten Commandments the very First commandment is:
"You shall have no other gods."

Meaning, "you shall have me alone as your God."

-"To have a God means that from which we are to take refuge in all distress. So, to have a God is nothing other than trusting and believing Him with the heart...."
"If your faith and trust is right, then your god is also true. On the other hand, if your trust is false and wrong, then you do not have the true God." (18, Luther's Large Catechism.)

To have God in your life is a vital need because we need a God to help us know how to live our lives according to His plan, rather than our own. Also, with God, He has given us a Savior; Jesus, to help us know that we are saved and redeemed.
He displayed such great love by making the ultimate sacrifice.

With that said, what do you think that is a god in your life?
Would you be willing to make a (or a few) sacrifices in your life that show how much you really want that relationship with God?

God wants you to have a relationship with Him before anything and anyone else.
In order to do so,
a believer must first make their relationship with God right and true before one can advance in knowing that their relationship with anyone else in their life is the type of relationship God would want for them.

That relationship with God is the best relationship any human being could ever have and want.
Therefore, if one can make that relationship with the -only- true and faithful God, couldn't they know that is the type of relationship you should have with another human being?

To have a relationship with God is also about sharing what is true, contrite, loving, honest, faithful, and so much more.
I could go on with a long list, but will save that for you to pray and learn about from God, alone.

What I am getting at really is,
to have a healthy relationship requires a healthy relationship with God first.
If you do not have a healthy relationship with God, how can you have a healthy relationship with anyone at all?
This isn't a romantic relationship that I speak of, it's any form of relationship that we can formulate.
Being with anyone in relation to you (family-parents, siblings, etc), friendships, significant others, relationships within the Church family, etc.

I cannot stress this enough as Luther did...
To have a right relationship we must first learn what it means to have a right relationship with God.
To know God.
To feel that relationship above all others.
To trust in Him before anyone and anything else.

What God also taught us was to Love.
God is the very example of love.
He made the ultimate sacrifice to display that love for us by sending His only Son, Jesus to die on the cross for the sin of the world.
What other Love is greater?
None.
Because, that Love was the only Love that is willing to lay down everything for us so that we may live a life according to His plan, rather than our own.
We were saved by the blood of the Lamb.

What do you know? Blood is red, which is a color that is often reacted in a psychological way of meaning one of the many meanings; Love.

The blood is a display of what Love meant is still means today throughout the generations.
That was God's way of showing how much He loves and cares about us...
So, obviously, God cares and loves us so much that He WANTS a connection to and with us.
God wants a relationship with the believer because He loves and cares that much.

We should know what it means to love so that we can share that love with others, but first we must learn to do it with God, faithfully.
Once we understand what love truly is and meant to be, especially with God, we can continue on with other relationships and
be confident in our faith with God by putting on the armor of God, displaying that love He wanted us to know and share confidentially with others so that others may know us by HIS love.

Let us rejoice in knowing that we are indeed, loved by the God who made the ultimate sacrifice for us
just so that we can know the true Love and what it means to have a relationship with Him and His people by displaying His love and ways...with confidence.

By His grace,
we can have the right relationship with Him and others.
By Love.
By Faith.
By Trust.
By Truth.
By Hope.
By Confidence.
By His Commands.


The hope that lies within me is that we as believers of Christ, will trust in God; alone, and endure life by dedicating ourselves to one triune God in the up most loving and earnest way possible.
With such hope and dedication, we can know what love means by the right relationship with God and what it means to share that within our other relationships.

I have hope and confidence that -you- can, too.

Faithfully praying and hoping in the God that loves,

-Mak

PS.

John 15:11-17
New International Version (NIV)
"11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other."

Exodus 15:13
"In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling."

Also: Deuteronomy 6 tells us to Love the Lord your God.
Love the Lord your God before anyone and above all us. He will teach you how to love because He's the only way and one who can.

Daring to be a Daniel-Restart

Greetings.

It has been quite sometime since I've actually written anything dealing with the life I live in the faith.

To start, I am going to share a bit of memorabilia.

It all started 2 years ago, one Wednesday evening at St. Luke Lutheran Church. We, the youth group with a volunteer youth leader; Becky were sitting outside on the wooden benches in the wooded area, gathered.
There, we had shared of our highs and lows of the week, opened in prayer, and jumped right into our Bible study for the evening. (FYI: We had planned previously on what book we wanted to focus in on as a study. We had chosen Hebrews.)

Hebrews. The book of Hebrews. The book that speaks so lively about Faith. I remember us reading through a few chapters, while stopping to discuss it. The chapter that stood out to me, til this day is Hebrews 11. It's titled, "By Faith."

At the time, in chapter 11 I was really surprised at how many generations of God's people had kept the Faith and how the Faith in Christ carries on til this very day, to only go on for generations.
What these past generations of His people did was this;
Hebrews 11:13
"All these people were still living by the faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance."

What does that say about us today? Are we living by the faith to where we aren't fearing what is to come of God, but simply welcoming it from the distance?
We shouldn't fear the gift of Faith because we are given grace by the blood of the Lamb.
(Hebrews 9:14-15) How much more, then will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance--now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant."

By the faith we have in Christ coming to save us, we are given such grace to live a life serving God, one God who reigns in Spirit, the Son, and as the Father.

Anyways,
having a faith that is active is quite important. We as believers cannot just simply live a life of faith that is not active.
While asleep, no prayer, no spirit within, makes one weak.
To have faith...is so much more than what is often depicted.

Having faith is not only believing in what Christ has done for you, but it is about trusting in the unseen.
That's what most still cannot fathom over and tend to live a life full of 'faith' in something mistaken as a filler. With that, could be anything depending on what that person may use to fill in the gap.

To have faith, like I said is also about trusting in the unseen and we are told that in 2 Corinthians.
"18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18

Christ died so that we may have an eternal faith and life in Him. What people not to be able to fathom with that is the fact it is, indeed, unseen.

Yet,
looking back on this subject from that period of time discussing the faith that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses...and so forth through out the generations and genealogy.
Whenever looking back, I had never realized just how much of a strong faith that God's people had. Yet, reading through the OT (Old Testament) about the faith His people had then, reading in the NT (New Testament), then examining my life...
I didn't think so much that I could relate to them, but knew we all as His people indeed had faith.

Today,
doing the exact examination it is so clear to me that these people did suffer the same trials, feelings, climaxes and lowest of lows in their faith, too. Not the exact same ways at all, but the experiences that bring on the matter of emotions, the need of confession and absolution, and everything...the same.

We as the people in faith, I cannot help, but wonder...have we lost some form of the faith?
I say this to only make you, the reader, think.
After attending numerous church services, studies, etc, do we actually share the MANY MANY MANY stories of faith from the Old Testament to help us understand we were never alone even through the New Testament, til this day?
How often is it that we just focus on the New Testament, the Gospel, Jesus, and everything?
When do we actually mention the Law and how important it is to have that foundation in our lives in order to live a life according to the Faith that God commanded from us, especially by sending His only Son, our Lord, Jesus in the flesh to TEACH us about living an active life in THE FAITH.
By Him teaching us, yes, that helped us to trust, but when do we mention in our services and lives daily, how much the Old Testament stories we can relate to just as much because of how we tend to trust in God with everything.

We are to trust in God with an entire entity of the faith, but we don't because we don't understand what it actually means to live faithfully to God and trust in Christ; alone.
To trust in the God who is triune.

Faith isn't about just trusting in what has been done for you, but to live it as God instructed in the 10 commandments, with the reminder of Jesus teaching us to Love.
To have faith is to Love.
To have faith is to Believe.
To have faith is to Trust.

To have faith is to share what God commanded of you; the promise and Gospel of Jesus Christ. The root of our faith is in Jesus and the love He had shown for us.


Hebrews teaches us that in the Old Testament we can be reminded of how others may have trusted in Him, while living their lives dedicated to Him, alone.
In the OT, it mentioned of a Savior to come and save the world.
That, God promised AND fulfilled.


In Christ alone, we have faith and can trust in the unseen because it is by His holy works that we are here and enabled to share the Faith.

Share the Faith. Be courageous with your faith, just as Daniel was.
Daniel was not only courageous, but he trust that God had control and would protect him.
Indeed, God had control and protected Daniel. Daniel was faithful to and trusting in God.
He rescued Daniel from Nebuchadnezzar sending him to the den with the lions, despite what Daniel had interpreted from Nebuchadnezzar's dream to be true.
Although, he couldn't believe it.
After what Nebuchadnezzar had seen, he released Daniel and agreed that the God Daniel kept his faith in, was true, faithful to His people, and saves.
With that, we start to learn that God is a faithful God, despite we read and learn that before the book of Daniel.
What stands out about Daniel and his faith before all of the events with the den with lions is...
within the earlier chapters, Daniel would open his window, close the bedroom door, and would get down on his knees three times a day, praying to God.
Then we see again that he prays and gives thanks to God.
Daniel 6:10
"Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before."

Previous generations, Daniel, and others within the New Testament had great faith.
All, endured hardship and times of greatness within the faith. Yet, no matter what the situation was, these people trusted in the unseen because their eyes were set on the promise God made.

In this current generation, times are hard. We ought to be courageous, standing firm with great strength of what we believe.
To have faith that is strong, we must do what our previous believers did; closing a door, opening the window, and praying 3 times a day giving thanks to the God who is faithful.
Opening the window to those to hear our prayers of thanks and concern to the God who loves, sharing that same love and faith in what is so much more than what the Earth has to offer.
Closing the door to the ways that turn us crooked. Keeping a mentality that is focused on what is to come of the Kingdom of God.
That, we can stand firm, sharing the love and faith of Christ Jesus.


To live courageously as Daniel in a life of active and complete faith through Hebrews, is...
what we should be doing.

It's what I should be doing. It's what I want to do.

This is me writing to -you-, sharing my thoughts and faith...saying, if it is what God wants of me, you, us, we ought to obey and give it our all. He gave it all for us.
We should dedicate all that our hearts have to offer to and for Him...to bring Him glory, not ourselves.

The times of faith and understanding what it is to have a life that is OF THE FAITH is hard, but with that we our reminded by Jesus making this statement;
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

The moments we are weak in our faith, by trusting, believing, loving, and sharing, we can remember to be all the more glad that it is okay to be weak because we are only made stronger in those areas and altogether, stronger for what is to be faced in the world we live in.

Living a life of Faith, isn't meant to be easy as I mentioned. It's also about knowing what it means to be weakened to only be stronger, putting on the breastplate of love and faith, having hope in the salvation as a helmet (1 Thessalonians 5:8)

Yet,
we are to pray faithfully no matter where we are, so that we may perservere because God also taught us to do so.
In James it is mentioned to pray faithfully and to keep praying no matter what the circumstance is.
Take heart, courage, trust, belief, and faith, it is okay to pray and God wants you to do so.
James 5: 13-19
The Prayer of Faith

"13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins."

Pray for strength, courage, love, and what it means to live a life of faith just as Daniel did.
Live a life as mentioned in Hebrews.
To pray for those who need the faith and are living it, is one of the many blessings we share together because we are given the gift of prayer to help encourage

a believer to live a life, Daring to be a Daniel.

I pray that not only all of you can follow the examples and take something so precious from this entry,
but to know to live a life of faith is so much more and we, as believers, can do it by the love, grace, and strength given to us from our God.



(I know this is probably a jumpy entry. A lot of thoughts, but I hope that you get the jist.)

In the Faith,
-Mak