Is He your all?

Half Christian? Quarter of a Christian? One eighth of a Christian? Maybe a Christian? Are we putting Christ our Savior to a little corner of our minds called "Sunday mornings?" Are we Christians in our homes, on vacations, in school, or anywhere else in the street? Are we Christians only by name? Christianity isn't just about praying before you eat, going to church, or typing "Christian" under the religion column in Facebook. It's about having Christ as your EVERYTHING. That means you're either living for Jesus, or your not. That means your all in it for Him, or your not for Him at all. We need to examine ourselves! What is the most precious thing in our hearts?
Think about the fact that Jesus Christ left HEAVEN, the place we can only imagine how wonderful and beautiful it will be, to come down to an imperfect world knowing He'd be trampled, pierced, betrayed, and hung on a cross. Why? Because He loves us that much. Even when we don't deserve an ounce of that love. We turned our backs on the only perfect person who ever walked the planet, and He paid the price for it on that cross. 
Yet through out all the suffering and pain, He was thinking of how wonderful it would be to see you in heaven, and be with you for eternity!
 You would think that knowing someone like that, we'd lay down our lives for Him, love Him to the fullest, and spend every day thinking of Him. Yet, we have to strive to even make Him our priority. We place sports, music, entertainment, other people, ourselves, a job, or money, above Him. Why? Maybe it's because we can't fully grasp who we're in a relationship here. I mean, do we realize we're in a relationship with the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Almighty, awesome Redeemer,  who knows all our thoughts, loves us even with all our imperfections, and I'll say it again, hung on a cross just for us? For someone like that, we should love Him, live for Him, and worship Him with all our Heart.
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment." -Matthew 22:37-38

Wherever you are now...

One of the streets where we've evangelized on sundays

If you know me, you would know that I *love* the country- I love it all. I feel more at home there than when I'm in the subway or walking down a crowded, busy street in NYC, where I've lived all my life. BUT! when I look at the busy street, and see hundreds of souls that need to hear God's name- I remember why God has placed me here: I'm living in the mission field! I remember that from the hundreds of people walking right past me, most of them probably don't know Christ, and Jesus is calling every single one of us to share about what He did on the cross! When we hear the great commission, we're probably thinking, "LORD SEND ME TO ASIA, or AFRICA!"  and we spend time praying to have God use us in foreign countries, but we're forgetting that there's people who need the gospel right near our own homes! Do not get me wrong, I'm not saying we shouldn't go to other nations. What I'm saying is, that we need to get the gospel to people in our community and close circles! How sad would it be that we never gave the gospel to our neighbors, our family, and our close friends? Where ever you are now, there will always be people who need to hear the Gospel! :)
 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." ~Matthew 28:19-20
-When Jesus said "teach all nations" He also included the nation that we're living in now, don't you think? ;)

The best gift for Christmas!

Yay! It's the holidays! I absolutely love the holidays, specially Christmas. It gives me a picture of families and friends together, everyone singing hymns, sharing gifts, and laughing together.  Not to sound cheesy, but Christmas is so special! Why? Because 2,000 years ago, the most precious, amazing, perfect, gift was given to mankind. This gift was the Lord Jesus Christ! How precious is the fact that the Son of God became a man, so that man can become sons of God! No one could have thought of a greater gift. Getting things from your family and friends are great, I love it! It lets me know that there's people who thought about me and care...but HELLO!!!! God cares the most! He gave the most!

"For God SO LOVED the world, that He gave His only begotten Son so that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."
Let's remember... We did nothing to deserve this precious gift. We sinned, turned our backs on God, and we ignored the one who crafted us and gives our every breathe. He did what he did, not because we deserved it, or that He needs us, but because he loves us more than any word can ever describe. So what more could you ask for? Without us deserving it, He gave us his SON, eternal love, and eternal LIFE!
Can someone say HALLELUJAH?!
Besides opening presents, can this Christmas be a time to thank God for the love, mercy, and grace that He shows us? For His son that he sent? For the price Jesus paid on Calvary? Remember, things of this earth fade away (including presents!) but what Jesus did will stand forever, making us the sons and daughters of God to live for His glory, and to be with our heavenly Father forever! :)

The Glory of the Gospel!

Paul had been beaten, mocked, ship-wrecked, chased out of town, and imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel. Yet he had never wavered from carrying forward the Gospel message. His life had been completely transformed when he encountered the glorified Christ on the road to Damascus. One glimpse of the risen Lord left Paul with only one message--that of faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is not dependent on keeping rules and regulations. The Pharisees had already been convicted of that crime by Jesus Himself.

Faith is not dependent on human righteousness. Isaiah 64:6 declares that all our righteousness are as filthy rags in the sight of the Lord. Faith is belief in the atoning work of Jesus accomplished at Calvary and evidenced by His Resurrection. Faith comes by hearing the Gospel. Gospel means good news. Paul knew that to obtain faith, a person must hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

If Paul and So may other people, even now all around the World are beaten, mocked, ship-wrecked, chased out of town, and imprisoned for the sake of the Gospel.

It is a shame to me, that in the Bible people gave everything all for a moment of God's Glory and I can't even give up the little things! Lord Help us to Never be ashamed but preach God everywhere all the time! That we may understand the Glory of His Gospel!

Love that conquers the world

“The love for equals is a human thing--of friend for friend, brother for brother. It is to love what is loving and lovely. The world smiles. 

The love for the less fortunate is a beautiful thing- the love for those who suffer...This is compassion, and it touches the heart of the world. The love for the more fortunate is a rare thing-to love those who succeed where we fail, to rejoice without envy with those who rejoice, the love of the poor for the rich...The world is always bewildered by its saints. Then there is the love for the enemy-love for the one who does not love you but mocks, threatens, and inflicts pain. The tortured's love for the torturer.This is God's love. It conquers the world.” 

~Frederick Buechner

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?" ~Mathew 5:44-47

May the things that hurt God's heart hurt ours

As I watched a girl painfully walk out of the abortion clinic, yesterday, with her boy friend by her side, It pained me to even watch or make any type of contact with her. She looked so hurt and broken, and only God knows what she or her boy friend were feeling at the moment.

As I watched a women cross the street looking exactly like a man it made a knot twist up in my stomach. As I spoke to that same women just a week ago, I know that she professes to believe in God and know God and she could even quote certain passages in his word but of coarse quoted nothing of Romans 1 when talking about God giving the wicked up unto their own uncleanliness. She claims that God LOVES her and created, She proclaims boldly that abortion has nothing to do with going against God's law and as she went on and on twisting scripture, defending abortion, defending gay rights, and proclaiming that she knows God, I could not help but think what a disappointment she will find when she discovers that she has created a God in her own image since she chose to close her ears to our warnings. I could not tell her that God loved her but hated her sin because that would be lying so all I could do was pray for that lost, soul that is dead in sin and blinded by the truth.

 Psalm 5:4-6:

⁴ For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness;
   with you, evil people are not welcome.
⁵ The arrogant cannot stand
   in your presence.
You hate all who do wrong;
 ⁶ you destroy those who tell lies.
The bloodthirsty and deceitful
   you, LORD, detest.
Romans 1: 22-24
²²Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

²³And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

 ²⁴Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: 

As I saw a couple sitting on the train dressed as demonic figures for a Halloween party, I suppose they were going to, I could not help but notice the misery they drowned in and the darkness that possessed their bodies and pray for the blood of Jesus to free them from the burdens they are debt to. 

We live in a world swarming in wickedness and although it boggles our mind and pierces our heart we must pray for the lost and fulfill the great commission that God has called us to which is to go out and spread the good news to, all the gentiles, that Christ is risen and is coming again and they can be free from sin if they only choose to turn to the cross and follow Christ because without the blood of Jesus we lie in wait for an eternal damnation. 

Does your heart break at the things that breaks God's heart or have we become desensitized to it?

Lay up treasures in heaven...

I was talking to someone a while ago, and they asked me what I wanted to do after high school. I told them I was thinking about college, but I'm not sure exactly which one to go to, or if I wanted to go to one right after high school. I explained how I wanted to use my teens and 20's to go on missions, give people the gospel, and reach out to those in need. They said in a very sarcastic voice, "So you wanna waste your time speaking to people who won't even listen to you while you could have a career and a lot of money. What a great future you have." Then they laughed. I thought that was funny too. I found it funny how they think it's a waste of time to reach out to souls who are facing eternal condemnation. Why is it that it's more important to have fame, or all the money, cars, or clothes you can possibly have?

I'd rather Live for Christ who died for me, then to live for
 money which will devour me.

Is it really better to use up your life in things that are material, and will one day be gone, leaving you alone? Investing your time in souls that God-willing will one day be in heaven for all of eternity is the best thing you could ever do in this life! Does it really matter that you probably won't be famous? Does it really matter that you won't have the best cars or clothes? Does it? I'd rather live my short life for Christ, and to have all of eternity to be God's princess in heaven, then to have a moment's pleasure, and all of eternity- forever, condemned with the burden of knowing I wasted my life.

"But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” - Acts 6:4

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." ~Mathew 6:19-21

Courageous

I don't usually recommend movies to people, but this one is a must! The title is Courageous and I just recently saw this with my family. It's from the makers of Fireproof, Facing the Giants, and Flywheel. This movie was funny, tragic, impacting, suspenseful, and most of all, has a beautiful, touching message, with biblical principles. 

This movie challenges men to take up the role of spiritual leaders of their homes, to be what the Bible calls a man. It puts a lot of emphasis on how crucial it is for a father to cherish the years God gave him with his wife and children, and most importantly, how men need to take responsibility for their actions- to take up the role of a man. I cried, laughed, and thought deeply while I was watching this movie, but words can not describe how great it really is! You are missing out if you don't go to see it! :)

Picture this...

Picture this....

you come to the cross you get on your knees tired, confused, frustrated, sad, weak, dirty & full of sin!

You pour you heart out before God...tell him "I can't do this, I'm tired! I NEED YOU"

Just a HONEST cry out for help!
But, when you get up...And receive his AMAZING GRACE...

        You're new! you're washed! YOUR FREE! That just amazes me every time! To see that he loves me even though I am SO unworthy.... I PRAISE GOD!

Your crowned with Glory & Holiness and just PRAISE the Lord with all you are!

Lead me to the Cross

Savior I come, Quiet my soul,
Remember, Redemption's hill,
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom, Everything I once held dear,
I count it all as lost...

Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myself
I belong to You
Lead me, lead me to the cross

You were as I
Tempted and tried
Human
The word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now you're risenEverything I once I held dear, I count it all as loss


Lead me to the cross, Where Your love poured out,
Bring me to my knees, Lord I lay me down,
Rid me of myself, I belong to You,
Lead me, lead me to the cross
To your heart, To your heart,
Lead me to your heart, Lead me to your heart