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! :)

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

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

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

We follow Christ by His strength!

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is week. We cannot follow Christ, live for Christ, honor Christ upon our own determination! We are week and it is the depravity of sin that consumes our souls until the blood of Jesus conquerors and washes it away. But due to our sin nature we fall every day with our, thoughts, actions, words, and no matter how much we strive to be perfect and holy we will fail because we were born IN SIN!

But there is hope, my dear friends! There is hope because once Jesus lives within us, we no longer see through our own eyes but through his. We are consumed in the holy spirit and God alone will give us the strength to say no to temptation and fight against the darkness of satan and press on the great commission. "When we become a follower of Christ It is no longer your life, it is now His life. Your time is no longer your time, it is now His time. Your possessions are no longer your possessions, it is His possessions. Your future is no longer your future, it is now His future." "So Likewise, whosoever he is of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, cannot be my disciple." Luke 14: 33

May we come to the world as little LAMBS.....with the faces of LIONS because the living almighty, consuming, soveriegn God dwells within us! We stand in the authority of the name of Jesus because we do not head off to war to loose we head off to war to win! The gospel demonstrates to the universe the manifold will of God! We need to rise up and proclaim the gospel!

Lord, Jesus don't just send us. Send us within yourself! Come with us. How can we do it on our own strength? The answer is...WE CAN'T! Our God is ready to do it in and through us. We cannot muster up the strength and We cannot love the lost, but HE CAN! Don't pray that God will teach you how to love like He loves, pray that he will fill you with himself and that He will love through you!

We cannot imitate Him on our own strength or we will be a miserable replica! But if we allow the impartation of Jesus Christ suddenly it all works because it is Him imitating Himself and He is very very good at being God!

P.S- The second phrase comes from Eric Ludy's sermon on "The Gospel". The video is available on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPIOkdNL-QQ&feature=related

Let My heart Break with things that break the heart of God

"Let My heart be broken with the things that 

break the Heart of God"

We begin to doubt, and lose faith when we take our eyes of Jesus!

Lord help me to keep my eyes on you and you only! So I may be a light in the darkness! That my life my be for your Glory, that I may seek the kingdom First!
Give me your Love, so that I may give to those who have none.
Give me your strength, to help those who are week,
And your Grace to go day by day and never ashame your Holy name!

People need the Lord! Our life is a vapor,We most LIVE FOR JESUS!!!

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity [make it count], because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” – Ephesians 5:15-17

After all we only have one life to Live...MAKE YOUR LIFE COUNT!

Day by Day...

Day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. Someone is dying, suffering, lost and confused about life and why they exist. People are filled with emptiness and continual sorrow because they feel there is no purpose for their life. They believe this whole world came to be by an accident therefore we have no meaning or purpose, but let me tell you this my friends. This world did not come to be by random chance or some big bang! God created it fearfully and wonderfully to reflect his glory and majesty. But people ask themselves, "If God created this world so perfectly and carefully scripted everything into exsistance, than why is there so much sin and suffering, murder, violence, sorrow and darkness in it?" Well, God created this world perfect and without sin, but when he created man, he did not create him a robot. He created him with a free will. He commanded him to not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but Adam and Eve had a choice to either obey God or disobey Him and disobey Him they did. So was the first sin that corrupted the innocence and spotlessness of life. Without blood there is NO REMISSION OF SIN so someone had to die and take up the sins of this world upon Himself. Jesus Christ, the spotless lamb of God, had to come down to be born of this earth in the form of a man and be crucified for the sake of saving us from eternal condemnation and because he loved us SO MUCH, He was not only willing to die but to be separated from His father and take on the sins of this whole world! People say the cross is a sign of love, and, although that is true, we must realize that the cross is a sign of HOW CORRUPTED WE ARE that it took the death of God's only son to save us from our calamity. That, my friends, is what JESUS CHRIST THE SON OF GOD did for you and me and until we've been washed by the blood and born of the holy spirit we will continue walking in the darkness of satan. We can only serve one master so choose you this day whom you will serve. Tomorrow is not promised!

 Have you died with Christ and taken up your cross to follow Him? Are you willing to be a servant the way Jesus came to serve and make disciples? Have you died to yourself and given up all your worldly desires for the sake of following and living for Christ? Does everything you do reflect the glory of God and do you honor him in everything you do, think or say? Are you willing to give up every worldly thing that you've held on too and throw it away for the sake of following Christ? May this be our desire and commitment, and may God awaken us from the sin that we are dead to!

 

No Longer a Slum Dog

Summer 2011 is now over and while everyone is talking about how they spent their summer, I'll show you a book that has put a burden in my heart for giving the gospel to children. In December I'll be going on a missions trip, and this book  has got me even more excited for the trip! I hope it does the same to y'all as it has done to me! :)

Bridge of Hope provides for thousands enrolled in their schools 

It is a book called: No Longer a Slum Dog -  about children in Asia, and how GFA Bridge of Hope is reaching out to the children, their families, and their whole community. This has opened my eyes to see how much need there is for Jesus in Asia, and how millions of people live there without ever hearing about the miracle worker who died on the cross because He loves us. Kids there grow up with the mentality that they deserve to be treated like subhumans! They live and die believing that there's no escape from the chains that they're bound by mentally, physically, and spiritually. This is not a small amount, its millions of children living like this. Pause and think about that. That could have been me or you, but God placed us in a different situation. Think, that those are the Lord's precious children suffering the way they are, and we probably won't do more than just think about it and feel sorry. No action taken whatsoever. Now, maybe we'll be thinking, "I'm too young" "I don't have money." or "There's nothing I can do". If the Lord isn't calling you to be a missionary, or if you don't have money to support a missionary than there IS something you can do. You can PRAY! Prayer is the way you talk to the Living God! We're not talking about our wants and desires being given to a fictional character like Santa, this is a real God that answers your prayers. So pray, at the very least, if anything, pray! Just pray. :)
To get this free book, find out more about this amazing Ministry, or to support a child, visit this website: www.nolongeraslumdog.org