Morals

Growing up in a Southern Baptist Church you could imagine the emphasis they put on having morals. It seems as though growing up with strict morals and good thoughts and ways to live by is a great thing but sometimes I think we got it all wrong. I'm in no way saying that morals are bad or we shouldn't have morals but I am saying we should take a new perspective on morals. You always hear not to drink or smoke, to go to clubs or to say bad words. I'm not encouraging any of this but at the same time I am also not saying that God will love you less for doing or having done of such things. The way our community portrays morals makes it seem as though God will dislike you for messing up or you have no part and deserve no part of the church if you caught doing immoral things. Yet, those who have better morals and have done a good job keeping them somehow deserve to be a part of the church and are known as better Christians.

Christians, therefore, cannot expect to be sinlessly perfect, for there is none righteous, no not one (Romans 3:10)

By making morals seem like a list of wrong and rights were missing the whole point. Christianity isn't a check list of what to do and what not to do. It is a relationship with Christ that instills His LOVE in you as you grow with Him! It takes time to grow in a relationship with Christ just like it takes time to grow in a relationship with each other. Even if you have messed up in your life and continue to mess up, which everyone does, you are not less loved by Christ. As your relationships blooms, you will start to be a better person and start to act like Christ because His love and mercy changed you, not because your parents told you what you're doing is wrong and you need to change. Only CHRIST can change you! Sure, others may have influence on you, but true change only comes from the Lord. Take it to heart and realize that a relationship with Christ is what it's about it. It's not about wrongs and rights. It's about Christ.

1 At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God. 2 You used to act like most people in our world do. You followed the rule of a destructive spiritual power. This is the spirit of disobedience to God’s will that is now at work in persons whose lives are characterized by disobedience. 3 At one time you were like those persons. All of you used to do whatever felt good and whatever you thought you wanted so that you were children headed for punishment just like everyone else.
4-5 However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! 6 And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. 7 God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus.

-Ephesians 2:1-5

Be BOLD

When I first started teaching Tae Kwon Do I worked with two Masters from Korea, Master Lee and Master Kim. As of today, I still work with Master Lee. Master Kim was always the crazy upbeat one that no one could handle. One particular day in class one of the younger students had pointed out that the formation that they were instructed to stand in was in the shape of a cross. This was not intentional but it just so happened that that's what it looked like. Master Kim being him crazy self had gotten hyped up about what the child had pointed out and asked if anyone in the class is a Christian. Talk about an awkward moment, haha Master Kim was just curious yet as soon as he asked that, EVERY single parent was eyes out focused on the class to see if he really just asked that.

Why was that moment so awkward? Why did everybody's head jump up when the term "Christian" was used? Why did it seem wrong to ask that question?

Acts 4:29 says "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness". Now I don't know about you but how are we suppose to speak The Word with great boldness if were unable to say the word Christian in public without feeling awkward!?I can't tell you how many opportunities I've had to share the gospel or talk to somebody about Jesus or give some encouragement but that I let slip away because I didn't want somebody to think I was weird or trying to shove gospel down their throat. I didn't want to be labeled as one of "those Christians" but what am I worried about?

I believe that when we go to Heaven and were standing at the gates and we come up to Jesus, He's not going to ask us "Did you live a good life?" or "How much money did give away?" BUT "Who did you bring with you?"

Think about it. Ponder it. Next time you have an opportunity to share the Word, the beautiful word of Jesus Christ, make sure you share it with BOLDness! Do not be ashamed or scared for Gospel means "Good News!", everybody wants to know the good news =]

SUPERRRR FRIDAY 10!!!!! =D

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Too Busy Inside the Church to go Outside the Church

This is just a short thought that I'd like to speak about for just a moment. When you become baptized or saved or a member of a new church you want to give God all of your time, correct? You have this fire within that just won't let out and all that fire wants to do is build up inside of you so the glory of God is magnified. This is a great thing I tell you!

Don't play with fire.

Yes, even the fire that is building inside of you to glorify the body of Christ. Sometimes we are so absolutely caught up in what we have to do for the Church that we completely forget that there is an outside world that needs our help. We go on missions, have church picnics, church basketball nights, band practice, orchestra practice, choir practice, sunday morning church, sunday night church, saturday night youth, friday night church, youth group trips, visiting the elderly, small groups etc. All this stuff is amazing and I'm not saying that any of it is bad in any way but getting caught up in all of it, it turns into a routine and not only that it keeps you from the outside world. Even Jesus sat with the tax collectors and the sinners because they are the ones that need a doctor! You need to take time to speak to non-Christians and to relate to them. Love them.

The Very Same Power

“The same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you.” - Romans 8:11

The VERY same power that raised Christ from the dead is ALIVE in us today!
Wow wow wow. Let's stop right here.
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WOW! Can you believe that?

How many times have you caught yourself going through something you just can't handle? All the time right? Maybe you have a lot of bills this month that you don't know if you're going to make them or not. Maybe all your friends are having sex and all you're doing is being tempted to have sex. Maybe nobody is really paying attention to you right now and you just need a friend. Maybe you can't handle school, work, friends, finances, family and everything else life has to offer at the same time. Where are you going to find the strength? the will power? THE VERY SAME POWER THAT RAISED CHRIST FROM THE DEAD IS ALIVE IN YOU. The power is in you! It's Jesus! Jesus has/is the power that raised Him from the dead and Jesus is alive in you. Jesus has already provided all the strength you need to handle anything. When you come upon another day that you think you can't make it, pray for faith in Jesus because the power is there you just need to believe.

I was recently speaking to my girlfriend, Adri, about our New Years Resolution and trusting God more. My New Years resolution was to trust God more because last year with barely trusting God, He always pulled me through. I went further on to use a financial example. I explained to her that I have no idea where I get half my money. This makes me sound a lot like a drug dealer but I'm not haha. I meant in a sense that as weird as this may sound, Martial Arts Instructors aren't payed as well as you think and there are quite a few things that require money in the world. Last year I learned to trust God more and he will provide what I need and most of the time more than what I need! Whenever I'm stuck or need to make it through something, the power of Christ is in me and all I need to do is trust. Constant prayer and faith in God are the ingredients that let the Power of God rise into your heart.

Jealous much?

When I was a kid if my brother got something that I didn't get I wanted it. If he got a new Buzz Lightyear toy with the special utility belt, which I still think is a fanny pack, I wanted it. If he got a new basketball and I didn't, I would take it and play with it. If he got new violin strings and that played beautifully, I wanted those too, I didn't even play violin I just wanted the strings.

It is a natural human inclination to be jealous! Everyone is jealous of somebody and wants something or someone that they "can't have". Nowadays I'm not really so jealous for basketballs and Buzz lightyear's but there are always things that get me going. When I see local musicians playing at nice venues I always have this thing inside me that wishes I could play there too. There are little things in everybodies life that just kind of nudges the jealous part into us.

"For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice" - James 3:16

"Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord." - Song of Solomon 8:6

Did you ever know that the feeling of jealousy was that fierce? That it can really be that affecting in your life? As you go on with your days and you feel jealousy overcoming you at some point just kind of stop and COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS. You can't think of what you don't have when you're too busy thinking of what God gave you. One of the things that I have been coming to realize more and more since the past year is that God blesses me way more than I could ever deserve and when I feel jealousy start to overcome me, I start to think of things that I have that others don't have haha. As you bow your head in prayer, start by counting and thanking God for your blessing for you and I truly have no reason to be jealous.