Here are some prayer requests from Mr. Perez's 6th grade Sunday school class. Please pray for these children! I am typing these as they are written :)
"God help me in the problem my sister and I are in. Amen"
"Let Jesus go into my heart and my lit brother"
"That you can be with my grandma because she is going through tough times"
"For my nina Joyce that her marrige will go fine"
"For my tio he is in jail. I hope he is well."
"Take away my sickness"
"For my mom's side of her family to execpt Christ in their lives and for my Uncle Alex to know Jesus and for my Uncle Robert who is fighting in Iraq."
"I pray for my cousins Jasmine & Alexas because their in the walkin the Lord expect for their mom she wants Jasmine & Alexas to be cathlic instead of christan"
"I pray for my friend Stephanie so she can come to pioneer club to learn more about Jesus"
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Proverbs 25:21-22
"If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you." - Proverbs 25:21-22
Any of us can think of a situation where we have wronged somebody. In the heat of the moment, we did or said something to them that was messed up. And most of the time, our action provoked an even stronger reaction by the other person. But imagine if instead of reacting like that person did, they simply gave you a hug and apologized? Although many times we don't want to "feed our enemies" so to speak, doing so shows God's love within us. This "heaps burning coals" on them, and as one bible commentary says, it melts them into repentance and love. Romans 12:20 in the New Testament also quotes this Proverb.
Try to think of a time when you have helped your enemy. I am trying to think of a time when I have "fed my enemy," and I'm drawing a blank. If you're like me and can't remember doing this, we really need to make a conscious effort to not only restrain ourselves from our enemy, but HELP them. I have restrained myself many times from taking revenge or saying something back to people. But to restrain yourself and actually help them, that's even more of a challenge.
Any of us can think of a situation where we have wronged somebody. In the heat of the moment, we did or said something to them that was messed up. And most of the time, our action provoked an even stronger reaction by the other person. But imagine if instead of reacting like that person did, they simply gave you a hug and apologized? Although many times we don't want to "feed our enemies" so to speak, doing so shows God's love within us. This "heaps burning coals" on them, and as one bible commentary says, it melts them into repentance and love. Romans 12:20 in the New Testament also quotes this Proverb.
Try to think of a time when you have helped your enemy. I am trying to think of a time when I have "fed my enemy," and I'm drawing a blank. If you're like me and can't remember doing this, we really need to make a conscious effort to not only restrain ourselves from our enemy, but HELP them. I have restrained myself many times from taking revenge or saying something back to people. But to restrain yourself and actually help them, that's even more of a challenge.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Suggestions?
If you have any ideas about what I should talk about, feel free to suggest something.. Just add a comment to this post.
One idea I have is that I'll post a list of prayer requests from the 6th grade kids from Mr. Perez's class at church. This way we can all pray for them. Sometimes they have some really important prayer requests.
One idea I have is that I'll post a list of prayer requests from the 6th grade kids from Mr. Perez's class at church. This way we can all pray for them. Sometimes they have some really important prayer requests.
Different Bible Versions
First, let me start by saying the original inspired manuscripts in Greek and Hebrew are the best "versions" of the Bible. Since most of us know nothing about either language, it's essential to know what some of the popular Bible versions say and what their translation method is like. For example, King James Version (KJV) takes the Hebrew and Greek words and translates them into the best-fitting English word possible, word-for-word. NIV (New International Version) and NLT (New Living Translation) take the original idea that was in Hebrew and Greek and translate that idea in English. NKJV takes the KJV but tries to update the English to fit with more modern terms.
Personally I have 1 KJV, 1 NLT and 1 NIV bible. If I am confused by a verse in one, I might consult another, and so on. However, I'd say about 90% of all the verses I have read in my life have been from my NIV bible. I find that it's a solid translation that isn't too confusing, and at the same time isn't oversimplified. I would recommend KJV to anybody that doesn't have trouble reading it because I think most people agree it's closest to the original manuscripts as you can get. I can handle KJV when I'm checking up on a verse but I have a little difficulty reading entire chapters in it.
Sooner or later somebody will quote a verse from the Bible to try to defend a point to you, and it may sound fishy, so a good idea is to have a method of verifying a Bible version that you have never heard of. Try this: Check common verses that mention Jesus as God. John 1:1, John 10:30, Titus 2:13, etc. You know if a version twists these passages as to deny the deity of Christ, you can ditch it. For example, the New World Translation (used by Jehovah's Witnesses) slightly changes a lot of key verses to fit their beliefs. Be careful when somebody quotes a verse and it triggers an alarm inside your head.
"For the word of God is living and powerful.." - Hebrews 4:12
Personally I have 1 KJV, 1 NLT and 1 NIV bible. If I am confused by a verse in one, I might consult another, and so on. However, I'd say about 90% of all the verses I have read in my life have been from my NIV bible. I find that it's a solid translation that isn't too confusing, and at the same time isn't oversimplified. I would recommend KJV to anybody that doesn't have trouble reading it because I think most people agree it's closest to the original manuscripts as you can get. I can handle KJV when I'm checking up on a verse but I have a little difficulty reading entire chapters in it.
Sooner or later somebody will quote a verse from the Bible to try to defend a point to you, and it may sound fishy, so a good idea is to have a method of verifying a Bible version that you have never heard of. Try this: Check common verses that mention Jesus as God. John 1:1, John 10:30, Titus 2:13, etc. You know if a version twists these passages as to deny the deity of Christ, you can ditch it. For example, the New World Translation (used by Jehovah's Witnesses) slightly changes a lot of key verses to fit their beliefs. Be careful when somebody quotes a verse and it triggers an alarm inside your head.
"For the word of God is living and powerful.." - Hebrews 4:12
Christianity Being "Cruel"?
I recently read an e-mail and have previously seen message board posts online that accuse Christianity of being a cruel religion. They argue that God is forcing us into worshipping him by threatening us with hell otherwise. They claim that we really don't have free will since either we worship God, or we go to hell.
We, in society, are punished with fines and jail time for breaking the law. But, nobody would say that we are forced to obey the law. In fact, many people choose to break the law even when they know there is a very good chance they will be caught. So, the existence of punishment for wrongdoing doesn't mean that anybody is forced to obey. This is exactly the case with God. Our choice is between doing good and following God, or disobeying God and doing evil. There is a reward for following God, and a punishment for rejecting Him. Remember that people seek immediate pleasure, knowing there will be consequences later. People go out on Sunday night knowing they'll miss studying for their test on Monday, people drink knowing they'll have a hangover the next morning, people watching their weight eat delicious foods, knowing they're fattening. There is a common theme here: Self-pleasure now but grief later, or self-discipline and reward later. This is the decision, of our own free will, we are all faced with.
I think we should pray for anybody that is calling God or Christianity cruel. They have a terrible misunderstanding of what God is all about: love.
"He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." - 1 John 4:8
We, in society, are punished with fines and jail time for breaking the law. But, nobody would say that we are forced to obey the law. In fact, many people choose to break the law even when they know there is a very good chance they will be caught. So, the existence of punishment for wrongdoing doesn't mean that anybody is forced to obey. This is exactly the case with God. Our choice is between doing good and following God, or disobeying God and doing evil. There is a reward for following God, and a punishment for rejecting Him. Remember that people seek immediate pleasure, knowing there will be consequences later. People go out on Sunday night knowing they'll miss studying for their test on Monday, people drink knowing they'll have a hangover the next morning, people watching their weight eat delicious foods, knowing they're fattening. There is a common theme here: Self-pleasure now but grief later, or self-discipline and reward later. This is the decision, of our own free will, we are all faced with.
I think we should pray for anybody that is calling God or Christianity cruel. They have a terrible misunderstanding of what God is all about: love.
"He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." - 1 John 4:8
Friday, October 10, 2008
Be on the Lookout
When we want to know God's will for our lives or the next thing God has in store for us, a lot of times we just have to take a step back and allow God to show us what it is that He has planned. Pastors typically tell us to "pray, and then listen for God," but I think the use of the word "listen" confuses a lot of Christians. What most pastors are getting at when they want us to "listen" for God is that we should be patiently watching for any indicator of what God wants to do with us. If we're not listening but jumping to a conclusion without prayerfully considering it, it can mislead us.
Since I started working, I have rarely ever received Sundays entirely off. This has prevented me from going to church every week, or committing to teaching/helping with Children's ministries. I eventually figured there was not much I could do about this. If I wanted to pay my bills, I would have to suck it up and work when I am scheduled. But then the September '08 schedule came..
I had every Sunday and every Thursday of the month off. It seems like such a clear-cut sign now (College bible studies are on Thursdays, and service on Sundays), but at the time, I didn't realize it until that same week Pastor Rudy handed me a Children's ministry application. God opened up the opportunity for me, and I almost missed it because I wasn't on the lookout for what He wanted to do in my life.
1. God opened the window for me to serve by giving me Sundays off.
2. God placed the desire on my heart.
3. God had Pastor Rudy hand me an application, and gave me the desire of my heart.
I believe that God will use situations and our hearts to provide the answers that we're looking for. We just have to be on the lookout.
"Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4
Since I started working, I have rarely ever received Sundays entirely off. This has prevented me from going to church every week, or committing to teaching/helping with Children's ministries. I eventually figured there was not much I could do about this. If I wanted to pay my bills, I would have to suck it up and work when I am scheduled. But then the September '08 schedule came..
I had every Sunday and every Thursday of the month off. It seems like such a clear-cut sign now (College bible studies are on Thursdays, and service on Sundays), but at the time, I didn't realize it until that same week Pastor Rudy handed me a Children's ministry application. God opened up the opportunity for me, and I almost missed it because I wasn't on the lookout for what He wanted to do in my life.
1. God opened the window for me to serve by giving me Sundays off.
2. God placed the desire on my heart.
3. God had Pastor Rudy hand me an application, and gave me the desire of my heart.
I believe that God will use situations and our hearts to provide the answers that we're looking for. We just have to be on the lookout.
"Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Proverbs is Crazy
I hope everybody has checked out the book of Proverbs. It's written by the wisest man to ever have lived (Well, Jesus was wiser), King Solomon.
This book is great for readers with short attention spans. Verses are basically tips on how to live a wise life. Most chapters just have tip after tip: No plot, no storyline, no characters. This book dominates every other "How to" book out there.
One thing that amazes me is that the book obviously reflects important matters in life and how to deal with them: Godliness, work, money, charity, sex, family, discipline, debt, raising children, alcohol, politics, revenge, etc. If you want to really put things into perspective, think about what you've been stressed out about lately. Is it really that important? Think about all the topics that aren't even mentioned in Proverbs: How we look, boyfriends and girlfriends, getting that brand new item you want (car, iPod, whatever), making sure we're the best at something. Do you think the wisest man ever just forgot to mention these things in Proverbs, or maybe they're not that significant in the long run?
Hm..
This book is great for readers with short attention spans. Verses are basically tips on how to live a wise life. Most chapters just have tip after tip: No plot, no storyline, no characters. This book dominates every other "How to" book out there.
One thing that amazes me is that the book obviously reflects important matters in life and how to deal with them: Godliness, work, money, charity, sex, family, discipline, debt, raising children, alcohol, politics, revenge, etc. If you want to really put things into perspective, think about what you've been stressed out about lately. Is it really that important? Think about all the topics that aren't even mentioned in Proverbs: How we look, boyfriends and girlfriends, getting that brand new item you want (car, iPod, whatever), making sure we're the best at something. Do you think the wisest man ever just forgot to mention these things in Proverbs, or maybe they're not that significant in the long run?
Hm..
Why would anybody reject Jesus?
As Christians, we sometimes have to put on the mindset of a nonbeliever so we can minister to them in more effective ways. We can clearly present the gospel to somebody and show them over time how God has personally changed our lives, but what happens when they pass on it and say "No thanks"? Do we think "Wow, this person is being ridiculous" or "What a stubborn punk!" Well, we shouldn't be thinking these things. While I agree there is no excuse for not accepting Jesus as savior, that does not change the fact that there are common reasons why people reject Him.
1. They believe this world has more to offer. The impulsive pleasure that this world provides outweighs, in their minds, the benefits of giving that lifestyle up for God. We see a story in Matthew about this exact type of nonbeliever. A rich man is unwilling to give up the world pleasures he has experienced for everlasting life with Jesus (who is right before his very eyes). "Jesus said to him, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.' But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." - Matthew 19:21-22
It seems absolutely insane. You're staring at Jesus Christ, and you ask him what you need to do for eternal life. He says give up all your money and valuables. You walk away sad. See, that isn't what the rich man wanted to hear. In the same way, nonbelievers today simply don't want to give up what they hold on to so dearly.
2. They're embarrassed. Nonbelievers in John were scared of what people might have thought about them, and didn't believe "for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." - John 12:43. I think it's helpful to stand up for your faith and show people that Christianity and God's love is nothing to be embarrassed or quiet about. I am certainly guilty of remaining silent when I sometimes should speak up and defend my faith.
3. They believe they are "good" people or at least "basically good enough to get to heaven." Look, if you're the defendant in court (and your own lawyer), and the prosecutor is God, you better be pleading guilty because you have nothing to say in your defense. I'm garbage when measured to perfection, and I readily admit that. God's evidence against you in court is every single sin you have ever committed, and your defense is what? "Well, I donated to charity that one time. I helped volunteer over at that place!" Unfortunately, our "bads" outweigh our "goods", so the argument that "good" people go to heaven is negated. Luckily for us, the jury in the courtroom is extremely merciful and willing to rule you innocent if you plead guilty and accept Him.
4. They don't have enough physical proof. They claim if they only had a tiny bit if physical proof, if something was revealed to them, they'd believe. We cannot prove God's existence, but we can shed light on the overwhelming evidence for His existence. Because if we could prove it to everybody 100%, nobody's relationship with God would be based on faith, it would be based on what has been proven. It is similar to the miracles Jesus performed on Earth - people had just witnessed an amazing miracle, yet the majority did not believe that Jesus was God. We do not want a faith based on "physical proof," because that is a shallow faith that is gone the minute something unexpected happens.
I believe God has made a perfect amount of faith required to believe in Him. He reveals a certain amount of information to us, and then asks us to have faith and believe. If he had revealed more information (or given us way more evidence, like Jesus appearing today on national TV and flying), it would reduce the faith that an athiest needs, making it a weak faith that is only there because Jesus started flying in front of us. If he had revealed way less to us (no Bible, no evidence in nature), everybody would be taking a huge leap of faith aimlessly in the dark. He has balanced the two ends perfectly so that believing in God is a reasonable step of faith. A Christian philosopher named Norman Geisler said, “This does not mean there is no room for faith. But God wants us to take a step of faith in the light of evidence, rather than to leap in the dark.”
"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'" - Psalm 14:1
Don't be a fool.
1. They believe this world has more to offer. The impulsive pleasure that this world provides outweighs, in their minds, the benefits of giving that lifestyle up for God. We see a story in Matthew about this exact type of nonbeliever. A rich man is unwilling to give up the world pleasures he has experienced for everlasting life with Jesus (who is right before his very eyes). "Jesus said to him, 'If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.' But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." - Matthew 19:21-22
It seems absolutely insane. You're staring at Jesus Christ, and you ask him what you need to do for eternal life. He says give up all your money and valuables. You walk away sad. See, that isn't what the rich man wanted to hear. In the same way, nonbelievers today simply don't want to give up what they hold on to so dearly.
2. They're embarrassed. Nonbelievers in John were scared of what people might have thought about them, and didn't believe "for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." - John 12:43. I think it's helpful to stand up for your faith and show people that Christianity and God's love is nothing to be embarrassed or quiet about. I am certainly guilty of remaining silent when I sometimes should speak up and defend my faith.
3. They believe they are "good" people or at least "basically good enough to get to heaven." Look, if you're the defendant in court (and your own lawyer), and the prosecutor is God, you better be pleading guilty because you have nothing to say in your defense. I'm garbage when measured to perfection, and I readily admit that. God's evidence against you in court is every single sin you have ever committed, and your defense is what? "Well, I donated to charity that one time. I helped volunteer over at that place!" Unfortunately, our "bads" outweigh our "goods", so the argument that "good" people go to heaven is negated. Luckily for us, the jury in the courtroom is extremely merciful and willing to rule you innocent if you plead guilty and accept Him.
4. They don't have enough physical proof. They claim if they only had a tiny bit if physical proof, if something was revealed to them, they'd believe. We cannot prove God's existence, but we can shed light on the overwhelming evidence for His existence. Because if we could prove it to everybody 100%, nobody's relationship with God would be based on faith, it would be based on what has been proven. It is similar to the miracles Jesus performed on Earth - people had just witnessed an amazing miracle, yet the majority did not believe that Jesus was God. We do not want a faith based on "physical proof," because that is a shallow faith that is gone the minute something unexpected happens.
I believe God has made a perfect amount of faith required to believe in Him. He reveals a certain amount of information to us, and then asks us to have faith and believe. If he had revealed more information (or given us way more evidence, like Jesus appearing today on national TV and flying), it would reduce the faith that an athiest needs, making it a weak faith that is only there because Jesus started flying in front of us. If he had revealed way less to us (no Bible, no evidence in nature), everybody would be taking a huge leap of faith aimlessly in the dark. He has balanced the two ends perfectly so that believing in God is a reasonable step of faith. A Christian philosopher named Norman Geisler said, “This does not mean there is no room for faith. But God wants us to take a step of faith in the light of evidence, rather than to leap in the dark.”
"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'" - Psalm 14:1
Don't be a fool.
Worship
Back in my high school days, I probably didn't appreciate the true value of worship at church service. There were songs that I enjoyed, but overall I just never considered it that important to stand up when the worship band told us to, or clap my hands in unison with the rest of the church. As I matured in the faith, however, I came to realize that worship is not about lifting your hands on Sundays. It's an internal state; something that is on an individual basis. We as Christians should be worshipping God 7 days a week, not just when the time comes on Sundays. But when Sunday worship service comes, we will see worship manifest itself through the praise we give God.
Because worship is on an individual basis, I don't believe that external actions are important during church worship service. Whether you prefer sitting, standing, dancing, clapping, singing, lifting your hands, whatever. The most important thing is that we worship God in spirit and in truth. That is, in our hearts and in our minds:
"But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him."- John 4:23-24 KJV
Because worship is on an individual basis, I don't believe that external actions are important during church worship service. Whether you prefer sitting, standing, dancing, clapping, singing, lifting your hands, whatever. The most important thing is that we worship God in spirit and in truth. That is, in our hearts and in our minds:
"But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him."- John 4:23-24 KJV
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