Words of Encouragement, Teaching, Restoration
 1 YEAR, 12 MONTHS, 365 DAYS, 8760 HOURS, 525,600 MINUTES, 31,536,000 SECONDSThere are 24 hours in a day and 168 hours in a 7 day week. Stop right now and think about how you have spent the last few days. Many will have put in eight or more hours at a job. Some may have been caring for children. What ever activity you have done, it takes time. We take time for granted. Time is one of the most valuable assets every human being has and yet we treat it like worthless trash. We think we have all the time in the world, but the harsh and cold truth is we don't know if today is going to be our last day on this earth. Jesus talked about the serious error of treating time like garbage, In Luke Chapter 12, starting at verse 16: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully, and he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?', "So he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods, 'And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take it easy, relax; eat, drink and be merry." "But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?" We now are a 'world of fools' Fool, that is what God calls a person who spends most of their time on earthly pursuits rather than things of God. . According to Nielsen's Total Audience Report, Americans aged 18 and older spend at least 11 hours watching TV, listening to the radio, or using their smartphones or other electronic devices. 11 hours out of a 24 hour day minus 8 hours of sleep, minus 8 hours work leaves a negative balance "-3", which of course doesn't exist, we only have 24 hours in a day not 27. So how much of this time is Gods? In reality, ALL of it. God loans us our time here on earth. And it is such a very short time at that. How about those who call themselves Christians? Surely they are spending a majority of their time on spiritual and godly things. Well, the sad truth is professing Christians are no better stewards of their time than non-believers. According to American Bible Study's Barna Group State of the Bible research from 2014, 88% of households have a bible, but 46% don't even read the bible, 53% only read the bible 3 to 4 times a year. Only 15% of bible owners actually read their bible daily, 13% read scriptures weekly. The average bible reader spends an average of 30 minutes when they do read the bible. This is just an average, some spend less some more, but most people spend 30 minutes of the 24 hour period reading the bible. Why the Bible? Now bible reading is not the only 'spiritual activity'. But it is a major one. There are so many scriptures about the importance of the Bible, one of those verses is 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. How can you know what God commands if you don't read His instructions? What does God say about how often and how much time we should spend on His Word? Is it just a few minutes or just a few times a year? No, this is what He says in Joshua 1:8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Wow, think about this verse, if we study and meditate on His word day and night and learn to follow His commands and laws, we will be prosperous and have good success. God's Word=Success. Strive for Success. Being successful is a goal of many people, they strive for their dream job /career, their dream marriage, the house, the car, the white picket fence, or a life of ease, partying, playing games, and being entertained; and when they achieve these things they think that are successful, they've 'made it'. PARTY, CLIMB THE STEPS TO SUCCESS, THE AMERICAN DREAM
Actually that is what the world praises people for, 'oh they are so successful, look at them, they are rich and have everything.' But God has a completely different opinion about what is 'successful', the truth is He has some very harsh words for those who think they are 'rich and successful' and don't need God.
"Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing, Jesus reveals their true state, "you don't know that you are wretched, miserable, poor blind, and naked." The End of The Matter. We waste time, we have our priorities upside down, we take time for granted, we take the mercies of God for granted. But thank God He is a merciful and forgiving God. There is a time to live and a time to die, but in between those two ends is our duty to live a life that is pleasing and acceptable to God. Are you building treasures in heaven where thieves can't steal or break in; or are you heaping up coals of judgement by laying up treasures on this perishing earth? One day we all will have to stand before God to account for EVERYTHING done/said in the body. Do you really think He is going to say, "Well done good and faithful servant for: watching 11 hours of tv or texting playing games, or Good Job for working 80 hours a week on your job, or Good Job for partying every weekend at the club." 24 hours in day, but what are you doing with the time God has mercifully blessed you with? I end with a word from God, "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5:15-17. We only can find what the will of the Lord is by reading His Word! The Good News is there is going to be a Day of Judgment, and God will judge everyone who has ever lived, His wrath is going to poured out on all the wicked and ungodly. Believing in Jesus saves us from the righteous wrath of God. But that is not all, He gives us a new heart and mind NOW, and we receive some of His blessing from heaven NOW and are equipped to be able to live a life that is holy and acceptable to Him NOW. This is just the first step to a lifelong journey of growing in truth and love with the God who created this earth and everything in it, including every human being that has ever lived. Bible verses related to this post: Luke 12:16-21, 2 Timothy 3:16-17,Joshua 1:8; Revelation 4:14-18; Ephesians 5:15-17; Colossians 4:5, Matthew 6:33 resources: www.statista.com; http://www.americanbible.org/uploads/content/state-of-the-bible-data-analysis-american-bible-society-2014.pdf
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 An alpine tundra is a type of region found on mountains all over the world, one set of mountainous alpine region known around the world are the Himalayas. Tundras are described as harsh climate areas that have below freezing temperatures and are exposed to radiation from the sun, high soil eroding winds. But yet, in this not-life supporting area, something beautiful grows. Different species of flowers bloom on the mountain sides and in the dark valleys. When I think about these flowers surviving despite the harsh conditions in which they grow, it makes me think of life and people. In our lives we are either climbing up or climbing down a mountain, or wading in the valley of a mountain. The problems and struggles we endure are our mountains. Pain and loss is another mountain many struggle to overcome. Jesus knew a lot about pain and suffering. God in His awesome wisdom has had a plan since the beginning of time to rescue mankind from themselves. That plan was fulfilled in the great mystery of the trinity of God. God The Father, Jesus the Son, and The Holy Spirit. Now this is not a lesson on the triune God, Just acknowledging the entire Godhead in the plan of salvation. Jesus Christ came in the flesh of man to earth. This was God, the Creator, the invisible and omnipresent utterly 'other' being who became like His created, a human being with the physical limitations, the heart burn, the bodily functions. Can you really imagine what that must have been like? Coming from Heaven, paradise to a fallen, diseased, filthy earth? But He did. And He did not come in His splendor or in a royal palace surrounded by fine linen and servants. He, who was a King of Kings, came instead in squalor. Jesus had a tough break from the time He was born. Instead of getting to be a bubbling happy baby, He was was having to be hidden away because an evil king wanted to kill him. For most of His life no one understood Him. His parents even though Mary and Joseph understood where Jesus had come from (God), they still did not understand Him as evidenced by the only other passage of scripture we get about Jesus's childhood. Luke, Chapter 2starting at verse 41, "His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He, Jesus, was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast." Now think about this time. Thousands were in Jerusalem for this feast. And we can assume that Jesus traveled with a large number of people because they traveled in pacts and it tells us in verse 44 that they traveled with relatives. After the feast was over, Joseph and Mary and the rest of the family headed back to Nazareth. A whole day had passed before they realized Jesus was missing. Three days they searched for Jesus; Jesus was found not playing with other children, He was found in the temple of God, listening and asking questions. Here we get a glimpse that Jesus was not like other kids. But how did Mary and Joseph react? Did they say, "Oh, we knew you would be in Your Father's house". No, they were frustrated that He had abandoned them. They did not understand who Jesus was. Throughout Jesus's ministry, He was misunderstood. Although He healed the sick, gave the blind their site, raised the dead, and offered them eternal paradise, and offered them freedom from their life of sin, His own disciples turned their back on Him, He was beaten savagely , and then they Crucified Him. Jesus took humankind's place and was the sacrifice for ALL SIN FOR ALL TIME, Jesus incurred the righteous wrath of God and He bled and died so that His creation, which is irrevocably and permanently incapable of saving themselves, could be brought back into a loving and forgiven relationship with The Father, The Creator, The Great I AM. Even now, today, Jesus is still calling, saying come to Me, you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Jesus promises to never leave or forsake you. Jesus is quick to forgive and restore you. There is no issue or problem that Jesus does not understand. In this world we will have trouble, but we don't lose hope because we know that Jesus has overcome the world. Jesus says, in Mark 11, "if we say to this mountain 'fall into the sea' and we don't doubt and just believe we will have what we ask for. At times, some mountains won't be changed, just as Jesus prayed to His Father that He not go to the cross, Jesus Christ obeyed, with a willing heart the will of God, and He went to the cruel cross of Calvary. Your mountain is nothing compared to what Jesus suffered. With these type of mountains, we can only climb up and down or rest in the valleys. But the good news is, He is with us where ever we may be. You can strive and grow like the beautiful flowers in the Tundra.  1. Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is real, He lived and died and rose from the grave.
2. Believe that you are a sinner, repent-turn from your sins and realize and accept you need Jesus. 3. Confess that Jesus is your Lord and God 4. Find a local Bible preaching church that does obey the commandment for water baptism for the remission of your sins and to identify yourself with Christ. The Good News is there is going to be a Day of Judgment, and God will judge everyone who has ever lived, His wrath is going to poured out on all the wicked and ungodly. Believing in Jesus saves us from the righteous wrath of God. But that is not all, He gives us a new heart and mind NOW, and we receive some of His blessing from heaven NOW and are equipped to be able to live a life that is holy and acceptable to Him NOW. This is just the first step to a lifelong journey of growing in truth and love with the God who created this earth and everything in it, including every human being that has ever lived. Bible verses related to this post: Matthew 2:13-18; Mark 11:23-24; Matthew 11:28-30; Luke 2:41-50; Matthew 26:39; 2 Corinthians 5:21  We are all familiar with the saying "Been there, done that, got the T-Shirt". We don't like to be told something we already know. If someone is talking to you and trying to convince you of something you know about, the typical response is, "Hey, stop talking, I don't need to hear this again, I've got it. ". I know that I have had this type of response before. It's an inward annoyance, a condescending feeling of superiority. There is another word for this. It's Pride. Oh, don't stop reading now, because right now you are proving exactly the previous statement. Feel it building in you now, the thoughts forming in your mind, what pride? no, maybe you are adding an eye roll for more emphasis. Dictionary.com provides a couple of definitions for the word 'pride', one of them is: pride is a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or feelings of superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in the mind, or as displayed in bearing or conduct. Now Dictionary.com, Wikipedia, Webster's Dictionary, and all other current methods of obtaining the meaning of words are not older than the most contested, sold, and debated written word put to paper than the Bible, The Word of God. The Bible has provided a definition of pride, along with many other sins that plague the human race. Pride is one of the most difficult sins to address or accept, especially in today's, "It's all about me" culture. God has a lot so say about pride, and none of it's good. One of the books of the Bible, Proverbs provides many warnings about pride :pride goes before destruction,..The Lord detests the proud. If pride is so big of a deal, why do we still struggle with it? God says we struggle with pride and many other sins because we deceive ourselves and are being deceived because we choose not to believe in His Son Jesus Christ. It is the Holy Spirit of Jesus who sets us free from deception and opens our eyes to the truth. The world says, you are special, you deserve what ever your heart desires; the magazines, the TV shows they all promote self elevation. We pride ourselves on our looks, how much money we have, the house we live in, the car we drive, we compare ourselves to the Joneses and do everything in our power to try to rise above others.  The truth of this is just glaringly obvious today. The 'selfie' activities are world wide, they have made equipment so individuals can easily take a 'selfie' photo using their cell phones. A common theme on the magazine covers: How You can be happy, How You can be beautiful, How You can be successful, How You can be make money and be rich. On and on it's all about me, myself, and I; and it's a viscous parasitic symbiotic process where celebrities are dependent on the worship of their fans and the fans are dependent on the celebrities for their well being. The lifestyles promoted by the world are in complete contrast to the life of a true follower of Christ. The world is enslaved to sin. What is sin? I know that the word 'sin' is now a dirty word, but it does not change the fact that disobeying the laws of God is sin. Sin separates us from God. The Christian is set free from sin and bondage and brought back into a real relationship with God. The world promotes a life of selfish endeavors with the false promise that you will be happy living this way. Please don't lie to yourself. It is shown and proven time and time and over and over that material possessions,sexually promiscuous behaviors, a life away from God DOES NOT LEAD TO HAPPINESS. You think that's not true? If living a life contrary to what God has said leads to 'happiness', why then are millions of people using drugs and alcohol for various reasons, why do celebrities who make millions of dollars and have 'everything' the world has to offer are STILL depressed and hopeless and some have even taken their own life? Why are millions of young adults in therapy because they are depressed, but they have every material property? Because the truth is sin does not lead to happiness, it leads to only one place, death. Physical death, spiritual and emotional death. Pride is just one of many sources of pain that if you claim the name of Christian, pride should not be apart of your countenance. If you do not have a life changing, saving faith in Jesus, what are you waiting for? Be set free from pride and all other death traps. Become a part of the everlasting kingdom of God by
1. Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is real, He lived and died and rose from the grave. 2. Believe that you are a sinner, repent-turn from your sins and realize and accept you need Jesus. 3. Confess that Jesus is your Lord and God 4. Find a local Bible preaching church that does obey the commandment for water baptism for the remission of your sins and to identify yourself with Christ. The Good News is there is going to be a Day of Judgment, and God will judge everyone who has ever lived, His wrath is going to poured out on all the wicked and ungodly. Believing in Jesus saves us from the righteous wrath of God. But that is not all, He gives us a new heart and mind NOW, and we receive some of His blessing from heaven NOW and are equipped to be able to live a life that is holy and acceptable to Him NOW. This is just the first step to a lifelong journey of growing in truth and love with the God who created this earth and everything in it, including every human being that has ever lived. Bible verses related to this post: Proverbs 16:5, Proverbs 8:13, Galatians 6:3, Acts 2:38 |
AuthorErica Harris is a God Gifted Christian Coach, Counselor, providing insights and truths from the Word of God, The Bible. Archives
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