A Few Short Ramblings About Life and Stuff :)

This is some stuff I've learned from Jesus over the years. From His word and Holy Spirit in my life. I share them to remind myself and encourage whoever reads this. These statements aren`t all perfect, but they are based on scripture, so if you have any questions or comments feel free to make them. :)

1. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. His love isn't based merely on reciprocation. God is love and we are called to be like Him. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." In Jesus Christ we are His children, and we are called to exibit such true love, and display His eternal qualities to the world. To show kindness and compassion, and keep your lips from grumblings and complaints. Be patient, and caring, not putting yourself first, even though society ecourages it. Remember the Golden Rule! It's not just for kids, it's for His kids! Because a life lived in this way is not only honoring to God, but also a witness/encouragement to others, and filled with blessing and a heart/conscience at peace. Keep yourself from "idols" or things that would take your heart and life away from Jesus and His way. These aren't things we do apart from Him or by or own goodness or strength, but through the indwelling of His Spirit. "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."


2. Trust Jesus!! Don't believe the lies of the enemy when he says that God doesn't love you. He does!! More than you could even imagine!! Don't doubt His love just because you are enduring tough times, or stumbled in a bit of sin(while we were sinners Christ died for us), but know that He IS perfecting you. For even Jesus endured the cross and more suffering than you will/could probably ever know. So He is no stranger to a hard life, but He promised to never leave us nor forsake us. He is with us till the end! :)

3. There are some people who will tolerate you, or receive you because you love Jesus and follow Him. But there are many in the world who will either, ignore you, tease you, hate you, and reject you for your faith in Him. They hate Him in you and may even show it! But remember, far greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.

4. Seek to daily remember that you are a new creation. You no longer have to fear or submit to your old nature for it has been crucified with Christ,  and daily He will help you to grow to be more like Him. Many things we are tempted to do, have done, or will do, can cause us to doubt that. But Jesus is our salvation. He is faithful, and will keep His promise to save you, and is more than able to do so. He now lives in those who believe, not, He might live in them, but, He does!

5. No one is born an adult and no child tries to remain a child in all things. So remember, God knows you're His child and that you're wanting to grow spiritually each day, and if you fall He will pick you up, so do not fear but believe! If a "good" parent loves and nurtures their children, how much more will the perfect God of love, mercy, grace and wisdom, strengthen us and build up our faith in the Lord. He gives us new and everlasting life, and has given us all we need to live Godly lives in Christ Jesus.

6.  Be careful of flatters, and the intellectual arguers that bear no real fruit. Stay clear of the pride of being a part of the "intellectual's" conversation or debate. "Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. Romans 16:17-18"  This is such an easy habit for some to slip into, everyone loves attention and the ability to share, but be careful, for it was that kind of situation that had Eve decieved. As we see in Genisis that although, at first, she was the corrector/teacher to the serpent, her position changed quickly to the "learner"/decieved. The devil is crafty (not that we who are in Christ must fear him) but we must be wise and not give into the arrogance of that which is often called knowledge. "Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge,  which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith. 1 Timothy 6:20-21" The "student" mentality can be danerous sometimes, if you do not guard your conversations and test them against the the word and truth of God (because even then the devil has used scripture to decieve) Keep your faith in Jesus. Even if you don't remember or know the answer, Jesus is the truth. He will keep you if you place your trust not in your knowledge and understanding but in Him. So in all regards become mature in knowledge, but also remain firm in your faith, and even better grow in His love. "Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. 1Cor.8:1-3"  Know that knowledge does not perfect your faith(Jesus does), and don't try to find it apart from God. "As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. 1 John 2:27" Bonus Verse: "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD And whose trust is the LORD.Jer.17:7"

7. Jesus is the Author and perfector  of our faith, so don't "beat yourself up" trying to have more faith(because you think that faith for a circumstance is anything magical), if a mustard seed is the amount you need to move a mountain, don't you think He's given you that much? He has given you all you need, so have faith in Him. Knowing that He governs all the situations in our lives. If a "mountain" doesn't move then it is for our good, because in faith we know that He works all things for the good of those who love Him, and have been called according to His purpose.  Believe that He has a perfect plan, and that it is unfolding according to His purpose. If you doubt your faith, then trust in His faithfulness. When He said to His disciples "Ye of little faith" it was when they weren't recognizing who He was. It wasn't that they doubted their own faith or that they doubted that the bread could multiply, but that they didn't yet know Him. Jesus is one with God! He is the bread of life. He said if you've seen Him you've seen the Father, yet they struggled with this as we sometimes do. But He said that we, who have yet to see Father or Son and yet believe, will be more blessed. So if your faith is troubled, don't trust in your faith, but believe in Jesus who is your faith! Know that He is the one Who began a good work in you, and He will be faithful to complete that work, leading to the salvation of your very soul. Jesus is the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Him. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction in the unseen. The kind of faith that moves mountains is the kind of faith that believes in and trusts in Jesus Christ our Lord. " For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

8. Many will say they "believe" in Jesus and call themselves Christians, and yet their fruit or life says differently. They will endeavor to affirm their wrongful deeds by asking you to join them. Don't! stand firm in Jesus and follow Him, walking according to His deeds, instead of following people who say they follow Him. After all, He is the way.
That said it is not our place to judge or condemn, perhaps they are still young in the faith or struggling. Ask God to rescue them, and know that you don't have to remove the speck in their eye, because Jesus is the one who cleanses/transforms His children. Instead love them, being careful not to fall in step with their misdeeds. Let Christ shine through you, and they will see Jesus in your actions, because His truth is revealed by His Spirit shining through us. If they are truly His then they will desire to be closer to Him and hear His loving voice calling them to follow after Him. His sheep hear His voice and follow. I say this because many have fallen to peer pressure and follow after worldly wisdom/pleasure. "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

9. Come close to God and God will come close to you, resist the devil and the devil shall flee from you! The devil is a deceiver, don't be deceived and give in to fear. Stay in the light of Christ and know that satan is a defeated foe trying to lie to people about their Savior, and their place in salvation. Lies like, Are you really a child of God, are you really saved? or Is God really good, just look at the world's troubles, or He doesn't love you, you're not good enough to be loved, or your sin is too great, or God has abandoned you, or  you don't have to know Jesus to get to God etc. These are just some of the wicked lies that are deceiving people. But the TRUTH is, He died in our place, loves us, lives in us and calls us joint heirs with Christ. We're good not of ourselves but because God ,who is good, lives in us. Sin is not greater than God, nor can it be greater than His sacrifice, and God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. Believe in Jesus' words and not the enemy's. Jesus is the only Way, Truth and Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him. So come close to God (through Jesus) and He will come close to you, and know that if you're near Him you have nothing to truly fear. He is the King of kings and Lord  of lords who holds the keys of both life and death. So "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. John14:1"

10. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (the fruits of the Spirit) are all from His Spirit, and shall be evident in the lives of those who are born again in Christ Jesus. Like fruit is evident on a tree so it is in the lives of His Children. Those who practice these "fruits" and let these qualities grow in their lives will not be disappointed. Just as a child must practice the speech and actions of their parents before becoming proficient, so we also shall become more like our Father in Heaven as we follow His example and let Him live though us. So don't give up. Know that in this new life in Christ, He will give you good desires/qualities, and He will fulfill in us those things according to His perfect Will and Power. They are "fruits" of His Spirit after all, that He displays and produces in us, not by our power but by His. And remember His greatest commandment to love, it too is from His work in our hearts, we love because He first loved us. So we must remember to abide in His Holy Spirit and His Love. And bear "good fruit" like a tree planted on life giving water.

11. Remember to observe communion with Jesus, partaking of His flesh and blood as a sign of oneness with His death and resurrection until He comes. Remember that you were worth His life. He loved you that much and that He is now with the Father to prepare a place for you, and complete His good work in you, even eternal life. It is when we forget this that the enemy tries to deceive us and cause us to forget that He died for us, or that we must still suffer and be punished. No! we are one with Jesus and He paid it all! So rejoice and praise Jesus, for He is the bread of life and His blood is what sanctifies and cleanses us and our conscience. So partake in Communion with Him for the sake of remembering those truths, and His new covenant in Christ Jesus with us.

P.S. 12. This one is a big one for me (because I come from a large-ish family) and because I have found it helpful over the years. (I first read it in a "daily bread" reader some years ago, but it is based on scripture.) If someone criticizes you and the criticism is true mend your ways, if false then forget about it. In other words, with Jesus' help, judge if you are at fault in what you did, and if you are, then repent(change your ways), but if you're not at fault and they only criticize you because they don't know the situation or because of their own fault, then don't retaliate or worry what they or others may think. Simply forget about it.

Also trust Jesus, if He has put something on your heart to do, then do it, regardless of whether it will embarrass you or you think you'll get criticised for doing it. It is far better to please God than man, and besides, He has the best intent for your life. He has plans that give you both a hope and a future, so don't mess that future up by your disbelief and lack of action.

There is so much more He's teaching/taught me, but alas, I tend to forget these things sometiimes. So, don't just trust in your knowledge, but trust in His love. Believe in Jesus, and when stuff in your life confuses you, take your eyes off of stuff, and put them back on Jesus. When people hurt you, know that Jesus loves you, and that in time all hurt WILL be replaced by His joy. Don't let one bad moment create a million more. I know that because of certain hurts in my life I have doubted the love of certain people and that only resulted in further hurt, both on their part and on mine. Trust then in His love, and be free with showing/doing it. DON'T let others restrain your belief in Him. But in all areas of your life let Him reign in and shine through you!

 God bless! :)