Tag: FAITH

God Revealing or Strange Coincidence?

“Interesting” things seem to keep happening to me and it makes me wonder, is this God revealing, communicating through scripture, or strange coincidences? I’ve been telling people close to me about these occurrences when they happen, but I may start writing about them since they seem so frequent lately and if it’s only a strange coincidence, then it’s entertaining/intriguing (at least to me, maybe to someone else?).

Earlier this week, I opened up to a random page in the Bible after praying that God “speaks to or shows” me something from the Bible when I read it. If I don’t make an immediate connection, sometimes I think it’s meant for someone else possibly? This is how I often decide what I post on my “Faith” Instagram account when I don’t have a topic on my mind as soon as I wake up in the morning. As I was reading, my dog hops onto the couch, right next to me and puts his paw on the Bible. I just thought he looked cute, so I took a picture and laughed at him, then sent the picture to a few people I’m close to, who know this dog’s funny personality and might laugh. Here’s the picture:

This was one text response I received (posted with permission):

(Message about the picture I texted)

So that was on Monday, I thought nothing of it, didn’t make a connection with anything, but read it wondering what significance it might have, if any? Tuesday was busy, I ended work at 8 pm and then caught up on “news,” which was informative, but discouraging at the same time. I found a few Instagram accounts posting current events and pointing out biblical connections when appropriate, so I followed those accounts because I’ve been noticing some of that on my own (when I was reading “prophecies” in the Bible and started seeing current world events relating to them) so this would be interesting to me to see what they find. After that, I decided I had enough for the day and went to bed; I was exhausted.

Wednesday morning after I opened to a random page and posted the scripture from it like usual, I looked through the feed on my faith account. (I only follow the accounts of people or entities that I learn something from, or who have contributed to my growth in learning more about Christianity on my faith account.) The accounts I follow are “resources” that I’ve found in alignment with what I found in the Bible, not any particular denomination, more of a variety, with the exception of the “news” sources I just recently followed. Anyway, in the Instagram feed I saw a recent discovery by Israeli archaeologists with the inscription: ‘Jerubbaal’ believed to be from about 3,100 years ago and reading further the post states “after he broke down the altar of Baal”. This triggered my memory: I just read about that: it was in the picture with my dog! So of course I had to let the person I was texting with know about this update after we had been joking/laughing about me “being shown” something while reading the Bible! (Even though this does happen; I didn’t think this was one of those times.) But this gets even more personal later…

First, here is what I saw in the feed:

So this is the scripture my dog was covering:

So that connection was worth exploring more now: the photo with my dog was in the book of Kings, not Judges, but part of the account was about the Baal Temple destruction. Then I noticed “Joash” in the title of the next chapter, Chapter 11. I wondered, how many Joash are in the Bible? Is Joash, the son of Gideon mentioned by the archaeologist the same as this Joash? So I looked that up too: here’s what I found. There certainly appears to be a connection, even though it’s not the same book from the Bible. So the person I was texting with said, I just searched Baal and this popped up: The Largest Baal Worship Service on the Planet is in America. Of course I had to read that article because when we read the Bible about stuff like this (worship of idols/false gods) we always think, that was back then, people don’t do this now! Well this article hits even more personally to me as I read it further. In reading this, I am acknowledging: this is someone’s opinion, but at the same time, this is eerie too! Here is a factual account of this event (link).

Next is how it becomes personal to me: if you’ve been following my blog, or if not, you can even go back and look at prior posts, in 2017, I decided to “Surrender to God” (which for me meant praying every day, but I didn’t really change my lifestyle too much at first). I noticed shortly after I “surrendered” all sorts of “bad” things started happening to me, then “good” things, then “bad”, then “good” again. It was like wave after wave and it was tough. Anyway, in 2017, I was in this “baby stage” as a Christian, probably our most vulnerable time, in hindsight. And I also think this was the start of God testing my faith but also revealing things too and disciplining me. If you read my posts from 5 years ago you will see this. In 2017, I was always going somewhere and one of the events I happened to go to was an art festival with music (one of my favorite hobbies): “Burbs Music and Art Festival”…here are links to the photos from my personal Instagram account taken in August 2017, the same month and year of that linked article above (scary):

UFO by Gateway Burners, local chapter of Burning Man

Gateway Burners

Burbs Music and Art Festival

Burbs Music and Art Festival 2

Burbs Music and Art Festival 3

Burbs Music and Art Festival 4

When I realized the connection to Burning Man and Baal Worship after reading the article, I initially thought: I’m going to delete those posts! But then I reconsidered: we can’t change the past, I went completely ignorant to what was talked about in that author’s opinion, I was intrigued by the art and music festival. If the festival happened again, I wouldn’t go because of that article I read, which makes me question all of it. But it also made me think about all the “subliminal” things we are exposed to unknowingly. It also made me wonder how many other people are “innocent” to this in participating and what influence, if any this has on our lives? From the bible we are told we are the subjects of “spiritual warfare” It really makes me think, maybe we shouldn’t be so naïve to this? Maybe we shouldn’t brush this off as “meaningless, unimportant, not impactful?” Do we really know? Jesus told his followers they couldn’t understand earthly things he was trying to tell them about, so how could he tell them about the spiritual world, despite the fact that his followers actually witnessed demonic possessions in their travels along with miracles and healing. Because of all of this, I tend to think there very well could be subtle spiritual deception in our lives working for a greater purpose later on. Again, I think it’s good to be aware of this, don’t be “blind” to this. There are blatant things happening in our world right now that are completely against God. How we live is a personal choice we make, and this is between God and each of us; no one should judge anyone else because we honestly don’t know everything. But we should have a clear conscience with God about how we are living our lives, if we don’t, it may be the reason for a personal change, if we choose God’s Kingdom.

Also this morning, while getting ready, I listened to Tim Keller’s Gospel in Life: The Robber’s House (another good one!) when he said: as Christians we are either “all in” or “all out” it made me think about that statement in relation to how I live my life. He’s right. Jesus had that warning to one of the churches in Revelation, about people being “lukewarm” and if they didn’t change he was about to figuratively “spit them out” or “extinguish their lampstand.” It gave me much to think about today.

So what do you think about all these events? Is God communicating or is this a strange coincidence?

by Categories: American, Entertainment, Face Fear, FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, God, HAPPINESS, Improvement, Love, Make It Count, MUSIC, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, Sex, WellnessTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Can Anyone Prove Jesus Saves?

The answer to this question depends on which word is emphasized: Is it “Proof” that’s being questioned? Is “Jesus” being questioned as our Savior? or is “Saved” being questioned? I’ll address each of these:

PROOF.

Proof always ties to a belief system whether we like to admit it or not. So the simple answer to this question is yes, it can be proved just like science is proved, but we will still choose “belief” or “unbelief” based on our personal mindset and what we personally choose to believe. We all make our own conclusions based on what we hear, see, experience, study, etc. and if those beliefs are strong, rarely does something change our minds. I’ve personally found that so many opposing beliefs can be “proved” by very educated people, data, statistics, etc. Data and information can be used to support opposing viewpoints and can be equally, strongly supported with opposing facts. It truly comes to choice: what do you want to believe? There ultimately is a truth, not every viewpoint can be the truth, but if our own personal beliefs are strong, we may hold on to those beliefs forever and may not truly have “the real truth”.

What is our source for TRUTH? If we are going to prove something it has to begin with identifying the source of the Truth we hold. Agree? Our personal truth typically begins with what we have been taught. When we come into this world at birth, we are taught everything we know by experience and through education. Our belief system begins at that point, sometimes it remains throughout our life but often it changes as we gain new information. I’m fascinated by science, it was one of my favorite subjects in school and it still fascinates me, but what I’ve found over time is new discoveries often disprove concepts that we held as truths! Simply put: We don’t have all the answers and even some of our scientifically proven assumptions are later proven fallible through science, as education evolves. If we are honest, we will admit this. We learn from people, from the past, from books, from research, from experiences, but what we CHOOSE to believe is based on our own personal belief system. I often see a strong polarization between those who base personal beliefs on Science vs. God, but there are also some who believe in both. Here’s the question for us: when it comes to choosing between science and God, which do we believe in? Which one do we choose? When there is a conflict between science and God, which prevails? This is our choice and indicates our belief. As for me personally, I choose God as my priority; because God is infallible, never changing (prove through history) and God cannot be “unproven” by anyone, as our creator. Yes, there are people that say creation started with a “big bang”, but they can’t explain how those particles came into existence to create the “big bang,” can they? If you say something just “came into existence,” how does science explain that? It can’t be explained, but God explains it: He is eternal and has communicated with people since sometime around 2,000 BC according to biblical records. It was significant enough to those early people who experienced this communication to record it and pass it on to generations. Another point, a good portion of the Old Testament follows the ancestry of Jesus. It shows us how, starting with Adam, Jesus came to be through every generation. Also documented in the BC times, were the books of the prophets who told of future events, some are yet to happen, but significant to the topic of Jesus, many of them spoke of Jesus 500 – 700 years BEFORE Jesus was born; they told that the Messiah would be a descendant of David and even gave a timeframe (the book of Daniel the prophet) all prophecies of which were fulfilled/PROVED (except for the future event of Jesus’ return, which remains). I believe what the Bible tells us. So to me, the Bible represents the only reliable source of truth to follow.

JESUS.

So the next possible question is: who is Jesus and what do we know about him? Since I identified the Bible as my belief and resource for Truth in the paragraphs above, I will use the Bible to answer these questions and include the bible verses supporting these statements in the active links. Jesus is the Son of God, supernaturally conceived by Mary because he arrived as a baby when he first came to earth. He is the Messiah spoken of by the prophets in the Old Testament of the bible whose entire purpose here on earth was to SAVE people. The first person Jesus saved was the criminal on the cross next to Him. There are numerous verses in the Bible telling us Jesus specifically came to save (some of these verses in this link don’t address this topic, but this was the easiest way to do a broad search of the topic in the bible) and Jesus also told people, He came to save.

SAVED.

How does a person become saved by Jesus? Jesus told us: 1. Repent, 2. Believe what Jesus taught while He was here on earth and 3. Be baptized Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, one of the original 12 apostles, repeats this: Repent and be baptized. Jesus also told Nicodemus (a person who was faithful in following the religious law of that time): that people must be “Born of the Spirit” to enter God’s future Kingdom. (Read the entire conversation here) We need to receive the Holy Spirit to be saved and we receive the Holy Spirit by first repenting (recognizing our sins, wanting forgiveness and changing our future ways), then believing what Jesus told us about God’s future Kingdom. This belief becomes the motivation to get baptized. Baptism is the symbolic representation that we have surrendered our natural born tendencies/ways of living and made a personal choice CHOOSING God’s way/Jesus’ shown way to live life, putting into practice what he taught while He was here. But since we are human and not perfect, we need help; that help is the Holy Spirit (who provides wisdom, self-control, peace, power, spiritual gifts and more). Once we have been baptized, we can pray and ask for the Holy Spirit, which God will not withhold (as long as our intentions are “good”) and this helps us endure to the end of our earthly lives or until Jesus returns, whichever comes first? Believing in Jesus means more than believing he exists; even demons believe He exists. Believing means more, it is faith with action, faith shown by our actions, faith shown by how we are living our life. Jesus’ brother, James, tells us that point. Getting back to Baptism and the “surrender” part is also important. In surrendering we are acknowledging a submissive place/role to God. This is important for a couple reasons that come to mind, the first is it eliminates Pride; Pride (being “haughty“) is one of the 7 things God hates. We realize that we will never be capable of being “good enough” to enter God’s Kingdom/Eternity and the only way this was made possible was by Jesus’ death on the cross, the substitutionary sacrifice of His own life exchanged for the lives of those who choose to be saved. This last part is challenging to comprehend because the concept of “sacrifice” involves spiritual laws that I don’t fully understand. For some reason, unknown to me there is a universal law that requires sacrifice to become holy to be in God’s presence and Jesus was that only acceptable sacrifice. It’s talked about throughout the Old Testament, first with animal sacrifices. But over and over again, people made bad choices, fell back into sinful life styles, continuing with animal sacrifices, until God put an end to that because He loves people so much: He sent His Son, Jesus, to make the final required sacrifice making it possible for those who choose to be saved: to live eternally (in new bodies) with God in His future Kingdom, that will come to earth in the future.

Being “SAVED” is all about our personal choice. God gave us the gift (Jesus’ substitutional sacrifice made it possible) but we have that choice available to us. Eternity with or without God is a PERSONAL choice/decision. Each person has to make this choice on their own. God is love; Love involves choice; therefore God gave us that choice.

So yes, to me, based on the statements above and the bible; I am proving that Jesus saves.

Please share this with someone if you think it might make a difference in their life! Thank you!

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.

If you are interested in learning more about the conflicting viewpoints between science and the bible, there are educated scientists who dedicate their time addressing these questions and providing answers. Here is a website resource: Answers In Genesis

by Categories: FAITH, God, HAPPINESS, Improvement, Love, Make It Count, prioritiesTags: , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

When the Obvious Isn’t.

How many times have we had this happen: something that puzzled us becomes known and then we think: “Wow, I should have seen that!”? Often it happens when we consider another person’s thoughts, another person’s perspective, someone who notices something we didn’t initially, until that person points it out. This is how each of us can help each other. So many people throughout my life have unknowingly influenced me; they unknowingly contributed to my direction in life: some were positive influences and others were negative influences, but both influenced change in me. This is also a reminder to “be thankful in all circumstances.” when that influence contributes to a positive change, and even if the circumstance is negative. But sometimes the change was negative: a great reminder to be intentional with friendships.

Those are examples of “small details” in life, the bigger picture in life is something that I gradually became aware of, through other people who pointed out very obvious details that I’ve passed over so many times throughout my entire life:

There is a literal Kingdom that has been and is forming right in front of us; it’s a “right in front of your face” “secret” formation (only because we are “blind” to it), so subtle that many don’t see it!

Thinking about a “Kingdom” in a literal sense is not something a US citizen would necessarily embrace, and many others may not either because of the mistrust and corruption we see every day. But this literally is happening right now, but not by force as many historical Kingdoms have formed in the past; with this one, each of us is allowed and encouraged to decide if we choose to live in this Kingdom which is currently forming.

Something finally connected with me this morning, many people might know the words to this prayer, but many of us may have simply memorized it, not thinking about each and every word. Here is the prayer, the prayer Jesus gave by example of how to pray to God:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]
    but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’

This is what I see now, some of which I didn’t see before:

  1. Where is God? “in heaven“- a spiritual realm we can’t fully comprehend because we haven’t seen it, (click the links for supporting documentation).
  2. Hallowed: “greatly revered and honored”- God, and only God, is to be worshipped, nothing should be more important than God in our lives (the first 3 Commandments given by God, summarized here)
  3. your kingdom come: This is literal, I didn’t comprehend this until now! God’s Kingdom will be coming to us, to earth, a NEW earth with a NEW ruler (Jesus) pay attention to how many times Kingdom is referenced, Kingdom – of heaven, not only that but the bible references “heavens”, plural, not a single place where people will permanently be! There is a new literal place that is offered to those who accept God’s Kingdom and God’s commands/God’s Kingdom’s rules will live, a place so beautiful, so challenging to describe, so peaceful, without sickness or evil.
  4. your will be done: God’s plan will happen, but along the way people’s choices are allowed by God, but eventually His plan will prevail, Jesus was part of God’s plan, part of God’s plan from the very beginning, prophesized by Isaiah approximately 700 years before Jesus was born!
  5. on earth as it is in heaven -the Kingdom of heaven will be brought here, to earth, under Jesus as ruler (see prior links)
  6. Give us today our daily bread – if we seek God first, all that we need will be provided to us, Jesus said this.
  7. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors – Jesus explained how important it is for us to forgive others, it affects us if we don’t forgive.
  8. and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. This is where we see that those who are still controlled by the devil, do not recognize Jesus; it is our choice to break from and abandon that (be born again) and with the help and power of the Holy Spirit given to those who obey and ask God for help in Jesus’ name, we can overcome that slavery to sin.

It’s pretty amazing how much is within this simple prayer and referenced in other teachings Jesus gave us and throughout the Bible! There are a couple of videos I recommend on this subject, if you, or someone you know prefers to watch rather than read ?

Video 1: The Kingdom of God -AOC Network

Video 2: Walking in the Spirit – AOC Network

Video 2: The Millennial Reign of Christ – Pastor Daniel Batarseh

This is something I certainly look forward to! I love to travel, so I think about the beautiful places I’ve experienced (like driving the Na Pali Highway in Oahu, HI), or other places I’ve only seen through photos….and God created all that, but He has plans for something even better than that, something new- now THAT is VERY exciting to think about!!

by Categories: Face Fear, FAITH, God, HAPPINESS, Improvement, Love, Make It Count, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, TRAVEL, USATags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Merry Christmas 2020

It is often in hindsight (that we realize) during the most trying times of our lives is when we experience God’s love, God’s people working on His behalf and truly have the opportunity to get to know God. God often uses something tragic in our lives and turns it into something good. He’s done this repeatedly throughout history and continues today.

AN OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLE- GOD TURNING BAD EVENTS INTO GOOD

Here is one example, of many, from the Old Testament: the story of Joseph (from the Bible, book of Genesis 37 – 50). Joseph was the son of Jacob and Rachel, Jacob who was the son of Isaac, who was the son Abraham and you can trace Abraham back to Noah, Noah back to Enoch, Enoch back to Adam (for those of you who recognize these “famous” names from the Bible), it’s fascinating. Anyway Joseph was thrown into a cistern by his own brothers (due to their jealousy), then sold into slavery when he was young. God had given Joseph the spiritual gift of dreams (that Joseph could interpret and also came true). Joseph rose to great power in Egypt, despite having many trials along the way then ended up saving many people from famine including his own family because of this spiritual gift God gave him. (An example of God turning bad hardships into something good).

A NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLE – GOD’S OWN SON, JESUS

This is really the hardest to explain because this is unfamiliar and uncommon to us making it difficult to comprehend, but is explained throughout the entire bible (Old Testament through New Testament). There is only 1 God, however God is a triune God (consisting of three in one): God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Basically, God sent a part of Himself to earth (Jesus) to save us from evil and permanent death because of God’s love for us. I don’t comprehend why evil was allowed such a heavy influence and power over the earth, except that God is love and in real love, love is a choice, not forced. So that concept helps me understand this. God has given those evil ones a choice, they just didn’t choose God back and that’s what we are living through right now, but not forever (if we love God back). Getting back to the point: God used Jesus’ suffering and death for our good, as a ransom to evil, so that those who choose God will have eternal life after physical death. God used bad to turn it into something good in this, the greatest example, from the New Testament.

EXAMPLE TODAY- MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

My faith journey is documented throughout my entire blog. It was ignited by a tragic event, a car accident involving one of my daughter’s closest friends, Andy, shortly after he turned 16. This is when I first began truly seeking to know God, trying to understand the reason this happened along with questioning my purpose in life; rethinking my entire life.

It wasn’t a quick transformation, it began 5 years ago (2015) very gradually and with many personal failures along the way, but increased over time with an intensity that didn’t make sense. I was not a religious person by any means. I am definitely not the same person I was 5 years ago, so much has changed in my life (ultimately for the better). But along the way I experienced some of my most challenging times. No one will understand what I mean unless you have gone through this personally. I am not a “religious” person today either; I have a bible based faith. I see things very differently than before. I understand what the bible means about spiritual “blindness” because it affected me. When the blindness begins to disappear, is when those of us who have been through this experience comprehend what that blindness means. I say “begins to disappear”, because not everything is clear to me from the Bible, but some is. I now experience peace, hope and love as I never have before in my life. The “joy” is something I’m working towards! As I’ve explained before, I don’t write about these things unless something inspires me to. When I feel a “push” is when I do this. My latest “push” has been focusing on “Joy”….it is so incredible how those filled with God’s spirit, who have basically “nothing” by our world’s value system, show this tremendous joy and happiness from God (in an authentic, not fake way). I seek that joy and know that over time as I grow closer to God, I will experience that, because I see others who experience this. Others inspire us: I think that is what leading by example is: those other people who are joyful, lead us to seek joy, which truly only comes from God, because those with joy are joyful in both good times and bad. This is from the Holy Spirit and can only be attained through obeying God’s commands, changing our mindset and becoming God focused. So getting back to the point again: God uses bad things and turns them into something good today as well as in the past. Ultimately the greatest joy is knowing that one day, those of us who choose to love and obey God will not have any sorrows to experience that here on earth, may hold us back from experiencing the joy of God. For true joy, we need to constantly re-focus our negative thoughts on God and eternal life and realize that all pain we go through is only temporary. I pray to God that whomever reads this will experience the joy from God ahead despite our circumstances as we enter 2021.

May God bless you and your family.

Merry Christmas!

by Categories: FAITH, FAMILY, God, HAPPINESS, Improvement, Love, Make It Count, RELATIONSHIPSTags: , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Work, Wealth and Labor Day (USA)- thoughts…

I woke up on September 8, 2020 the day after Labor Day, way too early in the morning with these thoughts in my mind, when I wrote this: “I’m curious if anyone else shares my perspective or has similar thoughts? What is Labor Day truly about? How does the Labor Day celebration and values compare to what we learn from God through the bible? What does God say about “work” in general? “

I finished this post on 9.8.20 but decided not to publish it because there was frustration building in me as I wrote this and I prefer positivity over negativity. So I’ve waited a month now and still feel the same about this. Leading up to September 8th, around the end of August 2020, Democratic leadership chose to omit “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance when addressing certain groups who may not respond positively to “God.” This has bothered me ever since then and I have been angry about it. The fact is, those words are in the Pledge of Allegiance and removing them is going against God. It’s deceptive and manipulative in speaking to those certain people and that action was ungodly and concerning to me. I can’t stay silent on this.

A personal note (so you might understand my perspective)…

It is a little embarrassing to admit how much of my life I just “went with the flow:” I accepted things how they exist, not giving much thought to it: traditions, teachings, religion, holidays, work days, the way people lived, etc. I accepted many things blindly from “trusted” sources of authority from childhood, but as I grew up, I personally felt there are a lot of “gray areas”; nothing seemed absolute, and rules were only guidelines. I didn’t necessarily agree with everything, but letting it exist “as is”, kept me away from conflict most of the time. I thought I was better off living my life, my own way. Looking back, I didn’t have a strong direction in life, I was continually trying different things, hoping to figure it out someday. I now realize my past was existing in a state of “blindness.” I can’t call it “living” now, it was “existing” in a meaningless state, focused on obtaining happiness….but all that changed…

Now back to the significance of Labor Day in the USA, what it’s about...

“Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” US Dept of Labor

“The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pays tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation’s strength, freedom, and leadership – the American worker.” US Dept of Labor

What influenced my thinking…

I look at everything in life differently now. Ever since I started studying the Bible many traditions, teachings, religion, holidays, work days, the way people live, etc. are not truly how I viewed them before. Reading the bible literally changed my thinking- it wasn’t just one church or a person who did this. There were about seven influential people and churches I found online, after personally reading the bible front to back. I was searching topics of interest which led me to compare what they said against the bible. There is so much online, so it is important to read the bible personally so you know if what someone is saying is truly in the bible or if it is being taken out of context and used in a false way. Seeking answers was an internal drive in me: “What is the Truth?” This opened my eyes to so much false information, teachings and values that hit all of us so hard daily. Modern day culture falsely presents many things as the the “right way,” when it is not true, from a biblical perspective- it is the “wrong way.” This bothered me; I don’t like being lied to and I don’t like it when others are lied to and they accept this ignorantly, just like I did. Not because it affects me, but because it effects every individual in a personal way, a way that can be harmful to each person. This is the reason I write and make videos about different subjects, hoping to open up someone else’s eyes, like mine were opened.

Getting back to the Labor Day holiday and biblical teachings about work…

First, here’s the Labor Day holiday description:

“a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.”

This is celebrating workers, those who contribute to the well being of others. Here’s what the bible says (it obviously isn’t silent on being a “worker” and the value of a worker):

  • Proverbs 31:27 (NLT)She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness. (This may not be what Labor Day is about, but the contributions of someone who “stays home” and runs a household does contribute to the well being of the family and is equally as important.)
  • Ecclesiastes 10:18 (NLT)Laziness leads to a sagging roof; idleness leads to a leaky house.
  • Ezekiel 16:49 (NLT)Sodom’s sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door.
  • James 1:22 (NLT)But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
  • Proverbs 10:26 (NLT)Lazy people irritate their employers, like vinegar to the teeth or smoke in the eyes.
  • Colossians 3:23 (NLT)Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
  • Colossians 3:17 (NLT)And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
  • Proverbs 10:4 (NLT)Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.
  • Proverbs 12:24 (NLT)Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.
  • Proverbs 21:25 (NLT)Despite their desires, the lazy will come to ruin, for their hands refuse to work.
  • 2 Thessalonians 3:10 (NLT)Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.”
  • James 1:23 (NLT)For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.
  • Proverbs 6:6 (NLT)Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise!
  • Proverbs 10:5 (NLT)A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace.
  • Proverbs 13:4 (NLT)Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.
  • Proverbs 18:9 (NLT)A lazy person is as bad as someone who destroys things.
  • Proverbs 19:15 (NLT)Lazy people sleep soundly, but idleness leaves them hungry.
  • Proverbs 20:4 (NLT)Those too lazy to plow in the right season will have no food at the harvest.
  • Proverbs 20:13 (NLT)If you love sleep, you will end in poverty. Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat!
  • Ecclesiastes 9:10 (NLT)Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.
  • Ephesians 4:28 (NLT)If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.
  • Genesis 2:15 (NLT)The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.
  • Hebrews 13:16 (NLT)And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.
  • Exodus 5:17 (NLT)But Pharaoh shouted, “You’re just lazy! Lazy! That’s why you’re saying, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to the Lord.’
  • Romans 12:11 (NLT)Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.
  • 2 Timothy 2:15 (NLT)Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.
  • Proverbs 15:19 (NLT)A lazy person’s way is blocked with briers, but the path of the upright is an open highway.
  • Proverbs 19:24 (NLT)Lazy people take food in their hand but don’t even lift it to their mouth.
  • Proverbs 24:30 (NLT)I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one with no common sense.
  • Proverbs 26:15 (NLT)Lazy people take food in their hand but don’t even lift it to their mouth.
  • Proverbs 26:16 (NLT)Lazy people consider themselves smarter than seven wise counselors.
  • Proverbs 12:27 (NLT)Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find.
  • Proverbs 22:13 (NLT)The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion out there! If I go outside, I might be killed!”
  • Proverbs 26:13 (NLT)The lazy person claims, “There’s a lion on the road! Yes, I’m sure there’s a lion out there!”
  • Proverbs 26:14 (NLT)As a door swings back and forth on its hinges, so the lazy person turns over in bed.
  • Matthew 25:26 (NLT)“But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate,
  • 1 Timothy 5:13 (NLT)And if they are on the list, they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people’s business and talking about things they shouldn’t.
  • Titus 1:12 (NLT)Even one of their own men, a prophet from Crete, has said about them, “The people of Crete are all liars, cruel animals, and lazy gluttons.”
  • Exodus 5:8 (NLT)But still require them to make the same number of bricks as before. Don’t reduce the quota. They are lazy. That’s why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to our God.’
  • 1 Thessalonians 5:14 (NLT)Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.
  • 1 Timothy 5:8 (NLT)But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.
  • Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. Galatians 6:4 (NLT)

And Jesus said:

But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.”John 5:17 (NLT)

And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”Matthew 12:12 (NLT)

and then there is this about resting/taking a day off work…

  • Genesis 2:2 (NLT)On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.
  • Genesis 2:3 (NLT)And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation.
  • Hebrews 4:4 (NLT)We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.”

“You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of complete rest, an official day for holy assembly. It is the Lord’s Sabbath day, and it must be observed wherever you live.Leviticus 23:3 (NLT)

Jesus said:

Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.Mark 2:27 (NLT)

Working is obviously an important part of our country and an important part of the bible. But there are also important parts of scripture giving warnings to people about their “work” :

WARNING #1: Rest and acknowledge God, we need to remember God, recognize God, acknowledge that God provides for us:

  • Exodus 20:11 (NLT)For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
  • Exodus 16:27 (NLT)Some of the people went out anyway on the seventh day, but they found no food.
  • Exodus 16:30 (NLT)So the people did not gather any food on the seventh day.

The last two references, showed how people who disobeyed God’s commands did not find food on the Sabbath Day, because they didn’t recognize God as the Provider of their basic needs.

WARNING #2: Don’t let work become your idol (something more important than God)

Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.Proverbs 11:28 (NLT)

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.Matthew 6:24 (NLT)

Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)

“Have I put my trust in money or felt secure because of my gold?Job 31:24 (NLT)

“They will throw their money in the streets, tossing it out like worthless trash. Their silver and gold won’t save them on that day of the Lord’s anger. It will neither satisfy nor feed them, for their greed can only trip them up.Ezekiel 7:19 (NLT)

Greed causes fighting; trusting the Lord leads to prosperity.Proverbs 28:25 (NLT)

WARNING #3: Don’t let pride drive us in work, serve others, don’t do it to glorify ourselves, but give the glory to God, when pride takes over, we become idols to ourselves instead of worshiping God, here’s what the bible says about this:

Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.Proverbs 11:2 (NLT)

Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.Proverbs 16:18 (NLT)

Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.Proverbs 29:23 (NLT)

Don’t you realize that from the beginning of time,ever since people were first placed on the earth,the triumph of the wicked has been short lived and the joy of the godless has been only temporary? Though the pride of the godless reaches to the heavens and their heads touch the clouds,yet they will vanish forever,thrown away like their own dung.Those who knew them will ask,‘Where are they?’ They will fade like a dream and not be found. Job 20:4-8 (NLT)

And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” Mark 7:20-23 (NLT)

Human pride will be brought down, and human arrogance will be humbled. Only the Lord will be exalted on that day of judgment.Isaiah 2:11 (NLT)

For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.1 John 2:16 (NLT)


If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.Galatians 6:3 (NLT)

The Lord detests the proud; they will surely be punished.Proverbs 16:5 (NLT)

WARNING #4: Accumulating wealth – if we are blessed with wealth, it’s not bad as long as we use it for others, but if we accumulate it for ourselves or by corruption, then we get into trouble with God:

If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?1 John 3:17 (NLT)

Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life.Proverbs 1:19 (NLT)


The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin.Proverbs 10:16 (NLT)

Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me (God). Exodus 20:23 (NLT)

“What sorrow awaits you who build cities with money gained through murder and corruption!Habakkuk 2:12 (NLT)

For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.1 Timothy 6:10 (NLT)

Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.1 Timothy 6:17 (NLT)


Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness!Ecclesiastes 5:10 (NLT)

Wisdom is even better when you have money. Both are a benefit as you go through life.Ecclesiastes 7:11 (NLT)

“What sorrow awaits you who build big houses with money gained dishonestly! You believe your wealth will buy security, putting your family’s nest beyond the reach of danger.Habakkuk 2:9 (NLT)

Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.1 Timothy 6:18 (NLT)

In conclusion: There is so much more in the Bible about work, wealth and God being the priority in our lives, this would be much longer if I included all of it. Recognizing people for their contributions is important, building people up rather than tearing them down is important, people having time off is important, and there is nothing wrong with wealth (if it is used for others, not acquired corruptly and God gets the credit for the prosperity.) It looks like the Department of Labor forgot that part: the creator is ultimately God. Most importantly, God must be recognized as the Priority above all else. Hopefully with all the information above, it’s clear why it’s important for the future of the USA to continue to recognize God and keep “One Nation under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Understanding the Meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance Words - Historyplex
by Categories: American, Careers, entrepreneur, FAITH, FAMILY, God, Improvement, Labor Day, Make It Count, priorities, USATags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

God and Relationships: Healing, Forgiveness and Love

Last night before I went to sleep, when I prayed, I asked God if He would inspire me with something meaningful to share because I haven’t written in this blog since June, I wanted to write, but I haven’t felt inspired for awhile. Well, God answered that prayer at 6 am this morning when the title of this was the first thought I had as soon as I woke up.

It amazes me how the Bible shares wisdom with us “scattered” throughout the book, through different messengers, but all giving the same message.

This topic is consistently timely because we interact with people on a daily basis and need God’s help “dealing with” people, and more appropriately “dealing with” ourselves. I’ll explain the image for this article and how it relates:

We need God in our relationships: any relationship with God as a part of it equals love.

God is love.

MAKING EXCUSES

I believe in being accountable for my own actions, not making excuses (understanding what leads me to something, but not blaming my actions on someone or something else). I’m responsible for my own actions no matter what happens around me. I personally choose to react the way I do. So why is it that I allow different standards for others? I allow excuses for them. Excuses justifying other’s actions or behavior, when I wouldn’t allow myself to act that way. I made excuses because I thought trying to be a Christian meant accepting other people as they are, and not being judgmental of others, which it does, but there is more to this:

A Christian should help others be aware of the wisdom from God through the bible (awareness only -not judgement nor retaliation- that’s reserved for God) – don’t be silent, speak up, but don’t do this in anger, do this in a loving way to build up the other person, in the knowledge of God, not tear them down.

DO NOT JUDGE:

GO TO THE BIBLE AND IN PRAYER GO TO GOD FOR ADVICE, STRENGTH AND WISDOM:

HEALING

I had to think: which comes first: healing or forgiveness? It’s a challenge to forgive someone if we haven’t healed from what happened. But we also can’t heal from it unless we forgive it (let it go). So maybe it’s a combination of healing and forgiveness, but first and most importantly seeking God. This is where we NEED God: to heal and to forgive. There is no question about that. I often think of this simple statement which is so true:

Hurt people hurt people.

Pastor Rick Warren

It’s something I keep in mind whenever someone hurts me. It’s important to have that perspective, it makes it easier to accept someone for who they are. We can’t know everything that happened to someone during their life. If someone was loved throughout their life, they wouldn’t hurt. So because they have been hurt (and haven’t healed), they hurt other people. So it’s so important for all of us to heal from the hurt other people caused in our lives.

FORGIVING

If we want a great relationship with anyone, we need to be able to forgive, regularly! Forgiving someone doesn’t mean allowing what they did to continue as if it doesn’t affect us. But if the other person who hurt us is truly sorry, that person will do their best to not do it again and ask for a second chance. If the person truly wants forgiveness and tells us how they have changed and why they have changed, then we need to offer forgiveness. (If this is an abusive situation, we may need to offer forgiveness but not remain in that person’s life for safety reasons. This type of situation requires other qualified individuals’ assessment of the situation.)

WHY WE NEED GOD FOR HEALING, FORGIVENESS AND LOVE (and Eternity):

HOW WE GET THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

On our own, we are going to fail, that’s the truth, but if we have the Holy Spirit in us, we will succeed. So how do we receive the Holy Spirit? God sends the Holy Spirit to us if we ask and OBEY God:

And this is why we need God in all of our relationships. We need a relationship with God so that we can have good relationships with other people through the strength of the Holy Spirit in us.

Once we have a relationship with God, he will protect us until the end of times.

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN TELL IF SOMEONE HAS A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD (these qualities will be evident in that person’s life):

We obviously need God as the priority in our life, so the rest of our life can fall in place. As in any good relationship, there is an exchange of giving and receiving. This is no different with God, we aren’t going to receive the power of the Holy Spirit unless we obey God’s commands (sin keeps the power of the Holy Spirit from us). God always loves us, but the power of the Spirit is reserved for those who obey Him. The power of the Holy Spirit makes our lives more peaceful, provides joy, wisdom and enables us to love in a more godly way than we could on our own.

I hope you found this helpful for your relationships!

by Categories: Dating, Entertainment, FAITH, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP, God, HAPPINESS, Improvement, Letting Go, Love, Make It Count, Marriage, priorities, RELATIONSHIPS, WellnessTags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment