Justified or Incarcerated

I've woke up today at four thirty in the morning with an attitude like had more then eight hours of sleep;  rolling side to side on my bed forcing my self to sleep, but that did not happen.  So, I've pulled out my Colossians notes that I've been studying for the last two weeks, trying to break down the chapter for the sermons.  These were the verse that got my attention: " He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. . .   For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell" (Colossians 1:15-19). After a short period of time studying, I've decided to go back to sleep with a thought: "God, I want to see your face." After another attempt in put my self to sleep, I finally gave up and started my morning. Why am I saying this some might ask? Well, in that, my studying was apart from my application. I had a desire to see God's face, and where just few minutes ago, I've read a text explaining how that c...

http://jcow81.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/twenty-seven.gif As I am turning twenty seven, there are couple things that I want to thank my Lord for. Being twenty seven  might sound old for some people, but that is usually the case for people who are younger than 27. However for some (like a 50 year old), twenty seven is sounds like a child—it all depends from what perspective you are looking from. But as I look back, there are things that I am deeply humbled by: events, situations, and decisions that took place as I was 26 years old. Lot’s of changes that occurred in the past year. Learning to be content in any situation, being placed in different circumstances and not demanding my rights, these things filled my twenty sixth year. To be dependent on the Lord was something that I experience this year. As I look back and analyze, these are the things that my heart was influence by: My family:  Parents, brothers, sisters, and relatives are big part of my life, the...

1. Your spouse is inclined to drift from grace to self-effort. Preach the gospel to your spouse. Encourage meditation upon the riches of the gospel. Encourage resting in God even as the battle rages. 2.  Your spouse may tend to become discouraged. Remind your spouse that God works beneath the surface well before change becomes visible. Celebrate what you can see, even if it is not directly related to the area of desired change. Review the game plan for change. 3.  Your spouse can lose sight of the ultimate goal. 4.  Your spouse must be pointed not to grace, but to the one from whom all grace flows. Great example of God’s grace in our life: "When my daughter was about four years old, she decided she was ready to ride her bike without training wheels. My wife and I celebrated that big moment and took her to a big, empty parking lot. We pulled the bike out of the van, took off the training wheels, and placed my daughter on the seat. She was giggling with deligh...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/82977271@N00/262738480/sizes/z/in/photostream/ Why am I writing this? Usual I try to escape a questions that has nothing to do with me or my life.  But for a few months, I was challenged to see what does the Bible say about a woman and her roll in the church.  I know that this is not a simple question that has a simple answer, this question requires a precise answer, and defiantly I am not qualified to do this.  On the other hand, I still had to formulate an answer for my self to see how am I going to approach this subject. Here are my thoughts.  I also would love to hear yours opinion and your thoughts to challenge my conclusions and be corrected. Different approach   People have good reasons and a good motivation for lot’s of events that are happening in the Church's.  These events flow out from the scripture, traditions, culture, personal desires, and maybe someone were just instructed that way.  With all that...

Christopher Hitchens is one of the leading atheist of our times, they call it the new atheism now.  He also is the author of a book, “God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything,” that was just recently released; heavily opposing religion and any idea that God exist.  But right now Mr Hitchens is in his last stages of the esophageal cancer.  The New Your Time describes his last moments of life like this: “Some of these articles were written with the full consciousness that they might be my very last. Sobering in one way and exhilarating in another, this practice can obviously never become perfected.”  Another words, Hitchens has little time left. Smoking and drinking was something that Hitchens needed to quit, life was more important then the pleasures of these habits, not mentioning that he had a feeding tube installed since June.  He had power in articulating his worldview to others, the ideas, but were these thoughts the reality of our world? You...

Sexual battle is an ongoing process that never weakens in Christians life.  Either you continuing battling or either you are going along with it.  I notice it's easy to make yourself look good on the outside, the best part of you to the public, but whats going on inside?  Hypocrisy is focused to do and obey the law on the outside, but true concern should be how we look inside?  Here are some practical steps from John MacArthur sermon on winning the battle in the inside:    " First , confess and forsake any sin, or pattern of sins that no one knows about. “let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”  (Isaiah 55:7) Second , do not expose yourself to evil attraction; avoid evil attractions, guard what you see. “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?” (Job 31:1).   Third , ...

Everyone has an opinion on everything.  Even to say that I don't want to talk about this, says that their is already an opinion why not to talk about this.  Recently I had to answer some hard questions for myself, the questions that I haven't been faced before in my life, it just never needed to be answered.  I know there are more questions that I would have to answer in the future, but that time will come.  So an opinion is good, not unless it is being taken in a demanded form: this is the only way to do this, no other way is the right way. To demand something and ask it to be done, is possible—but it depends on authority that a person possess. Now biblically the authority only in the truth, no authority is in men—that's where the scripture is being tossed around to bash on those who has a different point of view.  If I don't like something, it doesn't mean that I am right and the other person is wrong, it might be the...