Have faith and continue.

We all have times when life is up and down. Sometimes everything is good, we don't need anything, God seems to be right beside us and all we try to do goes well. Other times life is hard. Something we need has broken down down and we don't have the money to repair or replace it. Maybe we have fallen out with friends or colleagues and God seems to be far far away from us.

In James chapter one, James says it is a good thing to go through trials. God is testing our faith. Going through hard times make us stronger in faith and in life. God doesn't make us go through trials to hurt us, just the opposite, to build us up in our faith. If we find ourselves in the same situation later on in life we know we can overcome because because we did the first time. Also sometimes we go through trials to help others. If we know someone who is struggling through something we have experienced we can get alongside them, knowing how they feel, and encourage them through to the end.

To get through times of trouble we need to stay close to God. We need to decide to stay close to God. We cannot serve two Gods. In Revelation chapter 3 verses 15 and 16 God says to the church of Laodicea "Because you are luke warm I will spit you out of my mouth". God requires us to make up our minds to follow Him, live our lives holy and clean and to stick to that decision. If we don't we are double-minded and can not receive anything from God.

To have a stable life our faith must be shown in every part of our life. In Hebrews chapter 11 verse 6 it says "Without faith it is impossible to please God".

Faith is not just for times in church, itis for every part of our lives. Where do we get our faith? From reading, meditating and living the word of God. Read the Bible and take it in and use it as a manual for life.

To live a stable life we must submit to God. We always want to do things our way, to live our lives as we want to. But God's ways are not our ways. As we live our lives for Him we have to give Him the glory not ourselves. Doing things our way gives us the glory because we are in the forefront of what is happening but if we allow God to work through us we will do things that can only come from Him.

If we pray for someone to be healed and God performs a miracle and that person is healed we are just the tool that God uses when we prayed. We can not heal people other than through God's power, God gets the glory.

We also need to lovingly look out for each other. Not by condemning them but by gently showing them their wrong doing and being there for them, helping them to overcome the problems they hare facing.

Like a pond that in the winter gently freezes bit by bit so our hearts harden towards God just a bit at a time. Maybe we fall out with someone, then have a small problem and blame God, we don't go to church one week and then it is a few weeks that we don't go to church. Because we are not spending time with God and His people we drift into old habits and bit by bit we slowly turn away from God.

Instead we need to forgive each other, bring even small problems before God and watch what we are doing as well as watching out for each other but out of love not condemnation. God does not condemn He forgives.

The world nowadays teaches us to get and keep all that we can. Take care of yourself was not one of God's teachings. Jesus always preached look after one another, give to the poor and needy and look after your neighbours.

Psychologists say that grasping and holding onto things and people only makes us anxious, possessive, controlling and hard to live with. That is why Jesus said in Luke chapter 17 verse 33 "Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it but whoever loses his life will preserve it". To lose your life is not to die, but to invest it into God's plan for your life. You might lose your worldly life but you will gain a better life with God.

We need to give our whole lives to God 24 hours a day seven days a week not just the bits when we go to church or spend times with our Christian brothers.

Do everything in a way that pleases God and you will have a better life, and God will use you in ways you can not imagine or have seen before.

What truth !

Hey I just looked over my blogs and guess what I discovered. I have not written anything in such a long time. I am basically a bit of a loner and don't share my feelings but I do have stuff to share.

I got a friend's newsletter the other day and what he said in there "from the editor" spoke so much to me.

Here is what he said:

"When the truth dawned that Jesus died on the cross with the punishment of MY sins on HIS shoulders that He died so I could live, that He died so I could be forgiven, reconciled to God, made friends again with God. What else could I possibly do but hand my life over to Him? My life belongs to Jesus, the Messiah, the only Saviour, besides whom there is no other. He paid the price and what a price! My life cost Him His life!
I have searched and can not find anyone else who has died for me, He and He alone has claim to my life, to who I am. Buddha has no claim. Mohammed has no claim. Krishna has no claim. Allah has no claim. Satan used to have, but certainly has no claim now, but still tries hard.
... We were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! ...Romans 5:10
Have you ever thought about who owns your life?"

When we become Christians, we give our lives to Him. He gave us Christians a commission to go and make disciples. If He owns your life are you where He wants you to be, go to where God wants you to be and be radical being God's love for him that others around you might also find the One and only God.