We cannot serve two masters:

Matthew 6:24 says, "No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." If we look at this verse, it clearly states you cannot serve two things at one time. God also says in Ephesians 3:16, "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being." It's amazing what this verse really means. Through Christ and his riches, we may be strengthened with his power in us and through us. The joy of living in His presence outshines all other pleasures. God says, He wants us to reflect His joyous light by living in increasing intimacy with Him. Wow. Living in increasing intimacy. Let me just say, God is a jealous God. He is our Father, and for Him to see us serve something or someone else, makes Him jealous. He loves us to the point of watching us worship, serve idols in our lives so that we may realize that we are not made to worship or serve two masters. We come to a point where we need Christ, we need that intimacy with our Father. If God is truly our Master, you will desire to please Him above all others. If pleasing people is your goal, you will be enslaved to them. People can be harsh task makers when you give them this power over you. And if Christ is the master of your life, He will also be your first love. You're serving Christ is rooted and grounded in His vast, unconditional love from you. The lower you bow down before Him, the higher He lifts you up into intimate relationship with Him. This also relates to God's greatest commandment. In Matthew 22:34-40, it says, "Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducee s, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law,tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” The Pharisees ask Jesus what the greatest commandment is, and he says, "You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." The second on is like it; "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Christ makes it very clear all that He asks of us. Which is not very much. Christ also says, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." The word "If," is said, because we as Christians have a fleshly self that may not always love or want to keep Christs commands all the time. We try to fit His love into our lives, when we really need to give our self-pride up and let His love consume our lives. 
The world's way of pursuing riches is grasping the hoarding. I attain God's riches by letting go and giving. The more I give myself to God and His ways, the more He fills me with inexpressible, and heavenly joy. Psalm 29:2, 1 Peter 1:8. Though I have not seen Him, I love Him. Though I do not now see Him, I believe in Him and rejoice with joy. 

You Are Not Your Own

      "You are not your own." The generation now is a hungry generation for things of the spirit; they are eager to learn the gospel, and they want it straight. They want to know about our beliefs, they want to gain testimonies of their truth; they are not doubters but inquirers, seekers after truth. We think that putting a little gospel out their will consume them and bring them closer to Christ. But, it doesn't do as much as we think it will. We do not have to sneak up behind this spiritually experienced generation and whisper religion in their ears; you can come right out, face to face, and talk with them. You can bring these truths to them openly. Youth may prove to be not more fearful of them than you are. There is no need for gradual approaches.

       I found in the Word of Wisdom a principle with a promise. The principle: Care for your body; avoid habit-forming stimulants,tobacco, liquor, and drugs.  Such addictive things do little more than relieve a craving which they caused in the first place.Your body really is the instrument of your mind and the foundation of your character.The things you say, do or act on, reflect who you are as a person and your reputation towards your peers. This also goes hand in hand with a life pleasing to God. In 1 Thessalonians 4, it speaks of how we should walk, act, and treat others that is pleasing to the Lord. There are a few things we ought to do, to teach us to walk and to please God. This is the will of God. 1) Each one of us should know how to control our body, in holiness and honor. Not in the passion of lust. 2) No one transgresses and wrongs his brother. 3) God has not called us to impurity, but in holiness. For we have been taught by God to love one another to aspire to live quietly. 4) To mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands. So that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. 

        We tend to be dependent on what the world thinks, on what others around us think; it causes us to lose focus on what God thinks. As we walk in the way of the flesh, we see nothing of God, but of self-indulgent. We don't understand what's so wrong about it, cause were looking through fleshly eyes. If we depend on the will of the Lord, we might actually see God's blessings and prevision fall like rain into our lives, and our lives drastically changing from flesh like, to Christ like. 

So I encourage you, don't get caught up in what your eyes see, cause Satan will make things like that look real good, but the outcome and consequences are more serious than you think or even know. Just like a movie. You look at the front cover, and it looks really good, and on the back at the very bottom, it says it's PG, but somewhere somehow in small lettering it says something like,"this film has minor language, sexuality, and some crude humor." I don't know about you, but the word "minor" seems to make us think that it's okay to see it even if it does have those things in the film. We have to be cautious of how the Devil works in these types of situations. Satan is very clever and sneaky. He has a way to just make things "okay", and then he starts to work a little harder at figuring out how to attack your mind and then your heart, and before you know it, he is consuming your whole body. Be on your guard, put on the full armor of Christ daily. Fight against the Devil, because in the end, Christ will reward you for your obedience towards Him. Live in Christ, breath in Christ, grow in Christ. 

The whole armor of God:

"Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, etc" (Ephesians 6:10-18). Take up the WHOLE armor of God.." The Bible tells up to stand firm against the evil doings. For we need to take on the armor of God daily. We don't expect us to be in the armor when we got to sleep or when we wake up, we think that if we put on the armor of Christ once a week, were good. But, were not. We are more open to the attacks of the devil and putting ourselves in our own danger. We have to put on the armor of God daily. Not when we feel like it, but when we wake up and when we go to sleep. What is the armor of God?

       1. The belt of Truth

       2. The breastplate of Righteousness

       3. The readiness given by the Gospel of Peace

       4. The shield of Faith

       5. The helmet of Salvation

       6. The Sword of the Spirit. (Which is the word of God) 

*Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer given, and supplication. 

The song "While I'm waiting" came on the radio yesterday, and as I was writing some things down, I had to stop and listen. Realizing that the song is not good just because it has a good beat, or a good lead singer, or it is constructed in a good way, but the words itself make the song. "While I'm waiting I will serve you, while I'm waiting I will not fail, even while I wait." If you think about it, I can't even think of a time when I was in a situation where I wasn't irritated or aggravated at the things that were happening. I was so concentrated and worried about the things that were going wrong, that I didn't stop and realize the goodness and faithfulness of God's grace. I am okay, still alive, not hurting physically. I was going to be okay. God had me in a time where He was testing my faith in Him. All I had to do was wait, and serve and love Him while I wait. See, Christ as He was dying on the cross, wasn't worried about what might happen after he died, but what might happen to all the people who were still yet sinners standing in front of Him. That's when he cried out to Jesus saying, "Lord forgive them for they not know what they do." So powerful to think of what a moment that would be. When Christ himself was dying, he was asking God forgive us. Wow. What a sacrifice. 

There are trials and tribulations we go through as Christians daily. But if we have faith, trust and knowing that God is there the whole time, just waiting for us to be broken and come humbly to him, we will be able to stand firm in His righteousness. What if we said these words daily....Even when my world is shaken, I will serve and worship the Lord. Even though things don't go as plan, I still will wait. No matter how hard things get, God is and can do all things in your favor if only I obey. Obedience comes blessings. As we live our daily lives, let us remember that if we have truth through Jesus Christ, and obedience to his will, all these things will be added unto us. Matthew 6:33 says, "Seek the Kingdom of God daily, and all these things will be added unto you." Love with FAITH. At all times.