Divorce

One of the favorite things I have found that non-believers and some Christians will use against each other when comparing lives is divorce.

Your a Christian but you are divorced, how is that? Isn't divorce a sin? Aren't you committing Biblical adultery by being remarried?

The divorce rate for the first marriage in America is 41%. (Courtesy of divorcerate.com) There are stats on there for second and third marriage, but this argument is based on the premise of the first divorce causing the sin, so that is where I will focus. 

Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:31-32, 

 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Which is where Christ says it is that we should divorce for adultery, but 1 Corinthians 7:12-13 also gives us a different reason that I feel it is acceptable.

To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him.

These scriptures say if you are married to an unbeliever who consents to to stay with you, you should remain married. The key phrasing here is "consents to live with", if they do not consent to live with you then, I feel,  God is not going to hold a divorce in violation of His laws. These scriptures, along with a few others also show other legitimate reasons for divorce, such as spouse abuse. There is reason to ever hit your husband or wife and abusing them in clear violation of God's law and repeatedly doing it show's someone who is not a true believer or follower of God's laws related to marriage. 

Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.

2 Timothy 3:1-8 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,  treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,  having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.  For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.  Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.

James 1:19-20 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Colossians 3:18-21 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

These scriptures tell us that husbands and wives are to be respectful to each other, abuse of any kind is anything but respectful. 2 Timothy tells us to avoid such people, if God expects us to avoid this type of person how can assume He wants us to stay in a marriage with someone like this who will not change their ways. 

Divorce is another subject that Christians need to study and devote time to. Even if we never intend on getting divorced, you never know what will happen or who will come needing advice. 

I am on my second and final marriage. My divorce in the first marriage was unquestionably Biblically legal and my wife now is an amazing woman whom I would be lost without and I look forward to giving her the rest of my life.

With the reduction of God in our country that we are experiencing, we are seeing more and more people seeing divorce is just a step that is easier than working through in a marriage. It is not this, divorce is serious because it is not only breaking a sacred promise between husband and wife, but it is our way of dissolving that Godly union where two become one in God's eyes and we do not have the authority to break that because we are bored with this person, or we are at a struggle point with finances, etc. 

God will permit divorces, but it has to be a result of a direct disregard or violation of one of His laws of marriage and love. 

Abortion

Today is the 40th anniversary of Roe vs Wade. I am going to discuss abortion and my interpretation of the scriptures.

This is another one of those hot button topics in society that has little or no middle ground with anyone. Any opinions expressed are mine and the most important part of these blogs are the scriptures because if you will listen God will interpret the scriptures for you.

 The question that truly surrounds it is simply at what point does human life begin? Is a fetus alive or is it in some other state while in utero where it's heart beats and it's limbs and organs form but it is not yet a human life.
My response to the above statements are that human life begins at conception. When the sperm and unite, and if the embryo forms ok and is allowed to develop into maturity what will it become? Without a doubt everyone can agree it will become a little baby person. Not any kind of creature, animal, or plant. Which says to me that human life begins at conception. While it is forming it will grow a heart and that heart will beat  just like mine and yours.

The question we should really focus on when looking to answer whether abortion is morally acceptable or not is, "At what point does God acknowledge the fetus?". The Bible tells us right and wrong in black and white, I have seen no grey in the Book.

The answer to this is God knows us from the moment we are formed. He not only knows us, but has formed us to become what He has planned for our lives. We have to accept that pregnancy is not the result of the father, the mother, or both; it is the result of God's will.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. (Psalm 139:13)
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. (Jeremiah 1:5)
This is what the Lord says - he who made you, who formed you in the womb. (Isaiah 44:2)

• You can set there and say that, but you don't have to deal with what I do. You don't have a child that is disabled or born with a birth defect.

  That would be correct. God has blessed with with 6 amazing kids and 1 of them does have his own challenges to face. He has Asperger's Syndrome, which is a form of Autism. He is super intelligent and I would not change anything about him if I could. That has helped to make him his on own person. This too me, is not a disability at all for him. It has resulted is some parenting style changes but any parent with more than one kid knows you have to take a slightly different approach anyway. Back to topic.

I am sure raising a child with physical or mental challenges can be very difficult, but there is a reason God permitted them to be born that way. We just have to trust God because there is a purpose for that child whether to lead others to Christ themselves or serve as a reminder that we should always honor and obey God's will.

• What if the mother is going to die if the child is carried to term and birth is attempted. 

This is a terrible diagnosis to receive from any doctor, but this is also a test of faith. God knows exactly when each and every person that is now or is to come will perish. He knows when they are going to be born. Again, I have never been remotely close to this situation myself, but if it is our time to go it doesn't matter if we are driving in a car, giving birth, or setting on the couch we will go. If it is not our time it will not happen.

A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. (Ecclesiastes 3:2)

• Rape Pregnancy

Rape is a horrible crime that no one should ever have to endure. The mother, in this situation, is a very unfortunate victim. They are not the only victim, the child is also a victim. Their father is not only a sad, sick individual who will most likely never have anything to do with them; but most likely the child will not know who they are or they will know and know the circumstances of their conception. Not sure which would be worse. 
God allowed the conception for some reason, and we should not take away the life and the opportunity for that child to grow and live because they are the product of a bad situation. Again God allowed that pregnancy to occur for some reason and we have to trust God in doing what is best.

I know there are lots of more topics within this and many more things could be said about each one of these, but I am not here to write a book; just a blog. Also I am sure this one will have lots of feedback and opinions, I look forward to the interaction and views just remember I did not write to make anyone angry and I request any feedback to be polite and courteous.

A Sin Is A Sin

Today's post stems from a discussion with my beautiful wife, who was playing Devil's Advocate, and said I was singling out one particular offense in a previous post without properly acknowledging all other sin.

• A little white lie
• Adultery
• Greed
• Envy
• Murder
• Taking the Lord's name in vain
• Profanity

Above is a small list, that I think everyone will agree are sins. What is the difference in these sins? Ultimately nothing. To God a sin is a sin. It doesn't matter if it is murder or a little white lie.

We, as humans, feel the need to justify every action we do that is wrong. We want to say "Yeah, I messed up but it could have been worse.". While morally I do think a murder is much more reprehensible than a white lie, spiritually one is just as damaging as the other. The only sin without equal is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, but I am not talking about that one today. 

Time for a change in direction with this thing.  I had approached this blog as going to debate whether or not all sin is equal in the eyes of God, but now that I set here typing I realize that is a moot point. It doesn't matter if one is more severe than the other as any and all of them can earn you a one way trip to Hell. 

We should not be focused on whether it is better to cheat on your spouse or just kill them. We should strive to remove all sin from our lives. Yeah, I know it is not possible, but that is the one unrealistic goal that Christians should strive for.

I will tell you I am far from perfect, I grew up in church hearing about God in several denominations, so I heard several viewpoints on God. I had a close walk with God and then I turned away from what I knew was right for no real reason and kind of did my own thing. I always know God was there watching me and still protecting me. I have now rededicated my life to God and I am trying to live right, it is a struggle daily. One thing I struggle with is letting profanity slip, now I have never talked like a sailor, so to speak. But when aggravated or upset I would let one fly and have 2 or 3 more in my head. I had pretty well gained control and on day my dog got out of the house and one of the kids heard me say one. To this day, I do not remember and never realized I said but I believe my kid and I have asked forgiveness. 

When looking at someone there should be no difference in what type of sinner they are. We should look at the person and their desire, are they willing to give up the sins of the lifestyle they are living to build a relationship with Christ or do they intend to keep doing what they are. If they are repentant and looking to change we should provide them any support necessary to help the. If they are not intent on changing we should strive to show them the way by talking with them and by setting an example with our lifestyle. 

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:9 says "Don't you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality,". 

The key thing with this scripture is the question, "Don't you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God?" That does not limit it to the listed items, but it says those who do wrong. That is any sin. This is critical and when we are witnessing to people we should always present it as such and let them know that through Christ all sin can be forgiven and we can get our name in Lamb's Book of Life. Through continuing to live according to His will we can guarantee our place in Heaven even though we are not perfect. 

Matthew 5:21-22

 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Romans 3:23  

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Proverbs 28:13 

People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.

Colossians 3:5-6

So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.  Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.

Galatians 5:19-21

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,  idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,  envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

What Gives You The Right?

A hardcore biker, a teenager wearing pants about 3 sizes too big and no belt, or someone wearing torn up and stained clothes. If all 3 of these people walked into your church would you approach them and if so, which one would you approach first and would there would be a difference in the way you greeted them?

These all could be the nicest people you ever meet or the warmness or coolness of your greeting could be the difference between this person continuing to come to church or turning their back on God.

How would you react to a child going from calm and mellow to hysterical over something as simply a change in music or for no apparent reason at all or setting there playing with the songbook, watching a fly, or just blatantly seeming to ignore the service in any other way.

This child could be misbehaving, then again they could be autistic. There are many levels of Autism and some of the higher functioning individuals look and act like everyone else most of the time. I know because I have a child with Apserger's Syndrome, high functioning Autism. His senses are heightened incredibly, that fluorescent bulb that you hear buzzing when it is about to go out, imagine hearing that buzzing from every light bulb that is in your immediate area no matter if they are old or new. Imagine having every sound amplified in your head and hearing them all. Imagine noticing everything from the imperfection in a songbook to a bug flying around and not being to draw your focus off that one thing. That is Autism and while most people with classic have clear indicators you cannot tell with others. So next time you are in church or in the supermarket and see that kid seeming to throw a fit and the parent that seems to not be able to get them to quit, stop and think that it could a parent coping with an Autistic child and instead of passing judgement stop and pick up the items the kid threw where the parent can focus on the child.

We all tend to judge people based on first appearance, no matter if there is any real interaction or not. We do not know if that is all the clothes this person has, if they have grown up in a certain lifestyle that is now part of their personality, if this is there first time learning of God, or if they have a special need.

Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment. - John 7:24 

 I like this verse because it says use right judgement. The Bible tells us we should not judge so, to me, right judgement is not really judgement but acceptance of the person as they are.

Judgement is a major challenge that Christians face. Many non-believers, and some fellow Christians, see what is wrong in our lives and say "What gives you the right to tell me what I am doing wrong, when you so clearly have issues yourself?" To combat this we must be willing to admit we have flaws and that a Christian is just a sinner that has been forgiven and will be forgiven again. No one is perfect and living a Christian life is  a struggle of mistakes, prayers, and talks with God. If we let them know we are not perfect and still face our own daily struggles and overcome them through God, then they will be more accepting of the words we tell them. It should not be taken as us saying " I am a Christian and you're not so I am going to tell you what is wrong with your life". Our approach should be that God loves us all, we have all fallen short of His glory but by going to the Son we can receive forgiveness, peace, blessings, and an eternity in Heaven.

If there are any things in our life that we have an inherent judgement on, such as race, gender, appearance, sexual preference, etc., we should put them aside. I know this is much easier said than done. I struggle with judgement every day and only through God am I able to move past it.

Until we as the Christian body can fully adopt this practice we are going to struggle with this issue and even then I know there will still be some to ask the question, but if we are living according to God's will and accepting all as they are God will give us the words to reach them.

Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. - Matthew 7:1-5

Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; Luke 6:37

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? James 4:11-12

I will close with John 12:47:
If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

Our job as Christians is summed up well by the words of Christ in this verse. If Christ was not here to judge we have no right to be doing it. We should be focusing on saving the world and winning souls for Christ using knowledge and love. Judgement is not a tool to win people to Christ.

Homosexuality

     Today's blog will most likely strike a nerve either for or against. I want to state right now that I am not judging anyone about their life. This is about the action from a Biblical standpoint and we should strive to look at all topics such as this, as impartial as we can because it is God's place to judge and not ours.

      I am read an article about the change in the pastor who was going to be delivering the benediction at the Presidential Inauguration on the 20th. Initially Rev. Louie Giglio, a pastor from Atlanta, was selected to deliver this prayer. It was then discovered that about 15 -20 years ago he delivered an anti-homosexual message, and regardless of the fact he has been working to combat slavery and sex trafficking he was not pro-homosexual enough for this role.

     The act of homosexuality is a sin. As a church we should embrace and accept them into our fold, but not in leadership roles. We should accept them, love them, and try to show them the error in their ways. Society says it is not their fault and they are born that way. I agree completely, we are all born into sin and we all know there is an endless variety of sin, but through Christ we can overcome any sin, no matter the type. We just have to follow God's will and be accepting of His will unconditionally.

     The Bible clearly states homosexuality is a sin:


"If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination." (Leviticus 20:13).

"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination. Nor shall you mate with any animal, to defile yourself with it. Nor shall any woman stand before an animal to mate with it. It is perversion. ‘Do not defile yourselves with any of these things; for by all these the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you." (Leviticus 18:22-24).

"as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." (Jude 7)  

"Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house. And they called to Lot and said to him, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." (Genesis 19:4-5)

"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men  nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" 1 Cor 6:9-11

"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19

     I am in no way saying as a society we should deny them rights. Again if someone is gay that is between them and God, but if they have a partner they should be able to include them on medical benefits, life insurance, etc. The way I see that is the person working is paying for the benefits and they should be able to cover someone who lives within their home and is an active part of their life.

     What about marriage? Another current hot topic...Marriage is reserved for a man and a woman. Marriage is not only a promise to each other made before God, but it is mutually made to God. You are agreeing to stand by your husband or wife and live accordance to His laws. Marriage is a sacred agreement that is only for man and woman. If it had been intended for man-man or woman-woman the scriptures about it would have been written so. If they are going to live that lifestyle there should be a civil union or such to ensure coverage on medical benefits, etc but marriage should be man and woman.

" “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”" Matthew 19:4-6

"Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.  The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.  The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.  Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I say this as a concession, not as a command. I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that." 1 Cor 7:1-6

In conclusion, although homosexuality is clearly defined as a sin it is not our place to judge or deny any civil rights to gays. We should accept them into our churches and love them as brothers and sisters in Christ because He is the way, the truth, and the light and He can help anyone correct the errors of their ways if they will allow Him.

Petition to bring God back to the schools

This is something I have blogged on before, but I felt the need to do it again. We need to put God back in control of our country.

I saw an article this morning about a group that wants to remove a picture of Jesus from an Ohio middle school. The picture has been there since 1947, the school board has refused to remove it and the group, The Freedom From Religion Foundation, has threatened legal action. 

I also came across a story of a first grader in North Carolina that wrote a poem about her grandfathers military service to be read aloud before the school and the families during a Veterans Day ceremony. Before she had the chance to, the school removed the following line from her poem. "He prayed to God for peace, he prayed to God for strength." 

We need to band together as Christians and fight for God. He sent Jesus to die for us, the least we can do is stand up for Him and let out leadership know that He is what made this country great and we should not turn away. This country was founded on God's word. 

I have a petition on the White House's website to bring God back to the schools. I ask that everyone who reads this and believes God should be in our schools to sign it and spread the word. 

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/bring-christianity-back-schools/TwL6Z8VB

Now what?

I have accepted Christ and even been baptized, now what?

It is commonly preached on how to become a Christian.

• Believe Christ is the Son Of God and came to us as a man
• Believe He died on the cross for our sins
• Believe He rose after 3 days
• Confess your sins and ask Him to take control of your life. 

This is great because everyone need to know how easy it is to gain salvation and joy of Christ. 

This post is not about how to gain salvation it is about what to do afterward.

Once you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior you need to study and learn the Bible for it is the Word of God. You should dedicate yourself to live a Christ-like lifestyle and always desire to serve and glorify Him. 

Romans 12:11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

1 Samuel 12:24 But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. 

Luke 10:27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Serving God seems to only become more difficult once you are saved. This is because Satan liked you better when you were serving God and your faith and dedication to is most strengthened through tribulation.God will use obstacles and challenges to guide us and to let us know if we are not living according to His will. 

Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

Tribulation is the rod and reproof and God and as a Christian we are the children of God. We need to seek the plan that is in store for our life, and be assured there is one. 

 If we were all perfect and the way of this world was not sin serving God would be easy, but in the real world we are not bombarded with God's love in the media and television; instead we hear all the bad upsetting news of death, pain and war, the television shows we watch are getting cruder and more violent,  and with our country's economic state many people are struggling just to stay afloat or as close to that as possible. All of this makes, especially new Christians or people who have limited biblical knowledge, it hard to remain faithful and standfast with God. We need to do what it takes to maintain this relationship with God, this blog is one of my ways for that. Seeking the relationship with God is NOT optional if you want Him to move in your life. 

God loves us and desires to take care of us, you just have to ask and let Him. But that also means you have to give Him your time and let go of the ways of the world. 

Matthew 6:24 No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

If God builds shapes us through struggles why enter a relationship where we know we are going to face hard times, we are giving God our faith and glory, what is in for us?

If we will serve Him according to His terms and we will be taken care of and provided for on earth.  God is omnipotent and created all by simply speaking, so blessing His children with a job, food, shelter, clothing, and even money are minuscule to His infinite power. We will also receive the greatest gift possible, an eternity in Heaven with God. ( I will begin researching to do a blog on a comparison of Heaven and Hell) 

Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:31-32 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

James 4:1-2 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.

Luke 12:24 Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!

Wait, you said God will provide, why do I need to worry about a job if God is going to meet my need? God does not want us to be lazy, but He also does not want us to do it all. He will put us in a place to work to help with our life and to glorify Him. All we need to do make an honest effort, God can see your heart so He knows if it is honest, and He will pour His blessings upon us when the time is right. You could be the one to lead a co-worker to Christ and had God not placed you there that individual may have been doomed to Hell. 

Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

2 Thessolonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.

There is no middle ground with God. There is no saying, "I give my life to God." then putting Him or His ways on the back burner until is convenient for us. Revelations 3:16 clearly shows how God feels about Christians being lukewarm. 

Revelation 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

This is simply saying with God it is all or nothing.

In summary, God loves us all and wants to provide for us. All we have to do is ask and we will be freely given salvation, food, clothing, money, whatever we need. We just need to remember that it is God who is providing it and He will gladly do so as long as we strive to live a life that glorifies Him and is in accordance with His ways for ourselves, our marriage, our children, our home, and all other aspects of our life. 

We should always try to act, speak, and think according to God's will. 

Blessings disguised as a curse

People are always questioning why God allows people to become sick or diseased. It is not our place to question, it is our place to put our faith in God and realize that He does have a good reason for anything that we encounter in our lives. This is much easier said than done and the instinctual response is that this statement has to be coming from someone who has never been in that position. This blog is going to be a testimony of how I personally brought in 2013.

It began on Friday Dec 28,2012 with the wife and I discussing health issues, my family history of heart disease and diabetes and how I need to get into shape to make sure that stuff does not befall me. I was praying and talking to God later that evening and went to Him saying that I have terrible will power and I know that is His desire we keep our bodies in shape and fit, but I could not do it alone. If it is His will that I get into better physical shape He needs to reveal that to me and help me with the motivational issues.

The next day we went sledding and while we were there I began to have some chest pains, after we got home I continued to deal with the pain, which morphed into a pressure and strange fluttery feeling. At this point, I felt it was time to go to the Emergency room.

I was eventually transferred to Champaign, Illinois, where I spent the weekend being poked and prodded. Turns out my Troponin, an enzyme used to identify heart attacks, was high and if I had not went to the doctor a heart attack would have most likely occurred. I was also diagnosed with Diabetes and a triglyceride level of 704 (should be 150 or less). .

I know this was not meant as a punishment from God, but it is a way to get me to in gear to begin getting physically fit and healthy. Everything I am facing is easily controlled with just a little effort on my part. Which is exactly what it would have taken before to avoid it all. So although I cannot say diabetes is a blessing it is most definitely not a punishment either.

Diabetes and heart disease are both very prevalent on both sides of my family and until now I have done very little to try and prevent myself from going down that road. Through God this will be the opportunity for me to serve Him to the fullest and ensure many more years with my beautiful wife and family.

Some scriptures on the outlook I want to keep during this time:

1 Thesselonians 5:6-19
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the spirit.

Psalm 41:3
The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed and restore him from his bed of illness.

Phillipians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Isiah 58:11
The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong, and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.