A look into a life being changed by Christ

A definition of Prayer...you know how?...my friends pray until you have prayed. ( a revised-improved) repost

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This subject of PRAYER has been on my mind lately.   I feel a burden make this my blog this to you this evening.

In my walk with the Lord I have learned some eye opening things AND STILL LEARNING about prayer.  I would like to share them in this blog.

(A quick history lesson before I proceed)

When Christ the son of God 100% FLESH 100% GOD was sent from heaven to the Earth to become human flesh he endured ridicule, rejection, disbelief, ect. The list goes on for miles. He died, nailed to the cross, killed by man.  During his fleshly life the greatest hero OF ALL TIME constantly prayed to the father "God" and gave him praise. Upon his flesh death Christ took our sin upon him.  He took God's wrath of sin upon mankind with him to the grave.  From that point our sins are gone past, present, and future.  Greatest of all Christ defeated death three days later.

ALL WE NEED TO DO IS: BELIVE IN CHRIST, CONFESS OUR SINS TO CHRIST, AND REBUKE OUR SIN. 

 

Prayer is the communication done through Christ who is the advocate for us to the father "God".  Our Prayer is a constant communion with the Lord done in a myriad of ways. In other words, have the Lord on your mind at all times. 

Some examples:

· Give thanks for the little things within the daily routine.

· Talk to the Lord while driving, walking, ect, “without closed eyes”. ha!

· Give thanks for those cool little miracles.

· When worries cross your mind, lift a brief prayer to God.

· At tense moments ask him to strengthen you.

God wants us to rely on him and to cast our troubles upon him.

Quoting Pastor Paul Stanley: Christ has told us "take my yoke upon you, my burden is easy".  Giving your trouble to Christ doesn't mean to run to him and download your entire load.  Christ can't live our flesh life for us, but he can make the burden easier.  He can share the yoke and help you tow your burden.  Thats why he says my yoke is easy! 

We are the children of God, as a child needs his or her father, we need God! I've walked far from God in my life. Please believe me, there is nothing like being spiritually alive and speaking directly with Christ.

We should try to change up our routine prayers; an example would be the way we give pre meal thanks, ect. Doing this ensures that we are focused on the subject at hand, and it helps us to avoid it becoming a monotonous religious method.

 

If by chance this falls upon the eyes of a non-believer; or a not so sure person, confess that you believe he died for your sins and ask Jesus to remove the stench of sin from your life.  As you grow in the word and communication with the Lord you will see first hand that this is truth.

God is our friend.

Like we talk to our friends, God wants us to speak TO HIM as a friend, “with Godly respect of course”.

James

2:23

(New International Version)

23And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.

Our prayer identifies us as belonging to the Christ.

The evil one is crushed when we communicate with Christ.  We are the children of a king; our prayer identifies us as such!

We pray to intercede in other Christians lives. AGREEING IN PRAYER IS VITAL. 

Matthew, chapter: 18, verse 18 to 20.

18"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.  19"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.

Eyes closed?

I had the misconception that you had to have your eyes closed in order to speak to God, I've learned better since then. We should always try talk to God as much as possible; busy, or not. 

Eyes should be closed during quiet time, during deep meditation, and when you are in focus and reverence to the Lord to remove distractions.

This subject is ever expanding as a Christians walk through their lives. I think we all need to constantly hone or prayer activities as our life situations change.

Your comments are welcome

 

Christ's Servant,

Thomas

 

 

 

The kids are alright...not so fast my friends...

 

The thoughts below crossed my mind Thursday morning.

 

I passed a bus stop.  Several kids and...well...about 4 adults.  Sad!

 

The condition of this world is degrading friends!  We can't even let our children stand alone with their friends to catch a school bus for 10 minutes.  The contrast of the years gone by is sobering folks.  This ain't scientificly researched, but I think it's pretty accurate. Contrast between say... 1987 and 1957, they weren't too different as far as the moral condition were they?  Compare 1987 with 2007....is enough said?   The gap of moral degeneration and society change between 1987 and 2007 is the same as between 1917and 1957.  The pace of this is frightening and astunding!

 

We are zipping right along.....double time!  The deteriorating world has caught up with us.  We better get busy people!

 

At ten years old my freedom went as far as my bike and energy would let me.  I could go HOURS unattended without my momma worrying about some sicko approaching me.  The only worrys on my ten year old mind was where I was going to build my next fort, and keeping the chain tight on my bicycle. That went ALL THE WAY UP TO MIDDLE SCHOOL! 

 

I think it's sad to see the kids seated in front of the television, controller in hand, and the mp3 blaring away in the ears.   They are pale skinned and unhealthy looking.  Sad! Don't get me wrong I like video games too, but IT'S TOO MUCH.  This inactivity has caused the following modern conditions.  I will note the real causes below.

 

ADD: aka: "Another Disillusioned Diagnosis"

 

HYPERACTIVE: aka: "Not Enough Activity"

 

This is caused by a severe lack of activity in children AND adults.  All children aren't the same and some need to have INTENCE PHYSICAL activity during free time in order to chill out during quite focused moments. Recess is pretty much phased out in many public schools; therefore, your going to get a heapin' dose of some "ADD" and "Hyperactivity" For some folks when physical activity stops, the activity in the brain keeps going.  Yes, it's as simple as that!  Doctors throw pills at it to squelch it. 

 

Stop it!!!! You are breaking the spirit of children!!!

 

Did you know it is VERY difficult to estimate and retain the correct dosage.

The side effects of this poison hurt too!  Cramps.....depression...indifference!

 

I believe that this condition is real, but is WAY over diagnosed and medicated.

 

If I didn't get enough activity as a kid I had this very problem! Fortunately, growing up I had CHILDHOOD FREEDOM.  Running up and down the road screaming like a fool, peddling my bike until my legs hurt, and getting disciplinary corrections from multiple people from a myriad of walks of life rounded me out as a silly kid!

 

My heart is breaking because I hold my childhood experience, and it's FREEDOM close to me, and todays kids don't get to have this unless they live in the woods...even that is dangerous now!!

 

We had a chance to grow a little before the world hit us square in the face.

 

Do I think today's kids are weak?  NO...Absolutely not!  Today's children face more as 7 year olds than we did as 11 year olds. 

 

Our middle schools are full of lascivious behavior in the dark corners and bathrooms where eyes aren't looking. Yes, it is horrible, yet it happens.  We don't like to think about it; but, the more popular your youngin' is the more likely he / she is going to be subject to this.

 

The times are what they are....what we can do is let our kids know we trust, love, AND we care.  We have to establish an understanding of violence and sex WAY earlier than we did with our rents!  Its a shame, but it looks like we have to have that talk around 7 or 8 years old now.....I know...it's shocking, but we better tell em' before someone else does.

 

We need to control what our children see and hear.  Not level four lock down, but at least try!  Television is the worst culprit of society decay!  Stop being greedy! Get a DVR and watch it later!!!! Adults can handle the language, violence, and smut on the TV. Children can't process it properly.  They sometimes end up trying to live it out. They emulate the personalities they see, this include profanity, ect. The key is talking with your kids constantly about what they see on TV; explain to them that it is not the way they should behave if they accidentally see it.   Hellooooooooo!!!!!!!! Remember when you were a kid?  How did you learn how the world worked and life?  By watching others right?  If  11 year old mike sees a man grasping and other "soft" sex scenarios repeatedly over time guess what he might try to do with little Emily up the street!!!! 

 

 

Don't even think you can keep them from trying this out by saying...."now Mickey....that's what adults do...not kids"......EEHHHH YEAH!

 

 

Nice try. Ask any middle school teacher if they have ever caught kids in sexual acts.

 

TALK to your children about the stuff they see on TV.  A five second statement will not deter them from acting it out if they take the notion to do so.  They need to know it is not proper.  They also need to know and be reminded that you care and love them CONSTANLY.  Their eyes may roll in the teen years, but they do listen folks.

 

(The below article was extracted from Probe Ministries) "Violence in Society"

 

The Bible teaches that "as a man thinks in his heart, so is he" (Prov. 23:7). What we view and what we think about affects our actions.

 

Defenders of television programs say that isn't true. They contend that televised imagery doesn't make people violent nor does it make people callous to suffering. But if televised imagery doesn't affect human behavior, then the TV networks should refund billions of advertising dollars to TV sponsors.

 

 

 

I could write a novel

 

Thanks for reading

 

Christ's Servant

 

Thomas !

 

 

There IS a God... In my words...

I am amazed at the gall of the SOME OF "non-believers". Most acknowledge the existence of a supernatural realm that can't be "seen", BUT they are QUICK to look away from the creation theory... GOD...and THREE TIMES QUICKER to point at the UFO theory...ghosts...psychics...zodiac sciences,ect...ect. THEY ARE ALL DIVERSIONS TO GET YOU AWAY FROM THE GOD WHO LOVES YOU.

 

Sometimes I reminded that their are many who have NO CLUE of what Christ is all about. They have never felt the supernatural embrace and connection.  The spirit side of them...asleep.

We NEED to get crackin' and go to work and do what Jesus has commanded! All of us; including me, must think on the cutting edge on winning souls for Christ.

I have personally come to know this.

The Evil One: 

Has the ability to influence the EARTH...that’s ALL that we lay our eyes on...including US and what is (apparently) visible, but can't put our hands on. Examples, UFO's, Ghosts, ect.  Evil also is able to influence our thoughts.  EVIL will stop at nothing to get us off the path of thinking right. If it takes a few "ufo's" AND the psychic hotlines to get us off the path of thinking right, evil forces will do it! They are clever in design and very convincing. They may not appear evil, but when you boil it down the sludge that remains is evil. This Earth is dying...and will pass away. You see it all around you....murder, rape, torture, and worse...much worse.

 

 

God: 

Has control of the world we "could go to", and this world, to an extent.  Don't get me wrong, God is always in control, but humanity is of free will and has fallen as a whole. For lack of a better word it is  "according to our faith in SOME issues". IF our FREE WILL allows him, and If we believe, worship, and respect him, we live FOREVER AND JOIN our creator. The world we are going to AND our spirits will NEVER ROT in a grave. No more pain....no more hunger...no more evil.

Why doesn't God stop the murder and rape, ect...ect?

We (gave up) eternity in the present Earth we are standing in THOUSANDS OF GENERATIONS AGO when we originally listened to the evil one and violated the trust and rules of our creator. When we did that we lost our "original eternity" Worse, EVIL was loosed on the Earth. From that moment of violation the Earth began to die. Like the Earth; from that point, we were to: be born, to live, to age, and to die. Like a tree sapling that first breaks through the earth; it grows, lives, and falls back to the earth in its death. We are in likeness to that!

Evil influence causes all the horrors we see, and we ALL can be attacked, especially if we try to live under our own power.

HOPE IS NOT LOST...THE GOOD NEWS IS...

Jesus:

Is God's son that became human.  100% God, and 100% man. Becoming human skin and bones he endured the utmost of humiliation, the worst of pain, rejection by man kind even his closest friends, temptation from the evil one, and unimaginable grief.  While suffering all of this he glorified his father!.   When mankind killed him he took our wrong doing upon himself.  By doing this he took our sins: past, present, and future! The best news.....As he said, he was resurrected from the grave! We can't approach the father, we must go through Jesus in with our prayers and requests.  All we need to do is confess our wrong doing and admit that we know the only way to God is through the son!  Jesus is our advocate to God.  When we commit wrong doing we are to confess our folly to Jesus, and turn from it.  We are still on the dying Earth in this life and subject to its horrors due to the original sin, but our eternal life is safe in Heaven, AS LONG AS WE BELIEVE AND CONFESS THAT JESUS IS LORD AND DIED FOR OUR SINS!

Keep in mind:

IF WE ARE IN CHRIST We can STILL die a horrible death, and face the worst violations of our bodies, but when we leave this world we WILL be with our God in eternal heaven...AND NOTHING HORRIBLE WE FACED HERE will matter THERE!

 

(SOME OTHER POINTS)

We NEED TO  open our mind, heart, AND SOUL and quit trying to live under our OWN power.  We can't do it by ourselves, that’s why we struggle so much...God wants us to trust him AND RELY ON HIM.

 
We live forever... All of the atrocities that we see around us are not of the world we will go to if we are in Christ. 

This (Earth) WILL pass away. The planet is screaming it's in its death convulsions now. To see this just turn on the WORLD news at 5:30 pm and you will see the proof!

 

This was written by an imperfect man

I mess up all the time.

BUT, one thing is a fact.

I asked Christ and the Holy Spirit to live within my soul.

I am being changed, and starting to do what Christ motivates me to do.

 

The End

 

Christ's Servant,

Thomas

 

 

 

 

Cooler Heads Prevail !

One of the things that I am struggling with the MOST in my "re-assumed" Christian walk is refraining from angry thoughts towards others. For example; Someone behind me in traffic speeds past me "with attitude".  I can't resist giving a smart smile and wave when I pull even with them at the NEXT traffic light to prove the point that they have NOT gained any advantage with their petal to metal driving style in urban traffic.   I even get a little riled thinking about it!   Another scenario is the driver that ACTUALLY SEES the closed lane ahead, but change lanes anyway to take advantage of those of us with common sense.  NOTHING GIVES ME MORE PLEASURE THAN TO SEE THEM bottle neck 50 feet ahead!  I know my attitude towards this should be different. Christ says to "love one another", and he also says to "cast my worries upon him".  I'm getting better at catching myself, but its a struggle sometimes.  I am making "some" progress, but keeping that part of my humanity squelched is going to be hard to overcome, but I am doing it.   I have prayed and asked Jesus to have the Holy Spirit to have me notice immediately when I'm about to mess up.  It seems to be working!  Giving the bad emotions to God has helped me feel a whole lot better at the end of the day, and  it nets a better nights sleep!  It is true, we can find rest in our savior!

Flooring Frenzy !

I haven't posted any new blogs due to my time being monopolized by the flooring of my house.  This weekend I finally had a window of few days of wonderful weather.  Apparently laminate glueless flooring is only supposed to be installed in situations where the humidity doesn't exceed 70%. It's too early to run the a/c, so I had to wait....and wait.....annnnnnnnd wait.  Finally, decent humidity during the weekend!  Installing this stuff wasn't as daunting as I had envisioned, yet it sure wasn't easy; down right frustrating may be the better word, this was never mentioned in the installation guide!  Some pieces were slightly damaged, and some were warped.  If their is a slight variance in the condition of a piece it sticks out like a sore thumb once it is installed, you also have to remember to leave about 1/8 to 1/4 inch space between the wall and the flooring because it expands and contracts because the floor "floats". Needless to say I had to take some rows back up...two or three times.  Their were a few occasions where I had to confess loosing my temper to the Lord.  All I have left to do is the hall, then I'm done!   One defining deference between my old self and the improving self is that I have more drive, courage, and patience to take on new things that I would automatically opt out of because I thought I didn't have the skill to learn to do it.  Christ is empowering me to do more. Keep in mind I have never done this before, and had nobody to help.  With God ANYTHING is possible

Christ's Servant,
Thomas

The Fur is Flying !

I own a Husky...a very animated Husky "Dameyune".  The weather is doing the normal 76 degrees one week, and then 40 degrees the next week kind of thing.  That kind of shift is normal for North West Florida.  This is not normal for a Husky...lol! The poor little guy's shedding cycle is going haywire!! I have brushed out enough fur in the past two days to  stuff a small couch pillow.  I am starting to wonder if this is okay.  Dameyune appreciates the brushing when I can get him to sit still long enough, it's like trying to brush a Wolverine sometimes.

The fur!

Dameyune

Christ's Servant,

Thomas

Freaky Friday

I'm sure glad Saturday is here!  Praise God for his influence on Friday!  Knowing that God is in control really helped me through this hectic day.  If I would have relied on my own strength I would have freaked out trying to face the attitudes, challenges, and situations of this day.  In my opinion self reliance is one of the HARDEST things to overcome for someone who went through most of their life without a close relationship with Christ. Below is a synopsis of my Friday.

Friday was an "interesting" day to say the least.  If it could go wrong it went wrong! Everything was cool until I got to work...LOL!  I drive for an building products supplier.  As soon as I walked in the door the add on's to my truck load started coming in.  I'd get half way done pulling the order;... and wouldn't you know,...changes to the orders. I finally got the truck loaded.   As I was pulling out of the warehouse and getting on the road I exclaimed to myself "wow I'm glad I'm out of there". I pointed my truck towards Elberta, Alabama and let her eat.

I had traveled about 7 miles when the "beep - beep"  radio started going off.  The boss exclaimed " ____________  Home Improvements is waiting for you at the job site man.  I said "UUUUUhhhmmm I didn't specify a delivery time!"  I further stated "I thought we had an agreement that I was going to call them when I was within an hour of their location for someone to help me unload the windows"  The boss said "Tom, they were under the impression to meet between 8 and 9am, and furthermore who told you do work the Alabama stops first"  It soon became apparent that someone else at the office had arranged a delivery time frame without advising me, this has happened many times in the past.  I said to my boss "I was dispatched to service my stops in no particular order". The boss told me to turn around and service the contractor.  I was on the TOTAL opposite side of town. 

When I arrived to the job site I had no clue that I was about to spend 3 hours there. The windows shifted during transport and damaged one of the windows. When that was discovered  I left the job site to a local glass company to have the window repaired.  When I arrived back at the job site the customer said the two other windows I dropped off were found to be missing sash clips. (It gets better)  In addition to that the situation further deteriorated. The homeowner began dispute with the contractor over the fact that she had wanted one of the windows to be a tilt sash. Needless to say I sat there for what seemed as an eternity.  At this point I was at the apex of what I could handle and reminded myself that the Lord was in control of the situation and I prayed for a good ending. Finally the contractor resolved the situation. I dropped the windows missing the sash clips at the glass company for repair.  The boss called and said that he had another driver coming to pick the windows up from the glass company so that I could finish my route.  At the end of the day I was thanked for how I handled the situation with courtesy, class, and business like tact.

God bless you all!  The intent of this blog is to give thanks to God and to demonstrate that Christ is an inexhaustible source of strength.  If you find yourself stressed to the max I beg you to pray and relive yourself of this yoke of burden.  We are inadequate in our humanity to handle severe stress; however, Christ is.  Cast your burden on his shoulders...he will bare the load so you can walk easy.

Thomas