A God Like No Other - 100th blog!

God is good. He is infinitely good. His perfect plans and purposes are for our good and for His glory. He is one of a kind, a God like no other. He is supreme above all. He is the sovereign Lord. He holds all things together. He pours out His Spirit within His people. He calls us friend, beloved, His chosen people. As fatherless orphans, He adopts us and gives us the right to become His children. We can be forgiven through the blood of the Lamb. The King Himself bore all the wrath of our sins for those who believe. He covers our sin and imputes His righteousness on us. He is a Redeemer, a just Judge, and a Sovereign God. He deserves the highest praise and all glory, for He is good.   READ MORE >>


I’ve kind of been in a Spiritual rut these past few months. I felt that it was hard to come to God in prayer and found it very difficult to spend time in His Word. I got extremely stressed with schoolwork and didn’t know how to handle it all. I felt distant. I turned to the idols of my dark sins. I looked for a way to fill the void. But nothing can satisfy that deep need for a relationship with God.
One of my outs is media. Mindless video games, internet surfing, television and movies can often be an escape from life. It’s perfectly fine in moderation, but can become an idol if we are constantly checking our Facebook page 10 times a day. Instead of exploring the world and learning the deep things of God, we settle for starring at a screen for hours. Even though it’s easy to waste our time, God calls us to be wise and meaningful with our time.

On Monday night I slept 4-5 hours and had to wake up early to take an exam. And even though I felt like a zombie all day I didn’t take a nap. At night when it came to sleep I couldn’t sleep. I stayed up all night. I found myself reading scripture at 5am. I felt empowered, resolved and inspired to give my all to God. I needed change. I desired to live fully for Him. We can become better and stronger by the power of His Spirit. And yes, no one is perfect, but we can share moments with God.

At every moment, and every second of the day, we have the opportunity to be with God. We have the opportunity to worship and glorify Him in whatever we’re doing. We can come directly to Him by the Holy Spirit. We don’t need to stand in line, take a number like the DMV or have some priest intercede for us. He is available to us at every moment, because at every moment He gives each and every one of us His undivided, full attention. How? Well, He is God. My point is that God is always after our heart. He pursues relentlessly after us with His intense love. And it is His relational love that transforms us.

 Sometimes I specifically want to gain some deeper revelation, to hear His comforting voice, or to feel some sort of feeling of His love. And even after waiting, praying, and seeking in still silence, He may not give me all the answers that I seek. He might instead speak to me in some other way. But regardless of if we got anything out of our quiet time, I learned that it was time well spent because in faith we were spending quality time with Him. And that is what He is after. Instead of doing, just simply be, be in His presence.

Anyways, back to my story. I stayed up all night and felt energized, alert and awake. So I decided to go to the gym at 7am. This is odd for me because I can usually sleep till the afternoon if I don’t have class. So I arrived at the gym and feel a burst of energy. I then went to the cycling class at 24 which is really great. I got super tired, but all the older women kept going, so I did my best to endure an hour of pain. But during that time, God spoke to me. It just felt great to feel awake, and productive so early in the morning. I got so much accomplished that morning. Later on I went home and slept at 11am to 3.

I guess this blog is a call to step out of your comfortable routine. Try something different. Try new foods. Go somewhere different. Make a new friend. Wake up earlier. Exercise, read a new book or call up an old buddy. God not only calls us to salvation, but to grow in our sanctification. Don’t just stop at justification, we are called to be the salt and the light of the world. As Christians, we need to take deep root for us to grow and bear fruit. We must grow in our relationship with God, relationship with the church body, and our relationship with the lost. We need the right nutrition to grow and to be purposeful for His kingdom. And everyday we can experience the fresh newness of His love. Starting the day with God and keeping Him close throughout the day will change our lives. Abide and remain in Him. God calls us to better ourselves, not just in our daily routines, but in the pursuit of Him. Are we growing in character, righteousness and integrity? Or do we fall into our idle, lazy self and take shortcuts. Challenge yourself. As clay, God stretches, shapes and forms us according to His will. How will you respond to God's will and plan for you?

I was reading a book about how people can turn to addictions and can develop negative patterns of behavior because of deeper embedded emotions and needs. People can easily find themselves in rejection, abandonment, isolation, loneliness, depression, addiction, self-hatred, and other anxieties. People will begin to follow an addictive cycle of self comfort and self protection. Addictions start in preoccupation, visualizing a fantasy or false reality of a need. They then begin their ritualization or response, which stirs us how they prepare for their addiction, then they act out compulsively on impulse, and finally they’ll find themselves in despair. Coming out of the cycle requires community, counseling, and healing. We all have problems, but how will we deal with them? We need a double knowledge, the knowledge of our self and the knowledge of God.

It’s so easy to get caught up with our problems, selfish desires, and worldly distractions. It’s extremely easy to cover in our shame, and hide in the guilt of our sins. Adam and Eve covered and hid from God when they realized that they sinned. But the good news is that we have forgiveness through God’s grace, we don’t need to condemn ourselves because Christ bore our sins. We don’t need to cover in shame because Christ as freely accepted us. God sees all of who we are, and yet unconditionally loves us. So don’t hide and cover in your sins, don’t try to make yourself better by works, or by trying to atone for them on your own, go directly to Christ with them, because that is why He came! In faith receive His grace.

Paul says he makes his body his slave. He uses himself to be a vessel and doesn't allow the external to really affect his internal contentment. Regardless of his circumstances or persecution, he pursues after the prize, which is Christ, and trains himself in holiness and obedience. He understood how God's Spirit allowed Him to be self controlled, disciplined and content. In Phil 4:12 he mentions how in any and every situation he has learned the secret to being content. Whether in plenty or in want, hungry or well fed, he knows that He can do all things, through Christ who strengthens him. In the same way, Christ needs to be our strength. We need to find rest in Him. He is our shield, fortress, refuge and hiding place. We are so easily moved by our daily problems, rather we must reaffirm our love and remember that He is our source of strength, true joy and peace. With our little control and understanding, it is pivotal that we place our trust in Him. Stand on Him who is the solid Rock, all other ground is sinking sand.

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." -1 Cor 15:58

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” -1 Thes 5:23

“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” -1 Timothy 4:16

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." -Eph 2:8

“For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” –Phil 4:12-13

“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” –John 7:37-38

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” –Matt 11:28-30

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” -Gal 2:20-21

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” -1 John 4:9-10
 
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” -Mark 12:29-31

"Rejoice always;pray without ceasing; in everything  give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" -1 Thes 5:16-18

"My soul, wait in silence for God only,
For my hope is from Him.
He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.
On God my salvation and my glory rest;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us." -Psalm 62:5-8

“Answer me when I call to you,
my righteous God.
 Give me relief from my distress;
have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
How long will you people turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?
Know that the LORD has set apart his faithful servant for himself;
the LORD hears when I call to him.
Tremble and do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
Offer the sacrifices of the righteous
and trust in the LORD.
Many, LORD, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
Let the light of your face shine on us.
Fill my heart with joy
when their grain and new wine abound.
In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, LORD,
make me dwell in safety.” –Psalm 4

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” –Romans 15:13