From Falling to Rising with God

Sacrifices worth sacrificing!

Living a Christ based life may be one of the toughest things we can do. When we accept Jesus into our lives, we are simply making a promise that we are willing to sacrifice whatever we have and give it all to our Lord. Nowhere in the bible does it say that this journey will be easy, in fact, Jesus said, “… If anyone were to come after me he must deny himself and take up his cross.” (Matthew 16:24) We must deny ourselves so Christ can become one with us, we must take up the cross so we can show we are obedient. Don’t forget the greatest sacrifice of all, Jesus! “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Why not repay Him for what He has done for us?

            With great sacrifice comes great reward. We may sacrifice everything here but we will receive it all back, even extra, in heaven. We will experience no more pain or suffering. The streets of heaven will be made of gold and the walls will be decorated with all kinds of precious stone. God will be with His people and His people with Him. None of this can come unless a sacrifice is made here on this earth.

            We will cross situations that are tender and difficult to pass but we are not going through it alone. Through prayer we are able to contact Jesus, “Then you ill call upon me and pray to me, I will listen to you. You will seek me and will find me when you seek me with all your heart,’ declares the Lord ‘and will bring you back from captivity…” (Jeremiah 29:13-14) We become one with Christ once we make the sacrifices that are needed, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

            The sacrifices made now are not the end but the beginning of something great and will change the world around you. Are you willing to make that sacrifice?

A Life Beyond

There is life beyond the hills
Life that doesn't bring trouble
No one to tell you to pay your bills
Where your happiness is doubled

There is life beyond the seas
Where the grass is always green
A life that is a gift for you and me
A place that no human eye has ever seen

There is life beyond the sand
Where pain is not there
A life that you are welcomed with open hands
A place where you don't have to pull your own hair

There is life beyond the suffering
Life that leaves no sorrow
A life where you don't have to make any burnt offerings
No worries of Tomorrow

There is life beyond all addicitons
A place where anyone is welcomed
A life that isn't fiction
Where a simple melody is made from a hum

There is life beyond this world
Where you are loved
A life more beautiful than any pearl
A place that doesn't create a shove

There is life beond the hills
Life beyond the seas
Life beyond the sand
Life beyond your suffering
Life beyond all addictions
A life beyond this world

There is life beyond yours
It starts when yours ends
His power will be poured
You won't have to bend

There is life after this
A place where we fall to our knees with joy
A life that is His
You are His little girl and boy

There is life beyond our cries
He cries out for your name
He does not lie
He cries out with love for you

There is another life beyond this
We can't get there until He is obeyed
We are not our own, for we are His
When we believe He says we are saved

There is life beyond yours
There is life after this
There is life beyond our cries
There is another  life beyond this

Christ Is Risen

Are you thirsty?

Jesus answered "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
John 4:13,14

I have been thinking lately that this world is not satisfied. We are a greedy nation, especially in America. The U.S. has started to go down hill and brings me back to what happened to Isreal.

The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is only of rules taught by men..."
Isaiah 29:13

We sometimes starta to feel like we have enough that we can just sit back in our seats and let things come to us. Everything seems to go our way that we no longer need the Lord. Isreal did this and God put them through slavery time after time just to show them that they can't live without Him.

America is heading that way. We are thirsty for Him but we can't find it because we can't loose control. We can't "Give Up" for Christ. We sit back thinking we have enough and nothing can go wrong, but when something does we put our anger toward God. God didn't do it, you did.

One extrodinary thing about Him though is that we are FORGIVEN. When God sent His Son down to this earth, He came with one purpose and that was to free us. Free us from our slavery of sin!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that who ever believes in Him shall not perish but have enternal life."
John 3:16

When you drink that next glass of water, just think, do you want to be thirsty forever or do want to thirst no more?

He said to me: "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life..."
Revelations 21:6

My Testimony

I grew up in a home that would move around a lot in my earlier years, but no matter what my parents managed to go to church. When I was a kid I though I knew who God was because my parents did, so I did pretty much what any normal kid would do and just follow my parents. I started learning new things each and every day about people and life. I started to become interested in girls and I was noticing that girls were interested in me. I was a big trouble maker and a teachers worst nightmare, but that never stopped me from having a blast! Elementary School was one of my favorite years. I had many friends but I only hung out with a few of them. We did crazy stunts like back flips off the monkey bars, I invented the Tarzan (you swing as high as you can and jump off the swing but hold onto the chain) and so much more.
         Just reading this you may think that this just might be a normal Testimony, nothing over the top or mind blowing, truth is every testimony is mind blowing if you keep on listening.
         When I got to middle school, things rapidly changed. I was always a pretty bright kid and would get outstanding grades. Well people started to to take notice of this quick. I had people becoming friends, people who I would never expect would want to talk to me. It took me an entire year to realize that I didn't have friends, but people who admired my work and wanted to pass school. I was furious, but decided to play with it. I charged people money to copy my work. It was great business, and I made a whole lot of money.
        Throughout middle school, I was struggling to find out who I really. I wanted to actually fit in. It took until 8th grade that I just needed to be myself. I made real friends, but managed to get myself in a whole lot of fights. People thought they knew me, but in reality, no one knew who I was. I was a kid with so much locked inside. I acted and looked happy but I was depressed and always angry. I wanted to get away. Things at home were terrible and nothing every seemed to get any better.
       As I started my freshman year, I took myself out of church completely. I didn't want anything to do it or with God. I ended up discovering alcohol and loved it. All I really wanted to do was drink, but I managed to never get wasted r anything. I was always aware of everything. I just kept going until I felt satisfied, but when that wasn't able to fully satisfy me. Well football season gets underway and I become the starting linebacker for the freshman team. I felt that I did pretty good our first game. The only problem was, I was angry at one of my teammates. This kid kept trying to get in my girlfriends pants every chance he got. Lucky for me he was a fullback and I was a linebacker who could hit. During practice, he gets the ball handed off to him and starts running right at me. I was excited so I sprint straight for him, and I grab him by the shoulder pads and lift him straight in the air and about to slam him head first when BAM! The safety thought I needed help, so he came and ended up knocking me out. I woke up in the hospital for I don't know how many hours later. I got a 2.5 concussion, any higher the doctors said I would of been in a coma and possibly die.
     As usual I was not happy. Everything just kept escalating and the more this happened, the more I hated God. By sophomore year, I had yet another girlfriend. But this girl was no ordinary girlfriend, I actually fell in love with her. My family hated her but I fought for her. I made it clear that I was in love with her. Well one day I got in a huge fight with my family, and I mean huge! I decided I was going to call her, so I did. She ended up picking me up and I spent the rest of the night with her. Later that night we are talking on the phone and it was probably morning by now. She was telling me that she can't handle it anymore. My family was too much and that she just needed a break. I decided to go with it. I later found out that she was about to get with someone who I thought was a bro. I decided to just end us completely and blew up. I was cussing her out and wanting to kill this person.
    Every day I would walk the halls full of hatred towards everyone. I was always looking for an opportunity to get back at the one who stole the one girl whom I thought I loved. I wanted him gone! But the more I felt angry, I would get even more depressed at life. I shunned God away completely! One day I decided to walk home and try and clear my mind. As I get close to half way there, I start to feel pain in my right side. It was the worst pain imaginable. I kept pushing myself to go home but I started to get dizzy and loose my breath. I thought I was going to die right there on the side of the road, but I luckily made it home. When my mom got there she heard me yelling in pain. It was bloody murder yelling and she knew something was up, so she rushed me to the E.R. They found that I had an enlarged liver, too much acid in my stomach, and something was wrong with my bale movements, they just couldn't figure out what actually caused all this. They decided to just guess and check and treat me for ulcers. The medicine they gave me only made things worse.
    I was starting to pass out in the middle of classes. I ended up quiting my job and was bouncing in and out of different hospitals. One Sunday morning I was in bearable pain so my mom decided to ask if I wanted to go to church with them. I said sure since I didn't want to be a jerk or anything. I can't remember what the pastor was talking about, but I do remember him calling for an altar call. I decided to go up there for, what I thought, was mocking God. I tell my youth pastor everything in full detail and he starts to pray for me. Well something started to happened, I was feeling more hands being layed down upon me. As he gets done praying, I turn around and see my entire church right there praying for me. I was feeling something inside of me but I wasn't able to explain it. I headed back to my seat and a lady stopped me and gave me a hug, she told me,"I want you to know that we all love you, and we are praying for you." My eyes started to get real watery so I just told her thanks.
     As I sat down in my seat, my youth pastor came up to me and God spoke through him saying, "I want you to know My true power, and I want you to get closer to Me." I fell to my knees crying my eyes out. I gave up my life that day without knowing what was in store for me in the future.
     God says that He can not be mocked nor tempted, and He showed me the truth that day!
     I am now being led to be a missionary right here in the United States. The Lord has told me the He has a plan for me, I don't know what it is, I just know it is good. It is good because He is leading me the way. With Him all things are possible.
    PRAISE THE LORD ON HIGH!!!!!!!

You are not Alone

Everyday I walk the halls.

No one to listen when I call.

No one to catch me when I fall

Do they really know me at all?

I feel emptiness inside

No matter where I go, I just can’t hide

I look and no one is by my side

 I hear a voice in the tide

“Come and take my hand,

Come and I will take a stand.

Let go and take this hand

I can give you life beyond the sand

I give up my life

Why should I deny His great sacrifice?

Give up your life

Trust me, it is worth the price

 The price to make it up above

To see a life without a shove

Now watch the world fit like a glove

Because He too is compelled by love