By Faith

"Elijah was a man just like us"

- James 5:17

People always ask, "If God is real, how come He wont perform miracles like He did in the bible?"

The simplest answers to that is: People just lacks faith.

When the bible explains how Elijah prayed, he didn't just say a bunch of words in the air, he prayed earnestly and with great faith. He prayed and prayed and prayed without a doubt in his heart. He knows who is in control, he knows his God is real and can do anything.

In 1 Kings 18:16-39, Elijah alone went against 450 prophets of Baal. He told the 450 prophets of Baal to pick a bull, put it on the altar and pray to their god to bring fire down to burn the sacrifice.

From morning till noon the prophets shouted Baal's name, but there was no response. Then at noon Elijah started taunting them and telling them to shout louder because their god might be sleeping or busy. So then the 450 prophets shouted louder and louder and started slashing themselves with swords and spears until their blood flowed. They kept shouting till the time for the evening sacrifice. No one responded to their prayer no one said a thing and no one was paying attention to them.

Then Elijah's turn came. He went and fixed the altar of the Lord which was in ruins and asked them to take the other bull and place in on top of the altar. Then Elijah dug a trench around the altar large enough to hold 15 liters of seed. Then he told them to fill four large jars of water and pour it on the altar, he then repeated this 2 more times. The sacrifice was so drenched that the water ran down around the altar and even filled the trench.

Elijah then prayed, "O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and you have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." 1 Kings 18:36-37.

After Elijah prayed this, fire came from heaven and burned up the sacrifice, the woods, the stones and the soil. It was so hot that the water from the trench evaporated.

God sent down fire as Elijah asked Him and protected Elijah and all the people around him from the heat of the fire.

If we really believe that Elijah was a man just like us. Then we should believe that we can perform miracles like this. We should have faith in the God that we say we believe in.

All the prophets of the bible that seems like super hero saints are just normal ordinary people just like YOU and ME.

Appreciation

Why is it that the only people in life that shows appreciation about life are the only ones that are dying? But everyone is dying, so shouldn't everyone be appreciative?

When is the last time you woke up and thanked God for giving you another day, hour, minute, or second to live? Shouldn't we live our lives being more appreciative and joyful rather than being negative and bitter all the time?

Faith Like A Child

Faith means to believe in something that can not be seen or proven.

"For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as is written: 'The righteous will live by FAITH.'" Romans 1:17

I remember when I was little I had so much faith in God. I know this sounds foolish in our way of thinking now, but when I was little i would literally tell people that I would not have sex when I grow up because I know that it wasn't the only way to produce a baby. I thought that another way to make a baby is to pray earnestly and without doubts and just ask God for one. And the funny thing about it was that i was really really serious when i would say something like that.

People i would tell that to would laugh at me and think that I'm just a foolish little kid, but am I really? Am I a fool to believe that God can give me a baby without having sex? Do YOU believe that God can give you a baby without the need for sex? I know that this is a weird way to explain this topic, but if you really think about it how much faith do you have in God?

If I had that much faith as a kid, how come now that i'm all grown up, that way of thinking seems impossible? Do you really think making a baby without sex is impossible to God? If so, then me and you have different Gods. The reason is that the God that i believe in can do everything, literally EVERYTHING, on the other hand, the God that you believe in is limited because you believe he can't give you a baby without sex. In conclusion me and you have two different Gods. Mine is limitless and yours is limited.

The reason why i bring this up is that people today have so little faith in God in that they believe he really can't do everything and that his power is limited, but i tell you right now that the God that you are thinking about right now is not the God of the bible. The God of the bible can do anything he wants and no one can hold his hands or tell him what to do. If God can make you out of nothing and make the whole world out of nothing, what else can't he do?

So if you really believe in God, why doubt Him? We really need to have faith like a little child and believe that anything is possible through God.

I pray that people today may realize the sovereignty of God and the power He possess because if that mighty God is for us, if He is on our side, then who can be against us?

Pursuit of HAPPYness

Happiness-

(n.) a state of well being and contentment.

What makes you happy? Is it having an amazing job? Well, what if that amazing job lays you off?

What happens then?

What about money? Doesn't that sound better? You can do a lot with money. BUT what happens if you lose all your money?

What happens then?

What about a successful relationship? Does that make you happy? Well what if that special someone got into a car crash and they flew off the windshield and dropped dead on the street?

What happens then?

Okay maybe you don't care about jobs, money, and relationships. What if what makes you really happy is being alive and well and living a long successful life? BUT what happens when you get cancer? what happens when you get sick? What happens if your life and your health is slowly disappearing and slowly fading away right in front of your eyes?

What happens then?

As human beings we are so discontent, we can never be satisfied. We always want more. More. More. More. And then some more. After we get some more of something that we want, we get something else and then we want more of that something else. It never ends.

So when is it going to end? When is the cycle of wanting more going to end? When is it that WE are content? Our minds are built upon this foundation of "MORE." Mostly everyone in this world think more is better.

The question is no longer "WHAT makes you happy?" but "WHEN are you going to be happy?"

Everything that we ever aspire to have will always disappear. They will never last.

If we are ever going to be happy, then this world will not make it happen. This world will never satisfy us. This world is like a drug, it's only happy for a while, but what happens after? you feel sad again, then you crave it more and then more and then more until you're stuck in this cycle of wanting more and not getting what you want. Happiness is not found in this world, but it is outside of it.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4. This verse was written by Paul, one of Jesus' disciples, when he wrote to the Philippians. At the time Paul wrote this verse he was not in a HAPPY PLACE; Paul was not in what we call a comfortable place. When Paul wrote this verse he was in prison. Paul was in jail handcuffed to a guard and was beaten like a dog. And yet, Paul said "Rejoice in the Lord always."

Try to put yourself in Paul's situation? Do you think you would be able to be as happy as Paul was at that time if you were in prison and handcuffed and beat up?

The way Paul wrote it is not just another word he wanted to say; it is not a request either. When Paul said to Rejoice and he said it again Rejoice, it was a command. Paul found that there is this joy and the feeling of contentment through God and God alone. There is this feeling of whatever happens, God is enough. The thing about God is that He will never leave you. He will always be there. This world will fade and crumble, but God's word will last forever.

"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you." Psalms 73:25

"God is most glorified when you are most SATISFIED in Him in the midst of loss."

- John Piper

"Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God." Phil 1:3

I remember the first time I ever complimented you; I was debating whether I should do it or not. I was always intimidated by your beauty. I thought you were the most beautifulest girl I've ever seen (not exaggerating). When I first met you, you always had that mean look, so I was always scared to approach you, but the irony of it is that that mean look is what attracted me to you. Every time I see you, I praise God for creating someone like you.

The funny thing about this is, no matter how beautiful you are, that wasn't the only thing that made me fall for you. When I started texting you for the first time, I didn't want to put my phone away because you are just so interesting to talk to. I never met someone in my life who had the combination of beauty and personality. It is always beautiful but a douche or nice but ugly. Never in my life have I ever met someone who was as beautiful as you and at the same time has an amazing personality. Every time I think of you, I praise God for creating someone like you.

I know being with me is such a pain in your butt, BUT I love the fact that you still want to be with me. I don't know what you're thinking. I'm a douche and I always some how hurt your feelings. Why would you still want to be with me? That I'll never understand, but then again you're not the only one that showed me that kind of love. The only other person that did was God. That's probably why I love you so much. It's because you love me no matter what gets thrown at us. I know being together won't just be a walk in the park, but I know for a fact we can always pull through. I thank God for giving me the ability to love someone like you, that's why I give thanks to Him every time I think of you.

Beautifully And Wonderfully Made

I remember those times when my parents would question me when they see my low grade in class. The only excuse I always tell them was that the class was too hard and I can't keep up with it because I'm not that smart and every time I say that they always tell me that I can pass that class if I really put my head into it and that I'm a really smart kid.

At that time I was just too stubborn to know what they were trying to tell me. I just thought that was just some other lecture like those other ones that they always give me. It just dawn on me now that what they said really is true. If I go out and keep telling myself that I'm dumb, then you know what? I'm dumb for thinking that I am dumb.

Everyone in this world is made to be able to do things that even surprises themselves. I believe that God created each and everyone of us to do things unimaginable. Crazy things. In a good way.

We tend to put ourselves down just so we can portray ourselves as humble and not cocky, but guess what? Your not being humble by putting yourself down. It would make a lot of sense if you CREATED YOURSELF, but you didn't, didn't you?

Psalms 139:14 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, i know that full well."

God fearfully and wonderfully made you, so why put yourself down? Putting yourself down is kind of like putting Him down for creating you the way you are. Do you think God made a mistake when He was making you? If you think so then I think God has more faith in you than you do yourself. I remember a passage from the bible when God called Moses to free His people from Egypt. Moses argued with God telling Him that he can't speak right and he has trouble speaking to people. Then God replied with,"Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" (Exodus 4:11).

Why put yourself down when you know that theres a God that perfectly created you the way you are. And made you to be able to do impossible things in the name of Him.

American Dream

If life is all about the "American Dream" then people need to wake up and face reality. People that strive for it maybe living a better life than the rest of us, but what's the point? Last time i check that's it, that's all they get.

If your rich you'll die just like the poorest. If your a hard worker you'll die just like the laziest. If you can see you'll die just like the blind. If you can hear you'll die just like the deaf. In the end people will face the same fate and face the same God.

The American Dream is nothing more than just a mirage in a dry and weary place. It's nothing more than just that, a "dream." One day you'll die and realize what a waste of life that was when you meet the God of the universe. Then your eyes will be open and you will be awake.

Why live your life trying to put yourself at the top when you can be living your life trying to make a big crater in this world and try to change it for the better.

Life is short. You only have one shot. Better make it count.

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?" Mark 8:36