Why am I doing this blog?

I received a comment on a different site saying that I shouldn't "push" this religion on others.
First of all, I'm not trying to push Christianity=) I just want to share the truth with everyone!
It may offend some, but that's what truth is.
And if I didn't share this blessing, then it would be some of my fault that people aren't going to heaven.
God doesn't want anyone to suffer in the lake of fire. He wants all of us to be with Him, but if you don't accept Him, you will be separated.
I Peter 3:9
"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

Who says you're not perfect?

No one is perfect. We were born sinners. Even I am one! Just because I'm the author of this blog, doesn't make me perfect. I sometimes find myself humming a song I heard at a store or on a show, but when I realize that I just sinned with worldly music, I ask for forgiveness and start singing a Christian song to erase it off my mind. But just because we live under grace and righteousness as Christians, doesn't give us the right to keep living in sin. Rom. 6:15 "What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." Romans 6:12-23 tells us that we shouldn't be servants of sin, but of the righteousness of God.
However, not being perfect does not give us the right to murmur and complain. God made us with a special purpose even if you can't see it. Don't think that you have no use. God wants you to be in His family and then invite others to join you!

Stay Active During the Summer

Yay! It's Summer Vacation!
What are you going to be doing?
Are you going to just sit around and be lazy all day? I hope not!
You need to stay healthy by eating vegetables, fruits, the right amount of protein and such, and drinking milk, juice, and water. Don't eat so much junk food like soda or salty chips!
You also need to stay fit. Go out and walk or run a mile or so. Play a sport with your family or friends. And exercise your brain by practicing your instruments, reading books, and answering problems.
That's how we can be physically healthy and fit! But how can we stay healthy and fit SPIRITUALLY this summer?
-notes taken from Mr. Foster's chapel message, search these Bible passages for further knowledge

First of all, why should we read and study our Bible?
1)To know God.-Deuteronomy 4:29; Romans 10:17
2)To grow spiritually. - I Peter 2:2; Hebrews 5:11-14; Psalm 119:103
3) To conform us to Christ's image.
a)to know what He wants us to do- Romans 15:4
b)to put Scripture in your heart that the Holy Spirit can use to direct us and convict us of sin. -Ephesians 6:17; I Corinthians 2:13; Isaiah 30:21 "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left."
4)For Spiritual strength-John 6:63, the Bible won't hit you with adrenaline immediately, it's effects are like vitamins
5)For Spiritual comfort- Psalms 19:8; Psalms 119:50, 52, 54, 92, 143; Romans 15:4 "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." We can receive hope.
Here are some suggestions on how to read and study your Bible:
1)Set aside a time for your devotions everyday.
2)Read the Bible with a system and a method. You can start by reading short chapters in the New Testament.
3)Read an individual book of the Bible repeatedly until the theme and meaning becomes clear.
4)Keep a pocket Bible or New Testament handy to read when you have extra time.
5)You can read the Bible while listening to it on a CD or your MP3.
6)Divide your Bible Study in 2 parts:
a)first part for reading and last part for studying
b)you can divide your Bible reading with the New Testament in the morning and Old Testament at night-Psalms 119:147, 148 "¹⁴⁷-I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in thy word. ¹⁴⁸-Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word." Get up early before school or work to read God's Word.
7)Get rid of distractions!!!
a)go to a quiet place
b)Pray first. Ask the Lord to forgive you of any sins you have done, to speak to you, and to help you understand His Word.
c)If you are worried, cast it upon the Lord. I Peter 5:7; Psalms 55:22
d)Remove all distracting things from your study area.
e)Be careful when your using a computer for your Bible time. Don't go to Facebook or anywhere else!
8)Be careful of your extra thoughts
a)Read the Bible first so that you can't remind yourself of the bowling party you went to that day. But if you're really anxious about something in the morning, it's better to do it first and get rid of that distraction so you can focus on God's Word.
b)If your mind wanders while you're reading the Bible, go read it again.
c)Try not to read the Bible when you're tired.
d)Get yourself awake in the morning: Take a shower, splash water on your face, or drink something hot or cold.
e)Read the Bible out loud if your mind keeps wandering away.
f)A larger print Bible can help you concentrate.
9) Take notes while you read.
a)Have something ready to write on. Try having a Bible Journal to keep all your Bible notes in.
b)Have something to write with. Pencils are good because you can easily change your notes.
10)Keep a Bible dictionary or commentary.
11)Do it with a friend so that you can check on each other every day.
12)Be persistent. If you miss a few days, read extra but make sure you understand it.
13)Ask questions about what you read.
a)What does it tell me about my God?
b)What's my responsibility?
c)Who? What? When? Where? Why?

Rejoice in the Lord1

-notes from Wild's We're Singing Hymns
God never does anything without a purpose or plan.
If someone got hurt, even though it's hard to take in, it's God's perfect will.
He's always testing His children's faith and obedience.
One example was when God told Abraham to offer up Isaac, his son, upon the altar.
Abraham obeyed and trusted God that He would still make his people a nation. And in the end God provided a ram in Isaac's place.
Always give thanks to the Lord even though the testing seems hard and is taking forever.
Rejoice in the Lord, He makes no mistakes.
When we are tried by Him, we will turn into gold.
If we obey God, our tears and fears will all turn into peace.
We will see that the testings we have are from God and that He just wants us to turn to Him for help.
God strengthens His children.
He knows best and we should trust Him all the time.
We will grow more spiritual fruits from His testings.
"O rejoice in the Lord!"

What would you do if....

What would you do if a person you were looking at or talking to, suddenly disappeared and just left their belongings right there where they were sitting?

You would probably panic, start calling out their name loudly and try to find them, start thinking you are crazy and that you were just talking to yourself the whole time. Or if you have heard of the rapture or have read about it, you would know that they were taken up to be with the Lord.
To make sure this doesn't happen to you and that you aren't left behind, you need to get saved and accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior! Please view my earlier post: Five Things to Know

What do you think a person would do if YOU disappeared right in front of their eyes?

They would probably also panic. To make sure this doesn't happen to them, witness to them and share the gospel! If they're stubborn and don't want to listen to you, just pray for them, be kind, and have faith in God that He will soften their hearts. But it's our mission to share the Gospel, fellow Christian. We should give our best for our Master!

Five Things to Know

Here are five things God wants you to know.
1st: You NEED to be saved.
"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23. "Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3. Being born again doesn't mean you have to be a baby again. It means that you have to get saved and become a child of God.

2nd: You CANNOT save yourself.
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to His mercy He saved us." Titus 3:5.

3rd: Christ has provided for your Salvation.
"Who (Jesus) His own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." I Peter 2:24.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16.

4th: You MUST accept Christ for Salvation.
"And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Acts 16:31. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" John 1:12. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:9.

5th: NOW is the the time to accept Christ as you Savior.
"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." II Corinthians 6:2b.
"As the Holy Ghost saith, Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart." Hebrews 3:7-8.

-from Independent Bible Church A Personal Invitation for You to attend

Thank You, Lord!

Thank you Lord for saving my soul.
Thank you Lord for making me whole.
Thank you Lord for giving to me, Thy great Salvation so rich and free!
-from Wilds We're Singing Hymn book

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you are a Christian, make sure to thank the Lord everyday.
He saved our souls from the lake of fire.
There was a hole in our hearts that He filled!
His Salvation is so rich and free, we didn't have to give anything up except for our sinful nature.
If you haven't accepted this Salvation yet, you need to do it now.
NO HIDDEN FEES!

Another Lie about Ourselves

Lie: We must be famous or rich to be used by God.
Truth:It's not true that you have to be big, rich, famous, or have good grades to be used by God.
God can use anyone, even the poor or talentless for a big task to glorify Him. Even children and teens can be used to honor God! You don't have to wait until you're an adult! They can sing, play instruments, and be good friends with a stranger and later, they can witness to him. With all the electronic facts they/we know and have, we can even make blogs, websites, online groups, eBooks, and more to share the Gospel.
Did God use a strong muscular man to defeat Goliath, the giant? No, He used David who was smaller and shorter than Goliath. God used David so that He can show us that anyone can be used even small children. And He wanted to show us that God is with His people all the time and no matter what the circumstance is, His people will win with His help.
Christ can even make the lower class be leaders.
What was Joshua before he became a leader? He was Moses' servant.
We should always do our best to serve God, no matter what we look like, how much money we have, how good we are with our talents, or anything else.
I Corinthians 10:31
"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

What are Christians' responsibilities?

Matthew 28:19-20

¹⁹Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

²⁰Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Our responsibilities: As Christians, we need to go and share the Gospel with unbelievers all over the world. We need to make them followers of Christ. We need to be good examples toward them and follow God's commands.

Question: What if they just laugh and persecute me?
Answer: That is very small compared to what happened to Christ. People whipped and spitted at Him, gave Him a crown of thorns and put it upon His head, and they nailed His feet and hands onto a cross! The world of sin hates us. They hate us because Jesus spoke the truth so now they hate Him. And since we are in His family, they hate us too. We need to suffer for Christ! He already took our punishment on the cross!

A Lie about Ourselves

Lies: Beautiful girls are worth more.
Truth: We are fearfully and wonderfully made by God. Beauty is found inside us, not outside. Outside appearance is only temporary but our true personality is the one that stays. It's the one that God will judge us by when we die.

Death

When relatives or friends die, we mourn.
If the person was a true believer, we need to rejoice! That person is now in heaven with his Lord!
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "⁵Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.⁶In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
This means that the Lord is in control! We need to keep trusting Him because whatever happened was His will!
If you're relatives or friends are unsaved, you need to take immediate action.
Try witnessing to them. If you and your relative aren't too close, just offer a tract and friendliness.
It might be too late if you put it off aside for the next family reunion!
Don't forget to include them in your prayers.
If you take part in that person's Spiritual life, God will bless you.
Of course, before you witness to your relatives and friends, YOU must be saved.
You need to acknowledge that you are a sinner and that no one can save you except Jesus Christ.
Jesus died a very painful death on the cross for your sins!
When you acknowledge all these, you need to ask God for forgiveness, repent of your sins, and confess.
Your question: What if Jesus doesn't forgive me? I'm a terrible sinner!
Answer: Jesus WILL forgive you for it says in I John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.".
Ask the Lord to be your personal Savior and Lord. After that, ask the Lord for His guidance and confidence to witness. He wants you to share this wonderful news to your friends, family, and even strangers! Don't forget to thank Him for all that He has done for you! Now, you need to grow and be like Him. You can't just pray the prayer and not actually change. The prayer doesn't actually save you; it is Christ that saves. There must be a change in your life. You must want to follow Him and to learn His Word.

Proverbs 3:1-12

¹My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

meaning: (1) We should keep God's commandments. We should keep on learning them in the Bible

²For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

³Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

⁴So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

meaning:(5) We shouldn't depend on ourselves because if God never helps us, we would never succeed.

⁶In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

meaning:(6) We need to trust Him for guidance to the right path.

⁷Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

meaning:(7) Some things may seem good to our eyes but God knows best. We need to fear Him and depart from sin.

⁸It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

⁹Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

¹⁰So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

¹¹My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

meaning:(11) We shouldn't hate or ignore or reject the Lord's correction.

¹²For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

meaning:(12) Remember when some of you were little kids and got spanked or grounded, some thought their parents hated them? (At least that's what I thought when they didn't give me the harmful things I wanted.) But those punishments were actually corrections from parents full of love! God loves us so much that He wants us to grow to be like Him, not like this world.

When is "Doom's Day"?

Some people thought that today (May 21st) was going to be Doom's Day.
Some people also thought that the world was going to end in 1992.
But did it end?
No.
So when is Dooms Day really?
No one knows except God.
Matthew 24:29-41 talks about the end times.
Verses 35-36 say, "^35-Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. ³⁶-But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."
So no one really knows. It could be right now while you're looking at this. It could be 15 minutes later. It could be next year!
Another question is, Do you know where you're going when you die?
Mentally check your answers to these 2 questions:
I believe that there is a real Heaven. yes__ no__
I will go to Heaven when I die. yes__ no__
For some of you, your answer for the second question was probably unsure. If you had a hesitation, make sure you are truly a child of God! If you answered no, you need to get saved now. Tomorrow may be too late! II Corinthians 6:2b says, "...behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." Please don't wait until tomorrow to accept Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior. Do it now!

Who is near us?

Psalm 119:145-152
The Lord is always near so we can ask Him in the time of need.
God helps us through His Word. We need to meditate on it and keep it in our hearts for His commandments are true.
When we fear, we need to put our trust in Him. God puts guardian angels around us to keep us safe from Satan and His devils. What can we fear?

How can I fear?

When there is actual darkness, things are creeping about, and when temptations from Satan appears, I will never fear, for the Savior is near. Psalm 119:151 says, "Thou art near, O Lord; and all thy commandments are truth." My Lord always abides with me. How can I fear when Jesus is near? He watches over me. When worries and doubts sprout, He gives me peaces.
When I'm alone, and I face the unknown, and I'm worried about what is going to happen, my Friend and my Father is the One to depend on. He walks beside me everyday.
Jesus is king. He can do anything. He is Omnipotent, all powerful. He is with me each night and each day. I can trust my soul to His control because He drives all of my fears away.
"How can WE fear with Jesus?"
-from the Wilds Music, We're Singing

Brenda Hager, a missionary to the Philippines

Brenda Hager, a GFA missionary, is ministering at Bethany Bible Believers’ Church (BBBC) in Tagaytay, a small city in the southern part of Cavite, a province in the Philippines. Tagaytay has 6,615 hectares of land and has a population of 61,623. The entire country has about 92 million people. More than 90% are Christians, 80% are Roman Catholic, 10% belong to other Christian religions, and between 5% and 10% are Muslims. Many tribal groups still practice Philippine traditional religions. In Tagaytay, 95.36% of the people are Roman Catholics, and only 1.07% are Protestant. The government there is a constitutional republic with a presidential system. The President is elected by majority vote for a six-year term.

In 1999, Brenda Hager helped Rey Marasigan plant a church, Bethany Bible Believers’ Church, in Tagaytay. They started a youth ministry with only 12-15 young people but it soon grew. She also had women’s Bible studies and led many women to the Lord. Brenda even took her time to learn the Philippines’s main language, Tagalog, to be able to communicate better with other Filipinos.

Right now, in the 21^st century, many Filipinos are technology minded and are drawn away from spiritual things but several young people from BBBC are still willing to serve the Lord. Many are even considering on going to Bob Jones Memorial Bible College in Manila to study the Word of God. This year, they are going on a mission team to Odiongan province and will be conducting a DVBS there and in Tagaytay.

One ministry difficulty that Brenda faces right now is that the Pastor of BBBC is unable to accept full time leadership due to his past strokes and some of her works are put on hold.

Another difficulty is that her hearing is not the best so she has a hard time understanding what people tell her. She has no problems with GFA, her mission board, and is blessed that she is a part of it.

Brenda has also started a Junior Achievers’ program for ages 10-14 and is making devotional booklets for the kids to take home.

Some experiences that God has delivered her through are having a gun pulled on her, being in a flood up to her neck, and having her house flooded. She has also been a taxi driver, an ambulance service, and her vehicle became a hearst at a funeral.

Through all these, the Lord has protected, blessed, and has helped her lead many souls to Him. Up to now, she is still faithful in service to the Lord.

Servant's Heart

We should want to be a servant like the Lord. He showed us an example on how to serve others in John 13, where He washed and wiped His disciples feet. He also died on the cross for our sins and rose up on the third day. We need to live for others by serving, loving, and showing them towards the right path. We need to be humble, meek, helpful, and loving to everyone- not just our friends but also our enemies (Matthew 5:44 says, But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;). We need to ask for a servant's heart like Christ's. We should let Him take our lives and mold them into His will for us. We should let the Holy Spirit fill us (Eph. 3:18b, ...be filled with the Spirit). We shouldn't quench Him (I Thessalonians 5:19) by ignoring Him and keeping our lives in sin. Let us ask Him to draw us closer to Him everyday. We want His love to shine in our actions and words. We need to also be a witness like Him. Always share the love of the cross: Christ's death and resurrection. Be persistent in showing and sharing the gospel to everyone. We need to be ready to serve Christ whenever and wherever.
"Give me Lord, a servant's heart."

Blessings from the Lord this year

These are only some of the wonderful blessings God has given me this school year.

In the beginning of this year, I was so-so with my daily devotion but I kept making sure to read my Bible everyday throughout this year and with God's help I did most of the days. Also, in the beginning i complained and asked why we needed to go to chapel everyday. But as we went through the year listening to chapel messages, I grew and the most of the messages convicted my heart. I also learned that "People are dying and going to hell today" and that we need to make sure to shine our light to the darkened and not just hide it under a bushel forever.
I also received many awards this school year. I received straight A's, Discipline Award for no tallies, Nationals, and best of all, Citizenship Award.
I also learned many things including being content, humble, and persistent.
And I got my poems and stories published in our school newspaper, and my English teacher is wanting to buy my portfolio book for the school library for next year!
I also am more physically fit. My highest sit ups I got this year was 47 and I ran the mile inside and outdoors in the eight minutes.
I couldn't have done any of these without God. I am so thankful that He is always in control and that He takes care of me.

Be an Example

-from the Wilds book.
Be an Example
People watch us everyday. Are we doing the right things that will glorify God and not man?
They will soon follow our actions "so let us then be faithful to be what we should be.
"We should be a good example to them, and example that will let them see Christ's goodness.
We as Christians need to be an example not only in our actions but in our words and conduct.
We need to stand firm in loving other, in our faith, and in purity, not sin.
We should make a difference in their lives.
We should look out for the weary and encourage them in the right path.
We need to be patient as Jesus fixes their eyes, softens their hearts, and leads them to the prize of Salvation.
"Be an example to follow Christ."