It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick

Jesus has come to save sinners. I, as one, have sinned greatly.
His love heals and sets you free.
[Mark 2:15-17]

While Jesus was having dinner at Levi's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him.

When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the "sinners" and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: "Why does he eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick

Have you ever been sick? Being sick is the worst. It's painful. It's distracting. It's draining.

That is why when we get sick, we do whatever it takes to be healed and healthy once again.Are you willing to be healed?

Do you want to be healthy from the inside out?

No one is perfect and that's a good thing. For if we were all perfect, we would have no need for God, or for love, or for help (salvation).

Yet, we are a people who have weaknesses, who have flaws, who get lost. We are a people who hurt, a people who long, and a people who get sick.We are all sinners. We all have messed up at least once in our life, whether it was in thought or action. And to God, we are the sick.

Yet, our God is full of love, full of compassion, and full of mercy ... and He longs to heal us.That is why He sent his Son, Jesus, to shine a light of hope for all people. And in this hope, God planned to heal the creation he loves so dearly ... us.

Jesus will come to you.
He may come to you from a friend, or a peer, or a co-worker. He may come to you from a stranger, on a television program, or through a publication. The "word" and "name" Jesus will find you, you won't have to find Him. He will come to you wherever you are, however you are ... because God loves you and desires you to "know" him and be healed. He desires all creation to "know" Him through a relationship by faith in Jesus. He desires to heal our sickness -- "sin".

Unless we are "healed", we can never know God through a "healthy" relationship of faith and love. Matter of fact, God tells us through the word that "sin" separates us from him and that we cannot "know" him intimately/personally unless that sin is overcome.
Jesus has overcome sin for all; all he requires is your faith and love.

Jesus says - "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" "No one knows the Father except the Son and whom the Son chooses to reveal Him to". (John 14:6) (Matthew 11;27)

Today, through reading this, Jesus comes to you. He calls you. He desires to heal the hurt, fulfill the longing inside, and make you healthy in a way you've never experienced before.

Through a relationship by Faith in Him.

If you hear his name or read his name, at that moment He knocks on the door of your heart. In that moment, you are forced to take a stand. Either you place your faith in him, believe, and let him in or you decide not to. It's your choice. Gods love is a gift. A gift can only be received if the receiver accepts the gift.

If your reading this and you don't "know" Jesus or "haven't" placed your faith in him (for better words) ... Jesus approaches your heart and your forced to take a stand. Be healed or stay sick. He came to you because He love you. Either you can welcome Him in or send Him away. Your decision is monumental, for it decides where you go.

Be healed. The greatest love I've ever known; The love that has set me free; Jesus Christ. God bless you, and I pray that you too may have this love and relationship through Faith in Him. It's free; His love was meant for you, all you have to do is receive it :)

His love will never fail: We can make a difference (Part 2 - part 1 below/read 1st)

We are More Than Conqueror's Through Him Who Loves Us

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

[Romans 8:35-39]

Through His Love We Can Make A Difference ... We Can Change the World!

(Read Below -- Part 1)

We can make a difference. It starts with you, It starts with God's love (Jesus Christ).

The great journeys of your life will all start the same ... with one small step.

That small step usually is a thought that becomes a dream; A dream that evokes an emotion. An emotion that festers into a vision; A vision that produces a desire; A desire that grows into motivation; A motivation that produces the courage and strength to take ... the first step ... or what I like to call ... the leap of faith.

You are not insignificant. Rather, you are beyond the comprehension of significance. You're God's creation. You're his love. You're a unique design ... formed in his image ... yet unlike any other ever created.
And through you, God's love can change the world. Through you, He can shine his love to so many others ... in ways and methods you couldn't even begin to dream of, let alone try to plan.
If you believe, you can achieve. You can achieve, not because it is you doing it, ... but because it is God doing it through you.

Do you believe you can change the world? Do you believe you can make a difference? Do you believe in the power of love -- Jesus Christ :) ?

I do. With every essence of my soul, I believe the power of love(Jesus) can use you and me to change the world ... to reach out into the life of someone else ... and make an eternal difference in their life and the lives of so many others.

Have Faith. It takes faith in love (Jesus) to change the world.
You can change the world with one act of random kindness at a time -- a.k.a Love

We all will die on earth, but we all will live forever. God tells us through the bible that all will live forever, in either Heaven or Hell. Either with God, or eternally seperated from God. There is no medium. Its left or right, no in between.

God also tells us the only way to Heaven is by Faith. It is not by good works, or anything we can do to achieve it. "By the grace of God, through Faith" in Jesus Christ, his Son a.k.a ransom for my sin, debt payer for my mess ups - Ephesians 2:8

The greatest love I could ever give to you or anyone else is the ticket to heaven ... the only way. "Faith in Jesus Christ"
This is my love to you and no greater love could I give to you than this.

"I'm the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to (Heaven) the Father except through me"

Said by Jesus Christ

{John 14:6}

If you place your faith in Jesus Christ today, you can know ... 100% that you will be in Heaven forever and ever. Nothing could ever change that. If you have Faith in his son Jesus, we'll be chillen for an eternity :p

You can make a difference, pass on the love and share with others the most important thing you could ever be apart of -- their eternal life/love in Heaven.

By Faith in Jesus ... Go light up the world. God Bless.

What do you treasure?

Jesus said,

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" -- Matthew 6:21

What do you treasure?

What you treasure will determine how you live. It will shape the way you walk, the way you talk, the way you feel, and the way you think. It will shape the way you see, the way you hear, what you desire and what you do.

What you treasure will define all that you are.

Your heart can deceive you, but your soul relies on the source of all life; the light of life -- the love of God -- Jesus Christ.

Jesus explains the importance of our eternal reality(life) rather than our temporal reality(life).

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth ...where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal" -- Matthew 6:19-20

We are God's beloved, formed by his loving hands. There is no other you in all of creation. The love God has for you is unfathomable ... it's so unfathomable that it can best be seen by your existence. You exist because of God's love.

We are a people of great greed. The world continual dazzles its glamour and we all soak it up. We always want more; we are never content with all God has given us leading up today, to this very moment.

Money. Is there money in heaven? Does the life in heaven run dependent on the provision of material wealth through a monetary system known as money? Look and see for yourself.

Heaven is God. And God is love. Love is what drives heaven and from that love streams all the needs and blessings of life in heaven.

Jesus Christ is our all in all. When we make him our treasure, our heart is made complete. We then are able to become content in all situations because our focus is on eternity and our present possession, of his love, fulfills all our inner desires, outer desires, and needs.

I will leave you with this, Jesus concludes:

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

{Matthew 6:24}

What is your treasure? Through the love of God -- Jesus Christ -- Your love, joy, and peace are made complete. When Jesus is your treasure, it is then you experience "true life". God bless

"I have learned how 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 everything through Jesus Christ who gives me strength."

{Philippians 4:11-13

The Joy found in the Love of Jesus

{John 15:9-14} -- Jesus said, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you obey my commands.

Joy. Complete joy. Jesus is love. Love is the root of joy. And the roots are the foundation of life and growth. Everything depends on the roots. Without the root there can be no life for the plant.

Joy can best be described in the acronymn, Jesus ... Others ... You.

Joy, unlike happiness, is a consant state of delight and well being. Joy, unlike happiness, is not influenced by momentary conditions or experiences of emotions. Joy is much greater than happiness.

From love stems joy and from joy stems peace. The love of Jesus is the source of all joy and of all peace. His love never changes, therefore the joy he gives us endures in any situation ... all the time ... always. He clearly paints the picture of how we can experience his joy everybreath of everyday.

We must remain in him. If we love him, we will follow him. If we follow him, we will obey what he commands..

His command is not demanding nor is it complicated. His command is "Love".

The only way we can "love each other as he as loved us" is relying on the root.

Jesus is the root of all that we are. Our love. Our joy. Our peace. Our faith. Our life.

A plant doesn't work to survive or grow. Rather, it rests in the roots to provide nutrients and right conditions it needs to live and grow strong.

If your working for your own happiness, I pray that today will be the day that you stop working, and rest in the roots. I pray that today will be the day that you choose to stop "struggling, working, and striving" to provide happiness and joy in your life. I pray that today, you will rest in the love of Jesus Christ, the roots, to provide your life with the joy and peace he so desperately desires for you to have, so that you may have the nutrients you need to grow and live each day.

Rest in his love, live in his joy, dwell in his peace. For he is your roots, and he will never fail to provide all you need to live.

{John 15: 4-5} - Jesus says - "Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in he vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remain in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

Conquering Your Giants

{1 Samuel 17:42-47}

Goliath looked over and saw that David was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and despised him. He said to David, "Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.

Daivid said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head ... and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.

All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lords, and he will give all of you into our hands.

Conquering Your Giants

Is there something in your life that continually afflicts you with defeat? A problem so big, so gigantic, so overwhelming that you don't know what to do or how to overcome it.

I like to call these conflicts our Goliaths. They strut, they mock, they challenge us to the point of inner defeat. The Goliaths in our lives are too big for us to handle.

We all have Goliaths (Giants) we face throughout our lives.
It's so easy to live a defeated lifestyle when we have to face our Goliath every morning, every night, and everyday. We feel defeated because our Goliath is too big ... beyond our ability to overcome and claim victory.

Yet, I believe God places Goliaths in our life so that we will realize we cannot overcome this conflict in our own strength, using our own resources, or by attacking our Goliath one on one.

If we have faith in God, and rely on him to fight for us, we find that any Goliath in comparison to the love of our God is bound to be defeated.

Reading for the day - {1 Samuel 17 -- David and Goliath}

We all are familiar with the story 'David vs Goliath'. A young shepherd boy named David defeats a gigantic warrior named Goliath, overcoming insurmountable circumstances to bring safety, security, victory to the people of Israel.

But so often, we forget about the most important character within the story. God
God is able. God is faithful. God is the one who brought David victory, for the battle is not Davids or Goliaths, rather it's God's.

God is the only one that is able to bring us victory.
Although all the Israelites trembled with inner defeat, David saw the battle for what it was.
The battle was the Lords.

David knew it wasn't about the size of him in comparison to the size of Goliath, rather, it was the size of Goliath compared to that of the God of Israel -- Our God.
It was a one sided battle.

There was nothing physically or mentally special about David. What was special about David was his heart.

David was "a man after God's own heart", willing and faithful to do what the Lord desired he do (Acts 13:22). David Trusted in God. He had faith in his love. He knew that the battle wasn't about Him vs Goliath .... it was about the God of Israel vs Goliath.

Until we commit to the battle, we won't have the tools to claim victory. It wasn't until after David trusted in the Lord's faithfulness. It wasn't until David ran down the hill, into the valley, and picked up the stones the Lord would use to slay the giant Goliath. It wasn't until David committed to the battle that God guided David to the stones.

David wasn't a slingshot expert. He had faith. All he had to do was get the rock in the air, and God would do the rest.

When facing your Goliath, will you size up you giant to yourself? Or will you size up your giant to the God that loves you, who cares for you, and who is in control?
Commit to the battle. Step back from the problem and trust in God. Have faith in Him.
The battle isn't yours to fight. It is the Lord's.
All he asks of you is your faith. He will provide the tools. All he desires of you, is to get the rock in the air and have faith that He will do the rest .... slaying your giant.

Exodus 14:14 - "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."
Zephaniah 3:17 - " The Lord your God is with you; He is mighty to save."

My Committment to Jesus and You ...

Starting today: I hereby recommit my dedication to "the work the Lord has called me to in the various ministries of my life" ... but for our purposes... my witnessing and outreach of love(Jesus) to others, via this blog.

I am by no means perfect, so I apologize for the gaps in between blogs.

In hopes to provide you with spiritual nourishment and encouragement through Jesus Christ, starting today, I will focus on the vision the Lord has given me ... and will do my best to maintain daily blogs.

I thank everyone for all the encouragement and feedback ... but in reality, all thanks...praise... and honor are owed to Jesus Christ ....For He is the authenticator of my love, the loving hands that created me, and whose love guides my life, has given me life, continually blesses my life, and whose love has set me free :)

I pray that Jesus Christ himself may speak through me. That He may be the administrator of these blogs, shaping its content and message ... bringing love, joy, peace, and guidance to you in your journey of life.

For I am just a lamp ... and Jesus is my light. The lamp is useless without the light, for it is the light that shines and shows the way :)

{John 3:30} -- "I must become less, He must become greater."

Living By Faith

I apologize for the recent silence this past week. I felt it necessary to take some time to "come apart" and just spend time with Jesus and rest.

The Lord is continually faithful in my life and alot of amazing things have been going on (to say the least).

*"In our excitement to see God work in our lives, we often forget... that He knows the big picture, and that He also knows, what is best for us.
We must remember that the preparation necessary for God's next step in our lives, takes place in the stillness of our hearts"* -- resting in faith and trusting in his great love.

Whether things are going terrible or whether things are going your way for once in your life, I encourage you ... do not burden yourself with fear. Don't ever doubt or worry about what will happen next. Don't try to take things into your own hands, for we are not God. We so often believe we are in control ... that if I do "the right things" than my outcome will satisfy my expectations and bring my hope to fulfillment.

We lie to ourselves. Only Jesus holds all things together. Seek Him. Seek him with questions. Seek him for answers. Seek him for help. Seek him for direction. Seek Him for all things, for as hard as we try to "take care" of ourselves, we don't. Jesus Christ takes care of us. His faithfulness never ceases ... his love never fails.

Therefore: "Be Joyful in Hope" (Romans 12:12)

Life can be distracting. So often it can take our heart and eyes of what matters most:

The Love of Jesus Christ

Our life. Our love. Our hope. Our peace. Our faith. Our all in all. Jesus Christ.

"For we live by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7).

As for me, I will serve the Lord with joy, faithfully knowing that He is my shepherd and I am his sheep.

He is with me, his love will carry me through life, and "his will shall be done ... on earth as it is in heaven".

I pray that you may find peace in the love of Jesus Christ. Rest in his love. God bless you.

Let Your Light Shine ...

{Matthew 5:14-16}

Jesus says,

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl (a.k.a. cover it up).

Instead, they put it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.

In the same way ... let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven (God)."

CHECK THIS SONG OUT -- IT'S VERY GOOD -- "CHRIS RICE - GO LIGHT YOUR WORLD"

Let your light shine ...for all to see (Sharing Love)

Why do I have this blog?

I have this blog to share with you the Love of God -- Jesus Christ.

I have this blog as a testimony.

I have this blog to testify to the greatest love I've ever known.

I have this blog to be a lamp that shines the loving light of Jesus to others who are hopeless, helpless, hurting, or lost ... to all who are confused or deceived; and to those who are seeking, searching, or longing to find the only "peace" that fills the emptiness within.

I have this blog because I believe it's every one's God given right to "know" that there is a hope, there is a peace, there is a truth, and there is a love that can heal all hurts, a love that gives you new life, a love that forgives all failures, a love that fills you with constant joy, a love that gives you eternal life, and a love that will never leave you ... never forsake you ... and most importantly, a love that will never fail.

This Love -- is the Love of God -- Jesus Christ.

{Ephesians 2:8-10}
This love is a gift. You do not have to "earn" this love. You merely have to receive it.
You receive this love by faith (belief); "faith" welcomes Jesus into your heart, into your life, to live along side you from the moment you "place your faith in Him" unto forever.

To receive this Love, all you have to do is "ask God": {John 1:12-13}

(a) acknowledging that you've sinned at least once in your life (sinner),

(b) believe Jesus is the Son of God who died for your sins and rose from the dead (living God)

(c) welcoming Jesus into your heart and into your life, to live side by side with you every breath of everyday through a relationship via prayer, the bible, faith and love.

A.k.a "Following Jesus - living out love"

One day ... I took a leap of faith ... I went from hopeless to a hope --the hope. One day I placed my belief, hope, faith, and love in Jesus ... and life has been unbelievable since. There really is a happily-ever-after ... (if it weren't true, i wouldn't say so) ... I don't believe in magic; I believe in love ... I believe in Jesus.

{John 8:12} - Jesus says, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me, will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Forgiveness of all sin, Eternal life and love with God in Heaven, Peace, Joy, Truth, Purpose. Don't wait ... receive your happily - ever - after today .... His name is Jesus; He is love.

His love is for you ... and I pray that you decide to "take the leap of faith" and receive what is rightfully yours. I pray this in Jesus Name. Amen

(Any questions -- please read the book of John -- found in the bible, Eyewitness to Jesus) (He was boiled alive, for not withdrawing what He saw and His belief that Jesus was the Son of God). (This is me, sharing with you, the love that has given me "life" -- No more, No less. God bless).