Not the time to give up
By Jesus Lopez-Ledesma
Wednesday, December 18, 2002
We may not know enough to be sure of God and what the entire Bible tells us. Everyday we have things distract us from our communion with Him. In this distraction, we watch TV programs and listen to radio programs that almost convince us that there may not be a God.
In addition, our every day routine keeps us occupied to the point that we do not give as much attention to God as we should. Furthermore, some of us know exactly what God needs of us, but we completely deny Him our loyalty.
The question of course is why do we behave in this way. Those of us that are Christians know what is to feel God very close to us. We have built a personal relationship with Him. Therefore, how do we explain our deliberate disobedience?
I see it many ways. For one the enemy is always out there working against us. Second, our position in God’s kingdom is one of growth. We should be maturing everyday as spiritual beings. In addition, part of our spiritual condition is directly related to our spiritual influences. Christians around us contribute to our ideas and these ideas affect our behavior. The reality that some of us just like sin is another possibility. It is rich and tasty and we want as much as we can get.
To this I say give it up. As tasty as sin is it cannot give us, what God is offering. He is offering eternal life. He is also offering us all His wisdom and assistance. Now can sin help you have a happy productive marriage? Only you can answer that question. All I can say that sin can only keep me from God’s love and that is not a place I want to be in this life or the other.
This brings me to the point of this “Daily message”. None of us is perfect. Temptation is everywhere and at any given moment, any one of us can fall. The secret is not to stay knocked down.
We have to know that no matter what we think we have done it is going to be forgiven. Even if we have dived right in into sin, He is going to forgive us.
Now you may not be interested in His forgiveness. I guess that is okay. However, I will remind you that God chose us from the minute He made us in Heaven. The debate on whether He knew who is going to be saved and rewarded with everlasting life is just that a debate.
I was once meditating with God on the issue of all the people who for one reason or another have not and will not listen to the message. My concern was all the people who have just not run into the right messenger.
This concern lead me to ask God if it was fair that they should not be recipients of Heaven just because the messenger was not adequate. God’s reply to me was that at one time or another He has talked to all of us.
Therefore, all of us have heard God’s voice and His message. At one time in our life we were meditating with Him and came to feel His presence. Through time, however we allowed distance to grow.
Did this distance grow because we felt that we were better equipped to direct our life? On the other hand, where we to inconvenienced from living a life completely surrendered to God? Another possibility is that we traded our life with God for a life of sin. Moreover, we could of just decided not to listen to God anymore.
Well I am here to tell you that He is still here waiting for you to return. At any time, that we chose we could began to live a life of vision, insight, assistance, love, friendship, and family with Him again.
After a long time of willingly giving in to sin we may ask ourselves, “ just how do we begin to live with God again?”
That is simple. He has a big forgiving heart. Ask and you shall receive. Therefore, ask Him for forgiveness.
He will do the rest. This may include a little sacrifice on you part. Remember that is very easy for our bodies to become accustomed to sin and crave sin. Leaving a life of sin requires purging our system.
All over again we need to be cleansed. This time however, we need to fight stay cleansed.
Show God that you are willing to fight for His love. Every time sin calls, stand up and defy it for God. This may require hiding or always being around people that can minister to you.
Confession is good for the soul. Therefore, find people to confide in. I believe that confess the sin public takes the strength away from the sin. If you will notice, most people sin in private or among small groups of facilitators.
I can tell you that times have been hard for me lately. Many times, I wonder if God still wants me. I however have not stopped wanting Him. Deep inside I want to figure it all out and be at peace with Him.
Therefore, I keep bad influences at a distance, even the ones that are family. As far as sin is concerned, I have my weakness but I do not trade my love for God for my sin. I also glad that I do not even like my sin.
Today, I desire God’s acceptance and a kind woman’s love. Of everything, I can ask for I only need Him and a woman to love.
Now can sin give me God’s acceptance or a nice woman to love? I believe we all know the answer to this question.
This is why I write. Well the part of me that contributes to this web page does it because I love the goodness of life and desire all good people to live a good life. I say this because I am fully aware that Christ is working through me by the Holy Spirit inspiring the messages that are posted on this web page. I always say that this web page belongs to Christ. I am just one of His many ministers. I can only hope that I do them honor.
In addition, I love God’s creation, life.
He is a great God. With His guidance and love, we can have a great life experience.
Sin has the ability to interfere with our relationship with God. The good thing is that God is our hope. In everything, he can count on Him to be there for us, even when we have deliberately been disrespectful to Him.
He gives so much. How much do we give Him in return? I think that it is a sad world where one can have everything good but chooses everything bad. This makes me sad.
So many of us are letting God’s good gifts pass us by. Many of us have a long time been scourging in the muck of sin while God calls to us in order to offer us His greatness.
I do not want to be as everyone else who chooses to be blind to God. I want to feel His love every second of my life.
For this I am going to have to face Him again and accept His judgment. Then I am going to have to walk with Him in confidence. I should not be scared. He will listen to me and take in to account my opinion.
Never be afraid to speak plainly and honestly to God. Our voicing our opinion to Him is not an automatic sign of disobedience.
However, keep in mind that He knows a lot more than us. Therefore, His vision should earn our trust, confidence, and trust.
Furthermore, when you just do not know in which direction to head remember faith and God’s word.
There is going to come a time when our minds and love for God will not automatically give us the answer. I call this time of faith.
Everything we feel and think leads us to a direction we may not want to go, but something inside is leading us there.
In this time, lead with faith. In His word, God has left us everything we need to live life correctly. We may not feel it to be correct, knowing that God said it, should make us follow. This is faith.
In times of wonder, remember God and lead with faith.