Once Saved, always Saved.

When I first accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior I was about 21 years of age. I had been taking drugs, alcohol, and other substances with my medication at the time. I could not stop, and at that time period I was literally crying out to God to take the addiction away, because I was afraid of being permanently institutionalized because of the damage I was causing to myself. I was working then at a major hotel as a security guard to say the least. And then one night, I was resting in the lobby area on a couch there and speaking to someone having a conversation, when this guy I see, come out of the lounge area and sits next to me and the gentleman I was speaking to. He started to talk to me about Jesus, and salvation, and how Jesus can forgive all my sins and how I can go to heaven the day I die. While all of this was going on, I could smell the scent of alcohol coming out of his mouth as he spoke, but for some reason it did not phase me at all, and I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior that night as I said the sinners prayer. When I finished the prayer, he then asked me, where is Jesus now ?, and I said, in my heart. He then began to tell me that he was an x-con and that he used to be a jewel thief. And now was a Christian. So he then left and I never saw him again. You see we cannot judge anybody who drinks to get drunk or was in jail because he disobeyed the law or has done anything that goes against God, instead we should hate the sin but love the sinner. So about a week went by and I had a beer one night. I tell you I got so sick emotionally that after that night I  had finally the power to stop my drug and alcohol use. Now this does not mean I have not had a drink or two since then, but the addiction was totally gone. After that, it took me for some reason or another, seven years to read the Bible or even step into a church to commit and start my walk with the Lord. But in that seven year time span, my life was changing for the better. This is how I know that, you cannot lose your salvation in any way possible, because how could I do the productive things I did in that span of time, things I in no way could do before I got saved, If the Holy Spirit was not living in me. And again, I did not go to church or read the Bible in those seven years. I was saved and once saved always saved. 1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

Healing the mind.

Joshua 1:8,9 This Book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you ? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth it's fruit in it's season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. These verses are so important and have been all my Christian walk. If you want to know about success and prosperity of the mind, any mind even the mentally ill's mind, and I say this because it happened to me. But I must say it might not apply to you, because I am not God and only He knows what he has planed for His children. But I believe His word is truth. I first learned about meditating on the word early in my walk with Christ. I didn't right off the bat start memorizing scripture and repeat in my mind over and over while I thought what it meant and let the Lord give me wisdom about the verse, no, I started with "Jesus loves me I love Jesus". A brother at the time gave me that Biblical advise one day, because you see in those days I suffered much mental anguish, like if someone had a baseball bat and was just hitting my head over and over with it. The pain was extreme, I use to have extreme feelings of  depression, fear, paranoia, delusions, mania, jealousies beyond what you can expect, and my wife was always innocent, it was my mind that was defective. Worries about many things to say the least. So in my walk with Christ with my many mature Christian brothers to help and counsel me, that God put in my path, I began to slowly come out of the hell I was in. It especially began to get better the day I started to meditate on "Jesus loves me I love Jesus". The worries or what ever problem I was having at the time would improve. I would do this for awhile until later on I would find a verse in the Bible that would mean something very special to me and I would memorize it and use it when I would meditate. It was very difficult at first, memorizing, meditating and doing my daily things. But as time went by, with much effort, especially seeing and feeling the difference in my life as I practiced this, It became easier and easier, you see we are creatures of habit and it takes a lot of mental discipline to do this effectively I believe. So as the years went by and I meditated, day and night like the Bible says, I began to see more and more the success and prosperity in my life, with less and less of that bat hitting my head until finally, it stopped. My marriage got better, my thinking was clearer, worries were less, things just got better, not perfect but better, I had answers to questions many long to hear. I had strength and the ability to do things I only dreamed of. But I in doing this I had to be very courageous and obey God in things that were sometimes extremely scary. Things Biblical of course, but sometimes it's very difficult to to follow and obey God in all things especially if you don't feel like obeying. Today I still meditate day and night on the word of God, it is like breathing to me, I can't stop, the blessings are just too many to throw away. Yet I function with my daily things, meditating all day and night because I believe God empowered me, doing it for over 20 years now and seeing the truth in God's word come alive in my life.   

Listen to your heavenly counselor.

The first Bible believing Church I ever attended was a Spanish church. Which was the first church I attended when I committed my walk with Christ. I was attracted to that church because they had jam sessions for musicians. So I went one night and I saw something special there which was Jesus. That night I went and never stopped going to church. That night, there were four brothers there playing music. As I kept going I became good friends with them, and for some reason they were very interested in my life, and there started a journey for five years while I was in that church, that I was to be there disciple. I learned so much from these mature Christian brothers, that still, until today, I hold and practice many of the Biblical principles they taught me. There I learned also and practice until this day, this verse. Proverbs 11:14 Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety. Oh how important this is and was for me. Pride is a killer. If you are prideful and think you have it all together, are better than the person next to you and even Jesus. Then you probably will not experience the many extreme blessings from practicing this proverb. Of course the counsel you will want to receive will be, from mature Bible believing Christians. And if you are a man, it will be best to get this counsel from another man and the same holds true for a woman to get counsel from another woman. Need I say more. Now when getting counsel, you don't have to do what the counsel says, what you have to do is what Jesus says, what the Bible says. If the counsel is maybe ones opinion or hunch that is not Biblical, that is not the best counsel to hear and do. But if it's Biblical, you can be sure it will work. I think this holds true for everyone especially for Christians and the mentally ill. From my experience some of us, and I am not saying all of us, can maybe fall into depression, manias, delusions, and many other types of emotional ups and downs to say the least.. where our thinking is impaired. We must have multiple mature Christian counselors to help us. Remember God created the world and the universe, He created us too, So we must trust Him in guiding, counseling, teaching, even healing us, with our doctors guidance in taking your medicine. Jesus Lives !





     

Be still and know that I am God.

There is a time for everything. The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3 there is even a time to speak and a time to be silent. So many times there are silent moments in our lives, dry areas that seem like God is no where to be found. Maybe anxiety, boredom, or maybe even shear panic may set in. God is always with us, He will never leave us, we are the ones that fade away at times. But there are times when that is not the case and we are being faithful and diligent with our Lord. But Know also that there are times that we should just be still and know that he is God and wait for further orders.  He is always working on us, like the potter works his clay molding and forming a beautiful work of art, we are God's work of art if i might say. We must trust Him at all times and not grow faint. There are so many things we need to change to be more and more like Christ as time goes by, that as Christians,we have no Idea how to do it because we are limited in our thoughts and our ways. Isaiah 55:8-9 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. So when we go through unpleasant or even pleasant times, Trust Him and hold on tight to Him, because He knows all and knows us very well.   

He is in Control.

It's hard to think and accept sometimes but God knows what He is doing and allowing in our lives. And it all happens to get to know Him, or if you know Him, then to get you closer to Him. But sometimes there is the unexplained, and only God knows the answer to those things. Those things that nobody knows the why ? Trust Him and seek Him in all your pain and joys. God is in control not us. One thing is for sure, for what it's worth, When man creates whatever things that goes against His word, it will fail. We must not get stuck though, on those things that we cannot explain. When it happens, don't drill your thoughts on them, but think it out, ask God what do you want me to do or learn from this, and He will show you. But make sure the answer is from God, it must match God's word and the way God does things. Get counsel too from mature Christians, make sure it's a solid Biblical answer. But if there is no answer, don't fret and put it on the shelf and God will give you the answer later or He may not. Somethings are sometimes better unknown. God knows what is Good for our growth. Trust Him in all things and in all situations. Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

Who do you follow ?

John 14:6, Jesus answered, " I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 12:26, Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me". Many times we follow the wrong person or thing. We put our eyes or focus or full attention on the things that are not God or of God. Now that does not mean we should not look up and respect things or people, it`s when those things or people take the place of God in the center of your life. When all you do is think and focus on them and obey them, instead of the one true God. This sometimes happens in marriages. Men will follow their wives instead of leading them with God in the center of their lives. Also with some authority figures. For example pastors in churches. They are men and can fail anytime. But we sometimes may see them fail and get discouraged. We have to always see that we are all sinners and a work in progress. If we see anyone fail, ask for counsel and if you have to confront that person, it must be done in love. Remember how much God has forgiven you and continues to. Matthew 7:1-2 " Do not judge, or you will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." You see sometimes when we see someone fail, we might have judged and condemned them. And if we really look at ourselves and remember where God has brought us from or not even that, where are we now !, If we are really honest with ourselves, we might see that we are very, very far from perfection and see that we should not judge one another but love and build up each other. So keep your eyes on Jesus and follow Him and Him alone and your path will have many good things.

The bumps in our journey.

Sometimes through our lives as we live on, we hit bumps. Call it depression, anxiety, distress. It is definitely not pleasant. A sense of hopelessness and no sense of direction. First of all we are not to be guided by our emotions, especially if they are not under control. But we are to be led by the Spirit of God. In " Jeremiah 17:9 it says, The heart (meaning the emotions in this case) is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it ? " I often hit these bumps and I must wait on the Lord for His rescue. It says in " Isaiah 40:29-31 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." And "Isaiah 35:3-4 also says, Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you."Waiting sometimes is the difficult part. God in all cases, we have to remember is always trying to make us better. More like Him. We must ask ourselves when we hit the bump, God what are you trying to show me with this, what do you want me to change. He will answer you and you will know and if you do know, it must match what the Bible says. When we wait on the Lord, we will receive the blessings we read in these verses and grow stronger in the Lord. We will be much more stable and especially when we are more consistent in our obedience. We then create better habits of behavior and enjoy what God has for us. Being more like Christ. Remember God is in control and allows things in our lives for two reasons. One, if your not a believer. It`s to bring you to become a believer, or two, If you are a believer, it`s to bring you closer to Him and in turn make you more like Him. You see, it`s all about Him and the sooner we realize that the better we will be and see things His way and become more stable.