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 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.

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. 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. 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 we will enjoy. Being 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.

God Knows What is Good For Us.

God is all powerful, He knows everything. He is in control. In " Jeremiah 29:13 it says, You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." We will find all that God has to offer and Him, and the answers we search for, when we seek Him with all our heart. Like some of us search for riches, like some of us search for fame, like some of us search for a wife or a husband. Sometimes we search for these things with such intensity. But we are to search for God with the same Passion and He will give us the grace and things that we truly need. "Matthew 6:33 says, But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." He knows what is good for us and what will motivate us. What will bring us joy, peace, love and much more of the good things He has to offer. Trust Him, He created all things and He knows how it all works. Everything He has given me may not be all I expected but it`s all I ever needed and sometimes if it was good for me, what I wanted too. That`s one of the reasons I don`t regret a single day of my life. In trusting Him I can rest assured that where ever He leads me, as long as it`s Biblical and I don`t take the wrong path, it will be the best place for me. He has proved it over and over in my walk with Him. Jesus is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Before I knew Him, I suffered with so much emotional pain in my life. He took the pain, gave me understanding, wisdom, knowledge, grace, love and answers to life that has made me who I am today. A person that wants to enjoy life because He makes it worth living.

Luke 1:37 For nothing is impossible with God.

Luke 18:27 Jesus replied, " What is impossible with men is possible with God." And in "Ephesians 5:23 it says, For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. The husband is the head of the family. He is designed by God to be the leader and the wife is designed by God to follow. You cannot have two leaders in a marriage. One is not better than the other and one goes with the other. One is designed to do a specific duty and the other is designed to do another specific duty. It took me a while to do what I was designed to do and I`m still learning. It was not impossible for me to be the Godly leader God wanted me to be. And like I said, I`m still learning. with time I learned to take on more responsibilities and more responsibilities for my actions, as I grew closer to God. When the man does not lead in a Godly manner, then the woman tries to take charge and tries to lead. And what happens then is that you get the woman of your dreams, nagging and being controlling most of the time. Well men , she is not designed to lead, you are. She cannot handle those duties. It`s very simple.Your designed to handle those duties. I don`t have that problem and I thank God for that because he showed me that principle. And men if I can do it, a mentally ill man, I think any man can do it. The world is lacking Godly leaders and woman and children all over are suffering for that. Just think, we men are responsible to God for what we do with our families, as the head of the home. Lets not act like tyrants either. We must be the ones to set the first example. If you want peace in your home you must be the first to demonstrate that peace so others can follow. Too many men take the role of the woman's design and that's why we have, what we have sometimes. Disorder. So men follow God and obey Him because that's the only way you will be in his design.

Marriage On The Rock.

I have been married now for 26 years. And Happily too. But naturally it has had it`s up`s and downs, don`t get me wrong. The Bible says in "Romans 7:2-3 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man." When we marry, it`s forever. unless adultery is the problem, according to the Bible. And then their is always forgiveness. But in all cases if their is a problem, Professional Christian help is advised. In my case, God put us together. A mentally ill person and a non mentally ill person. I believe that God brings things together and Satan separates things apart. So that means that both of us being Christians, Following God, trying to be like Him, will bring us together more and in turn create a stable marriage. That's what happened to me. You see we were made for each other, God did not make a mistake. Funny as it may seem, she needed a mentally ill husband, committed to God and I needed her, committed to God, to Help each other grow in the Lord. On the other hand, without God, we at one time were going to get Divorced. God created Marriage. He knows exactly how it`s going to work right. He also created the human being and he knows how we will work properly too. When we follow the Holy Bible with all our heart for the needs in our lives, their is only one direction it can go. Success ! God will put other Christians in your path too, to help you. We are never alone with God in our lives. Today I am the Godly leader of my home. Always trying to set the example so others can follow the Jesus in me.

Feeding the Spirit or the Sinful Nature.

"Galatians 5:19-23 Says. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control." Heavy stuff. But the fact is, if you feed the Spirit by focusing on God more in your life, you will feel much better in all parts of your life. And the contrary if you don't, you will have more behaviors of the sinful nature unlike if you feed the Spirit you will have more behaviors of the Spirit. Our stability very much depends on how much we follow the Spirit. Accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is where you start. Then you feed the Spirit by walking with the Lord in a relationship. Reading the Bible at least once a day, Bible studies, Fellowship with other Christians. We are to live like Jesus. Be like Jesus. We put so much junk into our minds that hurt us and we sometimes don`t even know it. So put the word of God in your mind, Practice it and let it nourish you and may the fruits of the Spirit grow in you greatly.

He Will Make Your Dreams Come True.

You may say to yourself, their are better persons than me , more qualified, I`m mentally ill. But Satan wants to bring us down. He wants us to think we`re no good. But if you think this way, the Bible says in "1 Corinthians 1:26-29 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him." In other words God qualifies the unqualified, not the qualified. Which think they are qualified. He uses us ! And He will make your dreams come true. It says in "Psalm 37: 3-4 Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. We must make the Lord Jesus Christ our Lord. Following Him with all we got, with the proper interpretation of things. Because we could be wrong and interpret scripture incorrectly.That`s why we need to be in Bible studies in a Bible believing Church and other mature Christians to help with our walk with God. Our dreams will come true,with God in the center of our lives. But it might not be what you think your dream is. It might be what you think, but it`s what God thinks it is. It`s what will satisfy you in the core of you soul. It`s what you`ve always wanted but didn`t know. It will make you have hope. It will inspire you. It will give you balance in your life, peace, joy, a purpose to move on. He knows everything and is in control of everything. He knows what`s going to rock your world. He created you, and what God creates and follows Him, has no limits. In " Philippians 4:13 it says I can do everything through him who gives me strength." God is great, he gives us gifts and talents to use for Him. So follow Him and He will make your dreams come true.

Drugs And Alcohol, A No No.

I remember in my early years of my mental illness, before I got saved. I use to mix drugs and alcohol with my medication. It would put me in a crisis or put me in the mental ward and locked up for a while. They don't mix. But when I became a believer, the Lord took the drugs and alcohol away from me practically overnight. That's just what happened to me. First of all the Bible says in "Ephesians 5:18, Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the spirit." When we mix drugs and alcohol and get drunk and high with our medication, many things could happen. First of all we sin and we can do many silly things that we later could regret. It also can lead to debauchery like the Bible says. But what should we do instead, Scripture says to be filled with the Spirit. It`s difficult to do this if you have a problem with Drugs and alcohol. First of all you should seek professional Christian help if you do. But also in troubled times when we are tempted we must force ourselves to get into the word and trust God to see us through the temptation. Lead a Godly life and always going in His direction. Yes we might fail but God will never leave us or forsake us. Remember you are special in God`s eyes, He loves you and He only wants the best for your life. He is the answer to all our problems. But sometimes we must be patient. Everything is always in His time not ours because He knows everything and is in control of everything. He is God.

Sin will bring you down.

Many times we feel down, Hopeless, Guilt overwhelms us with shame, what have we done, we ask ourselves. All this is not from God after we have confessed our sins to God. He forgives us always, but there are consequences to everything we do. If we say something hurtful to someone, God will forgive us but what about the hurt person. You, in most cases might have to apologize to that person. Sin hurts us more than you might think. In some people it brings depression, using one instance. We must always be focused on God. Memorizing verses that mean something to you, that say something about what we need in our lives, will help you with your walk with God. For example The Bible says in "Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, " plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." When I first heard that verse, It amazed me, I said to myself God has a plan for me, I`m mentally ill, but I believed it because God said it in His bible. And what ever He says is true. So I remember that verse every time I feel useless and afraid, because He says He, has a plan not to bring me harm but to give me hope, a future and prosperity. You say prosperity ? Yes but in most cases depending on what God has for you. It`s mental prosperity, maturity, Godly character, and a better marriage. Things that are of Godly nature . Things that are going to further His kingdom. You see it`s not about us, it`s all about Him. Doing His will, It`s what is going to bring us more of what we need in our lives, love, joy, peace, kindness. And especially what most of us also need, is self control in other words a sound mind. Knowing that we obey God brings us much peace and knowing that we are doing the right thing with our lives gives us joy. Sin will bring you down, so when you do, confess, move on and try to get closer to God. He has a great plan for your life no matter who you are.

Don`t Quit.

As believers, we are now Children of God. Not just His creation, as before knowing Him, when we lived in our slavery to sin and we could not get out of our sinful patterns because we did not have the Holy Spirit. Things will get rough and we will go through many trails and temptations. The Bible says in "James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trails of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." Wow ! what verses, and yet sometimes we quit on obeying God when trails and temptations come. We are so human. Thank you Jesus for being so merciful. If we fail and we might sometimes, confess your sin to Him directly and move on, He knows we will disobey him sometimes, but He loves us so much that when we ask for forgiveness, He will. No matter what problem I have ever had, God has always had the solution for it, there was always some kind of answer for me. In "Jeremiah 33:2-3 it says, This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it-the Lord is his name: Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Now I think we must be in a good relationship with God to really experience this, because we need to compare what we think with what the Bible truly says, and ask other mature Christians too, to help when comparing. In conclusion we will be better Christians when we hold on and trust God through our trials and temptations. He will always give us a way out of them and make sure its His way, like it will say in His word. And as we keep obeying Him little by little, unless His will is faster, He will make us more stable.

When Fear Creeps In.

Fear is a terrible thing to experience. For me it has sometimes been paralyzing, bringing deep darkness into my soul and life. Fear in this way is not from God. God always brings us good things, even though they sometimes don't seem that way, God is always trying to build us up, creating Godly character within ourselves to make us more like Him. One thing I try to practice to avoid and get rid of fear is to always keep reading His word at least on a daily basis and practice what I learn. And when fear is present, the Bible says in Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Give your fear to Him, give it to Him in detail and believe that he will take care of it. But often times we give it to Him, but we really didn't. And if you have to keep giving it to Him over and over, it`s alright, until you say to yourself it`s yours Lord and you are sure. Fear is sometimes difficult to let go of, because often, what we fear is so overwhelming. But God also says in Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. As believers that love the Lord Jesus, all things work for our good, even the bad things help us in this case too. So what is there to fear, Trust in the Lord always and say, Lord what are you trying to teach me with all of this, and move forward not backwards in His wonderful plan that he has for your life as a believer.

Jesus makes things better.

Jesus always makes things work in there proper way. Like a car is designed by the automaker and it has it`s own owners manual, God is the designer of the human being and the manual is the Bible. He is the designer of marriage too, and life. The person with a mental illness, can be used by God. Everyone is uniquely made by God and everyone has a purpose on this earth to be used by God. The bible says that we were made by Him and for Him. We were made to go out and preach the word of God and make disciples. Now to do this properly for anyone, it is better to be involved in a Bible believing Church, involved in Bible studies in the church, praying and reading your Bible on at least a daily basis. And if you can get involved in a spirit led ministry more power to you. There is never too much you can do for God. Of course you must always take your medication and have a balance with everything in your life. You can`t neglect the people around you and be in the church 24/7. God must be always the center of your life but know we are not of this world but in the world. Not to practice the sins this world has to offer but to practice what God has to offer. Always pray and ask for Godly council. look for and pray for Godly leaders in your church or around you, to help you in your journey with God. God did not mean us to Do His will alone, but with Him in the center of our life.

Where do you go when your mentally ill.

The search where to go when your mentally ill is overwhelming. You look to doctors and that's a great place to start. But after you have looked there and have taken your medication and are stable, you might find that that's not enough. Becoming a believer in Jesus Christ takes you to where you want to go. We need medication but Jesus Christ completes the treatment for the mentally ill. Bringing total satisfaction and answers that we are looking for. The Bible says we are wonderfully made. So there must be a place in this world as we know it for the mentally ill.