Is this happening?

College? As a kid when I thought about college it seemed so distant, even when I was in highschool it seemed distant. But now... It is here whether I'm ready or not (And I'm ready!).  I'm sure my parents are hesitated to see how I do on my own; they are going to be thinking, "What did I forget to teach him?" or one of them will text me everyday just to make sure their baby is still breathing.

Ps 20:7 

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, 

but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. 

As I approach the unseen, unknown things in college, in scripture I'm told to trust in the Lord. Even the word trust, gives you the same feeling of the unknown. In the Psalm of David he is proclaiming that 'but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.' So remember when we say trust, the leaning, falling, has to lean onto or be caught by something. As Christians, we trust in the name of the Lord, which we will talk about later. Non-christians put their trust in other things, we call those idols.

When we put our trust in the name of the Lord our God, we our trust into who He is and what He has done, which gives me great joy!!! For us as Christians trust in the cross where Jesus gave it all for us. God promises us in scripture  "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Roman 8:28).  Reading scripture and learning about God's promises is a way the Holy Spirit builds trust. The unseen and unknown things of college vanish under the beautiful promises of God.

Faith Evaporation

Have you ever been doing really good? Reading scripture, praying, and just really feeling like your faith is growing? I have been here. But, something bad happens and it seems like your faith just evaporated. I sit on my bed at the end of those days wandering if my faith was even real. And it wasn't, in James 2:7 it says we know faith without works is dead. While sitting on my bed God reminds me of other verse.
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

After reading this verse, I get on my knees and thank God that it is nothing that I do that gives me faith but the one who has done the greatest work of all and who is in me. Fear not.

Colossians 1:28

"Perfect in Christ Jesus."—Colossians 1:28

I know this may seem short but this truth has given me great joy. There are times in our lives where we devalue ourselves, and even devalue others. We will never live up to the calling of Christ on our own, and Satan wants hit you hard with this truth and close your eyes to Christ. Know that it is Christ who makes you worthy of his calling by his blood. Also know that your identity is at the cross, and at the cross there is Jesus who makes you perfect. Set your identity in Jesus and you will be made worthy, not by your works but his finished work on the cross.

Atheism: Laughable and blasphemous

Psalm 10:4

"In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;'in all his thoughts there is no room for God." -Psalm 10:4

      Pride is one sin that everyone struggles with. I look at pride thinking I'm better than other people, and I also look at it like I'm good enough to make it to God's kingdom, but we are not. We have to constantly remind ourselves through the Holy Spirit that it is the shed blood on the cross and the defeated death that were are able to have life. The Psalmist is saying the wicked man is stuck in his pride; if your stuck is pride you can't see the wrong you are doing because you think you are right all the time, and you are human so you are not right all the time. Pride doesn't seek God; it's a great sin not to seek God. Pride doesn't even believe God is there. When will we put down our pride? If you live a life which is prideful you are ignoring God. But! This is a great but. But when we repent and return to Jesus, then our thoughts will return to the Lord. 

John 16:13

"...he will guide you in all truth..." --John 16:13

In John 14-16, Jesus is speaking to the disciples about the great comforter (the Holy Spirit) that will come after he ascends into heaven. I've been in church all of my life, and the topic of the Holy Spirit was rarely talked about, only in reference to the Godhead. Now I see the Holy Spirit as a person (Jesus) who dwells inside all believers. The Holy Spirit will guide you to the truth, he will never lead you against Scripture. Any good work you complete comes from the power of the Holy Spirit. The same power that raise Christ from death lives within you by the Holy Spirit. When you sin and go away from the teaching of scripture you have either suppressed or ignored the Holy Spirit's direction. God will never lead you into sin (James 1:13). As you are led by the Spirit, will lead you to become like Christ.

Mal 3:2,3

"...He will sit as a refiner's fire or launderer's silver..." -- Malachi 3:2,3.

All of us begin our lives dirty, and sinful. No one is able to escape the second death without Jesus. The image of Christ mining us from the ground and being refined, having all the impurities being taken away has been a breath-taking portrayal of Jesus in my mind. The process of refining silver, or any metal is a lengthly process for the metal to become pure. Christ who has begun to refine you will refine you to completion (Php 1:6). As Christians we can't refine ourselves because we are the ones who are in need of the refining. Jesus is the only one who has the power to refine you to the purest state. We know refining takes a lot of heat, please let Jesus refine you, so you are not burned in the fire forever.