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.

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.

Rain Rain

I think the maturity of the people on social media in Georgia have someway or another complained about the mass amounts of rain we have been given (including myself). A pastor in Florida said this about the rain, "Rain in the bible is said to be a 'Blessing.' God has been giving us a lot of blessings, the blessings are flowing through the streets, and His blessings are creating floods." God created everything, and has called each drop of water to fall from the sky to bless us. The question I find asking myself when I complain is, "Am  I letting my will come before God's holy, prefect, and unique will?"

The abundance of rain reminds me of Joseph and Pharaoh. Joseph is telling Pharaoh that he will have 7 years of abundance and the following 7 years of dry land. God told Joseph to prepare Egypt for the future. God has a unique purpose for the rain for the future. This is why we trust His will instead of our own. Our will only goes to the present, but God's will, sees into the future. Think about the limitations of your will in the midst of troubles. Then think about God's will in the midst of those troubles. Trust in the limitless will of God before you trust in your own.


Thanks for reading. Contact me Email, Follow on Twitter @JonSAdams. Your welcome to comment.

Last: Much Is Given

Much Is Given

Joy.

How convicting is it to see people work at a trash dump, not just working, but living there. Most of their possessions they have are peoples' trash; the money they receive a day is the price of a soda we pick up on the way home. What strikes me the most, is that these people have more joy and happiness than any other person. You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound. (Psalm 4:7). David is speaking to God, thanking Him for joy rather than grain and wine that is in large amounts. A lot of people find joy in giving what God has given them, because God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:7). I leave you with some things to think about and a call to action.

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. - John Piper

I'm not going to tell how you can have joy in Christ. I feel we all should find it for ourselves.


Thanks for reading. Follow on Twitter @JonSAdams. Your welcome to comment.

Last: Pity vs. Compassion

Repentance

Repentance is a word that is critical to the Christian life, and should be a recurring experience in our hearts. Our walk with Christ starts with repentance, in scripture Peter said, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).
 Repentance is turning away from your sinful nature, then begin to live by the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16-18). Repentance is not a one time deal, it is a daily relationship building opportunity with Christ. 

Repentance is Repeatable 

You may have to repent more than once, “Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them” (Lu. 17:4), Christ is teaching this lesson from experience. I have repeatedly repented of a sin and then the next day I repeat the sin like I never repented of it; by God’s amazing grace I am forgiven every time.

Repentance is Refreshing

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord (Acts 3:19). You will not just receive a time of refreshing from the Lord, but also a time of peace, like a weight lifted off your soul.

Repentance is Essential 

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God (Heb 6:1). Repentance is something we have to learn from the beginning.

Repentance through Faith

I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. (Acts. 20:21). Over the few years I have been a Christian when I have placed my faith in Jesus, he always has opened a door for repentance. When you take the opportunity to repent, he always gives you peace.

God you are the best, thank you for reteaching me these things that I have neglected to put into practice. Let us have the faith to turn away from our sin day by day.

Thanks for reading. Contact me Email, Follow on Twitter @JonSAdams. Your welcome to comment.

FAITH

As Christians we throw around a lot of words like repentance, glorification, sanctification, and faith. We have little understanding on the meaning of words like these, and how the words apply to our lives. In the next few months I am going to unpack these words, give you a biblical understanding, and how to apply it to your life.    

Faith is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8). Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Heb. 11:1). This definition of faith is often the same for the word believe. A belief is something we think exists. If we just believe in God, we are no better than demons (Jas. 2:19). Neither can faith be by itself, if not accompanied by action, it is dead (Jas. 2:7). Abraham had an amazing display of faith when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? Abraham knew killing his son Isaac would end the line of Jesus, but Abraham still choose to obey(action) God. Abraham's  faith and actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did (Jas. 2:22). Through faith you will be righteous (Ro 1:17). And faith produces works; that’s why the passage says “works of faith.” When we put our faith in Christ, God changes our hearts and desires so good works are actually possible (Philippians 2:13). If you have faith, works will be done, which have been prepared for you (Eph. 2: 8-10).

Do you just believe in Jesus or do you have faith in Jesus?

John Calvin, a preacher in the 1500s said this in his third book of the Institutes of Christian Religion within chapter 4, "This is so true that the term faith is often used as a synonym for confidence” (Calvin 148). In him(God) and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3:12). God is faithful to all his promises (Ps. 145: 13). We tend to look at God’s promises objectively but not in our own experience. We must take his promises and embrace them in our heart, then our confidence through faith will come to life. A true faithful Christian is one that is firmly convinced he is reconciled to God. John Calvin talks about this in his book, “In other words, you can’t have strong faith in the Lord unless you are gloriously confident of being an heir to the heavenly kingdom” (Calvin 149). This is why Paul says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ro. 8:38-39). PROCLAIM the kingdom of heaven through the faith God has given you!

Are you confident to be an heir to the heavenly kingdom?

God you are so glorious, thank you for giving me faith, that produces good works that you have already prepared for us to do. Let us be confident of the gift you have in store for us in Heaven.

Thanks for reading. Contact me Email, Follow on Twitter @JonSAdams. Your welcome to comment.

Calvin, John. The Institutes of Christian Religion. London: Baker Publishing Group, 1987. 148-149. Print.

Traditions

       Traditions are very important to any family during the Christmas season. The biggest tradition is the Christmas tree. Whether you know this or not in a Christian household the tree represents the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Death is cutting down the tree, disconnecting Christ from God. The burial preparing the tree, as Jesus was prepared for burial. The resurrection is to reconnect Jesus to Father by putting the tree back up. Decorating the tree with lights and other things is Christ glory through his resurrection. What an amazing image of Christ!  

Why are traditions important? They bring families together, hopefully with peace. Traditions are something that the whole family decides on. Without traditions Christmas would not be as glories as it is. I appreciate the moments I have with my family, because life is short, we don't have much time left.  As a child, I made Christmas about me and what gifts I could receive. Now, I learned what the most important gift I given is when I look at the Christmas tree. Christ gave me his amazing grace, and the forgiveness of sin, to live with him forever. That is why I celebrate  Christmas.

Please comment and share. If you have any questions please send me an email. Email 

BACK_TO_SCHOOL

How Does God Want Us To Present Him At School?

I have SIX tips for daily life.

1. PRAYER

Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. (Luke 9:16 NIV)

Pray before you eat, as a table (out loud). This really shows how serious you are about your faith. Lead the prayer first, then start ask others to lead. This act will not only bring blessing upon your food, but it will start conversations about Christ. This is the easiest way to speak to students about Christ.

At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. (Luke 4:42 NIV)

When I started being serious about my relationship with God, I would read my bible, but I would never pray. As I grew in His grace I learned that prayer is a valuable thing in our relationship. No matter how much you have to do. You always have time for prayer.

2. THE SWORD

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. (Luke 4:1,2 NIV)

Christ while in the wilderness studying God's word so that he may stand up to every temptation that the devil had for him. Make sure you study God's word to keep your sword sharp, to be able to fight off temptation.

3. MATERIALISM

What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? (Luke 9:25 NIV)

Don't worry about getting every achievement or new thing that will give you temporary joy. God will you give joy way beyond what things on earth can give you.

4. UNTOUCHABLES

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" And immediately the leprosy left him. (Luke 5:13 NIV)

In Jesus' day when you had leprosy, you were cast from your town or village which you lived in. Has society cast some people out of there groups. Go and touch the untouchables like Christ did.

5. WARNING

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. (Luke 6:7 NIV)

Jesus was watched closely, and you will be watched too. Be careful how you live, people are waiting to see you mess up.

6. BUILD UP OTHERS

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29 NIV)

If you didn't read the verse please read it. This is HARDEST thing to live by. Pray that the Holy Spirit will only let things come out of your mouth that are a benefit to those who listen.


Thanks for reading. I hope this blog has helped you, and you will put these things into practice. Contact me: @JonSAdams , JonathanSpencerAdams@gmail.com. Leave comments!

3 Way Relationship (PART 3 OF 3)

            This is the third part of the "3 Way Relationship Series." We talked about loving with your heart, and soul; what that looks like with your relationship with God and also your earthly relationships.  Today/tonight we are going to look at the way with love with our minds and what that looks like.

Matthew 22:36-40

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

3. Mind

How mentally do we love God, and man?

Ephesians 5:15-16

 15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

            This is one of my favorite verses because of how much it rings true in my life. Anything we think, do, or say comes from our mind. Let's break the verse down, be careful how you live. This is watching how you act, stepping back, thinking how you live your life, knowing what is the right thing and the wrong thing. Not as unwise but as wise, this is hard to understand but I will share with you how I use this verse and apply it to my life. Being wise is always asking yourself in every opportunity this question, "What it the wise thing to do?" If I do this how will it affect the outcome, will it be good or bad. Everything you think, do, or say is going to affect the outcome. Living wise is a great way to love the Lord and your friends with your mind.

What does this change about the way I love God and love in my relationships?

Ephesians 4:29

 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.    

              Most of the time our mind is negative base, meaning that we degrade people and speak down to them; this is our sinful nature. Controlling your mind in thinking in positive, uplifting ways, to bring people up is hard. It has a lot to do with being humble and putting yourself below people. If you want to learn how to be more humble here's a link "TO PURSUE HUMILITY ". Positive thinking and lifting up people is a way to love your friends with your mind.

            With God, I see us loving him through, keeping a pure heart, staying sexually pure, how you study his word, and how you treat his people through your words and actions. Loving people how you want to be loved.

I hope you learned more on how to love with your heart, soul and mind!!!

Thanks for reading through this series, I learned a lot and I hope you did to!! If you have any questions or comments, or you want to give me a topic or a verse to write about. Contact me: jman1424@gmail.com or on Facebook, Twitter @JonSAdams, by phone/text: (770) 533-2582

3 Way Relationship (PART 2 OF 3)

            So this is part 2 of 3 in the "3 Way Relationship Series." Monday I covered on how we love with our heart. Also how loving with your heart will affect every other relationship.  Today we will cover how to love with your soul. How loving with your soul brings out the best out of relationships.

Matthew 22:36-40

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

2. Soul

Soul: the spiritual part of the body.

How do we love God with all of our soul?

            We love God with all our soul by our worship. True worship is being led by spirit and truth. This is how I know the worship is being led by the spirit and truth, it's when the worship leader and band members are passionate about the music and you see it in there body language and this makes for a spirit led worship. We love God with all of our soul through prayer another spiritual part. This is praying with all your soul,

Acts 1:14

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

            Asking God to be led by the spirit can also be a way of loving with your heart. Pray for the Holy Spirit.

How do we love with our soul with our relationships?

Acts 1:14

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

            I put the same verse because this will help with loving with your soul with your friends. Praying together is a way to love by the soul. Worshiping together is another way to love by the spirit. You notice that the same way you love God by yourself is the same with your friends. Praying for your relationships is loving with your soul.

            Everyone loves with there soul.

How are you going to love with your soul?

 Thank you for reading!! If you have any questions or comments, or you want to give me a topic or a verse to write about. Contact me: jman1424@gmail.com or on Facebook, Twitter @JonSAdams, by phone/text: (770) 533-2582

Getting Back To The Basics

Seems like every time you turn around as followers of Jesus, there is another book out. A book that is suppose to help you live a better life. Not saying these books are bad. These books keep repeating and repeating. Some books change there view on a certain topic. Like Rob Bell's book "Love Wins", he changes his view on Heaven and Hell. Then you turn around and there's people writing a book about "Love Wins." So Christian books really do control a lot of what people think, some in good ways and some in bad ways. How do we as followers of Jesus get out of this book chaos?

I got in this book chaos and I have learned a couple ways to get out of it but still have a passion for what peoples views and thoughts are.

1. Get All The Way Through
Getting all the way through your bible is a great first step. I say this because you want to develop your own views on topics. You will learn the basic doctrine through reading your bible all you way through.

2. Let It All Out
Pray. Let God know what you are feeling. Ask God to give you the Holy Spirit to give you better knowledge on the basic doctrine. The book chaos is not bad, we just need to learn the basics first.

3. Getting Back To The Basics
I got in this mind set that, I know all I need to know about the doctrine. I want to learn the hard stuff. But repeatly God tells me to get back to the basics. When I say basic I am talking about his love, and his death, and prayer. So I read the Gospels again, reading trough the Gospels this time, I learned more then I have ever learned.

How is the book chaos changing you?