Hope

I haven't written a poem/prose (not to be confused with a song) in a long long time. Mainly for spiritual reasons, but I wanted to wait until I felt that it would be glorifying God and not myself. So, this is the first poem/prose I've written in a long time, its honest, it doesn't rhyme (sorry folks), and I pray that God is glorified and sin is recognized. I love all of you. God bless.

-Hannah

Today, I'm going to be as transparent as possible.... today, this week, this month, has been one of spiritual struggle as I see the way I used to be contend with who I am today in Christ... More often than not, I have lost the battle against my "old man" and I have no one to blame but myself. 

Today, I'm going to be as transparent as possible.... I believe in a risen Savior who commands me to be transformed by the renewing of my mind. If He has commanded me to change, then it is He who has already given me the strength and the will to do so. I have but to surrender that will, that control which I so desperately think I have.

Today, I'm going to be as transparent as possible.... there's a part of me that doesn't want to let go of the world, and its the part of me that leads to behaving shamefully, thinking horribly, and desiring aggressively. To use other words would not show the true face of what lies in store  for us when we do as we wilt.

Today, I'm going to be as transparent as possible.... I hate where my old life would lead me, as desperate as apart of me craves to go back, I hate knowing that that's not me. It is some manifestation of media, influence, confusion, and temptation mixed in one deceitfully beautiful package. Try as I might to lie to myself, I know that I would never be satisfied by that life, if you would call it that.

Today, I'm going to be as transparent as possible.... Honestly, all I want is to be gone from this sinful world, full of lies, full of selfishness and cruelty, and have my Redeemer come in the clouds to take me home. I desire nothing else than to see the face of my Heavenly Father and hold on in tight embrace to my Savior Jesus Christ. I long for Heaven, I long to be with my Lord. I long to love them more than I love anything else, and it still would not be what they deserve.

Today, I'm going to be as transparent as possible.... I no longer want to battle. I want to surrender. By God's grace, by God's strength, by God's love alone will I do so. Because though I long for Heaven, like Enoch, the Lord can put a love in my heart for solely Him now, and keep Heaven on my mind today and everyday.

Praise God, for He is giver and completer of Hope. So, to be transparent, I have nothing to fear as I surrender it all to Him. 

Heavenly Song - "Wedding Day" by Acappella

This song always brings me to tears, its just such a lovely song of the hope that we have in Christ Jesus. Can't wait to see you there. 


ps I'm a deep believer in prayer and the power of it, and if anyone has a prayer request, let me know. I would be honored to pray for you and anything that is going on in your life. 

Wedding Day

Grace.Faith.Works.

So many times, we become confused with what the Bible says and certain terminology that is used over and over yet is failed to be explained good and properly. So today, we're going to talk about being Saved by Grace, Saved by Faith, or Saved by Works. As a Seventh-Day Adventist Christian, I cannot help but be saddened when I hear people who are not SDA say that we are a cult that solely believe in works. I cannot express how further from the truth that can be. As an SDA, we are taught to follow what the Bible says, and that is that we are saved by grace (praise God!), but that faith and works do play a vital part in our approach to that grace and our relationship with God. As you go through this study, I pray that you have not only a better understanding of my church and where it stands, but more importantly, on what God teaches in His lovely Bible.

Salvation/ Growing in Christ

• The first step to understanding salvation, is understanding redemption
• 2 Corinthians 5:17-21  There are two concepts: one, is this concept of Christ taking on our sin and the work God is doing for us, and secondly, this concept of dying to self

God’s Part

• Romans 3:21-26  For all have sinned, but notice that last part – there is redemption
• So the question remains: what is redemption?
• 1 Peter 2:21, 22; Gal. 1:4; 4:4-7- through His sufferings, we are made whole, we are made part of the genealogy of God!!! Do you see that? Now what does that mean?
• Illustration: I am the daughter of M and R – physically, I look like both of them, mainly my mom. In character, however, I’ve taken the loud social traits of my dad, and the artistic introverted side of my mom, and I battle with myself everyday, but that’s the character that I have through them. Now understand what God is saying is that like His Son, we can be heirs of His! So, putting traits and inheritance together, God’s character can be manifested in us.

• Sanctification: Hebrews 13:20-21 It is God’s will to begin a good work in you -- God is giving us grace by His Son – sanctify means to make holy. So when we are redeemed, giving our lives to Christ, He begins a sanctifying process in you.
• God is a true forgiver isn't He!
• Hebrews 8:7-12   God wants to make a covenant, a bond, a promise with us. Physical Israel wouldn’t do it, now God is looking at His spiritual Israel and saying I will write My character on your hearts and minds – the Law = the Character – sanctification is having the character of God

• Jesus – going to learn about His work in the Sanctuary later – reconciled us through His sufferings! – John 16:8-11, Col 1:13,14 Helps us to see our need for a Savior and for a relationship with God unaffected by the world around us. Does that make sense?
• So that we can begin to establish our characters with God

• Holy Spirit – 1 Peter 1:22, 1 John 3:24, Romans 8:14-17
• Through the Spirit we are born again and sanctified; the Spirit renews our minds, writes God's law of love in our hearts, and we are given the power to live a holy life.
• The Holy Spirit is like our care giver, until Jesus comes He is here interceding in our hearts to give God our entire being, and be servants one to another

• Us – in Romans 3:24, we saw that we were saved by the grace of God,
• This faith – Galatians 3:26– saved by faith (faith is the activator of the grace)
• Illustration: Blender and power chord – I am into natural medicines and I know that the shake I would make with the blender would make me feel better, make me feel healthier, lighter, save my body in a sense – but if I don’t turn that blender on, what happens? Nothing. Same thing here. God gives us that grace, but if we don’t believe Him, then your basically calling Him a liar, and pretty much saying that He can’t help you. So God’s grace is given to those who believe (who have faith) in that saving grace. If I don’t believe that Christ’s grace can save me, will it? No, because I’m doubting that God can have an active part in my life. Now where does works fit into all this?

• Works -- Romans 10:17; James 2:18,20,26
• we are not saved by works, but what we do directly affects us, and gives a reflection of faith.
• When you read a great book, you have a reaction and you tell people about. Reading God’s love letter and the best reaction is what we see in our lives – do, say, feel, etc.
• When I began to believe in the saving grace of God and realized just how much I love Him, I couldn’t help making changes in my life that glorified Him and not me. I went from eating meat to going vegan so I can be healthy and glorify God through my health (it was a slow, careful process though), I truly started to keep the Ten Commandments which God does ask us to keep if we love Him, and I began to dress more modestly because I wanted to respect my body and how I presented it to others. Plus, music, movies, don’t really care for anymore, because (for the most part) they do not glorify my Father in Heaven. Now do all those things save me, NO! We’re not saved by digestion, or by fashion, but what I do affects my faith and my relationship with God. 
• By giving up meat and go towards a vegan diet, I have faith that Christ is going to provide for my nutrition, sustenance, etc - God cares about your body and your health, but we'll go over that later. My faith grows in knowing my God supplies my physical needs
• What about entertainment. In letting them go, I have faith that God will satisfy me beyond what media or culture can offer. Honestly though, to think that the entertainment industry doesn't affect your spiritual walk is putting yourself on dangerous ground. I know so many people that have a hard time even thinking about picking up and reading their Bible's because its not as exciting as movies or music. Honestly, it won't be as exciting unless you get to know Jesus and what Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit are doing for you right now. 

• World and Me: We’ll go over more on this later– hit on relationships, music, movies, entertainment, words, dress, everything that we know what God has in store for us – which is ten times better than anything we can want
• Phillipians 3:7-14 – Paul counted everything dung that had to do with his life before Christ. Nothing in this life is worth anything more than a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

• End Justified – Titus 3:1-7 through the Trinity we can have the victory

1 Thess 5:23 Can we allow God to sanctify us wholly and make us heirs of His kingdom? We battle against flesh and blood but in Luke 17 God says He will guide in treading on serpents so nothing can harm us, and we can take on divine nature. Can we start walking by faith in grace?

A Bible Study on the Godhead

I do believe that the Trinity is one of the most complicated Bible Study subjects to do because we can never fully know about the Godhead. But I've heard a couple of good sermons, and have done Bible studies with myself and others and would like to present my findings with everyone.  =) One of the sermons I listened to was by Peter Gregory and can be found here and it was a blessing to my understanding. This Bible study has been heavily influenced by the verses presented in that sermon. May God bless you, please pray before reading, and Enjoy.

The Godhead

• Some believe that there is one God playing multiple roles
• Metamorphing God/shapeshifter – sounds Pagan
• Some believe that there are three, but God the Father is supreme
• Say that the Holy Spirit is a product of the Father and Son, which isn’t Biblical
• Matthew 28:19  The great commission, Father, Son, Holy Ghost, so if the mission was to show others these three beings, we better get to know them personally right?
• To explain the Trinity perfectly would take around three hours, if that can be done at all, so bear with me

Three Ways to Explain Trinity – Character, Job, Unity

• Genesis 1:26, “us” and “our” Since before our beginning, we see this multiplicity
• Godhead – is referred to in the Bible 3 times, and means Divine Being/ True Deity
• Acts 17:29 ( Romans 1:20, Col 2:9 look at later)
• So there is a body of Gods here right? So is God one, or many? Many
• we see many, so then we must understand them seperately. let's see if the Bible actually does that for us

Character

• Exodus 6:3 -  Almighty /Self Existing
• No beginning or end, isn’t sustained by means related to us
• Isaiah 40:28 Creator
• Note the way that He describes Himself as “everlasting God, creator”
• So He cannot be created because He is the creator, goes with self existing.
• 1 John 4:8        God is love
• Everlasting, all powerful, self-sustaining, creator and is love. This is essential, you either have love or hate, 50/50 is not ok, and be sustaining and creating. Hate destroys, love creates and so HAS to be in order to self exist and create
• If I hated my best friend – I would cut things off with her. End of relationship. 00Take a marriage, when you’re in love you want to get married – creation. God calls himself a creator, by default, He is a God of love, by default, a creator. See the ring. But can love be fulfilled with just one?
• No. Ecc. 4:9,11-12  two is better than one, three is better than two
• So if He was by Himself could He fulfill love? No, because love always gives. And if there was no one to love but self, and you cancel yourself out. And then stop existing. So in order for Him to love, then there has to be another present in order to love.
• Need more than one in order to love
• Daniel 9:14       God is righteous (self existing, almighty, love)
• God is not a sinful person as we are. That would be like serving a human king who has flaws, makes poor judgments (no offense to David and Solomon), but they are not perfect, so God is righteous.
• In order for God to be righteous, there has to be at least three
• Proverbs 12:17 – so what is related to righteousness? Truth
• Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life
• All three can say that about themselves, they all say that they are truth, and so they are all righteous
• So how can someone, by Himself, testify himself to be the truth and to say that whatever they say is truth – you cannot prove yourself, however, God can because He is not only God, but because everything is justified in that He has witnesses. A witness can be one or two, but according to the Bible, one witness is not enough
• Isaiah 43:9  in order to say something is truth, you need witnesses, lets find out how many you need tho
• Deu 17:6  so one witnesses is not enough, you need at least two
• Matthew 18:16 in order to establish truth, righteousness, a word, need at least two/three witnesses
• So you have one, then two witnesses to back you up
• So God can’t go ahead and say, I am the God who wants the best for you, and us believe Him unless He has proof or witnesses of that. Henceforth, the two other members of the Godhead serve as a witness for that .
• So does the Bible say that they work as witnesses for each other?
• 1 John 5:7, Matthew 3:16 (at Jesus’ baptism, all there for baptism)
• So thru the character of God, do you see the importance of the Three – love, witness

WORK Seperately

• They are the same in being and character, consider that they all have slightly different roles…. God the Father is the giver, God the Son the gift, God the Holy Spirit helps you to experience the gift
• God the Father - Giver

§         Ephesians 4:6 – God the Father is above all

§         1 Chronicles 29:12 – God the Father has all power.

• Matthew 7:11, James 1:17, 0now are there any characters in the Bible that represent God? Abraham (Father of every nation) in Hebrews 11:17. John 3:16
• Jesus – the Gift
• John 1:14, 17:5 Is our Creator, OT  Isaiah 48:12-13, Job 38:4-7, Isaiah 48:16
• He is and has been our mediator since the fall/ Reveal to us the character of God
• Colossians 1:12-14, 17
• John 4:10 (he refers to himself as the gift), Rom 5:17, 6:23

§         Luke 24:38-39

• The Holy Spirit – Experience. Giver/ Understand Helper

·         Such an active body of the Godhead – Gen 1 He is moving

·        John 16:13 – Holy Spirit speaks, and hears / Luke 12:12 – Holy Spirit teaches.

·        Acts 8:26, 29 – Spirit speaks. Distinctly speaks.

·        John 14:25  The gift of the Holy Spirit is also a gift, but it is the gift to understand the gift

·        Ephesians 5:18 – a language that you need to experience it by being filed with it, in other words, what is being filled in us? Rom 5:5  So he helps us to be filled with the love of God, and when we’re connected with that then amazing things happen

·        Mark 13:11  His role is to also enable us to speak – Acts 2

·        Rom 8:1 enables us to walk in God’s spirit, not after our own flesh

·        Gal 5:25 helps us to bear fruit

o       He convicts hearts. He intercedes Romans 8- In summary. The Holy Spirit gives us communication with God.

HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER

·        What about One God one Glory?  God is usually referring to “Lord”, so when we obey God, we are not saying one God being, it means we only need to obey one voice because they are in perfect unison – they do not contradict one another – not chaotic

o       Deuteronomy 6:4  they are one in obedience

·        Godhead worked together for our salvation.

o       Jesus, son of God Redeemer, born of the Spirit, Sent by the Father.

·        2 Corinthians 13:13-14

o       Role of Each

·        Philippians 2:1-2

o       God is our example of unity.

Can we choose today to accept that the Trinity is Father Son and Holy Ghost, all of whom love us, want to save us, and have a relationship with us?

The Ministry of Healing Page 1-42

One of the books I am reading, which is quickly becoming my favorite is The Ministry of Healing. If you are a Christian, no matter what denomination, if you believe in Jesus, get this book. I especially recommend this for those going into the health field. You see more how Jesus valued health in all forms while also how we can help each other be healthier with lifestyle. Most of the conditions we see in patients today are due to lifestyle choices, and if as (future) healthcare providers could understand more about keeping the body clean and stable, then we could more accurately and less hypocritically aid a patient in doing the same thing. You can acquire yourself a copy Here for about $2-5 and be blessed by the beauty in that book. I decided to share some of my thoughts to a portion of the book here below. Enjoy and God bless.

Reaction to Ministry of Healing 1-42

            What I truly appreciated about the reading was the sheer and beautiful focus that it had on Jesus. His ministry here on Earth was so pure and powerful and I enjoyed immensely how Ellen White described the way that He interacted with those around Him. His attention to the poor and to those that may not have the most or the brightest attention thrust upon them were to Him as precious as anyone else, and when I read the excerpt, all I could truly see was that Jesus knew how to love other people. That is such an incredible fact. In addition, His manner was one that drew others to Him. White says, in page 23, “His instruction was so direct, His illustrations were so appropriate, His words so sympathetic and cheerful, that His Hearers were charmed.” Is that not how we should be drawing people as well – in being joyful, sympathetic, full of love, and confident in what our Father has promised that we draw all men to Jesus? Since it is in fact His light that should be shining through us, I think that would make perfect sense.

            One other thing that I found so essential that we can learn from Jesus is the communion that He had with His Father. White describes how even though He knew that people needed to be ministered, He did not neglect that necessary and desired time with God the Father. Amidst school and the hustle and bustle of life, it seems extremely important to never lose sight of the fact that we need to keep prayer with God consistent. This is something that I struggle with because I’m always running around, but Jesus was so much more busier and more popular that I am yet He found it prayer important. I enjoyed the reading.

Welcome

My name is Priscilla and I welcome you to my blog. Here I want to share my journey through nursing school as well as my spiritual journey and what God is doing. I hope you find it inspiring and are encouraged to grow in your own relationship with Christ. I'll be also sharing some Bible Studies. 

I'll start by sharing a few thoughts on how I see God:

He is the Father I always wanted

The sweetest being in the universe

He gets excited to have me wake up

Just so we can talk again

He will never leave my side

Because, despite my flaws, I am precious to Him

He sent His Son to die

So He could call me His daughter

He never grows tired or weary

And it is His desire to be my best friend