Kingdom Perspective

Yo,

Today is great. People are back from their spring break. Now there is live again in the dorms. People talking outside, people running here and there, and cars driving in and out. Sweet sound.

Woke early to do some easy studying to get back in track for school tomorrow. I can't wait for school tomorrow. To see people and people and people. It will be happening.

Anyway, today in church is good too. I'm liking this church a lot but it can't compare to back home. Well is a new experience to me. Besides that the word was really good. It gave me a new look at God. We Christians need to have a Kingdom Perspective. In Matthew 6:33, it says that.

The points are...
1. look at life with eternity in view.(Col 3:2, Phil 3:20)

• it affects our value system
• it affects how we invest our lives
• it affects our attitudes

2. look at life with spiritual perspective(Matt 10:16)

• we are spiritual beings(1 Cor 15:44)
  
• We are in a spiritual struggle(Eph 6:12)
• We need spiritual discernment(Prov 2:10-11)

3. look at life from a biblical worldview. Kingdom truth: God is Creator of all things(Col1:16-17)

• we let the Word of God guide us(Ps 119:105)
  
• let the principles of God shape us(Rom12:2)
• let the precepts of God protect us(Prov 2:6,8)

Great huh? So we got to see that now. So that is about my day. Going to sleep early because school start early. =) till then nighty night

Pogo,

Such a Powerful Chapter

Romans 8

Life Through the Spirit

¹Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,^a]">[a] ²because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. ³For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature,^b]">[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.^c]">[c] And so he condemned sin in sinful man,^d]">[d] ⁴in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

⁵Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶The mind of sinful man^e]">[e] is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; ⁷the sinful mind^f]">[f] is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. ⁸Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

⁹You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. ¹⁰But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. ¹¹And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

¹²Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. ¹³For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, ¹⁴because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. ¹⁵For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.^g]">[g] And by him we cry, "Abba,^h]">[h] Father." ¹⁶The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. ¹⁷Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Future Glory

¹⁸I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. ¹⁹The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. ²⁰For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹that^i]">[i] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

²²We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

²⁶In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. ²⁷And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

More Than Conquerors

²⁸And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,^j]">[j] who^k]">[k] have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

³¹What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."^l]">[l] ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^m]">[m] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This chapter in Romans, is such a blessing to all Christians. It helps a lot. Read it

God loves you

Did you know that the best diamond are the ones that shine the most and have good 'cuts'
It takes a skilled craftsman to cut a diamond into its ideal shape. Their goal is to maximize brilliance and sparkle. All those edges on a diamond are created through scientific formulas, and the more experienced the craftsman, the better the result. A diamond that is cut too deep or too shallow will fail to shine as brightly and may appear dull.

God is the ultimate craftsman.
And we are his diamond.
Constantly shaping us to be the prefect diamond.
So cuts are deep, so are shallow.

If you are a true-believing Christian, you would accept change all the time to become the prefect diamond.
You are willing to push on to the good times and bad times.
Wanting your character to be prefect for Christ.

And every prefect diamond has a unique shine to them.
That shine is your appearance, how do you want to appear to your friends/family/strangers.
This appearance is your attitude, character and talents.

And God is crafting you to be prefect in all areas in your life.
We are to appear the prefect examples to your friends even to strangers and yes, also family.

So don't destroy yourself because it's hard or whatever.
fight it through, the results are coming.

God loves you