Philippians 2:14
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing.”
A reminder of what we have and how we should temper our reactions.
Where is the life in the life you live? You are the poor millionaire.
What is there that can punish like a conscience ignored?
Do you want to be an amazing Christian?
Read the Bible and do what it says.
Jesus: You can’t smoke, swallow, or shoot him.
Anonymous asked: I tried for the longest time to be one with the church. I tried so hard to feel the way everyone else felt. Praise and worship I saw faces of pure joy, everyone looked so breath taken by the feeling that they had been given to them in that very point in time. But here I am, not feeling a thing but the sadness I walked in with. When I called on a paster to be he scolded me which made me turn my back from even the thought of Church….I just need something to cure my pain. Is church for me?
I answered:
If what you say is true, then it is no wonder that you turned away from even the thought of church! That isn’t church at all. Church isn’t about how we feel and what we feel, it’s about the gathering of people who love Jesus to read Scripture and worship God. But to answer your question specifically: Church won’t cure your pain; Jesus will. Now for my lengthy footnote…
This doesn’t mean that you will be happy all of the time. Jesus isn’t some magic drug that you take twice a day to keep the tears away. Worship isn’t some happy time either. Did you know that God gets sad? Did you know that He weeps, and His heart can be broken? This is why we experience sadness, anger, happiness, etc.
You may have been told that there are good and bad emotions. I want you to know that idea is a lie. Emotions are neutral; it just depends on what you do with them. A couple of examples: If you are angry, you don’t need to yell or hit somebody. If you are sad, you don’t need to harm yourself. It is not the emotions that are evil, it is just our responses to them sometimes. There are so many Scripture verses of God being sad or angry, and there are so many Scripture verses of Godly men being sad or angry. So don’t think that Christians are supposed to be happy all of the time, because we’re not. We go through pain. We are human beings, and this world is full of pain and suffering.
Now listen to me very carefully: Jesus knows the pain you are going through, and He wants to help you. From the language that you’ve used, it sounds like you’ve been hurt by a church, but you have not mentioned God at all. So let me ask you this: Could you just try talking to Jesus instead? And telling Him how you feel and everything that you’re going through? I’m not saying you’ll be happy, but He wants to help you!
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28
These are the words of Jesus. He died for you so that you can have a friendship with Him. He was nailed to a cross, suffered there, and died for you. He loves you. He understands pain. He understands what you’re going through. He’s seen you and I do horrible things, even though all He did was love us. He watched us turn our backs on Him and blame Him for things that He didn’t do. And yet He has not moved; He stands in front of you with arms wide open. I’m not asking you to go to church and try to get those happy go-lucky feelings that you may have seen. I’m just asking you to give Jesus a true, sincere chance.
There is a sarcastic video I want to show you. It’s comedic and funny, but just understand the message: It is stupid to believe that Jesus makes you happy all the time and that you will never, ever be sad.
Messy Mondays: IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN YOU HAVE TO BE HAPPY ALL THE TIME
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdUkLWnkmEM
I promise you, you and I both struggle emotionally. Everyone does. Some people just hide it behind a fake smile. I’ll tell you this though: Jesus brings true joy to my life. Let me explain. There is fulfillment in accepting the love of God. There is comfort in trusting that He will always take care of you. There is hope in knowing that the suffering in this world won’t last forever. It sure doesn’t make the suffering in this world go away, but you know what? Jesus will change your life forever.
I look forward to hearing from you soon. I’m praying for you.
God bless and much love!
Samuel Assaf
"Darkness comes. In the middle of it, the future looks blank. The temptation to quit is huge. Don’t."
— John Piper
Luke 7:36-47
36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. 37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”
40 Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”
“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.
41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, cancelling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”
43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”
“That’s right,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.
47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.”
"People always ask how close they can get to sin, instead of how close they can get to Jesus."
— Mark Driscoll
1.) You are NOT guaranteed a spouse.
2.) You could be setting yourself up for some serious discontentment.
3.) You could face some serious devastation if a serious relationship fails.
4.) The time you spend writing to your “future spouse” could be spent writing prayers to God.
5.) Rather than writing to them, you could be writing to God about them, or better yet, for them.
6.) Whether you realize it or not, you are setting unrealistic expectations for whoever it is that you marry, If you marry.
7.) Whether you realize it or not, you are putting a great deal of pressure on whoever it is that you marry, if you marry.
8.) If you do start dating someone, it will become incredibly hard to not address those letters to your boyfriend/girlfriend.
9.) If you do start dating someone, it will be awkward and unhealthy when/if they read those letters.
10.) You are NOT guaranteed a spouse!
As much as I agree with this post, I think writing that stuff is fine. It just depends on what it is written about. If it’s about chasing the spouse around the house and playing hide and seek at the local government office (just kidding), then I do agree that it is unhealthy. But if it is about needs and not simple preferences and daydreams, I think it takes an entirely different context. For an example, a girl is writing a letter to her future husband about how she really wants to learn the Bible together with him. That’s not unhealthy, that sets the proper context of marriage, because that should happen.
Also, it’s true that you’re not guaranteed a spouse, but 95% of Americans marry, so you pretty much are going to end up getting married if you are wanting to get married.
Also, I think it’s a necessity to pray for your potential spouse (when they are your boyfriend or girlfriend). I mean, if you are pursuing marriage with that person, then definitely talk to Jesus about them and for them.
You are setting unrealistic expectations for who you marry, but not because you write letters, but because of what your letters are about. Or, perhaps, you could be setting good, healthy, and realistic expectations because of what your letters are about. I try to keep good, healthy, and realistic expectations, and I don’t write letters. Others have very unhealthy expectations, but they don’t write letters.
So, in the end, I think writing letters is completely fine. I’ve never done it, but I know a lot of people who do, and most of the things they write are simple daydreams and unrealistic expectations that they put upon their spouse. That is what is unhealthy; not the letter writing, but preferences and daydreams. So, yes, I understand why this post was made, but just remember: Change your heart, and you will change what comes out of it.
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. - Proverbs 4:23
In Christ,
Samuel Assaf
(via slothysavill)
I don’t understand why people use “Freedom in Christ” to justify their border-line sinful decisions.
Instead of trying to get away with things like swearing, insulting, or putting people down, how about you try following Christ instead?
Yeah, I said it. Perhaps following Jesus isn’t just about living morally good lives. It’s more than that. Following Christ means being an example to everyone else. It’s being His ambassador. You make a very poor representative of the King of Heaven if you care more about your “freedom” instead of living a life to lead Christians and non-Christians. You’re supposed to be an example.
Now, I’m not saying we are not to practice our freedom, but justifying your actions with “There are worse things in the world” and “Jesus ate and drank with sinners” is no excuse for your actions. You know what? Go eat and drink with sinners, except act like Jesus. How about that? There you go, there is no excuse left for you. Better yet, imagine you’re hanging out with Jesus. Eat and drink around Him, and see how differently you act.
You’re not called to be comfortable, complacent, or lazy. You’re called to be outstanding, exemplary, and Christ-like.
Be worthy of imitation. Follow Christ.
Samuel Assaf
Give your life, love your wife like He loved the church
Without seeing how many hearts you can break first
"You’ve got to break away from this goofy, kumbaya, modern, contemporary Christianity and put it all in a bucket. It’s worth nothing. You’ve gotta get back to what it really means to flame, to burn for Christ. Get out of your culture and get into the Scriptures."
— Paul Washer
"Men, we need to be the kind of men we want our sons to become and our daughters to marry…because they will."
— Mark Driscoll
"Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."
but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."
— Proverbs 13:12
Unity and Discernment - Samuel Assaf
As Christians, we need to put our disputable matters behind us and strive onward to become united as a family. In an effort to do this, we must also always be aware of those who would try to deceive us into accepting them as Christians. In love, we need to unify and discern.
