Life on earth is a test for our eternal life. If we allow life to overcome us through the things it offers us such as the media, sports, girlfriends, boyfriends, money, and food, then we will not be able to have an eternal life with our gracious Heavenly Father God. Now I am not saying these are bad things, not at all, but they do become bad if that is what we put our focus on and turn our lives away from God. Man cannot serve two masters, it will be God or the world. If you choose the world, then you might enjoy yourself and the parties you attend, the people you meet might bring you pleasure, and you might just have a great time. But this is only for a time, God has appointed for man once to live and once to die, and then comes judgment. Those who choose the world will be judged by God and He will tell them, depart from Me, I never knew you. But if you decide to choose the Lord Jesus Christ, you will not have the happiest life of all, but you will have the most joyful life of all. Jesus Christ was beaten, spit upon, beaten until He was unrecognizable, hated, and betrayed, and died on a cross, but He stayed faithful to His call to God, and He is at the right hand of God Almighty in Heaven. If we are to truly serve the Lord, we will have persecution in this life, but we can take heart because Jesus Christ our Lord overcame the world, overcame evil, and overcame death. God blesses those who accept Him. Even if they do not feel that blessing in this life, they will experience it Heaven with the Lord in eternal glory.
Praying for all the Christ followers in the world to live a life on fire for Jesus,
Mark Cannon
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Community
Christianity is a group of followers of Jesus Christ who are a part of a community. We who follow Jesus Christ, have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior and because of this we are accepted in the Heavenly family of God. Even if we do not meet other believers face to face in this life, or if we do not agree with them on certain views they hold to, or if we do not enjoy being around them because they have broken your heat, hurt your feelings, or just annoy you, this does not change the fact that we are in a community. We are called by God to be a community based on the love He shows to us. We are commanded to not only show love to those who are in our community as believers, but we are to show love to those outside our community of believers so that they can have the opportunity to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The people you hang aroud is a factor in determining how your life will turn out in the future. If you hang around friends who degrade you and others, then you will become like that and talk lowly of other people. Bad company corrupts good morals. If you hang around people who care about you and show love to you and are willing to correct you when you are in the wrong in a loving manner, then you will be more likely to do the same.
Growing in the Lord day by day,
Mark Cannon
Growing in the Lord day by day,
Mark Cannon
Teamwork
All right, my favorite sport is basketball!!! It takes a strong team to be successful in any sports such as basketball, baseball, football, soccer, hockey, etc. The same can be said of the church. The church is not the building you meet in, it is the people you meet with. God says that wherever 2 or 3 are gathered in My name, there I am among them. A strong church cares for the spiritual needs of everyone in the body, and has strong leadership to guide the younger Christians who are growing in their faith. A basketball team is as strong as their weakest member, and their weakest member has something to contribute to the success of the team. For example one player might not be able to dribble or have the foot-speed to keep up on defense, but they do know how to shoot. A team always needs shooters as well as rebounders and passers. A church is the same way. Some people have been blessed with the ability to preach. Those who do not have the ability to preach are very important in the body of Jesus Christ because God has blessed them with different abilities. God has given some the ability to be prayer warriors, elders, pastors, money managers, and encouragers of others in their walk with the Lord. God has blessed people with different roles in sports and in the church, and every role is important in making them both become as strong as possible.
God is making my role in basketball and church clearer and I pray He makes your role clear too,
Mark Cannon
God is making my role in basketball and church clearer and I pray He makes your role clear too,
Mark Cannon
Mark's Beat
God's holy love is my true desire,
Reading His Word will keep me inspired,
His Word said that the tongue is a fire,
But this tongue of mine can be in the Lord's choir.
With my tongue I know I can pray,
Speaking God's truth brings Him honor all day,
I will be excited to hear God the Heavenly Father say,
You followed my Son, the Life, the Truth, and the Way.
Many people have a Christian faith that is fake,
Others lie, cheat, sneak around and take,
But I know that my Heavenly Father will make,
Every knee bow for His Son Jesus Christ's sake.
MJC reppin fo Jesus Christ
Reading His Word will keep me inspired,
His Word said that the tongue is a fire,
But this tongue of mine can be in the Lord's choir.
With my tongue I know I can pray,
Speaking God's truth brings Him honor all day,
I will be excited to hear God the Heavenly Father say,
You followed my Son, the Life, the Truth, and the Way.
Many people have a Christian faith that is fake,
Others lie, cheat, sneak around and take,
But I know that my Heavenly Father will make,
Every knee bow for His Son Jesus Christ's sake.
MJC reppin fo Jesus Christ
Friday, March 27, 2009
Peace
What is peace? The dictionary defines peace as the absence of mental stress or anxiety. The Hebrew term for peace is Shalom and it is used in the Old Testament of the Bible to signify soundness, health, and prosperity. As a follower of Jesus Christ, and a believer that God's Word is truth, I am blessed with peace from God. Psalm 29:11.
Isaiah 54:10
"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you. This verse tells us that the world will fall apart one day, but God will always stay faithful, and if we trust in Him we can find peace in Him.
Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:6, 7. This tells us that if we are consistent to pray to the Lord and with whatever we ask of the Lord, we ask with thanksgiving, then God will be our peace and He will guard our hearts and minds through the power of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 54:10
"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you. This verse tells us that the world will fall apart one day, but God will always stay faithful, and if we trust in Him we can find peace in Him.
Do not be anxious over anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication along with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God; and the peace of God that excels all thought will guard your hearts and your mental powers by means of Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:6, 7. This tells us that if we are consistent to pray to the Lord and with whatever we ask of the Lord, we ask with thanksgiving, then God will be our peace and He will guard our hearts and minds through the power of Jesus Christ.
Patience
What is patience? The dictionary defines patience as the power of suffering with fortitude, uncomplaining endurance of evils or wrongs, as toil, pain, poverty, insult, oppression and calamity. The Bible has many examples of our need to have patience and endure the hardships in this life so we can experience eternal life that can only come through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. This is one of my personal favorite verses in the Bible. It tells us that if we are patient and rely on the Lord during the troubling times of our lives, we will then be able to have our strength renewed by the Lord. Because our strength is renewed by the Lord we will be able to run the race the Lord has given us and He will keep us away from becoming tired of the work He has set out for us, and we will be able to soar like eagles, so beautiful.
Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. This verse is very self-explanatory, but can be accomplished through faith in the Lord, and perseverance in all His ways.
Psalm 37:7-9
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land. God has told us to not lose our tempers at those who are evil to us. We need to trust in the Lord and allow Him to take care of us during tough times.
Colossians 3:12-13
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. God is full of forgiveness, and He calls us to forgive those people who have broken our hearts, hurt our feelings, and pushed us away when we were in need of a friend. God is the best friend we can ever have so if we let Him work in our lives we can be the friend that someone needs.
God is patient with us,
Mark Cannon
Isaiah 40:31
But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. This is one of my personal favorite verses in the Bible. It tells us that if we are patient and rely on the Lord during the troubling times of our lives, we will then be able to have our strength renewed by the Lord. Because our strength is renewed by the Lord we will be able to run the race the Lord has given us and He will keep us away from becoming tired of the work He has set out for us, and we will be able to soar like eagles, so beautiful.
Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. This verse is very self-explanatory, but can be accomplished through faith in the Lord, and perseverance in all His ways.
Psalm 37:7-9
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land. God has told us to not lose our tempers at those who are evil to us. We need to trust in the Lord and allow Him to take care of us during tough times.
Colossians 3:12-13
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. God is full of forgiveness, and He calls us to forgive those people who have broken our hearts, hurt our feelings, and pushed us away when we were in need of a friend. God is the best friend we can ever have so if we let Him work in our lives we can be the friend that someone needs.
God is patient with us,
Mark Cannon
Kindness
What is Kindness? The dictionary defines kindness as the qualities of being warmhearted, considerate, humane, and sympathetic.
“An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” (Proverbs 12:25) This shows us that we can be the person who can offer a kind word to someone in need of kindess, and we can brighten up their day by being there for them.
(Luke 6:35 NKJV) ""But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil." This tells us to love our enemies because the Lord is kind to them. I have to continue to trust in the fact that the Lord loves all His creatures and He wants us to show kindness to those who are evil toward us.
…Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Matthew 25:40 KJV. Jesus tells us that whatever we do to those less fortunate than we are, we are doing it to the Lord. God is perfect and He wants us to be in a relationship with Him. Part of this relationship is showing love and kindness to those in need. It is my prayer that we can all show a little more kindness to each other, and care for those in need.
God is kind to us,
Mark Cannon
“An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up.” (Proverbs 12:25) This shows us that we can be the person who can offer a kind word to someone in need of kindess, and we can brighten up their day by being there for them.
(Luke 6:35 NKJV) ""But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil." This tells us to love our enemies because the Lord is kind to them. I have to continue to trust in the fact that the Lord loves all His creatures and He wants us to show kindness to those who are evil toward us.
…Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Matthew 25:40 KJV. Jesus tells us that whatever we do to those less fortunate than we are, we are doing it to the Lord. God is perfect and He wants us to be in a relationship with Him. Part of this relationship is showing love and kindness to those in need. It is my prayer that we can all show a little more kindness to each other, and care for those in need.
God is kind to us,
Mark Cannon
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