"God helps those who help themselves" is one of the most common quoted phrases that is not found in the Bible.
I'm sure everyone has heard it at one point. I'm not sure where I first heard it. The truth to the phrase above is both yes and no. It isn't a very good phrase because I believe it is a little bit misleading, but at the same time can mean different things to different people. The misleading part is that "help themselves" sounds too much like self power and contradicts the need for God to help us. That is my interpretation anyway.
When I was younger and didn't know much about my faith yet, I prayed to God to take away my temptations and I would better serve him. God can shine a light in front of you and lead you away from temptation and lead you on to his path. But, you need to make a commitment to God and learn to stay away from temptations that will lead you deeper into sin. Temptations can be like a black hole, the more you listen to Satan and go in more and more, he will suck you right in.
God will clear the brush from your path and make it easier to stay on your feet when you pray to him and learn his Word. But you will still need to mow the grass and maintain the path, otherwise it will grow out of control and in to Satan's hands. I have learned many people ask God for help, but then expect God to do everything Himself, and as a result many fall in inactivity and continue to sin.
The right phrase should be "God helps those who believe and trust in him, maintain his path and he will guide you out of the wilderness and in to his meadow"
Friday, December 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
2012 Doomsday... and Evolution
The world is not going to end on December 21, 2012! As some Internet conspiracy theorists would lead you to believe, Planet X (or Nibiru) will collide with earth on Dec. 21, 2012, ending all life as we know it. Hollywood's latest movie 2012 is a work of fiction, do not let anyone tell you otherwise. The Mayans have been an ancient civilization for how long? And their end of the calender Apocalypse myth is still being explored? Don't you think we would have seen this "Planet X" by now?
And this is really what gets me: At first, theories set the disaster for May 2003, but when nothing happened, the date was moved forward to 2012 to match the end of a cycle of the ancient Mayan calendar. I would think after nothing happened in 2003, the myth would be labled a hoax. But no. I really shouldn't be surprised, considering how many false prophets are running around these days.
I mean, NASA and leading scientists still seem to think Earth is billions of years old created by a random "Big Bang" event, which is nothing more than theory, a theory passed off as fact. "Evolution". The History channel teaches it, schools teach it, egotistical scientists who think they can't possibly be wrong teach it. Which is just as dumb as this 2012 Doomsday theory. Humanity, animals, fish, insects, water did not evolve from a big ball of rock, how in the world can they believe that?
One name: Satan. He has clouded so many brilliant minds into believing the impossible. This world has been turned upside down in the past 50 years, and it is because Satan is winning the battle. But make no mistake, God WILL win the war. Just be patient, Jesus is coming. In the meantime, I urge every person reading this blog, check out all the facts before believing any theory you hear, documentary you watch, or media outlet reporting news. Satan is out there, and he will lead you astray if you let him. Keep strong, pray that unbelievers will become believers (no matter how much they infuriate you, and trust me, they infuriate me too). It is our duty to God to spread his word. Any one person you help get saved, is one more soul praising God. And isn't that a beautiful thing? Yes. It is a very beautiful thing when one more soul turns to God.
And remember, always have faith in the Lord, for he always has faith in you.
Stephen
And this is really what gets me: At first, theories set the disaster for May 2003, but when nothing happened, the date was moved forward to 2012 to match the end of a cycle of the ancient Mayan calendar. I would think after nothing happened in 2003, the myth would be labled a hoax. But no. I really shouldn't be surprised, considering how many false prophets are running around these days.
I mean, NASA and leading scientists still seem to think Earth is billions of years old created by a random "Big Bang" event, which is nothing more than theory, a theory passed off as fact. "Evolution". The History channel teaches it, schools teach it, egotistical scientists who think they can't possibly be wrong teach it. Which is just as dumb as this 2012 Doomsday theory. Humanity, animals, fish, insects, water did not evolve from a big ball of rock, how in the world can they believe that?
One name: Satan. He has clouded so many brilliant minds into believing the impossible. This world has been turned upside down in the past 50 years, and it is because Satan is winning the battle. But make no mistake, God WILL win the war. Just be patient, Jesus is coming. In the meantime, I urge every person reading this blog, check out all the facts before believing any theory you hear, documentary you watch, or media outlet reporting news. Satan is out there, and he will lead you astray if you let him. Keep strong, pray that unbelievers will become believers (no matter how much they infuriate you, and trust me, they infuriate me too). It is our duty to God to spread his word. Any one person you help get saved, is one more soul praising God. And isn't that a beautiful thing? Yes. It is a very beautiful thing when one more soul turns to God.
And remember, always have faith in the Lord, for he always has faith in you.
Stephen
Thursday, November 12, 2009
God is with you!
At first, I was having a hard time with my faith. I felt like God wasn't listening to my prayers, and most troubling was that I could not hear God talking to me. I thought I did something wrong and God was not forgiving me, even though I didn't know what I did. I thought maybe my past was too bad to be forgiven.
But, I am telling you now, God is ALWAYS there if you believe and have faith in him. He will never leave you, never give up on you, and would rather send his son to die on the cross than see his children in agony with deadly ugly sin. He listens to every prayer and does what he can.
But, you have to understand, God is not in some lamp you rub to get three wishes. He has a will for each and everyone of you. He listens to your prayers and will lay his hand on your shoulder, giving you peace, safety, and his grace. When God has a purpose for you, (which he does) some prayers just are not meant to happen. For example, I prayed throughout High School to help me with my latest crush, but God is not Cupid. He loves us more than anything in the universe, and I'm sure he would love to answer every prayer that comes his way. But, God stays true to his will for us. Once I learned that, I was ok. Because I have faith in the end, that God knows what is best for us.
It did not take long for me to learn how God speaks to me either. The most important thing you can do is open your ears, eyes, and your heart. It can be in a most suble way. All you have to do is be patient and keep talking to him. The sun comes out from behind a cloud and fills the room. A thought pops into your mind. You wake up from a dream and there it is. There are many ways God can speak to you, but these are from my experience. The point is, when God speaks to you, you will know. Never lose faith in him, because he never loses faith in you.
Stephen
But, I am telling you now, God is ALWAYS there if you believe and have faith in him. He will never leave you, never give up on you, and would rather send his son to die on the cross than see his children in agony with deadly ugly sin. He listens to every prayer and does what he can.
But, you have to understand, God is not in some lamp you rub to get three wishes. He has a will for each and everyone of you. He listens to your prayers and will lay his hand on your shoulder, giving you peace, safety, and his grace. When God has a purpose for you, (which he does) some prayers just are not meant to happen. For example, I prayed throughout High School to help me with my latest crush, but God is not Cupid. He loves us more than anything in the universe, and I'm sure he would love to answer every prayer that comes his way. But, God stays true to his will for us. Once I learned that, I was ok. Because I have faith in the end, that God knows what is best for us.
It did not take long for me to learn how God speaks to me either. The most important thing you can do is open your ears, eyes, and your heart. It can be in a most suble way. All you have to do is be patient and keep talking to him. The sun comes out from behind a cloud and fills the room. A thought pops into your mind. You wake up from a dream and there it is. There are many ways God can speak to you, but these are from my experience. The point is, when God speaks to you, you will know. Never lose faith in him, because he never loses faith in you.
Stephen
Monday, September 28, 2009
What Happened?
Here is a history lesson I thought I would share, the first time I learned about this. I was watching the History Channel about Freemasons. I also consulted wikipedia for the program's authenticity, and I think I have most of the basic facts.
They started out in Europe as a group called Stone Masons, for their talent in building things out of stone, and their skill of building with great accuracy. Well, they later became known as Freemasons, and many traveled to the British Colonies. Of course, the Catholic Church accused them of plotting against the Church, and I imagine most sought refuge in the new world from the Church of England. The truth is all Freemasons believed in a Supreme Being, and held a strong belief in freedom of religion, which the Church of England strongly condemned.
They also believed in equality among all men (unfortunately blacks and women were excluded, but it was a different time back then). Also, believed in free will, good morals, and a good reputation. I don't believe this society was evil like some people claim. They just wanted freedom, and they found that freedom in the new world. After winning America's Independence, 9 Freemasons signed the Declaration of Independence, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and others.
Written in the Bill of Rights (with Freemason ideals), are the rights of the citizens of this country. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, right to keep and bear arms, trial by jury, and many other basic rights. Sound familiar? If your like most people, you will know how badly these rights get twisted and become almost unrecognizable. Do you think the Obama administration and the Democrat Congress cares under the surface of their lies, corruption, and greed? Of course not. Under Obama's leadership, Americans have felt alone, fearing that their rights will be stripped away, one by one.
What happened to freedom of speech? These days, you can't say what's on your mind without it being ripped apart by who hears it. If one of the more honorable politicians tries to speak their mind , (the few that there are) the Obama crazed media rips them apart. Turning family issues, past mistakes, and beliefs into fair game to continue slamming them into the ground.
What happened to freedom of religion? Most people translate that into freedom from religion, and expect Christians to stop praying because it might offend someone. But atheists and Muslims, oh they can spread their beliefs all they want. But parents cry about prayer in schools and saying God Bless America will somehow brainwash their kids. Separation of Church and State has been a part of this country for over 200 years. The people who expect the government to stop Christianity can leave. But they wont leave until they turn this country atheist or Islamic. And when God stops protecting this country, it will become a nuclear wasteland, and they will have no one to blame but themselves.
This is turning into a rant and I will stop now. We just fought so hard in the American Revolution to be a free society. Free to live our lives in the pursuit of happiness. And look what is happening. The corrupt are in power and we are losing more of our freedom with every bill Congress signs. The right people need to take this country by storm and help fix it before it's too late. Maybe it already is too late, i don't know. But if the corrupt continue to take us down this road, you better pray that you will be alright and God will save you in the end. And if your not living for God, take my advice get saved. A future without God is cold and bleak and leads to death. But a future by God's side is bright with eternal life, no matter what happens on earth.
Stephen
They started out in Europe as a group called Stone Masons, for their talent in building things out of stone, and their skill of building with great accuracy. Well, they later became known as Freemasons, and many traveled to the British Colonies. Of course, the Catholic Church accused them of plotting against the Church, and I imagine most sought refuge in the new world from the Church of England. The truth is all Freemasons believed in a Supreme Being, and held a strong belief in freedom of religion, which the Church of England strongly condemned.
They also believed in equality among all men (unfortunately blacks and women were excluded, but it was a different time back then). Also, believed in free will, good morals, and a good reputation. I don't believe this society was evil like some people claim. They just wanted freedom, and they found that freedom in the new world. After winning America's Independence, 9 Freemasons signed the Declaration of Independence, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and others.
Written in the Bill of Rights (with Freemason ideals), are the rights of the citizens of this country. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, right to keep and bear arms, trial by jury, and many other basic rights. Sound familiar? If your like most people, you will know how badly these rights get twisted and become almost unrecognizable. Do you think the Obama administration and the Democrat Congress cares under the surface of their lies, corruption, and greed? Of course not. Under Obama's leadership, Americans have felt alone, fearing that their rights will be stripped away, one by one.
What happened to freedom of speech? These days, you can't say what's on your mind without it being ripped apart by who hears it. If one of the more honorable politicians tries to speak their mind , (the few that there are) the Obama crazed media rips them apart. Turning family issues, past mistakes, and beliefs into fair game to continue slamming them into the ground.
What happened to freedom of religion? Most people translate that into freedom from religion, and expect Christians to stop praying because it might offend someone. But atheists and Muslims, oh they can spread their beliefs all they want. But parents cry about prayer in schools and saying God Bless America will somehow brainwash their kids. Separation of Church and State has been a part of this country for over 200 years. The people who expect the government to stop Christianity can leave. But they wont leave until they turn this country atheist or Islamic. And when God stops protecting this country, it will become a nuclear wasteland, and they will have no one to blame but themselves.
This is turning into a rant and I will stop now. We just fought so hard in the American Revolution to be a free society. Free to live our lives in the pursuit of happiness. And look what is happening. The corrupt are in power and we are losing more of our freedom with every bill Congress signs. The right people need to take this country by storm and help fix it before it's too late. Maybe it already is too late, i don't know. But if the corrupt continue to take us down this road, you better pray that you will be alright and God will save you in the end. And if your not living for God, take my advice get saved. A future without God is cold and bleak and leads to death. But a future by God's side is bright with eternal life, no matter what happens on earth.
Stephen
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
More About Myself...
My name is Stephen (obviously), and im 22 years old from Michigan, USA. I have Muscular Dystrophy, a muscle deteriorating disease. The only thing that gets me through the day is my faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. I am starting this blog in the hope that I can inspire people to be better christians and the best that they can be. It isn't easy to be who I am, but I get through it, knowing some day I will be in a better place, and my experiences will shape me into who I will become.
I love anything with wheels and an engine, I am a NASCAR fanatic, and auto racing in general. I like to read and watch movies and TV, mostly of the science fiction genre. I am a amateur writer, nothing published or finished, I just write stories for fun. Of course, most of it is science fiction because I can't get enough of it. That pretty much covers what I do for fun.
Thank you all for visiting my blog, I hope you enjoy it.
Stephen
I love anything with wheels and an engine, I am a NASCAR fanatic, and auto racing in general. I like to read and watch movies and TV, mostly of the science fiction genre. I am a amateur writer, nothing published or finished, I just write stories for fun. Of course, most of it is science fiction because I can't get enough of it. That pretty much covers what I do for fun.
Thank you all for visiting my blog, I hope you enjoy it.
Stephen
Sunday, September 13, 2009
My Christian Testimony
This is my testimony on how I became a Christian. I chose to start my blog out with this because it gives a little history of who i am. It's also very important to me to show people what I went through and still chose to give my heart to Christ. He may take you down a road you might not like, but in the end, you can try to fight it and be unhappy, or you can let God take the steering wheel and guide you to everlasting peace.
I don’t remember the day I became a Christian, but I know it was a long journey getting there. When I was a kid, my family only went to church when my grandma’s choir sang Easter and Christmas programs. And when my grandparents visited in the summer, I would go to Sunday service with them. I never liked it much, but I was just a bored little boy then that didn’t understand what it meant to be a Christian. I thought God was just someone you asked favors from. I grew up knowing God existed, but I never asked Jesus into my heart.
When I was a teenager, I met this friend over the internet. I will always remember the talks we had because it led to me asking Jesus into my heart. But even then, I still didn’t understand how to have a real relationship with Christ. It was a start, but I still didn’t go to church, and I still cared only for worldly desires I’m not proud of. I did however, pray every night to keep my family safe. I consider this phase of my life on the road to becoming a true Christian, but still had a long way to go.
When I finished my junior year of high school, that summer I got really sick. After a month of not knowing what was wrong, my doctor sent me to the hospital. If I had not gone to the hospital, I would have died that very night. When I passed out after I got to the hospital, I had this dream. I was trapped in a hot, barren wasteland and I thought I was in hell, that I failed God. It scared the living daylights out of me. When I woke up after having gone through the tracheotomy that saved my life, both my parents and I finally asked Jesus into our hearts. It was truly the work of God.
My dad chose to go to Richfield Nazarene when I was released from the hospital. The next week, my mom and I followed, and we have been going there ever since. We even got baptized later that year. There was only one problem, I was still letting worldly temptations to get the best of me. My heart was not fully given over to Christ. That November, my throat was punctured and I was bleeding out. It was the closest to death I have ever been. I remember waking up and I was very depressed over my great loss of strength. I kept asking God over and over, why didn’t he just let me die?
It wasn’t until months after, my friend Megan helped me realize that while I lost most of my strength, God gave me the gift of a third chance to get my life straight. I don’t even think she realizes how much she helped me, not in so many words, but just being there as a friend. My dad also helped me greatly when he made me realize how many people pray for me and find me to be an inspiration to them. Knowing that I was serving a purpose, it literally changed my life. And I believe it to have been God’s plan all along. It was a long journey, but the Lord got me to the finish line. Jesus has my heart, mind, and soul. And that gives me the greatest peace of all.
Stephen Musclow
I don’t remember the day I became a Christian, but I know it was a long journey getting there. When I was a kid, my family only went to church when my grandma’s choir sang Easter and Christmas programs. And when my grandparents visited in the summer, I would go to Sunday service with them. I never liked it much, but I was just a bored little boy then that didn’t understand what it meant to be a Christian. I thought God was just someone you asked favors from. I grew up knowing God existed, but I never asked Jesus into my heart.
When I was a teenager, I met this friend over the internet. I will always remember the talks we had because it led to me asking Jesus into my heart. But even then, I still didn’t understand how to have a real relationship with Christ. It was a start, but I still didn’t go to church, and I still cared only for worldly desires I’m not proud of. I did however, pray every night to keep my family safe. I consider this phase of my life on the road to becoming a true Christian, but still had a long way to go.
When I finished my junior year of high school, that summer I got really sick. After a month of not knowing what was wrong, my doctor sent me to the hospital. If I had not gone to the hospital, I would have died that very night. When I passed out after I got to the hospital, I had this dream. I was trapped in a hot, barren wasteland and I thought I was in hell, that I failed God. It scared the living daylights out of me. When I woke up after having gone through the tracheotomy that saved my life, both my parents and I finally asked Jesus into our hearts. It was truly the work of God.
My dad chose to go to Richfield Nazarene when I was released from the hospital. The next week, my mom and I followed, and we have been going there ever since. We even got baptized later that year. There was only one problem, I was still letting worldly temptations to get the best of me. My heart was not fully given over to Christ. That November, my throat was punctured and I was bleeding out. It was the closest to death I have ever been. I remember waking up and I was very depressed over my great loss of strength. I kept asking God over and over, why didn’t he just let me die?
It wasn’t until months after, my friend Megan helped me realize that while I lost most of my strength, God gave me the gift of a third chance to get my life straight. I don’t even think she realizes how much she helped me, not in so many words, but just being there as a friend. My dad also helped me greatly when he made me realize how many people pray for me and find me to be an inspiration to them. Knowing that I was serving a purpose, it literally changed my life. And I believe it to have been God’s plan all along. It was a long journey, but the Lord got me to the finish line. Jesus has my heart, mind, and soul. And that gives me the greatest peace of all.
Stephen Musclow
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