Praise and Glory

Who do we give praise and glory to?  Most of the time it's all about us and it seems like we give it to famous celebrities and movie stars that we see so often on the Emmy's or the Oscar's. We are drawn to their talent since they expose it on the movie set or on the stage and we give them praise and glory for their wondrous achievements.  But the question remains, who gave them their unique set of talents, gifts, and abilities? That's a very easy question to answer and that person is God. He is the master artist and creator of the entire universe and our home planet Earth. We should give Him more honor, praise and glory than anybody else on Earth. He is the giver, and we are the receiver. God is the giver of good gifts which include everything we have on Earth and the abilities, gifts and talents He has put inside each and every one of us. We must surrender our lives to Him if we want Him to be productive in our lives. Praise God and give Him glory for His never ending love, grace and mercy He gave to us and the sacrifice He made on our behalf. Amen.

The Good Shepard

What does a good Shepard do? Does he lay in bed and take a rest? Or does he stay inside and watch the World Series? I don't think so. A good Shepard is always on the look for His sheep wherever they are and He takes very good care of them. If their was no Shepard, then their would be no sheep because no one will look out for them. And when the sheep see the good Shepard, they always want to come near to Him because of His tender love and care. And when the sheep are lost, He will look for them. "As a shepard looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness." Ezekiel 34:12 A good Shepard always takes care of His flock, and He never abandons them. Amen.

Your never alone

Alone. The first word that comes to mind when a person can't find any friends to hang around with or when they are feeling left out, excluded from a group of people. Most of us think that without physical human beings we can not interact or socialize well, which is a true fact because we are all made differently (in such cases like introverts and extroverts). But sometimes we wonder "is their anyone out there that really cares about me?" The answer to that question is yes. The bible talks about a God who is always with us, regardless of how we feel or think. God says to us "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 He will make us stronger when we are weak. He will make us happier when we are sad. He will make us live when we want to die. Praise God that we have Him as a best friend and that we always know we are never alone. Amen.

ipray

I pray all the time every day. Whenever I feel lonely, sad, happy or mad I can always talk to my God and Savior who is always with me. The most wonderful thing about prayer is that I can talk to the Almighty God of the universe whenever I want and I can always expect an answer from Him. Even if I don't get an answer from Him, I know He was extremely happy that I took the time to communicate with Him. Prayer is a very powerful thing and can have an impact on your life only if you choose to do it. God is more than eager for you to talk to Him because He loves you more than anything and just talking to Him warms His heart. "Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you." Jeremiah 29:12

God yearns for you to talk to Him, now's the time.

Why I love Jesus

The reason I love Jesus is because of what He has done in my life. From the signs experiences, love and joy that have emerged from my relationship with my Savior. I could say so much more, but I know that mere words can't describe the Glory of beholding the face of God. The more I think about God, the more excited I am to be with Him. I praise God, I glorify God, I honor God, I surrender to God everything I have and I don't hold anything back. My love for my Lord God Almighty and Savior Jesus Christ is just soo high I can't describe it. Why do I love Jesus? It's because He loves me and I am giving Him what He asks back which is our love to Him. And what He has done for me, I will never forget. Amen.

Tombstone epitaph (From the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn)

Pause, stranger, when you pass me by

As you are now, so once was I

As I am now, so you will be

So prepare for death and follow me

To follow you, I'm not content

Until I know which way you went

This is a epitaph written on a 100 year old tombstone in a graveyard in Indiana. 

The Miracle of Friendship (From the book Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul)

There's a miracle called friendship
That dwells within the heart,

And you don't know how it happens
Or how it gets it's start

But the happiness it brings you
Always gives a special lift,

And you realize that friendship
Is God's most precious gift!

The beautiful color of Love (from the book Chicken soup for the Christian Soul)

What color is God,
Asked the child with skin so fair
Is He white like me,
Does He have light hair

Is God dark like me,
Asked the child with skin of golden hue
Has He hair that's dark and curly,
Are His eyes black or blue?

I think God is red like me,
The Indian boy is heard to say
He wears a crown of feathers
And turns our nights to days

Each one of us knows that God is there,
In all the colors above
But be sure of this, the one color He is,
Is the beautiful color of Love


So when your soul goes to Heaven,
when your life comes to it's end
He will be waiting, and his hand
to you will He extend

There will be no colors in Heaven
Everyone will be the same
You will only be judged by you earthly deeds,
Not your color or your name

So when your time comes,
And you see God in His Heaven above
Then you will see the only color that counts
The beautiful color of Love

The Cross

Do you know what I see when I look at a Cross? I see an innocent lamb's blood shed for my sins. Pinned to Cross were sins that could not win. He made an incredible cost, to die for all the lost. It was a brutal price to pay, but in the end He made a way. They then carried Him to the cave, which served as His grave. Later, He came back from the dead and fulfilled all that was said.

He always promises

Sometimes we feel as though we are left unhappy or we wait for something and we don't get it. Many people have relationships that they can't trust. We often feel and think "can I trust anyone?" We expect our friends to bring us something we need, then when we ask them "did you bring it?" and they say "no" we start to have a lack of trust with that person and their promises. Yet, the bible describes a God who is more than willing to fulfill your promises and bring you whatever you ask or need. "If you believe, you will recieve whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:22 God always promises to His children and He is always faithful, so you can always count on Him. "When God made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, he swore by Himself, saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants." And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised." Hebrews 6:13-15 So from this passage, we know that God definitely is trustworthy and can be trusted at all times. Amen.

My friend (poem from one thing you can't do in Heaven)

My friend, I stand in judgment now,

And feel that you're to blame somehow. 

On Earth I walked with you day by day,

And never did you point the way

You knew the Lord in truth and glory,

But never did you tell the story. 

My knowledge then was very dim;

You could have led me safe to Him

Though we lived together here on Earth, 

You never told me of the second birth.

And now I stand this day condemned, 

Because you failed to mention Him.

You taught me many things, that's true;

I called you "friend" and trusted you.

But I learn now that it's too late,

And you could have kept me from this fate.

We walked by day and talked by night,

And yet you showed me not the light.

You let me live, and love, and die,

You knew I'd never live on high.

Yes, I called you "friend" in life

And trusted you through joy and strife.

And, yet, on coming go this dreadful end,

I cannot, now, call you "my friend."

The miracle ticket

This is a story that proved to me that their is a God and that He loves us and changes lives. And it will blow your mind. Here it goes:

When I was a freshmen at Irvington High school I was taking health (which I was failing miserably, but I made it up in summer school). I was listening to the teacher lecture (like always) when suddenly one of the school administrators came in and asked the teacher if he could borrow me. The teacher asked why and he said I had to take a test. So we left and while we were walking I asked him what test I had to take and he said to me "your not taking any test." I was puzzled and was wondering why he lied to the teacher that I was taking a test when he said I wasn't. So as we came down to the end of the hallway, we entered the teacher's lounge and he told me to wait there. I waited for a couple of minutes and then the vice principal came in and he said to me "are you George Lenta?" and I said "yeah" then he said "congratulations for getting the winning raffle ticket for the faculty follies. I'll see you tonight." I said "ohh thanks," and left the lounge in utter amazement with my mouth wide open and wondering in my head "did I really recieve that ticket? Why me? How did I get that ticket out of more than 2,000 students at this school?" And the funny and very true thing was that I never entered into any raffle competition or put my name on a ticket or have a friend or anybody else do it for me. And that same day I got the ticket, it was the last day and I had literally no money with me. But someone from above did something soo good and kind that He generously gave me what I desired "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4 

When the bible says that God is good, He really is. Amen.

Forgiving my brother

Forgiving my brother is difficult stuff. Me and him always get in fights almost everyday about something simple or a stupid little thing that has no relevance whatsoever. he continually mocks me, swears, hits, and sticks his middle finger at me whenever his anger is released. My brother is soo annoying that he raises my temper right over my limit that I just go right on and hit him also. But something amazing happened that day. For the first time, after I had hit him I went up to him and apologized sincerely for the action I had taken upon him. But his response to me was "your an ***hole." But I didn't care what he said. I did something right, and I remember that verse that came to me from the other story when I apologized to my drama teacher which was Luke 6:37 "Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Even though I knew God was watching my actions of violence, He was watching something else that day. Something that had more value, eternal value that will be treasured forever. A simple act of forgiveness changed the situation completely. And I knew that God was watching and clapping His hands along with His Angels for the valiant action I made right after those other acts of filthiness. Did my brother appreciate the forgiveness? No, he didn't. But you know who did? My Savior. Who was watching from His Heavenly home, and who was giving me praise for what I had just conquered. When you forgive, are you really forgiven even if other people don't forgive you? Yes you are. From the Lord God Almighty Himself. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." Hebrews 8:12 And I will continually pray for my brother, dad and my family members here to come to Christ for Salvation. Thank you Lord for using me. Amen.

Founded

My story on how I entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ is pretty amazing. Growing up I had no religious beliefs in anything, even though my dad grew up learning in catholic school he never taught me anything about his beliefs or why he believed it. And catholic tradition is that they baptize their little child when their a baby. I don't even know if my dad did that to me or not. But if he did, it doesn't matter, because to become a Christian all you have to do is believe Jesus died and rose again from the dead and that He conquered death and died for your sins if you confess them to Him. But anyways when I was little I had nowhere to go, I didn't know why I was alive or what purpose I had for being here because I didn't grow up believing in anything. And also because my dad never raised me with his beliefs. I went to Church, but had no idea what I was doing there. And I remember my mom telling me that when I was little, she came into my parents room and crying and upset. And she kneeled down and and prayed to God that He would take her away from the life she was currently living. Later on my mom moved to Orlando, Florida and married my stepdad who came from Cuba and they both had my little brother Joshua. Eventually my mom was telling me that the new lifestyle she was living was soo much better and was telling me how Jesus was changing her life. And one day when me and her were talking on the phone, she was persuading me to give me life to Jesus Christ which I was feeling really uncertain about because I did not know how and I had no idea what she was talking about. So the gullible person that I am, I surrendered my life to Christ nit knowing where it would take me. Then as soon as I did, I began to experience events that I thought were just "coincidental" or happen daily. But as a baby believer I was learning from my mom and other mature faithful servants of Jesus Christ that these so called "coincidences" were happening to them also. Then as I was reading my bible more and more and other Christian books and website links, I finally came to a conclusion that something is out there, and that it is REAL and it's changing my life. And the funny thing was that I never knew where I would be going in life, what I would do, why am I here and how I would accomplish it? But as was found by my God, Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ who wanted me to be with Him forever in Heaven along with His chosen ones. "For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight." Ephesians 1:4 So after I gave my life to God, I grew rapidly in my faith and wanted to know desperately more and more about Him. Then later on when my mom told me if I was ready to be baptized, I was a little unsure at first, but I was ready. Then I George Lenta Edward Jr. was baptized on August 23, 2009 in front of my mom, stepdad, friends and family, Jesus and His Angels at First Baptist Orlando and I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Romans 1:16 Amen. Praise God forever and ever!!!

The life I was waiting for

The life I was waiting for was something worth living for. Before I came to know Jesus Christ as my Savior, my life was filthy, dirty and unclean. A life filled with immorality and nastiness that I never knew I could get rid of. Then as my mom was telling me about the new lifestyle she was living, and how Jesus changed her life, I was feeling uncertain of whether I should believe my own mom, or not. In the end I decided to believe her, and she told me about Salvation and what I needed to know and do. I didn't know much at that point and I had very little faith since I was a baby believer. Then as my mom prayed at the dinner table one night I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I didn't feel anything nor experience a supernatural event that rattled my weak belief in a higher deity, but something inside me began to open up and change. And those things were my heart and mind. As I was growing in my Christian life my heart and lifestyle started to change drastically, from the experiences, love, joy and peace that came with this new lifestyle. I felt as though I was living the life I was meant to live. And I really was. From the prayers answered, to the experiences I have been through. I thought they were all natural coincidences that happened for no apparent reason. But I now know that everyone, including me are put on Earth for a reason and a purpose. And that reason is from our Creator God. And for Him to give us His book He created through men He used to write it, is such a blessing so then we can know and love Him by following His rules for living through His Word. And He did this because He loves us. "We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19 The life I was made for and the purpose and reason for why I am here finally came true.

Witnessing story #1 San Jose airport and airplane

This is my first story of when I shared Christ with two people in the airplane and one old man at the San Jose airport. When I was in in the airplane I sat next to this woman whom I shared my faith with. It went well in a spiritual sense because she was a believer in Jesus as I was. Then on the next flight to San Jose I sat next to this Indian guy (who was a Hindu obviously). And I asked him my favorite conversation starter that I use most often in the book One thing you can't do in Heaven which was when you die what do you think is on the other side? And he said that he believed in the Hindu God's such as brauman, vishnu, shiva, and like hundreds more. And so we talked about his beliefs and then I switched the spiritual conversation to my beliefs. I began talking about Jesus and how His Blood can take away all the sin from his life. I was sharing this with him for a few minutes and then I offered him Mark Cahill's other book which is one heartbeat away your journey into eternity. He just looked at the back of the book and then gave it back to me, but he respected what I believed in and so did I. Then we arrived at the San Jose airport and we came to the baggage claim where I was sitting on a seat waiting waiting for everyone to return because my family were on the other side where I was. And as I was listening to my ipod, an old man comes and sits in the seat next to me and starts chatting with me about the weather! I am a really friendly guy so we both start talking about the weather and then I switched the conversation to spiritual matters by asking him my favorite question "when you die, what do you think is on the other side?" He then was quiet for a second then turned to me and said "have you ever heard of something called the privileged planet?" I said no and he started talking about science and how it and everything else has a creator and how we are not here by accident but created for a reason. Then he started talking about Jesus! (Which caught me by surprise). And he said that only Jesus could rise from the dead and and how he was the promised and ressurected Savior who came back from the dead to conquer death and promise us eternal life. And how the other false "idols" or "gods" could have never predicted something then fulfill that prophecy as Jesus did. What was awkward about the end of the conversation was that my stepmom and stepbrother were right next to him and could hear almost every word he said and thought he was crazy, but he wasn't. He was presenting eternal truth to me that I already knew and was loving every single part of it.   Then he told me something that I would never forget in my life, he said to me "Keep sharing the Lord. Keep sharing the Lord." And then he got in his taxi outside and left. And I knew that God put that man in the seat right next to me so that I would be able to share eternal truth with him. Thank you Lord Jesus for these divine appointments and many more to come. Amen.

A really cool epitaph I found in the book Heaven

As I was reading the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn I was skimming through the book when I spotted what looked like a poem. It was actually an epitaph that went like this:

Pause, stranger, when you pass me by
As you are now, so once was I
As I am now, so you will be
So prepare for death and follow me
To follow you I'm not content
Until I know which way you went

The last two phrases which start with to follow you and until I know, were actually added phrases that an unknown passerbyer wrote on the tombstone. And the epitaph is located on a 100 year old tombstone in a graveyard in Indiana.

Forgiven

During drama class one day a girl said a word in class that wasn't appropriate and was very insulting to the teacher. Somehow as I was leaving the class, I felt an urge to return and God was telling me to go back and apologize to my drama teacher. So I went back during lunch and and I knew I had to do my photo hw since I was waiting in the class to talk to my teacher. Then when I finally got to speak with her I told her the truth about how I was laughing when the student said the word I knew I shouldn't have laughed at, and she forgave me. And somehow a bible verse came into my head which was Luke 6:37 "Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

The love of my life

The love of my life is someone who is always by my side. The one who says "Ill never leave you, or forsake you." And He is always with me. No matter what happens He is always there for me. Even if nobody else is there to help me or loves me enough to stand up up for me, I have a Savior who sacrificed His own life for me and that gift of eternal life He wanted to give me was wide open. You want to know what is love? Love is when a person gives you a gift in which you can not pay yourself. Something that is so precious you just can't wait to recieve it. Like a Christmas present just waiting for you under the tree. When Jesus says to me "Come my precious child, I love you dearly. Come to me and I will take care of you. I am all you need. I created you and made you a wonderful creation before I spoke the world into being. So do not be afraid of anything, including your future for I am in control. When you leave this world, I will bring you with me to Heaven and you will see My Face, and you will have an explosion of Joy and happiness that is indescribably beautiful. For I am your rock in whom you take refuge." 2 Samuel 22:3 The love of my life is Jesus Christ and I am absolutely in love with Him forever. Amen.

Don't ever give up

A person may fail once, twice or even a hundred times. And they may give up because of the extreme stress of busyness and the hustle and bustle of life and it's attacks. But a person born again by God's loving grace and mercy can never give up because they have the most powerful person in the entire universe. The power of the Holy Spirit God bestows upon each believer in Him causes them to do things that are just incredibly miraculous that only God could do through us by the power of His Holy Spirit. One thing a true follower of Jesus never does is give up. True believers in the past have martyred for their faith in Christ. Two things I can applaud them for is perseverance and faith. These faithful followers have stayed true to God throughout the ages and have even been killed for their strong faith in Christ, which I find incredibly amazing. So if theses courageous can stand up for their faith and become martyres for it, why can't we present Christians act out our faith and be persecuted in the same way and be mocked for it? I'm not saying we should be killed, but we should stand up for our faith in Christ no matter what the cost. And I would be willing to do the same thing.
Don't give up
Don't back down
Or you'll never get the crown. James 1:12

CHRIST

Christians
Humbly
Resting
In
Secure
Trust

CHRIST= Christians Humbly Resting In Secure Trust

Amen. Our trust is our CHRIST