The Ultimate Follower Of Christ: Part 1

Today, I begin my personal bible study about being the ultimate follower of Christ. I am not using curriculum. The Bible is my guide (of course I use Google in some aspects but I interpret everything on my own.)


What is Atonement?:
the reconciliation of God and humankind through Jesus Christ.

-God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood. He did this to demonstrate His justice, because in His for forbearance He had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-
~Romans 3:25


-He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
~1 John 2:2



What is a Evangelist? and What is Evangelism?:
Evangelist: a person who seeks to convert other to the Christian faith, especially by public preaching.

Evangelism: the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness.


-Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
~Matthew 28 19-20


-He said to them "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."
~Mark 16:15



Now that I've explained atonement and evangelism and provided biblical references to go along with it here are two things that they tie into.

1) The Gospel: The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
2) Sanctification: The process of becoming more like Christ.


The gospel is truly simple, you just have to understand it and accept it. Many people complicate the gospel when educating others about it when really its as simple as it's definition and knowing that this is what Christ did for you, not what we did for Christ. Once you can understand that the gospel is what Christ did for you then the sanctification process comes into play.

Many people think that before they can accept the gospel (or in easier terms, accept Christ as their savior) they must get their lives right first. Well, that's impossible. When you accept Christ, He then guides you to making your life right. If we had to get our lives right before we could accept Christ then we would never get our lives right, they would forever be wrong because without Christ in our lives, our lives are wrong.

Once you have gotten your life right with God, the sanctification process starts. Your life will start to change. You will see yourself becoming a more Christ-like figure. Not saying that any one of us could ever compare to how great Jesus truly is.

I posted a status on Facebook last night knowing that I was going to start this personal study and the pastor of my church commented and and asked my thoughts, but to skip to my point, his second comment was "Come to Jesus broken and He will make you whole again." and how true is that! The gospel leads you to Jesus, Jesus guides you to making your life right, sanctification kicks in which ties in with evangelism and atonement.


These four things I believe are the first step into being an ultimate follower of Christ. Understanding them and then being an evangelist yourself is being The Ultimate Follower Of Christ.



If I can ever pray for you, or you need someone to talk to about struggles you are going through, please feel free to email me and I would be glad to pray or talk to you!

Email: iamkara.blogspot.com@gmail.com



If you need a song to listen to for inspiration in the coming days click here for one of my favorite inspiration songs. 

Divergent: My Take

This is a comparison of the book and the movie Divergent. I recommend if you do not want any spoilers, do not read this! This has plenty of spoilers in it!


The book to me is way better than the movie, no doubt about it! I think the book is just so much more personal and intimate than the movie. When I read the book I feel like I am Tris (Beatrice) I can feel everything she feels mentally and emotionally. I never wanted to put down the book! The movie shows you some things out of the book, but you just don't get the full story!

• In the book, you are told that in Abnegation at the dinner table you are not to talk unless asked a direct question, that it is the time for your parents to discuss matters together, and if they want your input they will ask for it. You get to talk before bed in the living room and your parents have to listen to you. So in the movie when you watch the scene before the day of the choosing ceremony where the Prior's are eating supper and the mother and father look at Tris weird for talking out, you don't know why. I guess people could wonder if they are thinking she's being a bit too nosy or if she is what? There is no clarification of what is going on in the movie. 
• They also don't really tell you what each of the factions mean in the movie, you just know there are five and that when you are sixteen you take this test and then the following day choose which faction that you want to be a part of. 
• In the movie, you don't know why Caleb chooses Erudite, you just know that he does. When Caleb tells Tris the night before the choosing ceremony that when she chooses her faction she needs to think of her family but also think of herself, you don't get a preview of why he chooses Erudite like in the book. 
• One big problem I have with the movie is adding in so much stuff that Veronica Roth did not write! She wrote an amazing story and no one needed to mess with her story, it was perfect! Why instead of adding stuff that didn't belong why didn't they just put more of the real story's details in there? That would have made much more sense! A few examples of this is there weren't nearly thirty non-Dauntless-born initiates like it shows in the movie, there were 9 that end up staying for the actual initiation process. They also do not show rankings as in the book! They don't get Jeanine to shut the program down either.
•  In the movie they don't tell you that Peter stabbed Edward in the eye because he ranked before Peter, so that made you not know why he tried to kill Tris. The movie doesn't say why Al was in on this either. The book clearly tells you why Al wanted in. Al was in love with Tris. She turned him down and things got awkward. Then she was ranked first in stage two and Al was ranked last. The jealousy got the best of him. Then he asked her for forgiveness and she tells him to never come near her again or she would kill him (that part was sort of in the movie, but still not the same as the book) he hates himself and commits suicide later that night by jumping into the chasm. 
• I am going to skip so much because I really want people to read this book, and watch the movie to know for themselves! But there is just one more thing I just can not leave out!
• They love story is just so much  better in the book. You really can't see how much Four (Tobias as found out later by Tris) loves Tris. Tris also loves Four. There is so much more than what you see in the movie, and they took it away, the part that holds the entire story together! Four doesn't choose Tris for no reason,  and you don't know that when you watch the movie, but it is so spelled out in the book. 

I really do suggest people read the book. The book is almost always better than the movie! If the people who made the movie Divergent made it exactly like the book, it would be so much better, its amazing. 

Veronica Roth: You did an amazing job on Divergent! I am currently reading Insurgent and it is just as amazing, thrilling, and all as Divergent. You are an amazing writer! 

"10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)" Matt Redman: What The Song Means (My Perspective)

In this post, I am going to tell you ultimately what this song means to me. Some people sing songs just to sing them, but I really grasp what each of them means, especially when it comes to church. We sing songs to worship God but how can we worship Him in what we are singing if we do not understand ourselves what we are singing means. Tomorrow my fellow Praise Team members and I are singing "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)" by Matt Redman for the special at church. I've had about three days since I learned we were singing this for the special to really think about what the song means. I think I'd heard the song a few times before, but it's been a few years ago and at that time I wasn't saved. So then I really didn't know what the song meant. How could I really? I really love this song. I have been singing it nonstop since Wednesday evening. It is such an amazing song, and I think when I tell you what it means to me, you will know why and I think you will think it's amazing too.

I'm going to start with the verses and end with the chorus. Though the verses say quite a lot, the chorus ties it all together and means the most, to me at least.

"The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again

Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me

Let me be singing when the evening comes"

"The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning

It's time to sing Your song again"

can be transformed into a person is newly born again and its a new start in life as God's child. This child of God will start changing and forming into a Godly person and will every single day worship Him more and more. It's time for someone to enter the family of God and begin to sing His praises.  

"Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me"

through all the trials and tribulations, fears, doubts, hurts, heartbreak, deaths, whatever happens.....

"Let me be singing when the evening comes"

allow me to still praise God through all hard tings in life up through my death so I can eternally be with Him and sing His praises forever. Let me still be singing God's praises when I die. 

"You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger

Your name is great, and Your heart is kind

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing

Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find"

"You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger

Your name is great, and Your heart is kind

For all Your goodness I will keep on singing"

This can transpose into God is always showing love, and is always forgiving. God's name is the sweetest name I know because He is so warm and tenderhearted. He may get disappointed in some decisions we make but He never gives up on us. I will praise Him for all His goodness and even the bad times we go through because God is good all the time, and all the time God is good!

"Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find"

there are so many reason we should worship God! For every bad time God cancels it out with all the mercy He shares with us each and every day. He is continuously proving to us that we should follow Him. The number one reason atheists become Christians is because they get tired of trying to prove there is no God and get proven wrong that all they can do is believe.

"And on that day when my strength is failing

The end draws near and my time has come

Still my soul will sing Your praise unending

Ten thousand years and then forevermore"

"And on that day when my strength is failing

The end draws near and my time has come"

This turns into when my days on earth are getting shorter and my strength to stay alive on earth goes away. My time on earth has come to its end and my time to eternally be with the Lord is now.....

"Still my soul will sing Your praise unending"

I will still be praising Your name when I am dying but.....

"Ten thousand years and then forevermore"

I will praise Him the day I die and when I get to Heaven I will do the same thing for all eternity.

The song begins with the chorus, and the chorus is in-between each verse, and it ends with the chorus. 

When the song begins this is what you hear. 

"Bless the Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship His holy name"

In the beginning I see this as a cry out to God asking to become His child as the first verse explains the beginning of the walk with God. They are praising His name and beginning to follow Him.

Then in-between each verse it is saying no matter what Lord, I will worship you through everything. I will worship you through the storms and the sunshine. 

What you hear yet again at the end of the song is.....

"Bless the Lord, O my soul

O my soul

Worship His holy name

Sing like never before

O my soul

I'll worship His holy name"

They are now in Heaven looking back on their walk with God, worshiping His name like they always said they would. They only thing that has changed is that they are now actually with Him. But still no matter what , they stayed true to what they always promised.

I see this song as looking at a persons walk with Christ. This is a realization of how the Christian walk should be. It's not always easy, but no matter what we should still praise Him. This is what I'd like my walk to be like, and I work for it every single day. Like I said, it's not always easy, but it is most definitely all worth it in the long run. You can do anything with Christ on your side.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Philippians 4:13

"Take my yoke up you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:29

"Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits--"

Psalm 103:2

"Everyday I will praise You and extol Your name forever and ever."

Psalm 145:2

"Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name."

Psalm 103:1

To hear the song please click here.

 

Day 6: Love

Love. What is love? Is it something people tell their girlfriends/boyfriends to keep them around? Is it something more personal? Well, there are different kinds of love. I love my Mom, and I love my best friend, I love my pastor and youth pastor, I love my brother, but they are all different kinds of love. I know what most people would think I want to talk about is the love we have for our husbands or wives. Well, I can't talk on that because I've never experienced it. I am hopeful that one day I will, but being sixteen, well, it's just a bit too early. I want to talk about the greatest love of all. God's love for His children. God's love is like no other. God loves us more than we could ever give love to any single person alone. God loves one person more than we could love the entire world. Our love will never be that great because I don't believe we have the capability to love as greatly as God, but we should love God the most out of anything or anyone we've ever loved. God is my rock when I am weak. God is there to pick me up when I fall down. God is there to love me when I feel like there is no one else in this world that loves me. God is my soul-mate more so than my [Future] husband. I love God more than anyone else on this entire earth. I love my mom forever and ever in a day, as well as my dad, but my love for them doesn't even compare to the love I have for my Father. I could talk all day on true love and the right guy/girl for you, but I'd be "wasting my breath" so to speak because at the end of the day, people are going to do what they want to do. If they even think that they love someone, you can count out your opinion as to what they do. But one thing that people may still even do what they want but I will never be wasting my breath on is telling them how much God loves them. God loves you. Each and every one of you. He loves you when you are sinning, He loves you when you love Him, He loves you when you turn your back on Him, He loves you through everything. God deserves our love in return! If just 100 people read this, that is 100 people that I've shared God's love to, but if you share it on your Facebook and 100 of them read it, that multiplies to 10,000 people, and just keep that chain going. Share God's love today! Please click here and here to lead you to some devotionals on God's never ending love for us.

Day 5: Right Choice

Yesterday I talked on wrong choices, but today I want to talk on right choices. You know, it's easy to to point out wrong choices, but is more difficult to choose right ones. I personally can not think of any really good scenario's to even really talk about. I have thought about this topic for days and every time I try to write this, I fail because I can never think of anything good enough. I've known for a couple of weeks that I wanted to do this series, and I have all my posts written out already, and though it is day five out of thirteen, it was one of my lasts ones to write. I put these in the order I thought they would go best in, well because I am working up to one big picture. This picture takes effort to find. I didn't see it for years. I think that if you have read my blog this far that you can probably figure out what I am going to say is the biggest right choice. That is definitely a given. I can tell you all day long that if two people are in love and want to get married that is a really great right choice, and it is, don't get me wrong, but there's an even better right choice. I can't help but think of a few of my friends in this instance. I am hoping that they make the right choice, but let me stop dragging this out. The ultimate right choice is following God. Plain and simple. If you have had a life full of bad or wrong choices and you haven't been saved, that will all straighten out after you become saved. You won't always make the right choice, no one does, but you will begin to make more right than you are wrong because you will begin to be more like Christ. That's what everyday should be, getting one step closer to being more like Christ. We all know we can never be exactly like Christ, but that doesn't mean we can't strive to be. I really don't have much more to say on this. I could tell you a list of right choices to make, but what's that gonna do? I'd rather you make the ultimate right choice and let the others follow. To back up what I have said, here is what the Bible says which is God's Word. 

• Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths."
• Proverbs 11:14 "Where there is no guidance, a person falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety."
• Deuteronomy 30:19 "This day I call the heavens and the earth witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live."

If you do not have a Bible and would like to read please click here to find an amazing Bible site. 

Brother Ronald Birthday

I miss you like crazy, brother from another mother! 
When I heard you were gone I was messed up for years.
I didn’t for a long time find true happiness.
I couldn’t stop thinking of you.
For years I couldn’t sleep without my parents by my side.
I couldn’t go over and stay with a friend because the memory of losing you haunted me.
I didn’t know you for long, but I am so thankful for how long I did.
I can see you now, with a girl by your side.
I wish you could see me, all grown up.

These days its weird to say, but I see you on every corner in the high school.
I see you everywhere around me in the band room.
I can picture you playing the snare up there in the percussion section with Rickie by your side.
You have a hold on me brother.

I always dreamed of being like my brothers,
And in a sense, I am.
I am proud to be a part of what you used to be,
And I am proud to carry on your legend.

I can’t believe its been nearly seven years in July.
Seventh month, Seventh Day, Seventh year.
Your death was a shocking one.
No one saw it coming.
Everyone came to your funeral.

Today, I celebrate you, brother.
Today is your birthday,
And I know we all miss you now,
But you are in such a better place having a grand birthday party! 
You’re kickin’ it with Jesus!

Happy Birthday, my brother from another mother,
Ronald.
And my brother’s best friend.

I love you,

Kara aka. ‘Lil Rickie

Day 4: Wrong Choice

People make wrong choices everyday, and if I said that I didn't, I'd most definitely be a hypocrite. At times the wrong choice seems like the best choice until you've made it and it's too late. Sometimes we are influenced to make the wrong choice, and sometimes it comes naturally. Wrong choices can seem adventurous, reckless, fun, and you know you are making the wrong choice, but you just can't say no to it because you know as soon as you make it, you will feel alive, it's irresistible. Sometimes we make wrong choices because we feel like there is no where else to turn to. There are so many things I could say on the wrong choice, but in reality it all depends on the scenario. Like, sex before marriage is a wrong choice, but that's a given. Doing drugs is another wrong choice, also a given. But the one thing that continuously come to mind is not following Christ. That is the biggest wrong choice you can make. I could choose many topics to talk on for a wrong choice, but as a Believer of Christ, I feel that I should be a witness to God and share what I believe through any chance I get. I don't care if you stop reading my blog because I mention God, or talk about Him a lot. It's your wrong choice to not believe in Him. All I can do is share the Word of God. That's why I am choosing this wrong choice. Romans 3:23 says "For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God." Sin is a wrong choice obviously because it causes eternal death, or damnation, well unless you believe in Christ of course. Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life." Choosing to drink a beer instead of soda at a party, bar, etc., is a wrong choice in many circumstances. No I am not saying that it is not okay to have an alcoholic beverage because it is fine in moderation. But why even put yourself in the situation of you possibly getting drunk by the trigger of one drink? When you take it as far as to get drunk, that is a sin, so it makes it wrong. Hating someone because you do not like what they have done to you is also a sin. God doesn't hate anyone, and in the ten commandments he says "Love your neighbor as you love yourself" if you hate yourself I guess you can hate your neighbor, but be honest, no one truly hates themselves. The biggest wrong is Christ tugging at your heart and asks you to follow Him and you deny His request. Well think about this, what if that exact night that Christ tugged at your heart and you denied you unfortunately get in a car, receive a text while driving and decide to reply then get in a wreck because you were not paying attention and die instantly. Well, texting while driving is another wrong choice in itself, but look at what has just happened. You've gotten a chance to accept Christ right before you die and you deny Him, and you die and get eternal hell. It doesn't seem so good to me. I could go on forever on our wrong choices, but they are quite depressing. I just want all of my readers to think about this. If you are a Christian, check your life and make sure your relationship is right with God, and if you aren't a Christian, consider getting a Bible and maybe going to church. The biggest mistake you can make is not following Christ.

Tomorrow I talk about right choices so check my blog tomorrow for all the rights to the wrongs I've mentioned today! 

If you don't have a Bible and would like to read one please click here.