There are many times, I have felt blessed in this life and I've learned many important things. Mainly the difference between what I think will make me happy, versus what actually does make me happy. I used to think, money would make me happy, or success. I realized though when I made more money, or achieved some success, the feeling was never what I built up in my mind.
I had a goal, I was striving towards for the past 3 years and that was to get some music licensed into a TV show my family likes to watch. I really built that up in my mind as, "when this happens, I will finally feel like I made it." Well this last royalty statement came in, it finally happened. I got some music in the History Channel Show Forged in Fire.
My family loves that show and watches it all the time. It felt satisfying to achieve that goal, but it wasn't the feeling I expected. It wasn't like, now I am bursting with a feeling of happiness and contentment. It's the same feeling that always happens. Momentary happy, followed by chasing the next thing.
I realized that I never enjoyed the present moment, even when positive things were happening. It wasn't until I changed gears and started focusing on growing my faith and spiritual side, that I realized the feeling I was chasing is attainable through Christ.
A lot of people think Christianity is go to church on Sunday, be a good person, follow the 10 commandments and you go to heaven. That's what I used to think too, until I started reading the Bible. That's when I realized that Christianity is not what I've been led to believe, and there is a lot of perverting of the Gospel going on.
We are in the Dispensation of Grace, and are not condemned under the Law of Moses because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Jesus's sacrifice was for the forgiveness of our sins. For us to be saved, it requires no work, just believing and trusting what Jesus did for us. This is a great video explaining that and I highly suggest watching it.
We are in the Dispensation of Grace, and are not condemned under the Law of Moses because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Jesus's sacrifice was for the forgiveness of our sins. For us to be saved, it requires no work, just believing and trusting what Jesus did for us. This is a great video explaining that and I highly suggest watching it.
Once you understand the truth of salvation, that through faith in Jesus Christ, our sins past, present and future are forgiven, you will know you are saved eternally, no matter what you do. You are a new creature which is made righteous in God's eyes through Jesus.
2 Corinthians 5:17 King James Version (KJV)
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Galatians 2:20 King James Version (KJV)
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
This is great to know, and really helps to understand the spiritual side of Christianity. Once you know you are saved by faith, then you can focus on enhancing your life through resting in what the Lord did for us, working on love not only in your mind but in loving your neighbors as yourself, sharing the truth and growing your faith in God.
I've come to believe that the knowledge of good and evil, is knowing Love and Fear. According to the bible God is Love.
1 John 4:8
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Anger, depression, sadness, and really all negative feelings come from a place of fear or sin. Those emotions stem from your thinking, and is where the true battleground resides. If satan can poison your mind in fear, you are taken further from love, further from God, and further from how we are supposed to be living.
Now to really grasp the spiritual side of Christianity, it's important to understand God's grace through faith. Below are 2 videos, that explain that excellently.
According to the bible:
Mark 11:24
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
The New Age Mysticism that's being preached via The Secret and Hollywood uses the Law of Attraction which is a counterfeit of Christianity. They say the same thing as the bible. Ask, Believe, Receive but they leave Jesus out of the picture and replace it with "the universe" or whatever.
They also talk about synchronicity, or meaningful co-incidences the Law of Attraction starts to manifest. This is real but without Jesus it is not from the Holy Spirit. Once you are in Christ, the Holy Spirit does start to guide your life through synchronicity and reality starts to become very magical. You realize that we live in a spiritual place, God's in control and anything is possible.
You also see a lot of the New Age practitioners talking about vibration, which is not really biblical, but as a musician it makes since to me to think of Love as a frequency.
The more you vibrate in love, the higher your frequency. The lower you vibrate in fear, the lower your frequency. Once you really start overcoming fears and focusing on love, it's easier for me to understand by visualizing raising that vibration. This is not biblical, but a way that helps me strive towards love. God is love, so by thinking in these terms, it's easier for me to get closer to love and God's will which is biblical.
Now it's also important to understand meditation and prayer, because this plays an important part in Christian spirituality. Think of meditation as shutting out the world. Just getting to a place of being in the present moment. It's so easy for anxiety and fear to start creeping in when you first start doing this. The devil does not want you to get to a point of rest. Distractions will start happening in your mind and environment, but shut it out and cast all your fear and worry unto God. Trust and have faith in God, and rest in love.
Once you get to a point of rest, prayer is when you speak to God. If you are in Christ, your prayers are heard, and not returned void. If you have a problem, God's grace has already provided you with a solution. You need to have faith that a solution has already been provided, and trust that the Holy Spirit will guide you. Do not depend on your own understanding, but trust in the Lord.
Co-incidence does not exist and when you start following the Holy Spirit, you will see that life is like a game of growing in love. Situations or cycles will appear where you have a choice. Love or Fear. A lot of people fall into the fear trap and get stuck in that cycle, especially when it comes to money. The bible says:
1 Timothy 6:10 King James Version (KJV)
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Matthew 6:24 King James Version (KJV)
24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
You need to let that fear go. So many fears stem from money, and not having enough of it. Coveting other people's possessions. Wanting what you don't have, and not being thankful for the life you do have. Serving money puts you in a state of fear, not love. Focus on God and spiritual growth, the money will be provided.
Carefully pay attention to your emotions. If you are in a negative emotional state, really dig to the bottom of it and find the root fear (sin). For example:
I used to have a very prison like mentality of not trusting anyone or letting people get to close. I hated it when people would come over to my house, and when people did, I'd get really negative. I think this fear really became magnified when I did time in jail and on house arrest for legal problems from alcoholism, but years after I was set free, and quit drinking, that mindset still followed me.
To start to tackle this fear, I had to find where it began. I realized that my issue with trust actually started in my childhood with some issues with my parents.
To get over this fear, I had to forgive my parents, forgive the past situations which started this fear and ask God to replace this fear with love. After doing this, that fear of trust is gone. When the fear tries to come back through a situation where I need to trust someone, I recognize it, and instead of responding with fear, I respond with love. I think of it as a test, that I will succeed in.
The results have been great for me and I'm so much happier. So many fears are gone, but it's like an onion. As one fear is conquered another comes to the surface. It's all part of changing your mindset from a fear based mind, to a mind of love.
As you begin to tackle these long held fears, you will be tested, but you will overcome. Your faith will grow, and you will start winning the battle of love and fear in your mind while you get closer to God. I know it will change your life too.
3 John 1:2
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
I hope this helps, thanks for reading!
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