Spot the difference

"Dear God,

I always put it on my heart to seek you first, and seek the kingdom of God, knowing that you will provide for me. You have so far, I am school captain, I am doing well at school, you have provided everything. But I still feel dissatisfied. I get pressured, I live in a society where everything is about want. More more more!

You give peace, please give me peace now, peace that I may not understand, but that comes from the fact that you are God, and I am not.

Help me to dispel my worries, help me to get rid of sin, help me to become more and more like your son. Help me WANT to become more like your son.

I give my life as a living sacrifice to you, knowing that you know me better than I know myself, and you will ensure my life is lived to its fullest, real fullness. of Godliness, holiness and all for the glory of you.

Thank you for your love. Thank you that you ARE love. Thank you that you showed this love in sending your son to die for us, so I can now pray to you like this now.


Let this prayer and my whole life be lived for your glory.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen"

"You're an idiot.
I'm busy, you're the one who is on holidays.
Get out of my room, go away, I don't want to help.

I love feeling important. I want that new TV. Why do they get more than me?

I just want to fit in, who cares about anything else. its just a joke!

I have to go (I just don't want to talk to you).
Bye"

Near-death experiences.

Reading Lamentations (I recommend it), and I was challenged by how glorious God is, and how sinful I am. But we are still called to be God's friend and are welcomed into heaven, his kingdom.

Jesus did some serious saving when he died on the cross. And like all human beings, I forget.

We share near death experiences. We can't wait to boast about the day we were poisoned, or the day we nearly suffocated in our sleep, or the time we nearly went on a roller coaster that crashed.

My closest near death experience is having such a bad cough I couldn't breathe. Not much, but I really thought I would die then.

But we we've all had near death experiences that are way more serious than that. We were "dead in our sins" (Eph 2:1). We followed Adam in eating the forbidden fruit, severing our relationship with the giver of life, effectively ending our life then and there.

You say you aren't dead yet? That's just God being merciful. 

But that's where it becomes a "near-death" experience. Because Jesus saves us from that death, he grafts us back into the tree of life, so we can live again, and never fear death again.

So next time you're asked that question, "What's your near-death experience", try sharing that, and see what others think.

God bless everyone!