We Are One Body In Christ

My friends haven't been the same since their experience with God at the retreat. I've had so much fun enjoying the Lord with them. It has been a great experience!

I just love to be with teenagers or young adults that truly love God <3

We even started a group in Whatsapp and Kik to pray for each other and to talk about our wonderful God. In Whatsapp one of my friends sent these bible verses...

"The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.

Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part.

But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body.

In fact, some parts of the body that seem the weakest and the least important are actually the most necessary.

This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the part suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

All of you together are Christ's body, and each of you is a part of it."

(1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 18-20, 22, 25-27 NLT)

When I finished reading it, I told my dad I wanted to experience that. I mean, my friends from the retreat and I to actually experience that. To live being One in Christ!

Later that day at school (where my friends go to and my parents work at), one of the teachers said that one of the students she once taught to, died in a motorcycle accident. We all listened quietly and after she finished... a couple of the students went up to her and hugged her.

No one told them to hug her, but they did. Why?

We already read the answer... 

"....so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it,"

I saw it with my own eyes. We are acting as One Body and I didn't even notice it.

In the afternoon one of my friends dropped her nail polish at school and it broke. It spread on the floor (it kinda looked like art. ha, ha). She quickly ran to get some paper towel and wipes to clean it up before it dried up. Once she got back to clean it up, most of the girls that were there (including me) started helping her.

No one told us to do it. We just wanted to help.

In the picture we already cleaned most of it. 

I'm the one on the upper right hand corner.

A couple of minutes later, I told my dad what happened and he pointed out that I just saw the body of Christ working as One.

There we go Again!!! How did I miss it? 

I said that I wanted to get to see the body of Christ working as One and I did!!! 

I saw it. 

I lived it!

....And I keep living it!

Being Transformed Into Who We Really Are

    This last weekend I went to a retreat for 3 days (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday). The title was "Being Transformed Into Who We Really Are". The first day was pretty good. God spoke to many of my friends and God spoke to 2 of them through me. He even spoke to me through one of my best friends. He mentioned that I will be able to say that He cured my knee. Of course, he didn't say when or where, but I trust Him.

    On Saturday, different pastors ministered and I really enjoyed what they said. On Saturday night, 9 people accepted Jesus into their heart and that was just amazing. I know that God will never ever leave them, because once you accept Jesus, He will never leave no matter what. Did you read that carefully? 

He Will Never Ever Leave Once You Accept Him Into Your Life! He is never going to let you go!

That same night... A friend of mine passed to the front and they prayed for him and he suddenly fell to the ground and just started shaking and shaking and shaking. Different people went up to him and started praying for him.

                   

God was transforming William completely! 

It really was a great experience to watch. 

The next day (Sunday), William said that he felt transformed. He felt completely different! Now he has Jesus in his life and that is AMAZING!!

Once you are united with Jesus, with God, with the Holy Spirit... you are Never The Same!

On Sunday morning, I was suppose to talk about God to everyone. Like in front of everyone, while everyone is watching me. You get the point. Well, when I first found out that I was gonna talk on Sunday I totally freaked out! What was I gonna say? I've never done that before! Yes, I've done videos and of course, I have this blog, BUT IT'S NOT THE SAME!! I was scared!!

Before the weekend came, I bumped into a bible verse...

"I came to you in weakness - timid and trembling.
And my message and my preaching
were very plain. Rather than using clever
and persuasive speeches, 

I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit.

I did this so you would trust not
in human wisdom but in the power of God."

(1 Corinthians 2:3-5 NLT)

Paul was guided by the Holy Spirit when he talked. I wanted that to happen to me too on Sunday. So, I prayed about it.

Sunday came and I still had no idea what I was gonna talk about. I went up front and was honest. I told them that I wasn't prepared and I was going with the flow of the Holy Spirit. 

    I just started saying what came into my mind and spoke about how everyone of us was transformed this weekend, but when we get back home if we keep doing the same things we did in the past, we were going to feel far away from God. We were going to feel miserable! Because if we keep letting trash in, by watching videos and pictures online that we're not suppose to, or hearing music, or having conversations that really just doesn't fill our spirit. We are going to feel BLAH!

I told them that they had to get rid of the things that aren't doing any good to our spirit!

    After that, God started to speak to almost each one of them through me. I just said what I felt. Like, for example... "Luis, you feel alone. Like no one understands what your are going through. But God understands! He knows your pain. He has never left you." Things like that, but more specific. I said things that I really didn't even know about them. Because it was God! 

The Holy Spirit was guiding me.

When God started speaking to another of my friends through me, I felt his pain. I just started crying while God was talking to him.   

  

Manny knew it was God speaking to him.

God transformed everyone in that retreat. He is amazing! I've seen the change in them. They are not the same people. They are hungry for God! 

If you are praying for a friend or a family member or even your neighbor that they get know God, believe me, God has heard your prayer. Just be patient. They will get to experience God's love!

Praying For A Miracle

    I haven't been dancing lately because I injured my left knee. The knee I had a surgery on a year ago. But no worries! I've been resting and I know God will help me get through this. I trust Him. I have faith in Him, but sometimes I have doubts. Sometimes I doubt that He will answer my prayers with a "Yes".

    God spoke to me through my mom and said that my faith is strong, but sometimes I doubt my faith, the faith that God will do what I've asked Him to do, and He's right. So, this time I don't want to doubt Him. I want to ask God for something without questioning myself.

    I told God that I want my left knee to recover 100%. I want God to perform that miracle for me this weekend. Because this weekend I'm going to a retreat and the 1st day there I want to see that miracle.

I was praying to God on Saturday morning thinking about the miracle I asked Him to do. I suddenly felt the urge to clean up my dresser and I found a Post-It Note with a Bible reference on it, written by me. It said....

(Isaiah 41:10)

  So, I looked it up in my Bible app on my phone with the version New Living Translation and this is what it said..

"Don't be afraid, for I am with you.

Don't be discouraged, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you.

I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."

    Right after I read "Don't be afraid.." I just started crying. I felt like God was actually saying this to me. It was an amazing feeling! I started thanking Him and I started to ask myself... How can someone question God's existence? He is more real than anything in this world. He loves us so much! We don't deserve his pure and honest love. He knows our weaknesses and our faults, yet He still loves us.

We Weren't Meant To Be Independent

Since the way we were born, we've been taught to be independent. All our parents taught us to eat without anyone's help, or to walk without having to hold on to anyone. Our parents one day let us go to face the world and be independent!

It's the way society lives. They actually think we have to be independent.

They are wrong!

We are not meant to be independent! We shouldn't be independent! Why?

Because being independent means to actually live with our own strengths thinking we can do everything by ourselves. And we are wrong! We can't do anything by ourselves. Not even breathe!

Jesus knew that. Jesus lived on earth knowing he couldn't do anything by himself. Imagine, not even Jesus could do anything independently, then how could we?

So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only 

what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does." (John 5:19 NLT)

He consciously knew that He couldn't do anything without God. Jesus depended on God 24/7!

How can we do that? How can we live depending on God 24/7 after we've been taught almost our whole lives to be independent?

There isn't a secret formula for this to happen. Have in mind that we didn't learn how to walk in 1 week. It took time, until it happened and it became a habit. We don't think about "how to walk" anymore. It comes naturally.

The same way will happen with God!

Talk to God, have a real relationship with Him and while time passes by, the dependence on God will come naturally.

God Answers Our Prayers

    I went to Maryland in December with my family and the thing we prayed for the most was to be able to see snow. My brother has never seen snow before and I saw snow once when I was little, but I don't even remember those memories. So, we prayed for snow and while time passed by I started doubting that we were going to see snow because it was almost time for us to come back home.

    The same day we were going to leave to the airport, my Uncle mentions that it was going to snow the next day. That exact moment, once my mom heard that it was going to snow, she told my dad that we needed to stay a couple of more days. You know what happened? We stayed a couple of more days and exactly like my Uncle said.... We got to see snow and play in it! God answered our prayer!

    Why did I doubt that God wouldn't answer my prayer? Maybe because in the past sometimes his answer was "No". So, technically He has answered my prayers, but I have to learn that sometimes the answer is "No". It's hard to hear, but I have to face the fact that His ways are way better than mine. He will always want what's better for me. How can he not want what's best for me? He is in love with me. He loves me!

God always answers your prayers! Sometimes the answer is "Yes" and other times the answer is "Not yet, my timing is perfect" and other times the answer is "No".

Trust Him! He is perfect! His plans are better than ours. He loves you!

Christmas Is About "The Gift"

Today is Christmas! I'm sitting here right now in my Aunt's
living room next to the presents and the Christmas tree,
while everyone is asleep. 

    Kids are so excited about Christmas, but not because we celebrate the birth of Jesus, but because of the presents. Who can blame them? Since they were little they've been receiving presents on Christmas Day. 

    The truth is.. we say Christmas is about Jesus, but really it's about us. We may pray in the morning and kind of acknowledge Jesus' birth. But after that.. when we start opening gifts, we totally forget about Jesus.

    If I tell you, let's just have a Christmas day where we don't give or get gifts and just celebrate Jesus' birthday. I bet you would think I'm crazy. You would think.. "How can we celebrate Christmas without presents?" Well, easy... we acknowledge that Christmas is not about Us, it's about Him.

    It's like, when we celebrate your birthday. In your birthday party, people don't give each other presents and leave you out of it. They give You gifts and try to spend time with you. Then why can't Jesus have that same celebration? Why can't we spend more time relating with Jesus on His birthday and stop thinking about ourselves?

    Jesus is so amazing! He is always with us. He is fun, caring, loving, funny, honest, and our best friend. He thinks about us so much that even on His birthday he blesses us with the opportunity to get gifts we don't deserve and He smiles when we open each one of them. You know why? Because He loves us!

This Christmas give thanks to God because he already gave us the best gift of all.

His Son, Jesus!

"For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. 

The government will rest on his shoulders. 

And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor,  Mighty God, 

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

(Isaiah 9:6) 

Life Passes By In A Blink Of An Eye

Life goes by fast. In a blink of an eye everything can change. So, why waste time arguing, staying mad with someone? It's not worth it! We should enjoy every second we have with the people we love.

    Today at 1am, December 3, 2014 my dog passed away. His name was Blackie. He was loyal, playful, caring, loving, a great best friend. I had Blackie since I was like 7 years old. So in my memory it's like I've never lived a day without him in my life. It was pretty hard to imagine living a life without him.

    Every time I would open the door he was wagging his little tail. He was so happy to see me. I would take him out and sometimes I would be outside with him looking at the stars. Even though he was actually looking for cats to bark at. Haha! But he would lie down right in front of me while I would pet him.

    I taught him how to hi-5, sit, come, stay, lie down, fetch (actually he learned that by himself). I would take him to the park and run with him. He was so active and alive! I loved him so much <3 He will always be in my heart. God blessed me with a great dog, best friend, family member.

Spend time with your loved ones. You never know when is your last goodbye or your last "I love you"or your last hug with that special someone. 

God has blessed you with special people around you. Don't take them for granted! Love them! Enjoy each special moment because time passes by and it's not coming back.

Blackie (2000 - 2014)