We've Moved!

We've moved The Time Has Come to Facebook! The Time Has Come is now a Facebook Group, which means you can talk to your friends, update your status, find lost sheep on Farmville, find your Bible reading schedule, and post blogs--all on one website! Genius. Yeah, we know.

So log on and join us!
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A reminder

“ 1For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.
2For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty,
3how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, “ Hebrews 2:1-3

Sometimes, I feel as if we don’t take obedience as serious as we should. As Zeph mentioned today, we make compromises all the time. This has really convicted me of how far we take measures to make Christianity “easy”. The greater the privilege, the greater the punishment for disobedience (Luke 12:47). Take me for example, I have compromised many times the length of my devotionals for sleep, excusing myself by saying that I’ll do it tomorrow after school.

Moreover, we are to be set apart of this world for we have a heavenly calling- one not of this world. We are supposed to be salt and light to the world. We are to be able to discern truth and wrong and to act upon our knowledge-not to be silent and passive.

“I know that in our day rebel means sinner, but everyone is sinning so it is no longer rebellious to sin… If you really want to be a rebel read your bible, because no one is doing that.... that's rebellion that's the only rebellion left.”- Rebel intro by Lecrae

Furthermore Hebrews 3 expands upon the dangers of unbelief. The failure of the Israelites was due to unbelief. A lack of faith in God. They harden their hearts and complained. They were not thankful. Like them, I really have not noticed all the blessings I have, such as the luxuries of having paper, typing, walking, living, water, etc.

“Therefore, let us fear if , while a promise remains of entering His rest, any of you may seem to have come short of it”- Hebrews 4:1.
“For we who have believed enter that rest”-Hebrews 4:3a
Dean has preached a sermon on having spiritual checkups a long time ago that has stuck in my mind. We aught to examine ourselves to see if we have the faith in him, if we truly love our God for who he is. NOT for what he can do for us. “We do want, and want very much, to make men treat Christianity as a means; preferably , of course, as a means to their own advancement, but , failing that, as a means to anything.”-The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

However, God has given us grace and forgiveness if we turn to him and honesty give ourselves to him-to die to ourselves and to be humble, letting God rule and control us. For “The whole self consciousness of the Christian is to be imbued and characterized by the spirit that animated the death of Christ. He has ever to present himself to God as one who has died in Christ, and in Christ is alive from the dead, bearing about in his body the dying of the Lord Jesus. His life ever bears the two-fold mark: its roots striking in true humility deep into the grave of Jesus, the death to sin and self; its head lifted up in resurrection power to the heaven where Jesus is.”- Humility by Andrew Murray

Moreover, we have a faithful High Priest who understands us and knows our weakness; he has humbled himself and can sympathize with our weakness;” he has been tempted in all things as we ar, yet without sin”- Hebrews 4:15
He is compassionate and knows us. He atones for our sins and is totally involved as a man with needs of others. (Hebrews 5) Jesus has made possible our communication with God, and he sustains and blesses those who serve the kingdom of righteousness and peace. Thanks be to him.

Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all! - 2 Thessalonians 3:16

All Things Made New

This weekend, I recieved an e-mail that Pastor Ponnatee's wife Suwaree, passed away September 19, 2009 at 7:43 a.m. I did not know Suwaree personally, but I know that she was very close to God and loved Him with all her heart. I think we should now pray for Pastor Ponnatee since, even though he knows that she is with the Lord he must miss her a lot. It was Ponnatee who inspired us to start this blog, and so I think we should do something to show our appreciation, like an e-card or something like that. There are also plans for a memorial service, so we could show up with a real card and give it to him in person.

Any suggestions?

2 corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 4:16
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.

I've Been Dreaming of a True Love's Kiss...Same Goes For Guys ;-)

My crazy princess obsession compelled me to watch the movie Enchanted again--a hopeless romance movie about Princess Giselle who falls through a wishing well from animated Andalasia to real-life New York City. Despite its lack of explosions, aliens, or characters with super-powers, I'd have to admit Enchanted to be one of my all-time favorite movies.

After watching it recently, I realized how much emphasis is put on "true love's first kiss." The film opens with dreaming Giselle singing, "I've been dreaming of a true love's kiss/And a prince I'm hoping comes with this/That's what brings ever-after-ing so happy/That's the reason we need lips so much/For lips are the only things that touch/So to spend a life of endless bliss, just find who you love through true love's kiss." (Yeah, I typed that from memory XD) Throughout the movie, she constantly mentions "true love's kiss," until the end when "true love's kiss," of course, wakes her.

Too many princess fairy tales of the past emphasize "true love's kiss," particularly the "first kiss," from Snow White to Sleeping Beauty, it's the first kiss that "conquers all." It is only the first kiss that can wake the princess.

Things have changed as society has changed it's view on "true love's kiss." In today's romantic comedy, the characters exchange several kisses before even mentioning that they love each other. Sometimes characters exchange kisses--even more than just kisses--and later realize they're not right for each other.

Just one small kiss is precious and special--especially for a girl, "true love's kiss" is a once in a lifetime event. So after seven or eight kisses, what makes it so special anymore? "True love's kiss" can never again be attained.

Same goes for guys. Guys have got to admit they fall in love too, and maybe they tend to get more tempted physically than girls do.

And we're all old enough to know it goes further than just "kissing."

I memorized this verse in Life Management: "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18)" Let's say it simply: God calls for us to be pure, and at our age, it's only more important for us to be thinking about that. And, sure, it's your classic "true love waits" lesson. But temptation is real. It takes a lot to control yourself and not let your emotions (girls...) or physical desires (guys...) get the worst of you.

And I don't know, but I've got a feeling that it will be a lot sweeter--waiting--and doing it God's way. ;-)

So let's discuss this: What are some ways that we can prevent physical temptation with the opposite sex?

The school year and devotions

Devos from a book God Calling: August 24 - Sublime Heights Our Lord, we know that Thou art great and able to deliver us. I am your deliverer. Trust in Me absolutely. Know that I will do the very best for you. Be ready and willing for My Will to be done. Know that with Me all things are possible. Cling joyfully to that truth. Say many times, "All things are possible with My Master, My Lord, My Friend." This truth, accepted and firmly believed in, is the ladder up which a soul can climb from the lowest of pits to the sublimest of heights. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. Daniel 3:17 August 25 - Exhaustion We seek Thee as Thou hast told us. And seeking you shall find. None ever sought My Presence in vain. None ever sought My Help in vain. A breath of desire and My Spirit is there -- to replenish and renew. Sometimes weariness and exhaustion are not signs of lack of spirit but of the guiding of the Spirit. Many wonderful things would not have happened but for the physical weariness, the mind-weariness of My servants, which made the resting apart, the giving up of work, a necessity... Though My Way may seem a narrow way it yet leads to Life, abundant Life. Follow it. It is not so narrow but that I can tread it beside you. Never too lonely with such companionship. A comrade infinitely tender, infinitely strong, will tread the way with you. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:14 I was reading Psalms 55 which is about a betrayal. Psalm 56:22 stood out to me:

"Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken."

Despite all the betrayal and anguish and pain David is going through, he is able to pray and trust God wholly. He trusted in God to "uphold the believer in the struggles of life"(MacArthur Study bible). 2 Cor 4 furthermore expands on this. By putting our burden on God, he strengthens us. we can withstand Life's hurts and pains. God can carry us though the hard times of life , like in the Poem Footsteps. [God] whispered, "My precious child, I love you and will never leave you, never, ever, during your trials and testings. When you saw only one set of footprints, It was then that I carried you." Furthermore," knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;"- Romans 6:6 we are free from sin. Just as Pastor Bob illustrated, the Holy Spirt can empower us to overcome the gravity of sin if we allow it to and humble ourselves. We can do our devotions daily and overcome the sin of being prayerless/not doing devotions. I say sin because it is something we need to repent of and turn away from . It harms our relationship with God. It kinda implies we don't trust; we aren't needy; we don't need to listen and obey Jesus. However, like the savage in Brave New World illustrated, we cannot do this by ourselves. "What if the Church, for heaven's sake Finally stepped up to the plate Took a stand upon God's promise And stormed hell's rusty gates What if His people prayed And those who bear His name Would humbly seek His face yeah And turn from their own way He said that He would hear His promise has been made He'll answer loud and clear, yeah If only we would pray"- What if his people prayed by Casting Crowns. Prayer Devotions Accountabilty P.S. You might be wondering why I titled this the school year and devotions. I titled it becuase I felt that as a community and group of fellow Christians/Catholics, we can build each other up , just like Iron sharpens Iron. We can sharpen each other and change our lives, our schools, our world. We are the future of the Church. feel free to add/comment/correct me

Working with God.

Well the tittle says it all. You must work with God while you are working.
On August 15, 2009 I had a meeting at 8 AM which i was none to please about. This meeting was rather tedious and was not very productive. Which is why when I left it I was not in the best of moods. I came back to work around 11:15 which when I was schedule to work. So me being in a bad mood all ready really didn't want to work at all.
As many people know when you don't want to do something, something always forces you do have to do that that which you did not want to do, and this case was like that. To my surprise I was greeted by The president and owner of the company. They decided to see how I had become the number one sales person in the Tarrant County. They wanted to see if they could gain any tips to help the people that were not doing to well. This was a horrible day all ready, and this was added to it.
I went to talk to my manger to see if he had any advice for me. What he told me was just to go out there and to work like nothing was different. Then we prayed about the day, and we both asked God to help us through out the day to watch over us as we worked.(Get it working with God?)So I went out on the sales floor and was prepared for the day.
My first customer comes in the store, wanting the basic phone, no extras, no features. He just wanted the basics. Well with me I can tell what customers you are not going to convince to get another phone wants they have their minds set on something specific, and he was one of those people, or so I thought.
When the sale was done, he had purchased our most expensive phone, with all the extras and features. When he walked out the door, I had no clue on how and what had happened. This guy also activated the service know as U-Verse with me that day. As I said before, I did nothing more, I did not mention any of this to this gentlemen, He asked about all of these things on his own. This sale alone gave me 16+ units (units=gross profit/44.44). That sale alone hit my daily goal and it was only 12:00PM.
After the day was over I had close to 60 units which is one of the highest store goals for the Tarrant market. Through out these sales I had no control over what was being sold. I thank God for that alone. Without him that wouldn't have been possible. However, this was just the start.
Before we closed, The president and owner (Darreon and Asa) came and pulled me to the side and they congratulated me. They were astonished at my performance. I told them I did nothing, and that my Lord and Saver had done this. I, myself , could not ever dream of being able to do this. Because of this performance.
Through this I learned that, I could never dream of accomplishing anything of this magnitude without God. He is the driver of my life. He has control of what happens to me. I am just here for a short while. He will direct me to the places I need to be. He will provide. He will open oppurtunities.

Here's another verse for us to discuss:

Romans 11:32-
"For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all."