Living Above the Sun Ministries

“But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,      and he will stand upon the earth at last! And after my body has decayed,      yet in my body I will see God!   I will see him for myself.      Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.      I am overwhelmed at the thought!" Job 19:25-27     It's been a while since I have written on here.  I've been tucked away thinking about life, and learning how to live.  Usually, I won't post a video/song first but in this particular instance beginning with this sets the tone for what I want to bring forth in this post.  I realize the title of this blog is undertaking a huge chunk...a set up almost because so many ask this question of life and want answers.  I can't say that I have all the answers, and I will disappoint you.  However, don't shy away from my sharing what God has revealed and taught me. None of us will truly know or mayb...

" Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. " -2 Timothy 2:3-4 In the last post we discussed how suffering is the mark of a true disciple. In this post we will look at how being a soldier is another mark. This is how the Holy Spirit describes us: "He is not his own. His time belongs to his Master, so does his body. He goes where he is told, he eats what he is given, he wears what is supplied. He has no will of his own, but is an implicit servant of the military forces. He studies the ways of the enemy, he finds means of defense from the enemy, and of offense toward the enemy. This should be true of every believer." Before we can go to war, there are a few questions we must ask ourselves. We can't go into war unprepared, we must know what is required of us. 1. Are you spiritually fit? " Do not waste tim...

"For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know." -1 Thessalonians 3:4 The true mark of a disciple of Christ is suffering, it's apart of our job description given to us in scripture. It's really not preached much anymore in the pulpits across America because the pastors of our day have fallen in the mindset of wanting everyone to like them, so they preach messages that will draw crowds and make people want to join "their" church. This is not what discipleship is, nor is it the way of the disciple. When Jesus our teacher; Rabbi, calls us, He does so with the intention of us becoming like Him. John 15:16 says, " You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you. " Jesus' last moments with His disciples b...

"For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ..." -Philippians 3:18-20 I have been focused in on the cross this week. Many of you who know me well know I think deeply about things, then I get aggrevated, then can't stop thinking until I reach a solution even though I said I'm done thinking about it. Things that should be simple, I like to make hard. Why, I guess I just like depth and I like to use my mind, and LOVE to learn. Sometimes I come up with off the wall things, and I'm glad there are a few people I can run my mouth too, and they just leave me to my thoughts knowing I will figure it out. I can remember when "The Passion of Christ" ...

"Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." -James 5:10-11 Most of you who read my blog often or know me personally know that Job in the Bible is my biblical hero. In his story we learn to trust God even when we don't understand. The essence of the story is true faith; and accepting all that life brings without all the answers as to why it happened. After all knowing God is better than knowing answers, right? God is not arbitary or uncaring, and pain is not always a punishment. There are 3 things Job had to learn, we need to learn them as well: waiting, yielding, and hoping. All 3 of these things build our faith, and they build on each other. We build our faith by facing things head on...th...