Quenching a Thirsty Soul

It is always a blessing to be around our friends and family. We as Christian’s can rely on one another for spiritual and even material help when a need arises. By His mercy, we have the ability to be in the presence of one another and the almighty God 24/7. But there is one thing that troubles me when it comes to living in such an ideal environment: we get so used to one another and our nearly trouble-less lives that we forget about the world around us.

Although the devil works actively even amongst Christian’s, he’s already got a strong hold on a huge population of the world. And these are the people we should be most concerned about. I started to think about this more critically after meeting a young lady yesterday who did not know Christ. She told me about her large family where almost no one knows God, where her mom cries day and night for her lost, grown children. As a result of all of these worries, her mother was diagnosed with heart problems and is soon about to leave her job. Her father, a victim of cancer; a brother in jail; another out and about enjoying the world… shall I continue with the rest?

All of this leaves her to seek nothing else but help; a soul, hungry for God’s word, desiring to consume and understand it.

Isaiah 55:1-3a
1 Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live…

We as Christian’s need to be enthusiastic about serving a soul like this by giving them a hand, providing the Word to them, answering questions, and guiding them along the way. Recalling my post from yesterday, I want to remind everyone of the joy of helping a person grow in Christ. Please also pray for this young lady and her family.

No greater joy!

So last night I stopped by my brother's house to visit my first (and so far only) nephew. He is now 17 days old and is evidently growing quickly. Though I stopped in just to take a peek at him, I ended up staying for awhile, holding him in my arms. That's where he fell asleep. I can't even begin to describe the incredible feelings I had while he was laying in my arms. A tiny creation of God can make a grown man's heart overflow with tears.

When considering all that surrounds this guiltless soul, I could not help but worry about him. Though he is being raised in the ideal home with magnificent parents, he will still be facing the same gruesome thing every person faces as they go through life; sin. May God save Him. That being said, I remembered the following passage:

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 John 1:4

Of course, in this passage John is not referring to his own physical, young kids. But this passage brings out the true love of a person who helped form someone's spiritual being. Please consider the depth of this passage. What does it mean to raise a child? You feed, cloth, teach, tuck him in to bed, and etc. And you do this throughout the child's entire life until they are capable of doing the same with their own children. Now let's make the connection between the physical and spiritual raising of a child. Spiritually, you feed, pray, nurture, and care for a person until they are able to stand on their own two feet. After accomplishing such a feat, John is saying he has no greater joy than to hear that those whom he helped spiritually, continue to walk in truth.

How often do we have the joy of seeing God's children, especially those whom we helped, continue to walk in the light of the Word? Just a thought to consider... blessings!

Na-Sho-Pa 2009

Alright, I'll try to make this one short and sweet. I don't know why but sometimes I have a hard time doing so because of the immense amount of thoughts flowing through my tiny brain at the same time. It causes me to sidetrack too often... see what I'm talking about? Maybe I should try quad-core?

Anyway, this past weekend I had the blessed opportunity of going to a youth conference in New York. The topic of the conference was "стремлюсь к цели" (pressing towards the mark) - Philippians 3:14. In all honesty, when I first found out what the topic was going to be, I was perplexed regarding what the preachers had to offer us for 3 days at a camp, surrounding that one verse from Philippians.

Of course due to my incredulous human nature, God always has a point to prove. So He showed me that the riches of His word are deeper than what my unbelieving heart could ever imagine; no pun intended but the topic was so "on target" that I can't even imagine it being anything else. It was the perfect topic sent to us at the perfect time of our lives, when people tend to lose sight of their target. In the wake of the 21st century, Christianity [as a religion] has been knocked so far off track that there is no question about it missing its initial target. And until each one of us changes our own selves, modern Christianity as a whole will continue to miss the bull's eye.

Trading - Intro

Before we get into any of the technical details of financial trading, it's important for each Christian to understand the reason behind why they are trading in the public markets. There's a common perspective, especially in the midst of some very conservative organizations, that trading stocks is unnecessary due to the similarity between the stock exchange and gambling. For those, I wish to say it is true - if you don't know what the stock exchange is. Per Wikipedia, the definition of 'Stock Exchange' is as follows:

"A stock exchange, (formerly a securities exchange) is a corporation or mutual organization which provides "trading" facilities for stock brokers and traders, to trade stocks and other securities. Stock exchanges also provide facilities for the issue and redemption of securities as well as other financial instruments and capital events including the payment of income and dividends. The securities traded on a stock exchange include: shares issued by companies, unit trusts, derivatives, pooled investment products and bonds."

Please notice how many times the root word "trade" appears in that short definition. In plain English, a stock exchange is the trading of funds. Though that is very high-level, it's a good way of looking at it for those who do not understand the reason behind and the functionality of the stock markets. Really, there is little to no difference between this and trading apples for oranges between two countries. Let's say one country owns hundreds of apple fields and another does not but rather owns thousands of orange fields. The first country may willingly give up several million apples in exchange for a few hundred thousand oranges. That being said, the two countries have a mutual exchange of products. If one country decides they wish to refrain from trading, they may do so. Similarly, each individual or organization willingly participates in the exchange of funds within the open market.

Some of you, though, may say, "but it's still similar to gambling because you never know which way the market will go". Not true. With our current technological advances and the stock exchange being controlled 100% by complicated computer systems, it is possible to predict (if not know) exactly what is happening to the company(s) in which you invest money. Doing extensive research is a critical part of being a responsible trader. If you do not take on the responsibility of researching and simply throw your money in hoping for the best, then yes, the floor of the NY Stock Exchange for you is exactly like the floor of the Cripple Creek Casino.

Example of how the floor of a Stock Exchange looks (Malaysia):

Blogging

I never considered blogging before. It was always one of those strange, geeky things people would do when they're lonely. No, I have not yet hit that level of depression. But I hope to use blogs to encourage people with the thoughts and feelings in my heart. The Lord has showered me with an abundance of blessings and the least I could do is pass them on to those around me (whether online or off).

The beauty of blogging is that it gives you the freedom of expressing your inner-self publicly without having to pay for a website or the rental of an auditorium. Yes, they say our blood contains a few drops of Jewish wisdom.

By the way, for those of you who do not know Russian, go learn it. That is if you wish to continue reading my posts. At times I shall convey my thoughts in Russian and trust me, Google Language Tools won't help you much if you think you're so tricky.

A new beginning

I am a well-rounded (actually, quiet slim physically) young man with interests in many of life's intriguing categories. I was born and raised in a Christ-centered home with a family of six. Though I may not be as expressive emotionally on the outside, on the inside I love my family with all of my heart. Given the choice to leave the family for trillions of dollars, 3/4's of the planet, and a few stars in the sky, I would choose my family without a doubt.

Aside from loving my family so much, I also have a few hobbies, interests, and goals I wish to accomplish. With the Lord's help, I hope to get into music recording. Having written a few poetic lines and some melody lines, I have an urge to record at least one CD before I leave Earth for good. Music is a passion for which I hope to make more time because it opens the depths of my heart as well as the listeners'. I aspire to finish my remaining semester of college so that I could get my hands on my guitar, violin, and possibly the lonely piano which I must learn to play.

I thank the Lord for all that I have; for all of the situations in life which set me straight. If at first something seems to be going wrong, stop and think. What is He trying to tell you? Are you listening? Are you accomplishing His will in your life? This may sound like nonsense to those of you who do not yet know God. For you, I pray and desire that He opens the eyes and ears of your heart so that you would have the salvation He grants us through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Revelation 3:19

Sincerely,

Andrey