This Isn't A Love Story This Is A Story About Love

What is your view on people doing things that are "wrong"? Do they get second chances?

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 17:59:00 -0400

Parable of the lost son! Excellent example of second chances and the Father’s love. I want to make it clear that God does offer second chances in this life. God offers forgiveness of sins to those that come to Him and repent. Salvation and forgiveness is here and now; an open invitation by God to us. However, second chances after death, No. Hebrews 9:27-28 says, Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. To those who are waiting for Him…In other words those that know and desire Him will obtain salvation. God is a loving and gracious, but also just. Just because we are forgiven of sins does not give us the ability to keep on sinning. We must seek purity, holiness, righteousness, and Jesus. One day we are all going to stand before God and judged accordingly. Even I have been given second chances in this life. I turned away from God countless times before I knew who He was, but now I live for God knowing that what He offers is so much greater than anything this world has to offer. Don’t wait until later to make things right with God because that time may never come. The time is now. We are all sinners and we all make mistakes and stumble. Ultimately, it is all about who and what we look to in getting out of sin. Remember that Jesus is our victory, He has already won. God saw how desperate we were for redemption and He redeemed us all through His Son on the cross. We can’t do this alone, we need Him. Follow Jesus and He will fulfill every desire of your heart.

how do you go about making a relationship more focused on christ?

Sun, 03 Jun 2012 16:47:43 -0400

Well I’ve never been in a relationship before, but I believe it should be centered on being Kingdom-minded. How is your relationship with your significant other advancing the gospel and building up the Kingdom of God? It all comes down to where the heart is and that should be in Christ. Striving to be like Christ and modeling your relationship around Him. Conducting yourselves in love, humility, patience, compassion, sacrifice, and obedience. Serve one another and those around you out of love for the Lord. Jesus loves children so don’t be afraid to serve together in the church, community, youth groups, and retreats. See things in a heavenly perspective and look to better not only your own relationships with each other, but also with God. When others see your relationship, they should see Christ and His love resonating from your hearts. It should be so overwhelming that people can’t deny that it was ultimately God’s will and purpose that brought the both of you together. Be authentic with yourselves and others. Keep challenging each other and spurring each other on. A Christ-centered relationship is more than just a word, it is walking in the truth and glorifying Him through relationship.

As a Christian, what do you think makes a woman beautiful?

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:42:00 -0400

When I think of beauty, I think of the cross. What I find attractive in a woman is a love and passion for Jesus. The world has given us the perception that we must look a certain way to be viewed as beautiful, but we are all beautiful in God’s eyes. Each one of us is God’s creation and uniquely made for His purpose. We are constantly being molded both inwardly and outwardly to fit His divine will. It doesn’t matter what you look like, what you wear, or how much money you have, we are all worthy of Christ dying on the cross for us. We are imperfect and undeserving, yet loved by a King. Jesus paid the ultimate price for us. That is what was so beautiful and majestic about the cross. Because when God looks at us now, He see His Son. This is how we should look at others, with the love and compassion of Christ. 1 Peter 3:3-4 says, Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For me, beauty comes from the heart and a heart that is being led by the Spirit is truly something to be valued. What could be more beautiful than a sister who is serving the Lord, diving into the Word, remaining faithful in prayer, and has an authentic relationship with the Father. When you are so in love with God, looks become so insignificant compared to the glory of Christ.

Freedom Is Here - Esterlyn And everything comes aliveIn my life...

Thu, 31 May 2012 14:45:47 -0400

Freedom Is Here - Esterlyn

And everything comes alive
In my life as we lift You higher
Let Your freedom arise
In our lives as we lift You up

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom - 2 Corinthians 3:17

Reflecting

Thu, 31 May 2012 05:12:39 -0400

Praise God for this year! Even in the midst of school, strengthening and mending relationships with friends, connecting with my parents in the Netherlands, and work responsibilities. God constantly reminds me of how much I need Him in my life. That I can’t do this on my own. I need to be pursuing a deep relationship with Him and building up His Kingdom. I do make mistakes and stumble, but God is always there to help me overcome obstacles and pick me up when I fall. Academically I have had my ups and downs as usual. For example I got an A in organic chemistry, but have to take Genetics twice. God is definitely teaching me discipline, to pay attention in class, and to have good time management. Some things I’ve always struggled with. The biggest blessing for me came through my fellowship (AACF) on campus (UCR). God gave me the opportunity to serve as a leader on the core team and take up both prayer and multimedia ministries. This was a large responsibility and there were many times where I did not feel qualified for the position, but God kept reminding me that He qualifies the people He calls. I was so blessed by the many opportunities through my fellowship. To co-lead praise night, lead prayer meetings, serve at our annual banquet and outreach concert, come outreaching, and help start up and lead weekly bible discussions. God has truly blessed me this year beyond anything I could ever imagine. I often wonder, why me? When there are just so many people more deserving and much more in need than me. God has a purpose for every one of us and even though we may not see why things are happening now, in God’s perfect timing we will. I am constantly in awe of God’s work in my life. I mean just the other day my friend told me that one of his friends follows me on tumblr through one of my posts and I was so amazed at how God brings people closer together. I am so happy to be a part of God’s family. God has also blessed me on tumblr. Going from encouraging my closest friends to worldwide brothers and sisters (not tumblr famous btw and don’t need to be haha). I am so blessed by such wonderful brothers and sisters. I know that God has called me to be a leader for my fellowship, a light for my family, a loving brother in Christ for all of you, and a student on campus. Throughout this year and even now, God has been teaching me about how important prayer is and what it means to serve Him wholeheartedly. Loving and serving God should never come out of obligation or force, but out of pure desire and passion for Jesus.

Tonight was such a blessing

Thu, 31 May 2012 04:22:52 -0400

For those that saw my last post, my fellowship’s outreach concert was amazing. Preparation and set up was hectic at times, but everything tuned out great. Tim Be Told came to our campus to lead worship and if you have never heard of them definitely check them out. Especially the songs Reach For The Light, Humanity, and Analyze. Their lyrics are so moving and carry so much emotion. We also had a message by a guest speaker on Galatians 5:16-23 and how we are to walk in the Spirit. I hope that lives were changed tonight and that God opened the hearts and eyes of the nonbelievers that came out. We will continue to pray for them as well. God was definitely glorified tonight.

It is these types of things that make me enjoy college life. There is no where else I would rather be than serving along side my brothers and sisters and praising Jesus.

My fellowship has a free outreach concert tomorrow night called Collision. It is at UC Riverside at...

Tue, 29 May 2012 23:53:23 -0400

My fellowship has a free outreach concert tomorrow night called Collision. It is at UC Riverside at 7:30PM in the University Lecture Hall (UNLH). Featuring the band Tim Be Told. If you or any of your friends go to UCR, tell them to come out. It will be a great platform to invite yours or their non-Christian friends to as well. It will be a great night of worship, message and encouragement. Everyone please pray for me as I serve tomorrow and for the hearts of everyone that comes out. Thanks :)

What do you like most about my blog?

Tue, 29 May 2012 04:20:19 -0400

To keep up with my posts and keep following me weekly or daily. Music, bible verses, encouragements, the realness in the posts, relationship posts, all of the above. Also how did you find my blog if I didn’t add you. Message me, I’m curious and would love to hear from you.

College Days

Mon, 28 May 2012 05:29:17 -0400

So most college students go out to party on a weekend night. What do me and my friends in my fellowship do? We go back to the dorms (we live off campus) and play sardines haha. If you don’t know what the game is, it is like hide and seek. People on campus may think it is strange, but we find it fun and a great way to bond with each other. Sometimes I feel like we are all kids even though most of us are 3rd year college students. I love it though. Praise God for tonight. :)

May we not be once a week fellowship or Sunday Christians, but let us be every day Christians.

Sat, 26 May 2012 14:45:00 -0400

Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. - Psalm 145:2

Search My Heart - Hillsong United Without You I am...

Fri, 25 May 2012 01:28:35 -0400

Search My Heart - Hillsong United

Without You I am nothing

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. - Psalm 139:23-24

For more music suggestions: http://swimmertkesh.tumblr.com/music

Hi Everyone

Wed, 23 May 2012 04:52:39 -0400

Thank you everyone for your encouraging messages and posts. Also for keeping up with me in prayer and my daily walk. I love when I get to have conversations with all of you either on here or Facebook. It makes for a better relationship than just being another random person on this site. Feel free to ask questions, send me prayer requests, want music suggestions/bible verses, or just to vent haha. I do respond to my messages, so if you ever need to talk I’m here for you. :)

A big thanks to all my long term followers. I don’t know what brought you to my blog in the first place but praise God that I have the chance to encourage and talk to you.

Your brother in Christ,

Ryan

Why I do the things that I do

Wed, 23 May 2012 02:52:00 -0400

Mom: I don't think that you have to be Christian and believe in God to do the things that you propose: be loving and kind, be truthful, be true to yourself, be compassionate about life, and respect others. Be confident in who you are! You are precious to me.
Me:You don't have to be Christian to believe in God. Muslims, Catholics and Jehovah's Witnesses all believe in a God, just different in the ways they view, interpret, and follow God. You can even believe in God, do nice things, and not even be religious. However, being Christian is way more than just a religion, it is a relationship with Jesus and doing works not for yourself or any personal gain, but out of love and reverence to God. We don't do good works to earn God's favor or earn our salvation because it has been already given to us. It is our choice however to accept it and please God because of it. We strive to be like Christ by devoting ourselves to prayer, church, worship, devotionals, serving others, and showing grace in our lives. Allowing the light of Christ to shine in our lives as ambassadors for God's Kingdom. It may sound weird and time consuming, but in the end only what we do for God is going to matter. Many people say that it's not fair, but if it was fair we would all be dead to sin. He showed us grace and mercy upon us. God would rather die on the cross for us than spend any moment without us. God changes the ways we speak and the way we live our lives in miraculous ways. Bringing us to things and people that we couldn't have come across without Him. In my life and many of my brothers' and sisters' lives, being Christian was the last thing on the list of things we wanted to become, but God has a plan for us all. It was far greater than anything we could ever imagine. You may not see it now, but in time you will see that this is exactly where I am supposed to be, in a purpose that is far greater than we could ever understand or comprehend in this lifetime. This is why I am doing all of this. Not for myself because I don't deserve it, but all for God who loved me and gave Himself up for me even when I didn't know Him or wanted Him in my life.

God Really Knows.

Wed, 23 May 2012 02:00:58 -0400

You are the strength of my life.

Mon, 21 May 2012 21:12:09 -0400

everlastingjesus:

Great are You Lord.♥

Lord You are faithful :D

No One Higher & The Stand - Steve Fee There is no one...

Mon, 21 May 2012 20:44:00 -0400

No One Higher & The Stand - Steve Fee

There is no one higher, no one greater, no one like our God.

There is none more able, Christ our savior, great and glorious.

For more music suggestions: http://swimmertkesh.tumblr.com/music

hey! i just want to ask you... what is your opinion of lady gaga? thanks for answering!

Mon, 21 May 2012 19:15:05 -0400

Hmmm. To be honest I don’t really know all that much about Lady Gaga or her music haha. Even before I became Christian I only listened to bands and was never really into pop culture. Whether a person is famous or not, you should never stop praying for them and loving them because Satan can get a hold of people so easily. But she is a person just like us caught up in the world and sin, who is also in desperate need of grace and Jesus as well. The music you listen to can definitely be a way to your heart so it is very important to discern what you listen to and view on tv. We should not idolize anything of this world because it is God who deserves to be lifted up in praise. Know your limitations and ask yourself if what you are seeing and listening to is pleasing to God. As far as music goes even I enjoy listening to non-Christian music every once in a while, but mostly stick to worship music these days because it is God who we should be praising in song. There are all different genres of Christian music that I can recommend as well if you are looking for something unique and different :)

Surrendering to Bring You Glory and Fame

Sun, 20 May 2012 13:45:00 -0400

I think the hardest part for nonbelievers to follow after God is giving up and surrendering their lives to Him. Especially when things are going great for them. Some of the nicest and loving people I know are not Christian and it really breaks my heart that they could be doing it for God. That’s why we need to tell them about Jesus because the things that He has to offer can’t even compare with the things of this world or ourselves. It is beyond all measure. God changes lives in ways we could never be able to do on our own. Ultimately, it is not about us, but all about Him.

You Came For Us!

Sat, 19 May 2012 04:06:00 -0400

God, You saw how broken we were, how much we needed grace, how desperate we were for redemption. Our heavenly Father, our Savior, our Redeemer, and Our Friend. Thank You for accomplishing what we could never do and showering us with Your grace and mercy. We saw how much You cared about Your relationship with us through Your Son and the fullness of Your abounding love. We Love You Jesus. We desire nothing more than to be like You and for You to dwell within our hearts.

"Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word."

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:00:39 -0400

“Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.”

- Psalm 119:37 (via cafespirit)