There is such confusion on this topic. The general consensus is that if you offend somebody, then you are judging them. This is a lie. If somebody gets offended, it is not because you have judged them. Let us look at simple application.
If I tell lies, then I am a liar. That is simple truth. If a person tells me that it is not alright to lie, and that I should be honest, such truths do not present judgement from them. These are simple truths. If that person proceeds to condemn me for being a liar, then they are passing judgement on me. It is true that if I have lied, then I am indeed a liar. After all, if you lie once, then you are a liar. Whether it is justified in our eyes, a "white-lie", an omission, or a "bold-face" lie is completely irrelevant.
Another example would be if I was committing adultery. If I am with my friend, who knows that I am being unfaithful to my wife, and he tells me that I am in the wrong for what I am doing, this does not imply that he is judging me. Because my friend loves me and wants the best for me, he is telling me the truth. He is right. I should not be cheating on my wife and having an affair. He loves me enough to tell me me the truth.
However, an outside person may attack me out of anger and not love. Whether they have a vested interest in my wife, or whatever their validation is in the situation, they feel they have the right to condemn me. This is judgement and not truth. It is true that I am an adulterer and cheater, but the consequences, extent, and/or impact of these truths is not for someone else to depict to me.
We must speak truth to people. If it offends someone, that is because they feel guilty. That has nothing do to with being judged. In fact, that means the Holy Spirit is bring conviction within them, and has nothing to do with the speaker. Here is another example. If someone is speaking to me and telling me how it is wrong to cheat on your wife, there is nothing wrong with this conversation. He is more than welcome to speak as he pleases. In fact, if I am faithful to my wife I might find myself agreeing with him throughout the conversation. However, if I am a cheater I will be offended by his discourse and may end up wanting to defend the stance of an adulterer.
If I have nothing to defend, then what is spoken will not offend. However, if I have something to defend, if I am wrong and I know it, then I will be offended. If I feel attacked because the person has such strong feelings on a subject, and this is something I do, then I will be offended. A person can only be offended if they take what is being spoken personally. If what is being said is not about us, then how can it offend us?
We must speak truth, which is not judging, but we must bring truth and light into the world.
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
- Matthew 5:14
But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
- Ephesians 5:13
If we speak truth, as we are commanded to, then we will offend. There are no two ways about it. If we are cowardly, and afraid to offend, then we are not able to be salt or light.
You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
- Matthew 5:13
TRUTH WILL OFFEND!! DON'T THINK IT WON'T. IF WE ARE NOT OFFENDING PEOPLE, THEN WE MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER HOW MUCH WE ARE ABIDING IN TRUTH. AS WE ARE LIGHT AND SALT, BEARING THE TRUTH, LET US DO SO IN HUMILITY AND MEEKNESS. DO NOT FEAR BELOVED. BE STRONG, BE COURAGEOUS, FOR THE LORD IS WITH YOU.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013
After God's own heart...
Everything in the world around us wants to give us a measuring stick, and tell us that we are capable to pass judgement. In fact, not only that we are capable, but that we have the right to do so. This was the result of the fall of man. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they made the choice to do as they pleased. As a result, from that point forward man has believed we have the right and the ability to choose right from wrong. This belief system has allowed for us to justify the ambiguity that exists in everything from our reasoning to our laws.
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”
- Genesis 3:6-11
When their eyes were opened they decided that it was a bad thing that they were naked, and that they should cover themselves up. This was not a bad thing, for this was how God had made them. It was through their own reasoning that they came to this conclusion. Then, based on their own discernment and the consequential shame, they decided it was prudent to hide them self from God. Notice what God says to them. "Who told you that you were naked?" God is asking them, "Who told you that this is a bad thing."
It is this belief that we have the right to decide right from wrong that separates us from God. We so easily look at a situation, or a person, and pass judgement. We want people to "measure up" to what we think they should be, or maybe what the world says they should be. Know this though my friends. Whatever we judge in another, KNOW that it is in us as well. The reason why we judge is because we desire to minimize that which is in our self.
Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.
- Romans 2:1
Who do we think we are anyways to be able to judge another? Are we really so delusional to think that we are better than they? If we do find our selves judging another, let us take that as a huge red flag that we should examine our own life for that thing we see in others. We are fools if we think we have any leg to stand on in comparing our self to another person.
Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
- Romans 14:4
Judgement belongs only to God, and Jesus is ready to judge the living and the dead. Let us not put our self in the place of God, less we be put to shame for our conceit.
You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’
- Deuteronomy 1:17
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
- 2 Timothy 4:1
Let us give a perfect example of how the judgement of our own discernment is not the same as God's. Let us discuss a man who committed adultery with a married woman, while he was also married. God's says this is evil, and to not do it.
You shall not commit adultery.
- Deuteronomy 5:18
In fact, He says that to even look at a woman with lust is adultery, and that we should go to ANY extent to keep our self from sinning in such a grievous manner. He continues to state that if we divorce our wife for any other reason than sexual immorality, that we are causing her to commit adultery. God is so very clear about the importance and sanctity of marriage.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
- Matthew 5:27-32
In fact, God says that He hates divorce and that we are not to do it. He allowed for divorce only because our hearts are so hardened and selfish that often we cannot endure in love to see through our commitment.
“For the Lord God of Israel says
That He hates divorce,
For it covers one’s garment with violence,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Therefore take heed to your spirit,
That you do not deal treacherously.”
- Malachi 2:16
And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’ So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”
He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”
- Matthew 19:4-9
It is from these principles that the traditional wedding vows are derived. In our world we live in today, most people would not consider this to be that big of a deal. We have strayed from God and do what feels good and right in our own eyes. Our judgement is so very different from God's in this aspect.
Let us continue to discuss the same man, who then proceeded to kill the woman's husband to conceal his sin. In today's world this would be considered murder in the first degree, punishable by the death sentence or life in prison. There is no disagreement about whether murder is wrong. As God says it is, so far, so do we. Granted this can change with time and circumstances, as is painfully evident in Nazi Germany in the 1940's and in other nations even today. We can justify the murder of another human however we like, but that doesn't make it right. This man did horrible things by any standard.
If we were to look at this man, though his adultery would not cause many people to blush now days, the homicide just might raise an eyebrow, maybe. We would all find it very easy to look at such a man, judge him and say that he is trash. It would be so easy for us to say that such a man has no right to even talk about God. This man did so when told of himself in a parable by the prophet Nathan. King David responded to such a man with great anger.
So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”
- 2 Samuel 12:5
The thing is though... God called this man a man after His own heart. It was not, obviously, because the man did no wrong, but it was because of his repentant heart. When King David was confronted with his sin, he was deeply remorseful and repented. He desired to do what was right, and to please God. He desired to do what God wanted him to do. He accepted that he wasn't perfect, admitted what he had done, and turned from his sin completely and did what was within his ability to make it right.
And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’
- Acts 13:22
God does not expect us to be perfect, but to be repentant. He wants us to desire to do His will. He wants us to acknowledge our sins, confess our sins, and then to turn completely from them. If we judge based on what we see and perceive, then we might be missing something amazing that God is doing. Not only is it not our place to judge, but Jesus says that if we would give up that right that we would have no sin.
Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.
- John 9:41
We should let God be God, and leave the judging to Him, lest we our self fall into judgement. That person we are so quick to judge may be a chosen vessel by the Lord. He may be doing a great work in thier life, that He may be glorified. We do not know what God is doing. Ananias was faced with a similar situation. Saul, who was killing Christians, was in need of healing. God told Ananias to go to Saul, but Ananias said that he was a murderer. God said He had plans for Saul though, and that Ananias was to go to him.
Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
- Acts 9:13-15
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
- Isaiah 55:8-9
Let us only be concerned with where we stand before God. It is NEVER too late for us to turn to the Lord. He stands, ready to forgive, with the price for our sin already being paid in full. He will take us from where we are, and help us make right the wrongs we have done.
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
- 1 John 2:2
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
- Revelation 3:20
Let us turn to God! Let us confess our sins, and ask God to heal us. The forgiveness is already there, but we must humble our selves before Him. We must own up to the things which we have done, and we must desire to turn from our old ways entirely. Without turning to God, we stand under His wrath, abiding in the curses. If we will only come to Him, He promises to heal us.
"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
- John 3:36
Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
- Hosea 6:1
It is NEVER too late!! NOBODY is too far gone! Let us not be fools and condemn someone else based on what we see. We have no idea what God is doing in someone's life, or even what He may have planned in our life.
So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”
- Genesis 3:6-11
When their eyes were opened they decided that it was a bad thing that they were naked, and that they should cover themselves up. This was not a bad thing, for this was how God had made them. It was through their own reasoning that they came to this conclusion. Then, based on their own discernment and the consequential shame, they decided it was prudent to hide them self from God. Notice what God says to them. "Who told you that you were naked?" God is asking them, "Who told you that this is a bad thing."
It is this belief that we have the right to decide right from wrong that separates us from God. We so easily look at a situation, or a person, and pass judgement. We want people to "measure up" to what we think they should be, or maybe what the world says they should be. Know this though my friends. Whatever we judge in another, KNOW that it is in us as well. The reason why we judge is because we desire to minimize that which is in our self.
Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.
- Romans 2:1
Who do we think we are anyways to be able to judge another? Are we really so delusional to think that we are better than they? If we do find our selves judging another, let us take that as a huge red flag that we should examine our own life for that thing we see in others. We are fools if we think we have any leg to stand on in comparing our self to another person.
Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.
- Romans 14:4
Judgement belongs only to God, and Jesus is ready to judge the living and the dead. Let us not put our self in the place of God, less we be put to shame for our conceit.
You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’
- Deuteronomy 1:17
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
- 2 Timothy 4:1
Let us give a perfect example of how the judgement of our own discernment is not the same as God's. Let us discuss a man who committed adultery with a married woman, while he was also married. God's says this is evil, and to not do it.
You shall not commit adultery.
- Deuteronomy 5:18
In fact, He says that to even look at a woman with lust is adultery, and that we should go to ANY extent to keep our self from sinning in such a grievous manner. He continues to state that if we divorce our wife for any other reason than sexual immorality, that we are causing her to commit adultery. God is so very clear about the importance and sanctity of marriage.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
- Matthew 5:27-32
In fact, God says that He hates divorce and that we are not to do it. He allowed for divorce only because our hearts are so hardened and selfish that often we cannot endure in love to see through our commitment.
“For the Lord God of Israel says
That He hates divorce,
For it covers one’s garment with violence,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Therefore take heed to your spirit,
That you do not deal treacherously.”
- Malachi 2:16
And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’ So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”
He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”
- Matthew 19:4-9
It is from these principles that the traditional wedding vows are derived. In our world we live in today, most people would not consider this to be that big of a deal. We have strayed from God and do what feels good and right in our own eyes. Our judgement is so very different from God's in this aspect.
Let us continue to discuss the same man, who then proceeded to kill the woman's husband to conceal his sin. In today's world this would be considered murder in the first degree, punishable by the death sentence or life in prison. There is no disagreement about whether murder is wrong. As God says it is, so far, so do we. Granted this can change with time and circumstances, as is painfully evident in Nazi Germany in the 1940's and in other nations even today. We can justify the murder of another human however we like, but that doesn't make it right. This man did horrible things by any standard.
If we were to look at this man, though his adultery would not cause many people to blush now days, the homicide just might raise an eyebrow, maybe. We would all find it very easy to look at such a man, judge him and say that he is trash. It would be so easy for us to say that such a man has no right to even talk about God. This man did so when told of himself in a parable by the prophet Nathan. King David responded to such a man with great anger.
So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”
- 2 Samuel 12:5
The thing is though... God called this man a man after His own heart. It was not, obviously, because the man did no wrong, but it was because of his repentant heart. When King David was confronted with his sin, he was deeply remorseful and repented. He desired to do what was right, and to please God. He desired to do what God wanted him to do. He accepted that he wasn't perfect, admitted what he had done, and turned from his sin completely and did what was within his ability to make it right.
And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’
- Acts 13:22
God does not expect us to be perfect, but to be repentant. He wants us to desire to do His will. He wants us to acknowledge our sins, confess our sins, and then to turn completely from them. If we judge based on what we see and perceive, then we might be missing something amazing that God is doing. Not only is it not our place to judge, but Jesus says that if we would give up that right that we would have no sin.
Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.
- John 9:41
We should let God be God, and leave the judging to Him, lest we our self fall into judgement. That person we are so quick to judge may be a chosen vessel by the Lord. He may be doing a great work in thier life, that He may be glorified. We do not know what God is doing. Ananias was faced with a similar situation. Saul, who was killing Christians, was in need of healing. God told Ananias to go to Saul, but Ananias said that he was a murderer. God said He had plans for Saul though, and that Ananias was to go to him.
Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
- Acts 9:13-15
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
- Isaiah 55:8-9
Let us only be concerned with where we stand before God. It is NEVER too late for us to turn to the Lord. He stands, ready to forgive, with the price for our sin already being paid in full. He will take us from where we are, and help us make right the wrongs we have done.
And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
- 1 John 2:2
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
- Revelation 3:20
Let us turn to God! Let us confess our sins, and ask God to heal us. The forgiveness is already there, but we must humble our selves before Him. We must own up to the things which we have done, and we must desire to turn from our old ways entirely. Without turning to God, we stand under His wrath, abiding in the curses. If we will only come to Him, He promises to heal us.
"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
- John 3:36
Come, and let us return to the Lord;
For He has torn, but He will heal us;
He has stricken, but He will bind us up.
- Hosea 6:1
It is NEVER too late!! NOBODY is too far gone! Let us not be fools and condemn someone else based on what we see. We have no idea what God is doing in someone's life, or even what He may have planned in our life.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Alive!
While I was incarcerated, I was probably reading my Bible about 6 hours a day. I could not get enough. I was filled with life, hope, purpose, and energy. My life no longer was a hopeless, aimless event that was just passing me by, but had become an event of which I was an active participant. For the first time in my life, I was alive! Truly alive, and I could feel it coursing through my body and mind. I would wake up with a smile and I would go to sleep with a smile, and I was in prison! One of the guys who slept by me told me that he just didn't get it. He said, "You are the happiest person I have ever known, and you are in prison. On top of that, you don't have a TV, or food, or anything. You have nothing but your Bible, yet you are happier than guys who have everything." It was because God had given me life. As I devoured His Word, I was filled with Life, and that Life overflowed into everything I did.
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
- John 6:63
There was nothing that could snuff out what God had given me. I was free and alive, and my life was vibrant even in the darkest of circumstances. There is no way to ever describe this peace and hope with simple words. I knew that no one could touch me unless God allowed them to. I knew that I would leave that prison when the appointed time came which God had already determined, and I knew that that time would be when I was ready to face the next season of life. Because I believed God, and took Him at His word, that faith infused in me great hope and peace. The promises of God are irrevocable, and He will perform His Word!
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.
- Isaiah 54:17
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
- Romans 8:28
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Romans 8:31
For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
- 2 Corinthians 1:20
For the first time in my life I truly understood the gospel, and the good news of what God has done for us. Though I was a horrible, selfish, sinful man, God loved me enough to allow His Son to die for me and pay for the due penalty for my sins. He loved me, and chose me. He called me unto Himself, for His purpose, to fulfill His plan. I didn't have to be perfect, which is great news since I am not! I just had to be me. Be real with God, trust Him entirely, and be open and honest in all things. Before I was ever a twinkle in my father's eyes, God knew me and destined me for great things. This is His promise to all who believe and belong to Christ. There is one Holy Spirit, and one God. As God does not give the Spirit with partiality, we are either an heir to the promises, because we are in Christ, or we are not. There is nothing in between.
For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.
- John 3:34
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
- Jeremiah 1:5
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
- Jeremiah 29:11
If we are indeed filled with the Holy Spirit, which is the evidence of a person who belongs to Christ, then we are indeed made a son or daughter of God. Wrap your mind around that for a minute! An heir to the throne of Almighty God!!! For no other reason that it pleased Him to do so! If we can't be thankful for that, then we have some serious problems.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
- John 1:12-13
It is through faith that we are established. All of the things I had chased after all of my life, yet could never obtain, were finally mine. I didn't have to search for happiness anymore. I didn't have to struggle with doing stuff to make myself feel better. As I stated before, there are no words to properly convey what this feeling feels like. Complete peace and purpose... In Him I had all that I had ever desired. This will not make any sense to those who reject God, but for those who belong to the Lord, even if they are not yet there, these things will strike a cord deep within your soul.
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
- Isaiah 55:11
For us, there is great hope!! Lift your eyes to heaven and praise the name of the Lord! If we will just trust Him, He promises that we will not be put to shame.
“Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame;
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore."
- Isaiah 54:4
This has been a great blessing to me as I have written this. Hopefully it blesses you as it did me. God is so good!!! The way I felt then is just as powerful within me today. There is nothing that anyone can do to move me from what God has given me!
It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
- John 6:63
There was nothing that could snuff out what God had given me. I was free and alive, and my life was vibrant even in the darkest of circumstances. There is no way to ever describe this peace and hope with simple words. I knew that no one could touch me unless God allowed them to. I knew that I would leave that prison when the appointed time came which God had already determined, and I knew that that time would be when I was ready to face the next season of life. Because I believed God, and took Him at His word, that faith infused in me great hope and peace. The promises of God are irrevocable, and He will perform His Word!
No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.
- Isaiah 54:17
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
- Romans 8:28
What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Romans 8:31
For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.
- 2 Corinthians 1:20
For the first time in my life I truly understood the gospel, and the good news of what God has done for us. Though I was a horrible, selfish, sinful man, God loved me enough to allow His Son to die for me and pay for the due penalty for my sins. He loved me, and chose me. He called me unto Himself, for His purpose, to fulfill His plan. I didn't have to be perfect, which is great news since I am not! I just had to be me. Be real with God, trust Him entirely, and be open and honest in all things. Before I was ever a twinkle in my father's eyes, God knew me and destined me for great things. This is His promise to all who believe and belong to Christ. There is one Holy Spirit, and one God. As God does not give the Spirit with partiality, we are either an heir to the promises, because we are in Christ, or we are not. There is nothing in between.
For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.
- John 3:34
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you;
I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”
- Jeremiah 1:5
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
- Jeremiah 29:11
If we are indeed filled with the Holy Spirit, which is the evidence of a person who belongs to Christ, then we are indeed made a son or daughter of God. Wrap your mind around that for a minute! An heir to the throne of Almighty God!!! For no other reason that it pleased Him to do so! If we can't be thankful for that, then we have some serious problems.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
- John 1:12-13
It is through faith that we are established. All of the things I had chased after all of my life, yet could never obtain, were finally mine. I didn't have to search for happiness anymore. I didn't have to struggle with doing stuff to make myself feel better. As I stated before, there are no words to properly convey what this feeling feels like. Complete peace and purpose... In Him I had all that I had ever desired. This will not make any sense to those who reject God, but for those who belong to the Lord, even if they are not yet there, these things will strike a cord deep within your soul.
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
- Isaiah 55:11
For us, there is great hope!! Lift your eyes to heaven and praise the name of the Lord! If we will just trust Him, He promises that we will not be put to shame.
“Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame;
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore."
- Isaiah 54:4
This has been a great blessing to me as I have written this. Hopefully it blesses you as it did me. God is so good!!! The way I felt then is just as powerful within me today. There is nothing that anyone can do to move me from what God has given me!
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Christian
Before any of us can come to Christ, we must first reach a point that we realize we need Him. It is so easy for us to go through life and believe that we "really aren't that bad". This belief is perpetuated by our ability to compare our self to other people, judging them, and thereby justifying our actions because we just aren't as bad as the other person. This is foolishness, but this is what we do.
A Christian is someone who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. These terms are sadly used so loosely that what they really mean is lost in ambiguity. People profess themselves to be a Christian just because they believe in Jesus and God. This is not what it means to be a Christian, but it is this pretense that allows nearly 85% of Americans to profess themselves Christians. They don't know what they are professing, and are using the name of the Lord God in vain.
Let us define these words, and examine the truth behind the declaration of a Lord and Savior. The concept of a lord is lost to us today, but the concept is still easily defined. Webster defines lord as : a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due. Jesus preeminence is clearly defined in John 1:1-3:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
Again and more clearly in Colossians 1:9-18:
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
His preeminence is the right to which all service and obedience are due Him. It is not the FACT of Jesus lordship that is questionable, but rather our subjection to His lordship. Webster defines a subject as: one that is placed under authority or control: as b (1): one subject to a monarch and governed by the monarch's law (2): one who lives in the territory of, enjoys the protection of, and owes allegiance to a sovereign power or state. If Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives, then when He says jump, we ask how high. If Jesus is our Lord, then we are in turn His subjects. If we declare that Jesus is Lord, yet continue to do as we please in direct rebellion to His command, then we are liars. It is an oxymoron for a subject to tell his lord "No". Once again the rules of logic say that either He is Lord, hence we are obedient, or He is not, and we do as we please.
The second part of being a Christian is accepting Jesus as Savior. Well... First of all we need to realize we need a savior. If we believe the lie that we are just fine, since we aren't as bad as the next guy, then we can never see the truth of our own sin. We must come to accept the FACT that WE ARE sinners. We are wretched at the core, and the sin that is within us brings great pain and destruction not only in our own lives, but also in the lives around us. For most of us, our stubborn pride will not allow us to reach this point, yet alone comprehend it.
I used to believe that I had to be strong. I used to believe that I just had to "man up" and push my way through. I used to believe that I was a "self made man". I used to believe that I didn't need God, because I was just fine without Him. It was only after I realized that my best wasn't good enough to achieve the dreams I had for my life, that I realized I couldn't do it in my own power. I realized that at my best I still hurt the ones I loved. At my best, I still failed to be the man my family needed me to be. It was ONLY when I accepted that I was a sinner, that I continuously fell short of the mark, that I came to terms with the FACT that I need a savior. So it is with all of us.
Only those who the Father draws can come to Jesus, and only those who Jesus chooses to reveal the Father to can come to know the Father. God loves us so much, that He will do what must be done for us to get on our knees and return to Him. He is life, and without Him we are dead. Out of His great love for us, He will not let us remain in our sin. What an awesome God we serve!
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
- John 6:44
All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
- Matthew 11:27
I pray fervently that if any of us are living a lie, professing to be a Christian when it is quite obvious we have not subjected our self to His Lordship, that the Holy Spirit will bring conviction and that we will desire to be at peace with our Lord.
A Christian is someone who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. These terms are sadly used so loosely that what they really mean is lost in ambiguity. People profess themselves to be a Christian just because they believe in Jesus and God. This is not what it means to be a Christian, but it is this pretense that allows nearly 85% of Americans to profess themselves Christians. They don't know what they are professing, and are using the name of the Lord God in vain.
Let us define these words, and examine the truth behind the declaration of a Lord and Savior. The concept of a lord is lost to us today, but the concept is still easily defined. Webster defines lord as : a ruler by hereditary right or preeminence to whom service and obedience are due. Jesus preeminence is clearly defined in John 1:1-3:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
Again and more clearly in Colossians 1:9-18:
For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
His preeminence is the right to which all service and obedience are due Him. It is not the FACT of Jesus lordship that is questionable, but rather our subjection to His lordship. Webster defines a subject as: one that is placed under authority or control: as b (1): one subject to a monarch and governed by the monarch's law (2): one who lives in the territory of, enjoys the protection of, and owes allegiance to a sovereign power or state. If Jesus Christ is Lord of our lives, then when He says jump, we ask how high. If Jesus is our Lord, then we are in turn His subjects. If we declare that Jesus is Lord, yet continue to do as we please in direct rebellion to His command, then we are liars. It is an oxymoron for a subject to tell his lord "No". Once again the rules of logic say that either He is Lord, hence we are obedient, or He is not, and we do as we please.
The second part of being a Christian is accepting Jesus as Savior. Well... First of all we need to realize we need a savior. If we believe the lie that we are just fine, since we aren't as bad as the next guy, then we can never see the truth of our own sin. We must come to accept the FACT that WE ARE sinners. We are wretched at the core, and the sin that is within us brings great pain and destruction not only in our own lives, but also in the lives around us. For most of us, our stubborn pride will not allow us to reach this point, yet alone comprehend it.
I used to believe that I had to be strong. I used to believe that I just had to "man up" and push my way through. I used to believe that I was a "self made man". I used to believe that I didn't need God, because I was just fine without Him. It was only after I realized that my best wasn't good enough to achieve the dreams I had for my life, that I realized I couldn't do it in my own power. I realized that at my best I still hurt the ones I loved. At my best, I still failed to be the man my family needed me to be. It was ONLY when I accepted that I was a sinner, that I continuously fell short of the mark, that I came to terms with the FACT that I need a savior. So it is with all of us.
Only those who the Father draws can come to Jesus, and only those who Jesus chooses to reveal the Father to can come to know the Father. God loves us so much, that He will do what must be done for us to get on our knees and return to Him. He is life, and without Him we are dead. Out of His great love for us, He will not let us remain in our sin. What an awesome God we serve!
No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.
- John 6:44
All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.
- Matthew 11:27
I pray fervently that if any of us are living a lie, professing to be a Christian when it is quite obvious we have not subjected our self to His Lordship, that the Holy Spirit will bring conviction and that we will desire to be at peace with our Lord.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
My Testimony (Part 7)
I KNEW that God was answering my prayer to make me that man that my wife and kids needed me to be. Every day I rested in this fact, and I watched for the opportunities to continue to grow. I did not know that I was going to be going to prison, but I KNEW that God was performing His will. I KNEW that I wanted whatever needed to be done in order for me to become the man my family needed me to be. Sure... I wanted to go home, but not if I wasn't ready. What good would that do me? If I needed to go to prison in order for my prayer to be answered, then I was ready to go to prison. I KNEW that EVERYTHING that had happened in my life to this point, and that would happen, was for the best.
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."
-Romans 8:28
I thought I might go home, because I already felt like there had been many deep changes within me. When I saw Judge Neville, he sent me to prison though. When I went back to the holding cell, I danced. I trusted God completely, and I was excited to see what He had in store for me. The rest of the time in county, before I went to prison, everyone was just amazed that I was going to prison. Even the Deputies did not expect to see me have to go to prison, yet alone with a smile. God had blessed me though with great faith, comfort, and had destroyed all fear.
Once I got to RDU, my zeal and hope did not waiver. God continued to reveal Him self to me in mighty ways. My wife and I still argued horribly on the phone, and we could hardly even talk to each other. I felt so bad, and I just wanted to make things right, but I had hurt her so bad that there was no trust left. I would try to share things with her that I was beginning to understand and see, but they rightfully fell on deaf ears. I didn't deserve her respect, attention, nor trust.
The weight of my guilt for what I had done to my wife and my kids almost destroyed me. While I was in RDU though, God opened the book of Jeremiah to me. In this book, God's absolute sovereignty is portrayed in undeniable words. As God gave me understanding about His sovereignty, He showed me that in order for me to be where I was in that moment it required me to endure all of the things I had experienced over the course of my life.
All of the pain I had endured. All of the heart ache I had felt. All of the failures I had made. All of the pain I had caused. God showed me that just as all of these experiences were necessary for me to become who I was, such experiences are just as necessary in other people's lives. With this understanding He gave me this analogy in vivid detail.
I was driving my car down the road, and I continued to run over mailboxes. I felt so bad because I had done so much damage to other people's mailboxes. All the pain I had caused was just gut wrenching. I got over into the passenger seat, and asked Jesus to take the wheel. As He did, as I surrendered my will to Him because I did not want to hurt anyone anymore, I cried. I felt so bad for all of the pain I had caused, and I was guilty. I knew I had done it by trying to do things my way, and I felt so bad for what I had done. Jesus looked at me, and told me that I was forgiven. He told me that He had bore the shame and pain of the cross that I would not have to bare the guilt. He then told me that the mailboxes I had ran over needed to be replaced anyways. Nothing happens on accident, and God does not waste anything. It is through pain and trials that we grow, and Jesus would use my failures to shape those whom I had harmed. I knew that as long as He was driving, His will was being done instead of mine, that I would not be hitting anymore mailboxes. I did not want to hurt anyone ever again, but the guilt of what I had done was gone. God was in control, and God is good.
From this point forward I no longer have had to bare the guilt of what I did in my sin. I had repented, in truth, and I was forgiven. The repentance was genuine, for I never wanted, nor want, to repeat the things that I have done. Though I had been forgiven, and the weight of the guilt lifted, it did not automatically make things right with those I had hurt. I quit trying to share these things with my wife, for we were not at a place where we could share meaningful conversations. I had nothing to prove to anyone, and ONLY the consistent actions of love and time could heal what I had done. I continued to press forward, and I thanked God for the wisdom and understanding He had given me.
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."
-Romans 8:28
I thought I might go home, because I already felt like there had been many deep changes within me. When I saw Judge Neville, he sent me to prison though. When I went back to the holding cell, I danced. I trusted God completely, and I was excited to see what He had in store for me. The rest of the time in county, before I went to prison, everyone was just amazed that I was going to prison. Even the Deputies did not expect to see me have to go to prison, yet alone with a smile. God had blessed me though with great faith, comfort, and had destroyed all fear.
Once I got to RDU, my zeal and hope did not waiver. God continued to reveal Him self to me in mighty ways. My wife and I still argued horribly on the phone, and we could hardly even talk to each other. I felt so bad, and I just wanted to make things right, but I had hurt her so bad that there was no trust left. I would try to share things with her that I was beginning to understand and see, but they rightfully fell on deaf ears. I didn't deserve her respect, attention, nor trust.
The weight of my guilt for what I had done to my wife and my kids almost destroyed me. While I was in RDU though, God opened the book of Jeremiah to me. In this book, God's absolute sovereignty is portrayed in undeniable words. As God gave me understanding about His sovereignty, He showed me that in order for me to be where I was in that moment it required me to endure all of the things I had experienced over the course of my life.
All of the pain I had endured. All of the heart ache I had felt. All of the failures I had made. All of the pain I had caused. God showed me that just as all of these experiences were necessary for me to become who I was, such experiences are just as necessary in other people's lives. With this understanding He gave me this analogy in vivid detail.
I was driving my car down the road, and I continued to run over mailboxes. I felt so bad because I had done so much damage to other people's mailboxes. All the pain I had caused was just gut wrenching. I got over into the passenger seat, and asked Jesus to take the wheel. As He did, as I surrendered my will to Him because I did not want to hurt anyone anymore, I cried. I felt so bad for all of the pain I had caused, and I was guilty. I knew I had done it by trying to do things my way, and I felt so bad for what I had done. Jesus looked at me, and told me that I was forgiven. He told me that He had bore the shame and pain of the cross that I would not have to bare the guilt. He then told me that the mailboxes I had ran over needed to be replaced anyways. Nothing happens on accident, and God does not waste anything. It is through pain and trials that we grow, and Jesus would use my failures to shape those whom I had harmed. I knew that as long as He was driving, His will was being done instead of mine, that I would not be hitting anymore mailboxes. I did not want to hurt anyone ever again, but the guilt of what I had done was gone. God was in control, and God is good.
From this point forward I no longer have had to bare the guilt of what I did in my sin. I had repented, in truth, and I was forgiven. The repentance was genuine, for I never wanted, nor want, to repeat the things that I have done. Though I had been forgiven, and the weight of the guilt lifted, it did not automatically make things right with those I had hurt. I quit trying to share these things with my wife, for we were not at a place where we could share meaningful conversations. I had nothing to prove to anyone, and ONLY the consistent actions of love and time could heal what I had done. I continued to press forward, and I thanked God for the wisdom and understanding He had given me.
Monday, December 10, 2012
View
There are two fundamental views of the world, and our existence. Either there is a God, and He created everything, or there is no God, and everything created itself. Depending on our view, we will see and understand things accordingly. The world view is surely different from that of a Christian, but even many who profess to be Christian do not truly believe or understand what it is they are professing.
If there is no God, and everything just created itself out of nothing, then there is no such thing as truth, right, wrong, integrity, nor purpose. We have no purpose in this life. We are simply blips in an infinite cycle of nothing, creating itself and destroying itself for no apparent reason and to no apparent end. We have the brief period of our life span to party like a rock star, go until the wheels come off, and no consequences for anything we do in this life. There are no parameters, nor moral obligation aside from that which we impose upon our self, and nobody to be accountable to unless we get CAUGHT breaking some man imposed law which is arbitrary at best since right and wrong are only a matter of perception and open to change.
Under this belief system, there are no true answers to real problems. We can come up with our own solutions based on our desires and assumptions. We take our problem, and we search for an answer we like. This implies we aren't really looking for the answer, since it may not only exist outside of what we "like", but it may exist outside of what we believe. After all, if we knew everything, then we wouldn't be looking for answers in the first place.
Under this belief system, there is nothing after this life, so there is no purpose to things we experience. If stuff just happens, just because, then there is no understanding to seek. Everything that nothing created, when "nothing exploded", is just on a random course of nothingness, so we had better cover our butt and watch out for number one. After all, we only have less than 100 years to exist, so we had better get the most out of it because... Because why? We won't remember it when we die under this belief system. We just return to nothingness, and become "one" with the caprice and wanton universe as it continues to randomly created and destroy itself whenever "nothing" gets tired of doing something.
Under this belief system, there are no concrete answers. There are no absolutes, and nobody has "the answer", because that too is only a matter of perception. We seek marriage counseling, family counseling, personal counseling, life counseling, and yet to no avail. The world system is based on this belief system. What is right to you, may not be what is right to me, so there is no right. That means we all need to get together, a democracy, and have as many people as possible put their opinion of what is right out there until we have some kind of a majority rule on the subject. This system worked well in Nazi Germany in the 1940's. The majority conceded that it was "right" to perform mass genocide, so they did. And why not? There is no price to pay for what we do. We are nothing after all, so who is really effected and who cares about how someone else, who is "nothing", feels? Why should we care?
If there is a God, then we were created on purpose, for a reason. That means there are such things as truth, right, wrong, integrity, and purpose because they are based on the Creator's own opinion on the different subjects. The Creator would be the source of all of these things, since it is Him we came from. There are different ideas of what the existence of God means, but most of the different opinions are derived from either lack of logic or lack of knowledge.
80% of America "claims" to be Christian and believe in God. Most people think that God exists, created everything, but that He has no involvement in everyday life. Kinda like He is doing a complete "hands off" project to see how everything works out. Like a science experiment. This logic is flawed, because if in fact there is a God, then that would have to mean that He exists outside of all things created. This would inevitably include time, which would mean that the end result of His creation is not unknown to Him. In fact, God's existence outside of time would even imply that the purpose and end of His creation was determined before time began. The Bible very clearly addresses this fact as predestination, and the world accepts the ideas of destiny and fate accordingly. If God doesn't exist outside of all things created, then that would mean that He too was created, which would mean that He is not God, and that there is even one greater since there must be some sort of origin.
Webster's defines God as:
capitalized: the supreme or ultimate reality: as
If there is no God, and everything just created itself out of nothing, then there is no such thing as truth, right, wrong, integrity, nor purpose. We have no purpose in this life. We are simply blips in an infinite cycle of nothing, creating itself and destroying itself for no apparent reason and to no apparent end. We have the brief period of our life span to party like a rock star, go until the wheels come off, and no consequences for anything we do in this life. There are no parameters, nor moral obligation aside from that which we impose upon our self, and nobody to be accountable to unless we get CAUGHT breaking some man imposed law which is arbitrary at best since right and wrong are only a matter of perception and open to change.
Under this belief system, there are no true answers to real problems. We can come up with our own solutions based on our desires and assumptions. We take our problem, and we search for an answer we like. This implies we aren't really looking for the answer, since it may not only exist outside of what we "like", but it may exist outside of what we believe. After all, if we knew everything, then we wouldn't be looking for answers in the first place.
Under this belief system, there is nothing after this life, so there is no purpose to things we experience. If stuff just happens, just because, then there is no understanding to seek. Everything that nothing created, when "nothing exploded", is just on a random course of nothingness, so we had better cover our butt and watch out for number one. After all, we only have less than 100 years to exist, so we had better get the most out of it because... Because why? We won't remember it when we die under this belief system. We just return to nothingness, and become "one" with the caprice and wanton universe as it continues to randomly created and destroy itself whenever "nothing" gets tired of doing something.
Under this belief system, there are no concrete answers. There are no absolutes, and nobody has "the answer", because that too is only a matter of perception. We seek marriage counseling, family counseling, personal counseling, life counseling, and yet to no avail. The world system is based on this belief system. What is right to you, may not be what is right to me, so there is no right. That means we all need to get together, a democracy, and have as many people as possible put their opinion of what is right out there until we have some kind of a majority rule on the subject. This system worked well in Nazi Germany in the 1940's. The majority conceded that it was "right" to perform mass genocide, so they did. And why not? There is no price to pay for what we do. We are nothing after all, so who is really effected and who cares about how someone else, who is "nothing", feels? Why should we care?
If there is a God, then we were created on purpose, for a reason. That means there are such things as truth, right, wrong, integrity, and purpose because they are based on the Creator's own opinion on the different subjects. The Creator would be the source of all of these things, since it is Him we came from. There are different ideas of what the existence of God means, but most of the different opinions are derived from either lack of logic or lack of knowledge.
80% of America "claims" to be Christian and believe in God. Most people think that God exists, created everything, but that He has no involvement in everyday life. Kinda like He is doing a complete "hands off" project to see how everything works out. Like a science experiment. This logic is flawed, because if in fact there is a God, then that would have to mean that He exists outside of all things created. This would inevitably include time, which would mean that the end result of His creation is not unknown to Him. In fact, God's existence outside of time would even imply that the purpose and end of His creation was determined before time began. The Bible very clearly addresses this fact as predestination, and the world accepts the ideas of destiny and fate accordingly. If God doesn't exist outside of all things created, then that would mean that He too was created, which would mean that He is not God, and that there is even one greater since there must be some sort of origin.
Webster's defines God as:
capitalized: the supreme or ultimate reality: as
a: the Being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshipped as creator and ruler of the universe.
Under this belief system we will all face our Maker one day. We will all be held accountable for the things we do in this life, and that there is an after life. Right and wrong are absolutes, and our conscience attests to this. We are more than able to sear our conscience that we may justify the things we want, but we each know the difference between right and wrong because God has given us a remnant of His Spirit. Everything we do has an end and purpose.
Under this belief system there are concrete answers to every question we seek the answer to, and the only inhibitor to us finding the answer is our willingness to look outside of what we want or believe. A person's acceptance of this belief system varies only because of our desire to keep God isolated in certain area's of our lives. Of course this is a fallacy, since if God truly is God, then how can that which is made hide any part of itself from Him who did the making? We are so foolish in our logic on the subject.
I have been asked not to talk about God so much. I have been ridiculed because I think God has something to do with everything. Is this really so silly? By very definition God is EVERYTHING. There is NOTHING more supreme, or beyond Him, or He is not God. So many people try to put God in a box, apply restraint and limitations to Him, and then still call Him God. What!?!? Where is the logic behind that one? The "supreme or ultimate reality" does NOT fit in any box we can conjure up ourselves, or He is not God. Period! How I wish people would take the time to assess what they really believe.
I believe the Bible is the infallible word of God, and I believe that God created everything for His own glory. Not out of obligation, but simply just because He wanted to. I believe God owes us nothing, for who are we compared to Him that He should even pay heed to us? I believe God has placed eternity in our hearts to give us a longing for Him, and that despite our finite existence to such an infinite being that we are His greatest treasures and He loves us.
This being said, I believe that EVERY single thing is of Him, through Him, and to Him. I also believe that God's purpose in our lives is to mold us into the image of Christ. Being humble, nonjudgmental, honest, living in truth, trusting in God entirely, living for others in the name of love, bold, fearless, and completely self-sacrificing is what brings God glory. This is what His desire and purpose is for us. To become His children, and become like His Son. Jesus Christ brings glory to God the Father.
It is with these beliefs that we are able to see things differently from the rest of the world. With this belief system, we confidently approach situations which arise in life knowing that NOTHING happens in vain. We are able to look at the trials and events in life, and see them through a different perspective. When something happens, it is for us to grow and become more like Christ. Keep this in mind Christian as you face each new day. Do not worry about the future, for God has it all ready figured out, but seek peace in your life by trusting in who He is. Faith, and every other principle of God's, goes entirely against the world system. God provided the answer to EVERY single problem by giving us Jesus Christ. Rest securely in that, and in Him, and do not let the poor logic and foolish pride of the world take away or distort such simple truth.
Monday, December 3, 2012
But a Man.
I am but a man. I struggle with pride. I struggle with commitment. I struggle with fear. I struggle with selfishness. I struggle with lying. I struggle with integrity. I struggle with my desires. I know who I am. I am but a man.
I dream though. I see my children, and I am moved with such compassion. Can I ever be all that they need? I want to be, and so I dream big. I see the woman who I love, and every time I see her I am reminded of how much I love her. Can I ever be the man she needs me to be? I want to, and so I dream big.
The bar seems so high, for I am but a man. How can I ever be who they deserve? Can I ever make right the wrongs I have done? Can I ever heal the wounds I made, and the scars I have left? Every day I struggle. Every day I fail in one area after another. I look in the mirror, and there I am... But a man.
Yet I dream. I know there is a way. I know I can do more. I know I can give more. I will not quit. I will not stop. Though I fail, though I am but a man, I will not give up! I dream bigger, and I push harder. They deserve it. They need it. There has to be hope even though I am but a man. So I fight harder, give more, and dream bigger.
I know I am but a man, but I know God is God. I may not be able to reach the bar I see, but I believe my God can bring me closer than I ever could get on my own. He created everything out of nothing. Spoke the universe into existence as a literal single spoken sentence. Is there anything too difficult for Him? So I dream big, I hope big, and I trust in Him.
He created each of us with a unique purpose, placed eternity in our hearts that we should seek Him, and has called us to a destiny that we will fulfill. Though I am but a man, my God is greater than all. The summation He gives of Himself is "I AM". The alpha and the omega. The beginning and the end. If there is any way for me to bring my dreams to fruition, the dreams of but a man, it is by the power and Spirit of the great "I AM". So I dream bigger. I push harder. I give more. I set out with all I am worth, pursuing Him who alone has the power to fulfill my hearts greatest desires.
Though I am but a man, my heart's desires are pure. I want to be everything my children need and deserve, for them. Because of them. For them. It is not about me, but about them. My purpose is pure and in love, but I am still but a man. I want to be everything this special woman needs and deserves, for her. It is not about me, but about her. My purpose is pure and in love, but I am still but a man.
I believe that my God can make me who I need to be. I believe nothing is impossible for the One who holds all things together by the power of His Word. The One who, if He were to gather His breath unto Himself all things would turn to dust, is able to accomplish what I, being but a man, could never do alone. In Him I hope. In Him I trust. Before Him I lie prostrate upon the ground, and I cry. I do not cry tears of pity, but rather I cry tears of love and hope. The great "I AM" came for us. He came down as but a man, and He gave His life in great suffering and humiliation that we, being but men, could come to Him to make us whole again.
I know what I deserve, for I am a sinful man, and yet God gives me mercy and grace. I am but a man. I struggle with pride. I struggle with commitment. I struggle with fear. I struggle with selfishness. I struggle with lying. I struggle with integrity. I struggle with my desires. I know who I am. I am but a man. I know who God is though. So, though I am but a man, I strive harder, I hope more, I dream bigger, I give more, I fight harder, and I will NEVER give up! Though the bar is high, and I may never be able to be everything I would like to offer to my children and this special woman, my confidence does NOT rest in me, for I am but a man, but my confidence rest in Him who loved me enough to give His life for me. In this I know that though I am but a man, God will make sure it is enough and He will fill in where I have fallen short. He is faithful and will indeed finish what He has started, even though I am but a man.
I dream though. I see my children, and I am moved with such compassion. Can I ever be all that they need? I want to be, and so I dream big. I see the woman who I love, and every time I see her I am reminded of how much I love her. Can I ever be the man she needs me to be? I want to, and so I dream big.
The bar seems so high, for I am but a man. How can I ever be who they deserve? Can I ever make right the wrongs I have done? Can I ever heal the wounds I made, and the scars I have left? Every day I struggle. Every day I fail in one area after another. I look in the mirror, and there I am... But a man.
Yet I dream. I know there is a way. I know I can do more. I know I can give more. I will not quit. I will not stop. Though I fail, though I am but a man, I will not give up! I dream bigger, and I push harder. They deserve it. They need it. There has to be hope even though I am but a man. So I fight harder, give more, and dream bigger.
I know I am but a man, but I know God is God. I may not be able to reach the bar I see, but I believe my God can bring me closer than I ever could get on my own. He created everything out of nothing. Spoke the universe into existence as a literal single spoken sentence. Is there anything too difficult for Him? So I dream big, I hope big, and I trust in Him.
He created each of us with a unique purpose, placed eternity in our hearts that we should seek Him, and has called us to a destiny that we will fulfill. Though I am but a man, my God is greater than all. The summation He gives of Himself is "I AM". The alpha and the omega. The beginning and the end. If there is any way for me to bring my dreams to fruition, the dreams of but a man, it is by the power and Spirit of the great "I AM". So I dream bigger. I push harder. I give more. I set out with all I am worth, pursuing Him who alone has the power to fulfill my hearts greatest desires.
Though I am but a man, my heart's desires are pure. I want to be everything my children need and deserve, for them. Because of them. For them. It is not about me, but about them. My purpose is pure and in love, but I am still but a man. I want to be everything this special woman needs and deserves, for her. It is not about me, but about her. My purpose is pure and in love, but I am still but a man.
I believe that my God can make me who I need to be. I believe nothing is impossible for the One who holds all things together by the power of His Word. The One who, if He were to gather His breath unto Himself all things would turn to dust, is able to accomplish what I, being but a man, could never do alone. In Him I hope. In Him I trust. Before Him I lie prostrate upon the ground, and I cry. I do not cry tears of pity, but rather I cry tears of love and hope. The great "I AM" came for us. He came down as but a man, and He gave His life in great suffering and humiliation that we, being but men, could come to Him to make us whole again.
I know what I deserve, for I am a sinful man, and yet God gives me mercy and grace. I am but a man. I struggle with pride. I struggle with commitment. I struggle with fear. I struggle with selfishness. I struggle with lying. I struggle with integrity. I struggle with my desires. I know who I am. I am but a man. I know who God is though. So, though I am but a man, I strive harder, I hope more, I dream bigger, I give more, I fight harder, and I will NEVER give up! Though the bar is high, and I may never be able to be everything I would like to offer to my children and this special woman, my confidence does NOT rest in me, for I am but a man, but my confidence rest in Him who loved me enough to give His life for me. In this I know that though I am but a man, God will make sure it is enough and He will fill in where I have fallen short. He is faithful and will indeed finish what He has started, even though I am but a man.
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