I think everyone eventually asks this theological question when in the face of injustice. We believe He is a just God, a God of love, but then something horrific happens to you or someone you know. Suddenly that picture of Him riding on a white horse with Justice at His hand, becomes very fuzzy.
My mission in life is to stop human trafficking in America. I have been on this mission for two years, and it drives my life. I finally came to this point of "God, where are you in this?" about three weeks ago. (I find it strange that I have never asked this before)
Three weeks ago, I got the news from a mutual friend that is buddy's sister and her friend were kidnapped while on a missions trip to Somalia. Knowing what I know about the sex trade, my heart instantly shattered and I pleaded their case before my Father for the next 2 hours. I am still grieving and I think about them every single day. It was in this time of prayer and pleading for their rescue that I just asked Him, "where are you in this?"
I reached out to some trusted people to get their take, because I had no answer. I was not angry, but I was worried that I couldn't come up with anything, knowing that surely one day someone is going to ask me this very thing. I did finally come to a realization a few days later, and this is how I personally feel about it.
Human Trafficking is a consequence. It is a consequence of our sex society and the many sexual messages we get bombarded with every few minutes. We market on it, we are obsessed with it. And because men are visually stimulated, this effects them far more than women. It is right here were the demand starts and the consequences begin.
Deeper than that, is simply the consequence of sin. When Eve and Adam ate the forbidden fruit, the earth became Satan's stomping ground, and that is exactly what he does. He stomps on and squashes people. That is why there is so much evil in the world. It is Satan, not God. It is not an issue of "why does God allow this?" but rather an issue of owning up to what happened and accepting it. God sees everything that goes on, and I know that he cries every time one of His babies is raped. I know he hurts with us. Yet, that question still remains "why?" It does not happen because God will's it, wants to test us, or wants us to suffer for any wrongs we have done. Yet we buy into that not realizing it is the devil whispering that into our ear. It is the devils will, "he is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.(1 Peter 5:8)" This is how God counteracts that by working all things for our good (Romans 8:28). He blesses us for enduring, and turns the bad into good. There are things that have happened to me and I would never change them as awful as it was because I would not be the person I am today with the same capabilities and gifts.
But where is the justice? God is a just God and all this injustice is happening?!! He is a just God, but He is a gracious God first.
If God were a just God first, we would all be bound to hell when we died because that would mean anything we ever did would not be forgiven and punished. We would all be living in suffering if God was only a just God. Instead he shows us grace, compassion, love, and understanding first. It is in those things we find his forgiveness, restoration, and vision. God does not rank sins like we do in our court systems when someone goes to trial for a crime. Lying is the same as murder. It is hard to have understanding for them, but those who do the most terrible things to people deserve Christ's grace just as we do. We are no better than them.
God is there, and He loves you. I so look forward to leaving this hell run earth to a perfect home with my loving Father. But until then, I am so thankful that I have his light in this dark world to give me hope knowing that something can be done, and he does care greatly. But he is not responsible for the evil on this planet and what his son's and daughters choose to do with their free will.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Teen Pregnancy
In case you haven't noticed. High school pregnancies are out of control. At my high school of 400, there were 17 girls pregnant in my junior year. Each of these pregnancies were celebrated, and I don't understand why.
"Congratulations!" "Oh you will be such a good mommy." "What will you name him/her" "Let's throw her a surprise shower!!" and on and on...
It makes me sad. That's really not the word I would like to use, but my spirit feels broken. It's not ok, and it should not be celebrated. I don't think we should condemn them, not at all. But I don't believe we should treat them the same way we treat a married couple who is actually trying to start a family.
I am proud of them for keeping their unplanned children, they are so brave. But I don't believe most should keep them, instead they should put them up for adoption. Most teen mothers don't even really take care of their babies, their parents do and I think that is so wrong.
The cause of all this, I believe, can be attributed to one show. It amazes me that one 30 minute show can change a generation. 30 minutes. That's half the time of one of my college classes. That's less than the typical school assembly time. I really don't think anyone can ever give the excuse that they don't have time to make and impact on someone. I wonder what would happen if every teacher, presenter, and public speaker implemented the shows tactic's, how different this generation would be and how well educated they would be.
"Congratulations!" "Oh you will be such a good mommy." "What will you name him/her" "Let's throw her a surprise shower!!" and on and on...
It makes me sad. That's really not the word I would like to use, but my spirit feels broken. It's not ok, and it should not be celebrated. I don't think we should condemn them, not at all. But I don't believe we should treat them the same way we treat a married couple who is actually trying to start a family.
I am proud of them for keeping their unplanned children, they are so brave. But I don't believe most should keep them, instead they should put them up for adoption. Most teen mothers don't even really take care of their babies, their parents do and I think that is so wrong.
The cause of all this, I believe, can be attributed to one show. It amazes me that one 30 minute show can change a generation. 30 minutes. That's half the time of one of my college classes. That's less than the typical school assembly time. I really don't think anyone can ever give the excuse that they don't have time to make and impact on someone. I wonder what would happen if every teacher, presenter, and public speaker implemented the shows tactic's, how different this generation would be and how well educated they would be.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Don't Stop Believing
One of the greatest powers lies within each of us. It starts in our minds and resides in our hearts, we live it. This is what gives us some of our most well known stories of inspiration, and destruction. Belief. What you believe directly influences your behaviors. Here's an example:
1 The Lord now said to Moses, 2 “Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes.” 3 So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He sent out twelve men, all tribal leaders of Israel, from their camp in the wilderness of Paran. 4 These were the tribes and the names of their leaders:
Tribe — Leader
Reuben — Shammua son of Zaccur
5 Simeon — Shaphat son of Hori
6 Judah — Caleb son of Jephunneh
7 Issachar — Igal son of Joseph
8 Ephraim — Hoshea (Joshua) son of Nun
9 Benjamin — Palti son of Raphu
10 Zebulun — Gaddiel son of Sodi
11 Manasseh son of Joseph — Gaddi son of Susi
12 Dan — Ammiel son of Gemalli
13 Asher — Sethur son of Michael
14 Naphtali — Nahbi son of Vophsi
15 Gad — Geuel son of Maki
16 These are the names of the men Moses sent out to explore the land.
17 Moses gave the men these instructions as he sent them out to explore the land: “Go north through the Negev into the hill country. 18 See what the land is like, and find out whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many. 19 See what kind of land they live in. Is it good or bad? Do their towns have walls, or are they unprotected like open camps? 20 Is the soil fertile or poor? Are there many trees? Do your best to bring back samples of the crops you see.” (It happened to be the season for harvesting the first ripe grapes.)
25 After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned 26 to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land. 27 This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. 28 But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea[a] and along the Jordan Valley.”
30 But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”
31 But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” 32 So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. 33 We even saw giants[b] there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”
In this biblical account we see two different beliefs, and how they directly effected their actions. Caleb believed in God's promise that they would reside in the promised land that they just explored for 40 days. Most would describe what he said to be brave, courageous, and bold.
Then the negative creeps in. The other belief has already accepted defeat before ever trying. I've heard those that believed this described as cowards, weak, and forgetful of God's promise. And because their belief about the outcome of the situation was negative and directly influenced their actions to not enter in, that generation never got to see the promised land, only more wandering in the desert.
Their belief effected their emotions, which effected their report to Moses.
Belief->Emotion->Behavior
Beliefs come from all over, our parents, friends, siblings, church, work, situations, hollywood, doctors, books, magazines, oh! and God. There are many more, but we live off of these. Humans are belief beings.
For Christians, our beliefs should be biblically based because we 'believe' that the bible is the ultimate truth. Yet so many of us are only knowledgeable of it, rather than believing in it. A belief can be defined as an assumption that you hold to be true. Unfortunately, most of our beliefs are developed well before an age of spiritual maturity, apart from truth. Children learn by watching, imitating, and essentially become what they see. If this is developed from family, peer, and media interaction that does not model the truth of Christ, we are growing up independently, only to rely on ourselves. If we don't believe in the truth, we are believing in lies. Either what you believe was developed by God, the Father of Truth, or satan, the father of lies and ruler of the earth we live on.
Complete the following sentences
I would be more successful if......
I would be happier if.....
I could never be happy if....
I could feel more secure if....
I would feel more peaceful if....
Now pick one of those and identify the belief in your answer. Now think about the emotions connected to that, and the actions that follow. See?
I'll do one for you just in case you didn't get it.
I would feel more peaceful if.....I was perfect.
Belief: I'm inadequate, I'll never measure up, I'm not perfect (negative).
Emotions: Anxiety, self-hatred, disappointment, defeated.
Actions: I'm a known over achiever that has literally run myself into the ground countless of times to the point of creating health conditions because I am still trying to achieve perfection....
If our beliefs are not based upon truth, they will most likely be negative.
How do we change that? By the renewing of our minds. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." Romans 12:2
This process of renewal is not about just replacing negatives thoughts with positive ones. It involves relating to God and depending on Him to reveal the lies and teach us what is true. Seems like a daunting task, but it really isn't.
The first step is recognizing the lies you believe and rejecting them. The next part is the most difficult in my opinion, replacing the lies with the truth (God's word) and redirecting our thoughts to reflect our new set of beliefs. I find that the hardest because it takes time and I am extremely hard on myself if I mess up. But you know what, it's ok if you have a mess up. You just have to try your very best, you will get there.
Next time you do something and your wondering why or someone is asking you why, analyze your beliefs. Or maybe you've been feeling the same way about a situation, person, or even yourself for a long time. Write it out, figure out what it is you are believing and how it's effecting your actions, and change it. Do not be defined by lies, they only bring bondage.
"Search me O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way." Psalm 139:23-24
Numbers 13 (NLT)
Twelve Scouts Explore Canaan
1 The L
Tribe — Leader
Reuben — Shammua son of Zaccur
5 Simeon — Shaphat son of Hori
6 Judah — Caleb son of Jephunneh
7 Issachar — Igal son of Joseph
8 Ephraim — Hoshea (Joshua) son of Nun
9 Benjamin — Palti son of Raphu
10 Zebulun — Gaddiel son of Sodi
11 Manasseh son of Joseph — Gaddi son of Susi
12 Dan — Ammiel son of Gemalli
13 Asher — Sethur son of Michael
14 Naphtali — Nahbi son of Vophsi
15 Gad — Geuel son of Maki
16 These are the names of the men Moses sent out to explore the land.
17 Moses gave the men these instructions as he sent them out to explore the land: “Go north through the Negev into the hill country. 18 See what the land is like, and find out whether the people living there are strong or weak, few or many. 19 See what kind of land they live in. Is it good or bad? Do their towns have walls, or are they unprotected like open camps? 20 Is the soil fertile or poor? Are there many trees? Do your best to bring back samples of the crops you see.” (It happened to be the season for harvesting the first ripe grapes.)
25 After exploring the land for forty days, the men returned 26 to Moses, Aaron, and the whole community of Israel at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed them the fruit they had taken from the land. 27 This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. 28 But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea[a] and along the Jordan Valley.”
30 But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”
31 But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” 32 So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. 33 We even saw giants[b] there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!”
In this biblical account we see two different beliefs, and how they directly effected their actions. Caleb believed in God's promise that they would reside in the promised land that they just explored for 40 days. Most would describe what he said to be brave, courageous, and bold.
Then the negative creeps in. The other belief has already accepted defeat before ever trying. I've heard those that believed this described as cowards, weak, and forgetful of God's promise. And because their belief about the outcome of the situation was negative and directly influenced their actions to not enter in, that generation never got to see the promised land, only more wandering in the desert.
Their belief effected their emotions, which effected their report to Moses.
Belief->Emotion->Behavior
Beliefs come from all over, our parents, friends, siblings, church, work, situations, hollywood, doctors, books, magazines, oh! and God. There are many more, but we live off of these. Humans are belief beings.
For Christians, our beliefs should be biblically based because we 'believe' that the bible is the ultimate truth. Yet so many of us are only knowledgeable of it, rather than believing in it. A belief can be defined as an assumption that you hold to be true. Unfortunately, most of our beliefs are developed well before an age of spiritual maturity, apart from truth. Children learn by watching, imitating, and essentially become what they see. If this is developed from family, peer, and media interaction that does not model the truth of Christ, we are growing up independently, only to rely on ourselves. If we don't believe in the truth, we are believing in lies. Either what you believe was developed by God, the Father of Truth, or satan, the father of lies and ruler of the earth we live on.
Complete the following sentences
I would be more successful if......
I would be happier if.....
I could never be happy if....
I could feel more secure if....
I would feel more peaceful if....
Now pick one of those and identify the belief in your answer. Now think about the emotions connected to that, and the actions that follow. See?
I'll do one for you just in case you didn't get it.
I would feel more peaceful if.....I was perfect.
Belief: I'm inadequate, I'll never measure up, I'm not perfect (negative).
Emotions: Anxiety, self-hatred, disappointment, defeated.
Actions: I'm a known over achiever that has literally run myself into the ground countless of times to the point of creating health conditions because I am still trying to achieve perfection....
If our beliefs are not based upon truth, they will most likely be negative.
How do we change that? By the renewing of our minds. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." Romans 12:2
This process of renewal is not about just replacing negatives thoughts with positive ones. It involves relating to God and depending on Him to reveal the lies and teach us what is true. Seems like a daunting task, but it really isn't.
The first step is recognizing the lies you believe and rejecting them. The next part is the most difficult in my opinion, replacing the lies with the truth (God's word) and redirecting our thoughts to reflect our new set of beliefs. I find that the hardest because it takes time and I am extremely hard on myself if I mess up. But you know what, it's ok if you have a mess up. You just have to try your very best, you will get there.
Next time you do something and your wondering why or someone is asking you why, analyze your beliefs. Or maybe you've been feeling the same way about a situation, person, or even yourself for a long time. Write it out, figure out what it is you are believing and how it's effecting your actions, and change it. Do not be defined by lies, they only bring bondage.
"Search me O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way." Psalm 139:23-24
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Be Set Apart.
I'll start off this blog by defining what being set apart means to me.
Picture a bag of M&M's. When you dump them all out there are all different colors, but they are all still M&M's. Pick any color, there's the Christians. Pick another color, those are Buddhists. Pick another, Islamic. Pick another, atheists. Etc. But no matter what, they are all still M&M's. They are all contained in a bag together, and they all taste the same. Just like an M&M, we are suppose to be around others and associate with them. The only difference between us and them, is that we are a certain color and they are another. We aren't better or superior, we are equal, we are chocolate. On the inside, we all struggle with the same things. It's what we choose to do that creates a different outward appearance, sets us apart. It's not a physical placement of being set apart, it's an emotional, spiritual, and decision making set apartness. Because even when you separate all the M&M's by color, they are all still M&M's and they all taste the same. Yet there is a chemical difference in each color in order to get 5 different colors.
This is the chemical make up of unbelievers, those addicted and a slave to sin, pain, and suffering...
"19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21
Sounds pretty rough. Check out the make up of a Christian (what we work towards, it doesn't happen over night)
"22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" Galatians 5:22-23
I don't know about you, but I would much rather have love, joy, and peace rather than hostility, quarreling, and jealousy. Yet, the first is the hardest to let go of because it's our nature to be that way. It takes a great deal of hard work, heart sifting, and changing to get there. This is how we do it.
"24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there." Galatians 5:24
I don't know about you, but that is so powerful.
Now, what does that look like? Lets say you're a Christian and have Christian friends, or non Christian friends. Your friends decide that they want to go to this party where you know everyone is probably going to get trashed. This is where you become set apart and die to your sinful nature to say yes. Anything listed in Galatians 5:19-21 should not be participated in. That is how we are set apart. Not by how much we read our Bibles, how many services we go to, or how much we volunteer at the church. We are set apart by the way we live, and what we choose to participate in. The less you participate in Galatians 5:19-21, the more you will become verses 22 and 23. As a whole, it seems extremely hard. But if you take it decision by decision, moment by moment, day by day, it will become easier and easier and the opportunities to take part in verses 19-21 will become less and less because people will know where you stand. You will still be an M&M, you'll just be a specific colored one.
What do you do when a friend of yours falls into Galatians 5:19-21?
"1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important." Galatians 6:1-3
I think Paul said it perfectly. Especially verse 3. That is why I wrote this blog, to clarify that being set apart has nothing to do with being prudish, but everything to do with sin and simply choosing not to take part.
Picture a bag of M&M's. When you dump them all out there are all different colors, but they are all still M&M's. Pick any color, there's the Christians. Pick another color, those are Buddhists. Pick another, Islamic. Pick another, atheists. Etc. But no matter what, they are all still M&M's. They are all contained in a bag together, and they all taste the same. Just like an M&M, we are suppose to be around others and associate with them. The only difference between us and them, is that we are a certain color and they are another. We aren't better or superior, we are equal, we are chocolate. On the inside, we all struggle with the same things. It's what we choose to do that creates a different outward appearance, sets us apart. It's not a physical placement of being set apart, it's an emotional, spiritual, and decision making set apartness. Because even when you separate all the M&M's by color, they are all still M&M's and they all taste the same. Yet there is a chemical difference in each color in order to get 5 different colors.
This is the chemical make up of unbelievers, those addicted and a slave to sin, pain, and suffering...
"19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21
Sounds pretty rough. Check out the make up of a Christian (what we work towards, it doesn't happen over night)
"22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" Galatians 5:22-23
I don't know about you, but I would much rather have love, joy, and peace rather than hostility, quarreling, and jealousy. Yet, the first is the hardest to let go of because it's our nature to be that way. It takes a great deal of hard work, heart sifting, and changing to get there. This is how we do it.
"24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there." Galatians 5:24
I don't know about you, but that is so powerful.
Now, what does that look like? Lets say you're a Christian and have Christian friends, or non Christian friends. Your friends decide that they want to go to this party where you know everyone is probably going to get trashed. This is where you become set apart and die to your sinful nature to say yes. Anything listed in Galatians 5:19-21 should not be participated in. That is how we are set apart. Not by how much we read our Bibles, how many services we go to, or how much we volunteer at the church. We are set apart by the way we live, and what we choose to participate in. The less you participate in Galatians 5:19-21, the more you will become verses 22 and 23. As a whole, it seems extremely hard. But if you take it decision by decision, moment by moment, day by day, it will become easier and easier and the opportunities to take part in verses 19-21 will become less and less because people will know where you stand. You will still be an M&M, you'll just be a specific colored one.
What do you do when a friend of yours falls into Galatians 5:19-21?
"1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important." Galatians 6:1-3
I think Paul said it perfectly. Especially verse 3. That is why I wrote this blog, to clarify that being set apart has nothing to do with being prudish, but everything to do with sin and simply choosing not to take part.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Money
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I wrote that in the beginning of May. Since then I found out that I did not receive those scholarships, and I have yet to be able to hit $1000 in my savings account. It stinks, but I have not lost hope. I truly believe more in God's provisions than my fears. I am waiting to hear back from some possible aid from my school, and someone gave me $1000 for my tuition today...Yeah. I started bawlin. lol! God is so good! Even though I was disappointed that I didn't get the scholarships I applied for, I knew God just wanted to really show himself true to me and blow me out of the water. I have always noticed that just when I am disappointed with a situation, God distracts me with the impossible. I absolutely love when He shows off, and I smile knowing that what I was hoping for didn't happen means that He's about to do something huge.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Simply God
I don't know about you, I can only speak for myself, but I am a thinker and I LOVE to learn. I also tend to be a perfectionist and always want to do things exactly how they should be done, the 'right way.' I partly think this is just my personality, but there has been something that drives it. Religion.
Have you ever felt, when you walk into church, that you have to put you 'christian filter' on? I think that most people feel this and no one can really be themselves. So you end up hiding your issues and you learn at a young age that, at church, 'we don't talk about those things.' It's inappropriate, and can get you knocked down the 'ministry ladder.' The ministry ladder is the same at the corporate ladder, you climb up it and if you 'mess up' your are kicked off it. Not in all cases, but most, I believe. In this situation, no one is free and the church is doing the exact opposite of what it should be. People end up hiding, putting a mask on, and being as fake as walmart knock offs. People then feel alone, and they fall away. It is sad, but this is most churches today and Christians. They are bogged down with religion instead of free and blessed with the true love of Christ. Not that the things we struggle with should be acceptable, but knowing we are all in this together and knowing one another struggles makes us stronger because then we know we aren't alone. It's not enough to know that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We have to see, hear, and know it for ourselves. We should rally around one another for support, not condemnation.
You see, Christ is simple. He really is! And so is being a christian. We complicate it and make it everything that it's not. There are so many different views and approaches to the Bible flying around out there, and it is very easy to get caught up in them all to the point you don't even have a clue any more until you take a step back and see it all for what it is. Complication. There is no fine print in the Bible, and that's what all of those different levels of religion and reading the Bible are. Fine print slapped on a perfect book that was not designed that way. Fine print takes away from the joy, love, and grace of Jesus. Fine print can take your life away if you let it.
The Bible is simple, it should be read for what it is and not picked and pulled apart. So is Christianity, it is simple, it should not be picked and pulled apart. "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." -Romans 10:9
Bottom line, that's it. Becoming christian is as simple as that one sentence. That is all we have to do to enter the Kingdom of God and experience a life of joy, love, grace, blessing, and peace in Christ. There is only one way to do that, and that's Romans 10:9. It's beyond that where things get real tricky.
In this day and age, we are the new Church. God sent his only son, Jesus, as the ultimate sacrifice to fulfill the Law and rewrite it so to speak ( Read Colossians 2). Because of that, beyond the black and whites that Jesus talks about, it's between you and God. I could go on about this, but I'd rather you read Romans 14 for yourself. :)
I believe that God is all about freedom (choices), love, grace, joy...us. It's time that we quit complicating things. Read the Bible in joy, not sorrow as a rule book. Take it for what it is and run with it. Stop twisting it, tainting it, bending it, breaking it, hiding parts of it, and making your own version of Christ and Christianity. There is only one God, one way, and you only get to do this one time. Let's keep it simple.
Have you ever felt, when you walk into church, that you have to put you 'christian filter' on? I think that most people feel this and no one can really be themselves. So you end up hiding your issues and you learn at a young age that, at church, 'we don't talk about those things.' It's inappropriate, and can get you knocked down the 'ministry ladder.' The ministry ladder is the same at the corporate ladder, you climb up it and if you 'mess up' your are kicked off it. Not in all cases, but most, I believe. In this situation, no one is free and the church is doing the exact opposite of what it should be. People end up hiding, putting a mask on, and being as fake as walmart knock offs. People then feel alone, and they fall away. It is sad, but this is most churches today and Christians. They are bogged down with religion instead of free and blessed with the true love of Christ. Not that the things we struggle with should be acceptable, but knowing we are all in this together and knowing one another struggles makes us stronger because then we know we aren't alone. It's not enough to know that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We have to see, hear, and know it for ourselves. We should rally around one another for support, not condemnation.
You see, Christ is simple. He really is! And so is being a christian. We complicate it and make it everything that it's not. There are so many different views and approaches to the Bible flying around out there, and it is very easy to get caught up in them all to the point you don't even have a clue any more until you take a step back and see it all for what it is. Complication. There is no fine print in the Bible, and that's what all of those different levels of religion and reading the Bible are. Fine print slapped on a perfect book that was not designed that way. Fine print takes away from the joy, love, and grace of Jesus. Fine print can take your life away if you let it.
The Bible is simple, it should be read for what it is and not picked and pulled apart. So is Christianity, it is simple, it should not be picked and pulled apart. "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." -Romans 10:9
Bottom line, that's it. Becoming christian is as simple as that one sentence. That is all we have to do to enter the Kingdom of God and experience a life of joy, love, grace, blessing, and peace in Christ. There is only one way to do that, and that's Romans 10:9. It's beyond that where things get real tricky.
In this day and age, we are the new Church. God sent his only son, Jesus, as the ultimate sacrifice to fulfill the Law and rewrite it so to speak ( Read Colossians 2). Because of that, beyond the black and whites that Jesus talks about, it's between you and God. I could go on about this, but I'd rather you read Romans 14 for yourself. :)
I believe that God is all about freedom (choices), love, grace, joy...us. It's time that we quit complicating things. Read the Bible in joy, not sorrow as a rule book. Take it for what it is and run with it. Stop twisting it, tainting it, bending it, breaking it, hiding parts of it, and making your own version of Christ and Christianity. There is only one God, one way, and you only get to do this one time. Let's keep it simple.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Shame Society
We all know what has happened in Japan, and it is devastating. An earth quake so large that it moved the country 4 inches and even knocked the earth off it's axis a little. That, is incredible. Not what happened, but the sheer power of nature. Every time something happens like this I find it humbling because I realize that I'm not the top of the food chain, but rather I'm an ant and at any moment I could be squashed without effort and gone from this world forever. What else amazes me about this phenomena is the people. The reaction of the people of Japan to this disaster takes my breath away. They are calm, orderly, and still honoring one another.
When rescue began, men who were ok jumped in the efforts. These people did not wait for ambulances and stretchers, they were rescuing people my placing them on their own backs and carrying them to safety with the elderly always coming before the young. That is unheard of in America, and it's sad.
These people also stood in line for water and care, allowing the elderly, sick, and those more in need to go ahead of them without question. What?! This sounds like an old black and white film or something! I literally can't imagine that ever happening. Our whole country is standing in awe over this, and may are contributing greatly in donations to their needs because the feel such actions should be rewarded.
We suffered a disaster to our country not too long ago in New Orleans. And it was utter chaos. People were in a frenzy, only after one thing, survival for themselves. They were looting left and right, stealing from their own neighbors, and pushing down the elderly to get ahead and have a better chance. This makes me sick.
Where is the honor in America? I 100% believe that it is unfortunately a lost virtue, rarely ever seen. Even among believers.
The Japanese people are raised in an honor shame society. Which, in essence, is if your actions and word are not honoring, they are shaming your family, your community, your Church, your employer, your friends, and your country. In these societies if you stole a kid's snack pack in the 2nd grade do you know what would happen? Your teacher would tell your parents and community and together they would punish you. Everyone you know and don't know would know what you did. Man, if that were me, I would never do that again! This society works. An extreme few are in jail and the people are unified.
I love America and I take pride in my nation, but this makes me embarrassed! We are all for one, none for you. We are a society build on privacy, and it is our biggest downfall. No one will get in anyone's "business," which means no one will stand up for others, help the sick and weak, or report and prevent crime because that's "not their job." I CANNOT STAND this ideal. I'm sorry, but if I see someone stealing or about to rape someone, I am going to do everything in my power to make a citizens arrest, beat the snot out of someone to stop them, or at least take a photo on my phone so the cops can get him. Many of you will agree with what I just said, but study after study after study people turn their head and go about their business.
One of my favorite shows reveals this exact thing. It's called What Would You Do? They set up a scenario in a public setting ranging from the waiter dropping one's food on the floor and still serving it to someone drugging a girl's drink. Even though you can see how many people see the act, eventually, only one person will stand up and say something, and that person is usually a woman and someone in their 40's and up.
We live in a shame society. You can do whatever the heck you want! Since we have become this way there are more and more people dealing with depression, more and more crime, more and more suffering and hurt people. There is more and more of everything that should pain us to think about. What has happened to us?
As believers, this should not be our social norm. We should be an honor society, yet we aren't. We allow others to do whatever they please, saying that 'it's not our problem' when it is clearly not acceptable. By not addressing issues, you set that person up for sin, destruction, and a one way ticket to a very dark place.
This blog was inspired by Hosea 4:18 "They love shame more than honor." Is that you? Are you so in love with your shameful lifestyle that you don't even know what honor is or the last time you honored God, your Church, or your family? Honor is defined as the following: honesty, fairness, integrity in one's beliefs and actions, high respect, as for worth, merit, and rank, high public esteem. Is that you? Maybe it's time for a change?
As Christians, this should be our standard. Everything we do should be honoring to God, our Church, our family, our spouses, our kids, our elderly, our friends, and our community. We can change this, we can turn this around. One by one, day by day, year by year, we can change society. We changed it to become the way it is now haven't we? You wana make a difference, than be different. In the words of Michael Jackson, "If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make the change."
When rescue began, men who were ok jumped in the efforts. These people did not wait for ambulances and stretchers, they were rescuing people my placing them on their own backs and carrying them to safety with the elderly always coming before the young. That is unheard of in America, and it's sad.
These people also stood in line for water and care, allowing the elderly, sick, and those more in need to go ahead of them without question. What?! This sounds like an old black and white film or something! I literally can't imagine that ever happening. Our whole country is standing in awe over this, and may are contributing greatly in donations to their needs because the feel such actions should be rewarded.
We suffered a disaster to our country not too long ago in New Orleans. And it was utter chaos. People were in a frenzy, only after one thing, survival for themselves. They were looting left and right, stealing from their own neighbors, and pushing down the elderly to get ahead and have a better chance. This makes me sick.
Where is the honor in America? I 100% believe that it is unfortunately a lost virtue, rarely ever seen. Even among believers.
The Japanese people are raised in an honor shame society. Which, in essence, is if your actions and word are not honoring, they are shaming your family, your community, your Church, your employer, your friends, and your country. In these societies if you stole a kid's snack pack in the 2nd grade do you know what would happen? Your teacher would tell your parents and community and together they would punish you. Everyone you know and don't know would know what you did. Man, if that were me, I would never do that again! This society works. An extreme few are in jail and the people are unified.
I love America and I take pride in my nation, but this makes me embarrassed! We are all for one, none for you. We are a society build on privacy, and it is our biggest downfall. No one will get in anyone's "business," which means no one will stand up for others, help the sick and weak, or report and prevent crime because that's "not their job." I CANNOT STAND this ideal. I'm sorry, but if I see someone stealing or about to rape someone, I am going to do everything in my power to make a citizens arrest, beat the snot out of someone to stop them, or at least take a photo on my phone so the cops can get him. Many of you will agree with what I just said, but study after study after study people turn their head and go about their business.
One of my favorite shows reveals this exact thing. It's called What Would You Do? They set up a scenario in a public setting ranging from the waiter dropping one's food on the floor and still serving it to someone drugging a girl's drink. Even though you can see how many people see the act, eventually, only one person will stand up and say something, and that person is usually a woman and someone in their 40's and up.
We live in a shame society. You can do whatever the heck you want! Since we have become this way there are more and more people dealing with depression, more and more crime, more and more suffering and hurt people. There is more and more of everything that should pain us to think about. What has happened to us?
As believers, this should not be our social norm. We should be an honor society, yet we aren't. We allow others to do whatever they please, saying that 'it's not our problem' when it is clearly not acceptable. By not addressing issues, you set that person up for sin, destruction, and a one way ticket to a very dark place.
This blog was inspired by Hosea 4:18 "They love shame more than honor." Is that you? Are you so in love with your shameful lifestyle that you don't even know what honor is or the last time you honored God, your Church, or your family? Honor is defined as the following: honesty, fairness, integrity in one's beliefs and actions, high respect, as for worth, merit, and rank, high public esteem. Is that you? Maybe it's time for a change?
As Christians, this should be our standard. Everything we do should be honoring to God, our Church, our family, our spouses, our kids, our elderly, our friends, and our community. We can change this, we can turn this around. One by one, day by day, year by year, we can change society. We changed it to become the way it is now haven't we? You wana make a difference, than be different. In the words of Michael Jackson, "If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make the change."
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Power of The Word of God- Not to be Misused.
I cannot stand when people use the Bible for their own personal gain. They manipulate scripture, take things out of context, and guilt people into doing exactly what they want. This is probibly on the top of the list, for me, of the most unaccepably wrong things you can ever do. 1.torture/murder, 2. Trafficking in Persons, and 3. Canibalism.
Just in case you're not sure, I'll give you some backround on the Bible. The Bible is a book inspired by God, written by man. It is by no means perfect and is not meant to be taking completely literal. A lot of it is a historical account of laws, the begninning of a nation, and wars. Some are open for interpretation, and I believe were ment to simply be inspiring like Ester. Some are basically like journal entries, Psalms, Proverbs, and the Letters of Paul for example.
I am not undermindidng the Bible by any means, I believe in the power of God's word and it has changed me many of times. But, no where does it give us the power to use it as a control device.
I have seen this used many times. So has the entire world! The Church is responsible for segregation and the opression of Blacks and women, just to name a few, all because of this very thing! The manipulation of scripture to be used as a power to cause thousands to submit and become brain washed. I still see this happen around me, preachers "command" things over their congregations through scripture as a "call to action." Husbans and wives us this, parents and kids, teachers and students, and many many others are constantly using the Bible falsely.
When you use the Bible falsely and manipulate it to your advanage it turns people away. I have seen this happen and once you make the Bible this hitch hikers guide to heaven, no one want's anything to do with Church. It makes people bitter towards God, and you doing the exact opposite of what you are suppose to be doing.
Our only calling as Christians is to spread the Gospel, and take as many people home when Jesus returns as we can. We want people to know the love, peace, hope, restoration, and provision of God. It is the most fufilling thing in the world because we were created for Him and he loves us so much, more than any one of us could every love anyone on this earth. I love the Bible, I think it is an amazing tool to encourage one another, hear God's voice, and just learn. I belive it is that, and only that. I don't believe that you have to even own a Bible to be a Christian. The Bible has become a crutch and a tool to manipulate people. All that does is create a bunch of spineless "christians" that turn away. Beign a Christian is not about the Bible! It's about your relationship with Christ. You can't be a Christian just by reading a book. It is a relationship that takes a lot of hard work and effort from both sides.
The Bible is just a bonus to our walk with Christ. All of the stories we read, all those people with such great faith, they didn't have a Bible. And I think that's our biggest problem. We rely far too much on it. We give it way too much power. You want faith like Joshua? Live like Joshua, don't read about Joshua. You want Faith like Paul, live like Paul. These great men and women of the Bible only had one thing! God. They did not have a Bible, and a lot of times they did not even have a Church! They just had pure, organic relationships with God. They spent time with Him, quality time. It's the most beautiful thing in this world, and also the most rare.
Don't get me wrong, I loooove me some Bible time. I try and get some in every single day when I wake up. But that is not the foundation of my faith. I do not feel guilty if I don't get to read. Why? Because I have a relationship with the Maker of the Universe and I spend time with Him.
It's time to put down your Bible's and get real. Have a relationship with God.
................................................................
I am adding to this post to clear up some questions people have raised. First of all, the entire point I was trying to make is that you must have a relationship with the living God of this universe, not the Bible. The Bible is a tool in which He speaks to us through and can guide us with, and it is wrong to take it into one's own hands to manipulate other believers in any way (taking out of context, using it as a tool to persuade, etc.).
The Bible is the most sacred book this world will ever know. We are so blessed to have it. Through it we know what is right and wrong, so therefore, we have no excuse when we do something wrong. God's commandments and will for our lives (the basic outline) are written in it. I say the basic outline because I belive that we each have a very special task and calling on our lives that is unique from any other person. God creates each of us different from the other for a different task. But the Bible lays the basic's out for us, which is the foundation of our faith. Foundations must be strong, or the whole structure will fall, and the 10 Commandments are the strongest this world has ever seen. So much so that I believe we are all born knowing some of these w/o anyone ever telling us what's right or wrong.
I believe the Bible is true. It is consisistent within itself and has so much power. I read it first thing every single morning before ever getting out of bed and ready for the day, I start there. It is packed full with knowledge and tells us how to live as Christians. However, it cannot save you, God can and does. We are Christians by confessing with our mouths that God is God and beliving in our hearts, only by that we are saved and we only get the opportunity to even be saved because of what God's only son, Jesus did for us. He died, for all of us. The Bible brings us closer to God, tells us how things happened, and shows us how to live.
The Bible is also used by God to speak to us, move us, inspire us, and show us how to handle certain situations through others circumstances or the wise words of Jesus and the prophets.
I don't know it all. My previous blog above was just an idea, or revelation that I had so to speak. You cannot take everything literal that I say in this blog. A lot, most, everything I say is an idea. I do not know everything, and I will not pretend that I do. In fact, I am often insecure because I was not born with book smarts, instead I was given a lot of common senese and school has always been a struggle for me. I'm sure you can see that by my many spelling errors that are within this blog, I'm sure. But, sometimes I feel that I get stereotyped as a know it all just because of my age and the fact that I'm in college. "Oh wait, your in college, what am I saying? You already know it all..." That is not true at all about any of us. We are all in a phase of learning and deep inspiration. We are soaking everything in like a sponge and are so excited about our futures and newly found knowledge that we want everyone else to know what we have learned. It is no different than you're 6 year old telling you that is not how you write an R, and his or her reason is because this (then shows you) is how their teacher told them how to do it. Everyone is excited when they feel like they have learned something new and they want to tell others so they might experience the same thing. We aren't closed minded, we are just telling you that this is what my teacher said. We may seem closed off to others opinions or like we aren't hearing you, but we are. Of course I am speaking from myself on behalf of all college students, I could be totally wrong and this is just me. But, I do know that I love to learn. So much so that is is one of my top strenghts. Therefore, I love when I feel like I've discovered something, new to me of course, and I want everyone else to know.
I am also a very literal person, very. I understand that the Bible is inspired by God, but when I read it and it says "And Abraham said" or "Elijah did..." I take it literally. When God himself or Jesus says something, it's them and I feel more power in those words than Moses'. Everyone interprets the Bible differently, and I don't think it is right to impose your interpretation on others. That's all, and by you reading my blog and my personal view on this, DO NOT take me as some expert! You decide for yourself.
Overview: I belive in the Bible 100%, I belive that it is inspired by God, I believe that it is the foundation of our faith, I believe it brings closeness to God when read, and I believe that everyone should read their Bible every day and take advantage of this great blessing, but they should not depend on it entirely for their relationship with Christ or use it out of context. It's a relationship, a real, raw, true, relationship that makes us Christians and changes us. God uses the Bible, but He should be the center, not the Bible.
Just in case you're not sure, I'll give you some backround on the Bible. The Bible is a book inspired by God, written by man. It is by no means perfect and is not meant to be taking completely literal. A lot of it is a historical account of laws, the begninning of a nation, and wars. Some are open for interpretation, and I believe were ment to simply be inspiring like Ester. Some are basically like journal entries, Psalms, Proverbs, and the Letters of Paul for example.
I am not undermindidng the Bible by any means, I believe in the power of God's word and it has changed me many of times. But, no where does it give us the power to use it as a control device.
I have seen this used many times. So has the entire world! The Church is responsible for segregation and the opression of Blacks and women, just to name a few, all because of this very thing! The manipulation of scripture to be used as a power to cause thousands to submit and become brain washed. I still see this happen around me, preachers "command" things over their congregations through scripture as a "call to action." Husbans and wives us this, parents and kids, teachers and students, and many many others are constantly using the Bible falsely.
When you use the Bible falsely and manipulate it to your advanage it turns people away. I have seen this happen and once you make the Bible this hitch hikers guide to heaven, no one want's anything to do with Church. It makes people bitter towards God, and you doing the exact opposite of what you are suppose to be doing.
Our only calling as Christians is to spread the Gospel, and take as many people home when Jesus returns as we can. We want people to know the love, peace, hope, restoration, and provision of God. It is the most fufilling thing in the world because we were created for Him and he loves us so much, more than any one of us could every love anyone on this earth. I love the Bible, I think it is an amazing tool to encourage one another, hear God's voice, and just learn. I belive it is that, and only that. I don't believe that you have to even own a Bible to be a Christian. The Bible has become a crutch and a tool to manipulate people. All that does is create a bunch of spineless "christians" that turn away. Beign a Christian is not about the Bible! It's about your relationship with Christ. You can't be a Christian just by reading a book. It is a relationship that takes a lot of hard work and effort from both sides.
The Bible is just a bonus to our walk with Christ. All of the stories we read, all those people with such great faith, they didn't have a Bible. And I think that's our biggest problem. We rely far too much on it. We give it way too much power. You want faith like Joshua? Live like Joshua, don't read about Joshua. You want Faith like Paul, live like Paul. These great men and women of the Bible only had one thing! God. They did not have a Bible, and a lot of times they did not even have a Church! They just had pure, organic relationships with God. They spent time with Him, quality time. It's the most beautiful thing in this world, and also the most rare.
Don't get me wrong, I loooove me some Bible time. I try and get some in every single day when I wake up. But that is not the foundation of my faith. I do not feel guilty if I don't get to read. Why? Because I have a relationship with the Maker of the Universe and I spend time with Him.
It's time to put down your Bible's and get real. Have a relationship with God.
................................................................
I am adding to this post to clear up some questions people have raised. First of all, the entire point I was trying to make is that you must have a relationship with the living God of this universe, not the Bible. The Bible is a tool in which He speaks to us through and can guide us with, and it is wrong to take it into one's own hands to manipulate other believers in any way (taking out of context, using it as a tool to persuade, etc.).
The Bible is the most sacred book this world will ever know. We are so blessed to have it. Through it we know what is right and wrong, so therefore, we have no excuse when we do something wrong. God's commandments and will for our lives (the basic outline) are written in it. I say the basic outline because I belive that we each have a very special task and calling on our lives that is unique from any other person. God creates each of us different from the other for a different task. But the Bible lays the basic's out for us, which is the foundation of our faith. Foundations must be strong, or the whole structure will fall, and the 10 Commandments are the strongest this world has ever seen. So much so that I believe we are all born knowing some of these w/o anyone ever telling us what's right or wrong.
I believe the Bible is true. It is consisistent within itself and has so much power. I read it first thing every single morning before ever getting out of bed and ready for the day, I start there. It is packed full with knowledge and tells us how to live as Christians. However, it cannot save you, God can and does. We are Christians by confessing with our mouths that God is God and beliving in our hearts, only by that we are saved and we only get the opportunity to even be saved because of what God's only son, Jesus did for us. He died, for all of us. The Bible brings us closer to God, tells us how things happened, and shows us how to live.
The Bible is also used by God to speak to us, move us, inspire us, and show us how to handle certain situations through others circumstances or the wise words of Jesus and the prophets.
I don't know it all. My previous blog above was just an idea, or revelation that I had so to speak. You cannot take everything literal that I say in this blog. A lot, most, everything I say is an idea. I do not know everything, and I will not pretend that I do. In fact, I am often insecure because I was not born with book smarts, instead I was given a lot of common senese and school has always been a struggle for me. I'm sure you can see that by my many spelling errors that are within this blog, I'm sure. But, sometimes I feel that I get stereotyped as a know it all just because of my age and the fact that I'm in college. "Oh wait, your in college, what am I saying? You already know it all..." That is not true at all about any of us. We are all in a phase of learning and deep inspiration. We are soaking everything in like a sponge and are so excited about our futures and newly found knowledge that we want everyone else to know what we have learned. It is no different than you're 6 year old telling you that is not how you write an R, and his or her reason is because this (then shows you) is how their teacher told them how to do it. Everyone is excited when they feel like they have learned something new and they want to tell others so they might experience the same thing. We aren't closed minded, we are just telling you that this is what my teacher said. We may seem closed off to others opinions or like we aren't hearing you, but we are. Of course I am speaking from myself on behalf of all college students, I could be totally wrong and this is just me. But, I do know that I love to learn. So much so that is is one of my top strenghts. Therefore, I love when I feel like I've discovered something, new to me of course, and I want everyone else to know.
I am also a very literal person, very. I understand that the Bible is inspired by God, but when I read it and it says "And Abraham said" or "Elijah did..." I take it literally. When God himself or Jesus says something, it's them and I feel more power in those words than Moses'. Everyone interprets the Bible differently, and I don't think it is right to impose your interpretation on others. That's all, and by you reading my blog and my personal view on this, DO NOT take me as some expert! You decide for yourself.
Overview: I belive in the Bible 100%, I belive that it is inspired by God, I believe that it is the foundation of our faith, I believe it brings closeness to God when read, and I believe that everyone should read their Bible every day and take advantage of this great blessing, but they should not depend on it entirely for their relationship with Christ or use it out of context. It's a relationship, a real, raw, true, relationship that makes us Christians and changes us. God uses the Bible, but He should be the center, not the Bible.
Monday, January 10, 2011
What it Means to Be a Christian.
The sinner's prayer, we hear it all the time at the end of Church services and often are encouraged to say it with those who are praying it for real. But, what happen's after the prayer? There is nothing magical about that prayer. You aren't a Christian just for repeating it. So what need's to happen in order to really be transformed by God and actually be a Christian (Christ follower). Although it is preached more often than anything else, being a Christian is not just about love, grace, forgiveness, and prosperity. Yes, God does offer that to us, but not because we said a simple sinner's prayer. That prayer is only saying to God "I want you to come into my life, change my heart, and make me a new person in you. I want to love you, worship you, and know you." In order to do that it take much sacrifice, hard work, determination, and sometimes hardship! I will not stand here and tell you that being a Christian is easy, it is very hard! But it is the most rewarding and worth the time and effort things you will ever come to know.
This blog is not a crash course on how to be a Christian. I wrote this for new believers and ones who have been on the ride for awhile because this is what a Christian should look like. Real Christians do not live in prideful sin (being proud or ok with your sin), because they are so consirned with how God thinks of them, living in heaven, and setting an example for fellow believers. It's not about who's the best or worst Christian, it's about living a life that put's God first, a life worth living, a life so full, and a life worth talking about and being remembered once you pass. I don't think that I'm the only one who has ever wondered, "What if we are all fooled, what if I die and there is just nothing." Well, honestly, God has proven himself to me way too many times for me to ever not believe in him. And even if he hadn't, I wouldn't change a thing. I am a better person, people look up to me because I am on the right track, and I have never felt so much joy, love, fulfillment, and purpose as I do being a Christian. I have fallen off track before and I didn't like who I was, at all.
- You must turn from sin (darkness) and run to God (light). Your sins cannot be forgiven until you do so, but once you do, your sins will be forgotten forever. (Acts 26:18 "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." and 2 Chronicles 7:14 "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land" ) You cannot be transformed into a new being through Christ if you hold onto your old self. How can an alcoholic ever overcome his disease if he never put's the bottle down?( Proverbs 3:7-8 "Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones."
- In order to truely become a Christian you must give the reigns over to God. Forget about your plans, because more than likely he will change them. You must come to know that God know's best. He knows the desires of our heart and it is his wish to grant us those desires (Psalm 37:4 "Take delight in the Lord,and he will give you your heart’s desires.") What I mean by this is don't have your life all planned out to the point where you get bend out of shape when something runs off schedual or God forbid if something doesn't happen all together. You should still have an idea of where you are headed, but acknowledge God and he will help you (Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him And He will make your paths straight.") This really is the hardest thing to do, because this requires you putting God first in your life, but there is absolutely nothing more rewarding and fulfilling.
- Obey God and abstain from sin. ( Exodus 20:1-17 1 Then God gave the people all these instructions 2 “I am the L
ord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. 3 “You must not have any other god but me.4 “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. 5 You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me. 6 But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.7 “You must not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse his name.8 “Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 You have six days each week for your ordinary work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.12 “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the Lord your God is giving you.13 “You must not murder.14 “You must not commit adultery.15 “You must not steal.16 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.17 “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”) The 10 Commandments, also found in Deuteronomy 5, are the Laws of God and it is written on our hearts wether we learn that these thing are wrong or not. Everyone feels guilty when they do something wrong, that is why. Another thing that I would call the 11th Commandment would be giving all your first's to God. The first part of any earnings (10%) to the Church (not so they can use it an abbuse it, it is God's design that it goes to the Church because from there he will multiply it and it will come back to serve you and other in need, just be sure you are really going to a capital C Church (see previous post to know what a capital C Church is like)), the first part of your day, your first child, your first anything. Why? Think of it as a savings account. Your money starts to build and once you reach a certain amount you can go blow it on something that you really wanted, a nice vacation, etc. God takes that 10%, multiplies it, uses it in ways that you cannot even imagen, and then rewards you for it. But, do not give for the reward. Give out of the goodness of your heart and the knowlege of what is right. (Proverbs 3:9-10 Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce.10 Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.")
This blog is not a crash course on how to be a Christian. I wrote this for new believers and ones who have been on the ride for awhile because this is what a Christian should look like. Real Christians do not live in prideful sin (being proud or ok with your sin), because they are so consirned with how God thinks of them, living in heaven, and setting an example for fellow believers. It's not about who's the best or worst Christian, it's about living a life that put's God first, a life worth living, a life so full, and a life worth talking about and being remembered once you pass. I don't think that I'm the only one who has ever wondered, "What if we are all fooled, what if I die and there is just nothing." Well, honestly, God has proven himself to me way too many times for me to ever not believe in him. And even if he hadn't, I wouldn't change a thing. I am a better person, people look up to me because I am on the right track, and I have never felt so much joy, love, fulfillment, and purpose as I do being a Christian. I have fallen off track before and I didn't like who I was, at all.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
The Importance of Church
I was once one of those who said "I dont need Church to be a christian." That statement is somewhat true, but Church is such a huge part of being a christian. I don't think I'm the only person who has ever gotten fed up with "Church." The show, gossip, hurt, politics, and manipulation that goes on in many Churches is horrible and wrong. I called these places churches with a lower case C because they are not what a church should be. A Church is a place where you can come as you are. A place that welcomes all people, no matter if they come in drunk, high, sick, or plain crazy. It is a place where Christians can come and encourage one another, reach out to other together, and worship God. A Church goes beyond for walls, a stage, big lights, good sermons, great worship leaders, programs, and Sunday mornings. Church last through every day out of every week. A real Church is a family, always in contact, always encouraging, always hanging out, always challenging one another, and always reaching out to the lost. It is a place that should feel fulfilling, exciting, challenging, and bring immense joy. Not stress, grief, regret, and anger. And when you find a real Church, all the other things fall into place. Like tithing, serving, and reaching out to the lost. It just comes naturally and it's no longer a struggle to do. I am so proud to say that I am finally apart of a Church. A Church that began out of the faith from one man that started in a garage to having multiple campus' across America and an online site that ministers to every nation (with internet access). A Church that is not a mega church, or that has ever done one fund raiser to accomplish all it has. It is a Church of rock solid leadership and commitment to one goal - to lead people to become fully devoted followers of Christ. They truly do that even to the extent of allowing free sermons, bibles, and all ministry resources to be downloaded, watches, and shared. This, is a real Church and it only gets better and better. This Church, is Life Church (www.lifechurch.tv) and it is incredible and what I believe is 100% what God intended Church to be.
What's the Big Deal About Jesus?
Have you ever noticed how much Jesus is talked about by Christians? Yet very few know how revolutionary Jesus really was. It goes beyond being the son of God conceived through the Holy Spirit to a virgin. Or being the first leader to befriend the sinners and low lives of the time. Jesus was born in approx. 3 B.C ( http://www.pointsoftruth.com/articles/jesusbirth.html) and during that time, the schooling was very different than how it is now. Back then, everything was religious. Children were required to memorize the entire Pentateuch which is the first 5 books of the Bible. School was conducted by the priest and if a child memorized well and pleased the priest they could move forward in their education, but most were turned back over to their families to learn whatever their family trade was. The exceptions tho, could move on to the second level, and if they still pleased the priest, onto the third. The point of this is to achieve the job of being the priest's disciple, and when a priest saw the potential and knew a child could do what he does he would ask them to follow him (http://nooma.com/nooma-dust-008-rob-bell.php). Two words, but the two most wanted and unheard words of that time. To be a disciple of a priest, I would imagine, to be the equivalent to being a celebrity's best friend. That is probably one of the reasons why the priests did not like Jesus, and why he was so revolutionary. Because he assumed the stature of a priest, without going to school and become a disciple. That would be like someone who is a CEO being demoted so that average joe on the street with no college degree, and even possibly no high school degree, take your spot.
That is also why the men that he called to be his disciples dropped what they were doing, and followed him. He used the words of the priests, and they knew what they meant (an example of this- Mark 2:14). Powerful words. Enough to make young men stop right in their tracts, leave what they were doing that very moment, and follow someone they did not even know. Do you know how hard it is to get anyone to do that? Most of us are constantly multi tasking, and we finish what we are doing before we really listen to what someone is saying to us or before moving right along to the next thing. At the moment, the only thing I can think of that causes people to stop in their tracts is disaster. We see it all the time, you'll be driving on the highway and then all of a sudden traffic is backed up and you think you might be stuck for hours until you get a little closer and realize that there was an accident, and then almost immediately after that accident it's basically open road. But everyone has to stop and look for a few seconds before moving along. Another point I would like to add is that these men obviously weren't the best of the best in school! They were working in their family trade! It's not like Jesus didn't know who the best of the best was, but he didn't want the best kids who knew scripture. He wanted ordinary men, who were all different, and completed a purpose. I think that part of his choice of men is to show us how he see's us, with so much potential for greatness. One of his disciples, Levi (Matthew), was a tax collector. Tax collectors were considered thieves, and very well hated by the society in which they lived. Another was his very own betrayer! He choose Judas even though he knew that he would betray them. Some were just fishermen, but non the less Jesus choose them all one by one. Each with their sin, lack of faith, values, and belief. But he didn't look at that, he saw who he knew they could become and who they would be later on. He continuously forgave and did what no other man did before him, that is why he changed so many lives and people flocked by the thousands to see him. I will end this blog with a quote from my pastor.
"To reach people no one is reaching, we'll have to do things no one is doing." - Craig Groeschel
That is also why the men that he called to be his disciples dropped what they were doing, and followed him. He used the words of the priests, and they knew what they meant (an example of this- Mark 2:14). Powerful words. Enough to make young men stop right in their tracts, leave what they were doing that very moment, and follow someone they did not even know. Do you know how hard it is to get anyone to do that? Most of us are constantly multi tasking, and we finish what we are doing before we really listen to what someone is saying to us or before moving right along to the next thing. At the moment, the only thing I can think of that causes people to stop in their tracts is disaster. We see it all the time, you'll be driving on the highway and then all of a sudden traffic is backed up and you think you might be stuck for hours until you get a little closer and realize that there was an accident, and then almost immediately after that accident it's basically open road. But everyone has to stop and look for a few seconds before moving along. Another point I would like to add is that these men obviously weren't the best of the best in school! They were working in their family trade! It's not like Jesus didn't know who the best of the best was, but he didn't want the best kids who knew scripture. He wanted ordinary men, who were all different, and completed a purpose. I think that part of his choice of men is to show us how he see's us, with so much potential for greatness. One of his disciples, Levi (Matthew), was a tax collector. Tax collectors were considered thieves, and very well hated by the society in which they lived. Another was his very own betrayer! He choose Judas even though he knew that he would betray them. Some were just fishermen, but non the less Jesus choose them all one by one. Each with their sin, lack of faith, values, and belief. But he didn't look at that, he saw who he knew they could become and who they would be later on. He continuously forgave and did what no other man did before him, that is why he changed so many lives and people flocked by the thousands to see him. I will end this blog with a quote from my pastor.
"To reach people no one is reaching, we'll have to do things no one is doing." - Craig Groeschel
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)