Tag: Hate

The Grass Ain’t Greener

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The Grass Ain’t Greener      

Recently as some of you who read my blogs have already figured out I suffered a horrible separation. Because of that this topic’s been weighing on my mind. Often when we look across the yard and things look pretty good. We look at other peoples lives, we look at what others have, we look to other people and we often think how good they have it, or how great it would be to own that, or even how good it would be to be with someone else. We usually call this the grass is greener phase. The thing about this phase is, it’s a lie. The Devil has been perpetrating this lie since the original day of sin. The day in the garden Satan convinced Eve that life would be better after eating from the tree of knowledge. He convinced her that living a life with open eyes would be better then that which God had created for them. The Devil made it sound like the grass was greener on the other side. The sad part was once Eve stepped over to the other side and realized how wrong she was the damage was done and it couldn’t be fixed. The fall from grace had happened and now the beautiful grass she once had died, and she could never have that life back again.

When we pursue the greener grass we are looking through a distorted keyhole lens that only shows us what we want to see, not what we need to see. How often do we hear the stories about people crossing over to the other side just to find out it’s not great at all, and they wish they could go back. The sad part is when you cross over and then in doing so you destroy not only your life but also others around you. Recently in my life I knew a couple that had been together for about 10 years or so. The father had gone through a horrible divorce because his first wife had an affair and destroyed the marriage. After a while of healing he met a new woman who’d become his second wife. They would have a great life, a great house, their children became a family, and at least from the spectator point of view their life looked pretty good. OF course there are things we never see from the outside, but I know I was a bit envious of everything they had. I found out rather suddenly that she had an affair, lied about it, continued the affair, and it quickly fell apart. She destroyed her own career, she broke the hearts of the kids, broke her husbands heart and as he suffered this kind of loss now for the second time his pain now unimaginable. I’ve not talked to her since then but the question is ‘was it worth it?’ Though I’ll never have the answer I have to imagine at some point the rose goggles will be removed and the beauty will turn to ash.

In my own life I have suffered something very similar. Two wives, two affairs, and as with the first time, the second time has left me broken and displaced. This time around my faith is guiding me. This time around I am stronger than I was before. This time I know I have more to offer. I heard a saying once a few years ago, “The grass is greener where you water it.” Marriage isn’t easy sometimes, and sin pulls at our hearts and all manner of earthly desires but when you get married it’s for life, it’s not for as long as it’s convenient. The idea of sin in the marriage such as divorce is repugnant to God. The old saying is you can look but don’t touch apparently is more of a guideline these days. Even looking can be a pitfall if it becomes envy or lust. There are so many people out there who have spouses who became cheaters, so many relationships fail because of infidelity. God’s heart breaks watching so many relationships crumble because of such things. Genesis 2: 21:22 “So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made[h] into a woman and brought her to the man.” Woman was made to be of one flesh. Woman was made so man wouldn’t be alone, and vise versa. When two people marry they become one flesh. They are devoted and when there is infidelity the heartbreak that’s caused can be deeper then some can handle. I wish we could have the eyes of God to see what God see’s within the hearts of those broken by infidelity, by lies, by deceits. I wish those who do such evil things knew how it feels to be on the receiving end. I wish I knew or understood the minds and hearts of those who do this to others. I wish that we could receive Gods love for humanity. I wish we loved as God loves.

Much like the man from my story earlier I feel the pain he feels, I have seen through his eyes, and I know the pain of the knife, the pain of betrayal, the sting of lies. Was the grass greener, I may never know, but I know my future looks bright. For every tragedy we face in our lives there is a potential for great redemption. In every tragedy God is working to use it for the betterment of our lives. No matter how much pain we face, no matter how much sorrow or anger that’s in our hearts letting go of that poison and finding a new pasture to raise your home is the first step. Forgiveness and letting go of that anger and hate, saying it a thousand times over, letting yourself weep and feel, ‘I forgive you.’ You must learn to believe in the goodness of people. You must learn that each person you encounter is not the last. Holding onto anger and holding onto hatred are chains for your very soul that leave you stuck in the place that, that wound first happened and you can’t break free till you face the pain head on. You must fight the urge to stay angry, you must fight the urge to hate. We are not the judge and we are not the jury. Deuteronomy 32:35 “To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.” We are not to hold onto the cancer that holds us back.

When our worlds fall down because of someone else and it looks like our grass is dying, and we feel we’ll never be whole again remember that tears of healing may fall and will water your grass. Let them flow, let the healing begin and watch as God uses the miraculous to change your life. Every day you must learn to take care of your own yard, tend to your garden, tend to your flock and watch as the healing waters sprout new life into your life and sooner than you think your grass will be green and full of life. The glory of our lives and our calamities all belong to the grace of God. God sees the pain, feels the pain, and endures the pain. God was with Jesus on that Cross, and as we fight to bare our own cross Christ our Lord, one with the Father Abba is with us on our cross. The whips that strike us strike God. The words that cut our hearts cut the heart of God. Nothing we go through in this life affects only us. As I have grown a great deal I have found that the wounds I’ve endured over these last 8 months are not mine alone, and I wouldn’t be standing if it weren’t for God. I myself broke Gods heart 8 months ago, and I have to pray and ask for that forgiveness. I asked God to forgive me as I was dying in that ambulance and hearing the voice of God “You’re forgiven” I woke and new life was breathed into my chest. The only grass that’s greener in our lives we won’t find here. It’s only when we go home, when we finally reach our place in paradise will the grass ever be greener. Don’t loose sight of the promise made and remember God’s promise to us is not empty, it’s full of truth and life.

When the world tries to lure you away from your own piece of grass, when you are being tempted to cross over that fence, remember not only will your grass die where you were, there will be no blessing on the land where you are headed. Have faith that if you are on the fence and you are thinking of crossing over because you feel life would be better on the other side, think of Matthew 4:29-31 “He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Much like Peter we must trust in the Lord will not let us be consumed by the storm. When you are struggling in your relationship there’s always a better way. Fight for your relationship, fight with everything you’ve got and trust in the Lord to save you when times are darkest.

 

 

 

 

 

Be Thankful For What You Have, Envy and Greed

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Be Thankful For What You Have, Envy and Greed

In today’s world, especially now with constant adds in your face about the newest and greatest gizmo, or gadget, car, phone, or anything else you could desire, there is always something new out there we want. This doesn’t just cover the things you can buy small, but the big stuff also, houses, or even significant others. What is it about our society that we think such things are disposable? What is it about the way we live our lives that tells us it’s okay to up and walk away from commitments of any kind? It’s sad that in some states there’s actually ways to get a speedy no fuss no muss divorce. Don’t like your spouse, it’s okay, just divorce them, throw them away, and find yourself the upgraded, newest, and improved model. Decide you don’t want to pay your fair share anymore, that’s okay, no worries, the laws aren’t designed to keep things fair. You can walk away from a house and destroy your credit, along with someone else’s, but it’s okay, instant gratification, instant happiness. Well, I’m here to tell you this is all one big fat lie. This is Sin at its finest. This is greed, and lust, gluttony, and selfishness. Luke 12:15 “Then he said to them, ‘Watch Out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.’” We are a nation of abundance and collections. Understanding it’s okay to collect things, and have things, what’s not okay is when you turn those things into idols. Exodus 20:17 ”You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” The Author of exodus is not talking about your next door neighbor, no, he’s talking about your fellow human beings. Do not covet. Just as it’s written, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This is referring to everyone. When we covet or lust for something we are in active sin.

I’ve lived all over the world and I’ve seen poor. When I was in Korea and I saw the poor standards of living, to the point of tin shack houses, barely have running water, and in some cases where I lived there was no running water. When I was in Iraq there was trash in the streets, the rivers were filthy with human feces and trash everywhere from the streets, to the waters. The sheer level of dirty was almost unimaginable. Growing up in the United States I had quickly come to realize how gratifying it was to have the basics of sanitation, food, electricity, air conditioning, and cars. Some families overseas can’t afford more than one car, and the car they have certainly isn’t the newest model. In Korea labor starts young. But even then, many of the people I met weren’t Koreans. There is a version of ‘legal’ human trafficking that’s appalling. Many Pilipino women are coerced into moving to Korea to provide money for their families back home. What they rarely know is the line of work they will endure is an exploitation of their very body. Some perhaps enjoy the work, others do not. As they have signed contracts they are legal subservient to the land lady.

When we make a conscious choice to destroy a home, we do more than break the hearts of everyone involved, but we hurt our Father Abba. Someone once told me “being the person a married man cheats with isn’t so bad. I’m not the one cheating, that’s his choice.” This sentiment breaks my heart. It’s a slippery slope to be one once you start blurry the lines of right and wrong like that. If you can find a way to justify the enabling the destruction of a home, the fall into complete sin is just a blink away. Why do we want more then what we have? Why are we not content with the life we have, the things we have, or the gifts God has given to us? Sadly the answer is found in James 4:2 ESV “You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.” I am reminded to the Greek tale of Troy. Two countries go to war for 10 years. Allegedly the princess was stolen away and angered one side and caused the war. Alliances came to each side’s aid and as bloody battle after bloody battle were waged both sides lost countless warriors. All of this was over greed, and lust. A woman. Have we come any farther in the last 3000 years? Sadly the answer is no. Human behavior isn’t much different today than it was back then. We still fight, we still lust, we still covet, we still steal what we want.

It’s a strange feeling you get when you know your home has been broken into, or someone strange has been there. Knowing your things were gone through, knowing something you cherished has been taken or tarnished, it’s a horrible gut wrenching feeling. Knowing there has been a deep violation of your home, your trust, your beliefs, it’s hard to turn a negative focus into a positive light. In the heat of the moment it’s very difficult to believe in anything else, but how badly you feel. In the heart of the matter there is a great deal more that could make life far worse, but it’s hard to focus on that when you are metaphorically speaking, hit in the face, or blindsided. When you break your finger, at least you didn’t break your hand. When your home is broken into at least it wasn’t burnt to the ground. When your spouse has an affair, at least there were no kids involved. It’s never easy to stomach any of those things, but the ability to come to grips with how the situation is not worse almost makes the current situation more manageable. The belief that someone has it worse, or you’ve been through worse is sometimes far removed from our thoughts, but often in order to survive the onslaught of attacks, these things could become a saving grace.

The perpetual positive attitude is not usually a given or natural trait. This often takes a lot of time, a lot of prayer, and a close walk with God. This is not always easy, and is nearly always easier said than done. Knowing that this life is temporary, and stuff is just stuff, people are just people, and God is the true importance in our lives will always get you farther in life then you ever thought possible. No matter the storm if you have a strong solid foundation in Christ nothing can remove you. As much as the loss of a loved one, a house, all your worldly possessions hurts, it’s the eternal salvation and life in perfection forever is what’s worth everything we have. No matter where you are in life, whether you’re the one loosing, or you’re the one taking, taking what doesn’t belong to you, or taking away someone’s joy shame on you. Justice will be served. If you are the one loosing, be patient, such as Job lost everything, to be faithful is to be renewed. God will forever renew your spirit, and replace what was lost. If you are faithful not only will God bless you, but He will bless you abundantly. 2 Corinthians 9:8 “And God is able to make all grace abound towards you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in a things, may abound to every good work;” Don’t give up hope when you feel you’ve lost everything, just remember that no matter what you’ve lost, God has the power to renew. Nothing with God can be broken forever. Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of god, and his righteousness’ and all these things shall be added unto you. Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. God always keeps his promises.

Ladies and gentleman it’s not okay to lie, steal, and cheat. It’s not okay to toy with someone’s emotions. It’s not okay to take what doesn’t belong to you. It’s not okay to want and want to the point that’s your sole occupying thought. In some places I’ve been even electricity was a rare commodity. Women where betrothed and could be stoned to death for adultery. Men could be punished for stealing such as getting a finger cut off or worse. These things are common place in the middle east. So to Americans, by an American, stop being spoiled brats. Instead of thumbing your nose up at others around you, how about you put that nose in the Bible and get a true idea of how to get your compass to point north. It’s not funny to have your heart broken. It’s not fun to have your house broken into, your property vandalized, it’s hurtful, and not necessary. Just be nice, it really isn’t that hard, and I promise, it won’t kill ya.

Identity

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Identity

I was told recently there are few Christian men. Convictions to stand up for Christ and accept the Salvation in Christ must be shared. As a man we must understand our place. Why is it that so many women complain about the lack of good guys? Are there really that few good guys out there, or is that a myth. 1 Timothy 5:8 “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.” Who do you want to be?

I’ve spent a lot of time these last few months considering my own place in the world and my identity. The man I want to be is a good Godly man, faithful, a good significant other, some day a good father. Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he [it is] that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” It pains me that there are people out there that are cruel for selfish reasons. It pains me that because of other people’s selfish thought, selfish nature, good people faithful people have been hurt. Despite so much pain and suffering I’ve been through an awful lot, and I would like to think I’ve acted with distinction, and that my actions would honor God.

The true nature of Christianity is to be Christ like. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” It’s easy to fall pray to the expectations of the world. The world’s cruel and evil nature can easily rub off on someone. It’s hard to be a good man in a world so dark and corruptible as ours.

Sadly it seems that finding a good Godly woman has been equally has difficult. The mistakes I have made in my life remind me that a good person may not always stay that way. I’ve struggled with the idea that someone can change so much. Have they changed, or where they hiding who they really were this whole time? It’s hard to travel down that rabbit hole. The lies the Devil whispers into your ear can sound good and can get you to fall for bad decisions.

Your identity shouldn’t fall within your job, or who someone else says you are. People can say all kinds of mean and cruel things to you. As difficult as it may be to the contrary we shouldn’t allow other’s negative actions towards us influence how we see ourselves. I’ve spent my life trying to overcome this, and sadly, I’ve only had minimal success at best. 1 Corinthians 12:27 “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” Because we are members of Christ’s family which is defined Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” We cannot loose our hope because of the Devil, the Devil’s work that is perpetrated by the evil of mankind.

Try not to let the world define you. Try not to let other people’s anger or hatred tell you who you are. Be the person you want to be. Follow the light of the Lord and you will find your place in this world. Only through Jesus will you find your place. Have faith, and trust in the Lord.

Broken Arrow

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Broken Arrow

 ‘Because He Lives’ By Matt Maher

I was dead in the grave

I was covered in sin and shame

I heard mercy call my name

He rolled the stone away

 Amen, Amen

I’m alive, I’m alive

Because He lives

Amen, Amen

Let my song join the one that never ends

 

We live because he lives. We can never repay for the harm and damage we’ve done to God all these years. We hurt others and we damage relationships we’ve once cherished and loved. We drove nails into our savior’s hands and feet. We laid a crown of thorns upon his head and mocked him, spit on him, even cast lots for remains of his clothing. The King of the Jews, the soldiers laughed as he slowly asphyxiated. “Tetelestai” Jesus proclaimed which translated means it is finished. Not that he was saying is last, but with his last heartbeat all of mankind’s sins would be forgiven. Christ was the sacrificial lamb, and despite everything we have done, despite everything humanity would do in the future, the atrocities proclaimed in the name of religion, all the pain we would cast upon one another, forgiveness in love was and is the path to an eternity of perfection with our creator.

As an archer I believe strongly in the idea that an arrow is strong, and as true as the archer who shoots it. In the right hands an arrow can bring death and life at the same time. An archer can defend ones home, defend ones kingdom against invaders, and provide needed food for their family. An archer must take care of his bow and arrows in order for them to continue to do what he needs. If an arrow completely breaks there are only some things an archer can do to repair the damage. Damage will come and maintenance and care will be needed to maintain. Our faith is the same way. If we do not maintain our faith, our constant days in prayer, reading and study of scripture, our fellowship with other Christians, we too will find that our faith will break.

A while back someone did something that I felt was a betrayal of the deepest kind. They made a decision for what they must have thought was right, but it hurt me dearly. I thought that friendship, that bond that was shared was stronger then that, but in that moment I felt the stab in the heart on a very arrow I once used. The arrow broke in half, and I believed it could never be repaired. I believed after that kind of betrayal nothing could ever repair the damage. What if I was wrong? It wasn’t about forgiveness; it was about understanding the motive. What if because of my own vantage point I couldn’t see the whole story, what if there was more to it?

What I know is no matter the pain the right thing to do is offer forgiveness. We were never worthy of the forgiveness we were given by Christ, but alas we Live because Jesus Died. No matter what the wound is, forgiveness is about harmony. Matthew 6:14-15 “14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Often I hear people say I forgive you, but I’m still mad at you. I say this isn’t true forgiveness. If you truly forgive someone you hold nothing against him or her any longer. If someone truly repents from then on forgive. Ephesians 4:31-32 “31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Believe though there is a difference between repenting and a sorry. Repenting is taking action to make things right. This to try and ensure the grievance won’t happen again. An apology must be from the heart, not just ‘sorry’ because just a sorry may mean I’m sorry I got caught. What is that apology if the action continues to happen? If someone truly is sorry, and there is real repentance in their heart try to take them at their word. REMEMBER THOUGH, FORGIVENESS DOES NOT REQUIRE AN APOLOGY FROM THE OTHER PERSON!

Don’t let anger and hate break an arrow. Don’t let your personal feelings cloud your judgment. Always keep in mind there are two sides to a story and we may never know all of it. We may never understand the why and the how. Love is the key and love is the answer. Gods love is greater and stronger then we will ever know, and if we are to live Christ Like then we must be able to channel at least a little of that love and don’t allow anger and hate to break any of our arrows. We are weapons for Christ, and in that our arrows are our weapons we use to spread the Holy Spirit in the Word of God. Remember we must perform maintenance on our hearts just like our bow, and when we clear out the imperfections, when we watch for cracks, or damages, we can fix them before they become major problems. No matter how far you’ve gone down a path we can always unmake a mistake by truly repenting in our hearts, and asking for forgiveness. Don’t let fear and doubt keep you from salvation.

I say to you lift your hands to the sky and praise your God and ask for Forgiveness for all you’ve done. Forgive all those who’ve wronged you and hurt you. Go to God with a clear heart, and let the Holy Spirit fill it. There will always be people out there to hurt us, but we don’t have to hold onto that anger that hate. Offer up yourself, and be a warrior for God. Pick up your bow and follow God. Strengthen them with love, hope, forgiveness, and your arrows will never be broken by the Devil.

 

 

 

Warriors

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Warriors

Surrounded by God’s glory, I fall to my knees and lift up my prayers. God’s glory is bigger then me, it’s bigger then all. I pray for clarity, I pray for peace, for comfort, guidance. “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” We walk our path and we stray away, we loose the light and we wander in the dark. We are afraid of the dark and we loose our control. We wrong one another, we hurt one another, but someday light must shine. 1 Thessalonians 5:15 “See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.” WE must face God and before God answer for our sins. WE must look to those who we have wronged, and ask for forgiveness. WE must not hold onto hate, or hold a grudge. We must learn to love and allow others to love us. We are not alone on this world. It’s never too late to turn around, to find that faith again. It’s never to late to trust in God. It’s never too late to listen to the voice of truth and realize all those fears and all those lies that seem to be laughing at you, saying you can’t do it, it’s too big. Simply put “Do or Do Not, there is no Try.” You have the Armor of God and you have thousands of warriors behind you. We are all warriors for Christ so pick up that sword, pick up the helmet, the breastplate, and buckle those sandals for when you are pushed you can dig in and defend yourself. Saten will try to get in. He will try to find a chink in the armor so be aware of the word, be aware of the falsehoods of man. Listen to the voice of truth of God and on that day you too can withstand the Whiles of the Devil.

Love, Not Hate

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Love, Not Hate

Gods blessings are not always what we think they should be, or want them to be. God knows what’s best for us, and sometimes we should be thankful for unanswered prayers. We must put our faith and trust in the Lord. Sometimes we loose our way, sometimes we make poor or dangerous decisions, the truest of all truths is Gods amazing grace, Gods love, our light and our Salvation, is sometimes just one divinely inspired act, or sometimes, a Miracle that truly puts a stopper in death, brings us back, and gives us a new chance, a second chance at life. We cannot waist the gifts God has blessed us with. We cannot forget who’s in control. We must learn to love not hate, learn to forgive not be angry, and know that Gods love is not a feeling, but a commitment he has promised to us, and for those who we love, we must honor and cherish our love and commitment to our brothers and sisters in Christ. The Sun rises as the new day pushes the old away. Such as a new day, bring new resolve to push away the sins of old, and forgive as the new day rises.

The Battle Between Good and Evil (May the 4th Be With You)

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The Battle Between Good and Evil

(May the 4th Be With You)

We all have both good and evil inside of us. We are born as innocent, yet we can quickly learn hate, or love. Much as the force it’s easier to Hate then it is to Love. Shadow Arrow Season 2 “Everyone has a demon inside of them. The “dao de jing” recognizes the yin and the yang, opposing forces inside all of us. The darkness and the light. The killer and the hero.” As I have spent my life and more recently the last year preaching and teaching I often find myself falling to famous movie quotes, Vader “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” When we do not have faith in God we will find anything to see us through. We wander in the dark aimlessly seeking refuge. 1 Corinthians 13:6 “6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”

It’s a tricky thing finding the balance. Most great villains in most movies actually believe what they are doing is the right path. Isaiah 5:20 “20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” The battle between good and evil will continue till the end of days. What side will you choose? Just as there’s the Jedi, and the Sith what side will you choose to be on?

Today is May 4th, National Star Wars Day. As we have loved or I have loved Star Wars for my entire life, I find the fight depicted in Star Wars the draw of the dark side to be accurate to the draw of sin and the lies of the Devil. It’s never easy to always do the right thing. Being human we won’t always make the right choices. What we can do though is fight the pull of the dark side the best we can and fight for the light, fight for justice, fight for love.

My biggest fear has always been that of abandonment. “The fear of loss is a path to the dark side.” (Yoda) I learned the hard way how true this is. When I suffered a great loss it put me in the darkest place I’ve ever been. Only the light of God pulled me from the brink of death.

As faith is defined Hebrews 11:1 “1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” As stated by Obi-Wan Kanobi “Your eyes can deceive you; don’t trust them.” We know that we have to have faith in what we can feel, faith in the world beyond our own understanding. The inspiration of the persona for this blog is of course the hit TV show Arrow. As Oliver Queen survived a 5 year crucible he constantly struggles against the darkness inside and the light inside. “If the darkness inside outweighs the light, instead of repelling Darhk’s magic, you’ll end up fueling it. You will only make him more powerful.” In order to fight the good fight we must always learn to resist the darkness, and gravitate toward the light. “Do or do not, there is no try.” (Yoda) Felicity Smoak: “You honor the dead by fighting. And you’re not done fighting!” Never stop fighting till the Lord calls you home. It’s worth the fight to live eternal life in perfection.

When the devil hits you fight back with love

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When the devil hits you fight back with love

 Egypt April 9th 2017

Germany Dec 19th 2016

USA Nov 28th 2016

France July 26th 2016

Germany July 24th 2016

Germany July 18th 2016

Bangladesh July 1st 2016

USA June 12th 2016

Iraq May 11th 2016

USA Dec. 2nd 2015

France Nov. 13 2015

USA Apr. 15th 2013

USA Sept 11th 2001

 These are only a fraction of the terrorist attacks worldwide. The list would be far more to list. The Devil thrives on hate, destruction, mistrust, and sinful desires. What can we do to fight back against something that comes so easily to so many? Love, 1 peter 4:8 “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” When we choose love over hate that love snuffs out the darkness. “The people that are trying to make the world worse never take a day off , why should I. Light up the darkness” – Bob Marley We can overcome and kick the Devil right back where He came from when we choose to love over hate. There is so much pain and suffering in this world, so much hate it’s hard to remember to love. Hate breeds fear, and fear leads to hate. When we choose to follow the light of the world, the hate will be snuffed out, for darkness cannot survive in the light. It only takes a little light to push away the blackness that tries to survive but can’t.

There are so many terrorist attacks that occur every year all around the world, and yet we only hear about a small fraction of them. We may not be able to stop every attack but how we choose to handle them when that day comes is our choice. Much like Boston in 2013 we too can choose to let love define who we are. The city of Boston when under siege rallied together to show the world they would not be bullied into submission, they would not bow to terrorist, would not allow such hate to overrun it’s city, and they succeeded. For all the death and destruction that day Love became the rallying cry. That city showed the world in one unified voice it wasn’t afraid. Just as New York had done so many years prior, this country stood up and decided to fight back. While some decided to fight back militarily, others decided to stand to make a difference. Change lives, fight for Love and never stop spreading the Gospel. Never stop praying for your enemies.

Love though never easy in the face of so much pain and suffering is about harmony with your relationship to God. Even as Christ was being nailed to the cross and murdered for a crime he did not commit, he asked the Father to forgive them. That’s true love. Never forget that we are not to follow the commandments we like or agree with, we are to follow them all. And the greatest of commandments is to love thine neighbor, and not just the ones we like, but all of them. A single barb from barbed wire from the most well known concentration camp in all the world stands rusting away but the reminder of both the good and evil that exists in this world. In every tragedy we can see and find remnants of love if we just look close enough for them. Private D. Doss a medic saved 75 wounded soldiers atop of Hacksaw Ridge in 1945. He then continued to save lives until wounded himself a while later and removed from the field of battle. His love for his fellow soldiers was second to none. Through all the hate and suffering he was the light that shined onto the battlefield, a warrior for God he fought because he felt it was the right thing to do. He never carried a firearm, and never fired a single shot; yet he made more of a difference then most do the entire war.

There’s always an alternative to hate. Be the definition of love. Hope, and faith and love concur all.

Pay No Attention to the Man Behind The Curtain

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Pay No Attention to the Man Behind The Curtain

You ever wonder why bad things happen to you? You ever wonder why it seems no matter how faithful you are, or how good of a person you think you are, the world always seems against you? The light always seems to be snuffed out by the evil in this world. That of course is the way it looks when things are bad and we’re down on our luck. 2 Corinthians 2:11 “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.” The catch of course is that we actually see what’s going on and catch on to it. Satan of course 1 John 3:8 “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”

 Think of it this way. If you were a major crime boss you’d want other people to get their hands dirty instead of you, that’s why you have people. The Devil is going to use anyone and everyone that He can get his hands on. When it comes to Sin the Devil is the man behind the curtain. The Devil will continue to pull the shots from the shadows like any other crime boss. 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Are you going to be the Devils next meal?

The Devil will lie and cheat to deceive you into pulling you away from God. The power of OZ was a lie. A cleaver showman but nothing more then a used car salesman, a pretender that valued greatness anyway he could get it. Now I’m not saying that the wizard was a bad guy, but the Devil is. The Devil will tempt you with notions like “Its just sex”, “It’s a little white lie”, “No one loves me”, “I’m alone”, “I’d be better off dead”, and all kinds of horrible things that actually push the Devil own agenda. He will hide behind the curtain of the world and disguise every wrong and make them feel so good, and so right.

The Devil wants our souls and will do anything to prevent us from having a relationship with God. It’s not an easy road we walk, but the reward for the hard work is great. God will never leave us or forsake us even when it seems like everyone else has. It’s hard to remain faithful in something we cannot see or touch but we must. There are truly miracles all around us, we just need to be able to quite ourselves and see it.

The war between good and evil is fought in the shadows. Behind the curtain could also be one of God’s Angels. You will have to have the wisdom to discern which. We won’t be able to see the Wizard, but we can feel the presence.

 

 

 

 

 

Duality

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Duality
When something is liked and disliked at the same time, loved and hated, and okay and not okay at the same time.

When you wait all day for an absolution that would never come, when you look for peace that never seems to come. Waiting for God to send His Angels to pull you out of the wreckage of your life. When the Angels never come, but that voice inside your head tells you God’s with you. The snakes are nipping at your heals and you keep climbing higher and higher to get away, the beautiful escape. We never plan for the world to crumble, and we never plan on falling to our knees at the brink of a broken world, screaming to the heavens to save us. You’ve been a good soldier, a faithful man and in that moment the snakes, the vultures are tossed away. Saved by God, moved from broken to mending.

The faith it takes to overcome the world is Jesus. So why do I hate myself so much? Why do I feel so low about whom I am? The going gets rough and some hate God, some hate people, some hate themselves. That’s where my own duality comes into play. I both love and hate who I am. The fact that God loves me I know I’m special. I know I’m someone worthwhile, but I’ve largely not been treated well by others throughout my whole life. I’ve not been beaten and tortured, I’ve suffered loss, and blame. God thought tells us that we cannot put our faith in mankind because man is sinful and that sinful nature will let you down, will hurt you, and the Devil through Sin will find any little chink in the human armor and infiltrate like a virus, replicating, until sinful desire is all that’s left.

The same goes with the little whispers inside my own head. The negative whispers I hear are the Devil or his minions telling me lies, that hidden war going on all around us that we cannot see. The truth is the helmet is supposed to help, and it does so long as we keep our head in the Bible and don’t let ourselves get distracted by the world.

Don’t shut God out; don’t keep the gates closed from God. God doesn’t want us to be alone, God wants us to have someone, God wants us to know that He is always with us. God’s blessings and guidance, and the army of Angels are always by our side. When we finally realize this, when we finally tear down the walls we will realize that Love has been there all along. The season of love is always. We can’t let the trials of this world build walls and defenses. Love concurs all. Love is the strongest of emotions, strongest of actions, and that Love shows me that there is no Winter of love, no Fall of love, there’s just love. We will suffer heartbreak from love, but Love is a gift from up above, and that’s the only Love that really matters.

Take the duality inside and shatter that mirror and let God take up both sides in your heart.