Tag: hope

Rainbows

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Rainbows

Genesis 9:13-14 “13 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud;”

I’ve always thought rainbows were beautiful, but not till I started reading Genesis did I realized they were mentioned very early in scripture. Now we know that science can explain what a rainbow is, light refracting through raindrops, but at this point in Scripture Noah and his family are just leaving the Ark after the flood. As this represents the covenant between God and mankind, I also look at it another way. It doesn’t always happen of course, but usually a rainbow signifies the end of the storm. Even in the movie the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy wishes she could go to a magical place, over the rainbow. We sometimes think of rainbows as somehow magical, of beautiful happenings in nature that are quite the spectacle to see.

No matter how we look at a rainbow, they bring joy, or happiness, even if it’s just the spectacle of them being in the sky. Rainbows are a reminder of Gods love and grace for us. No matter how bad the storm was, if we look to the sky and see a bright rainbow we know the storm is over. While the rainbow is a symbol of the covenant with man to never again flood the whole of the earth, we are lucky enough to have a new covenant with God. After the fall from Eden, mankind could not be in the presence of God. We were no longer pure, but worst then a dirty diaper before our Lord. God set forth a plan that would take hundreds of years. When we think God moves too slowly for us, we truly don’t realize how God works. God doesn’t play the short game, and while on occasion he may answer our prayers in the here and now, more often then not God is working things out for the future.

God spent 400 years in silence between the Old and New Testament. In that time there were moving pieces on the board, and God is patient while we are not. We are a people of wanting change right now. We want fast food prayers, you order, God delivers. But that doesn’t work and God just laughs at our foolishness. When I think back at Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, she was dreaming of being anywhere other then on the farm. While things on the farm weren’t perfect, she was trying to escape her woes instead of putting forth the effort to fix them. We do the same thing in many different ways. In the last year, I have been a part of a social app and during my time there I have found a new escape I hadn’t really considered, on line roll playing. These roll playing conversations often consume someone’s life. There is no desire to talk to the person you’re roll playing with about real life, it’s always just the fantasy world. This is a person’s ‘over the rainbow’. So many people today find escape in drugs, or alcohol, on line roll playing, or video games. Addictions of all kinds have popped up on this planet all because fiction for many is better then reality. It’s a sad state of affairs we find our selves in when we no longer want to face any problems but instead turn to means to deaden the internal pain, dull our minds, and kick the can down the road for yet another day.

Sadly it isn’t just reality people are hiding from, it’s all negative feelings or emotions. We’ve become a society that at the first sign of trouble, or the first time someone’s brings up negative emotions, or ‘vibes’ as it’s called today, people run away. I have watched several people personally leave our ‘acquaintanceship’ because I had a bad day and wanted to talk about it. People only want to hear positive things; they don’t want to be bothered with reality. So long as life is rainbows and puppies they are happy, and anyone who threatens that is expendable. Because of this people no longer build relationships, they build acquaintances, and barely that. In the last 7 years I have been to several weddings, and I’m sad to say that all but two have already ended in divorce. During the wedding the rainbow seemed so bright and vibrant, and sometime over the course of their incredibly short marriages, that rainbow became gray and disappeared. It’s sad to think about how many people end their marriages these days. While I don’t know all the details of their divorces, those details are irrelevant. People have stopped living their lives in the way God says we should live, and we have stopped putting God first in our marriages. Sadly those kinds of relationships are about self, and not about the other person. When we ask what’s in it for me, or how does this make me feel, and we no longer ask ourselves what we can do for our spouse, we will grow in resentment, and heartache. We cannot continue wishing for what’s over the rainbow. We must face reality and live according to God’s will for us.

 

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I’m not saying you can’t dream, but especially when it comes to relationships, focus on what those relationships are really supposed to be. Find some happiness in your life the way it is and make that flourish. No the grass is not always greener on the other side. Stop taking for granted the gifts you have right now. Embrace them, and enjoy them. You don’t want your life to become stagnant though, so balance tomorrow and today. Enjoy your sunshine, enjoy the rainbow, and remember God’s always with us each and every day. Give thanks for another sunrise, and the many, many blessings we have. Hope in Jesus Christ came slower then the Jews wanted, but it wasn’t their timetable, it’s God’s. Trust in God, and focus on what you can change, and pray for the things you can’t.

 

When Your Heart Hurts

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When Your Heart Hurts

Today’s blog post will be dedicated to a very lovely lady I have had the pleasure to get to know. She’s the most empathetic, and loving woman I’ve ever be blessed to know. No matter the hardships that befall you, turn to the Father and place your trust in Him. He gives us gifts and sometimes it’s in the most unusual circumstances, but God always works in mysterious ways. It’s not our place to question, it’s just our place to smile, say thank you, and Love Jesus for everything we have. God Bless Alice, you’re never ever alone.

 

We’ve all be there, broken hearted, torn, crying, lost and not sure where to turn. After my ex left I was broken, and I felt as if I’d never be whole again. There are days even now two years later when I wonder what more my heart can take, what more hurt can I  endure. I have watched a great many tragedies, and have seen the revolving door of new people in and out of my life. What I have learned is to be sure my foundation is solid. I have wanted nothing more then to find myself someone special, but as I have moved forward I have now realized there’s a reason I hadn’t found the right person. It wasn’t so much as the right person for me, it was the right person for the path I am now on. It’s funny how just a year ago I never imagined the path I’d be on now. I still find myself surprised at each new path God places me on. It’s funny, after my near death experience back in 2016 for a while I was at ease with everything that was going on in my life. I was calm, and I was sure that I was so unsure of the future, but it was completely okay because no matter where I was, God would be in control. As time passed I slowly began to feel the doubts creep in, and I began to feel the pull of regret, doubts, and despair flood my heart, and I found myself being crushed by the weight I couldn’t carry alone.

In the months and now years of recovery of the worst heartbreak I’ve ever had, I have found clarity of faith that I have never had. I have become a pawn moving my way up the board, and one day hope to become a knight. The road to becoming a knight is a perilous one, and not to be undertaken lightly. The closer you get to God, and as you become one of his strongest tools, so shall you be subjected to more attacks, more scrutiny, and a bigger target on your chest. When you are broken hearted, do not fear the pain, instead accept it, and grow from it. When you are lost, turn to God to be your compass. When you are hurting turn to God to wipe your tears away. When you are sad and depressed turn to God for healing and trust that the gray skies will part. We are all down on our knees at some point, but always remember that our trials are for many purposes. We often think that when we go through a trial it’s because of us, something we are to learn, and while that’s quite possibly true, it’s also possible that it’s our witness that’s on trial. How we respond to depression, and anger, and heartbreak is just as important as any other day. We have the opportunity to show others the love of Jesus Christ in our lives. While this may not change our fear, or the hurt we feel, we should always hold onto the hope for tomorrow. God has made each and ever one of us important and it’s in scripture we find a hope that washes away all tears, washes away all doubts, and builds us stronger tomorrow then we are today. Luke 12:7“7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” We don’t often think about Christ’s love for us as an individual love, but the truth is Jesus would have sacrificed himself for even just one soul, but as God planned we are each, every single one of us, worthy in God’s eyes of saving. We are God’s people and our Father loves us unconditionally. We have a father that wants us to join Him in Heaven, and that wants us to know him. We have a father we can call Abba, and we know that no matter how much we hurt, how much we cry, how lost we feel, our Abba is never not with us.

It doesn’t matter if you suffer from depression, anxiety, heartbreak, or addiction, there’s always hope on the horizon. The first thing to know is God never leaves us. Second, is God will always provide a solution to the problem. God loves us, and God wants us to succeed even if there’s a hard lesson to be learned. God often gives us the tools we need to make it through our hardships. God also gives us help along the way. We may not expect the help to come from where it does, but we must verify by testing the apparent gifts, but if they are truly gifts from God, we must always appreciate them, and treasure them. I haven’t always been the best at doing this, and I feel if perhaps I would have done something differently I wouldn’t have ended up divorced, but regardless where the blame is to be placed, if any, I am on this path now because of that event putting this timeline in motion. Trust in God that even when we screw things up, or when the Devil intervenes, God is still working things out. All things in our life will be used to glorify God, the good, bad, even the ugly. Don’t fear tomorrow, instead focus on God today and ask how you can glorify God with whatever your going through. Never doubt yourself for you’re a child of the King. We all have limitations, physical, emotional, mental, but in our weaknesses, God grows our faith and we must turn to God and give all the glory. Embrace the gifts God has placed in your life to include and most importantly Jesus Christ. Be strong, be courageous, and be willing to take a chance by trusting in God the Father.

Living Your Identity

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Living Your Identity

Bruce Wayne lives his life as an eccentric billionaire playboy. He has his day job, his public persona but when the sun goes down and he dons the cowl, the true Bruce Wayne comes out. The true face is the one that criminals fear, and the one that stalks the streets of Gotham City. You can look at nearly all the superheroes and understand why they hide their super identity from the world. In The Dark Knight Rises Bruce Wayne tells Robin why he needed to wear a mask and it was to protect those people he cared about. I feel as if we as Christians have a secret identity, and that identity is Christian. I feel like we go to work and we never discuss our faith with anyone. We go to the grocery store and our faith stays at home. Even worse I feel like we go to bars, and strip clubs, and all manner of sinful things (no I’m not saying drinking at the bar is sinful), what I am saying is we check Christian at the door. How often do we hide who we are because we’re afraid of what someone might think? How often do we not stand up for what’s right as a Christian because we’re afraid of being ridiculed, or persecuted for it?

Not long ago I was in the grocery store, and I ran into someone I go to church with. We talked for a while and went our separate ways, but while I was grabbing what I went to the store for, I got a feeling in the pit of my stomach I couldn’t quite shake. I’m something of a newish good ol’ country boy. I like guns, and bows, and I listen to rock and roll, and I drink wine, and beer. I don’t drink to get drunk, but I feel and felt that if that person saw me buying beer that I would be judged. There are two things I’d like to say, one; we as Christians are some of the most judgmental people on the planet. Two, we as Christians are some of the most gossiping people on the planet. I fully understand and respect Christians that choose not to drink, however, those who condemn people for drinking have no real basis to do so. Drinking a beer or two doesn’t make me a bad Christian. Drinking a glass of wine doesn’t make me a bad Christian. Why are Christians so afraid to stand out, and the ones that do, why are they so afraid to be able to live who they are? This is a big problem many Christians face today, but it comes back to judgment.

I have felt in my life that I needed to hide my faith from others. The desire to fit in, the desire to be liked overwhelmed what I should have done and I hid who I was. Sadly I paid for that mistake as I ended up marrying someone who did not share my values, did not share my faith, and when the time came, I was left with nothing. I knew I shouldn’t have put my faith in the closet like that, but I was afraid that I wouldn’t ever find someone who cared for me like my ex-wife did, and when things got a little tough, she walked away without fighting to save the marriage. We as Christians must realize that our relationship with God is the most important thing in our lives. We must always put God first, and trust that our faithfulness will be rewarded. We should never deny Christ as Peter had. Matthew 26:70-74“70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you are saying.” 71 And when he had gone out to the gateway, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, “This fellow also was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 But again he denied with an oath, “I do not know the Man!” 73 And a little later those who stood by came up and said to Peter, “Surely you also are one of them, for your speech betrays you.” 74 Then he began to [a]curse and [b]swear, saying, “I do not know the Man!” Immediately a rooster crowed.”

Every time we turn our backs on Christ, and we keep our faith locked away because of any reason, it never matters why, we are no better then Peter. We must not be ashamed of our faith, and we must never let fear be the reason we say nothing. We are promised persecution for our faith, and if we are truly going to accept Jesus as our savior, we must accept the struggles that come with it. Now, that being said, as for the other issues, we need to remember something, we are not holy, we are not righteous in any way. We are in no position to judge anyone else. The ONLY thing we are to do is politely call someone on their sins, and offer loving aid to help them. We are not called to pass judgment on someone. We are not called to dictate what is or is not acceptable from the world standards. The only place we just be going to determine what is and what isn’t okay is scripture. Let me point something out to those Christians who think drinking is a sin. John 2:1-11“2 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” 6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” 11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and [a]manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”

So here is the Son of God at a wedding. Read verse 10 again, the master of feast called saying at the beginning of the party the good stuff is put out, but by the time everyone is drunk and happy, the cheap stuff is put out because no one cares anymore. Jesus didn’t turn the water into bad wine even, he made it into the best wide they’d had. Now, I’m not saying it’s okay to get drunk, but what I am saying is, there’s nothing wrong with having drinks in moderation. Scripture says not to be a drunkard, and what that means is we do some stupid stuff when we drink. We must stay sober minded not to do sinful things under the guise of alcohol. There is no excuse for doing stupid things while drunk. The choice to drink is yours and drunk is never an excuse. Now on the flip side, we must stop thinking we have the right to judge others. We don’t know what anyone is going through, and we have no place to pass any kind of judgment for any reason. Our place is to love, and be there for others. Our place is to share the Love and Gospel of Jesus Christ, and show the world what being a Christian is all about. No one wants to be around gossip, or judgmental self-righteous people. I have heard so often from people who have sworn off church because they always felt like they were being judged by people in the church. How much damage has been done by people of the church because of actions such as these? The numbers frighten me because I think of all the souls that are potentially lost because we as Christians have not conducted ourselves in the best light.

Someone once said to me that you had to be able to connect with your congregation and it was important that you are approachable. I come from the military and one thing veterans do is drink. Most veterans drink far to much, but it’s common place to have a beer with friends, and laugh and joke, and I find most veterans are more likely to open up at a gathering after having a beer or two. As a (hopefully) future reverend, I hope to be able to reach the veteran community. I hope to be approachable and if that means having a beer or two with veterans, to me it’s no different then having wine at a wedding. The reason I was so concerned at the store is because I know how some people are and some topics are touchy subjects for some people. I neither want to be the subject of gossip, nor the subject of someone’s judgment. Ultimately however, my actions are between God and me. I trust that if I stepped out of place I would made aware of it, and I would have to face the consequences for my actions. We should never have to hide because of fear. Growing up I hid I was a nerd in school because I was terrified I’d never be accepted. Now I have a blog post that I am literally comparing the Gospels to today’s age of the Geek. What I was once afraid of I now share proudly. I am a Christian, I am a nerd, I drink beer, and I talk to sinners. I talk to non-believers, and I converse with people of different faiths. I am decorated Army Veteran, and on occasion I might use a curse word. It should come as no surprise to anyone that I too am a sinner. I too fall short of the glory of God, and I to struggle with the world and my faith.

We are all attacked by the Devil, attacked by the world, attacked by the flesh, but we always have to fight as hard as we can. We draw our strength from our Lord and Savior, and we are covered in protection when we ask for it. Psalm 91:4“He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.” Let’s all cool it on the gossip, and let us all stop judging one another, and just love one another. Lift up one another in talk, not tear down. Live your identity and remember it’s Jesus’s judgment we must be concerned with, not that of man. Never be afraid to be who you are. I’ve been condemned for being a Christian and the more I study, the more I preach and teach, the less tolerant those around be become. It was fine me being a Christian as long as I didn’t talk about it. It was find being a Christian as long as it didn’t come up in conversation, but now, more and more people are proving to be less open to hearing me out, and even as far as no longer supporting me and my path. I have found it difficult as my mornings now start with yet another person pulling their support. One by one acquaintances drop away and I find that as the Devil pushes me, I must remain vigilant and affirm who I am. I am a Christian, and I am a man seeking redemption for years of mistakes and sins. I am a man driven to help others going through hell on Earth that I’ve experienced. I’m a Christian who wants to share the love and grace of Jesus Christ, not because of something I think might be true, but what I know to be true by the evidence within my own life. I’m a Christian who loves the Lord and will stand firm as I am taunted, and exiled from parts of my old world. I have faith in God the Father, and I know he renews that Faith, and through the hard times, or the peaceful times, I will not bend a knee to the world just because it wants me to. I will not acquiesce to be silent in my faith. I am a Christian, and I will live my identity. I don’t need to hide who I am, and I won’t.

Behold The Power of Thor

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Behold The Power of Thor

“Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.” The inscription on the fictional hammer of Mjolnir. Thor possesses this hammer and the power is power within. When his powers were stifled by Odin in the first Thor movie, he was sent on a journey to discover himself. He needed to discover the true nature of a leader, of a King, and what it meant to truly be worthy of the gift of Thor. What are we worthy of before God of the universe? The answer is absolutely nothing. We deserve nothing but its through Grace we are gifted eternal life. When Thor betrays his father Odin, the King, he is cast out, stripped of his powers, stripped of his rightful place in Asgard. Odin being a loving and benevolent King and father did not send Thor to Earth without the possibility to return. He enchanted the hammer Mjolnir to give Thor back his power if and when Thor displayed himself worthy, to submit to the power of Thor which was to be kind to others, to be selfless towards others, and to be humble, all traits to make a great future King. In our walk with Christ we are told nothing we do in this life would ever make us worthy of the perfection of Heaven. Heaven cannot have a black mark within it, so in order to be worthy, we are washed, cleansed by the Blood of Christ, and we are made new, burning away the flesh of old, and becoming a new creature, submitting ourselves, humbly before the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:17“17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

What does it mean to be unworthy? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Unworthy as “a : lacking in excellence or value : poor, worthless b : base, dishonorable” In scripture, we see what we are to in the presence of God, Isaiah 64:6“But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like [a]filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.” When you look up this verse in the Hebrew it actually means our righteousness is like a dirty menstrual rag. The rag a woman uses to clean herself during her monthly cycle is how we are compared. That’s pretty low, and yet we see our salvation, and grace regardless of what we are worthy of. Ephesians 2:8-10 “8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”

Much like Thor we have failed to be worthy of the kingdom. We however have hope in Jesus Christ, as Thor had hope in the hammer. In the Old Testament of the Bible the Jews looked forward to their savior, they where holding out for a hero to save them for their enemies, and when the day came, they rejected the truth because it wasn’t what they wanted. Thor regained his strength, his power through the change within himself. The Hammer gave him his strength back, but the hammer isn’t what gifted him his true power. The cross is what the Jews looked forward to, and we as Jews and Gentiles look back towards the cross, it’s not the cross itself that gave us our hope, it’s the blood of Christ that was spilt. We were washed with that blood, and since then we have the power of the Holy Spirit flowing through us. We must only believe in that power, believe in the sacrifice made for us to be saved from eternal death, and be given eternal life.

When Thor’s hammer is broken by his opposite Hela, he feels despair, lost, powerless, but in time, he found the power didn’t come from the symbol, it didn’t come from the hammer, no, the power was inside him all along. We don’t get our power and strength from the cross; we get the power from the Holy Spirit of Christ, which flows through us. We don’t need to carry a cross to have the power, we don’t need to eat the bread and drink the wine to have the power, those are merely symbols of the power given, the power of Love, Mercy, Forgiveness. We are gifted with Eternal salvation as brothers, sisters, children, of the King. We are God’s hands and feet, and we work not for ourselves, but to show the glory of God within us. We share the good news of Christ because when we submit to the Lord, and we love Jesus for everything done for us, we should be excited and unable to contain our joy. Much like Thor would make the thunder come when he had strong emotions, we to should bring the sunshine and rainbows everywhere we go, because we have the power of the Holy Spirit, and we must allow Jesus Christ to work through us in all we say and Do. Don’t let the Devil break your cross, don’t let the Devil destroy your world, stand up, stand tall, and remember that those whom attack us “know not what they do.” So forgive them, and pray for them, and love them regardless, and you will inherit the Kingdom to live in peace, and joy for eternity. Perfection is what awaits us, and we to, like Thor, are forgiven for our insolence, our disobedience, our faithlessness, and our sins that make us dirty. Isn’t that a wonderful thing, to have hope knowing we could never earn it because we don’t have it? Jesus paid our ransom for us, He paid for the ticket into Heaven, and asked only one thing in return, Love and follow Christ, and Love your Neighbor. Simple, and yet so many will never submit to a higher authority, and so many will never know the love and grace of God.

 

 

God Said and We Must Trust

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God Said and We Must Trust

Genesis 2:1818 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”

Some days when I feel alone, when I feel discouraged, I think back to what God said and I know that in this season I may be alone, but I must put my faith in God that He has a plan bigger than I can see. It’s not easy going through life without the things we desire most, but if something is truly good for us the Lord will provide when the time is right. Being patient is one of the hardest things we as humans have to do. There are a lot of things I am patient with, but being alone is not one of them. While some people can go their entire lives alone, some people are wired for those human connections. Be strong in your faith, and trust in the Lord. Walk closely with Christ and listen to what the Holy Spirit is telling you. Find your purpose God has planned for you, and always trust in the process. God doesn’t make mistakes, and for every hardship, tragedy, struggle, God is with you working out the details. Do not loose hope, and do not despair, Jesus Christ is the truth, the way, the life. In his death we were given eternal hope, so never fear tomorrow, focus on today, and trust the plan. God

I Don’t Have The Answers

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I Don’t Have The Answers

With so much pain in the world, and so much selfishness, I can honestly say I don’t have all the answers. I see people when they are low, and I see people when they are on top of the world, but the only answer I have is Jesus Christ. The only hope I have is knowing that I’m not alone and even at times when it feels like the whole world is against me, I know I have Christ in my corner. There’s never been a moment I have been without Christ. I have been through Hell, and I’ve seen horrible things happen to people all around me. The only answers I have are those I find in the Holy Book. I have walked this walk for so long and doing it my own way only led to disaster. Trying to rebuild from catastrophe after catastrophe is exhausting. While I may not have all the answers, I can say with authority what not to do. I can say what I’ve ended up with, and if I’m being completely honest I have lost nearly everything, twice. I know that Satan pushes us, Sin pushes us, the world pushes us, and God pulls us. We are fools if we don’t seek Godly counsel in our paths. Proverbs 12:15 15“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.”In my walk I found I had gotten lazy. I put off going to church, I put off my studies, and shortly after my life fell apart. As soon as I put down my armor the attack came and I was ill prepared to face it. My lack of preparedness was evident as my fall from the tower I had built.

Life is hard, and it can be cruel and unforgiving. Mistakes can haunt us for the rest of our lives, and we sometimes have to live with the foolish decisions we’ve made. What I can say is we must turn to God in our foolishness and ask for forgiveness. We must repent with our hearts, and trust that God will take us just the way we are. When we accept Jesus into our lives, He changes us. We are reborn like the phoenix, the fire burns away the old self leaving what God put in us all along. 1 John 4:1“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” When we follow Christ we are often tested, and people may come into our lives as part of that test. We must realize that not everything is as it appears. Some things that may look like blessings on the surface may not truly be, and it’s up to us to test that. Do not be caught unawares. Be careful whom you become attached to. I have failed in this more time then I care to admit, and each time I have felt the sting of rejection, and it’s led me to a dark place inside myself. Not everyone we meet will lift us up, some are there to tear you down. It’s up to us to let scripture and the Holy Spirit guide us. When we stand apart from the world, it will be harder to find those to lift us up. Do not allow your loneliness to compromise your integrity for the companionship and lure of the flesh you so long for. Be earnest in your prayers to God, follow His plan for you, trust in Him, and submit yourself to know when the time is right, God will take care of you.

The Devil Attacks In The Night

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The Devil Attacks In The Night

I lay awake, the pain shoots through my body, waking me in a fit of coughing. I breathe heavily, and gasp for air. The memory of thoughts I had come rushing back. The voice in my head spreading lies and hoping I break. The lies tell me I’m worthless and I’m not someone anyone could love. The lies tell me I’m always going to be alone. The Devil tries to convince me God has forsaken me and that he no longer loves me. The Devil tells me God is withholding this blessing I pray for every day. I’m weakened by many hardships in recent weeks and some of the lies deep through the cracks in the armor.

 

Alone at night and with nowhere to turn I cry. I feel the anger bubbling inside as the voice of Yoda rings in my mind. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. That is the voice of truth. I have become angry, and as I struggle with the lies and the truth, and the logic somewhere mixed in, I’m left with a mixed bag of complex emotions. What would Jesus say to me if he were here with me? I believe he would tell me to have faith. I believe he would tell me to hold onto his robe and trust that even though I can’t see it there’s a plan. He would tell me that though this trial is a horrible one to trust in Him and believe that I’m not alone. I believe Christ would tell me to resist the lies from The deceiver and cast Satan away. I believe Christ would tell me how special I am, how important I am, and how loved I am. I believe Christ is with me in this dark room, adding light to my despair.

 

The darkness can come at any time, and when you’re down, and depressed the evil will creep in and capitalize on that fear and doubt. My fear is a dent that would cause any para-demon to salivate over. I would lure them in and be forced to face Stepenwolf himself. I know that fear leads to anger, because I want to scream, and yell, and cry. I take a moment and hold my anger in and pray instead. Jesus be with me to calm my spirit, heal my heart, and quiet my mind. I know deep in the storm I will be rescued because God doesn’t make mistakes. I was saved from death for a reason, and though the Devil would like me to forget, the scar on my shoulder reminds me that Jesus is with me always.

 

If you feel like I do don’t worry for Jesus loves you too. Never fear of being alone for simply believing in Christ and he’ll be right by your side. Don’t give up hope because so long as you breathe there will always be hope. Jesus is Pure light and darkness cannot survive in the light. I’ve been so angry I want to scream and hit stuff. I’ve been so down I want to cry and never get out of bed. The doubt I have about myself is strong, and the horrible thoughts of the past run through my mind. All are lies from the Devil.1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” We must remain strong and resist the lies that are whispered. The Devil wants you to believe you’re all alone in your struggles. The Devil wants you to believe that if you put yourself before all things, all things will fall into place. The Devil wants you to believe that it’s in the one thing we want that will make us happy. The Devil wants you to believe that what you can see, touch, taste, feel, is all we will ever need. Lastly, the Devil wants you to believe you’ll never be good enough. These are the lies of the Devil, and they hit us all in a very real, very tangible war. The struggles to fight this kind of war can be difficult, especially when loneliness and isolation begin. How do we fight such attacks, and what do we do when the attack comes?

 

The Devil has seen to it that in the last two years I’ve been isolated and has blocked every chance I’ve had at meeting new people, making new friends, and perhaps even finding love again. The Devil has been planting lies in my head and after two years of fighting, I have seen the cracks appear in the armor. I have wavered in my defense against the darkness, and slowly it creeps in covering my eyes. The thought has crept in that maybe, just maybe it would have been better had I not survived my horrific accident nearly two years ago. The lies have become shrouded in half-truths. The lies have been based on fact, twisting the cause, making me question who I am, my purpose in life, and my self worth. The doubts about myself have been strong, and it feels like the push against my shield is forcing me back towards the ledge, my spiked sandals buried into the ground trying with everything to hold my ground. How long can I hold out against such an attack, I ask myself. How long can I fight the Devils onslaught? That’s when it occurs to me, the truth, the truth enlightened my eyes, the truth from God.

 

I am under attack because I am moving in the right direction. I am under attack because I am sharing the Gospel every day. I am under attack because I am in training. I am Luke Skywalker on the Death Star facing against the darkness, listening to the Devil lie to me, fueling my anger, fueling my hatred, that’s the dark side of the force I feel, and I will not be tempted by it. I will not succumb to it. I will resist with the strength of the light and I will not give the Devil the satisfaction of winning this war. I am a threat to the Devil and I know it. I have the ability given to me by God to deliver scripture to others. I have been blessed by God for a purpose, for a mission that I have now chosen to accept. I couldn’t figure out why this depression had set in, why I had felt so lost, and alone, why so many rejections have been all around me. I realize now, it’s the attack I thought I had prepared for. I knew when I started the Devil would come for me, and it happened so slowly I hadn’t realized I was under attack. The Devil is cunning, and slippery, and determined, but ultimately, the Devil is desperate. The Devil is sad, and broken, and knows He’ll never win the fight. The Devil wants others to join in his misery, his tormented heart. Misery loves company, and he tries to bring others down with him. I felt the draw to the darkness, and for weeks I’ve fought the hopelessness, the hurt, the fear. I truly believed it would have been better off if things had gone differently two years ago. (Not saying I’d do anything now, now worries)The Devil uses anything he can to sway his argument, and he uses our pain, and our fears against us. The fight must continue on, we must remain strong, we must not give in to the darkness. Stand firm, and use the shield and the Armor of God Ephesians 6:10-18 to get you though some of the worst spiritual warfare you’ll ever experience. There is always hope, just follow the light, the light of Jesus Christ.

 

 

Snap, Crackle, What?

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Snap, Crackle, What?

Have you ever been in physical pain? I’m betting most of you have been at some point. Yesterday, I was at my physical therapy appointment and we were working on a spot of pain in my mid back. The likely suspect was a rib that wasn’t quite in place. It seems between a fractured rib, and a damaged lung, two years ago it may not have set quite right. It occurs to me that one of the things we rarely understand is why we are afflicted with physical ailments, and how those pains can be used to glorify God. When I think about the passion of Christ, I think about pain, suffering beyond anything I could ever imagine. I think about the flesh being torn from bone, the lacerations, the tearing of muscle, and how agonizing that must have been. I don’t think I would be able to endure that kind of pain. I think about the drive one must have had to go through that voluntarily. I don’t think I would volunteer for the pain I have right now. But the love Christ showed us, knowing he could have stopped at any time, is truly showing grace upon humanity. Romans 8:18“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” The suffering we have today is nothing compared to what we will have in Heaven IF we know God, and know our savior Jesus Christ. While our physical pain may be an inconvenience, I give you this, do not let it become a roadblock, merely a speed bump. Pain doesn’t mean the end, it simply means different. While I’ve never watched the movie, much to my shame, the movie Soul Surfer comes to mind. A young woman, an amazing surfer was attacked by a shark and lost part of her arm. Instead of letting that destroy her hopes and dreams, she rose up, and learned to surf with only one arm. I have a friend who loves to surf, he lost his leg in Iraq and he surfs regularly with his prosthesis. While there are days he hurts, he doesn’t let it stop him from doing what he loves.

It occurs to me that we have a choice when it comes to getting older. We can complain about our physical pains, or we can find a way to overcome them. We can choose whether or not to let that pain be the victor over us. While some pain may be debilitating, I believe even then we can somehow use that situation to still glorify God. The whole idea is knowing Christ suffered, and we will too. We aren’t going to live a perfect pain free life, but we should truly be honored to know that when we follow Christ we are going to share in eternal blessing. 1 Peter 2:21“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” Knowing we follow in Christ’s steps is humbling. Knowing that we are given the opportunity to be with the King of the Universe and that we are loved so much that even though we are filthy sinners, that we will be made clean, that we will transform, and one day enter the gates of perfection for all eternity, is simply beautiful. The wonders of Heaven are far greater then our minds can comprehend, but when we think of it, we must grasp even a little so we may appreciate what we have here.

The pain we have now, is only for a little while in the scales of life eternal, so don’t loose hope. We know what awaits us, and we know that somehow the pain we have can be used to adore God, used to praise God, and we should never pass an opportunity to do so. There is a message to be shared in every situation if we take the time to examine scripture and our current condition and circumstance. Don’t loose hope, there is a better tomorrow ahead.

When the World Is Just Weird

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When the World Is Just Weird

I was talking to someone very important in my life today. They stood up for me in a big way, and said some very nice things. I don’t generally get a lot of positive reinforcement in my life, and over the last two years of so many rejections I’ve lost count, I have come to appreciate the positive stuff when it does come my way. Sometimes our blessings can come from the strangest of places. Once in a while a hidden gem shines through and the brilliant light that glimmers is a reminder that God is always working even when times seem the most bleak. It’s not always easy to see the silver lining in the storm. Sometimes we get so overwhelmed with the bad things, the continual crashing of the waves as we are just bobbing in the water trying to stay afloat. When all we can taste is the salt, and the roar of the waves drowns out our own screams for help, we have to remember that somewhere out there is a rescue swimmer ready to pull us out. I heard a saying one time that God is doing one of three things. 1. He’s walking along side you. 2. He’s pushing you along. 3. He’s dragging you out of the battle zone. See, we aren’t ever alone, and even when we feel like we are, we don’t know who’s about to come into our lives, or what’s going on in someone’s life to give you a little encouragement.

We know that this life isn’t easy, and that sometimes it’s just downright unfair. The thing about life though is we are told from the beginning that it’s not fair, and we should expect it. 1 Peter 4:12-13 “12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” Partaking in Christ’s sufferings… That’s a powerful statement, and one I would say we miss more often then not. When we think of the crucifixion we think of the beating Christ took. Most of us has seen The Passion of the Christ, and how brutal the Romans were. The fact is, Christ did endure the worst kind of torture any of us could imagine, and then was forced to carry his own cross for miles to the place where he would be nailed and tied to it before being lifted up where his full weight would be pulling down causing extreme agony, and a struggle to breathe. All of this however isn’t the true suffering. While this was an attack on his physical body, the attack of the soul was far more upsetting. Christ was both son of, and God at the same time. These are 3 distinct parts of the trinity when added to the Holy Spirit. Each of the parts separate, but together as one. We have a hard time understanding this concept, but in reality, if mortals could understand it, then God wouldn’t be God. Jesus grew up his whole life as part of that Holy Trinity. While we don’t know much about his early life, we do know he was teaching at the Temples early in his life. He spoke with the authority of a high priest, yet only a boy with such knowledge and understanding of the Holy Scriptures. We don’t know if he showed divine powers as a child or if they manifested when he was ready. We do know that before Christ started his ministry he attended a wedding in which the wine ran out, and his mother Mary, asked him to perform a miracle and turn that water into wine. She knew he had the power to do so, or she wouldn’t have asked. So here’s a man roughly 34 years old who’s been God on earth feeling, and growing as a mortal man, but hanging on that cross something had to happen in order for our sins to be paid for by the ransom in blood. Christ must be made apart so the full divine wrath could be poured out onto him in payment for the sins of all mankind. Going from divine to mortal in the blink of an eye, and then feeling the full wrath of God attacking your very soul. How much emotional suffering that must have been for Christ? Another avenue to consider is how difficult it must have been for Christ to stay on that cross? Christ being God he could have turned every last Roman into morning doves, or even a single celled ameba’s. He had to make a choice to endure the pain, the suffering the ridicule. A choice he knew the consequences to. Love concurred over hate that day on Skull Mountain. From the fall from grace mankind has watched as hate covered the land in darkness. Greed, perversion, anger, hatred, selfishness, all the deepest darkest recesses of our brains and our hearts laid out in the most horrific acts imaginable. Today we see child rape, murders, wars, thievery, forced slavery, selfish dictatorships, and a plethora of other horrible displays of man’s wickedness. Christ knew and saw our future, and there were times when he told the Apostles about our future and yet he made the choice, the most unselfish choice anyone would ever make, “to lady down their life for a friend.” Christ not only voluntarily endured the worst pain and torture by man imaginable, he chose to endure the wrath of the Father completely for the sins of man. We as people can barely give up a few dollars to help the beggar on the street corner let alone forgive all of mankind for the worst traits imaginable.

We think it’s strange sometimes the little things we do for one another, and here’s our Lord and Savior that has done the unthinkable, and we are so small we can’t understand the magnitude of what this truly meant for us. It certainly shows how ungrateful we are. We have so many opportunities to share the Love of Christ with others and how often do we let it slip down the drain? We watch as a fallen world is plagued with death, and rape, and mass killings, and bombings, and weapons of mass destruction, and yet when we get the opportunity to give a little peace, to show a little love, to lift someone up, are we taking those chances? Sometimes the least likely people or person lifts us up in our lives. Last year around Christmas time I was in the Wal*Mart parking lot and a truck pulled up, the man driving asked me to come to the passenger door, and when I did he handed me an object. The object was a $100 dollar bill. I couldn’t believe it, but there it was in my hand, the generosity of a stranger, in the Wal*Mart parking lot. While I can go on and on about the wonderful things a few people have done. We are so surprised when random acts of kindness pop up in our lives, but if we were to truly think about it, why is that? Why do these acts of kindness happen so infrequently? In a world where Jesus told us to go forth baptizing all the people of the world, to spread the word the hope and love of Jesus Christ, and to love our neighbors as ourselves, can we honestly say we are doing that? When was the last time any of us did a random act of kindness for a stranger? I’m blessed to have some great friends who do nice things for me pretty often. I try within my means to do nice things for them in return just as often. I try to be nice, and kind, and respectful to everyone I meet. But when we look at acts of kindness as weird or bizarre, I would say that we as Christians have failed in the mission we’ve been given by Christ. Acts of kindness should be commonplace not a rarity. Showing love to those around us shouldn’t be reserved for those people we know, but for everyone we meet. When we look at the sacrifice made for us, and yet we can’t even do the one small thing Christ asked us to do, shame on us. We need to do better. Now don’t get me wrong, we are told to be good stewards of our gifts from God so please use a little common sense and verify your kindness isn’t going to be taken advantage of.

It’s not a hard thing to do to be nice to others. Today when I was told such wonderful things from one of the most unlikely of places, it reminded me that there is love in this world even if we don’t see it often. Today I saw many acts of kindness come my way, and as I’ve been actively trying to fight the onset of depression, those random acts of kindness went a long way. There are so many things we can do for others, hold the door, give the right away while driving, saying please and thank you, asking someone how their day went, and so many more. We never know how just the smallest act of kindness can change someone’s entire day. Do something unexpected, do something wonderful, and remember if Christ was willing to take on everything He endured, the least we can do is put a little love back into this world.

 

 

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It’s a wonderful thing to be able to share the blessings and teachings of Christ with all of you. For those who read my works in Christ, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Recently I came across an amazing home business based in Travel and Entertainment that’s the real deal. The savings found through this business are amazing. If you shop online, like to go to movies, or travel, this gift card for you can save you up to 50%. Please enjoy your gift as a symbol of my appreciation and gratitude. God Bless.

House Divided

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House Divided

Matthew 12:25-30“25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” Jesus is showing the Pharisees how ridiculous they are in questioning the miracle they had just witnessed. His response which was much longer then just the few verses above was aimed to show them, rather to call them out for the deliberate lie they had tried to spread. The Pharisees knew the power Jesus used came from God.

It’s important to know that as a home how important it is to have a united front. It’s important to stay united because divided a house falls. During the Illinois Republican State Convention, Springfield, Illinois June 16, 1858 Abraham Lincoln spoke on the rising tensions between the North and the South. It was believed separation was possible and eventually the divided nation did happen. The nation nearly fell apart because it couldn’t agree on policies. Homes, countries, states can be torn apart when anything moves in and begins to tear down the walls of communication. I’ve seen loving homes broken because of differences of opinions or beliefs. I’ve watched families torn and divided because ultimately the united front putting God first wasn’t there anymore. It’s important that in a household that the focus is the same, and as commanded in scripture, the priority is always God first.

Our country was founded as a Christian nation. The founders believed in God first and all these years later it’s my opinion we’ve lost sight of that, and we’ve begun to fight and war with each other and it’s caused a divide within this nation. Even with the idea that everyone has the right to celebrate his or her own faith without persecution. We’ve become a nation of judgments, of sensitivity, and hatred. We do not respect one another, and we’ve gotten to the point now where we don’t show love for one another.

It’s important that we understand that it’s Jesus that changes hearts. It’s the blood of Christ that gives us hope in this dark world. It’s faith that keeps us strong, and when we remember that this life is but a fleeting moment in the big picture, and eternity is what awaits us, we can focus and manage each problem with a clear head, and an open heart. While we may be divided right now we haven’t fallen apart yet. Jesus Christ is the truth, and the way, and if we can turn our focus to God we may realize that it’s Christ that can change our path. We are but a leaky vessel and if we are to remain afloat, it’s Christ that protects us from the waters. Remember to put your faith in Christ and keep your house together. Divided we fall, we cannot combine our forces to fight the spiritual warfare that comes if we are facing each other. The Devil wants to pit us against one another, to turn on one another. Just like the Joker in The Dark Knight. “Don’t talk like you’re one of them! You’re not, even if you’d like to be. To them you’re just a freak, like me. They need you right now, but when they don’t, they’ll cast you out—like a leper. See, their morals, their “code”…it’s a bad joke, dropped at the first sign of trouble. They’re only as good as the world allows them to be. I’ll show you, when the chips are down, these—ah—”civilised people”? They’ll eat each other. See, I’m not a monster. I’m just ahead of the curve.” The Joker was trying to divide Batman from the people he swore to protect. The Devil seeps in to homes and spreads lies, creates insecurities, mistrust, whispers of a better life with someone else, and slowly the thoughts change, and the cracks in the foundation begin. Before long left untreated the crack divides the house and what’s left is destruction. In Christ the fracture can mend, the bonds broken can heal, but it takes two parts to mend back together. You have to be willing to extend an olive branch and talk to each other. Come back together putting Christ first, and heals the bonds that were broken.

 

 

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http://www.travelrewardsus.com

http://hangout.paid2save.com/

It’s a wonderful thing to be able to share the blessings and teachings of Christ with all of you. For those who read my works in Christ, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Recently I came across an amazing home business based in Travel and Entertainment that’s the real deal. The savings found through this business are amazing. If you shop online, like to go to movies, or travel, this gift card for you can save you up to 50%. Please enjoy your gift as a symbol of my appreciation and gratitude. God Bless.