jesus christ – Page 26 – The Arrow Preacher

The Climb

August 18, 2018 thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

The Climb

The dark cloud covers the land blotting out the sun. The wind blows, cold, cutting through to the bone. The masses gather and the whistle from the trees haunting the sky with echoed screams. The silence is broken by the cries of thousands. What’s left but shadows from millions marching aimlessly with no hope? A nightmare that rages on inside of so many, and for many it feels like Heaven is unobtainable. Darkness fills the air, and the sky gray and dismal devoid of any colors. The world washes away the reds, and blues, the yellows, and greens, and all that’s left is the grays and the blacks. Cold and uncaring are the thousands who march along the baron straights. The rage that boils inside hot as lava, but never breaking the surface. The tornado rages on inside every day and night, with no reprieve. The hope seems lost and days turn to weeks, weeks turn to months and eventually the light is lost. The perpetual storm that wakes the sleeping with nightmares. The callus heart full of scar tissue, and broken dreams beats reluctantly but doesn’t stop. With no feelings left, with no joy left, with no hope, what’s left when you can’t feel anything?

The brave stand a wall, the floodgates locked tight, not even a drop gets through. The masses begin the climb, the mountain of glass, and nails, and ice shards that cut deep to the bone. The reflections in the ice are unique to each climber’s thoughts. The climb taxes the climber, drawing the strength through the rock and ice like a magnet. A climber falls all the way down, the climb is over and they are lost to the icy depths they fought for so long. The thoughts betray the climbers, each stung with regret, with sorrow, with fear, and the anger boils the skin, but no release is found. The wind is choking with the frigid temperatures and the whispers heard of the past force the tears to well in the eyes, but clinging to the rock face for dear life, the voices say let go. Looking down and around thousands climb the walls, and 22 have fallen. The wind screams in your face and you just don’t know how much you can take. How long can you climb this forever wall in the cold, alone, lost, frozen to the bone with no joy and hope inside? What’s stopping you from just letting go and falling?

Hundreds of thousands feel this way every day of their lives. Each one sees something different when they close their eyes, and the cause is different for everyone, but the climb is the same nevertheless. For many years I felt that inside as I went through my day-to-day life. I would smile and laugh on the outside but inside I felt as if I were climbing the mountain. It took years to finally find peace, and even with the peace I have, what seemed like a straight upward climb now feels like a brisk walk up the hill. Some days the clouds return, the whispers in the wind taunt me, and the razor sharp spikes stick out of the wall. PTSD is a nightmare inside every person who has it. Combat PTSD for me has had its good years, and its bad, but it’s always there. PTSD affects hundreds of thousands of veterans and sadly 22 veterans a day fall from that wall. It’s important to know what the struggle looks like because from the outside sometimes you can’t ever tell. For me, most had no idea what I was going through, and my failure to articulate that made my fate even sadder. I didn’t put much out there for people to truly be concerned with because even at my worst days when I might have been down I never let it hold onto me that long. The whispers from the wind are the Devil telling you you’re not strong enough. You’re not brave enough to keep going, and you’ll never be worthy of love or forgiveness. Many people don’t understand the nature of combat PTSD because it’s so complex. For me personally I felt guilty for ‘letting’ a friend of mine die under my care, but the term ‘letting’ means I actually had some control, which logically I didn’t. The guilt and blame I feel for the premonition that the explosive was there, and yet I didn’t do enough to stop it from happening. The closest thing I could explain it to was final destination. A wave of knowing something was wrong, something I sensed and my voice wasn’t loud enough simply because it sounded crazy to everyone but myself. Despite not having any true control in my heart I maintained the blame and guilt, and sorrow for years. PTSD is that tiny thread that still hangs on despite all reason or rational thought, controlling the narrative and lying to my very soul. The Devils grasp is strong and once he finds the chink in the armor he never stops attacking. It’s so important to know where those feelings and thoughts come from, and once we understand that we are under spiritual attack, only then can we mount a defense. Jesus Christ is the first, last, and only line of defense against the worst scum of the universe, the Devil. 1 John 5:11-12“11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has [a]life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” Jesus Christ is love, and grace, and hope all rolled into one. Jesus Christ is our redemption, our salvation, our truth, and it’s in the blood of Christ that our sins are washed away. It’s in Jesus Christ we don’t have to live for yesterday, but we have hope to look towards tomorrow. It’s Jesus Christ that forces those clouds to fall away to the sun, and the mountain turns to calm rolling hills. The ice turns into grassy meadows with calm streams beside it. Knowing who Jesus is on a personal level doesn’t stop the storms from ever coming, but it gives us the tools, the shelter, but most importantly the hope to survive the temporary storm that might come upon us. For this I offer this following scripture to offer peace with those suffering from trauma, or crisis, PTSD or otherwise.

Psalm 91 New King James Version (NKJV)

Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God

91 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High

Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;

My God, in Him I will trust.”

3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the [a]fowler

And from the perilous pestilence.

4 He shall cover you with His feathers,

And under His wings you shall take refuge;

His truth shall be your shield and [b]buckler.

5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,

Nor of the arrow that flies by day,

6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,

Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

7 A thousand may fall at your side,

And ten thousand at your right hand;

But it shall not come near you.

8 Only with your eyes shall you look,

And see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because you have made the Lord,who is my refuge,

Even the Most High, your dwelling place,

10 No evil shall befall you,

Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,

To keep you in all your ways.

12 In their hands they shall [c]bear you up,

Lest you [d]dash your foot against a stone.

13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,

The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;

I will [e]set him on high, because he has known My name.

15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will deliver him and honor him.

16 With [f]long life I will satisfy him,

And show him My salvation.”

Find peace knowing that Jesus Christ loves us enough to never forsake us. Jesus is always with us no matter how much we hurt. We are never alone and even when it feels like, we only need to listen and Christ will show us and tells us where to go. We must surrender to Christ and accept his sovereignty over all things, and we must accept that we cannot do this alone. Do not be so proud than to ask for help. Do not be so proud that you’re willing to fall from that cliff without trusting in Jesus. Jesus will hold you tight in the storm, and you will make it to the plateau. Veterans with PTSD don’t quit, keep fighting and when it feels like you cannot hold on any longer, find a buddy. Don’t be afraid to open up.

I’ve talked about PTSD in the past, and as I am preparing for a new round of treatments for other traumas I never faced, the storm with the mountain is bound to come before me, so in preparation for that, I hold true to my promise I will never go it alone again.

Two Worlds Collide

August 16, 2018 thearrowpreacher2 Comments

Two Worlds Collide

A while back I met someone who was a different denomination as myself. While I never put much thought into the many denominations of Christianity, it wasn’t long before I started noticing a lot of differences in the way we worshipped. She had said something to me that caught me off guard one day, she said, ‘so you’re going to stop talking to me now aren’t you?’ I was taken aback when I heard that. I had never known anyone to be so worried about how others saw them based on their personal worship choice. That was a couple months ago and I’m happy to announce we are still friends despite significant differences in worship style.

A few months ago I met someone else, but instead of being a different denomination, they were a different religion all together. Come to find out they were a practicing Pagan. Much to my surprise it’s more common then I thought it was. I had decided I wanted to judge them by the content of their personality and their character not by the faith they chose to follow. (Not that we should be judging anyone) I found they were sweet, and kind, and caring, and generous, and an all around lovely human being. We should never be so quick to judge someone because when we do, when we judge based on their faith, or the way they look, we take away the possibility to learn, to witness and to truly meet wonderful people in this world. (Disclaimer: Satan worshipers truly do frighten me.)

It’s important for us as Christians to understand something; we are not to spend all of our time just hanging out and fellowshipping with other Christians. We cannot evangelize, we cannot minister, we cannot witness to unbelievers if we never go out of our own church. The Great Commission was very clear, “Go Forth to ALLthe nations of the world and baptize.” Given the opportunities in my life I’ve been able to share the gospel to many different faiths in my life. I have witnessed to Pagan’s, Muslims, Atheists, and while I don’t know if I’ve ever had an impact on their salvation, what I do know is it’s not my job to convert people. My job is to share the Gospel and the Truth of Jesus Christ, and to witness and love my neighbor. Once I do that the rest is in God’s hands. We can’t pick and choose who we want to talk about the Gospel to, we must understand that it’s never our place to judge others, and it’s important to know that while we may not be the direct link in the chain that causes someone’s heart to change, we must trust in God’s will, and God’s plan, and leave it up to faith.

In the past year however, I have also met a few different couples that their marriage is in trouble. It always hurts my heart knowing that marriages suffer, largely because I have been married twice, and both times I have been left standing alone trying to pick up the pieces of both a broken heart, and a broken life. The first time I got married, I married into a family that was completely non-religious. They weren’t atheists but I wouldn’t exactly call them Christian either. Sadly, at that time in my life, I was less concerned about differences in faith, than I was with being alone in life. When that marriage ended with an affair, and then the following destruction of everything I had I soon realized how important it was to not get into a relationship with someone who had a completely different set of morals than myself. My next marriage would be to a woman who’s family were devout Christians. I spent time getting to know them, watching them at church, seeing how they lived their lives, and even though no one’s perfect, I saw enough faith to determine I shouldn’t base someone’s past mistakes on their current standing with God. While that marriage also ended due to an affair, I have to acknowledge we as humans do become lost and walk on poor paths. I have learned my vetting process needs to be a lot more stringent and I need to focus more on how they worship, how they behave, and truly dive into their moral compass. That leads me to the next major point, the marriages that I have witnessed recently have been very unequally yoked.

Scripture tells us it’s not good for believers to be with unbelievers. 2 Corinthians 6:14“14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what [a]fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what [b]communion has light with darkness?” I am a firm believer that a persons faith is strongly tied into their moral compass. While this isn’t always the case, it will undoubtedly always create conflict. A persons faith will always come into play later in life, when it comes to children, or going to church, or even how we choose to treat one another. Generally when worlds collide it isn’t as epic as say a DC-Marvel cross over. While sometimes people of different faiths and religions, and cultures can get along great, that isn’t always the case. It’s important to be a united front in your life concerning your spouse. If you’re not on the same page it can cause a great deal of conflict, but even more so, if you’re not in the same book at all. I have often been a firm believer that you can “Love” someone, but that doesn’t mean they are right for you in a relationship. Love is a strange thing and while we may fall in love with someone of a different faith, or even someone whom we share nothing in common, we must realize that it takes more then LOVE to make a marriage work. Marriages that work are built from commonality, meaning similar interests, beliefs, goals, etc. Take out to many similarities and you may still love, but problems generally arise as cracks in the foundation become apparent. So what I’m trying to say is this, love everyone because it’s what we’re told to do. Be quick to listen and slow to speak. Learn and observe and always be respectful of those people you meet, even if they come from a different walk of life. Be careful of love that isn’t built on a well balanced foundation because if you jump into a marriage before the foundation is inspected, you may find that there are cracks and an uneven slab. You can’t build a house on a bad foundation. It’s okay to be friends with people of different faiths because it always gives us an opportunity to witness, so long as everyone is respectful and willing to listen. But most importantly, don’t sacrifice your own faith and love of Jesus Christ to try and make a relationship work. Our lives always have to love God first, then the rest follows. Jesus Christ always has to be our first love no matter how low we get, or how lonely. Always put your faith and trust in Christ and never sacrifice that belief for anyone.

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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.

Are You Super?

August 15, 2018 thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

Are You Super?

Recently I found a new Lego set containing Bat Woman. Recently I have found myself busy with school, with yoga, with Bible study, and yes, I’m still blogging every day. Someone asked me recently how I have been able to manage everything I’ve got to do, and somehow come up with a blog post every day. I didn’t know the answer then, and I still barely know now. God has blessed me over and over with a topic and inspiration. I think the definition of super is a regular person rising to the occasion to stand against injustice, and stand for something bigger then themselves. 2 Timothy 2:15“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” I was thinking about the story of Bat Woman. In the new 52 Kate Kane is an intelligent woman who attends a military academy but after a question of her sexuality she steps away and moves back to Gotham City. While there she is mugged and with her military training she’s able to fend off her attackers but is knocked to the ground. Batman comes in and helps her off the ground, and this is where she becomes fixated with Batman. From this point forward she starts her path of fighting crime. Here’s a woman who decided to not stand by when she knew she could make a difference. Scripture talks about the importance of standing up and doing what’s right.

Habakkuk 1:13“13 You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, And cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours A person more righteous than he?” The prophet was trying to understand how God would allow an evil country to win over a good country. The simple answer is God always has a plan. It’s in our hardships we truly learn who we are. When we trained in Korea my platoon didn’t get every breach right the first few times. We practiced over and over again till we became a well-oiled machine. Every superhero’s story starts off with some kind of tragedy. It’s in this tragedy that a person decides they won’t stand for the weak to be bullied and pushed around. I have watched as bullies have picked on someone weaker them themselves my whole life. Sometimes it’s been me who was the weak one, and sometimes I was the one to look on the situation. In every situation we have a choice to make where we can either allow our presence to make a positive impact, or a negative one. The thing with bullies and watching but doing nothing is the impact shows your own character. Imagine you’re the little kid on the ground getting punched and kicked by the school bully. You look down the hall and you see two students just watching, but choose to walk away. Laying on the ground your heart sinks, and you question what’s wrong with people. Every test is a test of faith, a test of character to see what kind of person we really are. Through the ashes of tragedy something beautiful can be born. Each and every one of us has the chance to be super in some way. James 4:17“17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” Standing by and doing nothing when we know it’s wrong is the same as committing the sin ourselves.

While many may not condone vigilante justice, one cannot deny the good this world would have if a man like Superman was flying around saving the day all the time. If a man like Batman created fear in the heart of criminals, would people feel safer walking around a dangerous city at night? While this is a highly subjective question, a man or woman who stands up to do what is right despite what the world says is right answers to God. God will always work in tragedies, violence, and hardships, even if we don’t see it.

Years ago when I was in Iraq I lost some very close friends of mine. I knew them, but I never knew their families. After their deaths, the years that followed would allow me the opportunity to be apart of a close adopted family. That incident brought together scouts, and medics, and the families of the fallen. Now, many years later we still talk, and we still have reunions. While loosing them was tragic, the bond we share, and the lives we’ve been apart of all around would never have happened otherwise. For me, having that family has helped in my own recovery, and when I was laying in the hospital recovering from the lowest point within my life, I was met by my family who came from all over the country to visit me, because they love me. You don’t have to be a super hero to be super. You just have to choose every day to do what is right over what is easy.

Rainbows

August 14, 2018 thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

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.

Women, Why Women?

August 13, 2018 thearrowpreacher2 Comments

Women, Why Women?

Have you ever put any thought into the reason so many people reject the idea of the resurrection of Jesus Christ? There are a few things I’d like to talk about concerning the resurrection of Jesus but first thing I’d like to do is talk about Mary, and Mary, the mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. During that time women had no rights, and were treated not much better then property. The law stated they did not qualify as legal witnesses. Why then would these two women be important to justification of Christ’s resurrection? Credibility. If the men who wrote the account of what the Mary’s had seen, and ultimately believed them, if it were to be a lie, Men would have been the first because that would have carried more weight around the world. Instead women were the first Christ came to, and no one would create such a lie at the time.

First and foremost one thing needs to be made clear, the Gospels written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are eyewitness accounts. These separate witness testimonies despite popular belief do ‘match’ completely because no matter what 4 people you put someplace as witnesses, none of them will give the exact same description and account of each event. In fact, if the stories were completely identical, it would seem more likely the event was fabricated and rehearsed, but that’s not what we see. And, if you were to say that each account was written by the same person just slightly different, forensics show that each Gospel was indeed written by someone different. One example is Greek historian Polybius and Roman historian Livy, both disagree in regards to Hannibal’s route crossing the Alps in Italy, however no historian question the actual trek itself. (McDowell, J., & McDowell, S., PhD. (2017) During the burial of Jesus Christ a large stone was placed in front of the tomb, and at the request of the Pharisees, a detachment of Roman Guards would stand watch to deter anyone from attempting to steel the body of Jesus Christ. Along with the guard a seal was placed upon the ropes showing no one would enter. The stone used would have weighed approximately 440 pounds. The idea that the Disciples were in cahoots to steal the body from well trained armed guards is debunked in scripture itself. Matthew 26:55,56, and Mark 14:49,50 both describe the Disciples scattered and hiding away from the Romans. It’s not likely that if this story were made up they would admit to such cowardice; however, the writers remained truthful, even to their own shame. Also, a secondary note was crusifixion at the time was highly public, and was done so to bring shame upon the individual and the families. To use this has a launch pad for a new religion would have had a much harder sell, then some other way.

Women:

Women found the tomb of Jesus empty, and again, if you were going to start a religion with credibility, you’d use more credible witnesses. Women at the time would be stoned to death if they were raped, and they were unable to obtain property. Women, also weren’t supposed to be out of the house without a male family escort. Why then would anyone use women as the starting point of their religion unless it actually happened? The Romans kept grueling details about each capital punishment, and there are documents which predate the writings of the New Testament. Philosopher J.P. Moreland affirms these points in preaching and sermonettes in Acts, and Creedal Statement of the Death, Burial and Resurrection. There are competing reasons that Jesus’s tomb may have been empty by both Jewish records, and Christian records, both agree the tomb was empty, both disagree as to why. This common idea that Jesus’s tomb was in fact empty, first found by women, while Roman guards were on duty, and without further alternative theories by Jewish and Roman officials, the continued eye witness accounts would have left both unable to refute any of the facts. Jesus would appear over a span of 40 days which is discussed in all 4 Gospels. He would appear not only to his Apostles and disciples, but to over 500 at one time. The soldiers standing guard would have been elite solders and failure in those days was not tolerated. Those soldiers would have suffered greatly for failing at their duties to include floggings, whippings, or even decapitation, neither a fate anyone would want to die for considering all they had to do was guard a 440 pound rock. “The Romans and Jews could not produce Christ’s body or explain where it went. Nevertheless, they refused to believe. Even today, men and women still reject the resurrection, not because of the insufficiency of evidence, but in spite of its sufficiency.” (McDowell, J., & McDowell, S., PhD. (2017)

It isn’t a matter of evidence because there is evidence all over the place by Christians, Jews, and Romans in regards to the life and death and subsequent resurrection of Jesus Christ. The fact is people will rebuke facts all day long, and people will argue the grass is blue just to spite your face. The cross is offensive to people because it represents each and every one of our faults and failings. We don’t like being told we are sinful, and we don’t like being told we aren’t good enough to enter into Heaven. The truth is, while we can bring evidence, and further go over eyewitness testimony, and while there have even been Atheists turned Christian in the pursuit of the truth, people will always turn their backs on truth, especially if it means having to look in the mirror. It’s sad to say that many Christians are only Christian by name, by status, but few actually know and understand what it means to be a follower of Christ. I look around and I’m ashamed at how many Christians lie, cheat, steal, abuse their spouses or their children. I’m ashamed at those Christians because they aren’t really Christians, but the damage done to the name of Christ, to the body of us who are truly saved in the blood of Christ, is beyond sad. While Christ’s name will live on, because Christ lives, and while Christ will continue to save lives, make a difference is those lives, it’s our job to stand firm, and stand apart from the world. As scripture says, Romans 12:2“2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”

Don’t underestimate the need of Apologetics, and the teaching of history and facts in the pursuit of your own studies. Evidence that demands a verdict: Life-changing truth for a skeptical world. Is a phenomenal book and resource, along with The POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF APOLOGETICS, BY HINDSON, and CANER. Stand apart, and do your own historical research. Study scripture, and understand the nature of what it means to be an eyewitness. There is more then just scripture if scripture isn’t enough for you. But all the evidence points back to one incontrovertible truth; the Bible is the one truth. Not a truth, no one persons truth, the truth. The price of being a skeptic is high, and if this is the only life you’re worried about, then that’s okay. As a Christian all we can do is give scripture, point out facts, and let God do the rest of the work. Go forth and be blessed this day.

Refrences

McDowell, J., & McDowell, S., PhD. (2017). Evidence that demands a verdict: Life-changing truth for a skeptical world. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson.

Take The Compliment!

August 12, 2018 thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

Take The Compliment!

What is it with our society that accepting compliments has become so difficult? I’ve been putting a lot of thought into this as I have recently begun getting more compliments then I’m used to. There are two areas in my life in which I get compliments, writing my blog, and my photography. I think sometimes compliments come infrequently and sometimes we put our expectations to treat the flesh rather then trying to please God. When we put our focus on why we do things for the pleasure of bring glory to God, we can take the edge off. For many months I hoped my blog traffic would increase and it would become popular. I placed my value on how good my blog was by how many people viewed each day. Even now, I get very few comments, and some days I struggle with not achieving the goals I had set for myself.

My photography is something of an interesting position for me. While I take a ton of photos and post them since I don’t get much feedback about them, I usually assume they are average or below. Because of these things I have often questioned both my writing and photography and in that, I lost focus about what was important. Bringing glory to God and talking about God word wasn’t my inside priority, and when I lost sight of that, I questioned myself, and what I was doing. I began to think of quitting, and in that time I struggled a great deal.

My blog posts now reach almost 600 entries and when I receive a compliment I don’t really know how to react. I have realized lately that I don’t take compliments well. I spent so much time being told I was worthless, that I wasn’t good enough, that I’d never be special. I’ve spent time rejecting compliments with my heart while accepting them with a smile. I can’t say I’m proud of this, but after years and years of negative reinforcement it’s hard to reprogram the mind. Proverbs 15:13“13 A merry heart makes a cheerful [a]countenance, But by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” It’s clear I must change my heart, and focus on the glory to God instead of the glory of myself.

I often hear people scoff at the idea of a compliment. I know I’m not alone in this aspect, but I say to all those out there it’s important to realize that God loves you, and as such, you’re important. You are royalty and heirs to the Kingdom of Heaven and you can’t place your self worth in the hands of fallible people. People will always be cruel, and selfish, but on the occasion you encounter someone who’s willing to compliment you, give you something wonderful as a compliment, humble yourself and accept it.

Remember it’s important to give compliments as well. It’s important to show others how much you care, and that you appreciate them. Romans 15:2“Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” Be kind, and gentle. Lift up others, and show them the love of God. Show them love because we are commanded to do so. Dream big and don’t let anyone stifle your dreams. Love yourself, and allow yourself to let others show you kindness. This is hard for some, as I know because it’s hard for me, but it’s important to put negative feelings away and trust what’s being told to you is true. Today I decided to share some of my photography I find most appealing. I hope you all enjoy.

Joy

August 11, 2018 thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

Joy

So many people in this world are constantly on a scavenger hunt for happiness. For many it’s like a wisp of a cloud the moment you have it in your hands it begins to slip away. Happiness is caused by a great many things, a new ‘thing’, a person, money, a place, etc. We are always looking for that new thing and if we only had it, then… we’d be happy. For me, I have often found, and I’m not proud of this, my happiness seems to often depend on if I am in a relationship or not. While I have had the last two years to find my own happiness without someone I’ve had marginal success. The difference between happiness and joy is, joy is a tangible feeling, something that doesn’t fade in the test of time. Where do you find your joy, and is your joy fleeting? Scripture tells us where your joy should be found, and once you have it, shouldn’t be something easily taken away.

True hope, true joy, is found in the knowledge that this life is a fleeting moment, and eternity is paradise. Jesus said John 14:27”27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” I was listening to a song recently called Joy by, For King & Country, and in the song it talks about how you need to make a choice, a choice on how you want to live. In the music video the world looks black and white, it looks like it has no hope, but at the end, there’s a line that says, “While our circumstances haven’t change, our perspective can.” We know the storms are going to come and even when everything around us looks awful, there’s hope in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. John 14:27“27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” In life sometimes we get to the point where we are holding by a thread, but in our greatest time of need, when your laying on the ground and the paramedic leans over you to reassure you, ‘you’re going to be fine, just hold on.’ Jesus is our paramedic in a world where we’re always on the brink. My help comes from Jesus, my refuge from the storms. When the world is it’s darkest, Jesus is the lighthouse shining brightly from Heaven and I’m being guided home. So long as I keep my eyes on the guiding light, I shall not fall off course, I shall navigate the storms no matter how grim things look. My peace in Jesus gives me strength, and even though the world is like a vampire trying to suck away my joy, I shall be renewed by the Holy Spirit every day. I drink from the everlasting cup, knowing that today will pass, tomorrow will rise, and one day I know my ship will sail into the most beautiful harbor, and I shall finally rest.

Don’t let trials from this world steal your joy. We can look at the Apostle Paul for inspiration of what it means to have joy. Paul said, ‘your grace is sufficient.’ Speaking of Jesus Christ. Paul endured hardships few of us will ever see in our lives. Even when Paul was in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, sentenced to death by Nero, he proclaimed he was at peace, because he knew true joy. In James 1:2-4“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces [a]patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be [b]perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” see the brother of Jesus telling everyone there is joy because he believes in the Holy Spirit. The church was being persecuted, hunted down, and people were being thrown in jail, tortured, and killed for their believe in Christ. Even as their seemed to be no physical hope of an end to the suffering, those who knew Jesus, knew that we can never count on this world for hope, and most importantly, if we did count on the world for hope, what looks like joy in our lives will simply be crushed by the weight of a world designed to try and break you.

Sin is heavy and if we don’t understand where our joy comes from we will never be free of that weight. The longer you carry the same amount of weight the heavier it feels even though, no matter how long you hold a 5 gallon bucket, though it’s still 5 gallons, it feels like 100. Sin doesn’t have to crush you, it doesn’t have to suck the joy out of your life. It may remove earthly happiness, but it’s up to us, each and every one of us, if we allow it to remove our joy. Galatians 5:22“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,” Live in love, and live in Joy. In that joy of the Lord you shall find peace. The lighthouse from Heaven will never go out, it’ll never get dull, and in our daily devotions, our daily walk with Christ, let that light shine brightly in our hearts, and then allow that light to reflect off you like the moon. Light up the darkness by being a reflection of what Jesus has done for all of us. “Joy to the world, the Lord is come, let earth receive her King.”

Rude

August 10, 2018 thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

Rude

2 Timothy 3:2-5“2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”

The night is quiet as I’m the only one in the house. The white noise of the fan is the only sounds made in the whole house. The dogs are asleep, the cats too. While the world around me is calm, the same cannot be said for inside my mind tonight. As I have sat here facing one trial after another, I know that this is my trail, but the part that’s bothered me is how other people have been treating me. I have faced the new trend ‘ghosting’ and in this time of digital friendships, I have found that people have become selfish, rude, and the thoughts and feelings of others are little concern anymore.

We are told not to conform to this world, and as we look at our society now we see how many traits are actually called out in 2^ndTimothy. In my struggle of frustrations, I realize that as much as it hurts sometimes all we can do is step back and pray for each situation. We cannot actually change the hearts of people. All we can do is have faith in the Lords plan and believe in the Holy Spirit’s healing and changing powers. Remember though that people are people and people make mistakes. We must try to give the benefit of the doubt and work with love in our hearts.

While I wish people would be more loyal, and that they would stick more to their word, but ultimately people will do and follow a path they see best fits them. The only way we can combat that kind of behavior is through love. It’s hard for us to manage being hurt and going through that sometimes regularly, but Love must be the first last and only line of defense. We must be gently but firmly honest with loving overtones.

It’s our job as Christians to ensure we do not fall into the sin Paul writes about in Timothy. While the world will tell you, ‘the only one who will ever look out for you, is you.’ While this is potentially true, it teaches a self-centered point of view. Life isn’t always sunshine and roses and we must accept that people sometimes struggle. That doesn’t mean we need to push anyone away just because they are having troubles. Our place is to love, and to be there in people time of need. But if YOU happen to be the one being rude and ghosting, and being selfish, knock it off, it’s not nice, and it’s not Christ like at all.

Why Can’t I Drive The Car?

August 9, 2018 thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

Why Can’t I Drive The Car?

Have you ever wondered why your parents told you, ‘no you can’t drive the car.’? The answer is pretty obvious, you’re not ready. We are equally young in our faith. We start off as it says in scripture on the milk, and eventually work our way up to the meat and potatoes. When we are but babies in our mothers arms we are cared for and provided for in everything we may need. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, John 3:16“16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” This is just the skim of scripture, the milk as it were. This is what you must understand as a baby Christian, but this isn’t where your journey ends, it’s only the beginning. When you become a Christian your true life starts, and everything before it was merely just learning blocks in preschool preparing you for life as a Christian. I myself have experienced many tragedies, traumas, hardships, and heartbreak. There’s also been much joy, and happiness, and blessings along the way. Each and every event in my life at some point in time can be used for me to further the gospel of Jesus Christ. We all have experiences that mold our perspective, and in that we all have our own vantage points, and that uniqueness is a gift from God.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11”12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2 You know that[a] you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb[b] idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus [c]accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. 4 There are [d]diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works [e]all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by [f]the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”

With each of our gifts and ministries we can be apart of, because we are but babies fresh into the faith, we aren’t ready to focus on our gifts and ministries. It takes time, but we jump in right away and test the waters. As part of our path we are to grow in our walk with Christ, and also in our own gifts. Like any pro athlete, or musician, practice, repetition, and guidance must be used to grow in skill, and to become proficient. Scripture is the same way. We cannot truly excel if we never move beyond the milk. If we are content in baby stage are we truly doing all that we can to bring glory to God?

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 “12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink [g]into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many.”We must understand that before a baby can walk first it must develop strong kneecaps, and the muscles in its legs and hips must grow and develop. As a child grows we accept that we start off slow, and work our way to harder things along the way. Our brains grow and develop as we learn new things, experiences in life form us, shape us, and hopefully we have a strong spiritual family to shape us as God fearing children. But what does this have to do with driving the car? If God wanted us to get right to going out and telling people about Jesus Christ and share the hope and love to all, we would be gifted with all the right things to say, all the scripture we’d ever need, and we’d have all the answers. That’s not the case though. You wouldn’t let a 10 year old drive you to Walmart because they aren’t mature enough, their brains haven’t matured yet, even their size may not be mature enough yet. But when the time is right they will one day come to you and want to learn how to drive and that’s when you look at them and start to train them on drivers safety. The key word in that sentence is train them. When Paul was blinded on the road to Damascus he was gifted by God, the Holy Spirit, and yet he went to be vetted, and trained by the Apostles for 3 years before he started to evangelize, preach, and teach. We must be trained in the ways of the Lord, and we get there by reading, studying, learning about God, and using our trails to help build us for trials down our path that will be harder then before.

With every passing day of doing Yoga the workout will get easier and easier. Eventually I will no longer get anything from them and I can either sit idle, or I can move on to the next step. I wouldn’t want to start off at level 3 or 4, but it forces me to continue to grow. The key word in that sentence is grow. Every day we are on this planet we are given the opportunity to grow closer to God. Every trial we face, every love we have, every skinned knee, job, and loss, and anything else you can think of is an opportunity to grow closer to our Father. We can look at our lives with frustration, and anger, and bitterness if we want to, but ultimately that will not change your situation, nor will it bring you closer to God. If we truly hated our children we could give them the keys at 10 years old and tell them to knock themselves out, and they likely would, literally. The disaster that would come from allowing your child to go through such an experience when they were clearly not ready for it, all you would do is set them up to fail. While there is a lesson for failure, this is not the context for that lesion. All of you new age Yoda fans, sorry, not today. Being good stewards of our gifts, and not squandering them, not being foolish and careless, and being wise and deliberate with the spiritual gifts, and most importantly the gift of life is by far the most important lesion we could learn. Each lesson we face we should try to find the good in it, and understand that our lessons may be a chance to witness to others, or a chance to grow to God, or an attack of the Devil, or an attack of this world. It’s even very possible that the hardships or lessons of your own doing. We are often our greatest enemy causing our own pains along the way. God will usually try to get us to stay away from a particular path, but if we ignore the warning signs and choose to drive straight for the cliff, that’s on us. So before you start throwing a temper tantrum about how unfair God is, ask yourself how you can serve God no matter what circumstance you may find yourself in. And don’t rush into things you’re clearly not ready for, that’s one of those signs saying ‘cliff ahead’, but if you like cliff jumping, by all means, jump away. Just remember, sometimes God will stop you from splatitng on the rocks below, sometimes he wont.

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When Your Heart Hurts

August 8, 2018 thearrowpreacher5 Comments

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.