Tag: life

God’s Got This, All the Little Things Too

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God’s Got This, All the Little Things Too

 Giving up ourselves completely, and relinquishing our own self-interests is perhaps the hardest thing we may ever do. We as Christians must learn to grow in our faith. When we are born we nurse from our mothers. We thirst for milk, and love, and the warmth of our parents. We are completely helpless in life, and yet, we grow quickly. Christians are the same way. A new Christian is like an infant. They must study, and grow, and be nurtured by other Christians. Learning to let go and allow God to set our course, and trust that in all things God’s plan will work out, is difficult and doesn’t happen over night. Romans 8:35-36 35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,” Jesus tells us the parable of the birds how they don’t worry about tomorrow because it will take care of itself. Matthew 6:25-34.

In no way am I saying live a carefree life. I’m saying we mustn’t allow anxiety and worry to take hold of our lives. To much stress and anxiety is bad for us. While stress comes to everyone, we must learn to deal with it in a Godly way. First we must go to the Lord in prayer. Ask for the guidance and wisdom to face every situation we come to. We must learn to always ask “What Would Jesus Do?” and we must learn to live the scripture we read. We aren’t perfect and of course despite how hard we try we will always be sinners. We must not only trust in the Lord in the big things, but also the little things. We must trust that in the good and bad things we experience God is working through all of it.

1 Peter 5:7 “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” Have you ever been made a promise by someone and they broke it? I’ve been married twice and both times the promises made were broken. My whole life I’ve had people make me promises and in time one by one they broke them. The thing with God however is He never makes a promise he won’t keep. God’s isn’t in the business of forsaking his children. Even when we don’t feel like God is with us, he is. If we feel like God isn’t listening, perhaps it is us that isn’t listening. Sometimes as a parent we must allow our children to make their own mistakes. We can warn them, and try to guide them to a better path, but some days they just need to go their own way, and face the lesions on their own. Psalm 34-6 “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.” The struggles of the world are real, and to claim they won’t provide deep feelings is ridiculous. Troubles come to all regardless of race, or creed, or background, but if we are to improve our relationship with God, we must learn to trust, and trust fully. Psalm 34:17-8 “17When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” God’s got this, and you can find peace knowing you aren’t alone.

God looks over the people of this world, the smallest of creatures, and all the plants big and small. We often fit God into our own little box, making God smaller for us to be more comfortable with the idea of an infinite being. Next time you’re out and about take a look around, look at the small insects, the plants, and focus on the idea that God is sovereign over all. God is in control, never forget he’s there with you, in the big problems, and in the smallest. The greatest joy, and the small smiles, God’s always with you.

Shields Up

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Shields UP!

Do you have insurance for your home, or your car, or how about life insurance? There are so many promises out there in insurance, but not all policies are created equal. We don’t want to move our money into a place that is just draining our resources, and not actually giving us the protection we need in an emergency. There are so many things we are told to sell us on our insurance policy, but we need to do our homework to actually realize what’s a good deal and what isn’t.

In the case of insurance for your life, and I’m not talking about what you pay for in a policy, I’m talking about the life insurance I like to call fire insurance. Jesus Christ paid the bill for us, and of course I’m talking about our eternal life, not the mortal body. Now, I want to be clear, this isn’t an emergency policy to allow you to do what you want, and right at the last minute you can say, ‘I’m sorry, please forgive me.’ We are judged for all of our actions, and our sins. You have to have Jesus in your heart, and God knows the feelings in your heart. We can’t live our lives how we want to thinking all we need to do is say an I’m sorry and still think we will be accepted into Heaven. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is your personal Lord and Savior, and that you will be made to answer for your sins? When you follow Christ and you allow the Holy Spirit into your heart, you will not live life the same way. You will be filled with convictions, and you will have repulsion to sinful behavior. If you have Christ in your heart you will have a physical reaction to sinful behaviors. You will notice a change within your life, and how you choose to live. This will change the types of behaviors you engage in, the friends you have based on their behaviors, and you will undoubtedly loose friends when you find yourself living in Christ.

It’s important to remember that the Devil will try to give you short-term policies. I can do this sin, and all I need to do is ask for forgiveness. The thing with this idea which is very popular in our society now, is that it’s a lie straight from the Devil. The Devil whispers in our ear pulling us into temptation, trying to get us to follow our desires, and to get us hooked. Our insurance policy that was paid for my Christ covers us, but the catch we have to submit ourselves to the Lord. We must learn the difference between scripture and societal worldview.

We must withstand the fire from above, and below as the Devil will try to hit us with volley after volley. Ephesians 6:16 “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;” We must guard our hearts and our minds from attacks that come in all manner of shapes and sizes these days. The battle for our hearts and minds wages on, and we must remember that salvation is not just fire insurance, but like a contract we must uphold our end of the bargain. We must look to our own sins, and remember that sin is not freedom. We cannot burn our own house down and expect insurance to pay for it. Thus we cannot sin freely and expect to be welcomed into heaven. Yes the blood of Christ paid for your sins, but a soul truly saves, that truly understands the blood sacrificed on Calvary’s cross has a repulsion to sin. Matthew 26:28 “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” Keep watch for the predator that tried to creep his way inside. Protect yourself and know that you do have the blood assurance that you will be saved on the Day of Judgment, but salvation isn’t free. We must offer up ourselves to serve the Lord. Our hearts and minds are our payment. When we follow Christ, we know our sins will be forgiven. Remember we must go to the Lord in prayer, ask for the forgiveness of our sins, ask for repentance in our hearts, and ask for protection of our minds. Hebrews 13:20 “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,”

 

 

 

Stand by and do Nothing

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Stand by and do Nothing

Have you ever walked through the halls of your school (however many years ago) and you watched as the school bully was beating on the little kid in the class? What kind of person were you? Were you the kind to stand up, step in, and stop what was happening? Were you the kind to look away and walked on like you didn’t see anything? Through the years I heard a quote that would resonate in my heart, largely because as I was the victim of bullies in my school, no one ever stepped in to my rescue. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” (Edmund Burke) We have an obligation to stand up for injustice. We have an obligation to show love to our neighbors, and to protect them when and if the need arises.

Cruelty and malice have infected our society, and it’s a rampant plague that has filtered down into our children. As we’ve stood by and watched horribly on television as school shooting happen. As we’ve watched terrorist attack after terrorist attack, and violence in our streets has left us in a state of unrest, and shock. We are surprised by these events now even still, but the truth is, why should we be surprised? We’ve allowed the word of God to be taken from every place of business. We’ve allowed hate to infect the hearts of our kids through media, through games, through our own example. We must figure out that if we are to stop hate, we must first love. James 4:17 “17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” We are told in scripture that we must do the right thing. Turning your back on the right thing is just the same as doing the wrong yourself. We cannot turn our backs when we witness injustice. We must learn to stand tall and do the right thing. The right thing isn’t always the easy thing, in fact, the right thing is often the hardest things to do, but we are commanded to do so.

“Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right.” (Albus Dumbledore) Who are we? Are we the passerby that left the traveler bleeding and dying on the side of the road? Are we the Samaritan that picked him up and cared for him? Are we the countless masses that sit idly by as injustice happens throughout the world around us, as we watch from TV shaking our heads, then turns to the next channel and forgets the suffering going on around you? Are we the type that let our neighbors suffer loss alone? Are we the type that have pity but no action? We have allowed our world to become darkness because we sat by and let it happen. We have the instruction at our fingertips and yet we ignore the basic needs of those who suffer in our very midst. We watch our friends suffering heartbreak, and we watch our friends suffer with finances and we offer little to no support. We do not take the time to help our loved ones, our friends, our colleagues anymore, because we ‘don’t want to get involved.’ We are all involved because we are all in this together. We are all involved with fighting Sin, and fighting the Devil one day at a time. When we allow those in emotional pain to suffer through and we aren’t there for them, we allow them to be the weak little lamb, picked off by the Devils hungry appetite. We should be doing better, and we need to do better. People are suffering all around the world, and if we realize that every little bit helps, pretty soon we lead by example, and the Love will spread to snuff out the darkness. Don’t do what’s easy, do what’s right.

 

Heart Beat

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Heart Beat

It hurts when someone you care about dismisses you and walks away. It hurts when it feels your hearts been shattered into a million pieces. I tell my heart to beat, and I pray for healing from the Lord. I have allowed my heart to be manipulated and I’ve felt as it’s been crushed under the cruelty of one person I’ve cared for. I’ve let them into my life, and I’ve let them hurt me time and again. What kind of fool am I to trust my heart and hope for a change in someone who obviously doesn’t want the warmth and conviction of the Lord. A life that was torn down in a single day, destroyed and buried under the rubble of the palace that once stood. A perfect place it was not, but a home nevertheless. I have tried to move forward, but my instincts were to be there when I was needed. My instincts were to forgive, and offer the benefit of the doubt. How wrong and foolish I was. I attempted to shield my heart, but just the sight of her would be enough to lower those defenses and I was left vulnerable to even the simplest of words. I failed myself, and I have been left with the knife still sticking out of my chest. I was foolish and like a fool who listened to no one, I am left with the shattered pieces crushed under a boot.

If you’re like me and trying to put your life back together after an affair, or divorce, or a loss of a loved one, rest assured though the path is long, the path is hard, there is light on that path. Psalm 34:18 “18 The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” In all things God can heal. We need to look to the one true King and never place our self worth on those around us. People aren’t perfect and they will fail you. Psalm 71:20 “20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.” No mater how far down you feel, no matter how muddy the waters, the mud and the muck can’t hold you forever. We must dig deep and pull the strength that God sees within us out. We must trust where our strength comes from, the true source of power, the Lord Jesus Christ. We must have faith that in all things God is working to shape us, to guide us, to show us the way. No matter the pain and suffering we may face, the pain won’t last forever.

God will start healing our broken selves as soon as we allow the Spirit into our hearts. God wants to help us, God wants to heal us, but we have to make the first steps. We have to be willing to let that pain go. We have to be willing to free ourselves of that pain. We as people often hold onto that pain, as if it becomes a part of us, who we are. We must learn to let God take our pain, give into that and release everything to God. Don’t hold onto that pain because it grows, and it spreads, and it infects everything. Don’t loose sight of what’s important. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 “8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” Truly the only thing that matters is the Love of Jesus Christ who was tortured and hung on a rugged cross for the sins of you and me. He became separated from the God above to receive the full wrath of God and when you talk about that kind of sacrifice, that kind of Love, the pain inflicted by another person doesn’t seem so bad. People are sinful, they make mistakes, they are selfish, and if we are to understand the nature of love, the love of the Lord is a love that is never ending, and it will never fail us. We may never deserve it, and we should have to suffer for our sinful selves, but God’s love and forgiveness is more powerful then anything we could ever imagine. So when you feel as if you’re in pieces on the floor, let God wrap you up in the wings of the angels on high and find yourself being put back together. Have faith and trust in the love that rules on high.

Dear Older Me

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Dear Older Me

It’s been one year since you’ve started blogging, and I hope in another year you continue to grow in your faith and your understanding of biblical principles. In the last year you’ve experienced a great amount of loss and in a year I want you to remember looking back that you’re still standing. You’ve made it through hell and back, and while there is no doubt that this has been a challenging year, just know you’ve already made it through so much. No matter where you are in this life, just remember that you will never truly be alone. I cannot express my concerns for the next year enough, but on this day, I do feel afraid as to what the next step will be, but have faith in the life you’ve got. Tough times will undoubtedly come and in those moments remember back and draw strength from the trials you’ve already faced.

I want you to remember how far you’ve already come. I want you to keep a hold of your faith in the good times and the bad. I want you to remember where you’ve been and where you’re going, and know that in one year, you’re not home yet.

In a year you will undoubtedly have a new job, maybe a new girlfriend, but keep in mind as you have grown in a year, be sure to continue to grow in the Lord. Never fall silent on your growth with Christ. I hope in a year you are able to be encouraged by your failings, that in our failings is where we often grow the most. Be calm in the storm and keep your head high. I hope for you a position of strength in your life. Continue to grow in your financial strength and use what you are given to glorify the Lord. You will stumble and you will fall, but you will always pick yourself up. Look forward at your life, but be mindful of where you are, and what you are doing.

I want you to remember to guard yourself from pain, but allow yourself to feel. Don’t be afraid to let someone in and be a part of your life. Don’t be afraid to take the chances you need to take. You will learn a great deal over the next year from now till then, and I hope in the pain that will come you don’t grow cold. Do not harden your heart if things go badly. Be conscious to continue to save money and be responsible with it. God has led you through this maze of trials and you will have to take some time to evaluate what you’ve learned. Be grateful for the hardships, and the joys you’ve experienced.

I hope for you in a year you have made friends, and family connections. No matter what friends have come and gone, you will be able to make new ones. You will always have the ability to change small parts of your life. Do not be discouraged, and I hope you are happy in your current situation. Be happy in your new home, your new position at work. Be happy where you are in school, and continue to work towards your goals. Keep writing, and keep spreading the Gospels. Be sure to continue your work to get the word of God into as many hands, as many countries as possible. You’ve reached so many lives in one year, just keep driving on and reaching more as you’ve completed two full years.

I hope in one year to be doing well financially working on a new home. I hope for a new job or at least something stable. I hope for a new solid loving relationship. I hope Riley and Cooper are still in wonderful health. Keep staying strong, and keep driving forward. Remember forward always… always forward.

Dear younger me (1 Year Anniversary)

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Dear younger me (1 Year Anniversary)

Dear younger me the road will be long. You will stumble, you will fall. You will get back up, you will put one foot in front of the other. You’ll stand your ground and though it won’t be easy you’ll take it like a man of Christ. You will struggle at times and there will be days where it hurts so bad you can barely breath. There will be days when you aren’t sure how to carry on. There will be days when you will want to quit and give up, but you never do. You’ll stand tall in the rain, and in the storm you’ll weather and you’ll be all right.

No matter what you go trough you’ll manage through it, and in it you’ll praise God for what you’ve been through, what you go through in the present, and pray for the storm to end in the future. You will watch the world around you change and you will loose much. You will watch as people you thought were friends leave you. You will be told awful things and you’ll endure long lonely nights. You’ll be angry, and you’ll cry to the Lord to save you from this pain. You’ll cry at night and you’ll ponder why you’re still in the world. Your heart will be shattered into a thousand pieces, but you keep pushing on. Your strength to carry on is in the fleeting moments of hope, but more importantly the trust you have in God that the storm will pass you by.

Dear younger me, you’re stronger then you know. You’ll be okay even though it doesn’t look like it. You will find the strength to write for a full year and touching thousands of lives. You will create beautiful pieces of art and you will glorify the Lord. You’ll find the story isn’t complete and you’ll keep praising the Lord in your good times and your bad. You will worry about being alone, and even though at times you will be, you’ll carry through. You won’t always put your best foot forward but have faith that you’ll pick yourself back up. You’ll be all right and the future will have its bright moments.

Don’t worry about the people who will leave you. Don’t worry about those who will turn on you, because the stress you’ll feel won’t change any of that. People will come and go in your life. They will lie to you, and pretend to want you in their life, but most will vanish like wisps in the wind. You can’t worry about everyone that comes and goes. You can’t worry about those people who are fickle, and skittish. You can’t control what people think, or why they think what they do. You can’t fix peoples past to make them more trusting, or less likely to leave at the slightest thing. What you can do is realize that anyone who leaves is out of your control, and you can’t worry about why. I say to you, remember Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?” Remember this, and let it into your heart. Remember people will come and go, but God never changes. Remember this and a year later you will find yourself more faithful and stronger. No matter your hardships, heartbreak, or trials, keep pushing forward. You’re going to find you’re stronger then you know, and you will have people when you need them. No matter the weight on your shoulders, you’ll be just fine.

Dear younger me, no matter how you feel right now, it’s not your fault. The losses you’ve experienced are beyond your control. The Devil has infiltrated and has destroyed your life as you know it. There will always be things you can do differently, but you can’t blame yourself. You’ll endure more then you think you can handle, but you’ll somehow find your way through it. No matter what you need to keep going, you need to keep fighting, and you need to keep pushing forward because, it gets better. Remember, hind sight is 20/20 and as much as we’d like to change things in the past, we have to remember, the fire we find ourselves in, forges steel. Do not wish for the past to be changed, instead, pray that the fire you’ve endured, that you are enduring continues to forge you into something strong, something unbreakable. Don’t waist your time wishing for the past to be different. It is what it is, and we must learn to embrace it. We must learn to listen to the voice of truth in the storm and find the blessings hidden in the pain. We must learn to decode the message and use it, as all things, use your pain and your trials to bring Glory to Christ. Bare your burdens with honor, and lift them on High. Don’t forget to go to the Lord in constant prayer and thank the God of all for providing the things you need, and that includes the pain you will endure. God will never forsake you, and that promise will be kept. Jesus bore your burden of Sin so you will live. So live in the moment, learn from the past, and keep forging on. You will not become brittle under the stress, instead you will find your story will lift others up, and you can be a shining example of grace. Don’t loose sight of who you are, and never place your worth in the hands of man. Your worth is that of the Lord Jesus Christ, because he Loves you, and is always with you.

Dear younger me, keep moving forward in these hard times. Dark days lie ahead, but you will find the light, even when it seems all hope is gone. You will find that Jesus shines brightly, and will remain in your heart. Don’t loose hope, never loose hope, and keep moving forward.

 

The End Draws Near

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The End Draws Near

A little over a year ago I began taking my thoughts on scripture and suffering to Facebook. My intent was to add a little hope to my own life and to provide that same hope to anyone who may read it. Over a few months my posts created quite a lot of controversy, and sadly, I lost a few contacts in the process. Nevertheless, I continued with my work, writing, and going through the word to attempt to draw comfort to the suffering in the day. Eventually I found my way to WordPress with the help of a good friend. It was recommended that I move to the venue of blogging and from there and with the help of two of my close friends, the Arrow Preacher was born. In the year to follow I would post 434 in that time. In that time I would have nearly 10,000 views. I would have over 5000 visitors in the time my blog has been up and running.

When I started out I told myself I would work for a year posting every day if I could. With the exception of two days, I have been successful. While I never reached my goals within the blog numbers, I cannot consider success or failure based on those numbers. I must consider the lives that I have touched, and hope, and pray that in all this time I’ve had some small impact. At the end of my journey I find myself looking forward to my next one. While I don’t know what God has in store for me, I await with open arms.

My posts will continue, however the frequency will be drastically different. I will no longer be posting daily, instead I will be posting as inspiration hits. I feel in every journey a time comes when you need to rest, take a break and recharge, refocus on God. It’s easy to not see the forest through the trees. Sometimes I feel as if I’ve gotten lost in the day to day blog, and I have forgotten to actually use what I write in my own life. I know for me one of the biggest struggles I have is being content in my current situation. I feel as if I have forgotten what’s really important, and I’ve let my own desires get in the way of my trust in God. I’ve always realize I’m far from perfect, but my greatest character flaw has been my need, my desire to be around people. I loath being alone, and that feeling deepens my frustrations the longer I am on my own.

While I am not truly leaving, I find that this journey has drawn me closer to an understanding of Paul. The great hardships he faced, and even till the very end he found himself standing firm on his beliefs, and his faith. 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Paul wrote this to Timothy on the eve of his execution. Paul was relentless in his devotion to evangelize. Paul faced great hardships along his journey but never gave up the fight. As he endured great trials and tribulations along his journey, I see myself on a similar path. I am not even half the man he was, and I cannot say with any truth that I have lived a remarkable life. Unlike Paul I have fallen, and I have questioned my own place in this world. While I have faith in the Lord I stumble more then I’d like. This journey has been one of self-exploration, as an attempt to grow and to find myself in the Lord. As the road ends, I will journey into the unknown and find my own path. There’s plenty of life left to explore, and where ever the Lord takes me, I know this journey has prepared me for whatever lies ahead.

I don’t know where I am meant to be, but I will continue to travel along the path and seek for my place. I trust in the Lord and I will continue to do works for God as God blesses me to do so. I hope that my blog continues to grow, and continues to touch lives all around the world. I want to thank everyone for such wonderful support over the last year. I don’t know if I could have come this far without the love and support of my pastors Glen, and David. My friends Heather, who helped me to wordpress, and Niki for seeing me through my tough days. Glen my best friend and pastor who’s been my guiding rod keeping me on my path. There have been a smattering of others who’ve come and gone and had their place, but those 3 in particular have been regulars in my life. The ride isn’t over, but as one chapter closes, so begins a new. To quote Spock, “Live Long and Prosper”

 

It’s Time To Live Again

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It’s Time To Live Again

As I have struggled to find myself in the last year, I feel I’ve somehow gotten lost in the fog of life. I feel as if my days all blur together, and my nights are filled with less and less restful sleep. While there have been some changes lately, I find myself trying to figure out where to go next in my life. As I have questioned my next step, I have asked God to guide my next steps. As I have attempted to figure out my next steps, I have looked around and although things are tough right now, I’m very thankful to have the blessings I do have. I have a roof over my head, I have food in my fridge, I have a car, I’m debt free, and although my social life is in shambles, I have people to talk to from afar. The blessings I have are abundant, and should not be taken for granted.

We see in James 4:14 “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” When we become worried for tomorrow, and when it causes the anxiety to raise, we must remain focused on today, the hear and now. Of course we are to dream, and plan, but understand at the route of the day, God’s in control. Matthew 6:34 “34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” While I pray for changes, I understand that nothing will change without some work, and some grace. Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,” Our goals should always be to live our life pleasing to the Lord. Our goals should always be to bring Glory to our walk with Christ.

I find myself in the fog and I hope, no, I long for the day the fog lifts, and I can see clearly again. There are so many things I want for myself, and yet I find myself wondering if I’ll ever get back what I’ve lost. As I have wished for a family, a home of my own, a job that would sustain me, I find myself longing for the life I once had, yet very different at the same time. There are certainly primary characters from the Bible that have made horrible decisions, and have reaped the consequences. While not every bad thing that happens in our life is our own fault, we must learn to turn to God when we don’t know where to go. We must have faith that we cannot control every aspect of our lives. The fog will set, and then when it’s time, it will leave. As long as we can still see the light, there’s always hope for tomorrow. We need to remember where our true strength comes from. Have faith, the fog will lift, and in time, you’ll see clearly. Don’t chase the fog though, learn to live despite the fog. Learn to love despite the pain that can come from loving. Learn to allow God’s grace to be your guiding star and treat others the same.

 

 

 

 

He Bled For Me and You

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He Bled For Me and You

You bled for me so I may be free. You gave your life, through all the strife. They nailed you to a wooden cross, oh my what a treacherous double-cross. You came to show the love to us, the masses around raised quite a fuss. They hung you on a tree, for all the world to see. We in this world must have trust, when the time comes we are more then dust.

Matthew 27: 45-50 “45 Now from the sixth hour[a] there was darkness over all the land[b] until the ninth hour.[c] 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.” What would you give up for your friends? Would you be willing to sacrifice yourself for your friends? Would you be willing to give up everything to save someone you didn’t know? What about people that hated you? Would you be willing to give your life for your enemies? John 15:13 “13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

I’ve been thinking a lot about my life lately. I’ve been thinking about my friends, my enemies (not that I have any) and those whom are no longer apart of my life. I consider my place in this world, and what I would to for my friends. When I was in Iraq I always thought I would die doing something heroic. I would dream about it, always wondering how my last day would go. If we are to truly be one with Christ we must allow ourselves to think like him. Life is hard enough as it is, when you add the cruelty in this world, the horrible things we do one another must not continue. We must learn to love one another, and to lift one another up, not tear each other down.

Christ knows my pain, he knows my sorrow, and he knows your suffering. The Lord who is on high loves and cherishes you, and he bled for you so we may be free from the bondage of sin. Christ died a sacrificial death, a hero to give us hope in a world that was dark. If Christ died for you and me, what will you do with the life you’re given? To take upon the full wrath of God, the man that died on the cross suffered tremendously. The least we can do is put love in our hearts, and treat others with respect. Life’s ups and down aren’t easy for anyone. We are all in this together, and if we look out for one another, we would all be a little happier.

 

 

Evil People

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Evil People

There are people in this world who only want to do evil things. We’ve witnessed this evil in the world time and again. We see it on a planetary scale from Bin Laden, to Mohamed Farrah Aidid, to Kim Jonk-un. We have seen it in our own country as people who would go into a school and kill innocent kids, teenagers, and adults alike. We see it in the news with every rape and murder case that comes to our TV screens. We see evil in strangers, and even in the people we have loved. For as long as people have been around, people have conspired and wished to do evil things. From the first murder in the Bible, Genesis 4:8 “And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.”, all the way to the present day where we are reeling from the murder of 17 people in that Florida school. I have watched good people lash out and turn cruel, and cold. I have watched as Sin takes hold and destroyed once happy families. Sin is much like the dark side of the Force, it’s draw is powerful. The lusts of the flesh, the worlds desires are all around us, pushing us, pulling us, and somehow we need to learn to fight back.

People will attack you, attacking your beliefs, your positions, and sometimes on the rare occasion perhaps even physically. When the attacks are against you as a person, despite the hurt that comes when it’s from a friend or family, we must remember that conviction is a powerful thing. People will always lash out against people that remind them of their own sin. People will always attack when their beliefs are being challenged. People will always attack when they are hurting. When the attacks come take refuge in the Lord. Psalm 91:2 “I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Yes in the attacks your feelings will be hurt. People will treat you badly, and in some cases it will come from those whom you love most. Some people will change and will fall to the dark side of the force, and will turn their backs on you. When this happens all we can do is pray for them. Step back and guard yourself from further attacks, and pray for them. Also pray for protection, 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.” I am reminded of a quote in the movie Batman Vs. Superman, “We’ve seen what promises are worth, how many good guys are left, how many stayed that way.” People can walk away from grace but that doesn’t mean we can never help them come back. I think Evil people are people who are lost. Not all of course, some people are just pure evil, but for the majority of humans, redemption is always possible.

When evil is upon your door, when people are cruel, and cold, we must learn to always respond with love and prayer. We truly do not have the power to change a heart, but God does. If we are to do anything in this life it’s to show others what grace is through us. I think most things can be prevented if more people express love and grace. We must understand that love will always concur hate. We cannot respond to hate with more hate. If we want these bad, evil things to stop happening we can’t ever expect them to stop as long as people are mean and cruel to others. As long as there is bullying, and lying, and cheaters, and people who steal and murder, Sin is everywhere.

I’ve been called names, I’ve been attacked viciously, I’ve been slandered, I’ve been ridiculed, and no matter the pain that comes with these, I know that the Lord is behind me. Deuteronomy 31:8 “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” Take refuge from the storms that come and go. Find peace in a world full of hate and anger. Find strength in the boxing ring with evil. You will be refreshed when you are weak, and you will be lifted up when you fall. You will undoubtedly stand toe to toe with evil, but you can make it through. Do not be dismayed, and discouraged because we know that in all things there’s a season, and one day, we will move beyond this world and find our peace in Heaven. We know the promises of God are true, and we must have faith. We must learn to step back from ourselves and believe in the Holy Spirit. We must be the light that can shine in the darkness. Live like Christ so everyone knows there’s something different about you. Don’t’ retreat in the face of evil, no, stand firm, and stand tall, and fight the fight.