Tag: life

Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast

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Slow is Smooth, Smooth is Fast:

When we get up in the morning we are on the go from dawn till dusk. The rush of life seems to have gotten much more busy, hectic and we now find little time to focus on the words and will of God. Don’t try to rush through life because you’ll miss God’s small blessings.

I remember when I was in the military preparing for my deployment to Iraq, we were training to breach into houses and buildings, it’s called mount training. A saying we had was “slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” The idea is that when one rushes into a situation mistakes are made. If we just slow down a little, the mistakes can be lessened. As we have read in scripture, life is a marathon. We must learn to slow down to see our blessings and hear what God is telling us, we are but faithful servants of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We must come to learn how to move through life with purpose. Moving with a purpose for which God has called. We have a glorious purpose each and every one of us. We have been blessed with intent to do our work with our gifts, glorify the Father who has shown us grace and mercy. Proverbs 16:4“The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.” Do not be afraid of tomorrow. Do not fear the road for even in darkness there will always be light. Do not look towards tomorrow and miss today. Every moment we live in this world we have an opportunity to better it. We have chances to spread the Gospel and preach the truth of Jesus Christ. We cannot expect to We live, we live for the Lord. We Die, we die for the Lord. Whether we live or die, we do so for the Lord. Ephesians 2:10“10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” We are made perfect in the Lord, sent here to live this life in a mission that only we can do. Each and every one of us plays a part in God’s plan, and we must be willing to hear it, to live it, to act on it every day of our lives.

Matthew 28:18-20“18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” We must remain vigilant in the fight for Christ. We must walk in love and in faith, and never return hate with hate, violence with violence. We must love because love concurs all things, because Christ loved and concurred all to include death. We must go forth and spread the word not because we should, but Christ commanded it to be done. We will suffer along the road, and we will face all manner of persecution, but there is nothing this world can do, to ever strip us of our salvation. There will be days when the attacks are many, and the hurt runs deep, but I say to you do not fall into the trap the Devil has laid before you, stand tall, stand firm, and resist. Be slow to speak so we do not douse the flame with fuel. A quick turn burns bridges, but a slow tongue extends resolve. James 1:19 “19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;”

Though we will suffer long as promised by the Lord, we shall do so as Christ also suffered and died for us. We are blessed by grace and love, and with the abundance our cup should always be overfilled. Galatians 5:22-23“22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Spread this love every chance you get. The spirit loves and washes over us, and we must slow down and focus on the relationship with God, so that we may share with others our blessings and truth. Hebrews 12:1 ”12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” Slow down and see the temptations and the sins of the world. Be focused on the righteous path. Always be precise in your conversations and your communications. When we’re quick to speak we often make matters worse. Do not rush through your bible study. Go through the word with meaningful purpose. Read, read and reread the Bible and study the language. Learn the truth and share it.

Climb the mountain one careful step at a time. When climbing Mount Kilimanjaro  there’s a saying by the guides, “Pole, Pole” which means slowly, slowly. Rock climbing is an activity where slow deliberate movements are done to ensure reliability and safety. Each move can be the difference between life and death. Understand that in life there is a need for smooth paths and steps. Always be in control of your tongue, your actions and your directions. While the only thing needed for salvation is Jesus Christ, I cannot imagine someone who would follow Christ and not have a desire to share the good news with others. Philippians 1:6“6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Walk in peace my friends, my brothers and sisters, and remember, slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. God Bless.

 

 

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I a Disciple of Christ

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I a Disciple of Christ:

I a preacher and disciple of Christ call to you believer and non-believers.  You all have suffered long but I give you a message of hope. You grow weary from trial after trial. I give you hope in the storm. The storms will always remain but now I give you the light that shines through every darkness, brings hope to the hopeless, restores faith to the faithless, and heals the sick. John 14:6“6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Even when 100 things are going wrong the hope will always remain. Do not forget what gives us the blessings of eternal life. The blood shed of Christ to fulfill the trinity that’s always been, down to the ground covering all of the earth in righteous grace forgiving us of our eternal sin.

You are not saved in chance, for you are saved with glorious grace. It brings our Lord joy for you to receive mercy. Jesus came not to be served but to serve, so shall we serve others before ourselves. Who are you? Do you know who you are, and can you tell others what defines you? Do others see you by the content of your heart, or do they see the hypocrisy that runs rampant in the streets? In God you will be strengthened and made sharp in the fires experienced here in this life. Walk by faith and don’t loose hope in the marathon. Run with endurance with trust in the Father as we look to the cross to be our finish line. Remember to fight the fight but do not loose sight of what it is your fighting for. It will never be the troubles you face that are the true fight, but the temptations and attacks of the Devil trying to break you. If God blesses your heart and sealed His graces, let no Devil, no demon, no man, crack the bonds made. No troubles shall break you or sink your ship. Always remember your why and the Lord will smooth your travels. The trials will be many, but that shall never remove your salvation or grace.

The Lord is a merciful God, and a loving God, but never tempt God. Never worship idols in place of God, and never lift anything higher lest you sin unknowingly. The love of money, and of possessions shall never bring you peace. The days of works shall never bring you salvation. The laws never will you keep though you shall surly try. Bring yourself humbly on bended knee to the Lord, and sing praises. I come to you a follower of the Lord, saved in my sins, forgiven of my trespasses, led by the spirit to bring you the good news shared to me. The long awaited messiah from the days of old came and spilt blood for all. We no longer live in darkness, and we shall not suffer long. The one way to peace is through our Lord Jesus Christ. Do not grow weary along the way for we remember the verses of Kings. Psalms 23“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2  He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.[a] 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness[b] for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,[c] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell[f] in the house of the Lord forever.[g]”

My biggest hope is in your travels you don’t loose sight of why we travel. I do not want you to loose sight of what it is we’re fighting for, and why. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day, the routine, but after a while we forget to live by the message. While I was watching the Book of Eli recently it kept with the message that Paul was telling the people of Ephesus, do not loose sight of the mission.

The Book Of ELI

Solara: I didn’t think you’d ever give up the book, I thought it was too important to you

Eli: It was, I was carrying and reading it everyday, got so caught up in protecting it, I forgot to live by what I’d learnt from it

Solara: And what’s that?

Eli: To do more for others than you do for yourself

In the Book of Revelation we see Ephesus applauded for their great works, but in the end, they lost sight of their first love. I believe this is referring to, you fought, but over time you forgot why you were fighting. We must be cautious in our walk that it’s not just sitting in the pew on Sunday, saying the prayers, singing the songs, but that it’s about allowing the word to invoke the Holy Spirit within us, renewing our flame for Christ and encouraging us to carry on fighting for our Lord. The spiritual battles wage on every day and night, and we are caught in the middle. We are soldiers on the front line and we must understand what’s at stake. Christ is destined to win the war, but nothing is written about you and I. We fight on the front line and we choose what side to fight for. There will be casualties along the way. We must pray with our might, give thanks to God for each and every one of our blessings, and always ask for guidance. When we become weary of the race, we see reminder in Ephesians 6:18-20“18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” We as Christians must remember to wear our chains as a badge of honor. As Paul’s wordplay is not lost here, the Greek word used means a prisoner’s shackles, however, during that time ambassadors wore a gold adornment around the neck and wrists as a symbol of riches, power, and dignity of the government for which they represented. Paul I believe is speaking of course that he is in prison and he wears his shackles with pride as he’s in prison because of his teaching of Christ. He’s proud and through the entire walk with the Lord and everything he endured in the name of Christ, he found peace in the end that he writes to Timothy. 2 Timothy 4:7“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Will you keep the faith in all you do? Will you remember what it is you’re fighting for? If you’re not fighting for the Lord, you may need to adjust your focus.

 

 

They Did WHAT On The Roof?

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They Did WHAT On The Roof?

Have you ever been given advice and without a moment to think about it, you decided it was a great idea? Well, as far as bad ideas go, rooftop orgies are probably not the greatest ideas you could have. Oh yes, we’re going to be talking about sex and spies, and lies, and wickedness of the heart in today’s post. We’ve been discussing the impact of choices, and how the outcome will be a result of what you’ve put in. Reaping and sewing your crop, sort of speak. 2 Samuel 16:15-23 (NIV) “15 Meanwhile, Absalom and all the men of Israel came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. 16 Then Hushai the Arkite, David’s confidant, went to Absalom and said to him, “Long live the king! Long live the king!” 17 Absalom said to Hushai, “So this is the love you show your friend? If he’s your friend, why didn’t you go with him?” 18 Hushai said to Absalom, “No, the one chosen by the Lord, by these people, and by all the men of Israel—his I will be, and I will remain with him. 19 Furthermore, whom should I serve? Should I not serve the son? Just as I served your father, so I will serve you.” 20 Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give us your advice. What should we do?” 21 Ahithophel answered, “Sleep with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself obnoxious to your father, and the hands of everyone with you will be more resolute.” 22 So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. 23 Now in those days the advice Ahithophelgave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how both David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel’s advice.” As far as bad ideas goes, when a man tells another man in power, ‘hey, lets go have a giant orgy on the roof,’ well, I think it’s pretty easy to see where Absolom went wrong. Now, lets look at who Ahithophel is, he is the Grandfather of Bathsheba. That’s right folks, the woman that David raped and then had her husband killed to hide his own sin. Sin is never just a consequence we face, but if we aren’t careful generations after us. I will say this, it’s never a good idea to go outside the with of God when it comes to sex. We all sin, and while I’m not going condemn anyone for having premarital sex, or any other sexual exploits, what I will say is, it’s still sin, and while it’s on equal footing as any other sin, we must still realize those choices are living in sin. While we as people might say a rooftop orgy with your fathers mistresses is just plain wrong, and we’d deem that worse then a monogamous partner engaged in premarital sex, they are actually on the same level. Sin, is now, it was, and always shall be, equal at the foot of the cross.

I want to ask everyone a question. When you’re at a crossroads do you do what’s good, or what’s God? Let me explain what I mean. We often make decisions about what’s good for us, or what we feel good about. How often do we make choices based on what scripture tells us is the right way to go? What’s even worse is when we get advice from others and their advice leads us down a sinful path. To add one more level to the horrible nature of such a path that Absolom took was, Ahithophel’s advice was based on revenge, thus tainting the decision even further. This motive was based on revenge not justice. In the movie Batman: Son of Batman (Spoilers Ahead), we see a small Damian Wayne taken from a broken League of Assassins and placed with his father Bruce Wayne AKA Batman for protection. Batman decides to try and teach discipline to his son whom he had just learned existed. His entire life Damian was taught that there is no mercy towards the wicked. Damian was taught that vengeance was the same as justice. “You don’t seek justice. You seek vengeance. They’re not the same.” (Son of Batman) Vengeance is about making yourself feel better, while Justice is about seeking harmony. When you allow your decisions to be made through negative emotions bad things are sure to follow. Even some positive emotional decision can be sinful, so in all things we need to be turning to God and ‘ask does “_____” please God?’

When you get to a crossroads in your life do you have a process you go through to determine what choices you may have, and narrow down which choice would be the most pleasing to God? It’s important and scripture that we surround ourselves with good Godly people to help us with big decisions in our life. It’s also important that those friends, that counsel will tell you the truth not what you want to hear. You must also be willing to listen to that advice without getting upset by it. It’s not always easy listening to advice telling you to do the opposite of what you want, but God puts people in our life for a reason, and at the same token the Devil will put people in our life also to tempt us in Sin. We must be able to discern the difference. Also, don’t be the type of person people are afraid of to be honest with you.

The problem with powerful people is when the advice comes from someone with significant pull among the people. Ahithophel’s advice was on equal footing as scripture. When he spoke people listened assuming his advice would be from God. The lesson to take away from this is even people who were once Godly people fall. We are all human, and as scripture points out, Psalm 146:3 “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.”  There’s a line in The Dark Knight “You Either Die A Hero, Or You Live Long Enough To See Yourself Become The Villain” I think the big take away from this line is even good people, great people will fall and fail sometimes. It’s not possible for us to make the right decision every day, all day. We are sinful people, driven by sin nature, and we will make mistakes. If we expect perfection from others, we are the ones who will be let down. Psalm 118:8 “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.” Jesus Christ in the refuge we must seek. Scripture is the best guide we could ever ask for. While we may need help with our path, by seeking other Godly people to help us work through the facts of our life and working through scripture to seek our answers.

It’s not easy sometimes walking the righteous path, but it’s always what’s right. Whenever you get the advice to do something you know is wrong, follow Romans 12:21“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Sin is evil, and it’s not just murder, or adultery, or lying, or stealing, sin is everywhere. We must grow beyond and trust that the road in Christ will be turbulent, it will be painful at times, but the road to be super isn’t without it’s challenges. We are royalty in our Lord and Saviors blood. We are heirs to heaven and therefore we need to be better with how we live our life. No one is responsible for our actions no matter the advice we take from others. We will always be responsible for ourselves. One last point I’d like to make about following the advice given from ungodly sources is those in positions where they take orders from other people. In the months proceeding the end of WWII countless soldiers from the lowest rank all the way up to the generals claimed they were ‘just following orders.” Following the orders of someone above you to do things that are illegal, or immoral, never excuses you for your actions. We are our own men and women and we will always be responsible for only ourselves. When you find yourself at the foot of the cross no matter of excuses, or blame elsewhere will ever make you right with God. We will all answer for our sins, every last one of them, and if we think passing the buck is going to win you any favor with our Lord and Savior, you are completely wrong. I envision someone kneeling at the foot of the cross trying to enter Heaven and giving a good story to the Lord about why they aren’t responsible. Across from them is Jesus and he replies “Impressive. Every word in that sentence was wrong.” (Luke Skywalker)

 

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Show Them Your Feet

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Show Them Your Feet:

When I lived/worked in the Middle East I learned a great deal about their customs. One thing I learned was you never show them the bottom of your feet. This is found as an evolution of a custom from biblical days. Matthew 10:14-15“14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.”  When you have gone as far as you can go with someone, and you’ve reached an impasse, all you can do is leave it in God’s hands and pray. Knowing when to walk away is perhaps one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. This is particularly difficult when it comes to someone you love. Watching a loved one travel on a road of self-destruction is extraordinarily difficult to watch. Knowing you have the means to help them, but that help isn’t wanted. Knowing you love them, but at the moment that love is not reciprocated, is heartbreaking. There comes a point where we are no longer helping, but rather we are enabling the continuing of that bad behavior. There is a point when you need to wash your hands and walk away. Sometimes walking away is the only way someone will be able to move forward on their own. Sadly it usually results in their continued spiral downward until they face plant at the bottom, but, that being said, we pray, we love, and we keep an open door and line of communication. We may have to kick the dust from our sandals every now and then, but we never stop loving, or praying for that person.

We are told two things specifically. Do not be unequally yoked in relationships, and to always love your neighbor. 2 Corinthians 6:14“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” This is such a beautiful passage because the symbolism expressed. You would never see Batman sitting down for a lunch with the Joker. You wouldn’t see a decorated detective sitting down for lunch with Hannibal Lector. Darkness as Sin cannot exist in the light. Jesus Christ. The blood of the lamb sacrificed so on the day of judgment those who knew Jesus and yet were sinners were granted a pardon for those sins. Heaven cannot have one black drop of Sin enter the gates. No minute shadow of sin can exist in the light of paradise. The light will always snuff out the darkness. I am reminded of my night vision training. I was amazed how little light it took to shine brightly in the green and black of the goggles. Light that the human eye could not see was bright as day for the NODS. We must be careful with whom we choose to do business with, and those whom we get advice from. Psalm 1:1“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;” We see those in power getting really bad advice over and over again in scripture. I’ve talked with people who got advice from Non Christians and I couldn’t believe how bad the advice was. If we are not wise enough to discern good from bad advice, we aren’t walking closely enough with the Lord.

The other major point is loving others. Even when we walk away there is always an opportunity to share the Love of Christ. Even if we don’t discuss Christ, our actions should display the love of Christ. Our actions will always make an impact on those in our lives. We will usually only get once chance to make a good impression, and we have the choice how we are to be remembered in that one instance. One thing I’ve been learning is how quickly people are to point out your faults, or your failures, but are rarely around when it’s sunshine and roses. Recently I went to a friend because I was in need of the comfort of a friend. I had usually had a hard time getting a hold of this friend, but I tried the approach of getting straight to the point. I attempted to ask for to talk about my current situation. The response was less then favorable. I was told I am always so negative and no one wants to hear my (expletive). I was surprised by this response and it left me hurt. I realized the effort in that particular friendship had been one way, and while I was always there for them, the blue moon need from me, was to much for them to be able to manage.

While I apologized for the intrusion, I offered prayers and to be there for them when they needed it. Since then, I have kept my distance. In the last several weeks I have found myself washing my hands more and more of relationships that were one sided. I fully understand the need to talk about things that may not be as positive. The truth is negative things happen and we need to be loving enough to hear our brothers and sisters out when they need to express their feelings. We need to have enough love to show empathy for the troubles others go through. We should not be washing our hands of someone just because they are going through tough times. We must understand the situations, the causes, the events leading up to the events that cause issues. We must be a mini detective to determine a scriptural course of action.

I do want to point out one major things, and that’s a difference between dusting off your feet as a gesture you’re done with someone, and dusting off your feet and moving forward after you get knocked down. The difference is dusting off your sandals specifically in regards to the indignation, verses being knocked down. “To shake off the dust from the feet, therefore, was a significant act, denoting that they regarded them as impure, profane, and paganish, and that they declined any further connection with them. It is recorded that this was actually done by some of the apostles.” (Bible Hub) We must learn to dust ourselves off when we fall, and get back up, but also learn to dust off the dust of those who are non-believers who’ve shut the door on listening to you.  When you talk to those who are of different faiths, or even different levels of faith, remember that there’s a right and wrong way to deliver your approach. We do not want to come off as some religious nut and push them away, but we also don’t want to water down scripture trying to sway favor. Always speak the truth, and leave it at that. If they leave then pray you would be a link in the long chain to lead them to Christ. All we can do is try and be a light to others. We will be met with hate, and distain, and fear, but no matter where we are, the Lord will work it all out. Do what little part you can, and keep moving forward. As Paul talked about in Matthew, sometimes you just have to brush the dust off and keep marching on.

Gracious Heavenly Father,

Please show us the path you’ve laid out for us. Please help us with the right words to say at the right moments to comfort, and to lift up those we encounter day to day. Please show us the light and continue to strengthen our own hearts and protect us from the constant attacks of the Devil who aims to lead us astray. Please be with us as we continue to do your works, and help us better our communities one day at a time. Teach us the wisdom to walk away when we must, and fight the good fight always. We ask this in Jesus name.

Amen.

 

 

References:

Matthew 10:14 Commentaries: “Whoever does not receive you, nor heed your words, as you go out of that house or that city, shake the dust off your feet. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://biblehub.com/commentaries/matthew/10-14.htm

 

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The Bubble

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The Bubble

Why don’t you turn to God? What do we ask of God? Do we keep God in a tiny bubble until we need something? Do we feel God can’t handle the big stuff in our life and we can do it better? Do we feel we shouldn’t bother God with the little struggles we’re going through? The problem is we don’t have a good understanding of God, God’s love for us, and God’s grace. If we truly understand it’s not even a small question, we’re wrong. God wants us to come to him with every little thing but good and bad. We should praise God for every last blessing we have, and on the flip side, every tiny struggle, and every major mountain, we should be praying to God. We must have an intimate relationship with God, not just one in passing. If you were to just call your friends when you needed something, and never any other times, how well or long do you feel that relationship will last? The relationship with our Heavenly Father should be more then the occasional phone call asking for help.

We try to handle so many problems ourselves. We try to do things our way, and when we don’t turn to God or receive Godly counsel, more often then not, we simply make the situation worse. We’ve gotten to the point as a society that we forget about prayer, and we forget about that relationship with God. The sad truth is we only turn to God with horrible things happen and we need something. God is without limit therefore we shall not tempt the Lord by saying something is to big or too small. Do not be so proud that you would say, ‘God has more important things to worry about then my small problems.’ God is everywhere. God loved each and every one of us.

Do we carry God around with us holding onto Him and putting Him in our pockets? Do you keep God in a bubble because you think you’re protecting God from your sinful actions, or rather, protecting yourself from God? You keep God contained because you’re afraid of what other people will say. It’s like wearing something fashion questionable, and then having others laugh at you at the party. We don’t want to be mocked or ridiculed, so God stays tucked away in this little bubble, and only on Christmas and Easter do you go to church, take God out because everyone else did to, and get your annual worship on, and then when service is done, back in the bubble, and back to normal. There’s danger when you put God in a bubble though, what happens when something goes wrong in your life, will you turn to God and expect answers to your prayers? If you put God in your pocket every time you made a decision and never heard what God was saying to you, are you ready to hear that message when the excrement hits the oscillating blades?

I always thought of it like this, how can we depend on a car if we only go out and start it once a year. How dependable is that car going to be when you need it? Treating a car like that, even if it were a classic car would be considered neglect. That’s exactly what’s happening with our relationship with God. We have become a society of neglect towards God. As Sodom and Gomorrah before us, we shall one day reap the consequence of having such a perverted view of God. God is not to be tempted, and God is not to be trifled with. When children are bad, and they disobey their parents punishment is coming. We must remember God seeks a relationship with us. How would your spouse feel if you only let them out of their room when you needed something? You’d never have a successful relationship or marriage that way, so what makes you think it’s okay to do that to God? Just because you can’t physically see or touch God, doesn’t mean that’s going to end well for you. You may think you’re a big and bad all powerful person, but trust me, God is going to win this one, and you will have no one to blame and no excuse will be good enough. God will find you, God will see you, and God will judge you for your actions. God loves you more then you’ll ever imagine, but bad kids still need to be punished. You should re-evaluate your relationship with the Lord and see that we need God every day, every minute, and we need to allow God to walk next to us, not as equals, but we are servants of God, not the other way around. We are here for God to do God’s work, not how some view God. A small bubble cannot contain God, and when we think God’s contained, you’re lying to yourself. Smash that little bubble and let God stand with you big and tall. Do not be shamed of God, instead be ashamed of humanity. Love humanity and always be God’s hand and feet doing God’s work. Put Jesus at the center of your life, today, and always. You’ll be amazed how you’ll feel when you just change your focus on who Jesus is for us, so we may be servants for Him.

 

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Introspective

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Introspective:

Some people say the eyes are the mirrors to the soul. Regardless if this is true or not, we need to sometimes be willing to take a long, deep hard look into ourselves. Introspection:“the examination or observation of one’s own mental and emotional processes.”Look within, and ask who are you? Is God in your heart? Are we a hero out in the world making a difference? One of my heroes Green Arrow, had a conversation with a new hero the flash. “You can inspire like I never could.” What does it take to be a hero? We have high expectations in our country to fit the term hero, but really, a hero is anyone willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Sacrifice for others, and to serve. Jesus Christ is the world’s greatest superhero. Jesus Christ showed us what it means to be a true hero. He showed us what it was to truly love, to truly give, to truly sacrifice. We must be better then we are, we must stand apart from the world by living differently. We must live our life as a hero so we inspire at least someone to live their life differently. Proverbs 24:10-12“10 If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. 11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter. 12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?” There is no greater calling then to be a fisher of men. There is no greater gift then the gift of showing someone salvation of their eternal soul. We who live with Christ in our hearts must stand tall, stand firm, and walk through the storms tall and strong. We must walk in our witness every day. We can be the difference in someone’s life if we are allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us. We must be able to look inside ourselves however and evaluate if we are truly doing God’s work or our own. We must do this regularly, not just once a year at a special church service.

You don’t have to do big grandiose things to be famous in your father’s eyes. We shall not underestimate ourselves when God is concerned.Judges 6:12-15“12 When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” 13 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.” 14 The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” 15 “Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.” A mighty warrior Gideon was called. A hero before God. God doesn’t need to explain Himself why he chooses someone over another. David a small squire chosen to be King and led to slay a giant with nothing but a stone. He became a hero for Israel, and would be for generations to come.

In this fallen world there are so many who are dying spiritually. When we look inside, we must ask ourselves if we are saving in faith? Are we making a difference in those around us? Are we rising up to be soldiers for the Lord in this war? We cannot stand by and do nothing as we watch hatred, and sin destroy lives. Jude 23“23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment[a] stained by the flesh.” We don’t have to be the wisest, the strongest, or the biggest to make a change in someone’s life. We only need to look in the mirror and see that we have the power of God with us always, and when we become servants of God we can see the old self left behind, and it will be good. We may be small, but we may have a big impact on this world. We don’t need to run into burning buildings, or be a doctor, or fight crime to be a hero. Proverbs 3:27“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,[a] when it is in your power to do it.” Anyone can lift up and inspire others. Anyone who can make a difference is told to be that difference. We are told to be good for those in need, and as long as the power is within us, we must. The thing is, we always have that power. There is never a time when we can’t make a difference. We are all links in a chain. Even if you just pray and offer words of encouragement, that’s making a difference. There is no reason you can’t make a positive impact in someone’s life.

All we really have to do is be an example of Christ. Be loving, and all that love is. Be kind, and gracious, and meek, and joyful. Be a lighthouse in the middle of the storm. Know scripture and use it everyday in your walk. Lift up others and never tear them down. Push others with a gentle hand, and respect everyone regardless of differences. Always do the right thing even when no one is watching meaning have integrity. God is always watching you. Remember that no one deserves grace, but we all have it, and we should follow in God’s likeness and offer grace to others freely. Being a hero is doing the right thing and never expecting a reward. Being a hero is living with integrity, and honor. There is always hope, and where there is hope there is life. The battle is for souls, and it’s the most important battle we’ll ever fight. We are called to be God’s warriors, but we must first look inside and accept the calling. If you’re not happy in your life maybe it’s time to find out why. Maybe it’s time to take a long hard look inside and figure out why we’re missing something. If were missing something, I’d be willing to bet its Christ in your life. Rise up and live so close to Christ that others will see it in you, and as Gideon before you, be a hero, even if it’s an unsuspecting hero. With God nothing is to big, nothing is to small, and nothing is impossible.

 

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You Wanna Know How I Got These Scars?

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You Wanna Know How I Got These Scars?

Have you ever looked in the mirror and noticed the scars you have? I have scars I see every day when I look in the mirror. My body is covered with scars from years of unfortunate accidents, injuries, and just a result of a rough life. I don’t just see the physical scars in the mirror but the emotional ones also. I was told recently that the traumas and trials I’ve faced are enough for maybe 3 peoples lifetimes. I had never really thought about it like that before. All I think about is how horrible it’s been sometimes, if I think about them at all. One of the things I was very good at was not dealing with my emotional pain. I tried to bury it and run away forgetting where I put it. Sadly, when it comes to grief and pain, you can’t outrun it. What you bury will come back to haunt you, and it’s usually pretty angry when it does. I recently wrote a blog post talking about running from grief. https://thearrowpreacher.wordpress.com/2018/05/29/man-on-the-run/ I won’t be rehashing an old topic. Instead in this post, I’ll be discussing how to use those scars to your advantage.

In 34 ish years I’ve seen a lot of things, and I’ve been to a lot of places. I’ve seen the world from the 3rdworldview, and I’ve seen the world from a luxury hotel downtown Chicago. No matter where I’ve gone one thing has been certain, the Holy Spirit has been right there with me the whole time. From the age of a little kid I have felt the Holy Spirit with me. I have moved through life feeling the Holy Spirit, yet running from an obvious calling within my life. Most of my life I have felt as if something were missing. I have felt a sense of lacking and never quite feeling useful. I have lacked purpose in my life. I thought my purpose was to be a good friend, a good husband, but although in my biased opinion, I am a good friend, and I am a good husband, or more accurately was a good husband, I now realize something new. For each scar I have a story. Each story is a chance to reach out to someone in need. Purpose will always be, where God is sending you. Today, I sit here thinking about each one of my scars mental and physical, and I have slowly started to realize what the purpose after all these years may have been.

When I think back to a man with scars I am reminded of the Apostle Paul. He suffered a great deal of physical torment throughout his ministry. Through the book of Acts you see Paul’s struggles. You see him get beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, hunted, imprisoned, and yet as he talks about how far he’s come. Galatians 6:17“17 From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” I for one cannot imagine the pain he must have been in every day. In a time where most serious injuries would likely cripple or kill someone, he managed to keep going despite his injuries. It wasn’t as if they could go to the nearest CVS or Walmart and get Tylenol. Not being able to set broken bones, or take anti inflammatory, or even penicillin must have made healing very difficult. Here’s a man that literally took beatings and  torture for God, never once throwing up his hands and saying, ‘Nope, I made it all up, Jesus was a nobody.’ Even till Paul’s dying day, scars and all, he maintained his position that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, the truth the way the light. His scars were his testimony and what a testimony he had! I have spent a lifetime wondering why I’ve been through so much. I’ve often sat in the dark, yelling to God to answer my questions. After 34 years I may have finally gotten the answer I have been waiting for.

When you pick up your cross you will find persecution. In persecutions you will find both physical and emotional scars are part of the journey. Scars are sometimes badges of honor when we are a blessing to Jesus. Our scars are a reminder of where we’ve been, and a lesion learned no matter what caused the scar. Sometimes a scar is gained by playing with friends. Sometimes a scar is from someone doing unspeakable things to you. No matter where your scars are from, either good or bad, we can always take away some kind of lesson. I’ve seen many people after a trauma turn cold and bitter towards the people around them. I can’t say I’m innocent either. I have become angry when I’ve been hurt. I’ve seen people destroy lives, destroy families after suffering from loss. We will always have scars, but as a sword in the fire, we will either become brittle and break, or become strong and sharp. True courage is to face the pain, and face the troubled waters with honor and dignity and above all else, faith that God will use that pain for good, not for more suffering.

I have scars from surgeries, everything from knee, to hernia, to tonsillectomy, to cervical spine fusion, and more. I have emotional scars from death, from relationships, from war, and much more. When I look in the mirror I see a man who’s endured much, and yet I still stand. I face the world with hope, and with agape (love) in my heart for those around me. Even as I was going through a horrible divorce with my ex wife, and while there were things said and done that were beyond awful, I stood by her side and endured the pain and hardships. Now after all that time, we are talking, we spend time together, and we have a pretty amazing friendship. All the pain that was endured has allowed me to be there for her, now when she needs it. Living with Christ in your heart, loving deeply and not just what this world considers love anymore, is not an easy venture but God is watching and he will bless you for it. Pain is a hard thing to be stuck with, especially if you don’t know why, and you don’t know what to do with it. But I say to you, there is hope, and there is purpose. You will have to turn to God with love and prayer, and surrender in your heart. You will have to allow God to hold you up, and you will have to surrender over a piece of your self. Jesus Christ can heal your heart if you let Him. Jesus is always with you, and you just need to ask, and accept that without Christ we are nothing, but with Christ we are royalty to paradise. We are all soldiers, and with our scars of battle, we choose to surrender to the Devil, or fight for the throne in Heaven.

I was thinking back to an old post I wrote, and an old Sermon by Dr. David Chambers of my church. Why was our savior brought into this world as a baby? It was so that he would grow, and live among us, so we could relate to Him on a deep intimate level. His life had pain, and losses, and poverty, just like many of us. He survived the baby massacre, and then lost his Dad Joseph early in his life. He would grow to preach and teach God’s word, and when the time came he was tortured horribly, to just an inch of his life, and then he carried a heavy tree for a few miles, just to be placed on that tree and hung for all the world to see. Christ suffered horribly for each and every one of us, so we may one day live to live in eternal salvation. “Living is not for the weak.” (Arrow)It takes great courage to live with pain. It takes courage to find a path where you can use your pain for good rather then evil. How many stories have you seen or heard that started off with the villain saying ‘I was done wrong, so I’m going to make them pay.’ Or something along those lines anyway. Emotional pain is a strong motivator and it can cause good people to do awful things. Every one of us is capable of great things, or completely evil things. When we use our pain to heal from the truth written on those pages in scripture, then we are on the path to enlightenment.

Under the right situations your pain and suffering may be used to inspire and help others. I for one am starting to realize that all my life has been training. All the hardships I’ve faced and it being mostly traumatic incidences has given me the unique perspective to understand the nature of that kind of pain. I understand the pain of loosing a loved one to divorce. I’ve lost people in my life before, but my marriage this time was one of the hardest. The unfortunate event that occurred the day I found out my wife was leaving would forever be a day of great tragedy for me. That fateful day I succumbed to the pain and suffering that I spent so much effort running from. I’m ashamed of myself, and I still have a hard time believing it was me that day, but I have the scar to show for it. Today when I think back at my scars, I think now, how can I help others? How can I help prevent what happened to me, happen to anyone else? As I have been looking into my future since my security job imploded I have been led to believe ministry is my true calling. For years I looked at the ministry to be for someone much smarter, much braver, and much more people friendly. God uses the most unlikely of people sometimes to do His work. I have heard from many in ministry about running from their calling and how miserable their life was the whole time. Ministry is perhaps one of the hardest things to do, with some of the most stress in any job. Ministry comes with some of the most emotional drain out there, but people are genuinely happier, despite the level of stress that comes with.

I realized my traumas have been preparing me to help others get through theirs. Through most of my incidences I didn’t have a therapist, or a chaplain there to help me through. I was left to navigate the minefield, and as it became more and more dense with each passing trauma, I was bound to step on a landmine. When I finally stepped on one, and I ended up in the hospital, I was faced with a fundamental change in my life. It was the beginning of the end of a path I had been on for 7 years of a career, and 32 years of my life. Through it wasn’t easy for me to face facts, eventually, that closure would come from God as my job in security would end abruptly and with finality. I know many of you have endured great pain and suffering, and you can’t see any reason why you were made to suffer. First off let me say that there are a lot of reasons we are hurt. Sin is the most likely for most. Health is next in line. Then lastly personal choice to make bad decisions causes many of our struggles. No matter what flavor of pain you have, know that it is up to you to find a scriptural purpose for it. I have decided that my vast knowledge of all kinds of different pain and trauma makes Christian Crisis Counseling a perfect job for me. I can use my pain and suffering to inspire and guide others through their crucibles. I have chosen to embrace my pain instead of running from it. I have chosen to use my pain instead of burying it. If I can use my experience to help God’s people, it would be a sin not to.

I have run from God’s calling into ministry my whole life, and there’s always been something missing. I’ve always struggled with depression, and even though I’m not perfect and sometimes I still have my bad days, I am driven to continue my growth in the Lord. I pray to God to continue to show me my path, and to give me grace and mercy along the way. I fully expect the Devil to try and break me down during my journey, and any journey towards chaplaincy or pastoral ministry is going to fall under attack by the Devil. If we are going to follow in Christ we must live differently, so we can show others a different way to live. We must be productive in our faith, and not squander our experiences. I think of the things a father teaches a son. A father teaches their child how to treat others, how to be a responsible person, and how to love. They teach them how to do things around the house, how to hunt, and fish, and throw a baseball. But more importantly a Christian father will teach their kids, rather train their kids to be in Christ. I didn’t have a father growing up and I missed out on a lot of important lesions and experiences, but now I look to my Heavenly father for guidance and love, and approval. I have hidden behind my scars for so long, now I have to learn to embrace them and use them to help others. It won’t be an easy road, and I suspect there will be days when I will feel the weight of my decisions, but as Paul said to Timothy, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. I too shall join that fight in ministry as I start my path to chaplaincy, and God willing maybe more.

There are days when my scars hurt, but I know God won’t ever leave me, He won’t ever forsake me, and I know now, my scars were not in vein. We must learn to see beyond our own pain, and trust that in all things we go through God is working it out so we may find peace, not sorrow. We live in a fallen world so pain and trials will come, but we don’t have to let it destroy us. I challenge each and every one of you to go out there and find your purpose in Gods plan. It’s likely your scars are for a purpose and that you can use them for good. Your scars can give you strength and understanding in areas perhaps others cannot. I challenge you to stop running from God and embrace your gifts and your life experiences. Pass on what you have learned, and remember failure is the greatest teacher you will ever have. Use your failures to help others see. Never give up on yourself because Christ wont’ ever give up on you.

 

 

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Religious Nuts

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Religious Nuts:

As a Christian I am often asked what my religion is. The odd thing I don’t understand is when I’m asked by Christians, knowing that I believe in Christ, what religion I belong to. Now, realize what they mean to ask is “what denomination are you?” While my true religion is Christianity, I don’t prescribe to follow a particular denomination, I follow the word of God. Each and every denomination has things I don’t agree with. That being said, in my humble opinion as long as the word preached in the pulpit is the word of God, and it’s not being perverted, misquoted, or being used for personal gain, I’m not going to argue with someone about the minutia within. I believe getting stuck in the argument over religion takes away from the true nature of the Spirit, and distracts us from the real enemy. James 1:26-27“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” When we argue over small details we allow ourselves to let the Devil into our hearts and sew dissention among God’s people. How sad is it that churches can be divided over what clothes people wear, the color of the carpet, and even worse a bag of potatoes. When we take our eye off the ball of course we’re going to strike out, and that’s exactly what’s happening within the body of Christ right now. If we truly want to hit a home run we should be more focused on, John 14:6“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” At the heart of Christianity is this verse right here.

 Galatians 5:22-2622 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. When we go forth from our homes, we must remember that we are ambassadors for the Lord. We are the face people see, and we represent our Lord and Savior. We make mistakes yes, and we are all sinners, but it’s in our actions every day that we must hold ourselves accountable to the light of Christ.

What are your motivations behind what you do? When you’re at church on Sunday are you there because you’re getting your religious fix for the week? Are you there because your great, great, granddaddy helped set up the church? Are you pretending to be a good Christian but in your heart it’s as black as night? While your actions may fool others around you, your heart will always been crystal clear to God. On the flip side, are you so religious that you persecute others who don’t live up to your standard? Do you go around judging everyone for actions you deem to be a sin? Years ago, I was preparing for a funeral of a friend of mine, a fallen soldier who died in combat. During that preparation I found that a Religious sect of Christianity, (if you can call them that) was planning on protesting at his funeral. They were shouting profanities like ‘God hates fags’, ‘Soldiers are murderers’, ‘Pray for more dead soldiers’, and so on. Needless to say this is not scriptural, this is not what Jesus taught, and those people do not represent Christians. Sadly though, to some people, they are the representation of Christianity. There have been cases throughout history of those who would use religion to further their agenda. The Pharisee’s of old used the Jewish faith to live in luxury, to keep control of their power, and to control the people.

As a Criminal Psychology major I find myself always considering someone’s motives behind what they do. Years ago I read a book called the Anatomy of Motive by John Douglas. In this book he talks about his many years as an FBI criminal profiler. He discusses a few cases he was a part of and broke down how his profile of a crime led to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible. Each type of crime dictated a different standard of motives. For instance, 15 stab wounds to a person would lead you to believe there was rage, and hatred involved. If you also find the body face down meaning it was turned to lay prostate, it’s likely the victim and the suspect knew one another. Often this type of crime is considered to be one of passion, thus you’re probably looking for someone who was recently in a relationship, or someone as a past relationship that never got over that relationship. Everyone from the smallest crime, the smallest actions, have motivations for what it is they do. Christians, and other faiths are no different. When you start to believe that Religion is what God can do for you, verses what you can do for God, you’ve perverted the word, thus, are on the path to becoming a religious nut. What are your motivations? Do you gossip at church? Do you nitpick every little thing you don’t like to others in the church? Do you go to your pastor on a regular basis and complain about what someone did? If these are some things you do, you may need to reevaluate your motives with Christ.

Romans 12:2“2 Do not be conformed to this world,[a] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[b]” I have been thinking back to a few incidences that just make me sick. The Catholic crusades, and the Salem Witch trials. Both of these sad points in Christian history show how religion can be very dangerous. Religious rules and regulations don’t make you right with God. 12 Hail Mary’s, a collection plate, a white collar, a dress, or the color of the carpet, none of which makes you right with God. You will never be able to keep and uphold all the law, which is why under the new covenant we are taught to seek salvation, we must follow Christ, love our neighbors, and spread the Gospel. One sin can keep you out of heaven. Heaven cannot allow imperfection, and thus if works alone could get you into paradise, one infraction would undermine everything you’ve worked for. Those people who preach the Jesus plus one sermons are not following Christ’s teachings. When you add a plus one to salvation beyond the blood of Christ, what’s to stop you from adding another thing, then another, and another, much like Jesus spoke on about the Pharisees. We will never deserve Heaven, but it’s by grace and mercy of our Abba Father, and the blood of Christ we are washed away of our sins upon acceptance of Jesus in our hearts, and a true desire to repent and change our ways.

There is but one way into Heaven, Jesus Christ. No matter if you’re Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Episcopalian, or any other denomination, no matter what you call yourself look deeper into the facets of your rules. Grace is found in Christ’s sacrifice, not in the laws. Love shared for us by a self sacrifice shows us how we are saved. We are saved by the long-suffering, the endurance, and the pure agape (love). Do not be confused about the love we are called to share with others. We are to love, not enable them. We don’t want to judge someone, but we are to hold others accountable for their actions. Love is the action of serving the Lord above all else. We must do this with love in our hearts, and walk with a tender foot. We must show ourselves reliable and dependable. We must do what we say we will do, and uphold our word in front of God. We must show ourselves with meekness, which is having power under control. This power is important because when we are in a position of power we are more in the spotlight of those in our influence. We must respect that power, and thus maintain a Godly standing. I am reminded of a movie I saw recently. Some of you may have heard about it, it’s called Avengers: Infinity War. When I think of meekness I think of what Thanos was not. Thanos, possibly the strongest being in the universe sought power. He did so because he felt the universe was headed for disaster, and he alone could harness the power to save it. He would do whatever it took to obtain that power and with it, answered the question, ‘if I have the power, should I use it?’ His position was yes, no matter how grotesque the outcome. This leads into my word, temperate: self-control, led by the spirit or led by foul fruits of the flesh. I believe Thanos was led, but he was led by his own misguided quest. He misused his power, and destroyed half the universe.

Truth is eternal. Truth doesn’t change over time because it’s tested by time. The truth we seek is the truth of Christ. Sadly when time goes on, sometimes the truth of the word is twisted and corrupted to meet the needs of someone’s sick ideology. “God loves fresh fruit of the spirit, but necessarily religious nuts.”(Dr. M David Chambers, senior Pastor Antioch Baptist Church). Religion is about what you can do for God, but not in a perverted manner. When you believe that you can do enough for God and that it’s your works that makes you a good Christian you’re wrong. Further more when you do it to boast yourself up about what you have done, verses doing it because it’s God’s work, you may be towards the religious nut side. When you become so consumed with the rules, the laws, and continue to make up new laws along the way, you have begun to pervert the word. If we are to bare good fruit you must allow the fruits to be produced in the right environment. It’s not about your own personal opinions; it’s about the word of God. It’s about the humble works for the Lord, not the works for your own personal gain. That personal gain can also be to make yourself feel better to mask your own sins.

When you’re so focused on rules and laws, much like the Tomb of Jesus. There’s a ladder that has been on a ledge left behind when work was done back in the 18thcentury. It’s called the immoveable ladder because the counsel for the tomb cannot agree on what to do with this ladder. People become so consumed with rules, and opinions that it’s no longer about the Love and sacrifice of the Lord. The truth is we are able to enter Heaven because we have grace and mercy. We are able to have perfection because we got away with sin. In closing, don’t come across as a religious nut. Don’t loose sight of the love and grace of God and don’t sit so high and mighty that you believe you are better then someone else. Paul himself spoke in depth about him not being anything more then anyone else. Sin is sin, and we are all equal at the foot of the cross. Learn to pick and choose your battles, and always make sure that whatever your opinion may be, it falls in line with absolute, incontrovertible truth, scripture. We see religious nuts everywhere we look, and see it in all walks of life, but all we can do is pray for those people. Remember, serving the Lord is by doing God’s work. We can never do anything for God, but we can do God’s work. There is a difference. We will never do enough for God to enter into heaven. Committing murder in the name of God is not for God. Protesting death, or a people is not for God, it’s for self. Don’t be a religious nut, because you will do more harm to the cause. Religious nuts are very off putting and dangerous. Stop with the Jesus plus one beliefs you may have come up with. Learn when to push, and when to listen. Don’t open your mouth and allow stupid to fall out. Don’t allow the Devil to enter into your mind and slowly change the word to meet your own self-interests. Allow yourself to be an environment to allow growth in the spirit to everyone you encounter, by being different and allowing people to see you as different. God will use you but you must be willing to be a servant, humble yourself, and crucify your own flesh to allow the spirit to grow within you. In all things remember where truth can be found, between the covers of the one incontrovertible truth, The Holy Bible. We must keep the faith and continue to fight the fight. Don’t loose sight of what truth really means. 1 Timothy 6:12-16“12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.” Scripture inspires us, guides us, leads us in the ways of the Lord. The word instructs us on our behavior, and thus we must be equipped with God’s truth never our own substitution. 2 Timothy 3:16-17“16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God[a] may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

The God I Know, By: Love & The Outcome

If it was all about religion
What to do, what to say
What to wear on a Sunday

All about perfection
Black and white, wrong or right, never grey
Well, I’d never make it
I’d never be good enough (oh-oh-oh)

 

 

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Wild Plants

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Wild Plants

What do you get when you plant a berry bush? In life we must understand the cause and effect we will be faced with. Galatians 6:7-10“7Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” We cannot expect to get apples if we plant strawberries. Conversely if we don’t put our hands in the dirt and work the soil we can’t expect the crop to take route and grow.

In all things we plant seeds for the Lord. Allow works for the Lord to be done through you. Do not grow weary for we may not tend the full season of harvest alone. God will honor your works in blessings seen and unseen. Nothing we do for the Lord goes in vein. Every single effort we make in the name of God is a blessing to come. Know though that works are not the path to salvation. Works with a wicked heart will bear rotten fruit.

Do not boast of your good works for you are nothing without God. Farmer’s crops show the hard work from the farmer and the farm hands, but without God’s blessing of sun, rain, temperature, the crop is nothing. Mother nature can destroy a crop fast. Blight can come and wipe everything out in an instant and because these things happen, we must remember that in all things the Lord gives, and takes away.

This works based glory can be seen in every facet of life. Sports stars boast how good they are, but without God’s gifts of talent they are nothing. Without God’s graces the bright coaches, the right support, the grace of good teams is all God’s work. We must work hard yes but in an instant God can change your path. It’s grace of Christ and we must remain humble before the Lord. One day you can be boasting about being the greatest, and the next day you blow your knee. This isn’t just for sports players, this is for anyone, and everyone needs to be careful of what planting rotten fruit will get you. Be careful that when you start to believe that your excellent is better then everyone else, you yourself have become the idol, the thing you worship most of all. Pride and vanity are sins, and when we believe we have become bigger then God, the storm is coming.

I’ve watched helpless as close friends of mine have gone down horrible paths. At the end of those paths is often a brick wall going 70 miles per hour. (figuratively speaking) One cannot be surprised when actions eventually lead you to the consequence which when rotten fruit is what you’ve got, the outcome will be unfavorable. It breaks my heart when I see people in bad situations that with different choices could have been avoided. I have watched as a few bad choices have destroyed a lifetime of work and effort. Sadly I think so much in today’s world we are disillusioned that we can sneak by without ever having to face our actions. A while back I worked security at a large mall. One day I got a call from one of the large department stores that had picked up 3 girls all under the ages of 18 for larceny. When I arrived where the girls were being kept, I entered to each one of them crying. See what probably started off as a good idea in their minds, quickly turned as the ramifications of their actions slowly started to sink in. The girls had concealed enough to be considered felony. Not even 18 years old and they were looking at felony charges. From my perspective I want to look deeper at the situation. Yes they attempted to steal a lot of items and got caught, but lets go back before that. While some crimes may be crimes of impulse or crimes of convenience, what’s more likely is this was not their first time doing something criminal. If we water our plants with vinegar we aren’t going to get a good crop. It may grow but it will most certainly be rotten.

We cannot expect to live with a rotten heart and not have push back sooner or later. Nothing in this life goes without consequence both good and bad. If we do sinful things, we will one day face the consequences. If we do Godly loving things, one day we will face those consequences also. Cause an effect without a judgment of good and bad, is just the effect that comes from a particular act. Make sure we aren’t the Grinch who stole Christmas. Don’t have a shrunken, moldy heart. A greasy black peal and arsenic sauce isn’t the best way to make friends. So, don’t try to pull an apple from a strawberry bush. Don’t be rotten fruit that is off-putting to everyone around it. Be pleasant fruit that everyone wants to have around to enjoy. Be a joy in others lives, fill your heart with love and warmth and color.

 

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It’s All Part Of The Plan

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It’s All Part Of The Plan:

I want you to stop where you are and look around. Right where you stand, right where you sit, is this moment in time where you thought you’d be? I’ve been taking a moment to think about my life and reflecting the path I’ve taken to lead me to this moment. While I would like to say it’s been smooth, I’d be lying. I think we can all agree there is no such thing as a smooth life. While I myself do not prescribe to complete pre-destination, I believe that God will continue to move pieces around the chess bored to maneuver us to where He wants us. For the vast majority of my life I’ve run from a calling, and it wasn’t till recently I have felt as if God smacked me in the back of my head and said ‘Okay, it’s time.’ As I have spent years in the same career when that came to an abrupt end a few weeks ago, I had to accept that my time as a security officer had ended.

I watched my career implode when I ruptured a disc in my back. 9 months later I found myself back to work in what seemed to be a perfect type of position for me. 3 weeks later due to government oversight that posting was dissolved. Just like that the laid plans that took months to bare any fruit, where whisked away in a short but powerful hurricane. Left standing in the destruction I looked to the sky and asked, “Okay God, what next?” I never expected to get an answer so fast, but I can’t say I didn’t ask for it, and I can’t say I’m overly surprised. I think what shocks me most is my willingness to acquiesce to God’s plan over my own.

Who are we without Christ? We wake up at whatever time, we get ready for work, and we go to a job every day, or most days for most people, and we are either good at what we do, bad at what we do, or just don’t care to put forth the effort in what we do. For some people their careers are everything to them, and for others, it’s just an annoyance they put up with day in and day out to make money to pay the bills. While work is not everyone’s cup of tea, we all have something we enjoy doing. Whatever that is, and I’ll allow you to fill in the blank, we all, no matter how big or small, have at least that one thing that brings us great joy. For some people it’s a hobby, others it’s their pets, some it’s work, and others it’s being on fire for God in ministry and missions. While I don’t often get to talk to full time missionaries, I do get to talk to those who go on mission trips on a regular basis, i.e. once a year or so. The reports to the church on how the other half of the world lives are usually similar in nature, they have next to nothing, and yet they are happy. We have an abundance of wealth in our society and yet we are some of the most pitifully miserable people on the planet. Those who say money buys happiness obviously hasn’t taken a good hard look at the United States mental health reports. So when we look at the abundance of wealth we have, and the lavish lifestyle we live (even our poverty) lives better then many countries I’ve been too. We see disparity within our country when it comes to joy with most other countries around the world. We are truly missing one main ingredient, and that’s Jesus Christ.

When we are following Christ we find that we move from one thing to the next with more ease and less worry then those who are unbelievers. (Not a black and white statement) I am reminded of the statement by Paul, and I’ll paraphrase, In all situations I find myself, content. This is a man who if any had reason to complain, it was him. Few people go through so many hardships as Paul, except maybe Job, but he kept moving forward no matter how hard the road, no matter the obstacles in front of him, he moved forward with grace and dignity. Remind you, Paul was a sinner just like the rest of us. Paul would have faced the same draws from the sins of the flesh, the pull of a fallen world, and the human faults that plague each and every one of us, but he knew he was a sinner. Paul on more then one occasion responded to attacks by saying he was no one. He would tell people he is nothing without God, and Jesus Christ is truth and Jesus Christ alone is truth. Where Paul went he was met with hostility, anger, hatred, and even physical violence, but everywhere he went was ‘All Part Of The Plan’.

When we follow scripture and we allow ourselves to give in to it, we will be moved and used by God in ways we never thought possible. When we are seeking the Lord and we try to have that relationship with our Abba (father) we will be amazed how drastically different our life will be, how bright it is, when we finally open ourselves to God, and force our selfish need to be in control away. We will go through life trying to do things our way, but often in our feeble attempts to do things right, we usually find ourselves in dire situations often because of our own sinful decisions. When I was watching The Dark Knight a few years back I was amazed at how well written Heath Ledgers Joker was. Each scene he was in was a small masterpiece in the grand scheme of the movie. The Joker in the movie falls in the category of an Anarchist. What’s an anarchist, “a political theory holding all forms of governmental authority to be unnecessary and undesirable and advocating a society based on voluntary cooperation and free association of individuals and groups” The Joker tells Dent he isn’t a man with a plan. He tells him he’s a dog chasing a car, and he wouldn’t know what to do with it if he ever caught one. “Upset the established order and everything becomes chaos.”(Dark Knight Rises)The Devil means to upset order, and as seen in the Garden, he’s been doing it for some time now.

How do we ensure we continue to follow God’s plan? First and foremost you must have a relationship with God. You must study scripture to the point where you have it in your heart and in your head every day. You must understand the word of God to prepare for the day when you will be attacked on the battlefield. We must study scripture day and night. We must get to the point where our actions are instinct and we no longer have to put hours of study into what to do in different situations. We must have a relationship with God that gives us a level of intimacy with scripture, and not just a passing understanding of it. We must focus on that relationship with Jesus Christ, and while we are doing that, our path will be made clear as seen in scripture. Psalm 25:4-5 “Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.” Start with learning scripture and God’s ways. Learn behavior which is acceptable and that which is not. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” We must allow ourselves to subside so we may submit in every way to the Lord. To do this requires us to trust in God for every last bit of our lives. Not only trusting in the Lord with the big stuff which most people turn to God for prayer, but also the smallest details in our life, and to be thankful and appreciative of our vast number of blessings which come from our Heavenly Father. Psalm 32:8“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” God will never put you on a path alone. God will never give you the keys to the car without first teaching you how to drive it. God will always give you what you need, when you need it. We are to be the hands and feet, and we are to work hard for everything we do, but God always rewards hard work and self sacrifice.

While the Joker is an agent of chaos and we often feel like our lives are chaos, I submit to you, that we are actually following the path laid in front of us by either our own sinful selves, or we’ve taken the bait and followed the path of the first agent of chaos, Lucifer. If we glance at the instruction manual and have an in passing familiarization of the design, when we get done building, will we have pieces left over? The instructions are there for a reason and just like my Lego sets I often build, if I miss even the smallest step on page 4, it could have vast problems by page 34. We must be careful to read every word, study and understand it so when the day comes for temptation to creep in on page 36, you will be ready for it. You’ll know that’s not apart of the plan, and you’ll know how to manage that day. “Yea you know, you really should have stolen the whole book because the warnings, the warnings come after the spells.”(Dr. Strange) The warnings about sin don’t just come at the end of the Bible, but throughout the whole thing. We have no excuse to expect Hell, when we live our lives according to our own plans and desires. Much like Kaecilius failed to realize the depth of what he was reading and getting into. “Eternal life as part of the one, you’re not going to like it.” (Dr. Strange) Instead of thinking of it as the one, God, instead think of it as eternal life with the one agent of chaos and destruction, the Devil. I believe so many people follow such a path that they feel works, or being good enough, or even whatever other faith they may follow, I hope in the end it’ll be worth it. I feel a bit like Dr. Strange, “you got what you wanted, but you’re not going to like it.”

We may not know what the plan is for us, but if we are patient and faithful to the Lord it will be made clear when all the pieces on the board are in the right place. We will always have a choice which way we want to go, we can be agents of chaos, or we can be agents of order. Jesus Christ is the only order you will ever need to be apart of. No matter what path God has you on based on the gifts He gave you, be patient, be trusting, and be willing to allow yourself to be the hands and feet of God. God will never ‘need’ you, but if he chooses to use you, believe me, it’s better to give in, then to fight. You can fight tooth and nail but if you want to find your happiness and contentment, go with God’s plan sooner rather then later. It’ll save you years of headaches. So get out there and make a difference.

 

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