Tag: Love all

House Divided

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House Divided

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

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

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

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

 

 

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Show Some Respect

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Show Some Respect

As a friend, how do you treat your friends? How respectful are you towards your friends? What kind of person are you? Are you a friend who drops everything when you’re needed? Are you a friend who goes to great lengths to check on your friends when you know they are in need? Are you a friend who helps others financially, spiritually, or emotionally? Are you the type of person that pays forward good deeds? Or, are you the kind of person that accepts those good deeds but never repays them? Are you selfish and you take for granted those people in your life that are always there for you? How do we as a people look to Jesus Christ? Are we appreciative of the sacrifice Christ made for us?

When you have much to offer, people will flock to you in droves. When Christ was healing everyone, handing out free food, lifting everyone up, the people loved him. When he started talking about everyone being sinners, and heaven wasn’t achievable for everyone because of our love of Sin, they turned on him. They threaten to stone him, and ran him out from one town after after. This is the savior and only when it suited us, did the people appreciate the truth, no, they preferred to live happy in a lie, instead of face the bitter truth.

( Spoilers Ahead for The Matrix)

I’m reminded of the first Matrix movie. The Matrix a prison meant to enslave the human race by keeping their minds trapped inside a digital construct, while harvesting a human being to essentially be living batteries. A soldier for the cause for the revolution against the machines Morphious In the first film one of the freed mines, a man named Cypher betrays the crew and causes a lot of problem. When the betrayal is discovered Cypher describes how he’d rather live in ignorance, and the joys of the Matrix, rather then suffer and live with the truth.

Proverbs 10:9 “He that walketh uprightly walketh surely: but he that perverteth his ways shall be known.”

Luke 8:17 “For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.”

Aren’t we the same way? We look at Jesus as the answer to the problem. We sin, but it’s okay because we are forgiven, so it doesn’t matter what we do, as long as we say we’re sorry once in a while, and we keep living our lives. Yeah, see, that’s not how this works at all. Hebrews 10:26 “For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,” It’s said that when we take the Holy Spirit into our hearts the idea of sin becomes so repulsive we don’t do it intentionally. While we will always have moments where the flesh takes over and we Sin, the guilt we should feel when we do is where the repentance comes into the picture.

We are responsible for our own sins. We are responsible for how we treat others around us. We are responsible for the kindness in our own hearts. We are responsible for the selfishness in our hearts. The taking of Bashiba by King David was a knowing sinner at the time he took her into his bed. He knowingly sinned as he plotted the death of her husband. He knowingly sinned as he attempted to plot and scheme to hide his own sin. How appreciative of someone who picks up our tab at dinner? Now think about it, how appreciative are we now when we think about our eternal salvation? Do we live like someone who has been freed from an eternal death sentence? There’s a price for our sin, there’s a price for our actions, how we treat someone, and “The bill comes due, always” (Dr. Strange)

 

 

 

 

What’s Good for the Goose is good for the Gander!

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What’s Good for the Goose is good for the Gander!

What’s good for the goose is good for the gander! You know what I feel about this? What’s good enough for someone, should be good enough for someone else. Have you ever been categorized in a particular way? I’m what most would consider an odd duck. I have my particular talents, my particular traits, but mostly I’m not much different then most dogs, trustworthy, loyal, protective when I need to be, and I’m easily trainable. I am usually considered to be a nerd with the characteristics of a boy scout. I would think honorable traits, but perhaps not all that flattering. One thing I’ve noticed is the phrase really makes no sense. How many people tell you, you’re such a great guy, anyone would be lucky to have you! What, the what? See, this makes no sense, if you tell someone they are so great and anyone would be lucky to be with them, then why aren’t you, or why are those the people who are single the most? I have an answer for all of you, the dreaded friend zone! No one wants to be there, but so many nerds end up there. So many nice guys end up in the friend zone for reasons that for the life of me, I just can’t explain.

While I cannot provide any answers, and while I’ve failed to fix any of my own frustrations in this life, the only thing I can offer is God is still on the throne, and in charge over all. We may not always see the reason, or the purpose to our current or long standing predicaments. We must remember to have faith in the plan even when we can’t see it. God tells us it’s not good for man to be alone, so he created woman. I believe for everyone there is someone, and although it make not be easy, nothing in this life worth having is easy. We must learn to trust God with all our hearts, and even in the midst of loneliness, we must have the strength to carry on. Being alone for some people is a fate worse then death. We must take the grief and the pain we have, and learn to use it for the betterment of our lives. Much easier said then done, and I by no means am an expert in this. In fact, one might say over the last year, I’ve not done so well. It takes time to change, and to be molded. Time for us is fleeting, but as long as we continue to try, that’s the best we can ever hope for. Just remember, just because someone doesn’t want you, or someone doesn’t love you, or even someone who has loved you, then leaves you, this doesn’t quantify your self worth. Don’t allow people to be what makes you feel worthy or important. This is something I am terrible at, and I need to work on this every single day. I hope in my struggles, someone out there may read this and know they are not alone in this fight. I pray for each of you alone with the desire to have someone special, finds that person and helps fill that void in your life. Good luck to all of you and God Bless.

 

Rediscover

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Rediscover

The song plays in the distance, Moon River by Melissa Benoist. I have a dream to cross over the rainbow to find my Oz. A journey of discovery to find who I’m meant to be, I walk a path that seems black and white and without color we aren’t truly alive. Over the rainbow lies a land of magic, of color, of wonders beyond our wildest imagination. How do I get there I wonder, how do I take the step, then the leap to see if I can fly? I find myself scared to do what is necessary. I struggle to think about what if I’m making a huge mistake? The butterfly’s in my stomach doing summersaults, and as I watch a part of my life close, I wonder how did all this happens, I’m left with no answers. Life was good, moving forward, and I liked where I was. It’s so difficult closing a book when it’s over. A book that caught you, that grabbed every bit of your essence, and knowing that it’s done, it’s hard to grasp the finality of what’s come to pass. It’s clear now, that where I’m meant to is not where I thought I’d be. My life changed in an instant and in a year I found myself fighting a duality. I feel as if I’ve been split into two people and I barely recognize either of them. The man I see in the mirror I don’t recognize. The family that never would be, the career that ended before it flew, the awards that now gather dust in a box, all for nothing.

I know I never followed the typical path, but now I question why. What is it about me that so much bad have happened in a single lifetime? I look down at the cross I wear on my finger. The words of the armor are the reminder to remain strong and to fight the urge to crumble. I take a deep breath and close my eyes, and the urge to cry comes. I don’t know what’s waitin’ round the bend for me, and I don’t know if I have a friend waiting for me. I feel like I’m falling apart. My resolve seems to be shaken, and now I question everything. Of course when the going gets tough the answers are found in only two places. 1. Scripture, 2. Godly counsel.

Deuteronomy 31:6 “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

 My Lord, you must think I’m strong because I feel like the weight of the world is crushing me. Where is the light at the end of these hard times? Where’s the grace when the world isn’t fair? Where’s the faith I need to stand strong in the raging storm?

Rediscover 3Looking back at the person I once was I liked who I was back then. I look back and see the strength to take on the world, to overcome anything that came, and I was. I was a happier person, I was full of joy, and life. Today I feel so removed from then. I feel like the scars have built up and now I don’t see who I was any longer. I survived a war and through that I felt more me then I do now. The suffering from combat left me looking at the person in the mirror and I saw someone new. Now I look into the mirror and I see so little of my old self-looking back. It looks like me, but broken, fogged over through the steam that covers the glass. I wipe away the dew on the glass and I see the mask looking back at me.

God, I am broken today. I feel lost and I feel broken. My God I ask for healing today, and could healing happen today? My Lord on high you’ve watched me fall, you’ve seen me cry, you’ve seen me bleed, so I ask you on this day, to stand here with me broken together. Help pick me up and guide me along the right path. I don’t know which way’s up, or which ways down, I’m lost at sea with no stars to guide me. My fairy tale has broken down and like Humpdy Dumpdy I thought maybe I couldn’t be put back together again. Today I fall to my knees and I pray and pray, and I know that there’s only one hope for me, God’s love and God’s healing grace. I know that in this trial I’ve been tested. As many have before I me, I lean upon the words of prophesy.

Revelation 2:10 “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” God you’ve never left my side even in the storm, even as I faced death, you carried me back on wings of grace. You saved me for a purpose and even when I don’t know what that is, you do. You have given me a second chance to praise you in the storm, and no matter the waves that pound against me I won’t back down, I won’t stop fighting. My God my God, you have seen me through the war, you have seen me loose it all, you’ve seen me stumble, you’ve seen me fall, but today as I cry and feel like I can’t go on, I feel the strength come from above. As I sit and write I cry and the moment I start my dog lays her head in my lap. You use her to remind me you’re still there.

I am reminded that I need you Lord because the worlds to big. I stop and I listen, I quite my mind, and I reach down deep to hear your voice again. It’s with me always but sometimes I forget. Lord you cover me with the grace of your Angels, you protect me from harm, and you lift my soul. You rescue me from the Devil’s snare and one day you will call me home. While today is not that day, and nor was it yesterday or the times before, you have watched over me.

While I sit and seek tomorrow I pray the rainbow is bright. I see my wonderland and through the keyhole I ask if I seek, someday will I find, someone to watch over me. The future is a question we can’t be afraid of. We must grab life by the horns and must learn to leap so we may fly. While I’m not sure where I’m going, or what I’m doing, I know that I must take the leap of faith, and I know this journey will be one for me to rediscover who I am. Often when a chapter ends, or even the book the next phase is to relearn, rediscover who you are, or who you’re meant to be.

Rediscover 2

I Can Go The Distance

I have often dreamed of a far off place
Where a hero’s welcome would be waiting for me
Where the crowds would cheer, when they see my face
And a voice keeps saying this is where I’m meant to be

I’ll be there someday, I can go the distance
I will find my way if I can be strong
I know every mile would be worth my while
When I go the distance, I’ll be right where I belong

As I keep going in this life, I know I will one day find that welcome. I remain on the path, and one day I will finish the song.

I will search the world, I will face its harms
‘Till I find my hero’s welcome waiting in your arms

 

 

 

 

The Power of Love

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The Power of Love

How does someone love through the pain? How does someone love through the betrayals? How does someone love after torture? How does someone love after immeasurable loss? How can someone endure so much, and still manage to see the sun rise and get up and continue walking? The cruelty of the world can beat us down like a prizefighter, one blow after another and when we hit the mat it’s easy to want to stay down and not get punched in the face again. The grace of God was given to man despite the torture, the ridicule, the murder of eternity. No matter what horrible things we’ve done as a society, the war, the slavery, the racism, the most important thing to remember is the truest of truths and that’s the power of love.

I was talking to someone once who had undergone an enormous amount of pain, she was raped, and she struggled with feeling safe and normal again. The key I told her was forgiveness. She asked me how I could forgive so many for the pain they had done to me, and my response was simple. Luke 23:34 “And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.” We must remember that even after torture, and being hung on the cross, Christ new forgiveness was routed in love. That love supersedes all. We could never do enough to overcome our own sin. We could never do enough works to bribe our way into heaven. But through love we have been given the blessings of such, and the forgiveness to go along with it. Our forgiveness to others must come from our hearts. Forgiveness is never something someone can earn, never something they have to work towards. Forgiveness is about correcting the balance within ones self. If we are not just made to forgive those whom we know, it’s ever more important to know that love is not exclusive. Luke 6:35 “35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” Even our greatest foe, our worst nightmare, the worst mankind has to offer must be loved.

When you are in love with someone, and your heart aches for them, when the time apart from them seems like an eternity, when just the sound of their voice, the flutter within your own heart at the text that comes from them, the smile you get from ear to ear is infectious. The joys of being in love with someone, and how the worry of the world fades away. One cannot be blinded by love in mistake for lust or infatuation, however the true art of loving someone beyond that will bring absolute beauty to ones life. The greatest thing we can feel in our life is love.

Jude 22-23 “22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 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.” The sins we make are because of our sin nature. The draw of the Devil pulling us to loose control and focus on our deepest desires even if they are despicable to what is right and wrong. We must love even the sinner, even the worst of the sinners. This isn’t an easy charge, but to love our neighbors isn’t just a suggestion, it’s a commandment. Matthew 22:36-40 “36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

 It’s never easy to do, but when we are hurt and our pain is eating us from the inside out, the pain we have, the sorrow that stains our heart, we must learn that love is the cure. Loving must come from within. Romans 12:9 “9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” In order for us to find peace, and to be at rest even in the hardest of times, we must learn to focus our thoughts on love. 1 Peter 4:8 “8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” No matter what the event, whether it’s murder, it’s rape, or war, or terrorism, or thievery, or just getting cut off in traffic, no matter what it is, forgiveness must start from within.

Christ set us free with love, and we must learn also to set ourselves free. We can’t just forgive those who harm us, but when we make mistakes, when we wrong others, we must first attempt to apologize and repent meaning make actual steps to right the wrongs we have done. We must also learn to forgive ourselves. We must learn to be at peace with our sinful mistake, and do all we can to make it right. We may not be granted forgiveness from those whom we hurt, but that’s between them and God. All we can ever do is attempt to repent for our mistake and hope it’s enough. If it’s not enough for the flesh, we must as the bigger question, was it enough to God’s standards? We have no one to please on this earth, only God is the judge that matters. While forgiving others may be easy for some, the forgiving of ones own faults and sins may be the hardest thing anyone ever does. Remember that God loves you no matter what, and that power of love is strong enough to overcome any obstacle. Love is strong enough to overcome hurtful words, hurtful actions, and hurtful beliefs. Not everyone will love the way they should, not everyone will love and be able to hold onto that love, but Love is still the greatest of all, and no matter what ‘people’ say, Love is the greatest of commandments. Again to use the motto of Hard Rock Café’ Love All, Serve All. In the words of Celine Dion:

We’re heading for something
Somewhere I’ve never been
Sometimes I am frightened
But I’m ready to learn
(‘Bout) Of the power of love