Tag: scripture

Find your Place

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Find your Place

I’ve had a lot of people tell me lately how lost they are. It’s not easy when you feel like you’re floundering around in the open sea. The feeling of being in the ocean alone, in the darkness of the night, bouncing around, not sure what’s going to happen to you, if you’ll be alright, or how you’re ever going to make it. Sometimes the truth doesn’t make it any easier. “Neo, sooner or later you’re going to realize just as I did that there’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.” (Morpheous) When we are in a place of pain, it can be hard to think straight. When we are lost in the woods it’s hard to tell that the path is just next to us. When we are walking aimlessly and lost sometimes it takes a new perspective. From a birds eye view you can easily see the path of the maze, but when you’re walking inside of it, it can be scary, and unforgiving. The lost can be scared, and when we don’t know where to go, fear can be overwhelming. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Hope springs eternal, and sometimes what we need is right in front of us all along.

Go The Distance, By: Micheal Bolton
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

When we’re lost and we are in seek of something, or someone there’s something we have to remember. 1 Peter 5:7 “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” We spend so much time allowing our anxieties to rule our lives, but what if we spend even a fraction of that time worrying about our path with God? We know that scripture tells us that we shouldn’t worry because God’s grace and control is over everything. We must learn to have trust and faith, and let go of our worries. Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” The Lord will strengthen us when we are weary from our journey. When we thirst we need only to go to the living water of life.

I have found that goals are important in our walk. When I am lost I first turn to God and pray for guidance. Then I sit down and I pen out my goals, my wants, my passions, and after I write down how to get there. Where do I start, and what path do I take? While I realize penning out your life doesn’t exactly seem practical it forces you to think and realize what’s possible and what’s not. Brainstorming is an important aspect of life, and when we take the time to put it out there, we may very well stumble onto what we were looking for all along. 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” If we are following God in our heart then the world will be a better place. If you put a little love in your heart, and you follow that love, follow the love of what God has planned for you to good work, and you’ll find your path. I know a guy who can sculpt wood so well it’s unbelievable, and he does it to help the healing process for veterans who’ve passed on. I know people who can sing, and dance, and draw, and when we focus on our gifts, our talents, and use them to glorify God the rest will come. While I’ve yet to find my place in this world, I’m starting to get the bigger picture. I know it’s not easy to change jobs, or to leave something you’ve done for so long, but I know that although change is hard, sometimes it’s needed. Change can be scary, and just like the maze you never know what’s lurking in the dark, but prepare mind, body, and soul, and you can face off against any monster or demons that may be lurking around the corner. With God on your side you cannot be stopped from the inevitable outcome. We learn from failure, and that’s when we grow the most. Don’t be afraid to take a chance just because you may fail. We need to fail in order to learn life’s greatest lessons. Failure is okay as long as you don’t stay down when you get punched. Learn to take life by the horns and fight back. This is the only life you get, so go out there and make the best of it.

Lord, I feel the storm raging inside and I don’t know where to go. Lord I feel the darkness and it scares me. The journey seems folly and I can’t find my way. Lord save me from my sorrow, save me from my pain, save me from my loneliness that plagues me. Lord my Lord, the world has hurt me, and I don’t know what else to do. The storms so loud in my head I can’t hear you, but I know you can hear me. Lord my Lord, guide me and protect me. Please my God end this storm and show me the sun again. The pain inside is deep and I can’t feel the pain anymore, I just feel numb. I cry and I cry, and I know you hear me in this storm. My God my God please hear me now, please watch over me and guide me to where I’m meant to be. You made me and I know you have a purpose and although I can’t see it, please release me from this pain. If this is punishment please forgive me. If this is a test, please show leniency. Please my God show me the way through this storm that I’ve been in so long now. My God you are wonderful, and giving, kind, and true, I trust My Lord, I trust in you. Amen

 

 

 

 

 

Financial Peace, and Gifts

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Financial Peace, and Gifts

The stories that tell us of our lives and the stories that shape the future in such a simple setting, like an old kitchen table. The reality over the dream is the truth we all must face at some point. We all look at our own battlefield with shame, guilt, and hopelessness. The battles we face aren’t the end, and although it’s hard, and terrifying, and it’s sometimes a huge hole we find ourselves in, there is one undeniable truth, one truth that buries the so-called truths that the world shoves down our throats, God’s word. God’s word sets our path, and it’s a tried and true path that no matter what battlefield we are on, the Word of God shows us the trail we must walk. That path isn’t easy, it’s not fun, and it will often kick you in the face.

Are we a nation of doers or reactionists? We are a nation that we react when bad things happen, when we walk through the path it’s like we pick up the rocks and place them in our packs till we can’t stand anymore. We pile so much on ourselves that we become over encumbered. We find ourselves unable to move and we don’t know how or why we can’t move. When we realize how we got to where we are that’s the first step. Once you get to the point where you’re tired of carrying the dead weight, you must first realize you have to stop doing what you’ve been doing. Change the way you think about your life, and change the focus and once you do, it’s only a matter of time for you to push away the rocks, and you can one day stand back up and get back on the right trail.

We must learn to stop embracing the bad decisions, we must learn to make the hard choices, and pick up the right cross and follow Jesus. We do have a choice and with that choice we must understand that anything worthwhile is worth putting forth the effort. No matter what we want if it’s good for us we must learn to work towards it. If we learn how to live a Godly life, and we learn to focus our emotions and eventually we will learn to reap what we sew. No matter where we find ourselves we must learn to be ready for the storms for when they come, not if they come. Make sure that you have your insurance policy to prepare you for when life happens. Scripture is our insurance, our understanding of life, and when we change how we live our lives, we will actually see the change in how often the ‘bad’ things happen.

When I was on a trip to Indiana on my return to North Carolina I hit something in the road and it cost me a few hundred dollars to fix the car. When I had the money to fix it and I wasn’t freaking out. I had the money, and without a second thought I was able to put the tire on the car, drive home, work out the insurance claim, and within a few weeks I had my car fixed and my money back. When we are disciplined in our faith we find that we actually becoming spiritually mature. Hebrews 12:11 “­­­­­For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.“ Positive it’s going to rain.” (Dave Ramsey) In Dave Ramsey’s words an unexpected event will happen to 78% of people in 10 years. It’s our job to not just think of this in a sense of money, but in every aspect of our lives. We need to prepare for what’s to come because it’s not a matter if they come, we know for sure that Murphey is going to knock on the door, and we want to be able to tell Murphey we’re ready for it. It’s almost proven that when you show God you’re ready, you’ll actually have less problems.

Proverbs 21:20 “Precious treasure and oil are in a wise man’s dwelling, but a foolish man devours it.” When we use up all of our savings, or we don’t save at all we are a fool. I personally believe this isn’t just about money. We have so many blessings in our life, and I believe that this also means we shouldn’t take those blessings for granted. We shouldn’t hoard our natural treasures. We must be faithful with the gifts we are given. We must learn to save up for when the troubles start. Proverbs 26:20 “For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.” We must never take for granted the abundance but instead share, and plan for the tough times. When we appropriate God’s grace, we will remain in favor. We don’t want to squander what we have and get lost along the way.

 

 

 

 

 

400 Already

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400 Already

It seems like it was just yesterday when I started my little blog. It seems like a blink of the eye and I’ve already hit 400 posts and in less then a year. In that time I’ve experienced so much pain, and at the same time joy. While I’ve not gotten to where I want to be yet, I know that I’m not done yet. I know that I have work to do still, and I will keep fighting the good fight till the day I’m called home. Like the 400 years of silence in Israel where nothing was heard from God, I know that in all things patience is so important. While God was quiet for those 400 years, without them the coming Savior’s mission wouldn’t have been feasible. In those 400 years the Roman Empire grew, and with it infrastructure, roads, and networks of trade and goods to move around more freely. To spread the Gospel these roads would be paramount, along with the ability to influence so many nations in a much larger area then would have previously been able. The 400 after Malachi the situation for the Jews did not bode well. The 400 years also known as the silent years can be broken down into four distinct periods.

Babylonian captivity (605-535 BC)

In around 586 BC Jerusalem fell to an attacking force. Nebuchadnezzar concurred the city and destroyed the temple. With no temple the Jews would find a way to preserve their heritage by creating small groups that would gather around their leaders to hear the scripture. These gatherings would be called “synagogues” literally translated to gatherings. This would pave the way for later Christians to build churches.

 

The Medo-Persian Period (537-331BC)

During this people the enslavement continued for the Jews, but this time the policy was to allow the people to follow their natural beliefs. The temples were allowed to be used again, and slowly the Hebrew texts were translated into Aramaic. This would help move the can down the road to be closer to further teachings of scripture. Slowly the teachings returned to the temples.

 

Grecian Period (331-164 BC)

During this period the Greeks took over largely at the tip of Alexander the Greats spear. This period was called the Hellenization period. After Alexander the Greats death in 323 BC Ptolemy I gained control over Egypt and ruled over the Jews. This period the biggest threat to the Jews was not an army, but culture. Culture would come to their shores and through the Alexandria the influence would spread. At this time the sacred texts would once again be translated into another language and slowly it went to Greek. By the time the New Testament would arrive most of the quotes used would largely be the old Greek translations also called Septuagint. The Syrians would eventually outlaw circumcisions and the Sabbath, along with dietary restrictions. Thus influencing the teaching and watering them down.

 

The Roman Period (63 BC- 134 AD)

After the capture of Jerusalem in the hear 63 BC by Pompey Hyrcanus II was appointed as high priest. Harod took over Galilee. Harod would eventually conquer Jerusalem and would be named “Harod the Great” King of the Jews. He would rebuild part of the Temple and transform it into a marvel. Augustus Caesar would rule over all of Rome. The Harods would rule one after another, as well as the Caesars to follow. This leads into the time of Christ, when Harod feared the rising of the foretold savior he would Slaughter every newborn in hopes to keep his power.

God was working every day to set the stage for Christ’s arrival. Just like a play in a theater you don’t start off one day with an open stage, you must first build the scenery, cast the characters, and the stage. Just like the 400 years setting the foundation for the Great Commission to be possible I feel as if over the last 400 blog posts I too have been laying the foundation for great things to come. All of which of course isn’t actually my doing, but by the grace of God I have come this far, and have faith that I will continue to walk the path paved for me. Every 100 posts I do a short overview of what has come, and what I hope to accomplish in the next one hundred. This year in the last 17 days I’ve had 494 views, 300 visitors. Last year 8,181 views, 4,111 visitors, with a total of 8,675 views, 4,411 visitors. The outreach hasn’t expanded as I had hopped it would, but as it was once told to me, even if I can just reach one, then it was all worth it. With all of that I’ve reached 100 countries, and hope to continue to grow and reach more. I myself have done nothing, and without the graces of God I would have achieved nothing on my own. I hope that as I move forward this year 2018, I shall continue to grow and spread the gospel of the Lord in a way I can reach people and make people interested in hearing the word of God. While we may never know all of which our works may do, as long as it’s pleasing for one the Lord above, nothing else matters. I’ve spent almost a full year now writing, and preaching the Gospel as a Disciple of Christ and I pray I can continue to preach and teach as the days continue to move forward.

As always there have been a few people in my life that have made this possible for me. They have kept my course straight and true. Rev. Glen Newsom my go to for questions, for guidance, and as my teacher and best friend. Dr. M. David Chambers is my Pastor, and the occasional guiding star to make sure my course stays straight. Heather Todd, my close friend that helped start me on this path. Nikinzie, the women behind the man, the closest friend I have other then Glen. She’s my go to, my confidant; she is my friend when I’m in the darkest of places. She is my ear when I need to talk, and my shoulder when I need to cry, and my sounding board when I need to yell. She supports me every day, and I don’t think I’d be where I am today if it weren’t for her support. There was a great quote from X-Men, “Just because someone stumbles and loses their path, doesn’t mean they’re lost forever.” (Charles Xavier) While I have stumbled along the way, I have felt great despair, and sadness, with momentary moments of joy and clarity, I know that while I often question if I’m still on the right path, those around me assure me I am. I know that this path is long, and while I stumble and fall, those around me help me and remind me God’s still with me no matter what. I will keep going, keep writing, keep reaching those around the world and know that my heart and my path will remain true.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be God’s Lego’s 2

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Be God’s Lego’s 2

We are hand crafted to do a job, a very specific job we are born to do, designed directly by God. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” We often feel our calling and we tell God he’s wrong, and he’s mistaken, and there’s no way you can do what God has asked of you. My associate pastor said this once, “When you run from Gods call, you run from Gods blessing” (Rev. Glen Newsome) How can we expect to have the blessings if we ignore God? Do we expect to get presents on Christmas from family members? Sure we do, but what if they are family we never talk to, we never go see, we never call, do we expect to receive gifts from them? No of course not, so why do we expect to always receive grace from God if we don’t have a relationship with Him? How long will you run away from your calling? How long will you ignore your God given gifts for the things you want instead? We must realize that the things important to God for us may not be what’s popular, it may not be what society says is right, or truth, but scripture is the truth. God loved you to create you, and has a plan for you, and we must learn to let go of our sinful selves and follow the path God wants for you. What’s that you may ask? Be God’s Lego’s.

I have preached on Lego’s in the past, and I felt it was time to revisit it. I’ve sat by lately and I’ve watched as some of my friends have struggled to gain traction. I’ve watched as they barely make ends meat, and it breaks my heart. I offered someone recently to sit down with them to help them figure out why they are struggling financially so much. Having gone through my own struggles, and having gone through Financial Peace University, and having gotten myself to be debt free, I know I have been given the gift to make and follow a budget. God has given me a gift, and while I’m by no means the best at it, I can absolutely help others with it. God has given me the gift of words, and a fair gift of photography, and with it I have followed that path God has set in front of me, and I’ve been blessed for it.

I have recently gotten back into building Lego sets and it’s reminded me how we are all created for a particular purpose. There isn’t an instruction manual to guide us one day to the next, but when we understand that when we spend our waking moments working on our gifts and spreading the Gospel through the gifts God has given to us, we will always find ourselves having more then we need. When we run from our calling we will never truly be as happy as we should be. Running from the Abba of the universe will never leave us as satisfied with our lives as we would ever want. Philippians 2:13 “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” No matter what we do with our life we need to treat our gifts as a seedling planted in the ground. We must water and treat and nourish our gifts so we can be pleasing to the Lord. Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Following the Lord is neither easy, nor smooth, but anything worthwhile having is worth putting forth the effort.

We are the clay in which God has made us. We have been sculpted from the breath of life and we are exactly who God meant for us to be. Jeremiah 18:5-6 “Then the word of the Lord came to me: 6 “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.” We are meant to live a life and walk a path. We are the result of love incarnate and when we look to our life and we see how difficult the path is, we should remember that from the day we were born, we learn, we grow, we experience things that prepare us for life further down the road. We can’t skip pages in the building process. When building Lego’s we can’t go from step 3 skipping to step 29 thinking it’s going to work out. We must be ready for the next step and to get there we must unfortunately go through a little pain, a little suffering, a little joy, a little happiness, all to prepare us for what’s to come. You can’t skip grades in school unless you’re ready for it. You certainly cannot move on if you haven’t achieved the goals set in front of you, achieving the expectations of you.

DSCN0272

Completing a Lego set is satisfying for me. It takes hours of concentration, attention to detail, and dedication to complete each individual set. God has put a lot of effort into us not to give us every effort, everything we need to accomplish the mission. God would never let us go into battle without the tools we need to defeat the enemy, and we have the instructions to life at every inch we take. The Bible is now easier to get then it ever has been. We can get it on our smart devices, any bookstore, in any language, and in so many version to make it easier to understand then ever before. We complain about not knowing where to go, or what to do, but we don’t turn to the only truth we’d ever need. We don’t look to God to give us the next step. We don’t turn to God when we are stuck and aren’t sure where to go. We don’t trust the creator, and to me that’s like me saying, I’m not sure this peace actually goes there, and questioning the instruction manual for any of the Lego sets I’ve ever built. When we trust in the Lord and follow the plan, we will one day get to the end of the road and we’ll be able to look back and say, ‘that makes so much sense now.’ We don’t have to understand the struggles and the why, we just have to have faith that when we are following the plan as designed, we will move from one step to the next and what we will build to leave behind will be to do the only thing important in this world, to love and glorify God. So, let God build you, shape you, design you, and when you follow your gifts to glorify God, good things will come your way. God will always make good on His promises, and he promises a good, not evil things.

Trust in the Lord and lead not unto your own understanding, and believe that the only purpose is to serve God’s purpose. Everything we endure, everything we experience is for a reason, and we must trust that to be the Lego’s of God means to love God, to do works for God, and we should be content with our place and purpose because we are worth the effort God has put in to us. We are one of a kind and that means whatever our purpose is, we are the only one built to accomplish that purpose.

 

 

 

 

 

To Boldly Go

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To Boldly Go

“Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.” ST: TNG

 Those are words I grew up knowing, repeating, and aspiring too. Growing up I watched Trek every week. I grew to love Star Trek the next generation and I clung to Jean-Luke Picards character. As I grew and watched as his character develop I found drawn to his style of diplomacy, his leadership, his morals, and his desire to see the betterment of mankind. He was driven by the thought that all mankind should be driven to better themselves, and everyone should be given a chance to reach their full potential. On numerous occasions he took in those who made mistakes and he offered them a chance of redemption. For me Picard was a roll model I strived to be like. For me Picard was a father figure that I wanted to be like.

In our every day walk with Christ are we looking to our heavenly father as our roll model? Do we act boldly in our walk with Christ? Do we strive to be better Christians? With our every day walk we should always strive to boldly go, to explore our Christianity, to seek out those in need of Jesus light. We must always go out with the explorers’ heart. We must always seek ways to share the gospel with those whom we come into contact with. 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.”

Are you living the great commission? Are you walking with Christ as a close personal friend? Are you spreading the joy and the love of Jesus Christ? I think we get caught up in our every day routine that we forget the most important aspect of being a Christian. It’s not just praying, and going to church. It’s not about the Christmas services, and the monthly meals at church. It’s about the Holy Spirit moving in your heart, pushing you to spread the word because of how it’s changed your life. When you live your life as a Christian are you doing it on the sidelines, saying the prayers, doing the walk, but just getting by? Are you inspired by the Holy Spirit to share the Living God, the Waters that wash away your sins daily? Are you excited to talk about God because of the wonderful things He’s done for you, or are you silent, reserved, held back? Let me tell you, if you aren’t talking about it, if you aren’t crying in the car listening to K-Love, or other Christian music stations, why isn’t the Holy Spirit moving in you?

I watched a trailer for a movie called “I can only imagine.” I cried just during the trailer. My best friend sang this not long before he died. (18 years old) When I listen to the words of the world phenomenon, I ask myself the same questions. See, I had a short glimpse of what awaits me. I didn’t see anything, but what I heard would forever change my life. As I was in an ambulance dying, bleeding out, I heard the voice of God, and the aww, and fear, and shame I had being in that situation rocked me to my very core. I heard the voice of my creator, and I felt the presence of something much bigger then myself. I found that I wouldn’t ever do enough to be worthy of God’s love, God’s grace, God’s forgiveness, but in the presence of God I was given a second chance. I was told two words that would forever alter my life, “You’re forgiven.” Since then I have found a zest for life, and not a day goes by I don’t talk about how great God is. See, I did something that was almost unforgivable, but God saved me for a purpose. I can hear the words of my best friend in my head. The thing is I don’t have to imagine anymore. While it was only a short glimpse and only by sound, I know if the wonders of what I heard is only just part of it, I know that Heaven is real and perfect.

I can only Imagine, By: MercyMe

 I can only imagine what it will be like
When I walk, by your side
I can only imagine what my eyes will see
When you face is before me
I can only imagine
I can only imagine

Surrounded by You glory
What will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus
Or in awe of You be still
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah
Will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine

I can only imagine when that day comes
When I find myself standing in the Son
I can only imagine when all I would do is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine
I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel
Will I dance for You, Jesus
Or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah
Will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine hey ya ah

Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel
Will I dance for You, Jesus
Or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in Your presence
Or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah
Will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine hey ya ah

 If you’ve been touched by the Holy Spirit don’t imagine what it would be like alone, share the good news with any and all who would listen. Go out boldly and preach and teach the word of God. Don’t sit on the sidelines, when you get to Heaven don’t you want your brothers and sisters with you in paradise? The presence of God would be indescribable. The words above are so powerful, they often move me to tears. For me I had just a glimpse, but if that changed my life forever, I can only imagine what it would be like when I’m there. I often think of my friend John sitting with Jesus and I can say I’m often envious and sad at the same time. Remembering him I often cry at both my own sorrows, but also the great gifts that God has seen to bestow upon me. When I think of the great commission I cannot help but think of the opening to Star Trek: TNG. I wish to go Bodly to places I’ve never been, to reach out and meet new people, spreading the Gospel, and the good news of Jesus Christ. The light of the world shines so bright, and we have already forgotten the meaning of CHRISTmas in our lives. With every breath we take we ought to be thankful for it. With every day’s dawning of light we have a new chance to walk more closely to Christ. Be a beacon of hope, of light, and go forth and make disciples of the flowing waters that is Jesus Christ. With every breath you take say Hallelujah. Christ came for you and me, to die for us. The sins that forced the nails through the Lambs hands and feet, and the blood of the Savior ran down from the crown of thorns we placed upon his head. A sacrifice made to break the bonds of sin, reconnecting us to God, and how do we treat that sacrifice? As Christians we should be ashamed of ourselves. We have allowed the darkness to spread while we’ve remained silent. We’ve let it into our homes, our lives, our country, our cities, and we’ve sat by and done very little to fight back. In the words of Picard, “We’ve made too many compromises already, too many retreats. They invade our space, and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds, and we fall back. Not again! The line must be drawn here! This far, no further!” While I realize he’s talking about the Borg, we’ve allowed the Devil to invade every aspect of our lives, and we have done nothing to fight back. I agree, the line must be drawn here, this far, no further.

 

 

 

It’s All About The Favor

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It’s All About The Favor

David, the King, the slayer of giants, the one who united Israel, and the man who was called, “A man after God’s own heart.” Wasn’t always on the right side of the road with God. We’re going to look at the road away from God and how to get back on track. David allows his Army to leave and fight the Ammonites. David would send Joab to lead the army while David stayed home, and so the path with God began to depart. In this departure from God we see Lust, Rape, Conspiracy, Murder, cover-ups, and ending with a daring public shaming of the King. This will cover 2 Samuel 11 – 2 Samuel 12. These chapters cover best guess around 3 years.

David’s Army is away and one night David is on the balcony of his palace. He looks over and sees Bathsheba bathing. This would have been a monthly ritual of cleansing for a women, but instead of seeing and moving away, David became infatuated with lustful thoughts. Despite having multiple wives, and several mistresses he would lure Bathsheba into his bed chambers. She was a married woman to Uriah, a loyal member of Davids counsel. Let me start by saying she was in no way to blame for this. When the King calls you can’t exactly say no. David took her into his bed, and impregnated her. In the months to come she would find herself pregnant and in those days the women was put to death for adultery. David would go from adulterer to hiding his shame and plotting to kill the husband of the women he took. Uriah a close friend and ally to the throne, was now an obstacle to overcome. Uriah would know that his wife wasn’t faithful. She would die, and the world would know of David’s adultery.

David would try to get Uriah drunk and send him home to be with his wife to cover David’s Sin. Uriah even drunk would have more honor then David. When David’s plans to make the pregnancy look like Uriah’s, he decided to move to a more sinister plot. David would send Uriah to a part of the battle he would certainly die. The plan to commit murder worked as planned. All the while the conspiracy grew and got out of hand. One sin led to another, and deeper down the rabbit hole it got. That’s what sin is; it’s a domino effect. When people say ‘I’m not hurting anyone.’ Or ‘It’s my life and I’ll do what I want.’ These kinds of things always hurt people around you. Sin really does affect everyone around us.

When we get into a habit of sinning freely there’s no limit to what you can justify. The rabbit hole can be addictive and once you’re in the hole you may not know how to get out. The pain you will cause, the hurt, the lies, the total destruction sin can bring, doesn’t mean there is no hope for you. Gods love is bigger then that. Gods love is limitless, and forgiveness is but a request away. When you feel you’ve gone to far to ever be forgiven you’re wrong.

One Step Away, By: Casting Crowns

 What if you could go back and relive one day of your life all over again
And unmake the mistake that left you a million miles away
From the you, you once knew
Now yesterday’s shame keeps saying that you’ll never get back on track
But what if I told you

You’re one step away from surrender
One step away from coming home, coming home
One step from arms wide open
His love has never let you go
You’re not alone
You’re one step away

It doesn’t matter how far you’ve gone
Mercy says you don’t have to keep running down the road you’re on
Love’s never met a lost cause
Your shame, lay it down
Leave your ghosts in the past ‘cause you know that you can’t go back
But you can turn around
You’ve never been more than…..

 Lay down, lay down your old chains
Come now, and take up your new name
Your best life up ahead now
You’re one step away

So come on home, come on home
One step from arms wide open
His love has never let you go
You’re not alone (you’re not alone)
You’re one step away

 

When you’ve gone so far and you don’t think you can turn around, think again. When you feel like you just can’t carry the world on your shoulders any longer, let me help. When you don’t think you can take one more step let me guide you. Let me wipe away your tears, and show you comfort and the real meaning of joy and love and faith. Jesus says this to you every day. Jesus promised to never leave or forsake you. Jesus is the beacon of hope we need in our lives every day. No matter how far we’ve traveled it doesn’t matter. The lighthouse is always on in the storm guiding you home. The storm will pound you, push you, and make you feel like you’re drowning.

You are more then the sum of your sins. You have a chance to make your life more, and be better. When we let God into our hearts, we truly see the light that we’ve run from for so long. The storm can be so loud in our ears we can’t hear the whispers of love that’s always there. Your heart may be heavy, and hurt, but in the darkest of nights, the light remains, providing guidance and hope.

No matter how far down the rabbit hole you’ve gone, God will lift you out. King David fell down that rabbit hole and did some very awful things. David would regain God’s favor, but favor doesn’t mean there won’t be retribution for acts done. “The bill comes due… Always..” (Dr. Strange) When we sin we are forgiven for them when we seek it in our hearts. When we sin we should always try to repent, which is trying to do the right thing for the person we sinned against. We must respect the natural order of things, and understand that just because we are forgiven doesn’t mean there isn’t a cause and effect. When we sin and we seek forgiveness the slate may be wiped clean, but there is still damage done and it takes time to repair that damage. Righting our wrongs takes time, and we must understand that we have to try and fix what we’ve done. We must apologize to those we’ve hurt. We must try and make amends, and do whatever we can to clean the ship.

I see sinning like this, we are on a ship and when we are actively sinning that’s like water freely coming on board. While we are in active sin we don’t realize that the ships sinking. When you finally come to realize you’re sinking that’s coming to Jesus and asking for forgiveness. In that you are given the tools to fix you. You’re given the hope. The bucket is handed to you, and you’re told, okay, sins are forgiven, now get to work. You allowed your ship to be consumed in water, now you have to work to get the water out of your boat. You have to work to make the situation you’ve gotten yourself into right. This isn’t to get you into Heaven; it’s to make amends to those around you. It’s to repair the damage in your relationships of your bothers and sisters around you. So if you’re in a sinking ship, and you realize now you’re sinking you need to seek Jesus. If you want that bucket to help get you out of troubles, you know where to look. For there is a season for everything, and in those seasons we will always reap what we sew. When you are on the right path, and you’re working to get the water out of your own boat, if we lay down our burdens and truly in our heart realize the error of our ways, brothers and sisters may help getting the water out of your boat. This isn’t a freebie, it’s work and laying down the groundwork, think of it like an investment into your eternal soul.

Jesus is the one true light, the light of the world, and on through Jesus is a way to heaven. Nothing is holding you back except for you. Nothing is in your way, and it’s never too late to turn around from the path you’re on. You can walk the better path, the brighter path, just need to do one thing first. Give up yourself, and surrender to the King of all Kings. Our God is healer and the living waters of salvation. Our God is the truth and the way.

 

 

 

Two Faced

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Two Faced

Some people hide away feelings, by burying them deep down. Some people run from their feelings. Other people live their life embracing their duality. They are kind to you to your face, and lie behind your back to anyone who will listen. I’ve seen this many times in my life but particularly meeting people online. Many people will talk to you like nothing’s wrong. I’ve watched as people would talk to me and smile, and seem interested, but quietly block me ending all conversations. I’ve also seen people tell me one thing, lie to my face, and go behind my back and break long standing trust. Sadly this is something that seems to be growing in popularity as time goes on. The Bible speaks on duel minded people. Psalm 28:3 “Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.”

 We who are unstable in our faith, who waiver in our foundation of Christ, are easy moved. James 1:6“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.” It’s hard being the ones on the receiving end. It’s hard being lied to, and figuring out who’s being true. James 1:8 “being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” People who live lives as hypocrites isn’t a new thing. It goes back all the way to biblical days and likely prior to that. Matthew 23:24 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.”

In my life the pain that’s been caused from those who have chosen to live this life is difficult, but what’s worse is when it’s someone whose sworn a vow to be with you. Someone who’s promised their life to you, and has chosen to be an adulteress instead. James 4:4 “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” All we can do is pray for them and try to mend a broken heart, and broken trust. We are all human, and we all fall pray to the Devils lies and false promises. The Devil wants us to fail so when temptation is offered sometimes it’s hard to resist. If there’s a chink in the armor the Devil will find a way in. He’s always testing the waters, always testing the boundaries, always looking for some weak point to exploit. People are flawed, and people make mistakes. Be sure when they do you open your arms in forgiveness. Just because someone falls pray to the Devils lies today, doesn’t mean it won’t be you tomorrow.

We will always find people who do this. It’s common in high school and middle school, but you would hope as you grow out of that adolescent time period that truth and honesty would be important. When we find ourselves face to face with someone who lies behind our back, or has a duel behavior, all we can do is pray. We must learn to make safe boundaries for those people. We don’t want to abandon our brothers and sisters in Christ, but we don’t want to set ourselves up for pain either. Do not be unequally yoked with the people you are close to. People who are in a marriage with should not be unequal in their beliefs.

While I am a firm believer in giving people more then one chance to make up for wrong doing, I have found in my own life I often give way to many chances. I have put myself in positions where I am hurt over and over because I am not careful with the trust I give to someone. I have let people back into my life after they have said and done very awful things to me. I have watched as my life has been destroyed by people I care for and have let me back into my life, only to watch them do more damage later on. We must remember to protect ourselves from harmful people. You have to keep yourself safe and therefore strong. We must not allow the wolves inside the walls. Wolves are cunning and when hunting they will test the boundaries to try and find a way inside. They thrive on that behavior. All we can do is hope one day they see the error and cruelty of their ways, but until then pray and hope God enters their heart.

 

Melting Away

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Melting Away

Have you ever looked at the snow when the weather changes? Watching as the small piles shrink down, melting away to just a small puddle of water, I find a similar connection to what happens in the heart as well. When we describe someone who shows a lack of emotions we often call them cold. Someone who’s uncaring demeanor gives chill and a cold stare that seems to go right through you. Why are some people so cold, so uncaring?

When people are hurt and undergo deep traumas it’s very common for people to retreat within themselves and shut people out. The heart freezes over and people think it’s better never to depend on someone again. Closing people out and walking away from a life built is always a result of some form of external attack and when we feel pain it’s easy to recoil. I’ve seen this happen to the people I’ve loved. I’ve been the victim of the closing of a heart, the deep freeze that left me removed and broken myself.

While my heart isn’t icy, it is broken. The fractured pieces of what’s left hanging on by threads. The destruction of my life left me wondering so much about myself. What had I done to deserve this? Was this my fault? Could I have done anything differently? Why had I been forsaken? Did I do something to anger God to deserve this punishment? There was fear that flooded over me making me wonder if I’d ever be happy again. There deep in my heart a virus took hold, it invaded and took up camp, the virus of lies by the Devil. I began to question everything and everyone wondering if I could ever trust again. What had been done to me would leave a break deep down and it didn’t seem like there was enough glue to put it back together.

It’s been 481 days since my world fell apart. In that time I’ve begun to care about others, and I’ve seen glimmers of hope that the future, my future, could actually have a bright sunrise over it. With each hopeful day, I’ve watched them disintegrate in front of me. It’s hard not to let my heart freeze over. I am to much of a hopeless romantic, and I believe in love so deeply that I keep the hope and faith in my heart. Sadly this isn’t the case for other people and they remain frozen. I’ve seen my fair share of those who live their lives with the cold chill deep inside and all I’ve been able to do for them is pray. Praying is often the only thing you can do for people who suffer. Show them you love them, be there for them and show them the warmth of that love. Be the warm hug for them, the rays of sun that maybe one day will be strong enough to melt away the frozen heart.

True love is the only thing that can melt a frozen heart. True love doesn’t come from a person thought it comes from the Lord above. God so loved the world He gave his only Begotten Son, to be born, to live, to love, and then love so much to sacrifice himself to the world of man. The blood spilt would break the chains and fix the broken bond between God and man. The love of God is strong and can heal any wound. The relationship with God however is a door, and if you want to feel the warmth that love has to offer you have to offer God to enter your heart. God will knock and will never step off that porch, but it’s up to you to de-thaw the locks and open that door, allowing God to enter your heart. The change will be in an instant once you do. The old self will burn away leaving the new you. When you allow God into your heart and it thaws you open yourself up to allow yourself to love others more deeply then you ever thought you could. Letting God in is a choice and there is no risk, only reward.

Letting yourself be open to others there is a risk. When you go to the grocery store and you are picking vegetables you don’t usually take home the first one you picked up. Not every vegetable is right for you. People aren’t made the same, and while we are all unique individuals, some people will not be a good fit for you. Sometimes you may feel more for the other person then they do you, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t someone else out there for you. Sometimes, like myself, you will be hurt from the people you loved most in this world. All you can do is lick your wounds for a while and get back out there. God wants his children to be happy, and for every heartbreak, every tear we shed, God suffers right along with us. We must not let the Devil win for our icy heart is exactly what he wants. Satan wants us to close out God, close out our brothers and sisters in the blood of Christ. Satan wants that divide to expand and let the ice spread forcing out everything we once found joy in. We can’t allow the Devil to win that war. We must take back our destiny and let God thaw the frozen tundra inside ourselves. Let the snow and ice melt revealing a big red heart that still beats. Let the world see the joy within your heart, and the love you have to give. Bless someone’s life by loving them, and allowing someone to love you. You may feel alone right now, but take chances and eventually you’ll find your vegetable.

Beware the frozen heart and don’t let pain be the reason your heart freezes over. Don’t allow anything to freeze your heart. Everyone out there has so much to offer and while pain is a part of life, you can’t let it ruin the wonders God might have planned for you. Psalm 147:3 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

 I’m reminded of a song that both seems somewhat accurate and gives me a smile even though when you think about it, it’s actually pretty sad. Often times I think these things about my two loving dogs. I have found my dogs don’t hurt me. They always make me feel loved. Sometimes I feel dogs might be better then people.

Raindeers are better then people : Frozen

Reindeers are better than people
Sven, don’t you think that’s true?
Yeah, people will beat you and curse you and cheat you
Every one of em’s bad, except you

Even though we live in a fallen world, and Sin is a plague upon the land, there are still good people out there. They may not always be easy to find, and sometimes even the good people will let you down, and sometimes those good people will hurt you. The point is, you can’t shut the world out just because you may get hurt. While catchy the song Let It Go is so wrong for so many reasons. Now don’t misunderstand, I love the song, but it talks about isolating yourself away from the world. One thing I will say is for all the pain you’ve suffered, and the heartbreak your going through, you at some point need to “Let it Go”. You can’t stay in the past, so you must let it go, and move forward. Rise to the new you, you can be. You can be a person full of life, and full of love. You can bring joy to yourself, and you can be a joy to others. You don’t have to be the perfect you, just be the you that God would be proud of.

The last thing you need to do is isolate yourself. Stay away from closing yourself off, and retreating inside yourself. While we all need times of reflection, and quiet time with ourselves and with God, to much time is unhealthy. It’s okay to share your frustrations, your anger, your pain, in fact you don’t want to keep those things in. When you take some time and really reflect, it’s likely you will notice that the problems of yesterday don’t seem so big. Find yourself peace, but allowing God to be in charge of the steering wheel. Put the controls to defrost, and watch as your icy interior is melted away. God can do anything if we just let Him in.

 

The Woodshed

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The Woodshed

Have you ever felt the world just took you behind the woodshed for the worst beating of your life? Have you felt like you’ve been the farthest down you could be and everywhere you looked was destruction and chaos? Let me tell you there’s hope.

I’m no stranger to the prison of my own despair. I’ve been bonded to heartbreak and I never felt like I would be whole again. If you really want to be free of the pain of old, the cracks in your armor that let the feelings of negativity, doubt, and helplessness seep through. I’ve felt broken down and beaten, and I have been broken more then a time or two. Jesus Christ is the one who can make all broken things new. Jesus Christ can rebuild you and use your pain for the purposes of good and grace. If you fall to your knees and let go of yourself, let yourself submit to the Lord, you will know all your sins are forgiven, and you will be reborn. You may have questions, and fear, but in the waters that come from Jesus Christ you will be washed clean of your past, and you will become a soldier for the Lord. Your pain will be your weapon for God. Your scars will be your testimony and you will be able to help save souls. Once you submit to the Lord you will never be the same. When you place all your hope in Christ, you will know and understand there’s a better way.

All My Hope, By: Crowder

 I’m no stranger to the prison

I’ve worn shackles and chains

But I’ve been freed and forgiven

And I’m not going back, I’ll never be the same

That’s why I sing

 All my hope is in Jesus

Thank God my yesterday’s gone

All my sins are forgiven

I’ve been washed by the blood

 There’s a kind of thing that just breaks a man

Break him down to his knees

God, I’ve been broken more than a time or two

Yes, Lord then He picked me up and showed me

What it means to be a man

 Colossians 3:8-10 “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self[d] with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

Colossians 3:12-17 “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” We must learn to do these things regardless of the pain we hold. When we hold onto that pain it’s like a cancer for our souls. We must learn to learn from our pain, and let it go. Let it past as dust in the wind and focus on how we can use that for the betterment of our lives.

God will use the broken things in your life and for the Glory you will follow because you are asked to. Jesus so loved those who were broken, and he would use them to spread the gospel. You only need to submit to the Lord and you will be made new. You want hope look to those that God used in the Bible. Look at all those who were broken, and hurting, and suffering, and in all things, God was able to use them because of that pain to reach others. I myself am a broken man. I’ve been targeted time and time again, yet here I stand, speaking for, and preaching for God. This life is but a speck of dust in the greatness of time. But in that speck of time you are so loved by God that when the dust blows, you will have the chance to be remade new in forever.

If you’re lost and you are weary from the beatings of life, have hope and faith that it was not all for nothing.

Lift your head weary sinner, By: crowder

 Lift your head weary sinner, the river’s just ahead
Down the path of forgiveness, salvation’s waiting there
You built a mighty fortress 10, 000 burdens high
Love is here to lift you up, here to lift you high

If you’re lost and wandering
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory open wide

All who’ve strayed and walked away, unspeakable things you’ve done
Fix your eyes on the mountain, let the past be dead and gone
Come all saints and sinners, you can’t outrun God
Whatever you’ve done can’t overcome the power of the blood

 When we mess up we expect the punishment to be equal to the mistake. We are sinners and when we sin we expect a measure of blowback. When we walk this life be sure to own up to your mistakes. I have often taken the blame for things I didn’t do. I have placed blame upon myself when things go wrong even if I didn’t do anything to cause it. For me it was easier to explain why something happened if I just placed myself on the chopping block. This isn’t healthy or needed. Let God be the one to judge. You may want to find answers and sometimes they may never come. If you’re going down to the woodshed be sure you deserve it.

God’s love for us is the only thing that truly matters. Whatever we do should be to glorify our Abba. Take your beatings and own up to your culpability, but don’t take on more then you should. The weight of the world isn’t for you to hold. Be kind to one another. Love one another and forgive one another. Bare one another’s burdens and trust in the Lord. In every situation God is working and we must learn to pray and have faith in not just the big things, but the small as well. The Devil will test you, the Devil will try to draw you away from Christ and steal your salvation by making you question it. The Devil wants you to fail, and sometimes the Devil will destroy everything you have to make you fall from the grace that’s been bestowed onto you. The grace from Jesus Christ was a gift for humanity and no one can take it from you, unless you give it to them. The Devil may take your worldly possessions from you, your career, your family, your friends, your home, but no matter what the Devil cannot take your salvation. How much of a beating can you take? The Devil will try every means of torture to break you. If you believe that Jesus is always with you, then you can withstand the torture from the Devil and never give in. When the beatings are over you will have your scars to prove it, but you are still wanted by our one and only heavenly father. Jesus healed the blind man, rose Lazarus from the dead, helped the lame walk, and overcame death Himself. So by the power of his Blood don’t loose hope, don’t loose sight, and don’t let the woodshed be where you loose your faith. Because our God Lives and is in everything, we will one day rise to paradise.

 

 

 

What I Gave Away

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What I Gave Away

All my life I wanted to be accepted by my friends. All my life I wanted to be liked by those around me. For whatever reason I have always had the need to fit in, I just never felt like I have. I spent the first part of my life being tortured in school being told I was ugly, that I looked like particular animals. I was laughed at for things that would happen to me, I was picked on for things that were traumatic in my home life, and no matter what I did I never found a way out. Eventually the teasing became physical. I was beat up after school, I was shoved around in school. I was given a swirley. My shoes were taken and thrown into urinals, and in the hallways my books where kicked around the hallways. When I liked a girl and people found out I was teased because she was so far out of my league everyone thought I was crazy. That’s when the mean tricks started. I was told that she actually thought I was cute and wanted to kiss me. Obviously they lied, and well, getting slapped across the face was a good clue I was lied to. Ever since then I have gone out of my way to get people to like me. Sadly, even as I got older and the place from which my actions came where honest and sincere, I would find that I was still not part of the ‘in’ crowd’. I would never truly be accepted, and I would find in time that I gave away parts of me that were my self esteem, my self worth, my heart, and my generosity would be taken advantage of time and time again. What I gave away was the best parts of me, just to all the wrong people.

To this day I haven’t quite found where I fit in. I feel like I’m a million miles from everyone in a crowded room. I feel like everyone’s moving all around me, talking to one another while I’m listening, watching, just entirely unsure of what to say. I never found how to interact with people. I never became someone anyone wanted to be around. I never found myself as accepted. I’ve always been a little different. I’ve always been a little nerdy. I’ve always been a little quirky, and sadly, it’s never gotten me anywhere. When I was in High School I often helped out as a counselor for my fellow classmates. I would give advice, and I would be an ear to listen, and in some cases I was a shoulder to cry on. Always a friend, never more, but on the rare occasion I was more, I wasn’t for long. I became the guy people would leave behind. When it came time to get married I never thought that I would be left behind again, but I was. I was cheated on, and lied to, and humiliated. I was displaced and forced to leave an entire country with nothing. I gave the best part of me and it was thrown away like used trash. Years later I would find myself loving another, and it seemed like that love was something special. After four years of marriage she would cheat, and again I was left wondering what I had done. I felt like I had given my everything and I felt as if I had been understanding, respectful, loving, caring, and yet it wasn’t good enough. I asked myself what I had done wrong? I blamed myself, and with all that anger, all that rage, I pointed it literally at myself. I poured every bit of blame into a tiny punch. The pain I felt was amplified by my anger at failure in my life. Every hurt I felt, every promise broken. Every loss I watched in front of me, death, and abandonment, all wrapped into the same moment. Years of abandonment, years of suffering, years of anger built up and at the center of it all I was the common denominator thus I was the one to blame. My value had been given to others to define. I allowed others to tell me if I was worth it or not. I gave away the very part of myself that is supposed to stay with you, knowing that you are a child of the one true King. You’ve been saved, changed and set free from bondage. Yet I would believe the lies I was told and I fell for the Devils schemes.

How do you come back from all of that? How do you change the years of behavior built into your personality? How do you rid yourself of years of heart, and conditioning? Sadly, I don’t have the answer for you. What I do have is a direction. You are a child of the Lord and the Lord doesn’t do anything by accident. You are not an accident. You are beautifully created for a purpose and we know that each of us has gifts, and a roll to play in the big picture. We all have our reason for being here and that we must trust in the big plan. We may experience the worst that humanity has to offer. We may undergo pain, and suffering on a regular basis, more then our fair share it seems, but perhaps we have suffered long for a reason. Maybe you can make the difference in a life.

Hard Love, By: Needtobreathe

Hold on tight a little longer
What don’t kill ya, makes ya stronger
Get back up, ’cause it’s a hard love
You can’t change without a fallout
It’s gon’ hurt, but don’t you slow down
Get back up, ’cause it’s a hard love

You know the situation can’t be right
And all you ever do is fight
But there’s a reason that the road is long
It takes some time to make your courage strong

 It’s not easy being an outcast, but at the foot of the cross we are all the same. When it comes to the cross the bullies who lived a cruel life will have to answer for that cruelty. We cannot let the world stain or harden our hearts. We must learn to give because we are pulled in our heart to do so. We must help because we want to. We must love live Christ loved. We must treat others fairly, and never loose sight of the love we were given that fateful day 2000 years ago. Christ sacrificed himself because of His love for us. We were never deserving of it, but we have it anyway. Those bullies in our lives don’t deserve it, but perhaps they are one step away from seeing the error of their ways and they turn around from the path they were on. We never know how our love and kindness will make an affect, and we must keep loving no matter how much it hurts. We can’t give up on this life. We cannot give up on our commandments, and once we realize that those who treated us that way cannot define who we are, then we may start to realize that power we gave away, we can actually take it back. For all those who’ve been bullied, and tortured, and beat up, and treated badly, you’re something special. You’ve endured hardships and yet you are still loving. Keep loving others, and keep giving, but more importantly, never stop loving yourself. Love others and help others because it’s the right thing to do. Do this knowing you will likely never get anything in return for it, and you may never see it come back to you, but we don’t love for the return, we love because it’s right. Stop giving away your value to others. Stop giving your happiness when others don’t deserve to have it. Psalm 146:3 “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” Scripture is clear about putting our trust in people. Isaiah 2:22 “Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?” God is faithful and never lies, never breaks a promise, and forever bares the truth. Numbers 23:19 “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” The words of a man do not make them true. The cruel things someone says, even someone who claimed to love you isn’t necessarily the truth, so don’t allow the falsehoods spoken through a wicked tongue define you. It’s easier said then done of course, I myself haven’t gotten the hang of it, but the truth is the truth. Have faith in the word, and the word shall set you free.