Tag: Trust in God

God Thinks He’s Funny

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God Thinks He’s Funny

Have you ever told God what you want and without specifics? I have found God has a unique and laughable sense of humor. I had been saying for years I would never be involved in a long distance relationship, but again God laughed and said ‘here watch this.” I know it seems strange but I was certain I had at least figured out the direction, but God has a habit of telling me not to be so sure I know the direction my life will take.

This message is short and sweet. Do not be so quick to think you know the plans God has for you. Don’t be so ridged that you aren’t willing to be flexible to God’s path. Don’t be so close minded that you think whatever you believed you wanted is better for you then what God wants for you. When you trust in the Lord and move accordingly God will always show how truly amazing His plan is, and how wonderful things can be when you are following close like we ought to.

While I thought so many things were certain to happen, now I see God gives us exactly what we need, or in my case, who. 

So that’s the message today, be flexible, and trust in the Lord. 

Fighting Terrorism

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Fighting Terrorism

Today we wake up and some of us remember what happened in 2001, some were very young, but in some way, the events that occurred touched every life in America. We will never forget, but we do have the ability to try and bridge the gap and stomp out radical terrorism. Not long ago I finished a class in terrorism and I had the privilege to write a paper on the subject. It is my hope that you will find this paper educational, and maybe even inspirational. Let us be proactive, rather than reactive.

 

The Christian Fight Against Radical Islam:

How Apologetics Will Win The War

Jacob Keiffer

GOVT 480-D03 : Terrorism

Aug 5, 2018

Thesis Statement

The war on terror has been ongoing for over ten years. In that time the fight against radical Islam still wages on with only marginal impact of improvement. In order to truly make a difference in the fight against the radical sects of Islam, the more liberal leaning liberals, which makes up the majority needs to stand up to and police their own back yards. In order to do this and encourage the radical idea, Christians must turn to apologetics and repair almost two thousand years worth of hostility. Throughout the New Testament of the Christian Holy Bible lessons are taught how to love one another, and how to love and treat your enemies. These lessons along with a strong understanding of apologetics can be used to win the hearts and minds, instead of dropping bombs and waging war.

 

Introduction

Islam is a common word heard across the world today. “As of 2010, there were an estimated 1.6 billion Muslims around the world, making Islam the world’s second-largest religious tradition after Christianity.”[1] The religion of Islam dates back to around 653AD, however to truly understand the religion, one must understand its origins.[2] Some might say the West is at war with Islam, and while perhaps that is the larger picture, the fight is against radical Islam and the terrorist organizations that have called for the annihilation of all non-Muslims, and liberal Muslims who do not conform to the ideology of Wahhabi Islam. To fight this war on terror the West must understand the drive and mindset of those who follow this particular brand of Islam. A long-term plan to win what is essentially a family civil war must start and end with apologetics. Bombs will not win this war, or the number of battles won; instead it will be won by changing the hearts and minds of those who will listen. Christians will never win the war against radical Islam alone, they will need to support of liberal Muslims willing to stand and say ‘no more’ and join forces side by side with Christians, bridging the gap of a blood feud going all the way back to Abraham’s first born, Ishmael. Liberal Muslims must stand against the radicals together with the west to destroy the Wahhabi movement.

 

The Birth of Islam

Abraham was a prominent figure in the Christian Bible. God loved him, and he was promised children, but when that promise didn’t come on his timetable Abraham took matters into his own hands and bore a son with his handmaiden. This son was named Ishmael, and he would start the long blood line that would one day lead to a man now known to be the father of Islam, Muhammad.[3] Muhammad would create the religion of Islam by writing the Qur’an and this faith would spread throughout the world, but not as a unified religion. After the death of Muhammad the religion fractured and dissention rose quickly. While fighting between the different sects was violent at times, a common enemy was still growing across the world, and that enemy was Christians. Christians stole the birthright promised by God, and as Christians and Muslims are half siblings, one can understand how the hatred began.

 

Radical Islam Emerges

Over time a different way of thinking came about within the Nation of Islam. The Wahhabi Islam“This religious context provides the framework for justifying violence. Jihadists quote from Islamic scripture, prophetic traditions, and legal opinions to support their claims and activities. Jihad against non-Muslims and the ultimatum to convert to Islam, pay a special tax, or be killed are in fact based on Islamic law.”[4]Azumuah would go on to say in his paper, “Another key feature of the jihadists’ ideology is their rejection of and often rebellion against established governments of Islamic countries. Al-Qaeda, IS, and Boko Haram have declared Muslim governments around the world un-Islamic and illegitimate, vowing to replace them with an Islamic caliphate. To achieve their aim, the groups target and kill Muslim opponents, justifying their actions by invoking takfir, a doctrine, dating back to the seventh century, that specifies conditions under which fellow Muslims can be declared unbelievers who can be killed.”2 Since the dawn of Radical Islam countless lives have been taken in the name of Allah. The answer to combating this kind of hatred is simple, it’s found in the teaching of Jesus Christ, and the answer is love. “For those who eventually accepted the ideology as “true Islam” (and this was heavily influenced by perceptions about the credibility of the movement leader as an interpreter of Islam rather than the superiority of al Muhajiroun’s spiritual incentives relative to other groups),”[5]Muslims who follow this radical ideology also believe that members of their own faith, who are not conservative enough are also a threat, and can either conform, or die. This creates a religious civil war and creates an opportunity for Christians to come to the aid of the oppressed.

 

Apologetics: The Fight Against Hatred

Apologetics is simply put, the defense of what someone believes to be true. For Christians this is perhaps one of the most important aspects of faith. In order to truly evangelize to non-believers of Jesus Christ, understanding different worldviews is important. One would not use the same apologetic argument towards Muslims as you would an Atheist. Muslims and Christians share a common lineage and therefore our Holy Books have some similarities. In order for the west to fight Radical Islam, Christians must understand that particular worldview and then with the teaching of Jesus Christ, an apologetic argument can then be made. Showing love for your enemy is the only true way to change hearts. There are a few interesting points about Islam compared to Christianity. One major point was the idea of grace. “Because Muslims do not understand the concept of grace (undeserved forgiveness through the blood of Christ), tangential arguments do not reach the core of the Problem.”[6] Since Muslims don’t have a true understanding of grace, Christians showing love, and compassion, the nature of Jesus Christ will go a long way in proving Christians aren’t hostile and evil, as the leaders of radical Islam leads many to believe. In the wake of 9/11 Christians have grown to treat Muslims like outsiders, as a threatening intruder in a home, that must be dealt with. Understanding that not all Muslims condone terroristic actions is perhaps one of the first ways Christians can help mend the growing gap between two cultures. What Christians fail to understand, and it is important to realize that Christians who do not study God’s word, and truly dives into the teachings of Jesus Christ are partially responsible for the growing stigma and subsequent hatred of Muslims in the United States.

When a Christian talks to a Muslim the only true thing that matters is Christ. As fate would have it, God loves the little details, “The Qur’an presents Jesus as a miracle worker (2:49; 5:110) who brings signs (2:87, 253; possibly 5:75; 43:63; 61:6) and even speaks as an infant to establish himself as a prophet sent from God (19:29, 30)”[7] The separation comes where Muslims do not believe Christ was God and rejects the resurrection, and the trinity. However when you consider the timing of the Qur’an being written AD 653, although it does agree with the life of Jesus Christ, it denies the crucifixion of Christ, which shows the book is fallible. There are non-Biblical accounts of the Nazarene’s death.[8] There are four major points to consider when discussing Jesus to any Muslim. Before those four points it needs to be understood that Muslims who truly understands the Qur’an knows that Jesus is held in highest regard in their faith. Because of that, it is not necessary to try and prove his existence. What’s needed is to show his resurrection and divinity. This can be done if it is universally believed he was truly raised from the dead after three days in fulfillment of the scripture. The four points are, Jews, Christians, and Romans all knew where Jesus would be buried because of the man who buried him, Joseph of Arimathea, in a tomb just outside the city. Second, all major parties all agreed the tomb was in fact empty to include the Romans in which guards were placed to protect the tomb. These guards would have been Roman guards, and they all knew failure meant certain death.[9] Everyone knew the stone placed in front of the tomb would have weighed around 450 pounds, and would not have been easily moved. This makes the theory that Jesus’ body was stolen to be highly unlikely. Another point to this second idea was at the time of the crucifixion most of Jesus’ followers fled and went into hiding, so they were not organized until later. Third, according to Lee Strobel “on multiple occasions in under various circumstances, different individuals and groups experienced appearances of Jesus alive from the dead.”[10] The Roman Empire and the Sanhedrin would have been able to eliminate a few frightened followers, but instead, the sheer number of witnesses to the divine resurrection, there was no possible way either group, Jew or Roman would be able to stop the fire that was lit. Jesus Christ showed the world he was the Son of God, and the most powerful empire in the world would never be able to stomp out the truth. Fourth, before the accounts of the risen Christ, the disciples were afraid to be seen in public because they did not want to die for something they themselves doubted. Many were not sure Christ would actually rise and because of that, after the resurrection and walking with the risen Jesus Christ for forty days, they became bold, and no longer hid in the shadows. Even knowing they would be persecuted for preaching and teaching the word of Jesus Christ, they refused to yield. Knowing the penalty of blasphemy would be torture and maybe even to be crucified. Not one Apostle recanted their story about Christ. Each one that was murdered and martyred remained faithful and truthful about what they personally experienced.

There are many, who have attacked the Christian faith over the years, but recently there are two that stand out because when they did they were deemed experts in their fields, and both started as devout atheists. Lee Strobel who was a journalist started investigating Christianity and despite his best efforts, he was unable to prove the hoax, and eventually converted to Christianity after following the evidence he uncovered. Second is a man by the name of J. Warner Wallace, a Los Angeles cold case detective, and also a devout atheist set off on a mission once and for all to debunk the lie that was the Bible. Wallace believed he could use his experiences as a cold case detective to attack the Bible much like a cold case, and prove discrepancies within the testimony of the four eyewitness accounts. Despite his best efforts, and his desire to prove atheism was the way, he began to understand that the truth didn’t match his desired outcome. He realized how difficult it would be to keep a dozen people engaged in a conspiracy in the overwhelming pressure from the Romans and Jews.[11] Also, one of the biggest pieces of evidence is that so early on, every single Apostle was willing to go to their death, and no one goes to their death for something they ‘know’ to be a lie. Because of these pieces of evidence, it allows Christians to have an open discussion with Muslims and with a common background it can lead into a conversation. Knowing that the Muslim faith stemmed from Abraham’s disobedience and the baby that came of it, it is easy to understand that a long line of hatred towards Jews would be in place. The half brother was cast out and exiled away from home. It is easy to imagine how upsetting that could be. Christians are fighting a blood feud with their stepsiblings, and the teaching of love by Jesus Christ is the only way to extend an olive branch of peace.

 

Terrorism Strikes The United States

Prior to September 11th2001, terrorism largely seemed to be a problem that government faced overseas, not in the pride lands of the United States. The heart of New York City was struck a major blow as two planes crashed into the world trade center, one plane crashed into the pentagon, and another crashed in the fields of Pennsylvania. The fight against radical Islam came to the front door uninvited. Much like Pearl Harbor, the United States was not looking for a war, but when the time came, it truly was inevitable. As combat missions started in Iraq, and Afghanistan a military strategy was established and executed, but sadly no endgame was clearly drawn. The reason there was no exit strategy is because fighting an Idea is not as simple as fighting an organized military. Guerrilla warfare, secret meetings, and blending in with the population are all challenges faced in fighting organized terror. The long-term effect after Iraq was evident with the birth of ISIS and as they begun retaking cities one after another. The prize city of Ar-Ramadi fell to the hands of ISIS showing the vain efforts of nearly ten years of war in Iraq. The question of what was accomplished was answered, and it was very little. A country like the United States is well versed in military strategy, and very good at fighting a traditional military. The problem with terrorism is it isn’t traditional, and the Untied States has not put enough effort in learning about its enemy to truly mount a sustainable offense, or defense. After 9/11 a commission was filed to improve homeland security. This commission would end up leading to what became knows as the Patriot Act. “The principal focus of the patriot act is to provide law forcement agencies with the proper legal authority to support their efforts to collect information on the suspected terrorists, to detain people suspected of being or aiding terrorists and terrorist organizations, to deter terrorists from entering and operating within the borders of United States, and to further limit the ability of terrorists to engage in money-laundering activities that support terrorist actions.”[12] While it’s important to seek out those who want to do harm to this country, it is important to note that at the same time, it is also important to do humanitarian missions, and to build outreach so that hate, does not continue to breed hate. With only 30% of Muslims that feel that violent actions are ever necessary, that leaves 70% willing to have a conversation about the violence.[13]

 

Conclusion

Jesus spoke of loving your enemy and forgiving sins. The book of Corinthians, Paul explains what love is. Christians must understand the reasoning behind such terroristic acts and a decision must be made how to extend an olive branch of peace to more liberal leaning Muslims. Radical Islam does not actually have overwhelming support like much of the U.S. thinks it does. Christians must approach radical Islam with love and understanding. Christians must appeal to the hearts and minds of Muslims who do not condone the actions of those terrorist organizations, and in time, it must be liberal Muslims who deal the crippling blow to the ideology that has caused nearly the number of deaths as genocide. Together Christians and Muslims as now distant cousins can join force to defeat a common enemy. The common thread is Jesus Christ, and through the love of Christ we can work together. Jesus Christ is noted in the Qu’ran enough to make him influential, and with a little apologetic push, a common bond can be made. The radical Islamic fight is an internal struggle between warring sects of the same faith, and therefore an Islamic focused problem. With the old saying ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend’ Christians and Muslims can put their differences aside and focus on a mutual threat. As ISIS and other terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda continually threaten the lives and safety of innocent Muslims around the world, it is clear that it is imperative the two faiths come together and put nearly two thousand years of animosity aside.

 

Bibliography

Azumah, John A. “Challenging Radical Islam.” First Things, no. 249 (01, 2015): 33-7, http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1645114378?accountid=12085.

 

Bullock, Jane A., George D. Haddow, and Damon P. Coppola. Introduction to Homeland Security: Principles of All-hazards Response. Fourth ed. Waltham, MA: Butterworth Heinemann, 2013.

 

Hindson, Edward E., and Ergun Mehmet. Caner. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. Eugene, Or.: Harvest House Publishers, 2008.

 

Lipka, Michael. “Muslims and Islam: Key Findings in the U.S. and around the World.” Pew Research Center. August 09, 2017. Accessed August 04, 2018. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/09/muslims-and-islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/.

 

Lipka, Michael. “Muslims and Islam: Key Findings in the U.S. and around the World.” Pew Research Center. August 09, 2017. Accessed August 15, 2018. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/09/muslims-and-islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/.

 

MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Study Bible. LA Habra, CA: Thomas Nelson, 2006.

 

McDowell, Josh, and Sean McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-changing Truth for a Skeptical World. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2017.

 

Strobel, Lee, and Jane Vogel. The Case for Christ: A Journalists Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017.

 

Strobel, Lee. The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.com, 2000.

 

Wallace, J. Warner. Cold-case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2013.

 

Wiktorowicz, Quintan, and Karl Kaltenthaler. “The rationality of radical Islam.” Political Science Quarterly 131, no. 2 (2016): 421+. General OneFile (accessed July 22, 2018). http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/apps/doc/A458267314/ITOF?u=vic_liberty&sid=ITOF&xid=2130f7b2.

 

 

[1]David Masci, “World’s Muslim Population More Widespread than You Might Think,” Pew Research Center, January 31, 2017, , accessed August 04, 2018, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/01/31/worlds-muslim-population-more-widespread-than-you-might-think/.

[2]Hindson, Edward E., and Ergun Mehmet. Caner. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. Eugene, Or.: Harvest House Publishers, 2008.

 

[3]MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Study Bible. LA Habra, CA: Thomas Nelson, 2006.

 

[4]Azumah, John A. “CHALLENGING RADICAL ISLAM.” First Things, no. 249 (01, 2015): 33-7, http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1645114378?accountid=12085.

 

2Azumah, John A. “CHALLENGING RADICAL ISLAM.” First Things, no. 249 (01, 2015): 33-7, http://ezproxy.liberty.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/docview/1645114378?accountid=12085.

[5]Wiktorowicz, Quintan, and Karl Kaltenthaler. “The rationality of radical Islam.” Political Science Quarterly 131, no. 2 (2016): 421+. General OneFile (accessed July 22, 2018). http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/apps/doc/A458267314/ITOF?u=vic_liberty&sid=ITOF&xid=2130f7b

 

[6]Hindson, Edward E., and Ergun Mehmet. Caner. The Popular Encyclopedia of Apologetics. Eugene, Or.: Harvest House Publishers, 2008.

 

[7]McDowell, Josh, and Sean McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-changing Truth for a Skeptical World. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2017.

 

[8]Strobel, Lee, and Jane Vogel. The Case for Christ: A Journalists Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017.

[9]Mcdowell, Josh, and Sean McDowell

[10]Strobel, Lee. The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.com, 2000.

 

[11]Wallace, J. Warner. Cold-case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2013.

 

[12]Bullock, Jane A., George D. Haddow, and Damon P. Coppola. Introduction to Homeland Security: Principles of All-hazards Response. Fourth ed. Waltham, MA: Butterworth Heinemann, 2013.

 

[13]Michael Lipka, “Muslims and Islam: Key Findings in the U.S. and around the World,” Pew Research Center, August 09, 2017, , accessed August 15, 2018, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/09/muslims-and-islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/.

 

Nick of Time

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Nick of Time

How often do we sit in the middle of our trials and we don’t know what God’s waiting for. I know I have sat here and I have begged God to deliver me from the evil. When things don’t go according to my plan I get frustrated. When the storm lasts forever and we just want out we begin to doubt God, and we begin to think negatively of our relationship with god. James 4:14“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” I have watched so many suffer from depression after the loss of a girlfriend, a job, a friend, and think that they will never feel better again. In my life, I have faced days where I have felt like tomorrow wouldn’t come. When we don’t know what tomorrow will bring it can often bring emotions of anxiety, fear, confusion, sadness, and hopelessness.

When I am in the most despair I often find that right when I need it the most God sends exactly what I need, when I need it. We want things done in our time, but we don’t understand the nature of God and God’s timing. 2 Peter 3:8 “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” In the movie Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo is waiting under a tree for the gray old wizard Gandalf to show up. When Gandalf finally shows up, Frodo says,“You’re late!” and Gandalf responds with “A wizard is never late Frodo Baggans, he arrives precisely when he means to!”  God is the same way, and when God decides when it’s time we need to be on the look out.

2 Peter 3:9“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” God has made us a promise of the return of Christ, and when that day comes we are told to be ready. But God has also made us another promise, to never leave, nor forsake us. We need to remember that when we are going through hard times the Lord is right there with us. When we need help the Lord will always send it. It may not be in the way we expect, but if we go through life with our own expectations we may miss the blessings God sends to us in our time of need.

If you were Batman and you were fighting a dragon, things may seem dire but just when you need it the most Superman comes to help. Psalm 31:15“My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!” When David was being pursued and hunted, and he prayed for deliverance, he still knew that it would come at God’s appointed time. Faith in the Lord is the first and last place we must turn. There will be a lot of troubles along the way, but God will always give us what we need, when we need it.

The Days Are Numbered

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The Days Are Numbered

The days come and for the first time in a while the sun was shining with low humidity, and a nice cool breeze felt amazing. With no storms in sight it was finally a day that wasn’t horrible just stepping outside. Not a bad day at all to be out running errands. It’s days like this that even when there’s so much to do with appointments all day, I feel at peace. Even with my new sessions of EMDR trauma therapy, and finding out one of my doctors is leaving their position, I have still found a sense of joy in this day. How often do we make it through the day, the weeks, the months without feeling that sense of joy? When we get caught up in the world, we forget that every day we wake is a blessing and a gift of God. How often do we forget to take a moment in our day to appreciate the little things? Psalm 118:24“This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” David often found himself dealing with struggles, life changes, depression, and even amidst all of these things, he always remember where the little gifts came from. God, of course is the giver of all things, and we are commanded not to be conformed of this world, and we are told to live within our day, not worried about what tomorrow will bring. This doesn’t mean not to make life plans, but certainly not to become overwhelmed when something knocks the train off the track. Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow for it will worry about itself. Matthew 6:25“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one [aa]cubit to his [ab]stature?” We will not add one day, not one hour to our life by allowing ourselves to be overworked, overwhelmed, overtaxed. We cannot always change our circumstances in the moment, and yet we allow ourselves to be worked up, stressed often to the point of crying or shaking, which there’s nothing with crying, but we should not allow ourselves to worry so much. This is of course easier said then done, but in our struggles every single day, we should make a good effort towards trusting in our Father, and allowing our worries to be passed to God and trust that in all things the details will be worked out.

While I often wish my life held less stress, more play, more love, less obligations, and way more fun, I realize that we must take time to be adults and face each and every day with one question, ‘no matter what today brings me Lord, how can I glorify you?’ Matthew 6:31-3431 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” It’s hard enough worrying about all the big stuff in our lives, yet we drive ourselves to worry also of all the small insignificant stuff. We must learn to resist the worry. Think about why we worry so much, we worry because we don’t’ know what we are going to do about a problem, or a situation. We have doubts it can be taken care of and handled, but if we truly say we have faith in the Lord, it’s in that that we should be able to let go and let God. We cannot beat blood from a stone, and we cannot move a mountain all on our own.

Life is so short, and we spend so much time being angry, we are resentful, and we hold onto that for months, years, or even our entire life. There’s no reason to allow that to remain in our bodies. We would never want to allow poison to stay inside our bodies, so why do we allow ourselves to carry so much negative energy? Why do we allow ourselves to fuel our heart with so much hatred, and pain? We never know how much time we have, and one thing we must remember is the true nature of forgiveness. Matthew 6:15“15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” We do not want to hold onto that cancer that festers the longer it’s in our bodies. We may encounter things in our life where we don’t feel like justice has been served, but it’s not our place to find justice, or revenge. Justice is paid by God, and we must trust in God that no one gets away with anything in this life. Everything we do good and bad is cataloged and categorized. We must believe that if we cannot let go of that anger and hatred and forgive those of the wrongs they’ve committed against us, we also will not be forgiven.

It’s hard when you feel cheated, when you feel let down by someone so close to you, but as we are all sinners in a fallen world, we must understand that we learn from every situation, good and bad. For every bad situation we can learn what not to do on someone else’s actions, or learn what not to do again from our own. We can learn, and we can grow, and we must always grow closer to God with every breath we take. One day this life will end and we will get to go home, if we love and accept our savior Jesus Christ. This life is just a short time, but our real home awaits us, don’t sacrifice that home by holding out in this one.

Temptations

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Temptations

What do you struggle with? I think everyone suffers with some kind of temptation. Temptations can be difficult to ignore or fight. In scripture we see Jesus tempted by Satan after 40 days in the desert. Those temptations were to appeal to Jesus’s physical pain, his power, and his pride. These are often 3 things we see tempt us every day. The 4this physical satisfaction. Often times we can be tempted by things that on the surface seem to make physical or emotional pain going away, by making our bodies or our minds feel good, but it’s only masking the symptom. Much like modern day pain relievers, you can take an Advil for pain, and while it will help with the pain, once it wears off the pain comes right back. You must find the cause and deal with the cause. We cannot get bit by a spider and put a Band-Aid over it and expect that’s going to make it all better. You can cover it all you want, but left untreated some spider bites can be fatal.

We see in Matthew 4:1-11 the temptation of Jesus. Matthew 4:1-11“4 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not [a]tempt the Lord your God.’ ” 8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, [b]“Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”

 In scripture we see Jesus repel Satan each time. Jesus turned to scripture and at each temptation repelled Satan’s advances. When we are tempted do we drop to our knees in prayer? Demons cannot stand before Christ. I have found in my walk when I am tempted if I pray, and I mean really pray, my temptations subside and I’m able to carry on with my day. If temptations such as drug use, alcohol, online pornography, gambling or other addictions plague you, first and foremost seek help. Second, pray and talk to God about finding the piece of your hearts that’s missing that you’re ultimately trying to fill. We all struggle, and we will all fall, but that doesn’t mean you have to allow that temptation to have power over you. We cannot allow ourselves to bend a knee to be controlled by substance, or addiction, or poor decisions. We must learn how to repel these attacks, and focus on our walk with the Lord. When the Apostle Paul wrote to the city of Ephesus he explained the protections from Satan’s fiery attacks would need to be the whole set of Armor. Ephesians 6:10-18 tell us from head to toe we must be covered by the Holy Spirit. We must not allow our minds to be corrupted. We must protect our heart, and never allow our heart to be deceived by sinful matters. We must allow our feet to dig in and never loose ground to the oncoming attacks. We must hold up the word as our shield to repel the flaming arrows. We must poise the buckler and ready ourselves for battle. No matter what the attack is, or where it comes from, we must learn to stand tall as a warrior. We have the power because we know, if we are with God, no one can stand against us. No matter what happens to us in this life, we are promised salvation to all those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the father, that he was crucified and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of scripture. He is seated at the right hand of the father. He watches over all of us from Heaven and we are never alone as the Holy Spirit is always with us.

Stand firm against sin and temptation. Don’t fall victim to the lies and never allow your heart to be tempted to harden. Anger and hatred are powerful, and as sin can tempt you to do bad things, you can be tempted to anger just as easily. Fight back with the only true weapon we have, and that’s the Word of God. Rise above the sinful worldview and know that just because the world deems something is okay, doesn’t mean it is. Don’t allow sin to control you, and don’t allow your power to be taken away but it. You have the power of the Holy Spirit inside you, and when you are with God, nothing can truly break you. Find your foundation in the Lord and build your life from there. Always put God first and the rest will fall into place. I’m not saying there won’t be hardships and trials, but you will find your purpose when you walk with the Lord. Temptations will have no power over you.

 

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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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Setbacks

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Setbacks

“Make a plan, execute the plan, expect the plan to go off the rails, throw away the plan”(Captain Cold)The path we follow and the plans we lay, one brick at a time on that yellow brick road, can only go so far so long as God wants us to follow that path. I don’t know what to say exactly except Captain Cold was a wise, wise man. I have laid the foundation to walk and expecting I knew my plan, but God had other plans. While I can’t say I understand, because Lord knows I don’t, I now have to throw away the old plan, and begin the research for a new one. I can’t say with any level of honesty I’m not hurt by recent events. Although that new job started off rough, it was just starting to smooth out, and I was excited for the prospects that by the end of the year I’d be able to follow through with my home buying goals. Now, I must figure out a new plan, and hope I am able to remain positive.

I’m not trying to make excuses but I find this kind of set back frustrating. Largely I am annoyed because I just can’t seem to go 10 feet without being knocked back 6. I have given my all to the Lord, and I am preaching and teaching every chance I get. I’m not engaging in reckless behaviors. I’m going to church regularly, and yet I just can’t seem to get to a point where I am in the life I have always dreamt of. I know that God has a plan for me, and my faith tells me to be strong, but the personality type doesn’t do well without closure, without answers. I am a logical planner and I need to know the why when something fails because without the why I don’t know what it is I’m to learn. I have struggled in the past with my faith and trusting in the Lord to lead me out of the struggle. I’ve never stopped believing in God, but I won’t lie, God and me haven’t always seen eye to eye. Obviously I have never won any arguments. I feel a little like Bruce trying to figure out why I keep rolling snake eyes, getting the worst of the luck, and having plan after plan fail in front of me. The future is as blurry to me now as it ever has been. All I can do now is dry my eyes, tighten my boots, and get ready to start a new trek.

Isaiah 35:8“A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it.” Even though I wander, and I don’t know my path, I trust in my God. That does not take away the pain, but it means I can keep going. I feel like anyone else, and I have my questions, and sometimes I question God, but He’s always understanding. 2 Corinthians 5:7“7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.”  Though I don’t know my direction I walk strong and tall. I’ve got pain by my Lord heals my wounds. I walk in the darkness and I cannot see my way, but I feel the warmth of Jesus as the light guides my way. I don’t know where I am, and I don’t know where I’m going, but I know my way home. My savior promised a paradise waiting for me one day. I believe I am saved in the blood of Christ, and I know that no matter where my steps take me, one day I’ll reach that golden finish line. Isaiah 43:2 “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you.”

Today I don’t feel strong. Today I don’t feel courageous, so my God give me faith. My God give me courage. My God show me the way so I may walk without fear. My God today I feel alone, and today I am lost, so my God my God please stay with me tonight. I feel broken, and I don’t know where to turn. I have walked through the valley, and I have pain coming from every direction, and I feel as if the whole world is standing against me today. My God you protect me when I face my battles. My God your love is pure light, and my God I need faith to trust in you tonight. I feel the storm it’s all around. I know you have the power to calm the waters, to be fear for the storm, and you could make it all go away. My God can you stay with me, I will lift my hands, I will praise you, I will worship you. Tonight I’m on my knees and my tears flow to the ground, and I need you with me today.

If you feel like me, and the world is just heavy, take a moment to step back and pray. Every day we need to remember that attacks will come and if not towards us, then those whom we care for. We must remain vigilant and keep the word in our hearts. The world is designed to break us, to tear us down, and pull us away from Christ.  “Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.”  (Alfred, Batman Begins)We will have setbacks in our life, and we will fall. We will encounter struggles we never imagined, and we will face a world we don’t recognize. Our true strength doesn’t come from our own determination, but from the Lord above. Our true purpose is to Love our God and to do the works God would have us do. “Whatever you do, remember that. You’re going to make a difference. A lot of times it won’t be huge, it won’t be visible even. But it will matter just the same. Don’t do it for praise or money, that’s what I want to tell you. Do it because it needs to be done. Do it to make your world better.” (Ed Brubaker, Gotham Central, Book One: In the Line of Duty) Every day you wake is a new day to get out there an make a difference. Quitting is letting the Devil win, so keep pushing, keep moving, keep fighting, and don’t ever doubt who’s in your corner.

Extinguish the Fire

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Extinguish the Fire

We always talk about fire both being life saving and life destroying. I know for me, I came to God in pieces, and was healed. I found a God who loved me and forgave me of my sins. I trusted in the Lord and the Lord has led me to a brighter, healthier life. I felt the fire in my heart, and every day I take time to add logs to fuel that fire, to keep it burning bright. Our faith should be a raging fire in our very souls. Our faith should have us on fire for the Lord, and we should be burning with desire to spread and share the Gospel to all we encounter. We sing to praise the Lord. We dance to praise our Lord. We fellowship, and give to praise our Lord, because the God above is a loving God, full of Mercy, and Grace, and Redeeming power. We must continue to add fuel to our fire, we must stay in the word, stay in fellowship as to not let our fire go out. We must be revived every day by the burning love of the Holy Spirit.

Many of us, especially men, especially veterans who live with PTSD, anger, sadness, despair, hopelessness, and so many other emotions are floating around either at the surface, or just beneath the surface hidden from sight. How do we manage to fight feelings when we aren’t sure are even there? We must learn to face our fears, stop allowing our emotions to control us. We must learn to identify our feelings and find ways to manage them. We cannot expect to be without our feelings. They are apart of us, and we need to have them. We mustn’t forget we are people, we can be wounded, and we must understand that it’s in those times we need help in our journey, our Odyssey of healing. Check the facts and question if the facts support your feeling. We must learn to understand why we feel the way we do. We must learn to expect sometimes with PTSD our feelings aren’t justified, so we must learn why and how to change that. We must learn to pray for the peace we seek. We must learn to turn the other cheek and be better at controlling the anger that most of us feel inside. Feelings of inadequacy, guilt, or even self loathing can cause feelings of anger, or the opposite cold and numb. We cannot allow ourselves as heads of our households to be consumed by PTSD. We must learn to rise above and come to grips with the past and chose to no longer allow it to direct your path. You are in control, and you are strong enough to face the wounds and start the healing process. When you are feeling anger we can use distractions, meditations, opposite actions, self-soothing, breathing, and a plethora of other ways that are healthy and effective in changing the nature of the distressing emotion.

Learning skills and putting them into use is never easy. Learning how to reprogram your brain to handle intense emotions more effectively is perhaps one of the hardest things you’ll every challenge yourself to achieve. Therapies such as DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) Or CBT (Cognitive behavioral therapy) can be highly effective if the effort is put into use. Like anything else the brain takes repetition to learn, and if done enough correctly, your brain will learn the muscle memory and will slowly begin to alter your perception. Studies also show that a person who has a stronger faith will recover from tragedy much faster then those without. Psalm 93:4“4 Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, the Lord on high is mighty!”The Lord is power, and with great power, the Lord is merciful and loving. We are loved and by grace we are saved. In our journey to find emotional enlightenment, and peace, I would recommend understanding that this journey is a difficult one, and once you learn the tools, putting them to use is the key. Just like a newborn in your faith, it takes time and energy. Proverbs 9:10“10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Start the journey and stay on track. You’ll have your moments where you get off the rails, but that’s to be expected. Find brothers and sisters in Christ and ask them to help you on your journey, and to help keep you accountable. We have the ability to let go of some of our emotional baggage, so we need to learn how to drop that weight. Focus on the good and positive things even in the midst of crisis. Never forget that it’s okay to fail as long as you learn, and it’s okay to fall as long as you get back up. Put out the fire of the anger and hate in your heart, and replace it with the burning fire of the Holy Spirit. Find your inner peace by opening your heart and mind to the Lord. Find peace in the love that was shed for all of us in life, overcoming death. Be deliberate in your feelings, and loving others as we are also loved. God bless.

 

 

The Dark

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The Dark

The darkening cave surrounds you, the air thick and heavy, the pounding in your ears and the fear takes hold. Close your eyes, and extend your hand. Even in the darkest of days, a connection with faith, and you can be pulled from the deepest abyss. I have often felt as if my solitude were some kind punishment. I felt as if my inability to explore and make friends was something I had done wrong. Nothing seemed to be working and I felt as if I were in a cave all-alone. I have felt as if the darkness was overtaking me, and I never knew how far I’d slip. As the darkness spread it seemed as if most of the areas in my life would be affected. The truth was, and is, when pain is what causes the darkness it’s hard to find the light. The darkness is like an infection. Once it gets inside it’s hard to be rid of it. There are many things that can cause the darkness, insecurities, jealousy, and several forms of fear. There’s a fear in me of being alone. I fear I will be along for a long period of time. One of my biggest issues is basing my self worth on what others perceive in me. I have always allowed others acceptance of me to bring me down when they don’t.

The loneliness I’ve been dealing with seems to be a lingering problem. I know for sure, an undoubted fact that the Devil has been working overtime lately, feeding me lie after lie. I have sunken into a more depressed state, feeling alone, and questioning my own mortality. I’m not talking suicidal thoughts, but the wondering motif of the past, and thinking I missed out on a more deserved fate. These lies come straight from the pits of Hell, and it’s important to at least realize the source if we are to better fight against it. The Devil will try to attack you, finding the cracks to get in. Once the Devil gets in, the small speck turns like a seed to a plant spreading it’s evil fines throughout your life. What line of defense do you have to protect yourself from the trails and tribulations that will befall you? We know that scripture teaches us to turn to God for our strength. We are taught to guard our heart, and protect our mind. We are taught to use the armor of God and not allow ourselves to fall victim to the spiritual warfare that we are actively engaged in. The dark cannot exist when you shine the light on it. The light can only exist if you choose not to sit in the darkness. You have to choose to leave the darkness behind and fight to stay in the light.

Fighting depression, anxiety, hopelessness isn’t ever easy, but it’s something we must endure, and learn to fight back against. The darkness is in all of us. We all have the ability for great evil, but also great love. We will always have a choice in this life to follow the path of light or dark. We will make choices every day, and sometimes we may actually believe that what we are doing is what’s best, but I heard a sermon recently, your heart can be deceived and therefore you shouldn’t trust it. The heart can be fooled into feeling a great many things, and it’s in Christ we find our Godly wisdom. We won’t always make the best of choices, and we won’t always follow the right path, but if we truly trust in the Lord, and believe that we are doing what would be bring glory to God, then we stand a chance to living our life in the light, and not the dark. I’ve seen men and women walk a path, and just at the snap of your fingers something or someone comes along, a viper in the weeds to lure them to the dark side. Lust presents itself as love, and how often do we as a people try to do what’s best for us in the name of love? When we are fooled by the feel good emotions, the drug in which many marriages, and friendships have fallen into ash, then we see the darkness that has covered our very world.

While I find myself fighting the darkness from rising, and I have considered myself a failure by all right, I know where those lies come from. The struggle is real regardless. Your feelings should always be lined up with the situation to know that your feelings are validated. We all have good and bad feelings, and sometimes our life’s struggles cause us to feel badly about ourselves. It’s hard to manage what you feel, and what you know you should feel. I know I shouldn’t feel worthless, and I know I shouldn’t question my own mortality. The fight is real, and the challenges don’t necessarily get any easier as time goes on. We know we need to turn to others in our time of need, but more importantly the Lord. We know we can’t keep ourselves on our own island, keeping us secluded. Isolation is unhealthy and we are easily picked off when we’re alone. We are weakest by ourselves, and we need to find strength in numbers. Don’t keep yourself secluded, go out and find yourself in the light. Stay out of the darkness because the darkness can take hold, and if we aren’t careful, it doesn’t let go easily.

It’s Not The Size That Counts

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It’s Not The Size That Counts

 Sometimes the world is a huge place. It can feel large and overwhelming. Sometimes you can be the little guy in the boxing ring with a much larger, much more intimidating opponent. When you’re the little guy in the middle of a big fight you can’t always win by brute force. When I’m taking more punches then I’m given you have to think about your strategy. Sometimes all you can do is put the gloves up, protect the face so hopefully the bell will ring and the round will end and I’ll take it back next round. Life’s too big sometimes and you have to make the world smaller.

When you’re going up against a larger opponent you have to think smart, fight smart, figure out their weakness and exploit it. What makes Batman a fantastic character is his ability to read a situation and adapt. While he may not always win every fight, he does learn from them, he rethinks, regroups, and creates a plan. While he was grossly outgunned he managed to go head to head with Superman, and with meticulous planning, he was able to emerge victorious in the fight. You have to learn to read, adapt, change, alter, and use your opponents weaknesses against them.

The Devil searches for your weaknesses. He searches for a way in to hurt you. You can’t win against the Devil in a straight up boxing match so you have to learn to how to fight smarter. Sometimes in boxing you have to learn to take the punches, let your opponent get tired, and then move in for the kill (sort to speak). You can’t allow the Devil to pin you against the ropes. You can’t allow the Devil to get blow after blow knocking you to the matt.

You may feel small, and the world might feel too big, sometimes you just have to focus on a small detail at a time and go with it. When the sounds of the world are deafening focus on something small and soothing. When all you have is your own breath, sometimes that’s what you need to focus on. You can’t expect that every day will be a great day. We can’t expect that just because we are Christians and we believe in God that we won’t have troubles. God specifically tells us that it’s in our faith we become more of a target. We’ll always have a bulls-eye on our hearts and we need to sometimes dig deep, find something deep within ourselves that gives us the ability to fight even when we are the under dog, even when the odds are against us, and even when we are tiny in the great big world, there’s always hope.

Throughout history we’ve seen times when the little guy comes through. We’ve seen when the outnumbered are able to pull off the miracle. If King David can defeat someone full grown men, seasoned solders trembled in the sight of, then every little guy should maintain a measure of hope. The world may get you down and that’s okay, just don’t stay down, keep getting back up, and keep fighting the fight. Romans 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be[a] against us?”