Sunday, April 30, 2006

Taking back sunday

You never really know how much you value something until it's taken away. God offers us blessings, but we must accept them, take them. If we don't they are wasted, and sometimes lost.

I had sundays off for so long, and I'd wasted them. God has been calling me to take sundays back. He wasn't saying I was bound by the law, but that by living in Him, I could follow it.

Today, I took them back.

Instead of being deceptive, I was honest and up front, and God provided.

I'm beginning to realize not to ignore Gods direction. Although the path is sometimes painful, His purpose will eventually be revealed if I'm faithful. In following Him, I'm gaining the wisdom I've been praying for.

Although the war has only begun, I press on focused on eternity with Him.

Thursday, April 27, 2006

the price

"but i'm not going to lie to you, it'll cost you everything to follow him" - John L Cooper (skillet)

He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 10:39 (NASB)

Are you willing to give up everything to follow Him? I'd ask myself this question regularly. It was so easy to say, but could I truly live it?

Could I give everything to Him? My health, my family, my friends, my possesions, my job, my money; my life?

My definition of success would never fufill me, and would only offer me temporary happiness. My own pursuits left me empty and disappointed.

He took me in His arms, broken, and restored me. In Him, nothing was impossible. In losing my life, I would gain it.

I began to understand that His will was greater then anything I could every imagine, and would completely fufill me. That He was with me, and through Him I could stand against any enemy. In His strength I could find courage. In His love, I could be made whole.

Although the price is your life, the reward is eternity with Him.

What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?
Matthew 16:26 (NIV)

Sunday, April 23, 2006

learning to love

that which is untold, that which is untasted
that which sustains, that which prolongs

sought and yet unclaimed
unsure and yet content

that which is known, that which perishes
that which is fallable, that which destroys

whose will, his or my own
whose cause do I seek
the path he leads

why, why, why
i ask, i cry, i pray

i question that which is unclear
i live with no regrets, and yet i come to him broken

in him,
rest, peace, shelter

in him,
my purpose

temptation, percecution, deception
belong to the father of lies

my flesh is weak, it longs for satisfaction
it begs to be fed

but my flaws speak of his glory, my condition of his mercy

he is greater then. he is

Monday, April 10, 2006

pay attention

"Ohh my gosh, you scared me!" "I didn't realize you were there.."

Sound familiar?

I'm often thankful that a fruit of the spirit is "self-control."

I hear this from my roomate ALL THE TIME, and it's extremely frustrating. Hello, I live here! This isn't news to you! How about this, EXPECT me to be there when you turn around, and guess what, you won't be surprised. I've also had this happen to me while shopping. WAKE UP people, if your ever at a store, be assured that your NOT ALONE!

For the record, i've never once been "scared" by someone walking up to me. Why? you ask.. Why would you be alarmed by someone walking up to you, when you "expect" someone to be there. In other words, unless your at home on the toliet, with the door locked, ALWAYS expect someone to be behind you, or around the corner, it's just common sense. You live in a world with OTHER PEOPLE. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!

There are two kinds of people, the kind (like me) who realize we're not the center of the universe, and it doesn't revolve around us, and those that believe they are. If you believe your the center of the universe, then you believe everyone should be acting in a manner which suits you. That's why when you turn around and exclaim "OHH, you scared me!," your really saying, all space belongs to me, and you didn't get my permission to be there.

This response stems from pride. Pride is thinking oneself superior to all others, and it is displayed by our actions. Pride leads to destruction. (Proverbs 16:18)

In the bible, Jesus tells us that unless we come before Him with humility (willing to submit ourselves to Him) we will never enter heaven (Matthew 18:2-4)

In humbling ourselves before men, we will inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19:16-30)

Jesus tells us that in serving one another, we serve Him. (Matthew 25:31-46)

Jesus washed his diciples feet, even the man who would betray Him (Judas). He gave us the perfect example of serving in humility. (John 13:12-17)

This is just one example of how pride is the path toward destruction. Pride is one of the many deceptions the devil uses to lead us astray. When we stop leaning on our own understanding, and humble ourselves before God, He will work in us, and make us whole.

"Just as cars where made to run on gas, so we as mankind were made to run on Him." - CS Lewis

Wednesday, April 5, 2006

biblical view of homosexuality

Are you born homosexual? Did God make you that way? Can a “Christian,” be homosexual?

The answer to these three questions is NO. You are born into the sin nature, but your also born with the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 3:22
And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."

God gives you “free will,” to choose Him or reject Him.

Revelation 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

When you choose to accept Jesus, you are no longer controlled by the sin nature.

Romans 8:5-17
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

If one of your weaknesses is homosexual “feelings,” then you must give it to Jesus to heal. The first part of being healed is recognizing the truth.

John 8:32
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Jesus gave us a way to distinguish the truth. True believers are distinguished by how they act, and speak.

Matthew 7:16-18
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.

What is good and bad "fruit?"

Galatians 5:16-26
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

God also gives you the tools you need to fulfill His calling.

Ephesians 6:13-18
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Jesus tells us NO ONE is perfect and without sin, and ALL fall short of Gods glory. Thus without Him we are condemned, but through him we are saved.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Romans 3:21-26
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Sin is not of God but of Satan, for in God nothing but good dwells.

James 1:17
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Evil desires are of the devil, and he uses them to tempt us away from what is good and right. God allows temptation in order to mold us, but promises to never give us more then we can each personally handle.

James 1:2-3
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

God calls us to admonish our fellow believers in Christ; first in private, then with friends, and finally in front of the entire fellowship. If they choose to continue living a sinful lifestyle, we are to expel them from the fellowship.

Matthew 18:15-17
"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Many times this passage is misconstrued to mean we are to reject the person entirely. God gives us this instruction in addition to the rest of scripture. We are still called to LOVE the person, but detest the sinful acts. It’s about setting up healthy boundaries, just as God does for us. He LOVES all His creation, but can’t dwell with them in sin. He sent His son, whose blood cleanses us and purifies us in order that His spirit can live in us.

Matthew 13:36-43
Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field." He answered, "The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. "As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Homosexuality also goes against how God created us. He created Man and Woman to come together to form “one flesh.”

Genesis 2:24
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Biologically we can only reproduce with the opposite sex, which speaks to Gods design.

Romans 1:26-27
Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

Jesus reminds us in the New Testament that we’re all adulterers, murders, thieves, and liars. We’re all born into the sin nature, we all fall short of Gods glory, and there is nothing we can DO to save ourselves. But if you profess to have accepted Jesus as your savior, and are living through Him, your actions or “fruit,” will show it. Each of us have our own strengths and weaknesses, but no sin is greater then any other in Gods eyes.

"the unexamined life is not worth living" -Socrates