I have been thinking a lot lately about why I go to church and why it is important to me to do so. As I was considering this, a few things occurred to me.
First, I like having a pastor. It is important to me to have one. I have somebody I can go to when I don't know what to do. He never says I have to do anything, but I like to go to him when I am just uncertain myself. He is who married my wife and I and he is who I call when I am having a difficult time. He is the one who called every day when we lost the child that we expected to carry to term. He is the one who came when we lost our grandmother while her husband was in the hospital.
In my church, I have people that have been christian believers much longer than I have. They have been through more and have seen more than I have. I can go to them when I need to know what the bible has to say on a topic when I can't find it myself. I can talk to them about what they did when they went through something like I am going through.
In my church, I have things that I can do that are not just for me but for God's kingdom. I can serve by teaching children or by mixing the sound that will be put on tape and broadcast throughout the region I live in on television stations. I can help on a church cleaning day to keep things organized and make sure things are done in excellence. I can serve on staff. I can be a part of leading others to Christ.
I bring my tithe to my church in accordance to God's word. Malachi 3:8 would say that I am robbing God in tithes and offerings by not doing this and promises in verse 10 that by tithing, the windows of heaven are open to me to pour out a blessing I don't have room enough to contain.
In my church, I find peers to walk this journey together with. These are people that will stick closer than a brother. Friends like this will come in times of trouble even when it is not convenient for them to do so. These are friends that come in the middle of the night when my wife is in the hospital. They come to our rescue when a serpentine belt breaks in our truck. They give me a ride home after I crash my bike on the railroad tracks.
In my church, I find opportunities to help other people. I find new believers and people that are completely new to knowing God. These are people that find themselves where I once was just being hungry to know more about God and I am able to be available to help.
Mostly, I go to church because I find in his word that I am to do so. Hebrews 10:25 in the New International Version tells us to "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another..."
I have often read of Jesus who worshiped at the synagogue as his habit was. I have recently really been thinking of this and realized that if ANYBODY in all of history had the right to say that everybody in all churches that were available were messed up and misdirected, it would be Jesus. Here was a man that knew how off base the people around him were, and yet he still made a habit of going to church.
My pastor has shared about the idea of making small little adjustments in order to stay on track. If you stay on top of the adjustments that need to be made, this is easy to do, but let us take this analogy and look at driving a moment. If we are driving a vehicle and forget to correct for awhile, we will come more and more off the road that we are on. We may eventually go off the road completely. This is true in our christian lives as well. People don't just decide to turn away from God in an instant or to slack off on their commitment to him, it is something that develops over a period of time.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Armor of God Part 1
Tonight I want to introduce a new series on the armor of God. This is a topic I have always found interesting and am looking forward to studying further. For tonight, however, I will just give a brief introduction.
The portion of scripture this is coming from is Ephesians 6:10-18 that says...
10Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.11Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world's rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places.13Therefore take to yourselves the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.14Therefore stand, having your loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness15and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.16Above all, take the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,18praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching to this very thing with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
I will be going into each of these peaces of armor as I progress though this portion of scripture, but let me first point out that the only offensive weapon that Paul tells us about is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. I have posted this in the Modern King James Version, however, I like the way God's Word translation puts this when it says Pray in the Spirit in every situation. Use every kind of prayer and request there is. For the same reason be alert. use every kind of effort and make every kind of request for all of God's people.
Wow. Do you get the idea here? God wants us to ask. He wants us to pray. He wants us to ask his opinion. There is never anything too small or too big for God. Most people don't have a problem asking God for big things except when they talk themselves out of it thinking that they are not good enough or that it more than they deserve. Well, my bible tells me that God will give me immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine(Eph 3:20). But I digress on this until I get to this part of the scripture.
The other point that I want to make here is that every weapon found here covers the front and not one of them covers our rear ends. We are not supposed to run away from our problems and opposition but we are to run toward it fully equipped with the armor of God.
I also look at the end of verse 13 and the beginning of verse 14. I have been taught that when you see a word repeated, it means emphasis in the same way that we would yell something or use an exclamation point or all capital letters. "having done all to stand. Therefore STAND!". In other words, if you are struggling, keep struggling. Fighting? Keep fighting! While my pastor didn't coin the phrase, I have heard him say "When you are going through hell, don't stop. And catch a little fire on your way out.
Again, this is a very, very brief introduction and I look forward to digging deep into this portion of scripture. Come with me as we journey together and find what truth's we can draw out.
The portion of scripture this is coming from is Ephesians 6:10-18 that says...
10Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.11Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world's rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places.13Therefore take to yourselves the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.14Therefore stand, having your loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness15and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.16Above all, take the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,18praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching to this very thing with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
I will be going into each of these peaces of armor as I progress though this portion of scripture, but let me first point out that the only offensive weapon that Paul tells us about is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. I have posted this in the Modern King James Version, however, I like the way God's Word translation puts this when it says Pray in the Spirit in every situation. Use every kind of prayer and request there is. For the same reason be alert. use every kind of effort and make every kind of request for all of God's people.
Wow. Do you get the idea here? God wants us to ask. He wants us to pray. He wants us to ask his opinion. There is never anything too small or too big for God. Most people don't have a problem asking God for big things except when they talk themselves out of it thinking that they are not good enough or that it more than they deserve. Well, my bible tells me that God will give me immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine(Eph 3:20). But I digress on this until I get to this part of the scripture.
The other point that I want to make here is that every weapon found here covers the front and not one of them covers our rear ends. We are not supposed to run away from our problems and opposition but we are to run toward it fully equipped with the armor of God.
I also look at the end of verse 13 and the beginning of verse 14. I have been taught that when you see a word repeated, it means emphasis in the same way that we would yell something or use an exclamation point or all capital letters. "having done all to stand. Therefore STAND!". In other words, if you are struggling, keep struggling. Fighting? Keep fighting! While my pastor didn't coin the phrase, I have heard him say "When you are going through hell, don't stop. And catch a little fire on your way out.
Again, this is a very, very brief introduction and I look forward to digging deep into this portion of scripture. Come with me as we journey together and find what truth's we can draw out.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Today I declare war
No, I'm not attacking another person or group of people. Today I begin my war on a kingdom. Today I stop being part of a company and advance to the front lines. Today, I move to attack in a way that hurts and drive out any enemies from my own camp. Today, I declare war on evil, on demonic spirits, and on Satan himself.
This may sound hokey to some. I don't care. There is a kingdom of light and a kingdom of darkness and while some don't want to believe it, this kingdom of darkness is where lack comes from. This kingdom of darkness is where depression comes from. This kingdom of darkness is where sickness comes from.
Today I claim my right as a child of God and come boldly before his throne. Today I drive out and demonic influence in my home and declare that it must leave and never come back. Tonight, this night, this very night, sleepness nights will end and be banished forever. Tonight, temptations to sin in ANY way have no place in my home. Tonight my home becomes a home of peace, rest, and unity.
One thing about going to war is that you have to have weapons to fight with. Tonight, I begin building my arsenal finding out who I am in Christ. With this arsenal, I can fight the common cold, depression, lack of finances, disunity, and every other evil thing that comes into this life because I am a child of God. This is NOT because of who I am or what I have done but because of what Christ has done in me.
What is making me sad here is that I have taken so long to declare this war. I have had the tools available to me for 8 years now and am only now fully taking advantage of them. I have gone to a good church where this is taught and been saved for seven years now and thus far have only done baby stuff feeding off of the sincere milk of the word.
It is now time for me to grow up and begin to feed on the meat that is available to me. It is time for me to go from being a follower who is being coddled and protected to being a leader who is available to attack and defend. The fire has been lit in my life and will continue to be fed through daily bible reading and prayer and confession of God's word and church. I will continue forward and I will not look back.
This may sound hokey to some. I don't care. There is a kingdom of light and a kingdom of darkness and while some don't want to believe it, this kingdom of darkness is where lack comes from. This kingdom of darkness is where depression comes from. This kingdom of darkness is where sickness comes from.
Today I claim my right as a child of God and come boldly before his throne. Today I drive out and demonic influence in my home and declare that it must leave and never come back. Tonight, this night, this very night, sleepness nights will end and be banished forever. Tonight, temptations to sin in ANY way have no place in my home. Tonight my home becomes a home of peace, rest, and unity.
One thing about going to war is that you have to have weapons to fight with. Tonight, I begin building my arsenal finding out who I am in Christ. With this arsenal, I can fight the common cold, depression, lack of finances, disunity, and every other evil thing that comes into this life because I am a child of God. This is NOT because of who I am or what I have done but because of what Christ has done in me.
What is making me sad here is that I have taken so long to declare this war. I have had the tools available to me for 8 years now and am only now fully taking advantage of them. I have gone to a good church where this is taught and been saved for seven years now and thus far have only done baby stuff feeding off of the sincere milk of the word.
It is now time for me to grow up and begin to feed on the meat that is available to me. It is time for me to go from being a follower who is being coddled and protected to being a leader who is available to attack and defend. The fire has been lit in my life and will continue to be fed through daily bible reading and prayer and confession of God's word and church. I will continue forward and I will not look back.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
God is good...
Okay, I know I just did this topic, but I don't feel like I completed it. I keep seeing so many instances where people just aren't getting what is from God and what is not as people are often confusing disaster with God testing us.
Yes, God does test us. We see this when God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son on the alter. This is the same son that God gave to Abraham when he was by all natural standards too old to have a son and this was his only son. Abraham did take his son with him fully prepared to sacrifice his son. My pastor has painted a fantastic picture of this describing how Isaac must have helped carry the wood. We see where Isaac asked where the lamb for the sacrifice was and Abraham answered that God would provide a lamb. We see that Isaac allowed his father to tie him up and must have known at this point that he was to be the sacrifice made. How hard this must have been for Abraham prepared to do this in obedience of God.
I will take a moment to point out that this was not judgment against Isaac or Abraham. We see nothing here where they were being punished for a sin against God, and yet Abraham was fully prepared to obey.
Now we come to the point where Isaac is bound and Abraham is bringing the knife down to kill his son and the angel of the Lord stayed his hand. A sacrifice was still made that day with the ram in the thicket that God had provided.
If interested, you can find this full account in Genesis 21 through 22. This is an instance where a man was tested. This also, incidentally, established the covenant for God to provide His only son as a sacrifice for us. That, however, is for another blog post.
When a person's home is destroyed or a family member is taken, that is bad and not from God. It is not a test. It is not a way of getting the person to lean more on God. It is bad.
When 9-11 happened and thousands died, it was not the wrath of God for the sins of America. It was evil and was not judgment for our sins.
Does God judge? Emphatically yes, however, when we see this happen, it is only the person who sinned who dies or is punished. We see this as Lot's wife turns to salt when she turned back as the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. We see judgment against Ananias and Saphirah as they lied about what they sold their house for in Acts 5. We see it when Korah rebelled in Numbers 16.
In all of these cases, it is individuals sinning against God, it is never a whole punished for the actions of a few. In fact, we see examples of this when Lot leaves to separate himself and when Korah is punished. An angel specifically tells Lot that he cannot destroy Sodom and Gomorrah until Lot has left. Moses also tells the people to separate themselves from those being judged so that the do not suffer for the sins of Korah and the others rebelling with him.
People even blame the weather on God when things happen like killing crops. Truth is that even rain was a result of our sin. Before that, mist rose from the ground to water the plants. In fact, the first rain to ever happen was the one the flooded the earth. Think of what Noah's neighbor's thought when he said he was building an ark because it was going to rain. They must have all wondered about the crazy man talking about this thing called rain that was water that fell from the sky.
Well, that's enough on that for now. As my pastor often says, we are never really done, we just take a break. I may continue on this topic on my next post or move onto a new topic.
Yes, God does test us. We see this when God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son on the alter. This is the same son that God gave to Abraham when he was by all natural standards too old to have a son and this was his only son. Abraham did take his son with him fully prepared to sacrifice his son. My pastor has painted a fantastic picture of this describing how Isaac must have helped carry the wood. We see where Isaac asked where the lamb for the sacrifice was and Abraham answered that God would provide a lamb. We see that Isaac allowed his father to tie him up and must have known at this point that he was to be the sacrifice made. How hard this must have been for Abraham prepared to do this in obedience of God.
I will take a moment to point out that this was not judgment against Isaac or Abraham. We see nothing here where they were being punished for a sin against God, and yet Abraham was fully prepared to obey.
Now we come to the point where Isaac is bound and Abraham is bringing the knife down to kill his son and the angel of the Lord stayed his hand. A sacrifice was still made that day with the ram in the thicket that God had provided.
If interested, you can find this full account in Genesis 21 through 22. This is an instance where a man was tested. This also, incidentally, established the covenant for God to provide His only son as a sacrifice for us. That, however, is for another blog post.
When a person's home is destroyed or a family member is taken, that is bad and not from God. It is not a test. It is not a way of getting the person to lean more on God. It is bad.
When 9-11 happened and thousands died, it was not the wrath of God for the sins of America. It was evil and was not judgment for our sins.
Does God judge? Emphatically yes, however, when we see this happen, it is only the person who sinned who dies or is punished. We see this as Lot's wife turns to salt when she turned back as the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. We see judgment against Ananias and Saphirah as they lied about what they sold their house for in Acts 5. We see it when Korah rebelled in Numbers 16.
In all of these cases, it is individuals sinning against God, it is never a whole punished for the actions of a few. In fact, we see examples of this when Lot leaves to separate himself and when Korah is punished. An angel specifically tells Lot that he cannot destroy Sodom and Gomorrah until Lot has left. Moses also tells the people to separate themselves from those being judged so that the do not suffer for the sins of Korah and the others rebelling with him.
People even blame the weather on God when things happen like killing crops. Truth is that even rain was a result of our sin. Before that, mist rose from the ground to water the plants. In fact, the first rain to ever happen was the one the flooded the earth. Think of what Noah's neighbor's thought when he said he was building an ark because it was going to rain. They must have all wondered about the crazy man talking about this thing called rain that was water that fell from the sky.
Well, that's enough on that for now. As my pastor often says, we are never really done, we just take a break. I may continue on this topic on my next post or move onto a new topic.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
God good, Devil bad
God good, Devil bad. This is something I have always essentially known, but it took simplifying it to a preschool level for me to really get it. Literally, I learned this lesson in a preschool room when I was much older than preschool age.
I was actually learning to be a preschool teacher at my church and one of the preschool teachers named Amber got asked to teach at the last minute and didn't have a prepared lesson. She, therefore, taught the kids to understand and say "God good, Devil bad." On that Sunday morning, I really started to "get it".
This is also something that not everybody does get. If everybody did get this, we would not have insurance companies calling the destruction of people's home acts of God. We would not have people saying that God took a person's life. We would not have people saying that being impoverished may be a blessing in disguise or that God may be trying to teach us something.
I know that saying this may be twisting or even putting a hole in some peoples doctrines. My pastor likes to say that if you are going to create a doctrine, you should find 2 or 3 scriptures that support it, and that they preferably be from the new testament, so let's take a look.
We see in James 1:17 that "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
I'll take a tangent on this one here and point out that not only is God good, but he doesn't change. We can see this not only here, but also in Hebrew's 13:8 that says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Let's continue to look at James 1:17 a moment. One word that really sticks out to me in this verse is the word every. I'm a very logical person and have taken some college level classes on the topic. In a logical proof, the word every means that there is nothing being left out or nothing left over. This essentially means that if it is good, it cannot come from any other source but God.
Let's now look at John 10:10 that states "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full"(NIV) I also really like the 2nd part of this verse in the New Living Translation that says (My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
I'd like to put this verse in context for those unfamiliar with this part of scripture, however, I would also encourage you as the reader to study this out in your own Bible as well. Jesus often told parables, or stories, to illustrate his points. In this parable, he uses a sheepfold, a gatekeeper, and a thief to illustrate his point. Jesus Christ is the gatekeeper in this parable through which you come into and out of the sheepfold. The thief is actually not the devil in this parable, but more a false teacher that comes into the sheepfold to steal away the sheep. The sheepfold is actually the local church as Jesus speaks of how there are many other sheepfolds. The word only in this verse indicates that there is nothing else that the thief does. He uses different methods to accomplish this, but the goals are always the same.
Finally, I'll take you over to 1 Peter 5:8 in the Amplified Bible that says "Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring[in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour."
Later, I'd like to write a post that speaks about some of the tools that God gives us to defend against Satan and his devices that according to 2nd Corinthians 11:2, we are not to be ignorant of. I'd also like to write a post of some of the tools that are available to study the Bible.
For now, I would like to come back to the way I started this post. God good, devil bad. If it is good like honest money, a good job, food available to eat, a happy family, it is from God. If it is bad like not having enough money, strife in a family, crime, pain, agony, defeat, it is from the devil.
Can there be choices between good things like which job to take and one not be the right choice? Absolutely, and that is where listening to the Holy Spirit comes in. But that is for another post.
I was actually learning to be a preschool teacher at my church and one of the preschool teachers named Amber got asked to teach at the last minute and didn't have a prepared lesson. She, therefore, taught the kids to understand and say "God good, Devil bad." On that Sunday morning, I really started to "get it".
This is also something that not everybody does get. If everybody did get this, we would not have insurance companies calling the destruction of people's home acts of God. We would not have people saying that God took a person's life. We would not have people saying that being impoverished may be a blessing in disguise or that God may be trying to teach us something.
I know that saying this may be twisting or even putting a hole in some peoples doctrines. My pastor likes to say that if you are going to create a doctrine, you should find 2 or 3 scriptures that support it, and that they preferably be from the new testament, so let's take a look.
We see in James 1:17 that "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
I'll take a tangent on this one here and point out that not only is God good, but he doesn't change. We can see this not only here, but also in Hebrew's 13:8 that says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Let's continue to look at James 1:17 a moment. One word that really sticks out to me in this verse is the word every. I'm a very logical person and have taken some college level classes on the topic. In a logical proof, the word every means that there is nothing being left out or nothing left over. This essentially means that if it is good, it cannot come from any other source but God.
Let's now look at John 10:10 that states "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full"(NIV) I also really like the 2nd part of this verse in the New Living Translation that says (My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
I'd like to put this verse in context for those unfamiliar with this part of scripture, however, I would also encourage you as the reader to study this out in your own Bible as well. Jesus often told parables, or stories, to illustrate his points. In this parable, he uses a sheepfold, a gatekeeper, and a thief to illustrate his point. Jesus Christ is the gatekeeper in this parable through which you come into and out of the sheepfold. The thief is actually not the devil in this parable, but more a false teacher that comes into the sheepfold to steal away the sheep. The sheepfold is actually the local church as Jesus speaks of how there are many other sheepfolds. The word only in this verse indicates that there is nothing else that the thief does. He uses different methods to accomplish this, but the goals are always the same.
Finally, I'll take you over to 1 Peter 5:8 in the Amplified Bible that says "Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring[in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour."
Later, I'd like to write a post that speaks about some of the tools that God gives us to defend against Satan and his devices that according to 2nd Corinthians 11:2, we are not to be ignorant of. I'd also like to write a post of some of the tools that are available to study the Bible.
For now, I would like to come back to the way I started this post. God good, devil bad. If it is good like honest money, a good job, food available to eat, a happy family, it is from God. If it is bad like not having enough money, strife in a family, crime, pain, agony, defeat, it is from the devil.
Can there be choices between good things like which job to take and one not be the right choice? Absolutely, and that is where listening to the Holy Spirit comes in. But that is for another post.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Luke 4
Tonight I read in Luke 4 about Jesus going home to Nazareth. This part of scripture amazes me because of how much I can see it today and serves as a warning for me not to become familiar with people like my pastor.
Jesus came home and declared exactly what he was, the Son of God. Jesus does not declare this specifically at the time, but those who understood the scripture he read would have known. All who heard him speak spoke well of him. We see this in verse 22. Then we also see in this verse how everything got messed up because of familiarity.
"How can this be? Isn't this Joseph's son?" These are the two questions that were asked AFTER they spoke well of him. The next thing we know, Jesus parallels his own current situation with those of Elijah and Elisha. In other Gospel's, we read of how Jesus could do few miracles in Nazareth because of their unbelief. But Luke takes it a step further and describes more of what happened while Jesus was in Nazareth.
Not only could Jesus not do many miracles because of their unbelief, but the people of Nazareth tried to kill him in verse 29. There are two things that stand out to me here. One is that Jesus was given faith without measure. Even with this limitless faith, he could not do as many miracles as he otherwise would have because of the unbelief of those who could have received the miracles. The other thing that stands out is that a mob of the people that knew this man growing up could be so mad and offended at him that they tried to kill him.
I believe that they would not have tried to kill him if they had not known him so well as he grew up. If I were to say something highly offensive about a close friend or family member of yours, you would write it off because I am just some random member of the internet community. If, however, a close friend were to say the same offensive thing, most would actually react much more violently than if some random person like myself said the same thing.
There is a great deal of danger in offense. Offense only seems to come after there is first familiarity. We must be very careful not to become too familiar with those who spiritually feed us. I, for instance, have had opportunities to have my pastor's phone number. He has, in fact, had occasions where he called me from his cell phone. I immediately deleted his number from my caller id. This is one way to guard against familiarity, but it is also only one example.
I could give examples of the dangers of offense, but I don't think I could do a better job of this than my own savior did over 2000 years ago. Guard yourself from getting too familiar with people that you shouldn't and make the choice to simply not get offended, for it is a choice if you will take an offense or not.
Jesus came home and declared exactly what he was, the Son of God. Jesus does not declare this specifically at the time, but those who understood the scripture he read would have known. All who heard him speak spoke well of him. We see this in verse 22. Then we also see in this verse how everything got messed up because of familiarity.
"How can this be? Isn't this Joseph's son?" These are the two questions that were asked AFTER they spoke well of him. The next thing we know, Jesus parallels his own current situation with those of Elijah and Elisha. In other Gospel's, we read of how Jesus could do few miracles in Nazareth because of their unbelief. But Luke takes it a step further and describes more of what happened while Jesus was in Nazareth.
Not only could Jesus not do many miracles because of their unbelief, but the people of Nazareth tried to kill him in verse 29. There are two things that stand out to me here. One is that Jesus was given faith without measure. Even with this limitless faith, he could not do as many miracles as he otherwise would have because of the unbelief of those who could have received the miracles. The other thing that stands out is that a mob of the people that knew this man growing up could be so mad and offended at him that they tried to kill him.
I believe that they would not have tried to kill him if they had not known him so well as he grew up. If I were to say something highly offensive about a close friend or family member of yours, you would write it off because I am just some random member of the internet community. If, however, a close friend were to say the same offensive thing, most would actually react much more violently than if some random person like myself said the same thing.
There is a great deal of danger in offense. Offense only seems to come after there is first familiarity. We must be very careful not to become too familiar with those who spiritually feed us. I, for instance, have had opportunities to have my pastor's phone number. He has, in fact, had occasions where he called me from his cell phone. I immediately deleted his number from my caller id. This is one way to guard against familiarity, but it is also only one example.
I could give examples of the dangers of offense, but I don't think I could do a better job of this than my own savior did over 2000 years ago. Guard yourself from getting too familiar with people that you shouldn't and make the choice to simply not get offended, for it is a choice if you will take an offense or not.
Blood Colored Glasses
Have you ever heard the phrase "seeing the world through rose colored glasses"? It is interesting to look through glasses like these. Everything looks warmer and happier. This, however, is only a temporary illusion for as long as we are looking through the glasses and is not a reflection of what the world is really like.
God, however, looks at those who has received His Son as Lord and Savior through blood colored glasses. We are seen through the blood of Christ who has redeemed us. We are seen as more than conquerors though Christ who loves us. We are seen as over comers. We are seen for our potential and for the good in us rather than for a product of our past failures.
I recently read a story of somebody who started out her life on some pretty rough ground. She married an alcoholic and then divorced. She sold most of what she had to feed herself in her children while being jobless. She used to run to alcohol and drugs to cope with the shortcomings in her own life and she was ready to give up herself.
This woman was ready to die and leave her children to somebody else that she believed could take better care of them. She saw herself as worthless and saw all of the things that she had sold or given up in order to just get by. She was left with what she calls a heartbeat in a corner.
This same woman went to see her counselor. She told her about all this and her counselor reminded her of how God sees her. This woman sees herself for what she was and a product of what has happened in her life. Thank God for a counselor who reminded her of how God sees her. For God knew of where she had been and saw her as a lost prodigal who was about to come home and come to know him again.
Through God's leading and direction, this woman found a strong christian home to live in while she got back on her feet. Through God's direction, she came back to know again the husband of her youth and after divorce proceedings, is back together with him again. She is a prodigal that came home. You can read this woman's full story at http://www.innocentstorm.blogspot.com/.
God, however, looks at those who has received His Son as Lord and Savior through blood colored glasses. We are seen through the blood of Christ who has redeemed us. We are seen as more than conquerors though Christ who loves us. We are seen as over comers. We are seen for our potential and for the good in us rather than for a product of our past failures.
I recently read a story of somebody who started out her life on some pretty rough ground. She married an alcoholic and then divorced. She sold most of what she had to feed herself in her children while being jobless. She used to run to alcohol and drugs to cope with the shortcomings in her own life and she was ready to give up herself.
This woman was ready to die and leave her children to somebody else that she believed could take better care of them. She saw herself as worthless and saw all of the things that she had sold or given up in order to just get by. She was left with what she calls a heartbeat in a corner.
This same woman went to see her counselor. She told her about all this and her counselor reminded her of how God sees her. This woman sees herself for what she was and a product of what has happened in her life. Thank God for a counselor who reminded her of how God sees her. For God knew of where she had been and saw her as a lost prodigal who was about to come home and come to know him again.
Through God's leading and direction, this woman found a strong christian home to live in while she got back on her feet. Through God's direction, she came back to know again the husband of her youth and after divorce proceedings, is back together with him again. She is a prodigal that came home. You can read this woman's full story at http://www.innocentstorm.blogspot.com/.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Mark 16
A few days ago, I read Mark 16 for my morning Bible reading. I came across a few verses that I had highlighted in that chapter and I got to thinking about how my attitude has changed toward a couple of the verses.
My favorite verse in this chapter used to be Mark 16:17-18 that says These signs will accompany those who believe. They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick and heal them.
This used to be my favorite because it made me so excited to think of what I could do because of what God has done for me. I thought of what I could do because I am a child of God. It was all in my mind what I got to do as a Christian so that other's would know that I was a Christian.
Now I do believe that people that see miracles like this will be lead to Christ and that they are good tools, but it is no longer what I am excited about. What I am now excited about is verse 15 in this chapter that says "And then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere" and later we see that the disciples followed this decree in verse 20 "And the Disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked with them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs."
One thing I just saw that I had never seen before here is that the disciples FIRST went everywhere and preached, and THEN the Lord worked with them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs. What a privilege we have to be able to teach others about the Good News of Jesus Christ. He could have told us all that he would send His angels to teach and proclaim the Gospel perhaps telling us that we, in our ignorance, would not teach it to people correctly and could even turn other people away from God by our words and actions. Praise God that I can tell others about Him.
My favorite verse in this chapter used to be Mark 16:17-18 that says These signs will accompany those who believe. They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick and heal them.
This used to be my favorite because it made me so excited to think of what I could do because of what God has done for me. I thought of what I could do because I am a child of God. It was all in my mind what I got to do as a Christian so that other's would know that I was a Christian.
Now I do believe that people that see miracles like this will be lead to Christ and that they are good tools, but it is no longer what I am excited about. What I am now excited about is verse 15 in this chapter that says "And then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere" and later we see that the disciples followed this decree in verse 20 "And the Disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked with them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs."
One thing I just saw that I had never seen before here is that the disciples FIRST went everywhere and preached, and THEN the Lord worked with them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs. What a privilege we have to be able to teach others about the Good News of Jesus Christ. He could have told us all that he would send His angels to teach and proclaim the Gospel perhaps telling us that we, in our ignorance, would not teach it to people correctly and could even turn other people away from God by our words and actions. Praise God that I can tell others about Him.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Mark 14
Tonight I want to talk about Mark 14. I read this chapter after I got home from church and got very excited about sharing some things about it.
I first read of how a woman poured some perfumed oil over Jesus's head. Now I know things were a bit different then, but I don't like oily hair. Jesus, however, was pleased by the sacrifice that she made in helping prepare his body for the death that he would soon face. When this happened, his own disciples complained that the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor, but Jesus pointed out that the poor will always be there and he wouldn't be there much longer.
So here is Jesus and he just got done having a bottle of oil worth a year's worth of wages dumped on him, and it turns out that he offended Judus Iscariot. Now, this is just me, but all I see that Jesus has done at this point was tell the truth that he wouldn't be there much longer and said that the woman did a good thing. So anyway, Judas goes off to the leading priests and teachers to tell them of his intent to betray Jesus, and they state they want to arrest him, but have to wait, or there will be a riot.
I find this interesting too. If the people didn't like him either, they wouldn't riot. The people did like him though. Everything I read during this whole process has the teachers and priest behind every step. What occurs to me is that these are the people that are most set in their ways and traditions that are made up by them in the first place and that Jesus condemns. The people, however, that are hungry for truth are found praising him a little bit earlier that same week and following him all over the place to hear him teach.
Next we come to the last supper where Judas goes off to betray Jesus after Jesus essentially tells his disciples that it is Judas that would be the betrayer(we read this in another one of the Gospels). Peter states he would never betray him and then later in the chapter denies him 3 times just as Jesus stated he would do.
I can almost feel what Peter felt. Have you ever known that what you were doing was wrong, and yet you did it anyway. Maybe even just forgotten somehow that you were doing wrong while you were doing it and believed that Jesus could never forgive you? I know I have been in this position myself before. But later on, after Peter runs away believing he can't be forgiven, Jesus asks for him specifically. He is forgiven even of saying he didn't know Jesus because he was afraid of what others would do to him if they knew. My pastor is fond of saying that fear will take you further than faith, but not in the same direction.
After all this, Jesus goes off to pray. This part is amazing to me. Jesus knew what was coming. He knew he was about to be betrayed and knew how he would die as a natural man. He begged God that if there was ANY other way, that this cup pass from him. Jesus didn't want to die on the cross. I am so thankful that Jesus says "not my will, but your's be done" (Mark 14:36)
This is the stuff of hero's. We watch movies where the hero is facing certain death, then cheer when they defy it. Jesus faced death and decended into hell, took the keys, and conquered death by going to heaven. It makes me want to stand up and cheer at how great and powerful and awesome my God is.
Now Jesus is taken before the priests and teachers and falsely accused of saying or doing different things. We don't have all the specific accusations, but whatever they were, Jesus didn't say a word in his own defense the whole time. In fact, we only see one time where he speaks at all in this setting where he says "I am, and you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God's right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven."(Mark 14:61) This was said after the high priest asked "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the blessed God?"(Mark 14:60)
Jesus did all of this for me and for the whole world. The plan is simple to see and be with him. Know and acknowledge that you are a sinner and at least at some point in your life have missed the mark. This reminds us that we can't be saved without God's help. Our way to God is through the Son, so we also must believe in our heart and say with our mouths that Jesus Christ is the son of God.
To believe also means to obey, so as Jesus would say go your way and sin not. It's not normally going to be a complete transformation overnight, but it will come with time and God will help you with all of it. The blessings come and things just start going right more and more. And when bad things happen, instead of being alone, we have God the Father that will lead and guide us.
I first read of how a woman poured some perfumed oil over Jesus's head. Now I know things were a bit different then, but I don't like oily hair. Jesus, however, was pleased by the sacrifice that she made in helping prepare his body for the death that he would soon face. When this happened, his own disciples complained that the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor, but Jesus pointed out that the poor will always be there and he wouldn't be there much longer.
So here is Jesus and he just got done having a bottle of oil worth a year's worth of wages dumped on him, and it turns out that he offended Judus Iscariot. Now, this is just me, but all I see that Jesus has done at this point was tell the truth that he wouldn't be there much longer and said that the woman did a good thing. So anyway, Judas goes off to the leading priests and teachers to tell them of his intent to betray Jesus, and they state they want to arrest him, but have to wait, or there will be a riot.
I find this interesting too. If the people didn't like him either, they wouldn't riot. The people did like him though. Everything I read during this whole process has the teachers and priest behind every step. What occurs to me is that these are the people that are most set in their ways and traditions that are made up by them in the first place and that Jesus condemns. The people, however, that are hungry for truth are found praising him a little bit earlier that same week and following him all over the place to hear him teach.
Next we come to the last supper where Judas goes off to betray Jesus after Jesus essentially tells his disciples that it is Judas that would be the betrayer(we read this in another one of the Gospels). Peter states he would never betray him and then later in the chapter denies him 3 times just as Jesus stated he would do.
I can almost feel what Peter felt. Have you ever known that what you were doing was wrong, and yet you did it anyway. Maybe even just forgotten somehow that you were doing wrong while you were doing it and believed that Jesus could never forgive you? I know I have been in this position myself before. But later on, after Peter runs away believing he can't be forgiven, Jesus asks for him specifically. He is forgiven even of saying he didn't know Jesus because he was afraid of what others would do to him if they knew. My pastor is fond of saying that fear will take you further than faith, but not in the same direction.
After all this, Jesus goes off to pray. This part is amazing to me. Jesus knew what was coming. He knew he was about to be betrayed and knew how he would die as a natural man. He begged God that if there was ANY other way, that this cup pass from him. Jesus didn't want to die on the cross. I am so thankful that Jesus says "not my will, but your's be done" (Mark 14:36)
This is the stuff of hero's. We watch movies where the hero is facing certain death, then cheer when they defy it. Jesus faced death and decended into hell, took the keys, and conquered death by going to heaven. It makes me want to stand up and cheer at how great and powerful and awesome my God is.
Now Jesus is taken before the priests and teachers and falsely accused of saying or doing different things. We don't have all the specific accusations, but whatever they were, Jesus didn't say a word in his own defense the whole time. In fact, we only see one time where he speaks at all in this setting where he says "I am, and you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God's right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven."(Mark 14:61) This was said after the high priest asked "Are you the Messiah, the Son of the blessed God?"(Mark 14:60)
Jesus did all of this for me and for the whole world. The plan is simple to see and be with him. Know and acknowledge that you are a sinner and at least at some point in your life have missed the mark. This reminds us that we can't be saved without God's help. Our way to God is through the Son, so we also must believe in our heart and say with our mouths that Jesus Christ is the son of God.
To believe also means to obey, so as Jesus would say go your way and sin not. It's not normally going to be a complete transformation overnight, but it will come with time and God will help you with all of it. The blessings come and things just start going right more and more. And when bad things happen, instead of being alone, we have God the Father that will lead and guide us.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Wahooooo!!!!
I have finally decided to create a blog and join the blogging community. I honestly don't know at this point how far I will take this blog or how often I will update it. I suppose only time will tell on that one.
The purpose of this blog is to share about different things in my life but I want the main focus to be on the Word of God. I want to proclaim God's Word anywhere I can and say what I learn. I want to be proof in this world that God is real and show what a relationship with him brings. I will also be honest. I may share about past events that I think of and I may share about plans and ambitions.
So now, a little about me. I am the son of a couple that is still together after over 30 years together. I am married to the woman of my dreams who also has a blog at jenn-livingproof.blogspot.com. I have a sister who married her high school sweetheart and we are almost exactly 3 years apart from each other. I was born in the late 70's, so I am around 30 now. I'm also greek. If you have seen Big Fat Greek Wedding, you pretty much have my parents. I work in an office environment with my wife and we both do side businesses with me doing computers and her doing photography and we both help out with the other's business.
I go to a church called Living Word Christian Church and am very active there now. I was, however, actually raised in an Eastern Orthodox church and went there until I was about 21.
I read my Bible everyday. It took effort at first and for awhile, I kind of had to make myself do it. Now I look forward to doing it. I never used to understand how people could cling to their bible as if it were a best friend or a pet. I've been amazed to find myself now doing the same thing myself.
I used to watch a lot of television and used to enjoy an MTV show called Road Rules. I remember an episode where a girl was panicking when they had a challenge to go off by themselves for a night and wasn't allowed to take her Bible with her. She asked to leave anything behind as long as she could take her Bible. I didn't understand that then, but now I do. I have also begun to learn the importance of putting the word of God in me when I don't need it so that it will be there when I do.
So that gives a bit of background. Now I live in a partially finished renovated home with my wife and 4 cats and 2 salamanders and various bugs as they find their way into our house until they get eaten by one of our cats. I am blessed to have a father that is helping us a great deal in doing the work here even coming up when we are not home and working.
I suppose that is enough for now. I will share more about myself later as I post more things.
The purpose of this blog is to share about different things in my life but I want the main focus to be on the Word of God. I want to proclaim God's Word anywhere I can and say what I learn. I want to be proof in this world that God is real and show what a relationship with him brings. I will also be honest. I may share about past events that I think of and I may share about plans and ambitions.
So now, a little about me. I am the son of a couple that is still together after over 30 years together. I am married to the woman of my dreams who also has a blog at jenn-livingproof.blogspot.com. I have a sister who married her high school sweetheart and we are almost exactly 3 years apart from each other. I was born in the late 70's, so I am around 30 now. I'm also greek. If you have seen Big Fat Greek Wedding, you pretty much have my parents. I work in an office environment with my wife and we both do side businesses with me doing computers and her doing photography and we both help out with the other's business.
I go to a church called Living Word Christian Church and am very active there now. I was, however, actually raised in an Eastern Orthodox church and went there until I was about 21.
I read my Bible everyday. It took effort at first and for awhile, I kind of had to make myself do it. Now I look forward to doing it. I never used to understand how people could cling to their bible as if it were a best friend or a pet. I've been amazed to find myself now doing the same thing myself.
I used to watch a lot of television and used to enjoy an MTV show called Road Rules. I remember an episode where a girl was panicking when they had a challenge to go off by themselves for a night and wasn't allowed to take her Bible with her. She asked to leave anything behind as long as she could take her Bible. I didn't understand that then, but now I do. I have also begun to learn the importance of putting the word of God in me when I don't need it so that it will be there when I do.
So that gives a bit of background. Now I live in a partially finished renovated home with my wife and 4 cats and 2 salamanders and various bugs as they find their way into our house until they get eaten by one of our cats. I am blessed to have a father that is helping us a great deal in doing the work here even coming up when we are not home and working.
I suppose that is enough for now. I will share more about myself later as I post more things.
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