Maybe a little harsh

So over the past few weeks I’ve heard a lot of different people say some stuff that has me concerned. A couple of them are, “I don’t feel God so he must not be real,” or “I’ve served God and he let this happen to me, so forget Him,” or lastly “someone has done something messed up to me from the Church so I don’t think I want anything to do with the Church or God .”

The first one, I know sometimes we can’t feel God, it sucks, but the first question I always ask when I hear this is “How much have you prayed lately?” or “How much have you read your Bible?” If you can’t feel God most of the time it is because of you. God hasn’t gone anywhere. This reminds me of this story I heard from a pastor in Indiana. It’s about this old couple that had a single cab pickup, she looks over at her husband a said remember when we used to seat so close when we drove around, and the husband replied “I haven’t ever moved from this seat.” The Wife over the course of time started to sit away from her husband. This is like our relationship with God, God hasn’t gone anywhere, we have. If this is you, try to make an effort to seek God, read your Bible and pray. Isaiah 55:6 says “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near” (ESV)

The second one, I’ve served God and he let this happen to me, so forget Him. Ok this one I’ve heard a couple of times and both times from men that knew the Bible well. What the heck, do you feel like God owes you something? Wrong, God owes us nothing; in fact the only thing that is owed to us is Hell. Seriously, this reminds me of grade school. You know what I’m talking about, when the one of the kids comes up to you and calls you a poopy face and then in retaliation you say “fine, you can’t come to my birthday party.” First, God’s ways are perfect "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4) Second if someone does something to you that is truly messed up, do you really think it was God or the enemy? Can I say I know the perfect example? Job, that’s right Job, we all know the story but why don’t we ever listen to what God is telling us through this entire book. Job went through so much crap and NEVER turned his back on God. Let’s face the music here, someone hurt you and you threw a little fit and then you want to go after someone else. Just remember one thing God created you, He gives you grace, and when it’s all said and done and you repent God is still there for you. The difference is God isn’t out for revenge, you are. God doesn’t need you, YOU need God. It is through God’s grace and mercy that he has allowed us to have a relationship with Him; allowed us to go to Heaven instead of where we deserve to go. Please remember this, God is not a bully, God is the one who we can trust when the true bully comes around.

Last, someone has done something messed up to me from the Church so I don’t think I want anything to do with the Church or God. This is to the people that have been going to Church for a while. Have you ever messed up? I know I have, I’ve messed up little and big time. We are not perfect, no one on the planet is. Just because someone in the Church did something to you, it doesn’t mean what is in the Bible isn’t true. It means someone messed up. Please, Please just talk to the person, try to fix things, and if need be grab someone to go with you. It doesn’t have to be an ongoing thing. Just don’t turn your back on God because someone messed up.

The one thing I want to stress is God loves you, He is there for you, don’t let something someone did to you mess up the greatest relationship you could ever have.

New Year

This is a new year, a new year of hope, and a new year of struggles. For some people it’s just another year, but so many of us look to the beginning of a new year and try to change something that we don’t like about ourselves. In my small group last night we talked about new year’s resolutions in our spiritual lives; in the mist of our talk I started thinking about what this last year brought, and realizing that this next year will have its good times, it’s bad, it’s sad, it’s hard times, and it’s easy times. It’s really easy to keep on the path of our faith walk when the times are good and easy, but what about the bad, the hard, and the sad. All of these times we need to cling to God and trust in him. If you want a better yourself this year trust God all the time.

If you have been going through a bit of a rough patch in your walk, take this moment to turn it around and remember that in the beginning of 2011 you started trusting God more than ever before. The Bible is full of Godly people falling and God showing grace and accepting them back with his arms wide open. In Acts 3:19-20 it talks about what happens when you repent “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you,” ^[1] You just need to repent and look to God give Him your sin, you don’t need to wait till something happens or wait to clean up your life all you need to do is ask God to forgive you and take that step. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says”Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” ^[2] When you became a Christian this became true, you just need to take hold of this promise and step up to the plate.

If you are doing well in your faith walk, keep it up don’t ever be satisfied with where your walk is. Always be seeking a deeper relationship with Christ. Don’t get cocky, and become over confident with your walk, that is when the enemy strikes hardest and a lot of times win. Help those who need help, listen to those who need an ear, and show love to your neighbor. Don’t fall to petty temptations, but keep in the Word always.

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^[1] New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (Ac 3:19–20). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

^[2] New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995 (2 Co 5:17). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

But it's funny

So lately I have been hearing people around me saying a phrase I used to say all the time, “Yeah but it is funny”. You know what I’m talking about, when you want to watch something that isn’t the best moral choice or is just downright wrong we justify it with “but it is funny”. What we are letting into our minds when we watch these sort of things is slowly tearing down our moral walls that are in place to keep us Holy. In Colossians 3:1-3 we read about putting on the new self “ Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” When I read this I think, “Is the stuff we watch something that Jesus would watch?” and in all honesty I know with most of what Christians watch today, Christ would be, and is, horrified. We as Christians are to be set apart. This verse says to set your mind on things above, NOT of the world. Most of the stuff we watch is 100% of the world, so when are we going to be set apart? When we see stuff that is morally against the teachings of the Bible, it slowly seeps in to how we even act, and what comes out of our mouths. If we are not set apart from this world and we are doing the same things that everyone else is doing, how do we expect to make a difference in this world? We tell people not to have sex before marriage, not to get drunk, not to smoke, or do drugs; but we watch the characters on the screen do what we tell people not to do and we laugh, and tell people how funny it is. If we look at it, we seem almost like a hypocrite. If we look at 1 Peter 1:13-16 it paints a picture of who we are suppose to be in Christ: “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.’” It says be Holy in your behavior. By no means am I writing this saying I am perfect, because I am not. I still struggle with wanting to watch stuff because it is funny, but I started to notice that stuff I was watching was seeping into my life. It’s going to for anybody; maybe not right away but overtime it will come out, and you might not even know it. That is why God put these verses in the Bible, for us to know what we should do to live a life set apart for Him

Expecting

So today I was reading the bible and I read about when Jesus said “And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, expect in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household." And he could do no mighty work there, expect that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.” Mark 6:4-5. I have read this verse so many times and didn’t really catch the end of it, until today. The disciples were so used to seeing Jesus doing such amazing miracles that the words Mark used were “he could do no mighty works there, EXCEPT he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.” The word except is the key word I looked at. I mean how cool that must to have been to be able to just be like oh he just healed some people. If I saw someone get healed my jaw would hit the ground and be in awe, but the disciples were like no big deal, this is all Jesus did.

So after just sitting and pondering this I was like is God doing things in my life like the way it was to the disciples. When God does something am I like “OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH” or am I like God did this great work and I’m not too surprised; because through faith I shouldn’t be surprised when God works. I mean I should be in awe, and thankful, but I shouldn’t be surprised. I think I really need to start expecting God to work; when you expect something to happen, you are not surprised when it does happens. So at least in my life I really want to start expecting God to do mighty works, so much as I will not be surprised when God does such amazing works in our lives. This is just something I am learning and wanted to share.