Sometimes I act as if God's will is exclusively about action. (It is God's will for me to: go here, do this, be that, marry her, bomb them.) Lately I have been learning that sometimes it seems to be about inaction as much as it is about action. Kind of like how a song is as much about the spaces between the notes as the notes themselves.
I can think of many examples, but one stands with prominence in my mind. Yesterday I was driving to church with one of my best friends, and we drove past a nasty road kill. It was the nastiest one I have ever seen. There was a huge, mutilated deer in the road with a one hundred yard trail of blood and guts leading up to it. It was fresh. My friend, who is squeamish, nearly threw up. On the way home I had forgotten about the deer and happened to see it before my friend did. As we approached it, I pointed out his window, towards the sky, and in an excited voice told him to "Look at that!" We passed the deer, and he turned to me disappointed because his eyes were not able to locate the object of my excitement. He also didn't see the deer.
It only makes since to me that God the father would protect us. This must mean that sometimes he has to distract us from what is going to make us "sick." I am guilty of looking for meaning in everything I see, so this kind of sucks for me sometimes. I get sent somewhere and am constantly looking for my purpose there.
What if my purpose for being here is not being there?
I don't want to meet and fall in love with my wife yet. I'm not ready for that.
I won't ever understand God's will. I won't ever understand some of the things he leads me to do or to not do. But that's why it's God's will and not mine. I take comfort in the fact that his plan is bigger than my understanding. The best I can do is to trust that he has a pretty good reason for pointing out the window. I trust him enough to daily ask him to do the pointing.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Why do You do it?
Why do you do it? Why are you a Christian?
I don't mow the yard because my dad tells me to. Don't get me wrong, he does usually have to tell me, but it isn't because of this that I do it. I do it because he is pointing something out that needs to be done. In other words: I don't mow the lawn to mow the lawn. I mow the lawn because the grass needs to be cut!
I don't follow Jesus because the bible tells me so.
I don't preach to and love on people in poor areas because the bible tells me so.
For me to do things because the bible tells me so is for me to idolize it over the one who came up with it.
Please don't misunderstand me. People do on this topic, and the most recent case led the injury of a sweet girl's heart who didn't deserve it. I believe that the bible is a holy book. It has led me to the one who is the giver of life. I am simply pointing out that the bible is a tool that he loves to use. Not the other way around. The bible helps us find life. Life is in it, but life isn't it.
For us to just obey is so far from what I believe God really desires. He has rules and guidelines and things like this for a reason. They are very important in protecting us from things in the dark. As a child I was not aloud to watch certain shows that ALL of my friends were aloud to watch. I obeyed, but I hated it and often found myself pointing( an act my mom tried to break me of. It's rude to point- everyone knows that) at my mom when she was looking the other way. It wasn't until recently that I looked back and saw very clearly that my mother made these rules for good reason. Now, I do believe that I and you must obey the writings with an attitude like a child; that is trusting that the deity is doing more than excersizing power by protecting us from what we have not seen.
Jesus is light. Living in the dark is hard, for monsters lurk and we don't even know it. We hear them breathing and every now and then we see them eat our friends up, but then they quickly vanish back into the abyss. When Jesus showed up, this changed. He is the light and we are the lanterns. Light exposes what was once unseen.
It is through the exposure to people who are full grown and were aloud to watch certain programs as a kid that I saw why I was not aloud to. This has made my intimacy for my mother increase. Not that we have a conditional relationship, but that the conditions that I have built are slowly eroding as truth, light, and reason, manifesting themselves in love, pour down like water to melt away the hopeless stacks of clay.
It is through obedience that I have found love. It is through love that I will now obey.
What I am saying is this: Obedience for the sake of obedience is like dry humping. It kind of feels good, or something, but really it doesn't accomplish anything, and when it's over, both parties realize that they want more than they did in the first place.
God wants us to know him. Does your ministry lead you to him or does your relationship with him lead you into minisisty?! I used to hug people and smile at them because I knew that Christians should be happy or something. I do think that God used this, but it was so empty. Now I am much closer, but still far from, having a sexual ministry instead of all this foolish dry humping.
I used to preach the word because I was excited about it and because I liked to hear myself talk. I'm not going to act like these two things don't still play a part, but at least I'm working on it! Now I preach because I know this God who I don't deserve to know. When I spend time around him I can't help but want to die if it means that more people could meet him. I want to give up what ever it takes for you to get to know him.
The bible tells me to do this, but if I do this because the bible says so, where's the intimacy? The bible is a mere arrow, pointing at the God who we worship. For us to look at the arrow and study its features instead of the object it is pointing at is defeating the purpose of the arrow. I should obey and then be brought to light and in this look back on my obedience and see why it is I was obeying. The laws are written so we might know him. Jesus died with relationship in mind. He died that we may live with him. For us to mow the yard just to mow the yard is for us to obey the bible that we may be better than those who don't. There's so much more to it than that!
In the last year of living at home my dad never told me to mow the lawn.[Citation needed] I got it done every time. [Citation Needed] It wasn't because I realized that once a week the lawn should be mowed. This played a part in it, but the production that this truth was acting in was far greater than the minor role it played. I learned to clearly see what it was that needed to be done. It was through my father's love and teaching that I was able to see what it was he desired. It was when I could see what he desired that I was most effective in fulfilling his desires. It was because of my love for him that I tried to meet these desires. Jesus said that we are his friends and not his servants. The difference is that friends know of their master's affairs, servants blindly obey in ignorance.(I twisted it a bit, please go read the other interpretation that is different from the original.)
John 15:9-17
In the first year of being away from home I have gotten to hold the poor in these arms that are not my own. My tears have mixed with the tears of a woman who is in a darker place than I knew existed. I have watched as a boy destined for slavery grabbed onto life and freedom through the love of Jesus Christ. I have looked deeper into people's eyes than anyone should ever get to look. I haven't gotten to do these things because I felt like I should. I have gotten to do these things because the God that I am desperately trying to obey has revealed himself to me and through this made it very clear to me that these rules lead to relationships. He has made it very clear to me that loving people goes way deeper than the rules do. I am privileged and blessed by this God and I can't help but offer him all that I have, for all I have to offer is what he has given me.
Please try and know God. This is the purpose of life. The purpose of life isn't success and it isn't being the the best at following the rules. The pharisees did that and what Jesus thinks about it is pretty clear. Relationship with the father leads us into relationship with his people. Ministry should be an other word for relationship. But it has become something far from it.
I don't mow the yard because my dad tells me to. Don't get me wrong, he does usually have to tell me, but it isn't because of this that I do it. I do it because he is pointing something out that needs to be done. In other words: I don't mow the lawn to mow the lawn. I mow the lawn because the grass needs to be cut!
I don't follow Jesus because the bible tells me so.
I don't preach to and love on people in poor areas because the bible tells me so.
For me to do things because the bible tells me so is for me to idolize it over the one who came up with it.
Please don't misunderstand me. People do on this topic, and the most recent case led the injury of a sweet girl's heart who didn't deserve it. I believe that the bible is a holy book. It has led me to the one who is the giver of life. I am simply pointing out that the bible is a tool that he loves to use. Not the other way around. The bible helps us find life. Life is in it, but life isn't it.
For us to just obey is so far from what I believe God really desires. He has rules and guidelines and things like this for a reason. They are very important in protecting us from things in the dark. As a child I was not aloud to watch certain shows that ALL of my friends were aloud to watch. I obeyed, but I hated it and often found myself pointing( an act my mom tried to break me of. It's rude to point- everyone knows that) at my mom when she was looking the other way. It wasn't until recently that I looked back and saw very clearly that my mother made these rules for good reason. Now, I do believe that I and you must obey the writings with an attitude like a child; that is trusting that the deity is doing more than excersizing power by protecting us from what we have not seen.
Jesus is light. Living in the dark is hard, for monsters lurk and we don't even know it. We hear them breathing and every now and then we see them eat our friends up, but then they quickly vanish back into the abyss. When Jesus showed up, this changed. He is the light and we are the lanterns. Light exposes what was once unseen.
It is through the exposure to people who are full grown and were aloud to watch certain programs as a kid that I saw why I was not aloud to. This has made my intimacy for my mother increase. Not that we have a conditional relationship, but that the conditions that I have built are slowly eroding as truth, light, and reason, manifesting themselves in love, pour down like water to melt away the hopeless stacks of clay.
It is through obedience that I have found love. It is through love that I will now obey.
What I am saying is this: Obedience for the sake of obedience is like dry humping. It kind of feels good, or something, but really it doesn't accomplish anything, and when it's over, both parties realize that they want more than they did in the first place.
God wants us to know him. Does your ministry lead you to him or does your relationship with him lead you into minisisty?! I used to hug people and smile at them because I knew that Christians should be happy or something. I do think that God used this, but it was so empty. Now I am much closer, but still far from, having a sexual ministry instead of all this foolish dry humping.
I used to preach the word because I was excited about it and because I liked to hear myself talk. I'm not going to act like these two things don't still play a part, but at least I'm working on it! Now I preach because I know this God who I don't deserve to know. When I spend time around him I can't help but want to die if it means that more people could meet him. I want to give up what ever it takes for you to get to know him.
The bible tells me to do this, but if I do this because the bible says so, where's the intimacy? The bible is a mere arrow, pointing at the God who we worship. For us to look at the arrow and study its features instead of the object it is pointing at is defeating the purpose of the arrow. I should obey and then be brought to light and in this look back on my obedience and see why it is I was obeying. The laws are written so we might know him. Jesus died with relationship in mind. He died that we may live with him. For us to mow the yard just to mow the yard is for us to obey the bible that we may be better than those who don't. There's so much more to it than that!
In the last year of living at home my dad never told me to mow the lawn.[Citation needed] I got it done every time. [Citation Needed] It wasn't because I realized that once a week the lawn should be mowed. This played a part in it, but the production that this truth was acting in was far greater than the minor role it played. I learned to clearly see what it was that needed to be done. It was through my father's love and teaching that I was able to see what it was he desired. It was when I could see what he desired that I was most effective in fulfilling his desires. It was because of my love for him that I tried to meet these desires. Jesus said that we are his friends and not his servants. The difference is that friends know of their master's affairs, servants blindly obey in ignorance.(I twisted it a bit, please go read the other interpretation that is different from the original.)
John 15:9-17
In the first year of being away from home I have gotten to hold the poor in these arms that are not my own. My tears have mixed with the tears of a woman who is in a darker place than I knew existed. I have watched as a boy destined for slavery grabbed onto life and freedom through the love of Jesus Christ. I have looked deeper into people's eyes than anyone should ever get to look. I haven't gotten to do these things because I felt like I should. I have gotten to do these things because the God that I am desperately trying to obey has revealed himself to me and through this made it very clear to me that these rules lead to relationships. He has made it very clear to me that loving people goes way deeper than the rules do. I am privileged and blessed by this God and I can't help but offer him all that I have, for all I have to offer is what he has given me.
Please try and know God. This is the purpose of life. The purpose of life isn't success and it isn't being the the best at following the rules. The pharisees did that and what Jesus thinks about it is pretty clear. Relationship with the father leads us into relationship with his people. Ministry should be an other word for relationship. But it has become something far from it.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
We Are One.
As you read this, please remember that I don't think that I am right in everything. I believe that the true gospel of Jesus is all that I can be sure of. So please tell me if you disagree on anything else and I will do my best to humbly accept and consider your thoughts.
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Guilty?
Me too.
I wonder what the church would be like if we changed. I wonder what the world would be like if we changed? If you read Paul's letters and read Acts you will quickly see that Paul would be furious with us. He spoke of unity and love and sacrifice. Paul didn't speak of division and arguments and persecution! He did not tell us to kill abortion doctors and build electric fences to keep the gays out!
In Acts we have multiple examples of Paul sacrificing his morality and doing something he knew wasn't the truth, all for the sake of preaching what is truth. He went through the Jewish procedures to enter the temple and paid for meat to be sacrificed, even though it was not his way of living. He did what ever he had to to preach the gospel to a group different from himself. I am not saying that we should all abandon morality and forget about our rituals. I am saying that we should be willing to let go of everything but the true gospel, for the sake of the true gospel. We should be able to become who we are here to love. We should be willing to drop all that we think we are that we may help someone see who He is.
Everything.
I believe that if we actually loved each other and we actually loved the people who haven't been saved, we would be doing everything in our power to live life with each other. Paul said constantly that the church was to house all peoples. Some would say, "Well, it does. We have all kinds of churches." Whoopty freakin do! Paul didn't want us to split up in order to make it work. That is divorce! He wanted us to let go of our differences and conform accordingly to each other's needs in order to live out what really matters.
If the only thing that matters is the only thing that we agree on, that is perfectly fine, because if nothing else matters, we should be able to let go off all the rest. If we can't, then we are making the truth equal with the rest. We are to grab hold of the gospel of Jesus Christ and let that be what bonds us. We are not to grab onto our idea of what is okay in a church and let go of those who disagree! What I find funny is that our decisions for who is aloud are so selfishly made. They are often rooted in what we struggle the least with. I mean, seriously, it's easy for a strait guy to condemn a gay guy. And it's easy for a sober man to condemn the drunkard. But what about the gossiping american suburban mothers?! What about the Lustful porn addicts?! What about the one who thinks he is worthy of something?! We are all guilty!!! Who are we to decide who is aloud in our church?! Last time I checked, sinners were aloud. If that has changed, we might as well make them into skateparks or something, because no one is going to be there. Well, maybe some pharisees being thankful that they don't ever mess up...
We must start loving each other. If we were all as wise as the tax collector, we would all know that whether we are right or wrong is irrelevant in this. We would see that we are arguing about the controversial call that the ref just made so much that we aren't able to play the game.
The only thing that I know is absolutely true is that Jesus Christ is the Lord and that he died that I may live! He came down to earth, a demotion from his original dwelling place. He left a perfect place and came to a place of filth and injustice, a place where he was mistreated and murdered, a place where he didn't agree with anything that was going on. He came here just to love us. He knew we were wrong, but he chose to love and serve instead of leave us to die. He came to invite us in instead of to tell us that we messed up so much that we're no longer welcome.
We must go to the place of conflict, the place of disagreement, not to make it right or to be dominate, but to love the people who are desperately needing it.(Everyone)
The American church, as a whole, is not acting like Jesus in this respect. We are spending way too much time "fixing" our kinks and not enough time loving each other. What if we dropped the kinks? What if we actually lived out the gospel?
The world would never be the same. We must join together for this. I have things you don't. You have things I don't. It is this way for a reason. It is this way so that we can't make it alone. It is this way because when we join as one with God, we will be complete. A body has many parts.
The body has one Spirit.
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Guilty?
Me too.
I wonder what the church would be like if we changed. I wonder what the world would be like if we changed? If you read Paul's letters and read Acts you will quickly see that Paul would be furious with us. He spoke of unity and love and sacrifice. Paul didn't speak of division and arguments and persecution! He did not tell us to kill abortion doctors and build electric fences to keep the gays out!
In Acts we have multiple examples of Paul sacrificing his morality and doing something he knew wasn't the truth, all for the sake of preaching what is truth. He went through the Jewish procedures to enter the temple and paid for meat to be sacrificed, even though it was not his way of living. He did what ever he had to to preach the gospel to a group different from himself. I am not saying that we should all abandon morality and forget about our rituals. I am saying that we should be willing to let go of everything but the true gospel, for the sake of the true gospel. We should be able to become who we are here to love. We should be willing to drop all that we think we are that we may help someone see who He is.
Everything.
I believe that if we actually loved each other and we actually loved the people who haven't been saved, we would be doing everything in our power to live life with each other. Paul said constantly that the church was to house all peoples. Some would say, "Well, it does. We have all kinds of churches." Whoopty freakin do! Paul didn't want us to split up in order to make it work. That is divorce! He wanted us to let go of our differences and conform accordingly to each other's needs in order to live out what really matters.
If the only thing that matters is the only thing that we agree on, that is perfectly fine, because if nothing else matters, we should be able to let go off all the rest. If we can't, then we are making the truth equal with the rest. We are to grab hold of the gospel of Jesus Christ and let that be what bonds us. We are not to grab onto our idea of what is okay in a church and let go of those who disagree! What I find funny is that our decisions for who is aloud are so selfishly made. They are often rooted in what we struggle the least with. I mean, seriously, it's easy for a strait guy to condemn a gay guy. And it's easy for a sober man to condemn the drunkard. But what about the gossiping american suburban mothers?! What about the Lustful porn addicts?! What about the one who thinks he is worthy of something?! We are all guilty!!! Who are we to decide who is aloud in our church?! Last time I checked, sinners were aloud. If that has changed, we might as well make them into skateparks or something, because no one is going to be there. Well, maybe some pharisees being thankful that they don't ever mess up...
We must start loving each other. If we were all as wise as the tax collector, we would all know that whether we are right or wrong is irrelevant in this. We would see that we are arguing about the controversial call that the ref just made so much that we aren't able to play the game.
The only thing that I know is absolutely true is that Jesus Christ is the Lord and that he died that I may live! He came down to earth, a demotion from his original dwelling place. He left a perfect place and came to a place of filth and injustice, a place where he was mistreated and murdered, a place where he didn't agree with anything that was going on. He came here just to love us. He knew we were wrong, but he chose to love and serve instead of leave us to die. He came to invite us in instead of to tell us that we messed up so much that we're no longer welcome.
We must go to the place of conflict, the place of disagreement, not to make it right or to be dominate, but to love the people who are desperately needing it.(Everyone)
The American church, as a whole, is not acting like Jesus in this respect. We are spending way too much time "fixing" our kinks and not enough time loving each other. What if we dropped the kinks? What if we actually lived out the gospel?
The world would never be the same. We must join together for this. I have things you don't. You have things I don't. It is this way for a reason. It is this way so that we can't make it alone. It is this way because when we join as one with God, we will be complete. A body has many parts.
The body has one Spirit.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Sexual Preferences
Today in one of my classes we discussed homosexuality. It was good because by the end we all discovered that none of us know what we think about it. I still don't know. Many of you who know me know that I love people, all of them. It is very hard for me to love some, but for me, I don't have to work at loving homosexual people. Some of them drive me nuts, not because of their homosexuality, but because of characteristics that strait people have as well. Perhaps it was the way I was raised. So naturally, I was standing in a different part of the room from the majority.
This is what I am thinking, NOT what I think. What I think is what the gospel thinks, I just don't know what it thinks about everything yet.
I believe that the Spirit changes people. I don't believe that people change people. We can do all we want, but people are who God made them to be. I am not saying that God did or didn't make homosexuals that way. I'm not one, so I don't really know how people become one, or if they even "become" one. What I am saying is that I have seen a man who was addicted to alcohol for thirty six years quit cold turkey when he accepted the Spirit into his life through Jesus Christ. I have seen the way that it changed him into a fruitful follower. I know homosexuals who are remarkably fruitful. Only good trees have good fruit. What I am saying is this: If, to be fruitful, you must be consumed,convicted, and transformed by the Spirit, then the fruitful people are consumed, have been convicted, and are being transformed by the Spirit. For this man who was an alcoholic, his vice kept him from being fruitful, and when it was defeated, he became fruitful. If a person is living a fruitful life that is dictated by the Spirit, and they are homosexual, and aren't hindered by this, I have a hard time telling them to stop it. Especially when I reflect on myself. I am fighting pride, and slowly winning because God despises it. It threatens my relationship with God on a minutely basis and even worse than this, it threatens other people's relationship with God. My vice ruins me and destroys everyone else. The homosexual's vice, if you want to call it that, is between he/she, God, and a few others. Who am I to call them wrong for something that is not as bad for the Kingdom as my own fault is? I mean, yeah, I think saw dust in their eye is disgusting and I don't in any way want to be a part of it, but what about this sexy plank in my own eye?
It seems to me that they would be changed by the Spirit if it were really that big of an issue.
I'm not saying that I'm a supporter. I'm also not saying that I'm not. I am simply saying that I want to love them as He loves me. Even in the event that homosexuality is wrong, Jesus loves them. I know that because I know that pride is wrong, and he still loves me.
I am really just exploring. Please tell me what you think. If you write something hateful or that is clearly a reiteration of what your parents told you, and that you haven't actually thought about, I'm not going to think about it either. Just a heads up. And because of my pride, I will probably judge you. Forgive me. I'm trying.
This is what I am thinking, NOT what I think. What I think is what the gospel thinks, I just don't know what it thinks about everything yet.
I believe that the Spirit changes people. I don't believe that people change people. We can do all we want, but people are who God made them to be. I am not saying that God did or didn't make homosexuals that way. I'm not one, so I don't really know how people become one, or if they even "become" one. What I am saying is that I have seen a man who was addicted to alcohol for thirty six years quit cold turkey when he accepted the Spirit into his life through Jesus Christ. I have seen the way that it changed him into a fruitful follower. I know homosexuals who are remarkably fruitful. Only good trees have good fruit. What I am saying is this: If, to be fruitful, you must be consumed,convicted, and transformed by the Spirit, then the fruitful people are consumed, have been convicted, and are being transformed by the Spirit. For this man who was an alcoholic, his vice kept him from being fruitful, and when it was defeated, he became fruitful. If a person is living a fruitful life that is dictated by the Spirit, and they are homosexual, and aren't hindered by this, I have a hard time telling them to stop it. Especially when I reflect on myself. I am fighting pride, and slowly winning because God despises it. It threatens my relationship with God on a minutely basis and even worse than this, it threatens other people's relationship with God. My vice ruins me and destroys everyone else. The homosexual's vice, if you want to call it that, is between he/she, God, and a few others. Who am I to call them wrong for something that is not as bad for the Kingdom as my own fault is? I mean, yeah, I think saw dust in their eye is disgusting and I don't in any way want to be a part of it, but what about this sexy plank in my own eye?
It seems to me that they would be changed by the Spirit if it were really that big of an issue.
I'm not saying that I'm a supporter. I'm also not saying that I'm not. I am simply saying that I want to love them as He loves me. Even in the event that homosexuality is wrong, Jesus loves them. I know that because I know that pride is wrong, and he still loves me.
I am really just exploring. Please tell me what you think. If you write something hateful or that is clearly a reiteration of what your parents told you, and that you haven't actually thought about, I'm not going to think about it either. Just a heads up. And because of my pride, I will probably judge you. Forgive me. I'm trying.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Satan
Satan is scared because he knows better than anyone that he has lost. Unfortunately he is really good at some things. One is lying. He is a liar. He will convince us that we aren't good enough and that we need things. He knows that all we need is the father, and so if he can convince us that we need anything but that, he has been successful. Many people immediately think of drugs and sex, but he uses all of the options. He uses family, the bible, church, religion, music, Hannah Montanna, and everything else.
Satan isn't a creator, he is a manipulator. God is the creator. Satan takes God's work and bends it and breaks it. When you feel like he is dominating your life and it feels like there is nothing you can do to stop him, it is true, you can't. That's why Jesus did what he did. The life of Christ and the crucifixion was way more than a stunt. It was a victory-
It was The Victory.
Satan knows it. He is well aware that he lost, and it drives him nuts.
Give it to him. : )
Don't be cocky for the sake of being cocky, but show him, by the way you live, that Jesus has given you the very thing that he has so desperately tried to take. Grab onto Jesus and watch as Satan literally runs in fear. He knows that he doesn't stand a chance against our Lord.
As soon as you realize that the battle has been won, your life will change. As soon as Christ is more what you are than you are, Satan will scream with fear. Satan will not try to mess with Jesus. If you become a part of the body of Jesus, what does that tell you about Satan's new view of you?
Please don't misread this. He is still there and will always(in this part of life) try to get to you. But the more you are consumed by God, the harder, and more risky it will be for him to poke at you.
Why do we act like he is the biggest thing in our life? He doesn't deserve that kind of credit, especially since it isn't true- Well, it isn't true in my life, I can't speak for everyone, but I do know that the God, who has chosen me to live, is WAY bigger and WAY stronger than Satan.
Satan is real.
Satan sucks.
Satan is good at things.
Satan makes my life difficult.
Satan knows that through Jesus Christ, I am more than a threat.
Are you?
Satan is vanquished. JESUS IS KING!
Let's live like it.
Amen.
Satan isn't a creator, he is a manipulator. God is the creator. Satan takes God's work and bends it and breaks it. When you feel like he is dominating your life and it feels like there is nothing you can do to stop him, it is true, you can't. That's why Jesus did what he did. The life of Christ and the crucifixion was way more than a stunt. It was a victory-
It was The Victory.
Satan knows it. He is well aware that he lost, and it drives him nuts.
Give it to him. : )
Don't be cocky for the sake of being cocky, but show him, by the way you live, that Jesus has given you the very thing that he has so desperately tried to take. Grab onto Jesus and watch as Satan literally runs in fear. He knows that he doesn't stand a chance against our Lord.
As soon as you realize that the battle has been won, your life will change. As soon as Christ is more what you are than you are, Satan will scream with fear. Satan will not try to mess with Jesus. If you become a part of the body of Jesus, what does that tell you about Satan's new view of you?
Please don't misread this. He is still there and will always(in this part of life) try to get to you. But the more you are consumed by God, the harder, and more risky it will be for him to poke at you.
Why do we act like he is the biggest thing in our life? He doesn't deserve that kind of credit, especially since it isn't true- Well, it isn't true in my life, I can't speak for everyone, but I do know that the God, who has chosen me to live, is WAY bigger and WAY stronger than Satan.
Satan is real.
Satan sucks.
Satan is good at things.
Satan makes my life difficult.
Satan knows that through Jesus Christ, I am more than a threat.
Are you?
Satan is vanquished. JESUS IS KING!
Let's live like it.
Amen.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Friends.
Last night
I stayed up late
with two of my favorite people.
We talked about really sad things
and our goals that are probably not going to happen because we're
not meant for them.
It was sad,
but we did it together.
Life is like that.
Life is good
when we have each other.
It was a good night.
I'd die for them.
I stayed up late
with two of my favorite people.
We talked about really sad things
and our goals that are probably not going to happen because we're
not meant for them.
It was sad,
but we did it together.
Life is like that.
Life is good
when we have each other.
It was a good night.
I'd die for them.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Wells
It is understood that water sustains life. Everything needs it. When it doesn't fall on us, or when we can't find a place in which there is so much of it that it that it has a permanent establishment, we have to dig. I don't have much experience pulling water from wells in the ground, but the concept is remarkably applicable to my life. I am constantly digging for more, I want more. There are worships in which it is very clear that I'm standing, submerged, in an ocean. There are "worships" in which I am dehydrated and standing in the sand. Water is good and I need it, so I'll usually drink what ever I can get my hands on while I'm in the desert that is this world.
Two days ago when I woke up my first thoughts were wishful. I was wishing to go back to sleep and not have to do anything, to not have to look for water. As I climbed out of bed I realized the intensity of my exhaustion and almost prayed that I could just go back to sleep. The morning continued in this way and I didn't like it. As I went into my 8 o'clock class, art, I caught the eyes of my brother Aaron. He's a junior and has been a true blessing in my life. I spend lots of time at his house and we spend lots of time building each other up. Somehow, this morning, I had forgotten about him, so when I saw him I was almost surprised. I walked over to his seat and sat next to him.
Our eyes met.
My day changed.
I don't know how to explain it.
I was rejuvenated instantly and I wanted to
hug people.
This is how it has to be! If you don't need your brothers to make it through this life, you're doing it wrong. Christ lives within each of us. Now, if we are trying to build a relationship with Christ, it only makes since that we would need to connnect with him. Our hearts, as Christ followers, are filled with the Spirit. Holy water is overflowing. It's amazing to see the way that the Spirit initiated restoration of my heart without me asking for it! Just being spiritually connected with my brother in Christ made everything better. We should be walking wells. When people look into our eyes, they should be looking into the eyes of Jesus. When you look into the eyes of Jesus, you change. You won't be the same.
Proverbs 4:23 says: Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
This is true. I am so concious of my intake now. I no longer tolorate my eyes tearing apart my soul. I will no longer let my thoughts destroy my soul. I will no longer let my hate destroy everything in its path. Don't you see?! We must stay pure, not only for our own sake, but for the sake of others. For our water to be pure, we have to keep it that way. Don't misunderstand me. I don't mean to say that it is our job to make sure that we're without sin. I am simply saying that it is our job to regulate what we let into our heart.
Guard it. The Lord has filled it with his perfect water. Don't let the world use it as a toilet, for we are a well, people drink from us. Do you want your brothers and sisters drinking from a toilet? I don't. Brings a whole new perspective to the concept of my words being an over flow of my heart. Are you throwing crappy water at people, or clean? Are you drinking from clean wells, or wells with poop in em?
Two days ago when I woke up my first thoughts were wishful. I was wishing to go back to sleep and not have to do anything, to not have to look for water. As I climbed out of bed I realized the intensity of my exhaustion and almost prayed that I could just go back to sleep. The morning continued in this way and I didn't like it. As I went into my 8 o'clock class, art, I caught the eyes of my brother Aaron. He's a junior and has been a true blessing in my life. I spend lots of time at his house and we spend lots of time building each other up. Somehow, this morning, I had forgotten about him, so when I saw him I was almost surprised. I walked over to his seat and sat next to him.
Our eyes met.
My day changed.
I don't know how to explain it.
I was rejuvenated instantly and I wanted to
hug people.
This is how it has to be! If you don't need your brothers to make it through this life, you're doing it wrong. Christ lives within each of us. Now, if we are trying to build a relationship with Christ, it only makes since that we would need to connnect with him. Our hearts, as Christ followers, are filled with the Spirit. Holy water is overflowing. It's amazing to see the way that the Spirit initiated restoration of my heart without me asking for it! Just being spiritually connected with my brother in Christ made everything better. We should be walking wells. When people look into our eyes, they should be looking into the eyes of Jesus. When you look into the eyes of Jesus, you change. You won't be the same.
Proverbs 4:23 says: Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
This is true. I am so concious of my intake now. I no longer tolorate my eyes tearing apart my soul. I will no longer let my thoughts destroy my soul. I will no longer let my hate destroy everything in its path. Don't you see?! We must stay pure, not only for our own sake, but for the sake of others. For our water to be pure, we have to keep it that way. Don't misunderstand me. I don't mean to say that it is our job to make sure that we're without sin. I am simply saying that it is our job to regulate what we let into our heart.
Guard it. The Lord has filled it with his perfect water. Don't let the world use it as a toilet, for we are a well, people drink from us. Do you want your brothers and sisters drinking from a toilet? I don't. Brings a whole new perspective to the concept of my words being an over flow of my heart. Are you throwing crappy water at people, or clean? Are you drinking from clean wells, or wells with poop in em?
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