I have not written anything new in quite some time. I will admit to you that I have not written due to fear. I am not being followed by the CIA, that I know of, and I am in no physical danger. But ever since my wife and I began our deputation (also known as fund raising) we have found ourselves under attack.
I will not say that it is Satan, but I will say that Satan has used the embattled field of Christianity to make our lives censored on every level. The saying goes, "missionaries cannot have opinions." Why is that you ask? I am happy to tell you.
As a missionary in the independent fundamental world, when we are asked to come to a church to share our ministry, they are expecting us to be exactly like them. And why not? They are independent and do not want to support someone who does not follow their certain brand of independentness. The problem is that when we leave that church and go tot he next, we find a different independent church that may have different views than the other, yet still desire us to have their same brand. How is one ever to succeed in such a system?
The simple answer is to not have an opinion. You see, the majority of these churches share the same major beliefs. It is the opinions about things that they differ. Women waring pants, TV, etc are where you find the disagreements. Sadly, a if a missionary ever shares his opinion, then he opens himself up to being asked to leave being rejected, or losing support. It is much easier to just never say anything.
This is the reason I have not written anything. Not that there are many people who actually read this, but with money being so tight, churches already having larger issues about having missionaries, it has been easier to never talk about anything and not risk losing support.
I will write more tomorrow I am sure. And once I begin to share my heart, if you have read this, I encourage you to have your friends and family read this. Please ask your pastor to do so. Why? Because I will share with you, honestly, how a missionary feels.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Monday, April 19, 2010
I'm Forgiven
I have to write this down because today is a day I carry a weight. It is a weight of joy, but a weight nonetheless. Sometimes I believe God gives us something that is so real and so amazing: a glimpse into what He has really done for us so that it weighs us down with the debilitating thought of just how amazing He is, and just how amazing it is what He has done for us. It is upon me now and I have to share it.
Galatians 5:1 says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” I know a girl who lived in the bondage for 17 years, but broke free from that bondage. And every day I am around her I see a creature that once was pulling her way through the mire of life, but now I see a new creature that is basking in the light and love of Christ. My wife is a living example of God's amazing grace.
I am, too, one of those creatures, and I have found it an endless source of joy to know that God has set me free, and I am running wild because of what he has done for me. Run is the best way to describe how I feel each day: A deep breath and a reminder that I am free makes me want to run and run like there is no end. No man or power in this universe can once again put me in bondage. No, God has forever freed me, and I refuse to let myself go back there.
Folks, we are forgiven. Satan will lie to us, Satan will have others lie to us, and Satan will do everything he can to bring us back down; but by the blood of Christ we are too slick to be put down again. You were born bound, but rebirthed free! So run. Run like there is nothing that can stop you; and when life’s problems get you down, remember that you are free. And if you are free, run like it!
Galatians 5:1 says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” I know a girl who lived in the bondage for 17 years, but broke free from that bondage. And every day I am around her I see a creature that once was pulling her way through the mire of life, but now I see a new creature that is basking in the light and love of Christ. My wife is a living example of God's amazing grace.
I am, too, one of those creatures, and I have found it an endless source of joy to know that God has set me free, and I am running wild because of what he has done for me. Run is the best way to describe how I feel each day: A deep breath and a reminder that I am free makes me want to run and run like there is no end. No man or power in this universe can once again put me in bondage. No, God has forever freed me, and I refuse to let myself go back there.
Folks, we are forgiven. Satan will lie to us, Satan will have others lie to us, and Satan will do everything he can to bring us back down; but by the blood of Christ we are too slick to be put down again. You were born bound, but rebirthed free! So run. Run like there is nothing that can stop you; and when life’s problems get you down, remember that you are free. And if you are free, run like it!
Friday, March 26, 2010
The Battle is Now!
Five years ago I found a passion buried deep within me, and at the same time I found someone to help me express and act upon that passion. Coinciding with my passion was an equal power brewing and it acted quicker than me. Once I began my journey, Satan had already found a strong hold in areas out of my control and used them to tear down my tower of courage and strength. One by one they fell.
A year after it all began, it was over. I lost my passion, my courage, my strength, and my vision. I limped off the battle field never to return: or so I thought.
Five years since, my heart has grown; my faith has been rebuilt and buffeted with, not my strength, but my captain’s, my leader’s, my friend’s, Christ’s strength. The towers that I built and lost, my God helped me walk around the ruins and pick up each brick. He followed me around the battered foundation that He preserved and helped mortar the bricks that rebuilt my towers of courage: fortified by God’s Word and power.
I stand now at the door of tomorrow: but before tomorrow comes, today must be made real. And what is real about today is that it is not just any day: it is a day that a battle is being fought. This is not a metaphor and this is not an example. Wake up from whatever stupor you are in and listen to my words. You are not just a person, you are not just a man or woman that is living on this planet. You are here for a reason, but like a frog in cold water, you have been boiled into apathy and lethargy, frightened by a real challenge and scared of what is real. This ,my friend, is your wake up call.
Every day we sit still and do nothing, more lives are lost and more ground is taken by Satan. He has a plan, he has soldiers, he has motivation, and he knows at least one person who will not get in his way, you. If we don’t act now, we will lose this war. He has sifted the hearts of man and destroyed all he can. He has taken the hearts of your son, your daughter, your mom, and your dad. We are a city broken by him. So now, now we are at a decision. Do we let him take them and then us, or do we fight. Fight not for ourselves, but for our God who has won us the victory: a victory we have yet to claim.
First Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” In other words, “my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Ask your self are you any of these? Do we really see what we are living as a battle? Do we really see the blast from the last blow that is hurtling us backwards, or are we so lost in this that we didn’t even feel it happen?
This is real and this is now. I go forth to evangelize an entire country. Not in my power, but in Christ’s. I am acting here, and I am acting now. Are you acting now? Are you acting here? If you are not, why? Respond to this question speaking straight to the face of the God that died for you. Answer honestly.
Your God is steadfast, strong, and ready for battle…are you?
A year after it all began, it was over. I lost my passion, my courage, my strength, and my vision. I limped off the battle field never to return: or so I thought.
Five years since, my heart has grown; my faith has been rebuilt and buffeted with, not my strength, but my captain’s, my leader’s, my friend’s, Christ’s strength. The towers that I built and lost, my God helped me walk around the ruins and pick up each brick. He followed me around the battered foundation that He preserved and helped mortar the bricks that rebuilt my towers of courage: fortified by God’s Word and power.
I stand now at the door of tomorrow: but before tomorrow comes, today must be made real. And what is real about today is that it is not just any day: it is a day that a battle is being fought. This is not a metaphor and this is not an example. Wake up from whatever stupor you are in and listen to my words. You are not just a person, you are not just a man or woman that is living on this planet. You are here for a reason, but like a frog in cold water, you have been boiled into apathy and lethargy, frightened by a real challenge and scared of what is real. This ,my friend, is your wake up call.
Every day we sit still and do nothing, more lives are lost and more ground is taken by Satan. He has a plan, he has soldiers, he has motivation, and he knows at least one person who will not get in his way, you. If we don’t act now, we will lose this war. He has sifted the hearts of man and destroyed all he can. He has taken the hearts of your son, your daughter, your mom, and your dad. We are a city broken by him. So now, now we are at a decision. Do we let him take them and then us, or do we fight. Fight not for ourselves, but for our God who has won us the victory: a victory we have yet to claim.
First Corinthians 15:58 says, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” In other words, “my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” Ask your self are you any of these? Do we really see what we are living as a battle? Do we really see the blast from the last blow that is hurtling us backwards, or are we so lost in this that we didn’t even feel it happen?
This is real and this is now. I go forth to evangelize an entire country. Not in my power, but in Christ’s. I am acting here, and I am acting now. Are you acting now? Are you acting here? If you are not, why? Respond to this question speaking straight to the face of the God that died for you. Answer honestly.
Your God is steadfast, strong, and ready for battle…are you?
Friday, March 12, 2010
Do We Really Believe the Bible?
Not sure what you would expect to follow that kind of title, but I really mean it. Do we believe it or do we use it as a loose guide to fill the holes in our personal convictions? Yep, I just put it out there like that.
Do yourself and me a favor. Stop whatever it is your doing and find for me an example in the Bible of a missionary who went, planted/sowed, and then stayed until death in one church. Once you find that, find me a place where a brother fell into sin and they shunned him immediately, disregarding their own sins. Next, look for a definition of worldly. This one you can find, but let’s relate that to what you think in your mind is the definition of worldliness. List out what you think it is and be very honest.
Even with these few items, I think we will find, if we are honest with ourselves, a discrepancy in between what we think and what the Bible says. What does it say when the Bible challenges our thinking which is supposed to be based on the Bible? I say these things not to be contentious, but to ask you, me, all of us to wake up out of our stupor and proclaim the Word of God for what it is, truth. Teach it correctly because we are always in it. Share it the right way because it is a part of us.
We should be doing these things instead of sharing our opinions and convictions. Creating guidelines and policies because we feel they are right and claim they are from the Bible, but that have no biblical backing. I call once again for us to reopen our Bibles for the first time, and truly read it to understand what God has given to us. I am not saying everything would be different if we did that, but we would have a lot more people who understood their faith because they read and understood it for themselves instead of tacking other men’s word for it.
Do yourself and me a favor. Stop whatever it is your doing and find for me an example in the Bible of a missionary who went, planted/sowed, and then stayed until death in one church. Once you find that, find me a place where a brother fell into sin and they shunned him immediately, disregarding their own sins. Next, look for a definition of worldly. This one you can find, but let’s relate that to what you think in your mind is the definition of worldliness. List out what you think it is and be very honest.
Even with these few items, I think we will find, if we are honest with ourselves, a discrepancy in between what we think and what the Bible says. What does it say when the Bible challenges our thinking which is supposed to be based on the Bible? I say these things not to be contentious, but to ask you, me, all of us to wake up out of our stupor and proclaim the Word of God for what it is, truth. Teach it correctly because we are always in it. Share it the right way because it is a part of us.
We should be doing these things instead of sharing our opinions and convictions. Creating guidelines and policies because we feel they are right and claim they are from the Bible, but that have no biblical backing. I call once again for us to reopen our Bibles for the first time, and truly read it to understand what God has given to us. I am not saying everything would be different if we did that, but we would have a lot more people who understood their faith because they read and understood it for themselves instead of tacking other men’s word for it.
Where Do We Go to Learn
An interesting question came to me today. Where do we go to learn about God? It seems to be a simple answer, but think about it for a second. Most people would say church, but what exactly do we learn about God? We hear messages about the Bible that inspire us and convict us to live a better life and do more for God, but when do we ,or even worse, did we learn about who God truly is outside of Sunday school lessons and hymns?
If I were to say to you, who and/or what is God, what would you say? There is one correct answer, and I know a group of high school kids in Wilson, NC that could answer that question without a doubt. He is one thing before He is anything else to us. Think about this and let it be a catalyst for you to push to actually learn about your faith and more importantly, your God.
If I were to say to you, who and/or what is God, what would you say? There is one correct answer, and I know a group of high school kids in Wilson, NC that could answer that question without a doubt. He is one thing before He is anything else to us. Think about this and let it be a catalyst for you to push to actually learn about your faith and more importantly, your God.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Hills of Missions
It is staggering the amount of decisions that have to be made even before becoming a missionary to a foreign field. From amount needed per month to whether retirement is important or not, the decisions keep flowing. Even Uncle Sam gets his piece. All these decision got me thinking and praying.
It got me thinking and yearning for the days when it did not matter the amount and retirement was not a chance much less a thought. All that mattered was that God was on your side and you were doing His work. Have we become so faithless that we have to put a price tag on the work of God? At what point do we say that we have done too much and put a strangle hold on God’s work?
We have become so busy making sure God does not use those who are not worthy or who might mar His name that we have forgotten that He is God and can handle His own decision on who serves Him and who does not. I am sure if Saul/Paul approached a mission agency today, he would be turned away due to past indiscretions.
Checks and balances are necessary, but it seems we have become a Christian society that in missions is only interested in the longevity rather than results, and more interested in a clean truck rather than a useful productive one.
But I will climb that hill and reach the top, whatever it takes. My calling is sure and my heart strong; though, my flesh is vastly weaker. I will cross the t's and dot the i's so as to be accountable and sure. The chance, the opportunity to serve my God is one that I will climb a millions hills to attain to.
It got me thinking and yearning for the days when it did not matter the amount and retirement was not a chance much less a thought. All that mattered was that God was on your side and you were doing His work. Have we become so faithless that we have to put a price tag on the work of God? At what point do we say that we have done too much and put a strangle hold on God’s work?
We have become so busy making sure God does not use those who are not worthy or who might mar His name that we have forgotten that He is God and can handle His own decision on who serves Him and who does not. I am sure if Saul/Paul approached a mission agency today, he would be turned away due to past indiscretions.
Checks and balances are necessary, but it seems we have become a Christian society that in missions is only interested in the longevity rather than results, and more interested in a clean truck rather than a useful productive one.
But I will climb that hill and reach the top, whatever it takes. My calling is sure and my heart strong; though, my flesh is vastly weaker. I will cross the t's and dot the i's so as to be accountable and sure. The chance, the opportunity to serve my God is one that I will climb a millions hills to attain to.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
A change of Pace
This blog will be taking a change of pace as my wife and I have begun the journey to become missionaries in Peru, SA.
I plan on documenting most of what's happening so you all can see what it is like in the life of a missionary. I also plan on starting a vlog so you can see me and what God is doing in our lives.
Hope to return soon with an update.
I plan on documenting most of what's happening so you all can see what it is like in the life of a missionary. I also plan on starting a vlog so you can see me and what God is doing in our lives.
Hope to return soon with an update.
Monday, January 25, 2010
On the Focus of Death
I had the privilege of speaking with someone yesterday of whom I carry great respect for in every way. Though, the topic of death was brought up, and even in that, it was in an odd way. The person made the statement to me:
“I thought of heaven the other day. I do not think I have ever really thought about heaven, you know? It has always been something that I assumed would happen, but never a reality of sorts. And then, I realized that someday I will die, and all that has been promised to me will either come true – or not. I have never really thought of my death. It seems wrong for me to do so, but it hit me quite hard. So much that I had to stop doing whatever it was that I was doing and think. It scared me. Is that weird?”
The question was directed at me along with a much more personal question. The “is that weird,” comment is what I want to focus on along with the rest of our conversation. This is something that I think is very, very important in a Christian’s life, and something that most would find themselves confused on. Let’s begin.
Should we think of death? I mean, that is the real question here. Is it morbid? Should we stay away from it? Doesn’t the Bible speak of thinking of only pure things? All these kinds of questions get bounced around and settle at the feet of, “let’s just not talk about it.” This kind of attitude is wrong and leads to the kind of experience that my friend had. The experience that they had was not bad, but that they were confused by it. Why is it that there are so many issues never touched by books, pastors, or any leader? I digress.
So, should we think about death? Yes and no. Yes in that “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.”)Ecc.7:8, and no in that we hang a negative connotation on death, and focus on things that vex our spirit is not wise. But where is the line? (and stay with me on this, it gets good) The line is drawn in our own understanding. If we never think about it, we will never understand and if we never understand, then we will never truly have the joy that we should. “What!? Did you say “joy”? How is there joy in thinking about death? I mean, I get it, we die and go to heaven, but there is so much I want to still do on earth.”
It baffles me sometimes how Christians make it through a day. It really does. If we never think about death, we miss one of the biggest, sweetest concepts in our lives as Christians. The Bible says "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Rom. 8:18). "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen—for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:16-18). Weight! Do you see that?
The person I spoke with understood none of this. Not even a little bit, but there is an entire passage describing how amazing it is. How have we been hiding this? It’s like a robbery of joy on the part of leadership. We think about death because as Christians, death holds the promise of heaven: an end to the separation between us and our God; the beginning of us being together, bride and groom, for eternity. It is the end of something that begins another.
We strive and strive in this life to find happiness, yet we see none. We blame God for not placing those things in our life so that we can have joy, but He has! 2 Cor says that outward man perish, yet the inward is renewed day by day. Are you being renewed? Do you even know how to do so? It also says that these Small afflictions, a litotes, used to make a huge contrast. You see, this weight that is spoken of is made so great by these trials we face on earth, but they are nothing in the magnitude of this weight. What is this weight?
It is called the “eternal weight of glory.” Or, in other words, heaven. I love the translation here: weight. What a perfect word. When I was in college I was driving back from the beach (tough I know) and I was feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders and I just didn’t know if I was going to make it through, but then a thought hit me and my weight became another kind of weight. I realized that at the end of this long “workday” we call life, we have the respite of heaven to look forward to. From that day forward I have carried with me the weight of heaven on my shoulders, and let me tell you, it is the greatest weight I have ever bared.
When life has got me down and these light afflictions cause me great distress, I rest in the fact that heaven is my home, and there is nothing better than that. Someday I will have no more despair; only joy. This is one of the greatest ways to renew myself. I struggle all day long, but then I remember, this will not always be. I will someday be home.
This also encourages me to work to find those that do not have this peace nor this promise. We should want to share this joy. I think that if we would actually share our joy, which seems to be a rarity in Christianity, we would have much better results in witnessing. Let it show!
And as for my friend, this is what I told them:
“You need to take those opportunities, and that is what they are, and focus in on what you really have in Jesus. Death, in principle, should not scare you. But if you do not understand what it is that we have in death through Christ Jesus, then you are missing out on one of the greatest portions of joy in our life. And one more thing, I think God sends us those points in life that we truly reflect on who we are and how fragile life can be. If we always live our lives like we do every day, which is in a fantasy world, we may never be able to understand what it is like to ask someone else to do the same things. If you haven’t ever thought about what would happen to you if you died tomorrow, how can we expect someone else to do so if we respond with, “I don’t like to do that.” Maybe that is a larger cause for concern for your own soul.”
“I thought of heaven the other day. I do not think I have ever really thought about heaven, you know? It has always been something that I assumed would happen, but never a reality of sorts. And then, I realized that someday I will die, and all that has been promised to me will either come true – or not. I have never really thought of my death. It seems wrong for me to do so, but it hit me quite hard. So much that I had to stop doing whatever it was that I was doing and think. It scared me. Is that weird?”
The question was directed at me along with a much more personal question. The “is that weird,” comment is what I want to focus on along with the rest of our conversation. This is something that I think is very, very important in a Christian’s life, and something that most would find themselves confused on. Let’s begin.
Should we think of death? I mean, that is the real question here. Is it morbid? Should we stay away from it? Doesn’t the Bible speak of thinking of only pure things? All these kinds of questions get bounced around and settle at the feet of, “let’s just not talk about it.” This kind of attitude is wrong and leads to the kind of experience that my friend had. The experience that they had was not bad, but that they were confused by it. Why is it that there are so many issues never touched by books, pastors, or any leader? I digress.
So, should we think about death? Yes and no. Yes in that “Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof.”)Ecc.7:8, and no in that we hang a negative connotation on death, and focus on things that vex our spirit is not wise. But where is the line? (and stay with me on this, it gets good) The line is drawn in our own understanding. If we never think about it, we will never understand and if we never understand, then we will never truly have the joy that we should. “What!? Did you say “joy”? How is there joy in thinking about death? I mean, I get it, we die and go to heaven, but there is so much I want to still do on earth.”
It baffles me sometimes how Christians make it through a day. It really does. If we never think about death, we miss one of the biggest, sweetest concepts in our lives as Christians. The Bible says "I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Rom. 8:18). "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen—for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:16-18). Weight! Do you see that?
The person I spoke with understood none of this. Not even a little bit, but there is an entire passage describing how amazing it is. How have we been hiding this? It’s like a robbery of joy on the part of leadership. We think about death because as Christians, death holds the promise of heaven: an end to the separation between us and our God; the beginning of us being together, bride and groom, for eternity. It is the end of something that begins another.
We strive and strive in this life to find happiness, yet we see none. We blame God for not placing those things in our life so that we can have joy, but He has! 2 Cor says that outward man perish, yet the inward is renewed day by day. Are you being renewed? Do you even know how to do so? It also says that these Small afflictions, a litotes, used to make a huge contrast. You see, this weight that is spoken of is made so great by these trials we face on earth, but they are nothing in the magnitude of this weight. What is this weight?
It is called the “eternal weight of glory.” Or, in other words, heaven. I love the translation here: weight. What a perfect word. When I was in college I was driving back from the beach (tough I know) and I was feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders and I just didn’t know if I was going to make it through, but then a thought hit me and my weight became another kind of weight. I realized that at the end of this long “workday” we call life, we have the respite of heaven to look forward to. From that day forward I have carried with me the weight of heaven on my shoulders, and let me tell you, it is the greatest weight I have ever bared.
When life has got me down and these light afflictions cause me great distress, I rest in the fact that heaven is my home, and there is nothing better than that. Someday I will have no more despair; only joy. This is one of the greatest ways to renew myself. I struggle all day long, but then I remember, this will not always be. I will someday be home.
This also encourages me to work to find those that do not have this peace nor this promise. We should want to share this joy. I think that if we would actually share our joy, which seems to be a rarity in Christianity, we would have much better results in witnessing. Let it show!
And as for my friend, this is what I told them:
“You need to take those opportunities, and that is what they are, and focus in on what you really have in Jesus. Death, in principle, should not scare you. But if you do not understand what it is that we have in death through Christ Jesus, then you are missing out on one of the greatest portions of joy in our life. And one more thing, I think God sends us those points in life that we truly reflect on who we are and how fragile life can be. If we always live our lives like we do every day, which is in a fantasy world, we may never be able to understand what it is like to ask someone else to do the same things. If you haven’t ever thought about what would happen to you if you died tomorrow, how can we expect someone else to do so if we respond with, “I don’t like to do that.” Maybe that is a larger cause for concern for your own soul.”
Apologies for the insane amount of time in between posts. The Lord had been doing some directing in our lives and it looks as if the mission field shall be our future destination. God has opened many doors, and windows, so that we would be able to do so.
So please join in my praising of the Lord for the amazing way He makes this world work.
So please join in my praising of the Lord for the amazing way He makes this world work.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Who is God IV
We have covered a lot of ground in the previous portions of this series, and some of the items have been quite hard to take. But there is always something beautiful about God that makes understanding Him very easy.
We have stated that He is very far above us, that He has the power to run millions of earths if He so chose to, that our actions do not derail or affect His being, and that His power is limitless. It would do us good to respect God for who He is and not what we make Him to be. But what is nice about Him being so large is that His attributes towards us are just as large.
He is indeed far above us, and we are indeed His creation. But there is one thing that constrains Him. There is one thing that holds Him. That thing is the Bible. His Word is magnified above His name. It, and It alone shows us God's true character; and His true character towards us is love. Romans 5:8; Psalm 117; Psalm 136; John 5:13; John 3:16 all speak of His limitless love for us. He proved it by creating us, He proved it by giving to us His image, He proved it to us by dying for us, and more importantly, He proved it by resurrecting Himself for us so that we all could be a part of that resurrection.
God's Word is the beginning and end of our faith. Without it, we are nothing. Without it, we are lost. Without it, we are void of understanding. It is our wisdom and our strength. And we wonder why people fight so vigorously over it. That does indeed make me laugh when people say that those debates are useless. Whatever side you are on, you should want the correct Bible. It is what should be guiding you through life.
So the series ends here with this. God is all powerful, all knowing, and is so far above us that we are unable to understand it; but more importantly to us, He is love. 1st John 4:8. God is love. That is the final answer to our question. Who is God? He is love to us.
We have stated that He is very far above us, that He has the power to run millions of earths if He so chose to, that our actions do not derail or affect His being, and that His power is limitless. It would do us good to respect God for who He is and not what we make Him to be. But what is nice about Him being so large is that His attributes towards us are just as large.
He is indeed far above us, and we are indeed His creation. But there is one thing that constrains Him. There is one thing that holds Him. That thing is the Bible. His Word is magnified above His name. It, and It alone shows us God's true character; and His true character towards us is love. Romans 5:8; Psalm 117; Psalm 136; John 5:13; John 3:16 all speak of His limitless love for us. He proved it by creating us, He proved it by giving to us His image, He proved it to us by dying for us, and more importantly, He proved it by resurrecting Himself for us so that we all could be a part of that resurrection.
God's Word is the beginning and end of our faith. Without it, we are nothing. Without it, we are lost. Without it, we are void of understanding. It is our wisdom and our strength. And we wonder why people fight so vigorously over it. That does indeed make me laugh when people say that those debates are useless. Whatever side you are on, you should want the correct Bible. It is what should be guiding you through life.
So the series ends here with this. God is all powerful, all knowing, and is so far above us that we are unable to understand it; but more importantly to us, He is love. 1st John 4:8. God is love. That is the final answer to our question. Who is God? He is love to us.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Who is God III cont.
The last post I asked a question regarding who God is. That question was how we related to God as far as sin is concerned. The reason I ask is that it is a great way to get an understanding of how we stand in the full scope of creation and God.
The simple answer so as not to belabor the point is that we have two ways to view God. He is either so close to us that sin affects Him greatly as a being or He is so far above that it does not affect Him at all.
Now it is easy to say that of course sin affects God. And this is true in that He sees His creation disobeying Him and choosing sin over Him, but it does not over power Him and He is not chased off by it. He is over it and all things that exist. Sometimes we begin to think that our sin is too much for Him or what we are involved in He cannot handle. The truth is that God is so far above it, the only reason He is involved is that He loves us.
I think we also begin to think that this earth consumes His power, meaning it takes all of it to manage us and the earth. He is not consumed by it. Infect, He is far from it. He could have an infinite number of earths and His power would hardly be touched. He is that big and that powerful.
This has many meaningful ramifications which we will discuss later on, but a passage that illustrates this quite well is Psalms 139. My favorite part is verse 6 where the psalmist says God's knowledge is too high and he cannot attain unto it. How perfect is that. I believe that we spend too much time trying to be God, acting as if we have His knowledge, instead of finding our place as His creation.
The simple answer so as not to belabor the point is that we have two ways to view God. He is either so close to us that sin affects Him greatly as a being or He is so far above that it does not affect Him at all.
Now it is easy to say that of course sin affects God. And this is true in that He sees His creation disobeying Him and choosing sin over Him, but it does not over power Him and He is not chased off by it. He is over it and all things that exist. Sometimes we begin to think that our sin is too much for Him or what we are involved in He cannot handle. The truth is that God is so far above it, the only reason He is involved is that He loves us.
I think we also begin to think that this earth consumes His power, meaning it takes all of it to manage us and the earth. He is not consumed by it. Infect, He is far from it. He could have an infinite number of earths and His power would hardly be touched. He is that big and that powerful.
This has many meaningful ramifications which we will discuss later on, but a passage that illustrates this quite well is Psalms 139. My favorite part is verse 6 where the psalmist says God's knowledge is too high and he cannot attain unto it. How perfect is that. I believe that we spend too much time trying to be God, acting as if we have His knowledge, instead of finding our place as His creation.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Who is God III
If you are following this post you are probably wondering where the love is. I encourage you to continue with this series because the love is there, but just as like every other type of love, it is much better enjoyed and understood with respect.
The third installment of our series on "Who is God," is on our relationship with God. No, I do not mean our devotion time or how close we are emotionally, but what is our relation to Him as creator and us as the created. We mentioned last article that we needed to grasp God as who He is. He is all powerful and is in complete control; yet somehow we still think we deserve something more than just being able to commune with Him.
I will pose a question and write more on this later because my time is slim. One of the best ways to view our relationship with God is to ask ourselves what affect our sin has on God. So, how does our sin affect God?
The third installment of our series on "Who is God," is on our relationship with God. No, I do not mean our devotion time or how close we are emotionally, but what is our relation to Him as creator and us as the created. We mentioned last article that we needed to grasp God as who He is. He is all powerful and is in complete control; yet somehow we still think we deserve something more than just being able to commune with Him.
I will pose a question and write more on this later because my time is slim. One of the best ways to view our relationship with God is to ask ourselves what affect our sin has on God. So, how does our sin affect God?
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Who is God II
Last article I presented the question, "Who is God?" We went through some of the most common answers and then the most fundamental one that matters the most: He is the Creator.
Without Him being the creator, whatever else we label Him is useless; thus, He has control over everything. This leads us into the second portion of "Who is God." You see, I think sometimes we begin to equal God with ourselves. We make our own rules, we make our own decisions, we don't even think of God as God, but some benevolent father figure that is there to hand us aid when we need it. This could not be farther from the truth.
These next few lines are going to be hard to read. Some will be angry at what I am saying, but it is not without a point. If you take us as His creation just as a clay cup could be ours, He does not have to let us have more control over our lives than He wants us to. He could keep us still, set us where ever He wants, or He could simply toss us against a wall and destroy us. We are His to do as He pleases.
Please, let us get away from this concept that we have rights or a say in the matter. I hear people all the time saying things like, "God wouldn't do that," or "If God did that, He is no God of mine." Your concept of God has little to do with the real God. We have such a ridiculous idea that we can define Him. The truth is, we can't.
Now I know that our God is defined to an extent by His Word, but His Word is the only way in which we can understand Him. Anything taken outside of the Bible about God, for the most part, is hearsay and useless. He does say that He loves us and give us free will so what I said above is a hyperbole, but the concept remains. We have to get past the idea that we deserve something from God. Like He is supposed to allow us to live a certain lifestyle or that He needs to make sure that we keep our huge home and cars. He has promised us two things in that area and they are food and clothes.
Furthermore, we also need to understand within understanding who God is, we have to have context. I have had amazing discussions with people about God, and I have no idea where they get their information or ideas. It's astounding. I finally ask them if this is the God of the Bible and they say yes, but that they can't accept certain parts of It. Let us, please, get this straight. Without the Bible, our definition of God is useless. It will be derived from TV, movies, and any other crazy source we here. The Bible is the beginning of our knowledge and It is the end. If you cannot accept a part of it, then you cannot accept all of it. This is not a mix and match. God is a God of fullness and completeness, not a God of what He can get.
We have trivialized God in our time. He is no more to us than an emotion and a song. At best He is a super-sized Santa. How can we ever have true faith if we never grasp who He is and His true power? We are soon to be devoid of all understanding of who we are in relation to our Creator. We cannot let that happen.
Without Him being the creator, whatever else we label Him is useless; thus, He has control over everything. This leads us into the second portion of "Who is God." You see, I think sometimes we begin to equal God with ourselves. We make our own rules, we make our own decisions, we don't even think of God as God, but some benevolent father figure that is there to hand us aid when we need it. This could not be farther from the truth.
These next few lines are going to be hard to read. Some will be angry at what I am saying, but it is not without a point. If you take us as His creation just as a clay cup could be ours, He does not have to let us have more control over our lives than He wants us to. He could keep us still, set us where ever He wants, or He could simply toss us against a wall and destroy us. We are His to do as He pleases.
Please, let us get away from this concept that we have rights or a say in the matter. I hear people all the time saying things like, "God wouldn't do that," or "If God did that, He is no God of mine." Your concept of God has little to do with the real God. We have such a ridiculous idea that we can define Him. The truth is, we can't.
Now I know that our God is defined to an extent by His Word, but His Word is the only way in which we can understand Him. Anything taken outside of the Bible about God, for the most part, is hearsay and useless. He does say that He loves us and give us free will so what I said above is a hyperbole, but the concept remains. We have to get past the idea that we deserve something from God. Like He is supposed to allow us to live a certain lifestyle or that He needs to make sure that we keep our huge home and cars. He has promised us two things in that area and they are food and clothes.
Furthermore, we also need to understand within understanding who God is, we have to have context. I have had amazing discussions with people about God, and I have no idea where they get their information or ideas. It's astounding. I finally ask them if this is the God of the Bible and they say yes, but that they can't accept certain parts of It. Let us, please, get this straight. Without the Bible, our definition of God is useless. It will be derived from TV, movies, and any other crazy source we here. The Bible is the beginning of our knowledge and It is the end. If you cannot accept a part of it, then you cannot accept all of it. This is not a mix and match. God is a God of fullness and completeness, not a God of what He can get.
We have trivialized God in our time. He is no more to us than an emotion and a song. At best He is a super-sized Santa. How can we ever have true faith if we never grasp who He is and His true power? We are soon to be devoid of all understanding of who we are in relation to our Creator. We cannot let that happen.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Who is God?
I am going to write on a very important subject, and I will be posting several articles of the same nature. These articles will hopefully assist us in understanding who God is instead of who we think He is. This of course is all based on Scripture. If you wish to venture outside of it, I cannot help you.
As the title asks, who is God? I would love to see some answers to this one, but odds are, you’re browsing through and don't intend on leaving any comments; thus, I will answer it for you.
Some would say, "He is the I Am of the Bible." Others would say, "He just is." Then come the torrent of descriptions. He is wonderful, powerful, awesome, etc. All these are true, but none of them matter if He is not what He is first.
He is the creator. First and foremost, He is the all mighty shaper of the universe. It does not matter who or what He is unless we have been created, and that is why creation is so important to us as believers. We try to blend it with science, but it does not work. God molded this universe with His hands. Nothing else helped or was a part.
The Bible says that it was 24 hour days that He used to create, and when He rested, He wasn't tired, but He rested His creative abilities. These things define our faith because if they did not happen, God is a liar and our faith is in vain. When we weaken or buckle on this subject, we hurt every part of our faith because without God the creator, nothing else matters
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Society
I was walking past a neighbor’s house the other day and I couldn't help but overhear their very loud conversation. The thing is, I had heard it somewhere before. Not the exact conversation, but something very familiar. Then it hit me. I heard it on TV. Some reality show that was playing in the background. I detest reality TV. But then it struck me. How far have we come from What God wants us to be?
We dislike home schooling because it leaves children socially "inept." We want our kids in public schools and in that we want them to be popular. We want them to know what is going on in the world of TV and gossip. We want them in the latest fashions to fit in. All dictated by TV, which to me is the new definition of "The world."
I am not against TV or movies, but we have turned our lives into TV dramas. Everywhere I look I see TV drama. People would not know how to act like they do if it were not for what they have seen. It is in the same light as the kids who go and attack schools. They see what is on TV and video games; thus, reality just seems to meld together with the fake world.
When the Bible says to be not like the world it doesn’t mean that you must shun everything the world has created that is either not Christian or created by a Christian: it means to not be a part of it all. Jesus spent lots of time with the people that lived in the world, but He did not participate.
It seems that's all we do. We either accept the sin or try to convert that sin to something more Christian. Why can't we just do what the Holy Ghost asks of us? Is it not ok for you to go to movies? Fine, but the Holy Ghost has not shared that same conviction. Want to be accepted and be just like everyone else who is defined by TV? Not fine. Emulating these people is being like the world.
How pathetic are we that we have to substitute fake lives in place of our own? We want happiness yet we reject God's Word, stating that it is bossy. Have we not yet realized that His Word was written so we could live the best lives possible? If we follow His Word, we will find joy. We have replaced the Bible with what the world says through the TV, radio, and movies. If that is not the definition of living in the world, I don’t know what is.
We dislike home schooling because it leaves children socially "inept." We want our kids in public schools and in that we want them to be popular. We want them to know what is going on in the world of TV and gossip. We want them in the latest fashions to fit in. All dictated by TV, which to me is the new definition of "The world."
I am not against TV or movies, but we have turned our lives into TV dramas. Everywhere I look I see TV drama. People would not know how to act like they do if it were not for what they have seen. It is in the same light as the kids who go and attack schools. They see what is on TV and video games; thus, reality just seems to meld together with the fake world.
When the Bible says to be not like the world it doesn’t mean that you must shun everything the world has created that is either not Christian or created by a Christian: it means to not be a part of it all. Jesus spent lots of time with the people that lived in the world, but He did not participate.
It seems that's all we do. We either accept the sin or try to convert that sin to something more Christian. Why can't we just do what the Holy Ghost asks of us? Is it not ok for you to go to movies? Fine, but the Holy Ghost has not shared that same conviction. Want to be accepted and be just like everyone else who is defined by TV? Not fine. Emulating these people is being like the world.
How pathetic are we that we have to substitute fake lives in place of our own? We want happiness yet we reject God's Word, stating that it is bossy. Have we not yet realized that His Word was written so we could live the best lives possible? If we follow His Word, we will find joy. We have replaced the Bible with what the world says through the TV, radio, and movies. If that is not the definition of living in the world, I don’t know what is.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Give Thanks That Your Sin is Not as Bad as Mine
I once new a man who worked for a Christian organization. He was a good man. He worked hard and dealt honestly with everyone he knew. I was not close to him, but I knew those that were.
One day, a horrible secret was discovered about this man. A secret he had been battling for many years. He had given it a valiant fight, but in the end, Satan won over and he was caught in a compromising situation.
If most of you heard what we heard, you would have thought him a terrible human, yet the opposite was true. He was simply a man fighting a battle we all fight.
There was another person I can think of in a similar situation. He was a younger man, but his situation was much more apparent. Nonetheless, he was ostracized because he acted differently and was even pushed out of churches.
The boy tried everything he could to find help. He went to a Christian college, he went to a pastor for mentoring since he never had a father figure to teach him how to be a man, and he tried to surround himself with those of a strong faith. Sadly, he was ignored and mocked because he never had an opportunity to be "normal," and eventually disappeared. That was over four years ago.
You know, we found people like this everywhere. Some end up being in gangs, others in orphanages, some on the streets, and others in strange, confusing sins. But what is even more sad is that we toss these poor souls out because their sin outweighs their worth to us.
One last person for me to describe. This man was different though. He was never caught, nor was he ever fired. His friends loved him and his family loved him even more. He wa an integral part of his church; he was even a deacon. So what was wrong with him you ask? He was so deep in sin if it were water, he would be crushed by its pressure before he drowned. Yet he found no judgment from others, only smiles. In fact, at one point he brought his sin to the pastor. He told him that he had a terrible covetous spirit, and the pastor prayed with him and sent him on his way with his blessing.
What is wrong here? We know that God views sin in different ways and in different manners, but they all lead to the same place. If we are not willing to help those that need our help, then how can we call ourselves Christians? Some of these people struggled for years with their burden, yet when they fall once we throw them out?
I am not saying make them the pastor, but how can we expect them to ever win over Satan if we just toss them out. I gave two real examples of people that could have been won, but we gave up on them, and if anyone, such as myself, tried to help, we were mocked along with those that needed the help.
Did not Christ say that He came not to condemn, but to seek and save that which is lost? These people are lost sheep. Why aren’t we helping them?
One day, a horrible secret was discovered about this man. A secret he had been battling for many years. He had given it a valiant fight, but in the end, Satan won over and he was caught in a compromising situation.
If most of you heard what we heard, you would have thought him a terrible human, yet the opposite was true. He was simply a man fighting a battle we all fight.
There was another person I can think of in a similar situation. He was a younger man, but his situation was much more apparent. Nonetheless, he was ostracized because he acted differently and was even pushed out of churches.
The boy tried everything he could to find help. He went to a Christian college, he went to a pastor for mentoring since he never had a father figure to teach him how to be a man, and he tried to surround himself with those of a strong faith. Sadly, he was ignored and mocked because he never had an opportunity to be "normal," and eventually disappeared. That was over four years ago.
You know, we found people like this everywhere. Some end up being in gangs, others in orphanages, some on the streets, and others in strange, confusing sins. But what is even more sad is that we toss these poor souls out because their sin outweighs their worth to us.
One last person for me to describe. This man was different though. He was never caught, nor was he ever fired. His friends loved him and his family loved him even more. He wa an integral part of his church; he was even a deacon. So what was wrong with him you ask? He was so deep in sin if it were water, he would be crushed by its pressure before he drowned. Yet he found no judgment from others, only smiles. In fact, at one point he brought his sin to the pastor. He told him that he had a terrible covetous spirit, and the pastor prayed with him and sent him on his way with his blessing.
What is wrong here? We know that God views sin in different ways and in different manners, but they all lead to the same place. If we are not willing to help those that need our help, then how can we call ourselves Christians? Some of these people struggled for years with their burden, yet when they fall once we throw them out?
I am not saying make them the pastor, but how can we expect them to ever win over Satan if we just toss them out. I gave two real examples of people that could have been won, but we gave up on them, and if anyone, such as myself, tried to help, we were mocked along with those that needed the help.
Did not Christ say that He came not to condemn, but to seek and save that which is lost? These people are lost sheep. Why aren’t we helping them?
Friday, November 20, 2009
Our View of God.
I was in a conversation with a friend of mine and the topic floated towards what our view of God is. It is true that some have a very high view of God and it seems that some have a very low view. I will give you an example.
Sin. Yes, sin is a good example. How do we view sin and God? Some say that God cannot look upon it. That it drives Him away, but this gives me reason for pause. Let us look at it from another perspective. Let’s say I am a cop and I see a robber. If I immediately run away or shield my eyes, who has the upper hand? Certainly not me, the cop, but the criminal. The same as with God and sin. We tend to have this attitude since we here things like God will not hear our prayers if we have sin in our lives.
If God has to avert His eyes or run away every time some form of sin occurs, who has the upper hand? It sounds to me as if sin does. How can that be? It cannot. So we must take one of two views of God in this light. Either He is so close to us in nature that sin can affect Him, or He is so far above us that sin has no affect on Him. I believe the latter.
You see, sin is something God hates because it is the opposite choice from Him. It is clear that throughout Scripture God hates and eschews sin, but this does not stop God from acting, moving, and participating in our lives. He hates sin for us, not for Him.
Have you ever heard someone say that it is amazing that even God can work through sin? I have. My wife’s salvation seems to have resulted through sin. Calvinists would say she was destined to be saved anyway, but the truth is that God can do whatever He likes; and that includes using sin as a tool if we insist on living in it. I do believe I remember someone saying, that you meant if for evil but God meant it for good.
When I taught Bible in NC, I brought a clay cup that I had made. I asked the class what the clay pot could do in my hand. Could it move or run away? Did it have any more free will than what I allowed it to have? Does it have a say so in anything outside of my choices? They all said no. I then threw the cup into the wall, shattering it into several pieces. The class was dead silent. I then said, “Did the cup have a choice in that?”
That seems like a dangerous example, and I know that, but it got their attention. Obviously the difference between us and the cup is that God has given us free will and He has promised in His Word to care for us. So there will be no humans tossed into the wall, but the point remains clear. We are His creation and what pleases Him is all that matters. Remember, we are only here for His pleasure according to Rev. 4:11. And our only job is to glorify Him.
As long as we keep this high view of God that is not linked with our Calvinistic brothers, we will begin to find a new, stronger God that can aid even those who are in sin. He, of course, has not gotten stronger, but our view of Him will allow us to see Him in a new light. God is above everything, especially sin.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
More of what is Faith
My last post this morning presented an interesting question; well, at least to me. The question was what is faith, but a more accurate question would be how do you interpret faith in your life? We go through our day thinking and contemplating several things of which we must have a feeling or thought about faith when considering these things. What is yours?
The Bible defines faith as "the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen in Hebrews 11:1, which has wide implications; but as we look throughout the rest of the passage we see so many varying types of faith. Some easy to understand and other, quite difficult. When these examples, such as Rehab find themselves in these positions, how do they perceive what they are doing. It is a philosophical question in a sense, but I believe it has biblical backing.
When I look at the scenario posted earlier, I have several ideas in my mind, but I prefer to categorize in order to keep things straight. The first thing I think is are there different types of faith? I believe yes. I believe there are two types: the first is providing faith. This is the faith in which we accept what God has promised us as truth and will come to pass. Clothes, food, and even salvation. These are things that Scripture is solid on, and we take it, under faith, that these things are true and will come to pass. The items listed are by no means an exhaustive list.
For example, Ephesians when it says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." Simple and true. We believe it because God wrote it to us, and we take Him at His Word. In Matthew when Christ speaks of God taking care of the birds and flowers so how much more should we expect Him to take care of us. This is providing faith.
The second kind is reciprocal faith. A faith that requires reciprocating dialog. This is the faith that we have when we ask for something. If you really think about it, those are broad categories, but there are true. We take what God has said and claim it as truth, and rightfully so. Everything else we expect from God is asked for.
The first one I do not think anyone would argue with. The second one is more complicated. We begin to fall into the "ye have not because ye ask not," area. This is of course regulated by the following verse of not getting what you ask for because you ask for it to fulfill your own lust. I won't go do deep into the prayer aspect of this;though, it is very important.
The complicated part is when you ask for something, what part of the asking is faith? What part of the asking is lust? What part of the asking is your responsibility? That's right, I said your responsibility. We seem to have lost any concept of our own hands. We ask God to put water in our mouths magically while a perfectly good glass is in front of us. So there is the three portions to focus on.
When we pray, how much of it is faith? Do we ask and only ask, expecting nothing to happen, but hoping something will? Do we ask and claim it? I believe we ask knowing God can, but also knowing that He might not. The question then becomes, when does He do something when we ask? If it is all governed by His will? The answer is He does something when it was something He wouldn't have changed otherwise unless you asked.
For example: if you were driving on wet roads and physics take its toll, sending you spinning out of control; thus, crashing your car. Well, this is a natural thing in a sense. Your lost traction and spun. It is how the universe was designed to work. But if you ask God to give you safety, then that is something He could stop. On the other hand, if you asked Him for someone to not get elected into office and that is, indeed, part of His will, the prayer is heard but left unanswered.
This is a tough thing. God's plan for this world is far greater than our fears and and desires. We must be careful not to confuse the two.
What part of our prayers are lust. I use lust loosely here, but I think there is lust in all our prayers. We have a strong desire to see things change and that is why we pray. Rarely do we pray for superfluous things that we have no care in. I be live the difference is the whether or not we desire to consume it upon our own lust as the Scripture states. For example, you pray for a new car, not because you need one, but that you want a nicer one. On the other hand, if you pray for your father's life then you are asking for your own reasons, but their is no consumption of lust. Just a desire to see him continue to live.
Finally, how much of prayer is our responsibility. This is the biggest one that affects faith, and relates directly to the scenario I posed yesterday. When we ask God for something, but we do not lack the ability to do it ourselves, then why should He answer it? When we start looking at things from this perspective, then we begin to focus our prayers towards the things that are most important.
I have struggled with this concept for a very long time. It is a hard one to live with because of the implications. Think about it. How many things do people ask for that they can do themselves, or, more distressing, that they should have done themselves?
I am hungry. Instead of asking God for food, eat something. I don't have a job. Ask Him for His help, but He will not magically drop one in the lap of the lazy. Get out there and hoof it. Now I need Him to help me get a raise to pay off my debt. Maybe getting in debt in the first place was the problem. (I do understand that some debt is unavoidable ie school loans).
Then there are some things that we just use faith for to get our way. Just as my example in my previous post. I want you here so have faith you can get here. Well, if the Lord has given you guidelines and a budget and you break it, then what happens next is not God punishing you or not helping you: it is Him letting His child learn from the consequences of their actions.
Think about it.
The Bible defines faith as "the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen in Hebrews 11:1, which has wide implications; but as we look throughout the rest of the passage we see so many varying types of faith. Some easy to understand and other, quite difficult. When these examples, such as Rehab find themselves in these positions, how do they perceive what they are doing. It is a philosophical question in a sense, but I believe it has biblical backing.
When I look at the scenario posted earlier, I have several ideas in my mind, but I prefer to categorize in order to keep things straight. The first thing I think is are there different types of faith? I believe yes. I believe there are two types: the first is providing faith. This is the faith in which we accept what God has promised us as truth and will come to pass. Clothes, food, and even salvation. These are things that Scripture is solid on, and we take it, under faith, that these things are true and will come to pass. The items listed are by no means an exhaustive list.
For example, Ephesians when it says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." Simple and true. We believe it because God wrote it to us, and we take Him at His Word. In Matthew when Christ speaks of God taking care of the birds and flowers so how much more should we expect Him to take care of us. This is providing faith.
The second kind is reciprocal faith. A faith that requires reciprocating dialog. This is the faith that we have when we ask for something. If you really think about it, those are broad categories, but there are true. We take what God has said and claim it as truth, and rightfully so. Everything else we expect from God is asked for.
The first one I do not think anyone would argue with. The second one is more complicated. We begin to fall into the "ye have not because ye ask not," area. This is of course regulated by the following verse of not getting what you ask for because you ask for it to fulfill your own lust. I won't go do deep into the prayer aspect of this;though, it is very important.
The complicated part is when you ask for something, what part of the asking is faith? What part of the asking is lust? What part of the asking is your responsibility? That's right, I said your responsibility. We seem to have lost any concept of our own hands. We ask God to put water in our mouths magically while a perfectly good glass is in front of us. So there is the three portions to focus on.
When we pray, how much of it is faith? Do we ask and only ask, expecting nothing to happen, but hoping something will? Do we ask and claim it? I believe we ask knowing God can, but also knowing that He might not. The question then becomes, when does He do something when we ask? If it is all governed by His will? The answer is He does something when it was something He wouldn't have changed otherwise unless you asked.
For example: if you were driving on wet roads and physics take its toll, sending you spinning out of control; thus, crashing your car. Well, this is a natural thing in a sense. Your lost traction and spun. It is how the universe was designed to work. But if you ask God to give you safety, then that is something He could stop. On the other hand, if you asked Him for someone to not get elected into office and that is, indeed, part of His will, the prayer is heard but left unanswered.
This is a tough thing. God's plan for this world is far greater than our fears and and desires. We must be careful not to confuse the two.
What part of our prayers are lust. I use lust loosely here, but I think there is lust in all our prayers. We have a strong desire to see things change and that is why we pray. Rarely do we pray for superfluous things that we have no care in. I be live the difference is the whether or not we desire to consume it upon our own lust as the Scripture states. For example, you pray for a new car, not because you need one, but that you want a nicer one. On the other hand, if you pray for your father's life then you are asking for your own reasons, but their is no consumption of lust. Just a desire to see him continue to live.
Finally, how much of prayer is our responsibility. This is the biggest one that affects faith, and relates directly to the scenario I posed yesterday. When we ask God for something, but we do not lack the ability to do it ourselves, then why should He answer it? When we start looking at things from this perspective, then we begin to focus our prayers towards the things that are most important.
I have struggled with this concept for a very long time. It is a hard one to live with because of the implications. Think about it. How many things do people ask for that they can do themselves, or, more distressing, that they should have done themselves?
I am hungry. Instead of asking God for food, eat something. I don't have a job. Ask Him for His help, but He will not magically drop one in the lap of the lazy. Get out there and hoof it. Now I need Him to help me get a raise to pay off my debt. Maybe getting in debt in the first place was the problem. (I do understand that some debt is unavoidable ie school loans).
Then there are some things that we just use faith for to get our way. Just as my example in my previous post. I want you here so have faith you can get here. Well, if the Lord has given you guidelines and a budget and you break it, then what happens next is not God punishing you or not helping you: it is Him letting His child learn from the consequences of their actions.
Think about it.
What is faith? A question
Let's say that your family is expecting you for some special event, but you live some many miles away. You look at your bank account and it is not looking favorable to a trip anywhere. So you call your family and tell them the bad news, but instead of a, "I am sorry hear that. We will be praying for you," you get a, "Well you just need to have faith that God will pay for the trip."
Sounds ridiculous to some, including me, and to others it sounds dead on. I am going to write much more about this later today, but was going to toss this out there.
What is faith?
Sounds ridiculous to some, including me, and to others it sounds dead on. I am going to write much more about this later today, but was going to toss this out there.
What is faith?
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Salvation and Easy-Believism
I read something last night that prompted me writing this. It has to do with the subject of salvation and easy-believism.
I read that if you do not show fruit that you are not saved. The article had no caveats: just simply that one must show good works to be saved; or at least that is what was portrayed. I take issue with comments like these for, what I think, are very solid reasons. I want to step through some of those reasons by way of covering some of the Scriptures that cause statements like these.
There are two passages in particular I would like to focus on. The first is in James chapter 2. The chapter works its way to it and states the point clearly in verse 24. It says, “Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith alone.” This is not the whole passage, but the concept is clear. Without works faith is dead.
This passage is used quite a bit to say that a Christian without “fruit” is not truly saved, but is one who is only professing faith. I obviously take issue with that summation. I will not digress into the OT to relink the concepts of works as in relation to the NT, but it is easy enough to say that Ephesians and Galatians put an end to any questions of whether salvation is by works or by faith. Eph 2:8, the most widely used verse to prove faith based salvation, is an easy passage to cling to as well as Gal. 2:16. These two verses alone strike a stake into the heart of works based salvation.
But, then, why did James say those things? A few things here. First, it is easy to see that James "addresses the outward expression of inward faith" as Minnix, J. Mike in his Panorama of the Bible CD-ROM Lesson 49 says. He is speaking of how man sees things as opposed to Paul’s faith based book, speaking of how God sees things. And while that is a profound argument in itself, it is not the endall.
James is attempting, and succeeding, to argue that faith and works cannot be separated. He is not saying that faith minus works is dead; thus, you are not saved. Not at all, in fact, what he is saying is that faith without works is impossible. No need to worry of salvation in the matter as in, “Am I saved if I do no works?” This is not a question flowing through the mind of an unsaved person. And this, my friends is where I take a huge issue.
If a man is not saved these questions mean nothing to him. Approach an unsaved man and ask him where his fruits of the spirit are and you may be surprised with what kind of fruits you get. Yet, when we address a crowd of “saved” people and throw this out there under the pretence that we are trying to clear the air when the truth is, we are far from clearing anything.
Take a group of teens and tell them that if they are not working for Christ under your terms, which that is what they are, you terms, they are not saved and watch the wheels come off. The teens will turn introspective and search every part of their being to find a work to meet criteria and if they don’t they will go into a tail spin of agony, running to the front to get “saved,” only to find themselves at the same point a year from that day. Why?
Because we are human. That is what we do. We fail. Miserably. It is hard enough to live this life without a leader consistently telling me I am not saved if I do not make it to church on Sunday or miss visitation. These are important things, but they are not criteria of salvation. Faith is.
Please feel free to read through the fruits of the spirit. Galatians 5:22-23. Good read, I promise. You will find there that not all fruits have to be quantified in tangible evidence. Oh, wait, what is that I see in the middle there? Is that the word faith? No! It couldn’t be, but it is: Along with many other items that we cannot measure by man’s standards. And this right here is why I truly believe God built this system the way He did.
By measuring our true acceptance of Him through these things: love, joy, peace, goodness, faith, etc, he has eliminated man’s ability to gauge it. How perfect is that? We may want to tell you that if you do not do what we say, then you are not saved –which is in essence what we are saying –but we can’t, because God has left that to Himself and Himself alone.
So am I saying that preaching these things is a bad idea? No. Of course not. But if we continue down the road of using it as a weapon, consciously or not, we can do a lot of damage.
I believe I said I would use two passages, but somehow I went ahead and finished the article without it. It was Matthew 7:15-20; 20-23. Guess it will have to be saved for another day.
What are your thoughts?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)