Thursday, February 28, 2013

Traitors in the Kingdom of God

gallows

Who lives within God’s Kingdom?  God is the King of the entire Universe including the Earth.  Anyone how lives on this planet has God as their ruler.  You can’t say “Well, I didn’t choose Him as my king.”  The kingdom you were born in is not determined by you anymore then the country you were born in.  Your king is God.

God has declared certain actions (called sin) to be illegal within His Kingdom.  To commit those illegal actions is rebellion against God.  By committing these acts, you are saying that He has not right to tell you what to do or not to do.  Rebellion  against a king is called treason.  Treason is punishable by death.  If you do the smallest of sins, it is still rebellion against God and still treason.

God loves you so much that He didn’t want for you to die for your rebelliousness, so He sent His son Jesus to be executed in your place for your traitorous actions.  Jesus died so that you didn’t have to.  All God wants is for you to accept the payment of Jesus’ death as your own and to turn from your old ways and follow Christ.

If you want to live forever in Heaven, and know for sure that you have eternal life while here on earth, go to this site where the steps to salvation are simply set forth.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Photo Credit: Gallows by fractalznet

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Consider God Before You Decide

spin

In one week Linn County, Iowa will be voting on allowing a casino to be built in Cedar Rapids.  There are all sorts of arguments being made about money coming into the city, jobs being created, will crime go up, how it will effect existing businesses, etc..  Why don’t people ask what God would want?

I think it is because they know all ready what God wants, but they don’t want to face it.  God is not concerned with money.  He is concerned about the people.  Gambling will cause strife and ruin in some peoples lives.  It will bring the end of some marriages and possibly suicide over losses. It will cause increase in drinking and in general bring a lot more pain then it does happiness.

When we make any decisions in our lives, we must not become so narrow minded that we forget to take into consideration what God wants.   Should you marry that person? Should you achieve that promotion by sabotaging a coworker? Would a small lie be al that bad if it saves you money?

This world is temporary, but your life is eternal.  Make sure that your life is adorned with God’s goodness.

Photo Credit: Spin by conorwithonen

Monday, February 25, 2013

I Can’t Tell Them the Truth, They will Hate Me.

Are you ready or are your fingers in your ears?

God has not been silent these past 2000 years.  He placed believers all over the world to speak for Him.  We are His ambassadors to the world.  It is through Christians that He makes known to the world His heart and soul for what is happening in peoples lives.  It is grave position we hold with heavy responsibilities.

2 Corinthians 5:20 " Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."

Some people have been very good ambassadors for Christ.  They have not shied away from telling people, with love, what God says about the sin in their lives.  I wish I could say we all have been doing that but that would not be truthful.  We, as the church, have failed much more then we have succeeded.

In the song, on the YouTube video above, it shows how people stick their fingers in their ears saying “La la la la la” so that they don’t have to hear what God says about their lives.  That is true of non-Christians and Christians.  We want to live our lives our way and not God’s way.  We get so busy enjoying ourselves that we ignore God and those who speak His truth.

When we do hear what God has to say, we ridicule God’s messenger.  “Oh, that is so old fashioned.  You sound like my grandmother.  You are homophobic!  You’re an idiot to believe that.  You’re so narrow minded. Etc….”

When was the last time you told someone: Living together and premarital sex is wrong?  Homosexuality is a sin? Drunkenness is unbiblical? Cursing and crass speech are sinful? Gossip is not scriptural?  Wearing revealing clothing is tempting others into sin? God hates it when we make fun of other?  Our lust for things is sin?

Someday soon, I fear that God will attempt to wake up the world and His Church by showing just how He does feel about sin in this world.  Get ready people because God is about to speak. 

Read Ephesians 5:1-21 to see what God says about the days we live in and how we should live.  Verse 14 says “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead” We Christians are asleep.  We go right along with what the world is doing.  We need to wake up, arise from the dead, put aside our fear of men and speak God’s word to the world.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

The Covert Bride of Christ

covertbride

The groom, in his perfectly pressed tuxedo, follows the pastor out before the altar and the crowd of people.  He stands there nervously as the music plays and the procession of groomsmen and bridesmaids slowly march in.  Then the moment comes that everyone is waiting for.  People look around anxiously to see the bride.

The pastor steps forward with a smile on his face.  “Will everyone please bow their heads and close their eyes.  Yes, just close your eyes and no looking around.”

“If the bride who will be marrying this man, Joe Green, is here will she please raise her hand?  While everyone’s head is bowed and eyes closed.  Yes. I see that hand.”

With the bride now having declared herself, the ceremony proceeds and no one is the wiser about who the woman is that just married Joe Green.  That is ridiculous isn’t it?  But we Christians do just that all the time, and we think it is normal.  We become the Covert Bride of Christ.

Is there a Christian alive who has not been to a service where when the time for an altar call, the pastor makes sure no one is watching?  That is exactly what the above story illustrates.  We certainly can not make anyone feel uncomfortable about accepting Jesus as Savior.

Romans 10: 9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

We are not to hide Christ in our lives from others.  We are expected to publicly declare Him.  How would the groom feel if his bride didn’t want to be seen with him?  Such a marriage would not last long.

How often have you hidden the lover of your soul from friends and co-workers?  If you have, the reason is simple, you are ashamed of Christ.  Confess Him before men and He will confess you before the Father.

Matthew 10:32 "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."

The one who was tortured and murdered on the cross for you, deserves to have you standing beside Him for all the world to see.  Christians have died throughout history because they would not hide their faith.  Make a pledge to Jesus today.  “I will stand beside you and confess you before anyone who comes into my life.  You are my lord and my God.  I am nothing without you.”

Photo Credit: Casamentos (24) by Decio Almo Fotógrafo

Friday, February 15, 2013

Our Humble God

Godshand

For a Christian, being humble means knowing that we can do nothing without God.  We realize that our place is not in first place, where our flesh would like to be, but back in last place.  Our pride wants to push us forward to where we have no right to be.

For God is being humble even an option?  He is all powerful, all knowing, and completely deserves to be number one in everyone’s life.  God can’t lower Himself since He is and always will be above everyone.

For God all things are possible including humility.  God is so very humble that, even without looking at how Jesus lowered Himself to become man, God shows us how humility truly works.  God does not lower Himself, but rather raises up others to His level.

We do not deserve to be a part of His family and yet we are adopted into His family.  We are not second class relatives, but His children with all rights and honors which come with being in God’s family.

Ephesians 1:5 "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,"

Humility is not lowering yourself so others are above you.  Humility is living at your appropriate level and lifting up everyone else.

Photo Credit: Hand of God by larukucafe

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Did God Create Evil?

candle

1 John 1:5 "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."

If I was to say that someone has a dark heart, you would know I meant he has evil in his heart.  If I said they where light hearted you would think they are happy and joyous with goodness in their heart. Light and goodness have similar attributes, just as darkness and evil do. Knowing this helps us to explain where evil comes from.

God created everything and therefore some people say that He must have created Evil also.  Evil didn’t exist before creation so God must have purposely or by accident created evil.  He created the devil and the devil became evil so God must have created that evil inside the devil.  This of course is not true but on the surface it does look valid.

If you are in a room with a lighted candle in your hand, you have light.  Your friend comes in with an unlighted candle in his hand.  How much of your light is sucked out of the room because of that unlit candle?  None.  In fact is there a device anywhere which can shine a beam of darkness?  No.  Darkness can not be created.  It is not energy or matter to be created or changed.  Darkness is not anything of substance but it is the lack of the substance of light.  To have darkness you must have the removal of light.

Evil is the same way.  It is not something you can create or change.  Evil is not the substance of something within a person but it is the lack of goodness with the soul of a person.  The only way for someone to be evil is for there to be a lack of goodness.  Where God (light) is, there is goodness.  Where God is missing, evil (darkness) dwells.

Romans 5:8 says (in my words) God revealed His love to us, so that while we still lived in the darkness of our evil hearts, Jesus Christ sacrificed himself so that His shining light would fill us with His goodness.

Photo Credit: Light of hope by Santhosh Janardhana

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Need Peace? Seek the God of Peace.

worry

Do you worry about the future?  Does the world around you seem so stressed that you have no peace?  God is a God of peace.  He has peace.  He doesn’t worry about anything.  What is the difference between you and Him?

That is a silly question isn’t it?  God is God and you are not.  He is all powerful, all knowing and is in control of everything in the universe.  What does He have to worry about?  No one is sending Him credit card bills He can’t pay for.   His job is not on the line if He doesn’t meet deadlines.  He doesn’t have the troubles we do and even if He did, He is powerful enough to solve them with the snap of a finger.

Jesus was not all powerful, all knowing and was not in control of anything except for himself.  Jesus was just as weak and powerless as you and me.  It was the work of God through him that did all the healings, raising the dead, miracles and wondrous signs. Jesus simply trusted God.

Jesus’ only power was over his own actions.  He chose to trust God with his life and follow the leading of his father in Heaven.  Jesus was at peace, not because he had control of everything, but because he trusted the One who could control everything.

Philippians 4:7 "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

The peace of God comes through Christ Jesus.  The peace which passes all understanding is only found when we entrust Jesus with our lives.  It is only through him that true peace comes.

Jesus trusted God and so must we.  We must look to Him for answers and trust that His answers are right.  Sometimes we will not see things going our way.  Sometimes we will see everything seemingly falling apart.  Even in times of disaster, trust the Lord.  In the end, possibly without you even seeing the end result, God will have the victory.

Remember that in any relationship trust is essential.  It is vitally necessary in your relationship to Christ.  The moment we lose our sense of peace is the moment we are looking at the problems and not at God.  We take our eyes off Christ when we have lost our trust in God.  The only way to find peace is to repent and turn back to Christ.

Photo Credit: Worried by kpishdadi

Friday, February 8, 2013

Forget Being a Goody Two Shoes, Lets Do Something EXCITING!

surfing

Being good is just so boring.  Someone who is always good is about as exciting as watching a snail race.  What is wrong with them?  Why don’t they get out and live a little.  Find some excitement in life.  You’re not really alive until your get that adrenalin rush from doing something that is not all boringly good.

What are the best movies?  The ones with explosions, killings, fast cars, danger and of course beautiful women.  The excitement is not found in watching someone driving down the road 10 miles under the speed limit.  Its exciting when they are driving 130 mph in downtown New York as they weave in between cars and shoot at the police who are chasing them.

Lets face it, good does not sell.  When advertising a car why do they have some beautiful woman in a bikini laying on the hood?  If she was in a nun habit, I guarantee the car wouldn’t sell. I also guarantee that people are not thinking good wholesome thoughts about that woman in her skimpy bikini.  They say that “Playboy has great articles”, but its not the articles which sell the magazine.

Christians are suppose to be seeking to be like Christ.  This means we are trying to be good, but we see sin as more exciting and tantalizing.  I admit it.  Sin is fun.  I enjoy sin.  I want to sin.  GASP!  That is terrible to say!  Maybe, but it is true.

After all, the Law itself is really concerned with the spiritual—it is I who am carnal, and have sold my soul to sin. In practice, what happens? My own behaviour baffles me. For I find myself not doing what I really want to do but doing what I really loathe. Yet surely if I do things that I really don’t want to do, I am admitting that I really agree with the Law. But it cannot be said that “I” am doing them at all—it must be sin that has made its home in my nature. (And indeed, I know from experience that the carnal side of my being can scarcely be called the home of good!) I often find that I have the will to do good, but not the power. That is, I don’t accomplish the good I set out to do, and the evil I don’t really want to do I find I am always doing. Yet if I do things that I don’t really want to do then it is not, I repeat, “I” who do them, but the sin which has made its home within me.  Romans 7:14-20     J.B. Phillips New Testament

What is strange about all this is that actually goodness is not only more beneficial to us, but it can be exciting.  A life in Christ does not mean 24 hours a day in a prayer closet.  You like to travel and see other countries?  Missionaries live a life that is truly on the edge all over the world.  They see and do things that they could never have imagined before.  Some people have ministries to surfers and that means they are out on the beaches everyday surfing and talking to others about Christ.

Christianity is a challenge for you to Change the world using music, words and actions.  You like riding your Harley?  There are groups of Christians bikers.  You like to sing or play a musical instrument? Form a Christian band.  You like to play sports?  You have a great platform for sharing your love for Christ.

Wherever your talents and interest lay, God can use you.  He made you the way you are for a reason.  You were not meant to sit on a cloud for eternity playing a harp with a stupid smile on your face.  You were meant to change the world and experience the excitement of life with Christ.

Photo Credit: Surf the Waves of Isla Grande - Panama City, Panama by whl.travel

Thursday, February 7, 2013

God is Good. What does that mean?

mirrorwarp

There are two ways to define the word “Good”.  One is a moral definition where a person is good because they have the virtue of goodness.  “He is a good man.”  The other is a functional definition where something or someone is performing well.  “He does good work.”

Biblically, I don’t think you can separate the two.  “He is a good man, because he does good.”  You cannot have the virtue of goodness without having it showing in the life of the person.  Without works, faith is dead.

Matthew 19:17a "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God:"

Who is good?  Jesus said that only God is good.  He is the sole person in the universe who is truly good.  He alone fulfills His function completely.  Every man and woman who has ever lived, including you and me, were uniquely created to fulfill a function in this world, but we failed.

Sin has warped us so that we cannot perform as we should.  We do not have the ability by ourselves to do the good work which God calls us to.  We are like broken tools useless for anything except to be thrown into the fire and melted down.

But God is good.  He has no sin.  He is capable of fulfilling any task He sets upon Himself.  He created us for a purpose and out of His love for us was willing to have Jesus sacrifice Himself on a cross.  That sacrifice saved us from the fire and gave us a new life where with His help we can fulfill the purpose God has for us.

God has set out for Himself the purpose of loving us.  His function is to love.  His love is so far above what can understand, that sometimes we miss seeing just how good He is.  It’s not just a inward goodness, but it is expressed in His constant blessings upon us.

Let us bless God with our love as well.  Our lives should be filled with our acts of love towards our Lord and towards the people He loves.

Photo Credit: Real Life Fun House Mirrors by Jeremy Brook

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

A Hateful God

pride

The title to this post bothers me.  I don’t like it.  It seems to be opposite of the loving God I know and yet it is true.  Yes, there are times we should be full of hate. God is full of hate for some things but remember, He loves all people. 

Ecclesiastes 3:8 "A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."

God is a passionate God who feels far more intensely then we do.  His love is so pure and passionate that it drives His whole being.  His hatred is just as intense and pure.  Whatever you feel hatred for is a mere shadow of emotion to what God feels.  Where God loves, we should love like Him.  Where God hates, we should hate just as much.  Sadly, I confess, I love and desire some of what God hates.

Proverbs 6: 16-"These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."

1. Pride.  This is Satan’s original sin.  It is also a sin I have way too much of.  I want people to think best of me even at the cost of not giving God His glory.

2. Lying tongue. They say that within the first ten minutes you meet someone, you will tell on average 3 lies.  Hey, I just want to impress them. Oops, there goes my pride again.

3. Hands that shed innocent blood. Have you ever taken part in a joke on someone you think is some kind of idiot.  Laughed at someone else at there expense?  But, no blood was shed.  You plunged a knife so deep into them that a real one couldn’t have hurt less.

4. Wicked imaginations. Lustful thoughts.  Undressing someone in my mind? Holding a grudge against someone. Plotting what you would like to do to them?

5. Running to mischief. Ever do something just because you wanted to watch a person’s reaction?  Get that tattoo so shock you mother?  Protest something because it’s fun to yell and scream at people who disagree?

6. False witness.  This isn’t just lying.  It is not telling the truth about someone.  It means being quiet when you know what really happened.  God calls upon you to get involved so that justice is met. Not speaking up is being an accomplice to lies.

7. Sow discord.  I use to enjoy a good argument about politics and religion.  I would get a discussion going just so I could prove them wrong.  That was sowing discord.  My goal was not to find the truth, it was to argue.

God hates all these things.  I should be full of hate for them as well.  All sin is rebellion against God and I want to live my life in full compliance to His will.  I want to hate sin just as much as Him, but so often I fail.  Lord fill me with hate for the things you hate.

Photo Credit: Pride - Love me, Hate me but..... by blackout14

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

God Will Not Fail You

rainbow

1 Corinthians 13: 8-13 "Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.  For we know in part and we prophesy in part;  but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.  When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.  For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love."

God’s love never fails. He is forever faithful.  His creation could pass away.  Some of the gifts He has given will someday be gone.  Nothing in all the universe is as permanent as Him, unless He so wills it.  Prophesy, tongues, and the gift of knowledge are temporary.  They are simply gifts which reveal partial truth.  When we are perfected in our glorious new bodies, that which is partial will be done away with.  We will not need prophesy, tongues and knowledge, because we will be able to tap into God’s knowledge and know Him as He knows us.  He knows all tongues, all knowledge and we will know God’s heart about all things.

God does not take away anything in our lives without substituting something greater. If you are going through a trial, God is faithful to see you through that trail and to come out of it closer to Him with greater love and faith. If you lose a possession, a job, or even someone you love, God will be there  with you and help you through the loss.  He was faithful in the past.  He will be faithful in the future. He is faithful today.

Now faith (Trusting God for what He did in the past) hope (trusting God for what He will do in the future), Love (Trusting God for what He is doing right now in your life) abide these three, but the greatest of these is love.  It is easy to say we trusted Him and we will Trust Him in the future.  The hardest thing is to trust Him now when we are in the middle of a trial.  He is faithful.  God will not fail you.

Photo Credit: New Year's Prayer! by Jeanette's Ozpix