How about an odd parallel just to kick things into gear? Peter, disciple/apostle of Jesus and Wile E Coyote. No, I do not believe that Peter had a permanent customer account with ACME (if you do not know the reference, watch some bugs bunny cartoons). When Wile E has his eyes set firmly on his target (typically the road runner), that is all that matters. So much so, that he actually walks right off the cliff and finds himself standing on thin air - which works fine until he looks around, realizes where he is and listens to that llittle voice in his head that tells him this is impossible and then down he goes *thump*.
In Matthew 14 (22-32), Peter - with his eyes firmly upon Jesus - steps (willingly) over the side of the boat and onto the water. All is fine until that little voice in his head tells him this is impossible, he listens to it and takes his eyes off Jesus, and down he goes *blud blub blub*.
A critical difference is that Wile E never realizes where he is at first. Peter, on the other hand, spent most of his life as a fisherman. He was quite aware of not only what a storm was (which they were in at the time) but also what happens when one gets out of a boat in the middle of the lake - they sink. So Peter knew what he was doing and where he was going but, he saw Jesus out there and believed he could come to Him if He said he could. But those voices kicked in, telling him (Peter) to look around at the circumstances and what he could see - that this was impossible - and he put his eyes upon those and off of Jesus. *blub blub blub*
The problem was, was it was NOT impossible. After all, Jesus was standing on the water and secondly, Peter had been doing the same. Jesus gets after Peter for his lack of faith, but Peter did walk on the surface of the water, so where did he fall at? Simply, he choose to believe what he saw over what Jesus said was possible. Jesus did not expect Peter to pretend the water was frozen or that the storm was not there, but rather, to walk on in spite of what he could see around him. We are told to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). The world around us will almost always tells us things are not possible but God says with Him ALL things ARE possible (Matthew 19:26). What we see, hear and think we know do not matter at all - it is what God has said (and says) that counts in every possible imaginable area, situation and circumstance.
So if God has said something to you, take Him at His word and believe it regardless of what you see around you or whom says what is or is not possible.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Social Snipits
A few short postings from some of my social media postings.
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Have you ever read Matthew 17? Specifically, the events around Jesus and friends owing tax money. In case you haven't, will fill you in. Basically, they owed tax money, but they were broke. So Jesus tells Peter (formerly a fisherman by trade) to go fishing. Not to catch fish to sell. Oh no, He tells Peter to open the mouth of the first fish he catches and "take out the money that is in it" and go pay their taxes. For some reason, I can picture Peter getting 'one of those looks' on his face followed by a "you want me to do what?!". But He does do it and, lo and behold, in the fish's mouth there is enough money to cover what they owe.
There are many names given to God in the bible and on of my favorites is "Jehovah-jireh" which is "the Lord provides" or "the Lord will provide". Now between that name and the number of times we are told to not worry about, well, anything really, surely we would never, ever worry. Truth be told though, we still do, don't we. Although it does beg the obvious question "why" - after all, what has worry ever given us other than wrinkles, sleepless nights or an upset tummy?
His provision for us is not limited to funding only - He can, and will, provide everything from material things to relationships of all kinds to unlimited guidance. So do not worry. Take every thought, urge, desire and concern to God - Jehovh-jireh - after all, is anything too hard or impossible for our God.
===
They are frantic and confused, anxious and concerned as they lift their voice to heaven above: "Oh, Lord, I know you have said better is coming, I know you have shown me "this and that" in the past, I know you have called me up and out and even though I do not see it now, I do trust You, I really do, but...but show me something, give me a sign..show me another glimpse of the future...did you change your mind...show me, tell me, reassure me...".
With this plea, the heavens rumble and a voice replies, "What would you do if you knew more? What would you do if I gave you some sign to show you that I meant what I said before and that it shall come to pass? I tell you, do now what you would do then and you will just be fine."
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Believers taking advice on matters of conscience from non-believers is akin to seeking guidance making a cake from scratch from someone whose only cooking accomplishment is successfully making kraft dinner once upon a time.
===
============================================
Have you ever read Matthew 17? Specifically, the events around Jesus and friends owing tax money. In case you haven't, will fill you in. Basically, they owed tax money, but they were broke. So Jesus tells Peter (formerly a fisherman by trade) to go fishing. Not to catch fish to sell. Oh no, He tells Peter to open the mouth of the first fish he catches and "take out the money that is in it" and go pay their taxes. For some reason, I can picture Peter getting 'one of those looks' on his face followed by a "you want me to do what?!". But He does do it and, lo and behold, in the fish's mouth there is enough money to cover what they owe.
There are many names given to God in the bible and on of my favorites is "Jehovah-jireh" which is "the Lord provides" or "the Lord will provide". Now between that name and the number of times we are told to not worry about, well, anything really, surely we would never, ever worry. Truth be told though, we still do, don't we. Although it does beg the obvious question "why" - after all, what has worry ever given us other than wrinkles, sleepless nights or an upset tummy?
His provision for us is not limited to funding only - He can, and will, provide everything from material things to relationships of all kinds to unlimited guidance. So do not worry. Take every thought, urge, desire and concern to God - Jehovh-jireh - after all, is anything too hard or impossible for our God.
===
They are frantic and confused, anxious and concerned as they lift their voice to heaven above: "Oh, Lord, I know you have said better is coming, I know you have shown me "this and that" in the past, I know you have called me up and out and even though I do not see it now, I do trust You, I really do, but...but show me something, give me a sign..show me another glimpse of the future...did you change your mind...show me, tell me, reassure me...".
With this plea, the heavens rumble and a voice replies, "What would you do if you knew more? What would you do if I gave you some sign to show you that I meant what I said before and that it shall come to pass? I tell you, do now what you would do then and you will just be fine."
===
Believers taking advice on matters of conscience from non-believers is akin to seeking guidance making a cake from scratch from someone whose only cooking accomplishment is successfully making kraft dinner once upon a time.
===
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Building Rights
"This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!" ~ Haggai 1:5-6
"You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses" ~ Haggai 1:9
"Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself" ~ 1 Corinthians 6:19
Are there things which you have been ignoring? Are there behaviors and habits which you continue in even though you know God wants you to address them? Are there things which you know that God wants you to do, or stop doing, and yet you try to ignore Him because doing so may interfere with what you want? Have you been spending most of your time and energy on "your own house" and as little as possible on "His house"?
“Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts" ~ Hebrews 3:15
Why would you wait? Why would you choose to suffer any longer or, worse yet, see just how far you can "push your luck" with the Lord God Almighty?
"For God says, At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation." ~ 2 Corinthians 6:2
"You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses" ~ Haggai 1:9
"Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself" ~ 1 Corinthians 6:19
Are there things which you have been ignoring? Are there behaviors and habits which you continue in even though you know God wants you to address them? Are there things which you know that God wants you to do, or stop doing, and yet you try to ignore Him because doing so may interfere with what you want? Have you been spending most of your time and energy on "your own house" and as little as possible on "His house"?
“Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts" ~ Hebrews 3:15
Why would you wait? Why would you choose to suffer any longer or, worse yet, see just how far you can "push your luck" with the Lord God Almighty?
"For God says, At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation." ~ 2 Corinthians 6:2
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Transplant Surgery
"And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations" ~ Ezekiel 36: 26-27
It is not that we have a reconditioned heart or even that our old self is being changed. No, when we accepted Christ into our lives, we were given a whole new heart - a new self - that replaced the old, sinful nature. While the old is seperated from us, it does still attempt to influence (sometimes, quite successfully) and regain control, but it is no longer actually a part of us. After all, you would not pour good, fresh milk into a pitcher with old, sour milk in it - no, you would remove the old first. The sour milk cannot be made into fresh milk any more than our old nature can be changed into something good and pure.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone" ~ 2 Cor. 5:17
Does that mean we are instantly changed? Yes, and no.
Yes, of course we are instantly changed, since God - via the Holy Spirit - swaps out our old heart/nature for the new creation. Obviously this creates a very instantaneous change within us. Consider this: the "you" that exists in this world, right now (if you indeed have the Spirit within you), did not exist in this world prior to the moment of your salvation.
No, though, is due to the fact that our way of thinking and acting was totally formed by the old - the portion now apart from us - so we have all those ways ingrained within us.
So, while we are indeed a whole new creation, we do not necessarily act like it with the old continuing to push influence on us from without (attempting to force us to conform) and we, ourselves, giving in to it far more often than we should (we do not have to at all - ever).
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." ~ Romans 12:2
So while we "are" instantly changed into someone/something all new, it does take us some time living as that new creation in order for us start acting like it, and that "living" is not a totally passive thing. Some things do just seem to "happen" or "change", but much of the time, we must choose to not listen to the old and to instead, listen to the new. The more often we choose the old, the more often the old will win in our lives - like any habit, the more we do it, the easier it becomes to not only continue in, but the more we actually desire it. Remember, the old fights against the new - the two are, in a very real way, at war with each other (Galatians 5:17).
Thus - even though we are made new, it is up to us to choose which one we will listen to and allow to have control: the new creation who desires to follow the Spirit, or the old, who wants to lead you as far away from Jesus as it can.
Do not know about you, I would rather be walking hand in hand with Jesus than with some icky, shadowy thing anyday.
It is not that we have a reconditioned heart or even that our old self is being changed. No, when we accepted Christ into our lives, we were given a whole new heart - a new self - that replaced the old, sinful nature. While the old is seperated from us, it does still attempt to influence (sometimes, quite successfully) and regain control, but it is no longer actually a part of us. After all, you would not pour good, fresh milk into a pitcher with old, sour milk in it - no, you would remove the old first. The sour milk cannot be made into fresh milk any more than our old nature can be changed into something good and pure.
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone" ~ 2 Cor. 5:17
Does that mean we are instantly changed? Yes, and no.
Yes, of course we are instantly changed, since God - via the Holy Spirit - swaps out our old heart/nature for the new creation. Obviously this creates a very instantaneous change within us. Consider this: the "you" that exists in this world, right now (if you indeed have the Spirit within you), did not exist in this world prior to the moment of your salvation.
No, though, is due to the fact that our way of thinking and acting was totally formed by the old - the portion now apart from us - so we have all those ways ingrained within us.
So, while we are indeed a whole new creation, we do not necessarily act like it with the old continuing to push influence on us from without (attempting to force us to conform) and we, ourselves, giving in to it far more often than we should (we do not have to at all - ever).
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." ~ Romans 12:2
So while we "are" instantly changed into someone/something all new, it does take us some time living as that new creation in order for us start acting like it, and that "living" is not a totally passive thing. Some things do just seem to "happen" or "change", but much of the time, we must choose to not listen to the old and to instead, listen to the new. The more often we choose the old, the more often the old will win in our lives - like any habit, the more we do it, the easier it becomes to not only continue in, but the more we actually desire it. Remember, the old fights against the new - the two are, in a very real way, at war with each other (Galatians 5:17).
Thus - even though we are made new, it is up to us to choose which one we will listen to and allow to have control: the new creation who desires to follow the Spirit, or the old, who wants to lead you as far away from Jesus as it can.
Do not know about you, I would rather be walking hand in hand with Jesus than with some icky, shadowy thing anyday.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Contextually Speaking...
You know, as someone who does a fair bit of writing, I know all too well just how easy it can be for someone to take 'the written word' out of context and make it mean something it was never, ever intended to mean. And the Bible is, by no means, immune to this.
For instance, Galatians 5: 1, "So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law" gets taken out of context to mean that we are free to follow the desires of the sinful nature - that we no longer have to obey God at all. Which really, if you stop and think about it, does that really make any sense? That God would save us so that we are free to follow and live for Him rather than the old nature, only to tell us that we should not follow what He says but just live for own selfish, carnal desire - not only staying in bondage to sin but jumping headfirst into it? This could just be me but, uh, not so much.
In context, Galatians 5:1 is talking about going through different rituals or obeying certain outward regulations or celebrating in certain ways on certain days in order to earn God's favor. The scripture mentions circumcision specifically here and a bit earlier (4:10) talks about festivals and special times/days. Think of the person who thinks that just by going to church that they have somehow earned something from God - that because they gave up sleeping in every Sunday, they now have a right to be in heaven (not knocking corporate church at all, just motives for going). It also refers to those who try to teach such things as being necessary as false teachers - pretty heavy words considering the future that awaits those who would lead God's children away from Him.
You see, all of these outward things (like circumcision, for example) are just that: outward only. Your heart does not really need to be in them for you to do them nor do they actually do anything to change the heart of a person. These "laws" are what is being referred too, not obeying God commands. I mean really, He did not suddenly change His mind and decide that it was fine and good for you to lie, steal or commit adultery or worse yet, have oodles of other gods other than Him. That would be seriously against His nature and character - something an unchanging God cannot do. One of the problems at the time, was that (many of) the Jews believed because they were circumcised and did many little regulations and rituals that they were safe but those were just outward actions that had nothing to do with the heart - except maybe to allow the presence of envy and pride perhaps.
A little further along in Galatians, we are told to follow the Spirit and not the sinful nature and what some of the end result characteristics of each of these paths are (Gal.5:19-22). Obeying God is not legalism. Let me say that again: obeying God is not legalism. Legalism is a matter of going through the motions in an attempt to earn favor from God, manipulate God or get what we want from Him by doing assorted outward things. We cannot earn from God for He gives freely (grace); God cannot be manipulated and I doubt He enjoys anyone attempting to do it (do you enjoy it?); and we do not follow God to get what we want, we seek to know what it is that He wants (big difference).
So do things like the ten commandments still stand? Yes, they do actually. Jesus said the law was summed up in two commands: love God with everything you have and 'then' love your neighbor - the order is important for without the first, the second is almost worthless. At no time did He ever say we no longer had to obey those commands, quite the opposite actually. If you look at the ten commandments, for example, they all fit into those two that Jesus mentioned in Matthew 22:37-40, so the ten commandments can help us understand how that looks and what that means.
Does this mean that we must always take everything in the Bible in its' original context only? No, for God does frequently speak through His Word directly to someone's situation in the present age and in an area totally unrelated to what the original was. However, taking scripture, as a whole, in context can also be important. After all, if we see something that makes our "sinful nature" happy and excited, chances are we've missed something, for what the Spirit wants and what the old self wants, are polar opposites (Galatians 5:17).
Oh, and as for our opening example from Galatians 5:1:
"Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil" ~ 1 Peter 2:16
"For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature" ~ Galatians 5:13
"We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" ~ Romans 6:2
I would have to say that it is pretty safe to say that Gal. 5:1 does not mean we are free to pursue every possible sinful desire, at all.
For instance, Galatians 5: 1, "So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law" gets taken out of context to mean that we are free to follow the desires of the sinful nature - that we no longer have to obey God at all. Which really, if you stop and think about it, does that really make any sense? That God would save us so that we are free to follow and live for Him rather than the old nature, only to tell us that we should not follow what He says but just live for own selfish, carnal desire - not only staying in bondage to sin but jumping headfirst into it? This could just be me but, uh, not so much.
In context, Galatians 5:1 is talking about going through different rituals or obeying certain outward regulations or celebrating in certain ways on certain days in order to earn God's favor. The scripture mentions circumcision specifically here and a bit earlier (4:10) talks about festivals and special times/days. Think of the person who thinks that just by going to church that they have somehow earned something from God - that because they gave up sleeping in every Sunday, they now have a right to be in heaven (not knocking corporate church at all, just motives for going). It also refers to those who try to teach such things as being necessary as false teachers - pretty heavy words considering the future that awaits those who would lead God's children away from Him.
You see, all of these outward things (like circumcision, for example) are just that: outward only. Your heart does not really need to be in them for you to do them nor do they actually do anything to change the heart of a person. These "laws" are what is being referred too, not obeying God commands. I mean really, He did not suddenly change His mind and decide that it was fine and good for you to lie, steal or commit adultery or worse yet, have oodles of other gods other than Him. That would be seriously against His nature and character - something an unchanging God cannot do. One of the problems at the time, was that (many of) the Jews believed because they were circumcised and did many little regulations and rituals that they were safe but those were just outward actions that had nothing to do with the heart - except maybe to allow the presence of envy and pride perhaps.
A little further along in Galatians, we are told to follow the Spirit and not the sinful nature and what some of the end result characteristics of each of these paths are (Gal.5:19-22). Obeying God is not legalism. Let me say that again: obeying God is not legalism. Legalism is a matter of going through the motions in an attempt to earn favor from God, manipulate God or get what we want from Him by doing assorted outward things. We cannot earn from God for He gives freely (grace); God cannot be manipulated and I doubt He enjoys anyone attempting to do it (do you enjoy it?); and we do not follow God to get what we want, we seek to know what it is that He wants (big difference).
So do things like the ten commandments still stand? Yes, they do actually. Jesus said the law was summed up in two commands: love God with everything you have and 'then' love your neighbor - the order is important for without the first, the second is almost worthless. At no time did He ever say we no longer had to obey those commands, quite the opposite actually. If you look at the ten commandments, for example, they all fit into those two that Jesus mentioned in Matthew 22:37-40, so the ten commandments can help us understand how that looks and what that means.
Does this mean that we must always take everything in the Bible in its' original context only? No, for God does frequently speak through His Word directly to someone's situation in the present age and in an area totally unrelated to what the original was. However, taking scripture, as a whole, in context can also be important. After all, if we see something that makes our "sinful nature" happy and excited, chances are we've missed something, for what the Spirit wants and what the old self wants, are polar opposites (Galatians 5:17).
Oh, and as for our opening example from Galatians 5:1:
"Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil" ~ 1 Peter 2:16
"For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature" ~ Galatians 5:13
"We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" ~ Romans 6:2
I would have to say that it is pretty safe to say that Gal. 5:1 does not mean we are free to pursue every possible sinful desire, at all.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Nuh Uh, Wasn't Me
(While this post is not an actual part of the previous series, to say it would not easily tie into it would hardly be accurate)
I do not know about you, but I find that we often focus so much on the New Testament that we forget there is so very much in the Old. Take the "fall" in Genesis 3, for instance.
In this record, we see four players: Adam, Eve, the serpent and God. Now then, we may well know how things go - how God had set the one tree aside and commanded them not to eat from it only to have them do just that. A closer look though shows a bit more to the story. For instance, what "exactly" happened that day following Adam and Eve chowing down on something they should not have. We will pick things up there (there will be a paraphrasing - do not panic).
Adam and Eve are hiding because they now know what shame and guilt are, something they previously never experienced. , when God pops in for a visit. Now God knows what has happened, but like many parents, He wants to hear it. So He asks Adam, "Uh, Adam, what's the deal bud? Did you eat something you shouldn't have?" To which Adam replies, "It's not my fault! It's the fault of 'that woman' that YOU made for me. She's flawed or something. Obviously, You made a mistake." So God turns to Eve and asks, "What happened exactly?" Eve's reply is that the serpent tricked her - he lied and she believed him - so she did eat from the tree.
I want you to notice the two different reactions here. Eve's version of events are pretty accurate. She was tricked and she had no frame of reference for knowing that someone would lie to her to hurt her, so she believed what she was told and, even though God said otherwise, she ate. Basically, she has taken responsibility for what she has done. She does not even blame the serpent directly for her actions - only for his part in them. Adam on the other hand, blames everyone else, including God Himself. Adam takes the stance that none of this is his fault at all - oh no, it is everyone else's fault that this has happened to 'poor little me', is basically how he responds. In my humble opinion, Adam may well have been the world's first spoiled brat.
I do not know about you, but it makes me wonder. What if? What if instead of blaming everyone and everything else, Adam had of "fessed up" and taken responsibility for his own actions? We know that our God is forgiving, understanding, gracious and merciful after all - if Adam had of confessed and taken responsibility for what he had done, would the consequences have been near so severe? Now granted, that is a hypothetical question to which we will never know the answer but it does give one pause to think.
That said, I have a question for you: which one are you? Are you Adam or are you Eve?
The question has nothing to do with your physical sex. It has to do with your reactions. When you rebel against God (sin), do you take responsibility for your own actions? Do you admit that you were tempted and that you gave in to that temptation? That it was, in fact, "tempting" to you. Or do you blame everyone and everything else? "Oh is not my fault that I am doing this or that, it is "so and so's" fault! They made me do this. They pushed me." (And who is this mysterious "they" person anyway? I know that "they" seem to be the cause of oodles of problems and "they" always seem to have something to say about everything.) Truth be told, it is called temptation because it is tempting but you do not have to give in at all, especially if you have the Spirit dwelling within you. You have a choice, regardless of what life you have or have not lived, or the people you have known.
Anyway, by the time it hits the point of you giving in and actually 'doing something', you have already been allowing thoughts of such similar things to roam freely and unchecked in your mind for some time. Here is a solid tip: head them off early. Easier to put them down when they are mere thoughts or ideas than it is to deal with them after they have become full blown. And if they are full blown now? Stop blaming other people or circumstances - including blaming your own humanity - stop running away or trying to hide from God - take responsibility for your own thoughts and actions and confess those to Him (obviously, stop doing <whatever> as well).
In short: repent, be saved, be healed and live.
I do not know about you, but I find that we often focus so much on the New Testament that we forget there is so very much in the Old. Take the "fall" in Genesis 3, for instance.
In this record, we see four players: Adam, Eve, the serpent and God. Now then, we may well know how things go - how God had set the one tree aside and commanded them not to eat from it only to have them do just that. A closer look though shows a bit more to the story. For instance, what "exactly" happened that day following Adam and Eve chowing down on something they should not have. We will pick things up there (there will be a paraphrasing - do not panic).
Adam and Eve are hiding because they now know what shame and guilt are, something they previously never experienced. , when God pops in for a visit. Now God knows what has happened, but like many parents, He wants to hear it. So He asks Adam, "Uh, Adam, what's the deal bud? Did you eat something you shouldn't have?" To which Adam replies, "It's not my fault! It's the fault of 'that woman' that YOU made for me. She's flawed or something. Obviously, You made a mistake." So God turns to Eve and asks, "What happened exactly?" Eve's reply is that the serpent tricked her - he lied and she believed him - so she did eat from the tree.
I want you to notice the two different reactions here. Eve's version of events are pretty accurate. She was tricked and she had no frame of reference for knowing that someone would lie to her to hurt her, so she believed what she was told and, even though God said otherwise, she ate. Basically, she has taken responsibility for what she has done. She does not even blame the serpent directly for her actions - only for his part in them. Adam on the other hand, blames everyone else, including God Himself. Adam takes the stance that none of this is his fault at all - oh no, it is everyone else's fault that this has happened to 'poor little me', is basically how he responds. In my humble opinion, Adam may well have been the world's first spoiled brat.
I do not know about you, but it makes me wonder. What if? What if instead of blaming everyone and everything else, Adam had of "fessed up" and taken responsibility for his own actions? We know that our God is forgiving, understanding, gracious and merciful after all - if Adam had of confessed and taken responsibility for what he had done, would the consequences have been near so severe? Now granted, that is a hypothetical question to which we will never know the answer but it does give one pause to think.
That said, I have a question for you: which one are you? Are you Adam or are you Eve?
The question has nothing to do with your physical sex. It has to do with your reactions. When you rebel against God (sin), do you take responsibility for your own actions? Do you admit that you were tempted and that you gave in to that temptation? That it was, in fact, "tempting" to you. Or do you blame everyone and everything else? "Oh is not my fault that I am doing this or that, it is "so and so's" fault! They made me do this. They pushed me." (And who is this mysterious "they" person anyway? I know that "they" seem to be the cause of oodles of problems and "they" always seem to have something to say about everything.) Truth be told, it is called temptation because it is tempting but you do not have to give in at all, especially if you have the Spirit dwelling within you. You have a choice, regardless of what life you have or have not lived, or the people you have known.
Anyway, by the time it hits the point of you giving in and actually 'doing something', you have already been allowing thoughts of such similar things to roam freely and unchecked in your mind for some time. Here is a solid tip: head them off early. Easier to put them down when they are mere thoughts or ideas than it is to deal with them after they have become full blown. And if they are full blown now? Stop blaming other people or circumstances - including blaming your own humanity - stop running away or trying to hide from God - take responsibility for your own thoughts and actions and confess those to Him (obviously, stop doing <whatever> as well).
In short: repent, be saved, be healed and live.
Story Time - Part Seven - The Final Chapter?
As the title would indicate, this posting is the seventh (7th) of a single series. The first part began in April (2014) and can be found via the links on the right hand side of the page. If you are seeing this first, going to part one (1) and working forward from there will likely be helpful.
I see the cogs turning. Countless numbers of them forming a great globe, all turning and working their way into their respective places. Some set already and turning the ones they are adjoined too. Others, moving slowly into their place, turn slowly, tip and roll as they must make allowances for those directly around them, and those around them must turn, tip and move to allow those around them and so on and so on. It is a great globe indeed - the size of the very world - with each and every cog (or gear) having to move where it must move and turn as it must turn into order for all of the others in the globe to move as they must. It is a stunning site, to say the least and I dare say I would not want the job of making sure all of those pieces work correctly together as they move towards the full and final completion.
A final trip back to our story of AJ and the one who loves them so.
We have mentioned previously, that the saved loved one also had things to see and learn through the events which revolved around AJ's ordeal. No doubt, upon seeing their own needs and addressing them, they would surely be tempted to think, "Ok, God, I have this figured out so why are things not fixed yet" - something we ourselves may well have thought before. But this thought is not only one of narrow vision and short sightedness, but a selfish one as well.
You see, there is more than just you involved in things - shocking, eh. The obvious other is AJ themselves who may yet have to fully grasp their own situation and allow themselves to be freed from their bondages (yes, I did say "allow themselves"). But there are surely others connected as well for we are all connected to each other if nothing else. In our tale, Joe would be another to be considered - what does God wish for them and what events must happen for such to take place. They themselves may not be saved but surely God is still concerned for them - after all, He was concerned for Nineveh, a pagan nation, and thus why He sent the prophet Jonah to them. Not too mention you are not the only one who has witnessed AJ's struggles, so each of these people - each of these cogs - must also move as well. We cannot overlook the real possibility that you have actually not gleaned all that you must from the current situation either. So again, we find ourselves coming back to the place of hope and faith in God - trusting that He does know what He is doing, even if we would like to see things moving a bit faster. He is thorough after all. Does this mean we cease to pray, earnestly, for AJ? By no means, for if we truly love them then obviously, we would continue to pray for them even as we seek to listen for God's promptings about ourselves and others involved - our trusting in God does not mean that we suddenly no longer act in love towards others, especially those whom we so desperately care about - if anything it should prompt us to act in love more often and with greater conviction.
There is a verse in Isaiah, chapter 8 which reads "Do not call conspiracy, what people call conspiracy". We would do well to remember that simple line. God, and God alone, is in control. If we seek someone to blame, eventually we must work our way backwards until we reach God Himself and in that, we cannot lay blame for blame implies wrong doing (even if you decide to work backwards to Satan, the question of where he came from again, leads back to God in the end). And if we spend our days and nights blaming, and seeking to blame, others for our problems and the problems we see in others, we surely shall not know much peace or contentment for, as we well know, we have no control over others at all. God does nothing haphazardly or just on a whim - everything He does is with a purpose, even if we cannot fathom what it is or how it all works out in the end.
So what is the moral of our story? Trusting that God knows what He is doing may well be right up there on the list, but surely, there are others as well are there not. Those though, those I shall leave to be discerned and worked out between you and God, for that which He speaks to me may not be what He speaks to you - we are different, after all.
" Whoever has ears, let them hear" ~ Matthew 11:15
I see the cogs turning. Countless numbers of them forming a great globe, all turning and working their way into their respective places. Some set already and turning the ones they are adjoined too. Others, moving slowly into their place, turn slowly, tip and roll as they must make allowances for those directly around them, and those around them must turn, tip and move to allow those around them and so on and so on. It is a great globe indeed - the size of the very world - with each and every cog (or gear) having to move where it must move and turn as it must turn into order for all of the others in the globe to move as they must. It is a stunning site, to say the least and I dare say I would not want the job of making sure all of those pieces work correctly together as they move towards the full and final completion.
A final trip back to our story of AJ and the one who loves them so.
We have mentioned previously, that the saved loved one also had things to see and learn through the events which revolved around AJ's ordeal. No doubt, upon seeing their own needs and addressing them, they would surely be tempted to think, "Ok, God, I have this figured out so why are things not fixed yet" - something we ourselves may well have thought before. But this thought is not only one of narrow vision and short sightedness, but a selfish one as well.
You see, there is more than just you involved in things - shocking, eh. The obvious other is AJ themselves who may yet have to fully grasp their own situation and allow themselves to be freed from their bondages (yes, I did say "allow themselves"). But there are surely others connected as well for we are all connected to each other if nothing else. In our tale, Joe would be another to be considered - what does God wish for them and what events must happen for such to take place. They themselves may not be saved but surely God is still concerned for them - after all, He was concerned for Nineveh, a pagan nation, and thus why He sent the prophet Jonah to them. Not too mention you are not the only one who has witnessed AJ's struggles, so each of these people - each of these cogs - must also move as well. We cannot overlook the real possibility that you have actually not gleaned all that you must from the current situation either. So again, we find ourselves coming back to the place of hope and faith in God - trusting that He does know what He is doing, even if we would like to see things moving a bit faster. He is thorough after all. Does this mean we cease to pray, earnestly, for AJ? By no means, for if we truly love them then obviously, we would continue to pray for them even as we seek to listen for God's promptings about ourselves and others involved - our trusting in God does not mean that we suddenly no longer act in love towards others, especially those whom we so desperately care about - if anything it should prompt us to act in love more often and with greater conviction.
There is a verse in Isaiah, chapter 8 which reads "Do not call conspiracy, what people call conspiracy". We would do well to remember that simple line. God, and God alone, is in control. If we seek someone to blame, eventually we must work our way backwards until we reach God Himself and in that, we cannot lay blame for blame implies wrong doing (even if you decide to work backwards to Satan, the question of where he came from again, leads back to God in the end). And if we spend our days and nights blaming, and seeking to blame, others for our problems and the problems we see in others, we surely shall not know much peace or contentment for, as we well know, we have no control over others at all. God does nothing haphazardly or just on a whim - everything He does is with a purpose, even if we cannot fathom what it is or how it all works out in the end.
So what is the moral of our story? Trusting that God knows what He is doing may well be right up there on the list, but surely, there are others as well are there not. Those though, those I shall leave to be discerned and worked out between you and God, for that which He speaks to me may not be what He speaks to you - we are different, after all.
" Whoever has ears, let them hear" ~ Matthew 11:15
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Story Time - Part Six
Part one of this begins in April (2014) on the right and continues in sequence to this point.
So we know that God is a loving (His love, not ours), involved parent who is, quite literally, in complete control - a fact seen quite clearly in part two. For if He were not in complete control, then prophecy could never work for it would depend upon humanity randomly reaching points at the same and correct time. In short, that is what it means for Him to be sovereign. We also know He is eternal and unchanging as well as omnipresent (He is everywhere at the same time).
But what does all this have to do with blame? Surely by now, that is one common theme which we have seen throughout this series. We saw the blame game at work with the events of the fall in garden. We questioned who was to blame for the crucifixion. Then we looked at the life events of AJ and sought for someone to blame for their "fall from grace". So, in short, everything.
Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Another way to put that is that faith is trusting that God knows what He is doing. Think about that statement for a minute and realize that you put faith in all kinds of people constantly.
Do you drive a car or travel with someone else who does? If so, then you are trusting that whoemever built your braking system knew what they were doing, or whomever installed it did. You are trusting that the other drivers on the road have a license to drive and know what they are doing. You trust that your wheels are attached correctly and are not going to come flying off at some random time during your trip. In short, you have faith that many people knew (and know) what they were doing.
Let's consider the crucifixion. If we did not know how it ended (which we now do) and we were there in the moment it was happening, would it have looked as though God knew what He was doing? If we understood all the prophecy about Jesus, would it have appeared to have been "going according to plan" from our vantage point? Probably not. Like the disciples, we would have been in a panic. But we do know how it ended which means we do know that, in fact, everything went exactly as planned since God did know exactly what He was doing the whole time. This "is" God we are talking about here - making mistake is something He just does not do.
In our story with AJ we can see the same idea at work. God, knowing what had to be done in order to make the necessary changes in both spectator and AJ, set the required plan into motion. Even while it appeared that everything had "gone to hell in a hand basket", it had not. God did not lose control of the situation at any point in time nor was He "ever" absent from it. In short, He knew exactly what He was doing even if we, with our limited vision, could not see it at the time.
So we find two points at work here. One, playing the "blame game" can be the opposite of trusting God in, and with, <whatever> and questioning His sovereignty (remember Job: he, and his friends, questioned God's actions and motives only to get "because I am God" as a basic response). Secondly though, if God is in charge and in control, then if we blame someone else, we would actually be slandering that person in a lot ways. Like, blaming the Romans for crucifying Jesus when we know it was the plan along and that, a plan created and executed by God Himself - not by any man.
So does it change anything? When we look at those circumstances within our own lives and the lives of those we care about, both past and present, that we have sought to lay blame against another person for, does it change anything? It should, should it not. Especially when we consider that we know little of what actually goes on in our own life (and we do not know our own heart nearly as well as we would like to think we do), and almost nothing of what is actually going on in someone else's (we cannot see their heart at all - we really can't, no matter what we think we know), should there not be a certain measure of peace with the knowledge that we can trust God to know what He is doing even if we do not understand it at the time.
Now do not get me wrong here, am not moving towards the idea of no responsibility for actions. Like, someone kicked Bill's dog when he was 9 years old so he decides to blow up a bus when he is 37 and the kicked pet becomes a solid defense for it. Not even vaguely going that route. Nor am I trying to minimize all your fears, pain and grief with a blanket statement of God's control. Then again, am also not trying to say that I have how God works and thinks all figured out because, I certainly do not nor do I actually want to, if am honest about it.
In the Bible, we are told to not worry or fear, to trust God and have faith in Him over and over and over again. And honestly, with the limited vision we have in this life, that can sometimes be a hard thing to do. But maybe, just maybe, if we can remember that, even when we cannot see or understand it, God does know what He is doing and that He does work out things for the good of His children, maybe we can rest just a little bit easier and possibly stop being quite so upset with some other people we have known (or known of).
Is there "another" part to this? Honestly, am not quite sure but there might be. So, for now, we shall end with our "normal" for this series...
***To Be Continued***
So we know that God is a loving (His love, not ours), involved parent who is, quite literally, in complete control - a fact seen quite clearly in part two. For if He were not in complete control, then prophecy could never work for it would depend upon humanity randomly reaching points at the same and correct time. In short, that is what it means for Him to be sovereign. We also know He is eternal and unchanging as well as omnipresent (He is everywhere at the same time).
But what does all this have to do with blame? Surely by now, that is one common theme which we have seen throughout this series. We saw the blame game at work with the events of the fall in garden. We questioned who was to blame for the crucifixion. Then we looked at the life events of AJ and sought for someone to blame for their "fall from grace". So, in short, everything.
Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." Another way to put that is that faith is trusting that God knows what He is doing. Think about that statement for a minute and realize that you put faith in all kinds of people constantly.
Do you drive a car or travel with someone else who does? If so, then you are trusting that whoemever built your braking system knew what they were doing, or whomever installed it did. You are trusting that the other drivers on the road have a license to drive and know what they are doing. You trust that your wheels are attached correctly and are not going to come flying off at some random time during your trip. In short, you have faith that many people knew (and know) what they were doing.
Let's consider the crucifixion. If we did not know how it ended (which we now do) and we were there in the moment it was happening, would it have looked as though God knew what He was doing? If we understood all the prophecy about Jesus, would it have appeared to have been "going according to plan" from our vantage point? Probably not. Like the disciples, we would have been in a panic. But we do know how it ended which means we do know that, in fact, everything went exactly as planned since God did know exactly what He was doing the whole time. This "is" God we are talking about here - making mistake is something He just does not do.
In our story with AJ we can see the same idea at work. God, knowing what had to be done in order to make the necessary changes in both spectator and AJ, set the required plan into motion. Even while it appeared that everything had "gone to hell in a hand basket", it had not. God did not lose control of the situation at any point in time nor was He "ever" absent from it. In short, He knew exactly what He was doing even if we, with our limited vision, could not see it at the time.
So we find two points at work here. One, playing the "blame game" can be the opposite of trusting God in, and with, <whatever> and questioning His sovereignty (remember Job: he, and his friends, questioned God's actions and motives only to get "because I am God" as a basic response). Secondly though, if God is in charge and in control, then if we blame someone else, we would actually be slandering that person in a lot ways. Like, blaming the Romans for crucifying Jesus when we know it was the plan along and that, a plan created and executed by God Himself - not by any man.
So does it change anything? When we look at those circumstances within our own lives and the lives of those we care about, both past and present, that we have sought to lay blame against another person for, does it change anything? It should, should it not. Especially when we consider that we know little of what actually goes on in our own life (and we do not know our own heart nearly as well as we would like to think we do), and almost nothing of what is actually going on in someone else's (we cannot see their heart at all - we really can't, no matter what we think we know), should there not be a certain measure of peace with the knowledge that we can trust God to know what He is doing even if we do not understand it at the time.
Now do not get me wrong here, am not moving towards the idea of no responsibility for actions. Like, someone kicked Bill's dog when he was 9 years old so he decides to blow up a bus when he is 37 and the kicked pet becomes a solid defense for it. Not even vaguely going that route. Nor am I trying to minimize all your fears, pain and grief with a blanket statement of God's control. Then again, am also not trying to say that I have how God works and thinks all figured out because, I certainly do not nor do I actually want to, if am honest about it.
In the Bible, we are told to not worry or fear, to trust God and have faith in Him over and over and over again. And honestly, with the limited vision we have in this life, that can sometimes be a hard thing to do. But maybe, just maybe, if we can remember that, even when we cannot see or understand it, God does know what He is doing and that He does work out things for the good of His children, maybe we can rest just a little bit easier and possibly stop being quite so upset with some other people we have known (or known of).
Is there "another" part to this? Honestly, am not quite sure but there might be. So, for now, we shall end with our "normal" for this series...
***To Be Continued***
Friday, May 2, 2014
Story Time - Part Five
As this is (obviously) part five (5), if you are new, I would encourage you to to go the links on the right side of the page and click open "April 2014" and start with part one (1) so things all make sense (well, potentially anyway).
Right about now, there may well be some who are asking the question: how could a loving God make, or allow, AJ to go through the ordeal they have gone through? No doubt we have heard variations of that before with other situations. One of the big problems with that question though is with regards to that all critical word "love".
There is an online comic that I check out now and then (adam4d.com) and not long ago, the artist said something that struck a chord and actually ties in to our story. He said that "God is love" but that "love is NOT God". Now one would think that God is love and love is God would be the same thing, but in truth, it really isn't.
The Bible says "God is love" (1 John 4:8). This is God's definition of love we are talking about - a divine, perfect, just, selfless love - think of the definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13 and that those are not only attributes of love but of God. What love truly is, is defined by the very character of God.
Now if we say "love is God", there are a couple of problems with that. One, only God is God - saying anything else is God sets one up for an unpleasant road of discovering what idolatry means. The other problem though, is that by saying "love is God", we use our own perverse, imperfect view of what love is (which is almost as individually unique as a finger print) almost as a scale to say how loving God is or is not. Since our view/belief of love varies and tends to not be perfect, then we view God as imperfect as well. God is not defined by our version of what love is.
Now, you may follow that fine and good but are still wondering about all that not only AJ has had to endure, but their cousin as well - for watching someone close go through such a thing is a devastation all its' own. I am not going to even pretend to understand with any sense of fullness the way that God thinks, plans and works things out - that is far beyond my mental capacity. I do, however, understand some more "worldly concepts" that do help.
Your child constantly procrastinates with homework and school projects until you step in and save them at the last minute. It has gotten so bad that you now wonder what kind of grade you have gotten each term instead of them. It is getting worse and it is starting to show itself in all areas of their life. Not only that, they now expect it and get quite irrate when "you" are taking too long to finish "their" projects. Enough is enough. You are the parent here after all.
They have a big project due, worth a large portion of their final grade, and they have known about it for almost two months now. The project itself is due at the end of the week and you stated last week that you were not going to do it for them - they had to do this one on their own. Needless to say, they have made their disapproval well known to the point of being sent to their room quite a few times for their outbursts. Time ticks closer to the due date and they have yet to lift a finger. While you are tempted to bail them out, you know doing so will hurt them in the long run, so you stand your ground.
Eventually, due date comes and, to your childs' dismay, there is no project to turn in from you and they did not even try to do it. They know how much this is worth and could cost them moving into the next grade. They flip. They blame everyone from the teachers to friends and most definitely you. Eventually though, they do calm down and decide to go for it. It is a quick attempt to finish a "better late than never" project but they are making a real effort. You help a little here and there but let them do what they have to do for the most part.
Now then, is the above parent acting loving or unloving? If they let them continue to procrastinate and feel entitled, would that not be unloving especially since they are the parent a know what unpleasantness awaits if it does not end soon. Now then, what if the parent in this is the "perfect parent" and they know every internal thought, dream, desire and fear of their child and know exactly what it would take to correct that behavior and thought pattern - would they not be unloving if they choose to not do what had to be done, and instead, ignored the problem? That would actually be a pretty hateful thing wouldn't it.
In the previous post, we learned a bit more about AJ and those things which plagued them for so long and even a glimpse of the damage it was causing them. While we may want to think that we could have thought of a better way to do things, we do have to admit that God "probably" knows AJs internal workings far better than even AJ, let alone someone outside of them. We cannot forget the saved love one either now can we. So maybe a loving God would have done, or allowed, exactly what He did after all.
***To Be Continued***
Right about now, there may well be some who are asking the question: how could a loving God make, or allow, AJ to go through the ordeal they have gone through? No doubt we have heard variations of that before with other situations. One of the big problems with that question though is with regards to that all critical word "love".
There is an online comic that I check out now and then (adam4d.com) and not long ago, the artist said something that struck a chord and actually ties in to our story. He said that "God is love" but that "love is NOT God". Now one would think that God is love and love is God would be the same thing, but in truth, it really isn't.
The Bible says "God is love" (1 John 4:8). This is God's definition of love we are talking about - a divine, perfect, just, selfless love - think of the definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13 and that those are not only attributes of love but of God. What love truly is, is defined by the very character of God.
Now if we say "love is God", there are a couple of problems with that. One, only God is God - saying anything else is God sets one up for an unpleasant road of discovering what idolatry means. The other problem though, is that by saying "love is God", we use our own perverse, imperfect view of what love is (which is almost as individually unique as a finger print) almost as a scale to say how loving God is or is not. Since our view/belief of love varies and tends to not be perfect, then we view God as imperfect as well. God is not defined by our version of what love is.
Now, you may follow that fine and good but are still wondering about all that not only AJ has had to endure, but their cousin as well - for watching someone close go through such a thing is a devastation all its' own. I am not going to even pretend to understand with any sense of fullness the way that God thinks, plans and works things out - that is far beyond my mental capacity. I do, however, understand some more "worldly concepts" that do help.
Your child constantly procrastinates with homework and school projects until you step in and save them at the last minute. It has gotten so bad that you now wonder what kind of grade you have gotten each term instead of them. It is getting worse and it is starting to show itself in all areas of their life. Not only that, they now expect it and get quite irrate when "you" are taking too long to finish "their" projects. Enough is enough. You are the parent here after all.
They have a big project due, worth a large portion of their final grade, and they have known about it for almost two months now. The project itself is due at the end of the week and you stated last week that you were not going to do it for them - they had to do this one on their own. Needless to say, they have made their disapproval well known to the point of being sent to their room quite a few times for their outbursts. Time ticks closer to the due date and they have yet to lift a finger. While you are tempted to bail them out, you know doing so will hurt them in the long run, so you stand your ground.
Eventually, due date comes and, to your childs' dismay, there is no project to turn in from you and they did not even try to do it. They know how much this is worth and could cost them moving into the next grade. They flip. They blame everyone from the teachers to friends and most definitely you. Eventually though, they do calm down and decide to go for it. It is a quick attempt to finish a "better late than never" project but they are making a real effort. You help a little here and there but let them do what they have to do for the most part.
Now then, is the above parent acting loving or unloving? If they let them continue to procrastinate and feel entitled, would that not be unloving especially since they are the parent a know what unpleasantness awaits if it does not end soon. Now then, what if the parent in this is the "perfect parent" and they know every internal thought, dream, desire and fear of their child and know exactly what it would take to correct that behavior and thought pattern - would they not be unloving if they choose to not do what had to be done, and instead, ignored the problem? That would actually be a pretty hateful thing wouldn't it.
In the previous post, we learned a bit more about AJ and those things which plagued them for so long and even a glimpse of the damage it was causing them. While we may want to think that we could have thought of a better way to do things, we do have to admit that God "probably" knows AJs internal workings far better than even AJ, let alone someone outside of them. We cannot forget the saved love one either now can we. So maybe a loving God would have done, or allowed, exactly what He did after all.
***To Be Continued***
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Story Time - Part Four
Part four - if you are new to the series, start with part one (1) so it makes some kind of sense to you - there are links to the right beginning in April 2014
Now then, let us assume a few truths, first and foremost: God is love, He works out the lives and circumstances of those whom belong to Him for not only their good but the good of the entire Body of Christ (which is good for the rest of the world as well), He does call those whom are His, His children and He does lovingly discipline those children as well, and He is not only the perfect parent, He is also fully in control and knows even the deepest recesses of our hearts no matter how deeply buried things are.
Now, we shall expand a bit more.
As mentioned previously, AJ had a hard run before salvation and continued to struggle even afterward, eventually taking an "out of sight, out of mind" stance and forcing things deep down within themselves. Why would they do that? For one reason, thoughts and desires like those are not "Christian" and what would people think if they knew they felt that way or had those kinds of thoughts. This type of mindset causes a lot of pain and hardship for those within the Church who, for some reason, feel that they have to suddenly be perfect and righteous on their own merit, even though they were not before. Another reason is the pain of all that old crud. No small portion of those old experiences from how they used to live left horrible scars on AJ's heart and mind, so in order to escape the pain, they buried them. Oh they still remember them, they just no have intention of opening that locked door. The fact that the world around them has always told them that that is how stuff like that should be dealt with really has not helped much either. But as we should know, the world tends to be wrong.
Now AJ did pray and tell God that they gave everything over to Him, but they were not truthful in that, even if the lie was not intentional. Truth be told, AJ holds onto a lot from those days. Ways of thinking that are geared towards self preservation for instance - to avoid being hurt or used again or better yet, be the one to act first and not be the victim. And keeping those things in check gives AJ a sense of control and accomplishment in their own ability and will power. But their own ability was not enough before, and is still not. So AJ struggles and fights against those things still within as they try and force themselves to act, think and behave like a "good little Christian". All the while, every relationship in their life - friends, family, loved ones and even God - is suffering from the effects of what lies buried within. Remember though, God knows the heart.
God had put a calling into ministry on AJ's life, and AJ knew it, but they were not pursuing it because of how very unworthy they felt, due greatly to those things and desires within. God could just push AJ into their calling, as they are, and they would do okay for a while. Eventually though, things would begin unravelling quickly and AJ, as well as many other people, would end up hurt in a big way.
God knew how much it would take for AJ to break and give in to those temptations, that is why He allowed AJ to reach that point - AJ had to "hit the wall". The only way that AJ was going to break down and deal with those things and truly surrender to God, was if they got to see just how massive they had the potential to become and how much damage they were capable of doing. God has not left AJ at all, even if AJ is "trying" to run away from Him. In fact, He is using this whole mess to bring old things out of the darkness and into the light and finally set AJ free from a bondage they have been in for far too long. One could blame AJ for not dealing with things in the first place, but how many of us have (or had) things buried deep that we know we should deal with, yet do not do so? How many of us try to make it on our own "righteous merits"?
I did mention you - the one who has had to watch this unfold and who seeks to find someone to blame - as being a suspect. Through this ordeal with AJ, you have learned some things. One, you examined your own life more closely, after seeing someone as solid as AJ fall into old ways, and you found much in there you had to deal with and give to God. Another thing you realized is that some of your own thoughts and behaviors towards other people, especially those close to you within the Church, were way off base. You used to give excuses as to why you could not get involved: "not your business", "not my brother's keeper", "if they want to talk, they can come to me" and "what if it makes them mad, I better not". You now know that those are truly garbage and throughout it all, you find yourself changed for the better. God knew what it would take to get you to take notice and change as well - your personal ordeals would not work but seeing someone you love go through such a thing, on the other hand. So you could blame yourself for not stepping in and up, but if you had of, it would have been forced, not in love at all and you likely would have resented AJ for it - plus you likely would not have learned anything from it.
I feel for you and I feel for AJ (I truly do, if you have gone through such or have been an "AJ"), but finding someone to point a finger of blame at, does not appear to be quite so easy as perhaps it did initially, does it. For we know very little of what truly goes on in our own lives, let alone what goes within that of others - our vision is very, very limited seeing only part of the external and (usually)none of the internal.
***To Be Continued***
Now then, let us assume a few truths, first and foremost: God is love, He works out the lives and circumstances of those whom belong to Him for not only their good but the good of the entire Body of Christ (which is good for the rest of the world as well), He does call those whom are His, His children and He does lovingly discipline those children as well, and He is not only the perfect parent, He is also fully in control and knows even the deepest recesses of our hearts no matter how deeply buried things are.
Now, we shall expand a bit more.
As mentioned previously, AJ had a hard run before salvation and continued to struggle even afterward, eventually taking an "out of sight, out of mind" stance and forcing things deep down within themselves. Why would they do that? For one reason, thoughts and desires like those are not "Christian" and what would people think if they knew they felt that way or had those kinds of thoughts. This type of mindset causes a lot of pain and hardship for those within the Church who, for some reason, feel that they have to suddenly be perfect and righteous on their own merit, even though they were not before. Another reason is the pain of all that old crud. No small portion of those old experiences from how they used to live left horrible scars on AJ's heart and mind, so in order to escape the pain, they buried them. Oh they still remember them, they just no have intention of opening that locked door. The fact that the world around them has always told them that that is how stuff like that should be dealt with really has not helped much either. But as we should know, the world tends to be wrong.
Now AJ did pray and tell God that they gave everything over to Him, but they were not truthful in that, even if the lie was not intentional. Truth be told, AJ holds onto a lot from those days. Ways of thinking that are geared towards self preservation for instance - to avoid being hurt or used again or better yet, be the one to act first and not be the victim. And keeping those things in check gives AJ a sense of control and accomplishment in their own ability and will power. But their own ability was not enough before, and is still not. So AJ struggles and fights against those things still within as they try and force themselves to act, think and behave like a "good little Christian". All the while, every relationship in their life - friends, family, loved ones and even God - is suffering from the effects of what lies buried within. Remember though, God knows the heart.
God had put a calling into ministry on AJ's life, and AJ knew it, but they were not pursuing it because of how very unworthy they felt, due greatly to those things and desires within. God could just push AJ into their calling, as they are, and they would do okay for a while. Eventually though, things would begin unravelling quickly and AJ, as well as many other people, would end up hurt in a big way.
God knew how much it would take for AJ to break and give in to those temptations, that is why He allowed AJ to reach that point - AJ had to "hit the wall". The only way that AJ was going to break down and deal with those things and truly surrender to God, was if they got to see just how massive they had the potential to become and how much damage they were capable of doing. God has not left AJ at all, even if AJ is "trying" to run away from Him. In fact, He is using this whole mess to bring old things out of the darkness and into the light and finally set AJ free from a bondage they have been in for far too long. One could blame AJ for not dealing with things in the first place, but how many of us have (or had) things buried deep that we know we should deal with, yet do not do so? How many of us try to make it on our own "righteous merits"?
I did mention you - the one who has had to watch this unfold and who seeks to find someone to blame - as being a suspect. Through this ordeal with AJ, you have learned some things. One, you examined your own life more closely, after seeing someone as solid as AJ fall into old ways, and you found much in there you had to deal with and give to God. Another thing you realized is that some of your own thoughts and behaviors towards other people, especially those close to you within the Church, were way off base. You used to give excuses as to why you could not get involved: "not your business", "not my brother's keeper", "if they want to talk, they can come to me" and "what if it makes them mad, I better not". You now know that those are truly garbage and throughout it all, you find yourself changed for the better. God knew what it would take to get you to take notice and change as well - your personal ordeals would not work but seeing someone you love go through such a thing, on the other hand. So you could blame yourself for not stepping in and up, but if you had of, it would have been forced, not in love at all and you likely would have resented AJ for it - plus you likely would not have learned anything from it.
I feel for you and I feel for AJ (I truly do, if you have gone through such or have been an "AJ"), but finding someone to point a finger of blame at, does not appear to be quite so easy as perhaps it did initially, does it. For we know very little of what truly goes on in our own lives, let alone what goes within that of others - our vision is very, very limited seeing only part of the external and (usually)none of the internal.
***To Be Continued***
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