It is almost a bit of a sobering thought to think that the demonic actually know God - on a character level - better than we do. In the Book of Mark, a "group" who called themselves Legion asked Jesus for mercy and GOT it. Considering who we are talking about here, there is a good chance that they would not have asked for it if they did not think they would get it. So what does that say about us? You know, we who refuse to ask because we tell ourselves we do not deserve it for one (or more) of any myriad of reasons.
Did Legion deserve mercy? No. Do we deserve it? No. But mercy is not now, nor ever has been, about what you deserve at all. Point blank, you do not have because you do not ask. Now, I am not talking about asking for the winning lottery numbers but rather with regards to whatever problem or situation you find yourself in right now.
So go ahead...ask Him. Just ask.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
How Sweet the Sound...
Grace, grace, grace - if you are a believer, then you should love that word for we are covered and dependent upon it. Not just any grace either but the very grace of God. But grace to do what? Is it grace just for the sake of sake grace? Not likely. Is it grace to live however we want to live - that is, to sin our little butts off? Probably not (for 'we' may be justified, but 'sin' never is).
Let us say you are interested in science. You do not have a PhD or anything of the like but it is a serious interest of yours. Now then, all considered, do you think you would deserve becoming an apprentice to someone like Stephen Hawking? Or perhaps you like to sing along with your favorite song? Do you think you deserve to be taken under the artists' wing? Of course you do not.
Are you aware that not one of us is worthy to be a disciple of Jesus? Not one of us deserves or has earned the right to follow Him? He never said come to me, get forgiven, dunk your head then just carry on with life as you want to live it. He said "follow me", not "go your own way and I'll just tag along". He said come to me for my yoke is easy - a yoke hooks two together - you and Him. But as flawed, frail, screwed up and totally unworthy as we are, how could we ever follow Him? How could we ever be His disciple?
Grace.
By grace we are allowed to do that which we otherwise would never, ever be allowed to do. God's grace allows us to follow Him. Sure, it is by the grace of God that we have a total, undeserved forgiveness but more importantly again, it is by grace that we are permitted to follow Christ! Not follow like the thousands did, but follow like the 12.
By grace, we have been given this amazing wonderful gift: to learn everything anew from the Master.
Let us say you are interested in science. You do not have a PhD or anything of the like but it is a serious interest of yours. Now then, all considered, do you think you would deserve becoming an apprentice to someone like Stephen Hawking? Or perhaps you like to sing along with your favorite song? Do you think you deserve to be taken under the artists' wing? Of course you do not.
Are you aware that not one of us is worthy to be a disciple of Jesus? Not one of us deserves or has earned the right to follow Him? He never said come to me, get forgiven, dunk your head then just carry on with life as you want to live it. He said "follow me", not "go your own way and I'll just tag along". He said come to me for my yoke is easy - a yoke hooks two together - you and Him. But as flawed, frail, screwed up and totally unworthy as we are, how could we ever follow Him? How could we ever be His disciple?
Grace.
By grace we are allowed to do that which we otherwise would never, ever be allowed to do. God's grace allows us to follow Him. Sure, it is by the grace of God that we have a total, undeserved forgiveness but more importantly again, it is by grace that we are permitted to follow Christ! Not follow like the thousands did, but follow like the 12.
By grace, we have been given this amazing wonderful gift: to learn everything anew from the Master.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Storms Bring Rainbows
This posting is from my social media page however, the three posts all came within a single 9 hours period, so I thought I would share on here as well.
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"I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you" ~ Matthew 5:44 (NKJV)
Now then, take a cue from the book of James here and do not merely read that and then just forget about it (James 1:23-24). The Word of God is meant to change you - the way you think, respond and act - it is not meant to be merely glanced at, acknowledged with a head nod and a "yep" and then forgotten about five seconds later.
I do not know what they did to you. I do not know what they have said about or to you, the slanders against you, the way they betrayed you and your trust or anything else, any more than you know mine. I do know that when the early Church practiced doing this, they were being hunted and killed like animals (and sometimes by animals). So am thinking, if they could pray for those people then, maybe we can for the ones who have hurt, used and betrayed us as well.
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Now here is an interesting exercise/undertaking to try.
Take a look at the people currently - or previously - in your life. Not the obvious good influence people though (like that teacher who encouraged you or whatever). No, look at the ones who have hurt you, betrayed you, lied to and about you, used you and so. Now take a look and see what you got from them. See what it is that God showed you about yourself, others or Himself through your less than wonderful experiences with them. If you are a believer, then there most likely is something good in there - although you may have to be intentional to see or find it (If you are not a believer, try it anyway - may find a surprise or two hidden beneath the pain).
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So with the previous status in mind, I would like to write a little thank you note (no names obviously) to those who - with God's help - helped make me whom I am today.
A thank you, to the one who pretended to be a friend to my face but was anything but when apart from me. By the grace of God, I was still a friend to you so I have learned that I can offer help, friendship and trust to those whom have not earned it and that I am capable of overlooking minor offenses.
A thank you to the one who betrayed my confidence and my trust. By the grace of God, I did not return the favor and respond in kind. So I have learned that I can keep another in confidence, even when it would serve my wounded feelings to not do so.
A thank you to the one I loved who merely used and abused me because you could so. By the grace of God, I loved you in spite of it all. I learned I can actually truly love another human being without them having to earn it somehow.
A thank you to the one who took advantage of my heart, passion and compassion. By the grace of God, I did not withhold anything from you, even though I knew what you were doing. I learned that I would rather have my heart on my sleeve and risk the pain, than to wall it in and feel nothing.
For each of these, I say "by the grace of God" for it is Him I credit with good coming out of things and events which most certainly were not. I say thank you to the "one" but there has surely been more than one. Oh, one more thing I have learned: that my God will never, ever leave me.
PS: No, I do not want to have any more of any ill thing or event in my life, if that is all the same to you - just worth the mentioning.
It is almost a shame that our faith grows and our character is forged faster and greater when we go through the storm than when we are laying comfortably on the beach. Still, not about to go chasing storms.
One final note: I do not say or offer any of those "thank yous" in a hateful, "holier than thou" or smug manner - each is sincere. For if they did not provide the storm, I never would have seen the rainbow.
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"I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you" ~ Matthew 5:44 (NKJV)
Now then, take a cue from the book of James here and do not merely read that and then just forget about it (James 1:23-24). The Word of God is meant to change you - the way you think, respond and act - it is not meant to be merely glanced at, acknowledged with a head nod and a "yep" and then forgotten about five seconds later.
I do not know what they did to you. I do not know what they have said about or to you, the slanders against you, the way they betrayed you and your trust or anything else, any more than you know mine. I do know that when the early Church practiced doing this, they were being hunted and killed like animals (and sometimes by animals). So am thinking, if they could pray for those people then, maybe we can for the ones who have hurt, used and betrayed us as well.
===
Now here is an interesting exercise/undertaking to try.
Take a look at the people currently - or previously - in your life. Not the obvious good influence people though (like that teacher who encouraged you or whatever). No, look at the ones who have hurt you, betrayed you, lied to and about you, used you and so. Now take a look and see what you got from them. See what it is that God showed you about yourself, others or Himself through your less than wonderful experiences with them. If you are a believer, then there most likely is something good in there - although you may have to be intentional to see or find it (If you are not a believer, try it anyway - may find a surprise or two hidden beneath the pain).
===
So with the previous status in mind, I would like to write a little thank you note (no names obviously) to those who - with God's help - helped make me whom I am today.
A thank you, to the one who pretended to be a friend to my face but was anything but when apart from me. By the grace of God, I was still a friend to you so I have learned that I can offer help, friendship and trust to those whom have not earned it and that I am capable of overlooking minor offenses.
A thank you to the one who betrayed my confidence and my trust. By the grace of God, I did not return the favor and respond in kind. So I have learned that I can keep another in confidence, even when it would serve my wounded feelings to not do so.
A thank you to the one I loved who merely used and abused me because you could so. By the grace of God, I loved you in spite of it all. I learned I can actually truly love another human being without them having to earn it somehow.
A thank you to the one who took advantage of my heart, passion and compassion. By the grace of God, I did not withhold anything from you, even though I knew what you were doing. I learned that I would rather have my heart on my sleeve and risk the pain, than to wall it in and feel nothing.
For each of these, I say "by the grace of God" for it is Him I credit with good coming out of things and events which most certainly were not. I say thank you to the "one" but there has surely been more than one. Oh, one more thing I have learned: that my God will never, ever leave me.
PS: No, I do not want to have any more of any ill thing or event in my life, if that is all the same to you - just worth the mentioning.
It is almost a shame that our faith grows and our character is forged faster and greater when we go through the storm than when we are laying comfortably on the beach. Still, not about to go chasing storms.
One final note: I do not say or offer any of those "thank yous" in a hateful, "holier than thou" or smug manner - each is sincere. For if they did not provide the storm, I never would have seen the rainbow.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Hey, Buddy!
Now while no few of us know that our faith is relational, I ponder if perhaps some of us may have that relationship a bit skewed. For instance, while God does call us friend that does not make us equals. It is not the same as you accepting your friend and them accepting you, each as you are and then just carrying on with life from there. We may be accepted as we are but God is far from content with the idea of us staying the way we are nor is He going to meet us in the middle as far as character goes. He is not about to say "well you gave it a shot and missed so just carry on with life and I will lower my standards for you". God does not change after all, but He does expect us too.
Biblically speaking, the most common relational term for God is Father and I believe it is safe to say He chose that term for a reason. While not all of us (any of us?) have had perfect parental relationships, I think we likely have an idea of what the ideal looks like even if not from our own experience. With the parent being yes, a friend in many ways, but also protector and provider as well as being the one who attempts to shape our characters as we grow as opposed to just letting us "run wild". In this, we see the relationship between us and God all the clearer. We may often want Him to just "be our buddy" but He is Father first and foremost in the relationship between us. Unfortunately, far too often, we do just look at Him as aquaintance or buddy most of the time and only look for Father when we want something or we have gotten ourselves into a mess (again).
Consider Tom and Bill, life long friends, even though Tom is a bit older than Bill. Now then, Tom is an officer in the military - a colonel to be precise. Bill, after he graduates from high school, decides to enlist in the army himself and, as luck would have it, Bill and Tom find themselves assigned to the same base. Now Tom is an "officer's officer" - all business and thorough as they come when it really matters. Bill on the other hand, well, let's just say his work ethic leaves something to be desired by times. So needless to say, military life is a bit of a shocker to Bill. But hey, his best buddy ever Tom is here and he has some real pull so he can get him out of all kinds of things - at least that is what Bill is thinking. The reality though is that Tom seems to be a bit harder on Bill than anyone else on the base is, which causes some internal confusion for poor Bill - enough so that he goes to Tom's office and asks for permission to speak freely...and gets it.
Bill puts it all out there. He and Tom have been friends forever and Tom knows what Bill is like. He also knows how hard a lot of the stuff he has to do really is so why, why is Tom not bailing him out of it. For that matter, why does it apprear that Tom is actually being harder on Bill than on anyone else.
Tom explains that he is indeed Bill's friend and that they are likely each other's best friends ever. On the base however, Tom is first and foremost an officer. He holds the life of all those beneath him in his hands. If he fails at his role, then people may die. And if he allows Bill to take an easier road than the others, or if he allows Bill to just coast through, then his best friend in the entire world may wind up dead - and it would be his fault because he choose to be his buddy instead of being his commanding officer.
Let's be honest here, most of our lives on this world we are Bill. We want the easy way out and really do not want to have to change anything about ourselves. Sometimes we may find ourselves in a "Tom position" but mostly we are just Bill and with God, we are always just Bill. We just want Him to be our buddy and not our Commanding Officer. But that is not the reality of things. He is indeed our friend but the Lord of Heaven's armies (Jer. 44:25) is, first and foremost, our CO. He knows what is on the line far better than we do. He knows what horror will face us should He allow us to just coast along unchanged. He knows when trouble and battles (life, temptations, habits, etc) come our way, we will be quickly over run so He knows we must be changed in order to stand any of it at all. But He does not throw us out of an airplane onto the battlefield the day we enlist either - He knows we are slow to learn, slow to change - stubborn as the day is long, in a lot ways. Is okay, there is no greater nor more patient Teacher than He but do not expect Him to stop teaching or to suddenly become content with you being where you are - if He did that, He would not be much of a teacher (or friend) at all.
So please, do not make the mistake of thinking that because you were intially accepted where you were that God wants or is willing to have you stay there. We are all being formed into the likeness of Christ remember (2 Cor. 3:18) and, until we get there (none of us on this planet have by the way), we cannot think or believe (with any accuracy that is) that God is content with where we are. Jesus is the standard by which we are compared, no one else and that is Jesus as He is, not how we want Him to be.
That said, is there something that Dad has been trying to change in you or get you to either do or stop doing that you have been ignoring Him on, hoping that He is going to forget or not ground you for the weekend or put you on KP duty about - you know, because He is "your buddy".
Biblically speaking, the most common relational term for God is Father and I believe it is safe to say He chose that term for a reason. While not all of us (any of us?) have had perfect parental relationships, I think we likely have an idea of what the ideal looks like even if not from our own experience. With the parent being yes, a friend in many ways, but also protector and provider as well as being the one who attempts to shape our characters as we grow as opposed to just letting us "run wild". In this, we see the relationship between us and God all the clearer. We may often want Him to just "be our buddy" but He is Father first and foremost in the relationship between us. Unfortunately, far too often, we do just look at Him as aquaintance or buddy most of the time and only look for Father when we want something or we have gotten ourselves into a mess (again).
Consider Tom and Bill, life long friends, even though Tom is a bit older than Bill. Now then, Tom is an officer in the military - a colonel to be precise. Bill, after he graduates from high school, decides to enlist in the army himself and, as luck would have it, Bill and Tom find themselves assigned to the same base. Now Tom is an "officer's officer" - all business and thorough as they come when it really matters. Bill on the other hand, well, let's just say his work ethic leaves something to be desired by times. So needless to say, military life is a bit of a shocker to Bill. But hey, his best buddy ever Tom is here and he has some real pull so he can get him out of all kinds of things - at least that is what Bill is thinking. The reality though is that Tom seems to be a bit harder on Bill than anyone else on the base is, which causes some internal confusion for poor Bill - enough so that he goes to Tom's office and asks for permission to speak freely...and gets it.
Bill puts it all out there. He and Tom have been friends forever and Tom knows what Bill is like. He also knows how hard a lot of the stuff he has to do really is so why, why is Tom not bailing him out of it. For that matter, why does it apprear that Tom is actually being harder on Bill than on anyone else.
Tom explains that he is indeed Bill's friend and that they are likely each other's best friends ever. On the base however, Tom is first and foremost an officer. He holds the life of all those beneath him in his hands. If he fails at his role, then people may die. And if he allows Bill to take an easier road than the others, or if he allows Bill to just coast through, then his best friend in the entire world may wind up dead - and it would be his fault because he choose to be his buddy instead of being his commanding officer.
Let's be honest here, most of our lives on this world we are Bill. We want the easy way out and really do not want to have to change anything about ourselves. Sometimes we may find ourselves in a "Tom position" but mostly we are just Bill and with God, we are always just Bill. We just want Him to be our buddy and not our Commanding Officer. But that is not the reality of things. He is indeed our friend but the Lord of Heaven's armies (Jer. 44:25) is, first and foremost, our CO. He knows what is on the line far better than we do. He knows what horror will face us should He allow us to just coast along unchanged. He knows when trouble and battles (life, temptations, habits, etc) come our way, we will be quickly over run so He knows we must be changed in order to stand any of it at all. But He does not throw us out of an airplane onto the battlefield the day we enlist either - He knows we are slow to learn, slow to change - stubborn as the day is long, in a lot ways. Is okay, there is no greater nor more patient Teacher than He but do not expect Him to stop teaching or to suddenly become content with you being where you are - if He did that, He would not be much of a teacher (or friend) at all.
So please, do not make the mistake of thinking that because you were intially accepted where you were that God wants or is willing to have you stay there. We are all being formed into the likeness of Christ remember (2 Cor. 3:18) and, until we get there (none of us on this planet have by the way), we cannot think or believe (with any accuracy that is) that God is content with where we are. Jesus is the standard by which we are compared, no one else and that is Jesus as He is, not how we want Him to be.
That said, is there something that Dad has been trying to change in you or get you to either do or stop doing that you have been ignoring Him on, hoping that He is going to forget or not ground you for the weekend or put you on KP duty about - you know, because He is "your buddy".
Monday, June 30, 2014
Long Days Snipits
Media Updates
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I have no clue where you are in life or what is going on in your world at this very moment. I do know some things though. I know, personally speaking, that there are things which God has told and shown me about a fair few things in the realm of the "yet to come". I do not mean like end of the world stuff, I mean personal things, situations, circumstances, etc. Now, like most, I want to be there now for some, if not all, of these. Yet I do realize that there are things which must happen first - things which cannot happen instantly no matter how much I may want them too sometimes. And while I would love to say I have always hung on faithfully and patiently waited, I really cannot do so. There have been times in which I have looked at where I am at now or circumstances that seem impossible and have tried to look away from what I know He has said - yes, I admit that I, in some of those moments of doubt, have tried to harden my own heart and close my eyes to what God said about <whatever>. The result: frankly each time left me feeling quite "icky" for lack of a better way to put it. That is, until I realized that I was looking at people, events and circumstance from my own limited point of view and put my faith back where it belonged in the first place: in God. If He said it, He will do it.
So today, should you find yourself feeling discouraged or starting to think "maybe God did not say..." or "what's the point, it will never happen" or whatever, take a bit of encouragement from this. One, you are not alone since obviously at least one other person (yours truly) has been there more than once. And two, that God does not change - He did not change His character suddenly 'just for you' and decide He lied or was just yanking your chain. You knew what He said before, remember today Who it was that said it and put your faith in Him, not in what you can see from where you are right now. Our God "is" faithful and He "will" come through for us. Every time.
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"After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before." ~ Job 42:10
We all have periods of trouble in our lives - some that others can see, some that are only known between us and God. And during these times, we can easily get caught up in constantly praying for ourselves, forgetting all about everyone else in our world. So it may well be worth the note that it was not after he pleaded and begged for help for himself that God restored Job, but after he had prayed for his friends.
So if you find yourself in a place of turmoil today and find your prayers seem somewhat self centered, perhaps a change may be in order
Hey! If you are reading this, then that means you are on Facebook (or some other social media) and likely have a friends (or contact) list filled with people who could likely use a word of prayer even if nothing more than asking for the Lord to bless them. Just a thought.
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God is the God of today so stay here, in the now, with Him. Do not spend every moment reliving past mistakes or glories for you shall not be able to see where you are at now or where you are going. Neither spend all your time dreading a future you can neither see nor even know you shall be in at all, for again, you shall miss all that is the present. Accept and learn from your past, have hope and faith in God for the future, and live, with Him, in and for today.
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I have no clue where you are in life or what is going on in your world at this very moment. I do know some things though. I know, personally speaking, that there are things which God has told and shown me about a fair few things in the realm of the "yet to come". I do not mean like end of the world stuff, I mean personal things, situations, circumstances, etc. Now, like most, I want to be there now for some, if not all, of these. Yet I do realize that there are things which must happen first - things which cannot happen instantly no matter how much I may want them too sometimes. And while I would love to say I have always hung on faithfully and patiently waited, I really cannot do so. There have been times in which I have looked at where I am at now or circumstances that seem impossible and have tried to look away from what I know He has said - yes, I admit that I, in some of those moments of doubt, have tried to harden my own heart and close my eyes to what God said about <whatever>. The result: frankly each time left me feeling quite "icky" for lack of a better way to put it. That is, until I realized that I was looking at people, events and circumstance from my own limited point of view and put my faith back where it belonged in the first place: in God. If He said it, He will do it.
So today, should you find yourself feeling discouraged or starting to think "maybe God did not say..." or "what's the point, it will never happen" or whatever, take a bit of encouragement from this. One, you are not alone since obviously at least one other person (yours truly) has been there more than once. And two, that God does not change - He did not change His character suddenly 'just for you' and decide He lied or was just yanking your chain. You knew what He said before, remember today Who it was that said it and put your faith in Him, not in what you can see from where you are right now. Our God "is" faithful and He "will" come through for us. Every time.
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"After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before." ~ Job 42:10
We all have periods of trouble in our lives - some that others can see, some that are only known between us and God. And during these times, we can easily get caught up in constantly praying for ourselves, forgetting all about everyone else in our world. So it may well be worth the note that it was not after he pleaded and begged for help for himself that God restored Job, but after he had prayed for his friends.
So if you find yourself in a place of turmoil today and find your prayers seem somewhat self centered, perhaps a change may be in order
Hey! If you are reading this, then that means you are on Facebook (or some other social media) and likely have a friends (or contact) list filled with people who could likely use a word of prayer even if nothing more than asking for the Lord to bless them. Just a thought.
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God is the God of today so stay here, in the now, with Him. Do not spend every moment reliving past mistakes or glories for you shall not be able to see where you are at now or where you are going. Neither spend all your time dreading a future you can neither see nor even know you shall be in at all, for again, you shall miss all that is the present. Accept and learn from your past, have hope and faith in God for the future, and live, with Him, in and for today.
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Sunday, June 15, 2014
Mr Popular
"Yea, when thou follows Me, thou shalt have it all - every tiny thing your earthly heart desires. Thou shalt have so much money you will not be able to walk straight and possessions beyond your wildest dreams, not too mention massive popularity, friends and universal acceptance and every other lust you have always wanted but felt to guilty about to ever go after, and the last thing you will ever, ever have have is any form of trouble."
Now there is a good chance that, when you read the above, you will raise an eyebrow and go "Really??!" for it just sounds so ridiculous. However, there really are people who preach that and not exactly a shortage of them either. And we, more often than we want to admit to it, think that way now and then.
So what are we told, if not the above? We are told we will have trouble for one, but not to fear it (John 16:33). We are told (more than once) that God disciplines those He loves as children (Hebrews 12:6) and discipline, as we should all know, does not tend to be pleasant during the process. We are told that friendship with the world and all it has to offer makes one in opposition to God (James 4:4).
Need more? Take a good look at the apostle Paul.
Paul, previous to his surrendering of his life to Christ, was a pharisee, and not a bottom of the pile one either. He had it all for the day and place he was in. Power, money, influence, prestige, friends, popularity - you name it, he had it. And afterwards? Afterwards he borders on constantly homeless, hunted by former peers and friends alike, hated by no small number of people, tossed into prison more than once and eventually, beheaded. From a worldly perspective, Paul's life did not get better it got worse. However, from an eternal perspective, he gained massively and did not regret that decision even at the end of his days (2 Timothy 4: 7-8). He even went so far as to say that everything he had gained in the world, he counted as loss (Philippians 3:8). This is not even getting into the prophets in the Old Testament (no one ever seemed to like them, but they certainly got results).
"Uh, Troy, you are not making much of a case to follow Christ there bud, maybe you should just stick with all the good grace and mercy stuff."
To what end? So that people would think they are going to say a quick prayer and then everything is just going to instantly come up roses like some cross between winning a lottery and moving into the playboy mansion? So that, when this does not happen, they fall away but yet still think all is good because they said a few words once upon a time? Or perhaps when they have to choose between following God and being popular with people or the opposite sex, they quickly chose a very wrong direction? Or maybe, when things start to go seemingly wrong in their lives they turn on themselves thinking there must be something horribly wrong with them, or that they do not have enough faith, or maybe begin thinking that Jesus will forgive everyone except them?
No thanks, I think I will pass on the false promises of earthly delights and popularity if that is okay with you.
Even Jesus Himself urges us to count the cost of following Him, to ensure we do not start then just walk away (Luke 14: 28-29).
Is not all doom and gloom though. God does promise to take care of us numerous times (Matthew 6: 25-34). He promises to never, ever leave us (Hebrews 13:5), that nothing can separate us from Him (Romans 8: 38-39), that He does (not might, but does) work out everything for the good of those who follow Him (Romans 8:28) and with Him there is real freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17). And oodles upon oodles of other things far too numerous to get into in here.
We are not promised "the easy life", but we are promised one well worth the living. And if you are a believer and things seem to be going not that great at the moment, take heart and know it is for a reason. Perhaps, something in your life that needs looking at, perhaps God is trying to get your attention or perhaps the enemy sees you as a threat or some other reason far beyond either of our understandings, but it is, indeed, for a reason and God is always with you. Remember who you are (Galatians 3:26), Whom it is you belong to (1 Corinthians 6: 19-20) and stand your ground (1 Peter 5:9, 1 Corinthians 16:13, Ephesians 6:13).
*EDIT*
God may give reason and purpose to bad things which come along but He does not make bad things good - there is a difference there and an important one. Felt that worth adding on.
Now there is a good chance that, when you read the above, you will raise an eyebrow and go "Really??!" for it just sounds so ridiculous. However, there really are people who preach that and not exactly a shortage of them either. And we, more often than we want to admit to it, think that way now and then.
So what are we told, if not the above? We are told we will have trouble for one, but not to fear it (John 16:33). We are told (more than once) that God disciplines those He loves as children (Hebrews 12:6) and discipline, as we should all know, does not tend to be pleasant during the process. We are told that friendship with the world and all it has to offer makes one in opposition to God (James 4:4).
Need more? Take a good look at the apostle Paul.
Paul, previous to his surrendering of his life to Christ, was a pharisee, and not a bottom of the pile one either. He had it all for the day and place he was in. Power, money, influence, prestige, friends, popularity - you name it, he had it. And afterwards? Afterwards he borders on constantly homeless, hunted by former peers and friends alike, hated by no small number of people, tossed into prison more than once and eventually, beheaded. From a worldly perspective, Paul's life did not get better it got worse. However, from an eternal perspective, he gained massively and did not regret that decision even at the end of his days (2 Timothy 4: 7-8). He even went so far as to say that everything he had gained in the world, he counted as loss (Philippians 3:8). This is not even getting into the prophets in the Old Testament (no one ever seemed to like them, but they certainly got results).
"Uh, Troy, you are not making much of a case to follow Christ there bud, maybe you should just stick with all the good grace and mercy stuff."
To what end? So that people would think they are going to say a quick prayer and then everything is just going to instantly come up roses like some cross between winning a lottery and moving into the playboy mansion? So that, when this does not happen, they fall away but yet still think all is good because they said a few words once upon a time? Or perhaps when they have to choose between following God and being popular with people or the opposite sex, they quickly chose a very wrong direction? Or maybe, when things start to go seemingly wrong in their lives they turn on themselves thinking there must be something horribly wrong with them, or that they do not have enough faith, or maybe begin thinking that Jesus will forgive everyone except them?
No thanks, I think I will pass on the false promises of earthly delights and popularity if that is okay with you.
Even Jesus Himself urges us to count the cost of following Him, to ensure we do not start then just walk away (Luke 14: 28-29).
Is not all doom and gloom though. God does promise to take care of us numerous times (Matthew 6: 25-34). He promises to never, ever leave us (Hebrews 13:5), that nothing can separate us from Him (Romans 8: 38-39), that He does (not might, but does) work out everything for the good of those who follow Him (Romans 8:28) and with Him there is real freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17). And oodles upon oodles of other things far too numerous to get into in here.
We are not promised "the easy life", but we are promised one well worth the living. And if you are a believer and things seem to be going not that great at the moment, take heart and know it is for a reason. Perhaps, something in your life that needs looking at, perhaps God is trying to get your attention or perhaps the enemy sees you as a threat or some other reason far beyond either of our understandings, but it is, indeed, for a reason and God is always with you. Remember who you are (Galatians 3:26), Whom it is you belong to (1 Corinthians 6: 19-20) and stand your ground (1 Peter 5:9, 1 Corinthians 16:13, Ephesians 6:13).
*EDIT*
God may give reason and purpose to bad things which come along but He does not make bad things good - there is a difference there and an important one. Felt that worth adding on.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Of Note
Few little clips from my social media page
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"...since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us [and] because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand" ~ Romans 5: 1-2
Sometimes it is hard to remember that we do not deserve what we have been given. We never deserved to be saved in the first place and we never deserved to have the privilege of not only knowing God, but being known by Him. Even John the baptist, who had the Spirit upon him in the womb (Luke 1:15), did not consider himself worthy of Christ (John 1:27). What we deserved and what we have been given are vastly different. Praise be to God for His amazing grace and mercy upon we, who surely do not deserve a single drop of it.
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In this day and age, we have oodles and oodles of books, videos, studies and programs about God and what the Bible says. While many are indeed, wonderful, none of those are a substitute for the actual Word of God. After all, what God says to me may be totally different than what He speaks to you at a given time or situation. And we have many wonderful stories and emotional testimonies and those too have their place but again, they are no substitute for the Bible in the life of a believer. So if you have not opened yours lately, perhaps it is time to do so - see what God has to say rather than what someone else has to say about Him.
"All Scripture is God-breathed.." ~ 2 Tim. 3:16
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away." ~ Matthew 24:35
"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever." ~ Isaiah 40:8
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A sobering thought.
I once heard it said that "we may be in heaven before we ever know how many people are there because of us", which is quite the pleasant thought and is likely, quite true. There is another side though - "how many are NOT there because of us" - not near so pleasant a thought yet, most likely, equally true.
===
"...since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us [and] because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand" ~ Romans 5: 1-2
Sometimes it is hard to remember that we do not deserve what we have been given. We never deserved to be saved in the first place and we never deserved to have the privilege of not only knowing God, but being known by Him. Even John the baptist, who had the Spirit upon him in the womb (Luke 1:15), did not consider himself worthy of Christ (John 1:27). What we deserved and what we have been given are vastly different. Praise be to God for His amazing grace and mercy upon we, who surely do not deserve a single drop of it.
===
In this day and age, we have oodles and oodles of books, videos, studies and programs about God and what the Bible says. While many are indeed, wonderful, none of those are a substitute for the actual Word of God. After all, what God says to me may be totally different than what He speaks to you at a given time or situation. And we have many wonderful stories and emotional testimonies and those too have their place but again, they are no substitute for the Bible in the life of a believer. So if you have not opened yours lately, perhaps it is time to do so - see what God has to say rather than what someone else has to say about Him.
"All Scripture is God-breathed.." ~ 2 Tim. 3:16
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away." ~ Matthew 24:35
"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever." ~ Isaiah 40:8
===
A sobering thought.
I once heard it said that "we may be in heaven before we ever know how many people are there because of us", which is quite the pleasant thought and is likely, quite true. There is another side though - "how many are NOT there because of us" - not near so pleasant a thought yet, most likely, equally true.
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