tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25952537107875128642024-03-05T02:24:35.553-08:00God Forgives, the World ForgetsComing from an Occult lifestyle that lead to trouble with the Law, Joseph Craig speaks about his transformation to Christ, with all the freedom and struggle therein.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-83028730117097869732013-11-18T21:42:00.001-08:002013-11-18T21:42:29.815-08:00Blog RedirectedThis blog has moved to my new website and can be found <a href="http://godforgives.us/god-forgives-world-forgets/">here</a>. Also while you're there take a look around to get a better idea of the rest of the story that lead me to start writing these blogs in the first place. Thanks for everything, but most importantly thanks be to God for the inspiration and the words that he has allowed me to type.<br />
<br />
Thanks,<br />
Joseph Craig<br />
<a href="http://godforgives.us/">GodForgives.Us</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-160594577913069222013-11-10T08:53:00.000-08:002013-11-10T08:53:38.693-08:00Pluto Syndrome<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1njdgk6uOBRj8009dlH9nEYl5sxgviufqKiHbvQ73YUMcUHbUVjBhYzx-bWvmOpIg9AQa26xAVBTz8wdn4x03qVlFeTBv9cUBF6wRiCc3ir0JPot2QPNah8ttsDr5pdn-_bM11AX6ZBc/s1600/PoorPluto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV1njdgk6uOBRj8009dlH9nEYl5sxgviufqKiHbvQ73YUMcUHbUVjBhYzx-bWvmOpIg9AQa26xAVBTz8wdn4x03qVlFeTBv9cUBF6wRiCc3ir0JPot2QPNah8ttsDr5pdn-_bM11AX6ZBc/s320/PoorPluto.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>“How can this be?” Nicodemus
asked. John 3:9<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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We have all
lived through learning something that shook us. Something that we believed and
thought was true was disproven or we were told it was wrong. For many of us
that is the scary times in our lives, for others it’s the greatest moment of
our lives. Many times these things are new discoveries or miracles in our
minds. Now put yourself back 2000 years ago.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I know that
most of the people that read the words that I have written are Christian. Many
of you are probably very strong in your faith and no one can shake your faith.
You could listen to Mormons for weeks and not be shaken or question your faith
what so ever. God has blessed you with the foundation that he calls us to have,
one built upon rock.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now 2000
years ago, let us see ourselves as Jews instead of Christians. We have been
told that a Messiah would come and save us. And just like today I’m sure that
many of us see the world as being so bad that it has to come soon because it
can’t get much worse. So we hope, but we see our world as we do and realize
that there is nothing we can do about it, just as we could do nothing about the
Romans that conquered us.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We go to synagogue
and we pray, we keep our laws the best we can. Many of us are hoping that the
Messiah will come soon to rescue us from the rule of Rome. We’re good Jews
though and hold to our covenant the best we can. We want to be free from the
rule of Rome so bad, but we know that it would take God himself to free us from
Rome. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We have made
up our minds in our fantasies of who and what this Messiah will be. We know
that the Messiah will be something beyond belief. God in the flesh, wow. His
beard must be perfect and take no grooming. A Jew’s Jew. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So we hear
stories and rumors about this man down at the river talking about the Messiah
coming soon. We want to believe, but we’ve heard his kind before. They are the
crazy ones that yell on the corners holding signs. They are all crazy, he doesn’t
even wash his hands properly, he can’t be Jew, let alone someone that God has
given sight to.<o:p></o:p></div>
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A little
more time goes buy and this carpenter’s son starts teaching that the Law is
wrong. Even more that he is the Son of God in the flesh. This is not a Jew’s
Jew, he’s no Messiah. That’s what your friends say. He is teaching all the
wrong things, and he’s not here to free us from Rome. He is not what you
pictured the Messiah as, he can’t be him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Would we
really believe the story unfolding before us? Would we believe that Jesus was
really the son of God? That would be like us today believing the story of John
Smith. He is adding to the bible, and the bible says that you cannot do that.
We can read so many other Christian books to add to our faith as long as they
are not adding to the Bible itself we are OK. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What do you
think writings like these are doing? Building upon the word of God, but I’m not
saying that this is the Book of Joe, stick it in there between 3 John and Jude.
But let us go back to Jesus. He was an amazing man, we saw him do miracles, we
try to corner him with biblical teachings and he knows the word better than
most of us do. But he’s a carpenters son, this can’t be the Messiah.<o:p></o:p></div>
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How hard
would it be for us to believe? Each society had their own beliefs and today is
no different. Christianity is the largest religion in the world, but yet there
are so many people that still do not believe. I want you to think about how
hard it would be to believe when you are raised told that those Christians are
crazy, they believe in things that Science cannot prove. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I mean let
us be honest here, what is your opinion on the sacrifices that Mormons or
Jehovah’s Witnesses make? Is it crazy that the watchtower denies their
followers birthdays? Mormonism’s diet is very strict. We as Christians, what do
we think of these sacrifices? They aren’t godly because our bible doesn’t say
to do these things. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Let me tell
you a secret, the same book that we use to guide our belief is the same book
that the Jehovah’s Witnesses use to prove their way of life. It is all about interpretation
of God’s Word. Am I saying that they are right? No, I can’t believe in that. I
cannot believe that only 144,000 people will be allowed into heaven and be with
God. How do I view their personal sacrifices?
I think that it is impressive that they believe strong enough to deny
themselves of things like that. I am also glad that I am not called to sacrifice
in that way. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Going back
two thousand years ago, how hard do you think it was for Nicodemus to go seek
out Jesus? How hard do you think it was for him to believe Jesus? God opened
his heart and lead him to believe, but I don’t think it was that night that it
all sunk in, because if that was true I doubt he would have asked some of the
questions he had asked later in the gospel.
When our world is shaken to the foundation, it is hard for us to grasp
onto everything. <o:p></o:p></div>
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These world
changes can happen and they happen every day. Every atheist that sees that God
is real, it happens. Every time a Pagan realizes that the Gods they serve are
not truly Gods, it happens. Every time a Satanists realizes that Satan is not
God, it happens. Every time a non-believer is added to the fold, it happens.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The more
solid our foundation in what we are believing now the harder it is to turn from
it. If you want to imagine what it was like for Nicodemus, just think about
what if the Mormons are right for a moment. That’s all you need to do to put
yourself in Nicodemus’ shoes. Now come back to what you believe God is God and
Jesus is Jesus. For Nicodemus to believe
Jesus, it took something in his heart. He believed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now there
are new discoveries nearly every day, but we can handle new understanding and
knowledge when we know that we don’t know what’s there. It is when we believe
we know what is real, that is when it is hard. It is not hard for us to believe
in finding another planet in space that is similar to earth. It’s not hard to
believe in discovery of a new star, but you downgrade Pluto from a planet to a
lesser classification and that’s hard to believe. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What would
happen to your faith if another sentient life form was discovered on many of
the near earth planets out there? Would you doubt God’s word? You shouldn’t,
nowhere in the bible does it say that he didn’t create man on more than one
world. Man might look a bit different somewhere else, but it doesn’t matter, it’s
not a faith thing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So why talk
about this? There are millions of people out there that know what they believe just
as strongly as we know and believe in Christ. How do you reach them? You can’t
only God can. Do you hate child that does not know things? No we teach them.
Sometimes all we are called to do is cast a few seeds in the direction of the
lost. Live by example and tell them why you believe. Look for opportunities to
get to know people and have relationships with them. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You have to
invest yourself into people’s lives a bit. Love first, let God be God. You
realize that you do not have to tell someone that they are a sinner or damned
to fulfill God’s commandments? You can love people as you would desire to be
loved without mentioning God. It is when they ask how or why that you can let
them know the how or why. That how or why, we all know, is God. Love first, let
God be God. Cast the seed and let God water it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>“Faith is not belief
without proof, but trust without reservation.” D. Elton Trueblood<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-87327492084830879312013-11-04T00:22:00.000-08:002013-11-04T12:18:33.521-08:00Pain: the Shortest Path to God<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>“I’m in pain. I’m in
deep trouble. God, save me and keep me safe.” Psalm 69:29 NIRV<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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There is
nothing else in the world that will get a non-believer to pray to God quicker
than pain. Physical, emotional, mental it doesn’t matter the stronger the pain
the more prayer is involved. I find it funny that men and women every day that
do not believe in God turn to him when they are hurting and cannot find a way
to get around the problem at hand. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Psalm 69 is
one of those psalms that just cry out for the hurting, lost, confused or those
in trouble. It is a call and prayer for when you see no other way out. It is
moments like these that people realize that we are not Gods and we cannot fix
these things on our own. I think it’s a reaction that is hard coded into our
being. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For a woman
they say the worst pain one can feel is childbirth; for a man kidney stones.
That’s physical pain, but there are hurts that we can have that run much deeper
than these. Physical pain is something that I have always had a great tolerance
for. It’s those pains that you can’t touch; those are the pains that get me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Pain can
call us to a quick call to Jesus, rarely is it not a scream or yelp that would
be seen by most as vain. Pain can put us on all fours lamenting to the father
to make the pain go away, even if we think he’s not real. People will cry out
to him hoping that in this moment there is something more than them to help
ease their pain. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There is a
power in pain that is found rarely outside of it. When we are hurting in this
way there is a vulnerability that can break even the strongest of shells. It is
those times that we are but a child crying out to our mother or father to make
the pain better. A child learns this because when they hurt and they are
screaming it is mom or dad that picks them up and comforts them. It’s natural
for the parent to do this. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So when we
are older, we still yearn for this. Mom has not been able to pick me up and
pack me for a long time, but it’s not mom that I cry out for anymore. It’s not
dad either. I cry out to God because I know now that Mom and Dad cannot take
care of all the pains that I feel. Today it’s just physical pain of a kidney
stone moving around, but I cry out to God to help me through this. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In that pain
I plead to God more than I do with just about anything else. That reaction is
something that is biblical. The more we hurt the more we cry out to our God.
The more guilty we feel for something that we have done; the more grim our
earthly situation is; the more we cry out to God. Why?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Why is
because we feel so weak and helpless in these situations and we realize the
truth that is all through the bible, nothing we do can be done without God. Our
weakness is amplified by our pain and with that weakness we draw on the one we
should be drawing on for everything. God tells us to bring everything to him.
Every hurt, every joy, every question, bring everything to Him. Prayerfully
consider each and every action that you take. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It seems
like a lot, how can God have time to answer my every question? Because he’s God
and he loves you. We can turn to him when we are hurting so much easier because
we know we are powerless to do anything about the pains that we are going
through. It’s when we are strong and well that our pride keeps us from going to
God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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God wishes
to be involved in all that you do. There is nothing that you should do that God
does not wish to be involved with. God’s not there just for when we hurt, he is
there always. God created us and gave us gifts and talents, and he loves to see
what we do with them. He calls us to glorify him and lift up his name in
celebration. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Every busted
knuckle, stubbed toe, twisted ankle is a reminder that God is right there. Why
did he create pain? Sin required it. I do not see it completely as a punishment;
I think he intended it to be a reminder to us that he is there. That may seem a
little sadistic to a lot of folks, but think about it. When we have ran from
our God that loves us, and refuse to turn to him, it is only in times of great
pain that we reach back to him.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pain is not
a pleasant and happy thing and I’m not trying to make it out to be. Pain hurts,
that’s why it’s pain. How many times do you need to touch that hot eye before
you remember that it hurts to touch it? How many times do you need to try to
fix that absence within you with sex before you realize that it doesn’t work?
How many times do you need to hurt before you remember that God is right there?<o:p></o:p></div>
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God doesn’t
want us to hurt. He wants us to be with him and love him. He wants us to
converse with him always and daily. He wants us to be ever present in his glory.
But we can’t do that when we are trying to do it ourselves. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We are the
little kids that refuse to let their parents help them reach something that is
just outside their reach. We are the teenager that thinks we know best. We are
the adult that is too stubborn to listen to someone that is younger teach you a
better way to do something. We are the Christians that cling too hard to
tradition to realize that we are missing the point of Grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The law
cannot save us; the Grace of Jesus Christ is something that you cannot earn.
The Law cannot stop someone from hurting. The law teaches us a great number of
valuable things, but it cannot replace Jesus; it cannot replace grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
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That does
not mean that we skip the law. We still have to be told, “Don’t touch that it’s
bad for you,” enough times to realize that it’s bad for us. Pain is just that
reminder from the law that God is there and with that comes the fact that you
don’t have to be perfect, you have Grace. Pain is just another way to get us to
let go of the wheel and open up the possibility that God is real. Pain is a
reminder that we are not God. Pain is the annoying teacher who you could not
stand, but are so thankful you experienced it because of what she taught you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>“The aim of the wise
is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain.” Aristotle<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<i><a href="http://godforgives.us/">GodForgives.Us</a></i></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-33567298598338245622013-11-01T10:00:00.000-07:002013-11-01T10:00:47.924-07:00God Loves Fags<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4an85y_THZ_iNLzV9NfrFpYrJUb_qRamvIYkMU-KIn_aT1aEDyFAB013iQ93rcBWlgERhXM1IpjbMXqZsOAbpMcIe9q5DMYvUIQrZwqBplDn3QM5HzrkdmRb7w8k25B5-AHahgzsmXGn6/s1600/fags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4an85y_THZ_iNLzV9NfrFpYrJUb_qRamvIYkMU-KIn_aT1aEDyFAB013iQ93rcBWlgERhXM1IpjbMXqZsOAbpMcIe9q5DMYvUIQrZwqBplDn3QM5HzrkdmRb7w8k25B5-AHahgzsmXGn6/s320/fags.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>“For God so loved the
world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not
perish but may have eternal life.” John 3:16<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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So many
times I have seen and heard people hurt by misuse of faith. I have heard scare
tactics to force someone to change BEFORE they accept Christ or even to say
that they must fix themselves before they can accept Christ. We have all seen
the “God Hates Fags” sign. God hates the sin, not the sinner. <o:p></o:p></div>
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God is
perfect love. God is unconditional love. I have no place to say how God feels
about someone being gay. I do have a commandment from God to Love all neighbors
as I would love myself and that means loving the Gay couple down the street
just as much as it would the atheist across the way. Judgment is not for us to do;
we screw that up all the time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Luckily God
accepts all that come calling to him. That is something that I am truly
thankful for, because I would not be here otherwise. You can look in the bible,
no matter the version you will not find anywhere that God Hates Fags, but yet
Gays are attacked by Christians on a nearly daily basis. They aren’t the only
groups that are attacked. I’m sorry but my fellow Christians, if we spent all
that energy on love the world would be a much better place.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Another
story to share, I have a cousin that was starting to go to church after
struggling with drugs and bad habits that come along with it. He came forward
in the church he was attending and accepted Christ and asked the church to pray
for him to get off of drugs. After the service, one of the Christians there and
his aunt told him that Christ would not accept him as long as he was on drugs
and messing around with the prostitutes in town. He hasn’t been back to church
since. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Things like
that hurt people in ways that is very wrong to me on many levels. This same
kind of mentality hurt me when I was young and contributed to my wandering and
seeking peace, understanding and divinity outside of the Christian faith. We come to the cross broken, and we allow God
to come in through us and serve as our guiding light to help us take step after
step to become more of what God wishes us to be. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Brian “Head”
Welch can tell you <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEc5wodqu4g">his testimony</a> about how broken he came to the cross and what
God did for him and through him. You can go out to YouTube and see thousands of
videos about how God saved someone from Drugs, Sexual Addictions, and from
themselves. Not one person can come to the cross perfect. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We were born
into sin, the flesh that we wear is made of sin and thus it dies. So from the
moment we are born we are not perfect. There is not one person alive today that
can go to the cross perfect. If we were perfect we would not need the cross. So
before you cast that stone at the woman at the abortion clinic, or the women
walking down the road holding hands, or the guy on the corner begging for food,
just stop for a moment and ask yourself, “What would it help?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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You’ll find
that throwing stones does nothing but cause harm. Would it be better to love on
people like that? The woman at the clinic might feel that this is the only way
for her, or there could be a much larger story there. I do not believe that
women that go to those places do it because they want to kill their baby. They
are probably in a very bad spot and hurting with something that they see no way
out of. Love her.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Those women
walking together, you ever think they might just be friends. Even if they are
not, how many times have these women been hurt by men? Even more than that, if
you are truly worried about their salvation telling them they are going to burn
in hell won’t help anything. Start your conversation like you would any other
couple. Ask them how long they have been together and find out more about them.
Then invite them to church, but do it only after you have loved them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Do you love
God? Do you love Jesus? Do you want everyone else to love them? I don’t think a
lot of Jews loved Hitler. Don’t make the God we love out to be Hitler. Don’t help
people that have a bad opinion about Christ and God have validation for that
opinion. You and I know that God is Grace, Mercy and Love. Show that! Love
people, show them mercy and grace. Be God in all you do. Stop the hate
mongering. Stop the judging. Start the Loving. Start letting hope shine through
you so people see the God we love and respect.</div>
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<i>“Darkness cannot drive
out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can
do that.” Martin Luther King, Jr.</i> <o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-50740005288788297182013-10-27T13:22:00.000-07:002013-10-27T13:22:37.685-07:00Hell's Beautiful Lie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3eHnSYXRbX7qctl_sccuE6kjCQSAxldzklkbsETdNjc_mfcjconPdZIETT8m0nEDN7tNy4NZiGMJiAfh2Wr6eJwc2uVEBrHPjmosRg_rb5ygXGHMWRMtS2YkE-lmEcc6_DMs9s348DzWq/s1600/Al+Pacino.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3eHnSYXRbX7qctl_sccuE6kjCQSAxldzklkbsETdNjc_mfcjconPdZIETT8m0nEDN7tNy4NZiGMJiAfh2Wr6eJwc2uVEBrHPjmosRg_rb5ygXGHMWRMtS2YkE-lmEcc6_DMs9s348DzWq/s320/Al+Pacino.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>“He was in the world,
and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.”
John 1:10<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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We see hell’s
lies everywhere we look. The lie of hell is present in all things. Hell is full
of many of the best liars that the world has seen. These guys are big on PR and
marketing, that’s why Hell looks so beautiful these days and heaven seems like
such a boring place. It’s a big PR campaign instead of a war like we see on the
news every day. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Hell has
everything you are looking for. Hell has everything you need. You do not have to
restrain yourself or do anything that you don’t want to do. Sex, drugs,
parties, yep it has it all. Fame and fortune you can have that too. Remember to
be a Christian you have to sacrifice all of that. Sex, yeah that’s the first
thing you have to give up. Only for kids that’s it, just like the other
animals. You like sex don’t you? Of course you do, why would you want to be a
Christian then?<o:p></o:p></div>
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PR has even
hit Christians enough to make them believe it. I know a lot of metal heads that
will tell you that will tell you God loves to rock. Sex is a gift from God that
we have been given to share with our spouse. But that’s not what Hell’s lie is.
No their lie goes deeper than that. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You want to
be successful? Well you got to be of the world to be successful and well you
just can’t do that being Christian. Hell
will use God’s own works against the followers and believers. When I was a
Satanist I read the bible quite a bit. Why would a Satanist use the bible? In
the bible there is a lot of stuff that men do not understand without God
showing them what it means. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Why would
God ask anyone to give his son up as an offering? Better yet, and pagans love
this one, why would God say to hold no other gods above him if there were no
other gods? Without the understanding that anything that you put above god is
an idol or another God their statement would hold water. So using the same
words that Christians use against them puts a lot of Christians in a spot where
they do not know what to say or do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That is part
of the point, doubt. If one of the lost see this moment of doubt, that is a
point for the devil. But again, many times the beautiful lie is not targeting
the soul and faith directly. Let’s just occupy you with things that you love.
Idle hands are the devil’s plaything, not anymore. Let people become so busy
they have no time to even consider God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Both parents
are now working, and can still only just make ends meet. If you are going to be
successful, you have to dress the part. You want your kids to be successful,
well they have to have a good balance of extracurricular activities and go to a
good college. Well that costs more money so we have to work more. Busy, busy,
busy…<o:p></o:p></div>
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But hey you
got that McMansion. You are driving the latest and greatest SUV this one
getting a whole 19 MPG. You’ve got the iEverything. You have it going on. You’ve
got everything just like Hell promised. So why are you so unhappy that you find
yourself finding a reason to drink, always arguing with your spouse and have no
idea what your children actually like, so you buy them the lasts iThing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You are
feeding the machine, just like Hell asked you to do. That’s what you got to do
to be successful right? Well you’ve come this far, next you are going to have
to join a country club to network with more people. Yep we can make a few sacrifices
so daddy can join up to make a little more.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Don’t forget
that perfect lawn. What you have is a new law that you cannot fulfill. As <a href="http://www.gracelifeinternational.com/">Grace Life International</a> would say, you have all these ways that you try to
fill your buckets, but they have a whole in them. Hell has you. But you go to
church, but do you have the love of God within you. But I always vote
republican and fight abortion. Good for you, but you are missing the cause. Do
you share love?<o:p></o:p></div>
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The world
tells you things, and it doesn’t matter if you are Democrat, Republican,
Socialists, Tea Party or Communist, if you take that walk without the Love of
Christ you will fall short. If you are doing all these things to be successful,
but do it without God you will fall short. You fill your time with bake sales,
choir, and helping the homeless, great, but do you do it with the love of Christ
in your heart or so people will love you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The road to
hell is paved with good intentions. We tried for a long time to live by the law
and fell short, that’s why Grace was given to us. Hell’s beautiful lie does not
hold water against the one truth of God. You like heavy metal, keep it, God still
loves you. You like tattoos and piercings, keep them, God still loves you. You
like to play Dungeons and Dragons, Call of Cthulhu, and Shadowrun, keep doing
it, God still loves you. If any of these things inhibit your faith, discard it,
but let God guide you in that, not man.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hell’s lie
is that the only way to have fun is to not be a Christian, their boring. Hell’s
lie tells us that they are the only way to be successful. Hell’s lie is that if
you are going to be a Christian you have to do all these things, keep up the
law, never sin, be perfect, be a cookie cutter of those church kids that look
so perfect. Hell’s lie tells you that’s the only way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That’s
exactly why it’s a lie. There is so many Christian Rock, rap or metal bands out
there. Right now there is an organization that is taking up a <a href="http://sanctuary.bigcartel.com/product/donate-pastor-bob-s-birthday-tattoo">fund to get oneof their pastors a tattoo</a>, but it’s a 50/50 split between tattoo and supporting
a homeless organization. God doesn’t want you to sacrifice fun for him. He
wants you to bring him into your fun. If you focus on God and allow him to
guide you, you will be successful in ways that you may have never through been
possible. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Christians
are meek and cannot fight, tell that to Fedor Emelianenko, Matt Hughs,
Wanderlei Silva or Chris Weidman. The list is long for Christian MMA fighters,
and then there are thousands of Christian men and women in the armed forces. I
will quote <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFXEcSvzLxQ">Pastor Bob Beeman</a> when asked a question of do I have to give up
metal music to be Christian, “I think you will find that your love of music
will only increase, I know mine sure has.” He also went on to say that the
bands specificly that will be a personal conviction. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I know in my
walk from Satanism to Christianity there were only a few bands that I stopped
listening to and they were Cradle of Filth and Diocide. Later I have replaced
them with bands like <a href="http://www.demonhunter.net/">Demon Hunter</a>, <a href="https://myspace.com/warofages">War of Ages</a> and many other Rock groups. My
taste in music did not change as much as the taste in what substance I was
taking in. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now I did
cut out a lot of things that were not healthy when I converted to Christ, and
still fight with cutting a few more things out. Let me let you know a little
secret, none of us are perfect. The preacher on stage every Sunday, nope not
even him. We are perfected through Grace alone. Through Jesus we have been
perfected, not through any act of our own. Don’t believe Hell’s pretty lies,
there are a lot of actors, PR guys and lawyers down there to help them out. <o:p></o:p></div>
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God loves
you, let him celebrate with you and you will find that Christians can have
quite a bit of fun, when they let themselves. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>“There should be only
one philosophy: Living by God’s commandments. Then people will treat everybody
how they would want to be treated.” Fedor Emelianenko<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://godforgives.us/">GodForgives.Us</a></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-16451000962727589152013-10-24T23:01:00.003-07:002013-10-25T09:06:44.458-07:00Mustard Seed of Faith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVh16tGUXaM6X2tXHxtv2dRG-p_3bA6bLZTj2kCv_OzRIGTVHt2MFxnTWkT9J3eR7FO0T37jcD-vK5a_1CdYAQGG_kRxjT74wGLct9frpXO_QkvWjNJr2UtgUK8FLolAPEBsyOthQxCMng/s1600/mustard-tree_mist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVh16tGUXaM6X2tXHxtv2dRG-p_3bA6bLZTj2kCv_OzRIGTVHt2MFxnTWkT9J3eR7FO0T37jcD-vK5a_1CdYAQGG_kRxjT74wGLct9frpXO_QkvWjNJr2UtgUK8FLolAPEBsyOthQxCMng/s320/mustard-tree_mist.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>And he said to them, “Why
are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and
the sea; and there was a dead calm. Matthew 8:26<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I have been
blessed as of late with many things of God and once again taken back by the awesome
that is God. I have met people and have had conversations that I could not have
had without him. I have been given a wealth of words to put to paper that I
will get credit for, when they truly are not my words. Dead asleep by midnight
and awake again with words to write by 1am. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Through
these encounters however I have been given insight that can build towards a bit
of wisdom. One of the people that I have had the pleasure to meet recently is a
man named <a href="http://www.refugeministries.cc/">Jeff Harsbarger</a>, a man whose walk to Christ was very like my own, he
just returned to Christ 25 years before I did. Listening to some of his words a
quote really moved me because of the truth of it, “Too many Christians are
concerned with reacting to the Devil, when all they have to do is respond to
God.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is a
truth in that statement of true power. I’m sure that had something to do with
the inspiration for this topic. I have talked about faith quite a few times,
but this time I want to focus on a few different examples. In the Bible, Jesus
tells us time and time again just how powerful Faith is, and even among his
disciples who are right there with him, how little faith we can have. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Jesus tells
us that with faith the size of a mustard seed a mountain can be tossed into the
sea. Jesus tells us that all he does, he does in faith of the Father. The only
time that he was not able to do miracles of magnitude was in his home town with
doubt and fear around him. There were more people that did not believe than
there were believers I feel. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Even with
that though, he was able to heal the sick. I have pondered on the parable of
the mustard seed more than once and I often asked why a mustard seed was used.
We are told that it is a very small seed and it grows into a tree large enough
for birds to take nest there. In this there is a deeper meaning of why Christ
chose the mustard seed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Each of us starts
with a seed of Faith within us. This seed is watered and nurtured and eventually
begins to sprout with proper care, just as any other seed does. This begins to
grow in us and develops roots. This seed is the seed of our faith. It sprouts
within us and begins to grow. Even in its infancy there is power in that faith.
<o:p></o:p></div>
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From the beginning
we are called to just draw closer to God through love. We are told that we have
been brought into God’s covenant and that he is our tower of refuge. We are
told that our faith from the beginning is powerful enough to move mountains. We
have a hard time keeping this in our minds when the seas are not calm.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Even the
disciples had fears and doubts, we are not perfect. Only Jesus was perfect, and
we are made perfect through Christ Jesus. I tell you though, Jesus is right,
faith the size of a mustard seed is capable of changing the world. Many times
it is changed in ways that we do not recognize or realize. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The faith
that we have in God is what keeps us safe. It is what keeps us on track with God’s
purpose. How can faith of a mustard seed change the world, by continual growth
and willingness to listen to God’s will and purpose. Demons had no power with
Christ. Christ dwells within us. The demons even feared the Son of God and
begged him. How can they have power of us if Christ dwells within us? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Without
faith the sea will remain rough. Without taking up your cross daily and walking
with God daily we neglect that patch of dirt that our seed is planted in and
allows weeds to grow in to choke out our faith. Ever diligent and ever faithful
will we keep to what God wishes for us.
I have been encouraged by what God has taught me through the words he
has blessed me with. These things are not mine, it’s a God thing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What keeps
us where the devil wants us? Doubt and fear. The only power that he has over us
relies in us forgetting that he has no power over us. “Greater is he that
dwells in us than dwells in the world.” I may sound like a broken record, but
Faith is that important. <o:p></o:p></div>
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When I was
an Occultist there was a question that was asked constantly, “How does magic
work?” The answer is one that Christians will be familiar with, through the
belief that it will be done. It is our human will that puts forth our belief
and our faith that something will be done. We believe that we are protected in
Christ and have faith in the father and it is done. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It is not
that we are making it happen, we believe in the truths that we have been told
in the bible and through the testimonies of those far more wise than we are. I
am still a toddler in my walk with God. Even at this point though there is
power in the faith that has been built within me that no one can take from me,
save the Lord. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Job is
always a hard read for me because of all he goes through. And I understand that
it is supposed to be a testament to endurance and perseverance, but honestly
not many Christians want to experience what Job went through. He was blessed in
the end, but went through hell on earth. In that though the encouragement that
I get from it is just how much of a stalwart he was to the truth that God was
God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Job
questioned why God was doing these things to him, but never denied God the
right. We are his children. Job stood his ground against the devil and was
blessed. I do not believe that all of us have to go through these struggles as Job
did, not to that level anyway, but look at how many people were blessed by his
story. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I leave with
one last point. Your faith is not something to keep to yourself. Your faith is
to be shared, go out and share the good news is what we are called to do as
disciples. So where is the light of your faith? Do you have it tucked away
under a bowl, or do you have it as a lamp for others to find the God that has
blessed you? You want your mustard seed to grow into a tree; it is going to
need some sun for that. You got to pull it out and that means other people will
see it and want to ask you about it. That’s the scary part isn’t it, talking
about your story and how you came to Christ and taking the risk that the person
will reject you because you’re one of those crazy “God hates fags” people. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I would not
be a Christian right now if someone had not reached out to me and shared their
story. Pull your tree out of your pocket and let people see it. You don’t want
to have a tree in your pocket anyway, watering it really wouldn’t be that
pleasant of an experience now would it?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>“We are not cisterns
made for hoarding, we are channels made for sharing.” Billy Graham<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://godforgives.us/">GodForgives.Us</a></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-49422994952980625952013-10-23T11:21:00.000-07:002013-10-23T11:21:16.514-07:00Remember to Live<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqG3A9VWXVLPGQK-w2d8EH0txA2nD_aMTbLqKkw-qn1MQvDAnSp2sdoo-g9XtzVO_aOHu2NI6XPOQ8gKsD4RxiCBO6MJr1moSVG2ZtQU3H6Nh3p-Ccegauysy4E3BMsRoGa32g7GygSa42/s1600/AdultsAtPlay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqG3A9VWXVLPGQK-w2d8EH0txA2nD_aMTbLqKkw-qn1MQvDAnSp2sdoo-g9XtzVO_aOHu2NI6XPOQ8gKsD4RxiCBO6MJr1moSVG2ZtQU3H6Nh3p-Ccegauysy4E3BMsRoGa32g7GygSa42/s320/AdultsAtPlay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>“A man may beget a
hundred children, and live many years; but however many are the days of his
years, if he does not enjoy life’s good things, or has no burial, I say that a
stillborn child is better off than he.” Ecclesiastes 6:3<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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One of the
things that I find ironic in the books of wisdom is a theme that goes between
each of the books, but in the two books that are seem as the most downtrodden in
the bible, Ecclesiastes and Job, the theme is spoken loudest. The theme that I’m
talking about tucked away nice and neatly in between suffering is remember to
enjoy life. God did not create us just to die; he wanted us to enjoy what he
has made.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have heard
many sermons over the years talking about taking the time to enjoy the beauty
of the earth and everything that God has created for us. I have also heard as
many stories saying just how short this life is going to be and keep in waiting
for Heaven. Both are good advice, but I cannot help but go back to Ecclesiastes
6:3 and many other passages in Ecclesiastes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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God created
us to be good shepherds and caretakers of creation. We look back to Genesis and
see this, it was only after we sinned that we were made to toil. Even in that
toiling we are given pleasures that God did not have to give us, but did
anyway. God gave us life to live, and if we are not taking time to enjoy life
then we are missing out on the little pieces of heaven that God has given us
each and every day. <o:p></o:p></div>
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God gave us
an imagination so vivid that we can create our own worlds and stories.
Storytelling is a big part of who we started out being, that’s how we first
shared our religion and faith. I think that is a big reason why we are called
to give our testimony and share the good news. I think a lot of the good news
that we could be telling has been missed over the years mostly because we have
not taken time as Christians to enjoy the blessings of this world to the
fullest. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now am I
saying go out and live reckless, not really. What I’m saying is take some time
to do the things you enjoy doing. I know a few Christians that can’t answer the
question of, “What do you like to do for fun?” That, my friends, is depressing.
We are missing one of the biggest blessings that God has given us. We are here
for only a short time so enjoy the things that God has given you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Enjoy your
spouse and just love each other. When you got together you obviously had enough
fun that you decided you wanted to spend the rest of your life with them. So
spend time with them and enjoy what God has blessed you with. Marriage is a
covenant and a blessing to those together. Remember it, enjoy it, and love in
it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Take time to
smell the roses. God made it all then gave it to us. We are stewards of the
Earth and with that we should do our part to take care of the creation and part
of that is enjoying it. When is the last time you stopped at a scenic overlook?
When is the last time you looked at your spouse? When is the last time you went
for a walk, not a run or jog, but a walk? When is the last time you looked up
at the sky and noticed it’s beauty? If it’s not been that long good, but when
is the last time you took the time to do something you enjoyed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Are you too
busy to be with God? Are you too busy to watch football? Do you enjoy Football?
Well God can be there with you when you watch it. God is with us always and in
all things. Husbands love your wife. Wives love your husbands. They might
irritate you and annoy you at times, but you love them. Love keeps no count of
wrongs. Love always forgives. Love is pure. Conduct your marriage this way and
you’ll do fine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You have
kids, love them and spend time with them. Some of my fondest memories growing
up were passing tools to my dad as we were working on cars or when we were
building something. These things are
things that God has given us to enjoy and love. You know those stupid songs
that you and your friends in high school or college would sing. When’s the last
time you spun one of those songs up and just sung along and allowed your child
to come out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you play
those songs around your kids, you pass them on to your kids. We are made in God’s
image and God created man and woman as his children. So he has given us the
ability to create sons and daughters in our image. They receive impressions
from you. Forgetting that you love your wife and allowing them to only see the
negative side of things puts negative impressions on your kids and what
marriage is supposed to be.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We are
called to Love. We have talents and things that we enjoy. We are called to
enjoy life as well. Solomon was clear in his writings that it is godly to
laugh, smile and live. It is Godly to take your wife into your arms and embrace
her. It is Godly to just get in the car with the windows down listening to
music. It is Godly to dance and sing. It is Godly to tell stories. It is Godly
to have fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So why are
Christians seen as so stuck up? God called us to do these things and do them
through Love. Love God and love others. How can a person love if they do not
laugh? How can a person know love if they know not joy? Without the joys of
life you cannot know love, and if you do not know love you cannot know God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Want to draw
closer to God? Start thanking him for what he has done instead of asking why he
hasn’t done what’s next for you, or what you think is next for you. God has a
plan, and sometimes you have to just trust that he knows what he’s doing and
enjoy life anyway. Let me tell you if God did not want me to do things that I
enjoy my blessings would be much different.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If anyone
has spent time with me they will notice that I love to have fun, but we all do.
Do something fun today. We are here only a little while, so enjoy the creation
while you can. Don’t sit lifeless waiting to die so you can live forever. Eternal life doesn’t have to start after you’re
dead. I believe that God wants us to start living it now. We live it now and
continue living it when we are back with the father. Live Life, laugh and sing,
dance and tell stories, play games and be with one another. After all it is
Good.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>“Make a joyful noise
to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.”
Psalm 98:4<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-53388151687116489422013-10-20T13:25:00.000-07:002013-10-20T13:25:37.257-07:00Dungeons and Dragons, a Gateway to Evil?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboddTgbJzcPrFNPDnRcs5XoKhFkCXSt2ZCqST6TmUyn1uetoJXYVmVGbBNQ7Lk49dujz22MqIXm3i5jmPvtWiY0swmvnaUq3aOXxnNcQWt9sJj04kNC0lNBGDfm3Vsqt3CHewtWl_p-8t/s1600/Dragons-of-Massive-Geek-dungeons-and-dragons-1004082_771_762.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboddTgbJzcPrFNPDnRcs5XoKhFkCXSt2ZCqST6TmUyn1uetoJXYVmVGbBNQ7Lk49dujz22MqIXm3i5jmPvtWiY0swmvnaUq3aOXxnNcQWt9sJj04kNC0lNBGDfm3Vsqt3CHewtWl_p-8t/s320/Dragons-of-Massive-Geek-dungeons-and-dragons-1004082_771_762.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>“But one is tempted by
one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; then, when that desire has
conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when fully grown, gives birth
to death. Do not be deceived, my beloved.” James 1:14-16<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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In a recent
conversation I was asked about what influence Dungeons and Dragons had on my
fall from Christianity to Satanism. Now for a lot of people this is simply an
absurd question, but there are many people that remember the Satanic scare and
the blame of Dungeons and Dragons in some murders and such. These things have
taken hold in the mind of some Christians to the point that they can see
D&D as a gateway drug to Occultism and Satanism.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For me, this
was not the case. Yes I grew up playing Dungeons and Dragons and reading fantasy
novels of swords and sorcery, but I don’t think that these things had that much
impact in my life choices to follow the road to the Occult. There were a lot of
reasons and influences in my fall from grace, if you will.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was raised
and taken to church by my mother up until I was five. We lived in Eastern
Kentucky at that time and we moved to Tennessee at that time. When we moved my
mother did not find a church so we stopped going to church until I was asked if
I wanted to go to a Youth Group at a church when I was in 5<sup>th</sup> grade.
Mrs. Harris I thank you for that. Women English teachers have been some of the
most influential people in my life. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I started
going and by the time I was 11 I had been saved and baptized, but even by this
time I had seen things that I didn’t talk about because people thought I was a
weird enough kid as it were. I didn’t think that telling people that I have
seen people walking around bridges and I knew they weren’t really there would
not help my case for being normal, whatever that really means. When I was
baptized things were not exactly as I had expected them to be.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was
attacked spiritually with waking visions, audible voices and typical
schizophrenic activities. Of course when an 11 year old kid tried to explain
this to my preacher, he thought I was telling stories or acting out for
attention. Whatever the reason, I was not believed. If my preacher would not
believe this spiritual thing that I was going through there is no way that my
mom and friends would believe me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So I felt
isolated and alone and tried to deal with it on my own and eventually gave up.
I thought at that time it was a Baptist thing. So I started researching on my
own and learning what I could, but I was not going to church anymore. I was
angry at God the situation and everything else about what I had gone
through. Eventually I just let go and
gave up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I would come
back to it every few years but at that time I was seeking a higher
understanding and enlightenment. I was changing and had a reputation for being
an angry boy who would get into fights. I didn’t have too many friends and
ended up reading more about Dungeons and Dragons than playing it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My searches
and studies had taken me to looking at the older religions. I was trying to find
a truth among what people believed as long ago as I could find. I would look
for themes and understanding and I found a few “truths” about the power that
human beings have. A few of these are validated even in Christian thought. The biggest
was that humans have dominion over spirits.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Humans have
power of spirits. So spirits are real, and I can make them do what I want. I
knew that spirits were real; I had seen them and felt them. By this time I was focused
more on the power of the mind and not really concerned with fantasy stories.
Then someone told me another truth that I knew but was looking for validation
for. Magic is real.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This was not
the sorcery magic from Fantasy novels. It was more akin to force of will and
the ability to affect the world through your will. So I tested it, and it
worked. I didn’t realize at that time I was already prey to demons and other
energies that were leading me down the road to Satanism. The only thing that
Role Playing games did for me was put me in touch with my wife. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I had
studied magic and occult for a while and got involved with a few guys that
practiced the darker arts, which showed me how to spot demons for the first
time. Well these demons were just tormented spirits mostly, but I was still naïve.
It would be years before I would be calling myself a Satanist.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What role
did these games have in my fall? Not much of anything really, in fact that was
the first thing to completely go when I converted to Satanism. The sinful man
knows only toil. There is no rest for the wicked. All those saying are very
true. I worked, lived and breathed sin. Rolling dice on Friday night and eating
Cheetos did not condemn me. My actions and belief condemned me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Video games
did not corrupt my spirit. Rejection, judgment and condemnation corrupted what
was supposed to be love. Isolation allowed me and the demons to do all the harm
in the world to me. An abusive first marriage didn’t help things, and a lack of
having time to play games and have fun certainly didn’t help. I had no release
and was so obsessed with what I had become that I was blind to how stupid it
all really was. <o:p></o:p></div>
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1<sup>st</sup>
Corinthians chapter 10 holds a truth I learned on that path as well. The
deities that pagans worship are demons. I found that truth when I was a
Satanist and it was an essential passage to help draw me back to Christ. That truth
was very much needed for me at that point.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What got me
on that road? Being isolated, judged, condemned, hated, outcast, different, and
too smart for my own good without the wisdom to see how foolish I was. There is
a whole list, but movies, video games and Dungeons and Dragons are not things on
the list. Could it for someone? Yeah, but more times than not it is a
collection of things. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I fully
believe that it is not one thing that drives people from Christ and into any
other direction they go. It is a collection of influences that draw us down
into the darkness. For without the light of God we live in darkness. I am
always nervous talking about my fall. I used Christian writing to learn more
about demons many times. I know that temptation and curiosity can lead to
further studies into the dark, and it’s dangerous. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In several
movies, philosophies and stories there is a message that has led to the warning
that I give now. Nietzsche I think says it best, “And if you gaze for long
enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” Don’t go there… just
don’t. Not for the sake of understanding. Don’t open those doors, leave them
alone because each one you open lets something know who you are and gives you
more you have to fight. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Spiritual
Warfare is hard enough without a Smite Evil spell in our back pocket. No matter
how long you play D&D you will not be able to throw fireballs. No matter
how many times you read Harry Potter you will not produce the patronus charm.
And if you think these things are evil, but approve of Narnia because the
author was a great Christian Scholar I feel you may want to reconsider the
prior. Stories, games and movies do not make people evil.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you do
not know love, you will replace it with hate. A bully will create more evil
than every book that has been written. A bully can be more dangerous than the “Satanic
Bible” by Anton LeVey. The story that the Satanic Bible preaches is one that we
hear every day. We are in control of our lives and can do what we wish. We are
an army of one. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We hold the
true power, and thus our own little gods. But let me tell you friends, there is
only one God, and his son died for us all. He came to tell us to love God and
love others. You can try to drive the car all you want, but if you want to get
where you’re going, you might want to give dad the wheel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>“D&D was a
training ground for our imagination.” Vin Diesel<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-63667182856796904332013-10-20T11:58:00.000-07:002013-10-20T11:58:38.071-07:00Don't Fear the Silence<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DJtQT7YcJ4YTNNxxpDZfytMAxwLK1Sb8NeVsIEGA9r2_AR33EmXOBpW36D4UcGKIzqrM-jw7V6C72jGNlYtK-AC0ZEyUXXD9AF3-RUOVEAyEcr_UIdoMacwB4ZeF2DY2YVY-D3ItwtJr/s1600/silence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9DJtQT7YcJ4YTNNxxpDZfytMAxwLK1Sb8NeVsIEGA9r2_AR33EmXOBpW36D4UcGKIzqrM-jw7V6C72jGNlYtK-AC0ZEyUXXD9AF3-RUOVEAyEcr_UIdoMacwB4ZeF2DY2YVY-D3ItwtJr/s320/silence.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>“Happy is the person
who meditates on wisdom and reasons intelligently,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Who reflects on his
heart and on her ways and ponders her secrets,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Pursuing her like a
hunter, and lying in wait on her paths;<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Who peers through her
windows and listens at her doors;” Sirach 14:20-23<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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That old
saying, “You have two ears and one mouth because you are supposed to listen
twice as much as you speak,” is great advice. Today we are a people that have
every kind of impulse and distraction in front of us. You could say that it is
so hard to get a quiet moment, let alone a quiet moment with God.<o:p></o:p></div>
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All through
the bible we are told that we are supposed to be quiet and meditate on God’s
word and listen to his voice, guidance and instruction. Today we have T.V.s
with hundreds of channels and have access to distractions and noise at the
click of a mouse or a swipe of a smart phone. Knowledge is right at our
fingertips and we are a culture of ADHD. In all of that how are we supposed to
find quiet?<o:p></o:p></div>
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This topic brings
to mind one of my favorite books, Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk. In this book the
author writes about how we are addicted to noise and sound and has some really
great quotes about life in general. It is a great philosophical read about the human
condition. One of my favorite quotes from the book is a reference to 1984 by
Orwell:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>“Big
Brother isn’t watching. He’s singing and dancing. He’s pulling rabbits out of a
hat. Big Brother’s busy holding your attention every moment you’re awake. He’s
making sure you’re always distracted. He’s making sure you are fully absorbed.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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With propagandas
in our face every second of every day it is no surprise that we have become so
absorbed with consumerism. Marketing says that we have to get the message, ploy
or product in front of as many people as often as you can afford to. The world
wants your attention and we give it to the world. To raise our children we must
make sure that they not only go to school but have one or two after school
programs that keep them busy and four hours of homework every night. That’s
what they need to stay out of trouble.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If we are to
meditate on God’s word daily, what does that mean? Does that mean Yoga? What is
the draw of yoga besides the things the world tells us? It is a stress
reduction technique and much more. It is a way to relieve stress, tension and
offer peace. It is a really healthy thing that is needed in this world right
now. Many people that cannot take time out to just have some peace and quiet to
be with themselves and the ones they love will sit and be quiet in this
activity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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At least
they are getting a few moments of peace. When is the last time you sat and
listened to the rain fall outside? When was the last time you just sat quietly
and cleared your mind of everything that was going on in it? We need quiet. It
is in this quiet that we hear God’s voice most clearly. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The man in
the bible that is thought of as being the most wise human being in the bible is
Solomon. God poured wisdom into him like a fount. I find it funny that he says
more than anyone else the word Meditate. Webster defines Meditate as spending
time in quiet thought for religious purposes or relaxation. Be quiet and
listen. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You cannot
listen when you speak. You must hold quiet so you can hear. Turn off the TV,
close the computer. Turn off the phones, tablets and game systems. Take a deep
breath and as you exhale clear your mind of everything you are keeping track
of. Say a prayer to God and then just sit quietly for a minute. May mercy,
peace, and love be yours in abundance (Jude 1:2). It’s there for you, but you
just have to be willing to accept it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Peace is a
gift from God just as Salvation is, but like Salvation we have an obligation to
seek it and hold quietly upon it. With a world of distractions how can we as a
people be listening to God? Do we wonder why the world has grown so far from
God and we hesitate to call ourselves Christians because we don’t want to be
associated with some people that call themselves Christian. Oh I’m Christian
but I’m not <i>that</i> kind of Christian. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We cannot
serve the world and serve God. We cannot listen to the world and listen to God
at the same time. We cannot talk and hear at the same time. Stop waiting for
your turn to speak and take your long past turn to listen. God is waiting on
you to turn your face to him and you can’t if your face is staring at Wolf Blitzer,
the latest reality show, or the stock market. How hard is it to kiss your
spouse without looking at them?<o:p></o:p></div>
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How hard is
it to love someone that you are ignoring? It’s impossible. It is also
impossible for you to receive love when you are similarly distracted. Take a
walk and be with God. Maybe you need to start a little closer to the flesh and
take a walk with your family, or just have dinner with them. Spend time with
them by spending time with them, not occupying the same room with them to be
distracted by, “Whoo hoo new building!” or checking what crops need to be
harvested in Farmville. <o:p></o:p></div>
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How can you
draw closer to the blood that you share in your home if you have no interest in
learning about them? We are noiseaholics and have allowed ourselves to become
fully taken in by the distractions of the world. You are strange when you say
that you don’t watch TV or don’t have Netflix. We must share the love of Christ
with others, but we also have to have the time to receive it ourselves. The
importance of being quiet and sitting with God and then being with other people
is without paramount. <o:p></o:p></div>
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How can we
Love God with all our heart and Love others as we love ourselves if we do not
take the time required to actually love them? I’m not talking about dedicating
more time to study of God’s word, but that helps. What I’m saying is for one
day, one night, one hour turn off all distractions and just be. Take a minute
or hour to be with God and then do the same with those around you. Loving
others requires interaction with others. <o:p></o:p></div>
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No matter
how successful you are, you can still find yourself lonely and alone even when
you are surrounded by people. No matter how poor you are, you can spend a little
time with the Lord or with another person to share the love that we all have
been given. Love doesn’t cost any amount of money and money can only complicate
it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The greatest
gift that you can give your wife is love and affection. The greatest gift you
can give your husband is love and affection. The greatest gift you can receive from
God is Love. Love is all that God asks in return. Can Candy Crush love you?
Will Farmville teach you anything about God’s plan for us? Can WoW give us
peace, mercy and love? What is distracting you from being in love? What is
keeping you from peace today? Turn it off. God has a plan for every problem. No
matter how big the bug in your code, you won’t figure it out until you step
away from it. God’s there in that too. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One hour,
give it a try… at worst you just wasted an hour of the day, we do a lot more
than that flipping channels or on youtube watching cats do silly things. How
bad can it be to waste it on God?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>“There are worse things
you can do to the people you love than kill them. The regular way is just to
watch the world do it. Just read the newspaper.” Chuck Palahniuk, Lullaby<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-17320630116878848162013-10-18T10:46:00.000-07:002013-10-18T10:46:24.697-07:00After the Cross<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZX46R-Nm8gr_IPHgYKEbypDr1OuN2mkS5XlAra7XvY5PcB9MOB3tKhMUxs9Bz7bjmyQTt3PgH6ZyGRxwtFc-O4Q4p5IBcIoevx-PQgDtoFf9-I_yQ_vFG9YX0rswJts6yNZk4heeixROl/s1600/shadowofthecross.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZX46R-Nm8gr_IPHgYKEbypDr1OuN2mkS5XlAra7XvY5PcB9MOB3tKhMUxs9Bz7bjmyQTt3PgH6ZyGRxwtFc-O4Q4p5IBcIoevx-PQgDtoFf9-I_yQ_vFG9YX0rswJts6yNZk4heeixROl/s320/shadowofthecross.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>“Brothers and sisters,
if someone is caught in sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that
person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each
other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians
6:1-2<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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To continue
with the theme of the recent articles, I wanted to discuss what’s next. We have
walked the journey to the Cross and accepted Christ and have been baptized for
our rebirth. Now what? <o:p></o:p></div>
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To start I
want to reflect for a moment over Galatians 6 for a moment. Each of us have
been caught up in a sin that we cannot seem to break free from. Paul talks
about his affliction of the flesh and Peter tells us about the things that he
wishes he would do he does not, but the things he desires not to do is what he
ends up doing instead.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Galatians
gives us some instruction on how to help our family with this cycle, but I
think of a bigger thing with this verse. I mean this verse can go down to
someone that has a habit of telling white lies to allowing his thoughts dwell
on sinful desires a bit too much. Many times we are able to forgive the person
that is having this issue and able to take up the advice in Galatians 6 and
gently restore the person. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What if the
sin they were caught up in was something “more” than lust driven thoughts? What
if it were as extreme as Rape? What if it was Murder? What about Armed Robbery?
Can you or I gently restore that person? Well Jesus calls to us to do the same
thing in these cases as well. Sin is sin, it’s black and white. There are no
varied degrees of sin, you have sinned or you have not sinned. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But we have
a hard time not putting these sins on a scale. Cannibalism certainly seems a
lot worse to the human mind and to me than telling your friend that you were at
the mall instead of at your house when they called and you didn’t feel like
talking. But lying is sin. Cannibalism would certainly be a sin, and well sin
is sin.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This mindset
that there are sins larger than others is a hard thing to get beyond. There are
so many emotions that weigh into the process. As human beings the more fear
that something puts into our hearts makes whatever it is worse than something
that we don’t really fear. Stealing a bottle of water is a lot less scary than a
home invasion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s only
human, but for us to start looking at what is next for us, we have to start
realizing that sin is sin, and grace is grace. If we are saved by grace for the
totality of our sin, why cannot someone else be reconciled by the same God that
gave you forgiveness? If he sees all sin as sin, and has informed us of this
fact, how can we not accept that?<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you have committed
the least of these then you have committed the greater as well. All of us have
committed rape, murder, and idolatry in God’s eyes based on this one passage.
Is that taking the passage out of context a bit? Perhaps, but I don’t think I
am taking it too far out of context there.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jesus was
proving a point with similar things. He was proving that we cannot be saved by
the Law that only Grace could save us. We all fell short of the Law, and that’s
why he came and died for us. We have already accepted that forgiveness and
grace from him. We met him at the cross and were baptized in his blood that
washed us clean.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What’s next?
Allowing ourselves to forgive ourselves and begin our walk with Christ. Before
we can love others as we love ourselves, we have to actually love ourselves.
For some people that will be harder than others. Some of us love ourselves a
little too much and that just means we have to love others a lot more in the
process. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This was
something that was particularly hard for me to do. Forgive myself for all the
people that I had hurt and all that I had done against Christ and his people.
All the lives that I had touched in a harmful way and being a tempter, making
people question everything that they thought they knew to draw them into
darkness. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As a
Satanist it was my goal to build up a base of followers that was able to tear
down the grip that God has on the souls of the world. Christianity is the
number one religion in the world, and I wanted to tear it all down. During my
time as a Satanist, many people that I had worked with had committed suicide or
spent time in mental hospitals. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The fact
that I blasphemed God’s name daily and God said it is forgotten, I love you
anyway. That kind of love is amazing. God loves us to the point that no matter
how far you have drifted from Christ he will open his arms and welcome you
home. That love is what drove me back into his arms and drove me to make life
changes to ensure that I did not find myself back in that dark place again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But how can
someone that now has morals forgive himself for that kind of harm. I cannot
help but feel that I am responsible for the suicides of people that I was
teaching. How do you get past that? How do you forgive yourself for that? One
day at a time, embracing God’s love and his mercy. It is through his grace and
his love that I have been resurrected. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The man that
I once was is long dead, but the memories are still there. My body and soul is
marred with scars, scars are wounds that have healed but have left a mark.
Khalil Gibran says this about scars, “Out of suffering have emerged the
strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” Thomas
would only believe that Christ had returned from the dead after he saw the
scars on the wrists of Christ.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Remember
that it is not the scars that are important; it is the fact that those wounds
are healed. God is a God that heals our wounds. But not every wound heals to
the point that there is no scar. Through these scars you have your story and
testimony. An abusive relationship leaves scars on both people. We walk around
with perfect masks hiding the numerous scars that we have on our hearts and
souls.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If we focus
too much on that and not the fact that they are forgiven, and work daily to
allow ourselves to be transformed by the Holy Spirit and forgive ourselves,
then what point do those scars have? They will just be a friendly reminder of
the times that you have failed. The
greatest way we can use these reminders is going back to Galatians 6. Remember
your scars and use them to help someone else with their restoration. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The deeper
the scar the longer it hurts and the more tender it is. You remember the pain
caused by that scar and you now have strength by coming through the other side
of that wound. You survived and have power in your scars if you choose to use
it. Allow these wounds to heal and become scars then use these scars to help
others with similar wounds. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Helping
others heal and showing love to others is fulfillment of Jesus’s new
commandments to us. What’s next? Many of us have a lot of healing that we have
to work through. Others of us have stories to tell of God’s grace and mercy.
Others of us just need to love on people to make sure they know that Christ is
not point at you with a hot poker to burn you for every wrong that you have
done. <o:p></o:p></div>
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What you do
with your scars is up to you. If you just want to use them as reminders of
things not to do again if great. If you want to use them to help others, that
is great. What Jack didn’t realize in Fight Club was that he already had scars.
So what can you do with your scars?<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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<i>“There is something
beautiful about all scars of whatever nature. A scar means the hurt is over,
the wound is closed and healed, done with.” Harry Crews<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i><a href="http://godforgives.us/">http://GodForgives.Us</a></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-64971928898795542492013-10-14T10:05:00.000-07:002013-10-14T10:05:18.072-07:00Lord Cleanse Me, Again...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0923_5qVQgStpWGR-K5cnFqd-qJIKG-v-a_fXRFikLmYKEFWnjtf-r9Bx8vexd28KyzJewmQD-HnZXsqofUSHWykMiPp4vTiQAfHDNprsGrAUEuvDP1rUFMO6NEJ8B1wjS-UxsznGI9hz/s1600/Baptism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0923_5qVQgStpWGR-K5cnFqd-qJIKG-v-a_fXRFikLmYKEFWnjtf-r9Bx8vexd28KyzJewmQD-HnZXsqofUSHWykMiPp4vTiQAfHDNprsGrAUEuvDP1rUFMO6NEJ8B1wjS-UxsznGI9hz/s320/Baptism.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>“I baptize you with
water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose
sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and
fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor,
gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable
fire.” Matthew 3:11-12<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Baptism is
one of the acts that we go through in order to become a Christian. It is the
recreation of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. It is the symbol of
us being washed clean of all sins. We all agree on baptism being something of
an important thing, and if you have gone through it, you have felt why it is so
compelling.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Many times
in life we wish for the slate to be washed clean, a fresh start. Sometimes we
move across the country to start up again. Other times we change churches,
spouses or hair color. Something that marks us as a different person than we
were. We are trying to do something different to break a cycle that we feel we
are stuck in. With the information age in full swing, this is becoming harder
and harder to do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There is one
place we can always turn to get a fresh start and that is God. Bathed in his
glory and his grace through the death of Jesus Christ, we are washed clean
through him. We get a fresh start every time. We can screw up every day and ask
for forgiveness and we get it every single time. That is fact, but this does
not always carry over to the rest of the world. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The world
says, “Hey I know you, how about another drink? No? Oh, come on for old time
sake. That a boy, I knew you had it in you.“ The world knows the flesh, and all the
weaknesses. That cute redhead that has your number; the buddy that has the hook
up or that website that is just a click away, we all have our weakness or
addiction. Sometimes it’s food. Sometimes it is something that happened years
ago. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We have
shown the world that we are not the same, but it doesn’t care. God does, and
those that see you through the eyes of Christ will notice it. God forgives, the
world forgets. The world even puts in little ways to help itself forget. Expunging
your criminal record, if you can, is just like it never happened. That is why
we were given Grace.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Law
holds record of all of our wrongs. Through grace our wrongs are forgotten.
There are so many times when I was walking lost that a yard stick was put up to
me and I was told how many ways I fell short from God’s Grace, which was a lie.
No one falls short of God’s Grace, you simply have to allow yourself to receive
the gift of forgiveness and Grace. The law condemns and grace redeems. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The
sentiment of God Forgives and the World Forgets is this, God gives us grace and
wishes us to be part of his family, but the world has built little boxes and containers
for everyone to be in, and these boxes are exclusive. You have to be part of
the club to be accepted. Look at country club membership. You have to pay a lot
of money to just apply and even then most are invitation only. To be part of
God’s Country Club you have to accept a gift given freely. Everyone can afford
that, but not the country club. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“Oh I see
here that in 1984 you had some domestic violence and a DUI in 1992. I think
this might be a problem, we can’t let your kind in here.” Having a problem can
get you put into boxes that the world easily puts people in. You are a criminal
for getting caught for something that many people have done but not gotten
caught. You had a girlfriend that was 2 years younger than you in high school.
Daddy got mad when he caught you with his little girl, now you’re a sex
offender.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Well now you
and she are married, but you are still a sex offender and have to report it
when you move to a new area. You can’t even pick your own kids up from school.
But hey in 10 years you can petition to get it forgotten. In the meantime you struggle to find work,
face judgment around every turn, and even some churches ask you to find
somewhere else to worship. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You killed a
couple when drinking and driving, and well that put you in a place that you had
never thought you would be. You’ve got friends at the country club that can
help you out, but still you killed two people. You are now a monster. You call
your buddies at the country club and they have turned their back on you. Your
perfect life just crumbled, but I’ve got good news. You want some help getting
the vision of those two people lying dead while you were waiting for the police
to arrive.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You want to remember, but be forgiven. You
remember to keep you from doing it again. But now that you know the cost of
your problem, you want to be forgiven. God will forgive you, all you have to do
is ask, he’s waiting on you. It is your choice. All you have to do is accept
him and he will cover you. He will help carry your burden and help you make
better choices.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Does that
mean that those two counts of vehicular homicide go away? No the World wants to
ensure that you are punished for that. What can you do with this now? How long
will this follow you? Welcome to the bad box, criminal. But inside that box is
where you go, murderer. But God tears those boxes apart with his forgiveness. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Those of you
that are reading this that are not in those boxes. What can you do to help
people that are? The world wants to keep these people in pain and suffering for
as long as it can. The world has policies to protect the world through harming
people that made a mistake in life, sometimes very large mistakes. Where is God’s
grace in the earth? Through his people.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is the
message I have today. If you are in HR or a policy maker at a company, what can
you do to give people a new chance? A bar fight can cost people for up to 8
years. Having sex before marriage at crucial ages can cost you 10 to 15 years. How
did this world become like this? We must protect ourselves because everyone is
trying to hurt us. We must save what is ours because the world is evil. If we
give Bob another chance he’ll do the same thing, and we covered it up well this
time, but twice… we can’t do that. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The world is
an evil place, but that does not mean that grace is not there. That does not
mean that Jesus is not here with us. No, it just means that we have to fight a
little harder to get God’s light to shine through. Fear is a tool and a weapon
that keeps us in darkness, but where God is darkness must flee. I want to call
out to each and every Christian. Do what God has called us to do; let his light
shine through in everything we do and everything we touch. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The world
can change, but it takes people to fight for the change. And a fight does not
have to be one of violence, in fact that way will assure that we will lose.
Grace, mercy, peace, love, compassion, these are the tools that we must use to
make the changes to make this world a world that knows the true voice of God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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How can you
help? Before you hold up a ruler to the strange boy that decided to go to
church today, try talking to him. Before you condemn the girl that you have seen
walking down the roads and getting into cars with men she does not know, talk
to her. How many weeks do you tithe time? <o:p></o:p></div>
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16 hours and
48 minutes is 10 percent of the time that we are given each week. That’s before
sleep. That’s a lot of time right? How are you going to get that in? Well
church probably takes care of 2 to 4 hours of it. So let’s put that down to 12
hours to get covered over 6 more days.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So you mean that to tithe time you have to
give 2 hours a day and almost 5 on Sunday? How long is your morning commute?
Give it to God. Now you have one hour a day to give to God. 30 Minutes over
lunch, hey you were going to McDonalds anyway, why not get that lady counting
pennies some food and talk with her. You may be surprised at what kind of Good
you can do for someone with just a couple dollar burgers and a little time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You want to
impact someone on a level that is massive? Write a few letters to people in
jail offering them a chance to talk with someone that doesn’t know them. Some
of these people are cut off from everyone as soon as they go behind bars;
families turn on them, isolated. Be Christ for them. Offer them conversation
and allow it to lead to more. Instead of
protesting an abortion clinic, how about spend time with a girl that is facing
a hard decision. Find out why she would be willing to kill her unborn child.
Why her life is so desperate that she feels that this is the only place she can
turn.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We are not
promised tomorrow. How can we not do something for God every day? God gave it
to us, what can we do with it? Who can you take to the river and baptize? Who
can you show the light of God? You know how good it felt to go under the water
and become a new person. How can you not share that with someone who needs the
Love of Jesus? What can you do? Write a letter. Take a homeless person out to
dinner. Pray for an open heart and open eyes and God will give you a chance to
serve.<o:p></o:p></div>
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John had no
idea that Jesus would come to the river and bless him with the chance to take
him under the water to be cleansed and freed from the sinful body that our perfect
God was encased in. John was blessed that day, because John got to be the hands
of God and baptize Jesus to set his feet upon the path to the cross for us. We
all were blessed by the living water. So what’s next? You like it? Share it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>“If you learn from
defeat, you haven’t really lost.” Zig Ziglar<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-67066733218734831852013-10-11T08:47:00.002-07:002013-10-11T16:16:40.135-07:00Faith: A Journey by Grace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQF2Bg7bvE2uTbuL5qf1pymn2J_eEpRpbCIu-OWnVVPs7p1tmklBRk-9AfY_mm5Da7XCAFYrXC8wkGsB50-B1juJH4xO2PzceVHwA0kL0vpULVMn3iV1wNyMlarMuJ_v-XH7ZClRT8x4n/s1600/this-is-our-forest-hiking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQF2Bg7bvE2uTbuL5qf1pymn2J_eEpRpbCIu-OWnVVPs7p1tmklBRk-9AfY_mm5Da7XCAFYrXC8wkGsB50-B1juJH4xO2PzceVHwA0kL0vpULVMn3iV1wNyMlarMuJ_v-XH7ZClRT8x4n/s320/this-is-our-forest-hiking.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<i>“For you are saved by
grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift – not from
works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I had a
wonderful conversation about God yesterday, during the conversation a question
was asked to me. What would you say is the most important thing for people to
know concerning with the Spiritual forces and demons? The answer was Faith, but
it was not that short of an answer. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Faith is one
of our greatest tools that we have as Christians. How do we know what we know?
Well that philosophical question is a rabbit hole that goes very deep, but the
answer for that to me is we put faith in what we believe we know. We put faith
in what we believe. I don’t care what faith you have, your belief and the faith
in that belief is where you will draw strength from it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jesus said
that the faith the size of a mustard seed you can make a mountain jump into the
sea. That alone should tell us just how powerful faith is. In the Armor of God,
Paul states the Shield of Faith as the most important piece of that armor.
Through our faith we do many things that we would not do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Why is faith
so important? Faith is the foundation of belief. We put faith in something and
that develops into belief. Through our faith we are saved by Grace. Grace is
something that we are given, and the only way we are able to measure up as it
were. As we build our faith we draw closer to God and as we draw closer to God,
we desire to do the things that God wishes us to do more.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This makes
me think about the statement in James about Faith without works is dead. Why is
faith without works dead? If your faith is alive and producing fruit, works is
a byproduct. Works is part of what you are growing for the harvest. If you are
going through a lull in your faith and striving to revive it, I’ve got a good
idea for you. Go back to your<a href="http://joecraig83.blogspot.com/2011/09/grey-door.html"> Grey Door</a>, that symbol that you have of the
turning point in your life. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Once you are
back at that Grey Door, pray for guidance and read the bible. Maybe you should
read the Armor of God prayer for a few days. As you do these things you will
begin to travel the spiritual path that you blazed before. Open your heart and
allow your faith to build. As it builds you will find that there are
opportunities to help out and do things that God wishes for us to do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Some of us
get tasks such as writing, or teaching. Others it may be a mission trip. It all
depends on the spiritual gifts that you personally possess. Even more than that
it could be something small and simple that does not seem to be your forte, but
there is an opportunity there that will open the next door or show you the path
that you missed or were not ready to travel down. <o:p></o:p></div>
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God has a
plan and path for us, but it is only through our Faith that we can do these
things. As your faith grows so does the desire to use the spiritual gifts that
you have. Is your place warming a pew? No, it never is. There is always more
for you to do. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Each of us
has a story to tell and a walk to walk. Each of us is blessed with some kind of
gift. What stops us from completing the tasks that we are given to complete?
God provides us with all things that we need. If he has a purpose for us, he
will provide us with the way to complete these tasks. It may be through the
generosity of others, or it may be through some other process or procedure that
he has in store for us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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These things
cannot pan out if we do not have the faith that they will pan out. With that
faith comes a calm peace that builds strength. We know that we have set our
feet upon a firm foundation, we have taken refuge here in the storms, and we
have the Faith in what we have seen and been told. We know that God does not
let us go without things that we need. If God has a need for us to do
something, this becomes a need for us. God does not let us go without what we
need.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So how can
you and I find our paths in all of this? This is the current struggle that I
have. I do not see where my path is leading me, but I have Faith in the one
that laid out the path before my feet. I know that the road will take me where
I belong, because it always has. I have faith, and that faith has built the
desire to do the works that God has called me to do.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I write
because it is a gift that I have been given. What have you been given? How can
you do the things that you have been called to do? Well that is part of the
process. The opposition desires us to not complete these works that we have
been called to do. They want us to be crippled by fear and depression. Perfect
Love drives out fear, and that love is built on Faith.<o:p></o:p></div>
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You say that
you don’t know what gifts you have. What are your strengths? How can you use
them for God? Congratulations you have discovered one of your spiritual gifts. I
say one of them because many of us have a lot of things that we are good at.
Remember Jesus was a carpenter. I know a lot of people around that have things
they need that would be a blessing if they were repaired. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So you are a
mechanic and a Christian, good. How many times have you passed someone on the
side of the road that was broken down? Maybe each of those times was a chance
to be Jesus for someone in a desperate situation. It might be you that God is
sending to be Jesus to not only save them from their physical problem, but also
to tell them about God and share the Good news.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Maybe you
are a lawyer. I’m sure there are plenty of desperate people that you can reach
out to in bad situations to share with them what God has done for you and
through you. Talk about being someone’s savior and then telling them that it
wasn’t you that saved them, but It’s Jesus that can save them. A fisherman can
feed people. Maybe make a <a href="http://www.ydr.com/ci_24252587/shrewsbury-congregation-makes-over-700-blankets-poor">blanket forthe poor like St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Shrewsbury, PA</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The Starks
say the truth, “Winter is Coming.” A warm blanket for someone in winter; talk
about being Jesus for someone. What is your gift? What can you do for someone?
How can you be Jesus for someone? Let me tell you from experience, writing a
complete stranger that is locked away in Jail can bring that person hope. Hope
can kindle a fire that can spur them to make life changes that they had not
made before. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We are put
here to Glorify God and how can we do that if we only spend our time around
other Christians? How can we show others the glory of God and the power of
Faith and Grace if we do not get out and do the things that God has asked us to
do? Who knows, God might move you to the Caribbean to do his good work. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Through
Faith and by the Grace that dwells within us, all is possible. What is keeping
you where you are? What is stopping you from taking your next step for God? Why
have you not taken that step that will lead you on such an adventure that you
may have never dreamed possible?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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<i>“A journey of a
thousand miles must begin with a single step” Lao Tzu<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-27325213786914262672013-10-04T11:52:00.003-07:002013-10-04T11:54:46.441-07:00Packing: How do you trust God?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpoZ5CIZssK7jPnpjMEFvrp2evFkuYpfbeiUTXbIGggvudzgYzGFXOvefYtUUJGlQj__lQ8HGuGR5LHiTQ6dWLW6H5MWppKHe0ymStSOsG1Ac1E3Y3TE-jo5I9FYoykOGxEgG-5rfuGXP2/s1600/packed-car.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpoZ5CIZssK7jPnpjMEFvrp2evFkuYpfbeiUTXbIGggvudzgYzGFXOvefYtUUJGlQj__lQ8HGuGR5LHiTQ6dWLW6H5MWppKHe0ymStSOsG1Ac1E3Y3TE-jo5I9FYoykOGxEgG-5rfuGXP2/s320/packed-car.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<i>“Don’t take along
gold, silver or copper for your money-belt. Don’t take a traveling bag for the
road, or an extra shirt, sandals, or walking stick, for the worker is worthy of
his food.” Matthew 10:9-10<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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When
preparing for a trip it seems like we have so much we take with us. We have to
make sure we have enough clothes, shoes, more clothes for activities and well
shoes for that too. We have to make sure we have some way to communicate and
pass the time in the lull, not to mention enough money to get what we need and
a few things we want. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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But, what
else do we take with us? Expectations, worries and concerns. There are so many
stories in the bible about trips and journeys and most of us will not take a
trip as big or impressive as half of those in the bible. What did most people
in the bible take with them? Most of these people took the clothes on their
backs and very little else.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We can start
by looking all the way back to Exodus, yeah they took all their belongings
because they were moving to a new place not knowing where they were going, but
they didn’t take with them enough food for the journey. Quite frankly, they had
no clue how much food they would need to take. What did God do for them? He rained
food for them to feed them. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now one
thing that has held constant is that most of us still take worry and concern
with us. Even as we step out and knowing that we are traveling to do something
that God wishes us to do, there is still concern. We trust God, but still our flesh keeps us
from trusting completely. What then? Why do we all fall so short from what God
wishes for us?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Most of
these trips, especially the spiritual ones, are made to help us draw closer to
God. We are told not to worry so many times in the bible, but we are never told
not to question. In fact we are told to question everything to test it to see
if it is Godly or if it is something to cast aside. <o:p></o:p></div>
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With
Spiritual journeys we typically carry with us a lot more than physical
journeys. We carry not only worry, but doubt and then there is the luggage from
our past. We carry with us every time we have fallen, every time we have
struggled to stand. Is this a bad thing? It depends on your perspective. If you
focus on it as a doubt and a list of all the times you have failed or you have
been failed, then it’s a bad things. If you carry it with you as a reminder of
how many times you have fallen on your face and eventually gotten back on your
feet, or how many times God has been there, then that is a positive reassurance
for you. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There is a
lot that goes on in every day life that packs on a lot of negative energy, emotion
and habit. So to combat all of this what do we do? How do we prepare for the
world and what it has for us? Well if we look at the lessons that we are given
from God’s word, then we have what we need. We have instructions. When you
rise, put God in your heart with a prayer. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Start the
day with a conversation with God to prepare you for the day. Second spend a few
minutes while you are getting some coffee in your system to read a few passages
from the bible, even if it is one or two chapters. While you are on your
commute, talk with God about whatever is on your heart. These are all things
that you can do. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Just like exercise
for the body daily is great for keeping your body in shape. Do a few bible
curls to strengthen the soul. A few mind games or puzzles for the mind. That is
one thing from eastern philosophy that is spot on, true strength lies with not
only the body, but the mind and soul as well. The mind and body must expand to
the spirit or soul or it is not complete. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We humans
are three parts of one whole, and from that an extension of the one true God.
We are body, mind and soul. Father, Son and the Holy Spirit; three parts of the
same whole. So strengthen that which is your weakest you cannot focus on the
weakest part, but the other two will help you strengthen the weakest part. A
knee is not just two bones meeting; there is muscle and ligament with that
muscle. If you have a weak ligament you have to work on the muscle to help it
out. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So when we
are gathering together things for a journey, you have the physical needs as
well as the mental and spiritual ones. Careful how you pack your bags though,
if you pack in too much you leave no room for the chance encounters that can be
life changing, and no room for new things to be added to your life. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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God uses all
journeys in a multitude of ways. It is only after we have gone through them do
we come close to getting what God intended for us. Sometimes it is many years
down the road before we have developed the wisdom to understand what we have
gone through and why. So I leave you with a question to answer for yourself. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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What have
you gone through in your life that you still cannot understand why you did it
or had to go through it? Pray and open your mind to see if there was a lesson
that you learned through it. Was there a higher purpose for it?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<i>“A wise man can learn
more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.” Bruce
Lee<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-90813269054716741002013-10-01T08:55:00.001-07:002013-10-01T08:55:58.072-07:00Prey or Prayer, You Decide<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCJ1yUYMFibRbmgugyJC4jVJbFVvhB2Dii3b1-GS5g39Ko8d5nvupvJnpeT62r77rEQik6qt-R0dv3PbBqe1wuVvlWOdYIgVnx7LdUCw6D18VJOD-ASBdTMZ3gyKI8dDUbEF71Q1yYGpb/s1600/premierprinting-quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigCJ1yUYMFibRbmgugyJC4jVJbFVvhB2Dii3b1-GS5g39Ko8d5nvupvJnpeT62r77rEQik6qt-R0dv3PbBqe1wuVvlWOdYIgVnx7LdUCw6D18VJOD-ASBdTMZ3gyKI8dDUbEF71Q1yYGpb/s320/premierprinting-quote.jpg" width="320" /></a></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>“Don’t worry about
anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let
your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Prayer is
one of those tools that we have been given by the Father as a way to let him
know what we are struggling with. I have always found it interesting that we
are instructed to pray about things that God knows about. God knows we are
hurting. God knows when we are happy. God knows what we are truly struggling
with even when we do not. So why has God given us this instruction again and
again?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Prayer is
our quiet time with God for one. Also, God wants us to talk with him and walk
with him in all things. There are many relationships that are described in the
bible about what our relationship with God is. The most common one is a parent
child relationship. God is the Father and as a Father, a good father, he wants
to know when we are hurting and what is on our hearts and minds. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
A lot of
times my father would know when something was bothering me and would know what
it was, but he wanted to hear it. My father was a good man, God is still
working on bringing him in to be his son, but my father always strived to be a
good man. We have and still do talk a lot about what is going on and he
probably knows what’s in my head a bit more than just about anyone else, except
maybe my wife. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I’m able to
talk to my father after years or working at it. With my dad I have shared
things that I would not share to close friends sometimes. A lot of my friends
still do not know the kind of life I have lived and the things that I have gone
through in my life. Life has been a very interesting road for me, one that
turns frequently. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I always
said that I would take the road less traveled when I would read that famous
poem by Robert Frost. That road was
grown up and was not the easiest road, but it was a road that called to me. I
have to say honestly and truthfully I have walked the road less traveled by. I’m
not sure Frost realized just how hard of a road that road could be. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The problem
with taking a road that not a lot of people take is most of the time there is a
good reason why people don’t travel down a road. The road is probably more
hazardous, harder to travel. It may go into a bad neighborhood or have a bridge
that closes frequently. It may take you to a town called Dunwich for all we
know. You want to know the dangers of traveling roads that most don’t take,
that is a good read for you, <i>“The Dunwich
Horror” </i>by H.P. Lovecraft.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So let us
travel down that road a bit. The road just looks overgrown at first, a little
more hilly but manageable. The road becomes a bit more rocky and has a bridge
that seems less than stable, but it holds up. We continue along and find that
it goes down into a deep valley. It’s winter and the road has some ice on it,
so going down it’s the concern. You don’t want to cross that bridge again and
it looks like there are lights up ahead, so we travel on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We begin to
travel down the hill and make it into a small town that looks different. It’s a
town and has all the things that we need at the moment. There is food and
shelter from the storm that is brewing. The place has a queer look about it
though. At first the people ignore you, and then they take interest in you. Finally
someone welcomes you in. She seems friendly enough.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
She wants to know where you’re from and what
you do and all the pleasantries of a normal place. She offers you something warm to drink and
eat. More importantly she wants to talk with you. Something still tells you
that this isn’t a place you need to be. Do you listen or do you stay with the
nice pretty woman that seems to want to talk with you. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Well it’s
pretty bad outside, so why don’t I stay for a while. She offers you some wine,
and then it’s late and you’ve had a bit too much wine so she offers you her
bed. The wine has polluted your mind and your judgment, so you make the bad
decision. A little more, you find that
is how most come to stay in this place. The sun doesn’t get down here so often,
but it has everything you need. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This place
is always cold and the hills leading out are always covered in ice, so it’s hard
to get back out. The road to this place was hard enough to keep you from
wanting to go back, and the road ahead is much harder it seems. So you stay a
while, and the longer you stay the harder it is to leave. You find that this
pretty, kind woman is really something a lot more hideous on the inside. You
realize that this is your Hotel California.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now in this
place, dark, cold and alone, you have reached bottom. How do you begin to climb
out of this pit? And what does any of this have to do with prayer? Everything.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The only way
that you can begin to climb out of this pit is through prayer. You have walked
a path not well traveled and have mistakenly gotten lost. You have found
yourself in a place that does not see the face of God and when it does it only
comes around every few thousand years. Prayer is your way out. Calling out to
the Father and letting him know that you are lost and you need his light to
guide you home. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
You call out
that the roads are iced over and you cannot climb them. God the Father sends
the Sun to melt the ice. You begin to climb, but it is still not easy. The ice
has melted and the dirt road is now mud. But at least you can begin to climb.
You travel up and out of this hell that you have been in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
You climb to the top of the mountain that surrounded
this place and can once more see the sun. You can see how far you have come and
how far from the path you have traveled. You only realize after you are no
longer lost just how lost you were. The path that you missed was grown up a lot
more than the rest of the road. Now you see the way out, but it will be very
easy to get lost once more. So you use prayer as your guide to keep you safe.<o:p></o:p></div>
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These people
are not happy that you left them and they seek to grab you once more, so you
pray to keep you safe. You also pray a prayer of thanks to the Father who sent
the Son to make a path of redemption for you. You are walking among enemies
with snares and traps, so you pray. You are alone, so you pray. <o:p></o:p></div>
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1<sup>st</sup>
Peter speaks of how often and of what we should pray. Pray in all things and
cast all your cares on the Lord your God. How do we stay strong in our Faith?
Through prayer and supplication. How do we stay faithful to God? Through Prayer
which builds upon Faith. What do we do when we have concern, hurts, or worry?
Through prayer all things are possible.
So how then do we strengthen our prayer? Through drawing close to the
Lord our God through study of his word and praying always. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In the Whole
Armor of God, Paul states that the most important piece of the armor is the
Shield of Faith. Faith, why is faith so important? Through Faith our prayers
are stronger and through faith our trust in God is stronger. Faith is the most
powerful tool that we have against sin, evil, ourselves. However we have one
thing stronger, but it is no tool, and we can only access it through Faith.
Prayer in faith our Lord hears our calls, and faithfully following will lead us
out of our darkest situations. <o:p></o:p></div>
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That does
not mean that bad things will not happen. That does not mean that God will not
tear apart countries if it serves a greater purpose, but God protects those
that have faith in him. All of Paul’s faith did not free him from prison, but
did it allow him to spread a message that touches millions today. It did not
save Christ from the Cross, but his sacrifice made all Gentiles Jews in the
eyes of God. We are all his chosen people. He is our father and we use Prayer
as our phone to call him up and talk with him. Prayer keeps us from becoming
prey.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>“The Edge… there is no
honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is
are the ones who have gone over.” Hunter S. Thompson<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-61468789711044365912013-09-26T09:13:00.000-07:002013-09-26T09:13:44.542-07:00A Doctor Needs the Sick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHQHk2hB75ggQqqorTDV20JONYXJpVGaYcPOGsGwRCIwUJpNSLNbuU1IWW9_nxoaonjXp23izvifiFM6msdNpRvWxhy-IuwPevUpRsakADfMDFUMUlF6tNL7fWMWsdXSHUsSP-nOPsaYW/s1600/USA.-1948.-Colorado.-Dr.-Ernest-Guy-CERIANI-a-country-doctor-aged-32-going-to-visit-his-patients..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHQHk2hB75ggQqqorTDV20JONYXJpVGaYcPOGsGwRCIwUJpNSLNbuU1IWW9_nxoaonjXp23izvifiFM6msdNpRvWxhy-IuwPevUpRsakADfMDFUMUlF6tNL7fWMWsdXSHUsSP-nOPsaYW/s320/USA.-1948.-Colorado.-Dr.-Ernest-Guy-CERIANI-a-country-doctor-aged-32-going-to-visit-his-patients..jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>“But the Pharisees and
their scribes were complaining to His disciples, ‘Why do you eat and drink with
tax collectors and sinners?’ Jesus replied to them, ‘The healthy do not need a
doctor, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance.’” Luke 5:30-32<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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How often do
you see a doctor when you are well? How often do you see a councilor when you
are in your right mind? Do you frequently call up a lawyer or a bail bondsman?
Unless you have a friend that is one of these things, you would probably keep
your interaction to the absolute minimum. How much time do you spend with the
Lost? Are all your friends members of your church? How much time do you spend
telling people that believe in Christ about Christ?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now we know
that Jesus spoke at synagogues from time to time, but where did he speak and
perform his miracles most often? Always at church, or with his church friends
right? No. No he was in the streets and on hillsides. He spoke to the people
that were not at church the most. Look at his chosen disciples, how many of
them were leaders of the synagogues? Yeah, so if we are going to be Christ-like
where do we have to be? With the people.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now then we
get to the question of what people and which people. Well for each of us we
have come from different places and walks of life. Our past shapes how we learn
God to be. The walk that we walk with Christ shows us what God can do. Those of
us that found God while locked in a cell can see how God can use a place like
that to His Glory. Those of us that were saved from a drug overdose can see how
God can use that to His Glory. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Those little
wake up calls in life are when we see God for who he is. I’m not talking about
every earth shattering event in your life. I’m talking about every day in life.
The music you listen to, the hobbies that you have, and the books you read are
all things that you can use to establish relationships with people. We are
given a charge by God to be his ambassadors. Before people will listen to us
about God they really have to be seeking or have a vested interest in hearing
our story. <o:p></o:p></div>
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“How come
you are always smiling and happy? You’re in Jail shouldn’t you act like it?”
Not when you know that God has control of the situation and it will end exactly
as he wishes it to end. “Come on man, you listen to Heavy Metal and dress like
that and you go to Church? You don’t actually believe that crap they preach on
Sunday do you?” God uses us all. Judge not or you will be judged. You will be
measured by the same measure you put to others. God uses all. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I grew up
listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd, AC/DC, Bad Company among many other things listed
as Classic Rock. I also listened to Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Metallica,
Megadeth which eventually lead me to KoRn, Staind, P.O.D., Type O Negative and many other bands of that era. Why do I bring this up? Well for one of my
first examples of Christians going to where Christ is needed. <a href="http://www.thewhosoevers.com/">The Whosoevers</a> is
an organization that are set to influence those that they have influence with
to share what God has done in their lives and what God can do in theirs. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The lead
guitarist of KoRn, Brian Welch, better known as Head, gave his life to Christ
quit drugs and actually ended up quitting the band to play music for Christ.
P.O.D. was actually a Christian band, but very few actually knew it. The name
of the band is Payable On Death. These people are involved with this movement
that is growing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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They hold
concerts and worship services to talk to people that would not come to church.
They are taking the word of God to these people. They are a great example of
going to the sick. They are not the only ones. Missionaries I do not discredit
what you are doing, you are doing what God has called us to do as well. You are
bringing the word of God to people that would not be reached otherwise. It is
because of you that people are becoming educated to Christ.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The second
group that I wish to speak about are those that do Prison Ministry. These
people walk into environments that most would be scared to go to. They are
casting seed and water to people that life would say are in the worst situation
that one can be in. I would disagree with that statement, but many that find
themselves in this place see it as a low point in their life. Sometimes the
lowest parts of their lives. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You are
going into places to shed light upon these lost souls that have little hope. So
many people in these places turn to the Word of God when they would not touch
it otherwise. There are many of these people that will not step foot in church
once they get back out, but there are those that will try and hold onto the
Word to keep them from going back down the roads that they have walked down
before. Then there are those that God will fully change. Again, the sick in
need of medicine that is the Truth of the Word of God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now I
recently watched a sermon by <a href="http://www.stevenfurtick.com/">Steven Furtick</a>, the pastor for <a href="http://elevationchurch.org/">Elevation Church</a>.
He had a quote in his sermon that really rang true with me, “Truth registers
best on the other side of complexity.” Only after you have crossed the chasm do
we really know how hard the chasm was to cross. So you know best how God works
only through what God has done in your life. You get a good idea with close
friends and family going through hard times, but nothing substitutes life
experience.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you have
not been addicted to drugs or alcohol you have a good idea how hard it can be
to break free from that addiction, but you don’t know. If you haven’t been
through jail, you can imagine what it’s like, but you don’t Know. There is
power in that knowledge. God will use what we have been through to get his
greatest glory out of us. So how were you sick? <o:p></o:p></div>
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Was it sex?
Was it alcohol? Was it abuse? Was it addiction? Was it disbelief? Was it anger?
Now who can benefit most from hearing your words? People that are like you were
might be a good place to start. Could it be the people that you were going through
this stuff with? How about your own family? Now that you have been shown the
Grace of God, who can you share that with? What talents do you have and how can
you use them for God? That’s what God calls us to do. Use what we can to share
his story and his glory.<o:p></o:p></div>
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What has he
done for you? Are you healthy now, or do you still struggle with things? I don’t
care if you have been raised in church all your life and have been a Christian
all your life. There is something that you have had to struggle with in your
relationship with God. </div>
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You have a story to tell. If you have a story of addiction, abuse or
personal weakness you should check out a local <a href="http://www.celebraterecovery.com/">Celebrate Recovery</a> to visit and
see what people have to say. You will be encouraged, and even more you might be
able to encourage others. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You have a
talent, how can you use it for God? Talk to your friends, family, or your
church to see if there is something going on. Is there an outreach that another
church in the area is doing that you feel called to participate in? It’s not
your church, but that’s part of our problem. We are all part of God’s body. You
feel the calling to do something and someone else is involved with it, get
involved. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We can busy
ourselves to the point that we cannot listen to what God might want for us. You
have too many obligations at your Church to do what God is telling you to do…
you might want to check in on that. The message is simple, how can you glorify
God? Where can you be a doctor? Where can you be a friend to those in need?
Where are the sick that you are called to help? What can you do to share the
God of your life with others?<o:p></o:p></div>
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What can you
do to love others and show them God’s Grace?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Secondly, be
careful who you judge for you cannot see their heart. Which of these would you
think are Christians or closest to God?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://youtu.be/HVKtL9VU8rQ">Billy Joel –The Piano Man</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmQ_pKPh8cU&feature=share&list=AL94UKMTqg-9CfjkpelxZdKQ13Tpb9ofSM">Demon Hunter– Dead Flowers</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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An open
heart ready to do God’s work is one of the greatest things in the world. Open
your heart to glorify God and ask yourself then God what can you do to Glorify
God and tell the story of how God has been influential in your life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>“Vision without action
is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action
can change the world.” Joel A. Barker<o:p></o:p></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-18387424125793333712013-09-23T10:13:00.000-07:002013-09-23T10:13:16.391-07:00Fear: Sin's Greatest Tool<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCGO5UA7m7qbWq4aDuaW1PHWSlsu0B83tGTouUizuCKUuG8xccueOC0O1xG9QLduW0SJ3smEbiwlEgrkR6ZfyfTNx5eB1IuXRgbA5MxM8LBUK1xgbj7Ow732boysFvPrhyphenhyphenVCnzGcZhecx/s1600/fightclubfear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCGO5UA7m7qbWq4aDuaW1PHWSlsu0B83tGTouUizuCKUuG8xccueOC0O1xG9QLduW0SJ3smEbiwlEgrkR6ZfyfTNx5eB1IuXRgbA5MxM8LBUK1xgbj7Ow732boysFvPrhyphenhyphenVCnzGcZhecx/s320/fightclubfear.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear,
because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached
perfection in love. 1 John 4:18<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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One of my
favorite movies of all time has a quote about the topic that we are looking at,
“Fear will keep the local systems in line.” This was spoken in Star Wars: A New Hope by
Grand Moff Tarkin. Within the empire he was most likely the third most powerful
man. This statement is one that has been quoted most commonly as “Fear will
keep them in line.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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These words
are words of control. How are they going to keep control with Fear. Why does
this work? Charles Stanley says it this way:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>“Fear stifles our
thinking and actions. It creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation.”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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Fear has
been with us longer than nearly any other emotion that we have today. We look
back to when Adam and Eve first sinned; they hid themselves because they were
scared. As we have gone along humanity has learned how to use this as a tool
for oppression and tyranny. If people are afraid then they need someone
stronger than them to protect them. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Fear comes
from many places, ignorance being one of the strongest of these places. Today
we are crippled as a society in fear. We can look at the news and become
terrified at how horrible our world has become. People live in gated communities
to help them feel safe. People are so afraid of people that we will not extend
a helping hand.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We are too
afraid to answer the pleas of a woman that is escaping her rapist. We are too
afraid to answer the door to a dying man and furthermore call the police and
state that someone is trying to break in and hurt you. We do not answer to help
anymore. We do not answer the calls of people in panic. Forget the parable of
the Good Samaritan; we are so much worse than that now. We are afraid that the man lying in the ditch
is going to hurt us.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Do any of us
remember what FDR was talking about when he said the quote, <a href="http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5057/">“The only thing wehave to fear is fear itself.”</a>? It was 1933 we were at the end of the Great
Depression. Unemployment was at 33% and things were looking very grim for the
United States. Fear is what was keeping
us from coming out of it, or so FDR stated. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Fear is
crippling to the spirit. It is only as strong as we allow it to be though. Perfect love casts out fear. All through the
Psalms we hear about how we have nothing to fear, well except God’s wrath if we
anger him. The news has made their mark on the modern culture by scaring us
into accepting what ever laws will protect us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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There is a
long history of media being used by the leaders of countries to convey propaganda.
It’s been happening for as long as media has been in existence. Fear has led to
man-kinds greatest follies in my opinion. The Holy Inquisition, slaughters
around the world. We fear our neighbors so we make war with them. You can see
these themes in movies, books and in history. Well we were scared so we attacked
or ran. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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So I would
like to focus on a couple of non-political things with this message and you can
take it where you wish from there. In Charlotte there was a <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2013/09/15/former-florida-am-rattlers-player-killed-by-police-north-carolina/2816107/">man who had ahorrible car accident</a>, he was lucky to survive it. He goes to the nearest house
that he could see pleading for help. The people in the house called the police
and told the police that there was someone trying to break into their house.
Police arrive on scene and the nearly dead man runs to them for help. The
police officer panics and shoots the guy 10 out of 12 times. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Second,<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/11/justice/florida-rape-case/index.html"> a rape victim</a> escapes a car where she had been raped for a while. She runs nearly
naked to a house to get help. As she pleads to the couple inside to help her
saying that she had just been raped, they call 911 refusing to let her in
because of fear. A representative of the police department had this to say, “unfortunately
fear dictates the response anymore not knowing if you’re being set up for other
criminal activity.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The man in
the first story lost his life. The woman in the second story was saved. But in
both instances we were too afraid to help someone. Now let us look to God and
ask if this is what he intended for us. It is not. We were supposed to be freed
from the chains brought upon us by sin. Fear was introduced first with sin and
with freedom of sin also comes freedom of fear.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So what else
does Fear prevent us from doing? Jesus gave us two commandments which were
rewrites of the original 10. Love God with all that we have and Love others as
we love ourselves. If we are afraid of our neighbors we cannot love them, thus
we cannot uphold the Lord’s commandments. Fear is keeping us right were Satan
wants us. We are crippled in fear. Fear is an embodiment of darkness. Love is
am amplification of light.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Darkness
cannot exist where there is light. Fear cannot exists in a heart of pure love.
We are still imperfect beings in bodies of sin, so we must tell our bodies no
and stand against fear. We cannot become the people God wants us to be so long
as we allow fear to dominate our lives, minds and cultures. We cannot destroy terror
by weapons. Only through love will we conquer fear and terror. War is not the
answer, it never has been. We cannot stand as one nation under god so long as
we fight those that are different from us.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
God is for
Jew and Gentile alike. The love of God is for us all and we are given command
to go into the world and spread the good news, not the bad news. Go into the
world and love these neighbors near or far as you would love yourself. Today,
if you do nothing else, say something positive or help someone just because.
Love someone even if you have to start with yourself. Only then can you start
shaking off fear. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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If you are
Christian, talk to someone that is not of your faith. Ask a Muslim to tell you
of their faith ask them why they chose to walk that life. Who knows this may
open a door for God to use to build a bridge in your life. If nothing else it
will help you affirm your belief in God and show love to someone else who might
need it. Or even more it may start changing a perception that Christians are
war mongering hate machines. Funny, how many Christians would be taken back if
they knew that’s what others see us as.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The thing
that you fear the most, learn something about it. Do not let the voice of hell
shape your worldview by creating misconceptions of what people really are. Just
get up and get out… shake off the bondage of fear. So many of us are crippled
and just as Jesus told many crippled and dead, “Get Up, Stand.” That’s all you have
to do, stand and take a few steps for God. For all that God has done for you,
how can you deny him the one thing. Spread his message and love someone. It’s
not as hard as you think. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
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<i>“Every
adventure begins with the first step.” JRR Tolkien, the Hobbit.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-23176195347386666242013-09-18T10:26:00.000-07:002013-09-18T10:26:53.732-07:00Reflection: Looking at your chains.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAsG_SinGIyd1_Sprx37dqu5vFmVwtF3-2Y0-15fvbfu5wlkVEYQ8vaL64wBzBv_u2J4b5tj4EmofckESxFBN9M1NHCwtrcNDAOBKw-pw8ly2jnbmE8XdecxYnw36eH_nmToSbqR8R4cg/s1600/chainrock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAsG_SinGIyd1_Sprx37dqu5vFmVwtF3-2Y0-15fvbfu5wlkVEYQ8vaL64wBzBv_u2J4b5tj4EmofckESxFBN9M1NHCwtrcNDAOBKw-pw8ly2jnbmE8XdecxYnw36eH_nmToSbqR8R4cg/s320/chainrock.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<b><i>“Let us tear off their chains and free ourselves from their restraints.”
Psalm 2:3<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Recently I
returned home for a visit. The visit was planned to revitalize my heart and
soul and sometimes all you have to do in order to get away from the woes
troubling you is return to your roots and have some quiet time with the Lord. The
trip was really good for me; just what the soul needed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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On this
trip, without realizing it when we planned it, I passed by the place I was
first saved and baptized. It had been 19 years since those days. Now when you
look back it’s always a dangerous thing if not done with care. We are warned
all through the bible to not look back only look to the Lord and where your
feet are being lead. Once you are bathed in the blood of God the person you
once were is dead.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We humans
have an odd habit of visiting with the dead. We visit people we miss and loved,
how many times do we visit the person we once were like this? All the time you
hear stories of “Glory Days” remembering fun things or events, but that’s not
exactly what I’m talking about. I’m more talking about visiting with your old
self like visiting the dead. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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How many
times have you visited a grave and talked to the grave in hopes that the person
could hear you? On this trip I did a little of this. Many times have I
mentioned that after I was baptized the first time I was tested and I failed
those tests and ran.. Well there is a lot to that story. Looking to the church
I was first saved at and then looking at the river that I was baptized in it
done something to me. It made me sit quiet with the Lord and ask why I had to
go through what I did.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Sitting with
the Lord, I reflected on my growth. God has done a lot with the mess that was
me. Growth is a hard thing. It costs a lot to grow. It takes time, dedication,
challenges and struggles. But it also takes breakthroughs and victories. Man
times we humans get caught up in the negative that has happened and do not
focus on the good that comes from our past. Looking at what we learned from the
Glory Days is just as important as the struggles and hardships in our lives. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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We did not
learn how to love in a day. We did not learn how to do anything in a day. But
as we grow and learn, and you hear this a lot in sports, a lot of times you have
to get back to the basics to move forward. That’s what this trip was for me. It
helped me strip it down to the basics. They are basic foundations that you have
in order to build upon. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Job 4:17-21
speaks about having a weak foundation; one without wisdom will cause the house
to crumble. Stronger still is 1
Corinthians 3:5-15:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">What then
is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and
each has the role the Lord has given. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave
growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything,
but only God who gives the growth. Now the one planting and the one watering
are one in purpose, and each will receive his own reward according to his own
labor. For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building. According
to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled
master builder, and another builds on it. But each one must be careful how he
builds on it. For no one can lay any other foundation than what has been laid
down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on that foundation with
gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, each one’s work will become
obvious for the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the
fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work that he has
built survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work burned up it will be
lost, but he will be saved; yet will be like an escape through fire.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Growth can
only come through God. Each of us go through a lot of things to get to where we
are. This passage also speaks to
something else. Our work will be tested by fire, and if our work is not strong
enough it will burn up, we will survive but it will be like coming through the
fire. I have survived through Christ and
only by God’s grace which I did not deserve. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Now the
image with this story is a place in Kentucky, where I am from. The very town I
was born in, well where the hospital was at anyway, has a tourist attraction
above it called Chain Rock. The story goes that this rock, which is massive in
size, had broken free from the mountain. They had feared the possibility of the
last few things holding it there would break free and this boulder would roll
down the mountain and destroy much if not all of the town.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The people
built a huge chain, large enough that you can walk across it without much
difficulty, and literally chained the boulder to the rest of the mountain. That
must have been a scary time for these people, but what does that say to you
about faith? To me it sounds a little like this, “Lord, I trust you, I do, but
just in case I’m going to do a few things just to make sure. It’s not that I
don’t trust you, I’m just being careful.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now the
further irony to this, the rock never broke free from the mountain and moreover
the mountain has now built back up around the boulder securing it in place. The
city of Pineville, KY is safe once more. It brings to mind Peter walking on
Water. It was all about his faith that allowed him to do as Jesus had done. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Too many
times do we restrain our faith and trust in the lord with Chains. There comes a
time in our lives that God calls us to cast off our chains and shackles to be
free in his grace. Now as we grow with a slaves mind, this is scary. When a Slave
does these things it leads to death if we’re lucky and if we are not then it
leads to torture and torment, or at least embarrassment. God calls for us to cast off the changes of
slavery that this world has put us in. Only if we do this can we walk with
purpose and be one with God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
When God
calls to us in this way, he has something for us to do. It may be as small as
buying someone some shoes, a meal or going out of your way on your way home to
give you a chance to touch a life that you would not meet otherwise. Sometimes
it is a Mission trip to another country or just to the local homeless shelter.
It might be to allow a perfect stranger in your car or worse… Into your Life!
What God can do through you and with you is ultimately up to you and your
dedication to the Lord.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
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No one can
serve two masters, so do you wish to keep on the chains of slavery that this
world has you under or will you cast them aside to allow God to use you? Will
you walk on Water or drown? Will you chain down your faith or let God take care
of your problems? All of this is up to you, how much will you allow your chains
to keep you from God’s Grace and keep you from sharing this Grace with others?<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-44051980584632864692013-09-15T22:21:00.002-07:002013-09-15T22:24:47.074-07:00Share the Vine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKfX3Ro9T2SR8z6xp5Caiui0ZhU-ehtK6npnBY2oiNl2T6yQ5jg4C76ZczROdWZTsrNrPliEOa8hcGVT-9iZBCMvdge4zGRReiI4KrCw_ErKagKU358dk9Bp4WZC7_3W1oqIuIbLaJxGj/s1600/young-frankenstein-puttin-on-the-ritz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKfX3Ro9T2SR8z6xp5Caiui0ZhU-ehtK6npnBY2oiNl2T6yQ5jg4C76ZczROdWZTsrNrPliEOa8hcGVT-9iZBCMvdge4zGRReiI4KrCw_ErKagKU358dk9Bp4WZC7_3W1oqIuIbLaJxGj/s320/young-frankenstein-puttin-on-the-ritz.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>But He would not let him; instead, He told him, “Go back home to your
own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how He
has had mercy on you.” Mark 5:19 HCSB<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the Book
of Mark chapter 5 we are told the story of Jesus driving out a legion of
unclean spirits from a man tormented by them. This story is one that I find
interesting in many different ways. One the story shows the power of God
through Jesus Christ and then the biggest part of it to me is what Jesus tells
the guy when he begs and pleads to come with him. Why would Jesus not let this
man come with him?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For this we
must look at what we are given to do with our lives even today. God wants each
of us as his Disciples to spread the good news. Does this Good News stop with
the four books known as the Gospels? No, it begins there. The Good News must
continue and our stories add to the testimony of Jesus and validating the fact
that he is the Living God. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
We are still
fruit on the vine. We partake of the
fruit of the vine in remembrance of what Christ Jesus did for us. Only through
this act do we provide the next generation of our brothers and sisters the
fruit of the vine that they need to hear to bend the knee to the God we love so
much. But that is only one part of this story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Jesus came
to this region and as soon as he landed the demons came and bowed a knee to
Jesus. Now to quote a great preacher that spoke about this story, “This guy was
so bad that they had tried to chain him down and he busted the chains. So they
ran him off to the graveyard where he couldn’t hurt anyone but himself.” *<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
He would cry
out day and night and beat himself with rocks. The demons had given him
supernatural strength, at the cost of who he was. That’s something I can relate
to in my walk. When these demons come into you, they change who you are. They
change you down to your thoughts. So this man had been plagued by these demons
for such a time that he was exiled from his friends and family. The demons
finally had what they wanted, they had isolated him completely. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
These demons
would have probably caused this man to die and they would drag him to the pit
with them had Jesus not shown up. As soon as he saw Jesus, he ran to him, but
it was not him that did the running. It was not him who cried out to Jesus. In
Verse 7 it says, “And he cried out with a loud voice, ‘What do You have to do
with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You before God, don’t torment
me!’<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Interesting,
now this is not the first time a demon had acknowledged Jesus in such a way. In
fact every time that we have a detailed account, they all know who Jesus is. Not
only do they know but they are afraid of him. They begged to God for Jesus not
to torment or torture them. Jesus had full authority over them. They begged and
pleaded for Jesus to not send them away from this place. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Jesus had no
reason to give these demons anything. These demons had done so much harm to
this man that sending them beck to hell where they belonged would have been
perfectly fine. What does Jesus do? He grants them their prayer. Think about
that for a moment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Demons
prayed to God and to Jesus and begged Jesus to not be sent away but allow them
to go into a heard of swine. And Jesus answered their prayer and allowed them
what they wanted. Jesus showed mercy on even the demons. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now the
demons in the swine ran the swine right into the sea where they drowned. This
didn’t make Jesus too popular with the locals. The men who tended the swine ran
into town to report what they had seen, and well the mob was gathered. As they
came they saw the Frankenstein grade monster sitting at Jesus’s feet in
clothes, which makes one wonder how he had been running around when possessed,
and of a right mind.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So this
Jesus guy fixed Frankie by sending the demons in swine, the swine had played
lemmings by running into the sea, and now Frankie was clothed and not so crazy.
That made them scared. I wonder which part of all that really made them afraid
and why. There are so many reasons why these people would be afraid, but they
had no reason to be afraid. Then again they didn’t know Jesus, not yet anyway. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our God in
the flesh showed mercy to demons and answered their prayer, but then moments
later, the man that had been plagued by them he denied that prayer. Again the
man wanted to go with Jesus, so thankful for what Jesus had done for him. Jesus
knew that Frankie had a lot of work to do for him, but he could do more work
for Jesus here. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The words
that Frankie needed to speak would serve those around him best. The same people
that probably tried to chain him up to keep him safe would need to see what
Jesus had done for him. The family that had mourned him would have to see him
live again. Only through that would these scared villagers come to know how
silly it was to be afraid of Jesus. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
But going
back wasn’t enough, no, he had to tell his story. A living testimony, to provide
these people with the fruit of the vine that was not yet harvested. The command
issued to Frankie would be one of the flagstones for the foundation of what we
are called to do with our own testimonies. We do not speak it to make ourselves
feel better. No, we do it to help give God the grace in our shortcomings or
pitfalls. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
God will get
the Grace in all things. Frankie provided people with the blood of Christ
before we were called to remember Christ Jesus for his sacrifice. Frankie got
to be the lifeblood and helping hand to allow others to know Jesus. And that is
what we are each called to do. To be a disciple we must go out into the world
and speak to what God has done for us and through us so others may know how
good the fruit is. So others may know Jesus the way we do. So go be Frankie
today, tomorrow and until the work is done.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">*Quoted from Jeff Walling pastor at <a href="http://prcoc.org/">http://prcoc.org</a> Check out his sermons on their
website.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-3425627421504977202013-09-13T10:47:00.002-07:002013-09-13T10:49:06.858-07:00Safe Salvation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOk8nbiZfkteTU8Gwfuen99Kx2-mKAS2f-_lVZWkekYABAZCKGBXEzsOxLB8RQoBI4LuEmlHWiUFbS6LPdns1OMO5g0Sn0dxpQwtZtUI0cpvsVVjRmgPEY6Dgpp3GznVqq2_Owxko4_1G/s1600/300__Fight_In_The_Shade_by_Carlota.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOk8nbiZfkteTU8Gwfuen99Kx2-mKAS2f-_lVZWkekYABAZCKGBXEzsOxLB8RQoBI4LuEmlHWiUFbS6LPdns1OMO5g0Sn0dxpQwtZtUI0cpvsVVjRmgPEY6Dgpp3GznVqq2_Owxko4_1G/s320/300__Fight_In_The_Shade_by_Carlota.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Finally, be strong in the Lord and in
his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand
against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this
dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
~Ephesians 6:10-12</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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I begin with
a disclaimer on this topic, for it is controversial to an extent. This, as with
all the topics I am writing about, is from my understanding that God has given
me. So I start with a question. Do you believe Christians are safe from the
Demons once we have accepted Christ? Let’s think about this from a biblical
sense for a moment. Now let’s think about our lives and the struggles that we
have faced since becoming Christians. Again, I ask, “Are we safe from Demonic
influence once we have accepted Christ?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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I would love
to say Yes to this question, but alas, I cannot. So let us begin with the rest
of the passage from the quote above. It is from the Armor of God payer found in
Ephesians 6:10-20. As we look over it and the target audience. This was written
for the Ephesians church, it was written for Christians as an empowerment of
ourselves to help us stand against demonic influence and direct assault.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So clearly
if once we were saved and baptized in the blood of Jesus Christ we were safe
from their assaults we would not need such powerful words and prayer. This is not to scare you so much as make you
aware. Many Christians and non-Christians walk through life oblivious to these
influences. To an extent there is a protection for those that are truly
innocent and blind to things, but that only goes so far. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Through my
time practicing the occult, I opened myself up to learn and know things that
humans were not meant to know and see. With each of these things, I opened
myself up to what was hidden in this corner or that corner by cutting away the
hedge of protection that kept me safe from it. A wall is only strong and safe
as long as it is intact. Each one of these journeys I knocked a whole in the
wall that was keeping me safe. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Demons are
smart, they are cunning, so they are always looking for ways to get through
these walls, and then sometimes God feels we need to learn a lesson or be
tested in a way that allows something through to influence us. For a biblical
truth of that all you have to do is look at Job. This demonic influence can go all the way to
possession. It is very hard for a demon to possess a Christian follower, but it
is possible. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Each of us
have our vices, as our flesh is made of sin. They begin with these vices and
look to see if we will give in to their influences. If we slip, then they
continue to push until they get in. I believe that some of the failed
relationships of Christians are a direct result of this kind of influence. The
flesh is weak, so our spirit must be strong.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Again we go
back to the Armor of God. Each part is something that we must do. The prayer is
instruction for us. First we learn why we need it. Our true struggle is not
against flesh and blood, it is against the world, this dark world. The world
has embraced sin as a way of life. In fact we are warned of being of the world
and told again and again that the flesh that we wear is dead and filled with
sin. Baptism cleanses the soul as a bath cleanses the flesh.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It does not
stop there however, our enemies are in the heavenly realm as well. This passage
may seem odd to a lot of people, but I must remind that Heaven and Hell are
both in the Heavenly realm. They are beyond the physical world and cannot be
touched by the flesh. That is the meaning of the Heavenly Realm in this
passage. It is the spiritual world, the non-physical world, that space between
and in-between all things. That’s why
the whole armor is important. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The belt of
truth, we must carry truth with us and allow it to be spoken from us and about
us. The truth is both a talk about being honest as well as being honest about
what you have been through. It helps protect us from the spirit of lies as well
as protects our mind. The breastplate of Rightousness, be as righteous as you
can be in all you do. It is also the piece of armor that is most visible. Walk
the walk of Jesus and do what was commanded of you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This will
help us from getting in situations that we will likely succumb to our fleshy
weakness. Shod your feet with the Gospel of Peace; we must know the gospel and
be ready to share it as well as allow it to be a marker for ourselves. Spread
the word of love and compassion. And above all else carry with you the shield of
faith. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The shield of
faith. This becomes our symbol of protection. This is what we must use to put
out the flaming arrows that are shot over the wall we talked about earlier. We
must take great care in building our faith, repairing our shields and keep that
with us always. Each and every day we must tend to it for it is what keeps us
safe from attacks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Upon your
head the Helm of Salvation; we must believe in our salvation and know the power
held within that salvation. We are saved through the blood of Christ, we must
not doubt that fact. Carry with us the sword of the spirit which is the holy
word of God. Read your bible, carry those words with you. <o:p></o:p></div>
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To quote
Tyrion Lannister from “A Game of Thrones” the mind needs books like a sword
needs a whetstone.” Reading and meditating on the word of God daily keeps your
Sword sharp for when the enemy gets beyond the wall and our shield is not
holding up, it is through the use of the word of God that we will defeat our
foes. But we cannot go into battle naked. A sword alone will not save us.<o:p></o:p></div>
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All of this
would not be needed if we were fully and truly safe from the evil spirits.
Through this we are prepared to go into battle. This is part of what prepares
us for Spiritual Warfare, but not all of us are soldiers. But by no means am I
saying to ignore these powerful instructions.
Look deeply upon these words and their true meaning. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So how do
you protect yourself from evil? I’ll quote a <a href="http://www.anglican-deliverance.org/index.php?p=1_5_FAQ">website</a> that I came across this
morning:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<em><span style="color: maroon; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">(11) How do I protect myself from evil?</span></em><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: maroon; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.5pt;">Regular
prayer and sharing with others in prayer, and worship that upholds the
overcoming of all that is evil through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
Believing in the continuing presence of the risen Christ brings protection and
peace. Also avoid occult practices that expose you<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>to<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>control
by forces beyond yourself.</span><i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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That sums
things up pretty nicely. If you notice that last part, “Also avoid occult
practices that expose you to control by forces beyond yourself.” I cannot
stress that more. As you go through and learn about yourself and look for who
you are in Christ, I urge you to avoid this, unless you feel a calling from God
himself to learn about this.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I opened
myself up to it and it drug me down as a slippery slope all the way to
worshiping the enemies of God. There is something to be said for rites and rituals;
you can find them in all branches of religion. They have great power, be
mindful of them, you can use them to help and for harm. May God be always with you, and share the Love
the Christ spoke of.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-83307446453154428462013-09-11T22:21:00.000-07:002013-09-11T22:21:45.663-07:00Power of Words<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMLiwe2z1tqT8eCN1zkGwqK0P4umR4scD-VuT0VkpbvnE5JBKSY58WuZyW5h957uXV6lPzz6Ot7v0cXqfFeSSKf48X33x3owlbpJ7gLDZjXw2wRnw7f_aUJXUq-EcSeoh9mibSOxKXWz8/s1600/Good+and+Evil+by+vandred.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinMLiwe2z1tqT8eCN1zkGwqK0P4umR4scD-VuT0VkpbvnE5JBKSY58WuZyW5h957uXV6lPzz6Ot7v0cXqfFeSSKf48X33x3owlbpJ7gLDZjXw2wRnw7f_aUJXUq-EcSeoh9mibSOxKXWz8/s320/Good+and+Evil+by+vandred.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It’s not what goes
into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this
defiles a man. Mat 15:11<o:p></o:p></div>
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The power
that our tongue has is one that is hard to understand. How such a small part of
our body as a whole has so much power that it is a constant warning throughout
the entire bible. This is something that I did not understand until after I
began going through counseling and preparing for Deliverance Ministry. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The topic of
Deliverance Ministry is a touchy one for a lot of people, but it is one of the
reasons I’m doing as well as I am doing right now. During my life wandering
spiritually I spoke many things that harmed me and my soul. There are things
that I allowed for the sake of understanding, knowledge or power that wounded
me deeply.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I profess
with my word that these things were wrong and I know that now, but when you are
wandering in the dark it’s hard to tell friend from foe. My first steps were in
tests. If this flame will change color then there is truth to these words. I
wanted to see a response, and I received one. Well if that worked what else
will work?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Down the
slope I went until I began to allow spirits, demons, into my being. I swore
oaths turning myself over as a vessel for the evil ones to use. With these
words I allowed them to do with me what they would. It was depravity after
another as I carved out sections of who I am and who I was becoming to allow
them to do with me what they will.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For my
seeking I did receive knowledge and wisdom through my folly. However, by
knowing the names of demons, they also learn yours. As you go deeper and deeper
into the abyss you see things that you cannot unsee. You learn things that you
cannot forget. And you do things that you cannot undo. I had become a man
filled with Hate, Lust, Anger, Destruction and filled with dreams of a truly
violent death and being happy with it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am very
glad that things happened when they did. God is good. He warned me to turn
away, but I would not listen. Who knows how many demons where walking around in
my flesh at any point in time. Was I hearing voices? No… just thoughts. Was I
schizophrenic? No… Possession is much different from that. When you open
yourself up to the demonic host, you get what they want… not what you want.<o:p></o:p></div>
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All of this
was done with words. I swore oaths. Dedicated myself to thoughts and uttered
blasphemies. Many of them I can still bring to mind even now. I have not spoken
those words in over 5 years, but I still hear them. I denounced my salvation,
my right and privilege as a child of God. But even with that, God did not give
up on me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I was the
wayward son, lost in the depths of the ocean. He was waiting on me to make my
choice and to say the words that he told me to say. All I had to do was ask for
forgiveness. <o:p></o:p></div>
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As a fool’s
tongue leads to strife and folly (Proverbs 18), only with wisdom gained from
folly did I see how much of a fool I had become. I had to be put in a situation
where there was nothing to distract me from the truth. I needed my Grey Door.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Upon my
release from my Grey Door, my journey was only still beginning. I was a new
child of God once more, but my tongue had still opened doors that were not yet
closed. I had not done this alone either, and because it was with a union of
souls with my wife. We had to be separated for God to begin working on us. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We began receiving
counseling. We had a church that supported us as we were a challenge to the
leadership of the church. Thank God for Providence Road Church of Christ (<a href="http://prcoc.org/">http://prcoc.org</a>). We were going to Celebrate
Recovery on top of the therapy. Our counselor quickly realized that we were
outside her area of expertise and had found someone in the area that works on
people with Occult pasts. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Clay Barnes
met with us. He was the one that shined the light of the true power of words.
In the first session I found myself renouncing oaths with the same verbiage
that I used when speaking them. They had to be the same in order to close the
doors that were opened. He too felt that we needed something rare. He suggested
Deliverance Ministry. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We went into
it and again had to be separated. The spirits within myself and my wife could
not be removed is we were together. We went through six one-hour long sessions
before we were turned back over to Clay. It was a very long process and we came
a long way. Still It’s been three years since we finished with that and only
now am I speaking about the power of words. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Still now,
still so young in Christ with everything that I have seen and gone through.
James knew what he was talking about: <o:p></o:p></div>
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“So too,
though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts great things. Consider
how large a forest a small fire ignites. And the tongue is a fire. The tongue,
a world of unrighteousness, is places among the parts of our bodies. It
pollutes the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is set on fire by
hell” James 3:5-6<o:p></o:p></div>
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So what’s
next? It is time for the truth to spew forth from my mouth. With that said.
Mind your tongue; do not let it become wild and untamed. My journey is not one
I wish any of you to follow. I was Christian, then nothing. I then became
Wiccan then a practitioner of Witchcraft. From there I became a Satanist. I
became a leader for the enemy. Then I became nothing once more, which was
better than what I was, and then once more a Child of God. I came back home and
the Father was waiting for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If I can
blaspheme his name, renounce his gifts, spit on his image, walk with those that
would stand against him and make friends among the demons of hell and he forgives
me…. I know he would forgive you.<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-42866476777638002812013-09-09T11:45:00.000-07:002013-09-11T09:14:45.608-07:00Change of Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OwRIFuA7HKAxIZx_5Dd5wmWGdYgTIjLjNpu6EoBWW92jqIGHG7NTjNiJ8A4FCYPYprqthIjFVRThu9xb1Rl6UZxCtAdnr-zptSwsoFzspzOB7daMWXhCVn7GV4ECfPfMChyphenhyphenou5eQtWDf/s1600/seasons-change-hd-ready.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OwRIFuA7HKAxIZx_5Dd5wmWGdYgTIjLjNpu6EoBWW92jqIGHG7NTjNiJ8A4FCYPYprqthIjFVRThu9xb1Rl6UZxCtAdnr-zptSwsoFzspzOB7daMWXhCVn7GV4ECfPfMChyphenhyphenou5eQtWDf/s320/seasons-change-hd-ready.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span class="text Matt-16-24" id="en-NIV-23697" style="text-align: start;"><span class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">24 </span>Then Jesus said to his disciples, <span class="woj">“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.<span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23697AD" title="See cross-reference AD">AD</a>)"></span></span></span><span style="text-align: start;"> </span><span class="text Matt-16-25" id="en-NIV-23698" style="text-align: start;"><span class="woj"><span class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">25 </span>For whoever wants to save their life<span class="footnote" style="vertical-align: top;" value="[<a href="#fen-NIV-23698f" title="See footnote f">f</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2016&version=NIV#fen-NIV-23698f" style="color: #b37162; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: top;" title="See footnote f">f</a>]</span> will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.<span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23698AE" title="See cross-reference AE">AE</a>)"></span></span></span><span style="text-align: start;"></span><span class="text Matt-16-26" id="en-NIV-23699" style="text-align: start;"><span class="woj"><span class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">26 </span>What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?</span></span><span style="text-align: start;"> </span><span class="text Matt-16-27" id="en-NIV-23700" style="text-align: start;"><span class="woj"><span class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">27 </span>For the Son of Man<span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23700AF" title="See cross-reference AF">AF</a>)"></span> is going to come<span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-23700AG" title="See cross-reference AG">AG</a>)"></span> in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.Matthew 16:24-27</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><span class="text Matt-16-27" style="text-align: start;"><span class="woj"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">As summer gives way to fall, we enter a change of season. The term change of season is something that we can overlook fairly easily, but what does a change of season in one’s life truly mean? I have been talking and praying about a lot of things in my life. Upon writing this I have been a Christian for 5 years, and God has done so much for me during this time.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Has this five years been easy? No, but they could have been much harder. Something has begun stirring within me over the past few weeks and it goes back to my trip to visit my parents and the place I called home for years. It was a good reminder for me to see where I came from once more and see just how far God has taken me. Much more than that; it was pointing to me just how far that I still need to go.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">We each carry with us stories about our faith, our lives and who we are. These stories are parts of who we are today and who we have come to be in Christ. However, they do not define us. They speak to who we were and the journey that we have traveled. It is how all of these come together and what we allow God to do with them that truly begin to define us. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Even then it’s not a true image of who and what we are and who and what we are to become. Only God knows the path that we are to walk and still with that, we have the choice to go forward or stay where we stand. Each crossroad that we come to can potentially become a change of season within our hearts and souls. Each person that we come in contact with is another chance for us, or them, to do God’s work. The trouble that many of us have is seeing the path in which we are to walk, or even hear that we have something to do.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">God speaks to us in many different ways; sometimes it is bold and loud and cannot be ignored. Other times it is a mere whisper. How do we know? How can we tell what is our own mind and what is the voice of God? For that sometimes we have to go back to our roots. Sometimes the only way forward is to look to the past.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Looking to the path that I have traveled; to reading the words that God has blessed me with before; has helped me focus on the journey. I look to my parents. I look to my challenges in life. I look to the times that I failed. I looked to the times I thought I had succeeded. I have looked and realized that some of my failures where not truly failures, but they were things that God put in my path to help build me to be the man He needed me to be. The same goes for successes, influences, people, places, experiences and even when I became a Satanist.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">All of this has purpose, all of these things built upon the prior to help shape me as a person. As I bear the cross that is my sins of the past, those sins that I have been forgiven of, but I am still held against them. The world is of Sin and will hold onto sin as long as it can. I have something the world does not have however; I have the Grace given to me by God. I also have a rare experience that many do not have, and with that it gives me a rare responsibility. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">It is not an unusual thing that we are given an interesting path and story to help do the things that God wants us to do. God will use these things to lead others to him. With this also comes a truth. We all must face the demons we know to bring light to those in the darkness. We all must take up our cross and follow God. It is a command that was given to us by Jesus to become his disciples. I have a great group of Christians around me to provide me encouragement and guidance. One of these men was a man that reached out to me when I was locked away in Jail and was trying to relearn who Christ was. One of the biggest things he speaks about is dying to yourself.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">You must die to yourself to become more like Jesus. You deny what the flesh desires to look at things more like Christ. It is great advice. But with this comes another truth. When you die to yourself, you must not forget who you are either. Your identity in Christ is very important, because it is who God has made you to be. Sometimes it is harder to find out why God has made you go through things like he has and even harder to accept it. Harder still, seeing the path that you must walk to do what God wants you to do.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Sometimes all we can do is Pray and delve into God’s word. Through this attunement we can see and hear God’s voice and plan a bit better. All of this comes together to build the world around us. What has God blessed you with? What skills have you been given? How can you use these gifts to do what God wishes you to do? I leave with a quote that holds more than a little truth for me, and if one truly thinks about it, it probably does for you as well.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><i><span style="color: white;">“The path to paradise begins in hell.” ~Dante Alighieri</span></i><span style="color: #181818;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-77563586014800708452013-07-14T11:55:00.000-07:002013-07-14T11:55:59.899-07:00Where's Your Seed?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcT0SaH15xrbO6ZwRFRiIV0Xm-t0N99hbcH8uCbewldV4DUQc4RlxbLlP4bgQoKmyKLwdj81YTbtoKvlKau465wdxsqC2RouwY9zFGVnDcZq7ZyezbwpHiWNJv-8F3b7F1iuQU82s7NaR/s1600/tree_growing_in_rocks_7875.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcT0SaH15xrbO6ZwRFRiIV0Xm-t0N99hbcH8uCbewldV4DUQc4RlxbLlP4bgQoKmyKLwdj81YTbtoKvlKau465wdxsqC2RouwY9zFGVnDcZq7ZyezbwpHiWNJv-8F3b7F1iuQU82s7NaR/s320/tree_growing_in_rocks_7875.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The old
parable that calls back to me on many occasions is the one about the three
different kinds of soil. You have the seeds cast in with rocky soil; thrown
among the thorns; thrown to the way side, and then finally you have the good
soil. The parable has always been taught to me to be about the condition of
someone’s heart when you or someone approaches them about the message of God.
For me I get a little bit of a different message about this passage. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Something
that always rang to me is how much tending needs to be done to make the soil
good soil. For a long time I have seen myself to be the seed that was thrown
among the thorns. It’s got good dirt, but the thorns make it difficult to grow.
Looking through life that is how much of my life has been. I get a good spell
right after the garden’s been weeded. Go for a while then the thorns grow right
back up around me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Let’s be
clear, none of us were gifted with the perfect soil. Everyone that has started
a new garden will know that no patch of ground is perfect. Things were growing
there before, there are rocks in the dirt and many times it takes many years of
tending before you have good dirt. Now that is not to say that it does not help
to have the soil prepared for you. I see this as people that were raised in
good Christian homes. That does not mean that your seed cannot fall to the
wayside, and certainly doesn’t mean that if left alone that thorns and weeds
cannot creep back into the garden.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The biggest
issue with good healthy dirt is that it is good healthy dirt. Thorns and weeds
love to grow in the same place as fruits and vegetables. You must always tend to your soil. But back to
what I’m talking about today. Each of us has inherited this plot of soil that
is who we are. This is our heart, mind, body and soul. There are many things
that factor into how hard, rocky, thorny or good our soil is. A strong seed can
grow in nearly any condition. It’s just harder.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Why is it
important to know what kind of dirt you have? Well once you know what you are
working with you will know how much work will needed to be put into it. Also
the more work you put into it the better it will grow. Any dirt can become good
dirt. It takes TLC. The worse your dirt is the more you have to do to fix it.
That is part of how we grow as Christians, and as people for that matter. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I started
out with really fertile soil, yeah there were plenty of rocks in it, but it had
been worked for me for a few years to start out life. The problem is, it was
left untended for a good number of years. By the time I first walked to Christ,
I had plenty of rocks still there and the weeds had taken over. But the dirt
was fertile. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The seed
took root and grew. The weeds had been cleared out enough for this one seed.
That wasn’t enough. The weeds liked the dirt and grew back up. Well then I
began to ignore it even more and threw more junk in the garden. Bottles, cans,
distractions, magazines, people and many other things were thrown in this
place. I then realized how much of a mess all that had become wanted to pave
over it with something else. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Shopping
around I found the thing that was as different from the garden as I could. The
salesman was good, “You want knowledge, wisdom, understanding and power… I’ve
got all that for you. All you got to do is add a little water, mix it up and
poor it over all that and you’ll never see it again. Once you’ve done that you
can do whatever you want. Risk free! Satisfaction Guaranteed! No conviction,
just pleasure and indulgence.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Hell yeah,
where do I sign!” was my reply.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Hell indeed.
So now this fertile ground was covered in a slab of concrete. When I fell I hit
this concrete and it did not give way. Jesus then showed up with a sledgehammer
and a shovel. You’ve got the dirt down there, all we have to do is get back to
it and get it cleaned up. Here I’ll help. Jesus then began breaking the
concrete.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you have
read the “Grey Door” then you know this portion of the story. For 115 days
Jesus pounded away at the concrete. Somewhere in there I began to help. We got
back down to the soil and started clearing it out. Man it has been hard work.
Still 5 years later, people still see all the junk in my garden. Those that do
not know Christ says, “Man what a mess you are. I can’t help you.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is not
my concern though… The story that I have to hear to keep my strength is with
the ones that look at my garden and say, “Wow, you’ve come a long way. You’ve
got a ways to go, can I help. If you need another shovel just let me know.”
These people are my brothers and sisters. My garden is still a mess, but it’s a
work in progress. Luckily God loves works in progress just as much as he loves
the well-tended gardens. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Mark 4:3-9,
Ecclesiastes 4:7-12, 1 Timothy 1:12-17, 6:12-16<o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-22059157146752065192012-03-25T10:52:00.000-07:002012-03-25T10:52:51.181-07:00Won't Back Down<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6_cY2T0YKjy-VDYerrDMcjzIdkx8IDIe4zy6kDUbTqz7bNGiwcVHNKA0eU6BJN49nTI2UEHYMhjHxbFq9pRvbuKu_C8oOIZNYnmCrsqeyVqpX6iO3gL_rLkBgUkmHgeo-Iqnz7Rmbox2/s1600/warrior_knight4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6_cY2T0YKjy-VDYerrDMcjzIdkx8IDIe4zy6kDUbTqz7bNGiwcVHNKA0eU6BJN49nTI2UEHYMhjHxbFq9pRvbuKu_C8oOIZNYnmCrsqeyVqpX6iO3gL_rLkBgUkmHgeo-Iqnz7Rmbox2/s320/warrior_knight4.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Have you ever had those moments that
struck very powerfully in your mind. Today I had one of those
moments. Standing in church singing and praising the Lord with all
the horrible sounds that I could muster, when I closed my eyes to
pray as I sang along. A line from another song came to mind and an
image stood clearly in my mind.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The song was “Won't Back Down” by
Tom Petty. The line of course was, “You can stand me up at the
gates of hell and I won't back down.” Powerful words, but paled in
comparison to the image that joined it. A truly scary image, scary
for what it symbolizes.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I saw myself standing in that dark
cavern that I have traveled through in my mind so many times in my
past. Standing there at the threshold, at the gate was myself
standing in chainmail with a very large white shield with the red
cross on it. Cross helm and white sir coat with the always known red
cross. Standing there I plunged a flag into the ground with and stood
very strong and proudly. It was so impressive looking so large and
strong and powerful. I looked as if I were a human wall with a look
upon my face so sure that nothing held behind that gate would get
past me.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Images similar to these have not been
too far from my face in recent days. They come in different forms and
shapes, but still with this power and strength that I do not possess.
That is what is so scary about this image, the strength that one
would have to have to stand there like that knowing what horrors
await. Strength that no mortal possess. It is so humbling to see
these images for me.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Lord makes all thing possible, this
truth I know. I have walked through those fires and seen their faces
and know their names. Through this darkness they too know my face. My
name. They know the pride, the anger that once was held within me.
They know the weaknesses of my flesh. They know my lusts and desires,
they know me better than I know them. They know that I once toasted a
glass to their honor and their power, and stood as opposition to God.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the end their promises of power were
without ground. They could provide temporary strength, only for
periods of time that God allowed. Through my own desires to be more
than a human, my body mind and soul were torn asunder. I look at who
I was then and do not recognize that face. They made a monster out of
me and I relished in it. My faith in them was strong, so strong that
I thought, no I believed that I could walk into heavens gates and
tear God from the throne.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Talk about delusional. They do not have
this power and they cannot give it to any man, woman or child. And
now with this image in my mind. I was too weak to stand that vigil
for the demons of hell. This is the same flesh, the same bones and
the same blood. How can God expect that of me?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
God knows my heart and he knows the
good that I would love to do. He knows that I weep over the hurt that
I have caused in the past. Even though I am forgiven for it, I still
weep knowing all those lives that I helped destroy. The pain that I
have caused to my family, friends and those that looked to me as a
leader. They looked to me to guide them and give them strength. I
lead them only to destruction, the same road that I was going down.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
How then, in such a short amount of
time, can I stand so strong for the Lord? Am I strong enough to do
this? Only God knows. That is the message here. It is not about me
and my past, but know this. Through all the bad that I have done, God
is now getting the Glory just as he will. God's hand was the only one
that could reach down and pull me out of the flames. Only his grace
in good enough and strong enough to break my heart. He wrestled me
and made me give it all to him.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Do I have the strength to stand at the
gates of hell and not back down? Do I have the strength to stand
vigil as someone to bring hope and courage to those that have none?
Do I have the wisdom to know what to say to those that are going down
the road I traveled? The answer is simple, No.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
No, I do not have this strength. My
flesh is weak and is built in sin, there is no strength in these
bones, blood and mind. That is where the wicked fail. They believe
that these temporal forms can bi given the power to combat things
that are eternal.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.31in; margin-right: 0.54in;">
“For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will
certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that
our old self was crucified with him so that body of sin might be
destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has
died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe
that we will also live raised from the dead, will never die again;
death no longer has dominion over him. So you also must consider
yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” Romans
6:5-11</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: 0.01in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: 0.01in;">
Only through
Faith in Christ Jesus shall we know the strength and power that God
will grant. That power is through knowing that we stand with the one
true God. Through his grace mercy and peace will we be empowered to
do things that are far beyond what we may do. This is not a cry to
say that if you want power become a Christian. No on the contrary,
through realizing how weak we are, we learn that the power of God
through Christ is insurmountable.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: 0.01in;">
Will I stand so
vigil? With the Lord of Heaven and earth beside me, behind me and in
me. Of course I will. So long as I don the armor of faith and stand
on the pillar of faith that is the foundation of all that we are. God
is the Lord of Heaven and Earth, he became flesh in the Son Jesus
Christ, whom lived the perfect life and sacrificed himself for those
that could not live perfect.</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: 0.01in;">
Even Aristotle
said that perfection is akin to a force that cannot exist here in
this world even for a second. This world is broken and to be perfect
you will transcend to something more and beyond all that we know. In
our lives we will see these moments within ourselves for only seconds
when we stand beside ourselves in disbelief. In those moments, Praise
Lord that you have received the grace and glory to do his work in all
you do.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: 0.01in;">
I stand in
opposition of what the demons in hell wished for me. If they had
their way, I would probably be with them now, dead. Through that
death my soul would forever be lost and held beneath. But God pulled
me from that hell, and placed me here. He redeemed me and Justified
my actions and made me upright. Not perfect, just as flawed and
broken, but upright. There is a difference.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: 0.01in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: 0.01in;">
Those of you that
feel as if you are being swallowed by the flames of hell. Know that I
have stood in those flames. I willingly walked into those fires and
am being prepared to possibly do the same, with a different agenda.
Only God knows what he has in store for me. But I will stand with you
if you ask of it. Give me your hand and together we can find a road
back to more solid ground. I'll walk with you for a while, until I
can get you to someone that can take you the rest of the way.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: 0.01in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: 0.01in;">
The fires became
a home for me once and I stand against them now. Lord give me the
strength that I do not possess. As you prepare me for what is to
come, help me become more able to stand with those that are hurting.
Guide me to know what to say or where to go, so all those that have
lost their lives around me can have a little more hope, and find
peace in you. Too many have died not knowing your love or feeling
abandoned by the world, or their pride kept them from reaching out.
Lord you know my heart, I know you are preparing me, I know that you
will use me. Lord give me the strength that I do not have.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: 0.01in;">
I leave with the
prayer for the full armor of God:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-right: 0.01in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.49in; margin-right: 0.43in;">
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put
on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against
the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of
blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the
spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore Take up
the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that
evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore,
and fasten the belt of truth around your waist and put on the
breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever
will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of
these take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench
all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ~Ephesians
6:10-17</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-43923267039355380712011-12-03T11:20:00.001-08:002012-02-29T04:14:46.233-08:00A Question of Human nature<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3lKbk8rFaoTTuQVV3Ve4hr-pCDqk9uu-FKlITfPq2mHvFhKl5bmcZ6Y7WP9CUF2dKsnatmE7ktL3eBQMFNVq_U4nkao2h6_uEjuSStomUGhVQQH0GrrSxAJVRwJW40ciLay-jBTM7frg/s1600/redblue_pill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3lKbk8rFaoTTuQVV3Ve4hr-pCDqk9uu-FKlITfPq2mHvFhKl5bmcZ6Y7WP9CUF2dKsnatmE7ktL3eBQMFNVq_U4nkao2h6_uEjuSStomUGhVQQH0GrrSxAJVRwJW40ciLay-jBTM7frg/s320/redblue_pill.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have always thought much about people
and why they do what they do. It was always hard for me to imagine
how for so long that pain and suffering has existed. Receiving the
question of why do people write viruses over and over, for me there
is many answers, but it comes down to one. The answer is, because
they can.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is the same answer for many things.
Why do people hurt one another? Why do people steal, when they do not
need it? Why must the strong always oppress the weak? Why must there
always be a struggle? Humans are greedy people. We want what we do
not have, and, by nature, are not happy with what they have.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Greed is the root of so much that is
wrong with our lives and our world. The world is a big place, but
each day we try to make it a little smaller. Someone once said, in
response to the question of why World Domination will never occur.
The answer was, “The world is too big, and the people are too
different for any one group or ideal to dominate it all.”
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Many have also said you cannot change
the world, but you can change yourself and help change the things you
touch. Now from this point your mind could be going in many different
directions, but primarily along two different paths, negative and
positive. So is the reason the world becoming smaller is so someone
can control it? Or as we touch so much more and so many more people,
can we not more effectively change more that we touch?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But what does this have to do with
viruses? How to viruses spread? Everyone knows how a cold spreads,
through contact. Viruses the same way. Ideas are humanities greatest
virus. They spread as one to the other. If an idea takes hold, a
notion, it can spread like wildfire. We see this every day in every
facet of our lives. The idea that certain clothes look cool to the
idea that this diet will work for you, to the idea that this person
or that person knows what they are talking about.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
These ideas build our society, and
society, a lot of times, define our world. We are in an information
age, so now more than ever is the concept true that Ideas are some of
the most powerful and dangerous things out there. We have seen this
in popular culture going back for some time. Inception was not the
first, and neither was the Matrix. George Orwell's 1984 showed us an
idea of control.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We flash back quite a way to the ideas
that changed the world. From, “Fire good!” to Jesus might know
what he's talking about to, E=MC2 is a good recipe for a weapon, to
if we hook computers together they are much more powerful, to hey
what if I could take my phone with me. Ideas change and shape our
world and our lives.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Hey if a man letting himself get struck
by lightning can change the world... why can't you? I mean really
think about it, Ben Franklin, indisputably one of the most
revolutionary men in history really shone with the great idea of
being able to harness electricity, but what did he do. “Hey guys
watch this! I'm gonna tie a key to this kite to prove that
electricity is real.” I mean seriously, how could ANYONE think that
was a GOOD idea?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If ideas such as leaving fruit juice
out too long will and drinking it will get you drunk can be accepted
not only as good ideas, but major industries. Why could more fruitful
ones take hold? Well they can, but the trick in this age is getting
people to take on ideas that they will not make a profit and will not
get them more attention. How many of you, honestly, would not jump on
board with an idea that would without a doubt make you a millionaire
in a year with no consequences?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
How about this one, taking on the
belief of an idea that would get you labeled crazy if it promised you
eternal life? I bet you would for sure if you didn't get this eternal
life after you died. Death is scary for most of us. Here is the
problem, we want to see that there is proof of this good idea before
we will take it on ourselves.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is understandable, it is a rare
kind of person that wishes to be the first to do something that could
be labeled as a bad idea, but man we all want to be the first to do
something that is considered a good idea. All reward with No risk.
Sorry life is not so easy. Yes you can live life in such a fashion,
always taking the safe road and sticking with the status quo. The
Status Quo does not equal change however. If you want to change
things, you really have to be willing to take that step out there and
be the first.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you want to change yourself however,
this is even more difficult. You have to be willing to change how YOU
do things, and do things that are against the routines that you have
developed. Anyone that has been addicted to anything will tell you
how hard that can be. Our bodies are influenced by our environment.
Part of our environment is our history. We learn how humans have
existed for as long as we have been, and we accept that is the way of
things. So what if you want to believe something that is contrary to
what you were taught to believe? That's hard.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Pearl Bailey had a wonderful quote,
“You cannot belong to anyone, until you belong to yourself.” Now
for me, what this means is you have to know who you are and be
yourself before you can truly know why you believe in what you
believe in. You have to develop your own idea of how the world is,
and how you are. You have to walk through these fires before your
faith can truly belong to you and it's not just borrowed from someone
else. Only then will your walk be true.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So moving to the heart of things. What
do you want our world to be like? Loving, accepting, one without war
and strife? You want a world without oppression? As Michael Jackson
said, “You have to start with the man in the mirror.” World
change begins with you. You want others to desire to be a Christian,
give them reason to with your walk. “Faith without works is
meaningless.” “May they know that you are my children because
they see me in you.” If you really treated others with love and you
loved them as you loved yourself... most of us wouldn't call anyone
anything horrible. Now if you are like me and have a bad habit of
talking to yourself... well I can be less than kind to myself, but
hey I still love me every chance I get.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
How about we start walking with the
love of God instead of trying to do his job and walking with a yard
stick to see how everyone else just doesn't measure up. May God be
with you in your heart and your soul. And let's keep taking that red
pill and see the world for what it is, so we can begin to make it the
world that Jesus would love it to be. We have to be in this world,
but not of it.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2595253710787512864.post-50918961217819597122011-11-28T18:25:00.001-08:002011-11-28T18:46:47.420-08:00Inclusive or Exclusive, the Christmas spirit<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDQWfwWHfx4xmSDP69fZYfg8eLDIX9GwZGa8BPovTmfc6ZRPWmakedgcA7GiOPRtSES0COHJs9xiJqcTD-KccTYyNRDzOEM6bFf-oRa9G50AMh76EEcfetktKnUJxwS4Y2bm6Nar-2HRi/s1600/dalek_christmas_tree_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpDQWfwWHfx4xmSDP69fZYfg8eLDIX9GwZGa8BPovTmfc6ZRPWmakedgcA7GiOPRtSES0COHJs9xiJqcTD-KccTYyNRDzOEM6bFf-oRa9G50AMh76EEcfetktKnUJxwS4Y2bm6Nar-2HRi/s320/dalek_christmas_tree_02.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The holidays bring out a lot of things
in a lot of people. For many it's a time of joy and cheer, for others
that cheer has turned sour with hurt and loss. For those that are
alone it can be a time of great pain. For us Christians it is
supposed to be a time for us to reflect on the birth of the one that
died for all of us.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
During this time of reflection, it is
easy to get caught up in what Christmas is NOT about. Shopping,
greed, everything but the spirit of Christ. It can also make us loose
sense of purpose and why God left us here and think that this is our
time. No one else that does not worship this time for the same
reasons as us do not deserve it. This is a big reason why there are
not more of us.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is a time for us to celebrate and
truly get into the spirit of giving, it is not about consumerism and
it is not of elitism. It is a time to be with family and friends, it
is also a time to reach out to those that are hurting because of this
time. Those people need a reason to make this time of year something
worth celebrating. Times are turbulent, as they always are, we do not
need more fighting, war and strife. We do not need any more lessons
in greed, coveting, lust and deceit. What I call for is for each of
you to reflect on one thing. Was Christ inclusive or exclusive?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Jesus was a man that none of us are
capable of being, but we should not stop trying just because it's
hard. It's easy to have friends that are like you, it's hard to spend
time with people that you are not like. Look in the bible and reflect
on the places that Jesus had dinner at more than not. He spent more
time with the lawyers, tax collectors and thieves when he was living
his ministry. He lived by example, he wanted all to walk with him. He
lived and died so we could be with him. So why have we, as
Christians, for so long shunned, killed, hurt and cast aside those
that were not like us?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When I was not a Christian one of my
biggest reasons for not was the crusades. We Christians went into the
middle-east and slaughtered millions because they believed
differently from us, to take the holy lands away from the people that
had lived there for so long. We continued to oppress others that did
not believe like us. The conquistadors, the people that settled right
here in the US, the natives that were here had what we wanted and we
took it from them. This oppression pushed me away from Christ,
especially when I was told that I had no place at church when I
listened to rock music, when I dressed like that, when I was not just
like them.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I am a Christian and I would still
wager that I am quite different than the vast majority of my brothers
and sisters, but that's how I was built. God loves me for who I am,
his brush painted me and that is who I am. I'm still an unfinished
work, just as we all are. Lessons in the bible that really mean a lot
to me are the ones that make you reflect on life and how one should
live as well as the stories about how we are all his people. Jesus
told the disciples to go make disciples of the world.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
He also spoke to the world as the
nation of Israel. Now this is an interesting thought, we are all one
people under God. We are all citizens of one global country in God's
eyes. Why can we not live like that? Why is it that we have to
concern ourselves with what country we currently live and how it
compares to others? All of them are broken because they are not all
one. As long as we as a race of people fight God's plan and design we
will never truly know what happiness we could have. We have the
resources globally to take care of all of the people of the world,
but we will not share it. We want to hold it tight and are so worried
about running out.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Where is your faith? Did not your God
take care of you? Did he not see you through the darkness? Did he not
provide for his people in the past? Faith of a mustard seed... Until
we wake up and break down these walls that we call borders and live
as a whole people we will never see his plan. Here is my challenge to
you, if you do not have a friend that is not a Christian, I challenge
you to expand your world. If your faith is strong enough, then this
is not a challenge, stand beside the sinner because we all are. Show
them that Christians are not all judgmental exclusive people. Show
people the Love that God has shown you. Let us begin to break down
these borders and walls around us. We are a global people and our
survival depends on two things, first God letting us stay here and
second our ability to look beyond how we are different and see how we
are alike.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Be more like Jesus, Love people, and
love ALL people no matter what holiday in December they celebrate
today, they could be standing with you at church if you can get past
that. Remember, the healthy are not the ones that need the doctors.
If you only live with the healthy and help those that are healthy,
the sick will continue to die away. Two commandments is what he gave
us, Love God with everything we have and Love each other as we love
ourselves. I don't know about you, but I only pick on myself for so
long before I get tired of it.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I love you all, and may we see a
brighter future through hope. This is a time to celebrate the birth
of Jesus Christ, who would have gave away all those gifts on that
very day if he wasn't in such a weak form. For those that are
hurting, I am sorry for your loss. I cannot bring back your lost
ones, but I can stand with you and be a light in the darkness. I know
that I have a lot of brothers and sisters that can do the same in
this Holiday season let us walk like Christ.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09543550825559092959noreply@blogger.com0