Inclusive or Exclusive, the Christmas spirit

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.

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.

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?

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

How to turn the lights on for those clinging to the Darkness

I received a letter today, it is from a friend that I help lead astray. This friend followed me through the occult life that I was living and clung to my teachings more than I’d care. He finds himself accepting a plea for 16 to 21 years for multiple bank robberies. I have been working with him to help him find faith in the God that I know and love, but now, what do you say to him?

This man is someone that trusted me and followed me into hell. His morals ripped apart, just as mine were. His life torn asunder, just like mine were. This situation broke him down and brought him a little lower into hell, and justly so. As he sits and states, “God has abandoned us all, wait what God? There is No God.” I cannot help to feel sorrow in my heart for him.

I know that he committed these crimes, and he does not deny them. What is hurting him so, is how long he will be going to a Department of Correction facility and the fact that his “partner in crime” is getting 10 years probation and he is getting 16 years in prison. So what do you say to someone whose faith has never been built, and what ground you have helped him make is torn asunder?

God is just and he knows what he is doing. One of the greatest contributors of the New Testament spent the last years of his life in Prison as well, but he had faith going in and through that. I know that there are many people that have found faith in prison and many go on to write books and lead prison ministries. So what about him now, is his path to be locked in to go down this road? Or can he overcome this lack of faith at all? How do you help someone that is in this situation?

I plan to be there for him and support him and continue to be his friend. I will continue to witness to him through my acts of faith. Life is hard enough without falling into these pitfalls. When the devil whispers in your ear to do this or that, and you listen… suffering occurs. I know this, I have lived through this. When you do not turn from Satan and pull to Christ, I understand that the suffering continues. What now? What happens when the suffering continues when you are pull to the Lord? How does faith prosper like that?

We have many lessons in the bible speaking of enduring through suffering to build stronger faith. We also have many lessons speaking of the fact that God will wrestle with you until you surrender to him. Those who do not surrender will suffer. What do you say though to the suffering man that will not surrender? How do you impact that person’s life? How can you show someone clinging to the darkness how good the light is? That is my prayer right now, how can I and everyone else show these people the light of the Lord?

May you all have Mercy, Peace and Love in Abundance.

A Letter to those in need

How do you help someone that does not want help? This is something that is weighing on my heart heavy in the dark days that we are living through. Many pains have people beat into acceptance and submission. However this does not have to be. There is power in the promise of Jesus Christ and Lord God Almighty.

This message is for those that are hurting and feel like your dreams are gone. This is something that I want each and every person that reads these words to pass to a friend that is hurting. God Loves you regardless of where you are right now. I see people going through many struggles and through strife, but God is there with you. Though we may walk away from his glory and grace, he is still there. Each of us are a prodigal son whom runs off to be in the world, but our Father is there waiting for us to turn to him.

This world is a very mean place and filled with hate. We fear daily for many things. Where is the future heading? “Where have we come from,” I say. The road is a long one and there are many twists and turns, yet there is hope.  This is not easy, but you must hear me if you want to save yourself or those that you love. You cannot trust the world to allow you to fix your problems; the world will just leave you in angst, pain and misery. There is but one road to follow to find love in your heart and a safe place to rest your head.

God gives us the promises, and he upholds them. Through all the struggles that I have been through, even when I was not following him, he still kept his promises. I have had everything that I have NEEDED, not the things that I want, but those things that I need. They have always been there. Even when I ran from him, he still kept his promise that he made to me, even when I had broken my promise to him. I am not special, I am just a man.

Jude 1:2 tells us “Mercy, Peace and Love be yours in abundance.” There is a peace in my heart now, even as I walk through the storm. The Lord has, and continues to show me his mercy and Love is something that is all around me. I try as I may to pour it out on others as it has been poured down on me. What hurts my peace and love is when I see people that are broken and bruised that have loving arms wanting to reach out and help, and they just refuse to accept the help or give people a chance to be the voice of God.

God uses everyone around you if you allow him. He uses the wicked just as much as the righteous. All you have to do is submit yourself to God and allow him to use you and use others around you to help you heal and get better. Only after you trust in the Lord Fully will he move to raise you up. It is not up to us, when we can’t fix our own mess. Honestly, none of us can really fix our mess. We have to depend on God. He is there for you, you just have to let go of your hurt and your pain for him to take it away.

We call God our Lord of Peace; he is that and so much more. We call him the great physician; let him be that for you. We call him the master of all; stop trying to take that away from him. Trust in the Lord and it will be given. He will not move as long as you resist him. He will wrestle you until you are in a position to surrender to him. Give it to him and allow yourself to still serve him in the darkness and you will be blessed by the flood.

Our lives make us feel like we just have a checklist of things that have to happen. Our priorities are not of God. Chuck Paulinuik said it in Fight Club, “We are not the clothes we wear. We are not the car we drive. We are not the contents of our wallet.” This message was not a Godly message, but used Godly words to prove the point. I am sorry, but Corporations are not the solution to our problem. A better job will not bring us closer to God. When God has another job for you, listen and he will guide you. Trust in him and he will carry through the storm. The Lord knows your heart, your fears and anxieties. The Lord knows what will make you happy, just let him GUIDE YOU TO IT!!!

Lift up his voice and sing his praises in the storm and you will see it through the end and be better off for it. God knows you better than your spouse, your mother, your father or even yourself. Let go of what is killing you and pick up the only thing that can bring you life. The word of God and take hold of his hand and allow him to lead you to peace.

Let love guide you. Do not allow yourself to be pulled or swayed by the voice of fear and doubt. These roads lead you to darkness. You are no better than the Idolaters if you allow depression take hold of you and pull you away from God. Anything that you put first will be taken to last if it leads you on to pain. God will remove everything that is preventing you from hearing his voice, so just listen.

God loves you too much to give up on you. He has too much hope for you. It does not matter if your greatest sin is thoughts that you do not follow through with, or a lie that you speak or rape and murder. God loves you and he will pull you through the darkness and into the light if only you let him. He loves everyone the same, with purity and grace. None of us are perfect and if you have committed the least of these you have committed the greatest.

When you begin to look at others to judge them, remember that. What they have done is no worse than what you have done yourself. Through the darkness we will see his face. In our darkest hour and in our darkest place, just listen and he will be there. We all have that place, that hour, that moment, or that person. The darkness will pass, and darkness cannot exist where there is light. The light will drive out the darkness if you allow it. If you hold onto your darkness it will lead you to the darkness and deeper and deeper until you find yourself in a pit of despair.

There is no hope in the darkness, which is only hope in the love of God. I cannot and will not set idly by and allow those that I love fall into or back into the pit. So I stand here now in the Full Armor of God and will stand beside you. I will not let a brother or sister fall into that pit without a fight. I give this one to Tom Petty, “You can stand me up at the gates of hell and I won’t Back Down!” I look to Joshua for guidance, a mighty warrior who stated, “As for me and my family, we stand for the lord.” So I ask you now, are you tired of hurting? Are you tired of going down the same roads with the same results? Then stand up, God is with you. Then look to another source of support. God is with you. Raise your eyes to the lord, God Loves You.