Atheist Babble

Imagine an incoming freshman at a major university known for science and technology. Now, imagine that incoming freshman is standing outside of the Physics building, making fun of all the people who believe in this "physics" thing.  I mean, he learned about physics when he was younger, sort of.  He's pretty sure he's got the main idea, and has come to the conclusion that is just plain silly.

As graduate students getting their PhDs in Physics walk in and out of the building , he makes comments about how it's all made up, and that scientists have changed the facts over time, and it's a blind faith in what scientists (people they've never met) have told them.  I mean, his fellow Aphysicists all agree. In fact, he's surrounded himself with only other people who think what he thinks, and believe what he believes. No additional data needed. Don't need to be duped into believing in this physics stuff. "Keep your kool aid to yourself, you Physics Freaks!"

He spends the entire semester coming up with theories as to how gravity really works, why things fall in a parabolic arc, why sound changes octaves when a train goes by ("Certainly not this Doppler effect the physicists say it is!", he snorts). 

All the while, there are all of these people studying physics in-depth. They are getting Masters and PhDs on the subject.  What could they possibly be studying? I mean, it's all based on blind faith and made up stories, right?

Ridiculousness.

But this, in essence, is what is happening. But the subject is not Physics. The subject is God and Jesus and the Bible.  And there are these babbling atheists standing well on the outskirts of what it's really all about, acting as though they have even the slightest clue. 

I have no doubt they grew up going to some church on Sundays who failed to teach them what it's really about. I have no doubt that they potentially had a bad experience with someone who claims to be a Christian. I have no doubt they have learned some stories about Christians in history that have been over-exaggerated with some serious hyperbole, or completely rewritten history, while ignoring the exponentially more heinous atrocities of atheists and agnostics in history (e.g. Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, Pol Pot). 

I get it.  But they are standing outside of the building with horribly incomplete and/or false information, mocking those who have truly studied it and know better.

I'm not mocking these ignorant and snarky freshman. I'm pointing out that - to someone who knows better - they simply sounds like babbling idiots. And I know they don't want that... to be seen as ignorant or arrogant.  But they are.

So I'm making a suggestion to them. Look at it as a throwing down of the gauntlet.

You don't know. Simple as that - you do not have the necessary data to make an educated decision. That's quite clear.  If you did,  you would be either fully in the belief category, or you would be looking into it rapidly.

Here's the offer:  If you wish to know, I'm happy to provide you with the right information over time. And it must be over time, because you are so far off path, with so many built up layers, that it's going to take some time to remove the brainwashing this culture has done on you. 

You don't know, but that's okay.  It takes admitting it to start the process.  That first step takes humility... a wonderful beginning to the process.

As we step into a new year, take the step. Admit you don't know everything and that perhaps all those metaphorical "PhDs in Physics" know something you don't know.

God, brilliant Lord, yours is a household name. Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you; toddlers shout the songs that drown out enemy talk and silence atheist babble.  I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, moon and stars mounted in their settings. Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way?
Psalm 8:1-4 (The Message)

Give ... of your first fruits, not your left overs

Time, talent and treasure.  These are what God blesses us with.

Time that we would not have if He had not created us individually, or created the Universe and a life-sustaining home for us.

Talent that is innate within us that we had no part in. 

Treasure that comes from Him.  Not for us, though, but for a purpose.

All of our time, talent and treasure is loaned to us by our Father for a purpose.  We must never lose sight of that fact. 

This is our wealth ... our harvest ... that comes from Him.  And to acknowledge this, we should give Him back the best of our time, our talent, our treasure.  This "beat of" is our firstfruit. 

God does not need it.  He does want to know that you know it comes from Him, though.

So, "Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops;  then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine." (Proverbs 3:9-10)

Filled to overflowing.  Brim over.  Give and you shall receive.  These are promises from our God.  Do you believe Him?  More importantly, do you act like it? 

James says, Faith without works is dead.  What is it to say you believe God's promises and not act on them?  Well, that's not true faith at all, is it?

Giving your best back to Him shows that you know "from whence it came".  Are you ready and willing to step out in faith based on His promise, or do you trust in yourself, in man, in the security of money more than Him? 

Put bluntly ... do you tithe?  Do you give above 10%? Of gross?  If not, you may want to ponder "why?"

In what or who do you put your trust?  Where is there a better more sure return on your investment?

The opposite of love is not hate... It's indifference

There is a word that has become soiled more than any other as of late:  tolerance.  It's been elevated to mean something like love ... certainly not like hate. But this comes from a wild misunderstanding of what love actually is and - more importantly - what it's opposite is. 

Jesus used parables and anecdotes for a reason, so allow me to use one here:  A man is considering a divorce.  His friends continue to say, "Hmm, well that's too bad. Well, I'm sure you have your reasons."  They were all quite tolerant of his decision.  They did not want to be "hateful" to him, so they asked and said little more. But one day he went to lunch with a man of God. That man said, "you're being an idiot."  He continued, "you've contacted with God to love her and serve her NO MATTER WHAT."

The man considering the divorce was angry with his bold, godly friend ... for a time.  But he looked into it and realized it was HIS actions causing the issues in the marriage, not hers.

Who was loving? The friends who were tolerant of his decision?  Or the one who spoke truth, despite the potential for backlash?

The opposite of love is not hate ... it's indifference.

Here's the deal:  The man in the anecdote considering a divorce was me.  And I'm so grateful for the love my friend showed me through taking a risky step to tell me the truth.  He tipped over the first domino toward saving my marriage. 

Through doing something our culture considers "intolerant", my friend changed the trajectory of my marriage.  And my wife and I are stronger in our marriage today than on the day we said our vows.

Thank you, my friend, for your loving action ... in not being tolerant of my actions.

Some great accountability questions

Give two accountability partners permission to ask you these questions every week:

1. Have you been with a woman (or man) anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising?

2. Have any of your financial dealings lacked integrity?

3. Have you exposed yourself to any sexually explicit material?

4. Have you spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer?

5. Have you given priority time to your family?

6. Have you fulfilled the mandates of your calling?

7. Have you just lied to me?

Compliments of Chuck Swindoll

Cage the ape while enjoying the gift

According to Frederick Buechner, "Lust is the ape that gibbers in our loins. Tame him as we will day-by-day, he rages all the wilder and our dreams by night. Just when we think we're safe from him, he raises up his ugly head and smirks, and there's no river in the world flows cold and strong enough to strike him down. Almighty God, why dost though deck men out with such a loathesome toy?"

Sex is good. It was created by God.  But it was created for a man and woman commit to each another for life.  In this format (one flesh, as God created it to be), "... sex increases a sense of intimacy and intensifies feelings of safety and acceptance." (Tolson)

Lust, on the other hand, can ruin a life. It does for thousands upon thousands.

"Because sex is such a dominant desire, it has been known to nullify the logic center of the brain... Men and women have lost jobs, reputations and marriages for the sake of a fleeting sexual high." (The Four Priorities, 2012)

No one is immune and anyone can succumb. As Paul said to the Corinthians, "If you think you're standing firm be careful that you don't fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12)

So what to do?

1. Admit your vulnerability and be aware of it.
2. Guard your marriage bed by continuing to court your mate.
3. Guard your thoughts. They are just the beginning.
4. Recruit brothers and sisters in Christ to keep you accountable. In case it's not obvious, men should find male accountability partners, and vice versa.

The fight is real. Admit it, equip yourself, and be ready for the fight when (not if) it comes.

(Based on content from John Tolson's, The Four Priorities)

Turn your ear to wisdom

For 38 years of my life I was arrogant and ignorant. When I say this, I speak truth, however I realize it makes my unbelieving friends think I am talking about them. I'm not, however if they are feeling that, I think they should take heed. I wish I had so much earlier.

The Full Life is only in Him. I know this now. However before I I sought Him, and saw the actual Truth and full wisdom, I thought it was foolish. Silliness. A bunch of people with blind faith, following an imaginary God.

I saw a post yesterday from an unbelieving acquaintance that reflected the same arrogant ignorance I once had ... and it took everything in me not to respond with snarkiness and condescension. The truth is, he simply does not know yet. The appropriate phrase is arrogance ignorance, but saying that to him will not draw him toward Christ.  He is filled with pride, and that will only exacerbate that pride. He currently has a false understanding of the faith and of truth given to him by a poor upbringing in a church environment where he was not taught what it's really about. Since then he's been poisoned by our world that will tell him bastardized versions of what it's really about, which make it seem even sillier to him to even consider. The enemy grins as he holds him tightly in these lies.

I cannot save him. No matter how many witty comebacks and brilliant argument I make.  I do not have the power to save.

He must choose to seek the truth of God and His rock solid promises. My friend must humble himself and sincerely seek Him.

Only then will he actually find Jesus.  Not the version of Jesus he currently has in his head, but the REAL Jesus:  the son of God, God himself, the Word who was and is and is to come.  My Lord and Savior.

This morning I pray for my facebook friend, and others like him, that they will drop their arrogance and pride... that they'll drop their guard and fear that they'll be duped somehow... if only for a moment ... and REALLY seek to understand and know our Creator.  I ask this in the perfect name of Jesus. Amen.

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. 

Psalm 2:1-5

Giving - Some Thoughts on the Tithe

Giving - that's what it's all about today. And I just read something that is highly appropriate, and even more highly misunderstood amongst modern Christians. It's regarding the tithe, which means 10%. According to Dr. John Tolson, "Jesus VALIDATED the mandatory tithe, even on the small things (Matthew 23:23). But there is no mention of tithing after the Gospels. It's neither commanded nor rescinded... [but] every New Testament goes far BEYOND the tithe. However, none falls short of it. The New Testament actually raises the stakes, teaching that all our possessions and wealth belong to God, not just ten percent!"

"There's a timeless truth behind the concept of giving God our first fruits. Whether or not the tithe is still the minimal measure of those first fruits, I ask myself, 'does God expect His New Covenant children to give less or more? Jesus raised the spiritual bar; He never lowered it (Matthew 5:27-28).'" 

-- Randy Alcorn

Before saying the standard, "We don't have enough left over to give 10%, much less more!" remember, you wouldn't have anything without Him. Besides, God isn't asking for what you have left over. He's asking for our FIRST FRUITS.

Merry Christmas and happy giving in 2016!

Why does Greg blog so much? You know you've thought that. ;)

You would think that I wake up each morning saying to myself, "Greg, what are you going to blog about today?" But that's actually not what happens.

Allow myself to explain ... myself.

I begin by spending a little bit of time each morning in a daily devotional.  Then I read from the Bible, whether it be Psalms or Proverbs or something in the New Testament. And as I read, even if I've only read one verse, I suddenly feel compelled to convey something about a piece of Godly wisdom that has just struck me.

And the right word is compelled. 

I would truly have to fight back the urge with significant effort to not post about it.

So I do. Sometimes multiple times a day, as some of you are well aware :-)  My dad uses the word prolific.

But where does that compulsion come from? I know that it does not come from me, although my secular friends would try to argue with me on that, I know. But here's the Truth:  I am compelled by the Holy Spirit.  I know this.

For my an unbelieving friends, this elicits the image of the Priests from the movie,  The Exorcist, yelling "The power of Christ compels you!"  Spoooooooky.

But there is no other way to explain it. This is how it happened with the Prophets and with the other human writers of the 66 books of the Bible.  They were compelled ... inspired by God ... to convey His message of redemption, reconciliation and salvation.

Was the Bible written by men? Of course. But they were inspired by God.  Hence the words are God's words.

Why do I blog so much? Because I trust Him, and know that whatever He is compelling me to say, that I must say.  And that my friends and family need to hear it.

God bless you. I love you all.

Trust the Ice

Since it's winter (although in Texas it's been in the 70's), I thought I'd leverage a ice-based analogy.  Folks in the north will get this.  Southerners, try to follow along :-)

You peer out the window to see that the lake has frozen over.  You gear up, complete with ear muffs and mittens and your moon boots, and head out to test the ice.

You begin by putting your right foot onto the ice, left foot securely on terra firma. You shift a little bit of weight... just a little... to give the ice an initial test to see how solid it really is.

"Seems solid", you say to no one but yourself, "but I wonder how solid it is toward the center."  You tentatively take your left foot off the ground, shifting all of your weight on to your right, and place your left foot on the ice, as well. This was a big step of faith. Good for you. But you want to test the ice further.

You slowly scoot your feet 6" forward at a time, heading toward the center of the lake.  Your faith in the solidness of the ice grows, and you start to gain more and more confidence.  Your scoots become steps. Your steps become strides.

Then - all of a sudden - you have doubts, and you slow down again. You start to question what you just had confidence in only a moment ago. You picture the ice cracking, and falling through into the cold dark water.  Why?  Because you don't fully trust the ice.  Your worldly self ... your skeptical brain ... tells you, "Good!  You shouldn't just trust anything that fully!"

You once again put your right foot forward tentatively, keeping most of your weight on your left ...

Isn't this our faith journey? We accept Christ and, at first, have full faith in Him. Then the world makes us question His promises. Promises of a full, meaningful life.

Our doubts rise to the surface. It may be due yo tough times, questions we don't have the answers to, or the loss of someone dear to us.  It may come from believing that we are smarter than we think we are.

Sometimes it's that worldly thinking that creates doubt based on false premises.

But imagine if we just had full confidence in God. What if we took a running sprint onto the ice, never stopping until we reach the center?  What if we just believed with the faith of a child? What would that mean for our lives? What would that mean for the lives of those around us? Wouldn't that give them a sense sense of confidence as well? And wouldn't their growing confidence give us further confidence?

God, I know that you have the "full life" in your hands for me if I will just have faith in you and in your promises. I believe a little. Help me to believe fully, and to act upon it. I trust you. I surrender to you. I ask you to be Lord of my life ... fully. Thank you for your faith in me, while I was (correction: while I am) still a sinner. Help me Lord to return the favor.
In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Author Steps Into His Story

There are many many things that we don't understand about God, about our existence here, or about the creation that we live in. These are things that our limited human minds simply can't fathom.

But here is the greatest of these:  God ... the author, painter, playwright, architect, sculptor ... stepped into his creation over 2000 years ago. He became a character in His own play.

And He didn't come in a way that this world would think he would. See, we think that power and money and pomp and circumstance are what make a king. But God has very different ideas on this.

Our King came in absolute humility, abject poverty ... to the least of these.  He was announced to the world through shepherds, who were considered the dregs of society, whose word was not even admissible in court, who were filthy, who weren't the best of people by a wide margin according to our earthly standards.

He came to us as he wants us to be ... humble, meek, a servant to all.

Yes, a King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, who came to serve us, not condemn us. He came to die for us, providing the ultimate sacrifice to show what is most important:  Love.

As you open your gifts from your loved ones this evening and tomorrow morning, remember where this all began and why we have this tradition of giving. He gave ALL so that we may live.  And He did it in absolute humility, as a servant-leader.

God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that we should not only not perish but have everlasting life.

Glory to the newborn King. Merry Christmas all. I love you very much.

God is patient. How about you?

Some goodness from DynamicCatholic.com ...

It is in the truly difficult moments that depth of character is revealed.

When an injustice occurs in our lives, it can be so easy to let frustration determine our action and retribution become our final goal. It’s even considered by most to be the sensible and understandable reaction to injustice. But anyone who has let vengeance carry the day can tell you that it is destructive for everyone involved.

God did not create you in the hopes of completely changing who you are at some point in your life. He didn’t say, “Whoops, looks like I messed up a little here! Oh well, I will fix that later . . .”

God never makes mistakes. But God does break into the fabric of our daily lives to transform us from the inside out. Not because we need fixing, but because he desires for us to be fully alive! As Saint Irenaeus once said, “The Glory of God is man fully alive.” And, the only way to be fully alive is to become perfectly yourself.

Bear wrongs PATIENTLY.

While it can be incredibly painful, the opportunity to bear wrongs patiently holds within it the power to transform your life and the life of the person who wronged you.

Test God by ... giving?

That's right. The only time in the Bible that God says it's ok to test Him is in giving of the tithe.

The tithe represents the ultimate 'heart test' for the believer.  In his book The Blessed Life, pastor Robert Morris writes, "God gives us stewardship responsibility over our lives. We demonstrate faithful stewardship - we show God that we realize we are stewards, not owners - when we give Him the tithe."

God says, "'Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me on this', says the Lord Almighty, 'and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it'" (Malachi 3:10)

I will tell you from personal experience, that once our family begin to tithe obediently, things changed drastically. And once we began giving beyond the tithe amount, things changed exponentially more. I do not say this lightly, and I'm not speaking hyperbolically.

We either trust God at His promises or we do not. He instructs us clearly to tithe and then some, and promises that He will bless us for our trust and obedience.

Remember, it's not ours to begin with.  It's HIS.  We are simply stewards of what He's blessed us with.

Do you believe that? And do you show it?

Love is a commitment, not a feeling!

I love God = I am committed to God unconditionally. 

I love my wife = I am committed to my wife unconditionally.

I love my children = I am committed to my children unconditionally.

I love my neighbor = I am committed to my neighbor unconditionally.

Love comes along with a feeling, for certain. But love is not a feeling. When we don't feel it, it is still there. We must remember this:  that when we love, we are committing ourselves fully. Otherwise it is not love at all.

From the MANuel, the NIV Bible for Men:
God is never fickle or inconsistent in how he relates to his people. He loves us with a rock-solid devotion. His is a loyal love. Even when we are faithless, he remains faithful (see 2 Timothy 2:13). What a great example for us in our dealings with quirky, idiosyncratic and ungrateful spouses, children and friends. What a great reminder that love is a commitment, not a feeling! Determine today to let God's unfailing love flow in and through you, so that you can give difficult people what they need most (and deserve least).

God, you are forever

Here's another one to try to wrap your human, limited brain around: God is forever. We're comfortable with statements like "God is infinite" and "God is omnipresent" because we've heard them so often. But think about it: God is forever. That amazes me, confuses me, and it strikes me with a deep sense of awe.

We use the term loosely in our daily conversations.
"I'll love you forever."
"I'll be a Cowboys fan forever."
"He will forever be remembered for..."

But forever - think about that word.  That is unending. That is infinite.  That is super natural.  Nothing in this world will last forever. Absolutely nothing, including the world itself. 

But God is forever.  Unchanging, regardless of how much we change.

This is because God is.  He is the Great I Am.  He existed before the natural world we know. He existed before time, which is weird to think about since the word "before" in that last sentence is inappropriate since pre-time didn't have a before or after.  See I did it again! I I used the past tense!  But there's more!  He'll also exist after time ends.

God is to be feared. He is to be revered... to be considered with awe and humility.

And that same God, who is so infinitely powerful, infinitely knowing, and forever ... loves us with a perfect love. He loves us so much that he sent HIMSELF in flesh and bone into this world to live the life we could never live, and to die as a perfect sacrifice for all of our sins, so that we could live in eternity ... FOREVER ... with Him.

What a Christmas gift He is giving us.

God won't force himself upon you

God wants to participate in our lives, but he never forces himself upon us. He wants our consent; he wants to be invited into our hearts and lives. But much more than consent and invitation, he desires our loving cooperation. 

God yearns for us to be coworkers with him in becoming the-best-version-of-ourselves. It is this dynamic collaboration between God and man that brings delight to God.  

When you say yes to God, that is when the impossible becomes possible. Remember the words of Saint Francis from the beginning of Advent: 

“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

YOU are a really crummy God

YOU are a really crummy God.  He is better at it.  Let go your grip. 

HIS love endures forever

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.
Psalm 136:1

In a world where we've all but redefined what love actually means, it's good to know that our father God has a love for us that will never fade and will never go away.

You'll never hear:
"I don't love you anymore."
"I'm not sure that I ever really loved you."

God's love is not a fleeting love based solely on feelings.  His is an unconditional, perfect and permanent agape love.

I pray each day that God would let His love flow through me to my wife, my kids, my friends and family, to my neighbors, and even to my enemies.

Because my love is insufficient. Only His perfect love will suffice. It truly endures forever.

The Greatest Christmas Gift of All

It is God's nature, says the psalmist, to showers his children with good things, the ultimate blessing being "life forevermore" (Psalm 133:3).  In its purest essence, Jesus taught that the free gift of eternal life is knowing God (see John 17:3). The point? God's biggest blessing to us is a glorious, never ending relationship with him.

God offers us God.

This is the greatest gift we have to offer as well. Sure, we have skills and abilities to offer the world. We can and should share our material wealth. But what others most need from you is your God ... His glory, His love, His faithfulness.

More than just your presents, lead your loved ones into His presence.

From MANual: The NIV Bible for Men

Good on our own?

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Psalm 127:1

Put simply, unless you're doing it for God, it's worth nothing. And unless we put it in God's hands, it will not succeed ultimately.

Often I hear from non believers, "Why do we need God to be a good person?" And I've made the argument in the past about how we all define "good" in different ways, even if slightly different.  But here's my argument this time: the difference is in the why.

Let's look at Gandhi. I think most people would agree that he is considered to be one of the better people in history. Now, he was known for being a bit of a racist, sure, but on average - from more worldly perspective - he's done far more for peace than almost anyone in history. That, by itself, is wonderful.

But why? What were his drivers?

In the Hindu culture, being good comes from a hope that, by doing so, you bring that good into your next life... your reincarnation. One of the ideals for your next life might be to come back as a cow - an animal that is revered by the Hindu culture because those animals are seen as good and righteous ancestors, reincarnated. 

So, in this case was Gandhi doing this for others or for himself? Were his actions selfless, or selfish?

I'm not picking on Gandhi here, I'm just illustrating the point with someone who is held up in our history as someone who was "good" on his own, by his own power.

In contrast, Christians SHOULD let go and let God. And when we do let Him, then we are doing real good. If we are doing it on our own, there are always prideful intentions involved. 

Here's the bottom line: 
True good only comes from God.
If it comes from our own efforts, with our own intentions, it is tainted ... dirtied by pride.

With every "good" deed done without God, it's saying, in essence, "I don't need Him" and, "I've got this with our without Him" and worst of all, "All of what I have and what I am is my doing, not His."

We are safe and secure

As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surround his people both now and forever more.  Psalm 125:2

God surrounds and encircles his people. Ponder that. Try to picture it. Is he... like a divine force field? Like an immovable fortress? We are enclosed within the protective arms of our God. We are safe. Secure. Every moment of every day we are enfolded in absolute love and power.

How does your life reflect this truth? Can others see a joy and peace in you that comes from resting in God's surrounding presence? Where do you blend in with the worrying, scurrying world around you? Ask God to make you different. Take a break from your anxiety and lean on the Almighty.

From MANual, The NIV Bible for Men

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.

The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:3

Here's the thing:  The Lord HAS done great things for us. We either believe that or we don't. If we don't,  we're not thinking enough about just how fortunate we are to live in the time that we do, in the country that we live in, with the health that we have, and so on.  But if we do believe it, we should be fill with joy.  And that joy should shine from us like a light.

Shine with the knowledge that God is good, and that he's done great things for us, and has even greater things in store for us.

Let's Cancel Christmas

Yeah, let's cancel the Christmas as we've come to know it in our culture, and instead spend the time thankful for the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, who came to us as a humble baby to save us all.  We could give each other a present or two, if we'd like, to represent the fact that God gave His only begotten son so that we might be saved from eternity without Him.

"I think we should cancel the version of Christmas that is filled with hype and endless activity leading to exhaustion, the version that gives little to any thought of Christ. We should cancel Christmas and instead celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. I still believe in Christmas, but not in the holiday as our culture celebrates it. I believe in the real message of Christmas, which is the birth of our Lord. 

The primary message of Christmas is this: God is with us. Isaiah 7:14 tells us,  

“Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” 

Immanuel means, “God is with us.” 

So the message of the season is not, “Let it snow” or even, “Let us shop.” The real message of Christmas is, “Let us worship.” That is what the wise men came to do. And that is what we should be doing as well. 

The very word “Christmas” has been emptied of its meaning, drug through the gutter, and given back to us, minus its power."

--Greg Laurie

Let's worship.  Let's celebrate the REAL Christmas this year.

What? Me worry?

God surrounds and encircles His people. Ponder that. Try to picture it. Is He... Like a divine force field? Like an immovable fortress? We are enclosed within the protective arms of our God. We are safe. Secure. Every moment of every day we are in folded in absolute love and power. How does your life reflect this truth? Can others see the joy and peace in you that comes from resting in God's surrounding presents? Or do you blend in with the worrying, screen world around you? Ask God to make you different. Take a break from your anxiety and lean on the Almighty.
(From The Men's Bible, NIV)

God's commands: Burden or Blessing?

Many many people both within and outside the faith look at God's commandments as burdensome.

Put bluntly, they're looking at them incorrectly.

You see, we have this worldly understanding of the word command that bites at us. We don't like to be told what to do, so we tend to fight back, or worse, we do it begrudgingly.  This is because we believe we know better, that we know what's best for us.

But try to remember back to when you were a toddler, and your parents said "no".  Many of us were quite angry at hearing it. But hopefully over time we learned that our parents knew better than us, and that they had and have our best interest at heart. Unfortunately, many had a different type of experience, where perhaps their parents didn't know better.  This is just another example of how flawed we are as people, even as parents.

But God isn't flawed.  He's perfect. He's a good good Father. Now, it's up to you whether you believe that or not, but it is 100% true. And once you absorb this truth into your heart, you'll realize quite clearly that his commands are not burdensome. On the contrary, they are the greatest blessings of your life. They are what will make you into the man or woman you were created to be. The best you.

God loves you, and wants the best for you. He is infinitely wise. He created you. And he created you for a purpose ... and he can guide you to if you let him.

Let Him.

Your statutes are wonderful, therefore I obey them.
The unfolding of your words gives light, it gives understanding to the simple.
I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands.
Turn to me and have mercy on me, as you always do to those who love your name.
Direct my footsteps according to your word, let no sin rule over me.
Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey your precepts.
Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees.
Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.
Psalm 119:129-136

We all have doubts ...

With the world hammering on us with its own narrative about truth or lack thereof, it's easy to be filled with at least a little doubt from time to time. But know that God is real, that Jesus died for you ... and will come again soon, and that the Holy Spirit dwells within you - that you are literally a Temple of God.

PRAY:

May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love. It is there for each and every one of us.
-- From Saint Therese of Liseux, Story of a Soul

A tax free check for $30,000 just came in the mail ...

Imagine that you open up the mail and there is a tax free check for $30,000. For a second let's assume its not a scam :-) and let's go to the bank and cash it. So, you decide you're going to go to your favorite dealership and buy a brand spanking new car with $30,000 ... in cash. Sweet. You find the one that you want with all the features that you desire. The salesman is so excited, and says that he'll have it detailed and delivered to you later in the day. So awesome.

Later that day there's a knock at the door. You open it up and there stands the salesperson with a box. He opens it up and shows you what's inside:  a spare tire, an emergency brake, one of the rear view mirrors and both rear brake lights. Oh, and something that looks like brake fluid covering the bottom of the box.

"What's this?  I ordered that car I test drove with all the features and the cool sound system. What's going on here?", you say.

"Well," the salesman responds, " I know you bought the whole car, features and all, but this is all I'm willing to give you."

What do you think? Pretty good deal, huh?

Of course not. You paid for the entire car. You should get the entire car, right?

Now let me switch gears on you (no pun intended) ...

Jesus paid for us on the cross.  He bought us, lock stock and barrel, and we said and continue to say, "Jesus is my Lord and Savior".  But let's be honest. Do we give him our whole self, or just the spare parts and pieces that we're comfortable with?  Heck, the parts we give him most of the time aren't even shiny new OEM parts. They're parts we picked up from the junkyard.

We go to church on Sunday, we read the Bible periodically, we might give once a year to some select charity. Maybe we even tithe.  I don't know about you, but I know I  don't give him the whole car with all the features he paid for.

We really think that by giving it all up to him that we'll be losing something. We're that deluded by our culture, by this world. God promises that the more we give of ourselves to him, the more he will give himself to us.

That, my brothers and sisters, is one incredible trade in.  Why do we resist and hang tight on to our spare parts?

Let go, and let God do his thing.

Anecdote compliments of pastor Greg Laurie.

No longer a slave

I'm no longer a slave to the empty approval of the many. I'm a slave to the one true God and His plan for me.

Simply Wrapped

Some people will go to great lengths to wrap a Christmas gift. They will create beautiful, ornate packages. I have no wrapping ability whatsoever. My wrapped packages look horrible. For men, wrapping paper is merely an obstacle to keep us from what we really want. We don’t care about wrapping paper. We just want to know what’s inside the package.

God’s gift did not come to us in elaborate wrapping; it came in simple wrapping. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in a very humble environment. Think how difficult the journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem was for Mary and Joseph. Then when they arrived, they had to stay in a little stable or cave where the animals were kept. The manger was just a feeding trough for the animals. And I think that place was very cold that night. I think it smelled like any other stable. It was a very unsanitary environment in which to bring a child into the world.

I don’t say that to detract from the beauty of Christmas. Rather, I say it to add to the beauty of what God did for us. The Creator of the universe, the Almighty God who spoke creation into existence, came and humbled himself to become a little baby, born in a stable in Bethlehem.

He was not laid in the manger in satin sheets, but in rags. He was not laid in a bed of gold, befitting a king, but in a feeding trough for animals. There He was—the greatest gift of all—in simple wrapping. Jesus took His place in a manger so that we might have a home in heaven.

Summary sentence: The greatest gift was given in the most humble of settings.

Copyright © 2011 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.

FROG: Fully Rely On God

God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. You were foolish to go for human help when you could have had God's help. Now you're in trouble one round of war after another.

2 Chronicles 16:9

What situation have you recently experienced where you looked for man's help before looking for God's help? 

Don't beat yourself up about the past, that's not profitable and that's not my point. Instead use this as a springboard to start asking God for guidance in all future situations, both large and small.

"Take some deep breaths and ponder what it would feel like in your gut to rely on God all the time, every day. Taste the sweetness of Reliance so it's not a chore but the absolute best way to live."

-- from The Message: Solo

FROG ... Fully Rely On God

Grieving for Richard Dawkins

Don't worry Richard Dawkins fans, he's not dead. Well, not that I'm aware of.  

My grief comes from knowing this:  that even when he finally realized that there is a God and that Jesus Christ is his son and is also God, and is the one and only way to be saved and to be near God for eternity, what will he be up against within his microcosm of friends and supporters?

And what about a radical Muslim living square in the middle of Yemen, who came to the same realization? What will he be up against?

And how many Richard Dawkins types actually do believe in God already, but fear the opinions and ridicule of men more than they do eternity without God?  This happened with many Jews of Jesus' time, who had a lot of power, prestige, and rank in society... and were threatened with losing it all if they stated what they truly believed about Jesus as the Messiah.

I grieve for them because I've gone through it ... to a far, far lesser degree of course. My friends and family who saw the 180° change from black to white just looked at me weird, and thought that I'd just temporarily lost my mind.  I'm sure they're still waiting for me to "snap out of it".

I grieve for people like Richard Dawkins. If he hasn't already, when he realizes the truth, it will be a tough road. 

But it will be so worth it, Richard.

Fear God, not men.

We may be ready for Christmas, but are we ready for the return of Christ?

Are You Prepared? 

Christmas Encouragement By Greg Laurie

When the first Christmas came, when Jesus was born, most people missed it. Of course, there were no telltale signs like reindeer on front lawns. No Christmas songs had been written. There were no colorful, twinkling lights or sales at the downtown market. Children did not find it hard to sleep that night, because it was a night like any other night. 

But the first Christmas was not without its signs, which dated back a few centuries. The Hebrew prophets had predicted the Messiah was coming, and they were very specific in pointing out that he would be born of a virgin in the little village of Bethlehem: “ ‘But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting’ ” (Micah 5:2). 

On the first Christmas, it was pretty much business as usual. Things had been bleak for the Jewish people for some time. There had been an icy silence from heaven. Four hundred years had passed, and there had not been a single prophet to speak for God. There had been no miracles performed. They were under the tyranny of Rome. Things were very dark. It was time for the Messiah. 

Yet when He finally arrived, so many missed it: The innkeeper. The people of Bethlehem. The scholars. Herod. All of Rome. Only a handful of people got it and were ready. 

Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth again. The question is, have we done more to prepare for the celebration of a past event than we have for a future one? We may all be ready for Christmas, but are we ready for the return of Christ? 

Summary sentence: We may be ready for Christmas, but are we ready for the return of Christ? 

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.

But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them.

1 John 2:3-5

Copyright © 2011 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved. 

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

What can man do to me? I will trust God.

The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?

Psalm 118:6

I'm not on Facebook often (although these blog posts auto-post there), but I was up there yesterday.  And I remember why I chose to stop looking.  It makes my blood boil.

One friend is squawking about women's "health" when he really means "murdering babies".  Sounds too real when you say what it really is.  Who could be against women's health?   Of course, no one with a sane mind.  But killing babies, that's different.  Very different.

Another friend talks about "gun safety" and how some just don't care about it.  I can't imagine that is the case, so they must mean something else.  And they do.  They mean, "take the guns away", but they say "gun safety".  Oy.

How can so many think in such odd ways.  And to be fair, those on the "other side" think I'm crazy for thinking the way I think, too.  The difference is this:  My thinking is not my own, and does not change with the wind and with public opinions.  Theirs moves from day to day, and from sound bite to sound bite.  They think it's "common sense" because they don't know better.

And it's no wonder.  Just watch the news.  There is a specific popular narrative that is being sold ... and people who have no objective understanding of reality and truth are lapping it up.  They have no other choice.  It's said with such feeling, and with certain well-placed words to make you believe that if you don't agree, you must be a horrible person ... a bigot ... unenlightened.  And it didn't happen over night.  It's happened little by little by little so it was hardly noticeable, except to those who are aware of the unmoving home base that is actual Truth.

It seems the world has gone crazy.  But that is the natural outcome of a move away from the "actual truth" to which I'm referring.  When you are floating on the ocean close to land, you can get your bearings easily.  But once you've drifted too far from land and can no longer see it, you have no idea where you are, and you might even start to believe there never was land in the first place.  It this "water world", everything is now possible and whoever is the best at spinning a yarn wins out.  That is what is happening today in our world.

But here's the thing.  There IS land.  And I DO know where that land is.  So, no matter how crazy this world gets, I have my bearings.  And the further they drift, the crazier I will seem to them.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in man.

Psalm 118:8

Is not yours to give!

"But me - who am I, and who are these people, that we should presume to be giving something to you? Everything comes from you; all we're doing is giving back what we've been given from your generous hand. As far as you're concerned, we're homeless, shiftless wanderers like our ancestors, our lives a mere shadows, hardly anything to us. God, our God, all these materials -  these piles of stuff for building a house of worship for you, honoring your Holy Name - it all came from you!  It was all yours in the first place! I know, dear God, that you care nothing for the surface - you want us, our true selves - and so I have given from the heart, honestly and happily. And now see all these people doing the same, giving freely, willingly - what a joy! Oh God, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, keep this generous spirit alive forever in these people always, keep their hearts set firmly on you." 1 Chronicles 29

Yes, nothing is ours.  We had nothing to do with the family to which we were born, our physicality, our house, our health, the time in which we were born, the situations we find ourselves in that might bring us fortune ... ALL of this came from God, our Father. 

So when we give, are we really giving of ourselves? Absolutely not. In actuality, we are giving what God gave to us. We're paying it forward.  Our, we should be.

Call to action:  Stop thinking of your treasures, your talents, and your time as yours. It's not. You may have worked hard, but who gave you that work ethic? It's all His. And when He gives you an opportunity to give, just give. That's obedience.

Your talents, treasures, and time are yours to keep.  Give like you trust God and His promises that He will provide all that you need if you just simple trust and obey.

Don't be shy, shout it out!

Sing to God, everyone and everything! Get out His salvation news everyday! Publish His glory among the godless nations, His wonders to all races and religions.  And why? Because God is GREAT ... well worth pleasing! No god or goddess comes close in honor. All the popular gods are "stuff" and nonsense, but God made the Cosmos! Splendor and majesty flow out of Him strength and joy fill his place!  1 CHRONICLES 16:23-27

Get out there! Everyday! Tell the good news!  Think about what it did for you, then realize the urgency!  Don't worry about offending people. Just tell the news! What they do with it is up to them.

Our job is to spread the seed.  He will make it grow. 

One ... level ... down

The concept is ... 

... start to help the poor by choosing one level down.  

What does that mean?  Here's an example:  I want a particular car.  I've shopped for the car, I can afford the car.  I am ready to buy.  Now, choose one level down ... from the Lexus to the Camry, then buy that.  THEN, take the difference between the two and give it to a humanitarian charity.  

Whoa.  How un-American and entirely Christian is that?

"This exercise clearly is about living more generously and giving to the poor, but let’s dig a little deeper. In order to do that authentically, we need to focus on detachment from the things of this world. In the midst of the complexities of this modern era, we find ourselves enslaved and imprisoned by a thousand different whims, cravings, addictions, and attachments. We cannot live out the works of mercy if we are attached to our desire for things. By separating ourselves from a love of things, we can more fully love people."

--Sarah Swafford, Founder of Emotional Virtue Ministries

You DON'T need to clean your life up, then come to God...

No, you don't need to clean your life up and come to God. You need to come to God through Jesus, and He'll clean your life up for you.

Come as you are. You are welcome and you are loved.

God HAS not and DOES not change

God is God.  At the beginning of time, at the end of time, and right now, He is who He is. He can be, has been, and will be jealous, angry, and wrathful. But none of that is unjustified or out of spite.  I imagine His preference is to simply love His obedient children. What changes is us, not Him.

I've heard from some fellow Christians that they believe that, with the New Covenant - with Jesus - God is now nothing more than a soft and squishy God. They seem to believe that the God of the Old Testament is no more, and some new happy, never-angry God has taken His place.  But this is simply not so.

If we as a people, as individuals, turn against God, put other gods before him, reject him... He is jealous. He is angry, with white hot fury and wrath.

Here's the difference:  with faith in Jesus, our Savior becomes our "mediator" between the holy God pictured in the Old Testament and the sinful people God loves.

The God of the Old and New Testament is one and the same: unchanging, fully loving AND fully just.  He must be.  We are simply shielded from the wrath and jealousy that stems from OUR SIN against Him. 

THAT is amazing grace. That is unfailing love.

But if I accept Christ, I'll have to stop doing all the fun stuff ...

We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.  We are far too easily pleased."   

-- C.S. Lewis

Leave it to C.S. Lewis to tell it exactly as it is.  Here is another great anecdote, taken from John Tolson's and Larry Kreider's book, The Four Priorities:

Ira Yates owned a sheep ranch in West Texas, but wasn't able to make enough on his ranching operation to pay the principal and interest on the mortgage.  As time passed, he risked losing his ranch.  Eventually, he had to live on a government subsidy.  Day after day, as the sheep grazed on the rolling West Texas hills, he wondered how he would pay the bills.  Then a seismographic crew from an oil company came into the area and told him there might be oil on his land.  They asked permission to drill a well and he signed a contract. 

At 1,115 feet they struck oil - big time!  The first well came in at 80,000 barrels a day.  Many subsequent wells produced twice as much.  In fact, 30 years after the discovery, a government test on one of the wells showed that it still had the potential to yield 125,000 barrels of oil a day.  And Yates owned it all!  Actually, he owned it all on the day he purchased the land.  Yet he had been living on government relief.  A multimillionaire living in poverty!  The problem?  He didn't know about the riches lying beneath his feet and he lacked the ability to get to it.  

In the Holy Spirit, you have more energy for living the Christian life than you could possibly imagine.  It's as if you are sitting on an undiscovered oil well.  Sadly, too many followers of Christ are living below the poverty level when they have unbelievable resources available to them.  Just imagine the impact we could have if only we would allow the spirit of God to fill us and flow through us!  

Now that you know about the abundant life available to you (see John 10:10*), don't overlook the huge reservoir of spiritual riches waiting to be tapped.  God stands ready to help you reach the incredible wealth that is yours.

* "... I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Look at a banana ...

I'm here on my back porch ... early morning time with God to read his word ... and I'm starting the day with a cup of coffee and a banana.

And I just took a moment to really think about something so simple as a banana ... something we take for granted because it is so commonplace.

But it's pretty miraculous, and is yet another indication the God is good, God is real, that He loves us, and that He is an incredible architect and engineer.

Think about the banana for a sec:
○ It's perfectly engineered, with simplicity and elegance.
○ It is easily manageable and accessible by us and the animal kingdom.
○ It is aesthetically pleasing, with a nice color and texture.
○ It is nutritious.  It is good for us.
○ And it is absolutely delicious! Heck, my favorite candy is banana flavored!

God help me to never be lured in by the silly, basic theories and "educated guesses" of this world about how this all came to be. Let me simply rest in the fact that You are sovereign, that You are the Great Creator, Architect, and Engineer of all of this. 

I am weak, and can be easily swayed. I need Your help. Let me simply rest on Your wisdom, Your logic, and Your reason, and not on the ever-changing sands of this world's thoughts and perspectives. I ask this in Jesus' heavenly and precious and beautiful name. Amen.

How do you view God?

Many in the world today see God as He is not. Many see him as some cruel, controlling dictator waiting for them to mess up.  They see Him as an enforcer of some crazy rules that just don't matter. Those who have this perspective do not know the one true God.

The following inspirational piece by an unknown author illustrates this fact:

At first, I saw God as my observer, my judge keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I married in heaven or hell when I die. He was out there so does like a president. I recognize this picture when I saw it, but I really didn't know him. But later on, when I met Christ, it seemed as though life or rather like a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike, & I noticed that Christ was in the back helping me pedal.

I don't know just when it was that he suggested we change places, but life has not been the same since! When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable ... it was the shortest distance between two points. But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains and through rocky places at breakneck speeds. It was all I could do to just hang on! Even though it looked like madness, He said "Pedal!"

I worried and was anxious and asked, "Where are you taking me?" He laughed and didn't answer, and I started to learn to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure. And when I'd say, "I'm scared!", He leaned back and touch my hand. He took me to people with gifts that I needed. Gifts of healing, acceptance, enjoy. They gave us gifts to take on my journey, my Lords and mine. And we were off again. He said, "Give the gifts away; there extra baggage, too much weight." So I did, to the people we met; and I found that in giving I received, and still our burden was light.

I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life. I thought He'd wreck it; but He knows bike secrets, knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners, knows how to jump to clear high rocks, knows how to try to shorten scary passages. And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places, and I'm beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful companion, Jesus Christ. And when I'm sure I just can't do anymore, He just smiles and says, "Pedal!"

God is good. First and foremost, he is the Creator of all things, but he is also our Father. And a good Father wants what's best for his children, so he creates rules to protect them, and to point them in the direction of where they should be ... what they were created to be. He is also an extremely patient and forgiving Father, knowing that we will continue to mess up along the way. He does not care to count our mess ups. He simply wants a heart that trust Him and loves Him.

Thank God for that. :-)

God, I thank you ...

God I thank you for a list of things too long to mention in one sitting. The list would fill reams of paper, if I really sat and thought about it. 

I thank you for allowing me to wake up this morning and spend another day in your incredible creation.

I thank you for the breath in my lungs. I thank you for a beating heart, eyes that see, ears that hear, fingers that touch, a tongue that tastes.  I thank you for legs that carry me, and arms that can show love through a hug, or a hand up, or an act of service.

I thank you for the beauty of the sky, of clouds, trees, flowers, of fields of wheat, of the reflective nature of a still lake.

I thank you for the inner and outer beauty of my wife, of my kids, of my parents, of my sister, of my cousins, aunts and uncles, of my close friends, of my brothers and sisters in Christ.

I thank you for the opportunity to live a life that praises you, that worships you, that shows your love and your light to this world.

I thank you for waking me up, God, and showing me the light. I thank you that, despite my sin and the fact that I continue to sin, that you loved me so much that you sent your only begotten Son to die for me ... and if I were the only person on earth, in your glorious creation, he still would have died for me. Just me.

God, I pray that I live a life of thanks, of appreciation for the avalanche of blessings that you have showered upon me and my family.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.

Happy Thanksgiving all.

Just be a good person, right?

"I figure, if you just try to lead a good life and do more good things than bad things in general, you should be okay." -- Many People I Know

David was quoted in Psalm 101 saying, "I will be careful to lead a blameless life ..."  But who has ever led a blameless life?  David certainly didn't. 

Seriously, think about it. Who can say they haven't ever lied, even if it was only a "little white lie"? Who can say they've never gossiped or slandered someone or held a grudge or looked at someone lustfully?  Not even Mother Teresa can say that.  So where do you and I stand?

In our minds, it seems reasonable to think that God would weigh our good and bad, then let us in as long as we have a C average or greater.  But what leads us to believe that?  Seems like a nice thing to believe, but there is no objective reason to believe it at all. In fact, the only objective evidence we have is Scripture, which says something very different.

Scripture says that no one is without sin. Paul was so aware of this that he called himself the chief of sinners. Comparing him to a Hitler or Stalin or a Pol Pot, and you may want to argue with him on that. But what he was pointing out was his hyper-awareness of sin as God sees it. To God, sin is sin, even a little white lie is too much to be near God.

So now what? Should we just stop doing good things, knowing that we have no chance at all?  Perhaps.  I mean, if there was no other hope, perhaps. But there is another, better option for us ... one that God provided for us out of His unending grace and His infinite love for us.

"For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son ..." to die for us and for our sins. You see, Jesus is the only human in all of human history to live a blameless, sinless, perfect life.  His death on the cross was to wipe all of our sins away, past and future. This is why he said "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." He was not being arrogant. He was stating the Truth:  that we, by ourselves and by our actions, aren't enough to be near God and to spend eternity with Him in heaven.  We need to be saved from the repercussions and the slavery of our sins.

Can someone be a good person without believing in God? The answer to that is yes.  But there is absolutely no objective reason for them to be good, and however they define "good" is, frankly, a reflection of the Christian value system. Someone who is being "good", is simply acting like a true Christian (emphasis on the word true there).  Conversely, someone claiming to be a Christian, but then continuing to sin without shame, needs to check their heart as to whether they truly are a Christian.  Christianity is a heart change that results in a behavioral change, not the other way around.

God isn't looking for good works: clean and pretty on the outside, but gross and rotting on the inside. God is looking for a heart change. And that heart change, and nothing else, will result in good fruit. That HEART change will result in a trust and hope in God and his commandments and his promises. A heart change makes a person realize that God's commandments are nothing more then a good father showing his beloved children the way to live life as he designed it. And that is the best, most freeand fulfilling way to live it.

So it burdens me, and saddens me to convey the truth, that a person who is "good" without Jesus is nothing more than an actor.  And that being good most of the time if not virtually all the time is simply not enough.

We need Jesus. NEED Him.

Please seek Him. I beg you. I do not want anyone to be away from God, nor does God himself want to lose any of His creations. But He does love us enough to give us free will, to choose to love Him or reject Him.  This is the only way a relationship can work, where buy both choose to love one another.

It's up to you.  And you do not have plenty of time on this. Please be urgent.

Much love, and God bless.

One Church, please!

I spent a wonderful weekend with my Dad at a Catholic Men's Retreat called ACTS.  Catholics will know what I'm talking about - if you haven't taken part in an ACTS retreat, get on it.  Life changing and - as my Dad said:

"It was a very humbling experience.  One of the highlights of my entire Christian life."

This from a Catholic of 70+ years.  Incredible.  I saw young men with hyper-bravado and a certain swagger of over-confidence speak humbly of how the Holy Spirit had affected them throughout the retreat weekend.  And no, I can't tell you anything about it.  That's the rule.  You don't talk about Fight Club ;).

Here's the thing:  I'm not a "Catholic".  I am a part of the holy catholic church - the body of Christ - but I don't label myself a Catholic (note the big C).  Technically, I go to a "Protestant" church.  More specifically, a Baptist church.  Although I don't consider myself a Protestant or a Baptist necessarily either.

Question:  Who cares?  Answer:  Apparently hundreds of years of Christians on both sides.  Oy.

Consider this:  Do you think Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, looking upon us thinking, "I'm so glad they've divided themselves into 758 denominations.  That's exactly what I was going for."?  I'm guessing ... no?  In fact, Paul spoke about this tendency we have to "take our ball and go home".  The Christians in Corinth were arguing about whether to follow Paul's teachings or Apollos' teachings or some other source of teachings ...

"NO!  For the love of Pete!  Christ's teachings and Christ's alone!"  -- Paul (I might be paraphrasing just a tad)

In any church there will be disagreements, some quite substantial.  We need to talk about them humbly and align them with what God seems to be saying through His Word.

Note to Catholics:  I sometimes hear a sentiment of "Why don't they just get over it and come back to the one universal church ... the Catholic church, of course."  Jesus never used the word Catholic, nor is it used anywhere in scripture.  So, let's drop that and humble ourselves.

Note to Protestants:  The Catholics believe in the same triune God, in Jesus' salvation and Lordship,  and in the entire Apostle's Creed ... just like you.  There are some differences in belief that are admittedly substantial, but you need to be willing to hear them out, explain your points, get it out on the table for discussion, and join forces again (just like the Wonder Twins - "Form of ... an Eagle!").

We are called to love our Brothers and Sisters.  We are ALL the body of Christ, and currently we have an arm and a leg over there, and a torso and an ear over there.

Let's come together as one Body as Christ calls us to.  Amen?

So hopeful and anxious for the life of the world to come.  Love you all.

Christianity vs Christians ...

I'm no longer surprised by the random individual who says, "I'm not a Christian, nor will I look further into Christianity because all Christians are hypocrites."  Two reasons why this is a ridiculous statement to make:

1. In any True/False question, you know it's false when you see words like ALL or NEVER.
2. Christians do not have a monopoly on hypocrisy.  Being a hypocrite is nice and evenly spread across humanity, regardless if one is a Christian or not.  It's a human flaw, not a Christian thing.

Next time someone says, "I don't believe in God" or "I don't believe in Jesus", ask "Who do you think God is?"  Upon explanation of who or what they THINK He is, agree with them that you don't believe in the God they just explained either.  

Bottom line, people who don't believe in God have the wrong "god" in mind.  They simply don't understand, otherwise they would run after Him at a sprint.  More than likely, their mind has been branded with a view of God or Jesus from a less than stellar experience with some flawed people (who may or may not be actual Christians, but perhaps claim to be), through an upbringing where they were presented with a false impression of Christianity and God, or from indoctrination into an ideology that is simply false.

Here's a pop quiz for the non-believer reading this:

• Christians are bigots who hate [FILL IN THE BLANK (e.g. homosexuals, muslims ...].  T/F
• Christians and Republicans ... same thing.  T/F
• Churches just want your money.  T/F
• Christians believe what they believe with a blind faith.  T/F
• There is more evidence for the theory of evolution than for the claims of Christ's deity.  T/F
• Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, etc. ... all pretty much the same.  T/F

If you answered T (True) to any of these, you have it wrong.  I recommend you look deeper than sound bites and broad generalizations, and seek the actual truth.  You will be surprised what you'll find and be forever thankful for humbling yourself long enough to seek Him.

God bless you and - regardless of your current position - I love you and so does God (only infinitely  greater than I ever could).

A. God is good.  

B. God is love.  

C. God is just.  

D. All of the above.

(Hint:  It's D.)