The end times...

I don't usually do two posts in one day... but tomorrow is going to be a long day, and I have something that is burning a hole in my keyboard... so I'm going to make an exception tonight.

I've been doing a ton of blog surfing lately. Why? People are interesting people. I've noticed that many of the blogs I've been to has been one of extreme ends of the belief spectrum. While having beliefs isn't a bad thing, to say that you have a belief and YOURS is the only correct one is unnerving. Although, not all of them are so violent in their approach.Some are even very literary in their approach in giving their view. But these are few and very far between.

From the belief that Bush is a bad leader, should be hauled out and tried for this and that... to the belief that the end of the world is tomorrow, and send them $5,000 to support their ministry to reach everyone in time. And to be honest... many of these posts are from alleged Christians.

(*Sigh*)

No wonder people think that people are insane. The few that are, are really making it freaky for the rest of us who aren't.

So where does this blogger stand on these extremes? I'm irritated..... mad, even. I'm actually feeling very angry at some of the people who claim Christ, then slander his very name by living completely backward to what he taught. So I'm going to jump in just once. I want to set a few things straight.

First of all, Bush is our leader whether we like him or not. I'll be honest in saying that I didn't like Clinton. But he was the President. I'm certain there were topics we'd disagree on, but God instructs us to support and honor those in authority over us. I voiced my concern over his actions, but the fact is, Clinton was the current President. I had to support him in his day. What about W? I'm quite certain there are many topics we disagree on as well. But to hash, rehash, and slash him doesn't do anyone any good. So this post isn't going to be one of those posts. "W" is the current President. Nothing more, nothing less. That's this blogger's stand.

What about the $5,000? Well... God is my provider. Not you. If God is the God of all Creation, made the heavens and the stars and set the boundaries of the universe at a few billion or so light-ears in diameter (you get the idea), then I think God can take care of himself when it comes to getting a few crudely printed slips of currency paper whenever he needs it. God doesn't need your money. And those that say that he does are liars. It's really that simple.

And the end times?

Oh... here we go... The fact of the matter is, no one knows the day nor hour of Christ's return. Christ, himself, made that very clear. I do know this, though... the end of the world comes every day for thousands of people around the world. From cancer, to war, to murder, to overdoses... People die every second of every day. Their little world ends.

Guy and gals... We have to stop focusing on the extremes. If you want to step into someone's life do you really think that name-calling and hypocrisy is going to really show who God is? NO! It's going to show how ignorant YOU are, despite of which side of extremism we slide off into. Here's a hint... life is not about you and me and what we think. It really isn't. Get over it!

Okay, so I like to wrap these up by asking some pointed questions. This post is no different. Fifty years from now, will President Clinton really be remembered? Will anyone care about who he did or didn't sleep with? How about "W"? Will anyone (outside of academia) be debating whether his presidency was one of his own terrorist agenda? I highly doubt it.

Fifty years from now will anyone remember this post. Not in the slightest. Our thoughts, rants, and opinions are important. I'm not advocating anti-blogging. But what we think isn't the end-all-be-all of the opinions in the world, and over time, we will be forgotten. Again, get over it.

If you aren't a Christian, and are just surfing through, please understand that the next statement isn't for you. I'm not making a "Ya GOTTA get SAAAAAVVVVVEEEDD!!!" speech here. I'm asking this of those who claim to be Christians:

Fifty years from now, (or the end of your life... which ever comes first) will God review your life and be able to truly say "You lived a life reflective of my own steps on the earth"? Will he honestly be able to say that you lived according to what he wanted? Or what YOU wanted? If it's all about you, read Matthew chapter 7.

People! Stop the hypocrisy! If your words and actions don't match, then you aren't living that life. And people see that. If you want to spread lies and hate, just don't. Do us a favor. Get off your soap-box and go home. This world is not about you. And if I've offended you, don't worry.. it's not about me, either. It's about God. But if we are so wrapped up in "self" to tell people that, how will any one know? If you say you have come to know Him, but do not obey his commands you are a liar, and the spirit of God is not in you. (Read 1 Peter. Those are God's words, not mine.)

There.... I feel much better.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled blogging.

We need each other

A friend once told me "I am a Christian, but I don't need church. All they are is a bunch of hypocrites."

At the time, this really disturbed me. Mainly because the church has this predominant reputation. I can't "un-hypocrite" those who are. Although I'm trying to influence people by my posts to challenge everyone to live what they say, or get off the fence and go home. But in the end, I can't change people. I can only offer information. People will be what people will be.

I told her that I didn't think I could tread water long enough to fix the battleship from the outside. (a bit of wisdom modified from a not-so-famous comedian.)

I decided to look to God and see what he said about hanging together. First off, I had to make some assumptions. Generally, in any field of study, this is where we go wrong... the assumptions at the beginning. So, I wanted to be sure I was correct right off. If you think I'm off here, tell me because I am going to base alot of info on these.

1) Humans are, by nature, social creatures. We desire contact, communication, relationships and exchange with other humans.

2) Because of this, we WILL surround ourselves with other people, in some form or fashion: from work, to church to clubs to poker-night with the guys or mall-shopping with the girls.

If we can agree on these two statements, the rest becomes academic when looking at scripture. The first and foremost evidence of this is Christ's command, which we've recently reviewed in the book of John:

John 15:9 [Christ is speaking] "Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you. Remain in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments you will remain in My love, ... 12 This is My commandment: that you love one another just as I have loved you.

"One another" wouldn't be possible if we tried to go solo. And loving one another is the evidence that we have the Spirit of God in us. We cannot say that we love God if we don't love each other.

1 John 2:3 This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands. 4 The one who says, "I have come to know Him," without keeping His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

So loving Christians (one another) is essential. But hypocrites (those who say they are Christians, but are not)... we don't have to love them or hang around them, right?

Yes and no. We do have to love them, but we must be very careful who we choose to surround ourselves with in daily company.

Christ himself said we should love those that hate us, and pray for those that pursecute us. How much more, if we are to love those that really, really hate us, should we love those that don't understand the full truth, but are close to it? Should we push them away and mock them? Of course not. We should pick them up and lead them. Be an example to them, and chastise them when they are wrong.... after all, God instructs us to rebuke each other (other christians, not non-beleivers!! I'll show more on this later.)

But they should not be our closest friends... those we go to for support, advice, entertainment or company. Christ warned "Bad company corrupts good morals." And it is very true. Those we hang around and trust and rely on for help and strength, are the very ones we pick up habits from. Habits lead us in patterns of life. Patterns lead us to or from God.

Who are your closest friends? Has God placed someone in your life to test your "Love Ability" because they have low lovability? Do you attend a church of strong believers, or do you attend a social club that references itself as Church? Do you attend church at all?

We can't be strong alone.

Delay in posting

Yep.. you guessed it. Life has interrupted the posts again.

I've got a few more thoughts boiling, but I've had to take care of some details around the house.

Until my next post, be thinking about who your friends are. Who do you go to for advice or support? Obviously, if you believe God wants to help you, and you have communication with God, then you can go to God. But who do you surround yourself with for advice and support?

More on this tomorrow if I can wrap that thought up by then.

Roadmap to Growth

How can I be Godly? Each Christian, when they come to the realization that Holines is not an option, faces this dilemma.

Your human nature wants one thing, but you now know that you need something contrary to your old nature. How do you get there?

Peter noted this same thing, and adressed it immediately as he started the letter we now reference as the book of Second Peter.

2 Peter 1:3 God's devine power has given us everything we need for life and for godliness. This power was given to us through knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and integrity.

We don't need books (you don't need this blog.) All we need is the power given by God's Spirit. He then goes on to document, in his opinion, a series of building blocks by which we can grow and mature.

First, start with adding integrity to your faith. If we don't stand for what is right, everything else that we DO stand for is worthless. It will crumble at our feet. Do what you say, and say what you mean. It really is that simple.

From integrity, add knowledge. Knowledge begins when we ask questions. Admitting you DON'T know everything is the first place to start in learning. Learn about God, his holiness and his grace. The best way to learn, is to experience it for yourself, if even in small doses.

To knowledge, add self control. Knowledge is power. That is a very old proverb, that is true. However, power without control is chaos. We must learn that we have to be responsible for ourselves. We cannot blame our past, our present, our parents, our teachers, our circumstances. To do so says those things are in control of us. But that is not right. We must take responsibility for our own actions (See integrity, above) and willfully choose to obey God.

To knowledge, add godliness. Put simply, obeying God. (see above)

To godliness, add Christian affection. This is not a mushy-goosy feeling. Nor is it a lustful interaction between people. Christian affection is simply loving people who claim Christ. Love the ones who are easy to love because they think like you. But also the ones who get on our nerves, dispite the fact that they seem to always stand on our very last one. Christ calls us to "love one another" many times in scripture, thus loving even those we feel are unlovable is being obedient to God. (See above)

And to Christian affection, add love. If you don't love Christians, it's going to be REALLY hard to love those who are set completely against you and completely against your faith and beleifs. But love is not an option. It is a command by Christ. We are not Christ's disciples (followers) if we do not love.

Do you see a trend? You can't love everyone unless you love Christians and non-Christians alike. You can't have Christian affection without integrity, and vice-versa. It's a complete package of building blocks.

So why is all of this important? Why spout for several paragraphs over nonsense?

2 Peter 1:8 If these qualities are not present in your life, you are shortsighted and have forgotten that you were cleansed from your past sins.

Take time today to remember what God has done for you. What has he really cleansed you from, set you free from, and that is no longer a part of your life. If you can't think of any, but can think of things that should, perhaps you should evaluate your walk with God. Where do you stand with God?

But if you can think of these things, don't forget what a blessing God has given you! Rejoice in what God has done for you, then act on it. Allow yourself to grow in God. Don't be shortsighted, but continue to grow.

More on why growth is important, later.

The chase for Holiness...

There is a small paper-bound book written by Dr. Gregory Frizzell called Returning to Holiness. The unique part about this book is that the book is only $1.50. No, I'm not kidding. He is simply covering shipping and printing costs. Not a cent more.

Why is this so incredible? Because in this book is the ESSENTIAL INFORMATION on what God expects for a Christian: nothing short of constantly pursuing Holiness.

As a Christian, I do not beleive we ever acheive that goal... but for us not to live our lives in a constant pursuit of it is directly against God.

Leviticus 11:44(a) and Hebrews 12:14 commend us, as beleivers, to "Be holy because I am Holy." and "Without Holiness, you will not see God."

If you have not read this little book, I highly recommend it. Order your copy today. If you would prefer, I will buy it for you and have it shipped to you, at no cost to you. Just tell me. I believe it is that important. Order two or three and give them to friends.

It was during my study of the word during this book that God convicted me of alot of dirt in my life. I am not perfect, nor will I be short of the gates of Heaven. But it has really improved my communion with God.

Chase holiness. Without it, you will not see God.

Do Christians live easy lives?

Do true Christians live easy lives?

This is another "Yes" and "No" question. The variation comes in the word "easy".

Do true Christians live a life that is comfortable and without trouble?

No. Christ taught that (Matthew 7:14) "But the narrow gate and the road that lead to life are full of trouble. Only a few people find the narrow gate." Christ taught that if we follow him, we will experience trouble. Note that he doesn't say just every now and again, but "full of trouble."

He goes on to say "Not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom."

This is going to challenge you a bit, but based on these two statements, it is clear that many who think they know the way to life, don't. He will eventually tell them "Go away from me... I don't know you."

So how can anyone know that they have eternal life, and not eternal death?

Christ himself answered this by speaking of himself in the third person in a public prayer before his disciples as he continued to teach them. (John 17:3) "This is eternal life: to know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." The word 'know' here has significant importance. The greek word used here means to have a deep personal relationship, not a head knowledge of random facts. Thanks to TV news, I know alot about George W. Bush. There are some areas which we agree, and others where I think we would disagree. But in the end, I don't know him. I know about him. And he certainly does not know me. If you were to show him my picture, I am certain the first words from his mouth would be "Who the heck is that?"

Are you striving to know God, and just as important, does God know you ... thus implying a deep relationship? Read that sentence again. It is vitally importaint! In fact, let me write it again, and actually stop and answer it in your heart... Are you striving to know God, and just as important, does God know you?

If you answered "Yes" to this, expect trouble. Expect to have your limits stretched. Another indication that we will face trouble was just prior to this prayer, as he was teaching them in 16:33: "I've told you these things so that my peace will be with you. In the world you will have trouble. But cheer up! I have overcome the world."

You will have trouble. Your life will not be easy. If you are following God, expect to be stretched past your comfort zones. If you aren't stretched, then you aren't following and obeying Him. I can't say if God knows you or not, based on this, but I can say that you aren't being obedient. An obedient Christian should constantly be challenged with something new. Life should never be a boring rut, because God is an active, moving, engaging God.

Expect to be stretched! Expect to have your limits tested. Expect it.

Can Christians live a life easily dispite being uncomfortable and dispite trouble?

Yes! Read the second part of the last verse. This is the exciting part! "But cheer up! I have overcome the world." Life should not be a drudge. It may have trouble, but He has overcome any trouble you may face. Dispite the path he leads us on, if we are following him, it's going to be a fun (look at the word "cheer") ride.

And look at the beginning of the verse "... so that my peace will be with you." We can live a life that comforts us dispite the trouble because we have Christ's peace. What is 'Peace'?? Is it the lack of conflict? No. It is knowing and trusting and believing and resting in who actually has control, dispite the conflict. Here's a hint... it's not me, and it's not you. Again "...cheer up! I have overcome the world."

Jesus Christ -- God incarnate -- has overcome. He is in control. Not you. That, at first, can be the most horrifying thing in the world. Human nature absolutely fears, loathes, dispises and hates losing control. But in the end, when you understand how loving God is, this is the most beautiful, peaceful, amazing thing. Having that kind of peace comes from a true faith that God will take care of the details, no matter how big or small those details are.

To reiterate the first question, if you believe God and know him in a true relationship, should you expect an easy life of comfort and without trouble? No. Not in the least. In fact, expect just the opposite.

But, to answer the second form of this question, can you live a life of peace dispite those troubles? Yes! Definately! It's a matter of faith, trust and relationship. More on that later. But for now, seek God! Build your relationship with him, and rest in his peace. We're going to have a fun ride.

Another thought...

Here's a thought to stir the noodle:

What is so fragile, that once given, cannot be received back in any form without breaking it? Yet it is so strong that rarely does anyone assume the ones given to them will EVER be broken.

If you think you know, leave a comment. I'll post the answer later.

What is love?

"What is Love?"

Artists of all forms have asked this very question. Philosphers from every culture have pondered this depth. Without God in the picture, this can be a daunting answer to give, because without God there is no true love. There is respect, honor, pride and even lust. But Love is a very difficult thing in the absense of God.

But even in a Christian's life, can you aptly answer that question? I don't mean Love as a noun (i.e. God is love.) Can you honestly answer the question "What is (the verb) love?"

Many Christians have canned answers for this, but have you taken the time to research it and know how to love? John was an apostle that had two distinct sides of his personality. First, everything to him was black and white. You loved, or you didn't. You were for God, or you weren't.

But secondly, he spent more time than any other speaking on the topic of love. He echoed Christ's commands to love each other several times in his writing.

2 John 1:6 And this is love: that we walk according to His commands. This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: you must walk in love.

John 15:9 [Christ is speaking] "Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you. Remain in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments you will remain in My love, ... 12 This is My commandment: that you love one another just as I have loved you.

Now... I'm going to take John's perspective on this for a moment, and draw a black and white line. Evaluate yourself on which side of this line you think you stand. I know that sometimes we see this line as a bit gray, but let's compare ourselves to it for just a moment.

Do you know God, believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and asked him to forgive you of your sin? In short: Are you a Christian?

If not, then the next verse isn't for you, yet. Just smile and nod, and keep reading other posts on the site.

If you have asked for this, then GOOD! This is for you!! Hooray!! You should understand exactly what this is about. (Don't worry, it hit me hard, too.)

1 John 2:3 This is how we are sure that we have come to know Him: by keeping His commands. 4 The one who says, "I have come to know Him," without keeping His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly in him the love of God is perfected. (emphasis mine)

Love (the verb) should be a part of our every-day actions. Caring and compassion may come harder for some than others. They should be present in some level of your life. In dealing with those around you, you should be exhibiting the fruits of the spirit... gentleness, kindness self-control, etc. If not, then when you turn around and declare that Christ is your Lord -- your Master -- you are deceiving yourself and those to which you speak. The Truth is not in you. Stated quite bluntly... You are a liar. (ouch)

Loving will come easy if you are truly keeping His word. (Not my words. Read verse five again.) I'm NOT saying everyone should be gooshy... or that if you aren't soft and guilible you aren't saved. Love does not equal soft, guilible, door-mat, weak-willed, stupid or other similar terms! Christ was no doormat. But he was a personification of Love. He simply lived acording to what the Father placed into his heart, by the Spirit.

Love is not always expressed as "sympathy" or "empathy", although those are forms of love. What I'm saying is the compassion for those around you, in whatever form God puts into your heart, from missions, to ministry, to serving, to teaching, to cleaning bathrooms... if the action which God places in your life isn't present, you need to seriously evaluate your position with God. Giving yourself to others in a manner that pleases God, in emotion, word, time, effort or deed, THAT is love.

So, be very mindful of your interactions with others today. Respond always with truth and love. We all walk closer to God some days than others. We're human, and it's just a fact of our humanity. God isn't faltering or changing on those off-days. We are. But if loving others around you -- giving of yourself -- is consistently difficult for you, perhaps you need to ask yourself "Where do I stand with God? Are we seeing eye-to-eye or am I off doing my own thing? Am I trying to do all this in my own strength?"

Father, forgive me for doing my own thing. Forgive me for not exhibiting your spirit at all times, because I have stepped away from your hands. Thank you for forgiving me. Guide me back to you.

Things that make you go Hmmmm

Okay.. this post is someting I've wanted to do for a while. It's not about Cheryl and I. It's about a specific thought. I'll probably be doing more of these in the near future. You've been duly warned. They'll have a title prefixed, like this one, with [Hmm] so that you can be warned before reading it that it may challenge your world a bit.

There are a couple of things that I thought about as a child that really made me think. I loved to contemplate oxymorons -- things that seemingly contradict, but are true. They made my brain tingle. Take this childhood puzzle as an example: "If we know that: 1) God can do anything. 2) God can create anything, then can God create a rock that he, himself, can't lift?"

At first the answer is simple. If God can do anything, then yes. But then you contradict yourself... because he can't lift the rock, and God can no longer do ANYTHING, because he can't lift the rock. Suddenly your find yoruself questioning if what you know about God in other aspects are still true as well.

I beleive the answer is still yes. God can do anything, and the two statements are still true. But to fully understand this contradiction, we have to look a little deeper.

The first part of this is the two "facts" that we must abide by. And there-in is the flaw. God is more complex than our minds can comprehend, which is why he presents himself COMPLETELY to us, but uses three aspects of himself known as the Trinity. All three are completely God, but there is still only one God. All three represent aspects of his nature that help our finite minds wrap around who "God" is.

So, what does the Trinity have to do with a childhood puzzle? God (the father) created many rocks that God (the son) could not lift without relying on God (the spirit). Thus the answer is true.

The reason we have a hard time answering this riddle is because we put God in a box. We limit him to our understanding of "a person". A person is a single personality -- a single reference to their likeness and abilities. God isn't quite like that. There's so much more, which is why Christianity isn't a series of bits of knowledge. It's not about understanding or knowing about God. Knowledge alone will get you nowhere. Christianity is a relationship, where -- over time -- you reveal more of yourself to God, and he reveals more of himself to you. You learn to know God.

What are you doing in your daily life that will limit God? Are you hiding some areas of your life from God? If so, he will hide some aspects of himself from you, because you would not be able to understand.

We ALL need to constantly evaluate God from new perspectives. There are so many more aspects to God than our Old-testament "Charleton Heston" version of God. Take time today to ask God to reveal a little more of himself in a new way to you.