HORRIBLE adult influences (the lack of good role models)
and
The Media!
Movies! Videos! Radio! (not exclusively)
We have all been victims of both as some point in our youth which ought to make us want to do better....
Sad...just...sad
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth
You know what? Truth, down right Biblical truth makes people uncomfortable! It causes some to be uncomfortable to hear it. It cause some that know it uncomfortable to speak it. And it causes some that speak it uncomfortable to receive the reactions from others, so they silence themselves.
People make the comment that truth is relative but truth is not relative, it is absolute! What's even more unsettling is that the Church (body of believers) is divided concerning issues of the truth. We have lots of opinions(which is what I guess this whole blogging thing is)and nothing to base them on except a shoddy understanding of God's Word. Let me interject with Proverbs 4:7 - in all your getting get an understanding. Dear friends, I am guilty of this as well! And so are you! Which is why I seek to know more.
I am at the point now that I want the full unadulterated truth no matter how much it hurts because all that it will do is kill me to life and allow this dear old flesh that I have been allowing to control me for so long to die die die! That is if I can be humble and grateful enough to receive the Truth and correction from GOD.
Not that legalistic stuff that says don't touch that, don't wear that, only say this but the kind of Truth that will cause me to draw closer to God. The kind of truth that convicts me when I do wrong or sin against God and lets me know that it is NOT oaky. I desire a realer than real wide open relationship with Him. You know what else is crazy? The closer we seem to get to God the further away our minds become from the world and things of this world, people start to think that you are just down right crazy and fanatical! People holler we need to be balanced but balanced in what? Most of the time people say that and what it ends producing is compromise. Again the importance of knowing what the Word says. See, Jesus ate with sinners to teach sinners theway because He is the Truth but He did not conform to them in any way and He was totally and completely balanced. He met them where they were to give them the opportunity to come up to Him and not for Him to come down to their level. I believe balance is important but we should be certain to seek balance in the things of God! How can you balance wordly things with spiritual? It just won't happen....the scale will forever be tipped.
And another thing, If you ask me how I'm doing I will say blessed and highly favored because I am! If that offends you or if that makes you feel uncomfortable then I apologize that you can't handle the truth. If you don't feel that way about yourself then I am only admonishing you to re evaluate your worth in Jesus Christ. And please please please let us not only equate blessing with the material. This point cannot be reiterated enough. The last thing that being blessed in Christ is material wealth and possessions. I did not say that God allowing us to have material things is not a blessing but what I am saying is those are the last things we should look to be blessed with. That's all.
Yall I am just saying this because I love God so extremely much and I love you all so much! I just don't want US to perish because we lack knowledge and because we allow half truths (which is no truth at all) to creep into our lives. So help me help you as I help you help me........
Loved Ones....Brothers and Sisters....
Let's seek the Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth.
I Love You All!
You are Blessed by God and Highly Favored if you are walking with Him!
People make the comment that truth is relative but truth is not relative, it is absolute! What's even more unsettling is that the Church (body of believers) is divided concerning issues of the truth. We have lots of opinions(which is what I guess this whole blogging thing is)and nothing to base them on except a shoddy understanding of God's Word. Let me interject with Proverbs 4:7 - in all your getting get an understanding. Dear friends, I am guilty of this as well! And so are you! Which is why I seek to know more.
I am at the point now that I want the full unadulterated truth no matter how much it hurts because all that it will do is kill me to life and allow this dear old flesh that I have been allowing to control me for so long to die die die! That is if I can be humble and grateful enough to receive the Truth and correction from GOD.
Not that legalistic stuff that says don't touch that, don't wear that, only say this but the kind of Truth that will cause me to draw closer to God. The kind of truth that convicts me when I do wrong or sin against God and lets me know that it is NOT oaky. I desire a realer than real wide open relationship with Him. You know what else is crazy? The closer we seem to get to God the further away our minds become from the world and things of this world, people start to think that you are just down right crazy and fanatical! People holler we need to be balanced but balanced in what? Most of the time people say that and what it ends producing is compromise. Again the importance of knowing what the Word says. See, Jesus ate with sinners to teach sinners theway because He is the Truth but He did not conform to them in any way and He was totally and completely balanced. He met them where they were to give them the opportunity to come up to Him and not for Him to come down to their level. I believe balance is important but we should be certain to seek balance in the things of God! How can you balance wordly things with spiritual? It just won't happen....the scale will forever be tipped.
And another thing, If you ask me how I'm doing I will say blessed and highly favored because I am! If that offends you or if that makes you feel uncomfortable then I apologize that you can't handle the truth. If you don't feel that way about yourself then I am only admonishing you to re evaluate your worth in Jesus Christ. And please please please let us not only equate blessing with the material. This point cannot be reiterated enough. The last thing that being blessed in Christ is material wealth and possessions. I did not say that God allowing us to have material things is not a blessing but what I am saying is those are the last things we should look to be blessed with. That's all.
Yall I am just saying this because I love God so extremely much and I love you all so much! I just don't want US to perish because we lack knowledge and because we allow half truths (which is no truth at all) to creep into our lives. So help me help you as I help you help me........
Loved Ones....Brothers and Sisters....
Let's seek the Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth.
I Love You All!
You are Blessed by God and Highly Favored if you are walking with Him!
Monday, February 23, 2009
Christians vs. Followers of Jesus Christ (Disciples)
Believers and nonbelievers alike understand that the basis of "Christianity" is rooted in the belief and faith in the life and works of Jesus Christ. A bit of knowledge for those of you that do not know in the Book if Acts to be called a "Christian" was not a compliment but was a derogartory identifier to label those that followed the teachings of Jesus Christ. I personally feel that too much emphasis has been placed on being a Christian and NOT a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. In my mind, these are two distinct things. You may be labeled a Christian based on what you profess to believe from and intellectual stand point but unless we lived as He lived, all that is done is done in vain.
Christians have allowed themselves to be deceived as to what kind of life they were called to whereas followers of Jesus Christ seek to live as Jesus lived. (1 John 2:6) To do as Jesus did. We have to seek and pursue holiness as a way of life and not merely as an option. 1 Peter 1:13 says that we are to be holy because He is holy and if we are to called to be imitators of Christ then what else can we or should we claim or strive to be?
Rashid and I were talking last night and it can get reather frustrating and discouraging when our brothers and sisters in Christ miss this point. Its almost as if the cross of Jesus Christ is taken for granted and the people that claim to follow Him live by a strange set of beliefs that they mistake for Biblical but is really a perversion of the truth. I don't want to sound as if I am judging because I remember there was a point in my life where I willfully sinned against God knowing the truth but this is what makes me so adamant about this. I realized the EXTREME error in my way and only want other believers to come to that same realization.
It is so important that we are being taught correctly in church and that we study God's Word for the correct understanding of scripture for all scripture is God breathed and is profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. We really have to get the Word and understand the Word so we can live the Word and be like the Word........
We have really got to get this because there will come a time when the truth ceases to be taught and you have to be able to stand on whatever foundation was laid and if that foundation was not Christ and Christ alone like it says in 1 Corinthians 1...when the fire comes it will be burned up.
Christians have allowed themselves to be deceived as to what kind of life they were called to whereas followers of Jesus Christ seek to live as Jesus lived. (1 John 2:6) To do as Jesus did. We have to seek and pursue holiness as a way of life and not merely as an option. 1 Peter 1:13 says that we are to be holy because He is holy and if we are to called to be imitators of Christ then what else can we or should we claim or strive to be?
Rashid and I were talking last night and it can get reather frustrating and discouraging when our brothers and sisters in Christ miss this point. Its almost as if the cross of Jesus Christ is taken for granted and the people that claim to follow Him live by a strange set of beliefs that they mistake for Biblical but is really a perversion of the truth. I don't want to sound as if I am judging because I remember there was a point in my life where I willfully sinned against God knowing the truth but this is what makes me so adamant about this. I realized the EXTREME error in my way and only want other believers to come to that same realization.
It is so important that we are being taught correctly in church and that we study God's Word for the correct understanding of scripture for all scripture is God breathed and is profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. We really have to get the Word and understand the Word so we can live the Word and be like the Word........
We have really got to get this because there will come a time when the truth ceases to be taught and you have to be able to stand on whatever foundation was laid and if that foundation was not Christ and Christ alone like it says in 1 Corinthians 1...when the fire comes it will be burned up.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
I'm Back!!!
So it seems it has been a while since my last entry. Well, it has, in fact, been awhile since my last entry. What things have happened since then.....I AM ENGAGED YALL. It all happened on Christmas Day. I am in the process of planning the wedding for July. Things are actually going pretty well. Once we got past the inital phase of decidind who would be in control and whose opinion mattered it was smooth sailing. Thank God for reconciliation....LOL. But really, I am enjoying the planning on a budget.
I have been finding some really GREAT deals. Got an awesome photographer for $500. Possible a free limo. A decorated ceremony and reception site for $1,700 and the list goes on. The next step is to find me and honey somewhere to live. This may be a little more diffiult than anticipated but guess what? With God all things are possible. ( I bet you knew I was going to say that).
Hopefully I won't be such a defunct user of this here blog but bear with me and I'll do my best.
God Bless!
I have been finding some really GREAT deals. Got an awesome photographer for $500. Possible a free limo. A decorated ceremony and reception site for $1,700 and the list goes on. The next step is to find me and honey somewhere to live. This may be a little more diffiult than anticipated but guess what? With God all things are possible. ( I bet you knew I was going to say that).
Hopefully I won't be such a defunct user of this here blog but bear with me and I'll do my best.
God Bless!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)