Its been a while since ive been able to get on here and blog my thoughts, but its kind of hard when I don’t have internet anymore, but that’s aside the point. Ive been dealing with a certain issue enough lately that I just had to talk to God, and come over to my parent’s workplace, just to get online and share what I realized. Lately JB has been preaching on sin, and going and sinning no more, letting go of your past mistakes, or just normal mistakes in general. But, in doing this, I realized that in order to do that, in order to forgive yourself and let God forgive you, you must come face to face with “GUILT”. Guilt sucks. It does. You know exactly what it is and what its like, guilt eats at everyone to some degree. We all have had to lay our heads on our pillow at night and accept the fact that we have not done as well as we could have done. And if you don’t confront it or deal with it, Satan will use that repeatedly to eat you up and destroy you from the inside out, and keep you from what God has planned for you.
Guilt has been a problem since sin entered our world, which is why sin is the cause of 99.9% of all guilt. Its that deteriorating feeling in your heart you feel when you know you did something wrong. It was guilt that caused Adam and Eve to hide when God came walking in the cool of the day. When the Pharisees brought the woman caught in adultery, Jesus looked at the angry mob and said, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to through a stone at her." It was guilt that caused ALL the men to drop their stones, one by one, and walk away. How do you respond to your guilt? Ive realized a couple things that people do when guilt comes their way:
1. First, some people rationalize their guilt. Think about it: Have you ever listened to what people say when they’re caught doing something wrong? I remember reading somewhere that a man was arrested for stealing a car parked at a cemetery. When he stood before the judge, he said, "Since the car was parked at the cemetery, I just assumed that the driver was dead.” Really?!?!? C’mon! Did you even think about that answer?!?! I had a buddy I met at ACC who worked for progressive auto insurance claims. He heard the best of these.
“Coming home, I drove to the wrong house and collided with a tree that I don’t have.”
“A pedestrian hit me and went under my car.”
“I pulled away from the shoulder of the road, glanced at my mother-in-law and then drove into the ditch.”
“The pedestrian had no idea of which way to jump so I ran over him.”
Funny stuff, huh? Well, before you start laughing at these attempts to rationalize mistakes, do you ever wonder what our excuses sound like to God when we’re guilty of sin? Haha......... Yeaaaaaah, that feeling right there.............................. Sucks, doesn’t it? The difference here is that God doesn’t care what you’ve done. By his grace, He takes you back every time, and tells you to “Go, and sin no more”. The insurance company will laugh at your petty attempt at an excuse, drop you from coverage, or at the very least, raise your rate to unimaginable heights.
2. Some people Deny their guilt. There is a perfect example of that in the Bible. (Keep in mind, im paraphrasing here!) Israel was at war, and King Saul was instructed by Samuel the prophet to destroy all of the property belonging to the king of the enemy nation. However, Saul looked at the sheep and cattle this king owned, and began to estimate its worth. Finally, he decided to disobey God and keep the king’s possessions for himself. He forgot that God sees everything we do. God sent the prophet Samuel to confront Saul with his guilt. So what did Saul do? He tried to fool Samuel into thinking everything was great! He greeted the prophet and said, "Look I have done everything God told me to do!" And Samuel said something to the effect of, "Oh yeah? Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t I hear the sound of sheep and cattle in the background?" and Saul said, "Oh that. Well, yeah, we did take some of their sheep to use as a sacrifice." Samuel then told Saul, "To obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Samuel 15). Isn’t it amazing that people have the capacity to deny guilt when the evidence before them is unquestionable?
3. Lastly, some people run from their guilt. Bars are filled with people trying to run away from their guilt. You see, the problem with running from our guilt is that it follows us wherever we go. We cant run away from our guilt. We cant drink our guilt away. We cant hide our guilt. Until we take care of our guilt, then we will be plagued by it.
So, what do these responses to guilt have in common? Well obviously, they don’t work. Some of you know exactly what im talking about. Like me, you have tried to rationalize yor guilt. Like me, you have tried to deny your guilt. Like me, you have tried to run away from your guilt, or drown it in alchohol. And like me, you have learned that no matter what you do, you still feel guilty.
Well, this is where the story gets good. There is a solution to the problem with our guilt. We don’t have to keep fighting a losing battle. We can be guilt-free. Our guilt and our sins have been taken care of by Jesus on the cross. Embrace God’s forgiveness. "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross" (Col. 2:13-14). "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1) David said it best. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgression from us" (Psalm 103:12) God has said that our guilt has been removed; He has said we are clean. When God forgives, the sin is totally annihilated. It doesn't exist in you and me any longer. It doesn't exist in heaven. Guilt is gone. It can only exist in our memories.
Although people receive God's forgiveness, some people do not forgive themselves. (This was me for the longest time) They walk around forgiven in the eyes of God, but yet are guilt ridden. They feel guilt for the sins that they have committed in the past. In (Luke 5:8), Peter fell at Jesus' knees crying, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" Like me, Peter was so guilt ridden for the life that he had led that he didn't feel worthy being around Jesus, or in church for that matter. Jesus said to him, “Don’t be afraid.” Even though we may have committed some terrible sins in our past, when we have been forgiven by God, we have nothing to fear. Jesus is telling us, "Don't be afraid." When we accept, believe and trust in the forgiveness of God, God uses our faith to defeat our personal guilt. He doesn’t want us to walk around suffering from guilt. He wants us to live in victory. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). The way to be healed of guilt is to believe what God tells us about His forgiveness. Embrace His forgiveness not only today, but everyday so that you can begin to live guilt free.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Angry at God...
Have you ever been “angry” with God? Not just angry, but really angry, like pissed off? Im pretty sure we all have. I know I have. I recently was reminded about the anger I had towards God before I came to know Him on a personal level. It was pretty strong to say the least. People say that we’re not supposed to get angry with him, that he’s God, hes perfect, and its in our best interest not to get angry with him. But regardless, I truly was angry with him, and I let him know it. I started thinking about it, and I realized that I had a bunch of unanswered questions about that time in my life, and really wanted to know those answers. So the other night, I brought it back up with Him...
-"God, why did you let that happen to me? My life was going good, I was happy, everything was going to my plan… and all of a sudden you turned my life upside down, and all my dreams were shattered right in front of me. I thought you wanted me to be happy. Why did you do that to me?"
-You have the belief that happiness is a life of “trouble free” living, and because you had the wrong perception of me, when trials came your way, you felt that I had failed you, or let you down because you were not happy with your situation. Happy doesn’t mean you’ll own a $100,000 car, live in a mansion, be attractive, popular, and never have to worry about satan sneaking up on you. No. Happy is the man that suffers for righteousness. Happy is the man that endures. Not once did I ever tell you that happy is the guy that has it "all together”. You must understand that your concept of happiness is conditional, that as long as everything is going the way YOU want it to go, you’re happy. It’s not that I dont care or that im not listening. But because you expect me to perform according to the expectations you have in your selfish mind, you develop the wrong concept of me. And because you have the wrong concept of me, and because i have not performed to your selfish expectations, you get angry with me causing your concept of me to fail. And then that causes you to get angry with me again. it’s a continuous cycle of negative emotions.
-"Ok, that makes sense… buuuuut, it still doesn’t answer the question of “why” you put me through it all. Did you do it because I had the wrong perception of happiness?"
-No, to build your character.
-"My character? Seriously? That’s so cliché God, c’mon."
-Yes, your character. Your character are the things that form you as a man of God, your nature, your integrity, and your identity. You suffered through everything because I had to build your identity, so that when people see you today, they say "I want to know that man", "What is it in his life that shines through?". So that when you confront the devil, he’ll say with fear in his eyes, "Here comes a man of God, he has come to destroy us…". That’s what I was doing to you, I was working on your identity, but you couldn’t understand that, and you got angry.
-"Well, what else was I supposed to do? i didnt know..."
-Have faith.
-"I do have faith!"
-No, you have selective faith.
-"What the heck is that?!?!"
-So many times you talk about Faith and say that you have it. But you only have it as long as you can see a possible ‘way out’, but as soon as you do not have sight of something you want, you get angry with me.
-“……”
-I have everything under control and the proof is in the endurance of your character after you pass the test. you may not be able to see it now… but just wait. Something amazing is coming for you.
Ok, so after that conversation, I gotta say that I felt pretty stupid. When we get angry with Him, its really because we don’t understand why, or what he is doing in our lives. We try to have God work within our own expectations, and when he does not meet our expectations, we get angry with him and begin to blame him. No matter what it is your going through, all I can say is keep praising him. He will make straight the crooked paths that lie before you, and he makes all things work together for our good. He is building up your character for what is to come next in your life, and its something amazing. Its something abundantly above and beyond anything you could ever hope for, dream or imagine. it may already be right in front of you...
-"God, why did you let that happen to me? My life was going good, I was happy, everything was going to my plan… and all of a sudden you turned my life upside down, and all my dreams were shattered right in front of me. I thought you wanted me to be happy. Why did you do that to me?"
-You have the belief that happiness is a life of “trouble free” living, and because you had the wrong perception of me, when trials came your way, you felt that I had failed you, or let you down because you were not happy with your situation. Happy doesn’t mean you’ll own a $100,000 car, live in a mansion, be attractive, popular, and never have to worry about satan sneaking up on you. No. Happy is the man that suffers for righteousness. Happy is the man that endures. Not once did I ever tell you that happy is the guy that has it "all together”. You must understand that your concept of happiness is conditional, that as long as everything is going the way YOU want it to go, you’re happy. It’s not that I dont care or that im not listening. But because you expect me to perform according to the expectations you have in your selfish mind, you develop the wrong concept of me. And because you have the wrong concept of me, and because i have not performed to your selfish expectations, you get angry with me causing your concept of me to fail. And then that causes you to get angry with me again. it’s a continuous cycle of negative emotions.
-"Ok, that makes sense… buuuuut, it still doesn’t answer the question of “why” you put me through it all. Did you do it because I had the wrong perception of happiness?"
-No, to build your character.
-"My character? Seriously? That’s so cliché God, c’mon."
-Yes, your character. Your character are the things that form you as a man of God, your nature, your integrity, and your identity. You suffered through everything because I had to build your identity, so that when people see you today, they say "I want to know that man", "What is it in his life that shines through?". So that when you confront the devil, he’ll say with fear in his eyes, "Here comes a man of God, he has come to destroy us…". That’s what I was doing to you, I was working on your identity, but you couldn’t understand that, and you got angry.
-"Well, what else was I supposed to do? i didnt know..."
-Have faith.
-"I do have faith!"
-No, you have selective faith.
-"What the heck is that?!?!"
-So many times you talk about Faith and say that you have it. But you only have it as long as you can see a possible ‘way out’, but as soon as you do not have sight of something you want, you get angry with me.
-“……”
-I have everything under control and the proof is in the endurance of your character after you pass the test. you may not be able to see it now… but just wait. Something amazing is coming for you.
Ok, so after that conversation, I gotta say that I felt pretty stupid. When we get angry with Him, its really because we don’t understand why, or what he is doing in our lives. We try to have God work within our own expectations, and when he does not meet our expectations, we get angry with him and begin to blame him. No matter what it is your going through, all I can say is keep praising him. He will make straight the crooked paths that lie before you, and he makes all things work together for our good. He is building up your character for what is to come next in your life, and its something amazing. Its something abundantly above and beyond anything you could ever hope for, dream or imagine. it may already be right in front of you...
Monday, June 14, 2010
Unconditional...
Have you ever seen or experienced something so exciting, so amazing, so unbelievable that it just took your breath away? And when you finally caught your breath, you could hardly stop talking about what you saw or experienced? Of course you have, everyone has at least one defining moment like that. Our ability to experience these moments, these blessings are what sets us apart from all of God's other creations in this world. For instance, my cat Gonzo..... actually, nevermind. thats a bad example. Gonzo doesnt express any emotion other than laziness. Switch to my dog, Vince. Vince can get really excited when he sees me going into the pantry for his food. And when i reach for his dog treats, his tail wags so vigorously, i swear i could probably use it to buff the wax off my mustang! We as humans can get excited about things like food, too. wanna see me or Cesar get excited? start talking about food. But, what makes us different is that we can interpret events and tag them with meaning to produce an intense emotional high. see, Vince will never respond emotionally like we do when we see Mexico score a go-ahead goal in the World Cup Final in the closing seconds. Why? Because its what God made us to do. He made us to respond to His blessings. The fact is, all things that we experience are His blessings, good or bad. He makes all things work together for our good. His Blessings trigger emotions that can be deeply moved by what we see. This is why we were always taught as kids to, "Bless those who bless us." to express thanks for the good things that others do for us. But i realized that this expression is somewhat narrow minded. we shouldnt bless just those who bless us, but we should bless everyone. we are made in God's image. He isnt picky about who he blesses, because God is in a perpetual state of blessing anyways. His being blessed is not dependent on anything we can say or do in return for His blessings. He is blessed because it is who He is. God never has a "bad day". God is totally and eternally satisfied. God’s blessings to us have absolutely nothing to do with what we do to or for Him. God is free to bless us simply because of His infinite mercy and grace.
Too many times we think of God’s blessings, favors and forgiveness in "conditional terms."See, Saturday night, i was talking to a friend whom i havent seen in over 8 years, and we've been spending a lot of
time together in the last few weeks. Saturday night, we were talking, and i could there was something she wanted to tell me, but something was wrong. she was afraid of what i would think of her, that i would turn my back and walk away from her if i knew. so, after a few minutes of prying, she turned away and looked down to the ground as if she were ashamed, and told me what she had to say, it was pretty serious stuff, and obviously i wont say what it is in respect for her privacy. she was genuinely surprised when i wanted to talk to her about it, and told her that didnt change my opinion about her, or how i saw her. i dont think she was used to that reaction, to know that i saw her for who she really is, as opposed to how she feels others see her. her past is done, and holds no bearing on the future, or her life now. she wanted to know why i felt that way. why it didnt phase me, and what it is in my life that makes me that way. that opens the door for Him to do what He does best. you see, He doesnt care about your past, or if you feel you're un-deserving of His love. His love, favor and blessings are truly unconditional, and we need to reflect that to everyone we meet in this journey we call "life". God blesses because that is the nature of who He is. He is a God who blesses, not in order to get the blessings of others, but because He himself is already blessed. And that means that no matter what is happening on any given day in the world, God will continue to work out His blessings because He is an unending fountain of blessing. we need to do what we can to show the same unconditional blessing to everyone. who can you bless today?
Too many times we think of God’s blessings, favors and forgiveness in "conditional terms."See, Saturday night, i was talking to a friend whom i havent seen in over 8 years, and we've been spending a lot of
time together in the last few weeks. Saturday night, we were talking, and i could there was something she wanted to tell me, but something was wrong. she was afraid of what i would think of her, that i would turn my back and walk away from her if i knew. so, after a few minutes of prying, she turned away and looked down to the ground as if she were ashamed, and told me what she had to say, it was pretty serious stuff, and obviously i wont say what it is in respect for her privacy. she was genuinely surprised when i wanted to talk to her about it, and told her that didnt change my opinion about her, or how i saw her. i dont think she was used to that reaction, to know that i saw her for who she really is, as opposed to how she feels others see her. her past is done, and holds no bearing on the future, or her life now. she wanted to know why i felt that way. why it didnt phase me, and what it is in my life that makes me that way. that opens the door for Him to do what He does best. you see, He doesnt care about your past, or if you feel you're un-deserving of His love. His love, favor and blessings are truly unconditional, and we need to reflect that to everyone we meet in this journey we call "life". God blesses because that is the nature of who He is. He is a God who blesses, not in order to get the blessings of others, but because He himself is already blessed. And that means that no matter what is happening on any given day in the world, God will continue to work out His blessings because He is an unending fountain of blessing. we need to do what we can to show the same unconditional blessing to everyone. who can you bless today?
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Reflect Jesus
I love when i get the opportunity to share Jesus unintentionally. I was having a conversation with a friend of mine (Who isnt saved, and actually denies the existance of Jesus or God) about life in general, and what our plans were for the future so far. She asked me,
"So, hows life treating you so far? you know, since you're not working anymore and all."
"Great actually."
"Are you looking for a job?"
"Nope."
"Do you have lots of money?"
"Nope."
"But, you can still pay your bills and house?"
"Yeah, for the most part."
"Wow, God must be on your side."
".....Exactly."
Isnt that the point of our lives?? Pastor JB says, "Live a life that demands a response. Live a life so that when people meet you, or see you, they say, 'That cant be anything other than God. Theres no other explination.'" 2 Corinthians 3:18: "And we, who ..reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness…“ When people see us, We should reflect Jesus. He ought to shine through; in our everyday lives, work, school, homes, etc. He should be seen in what we say, and in what we do. Would anything be different if Jesus came and took your place? Would something have changed this morning as you were getting ready for work? How about if He took your place at work? Thats exactly what He wants. He wants to make himself known to others through our actions. Honestly, its much easier that way. For the longest time, ive tried getting my friends to come to church just once by telling them about Jesus, the Bible, etc. It sucks to hear, but, most people dont really care about what you have to say to them. They want proof. they want action. it wasnt till i gave up on it and told God that i wasnt cut out to spread His word, that i realized i was going about it the wrong way. I just started focusing my life on Him, and tried living as He would to the best of my abilities, and people came to me naturally, wondering what was different about me. That opens the door for everything else.
I was trying to explain this the best I could to Kale last night, about being and looking like Jesus to everyone else. He said to me, "Is that why you growed your beard, and wear your old sandals? So that you can look like jesus all the time?" bahahahaha! I was laughing so hard that I had tears in my eyes. I hope you're not taking me as literal as Kale was, he's only 5! Im not talking about physically resembling him, growing beards, wearing robes, beat up sandels etc. Im talking about His character, attitude and nature. Think about what people see when they think about Jesus, weather they belive in Him or not, they see the same things. Generosity, love, genuine, compassion. He was also very receptive. He welcomed anyone who came to Him: Intelligent, illiterate, childish, desperate, the sick. He was a "friend" of sinners. What better friend can anyone have than Jesus?
What do people see when they look at you? Do they see you as being generous in the same ways that Jesus was? Do they see you being genuine about your faith and your commitments? Does your life, your heart, and your nature reflect His glory?
"So, hows life treating you so far? you know, since you're not working anymore and all."
"Great actually."
"Are you looking for a job?"
"Nope."
"Do you have lots of money?"
"Nope."
"But, you can still pay your bills and house?"
"Yeah, for the most part."
"Wow, God must be on your side."
".....Exactly."
Isnt that the point of our lives?? Pastor JB says, "Live a life that demands a response. Live a life so that when people meet you, or see you, they say, 'That cant be anything other than God. Theres no other explination.'" 2 Corinthians 3:18: "And we, who ..reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness…“ When people see us, We should reflect Jesus. He ought to shine through; in our everyday lives, work, school, homes, etc. He should be seen in what we say, and in what we do. Would anything be different if Jesus came and took your place? Would something have changed this morning as you were getting ready for work? How about if He took your place at work? Thats exactly what He wants. He wants to make himself known to others through our actions. Honestly, its much easier that way. For the longest time, ive tried getting my friends to come to church just once by telling them about Jesus, the Bible, etc. It sucks to hear, but, most people dont really care about what you have to say to them. They want proof. they want action. it wasnt till i gave up on it and told God that i wasnt cut out to spread His word, that i realized i was going about it the wrong way. I just started focusing my life on Him, and tried living as He would to the best of my abilities, and people came to me naturally, wondering what was different about me. That opens the door for everything else.
I was trying to explain this the best I could to Kale last night, about being and looking like Jesus to everyone else. He said to me, "Is that why you growed your beard, and wear your old sandals? So that you can look like jesus all the time?" bahahahaha! I was laughing so hard that I had tears in my eyes. I hope you're not taking me as literal as Kale was, he's only 5! Im not talking about physically resembling him, growing beards, wearing robes, beat up sandels etc. Im talking about His character, attitude and nature. Think about what people see when they think about Jesus, weather they belive in Him or not, they see the same things. Generosity, love, genuine, compassion. He was also very receptive. He welcomed anyone who came to Him: Intelligent, illiterate, childish, desperate, the sick. He was a "friend" of sinners. What better friend can anyone have than Jesus?
What do people see when they look at you? Do they see you as being generous in the same ways that Jesus was? Do they see you being genuine about your faith and your commitments? Does your life, your heart, and your nature reflect His glory?
Friday, May 28, 2010
Enjoy your life, and quit worrying...
Earlier today while out running errands, I spoke to a woman on the side of the road at a stop light. You know the one, when you usually ignore them, or try to look busy while they walk by and you're there on a red light. We’re all guilty of it at some point or another. My windows were down, and she walked up casually and said, “Hi, my name is Carla.” I replied nicely and introduced myself to her. She then politely asked, “Hey, are you gonna finish the rest of that apple?” I told her no, and offered it to her. She took it without question and started eating it. We had a quick, but very insightful conversation. She said she was just passing through Austin, didn’t really know where to. She had no food, no money, and no place she calls “home”. During our conversation, i asked her:
“How do you do it? I mean, like, what keeps you going forward in this difficult life you’re living?”
Unbelievably, she said, “I don’t worry about my life or how others see it, because I know that God takes care of me.”
At that time the light turned green. She looked back at me and said, “Andy, thank you for the apple. I pray that you will enjoy whats in store for you, and you will let go of the worry in your life.” By now, the cars behind me were honking at me for holding up the line, so then I drove off. Just like that. It was amazing to think that this woman was more concerned about my problems than hers. She didn’t even know me. Except that my name was Andy. For all she knows, I could’ve given her a fake name. I thought about it more tonight, and I realized that, people who suffer a lot, worry very little. While others who suffer little, worry a lot.
Then I thought to myself, “Do I worry a lot? Do I have that kind of mind that tends to lean towards the worries of life?” I wrestled around with this thought in my head for a while before I asked God about it in prayer.
“Father, do I worry too much?”
-“Yes.”
“…….. Yes?”
-“Yes.”
“Uhhhh, ok. So…… then, what?”
-“Quit. Worrying effects everything you do."
“Well, I know it can effect how I treat others. Ive been through that before. I was very inconsiderate to everyone: Family, Co-workers, friends, etc."
-“Yes, you get so consumed in your worries that you lash out to those you love most. But, more importantly, it effects your spiritual productivity.”
“My spiritual what?”
-“When your mind is filled with worry and anxiety, all you do is focus on them. You leave me and my will out of your life. You find little time for prayer and little time for my word.”
Philippians 4:6-7 puts it pretty clear. – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” its pretty simple: if we worry too much, then God’s Peace will diminish in your life. I heard an expression once, it goes like this: Worrying doesn’t do much at all. Worrying is like a rocking chair; itll give you something to do, but it wont get you anywhere…”
“Ok God, so how do I start getting the ‘worry' out of my life?”
-“You must cast you worries unto me in prayer.”
“But, I already do that. Don’t I?”
-“No. At first you do, but then you take them back and eventually try to handle them yourself. You must lay down your issues to me, and not worry about them ever again. You spend too much time worrying about the future and things that out of your control. Live one day at a time, because each day has enough problems to face.”
If we are constantly worrying about the past and future, then we are wasting our time.
When things happen to us that are out of our control, we cant sit back and worry about it excessively, instead we need to give our worries to God and trust that He'll tae care of them. I love talking with God, I always come away replenished. Tonight, He took my worries away. What about yours?
“How do you do it? I mean, like, what keeps you going forward in this difficult life you’re living?”
Unbelievably, she said, “I don’t worry about my life or how others see it, because I know that God takes care of me.”
At that time the light turned green. She looked back at me and said, “Andy, thank you for the apple. I pray that you will enjoy whats in store for you, and you will let go of the worry in your life.” By now, the cars behind me were honking at me for holding up the line, so then I drove off. Just like that. It was amazing to think that this woman was more concerned about my problems than hers. She didn’t even know me. Except that my name was Andy. For all she knows, I could’ve given her a fake name. I thought about it more tonight, and I realized that, people who suffer a lot, worry very little. While others who suffer little, worry a lot.
Then I thought to myself, “Do I worry a lot? Do I have that kind of mind that tends to lean towards the worries of life?” I wrestled around with this thought in my head for a while before I asked God about it in prayer.
“Father, do I worry too much?”
-“Yes.”
“…….. Yes?”
-“Yes.”
“Uhhhh, ok. So…… then, what?”
-“Quit. Worrying effects everything you do."
“Well, I know it can effect how I treat others. Ive been through that before. I was very inconsiderate to everyone: Family, Co-workers, friends, etc."
-“Yes, you get so consumed in your worries that you lash out to those you love most. But, more importantly, it effects your spiritual productivity.”
“My spiritual what?”
-“When your mind is filled with worry and anxiety, all you do is focus on them. You leave me and my will out of your life. You find little time for prayer and little time for my word.”
Philippians 4:6-7 puts it pretty clear. – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” its pretty simple: if we worry too much, then God’s Peace will diminish in your life. I heard an expression once, it goes like this: Worrying doesn’t do much at all. Worrying is like a rocking chair; itll give you something to do, but it wont get you anywhere…”
“Ok God, so how do I start getting the ‘worry' out of my life?”
-“You must cast you worries unto me in prayer.”
“But, I already do that. Don’t I?”
-“No. At first you do, but then you take them back and eventually try to handle them yourself. You must lay down your issues to me, and not worry about them ever again. You spend too much time worrying about the future and things that out of your control. Live one day at a time, because each day has enough problems to face.”
If we are constantly worrying about the past and future, then we are wasting our time.
When things happen to us that are out of our control, we cant sit back and worry about it excessively, instead we need to give our worries to God and trust that He'll tae care of them. I love talking with God, I always come away replenished. Tonight, He took my worries away. What about yours?
Monday, May 17, 2010
Prayer
Church was awesome tonight, as always. Received a great message on the life of Daniel, and also got a first hand lesson from JB on how to tame a lion with a stool… ha, don’t ask, you just had to be there. But, aside from that, I got to have a great conversation about life, and my future with an amazing friend of mine whom i havent seen or spoke to in way to long. In my last post a couple days ago, I was kinda “griping” about how people reacted when I let them know of my current work situation, and reasoning. Well, her reaction was completely the opposite. Instead she asked,
-“So, what are your future plans with Jesus and the Church?”
-“I don’t know, actually.”
-“Well, why not?”
-“Well, I don’t know what it is yet, and im trusting God will show it to me when the time is right.”
-“Have you prayed about it and asked Him to show it to you clearly without question? That its what your heart really wants?”
She made a great point to me, and I realized that this whole time ive been praying for his guidance, and to confirm that what I was doing was His will for me. I haven’t been ASKING Him to show me clearly what He wants the next step to be in my life in the church/ministry. She pointed out Matthew 7:7-8 – “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
It then hit me so clearly. Its obvious that God wants us to pray to Him, and its because we struggle to know His will in our lives. She told me that we don’t have to struggle with knowing His will for each of us, all we have to do is ask Him to show it clearly to us. She makes total sense. To pray, means to ask God for what you want spiritually. Not necessarily objects, but whatever my heart generally desires. What my heart should desire most is God. To know Him, to love Him. Now, don’t get me wrong, im not implying that your prayers should only be asking God for your desires. We should also go to God confessing sins, and giving thanks, praise and worship. Prayer should include all of that. But, think about it: Prayer is “asking”, or “requesting”. God’s will is that we ask Him for things. As a matter of fact, He delights in it! Proverbs 15:8 says: “The prayer of the upright is His Delight.” He really wants you to ask Him for what your heart desires, and He takes steps to see that it happens.
When I prayed tonight, I asked Him:
-“Why do you Delight yourself with my requests and prayers, when I sin so much and don’t deserve anything from you at all?”
-“It is who I am. I am love. I love you so much that I am willing to give you what you need to have joy in me.”
-“I would never question your love, but why prayer? I mean, you know the desires of my heart anyways, so why is prayer even needed?
-“Prayer is not a small, little insignificant thing. It is at the very heart of why I created the universe! You have this skewed view that the universe is about giant events, black holes and supernovas. But really, the center of the universe is man created in my image, and the meaning of man is to display my glory. I display my glory by being depended on through your prayers. Your need for prayer should be like your need for air. Inhale my word, and exhale prayer.”
Wow. That’s all really, wow. It was so overwhelming, I became lightheaded just thinking about it. God loves to show His grace in meeting our needs and prayers, it magnifies His glory and makes our joy. We need to pray often. It isn’t inconsistent. We must be devoted to prayer, and not forgetful. Make sure that it is part of your life, the same way that sleeping and eating are. This should be your prayer life, and mine. Ask Him for your heart’s desires, and see what he will do for you.
-“So, what are your future plans with Jesus and the Church?”
-“I don’t know, actually.”
-“Well, why not?”
-“Well, I don’t know what it is yet, and im trusting God will show it to me when the time is right.”
-“Have you prayed about it and asked Him to show it to you clearly without question? That its what your heart really wants?”
She made a great point to me, and I realized that this whole time ive been praying for his guidance, and to confirm that what I was doing was His will for me. I haven’t been ASKING Him to show me clearly what He wants the next step to be in my life in the church/ministry. She pointed out Matthew 7:7-8 – “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
It then hit me so clearly. Its obvious that God wants us to pray to Him, and its because we struggle to know His will in our lives. She told me that we don’t have to struggle with knowing His will for each of us, all we have to do is ask Him to show it clearly to us. She makes total sense. To pray, means to ask God for what you want spiritually. Not necessarily objects, but whatever my heart generally desires. What my heart should desire most is God. To know Him, to love Him. Now, don’t get me wrong, im not implying that your prayers should only be asking God for your desires. We should also go to God confessing sins, and giving thanks, praise and worship. Prayer should include all of that. But, think about it: Prayer is “asking”, or “requesting”. God’s will is that we ask Him for things. As a matter of fact, He delights in it! Proverbs 15:8 says: “The prayer of the upright is His Delight.” He really wants you to ask Him for what your heart desires, and He takes steps to see that it happens.
When I prayed tonight, I asked Him:
-“Why do you Delight yourself with my requests and prayers, when I sin so much and don’t deserve anything from you at all?”
-“It is who I am. I am love. I love you so much that I am willing to give you what you need to have joy in me.”
-“I would never question your love, but why prayer? I mean, you know the desires of my heart anyways, so why is prayer even needed?
-“Prayer is not a small, little insignificant thing. It is at the very heart of why I created the universe! You have this skewed view that the universe is about giant events, black holes and supernovas. But really, the center of the universe is man created in my image, and the meaning of man is to display my glory. I display my glory by being depended on through your prayers. Your need for prayer should be like your need for air. Inhale my word, and exhale prayer.”
Wow. That’s all really, wow. It was so overwhelming, I became lightheaded just thinking about it. God loves to show His grace in meeting our needs and prayers, it magnifies His glory and makes our joy. We need to pray often. It isn’t inconsistent. We must be devoted to prayer, and not forgetful. Make sure that it is part of your life, the same way that sleeping and eating are. This should be your prayer life, and mine. Ask Him for your heart’s desires, and see what he will do for you.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Taking A Gamble...
Honestly, at first, I wasn’t sure why. I just knew that I had to, and I was trusting God that He knew what was best for me. And im coming to realize that he wants my life to be something awesome and amazing. But in order to do that, I needed some drastic changes in my life, hand it over to Him, and do what He wants. What He wanted first was a closer relationship with me. before, it was just me saying, “Oh yeah God, ok, well maybe ill talk to ya later, gotta run…”. And He sat me down one night night and said, “No. this isn’t what I want. I want all of you. I want to know you, and I want you to know me. I have a purpose for you, and this is how I am going to do it. But this is what I need from you: I need you to have faith in me.”
Since then, its been clear. Over the last few weeks our relationship has grown immensely. And ive realized that God has amazing goals us. It isn’t just to live a good “Christian Life”, where youre saved, and he comes and gives you some blessings, and then youre on your way chasing whatever is was that you were chasing in the first place. It isn’t just so he can hear you worship Him while He sits around saying, “Oh look how awesome I am…”. No, not at all. He wants to use you. He wants to come into your life, and totally change it and chunk it in a blender. He wants to change who you are as a person, He wants to change what you're doing, and He wants to completely change where youre going. When I tell this to most people, I get these crazy reactions like im the dumbest person alive, even from some Christian friends too. I think mainly because its scary, or its not “safe”. Well, having faith and trusting God isn’t about playing it safe. Theres always a risk involved when you go by faith. It’s a sort of gamble, I guess, when you choose to do something without knowing for sure if the results are going to be good. We call buying a lottery ticket a gamble, but purchasing stocks is an investment. Taking medicine that a doctor gives you is safe, but going the route of “self-medication” is a gamble. Honestly, think about it: Life really doesn’t hold any guarantees anyway. There is some sort of gambling element in everything we do, whether its driving a car, flying in a plane, or eating steak that’s cooked “rare”. Having faith with your life in His hands, to go in His direction, will lead you somewhere that’s even better than you can imagine. And when you take those steps, He starts with the little things around you. For instance: My friendships. They have grown stronger in the aspect that ive been able to pour into and minister to them. Even my relationship with my Ex-wife over the past few weeks has improved tremendously, and we haven’t done anything differently than the last 2 years.
Its amazing what He does with your life when you just take your hands off, and let it rest in His, giving him full control without any strings attached. The risk of faith is putting your work, or your future, or your issues completely into the hands of Jesus, and trusting Him to work out His will in your life. You're not guaranteed that you'll get what you want when its all said and done. But, It does guarantee peace and a sense of joy on the journey when you put God in the driver's seat, and say, “Not my will, but yours.” You may be on the brink of disaster, or flirting with temptation. You know who you are, you may have even come to me and talked to me about it. Take the risk of faith. Let go of your personal dreams and put them into God’s hands. (Proverbs 3:5-6) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and dont lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
To live, is to “risk”. You wanna play it safe? Fine. Ill tell you how to play it safe. Play it safe by risking it all on Jesus.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Trust and Faith
Wednesday, 5.5.2010, 2:30am
So, I had another talk with Jesus just now, and actually before I got into all the important stuff, I asked Him,
--“Why is it always like, 2 in the morning when you wanna talk to me??”
--“It’s the time when you are willing to listen to me, when your body is settled, and your mind is calm…”
it totally makes sense. Now that a lot of my time is spent at home with friends, with kale, etc., most of my jesus time is in the evening after “bed time”. Ill often just sit down, and find myself lost in my Bible. Before I know it, ive been reading for 2 and a half hours, and then Jesus comes and sits next to me. I cant describe it, just a total complete peace that comes over me. If you read my last post a couple days ago, youd know that Jesus and i just recently had the “trust” talk. Tonight was a follow up on that somewhat. We talked in great detail about my life as it currently stands. I assured Him that I trust in Him completely, but I realized that its not just that simple.
--He said to me, “You don’t trust in me wholly with your life, until you cast your problems and burdens unto me. Trust me with them, and you will have peace.”
Amen to that. Haven’t you ever wished that you could shake off your difficulties and problems? That you could be freed from your cares? Give your problems to God. But, most of the time, we don’t. I think that most of us believe that God has a plan for us, but think we control the plan and try to do it all on our own. Are you kidding me?!? Its God’s plan! The maker of the universe! And you think that you can control the plan?? He wants to help you along His plan, for free! Its like going to the airport with 10 pieces of gigantic, heavy luggage, and the attendant says, “Hey, all that looks heavy. Tell you what, ill help you with all that, get you checked in, and have it all delivered to your hotel for you at your destination city…. FREE.” And then you say, “Oh cool, well, thanks, but I think ill just take it all with me as carry-on bags, theyre all going to the same place…”. For reals?! C’mon. as stupid as that sounds, that’s what ive been doing lately with all my issues. Trusting that He’ll take care of them, but never really casting them unto him at all. how can He take care of them, if i dont give them to him? kinda like some one who wants to cook you dinner, and you invite them to do so, but oh yeah, my gas is off, and my stove and oven dont work. But, by all means, cook me dinner without everything you need! (haha, sorry Amy and Jackie! but yall did amazing anyways!) Rather than trusting God, we turn to something that is not worthy of our trust at all. We cant place our trust in money. “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19). You cant trust in your own understanding. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Sometimes God allows us to experience difficulties so we will learn to place our trust in Him. Place your trust in Him, and He will take care of you, and you will be free of fear.
Its not easy. Fear is tough. One of my biggest fears is being “alone” for the rest of my life. That’s the main thing that I have trouble giving to Him, I guess. Cesar and I had a good conversation last night about us as dudes, and where we stand with women. I let him know that I was afraid of never finding that person. What if I never meet her? What if I never find her?? His answer, just, is why I am so thankful for my brothers like him surrounding me. He says, “Bro, its not your job to find her. Its your job to do everything that you can to prepare yourself for her. Be a leader. Strengthen your relationship with Jesus, and make Him your #1 priority. And then, Jesus brings her to you. Jesus knows the desires in your heart, because He put them there. He isn’t going to put anything in your heart that He isn’t going to fulfill for you.” Man, I cant even begin to explain… So I go straight to Jesus, and say,
--“Ok Jesus, just a shot in the dark here, but, when am I going to meet this girl? Im ready, right??”
--“i love you dearly, and you are not going to have just any woman. you are going to have a sister in Christ, one of my daughters. But, she too must be ready. you must walk by faith, even if you cannot see where I am leading you.”
It never occurred to me that, just because I may be ready, doesn’t mean that God is finished in her life and shes ready. not just anyone, one of His daughters. so, I will gladly walk blindly by faith. Kinda like that feeling you have when your blindfolded, looking for that piñata. That little mini adrenaline rush because you don’t know if youll trip on something, or your friend is gonna sucker punch you in the stomach. yeah, but I love that feeling not knowing exactly where im going. but Jesus knows....
So, I had another talk with Jesus just now, and actually before I got into all the important stuff, I asked Him,
--“Why is it always like, 2 in the morning when you wanna talk to me??”
--“It’s the time when you are willing to listen to me, when your body is settled, and your mind is calm…”
it totally makes sense. Now that a lot of my time is spent at home with friends, with kale, etc., most of my jesus time is in the evening after “bed time”. Ill often just sit down, and find myself lost in my Bible. Before I know it, ive been reading for 2 and a half hours, and then Jesus comes and sits next to me. I cant describe it, just a total complete peace that comes over me. If you read my last post a couple days ago, youd know that Jesus and i just recently had the “trust” talk. Tonight was a follow up on that somewhat. We talked in great detail about my life as it currently stands. I assured Him that I trust in Him completely, but I realized that its not just that simple.
--He said to me, “You don’t trust in me wholly with your life, until you cast your problems and burdens unto me. Trust me with them, and you will have peace.”
Amen to that. Haven’t you ever wished that you could shake off your difficulties and problems? That you could be freed from your cares? Give your problems to God. But, most of the time, we don’t. I think that most of us believe that God has a plan for us, but think we control the plan and try to do it all on our own. Are you kidding me?!? Its God’s plan! The maker of the universe! And you think that you can control the plan?? He wants to help you along His plan, for free! Its like going to the airport with 10 pieces of gigantic, heavy luggage, and the attendant says, “Hey, all that looks heavy. Tell you what, ill help you with all that, get you checked in, and have it all delivered to your hotel for you at your destination city…. FREE.” And then you say, “Oh cool, well, thanks, but I think ill just take it all with me as carry-on bags, theyre all going to the same place…”. For reals?! C’mon. as stupid as that sounds, that’s what ive been doing lately with all my issues. Trusting that He’ll take care of them, but never really casting them unto him at all. how can He take care of them, if i dont give them to him? kinda like some one who wants to cook you dinner, and you invite them to do so, but oh yeah, my gas is off, and my stove and oven dont work. But, by all means, cook me dinner without everything you need! (haha, sorry Amy and Jackie! but yall did amazing anyways!) Rather than trusting God, we turn to something that is not worthy of our trust at all. We cant place our trust in money. “Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19). You cant trust in your own understanding. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Sometimes God allows us to experience difficulties so we will learn to place our trust in Him. Place your trust in Him, and He will take care of you, and you will be free of fear.
Its not easy. Fear is tough. One of my biggest fears is being “alone” for the rest of my life. That’s the main thing that I have trouble giving to Him, I guess. Cesar and I had a good conversation last night about us as dudes, and where we stand with women. I let him know that I was afraid of never finding that person. What if I never meet her? What if I never find her?? His answer, just, is why I am so thankful for my brothers like him surrounding me. He says, “Bro, its not your job to find her. Its your job to do everything that you can to prepare yourself for her. Be a leader. Strengthen your relationship with Jesus, and make Him your #1 priority. And then, Jesus brings her to you. Jesus knows the desires in your heart, because He put them there. He isn’t going to put anything in your heart that He isn’t going to fulfill for you.” Man, I cant even begin to explain… So I go straight to Jesus, and say,
--“Ok Jesus, just a shot in the dark here, but, when am I going to meet this girl? Im ready, right??”
--“i love you dearly, and you are not going to have just any woman. you are going to have a sister in Christ, one of my daughters. But, she too must be ready. you must walk by faith, even if you cannot see where I am leading you.”
It never occurred to me that, just because I may be ready, doesn’t mean that God is finished in her life and shes ready. not just anyone, one of His daughters. so, I will gladly walk blindly by faith. Kinda like that feeling you have when your blindfolded, looking for that piñata. That little mini adrenaline rush because you don’t know if youll trip on something, or your friend is gonna sucker punch you in the stomach. yeah, but I love that feeling not knowing exactly where im going. but Jesus knows....
Monday, May 3, 2010
My Troubled Heart...
I had an intimate conversation with Jesus today. probably one of the longest ones ive ever had with Him. ive come to Him for everything, but it was the first time ive come to Him for helping me clear my troubled heart. Granted, Ive never really had a troubled heart since ive been saved. My prayers to Jesus, are really more like conversations. I talk to Him as if he were sitting in the chair next to me. He is my closest friend, He is always there, and He always answers. Even if its not the answer I want to hear, He tells me because its not about what I want. its for Him.
I dont know about you, but I always ask Jesus a question and pray before I read my Bible. Today I asked Him, "What do i do when i get to the point in my life where i feel like ive run out of options? Why arnt there any safe places? No where i can rest? i need somewhere, where i can find comfort." Of course, He answers immediatly. i slipped my finger into my Bible, and randomly open it to the first page i came to, which was John 14. - Jesus Comforts His Deciples. i began reading and became so overwhelmed by His presence, that i couldnt even get past verse 6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life." Jesus cares for you me and me so much that, even in the face of the most horrific death that any one of us can imagine, He is completely unconcerned about himself, and more absorbed in the needs of his deciples; of us. One thing that i love about Jesus, is that, He is extremly blunt with me, and He tells me exactly what i need to hear.
---"Well, ok Jesus, i love you for that. i love you for giving up everything for me, and putting your people's needs and concerns above yourself. but, no disrespect, i still dont feel comforted. why doesnt my heart feel any lighter?"
---"The key to having comfort is simple: trusting faith. if you're unhappy, anxious, worried, confused, angry and need any kind of comfort, the reason is because you dont trust me like you should. If you really do trust me, what do you have to worry about?"
Jeez, now i feel like crap. i mean, here i am trying to be a representation of Jesus in eveything i do, and He tells me that i dont trust him like i should. i realized im so whacked, that i begin to focus only on my problems, and i dont put my trust in Christ. Im imperfect, and my trust comes and goes i guess, but its through my imperfections, that Christ is made perfect. He knows that even though my trust may falter from time to time, my love for him doesnt. Maybe, in the midst of my fears, ive been hoping, instead of trusting, that He would do something to reverse what seems like an impossible situation.
So then He says, "Son, my name is Jesus. i can read your heart like a billboard. I know whats on your mind. i share your sorrow. i feel the pain in your heart, and it hurts. You cannot feel my pain, but i can feel yours. What im trying to tell you is, put your trust in my presence. You believe in God, even though you can't see Him. Keep believing. You cant lose faith just because you cant see me. I'm still going to be with you."
We live in a world that has conflict. there is disappointment. there is pain. we all go through times where nothing goes right. times of lonliness, sorrow. but He is with us. Whatever trouble you may be in. whatever mess you are in. whatever anxiety you may have, just remember, Jesus is with you. Honestly, if you think about it, its almost better than if He were visable, because He's not limited by a physical body like you and I. he is where ever we need Him to be. If thats not comfort for you, then i dont know what is.
I dont know about you, but I always ask Jesus a question and pray before I read my Bible. Today I asked Him, "What do i do when i get to the point in my life where i feel like ive run out of options? Why arnt there any safe places? No where i can rest? i need somewhere, where i can find comfort." Of course, He answers immediatly. i slipped my finger into my Bible, and randomly open it to the first page i came to, which was John 14. - Jesus Comforts His Deciples. i began reading and became so overwhelmed by His presence, that i couldnt even get past verse 6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life." Jesus cares for you me and me so much that, even in the face of the most horrific death that any one of us can imagine, He is completely unconcerned about himself, and more absorbed in the needs of his deciples; of us. One thing that i love about Jesus, is that, He is extremly blunt with me, and He tells me exactly what i need to hear.
---"Well, ok Jesus, i love you for that. i love you for giving up everything for me, and putting your people's needs and concerns above yourself. but, no disrespect, i still dont feel comforted. why doesnt my heart feel any lighter?"
---"The key to having comfort is simple: trusting faith. if you're unhappy, anxious, worried, confused, angry and need any kind of comfort, the reason is because you dont trust me like you should. If you really do trust me, what do you have to worry about?"
Jeez, now i feel like crap. i mean, here i am trying to be a representation of Jesus in eveything i do, and He tells me that i dont trust him like i should. i realized im so whacked, that i begin to focus only on my problems, and i dont put my trust in Christ. Im imperfect, and my trust comes and goes i guess, but its through my imperfections, that Christ is made perfect. He knows that even though my trust may falter from time to time, my love for him doesnt. Maybe, in the midst of my fears, ive been hoping, instead of trusting, that He would do something to reverse what seems like an impossible situation.
So then He says, "Son, my name is Jesus. i can read your heart like a billboard. I know whats on your mind. i share your sorrow. i feel the pain in your heart, and it hurts. You cannot feel my pain, but i can feel yours. What im trying to tell you is, put your trust in my presence. You believe in God, even though you can't see Him. Keep believing. You cant lose faith just because you cant see me. I'm still going to be with you."
We live in a world that has conflict. there is disappointment. there is pain. we all go through times where nothing goes right. times of lonliness, sorrow. but He is with us. Whatever trouble you may be in. whatever mess you are in. whatever anxiety you may have, just remember, Jesus is with you. Honestly, if you think about it, its almost better than if He were visable, because He's not limited by a physical body like you and I. he is where ever we need Him to be. If thats not comfort for you, then i dont know what is.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Joy...
Earlier today, I was talking with a good friend about their past experiences with a church. It seemed to me as if they have never had that sense of Joy that we experience as true Christ followers. Almost as if they were afraid of it, or there being some sort of “catch” to following Jesus. I mean, they were happy, there’s no question about that. But, there was no “joy”. There is a big difference between “happiness” and “joy”. Just look at the definitions alone: Happiness is just defined as Good fortune, pleasure, and contentment. All of which are temporary feelings. Good fortune can be replaced by bad fortune. Pleasure by displeasure. Contentment by discontent. Joy on the other hand is defined as the emotion of great delight or elation caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying. That something is the love of our God, giving us that sense of pure joy, or elation that cant be taken away from us.
I love 1 Thessalonians 5:16 - "Rejoice always." That's it. Just... rejoice always. You can even read it backwards if you want to, and it still makes sense. “Always rejoice". Isnt that awesome? Ok, well, I thought it was. Anyways, the verse commands us to rejoice. Just... Joy. Now, in light of recent happenings such as earthquakes, etc., there are plenty of excuses to be stressed, upset, anxious, scared, doubtful… the list goes on and on. But, not for us. And by us, I mean Christ followers. We are told to rejoice always. And its not like its mentioned only once. In Philippians rejoicing and joy is mentioned over 15 times. Just a few examples:
1.) Philippians 2:17-18 - “…I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.”
2.) Philippians 2:29 - “Welcome him in the lord with great Joy, and honor men like him.”
3.) Philippians 3:1 - “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the lord!”
There should not be any one thing, person, event or circumstance in life that should strip us of our joy. Does that sound unrealistic? Does that sound impossible? Yes?? Well, why does it? The Bible commands us to rejoice. How often? ALWAYS.
Ok, so how do we do it? Well, although joy and rejoicing is mentioned plenty in Philippians, it certainly is not the only book its mentioned in. Look at 1 Peter 4:13 - "Keep on rejoicing even to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ."
Do you rejoice in your suffering? Do you rejoice in your pain, or in your difficulty? Well that is what the Bible calls us to do. It's sort of like, as your suffering escalates, so should your rejoicing. I mean, even on the night of His betrayal, Jesus has this talk with the deciples in which He leaves them many things. And one of the things that Jesus leaves, is His own is joy. He continually refers to joy, or full joy. He even says, "Everything I'm saying to you is so that your joy may be full." So pretty much, I'm leaving here, I'm going to die, I'm going to be crucified. You're going to have a lot of trouble in this world, you'll have tribulation. They'll pursue you. Those in charge will come after you, they'll kill you. If they've persecuted Me, they'll persecute you... and all that jazz, you know how it goes. But, I'm telling you all these things because I want you to have full joy. Crazy. I mean, even in these circumstances, the death of the Lord, the loss of Him who was their life... in all of that He said, “You should have full joy.”
This is an amazing joy, something not of this world. A joy that belongs to Christ followers only, something that's in our soul, from the Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy..." This is joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. We have a love that is not a worldly love, a peace that is not the peace the world gives us. And we have a joy that is different. It's a deep joy. It's not a joy the world knows. Its from Jesus, and spread by the Holy Spirit. And no circumstance should cause the absence of that joy.
I love 1 Thessalonians 5:16 - "Rejoice always." That's it. Just... rejoice always. You can even read it backwards if you want to, and it still makes sense. “Always rejoice". Isnt that awesome? Ok, well, I thought it was. Anyways, the verse commands us to rejoice. Just... Joy. Now, in light of recent happenings such as earthquakes, etc., there are plenty of excuses to be stressed, upset, anxious, scared, doubtful… the list goes on and on. But, not for us. And by us, I mean Christ followers. We are told to rejoice always. And its not like its mentioned only once. In Philippians rejoicing and joy is mentioned over 15 times. Just a few examples:
1.) Philippians 2:17-18 - “…I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.”
2.) Philippians 2:29 - “Welcome him in the lord with great Joy, and honor men like him.”
3.) Philippians 3:1 - “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the lord!”
There should not be any one thing, person, event or circumstance in life that should strip us of our joy. Does that sound unrealistic? Does that sound impossible? Yes?? Well, why does it? The Bible commands us to rejoice. How often? ALWAYS.
Ok, so how do we do it? Well, although joy and rejoicing is mentioned plenty in Philippians, it certainly is not the only book its mentioned in. Look at 1 Peter 4:13 - "Keep on rejoicing even to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ."
Do you rejoice in your suffering? Do you rejoice in your pain, or in your difficulty? Well that is what the Bible calls us to do. It's sort of like, as your suffering escalates, so should your rejoicing. I mean, even on the night of His betrayal, Jesus has this talk with the deciples in which He leaves them many things. And one of the things that Jesus leaves, is His own is joy. He continually refers to joy, or full joy. He even says, "Everything I'm saying to you is so that your joy may be full." So pretty much, I'm leaving here, I'm going to die, I'm going to be crucified. You're going to have a lot of trouble in this world, you'll have tribulation. They'll pursue you. Those in charge will come after you, they'll kill you. If they've persecuted Me, they'll persecute you... and all that jazz, you know how it goes. But, I'm telling you all these things because I want you to have full joy. Crazy. I mean, even in these circumstances, the death of the Lord, the loss of Him who was their life... in all of that He said, “You should have full joy.”
This is an amazing joy, something not of this world. A joy that belongs to Christ followers only, something that's in our soul, from the Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy..." This is joy that comes from the Holy Spirit. We have a love that is not a worldly love, a peace that is not the peace the world gives us. And we have a joy that is different. It's a deep joy. It's not a joy the world knows. Its from Jesus, and spread by the Holy Spirit. And no circumstance should cause the absence of that joy.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Guard your heart....
There is definitely a difference between praying, and praying passionately. Cesar and I had a great long talk last night about where I am in my life spiritually and personally. The main things I came away with was: Don’t just pray, but pray hard. And obviously guard your heart.
After I was saved, the first thing I asked God for was a good wife. Someone who is loving & caring, someone I can trust, someone I can have fun with, someone I can love for the rest of my days. Since then, in my walk with Christ, God has given me the wisdom to sit back and watch “potentials” come and go without the pain of a failed relationship. He’s taught me to guard my heart. To be patient. To be picky. To wait for the right woman that He has planned for me, and ill just know right then and there. The hardest part here is patience. I haven’t been in a meaningful relationship since my ex-wife, which was over 2 years ago. So I find myself praying, “When God?? When?? Ive done everything you have asked, so when will your promise come to pass?” I find myself resembling Abram in Genesis 12. God promised Abram a child, to which he would give all his land. At this point Abram was past the age of producing children at 75, but he held on to God’s promise for over 10 years. He then came to a point to where he felt he had to take matters into his own hands, and speed up God’s promise for him. So he took his wife’s maidservant, and made an effort to conceive, and start a family… and you know how the rest goes.
So how do I know if what im doing now is God’s will for me, or if its me being Abram trying to “Speed up” God’s promise for myself? I have to trust in God, because He knows what he is doing, and I don’t understand it. Of course, how can I? I’m only human. (Ecclesiastes 11:5) “As you do not know the path of the wind or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the maker of all things.”
This is why im so thankful for my brothers, like Cesar, beside me to keep me grounded, and my focus on God. “Guard your heart. Go forward, and be intentional, but with caution. Take your time, and see if this is what He has planned for you. God has an amazing woman for you. God will place her with you on his timing. She could already be here, or she very well could have just entered the picture. The best thing you can do, bro, is just pray. And don’t just pray, but pray hard. Pray crazy hard. And after you do, and you have just this clarity, and peace… then that’s it, you know what His answer is.” Its crazy how, that’s just what I was thinking, but it makes soooo much more sense when he lays it out for me on the table.
God, thank you for my brothers you have put in my life. I pray for your guidance, your wisdom, and clarity. Make me into a man that would do your works, and that would please you. I don’t have to understand your ways. I trust you and only you. I am going to leave it in your hands. You know the deepest desires in my heart, and I’m going to keep chasing after you. Make me an effective spiritual leader and presence. Make me into a man that is worthy of one of your daughters. Make me into a man that she can look up to, and lean on spiritually. Make me into a man in which you are pleased. Amen.
After I was saved, the first thing I asked God for was a good wife. Someone who is loving & caring, someone I can trust, someone I can have fun with, someone I can love for the rest of my days. Since then, in my walk with Christ, God has given me the wisdom to sit back and watch “potentials” come and go without the pain of a failed relationship. He’s taught me to guard my heart. To be patient. To be picky. To wait for the right woman that He has planned for me, and ill just know right then and there. The hardest part here is patience. I haven’t been in a meaningful relationship since my ex-wife, which was over 2 years ago. So I find myself praying, “When God?? When?? Ive done everything you have asked, so when will your promise come to pass?” I find myself resembling Abram in Genesis 12. God promised Abram a child, to which he would give all his land. At this point Abram was past the age of producing children at 75, but he held on to God’s promise for over 10 years. He then came to a point to where he felt he had to take matters into his own hands, and speed up God’s promise for him. So he took his wife’s maidservant, and made an effort to conceive, and start a family… and you know how the rest goes.
So how do I know if what im doing now is God’s will for me, or if its me being Abram trying to “Speed up” God’s promise for myself? I have to trust in God, because He knows what he is doing, and I don’t understand it. Of course, how can I? I’m only human. (Ecclesiastes 11:5) “As you do not know the path of the wind or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the maker of all things.”
This is why im so thankful for my brothers, like Cesar, beside me to keep me grounded, and my focus on God. “Guard your heart. Go forward, and be intentional, but with caution. Take your time, and see if this is what He has planned for you. God has an amazing woman for you. God will place her with you on his timing. She could already be here, or she very well could have just entered the picture. The best thing you can do, bro, is just pray. And don’t just pray, but pray hard. Pray crazy hard. And after you do, and you have just this clarity, and peace… then that’s it, you know what His answer is.” Its crazy how, that’s just what I was thinking, but it makes soooo much more sense when he lays it out for me on the table.
God, thank you for my brothers you have put in my life. I pray for your guidance, your wisdom, and clarity. Make me into a man that would do your works, and that would please you. I don’t have to understand your ways. I trust you and only you. I am going to leave it in your hands. You know the deepest desires in my heart, and I’m going to keep chasing after you. Make me an effective spiritual leader and presence. Make me into a man that is worthy of one of your daughters. Make me into a man that she can look up to, and lean on spiritually. Make me into a man in which you are pleased. Amen.
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