Ever since I began attending The Beacon of Truth a few years ago, they always preached about losing their traditions and doctrines of man. Since the majority of the church members came out of the Amish and Mennonite ways, I never really thought that it really applied to me. I mean, I didn’t have all these weird traditions and doctrines.
Today during the sermon, I really felt God speaking to me about a couple of things. (I’ll only mention one in this little blurb and the other tomorrow night.) I heard God ask me, “Are you willing to give something up for me?” First automatic thought was, “Of course, God!” But then I heard Him say, “Think about it.” That’s when I stopped and realized, it’s not as easy as it sounds!
Recently a friend wrote a note about her convictions to not celebrate Christmas anymore. As I read through the comments, it really made me realize how tight we hold onto the things in our lives that we love… whether they are pleasing to God or not. Now, please don’t go into a little rant about how you think Christmas is Christ’s birth or how God sees nothing wrong with it. I’m not writing this for debate and I’m not focusing on Christmas. I just used it for an example.
We each have little traditions or doctrines that we hold onto. It doesn’t just have to be holidays. It could be our mindsets towards certain things or people. I’d like you to take a moment and just mentally think of some things that you hold onto. Here’s an example. I don’t really celebrate the New Years, but I do set new goals and usually stay up till the New Year rolls around. What if I allowed myself to become sensitive to God’s voice and He said that He wanted me to treat New Years Eve and new years as any other day of the year? So now I have a few options. I can just say “screw you! It’s not that big of a deal!” I can ignore the voice. Or, I could even say, “Get thee behind me, Satan!” But there’s another choice that would be more pleasing to God. Listening and obeying.
There are some issues with whole topic though. Many individuals, even “strong” Christian’s, are not sensitive to God’s voice. We get too busy doing what we want to do, and we get all caught up in what we enjoy doing. And the more I think about it, I think there are Christian’s who don’t want to be sensitive to God’s voice because they want to keep things the way they are. (And we wonder why the world has so many “Sunday Christian’s”. Many of us have this “come as you are and you don’t have to change cuz God loves you for you” mentality.)
I guess here is my challenge for myself and you. Honestly learn to seek God in EVERY aspect. Don’t just say you are seeking God, and don’t do a halfway job of it. We all need to get to the point to where we are sensitive to God’s voice AND have a willingness to be able to change anything in our lives that God wants us to. Are you ready for the challenge? Or are you too comfortable just doing a halfway job of being a Christian too? Are you willing to give up your favorite traditions for our God? He gave up more for us than we'll ever be able to give back, so why not do the absolute, honest best we can for God?
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Forgiveness
I want to start off and say that if you have been trying to follow my blogs about the Five Love Languages book, I am sorry that I haven’t kept up with that every night. My days have became quite busier and lately, so many thoughts seem to be filling my mind. I will start out by warning each of you that this blog may offend you, but it is the truth and it’s something that is really on my heart today.
Let start out by talking to you “Christian’s” or “Believers” or whatever you want to call yourselves. You, my dear friends (as a whole) are the most two-faced, hypocritical people on this planet. Now, so that everyone caught what I said, I will say it again. I am not talking about each and every one of you, but a vast majority of you. And, as I say not every one of you, that does not mean that you should go ahead, close the tab, and walk away feeling like you are “scott-free” because you KNOW I can’t be talking about you! Eh. May I point out that if you have that attitude, you just may be one of these individuals that I am talking about?
The LARGE reason that I wanted to write this little blurb was because of that little acted upon, but long word… forgiveness. We all know (or hopefully you do) that Jesus said that we are to forgive our brother (or sister, or whoever else is around us, mind you) 70 x 7 times! Yes, I know. Everyone is saying, “Wow, 490 times?”. Yes, my dear friends. 490 times. But here is the problem with us Christian’s, we get stuck on that number! We know how many times we are to forgive someone, but do we act on it? I would like to tell you a story to illustrate. True story, but I have changed the names.
Once upon a time there was a man named George. George had a job, land, a wife, and children. For some unknown reason, George decided to take another woman on the side for his own sexual gratification. No one knew of these escapades until months later. But, months later, George confessed to his family what he had done. Though it tore his family apart, his family forgave him. But alas, the story goes deeper.
George had a daughter named Lily. Lily looked up to her father and they had started to finally build a relationship. George discussed how his wife suspected he was cheated and how much that irritated him to Lily. Lily laughed it all off and totally believed her dad. When her dad came clean to Lily and the rest of her family months later, Lily was torn. She felt totally hurt and betrayed. But what was she to do? Her mother had nothing to do with her, and if she totally cut off her dad, she would have no parents. So she forgave him. For the next few months Lily would cry herself to sleep because she was beside herself. Did everyone lie to her? Around this same time Lily got introduced to the concept of having a deeper relationship with God. She ate it up! After she was able to give God everything, and it was then that the anger and hurt towards her dad totally died.
Life went on and Lily grew up. Lily’s relationship with her father began to get more and more strained as she grew up. Many would account it to the fact that she was the oldest and “Daddy didn’t want to let her go”. She no longer felt that she could confide in her dad, and she felt that her dad didn’t trust her. Why he didn’t trust her, she had no idea.
George has always had issues with trying to show love to those around him. He never really learned how. So when Lily went off to college, that almost lack of love, turned into a lack of love to Lily. When a prince came riding up to sweep Lily of her feet, she was swept! She had found someone who knew how to love her. He made her feel special. He knew how to talk to her when she was upset. He genuinely cared. But then, one day, Lily and her prince took their love into the physical realm. Too far into the physical realm.
When George first found out, he didn’t know how to take it. At first he blamed himself, then he blamed the prince, and then he blamed Lily. The same day that George found out he said that he had forgiven Lily, but in all honesty, that wasn’t the case.
(To speed up the story, we will skip uphead)
For almost a year, Lily has felt completely shunned by her father and she doesn’t understand. Her sin honestly only affected her and her prince. But her dad’s effected his family and his lovers families. But even though so much hurt was done with George’s sin, EVERYONE forgave him. So now Lily must wonder, “Why can’t I be forgiven too?”
Here’s the thing guys, forgiveness is a two-way street. You can’t just demand forgiveness, but not be willing to give it when the time comes. The Lily girl I mentioned in the story, that same girl has tried so hard to get her life turned around. But it is hard to turn your life around when at least one person close to you is still putting you down and expecting the worst. Wouldn’t you agree?
Let me put it this way, you (yes, each and every stinkin one of you) has NO right to not forgive someone. ESPECIALLY if they are honestly trying to change. Can you recall a man named Jesus? Do you remember what he did for us? Let me refresh you. A sinless man who walked on a sinful earth gave his LIFE for you and me. Many of these people that he died for had even done wrong towards him or talked wrongly of him! He even died to forgive the ones that had Him killed! Now, if you want to play dumb you can say, “well, they killed him. He didn’t have a choice.” Bologna. Jesus is the son of God. He could’ve called upon His father to save Him. But the point is, He didn’t. He was stripped and beaten! They shoved thorns into his head. The nailed his hands and feet onto this big wooden cross. (Let me make a note that hands and feet are a couple of the most sensitive areas on our bodies) And he did all this to forgive a bunch of losers like us?
Go ahead. Continue on with your little lives. Go to your church every weekend. But that does NOT make you a Christian. And let me say this, for all you “so spiritual” people that “have it all together” and are “so perfect”, get a life! It is time for you to finally walk the walk and not just talk the talk. You may have some people fooled, but I know many people, especially many non-believers that can see right through your act. And then I say, SHAME ON YOU! God sent us to be a light and all you do is turn people away because of your hypocritical actions, or you encourage other individuals to join in with your two-faced ways.
Was this harsh? Yes, probably so. But I am so tired of people not being able to live out what they say that believe. Forgiveness is tough to a certain point, but it is also one of the easiest things you will ever be able to do. And let me say this, forgiveness isn’t just an option. It is a command. If you can’t forgive someone else, then think about how your life would be if Jesus wouldn’t have died to forgive you. Forgiveness is more than just flipping your head and saying “I forgive you”. It’s a heart change towards that person.
Let start out by talking to you “Christian’s” or “Believers” or whatever you want to call yourselves. You, my dear friends (as a whole) are the most two-faced, hypocritical people on this planet. Now, so that everyone caught what I said, I will say it again. I am not talking about each and every one of you, but a vast majority of you. And, as I say not every one of you, that does not mean that you should go ahead, close the tab, and walk away feeling like you are “scott-free” because you KNOW I can’t be talking about you! Eh. May I point out that if you have that attitude, you just may be one of these individuals that I am talking about?
The LARGE reason that I wanted to write this little blurb was because of that little acted upon, but long word… forgiveness. We all know (or hopefully you do) that Jesus said that we are to forgive our brother (or sister, or whoever else is around us, mind you) 70 x 7 times! Yes, I know. Everyone is saying, “Wow, 490 times?”. Yes, my dear friends. 490 times. But here is the problem with us Christian’s, we get stuck on that number! We know how many times we are to forgive someone, but do we act on it? I would like to tell you a story to illustrate. True story, but I have changed the names.
Once upon a time there was a man named George. George had a job, land, a wife, and children. For some unknown reason, George decided to take another woman on the side for his own sexual gratification. No one knew of these escapades until months later. But, months later, George confessed to his family what he had done. Though it tore his family apart, his family forgave him. But alas, the story goes deeper.
George had a daughter named Lily. Lily looked up to her father and they had started to finally build a relationship. George discussed how his wife suspected he was cheated and how much that irritated him to Lily. Lily laughed it all off and totally believed her dad. When her dad came clean to Lily and the rest of her family months later, Lily was torn. She felt totally hurt and betrayed. But what was she to do? Her mother had nothing to do with her, and if she totally cut off her dad, she would have no parents. So she forgave him. For the next few months Lily would cry herself to sleep because she was beside herself. Did everyone lie to her? Around this same time Lily got introduced to the concept of having a deeper relationship with God. She ate it up! After she was able to give God everything, and it was then that the anger and hurt towards her dad totally died.
Life went on and Lily grew up. Lily’s relationship with her father began to get more and more strained as she grew up. Many would account it to the fact that she was the oldest and “Daddy didn’t want to let her go”. She no longer felt that she could confide in her dad, and she felt that her dad didn’t trust her. Why he didn’t trust her, she had no idea.
George has always had issues with trying to show love to those around him. He never really learned how. So when Lily went off to college, that almost lack of love, turned into a lack of love to Lily. When a prince came riding up to sweep Lily of her feet, she was swept! She had found someone who knew how to love her. He made her feel special. He knew how to talk to her when she was upset. He genuinely cared. But then, one day, Lily and her prince took their love into the physical realm. Too far into the physical realm.
When George first found out, he didn’t know how to take it. At first he blamed himself, then he blamed the prince, and then he blamed Lily. The same day that George found out he said that he had forgiven Lily, but in all honesty, that wasn’t the case.
(To speed up the story, we will skip uphead)
For almost a year, Lily has felt completely shunned by her father and she doesn’t understand. Her sin honestly only affected her and her prince. But her dad’s effected his family and his lovers families. But even though so much hurt was done with George’s sin, EVERYONE forgave him. So now Lily must wonder, “Why can’t I be forgiven too?”
Here’s the thing guys, forgiveness is a two-way street. You can’t just demand forgiveness, but not be willing to give it when the time comes. The Lily girl I mentioned in the story, that same girl has tried so hard to get her life turned around. But it is hard to turn your life around when at least one person close to you is still putting you down and expecting the worst. Wouldn’t you agree?
Let me put it this way, you (yes, each and every stinkin one of you) has NO right to not forgive someone. ESPECIALLY if they are honestly trying to change. Can you recall a man named Jesus? Do you remember what he did for us? Let me refresh you. A sinless man who walked on a sinful earth gave his LIFE for you and me. Many of these people that he died for had even done wrong towards him or talked wrongly of him! He even died to forgive the ones that had Him killed! Now, if you want to play dumb you can say, “well, they killed him. He didn’t have a choice.” Bologna. Jesus is the son of God. He could’ve called upon His father to save Him. But the point is, He didn’t. He was stripped and beaten! They shoved thorns into his head. The nailed his hands and feet onto this big wooden cross. (Let me make a note that hands and feet are a couple of the most sensitive areas on our bodies) And he did all this to forgive a bunch of losers like us?
Go ahead. Continue on with your little lives. Go to your church every weekend. But that does NOT make you a Christian. And let me say this, for all you “so spiritual” people that “have it all together” and are “so perfect”, get a life! It is time for you to finally walk the walk and not just talk the talk. You may have some people fooled, but I know many people, especially many non-believers that can see right through your act. And then I say, SHAME ON YOU! God sent us to be a light and all you do is turn people away because of your hypocritical actions, or you encourage other individuals to join in with your two-faced ways.
Was this harsh? Yes, probably so. But I am so tired of people not being able to live out what they say that believe. Forgiveness is tough to a certain point, but it is also one of the easiest things you will ever be able to do. And let me say this, forgiveness isn’t just an option. It is a command. If you can’t forgive someone else, then think about how your life would be if Jesus wouldn’t have died to forgive you. Forgiveness is more than just flipping your head and saying “I forgive you”. It’s a heart change towards that person.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Love you, little one!
At the end of last month I had a song come to me. It’s one that I have wanted to write since June but words could not describe what was going through my head. Finally once I was able to clear my head and let go of some of the sadness, I have been able to write this song. For the past 2 years it seems like I had hit a major roadblock when it came to writing songs, but then this one just came. And I give all the honor and glory to God.
I have chosen to post the lyrics of the song on this day for a reason. Today would’ve been the day that I would’ve seen my little one. I know everything happens for a reason, but that doesn’t ever take the sadness away. But, God can. So anyways, this song is not only dedicated to Brighton, but also to any parent that has lost a child. (not only to miscarriage)
Verse 1:
How could you love someone so
One you didn’t even know.
Dreams of you every night
I don’t wanna let you out of my sight.
Chorus
Would I know you
Would you see me
On that bright shining day.
Would we run and play
Would you welcome my embrace
On that bright shining day.
I just wanna hold you
But I know that I must wait
To see your face.
Verse 2
Would I have laughed or cried
To hear your first whine.
Would “mama” have been your first word
My love could’ve been your whole world.
(Chorus)
Bridge/Verse 3
I don’t wanna say goodbye
Don’t wanna let you go. No, no, no, no.
(Chorus)
I have chosen to post the lyrics of the song on this day for a reason. Today would’ve been the day that I would’ve seen my little one. I know everything happens for a reason, but that doesn’t ever take the sadness away. But, God can. So anyways, this song is not only dedicated to Brighton, but also to any parent that has lost a child. (not only to miscarriage)
Verse 1:
How could you love someone so
One you didn’t even know.
Dreams of you every night
I don’t wanna let you out of my sight.
Chorus
Would I know you
Would you see me
On that bright shining day.
Would we run and play
Would you welcome my embrace
On that bright shining day.
I just wanna hold you
But I know that I must wait
To see your face.
Verse 2
Would I have laughed or cried
To hear your first whine.
Would “mama” have been your first word
My love could’ve been your whole world.
(Chorus)
Bridge/Verse 3
I don’t wanna say goodbye
Don’t wanna let you go. No, no, no, no.
(Chorus)
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