God’s loving kindness

November 21st, 2010

In Psalm 63 verse 3 we see David making a profound statement:

Your lovingkindness is better than life

What’s so amazing about it is that David says that life’s value is second to God’s love. That it would be better to die than to lose God’s love.

The context of the verse tells us that David has been going through an agonizing time is his life where there are people looking to kill him. On top of that he’s in the desert, having no water, possibly close to death, dying. His response is this, “Though, my life may be close to an end, though I have no water, though there are people who want to kill me, there is one thing that I still have. There is still one place that I look, ONE thing that I trust, and that is you Lord”

It didn’t matter to David the circumstances that he was in, he didn’t care that he was close to death. He had God, and he praised God. He worshiped Him.

What then about your life? How much do you value God? How close do you hold God? Is He more important than your own life? If He is then as long as you have God, as long as you have that relationship with Him, there is nothing that brings fear Psalm 27:1. He is God, and He sustains everything by the power of His word.

When you compare the awesomeness of God to anything, you only get something that God created. You don’t get God. Nothing else is like God, nothing else satisfies like Him. There is no comparison, so when you put something in the place of God, when you trust in something other than God, it’s foolishness and we are all guilty of it but we must hold God high. We need to see Him as the creator of all things.

When we look at creation we can only get an idea of what God is like from what he has made. In the same way we can only get an idea of a craftsman by his craft. Does he build good work? Is it build to last? How large are his creations? In the same way we can look at creation and get somewhat of an understanding of God. You want to know how big and powerful God is? Look at the universe, it’s huge, but, think then the God behind that creation then, is even greater than all of that. You want to know how smart God is? Look at the intricacies of life and the world around you, they just show you a glimpse.

So in the same way, we need to view God as supreme of everything and trust in this same God when we are in the desert. Because His loving kindness is better than life.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

On the Edge of Eternity

October 21st, 2010

Do you know that right where you stand or sit, your very existence and person is incredibly close to eternity ? You are but a few breaths away from death, moments from it. On the other side of this life, there stands eternity. Forever! How do you feel about it? What does it make you feel? Is there great fear and anxiety about it? Think about it, moments from stepping outside of this world.

Our seemingly all important lives or just mere vapors or like blades of grass the bible says. Your life, the life you are living is Vapor! Do you understand that? Vapor! Well what is vapor, if you’ve ever made tea, you see the tea kettle spewing and spewing out steam. Out it comes with such force that it causes the whistle to blow loudly, announcing that the tea is ready. But then it begins to continue to mix with the air and fade away in to nothing. Such are our lives. Out forcefully we may come in an attempt to push and strive for so many things, but before we even notice it, our lives are gone. Gone, like a vapor, perhaps giving a mere hoot in the eternal since that “tea is ready”.

Blades of grass, up they come and grow, in hot sun, up out of the ground they rise, so proudly, bursting forth into an sea of green. Day by day they grow, so carefully, so slowly. But then after the sun begins to get hotter and hotter, some become dry and die off, unable to be sustained. The fall and winter months come, killing off any who remain.

And so our our lives, being risen up and grown, but dying off slowly. Our lives are temporary, short lived. The life that your are now living should NOT be the focus of your life. Our eyes are to be fixed on eternity, fixed on the God who saved us, things that will last for eternity. Where are you investing your time? Do you want to be successful? Powerful? Wealth? Good for you, but if your not doing it unto the glory of God, you may as well go jump off a bridge, because both are wasted lives lived in disobedience the purpose God has called you to.

Our lives are to bring glory to God, not to serve self, not to build up our kingdom, but His! Are you laying down your life for Christ the same way he laid down His live for yours? Or do you focus on the things of the world that will die? They don’t matter, they are not important. Seek God, pursue Him, let your life be marked as a life that was set aside for His purposes.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Who is Jesus?

October 14th, 2010

Hebrews 1:1 after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,

2in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

3And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

4having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

Who was this Jesus? Who was this man who came into our world 2000 years ago? Who was He? It looks as though the writer of Hebrews is trying to answer this question by comparing Him with prophets. This is what we had, prophets, God used them to speak to our fathers, they had the prophets, but that’s over and done with now. Because we have something much greater than the prophets, much greater than any who has come before, we have the Son of God!

Why is the Son of God better? He goes on to explain and further define for us who Jesus is. Jesus is the heir of all things and through Him all things were made. Does this sound like a prophet to you? Is this any mere man or person who possesses some supernatural power?  Or could this even be an angel? We later see that the author uses other scriptures to compare the Messiah to angels who are by no means comparable to the Lord.

Create the world through a prophet? Make an angel an heir? I think not! Now listen to this! He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature. This sounds indeed like the Son of God! He is God in the flesh. God in the flesh. Do you understand that? God. God, came down to earth, as a man. The most important event in human history, God, coming down to earth. He was the radiance of God’s glory, how profound!

I think we lose site of that. God being on earth. He was here, like you and me, yet He was God. We lose track that God came down on earth, we lose track that it was God who mingled with sinners, we lose track that He was hated, we lose track that it was our God who suffered in our place, God that bore your sin and shame. It was God, it was Jesus.

We need to remember that Jesus is better than any person, thing or created thing that has ever been. Now that we have God’s Son what else is there that we should go to but Him? Nothing compares.

Posted in Christian Beliefs | No Comments »

Jesus came to save sinners, not good people

September 24th, 2010

Matthew 9

11When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” 12But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. 13“But go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Pride is the root of all sin. It burrows down deep into the soul and hides itself from any detection. We often do not know when we are sinning, for it is pride that covers up this sin, we suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18). Thus in our sinful nature we do not see the sin that so easily entangles us. We are blinded by our own sinful pride that robs us of the truth that we are the ones who are sick.

Here we see Jesus telling the “righteous” that he did not come for them. He came to save those who were lost, aware that they were not good people. They knew they were sinners, wicked men before God, they knew that they were in need of a Savior. It is the humble that come before God, they are humble because they are willing say “I’M NOT A GOOD PERSON!”, “I have sinned against you”, “I can’t be good person”, “I justly deserve to go to Hell”. It is for these humble (James 4:6) that God grants salvation. It is for these sinners that are willing to repent,  and acknowledge their own wrongs before Him and forsake them, that he forgives. Is it not these who are “poor in spirit”?

But for those who hold on to their pride and self righteousness, there is wrath for them (Romans 2:5). The very next scripture (Romans 2:6) teaches that God “WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS”. It is sorrowful for them, for they think that because of their many good deeds they have done, because they are not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even a tax collector (Luke 18:11), they should be the ones if any go to heaven. They think that God will overlook their sins, because they are not like others who sin more and in seemingly worse ways.

But the thing that they forget, the problem that they will see on that fearful day, is that, there is none who are righteous, there are none who are good, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. They are not good. All of their good works are filthy rags before God and their sins stand before them, God knows their hearts, that they are wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). And their condemnation will be just. They will know it, they shall see God’s justice and holiness and their sin before Him and melt like wax before the fire (Psalm 68:2).

To the one who finds themselves good, you are not. There is nothing you can do before God but bend your knee to the truth that you are the one who is sick, in need of a physician. But Oh, unto the sick, run to the savior! Find grace, warmth and compassion. Know the love of this God, that He is rich in mercy and grace. It is He who will make you clean and wash all your stains away.

Posted in Christian Beliefs | No Comments »

Matt 5 Points of Theology

July 7th, 2009

Reading through matt 5 in the weekly Bible study. Blessed by a few gems:

  • Spiritual is more important than Physical (5:29-30)
  • Since we are spiritual newborns, we must depend upon God. This is where faith comes in to play. God requires us to depend upon Him, to put our faith in Him even though we cannot understand what He is doing. Just as it says, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much” (Luke 16:10) we must likewise grow our faith with God
  • Are you salty? Or have you lost it? Is your religion potent? Does God’s light shine through you so much that it glorifies Himself? Or are you good for nothing and to be thrown out?
  • Lots of hints of humility especially in the beatitudes. Are you blessed?

Tags: , ,
Posted in Christian Beliefs, Exhortations | No Comments »

Suffering and the need for prayer

May 23rd, 2009

As the Lord has been taking me through a time of difficulty and testing. I’ve noticed much more how I feel the need to pray and not just timidly wanting to. A question to challenge yourself, do you pray because you do it out of obligation or because you realize the mess your in and need to pray that God might answer.

Posted in Examine Yourself, Exhortations | No Comments »

Humility & Service

January 5th, 2009

To learn Humility & Service and act it out is something the Lord reavealed to me. Wherever we go and whatever we do, take humility at where God has placed you. Wash the feet of others, do what must be done and lower yourself.

Serving is the tool God often uses to humble us before others. Imagine George Bush Or Obamma coming over to help clean your bathroom and take out your trash. Reguardless of position or power, be humble like Jesus and serve others.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Should we read our bibles?

December 6th, 2008

Reading the bible: most of us would agree that reading the bible is important. But lets explore the two arguments one for and against this.

  • Not reading the Bible: since we have the Spirit within us, we can live by the Spirit and not read Bible. The Bible after all was inspired by the Spirit. We cannot learn Spiritual Truths without the Spirit, so the bible itself is dead without the Spirit. Often times people worship the Bible and glorify it rather than God.
  • Reading the bible: There are two reason’s the person always wanting to live in the Spirit should consider, using the bible for validation and learning more about God.
    • The bible is God’s word. It is truth. While the Spirit teaches us spiritual truths, it is not possible for us to live in the Spirit all the time. It could very well be possible for us to “think” we hear the Spirit tell us something. If it doesn’t line up with scripture there is a problem. We should use the bible as our point of reference.
    • Going to the bible is something physical and tangible that we can always learn from. It is a tool that God uses to teach us about him. Now we do need the Spirit to teach us Spiritual truths, but the Bible is one of those places where the Spirit can teach us.

So we can neither take the approach, “The Sprit will teach me all things” and live in the flesh, or “The Bible is God’s truth, that’s all I need” and claim that the Spirit has no part. The two work together hand in hand.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Christian Beliefs | No Comments »

The Taste of Sin

November 25th, 2008

Sin, is horrible. Ugly deceitful nasty! What about it makes it pleasurable, the indulgence of self? To betray ourselves for our own good. At it’s core it’s to deny what God truly has for us to do our own will. What God has is good. How can doing what is contrary to his will be good then? Are we so twisted that the indulgence in sin is to defy God and enjoy it? Romans 1 talks a lot of about this.

To look at sin closely I see it as this, ugly, stinky, foul, decietful, horrible, self-destructing, abomidable etc. How amazing is it that we were creatures of sin, that God came to rescue. If you find yourself steping near sin flee! It will destroy you. Satan comes only to steal, kill and destroy. Does that sounds like anything you want apart of? Run! FLEE! Save yourself! Cling to the savior!

How can you live without God? You can only live in sin which will produce evil. Producing evil works which produces death. Death produces separation from God in hell. Hell produces more hate towards God that produces more aggony. Repent! Turn from sin! Christ was willing that non should perish that all should live! He died for us

Tags: ,
Posted in Examine Yourself, Morals | No Comments »

Where are the Gifts?

November 14th, 2008

1 Corinthians 12:1

Amplified Bible:

“NOW ABOUT the spiritual gifts (the special endowments of supernatural energy), brethren, I do not want you to be misinformed.”

Where are the gifts in the church today? Paul says that we should not be unaware as to what they are. Yet, I can recall almost no teaching on the gifts or instruction on their use. Perhaps one great reason is that they are “supernatural” thus making them unusual to our normal day to day life. So unusual in fact that people are afraid of them. Typically we are afraid of what we do not know. It’s a cycle, people who know about the gifts are afraid to use them because they are so bizarre and thus they do not teach the unlearned. So it is difficult to introduce someone to these who has never experienced them.

To the reader who claims that these gifts do not exist for today, I would challenge them this:  Go to a Pentecostal Church for one month and sincerely try to learn all about the spiritual realm and how it effects the Christian. You will see many amazing feats and displays of supernatural power. I also ask why else would Paul write to a church that he did not want them to be ignorent of the gifts and then proceed with an explination? Shall we rip this chapter from our bibles?

Is there not also a realm of spiritual darkness? Of demon possessions, exorcisms, satanism, demonic powers etc? How then should the church be able to combat such things? Did not Christ exercise demons, rebuke spirits, performs healings and other signs to give glory to God? If Christ did these things as well as instruct his disciples to do the same, then instruct his disciples to create more disciples why would they stop? It seems much easier to accept the dark powers of this world rather than to accept the obvious indications that we too can be gifted with these same abilities.

I was talking with my pastor concerning spiritual gifts and he gave a very wise answer. He said that there are many churches like Pentecostal’s that are all about the spirit and spiritual gifts and very light on digging into the word of God and studing it. Then there are churches where they are very dry spiritually but very much wise when it comes to the word of God and study the scriptures dilligently. What lacks greatly in America is a church that embraces the gifts as well as fully digging into the word of God and studing it deeply.

My charge to you is to be sure that you are knowledgable in both things of the Spiritual Realm as well as solid in the Word of God.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Amerianity, Examine Yourself | No Comments »

« Older Entries