Let's play a game. An imagination game. Think of FCC's current worship service, and think of how we 'used to do' worship service. Now, imagine that one day, we see Jesus pull up in the parking lot. I'm guessing he'll be driving a 4-door Jeep Wrangler- a blue one. And maybe it's a 4-door because he has a lot of people coming with him. Like maybe Peter, or Paul, or maybe James. Yeah, I'm just having some fun now,but seriously- here comes Jesus in from our parking lot!! WOW, right?
Now, we know that Jesus will be greeted very emphatically- probably not just by the greeters, but by numerous people. Heck, since its Jesus I may even crawl out of my hiding place and say hello. The ushers will probably 'usher' him and anyone he brought with him to a good seat- maybe up front or something.
Now, here is where things will be different, relating to old service vs. "new".
In our old service, we have a concrete schedule- -everything is planned. We'd hand Jesus a bulletin and say, "Follow along." The songs are chosen, the sermon is planned, we go by the numbers. So, Jesus would be there, singing along maybe, listening to the sermon, placing his offering in the plate, and....then it's over. Jesus would walk out, shake the pastor's hand, go grab a cookie and chit chat a bit, then go back out to his Jeep and go home, or maybe out to lunch with a few friends. I don't know.
Now, our NEW service- Jesus comes in, and WOW! Come in! Please! Lord! Do you have a song we can sing to you? What is your favorite? Shall we sing that now? Please let us sing for you- anything you'd like. I have one, Lord, to sing for you- oh please, may I sing it for you, Lord? And LORD! Do you have a Word for us? Do you have scripture you'd like us to hear? A teaching, maybe? Please! Go right up there and begin! We are listening, we are ready. Whatever you have for us, Lord, we are open to it, let's do it, let's hear it. This is about YOU, Lord- please lead us, let us bless you.
Are you getting my point? The thing is, the Lord IS with us as we worship- always. We don't do all this, package it up and send it to him as a gift. No. He comes here and is among us- in the very present, alive, moving. The Holy Spirit leads. The Holy Spirit may not arrive in a nice blue Jeep, but He does come in, and He does seek to lead our hearts.
Now, how can the Holy Spirit lead if we are so glued to a schedule- to a tradition of worship? If the Lord has something to say to us- I want to hear it- whether it comes through pb, Leon, Kelly- whoever! If someone wants to sing a specific song to their Lord, and wants us to join in - I say let's do it! Let's bless Him! Maybe that's the song He wants to hear, anyway, and that is why this person has a strong desire to sing it. Maybe, just maybe, the Lord isn't into what pb has on his mind at the moment, in fact, the Lord wants us to hear something ELSE in this moment- so maybe Jesse stands and reads some scripture. And that scripture, well, it starts to fuel a fire of some kind in my soul, and I've just gotta say something to elaborate that scripture- not for my own purposes, but because its what God has for us today. Not what we have for ourselves, but what the LORD has for us. We are here for HIM.
I know, I know. That is kind of chaotic. It can be scary, it can invite some very uncomfortable circumstances...but, do we really want to shut out the Lord, just so we can be safe from the discomfort? Safe from having to deal with things that may not be OF the Lord? Surely, we should be seeking to be mature enough in our faith that we can discern these things. But to stifle the leading of the Spirit just so we don't have to deal with any possible icky, squirmy times- well, I just don't think that is going to cut it pretty soon.
I want to follow God's lead- whatever the cost. I know that all things work for the GOOD of those who love Him. Do we love Him enough to trust Him to lead us in this way? That He has good things in store for us, who obey Him, even if we are scared, taken out of our comfort zone? No- no, let's do this thing.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
A big one
(written as I would like to speak it to my church...)
Recently I asked for some feedback about the future of FCC, and I did receive quite a lot. So, first, thank you for your honesty and for sharing your thoughts with me.
I would now like to share my thoughts with you, primarily the reasons I believe that I need to be speaking to you in this way, why God has empowered me to speak to you, etc.
I think it is about 2 years ago, maybe more, when I was overwhelmed by a desire to be telling, speaking things to this congregation. The fact that I was so overwhelmed- I mean, I would literally cry because I had this need to speak to all of you- a need that I would try to stuff down into my gut, thinking I was just needing some kind of weird attention- which is odd, because I would so much rather sit way in the back of the room and be totally, completely ignored. Amongst introverts, I am an introvert. SEriously. This is on an entire other planet away from my comfort zone, which is why I write this all out first- writing is easy, it's just me and the keyboard. Speaking in front of people- particularly people I love and care about? Very difficult.
So, anyway- this feeling, this need to speak to you, I finally expressed it to pb, and we soon came to this whole prophet conclusion. I would not say I was excited by that revelation. But I can't deny it, either.
So, I sucked it up, and decided to explore this whole prophet thing, try to discern exactly what God wanted from me- what my marching orders were, so to speak.
The discovery of my prophetness coincided, interestingly enough, with other "revelations", I'll call them. I started to see and read things about us, this nation, this world. I am the type of person that will read something and search for a grain of truth, and then take that grain and see if I can find absolute truth somewhere around it. So, I literally stumbled upon some troubling stuff, and I did my best to figure out if it was just paranoid silly stuff, or if there was something there.
I apologize for being vague with that stuff, but I'm not ready to spill the beans, so to speak, on specifics- I don't really know specifics, honestly, all I know is that God says we need to be holding on to Him very tightly in the months to come. However spiritual and "close" to God you are- up that by a million % or more. I've said all of this stuff to you before. No more supplemental Christianity. God must be our WHOLE LIFE.
About the time I started hearing/seeing all that stuff, I prayed earnestly to God- What is this? Why do I need to know all this stuff, what is the point of this? The Lord lead me (seriously lead me- I opened the Bible right to the page, my eyes went right to the passage.) to a rather frightening (for myself) verse in Ezekiel. If you have your Bible, go with me to Ezekiel 33. (I'll read it now...)
Now, here the Lord is telling Ezekiel, I've made you a watchman. Has God made me a watchman too? I don't like that idea, no no I do NOT- but I can't get away from it. I've tried. I've looked for any way to get away from it, I'll even listen to your ideas on how I can change what this is saying to me- but God is moving me forward with it, regardless.
So, I go back to the message for us- for this congregation. We are going to go through some rough times- we already have! Spiritually, this has been a rollercoaster ride, for sure! But God is checking us out! Who is going to give themselves, totally, completely over to Him and the Spirit? No matter the discomfort? No matter the sacrifice? Who?
The way we have been conducting worship is different. But I believe God is doing it for a reason. We didn't just decide to change things up for fun- because this isn't fun- not for me, anyway! We have studied the scripture on this (1Corr 14) and have made the decision to be obedient to what the Word describes, as best as we can, and as we learn and grow from our obedience - and we have been BLESSED by it. Raise your hand if you have felt blessed by ANY time of worship since we have been doing things differently- the day we didn't plan any music, and we just picked songs randomly? Any time anyone else has spoken? When Leon spoke, when anyone else spoke? The way we have been praying? Have you felt blessed by any part of this?
As I have said- I've got stuff to say. It's not my stuff. It's the Lord's. The fact that we have opened our worship up like this...coincidence? Probably not. In fact, if we didn't do worship this way, it would give me a fantastic excuse NOT to ever have to get up here!! It's stressful enough doing the worship thing over there! Seriously!
But I have been blessed. I cannot deny that. I feel like I have been not walking, but LEAPING in the direction of the Lord- growing, learning, worshipping in a very real way.
If we stop this- it would have to be a decision we all come to- then I'm afraid I will not be able to fulfill my Watchman duty. This nation is in very grave danger- very REAL danger, that goes beyond democrat/republican/government/constitution stuff. Some of it is scary, but as I see where God is going with all of this- I am not fearful. God says, Do not fear for I am with you. Do not despair, for I am your God.
The reality of God must sink in for us. Many areas of life- God just isn't there for some of us. I can thnk of the areas I've conveniently left Him out. I want Him to be there. I believe if we continue with this tough obedience to the Word- we will all experience God as He wants us to experience Him- that goes beyond simple Sunday worship, beyond sitting in seats and listening to sermons, beyond these doors. God is going to get into every nook and cranny. For OUR sakes. It might be uncomfortable for a while- just like I've said many times, this church was very uncomfortable for me when I first started coming- but I stuck it out because I knew it was SOMETHING. And this is SOMETHING, folks. As awkward as it can be sometimes- it is definitely SOMETHING- the Spirit is abounding.
There is no such thing as Extreme when it comes to God. The reason other Christians would call this extreme? It makes them uncomfortable because they start to examine their relationship with God and whether or not it's enough. "Enough". Ha ha. If God isn't EVERYTHING, then it's not ENOUGH!!!!!
Honestly- where do you say, "That's too far..." when it comes to your relationship with God? Because He goes right ahead and tells us-
1)if your love for Christ doesn't make your love for everybody else looke like HATE, then its not enough. (Mat 10:37)
2)If you love your way of life more than the life you will experience (taking up YOUR cross) if you truly follow Christ, then its not enough. (Mat 10:38)
3)If you value your own life more than loving the Lord, then its not enough. (Mat 10:39)
This is tough stuff. But its in the Word, right there. That's what it says- no whitewash, no sugar coating.
So, let's do it. Praise GOD He has put us together in a Body- right? I cannot think of ANY other group of people I would rather trudge through all of this with. Honestly. I adore you all...my mom even scolded me for caring so much this past week or two, because I was so stressed out that I had, and still have, severe back pain, headaches, and wicked heart burn. But I guess that's just part of taking up my cross, right? LOL.
I will now lie and tell you, I look forward to the next time the Lord will have me speaking to you.
Recently I asked for some feedback about the future of FCC, and I did receive quite a lot. So, first, thank you for your honesty and for sharing your thoughts with me.
I would now like to share my thoughts with you, primarily the reasons I believe that I need to be speaking to you in this way, why God has empowered me to speak to you, etc.
I think it is about 2 years ago, maybe more, when I was overwhelmed by a desire to be telling, speaking things to this congregation. The fact that I was so overwhelmed- I mean, I would literally cry because I had this need to speak to all of you- a need that I would try to stuff down into my gut, thinking I was just needing some kind of weird attention- which is odd, because I would so much rather sit way in the back of the room and be totally, completely ignored. Amongst introverts, I am an introvert. SEriously. This is on an entire other planet away from my comfort zone, which is why I write this all out first- writing is easy, it's just me and the keyboard. Speaking in front of people- particularly people I love and care about? Very difficult.
So, anyway- this feeling, this need to speak to you, I finally expressed it to pb, and we soon came to this whole prophet conclusion. I would not say I was excited by that revelation. But I can't deny it, either.
So, I sucked it up, and decided to explore this whole prophet thing, try to discern exactly what God wanted from me- what my marching orders were, so to speak.
The discovery of my prophetness coincided, interestingly enough, with other "revelations", I'll call them. I started to see and read things about us, this nation, this world. I am the type of person that will read something and search for a grain of truth, and then take that grain and see if I can find absolute truth somewhere around it. So, I literally stumbled upon some troubling stuff, and I did my best to figure out if it was just paranoid silly stuff, or if there was something there.
I apologize for being vague with that stuff, but I'm not ready to spill the beans, so to speak, on specifics- I don't really know specifics, honestly, all I know is that God says we need to be holding on to Him very tightly in the months to come. However spiritual and "close" to God you are- up that by a million % or more. I've said all of this stuff to you before. No more supplemental Christianity. God must be our WHOLE LIFE.
About the time I started hearing/seeing all that stuff, I prayed earnestly to God- What is this? Why do I need to know all this stuff, what is the point of this? The Lord lead me (seriously lead me- I opened the Bible right to the page, my eyes went right to the passage.) to a rather frightening (for myself) verse in Ezekiel. If you have your Bible, go with me to Ezekiel 33. (I'll read it now...)
Now, here the Lord is telling Ezekiel, I've made you a watchman. Has God made me a watchman too? I don't like that idea, no no I do NOT- but I can't get away from it. I've tried. I've looked for any way to get away from it, I'll even listen to your ideas on how I can change what this is saying to me- but God is moving me forward with it, regardless.
So, I go back to the message for us- for this congregation. We are going to go through some rough times- we already have! Spiritually, this has been a rollercoaster ride, for sure! But God is checking us out! Who is going to give themselves, totally, completely over to Him and the Spirit? No matter the discomfort? No matter the sacrifice? Who?
The way we have been conducting worship is different. But I believe God is doing it for a reason. We didn't just decide to change things up for fun- because this isn't fun- not for me, anyway! We have studied the scripture on this (1Corr 14) and have made the decision to be obedient to what the Word describes, as best as we can, and as we learn and grow from our obedience - and we have been BLESSED by it. Raise your hand if you have felt blessed by ANY time of worship since we have been doing things differently- the day we didn't plan any music, and we just picked songs randomly? Any time anyone else has spoken? When Leon spoke, when anyone else spoke? The way we have been praying? Have you felt blessed by any part of this?
As I have said- I've got stuff to say. It's not my stuff. It's the Lord's. The fact that we have opened our worship up like this...coincidence? Probably not. In fact, if we didn't do worship this way, it would give me a fantastic excuse NOT to ever have to get up here!! It's stressful enough doing the worship thing over there! Seriously!
But I have been blessed. I cannot deny that. I feel like I have been not walking, but LEAPING in the direction of the Lord- growing, learning, worshipping in a very real way.
If we stop this- it would have to be a decision we all come to- then I'm afraid I will not be able to fulfill my Watchman duty. This nation is in very grave danger- very REAL danger, that goes beyond democrat/republican/government/constitution stuff. Some of it is scary, but as I see where God is going with all of this- I am not fearful. God says, Do not fear for I am with you. Do not despair, for I am your God.
The reality of God must sink in for us. Many areas of life- God just isn't there for some of us. I can thnk of the areas I've conveniently left Him out. I want Him to be there. I believe if we continue with this tough obedience to the Word- we will all experience God as He wants us to experience Him- that goes beyond simple Sunday worship, beyond sitting in seats and listening to sermons, beyond these doors. God is going to get into every nook and cranny. For OUR sakes. It might be uncomfortable for a while- just like I've said many times, this church was very uncomfortable for me when I first started coming- but I stuck it out because I knew it was SOMETHING. And this is SOMETHING, folks. As awkward as it can be sometimes- it is definitely SOMETHING- the Spirit is abounding.
There is no such thing as Extreme when it comes to God. The reason other Christians would call this extreme? It makes them uncomfortable because they start to examine their relationship with God and whether or not it's enough. "Enough". Ha ha. If God isn't EVERYTHING, then it's not ENOUGH!!!!!
Honestly- where do you say, "That's too far..." when it comes to your relationship with God? Because He goes right ahead and tells us-
1)if your love for Christ doesn't make your love for everybody else looke like HATE, then its not enough. (Mat 10:37)
2)If you love your way of life more than the life you will experience (taking up YOUR cross) if you truly follow Christ, then its not enough. (Mat 10:38)
3)If you value your own life more than loving the Lord, then its not enough. (Mat 10:39)
This is tough stuff. But its in the Word, right there. That's what it says- no whitewash, no sugar coating.
So, let's do it. Praise GOD He has put us together in a Body- right? I cannot think of ANY other group of people I would rather trudge through all of this with. Honestly. I adore you all...my mom even scolded me for caring so much this past week or two, because I was so stressed out that I had, and still have, severe back pain, headaches, and wicked heart burn. But I guess that's just part of taking up my cross, right? LOL.
I will now lie and tell you, I look forward to the next time the Lord will have me speaking to you.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Sheep For Slaughter: Is the Elite really trying to KILL us?
Sheep For Slaughter: Is the Elite really trying to KILL us?
Here is a "tin foil hat crazy conspiracy nut" article.
And here is my thought, message, whatever you'd like to call it:
Why would people make this stuff up? That is a very legitimate question. I would like to know the motivation behind creating such conspiracy "theories". What does anyone have to gain from making this up? A perpetual state of craziness? And if it would be possible for the "truth" to be revealed, and it all turned up false- would the people shining the light on this stuff- would they cease and desist? Would they collectively sigh in relief and say, "Phew, man. I'm glad that wasn't true, because I was a little scared for mankind, seriously." Would they?
I know I would. If someone, anyone could sit me down and show me factual evidence to the CONTRARY of any of this crap- I would grab it and run with it!
However, things/factual evidence/Truth being as it is, I am inclined to believe (with careful hesitation and prayerfully seeking wisdom from God) much of this. The quotes in this article- if you can find a single ACTION by these people that coincides with the stuff they are speaking- what more evidence do we need? Or, go and read some of the latest bills/laws they are writing and hurridly passing while we watch the oil spill debacle unfold with blinders (thanks to you, corporate-owned MSM) on. Laws regarding martial law, the food we eat, the energy we consume. Conspiracy nuts can't make that stuff up because it's public record- it's just that most average folk aren't interested, or have the ability to understand, or even WANT to know what is out there. Wake up. www.infowars.com The tagline for this site is "There's a war on for your mind." and there is. Period. Who is winning in your case? I hesitate to share this site because it is very much tin-foil hat stuff- which I have just admitted, much of it is probably true. I think it is. However, there is a vein of deceit already running through it- always, always trying to confuse and maim the Truth- so when examining anything, look for FACTS, look for the TRUTH that cannot be hidden. If you can't see it, then maybe you just don't want to- you are in denial, or, perhaps you are one that the Bible says has already closed their eyes. And I'm sorry if it is the latter.
Carrying on then...
And then there is my mom's theory: Even if this stuff is true- what are we going to DO about it? Little old us? You know, I believe that is how most of the Jews/Christians/whoever else reacted toward the Nazis. "We can't fight this, if it is true, so let's just carry on with our blessed lives- eating, sleeping, vacationing, shopping, gaming...if it happens, it happens." I have a problem with that. For 2 reasons.
First- Personally, I've been told what my role is in all of this. Ezekiel 33, the verses I was lead to immediately after I felt God telling me to speak out about this stuff'- it tells me my role. I am a watchman. I watch the war coming on, and I warn you. If I don't warn you, and you perish- it's on me. If I do warn you, and you ignore me- it's on you. That is a heavy, heavy load to bear, let me tell you, so much so that I have yet to fully embrace it. Ezekiel 22 is the latest verse in which God told me how it is- THIS WILL HAPPEN. And you know what Ezekiel says to God? "They'll just think I'm some whack-job making up stories." I feel ya, Zeke. I feel ya. Bottom line- I am watching this. I am letting you know. I will increase my warning as my faith and courage is increased by my Lord. My heart breaks for those who won't listen.
Second- If you are a Christian, you need to listen up and pay attention. You do not want to be one with your hand out. You want to be the one HELPING, encouraging, lifting up those who are down, because THEN they will see the TRUTH- Lives lived out in obedience to Christ- what a testimony, what a bright and brilliant sign pointing people to Jesus. So, be aware, be prepared- physically and emotionally, and most importantly, spiritually. I'm serious. Prepare. The Lord helped Joseph prepare for famine. Preparation is not a lack of faith. It's common sense. Particularly if you have the watchman screamin' at ya- HELLO! GET READY FOR THIS! Even Jesus gave us an idea of what was to come- why? So we could look and see it and say, "yup." and go on with our lives? No. So we would be READY. Like the bridesmaids and the oil for their lamps. BE A SMART BRIDESMAID- BRING EXTRA OIL!!
Lastly, think of this: If even only ONE of those 'conspiracy theories' is true- what are we to make of it? If there is even one shred of malevolence toward the public coming from those who control this world- what then?
But more realistically- who runs this world as we are in it now? If there is a powerful elite behind the scenes, doing whatever it is they think they are doing, what or WHO is their motivation/motivator? Do I even need to write it out? Because I spit it out, vile as it is. The devil is the one behind the evil in the world. Do not, for one second, lose sight of what we are dealing with - spiritual warfare. WARFARE. Whichever way you want to slice it, war is NOT pretty. Do not be naive. And more importantly, do not be deceived. False prophets are everywhere, and they are in places where many would say, WHAT? NO! But go to youtube and see it in their own words: Billy Graham, Rick Warren, Joel Osteen- all these "preachers" who are preaching Christianity-lite- another Ezekiel passage- WHITEWASH!! They preach that Jesus came to make our lives comfy-cozy, sweet and calm and nothing like what Jesus spoke about. Or even the FACT that Jesus is the ONLY WAY. Tricksies, false, in the words of Gollum. I'm serious. Go look it up. It is subtle and conniving, but it is there. You must be very vigilant if you are to see the whitewash, because it is so tempting.
And this is the most important point I will ever have to make, and it is the only point that is important, if there is nothing else here you would like to take seriously: God is REAL and He is shaking things up in our lives. He is ready to whip out the winnowing fork- separate the 'Christians' from the True Followers/Disciples of Christ. The divide is taking shape. Which one are you? Do you sit in a chair in a church and sing hip songs? Read hip Christian books? Hang out with other Christians? Wear a t-shirt with a Christian message? Leave a tract when you go out to dinner? Behave yourself around booze and drugs? Stay faithful to your spouse? None of that is good/bad in itself- however, if that is IT- the be-all and end-all of your 'Christianity'- you are missing the LARGEST CHUNK. As Jesus says numerous times and in numerous different ways, but here in Matthew: "Not all who say to me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who DO the will of my Father..." How do you DO?
Our measure for DOING is Christ- what HE DID. How are you doing in that area? Loving the least of these? Living out of a heart FULL of CHRIST? How you DOin'?
If you aren't doing so well, now is the time to adjust, refocus, refresh. Hunker down and do it. Make Jesus the TRUE center of your life, your entire being. Find out about your spiritual gift and use it instead of burying it like that wicked servant in Jesus' parable. And yeah, I can see the giant log in my eye as I point out the speck in yours- I am working on myself- this message is for my ears as much as it is yours.
Wake up every morning, and live a life pointed like the straightest arrow- to Christ. Let no one be confused by you, let no one speak in condemnation of you, let no one speak in condemnation of our Lord. Live so that people will WANT, CRAVE Christ because of what they see in your life. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Gentleness. Faithfulness. Self control. Even amidst a crumbling world, a crumbling society that seems to have lost all hope. Be the brightest light, the saltiest salt in that time. And begin preparing NOW.
Here is a "tin foil hat crazy conspiracy nut" article.
And here is my thought, message, whatever you'd like to call it:
Why would people make this stuff up? That is a very legitimate question. I would like to know the motivation behind creating such conspiracy "theories". What does anyone have to gain from making this up? A perpetual state of craziness? And if it would be possible for the "truth" to be revealed, and it all turned up false- would the people shining the light on this stuff- would they cease and desist? Would they collectively sigh in relief and say, "Phew, man. I'm glad that wasn't true, because I was a little scared for mankind, seriously." Would they?
I know I would. If someone, anyone could sit me down and show me factual evidence to the CONTRARY of any of this crap- I would grab it and run with it!
However, things/factual evidence/Truth being as it is, I am inclined to believe (with careful hesitation and prayerfully seeking wisdom from God) much of this. The quotes in this article- if you can find a single ACTION by these people that coincides with the stuff they are speaking- what more evidence do we need? Or, go and read some of the latest bills/laws they are writing and hurridly passing while we watch the oil spill debacle unfold with blinders (thanks to you, corporate-owned MSM) on. Laws regarding martial law, the food we eat, the energy we consume. Conspiracy nuts can't make that stuff up because it's public record- it's just that most average folk aren't interested, or have the ability to understand, or even WANT to know what is out there. Wake up. www.infowars.com The tagline for this site is "There's a war on for your mind." and there is. Period. Who is winning in your case? I hesitate to share this site because it is very much tin-foil hat stuff- which I have just admitted, much of it is probably true. I think it is. However, there is a vein of deceit already running through it- always, always trying to confuse and maim the Truth- so when examining anything, look for FACTS, look for the TRUTH that cannot be hidden. If you can't see it, then maybe you just don't want to- you are in denial, or, perhaps you are one that the Bible says has already closed their eyes. And I'm sorry if it is the latter.
Carrying on then...
And then there is my mom's theory: Even if this stuff is true- what are we going to DO about it? Little old us? You know, I believe that is how most of the Jews/Christians/whoever else reacted toward the Nazis. "We can't fight this, if it is true, so let's just carry on with our blessed lives- eating, sleeping, vacationing, shopping, gaming...if it happens, it happens." I have a problem with that. For 2 reasons.
First- Personally, I've been told what my role is in all of this. Ezekiel 33, the verses I was lead to immediately after I felt God telling me to speak out about this stuff'- it tells me my role. I am a watchman. I watch the war coming on, and I warn you. If I don't warn you, and you perish- it's on me. If I do warn you, and you ignore me- it's on you. That is a heavy, heavy load to bear, let me tell you, so much so that I have yet to fully embrace it. Ezekiel 22 is the latest verse in which God told me how it is- THIS WILL HAPPEN. And you know what Ezekiel says to God? "They'll just think I'm some whack-job making up stories." I feel ya, Zeke. I feel ya. Bottom line- I am watching this. I am letting you know. I will increase my warning as my faith and courage is increased by my Lord. My heart breaks for those who won't listen.
Second- If you are a Christian, you need to listen up and pay attention. You do not want to be one with your hand out. You want to be the one HELPING, encouraging, lifting up those who are down, because THEN they will see the TRUTH- Lives lived out in obedience to Christ- what a testimony, what a bright and brilliant sign pointing people to Jesus. So, be aware, be prepared- physically and emotionally, and most importantly, spiritually. I'm serious. Prepare. The Lord helped Joseph prepare for famine. Preparation is not a lack of faith. It's common sense. Particularly if you have the watchman screamin' at ya- HELLO! GET READY FOR THIS! Even Jesus gave us an idea of what was to come- why? So we could look and see it and say, "yup." and go on with our lives? No. So we would be READY. Like the bridesmaids and the oil for their lamps. BE A SMART BRIDESMAID- BRING EXTRA OIL!!
Lastly, think of this: If even only ONE of those 'conspiracy theories' is true- what are we to make of it? If there is even one shred of malevolence toward the public coming from those who control this world- what then?
But more realistically- who runs this world as we are in it now? If there is a powerful elite behind the scenes, doing whatever it is they think they are doing, what or WHO is their motivation/motivator? Do I even need to write it out? Because I spit it out, vile as it is. The devil is the one behind the evil in the world. Do not, for one second, lose sight of what we are dealing with - spiritual warfare. WARFARE. Whichever way you want to slice it, war is NOT pretty. Do not be naive. And more importantly, do not be deceived. False prophets are everywhere, and they are in places where many would say, WHAT? NO! But go to youtube and see it in their own words: Billy Graham, Rick Warren, Joel Osteen- all these "preachers" who are preaching Christianity-lite- another Ezekiel passage- WHITEWASH!! They preach that Jesus came to make our lives comfy-cozy, sweet and calm and nothing like what Jesus spoke about. Or even the FACT that Jesus is the ONLY WAY. Tricksies, false, in the words of Gollum. I'm serious. Go look it up. It is subtle and conniving, but it is there. You must be very vigilant if you are to see the whitewash, because it is so tempting.
And this is the most important point I will ever have to make, and it is the only point that is important, if there is nothing else here you would like to take seriously: God is REAL and He is shaking things up in our lives. He is ready to whip out the winnowing fork- separate the 'Christians' from the True Followers/Disciples of Christ. The divide is taking shape. Which one are you? Do you sit in a chair in a church and sing hip songs? Read hip Christian books? Hang out with other Christians? Wear a t-shirt with a Christian message? Leave a tract when you go out to dinner? Behave yourself around booze and drugs? Stay faithful to your spouse? None of that is good/bad in itself- however, if that is IT- the be-all and end-all of your 'Christianity'- you are missing the LARGEST CHUNK. As Jesus says numerous times and in numerous different ways, but here in Matthew: "Not all who say to me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who DO the will of my Father..." How do you DO?
Our measure for DOING is Christ- what HE DID. How are you doing in that area? Loving the least of these? Living out of a heart FULL of CHRIST? How you DOin'?
If you aren't doing so well, now is the time to adjust, refocus, refresh. Hunker down and do it. Make Jesus the TRUE center of your life, your entire being. Find out about your spiritual gift and use it instead of burying it like that wicked servant in Jesus' parable. And yeah, I can see the giant log in my eye as I point out the speck in yours- I am working on myself- this message is for my ears as much as it is yours.
Wake up every morning, and live a life pointed like the straightest arrow- to Christ. Let no one be confused by you, let no one speak in condemnation of you, let no one speak in condemnation of our Lord. Live so that people will WANT, CRAVE Christ because of what they see in your life. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Gentleness. Faithfulness. Self control. Even amidst a crumbling world, a crumbling society that seems to have lost all hope. Be the brightest light, the saltiest salt in that time. And begin preparing NOW.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Blurgha.
Blurgha!
I love how this blog is so Andy Kauffman. Entertainment for me, myself, and I.
BLURGHA!
I love how this blog is so Andy Kauffman. Entertainment for me, myself, and I.
BLURGHA!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Looking forward to home...
I suppose it could be the fact that my family and I are "squatting" at our in-laws, but I've been day-dreaming about heaven a little more than usual.
I day dream about heaven on a regular basis anway, so this extra pining for home has me slightly puzzled. I'm waiting for my conscious to catch up with my sub-conscious. That's always a good time.
Having 2 people in heaven waiting for me does make me hope for it a lot more than someone who doesn't have people in heaven, or someone who doesn't believe in heaven. Obviously.
The fact that I'd give my arms and legs for 5 more seconds with my dad, that is a definite reason I crave eternity. And to hear my Aunt Ruth's voice one more time, especially her voice when she is teasing...yeah.
I usually have a melancholy spell every so often. I'm sure we all do, I'm not really different, I don't think. I do wonder if other folks pray, plead, beg for their heavenly home.
Not that I want to die. No. I couldn't bear leaving my kids- no no no. But this is like, my hugest, craziest fantasy:
One morning, on like, a Saturday when Seth is home, we'll be outside, the boys chasing bugs, Seth and I on the porch swing with Shiloh...
In an instant, we all find ourselves floating upward, the boys screaching and looking to me, terrified. I'd know immediately what was happening, so my smile, my laughter would comfort them and they'd float their way over and we'd all join our hands together and float upward...
we'd crane our necks into a position so we can see whats ahead- and there in a brilliant, shining spot in the clouds is Jesus. You know Jesus when you see Him. You just do. I can hear Asher squealing, "It's She-shus, Mommy! Wook!"
We join Jesus there, the boys jumping up and down, Shiloh floating around us and doing her happy dance, those chubby legs kicking for all their worth... Seth and I just laughing, hugging Jesus, kissing His hands...
And then we take a moment to look around us, look at all the other people that have made their journey to be with their Lord- beaming, radiating pure joy. And there's my daddy, the same spots of gray in his beard and flecked in his hair, smiling, his eyes crinkling until they disappear, his arms crossed until I reach him, and then I'm five years old again, hugging my daddy like its any other day, hearing 'sweetie' and 'hon' and all the other things he called me...
And he meets my boys, instantly in love with them and they go soaring on Grandpa's arms...oh, the simple joy. And his new little 'sweetie', Shiloh beaming at her Grandpa, equally beaming, their eyes sparkling, mirroring a picture I have from when I was a baby. To see that, when I see that- there are no words for it.
So this is how I day dream, working up that yearning in my heart, and then settling it down so I can go on existing in this life, continue to do as my Lord wants me to.
And I have much to look forward to in this life alone. Including the entire life of one little blue-eyed (and very noisy) little thing sitting amongst a pile of toys behind me...
One look at her smile, and that yearning subsides for the moment.
I day dream about heaven on a regular basis anway, so this extra pining for home has me slightly puzzled. I'm waiting for my conscious to catch up with my sub-conscious. That's always a good time.
Having 2 people in heaven waiting for me does make me hope for it a lot more than someone who doesn't have people in heaven, or someone who doesn't believe in heaven. Obviously.
The fact that I'd give my arms and legs for 5 more seconds with my dad, that is a definite reason I crave eternity. And to hear my Aunt Ruth's voice one more time, especially her voice when she is teasing...yeah.
I usually have a melancholy spell every so often. I'm sure we all do, I'm not really different, I don't think. I do wonder if other folks pray, plead, beg for their heavenly home.
Not that I want to die. No. I couldn't bear leaving my kids- no no no. But this is like, my hugest, craziest fantasy:
One morning, on like, a Saturday when Seth is home, we'll be outside, the boys chasing bugs, Seth and I on the porch swing with Shiloh...
In an instant, we all find ourselves floating upward, the boys screaching and looking to me, terrified. I'd know immediately what was happening, so my smile, my laughter would comfort them and they'd float their way over and we'd all join our hands together and float upward...
we'd crane our necks into a position so we can see whats ahead- and there in a brilliant, shining spot in the clouds is Jesus. You know Jesus when you see Him. You just do. I can hear Asher squealing, "It's She-shus, Mommy! Wook!"
We join Jesus there, the boys jumping up and down, Shiloh floating around us and doing her happy dance, those chubby legs kicking for all their worth... Seth and I just laughing, hugging Jesus, kissing His hands...
And then we take a moment to look around us, look at all the other people that have made their journey to be with their Lord- beaming, radiating pure joy. And there's my daddy, the same spots of gray in his beard and flecked in his hair, smiling, his eyes crinkling until they disappear, his arms crossed until I reach him, and then I'm five years old again, hugging my daddy like its any other day, hearing 'sweetie' and 'hon' and all the other things he called me...
And he meets my boys, instantly in love with them and they go soaring on Grandpa's arms...oh, the simple joy. And his new little 'sweetie', Shiloh beaming at her Grandpa, equally beaming, their eyes sparkling, mirroring a picture I have from when I was a baby. To see that, when I see that- there are no words for it.
So this is how I day dream, working up that yearning in my heart, and then settling it down so I can go on existing in this life, continue to do as my Lord wants me to.
And I have much to look forward to in this life alone. Including the entire life of one little blue-eyed (and very noisy) little thing sitting amongst a pile of toys behind me...
One look at her smile, and that yearning subsides for the moment.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
God heals
God heals, Jesus heals. He healed MIRACULOUSLY, instantaneously.
Nowadays, we say God will heal, go through endless surgery and treatments, get healed, and then give God the Glory. But, seriously. Who is not saying in the back of their mind, "yes, God heals, but it's a good thing they got all that medical attention and stuff, because God uses that to heal..." and yes, yes He does.
But you show me God or Christ healing in the Bible where doctor's methods were involved. The closest thing to "doctor methods" were rubbing spit and dirt on eyes, and didn't somebody go wash in a pool first?
How much are we limiting our faith with this dilemma? We are so scared of death and so hesitant to believe when life is at stake- we can put things in God's hands yet still in the hands of doctors...
Even as I write that, I know I'm bonkers for it. I can write it, type it out, you catch my drift and all, but whoa.
If they told me my child had cancer or something- would I not be all over the doctors? My faith is just as limited in that realm.
But I still write this.
God HEALS, and when He heals, it ain't no small thing. He didn't heal hang nails and paper cuts. He put an ear back on the side of a dude's face, all well and good. He healed a woman who had been bleeding for YEARS!
I realize that having Jesus right there would definitely help with the whole faith issue. But are we not equipped? If we are the Body of Christ, then why can't we? His hands reached out and healed. Is it not logical that OURS can do the same?!? (and by logical, you know I mean spiritually logical).
What a wonder modern medicine is. Truly. And how expensive and profitable, too. But, to the detriment of our God? At least God in our eyes? A modern tragedy of faith and existence. What are we to do?
Step off a cliff? Speak clearly Lord, and leave no room for doubt.
Nowadays, we say God will heal, go through endless surgery and treatments, get healed, and then give God the Glory. But, seriously. Who is not saying in the back of their mind, "yes, God heals, but it's a good thing they got all that medical attention and stuff, because God uses that to heal..." and yes, yes He does.
But you show me God or Christ healing in the Bible where doctor's methods were involved. The closest thing to "doctor methods" were rubbing spit and dirt on eyes, and didn't somebody go wash in a pool first?
How much are we limiting our faith with this dilemma? We are so scared of death and so hesitant to believe when life is at stake- we can put things in God's hands yet still in the hands of doctors...
Even as I write that, I know I'm bonkers for it. I can write it, type it out, you catch my drift and all, but whoa.
If they told me my child had cancer or something- would I not be all over the doctors? My faith is just as limited in that realm.
But I still write this.
God HEALS, and when He heals, it ain't no small thing. He didn't heal hang nails and paper cuts. He put an ear back on the side of a dude's face, all well and good. He healed a woman who had been bleeding for YEARS!
I realize that having Jesus right there would definitely help with the whole faith issue. But are we not equipped? If we are the Body of Christ, then why can't we? His hands reached out and healed. Is it not logical that OURS can do the same?!? (and by logical, you know I mean spiritually logical).
What a wonder modern medicine is. Truly. And how expensive and profitable, too. But, to the detriment of our God? At least God in our eyes? A modern tragedy of faith and existence. What are we to do?
Step off a cliff? Speak clearly Lord, and leave no room for doubt.
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