Love. They say it's one of the most mystical words in any vocabulary of any language on this planet. It's a word that can mean so much...if you can understand what it means. But-is love something that we can possibly understand or not? Let's take a little looksie and talk about it for a moment.
Love can simply be stated as that special feeling you get when you meet the person that you're destined to be with forever, or as the hearts longing for it's counterpart, along with many other definitions that have been placed on love. But can one put an exact match on what love really means? I'm not exactly sure anyone really knows, but let me tell you a story about a man that I'm sure knows all about love.
His name is Jesus. He was hung on a cross as an innocent man. He lived a life that was different, but it was nothing that should have brought him to be crucified. The reason he died was for something much bigger than we could ever imagine. And my only reasonable understanding is that He loves us so much that he died for us. (1 John 4:19 "For we love because He first loved us.") I've been a christian for almost four years now, and the only way that I can love on others is because of the love that my heavenly father has constantly poured into me. He's the only thing that's good in me. The only way that I am good is because he's been more than good to me. And that my friends is no lie.
Now here's the challenge: what do relationships look like in your lives? Is love something that you consider to be at the forefront of most of your relationships? Or all? Or any? That's the question I will be asking myself tonight before I lay down for bed. But I think love is something that needs to be right smack dab in the middle of a relationship. And I'm talking about any relationship, not just a relationship that is romantic.
If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. This is a quote directly from scripture. (1 Corinthians 13).
I love what Gods word states here about love. Basically without love I can do nothing. I could understand everything possible to man about God and all the mysteries of heaven and earth and all the universe has to offer, I could move mountains, I could die for the sake of Christ, but If I don't have love, than I have nothing. Let me reiterate it again...I have nothing.
If you're married to your wife and you stand up in front of all your friends and family and say I do to your wife, isn't that love? Not necessarily. But if you do the things that your heart tells you to do for her because of the love and appreciation you have for her, that's what I would call love.
God is the only thing that we have that will essentially provide our daily needs. He is the giver of life. The one that calms the raging seas in our lives. And it's all because of that word we've been talking about....LOVE.
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Those are probably some of the most powerful words that anyone could ever speak into you. Within this there is something that this whole world needs. It's hope, hope of a love to come that will ultimately change each and every heart that's ever lived.
Love was put to trial a long time ago, and love was put to death to die on a cross for you and I. So that we could all live a life of freedom from sin and bondage. They couldn't keep love in the grave, and love broke every chain and removed each one of our infinite stains. Love is the thing that makes us tick, like our own little energizer bunny. But love is never going to let you go, he'll always be there for you, and it will always, and I mean always, love you more than you could ever even imagine!
Friday, July 27, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
My life in a nutshell.
Journal Entry on April 17th, 2012, at 4:22.
I'm hoping to start a little bit of a new format for my blog here at Pooh Bear and Jesus. I'd like to open up my life to all of you, and hopefully share something new with you everyday. And maybe, just maybe, the work of Jesus Christ in my life can impact you in someway. God is faithful, and He will always give us the passions and desires of our hearts!
So, it's the middle of April and the end of my semester is about done at CCC. The past few weeks have been pretty frustrating. I've had a lot of things on my mind lately, and i've been praying for God to reveal exactly what it is that He wants for me in my life. So It's been hard to focus on school and keeping up on homework and whatnot. I'm trying hard to keep up or catch up and do what I can to get some decent grades.
I'm about to start a new job at Applebees next month. They are building a brand new store in my hometown. I'm super stoked about it opening, because we really haven't had any nice sit down restaurants whatsoever. So I think it will be a tremendous blessing for our town, and I think it will be a blessing to my life as well. Financially speaking, I've always struggled to be able to save anything, or keep up on bills at times because I've worked at Mcdonald's and had some spending problems haha, but don't we all!??
So I really think that Applebee's will be really good for me. I know that I should make pretty good money, but it will be more of a day to day thing where I'm going to have to focus on saving and not indulging on having money every time I work come out of tips and whatnot.
When it comes to some of the decisions I've been praying about lately are these: God has recently put going to bible college on my heart, possibly getting my own place in my hometown, and just exactly where he wants me to be.
I'd really appreciate some prayers from you readers. I just want to seek God for all that He is in my life, and I have complete confidence that He'll put me where He needs me to be! Thank you for the prayers!
Micah 6:8 says, "No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: you are to seek justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God"
I'm hoping to start a little bit of a new format for my blog here at Pooh Bear and Jesus. I'd like to open up my life to all of you, and hopefully share something new with you everyday. And maybe, just maybe, the work of Jesus Christ in my life can impact you in someway. God is faithful, and He will always give us the passions and desires of our hearts!
So, it's the middle of April and the end of my semester is about done at CCC. The past few weeks have been pretty frustrating. I've had a lot of things on my mind lately, and i've been praying for God to reveal exactly what it is that He wants for me in my life. So It's been hard to focus on school and keeping up on homework and whatnot. I'm trying hard to keep up or catch up and do what I can to get some decent grades.
I'm about to start a new job at Applebees next month. They are building a brand new store in my hometown. I'm super stoked about it opening, because we really haven't had any nice sit down restaurants whatsoever. So I think it will be a tremendous blessing for our town, and I think it will be a blessing to my life as well. Financially speaking, I've always struggled to be able to save anything, or keep up on bills at times because I've worked at Mcdonald's and had some spending problems haha, but don't we all!??
So I really think that Applebee's will be really good for me. I know that I should make pretty good money, but it will be more of a day to day thing where I'm going to have to focus on saving and not indulging on having money every time I work come out of tips and whatnot.
When it comes to some of the decisions I've been praying about lately are these: God has recently put going to bible college on my heart, possibly getting my own place in my hometown, and just exactly where he wants me to be.
I'd really appreciate some prayers from you readers. I just want to seek God for all that He is in my life, and I have complete confidence that He'll put me where He needs me to be! Thank you for the prayers!
Micah 6:8 says, "No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: you are to seek justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God"
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Easter....it's not about the bunny!
As we recognize the sacrifice and life of our Lord Jesus Christ as we head into Easter, I thought I'd say a few words about it. First of all, I'll freely admit that when I was a child it was all about the bunny. Every easter all of us kids would help boil the eggs, then paint the eggs and have a great time, then find them after the easter bunny came and hid them in our homes. Very similar to Christmas we just simply believed it while our parents really did the work. These days, it means much more to me. It's about my freedom, my breath, my Jesus, dieing so that I could live. It's more about a story of a man that came to earth as the Son of God as the son of man. Jesus was born so that every temptation, sin, and death could be faced by a force that could defeat it. Thankfully Jesus died for us on the cross, walking 33 miles, bleeding from his side, tempted and tried, so that we could have freedom.
Easter is the day in the bible that Jesus rose from the dead. If you want to argue that sunday isn't the actual day, or that easter isn't or whatever, go right ahead. I'm going to worry more about the fact that He did it, and thank him for saving me. Don't get lost in time, or date, get lost in Jesus, and Jesus alone. When Jesus becomes our everything, the things that matter will become more clear to you, your life won't be easy, but you'll have the strength to make it through!
When going through the reflection of what occurred in the life of Jesus suffering and death this weekend, I would challenge you to ask yourselves these questions.
1. Does the impact of the cross trully relish on my heart?
2. Where is my relationship with Christ? Am I connected or am I like a faulty internet connection?
3. What does it all mean to me? Can I put all of the pieces together to try and understand why God would send His one and only to die for me?
4. Simply, How great is the work that Jesus did for us on the cross?
The cross should impact you any time that you hear or think about it. None of us can truly fathom exactly what Jesus did on the cross. The whole weight of the world's every sin was on him. He had to be condemned for us. He became guilty so that we could be innocent. We are now perfect in His eyes. That is such good news!
Our relationship with Christ should go directly through his blood and suffering. He offers us his cross everyday so that we can walk upon it to God, that's our only route to God almighty. If we're struggling or extremely broken, we can walk upon the cross and rid of all our stuff. That's so awesome!
To me, I don't think I can fathom what it all means. And I don't think anyone really knows other than God himself, and obviously Jesus. They had the vision the whole time. The Son of God was completely crushed under the wrath of God and was crucified for you and me so that we could live a life that pleases him. That's what it's all about!
The work that Jesus did on the cross finished what God had planned for you and me. He released us from the condemnation of sin by taking it up to mount Calvary. What a beautiful thing. He gave you and I life so that we could have the opportunity to be on earth and have relationships with people, to have children, and spouses, and play baseball, and go fishing, or whatever it is you like to do!
May the power of Easter and it's value and worth for what it truly means pass into each one of our hearts this weekend as we reflect on exactly what Jesus Christ did for each and every one of us!
Monday, March 12, 2012
G.O.S.P.E.L.
Courtesty of Dare to Share and Propoganda, Gospel as some of us know it, and if you don't I'd like to teach you that GOSPEL stands for GOD OUR SINS PAYING EVERYONE LIFE.
A few thousand years ago, a man hung on a few large pieces of wood shaped in the form of a crucifix (cross). It has been stated that this man was hit, slapped, beaten, spit on, lenched, punished, and finally crucified by bleeding to death on that cross. The scriptures state that "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son to die, so that whoever believed in Him would have everlasting life." Let me ask you this. What kind of love would it take to do that? That is the ultimate, most prolific love that anyone has ever displayed throughout history.
So let me walk you through what they have panned out the GOSPEL to be...
1. G God created us to be with Him.
2. O Our sins seperate us from God.
3. S Sin cannot be removed by good deeds.
4. P Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.
5. E Everyone who trusts in Him, will have eternal life.
6. L Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever.
Jesus lived the perfect life. He came to earth as a human as the Son of God as a son of man. He was born into this sinful world, faced temptation, went through it all, and remained unblemished, spotless, and sinless. No one has done that before Him, and no one since. Obviously it just cannot be done outside the full will of God. And He already sent His son! When you think about the character that Jesus had as a man, it is hard to fathom. A man with so much passion, love, kindness, gentleness, who just wanted to serve His Father in heaven to give us life.
Life. That is what we all long for right. And you think you have it because of the fact that your heart beats, your lungs take in breaths and your body fights off illnesses. Well, that life that Jesus died to give us, included breath, lungs, and fighting illnesses, but the only way to receive that life is through having faith in Jesus Christ and accepting Him in full to be your way, your truth, your life.
Everyone. That is who God loves. Each and every individual because we are His marvelous creation. He knows your tendencies, your character, how many hairs are on your head. And the cool thing is, he can change your tendencies, he places adversity in your life to reveal your character. Oh, and by the way, he can put things in your life that make you lose the hair on your heard haha.
Paying. Our sins have been atoned for. Three nails pierced his arms and feet. Blood dripping from his brow, blood flowing from his entire body, and love gushing from his whole heart. I have a shirt that states, "it was not the nails that held him to the cross, but his love for us." I think you have to be real about it and know that nails really did hold Jesus up on that tree when he bled and died. He really did die. But I think at the same time, love was a huge factor if not the greatest factor. Think about the love for humanity that it takes to die for every single person that will ever live. Not to mention dieing for every sin ever done.
That's the gospel in itself if you ask me though. Jesus died to take your sins, and my sins, and the next persons' sins away so that we could have a life spent with him in heaven. A life with Jesus isn't about change, it's not about rules, it's not about religion, and it's not even about going to church. IT IS ABOUT JESUS BEING EVERYTHING TO YOU. And I mean EVERYTHING. The main reason why people struggle and cannot stay away from trouble, or pain is because of sin. Sin is a disease, it's a problem, and we cannot just walk away from it. We cannot rid of it in under our own power or will. But here's where it gets good. Jesus removes it. At the very moment that Jesus' blood was shed on the cross, his holy spirit came into every soul that will walk the earth. That is our GPS system, it's where our heart is, and our guide is.
When you let the holy spirit come into your life, by faith, all of those things that I talked about above such as: change, rules, religion, church, and all things christianity will come because Jesus is the change. He will come into your heart and take things away from you that can only make you better. They will open your eyes to things that you never thought possible. And you will start to do things that you never thought you'd see yourself do. And the amazing thing is, it's not you watching yourself do it like in a movie, your all there and concsious to do it yourself, because you made the decision to trust in Jesus.
But to get to that point, Jesus has to be the first person you come to. Jesus isn't some genie, or counselor you can just pull out of a box. Christianity in a shoe box just doesn't work. And what I mean by that, is placing limitations on God, by placing him in that box. By taking him out of your life whenever you want, yet then coming to him when YOU NEED HIM. That's not how it works. The bible says in Romans 12:2 "Do not comform to the customs/ways of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what Gods will is-his good, perfect, and fitting will." There is nothing in this world that can ultimately satisfy any of us. That's not saying that marriage isn't very awesome, that having children will be very rewarding, or even food isn't like the coolest thing ever haha. But in the end, we're all just longing for something more.
I am studying psychology and am hoping to go on to be a mental health practitioner so I know a lot about the brain and how people function. I wish I knew more though lol. But from what I've learned and from what I've observed in my own life and the people around me, I'm convinced that all of us are bothered and slightly depressed or stressed about something all the time. Once again, that doesn't mean that we cannot be happy or that I think we are not happy. It just means that we as humans are the best at masking or hiding it.
We are also the best at hiding something else that is in everyday life. SIN. Sin is the number one killer of all time. It darkens hearts, destroys minds, and deceives each and every one of us. Sin is something that God absolutely hates, and he has done nothing but put that on my heart lately. The problem with all of us is the fact that we don't hate it at all. It satisfies us. So to be honest I'm going to say there is one thing on this world that satisfies us, but it's going to be the same thing that destroys us.
The scriptures talk about a place called hell that will be the final resting grounds for those who will be destroyed. I can promise you that hell will not be a place that you want to call "paradise." I also hear a lot of people say, hell is going to be one giant party. I hate to tell you but whoever thinks that has it all wrong. First of all, youre going to be completely lifeless. You will be completely aware of the tramendous torture, pain, agony, and fire that ultimately will torch your soul and guess who will be at the head of the pack......yep you guessed it. Satan himself. God has already won the victory over all evil including the devil and hell. Death has nothing on Christ. It couldn't even touch him. He rose to the occasion and gave us life.
That's the worst part of the entire gospel. All who deny Christ in their life with not only what they say but with how they follow up in their behavior, thought process, and actions will be sent to the burning fire. I have to be completely honest with you and tell you right now that a man who died on the cross for you wants you to join him. If your soul ends up in hell, don't you think he will be on his knees begging for his father to forgive your sins? Well he took them away, and all you have to do is have faith in Jesus Christ. That's the gospel.
GOD OUR SINS PAYING EVERYONE LIFE.
My favorite part about it all is, LIFE WITH JESUS STARTS RIGHT NOW AND LASTS FOREVER!
Because I couldn't think of anything better, than spending an eternity with the God who gave me life, and created everything that I love.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The Kingdom of God is....not of this world.
Have you ever wondered where heaven and hell are? I think about it all the time. Every once in a while you'll hear someone say oh well we're already there. Sometimes you trully do wonder where they both are and if they're in a distant world or if they are somewhere close to home.
Often times throughout scripture Jesus refers to the kingdom that He is building. If you think about it, Jesus rarely talked, but when He did you know it meant something very powerful. It was something that He knew was right. Jesus once said, "my kingdom is not of this world" if that's not enough evidence for you I'll try to give you more evidence later.
I think there are some reasons that God created this world to be the way it is. I think most of us would agree that the world isn't always a nice place to be. I think the reason for that is because God wanted us to see that we cannot do anything apart from Him. We need to find strength in Christ. We need to go through pain just like He did on the cross. Luckily it isn't the same pain that He bared, but we need to take some blows here and there and go through things that will eventually helps us grow! If you have the right attitude and the right heart, He will take you there!
Here's my example within scripture. In John 18 Jesus was trying to fulfill His promise and was waiting for the guards to arrest him. In verse ten it says: "Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high preists slave. But Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?" You see, Jesus didn't intend for war to be a part of the world. He was a very civilized man that had the most kind heart. And I think this is also a good description of what Jesus means when He says my kingdom is not of this world. Like I said, God created the world so that Jesus would have the most impact on people's lives! If it were easy, why would anyone need a savior?
God does anything that He needs to pull people to Him because He's a God that desires your heart, not just your soul. He wants you to make the choice. Jesus said my kingdom is not of this world, because if you come to Him, you won't have to worry about war, you won't have to necessarily worry about battles. I don't mean that there's not war in the world, or everyday battles. But you will no longer battle or be at war with yourself. Your insecurities, fears, and struggles can be laid down on the cross at Jesus feet. Where the kingdom starts!
May He bless each and everyone of you until the day that He returns!
Often times throughout scripture Jesus refers to the kingdom that He is building. If you think about it, Jesus rarely talked, but when He did you know it meant something very powerful. It was something that He knew was right. Jesus once said, "my kingdom is not of this world" if that's not enough evidence for you I'll try to give you more evidence later.
I think there are some reasons that God created this world to be the way it is. I think most of us would agree that the world isn't always a nice place to be. I think the reason for that is because God wanted us to see that we cannot do anything apart from Him. We need to find strength in Christ. We need to go through pain just like He did on the cross. Luckily it isn't the same pain that He bared, but we need to take some blows here and there and go through things that will eventually helps us grow! If you have the right attitude and the right heart, He will take you there!
Here's my example within scripture. In John 18 Jesus was trying to fulfill His promise and was waiting for the guards to arrest him. In verse ten it says: "Then Simon Peter drew a sword and slashed off the right ear of Malchus, the high preists slave. But Jesus said to Peter, "Put your sword back into its sheath. Shall I not drink from the cup of suffering the Father has given me?" You see, Jesus didn't intend for war to be a part of the world. He was a very civilized man that had the most kind heart. And I think this is also a good description of what Jesus means when He says my kingdom is not of this world. Like I said, God created the world so that Jesus would have the most impact on people's lives! If it were easy, why would anyone need a savior?
God does anything that He needs to pull people to Him because He's a God that desires your heart, not just your soul. He wants you to make the choice. Jesus said my kingdom is not of this world, because if you come to Him, you won't have to worry about war, you won't have to necessarily worry about battles. I don't mean that there's not war in the world, or everyday battles. But you will no longer battle or be at war with yourself. Your insecurities, fears, and struggles can be laid down on the cross at Jesus feet. Where the kingdom starts!
May He bless each and everyone of you until the day that He returns!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Spirit of Truth
I was sittin in church this morning thinking about a few different things that I've heard through teachings and videos. A lot of us think that we know our purpose right? Well, how could we possibly know exactly what our purpose is according to God's will? I was watching a tv service this morning and the pastor said do you know what God's will is...he paused just for a second and you could hear part of the people say yes! He stopped and laughed and said "you do"? He said, I didn't even say what I was going to and you already said yes! He said do you think it's God's will that men are supposed to heave three or four wives? So they assumed that he was just going to finish it with do you know what God's will is?
We really cannot know what God's purpose is for us. And it's certainly not up to us to find our own purpose. But what are we supposed to do to find our purpose? Don't worry I often ask myself the same question. I would bet that all of us do. It's natural.
Lately I've been thinking about how complacent my heart and get at times and I wonder how often all of us do get that way. We start to go through things and do it the easiest way possible with not one ounce of desire or motive. In our christian life we should fight to show the world what God can do. Throughout the bible many people were out to show the world that same thing. That God loves us all, no matter what. Let's stand with one another and be the change not wait for one. The world that we live in today has become completely complacent and it relies on things that will soon fade away.
When it all is said and done what will our worth be found in? When we look back and we see the days of each one of our lives will we look back and say hey I did what I could for God. But really, did I trully get everything that God would have me to? Did I really live just to know him, or was my passion to show Him how much I lloved and desired Him.
In the end our hearts desire should be to hear "well done my good and faithful servant" but nothing less than that :)
We really cannot know what God's purpose is for us. And it's certainly not up to us to find our own purpose. But what are we supposed to do to find our purpose? Don't worry I often ask myself the same question. I would bet that all of us do. It's natural.
Lately I've been thinking about how complacent my heart and get at times and I wonder how often all of us do get that way. We start to go through things and do it the easiest way possible with not one ounce of desire or motive. In our christian life we should fight to show the world what God can do. Throughout the bible many people were out to show the world that same thing. That God loves us all, no matter what. Let's stand with one another and be the change not wait for one. The world that we live in today has become completely complacent and it relies on things that will soon fade away.
When it all is said and done what will our worth be found in? When we look back and we see the days of each one of our lives will we look back and say hey I did what I could for God. But really, did I trully get everything that God would have me to? Did I really live just to know him, or was my passion to show Him how much I lloved and desired Him.
In the end our hearts desire should be to hear "well done my good and faithful servant" but nothing less than that :)
Friday, January 6, 2012
Less Truth, more product part dos!
Have you ever had the nudge to read your bible more, or to pray more, or to do something really nice for someone? Well, one could think well, that's probably just my mind messing with me! At the same time, don't you think that someone had to have put those thoughts there? That is most likely God who wants to have a relationship with you. That would be the greatest news I have ever told anyone. Not that I am pregnant, or getting married, or my house burned down, not in order, and those things have yet to happen haha!
That is one of many truths that God has in store in His word. And it shouldn't just be left on the night stand to collect dust and grime. I know how hard it is, trust me! I'm there everyday with the same battle. Every single one of us is!
Back to the church! So in the same class period that we're talking about the crossroads from Less truth, more product part one, we also talked about religions and what churches have done recently. Even this guy knew that churches are becoming more modern which kind of blew my mind. I have nothing against this man or anything. He is a very intelligent professor. But churches really are "modernizing" in a sense. This is where writing about this started to come to me in class that day.
This is also where less truth, more product came into terms. When Jesus walked the earth, He wanted us to see how He lived, and we should see that and desire the way he lived. We do not have to bare the cross like He did or go through the punishment that He did. But we should desire the love, kindness, and heart that He had. When God created the bible through his prophets and disciples, He wanted to use it as a tool for us to get to know Him personally so that we knew how to have an awesome relationship with Him. Who wouldn't want to get to know the creator? It's also the basis of what the church should teach out of as well, which is where the key term "modern churches" comes into the topic.
When I think or hear that term modern church I instantly think of great worship music by the likes of David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Casting Crowns, Mercy Me, Mandisa, and Natalie Grant. I love Christian music and it pretty much fills my ipod, next to Justin Bieber and the Backstreet boys haha! But it's a really cool way to hear God's truth through wonderful music. I think the detail into which these churches take the worship is where I draw the line. Like I said earlier, if there's lights, smoke, and electric guitars that out rock the preaching than it's wrong.
So back to that day in class! My teacher says things like well sometimes churches are all about the money and I immediately wondered what exactly that looked like. Are there churches in America that worry more about money than what kind of servitude is being expressed? I mean I've seen some churches on TV that have people just throw money up on the stage because they feel like the preaching that morning has been great! Now don't get me wrong, I love to hear some great truth, but throwing money at the preacher because He has a gift isn't exactly how I'd like to thank Him. Let me make my point. Let's say I attend a church where that happens often. The people go up to the stage and place some green backs up there because they love the preaching. I would rather sit there and listen intently instead of be distracted by the amount that I'm going to give by what the pastor is saying, and I'd also rather take what he is saying and apply it to my life and give my money to God. I'm not saying that the money doesn't go in a plate or something, it's just that it's really weird and different ya know. Give money to your pastor in a thank you card or something.
This is part two of this series! I will write part three very soon!
That is one of many truths that God has in store in His word. And it shouldn't just be left on the night stand to collect dust and grime. I know how hard it is, trust me! I'm there everyday with the same battle. Every single one of us is!
Back to the church! So in the same class period that we're talking about the crossroads from Less truth, more product part one, we also talked about religions and what churches have done recently. Even this guy knew that churches are becoming more modern which kind of blew my mind. I have nothing against this man or anything. He is a very intelligent professor. But churches really are "modernizing" in a sense. This is where writing about this started to come to me in class that day.
This is also where less truth, more product came into terms. When Jesus walked the earth, He wanted us to see how He lived, and we should see that and desire the way he lived. We do not have to bare the cross like He did or go through the punishment that He did. But we should desire the love, kindness, and heart that He had. When God created the bible through his prophets and disciples, He wanted to use it as a tool for us to get to know Him personally so that we knew how to have an awesome relationship with Him. Who wouldn't want to get to know the creator? It's also the basis of what the church should teach out of as well, which is where the key term "modern churches" comes into the topic.
When I think or hear that term modern church I instantly think of great worship music by the likes of David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, Casting Crowns, Mercy Me, Mandisa, and Natalie Grant. I love Christian music and it pretty much fills my ipod, next to Justin Bieber and the Backstreet boys haha! But it's a really cool way to hear God's truth through wonderful music. I think the detail into which these churches take the worship is where I draw the line. Like I said earlier, if there's lights, smoke, and electric guitars that out rock the preaching than it's wrong.
So back to that day in class! My teacher says things like well sometimes churches are all about the money and I immediately wondered what exactly that looked like. Are there churches in America that worry more about money than what kind of servitude is being expressed? I mean I've seen some churches on TV that have people just throw money up on the stage because they feel like the preaching that morning has been great! Now don't get me wrong, I love to hear some great truth, but throwing money at the preacher because He has a gift isn't exactly how I'd like to thank Him. Let me make my point. Let's say I attend a church where that happens often. The people go up to the stage and place some green backs up there because they love the preaching. I would rather sit there and listen intently instead of be distracted by the amount that I'm going to give by what the pastor is saying, and I'd also rather take what he is saying and apply it to my life and give my money to God. I'm not saying that the money doesn't go in a plate or something, it's just that it's really weird and different ya know. Give money to your pastor in a thank you card or something.
This is part two of this series! I will write part three very soon!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Less Truth, more product.
That is the world that we live in. And the real sad thing is, you can relate that line to almost every aspect of anything. There's a lot less truth to what people do. It's to the point to where our churches are feeding out more propoganda, and pyrotechniques than truth, which is called to be spread to the ends of the world according to God's Holy word. Which is the greatest source of truth.
Now the real question to be answered: why are people in churches more concerned more about bringing people in, than allowing the God of the universe to pull them in Himself?
Some churches will do anything and everything that they possibly can to recruit people to come to their service. It's like a big party for christians, with the likes of: concerts during their worship services that include smoke, lights, and electric guitars, watering down of the truth to talk about more appealing topics, and last but not least religous leaders that allow it to happen.
This is only part one. I'm out of time at the moment, but part two to come soon and we'll talk more about truth in the church! God bless you all :)
Here's what I see wrong with that:
First of all, the bible talks about us as being one body of believers. No one should be worried about going to church with a specific group of people that are specific by age, sex, marital status. Say I'm an eighty four year old widower that will only go to church with eighty some year olds, that is not being a part of one body. It's ok to step out and mingle with other believers of different ages, sex, and even ethnicities. Not to mention other religions, but that's a whole other discussion.
Second, church should not be about having to recruit anyone to come to your church. There's a huge difference between a simple invite, and being appealing to people so that they will come. It's not about big stages, lights, or even music. If you really want to worship the Lord, worship God with your heart. I'm not saying that open worship services with music are wrong, but when the electric guitar outweighs truth about Jesus Christ, that's not a church. It's a concert. The true worship of God in the bible is with all your heart, all your soul, and mind. Honestly, you can sing all the words about God that you want, but if your heart isn't singing then it is not doing anyone any good. Romans 12: vs. 1-2 "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Do not copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person, by the renewing of your mind. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." That's true worship. I think when people read or hear that scripture our of Romans, that they stop reading or skip over this: "Let them be a holy and living sacrifice-the kind that He will find acceptable." Yes, the kind that GOD will find acceptable. Not your mom, not your friends, or even yourself, but God! I am not out to judge anyone, but I think you know just as well as I do who will judge.
Let's move on a little. What do you think personal worship is? Think about that for a moment. To be honest, there are a vast variety of definitions to place on worship. In my own opinion (which you don't have to pay too much attention to) worship is the heart's desire to serve and honor God. I personally think that is a pretty safe answer. In my concordance of my New Living Translation bible it states that worship is reverent devotion and allegiance pledged to God.
I like that last phrase "allegiance pledged to God." Mainly because that is the very first thing that it takes to worship God. Ephesians 2:6 says "It is by grace from God that you are saved! For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus." It takes putting your faith in Jesus Christ to initially start worshiping God with your heart. God desires a personal relationship with each and every one of us! And whether you agree or not, He is pulling us closer to Him everyday.
So now that we've kind of put a basic definition on worship, let us talk a little more about worship within the church. To be perfectly honest, it really does not matter to me what any congregation or group of believers does within their church. Mainly because it is their choice and I feel very grateful to have that freedom. At the same time, I also feel that the state of the church itself has fallen dramatically over the years. At this time you can be thinking, who is this guy to say that? Well, I actually agree, which is why I would ask you to read this in your own discretion. This is only my opinion.
A few weeks ago I was sitting in a class and we were talking about religion. The teacher was talking about different Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners that usually have some sort of religious affiliation. Sometimes they even require you to sit through a short service. He brought up that he thinks it is stupid that any place would require you to sit through a sermon in order to have a dinner provided for you. First of all, let's say the place was a crossroads. Say the teacher making his point was a homeless man and he walked into my crossroads that I happened to be running. Everyone knows that Crossroads is a faith based organization that helps the needy. So If he is that concerned about the whole faith thing, than why is he here at my crossroads? The door is right behind you, and we cannot force you to stay, but we're here to serve you and provide you with spiritual food, along with something to tame your appetite for a while. Now listen, I think anyone's opinion should be heard, and I am not going to shoot a whole lot of things down. But I do think that when it comes to topics like this people tend to be too biased because of their own spiritual agenda. Don't make an argument because you don't have faith. I'd just encourage you to see all sides of any argument, even non faith discussions. That's a very important aspect of life!
Here's where I hope my side becomes a little more clear. I've been a christian for a little over three years now, so I have a long way to go. But I've been to quite a few churches and know somethings about different aspects of faith and denominations.
There was a demographic that shocked me the other day. It said that ninety five percent of Christians don't actually sit down and read their bible, and they do not know what is in it. That's absolutely crazy. And whether it is true or not, I think it's an issue that has to be brought up in churches. Any one who calls them self a Christian but does not read their bible is not a Christian according to God's holy word. Psalm 1:1 says, Blessed is the man who does not follow the ways of the ungodly, or stand around like sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the Law of the Lord meditating on it day and night. To meditate on it day and night means to reflect on the scriptures, to memorize and utilize it to strengthen our souls. God sees that as a way to worship. To take time out of your busy day to spend time in the word that He created means the world to Him. And the way I see it, I might as well do what I can when I can to repay Him for His cross!
The church has to find its way back to its roots. I realize that the bible and the law is very traditional and at times boring. But don't you think that you'd rather learn more about your creator than hear a guitar solo that you'll forget in an hour? The church was founded on God's word, and a percentage still teach out of it and stand on it day in and day out.
A man and his family attend a small church every Sunday morning but skip the other two services. His wife and children are very happy most of the time and they are very close. His children are young and attend grade school and play sports competitively. His wife works at a hospital as a doctors assistant as a nurse. And he works at a small mechanics shop that does the best job in town. They are a middle class family that at times struggles to make it because they try a little too hard to compete with the neighborhood. They often go out on the town and are remodeling their home or their yard. They have a christian home and they attend church on Sundays. They consider their faith in God to be pretty good, but it can always be better. None of the four members of the family own a bible. Recently the van broke down, and things between the kids haven't been going well. The marriage has been a little rocky as the man has started to drink after work because of all the problems within the home. They're now at a place where they are struggling to survive and keep their house.
The man learned a very valuable lesson from the children's youth pastor one night when he went to pick up the kids one night. The father of the family wanted to simply ask for prayer for his family. The kids played around while the youth pastor and the father talked for a while. The dad had told the youth pastor about everything and they prayed together. Right before the father left, he turned around one last time, and said hey, pastor Marsh, could I maybe have a handful of bibles to take home? Pastor Marsh handed him the four that he needed and they were on their way.
From there on things started to change in the families home. They started to sit down and have small discussions about topics of faith and different scriptures in the bible that they had heard at church. The parents had seen quite the change in the two young children as well. Sally and Dustin started to do things that they normally would complain about often without being asked. They had a solid relationship together and were always playing together unlike before. The parents relationship was also healed and very improved. The man had stopped drinking and they had taken the steps they thought they needed to to have a more spirit led family.
Now, this is just an example of God working in lives. You could say that this was all just coincidence, but it's not even necessarily about faith in this situation. The man realized that he needed to step up and be a leader in the house and he did exactly that. The family used a more family based atmosphere to mend the broken relationships together, and that led to God changing their hearts. If we are obedient to God and His word, He will always provide for us. He will give us peace, justice, or whatever we need!
Now the real question to be answered: why are people in churches more concerned more about bringing people in, than allowing the God of the universe to pull them in Himself?
Some churches will do anything and everything that they possibly can to recruit people to come to their service. It's like a big party for christians, with the likes of: concerts during their worship services that include smoke, lights, and electric guitars, watering down of the truth to talk about more appealing topics, and last but not least religous leaders that allow it to happen.
This is only part one. I'm out of time at the moment, but part two to come soon and we'll talk more about truth in the church! God bless you all :)
Here's what I see wrong with that:
First of all, the bible talks about us as being one body of believers. No one should be worried about going to church with a specific group of people that are specific by age, sex, marital status. Say I'm an eighty four year old widower that will only go to church with eighty some year olds, that is not being a part of one body. It's ok to step out and mingle with other believers of different ages, sex, and even ethnicities. Not to mention other religions, but that's a whole other discussion.
Second, church should not be about having to recruit anyone to come to your church. There's a huge difference between a simple invite, and being appealing to people so that they will come. It's not about big stages, lights, or even music. If you really want to worship the Lord, worship God with your heart. I'm not saying that open worship services with music are wrong, but when the electric guitar outweighs truth about Jesus Christ, that's not a church. It's a concert. The true worship of God in the bible is with all your heart, all your soul, and mind. Honestly, you can sing all the words about God that you want, but if your heart isn't singing then it is not doing anyone any good. Romans 12: vs. 1-2 "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Do not copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person, by the renewing of your mind. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." That's true worship. I think when people read or hear that scripture our of Romans, that they stop reading or skip over this: "Let them be a holy and living sacrifice-the kind that He will find acceptable." Yes, the kind that GOD will find acceptable. Not your mom, not your friends, or even yourself, but God! I am not out to judge anyone, but I think you know just as well as I do who will judge.
Let's move on a little. What do you think personal worship is? Think about that for a moment. To be honest, there are a vast variety of definitions to place on worship. In my own opinion (which you don't have to pay too much attention to) worship is the heart's desire to serve and honor God. I personally think that is a pretty safe answer. In my concordance of my New Living Translation bible it states that worship is reverent devotion and allegiance pledged to God.
I like that last phrase "allegiance pledged to God." Mainly because that is the very first thing that it takes to worship God. Ephesians 2:6 says "It is by grace from God that you are saved! For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus." It takes putting your faith in Jesus Christ to initially start worshiping God with your heart. God desires a personal relationship with each and every one of us! And whether you agree or not, He is pulling us closer to Him everyday.
So now that we've kind of put a basic definition on worship, let us talk a little more about worship within the church. To be perfectly honest, it really does not matter to me what any congregation or group of believers does within their church. Mainly because it is their choice and I feel very grateful to have that freedom. At the same time, I also feel that the state of the church itself has fallen dramatically over the years. At this time you can be thinking, who is this guy to say that? Well, I actually agree, which is why I would ask you to read this in your own discretion. This is only my opinion.
A few weeks ago I was sitting in a class and we were talking about religion. The teacher was talking about different Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners that usually have some sort of religious affiliation. Sometimes they even require you to sit through a short service. He brought up that he thinks it is stupid that any place would require you to sit through a sermon in order to have a dinner provided for you. First of all, let's say the place was a crossroads. Say the teacher making his point was a homeless man and he walked into my crossroads that I happened to be running. Everyone knows that Crossroads is a faith based organization that helps the needy. So If he is that concerned about the whole faith thing, than why is he here at my crossroads? The door is right behind you, and we cannot force you to stay, but we're here to serve you and provide you with spiritual food, along with something to tame your appetite for a while. Now listen, I think anyone's opinion should be heard, and I am not going to shoot a whole lot of things down. But I do think that when it comes to topics like this people tend to be too biased because of their own spiritual agenda. Don't make an argument because you don't have faith. I'd just encourage you to see all sides of any argument, even non faith discussions. That's a very important aspect of life!
Here's where I hope my side becomes a little more clear. I've been a christian for a little over three years now, so I have a long way to go. But I've been to quite a few churches and know somethings about different aspects of faith and denominations.
There was a demographic that shocked me the other day. It said that ninety five percent of Christians don't actually sit down and read their bible, and they do not know what is in it. That's absolutely crazy. And whether it is true or not, I think it's an issue that has to be brought up in churches. Any one who calls them self a Christian but does not read their bible is not a Christian according to God's holy word. Psalm 1:1 says, Blessed is the man who does not follow the ways of the ungodly, or stand around like sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the Law of the Lord meditating on it day and night. To meditate on it day and night means to reflect on the scriptures, to memorize and utilize it to strengthen our souls. God sees that as a way to worship. To take time out of your busy day to spend time in the word that He created means the world to Him. And the way I see it, I might as well do what I can when I can to repay Him for His cross!
The church has to find its way back to its roots. I realize that the bible and the law is very traditional and at times boring. But don't you think that you'd rather learn more about your creator than hear a guitar solo that you'll forget in an hour? The church was founded on God's word, and a percentage still teach out of it and stand on it day in and day out.
A man and his family attend a small church every Sunday morning but skip the other two services. His wife and children are very happy most of the time and they are very close. His children are young and attend grade school and play sports competitively. His wife works at a hospital as a doctors assistant as a nurse. And he works at a small mechanics shop that does the best job in town. They are a middle class family that at times struggles to make it because they try a little too hard to compete with the neighborhood. They often go out on the town and are remodeling their home or their yard. They have a christian home and they attend church on Sundays. They consider their faith in God to be pretty good, but it can always be better. None of the four members of the family own a bible. Recently the van broke down, and things between the kids haven't been going well. The marriage has been a little rocky as the man has started to drink after work because of all the problems within the home. They're now at a place where they are struggling to survive and keep their house.
The man learned a very valuable lesson from the children's youth pastor one night when he went to pick up the kids one night. The father of the family wanted to simply ask for prayer for his family. The kids played around while the youth pastor and the father talked for a while. The dad had told the youth pastor about everything and they prayed together. Right before the father left, he turned around one last time, and said hey, pastor Marsh, could I maybe have a handful of bibles to take home? Pastor Marsh handed him the four that he needed and they were on their way.
From there on things started to change in the families home. They started to sit down and have small discussions about topics of faith and different scriptures in the bible that they had heard at church. The parents had seen quite the change in the two young children as well. Sally and Dustin started to do things that they normally would complain about often without being asked. They had a solid relationship together and were always playing together unlike before. The parents relationship was also healed and very improved. The man had stopped drinking and they had taken the steps they thought they needed to to have a more spirit led family.
Now, this is just an example of God working in lives. You could say that this was all just coincidence, but it's not even necessarily about faith in this situation. The man realized that he needed to step up and be a leader in the house and he did exactly that. The family used a more family based atmosphere to mend the broken relationships together, and that led to God changing their hearts. If we are obedient to God and His word, He will always provide for us. He will give us peace, justice, or whatever we need!
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