The Real Side of Life

anjewww:

Charlie Sheen, is all over the news this week because he’s a celebrity drug addict. Justin Bieber was all over the news for 2 days this week because he cut his hair. While Andrew Wilfahrt 31, Brian Tabada 21, Rudolph Hizon 22, Chauncy Mays 25, Christopher Stark 22, Kristopher Gould 25, David Fahey 23 are all soldiers who gave their lives this week with no media mention. Honor THEM by re-posting RIP Lads.

I have more respect for soldiers than I have for almost everyone else

(Source: followpoppunk)

(This is one of the first things I wrote in the Spirit! This is really old.)

The world needs a Revolution, not a political revolution or an economic revolution. It is time to start the Spiritual Revolution. It needs to start with us. It needs to start with you.

 Christianity is becoming more and more unpopular among our younger generation today. They say we are old fashioned, our agendas are too political, and we are anti-everything. They say we are the most hypocritical out of the faiths. I know you are sitting there and saying, “How dare they say such things?” However, did you stop and think that what they see in us is how they are coming up with these perceptions of us.

 It will be a difficult task as followers of Jesus to deal with this hostility without getting a little bent out of shape, but that is what we are called to do. We now have to do some serious self-examination. Are we really showing the love that Christ showed? Are we just sitting in the four walls we call a church and praising God shouting Amens and Halleluiahs but are racially and socially biased towards our neighbors? Is our worship just enough to keep us content with our salvation; as if we are doing God the favor? Are we just showing love to those who show us love? When all the while Jesus is telling us that we must show love to everyone even the ones that show us hatred, the ones we think are different than we are, and every sinful person out there because that what we are. Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek; others say, “Well you can do that as long as you don’t get ran over. Jesus still wants you to stand up for yourself.” Well Jesus never stood up for Himself as a man. Matter of fact, if He did stand up we would not have had our sin debt paid for. He stood up for His Father and His Father’s House. Then there are those that turn the other cheek but only to gossip and slander the one that hurt them. We must start this revolution, this revolution of our heart. Jesus never retaliated against the lost only the righteous. Whom do you think Jesus would side with, those who are lost looking for the truth or those of us who distort the truth like the Pharisees did? 

We as Christians need to get back to the root of Christ. We need to start performing acts that are pleasing to God. Our deeds should reflect our faith in Jesus Christ not our denomination, or town, or race, or gender. We need to pour prayers over people instead of judgment. We need to spread the message of hope not the message of despair. Our God loves us and provides mercy and grace not condemnation and death. We choose to ignore grace and mercy that we provide ourselves with condemnation and death.

We need to start a Revolution of Truth. The truth of Jesus Christ, not that we are just trying to win converts to our church but that we are trying to set up eternal relationships.  We are so caught up sometimes in personal agendas we forget the purpose we evangelize. We need to tell the world the truth that Jesus brought, not the truth that man creates. Why is it that Christians are being looked upon negatively and not just by those who are outside our walls but even by the young adults inside the walls? We harbor a “do as I say” attitude instead of a “do as I do” attitude. Nevertheless, this is not just an older generation problem it rests on the shoulders of our youth and young adults as well.

Some of the most damaging relationships are among the youth. They ask others to come to church and they preach this Jesus and then there out on the weekends partying with drugs and alcohol, having sex doing the very things that they are preaching against. How can we show an attitude of Christ when we live our lives like the Sodomites did?  The truth is you cannot. Hypocrisy is not just an old person thing it is an every person thing. When you pollute your mind with the desensitizing messages from the media outlets in TV, movies, and music and others see that, you weaken your witness. How strong are you? You’re not strong, you are weak! You find strength in God! Can you trust that He will make you strong? Are you able to be a part of this revolution? Is your faith built upon the Solid Rock?

So, why does our Christian youth act like this? Where do they learn their faith applications? Other Christians! Are they seeing us live a life that shows the truth of Jesus or is it the truth of man?

Parents you are the frontline in this revolution because it will take a strong leadership to lead the troops into battle. Parents, if your kids do not see the kind of faith that promotes change then they will not follow. Kids are starting to realize that going to church and volunteering for the fundraisers, and participating at the food bank, and being a part of a ministry inside the church does not make you a Christian it makes you a good church member. However, when they see love from you that pours out over everyone around you; that makes a different in people’s lives, they notice that. When they see that you look upon people in a non-judgmental way and love people because they all are loved by God, they notice that. Your kids notice when you do not pressure them to be something they are not. Parents we have to start a revolution. We have to get our priorities straight and let our kids know those priorities.  We have to start showing the God is first and everything in our lives even when it is difficult to do. God has to come before the spouse, the kids, the job, the house, the cars, the money, everything. If God is not first, then we are not following His commands and how can we tell our kids to do what Jesus commands. Second, our spouse is next in line above our kids, and our kids need to know that. Then the kids are next. I tell you if we set our priorities in that order, God will provide order in our lives. Parents we need to start the Revolution! We are faced with abortions, drugs, sex, alcohol, peer pressure, self-mutilation, suicides, and a multitude of other influences on our kids’ lives but until we are walking the path, we are unable to provide a stable influence that is positive. Our message should be of hope, mercy, grace, faith and love. It should not be a condemning message. We need to discipline them but not without a proper understanding of why. In all cases, we need to apply our actions according to the Bible and Jesus’ teachings. We are the parents, our children will emulate our faith and how you live it. Parents lets lead this Revolution!

Priorities, priorities, priorities, what will we do until we get those straight. As I described to the parents; everyone’s priorities are not much different. We just need to give it all to God. God must be everything! I do not think I can say it any clearer. Until you give God everything in your life, you will never be able to really to change the perceptions of the unchristian. The Revolution will pass you by. Give up the world and give in to Jesus.

As Christians, we are bent on doing so much yet we take little time to love, to pray, to serve. We need to look out and see the need and meet the need. We need to become selfless. I know the teachings of Christ are very difficult to follow but Christ knew we could if we set our sights on God. When you love like God wants you to love, and then you break barriers. When you build relationships, you build confidence. When you focus on Jesus, you lose interest in the world. The Revolution starts today! Will you be with us or will you be against us.

Many prayers are being lifted up for understanding and truth to be revealed. I see that he has become accountable for himself in his own mind and he has made his choice for his beliefs. I saw that he is trying to reason with worldly intellect which is his choice but at some point everyone will face the truth that their can only be one truth. Remember that we as The Body walk and work to never forget Scripture and sometimes we need to know when to apply Scriptures like Matthew 7:6 and when God’s wrath is reveled in the form Paul spoke of in Romans 1, when God turns us over to the depravity in our lives. I pray that the Holy Spirit does a mighty work to remove the scales from the eyes of the “intellectually enlightened” and realize that religion made by man was not God’s plan but the religion of God explained in James 1:27 is and will be as simple as take care of and love the orphans and the widows and remain unstained from this world. Love all, pray always for everyone, rejoice always, and give thanks to the One who created all for all things. WE need to become a forceful church not a forced upon church. We need to be the Church and stop the routine of just going to Church. Praise God for the warriors who are storming the Gates of Hell and battling on the front lines! Keep marching forth and let nothing extinguish your faith, Might Warriors. And remember from the lyrics of @fortodayband

“Hell, fear me. I am the one that will bring you down.
And when you fall, feel me. You’ll see my face on the battleground.
Hell, fear me. I am the one that will bring you down.
And when you fall, feel me. You’ll see my face on the battleground.

Let my name be feared at the gates of hell, as I exalt the Savior.
The One that died to buy my victory, and gave me a new name.
Let my name be feared at the gates of hell, as I exalt the Savior.
In the name of the Holy One of God,
I will cast you down at the foot of the cross He hung from.
I will stand behind my Savior, as He burns your kingdom down.
And I will see you on your knees before the King of Kings.
You will lose your throne to the chosen ones. The chosen ones will rise.

Tear it to the ground! This is the army we’ve been waiting for.
Tear it to the ground! We will storm the gates of hell and we will…
Tear it to the ground! We stand behind the one that conquered death.
Tear it to the ground! And we will stand when there is nothing left.
Tear it to the ground! Tear it to the ground!

Justice! Justice! Justice! God, bring justice!
Justice! We will come against the bondage of hell.
Justice! And we will take back what’s taken from us.
Justice! This is our right as heirs to dominion. God, bring justice!

This war will end.

I am the one that will bring you down.
And when you fall, feel me. You’ll see my face on the battleground.

Hell, fear me. I am the one that will bring you down.
And when you fall, feel me. You’ll see my face on the battleground.”

As I caught the blog of a friend @emorycolvin about this #OneWord2011 @gritandglory (GritandGlory.com) I thought that it was not just a great idea but a way to enter a self discipleship phase of my life. I saw the blog and decided to PRAY about the Word God would give me. What was funny it was literally right in front of me. I looked down at my Bible and saw 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Even though Three words were right in front of me “Rejoice, Prayer, Thanksgiving” only one was the ONE. Prayer, I realized that prayer is the one thing that I do but do not live. I never paid attention to my prayer life. I thought I prayed but I don’t pray like Jesus. I remember seeing the first time the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. I wondered if we have ever asked God how to pray. So this year everyday my devotion is to ask God How to pray. However it is not just about learning God’s way of prayer but to the exact word He gave me; “Pray Constantly”! I know that this will be more than I can handle alone, so I know I will have to trust in Him for focus and strength. I know it will change me, my mind will constantly be on Him if I follow through. I will be stretched to be uncomfortable and live out of myself and live in Christ. This will be interesting! I am looking forward to having a real prayer life in God’s design!

I thought about how we as the chosen are so often living lost. I look at the chaos in the lives of others and mine and try to discern the disconnect we have from ourselves and God. I was trying to understand this when God through a conversation with another person opened a Word to me. He brought me back to the masterful verses Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 : “Rejoice always, pray constantly, and give thanks in everything.” Such simple words with such profound meaning. If we would just let those words seep into our souls and allow the Holy Spirit move us to true understanding we would see such a miraculous change in our lives. Place emphasis to find your understanding through the Holy Spirit today in what this says to and about your life in Christ. For me I saw that if I would just be joyful in all things the sucky and the great, take up a consistent and constant praying attitude and alway give thanks for every single thing; that my life would be molded into one that is living in Christ. Though my big thing will be prayer (that will be covered in the next blog) I need to focus on a life that is modeled by Christ that I can live up to the calling “Disciple of Jesus”.

Drought

Well as I was reading Jeremiah 14 today it got me thinking about the rain we have had this year. We have had an abundance of rain, so much so that the ground can barely soak it up. But in Jeremiah 14 they didn’t have an abundance they had a drought. God was punishing the land for their wicked ways. His wrath was being shown by holding back the rain. He even told Jeremiah not to intercede on their behalf, because the people had totally turned their backs on God and went to find their hope in false Gods.

Jeremiah on the other hand could no longer take it and started to plead with God. In verses 19 - 22 he is really trying to reach God on Israel’s behalf. He is asking God why and please for your Glory turn the rains back on. He is begging God to forgive the people. He even tells God that it is only Him that makes the rain fall, no false god or ritual or dance will bring rain from the sky. Then at the end of his plea he says “So we will wait for you to help us.”

So that got me thinking how we have complained so much about how much rain has fallen this past year. Then I thought about a couple of years ago when we didn’t have a drop. When lakes that supplied people’s drinking water was about dried up. When people couldn’t even water their yards because we had to conserve it for other more important uses. Through all those hardships of that drought we now find ourselves complaining now when the Lord is giving an abundance.

When will we ever be happy with God? See I think we forget how great God is! God has provided for abundantly and I believe when we soon forget that He can stop that abundance. He says we are to have life, an abundant life, but only if we do it in Christ and through Christ. When we start to turn away form Him you can surly count on the abundance to stop. Jeremiah sought God out to pray on the behalf of those who have turned away even when God said don’t do it. That is a pretty bold love that he had for Israel.

Will we turn to God and start to thank Him for this abundant life that He is have given to us? Or will we complain at every turn of the road?

Let’s give God the glory and praise He deserves in every aspect of our lives! Let’s also not be impatient with God either if we ask in Christ then we know He will answer us. We just have to wait for His time.

I have noticed that everyone will jump on the Scripture band wagon if it makes them feel good. If it gives them something to cheer about. They especially love it when they can use it against someone else to show the faults of another. They love to Amen it on Sunday morning. However, once they realize that Scripture applies directly to their life they shut up and turn their eyes from it. No more rejoicing or “Amening”. The moment the truth is for them; they turn and run. I think we need to first understand that Scripture where Paul tell those in Thessalonica to rejoice always, never stop praying and give thanks in everything, 1 Thess 5:16-18. We need to have the mindset to cherish His Word the most when it stings (that’s growth people) and apply it when truth reveals the lie in our life. Stop living like nothing matters but yourself. Live like the King of Kings gave His life for you!