Another Choice

If I ask God to do something, and He doesn't do it, I say, "Well, He must not exist."

If I ask for God to do something, and He does it, I say, "That would have happened anyway."

So exactly how is He supposed to reach me?  What can He do?

God will allow the natural pain of my own choices to drive me to another choice.

But I numb the pain with alcohol.

I am distracted from the pain with sex.

I blame others for the pain.

When nothing stops the pain, I see the other choice.

I can blame God for the natural pain of my own choices.

Or I can ask Him for help.

If I blame Him I am saying He is real, but He is evil.

If I ask Him for help, He will help.

Then I can say, "That would have happened anyway" and I would know I was lying when I said it. 

And the pain would begin again.

Or, I can say, "Thank you, my Heavenly Father, you are good and you are real."

And He will never leave me.

When satan works through "christians"

It has been reported that a close city has the most bowling alleys, bars, and churches per capita of any city in the USA.  I don't know if that is true but I definitely know we have a lot of churches.  We have a lot of Christians here, people who know Jesus personally and follow him daily.  What I am concerned about is those who say they are Christians, but don't follow Jesus.  They are driving away people who might otherwise come to know Jesus.  Let me explain.

There are Christians who pray at an abortion clinic.  They convey the unconditional love and acceptance of Jesus to the many times scared, vulnerable women who are dealing with the most important and difficult decision they may ever make.  But recently another kind of "christian" has been found outside the abortion clinic.  I have heard a first-hand account of someone being yelled at, being told they are going to hell, insulted, etc. while going into the clinic.  They were not pregnant, not considering an abortion, but nonetheless traumatized by the hatred of "christians."

When I heard this from her I apologized for the people using the Name of Christ as they acted contrary to the Will of Christ.  We agreed that Jesus would not have acted that way.  She is not a Christian however she understands Jesus far better than his supposed "followers."  She has said she hates Christians and I understand why.

There is a bumper sticker I have seen that I never experientially understood until now.  It read, "Dear Jesus, please save me from your followers."

Jesus anticipated this.  He said a tree is known by its fruit.  A good tree does not produce bad fruit, and a bad tree does not produce good fruit.  You will know them by their fruit.  These "christians" are producing bad fruit and Jesus says they are not his representatives.  He doesn't know them.

If you are investigating Jesus, remember, anyone can call themselves a Christian.  Real Christians aren't perfect and they will tell you they are not perfect.  But you should be able to sense the kindness and humility of Jesus from them; not a spirit of self-righteous condemnation.

The Antidote for Arrogance

I find I am most arrogant when I feel worthless or insignificant.  And when I am feeling confident, affirmed and supported I feel I can risk humility.  This seems to fit the "opposite rule."  That is, the arrogant are really insecure.  The tough guy or girl fears they are weak.  The boastful believes he or she is nothing of value.

When I am arrogant, tough, or boastful, please give me grace.  Remember that what I need from you is love, affirmation and sense of worth and value.  They may be the last things I deserve and the last things you "feel" like giving.

But watch God make them work.

Can my relationship with Jesus ever end?

In reading the entire Bible I have read portions that suggest that after I know Jesus, and He knows me, that I can choose to reject Him and spend eternity without Him.  I also have read portions that suggest that if I reject Him it is proof that I did not ever know Him and He never knew me.  And, that if I ever knew Him, and He knew me, He would never leave me.

So what does it matter?  Who cares?  Is this a game of words without consequence?

When I was first found by God I thought I had to "persevere" to the end of my life with my "faith" to prove I was worthy of heaven.  I had to make it to heaven based on my performance.  Then I came across the idea that my future has been secured by Jesus.  My relationship with Jesus did not start based on my behavior and it will not end based on my behavior.  My future is based on Jesus power to save me from start to finish; not in my ability to not reject Him.

One of the things I learned while severely mentally ill, was that I am totally depraved without Jesus.  I had the illusion of being "pretty good" in my own eyes.  When my mind left me and with it all perceived respect from others; when I had no support from family and friends; when I was powerless to get what I wanted or needed; when there was no pay-off for being "good:"  I chose evil.  I sunk lower than I ever believed I would.

I do not pretend that there is anything good in me, apart from Jesus.  And, if my salvation is based in any way on my ability to keep it; I am as good as lost.  I have told Jesus I give up the choice to reject Him if, in fact, I have that ability.  I told Him that I am completely depending on Him to keep our relationship forever.

And Jesus is answering that prayer.  Now, I don't have to fear failing. And so I am free to say to Him, do whatever You want in my life, Lord, whatever You want.

And He does.

I was Wrong! (Again)

Andrew Farley has explained to me why I was wrong about tithing, wrong about the Sermon on the Mount, wrong to think I might lose my salvation even if I reject Christ, and more.  If the Son sets you free you shall be free indeed!  It is for freedom Christ has set me free!

http://subsplash.com/churchwithoutreligion/s/a8592bd/

How do I Deal with that Problem Person in My Life?

Rick Warren, Pastor of Saddleback Church, is insightful and easily understood in this video that showed me how to deal with the biggest problem person in my life when it comes to conflict... me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1udN6OShf4&app=desktop

How do I experience true love?

Jesus didn't suffer infinite pain for you, and experience infinite separation from his Father, because he wanted you to be "saved."  Or because he wanted you to "believe in him."  Or because he wanted you to escape the fires of hell and enjoy the pleasures of paradise.

God in Jesus on the cross, was making a way so that He could be your everything.  So that He could lavish his infinite love on you.  So that you and He could be intimate lovers.  So that you and He could be friends.

This relationship is not experienced by praying the right prayer or believing the right truth and then putting "God" away until next Sunday.  It is not experienced by giving the right amount, frequent church attendance or Bible reading and prayer the right number of times per week.

It is experienced when we actually do what God tells us to do.  And what God said to do was, love one another as I have loved you.  No man has greater love than he lay down his life for his friends.  And you are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command.  We are to lay down our lives for one another.  Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel will find it.  Love God, love people.

What we do for others out of obedience to God reveals how much we love God.  (Disclaimer:  We do not do for others to get God to accept us, love us or forgive us.  Jesus accomplished that for us when He died on the cross.  Acceptance, love and forgiveness is a gift He freely gives us).

When the prostitute washed Jesus' feet with her tears and dried his feet with her hair she showed much love.  Those who are kind to the poor honor God and He will reward them for what they have done.  He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.  Filled with joy are those who give others much mercy for they will receive much mercy.  If your enemy is hungry, feed him.  If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  Forgive and you will be forgiven.  Give and it shall be given back to you, pressed down, shaken together and running over the top.  Blessed are you, loved of my Father, for I was hungry and you fed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and in prison and you visited me.

You see, faith is not something you have, like a movie ticket, holding it until you die and then exchanging it for entrance into heaven.  Faith is something you use everyday, to discern what God is specifically telling you to do right now and doing it.

That is when you know you are saved, that is when you know you believe in him, because that is when you experience the Love of your Friend.

What would you want Jesus to do?

Jesus got to shore and was met by a man who had been acting "crazy" most of his life.  The man lived naked among the graves and no one could control him. The man pulled to pieces any chains he was in and he often cried out; cutting himself with stones.  Jesus had compassion on the man.  But he couldn't help him.  You see, this man was of another religion and it was against the law to convert him to following Jesus, which Jesus knew would happen if Jesus healed him.  Also, the media had been misreporting that when Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God" that Jesus was really rebelling against the government and advocating that people not pay lawful taxes.  What would they report if he removed evil spirits from a man not considered competent to give informed consent?  And what about the people who said mental illness was a myth?  What if they said Jesus should value the man's differences, not judge his lifestyle, and coexist with him?  And what about the mental health community?  They don't believe in demons. They would be offended if Jesus cast out demons into pigs, and the pigs immediately committed suicide, proving that demons do exist.  They might lobby to have Jesus' license to practice counseling revoked.  And what about the owners of the pigs?  Did Jesus ask permission to send demons into them?  Was Jesus going to pay restitution?

What if you were the man or woman standing there in front of Jesus, with your future and your sanity hanging in the balance.  What would you want Jesus to do?

Mark 5 in the Bible.

Jesus is NOT on my side in politics

WWJD in this political turmoil?  Guns, immigration, health care, taxes, redistribution of wealth...  I invite you to learn with me as I learn from Andy Stanley as he learns from Jesus.  I found out Jesus is NOT on my side... http://yourmove.is/episode/avoiding-election-infection/

Changes

Stop being open to being changed by instruction, and you will slowly walk away from the right path. (my imperfect paraphrase of Proverbs 19:27)

I read somewhere (I'm sorry I don't know to whom to give credit) that this is like the Apollo moon missions in the 1960's.  On the way to the moon they would set the correct trajectory but would also repeatedly check it to see if they were still on course.  About 90% of the time they weren't and needed to correct their course.

I think when God has broken through my arrogance and pride and I have listened to Him and made a major change in my life that I am done.  I'm glad I won't have to deal with that flaw in my character again.  But like one who is making a sculpture, God has only chipped away a piece of the stone He is transforming.  I must make future major changes in my character as God puts pressure on my life and I respond by being open to His instruction.