RELEVANCE

“When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.”    Hosea 1:2

Geez…., do I sense a relativity to this Book to today’s world in the great USA? I am saddened by the nature of our modern culture, for I do not belong. Morality is a custom that has lost its meaning… Is there any understanding to a conscience soul? Am I alone? So many “Christians” so easily blend in with this secular country, and they much easier still, excuse their behavior as an acceptance to their fallen nature and are sure that God will understand their shortcomings. What differs us from them? So many still believe that they can tread lightly in the dark but still walk in the light…. Supposedly almost as many Christians commit adultery, dwell in pornography, fornicate do their desire, lie, gossip, as the non-Christian. We make such great examples!!!! Just thoughts I ponder as I sit alone in my home at 1:00 AM in the morning. Why do I see so many bending the rules so easily…

INTERESTED FOLLOWERS

This post is for the very few who read this blog… I originally started this blog a couple months  back when I unknowingly created a blog when I was just trying to follow a blog from a very special young lady who is serving a mission in Cambodia. I decided to keep it and try to generate a dialogue over my posts from possible interested readers who provided comments about how they felt about what I wrote. I am far from being a theologian, and I am definitely not pious; I am simply a humble Christian. And, most of all, I do value any comments about my posts, input from others can be a learning experience. Also, if any of you that read this blog find it interesting or informative, please feel free to tell others about this blog. I would enjoy the possibility of knowing other’s ideas on their faith. Also, if you would like for me to post some of your comments, if it is legible, I just might…..

EVERYTHING

Find me here
And speak to me
I want to feel You
I need to hear You
You are the light
That’s leading me to the place
Where I find peace again

You are the strength
That keeps me walking
You are the hope
That keeps me trusting
You are the light to my soul
You are my purpose
You’re everything

And how can I stand here with You
And not be moved by You
Would You tell me how could it be
Any better than this

You calm the storms
And You give me rest
You hold me in your hands
You won’t let me fall
You steal my heart
When You take my breath away
Would You take me in take me deeper now

And how can I stand here with You
And not be moved by You
Would You tell me how could it be
Any better than this

And how can I stand here with You
And not be moved by You
Would You tell me how could it be
Any better than this

Cause You’re all I want
You’re all I need
You’re everything, everything
You’re all I want
You’re all I need
You’re everything, everything
You’re all I want
You’re all I need
You’re everything, everything
You’re all I want
You’re all I need
Everything, everything

And how can I stand here with You
And not be moved by You
Would You tell me how could it be
Any better than this
And how can I stand here with You
And not be moved by You
Would You tell me how could it be
Any better any better than this
And how can I stand here with You
And not be moved by You
Would You tell me how could it be
Any better than this
Would You tell me how could it be
Any better than this

LIFEHOUSE

please watch…….http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYO1Pf-_EQw

OUR SHEPHERD

“Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and  eats with them.”  So he told them this parable:  “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’  Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’  Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Luke 15: 1-10

The Lord is always there for us, and although at times we may not understand it, His patience is overwhelming. He stands with open arms, welcoming us if we seek Him. But….., we must accept that His grasp is for us, not us with all of our vices. We can’t hold on to the secular world and expect our acceptance into His. We can’t walk both in darkness and the light. However, what we can realize and know in our hearts, is that the Father is anxious for our return to him. His loving grace is available to all of us, no matter the soil upon our soul. All we need to do is humble ourselves as we seek His forgiveness comes as we express our remorse, regret, and have all intention to seek a life of righteousness. All of our trespasses the Lord is willing to wash away, all we have to do is to seek Him.

SODOM AND GOMORRAH, USA

Today it was Minnesota’s time…, State Supreme Court states okay for same sex marriage. This now makes twelve states out of our fifty. So many Christians are becoming complacent and or worst yet, compromising and becoming acceptance to the homosexuality which is becoming prevalent in this country. Yes, we should love our neighbor, and we should not personally judge them; however we do have the moral obligation to let them know that their behavior will always be unacceptable  to God. Our Lord is non-changing, He is not going to change His mind and allow their behavior. Why now are so many churches performing these wedding atrocities? Why are clergies preaching to their members that this is becoming okay? As Christians we must stay together in one spirit, divisiveness will only make the body weaker. Most churches still follow the Word on this issue, but more are falling everyday. Societies fall because they slowly and subtly compromise morality for self-pleasures. Our country was strong because we as a country generally followed righteous ideology. Our country, however, is losing God’s grace more and more as we fall in a ruin society.

SECULAR MEDIA

It is without doubt that the vast majority of the media is secular. They strive daily to desensitize our culture away from Christianity. Today, as I watched the movie “Lincoln”, is a prime example how our media subtly deceives us as they just as subtly rewrite history to solicit the proper response that they require. I have sadly noticed over the past several years that there is an almost always need to insert certain offensive words in the recent of movies. The word in which they definitely used the Lord’s name in an offensive manner by adding a suffix to it. In the movie Lincoln himself used this word a couple of times. Although there is no recorded messages from this time frame, based on the ideology of his written word, I feel unlikely that he would utilize this type of word in his communication process. Of course there is no way for me to verify this. So why does this vulgarity appear so very often in today’s movies? To me it is obvious used as a mean to desensitize the holiness of our Lord. As we go to the book store or library to choose to read a recent novel we are most often met with immorality as commonly accepted by most of the characters in the story. Do these novels truly reflect the general culture that we live in today?? Yes, there is Christian orientated literature, and perhaps we should to our best to avoid the secular genre which overwhelms us like a plague. However, it is nearly impossible to isolate ourselves away from this fallen world. And…, what do we do with this knowledge? I sit saddened…, for I know it is all beyond my own power to change any of this. Our realization should present a desire to join together to question their motives.

BIG BROTHER/LITTLE BROTHER

Sometimes coincidences happen, then sometimes God places us into situations. How do we know the difference? I have been asked if I really believe that God would take time to do simple things in this everyday life just for me, and I reply, yes. The fact is, God is involved in even the little things in our lives. There has been many instances in my life, as I have mentioned in a previous post, where I strongly have felt that HIS touch affected my life. Why would God play a very minor part in my life when He does not save millions of other lives?? All I do know is that there will come a time in our lives when we will look back and see how the very tiniest parts of the puzzle all fits together for HIS purpose.

One example I can mention, is how I became a big brother in the Big Brothers and Sisters Program. I had been interested in the program, being a divorced man with no dependents and time on my hands, I had a paternal yearning in my soul. Sadly, my one child, a great God-centered daughter, was given the extreme bad news that it would be very unlikely that she could ever have children. So…, my desire to be a grandfather proved just as unlikely. I was not seeking a grandchild, nor a replacement; however, I did feel that I could be a productive mentor. I asked my daughter and some friends what they thought of my desire, and they all agreed that I could be a good example for a boy to follow.

So…, about two years ago I was overjoyed when my pastor mentioned opportunities in this program. I soon after, sent a message to him and explained my interests. Unfortunately, he never responded. Possibly he was unsure of my character because of a situation with missions that I was involved in, which cause a rift between me and one of the church leaders. A situation which I feel I was mostly guiltless, but certainly not totally. Anyway, he simple never responded. And without his information, I had no idea how to proceed. So….., months went by and I simply dropped any ideas in that time. Then a friend wanted me to do a favor for him, a favor that would lead me with a couple of miles from where the church that I had been attending was located. Yes, in those months, my church presence was gone as well. I was frustrated by deceptions which I had encountered from some members of the church body. When I went to the location needed to help my friend, I realized that church service was soon to start, and I felt strongly that I should attend. That evening turned out to be the second time in the past 1 1/2 years that the Big Brothers Organization was mentioned. The pastor didn’t mention it, however a staff member made a brief presentation about it. I contacted him later that week. After a couple months and after the usual background checks and reference checks, I became a Big Brother. Coincidence????

I am the only Christian influence in his life…., I am, and no I am not being arrogant, but I am probably the only positive influence as well. Without me, his life could easily be steered wrong, and without me his knowledge of the Lord would be almost nil. We have now been together for a year and a half, and it all has been mostly positive.

If my Christian friend didn’t call me at that specific time for me to do a favor, I would not have been in church that night, and I would have never become a Big Brother. Yes, it is only a simple little thing in the overall aspect of life in this world……..  Or is it? Where will his life lead with my subtle guidance?

YOU GO, AND DO LIKEWISE

^“ And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”  And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”  And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”  Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.  So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.  He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.  And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’  Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”  He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”  Luke 10:25-37

To understand this verse better, you also have to know who the Samaritans exactly were. They were people who the Jews in Christ’s time shunned as great sinners; “idol worshippers apostates who intermarried with the Gentiles”. They were considered non-Israelites, and even Jesus in scripture almost had a condescending attitude to them when one looks at Matthew 10:5-6. Thus, it is obvious by scripture and history that the apostles and their followers were far from fans of the Samarians, they thought of them as low class citizens for generations, before Christ even came. However, Christ needed to make a statement to emphasize this “loving your neighbor” comment. All of humanity is our neighbors, no matter their ideologies. To truly serve is to humble ourselves before all others, and serve all of our brothers. We are not to pick and choose who to help and not to help, but to help all those who are in need, and to those who we can.