There are those that are teaching that you will always be joyous “if you keep God within.”
First off, God cannot be in us. We are the corrupt and the uncorrupt cannot come into that which is corrupted. We will always be corrupt until the moment of the rapture when that which is corrupt will be replaced with the incorrupt (1 Corinthians Chapter 15:53). At that moment, we will be able to truly stand in the presence of God. His presence though will be so great that all will bend down in awe and worship of His Glory.
Next, God will test us. Most test require a struggle. Some struggles will be so taxing upon us that we will weep and cry (Matthew Chapter 5:4). Therefore, those that teach you will always be joyous are not be faithful to the Gospel and are perverting it for their own satisfaction and reward.
As for rewards. Those that teach this message that you will always be joyful for the most part also teach that you will receive rewards for your joy and good deeds (donations to them). We are promised no rewards upon this earth. If we are given a reward, once we pray upon it and feel it is truly a reward given of God then we can give all praise and glory unto to God for only He is worth. If you say, it is for your good works and you pat yourself on the back then you have denied God. Also know that since we are not promised a reward upon this earth then who actually “gave’ us this reward and at what cost. For the world is not of God. (Luke 6:23-25)
Then why bother; someone will say when he or she read these words. This is one of the things I have been trying to get people to understand. This life. A life that could last over one hundred years is nothing when compared to the life we are promised by Jesus. God through the salvation of Jesus has promised us an eternal body. Pure and perfect. He has promised rewards that could never be matched. No matter how much money you have. In fact it states clearly in the Bible . That those that are rich here on earth have already received their reward and will weep when they live their eternal life.
How glorious this reward will be. This is the reward, this is the joy, this is the happiness we should always seek every day. It is something that is so glorious, wondrous and immense that you by natural desire wish to share it with others. For this is so much it is beyond measure and able to be shared with all.
This is the joy and happiness that you should seek after for once you know that no matter what happens in this life. No matter how horrid, sad, or miserable it is that you will be given this great prize.
All that is asked is that you worship God, acknowledge His Son as the Messiah and go through each day of this temporary life giving glory to God until He calls us up to begin the next journey of our existence that will last for an eternity.
General
As another year ends
Another year passes. Time marches on. Many days forgotten, few remembered. Pains of the past gone. Joys from days gone by remembered fondly. Some old chapters in life closed. Some new chapters begun. Some living in places they never though they would see or go too. Other living where they always have. Both happy with their choices.
Now a new year is beginning. New events to experience wait ahead for all. Some will be sad. Some will be tragic. Some joyful. Some hilarious.
In the year to come. Some will turn from God. Some will turn to God. Some will join God. Some will not.
In the days ahead new events will guide and change every person that now lives upon this earth. Few events will affect all. Some events will affect a nation. Many events will affect each person. All will give them the opportunity to learn and grow, but most will not realize it or ignore it.
To those that read this:
I wish you the best and hope you will see and accept the love of God and allow His Son’s teaching to give you insight, courage, love and peace. Even if you do not believe, He is real.
Discomfort with and about God
People do not like situations that are beyond their control. As a result, they have learned to limit God. The true glory of God is too frightening to them. Consequently, they encapsulate Him to at the most the planet and the least they attempt to make Him into their personal genie. When doing this they get upset and blame Him for not living up to their desires, or God gives them a glimpse of how powerful He truly is which in turn makes them feel inadequate.
It challenges their believe that they must control how their live goes and works. As a result, they are repelled; Runaway; Deny. If they still believe they become lukewarm neither hot nor cold for God. If they don’t they become Atheist that still seek after the rewards promised to us by God, but instead say it is nature’s doing and it may take centuries to accomplish
I find it funny how those that say God is not real then look into space and say there are aliens. They bring forth theories that state there are multiple dimension. What I find funnier is that they think humankind by itself can grow to a point that they evolve into a higher and eternal life form.
Why do I find it so funny? It is that has they deny God they seek to be with God. Aliens are angels possibly. The idea that there is multiple dimensions is already well documented in the Bible. Earth is in one dimension while Heaven is another one. Last of all seeking to evolve into a higher eternal life form. Again, we are promised this within the Bible.
The only difference in their believe is that humankind will go through several generations to reach this goal. The Bible states that ALL that have ever lived will have an eternal body.
One major factor that may cause issue with them is the fact that only those that are amongst the count will be able to explore the universe as servants of God, while those that deny Him will end stuck on Earth in a VERY warm location that will be VERY uncomfortable. How unfortunate that they must deny Him.
Do you truly know the reason for the season?
It is true that the exact day of His birth is not known, but the year He came to be among the humans is known. It became the dividing of the term B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini is Medieval Latin, translated as “In the year of the Lord”). It is how the years are measured within history. It is something that will not be changed until Jesus sets foot upon the Mount of Olives outside Jerusalem. Why? Because He is real. No other has effected how we view time, not even by those that followed their teaching throughout the centuries. Why? Because He really is the Son of God.
It is true though that humans have merged the celebration of His birth with other celebrations. They try to say this for Easter as well, but it is documented which day he did die upon the cross. That is the day when Passover was celebrated by the nation of Israel. The think is Easter is truly celebrated the event that took place three days later upon the Jewish calendar. That would be the day Jesus rose from the dead and returned from paradise and hell with the keys to both. Alive, breathing yet changed. He still bares the wounds to this day, for He is still alive.
This is one of the facts that many cannot get their head around because they are not willing to think beyond what they can see and feel.
This is one of the core elements of faith, to be able to think beyond not only the world around us but to have a believe in God and His omnipotent power to create not only the universe we now inhabit but another realm of existence that is known as heaven and that there are living beings in this place. Not only that, but they have the ability to go between the two. These are the facts for they are shown within the Bible and all scripture is inspired by God.
God is real. Jesus is real and is alive and it is His birth upon this earth to become the sacrificial lamb for our salvation is what Christmas is really all about. We are promised that though Him we will receive an eternal live that is how we also know that He is alive this very moment. Is that not something to celebrate, for that is what this season is truly for and it is well worth it.
Confessions of a screwed up middle aged man: Pettiness
It is something that still surprises me. Seeing someone act and behave with petty i.e. immature behavior. I see more and more as I age why Jesus clearly showed how corrupt the natural state of humanity is. I lived in the south most my life. Now I am not saying that there is not petty immature people in the south, by mentioning this point. Why I mention it is that it has allowed me to gain an insight into behavior I may not have noticed living my entire life where I now live.
I also think it is due to my salvation that I can see things in a different light, or a better phrasing would be with the light of God shown upon those about me. I have had a very diverse image upon life that not all can say they have had so that too helps me look at things in this light of Christ as many may not or purposely turn their heads away from.
At this time, I am going through a little bit of bumpy road at work. The one at its center, well other than me, is one of my bosses. It is a large enough company that there are bosses over bosses. Well as I look upon the issue I start to understand what is going on, and so all I think I can do is do what I am supposed to do as is taught by Christ. As I type this, the realization hits me, just so you understand where I am coming from.
I need to pray for this man as well as another of the bosses. They suffer from the ideal that since they are management that everything must be done in such a way and in such a manner that it gives them the feeling of control of the situation. I wish I could go into more detail, but let us just say that each day is different from the previous one or the one that is to come, well at least in the area I work in. It is an area that is demanding. I had raised to the next level recently having become bored with the “regular” challenges and sought after some that would actually make me think.
The thing is they sent me on a shift that had no other peers equal to that new level to discuss issues with to gain their insight. Not anyone who says you can go straight into a job without someone to help you out at first is not telling you the truth; they are also lying to themselves. I can go no further other than to say that this one boss did not like that I acted in a certain way. To his satisfaction, even though the reason for my actions goes back to them not providing me with something I requested from them several times that night.
As I stated though this person does not see it this way, nor does he wish to see the truth, for it would shatter his illusionary world of power and control. Have I grown from it? I would say yes. Has he? I would say no. Thus the need to pray for him. For it is his soul that is in need of the help not mine.
It was stated best in the movie “Angel and the Badman” with John Wayne, when dealing with his future wife. She was a Quaker; their outlook on faith is one that I think all should have. When someone seeks to do harm to you it. You may suffer some injury, you may even die, but it is not you that is ultimately being hurt. It is them they are hurting.
Our reward is not promised on this earth but in the eternal life that is to come beyond this temporal life, we now live. How we live this life though is a determining fact upon our reward in the eternal. When you seek to do harm to another through violence or simply removing them from a job because you do not like them it is your reward you are taking from yourself. Each action of hate, each word said in anger. Each act that causes harm to someone else ultimately lies at your doorstep. It is something you must answer for before God. Many who now think themselves Christian will be stunned to find themselves standing before God on the days of the Great White Throne Judgment. They had thought they would be among the counted but instead find themselves being judged to see if they are worthy of being welcome to live an eternal life free to serve the Creator of the Universe within and throughout His creation. All that stand before Him will weep and plead, but what they do not fully understand is even though God will be the one that ultimately says if they are welcome. Their own actions and behavior are their judge. For we are given the Bible to teach us what is right and wrong and if we do not follow these rules even though we may have been saved we will find that we can be removed from Jesus and thus from God Himself.
The Blindness of humans
Due to the corrupt nature of humans, most cannot accept, that there was ever a being that could perform miracles, like causing the lame to walk or even a man blind since birth the ability to see. Jesus through His sacrifice upon the cross gave us the ability to overcome our base nature. Yet there are many that say humans can overcome themselves. Just listen to that sentence in your head. How can someone defeat himself or herself? It is impossible.
Yet through Christ with His sacrifice, humans can overcome their base nature. It is through this salvation that the world of humans still exists. For without Christianity and Judaism humans base nature would have destroyed itself most likely during the dark ages. It was believe in God and the teachings of Jesus that the humans still walk this earth today.
Nonetheless, again a time of corruption rears its head. Once again, the human race is threatened by itself. They force God from the world and chaos has erupted in its place. However, there are those in the “wilderness” shouting out and saying, “Turn to the light of Christ!”
Mark 7: 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
The duel edge sword.
There are times we go through trials and tribulations. As I have said before some may be a pruning by God to allow you to become a better tool for His glory. There will be some trials that confound and confuse you because they come at you from a direction you did not expect. Usually in these instances, there is another party involved. Someone outside that you do not know how or why they crossed your path and sent you into a trail and tribulation. When there is others involved it is always a test upon both parties or all those involved.
In many cases, it will be something that is testing you to see if you grow in your faith, and let me say on a personal note, that all our faiths including mine own have room to grow.
Here is my point of this post. Even though we end up growing and become closer to God in this time of tribulation we may not be the may target. I could be the other person in the situation that is being tested. It may be the other person having their faith in God worked upon by Him.
Our responses and actions to this person might be something that God can use to make this other person realize they need to change and come closer to God. Or they may just need to go through this trial in their own way, but still your reaction is important.
An example:
The other day I was behind a person on the road that was driving erratically. I noticed that he was more interested in looking on the screen of his cellphone then upon the road. I come to this conclusion by the mere fact that he crossed the double yellow line and had to come to a near stop several time to make a simple corner. I have seen drunk drives drive better. So as I get to a stop light I start honking my horn.
He jumps out of his car comes running to my window and proceeds to curse and me.
My respond. “Yes I have a problem with you. You are texting. Read Titus 3:1”
This reference to the Bible made his eyes widen, step back and then turn and leave to his car, which he suddenly started running to as it rolled driverless toward the car in front of it.
Was I being given a trail? I would say yes, if you knew me before Christ you would understand.
Was he being tested? I would say definitely.
The Blood that cleans
Humans are corrupt beings. They are this way due to the fall from grace in the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve. No human on their own can make themselves clean. How can filth clean filth? It is impossible for there will always be filth left behind when this is done.
That was why God created the blood sacrifice. For centuries, it was the blood of the lamb. Then God allowed His Son to come amongst humans. He lived without sin, but witnessed sin. Then it was the humans that called for His death, His sacrifice, and so He went to the cross and shed His pure and clean blood. This Blood is so powerful that it cleaned all the filth from those that called upon Him as their Savior.
This salvation makes people change. That which gave them pleasure before no longer does and so they turn from that which was their old live in the filth. Sometimes though they do get dirty, but they ask God for His forgiveness and blessing and He gives it.
But humans are corrupt beings. They are told within the Bible that they must abide with Jesus. Live in His word and His teachings, but most do not. Soon they find themselves returning to those sins and forgetting to ask Jesus for His cleansing. Therefore, they falter and fall, until one day they are merely paper Christians. Their month says they are but their actions say they are the sin they once were.
Jesus called these the “lukewarm” and He said he would spew them from His month for they are no longer one with Christ or God and no longer worthy to amongst the counted.
Can they fix this? Yes they can, but many are so blinded they do not realize that they have faltered and fallen away. There are those that cry from the wildness calling upon them to repent and return to Christ. Some may listen, but most do not.
Mark Chapter 7:20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
John 15: 1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Revelation 3: 14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
It is time to look at the bigger picture
Too many especially within Christendom limit God. It is something that is truly sad. God is more than a creator of a planet no bigger than a speck of dust within the universe. God created the entire universe. The imagery given us in the Bible shows how powerful and great God is. Not only is He the created of the universe but He also created multiple dimensions. At this point, many have stopped reading or are laughing, but think on it. Can you see Heaven? Yet it exists. That means it is in a different plain of existence, this means it is a different dimension. You see you limited God. This is my whole point. We have learned so much in the last hundred or so years. It is said in Daniel that our knowledge would increase as the return of Christ grew ever nearer and that we would be go to and fro.
For centuries, it was fine believing so limitedly, because the knowledge we had equaled it. At one time humans believed that this planet was the center of all then they found that the sun was the center. Later still, they found that this sun was on the edge of a huge galaxy. Now we know there are thousands of galaxies. This does not change the believing in God but confirms this believe. For in the very first verse of the Bible it states that God created the heavens and the earth. Earth has always been a minor character when compared to the heavens, but we have never been minor characters to God. For if we were God would have never sent us His Son so we could be able to fellowship with Him.
All humans have grown as beings created by God. As the centuries pass, we gain more and more knowledge, which allows us to know that God is real. Yet at the same time, there are those that still deny His existence yet the very fact that we have reached this stage shows of His truth and Glory.
Overwhelmed – A song worthy of hearing.
What is quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite songs is “Overwhelmed” by Big Daddy Weave. In the very first verse, you hear this:
“I see the work of Your Hands
Galaxies spin in a Heavenly dance oh God
All that You are is so overwhelming”
Written by Mike Weaver and Phil Wickham. They show that more in Christendom need to wake up and notice. Too many times people limit God. Diminish God. Reduce God.
God is truly overwhelming. Yet He sees promise in each and every person. He seeks out a personal relationship, yet at the same time created the entire universe. A universe filled with millions of galaxies in which there are billions of solar systems. Yet God wishes to spend time with each and every one of us. He is so overwhelmingly powerful that He is able to do just that for He is truly overwhelming.