Life Sucks... so?

Life Sucks

25"For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26" Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?
27"And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,
29yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these.
30"But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!
31"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'
32"For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Suck is pretty much the going rate for life, nowadays. Everyone is saving up their jellybeans for the big jar at the end of this ride, but what is it getting us? Why do we do what we do? Are we going to follow the “he who dies with the most toys wins” logic?
There is a particular idea/truth I like to remember… God is on the throne. Some might not see this as truth, but for those with faith in Jesus Christ.. this should be an understanding beyond just an idea. He created the world. He created us, and the last thing He’s going to do is sit back and let us just waste away. There are plans for us. We have to step out in faith… and perform every task as if it were an act of worship..
This may sound odd.. “how is taking the trash out an act of worship?” it is in our attitude. At Iron City, we were challenged to give God the first 15 minutes of the day in prayer. Some may wonder how you can pray for 15 minutes… most can vent to a friend for longer than that… so why not vent to the One that has the power to change things? We’ve gotten stagnant in our prayer… we pray for someone to be healed and then are shocked when it actually happens. This is not how it should be.
I don’t know what will happen with my job.. or with my future.. but one thing I do know is that God is on the throne.. Jesus Christ died for me…. And as long as I remain obedient, He’s gonna get me through whatever. Life won’t be easy.. but keeping our eyes fixed on Him (Hebrews 12:2) we will find the ability to sing and praise through adversity.. just as the apostles did while in jail in the book of Acts 16
23When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely;
24and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.
25But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them;
It’s a new form of discipline to sing through adversity.. but sports teams have talked about “playing through the pain”… why can’t we when our leader is the Great Physician?

an intro...

How far must a man go before he fully understands his world and the ones that fill it? Somewhere, between Heaven and Hell, lies man's existence and the struggles he faces to accept or deny the fates that surround him. To each is a justification; to each is a curse. Beneath the skin and bone, a spirit resides; a soul. Some are in tune with their soul while others allow it to be manipulated and controlled.

Keeping the Reason in the Season

this is the written form of what i preached on December 12 2010 at Iron City Church

www.ironcitychurch.com

What's the big controversy right now? Every year its the same thing, Christmas, Xmas, Holidays.. People become divided over what to call this time of year, and the Christian world defends it with "Jesus is the reason for the season."

What purpose is there in this season to have a reason? Why do we celebrate? Jesus IS the reason.. whether He was born on December 25th or not. The truth is in Christ's birth. His existence

This was the only time I would openly say it, but I do believe we should say Merry Christmas. Christmas is what gets everyone shopping on the day after Thanksgiving and Dr. Seuss didn't write "how the grinch stole columbus day". We don't say "happy holidays" in the spring/summer time when Memorial Day and Independence Day are celebrated. The Birth of Jesus Christ changed the world FOREVER. Our timeline revolves around it. (ie. BC and AD).. Hannakah is a fine example of God's provision, but not the world's salvation.

There are people that will fight tooth and nail to keep the name Christ in Christmas, but with how commercialized and self seeking this world has become.... really? Lets look at the fistfights on Black Friday.. and when a friend of mine had her shopping cart overturned and emptied just so someone else could use it. Working in retail for 10 years and seeing all this, I wanna know why we would want to put Christ's name on this behavior.

I heard the argument, "not all christians act this way." True. Not all germans hated jews, but World War II was against GERMANY. Who's to blame? I'd like to say "all of us".. and to a point I'd be correct. But the culprit is The Devil. John 10:10 says "the thief comes to steal kill and destroy." The devil is the thief and has come to take God's glory. He has blinded us with the idea that we serve and celebrate by a mere name instead of our actions.

Be not deceived, God is not mocked.

He will have His way in declaring His glory . What He needs is for us, as Christians, to keep the real reason and not worry about Holiday Crap. Everyone celebrates in their own way, and some don't even celebrate. Romans 14:5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. We can't force people to celebrate in the same ways if they don't believe the same things.

Its all about function over fashion. Seriously, this is the most wonderful time of the year!! (no one gave me an amen). It's really hard to believe. Who can say they don't have problems or hurts? Everyone has something going on in their lives and this time is "so wonderful" that everything just magnifies. Suicide rates escalate around this time.. so how wonderful is it, really? How can anyone celebrate?

So seriously. What IS the reason for the season? If all it brings is troubles and controversy... why have this season???

Advent Calendars, Santa Claus, Poinsettias... all these are really nice.. but when it comes down to it.. Jesus REALLY is the Reason... and we need to remember the purpose..

Psalm 147:3 + 6 He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.

The LORD supports the afflicted; He brings down the wicked to the ground.

The Devil tries to blind us of the psalm's truth. He makes us forget that with all our problems and hurts, that this IS the most wonderful time of the year because Jesus came to heal us. He's gonna take all our crap and say "My Blood covers that."

As His children, we need to be His light in this world; His instruments of healing. Helping the homeless, visiting the sick and hurting, lending a hand to those in need, this is true celebration of the season. This is the reason. We can't let the devil steal our blessing by attempting to get us focused on our problems. We can't focus on the commercialized nature of this world...

Remember.. it was JESUS that cleansed the temple and overturned the money changing tables... NOT the Disciples...

The Disciples were sent to spread love and healing and touching people with Christ's LOVE...

This

Is

The Reason.

Relational Trash

i can relate to trash. i was asked how.. it's quite simple...

trash is not created. trash happens. no one wakes up one morning and says "i'm going to make something that people will just throw away.." in its created form, the thing we call trash has value and worth. empty paint cans could be considered trash. but were they created to be empty? no. they were created to hold paint.. to keep it protected until the time of use. it is after being used that the trash happens. trash is the left over product.. the result of being used.

when i was created.. God had a purpose for me.. God created me.. as well as everyone else.. with a purpose in mind.. to serve Him.. to do His will.. to carry His Holy Spirit.. however.. having been used and abused by sin and sinful lifestyle.. i became empty.. no longer holding that Holy Spirit.. left over trash..
God did not create me to be empty.. but filled... and blessed so that i could be a blessing..

for the paint cans.. their original use may have been spent.. but paint is still created.. paint is still poured.. and even if the purpose of carrying paint is no longer.. there are still other uses for a paint can...

one man's trash.. is another man's treasure. and what if that Man is the Son of God...

even in my empty state.. Christ sees me.. and sees what i CAN be.. and He loves me.. and He pours out Himself into me... so that i can go from trash to treasure..

Equipped

i was mowing the lawn the other day... something i typically do weekly..

at one point last year i came across a black snake in the woodpile, but i had no way to dispose of it.. so since then i have carried a machete.

every time i mow, however.. i ended up getting cut up and scratched up by branches and bushes.. tree limbs that hang down smack my head and rip my glasses off.. i usually just suck it up and take the pain.. then it finally hit me...
i have a machete on my side... it is used to chopping limbs... so i removed the problem..

i was equipped to remove the hinderances in my task, but failed to use it properly..

how many times in daily life do we stumble or run into things that hinder us... things that could be easily taken care of if we just pay attention to what we are equipped with.. God gave us His word.. His Holy Bible to help us deal with pressures.. pains.. temptations...
it's more than just something to follow along with the pastor on sunday.. but a training source and motivator..

delight yourself in the Lord.. draw near unto Him..

equip yourself with the sword of the Holy Spirit.. the word of God.. and cut through branches that scrape and cut your soul...

Next Week, and thensome

I'll be preaching at Little Hill United Methodist Church. the passage to be preached will be Acts 2...

it's gonna be called Tongues of Fire and Common Men..

it's amazing how God can use just about anyone to fulfill His purpose.. He used Nebuchadnezzar and even the mouth of a jackass to speak to Balaam. the kingdom of Christ was not accelerated by religious leaders, even the ones that followed Christ... but it was common men.. fishermen, tax collectors, shepherds... that spread the word and changed people's lives...

this means we can all be used by God.. in one way or another...

what bothers me the most is when people who claim Christ in their lives, live like He's not there... they try to get people "saved".. but act like they're going to hell with everyone else... there is no fruit... no reason for people to even see a change that will want them to take up this radical belief.. i've been guilty of this... but i know the error of my ways..

Clayton King wrote in a book that he drove past an old church... it was 200 years old and had seen countless revivals and acts of God... but as the years wore on.. politics and less spiritual things came into it.. and eventually.. the church was dead.. . he was sad at first.. but then realized... if it was no longer effective for Christ.. it needed to die.. so others may grow..

people that make God a mockery... would be better off dead than living their ineffective lives... being a stumbling block to those that are actually seeking Him..

harsh, yes.. but Christ said that if anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble.. it would be better that they have millstone tied around their neck and thrown into the sea...
there is no such thing as a Grace Period when you know that you're not living for God.. its' a deception period where you're in the devil's sights... do i lack compassion? probably.

but i think the church as a body lacks committment and values.. we all wait for the big time preachers to cause change.. and then persecute them when they collapse under pressure.. we commit sexual sin and then burn the evangelist in effigy when he gets caught doing something that we were worse with...

i'm a hypocrite... deal with it.

if i were dead

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

i'm dead.... (not really) Current mood: artistic Category: Religion and Philosophy (before anyone gets all screwed up about this blog.. i am NOT suicidal.. this is not a cry for help.. it is how i am dealing with something that i never got over... ..) [i had wanted to write a letter as if this was my last day on earth.. and the words that i would wish everyone to know] Dear Friends, Family.. and almost lovers.. the journey has ended and i am with God. i have not lived a perfect life but served a perfect King.. even tho i did it in imperfect ways.. tho my work has not been finished, my job is done, and i pass the gauntlet on to the next soul that feels God's call to take it up. to my family... i am sorry for the shame i brought. to my friends.. i am sorry for using you. to my almost lovers.. i'm sorry i wasn't more... in death i will find peace and the spiritual battles will be ended.. i will stand before God and praise Him in His holy temple.. in my life all i ever wanted was for you to know that Jesus Christ was love... that .. my words.. even tho masked with death and destruction, were meant to love.. and never hurt.. there is nothing i can or could do to make you believe me. i could only live the way i knew how to live.. will i call you out by name? no. you know who you are and you know where you stood in my heart. you know where you stood in my life. i may never speak to anyone ever again.. but i pray my words ring loud and true in your ears.. the words i spoke or wrote by God's urging... death has no hold over me.. and has no hold over any of you that are born again in Christ's forgiveness. the world has nothing to offer but pain and grief. posessions and status only create ways to fall from grace and into oblivion. too many times i and my loves ones have cared more about what others think, than what God thinks... i pray for our forgiveness. i pray God's redemptive blood over our vain souls. i wish there had been a way to go back in time.. to see the ones i loved.. the ones that have gone before me... and tell them of Christ.. and tell them of His love.. and show my love... but i was too busy with my own agendas... and i had lived in regret. i did not truly die to self and in turn.. they died before me.. so i go on.. praying.. and hoping that maybe someone else reached them... that someone else picked up the gauntlet beyond where i dropped it. and i pray that you who read this... will know that what i have believed is not just a phase.. not just a delusion, but something i know is real.. My God was not and is not and never will be a magic 8 ball.. He is not the amazing kreskin, nor is He santa claus that gives us everything on our list of wants. He is the King and Creator of the Universe and He holds the powers of death and life... He sent His Son to correct a corruption that occurred. rather than destroy everything and everyone, He chose to save them. no more redos.. no more drawing boards.. just a patch that.. when accepted, was a fix for eternity... to those that never believed.. never understood.. i wish you well.. to those that do know and understand.. i will see you on the other side... in my dreams i have seen the visions of the life i had lived.... and the hurts and joys brought before me... every hurt.. every passion.. every joy.. created me... formed me... and as i am gone...my God lives on... and i will only be remembered as a name.. in His Grip Bones