Upcoming Events

Thank you everyone for sticking with this blog,  as it turns out the beginning of last weeks blog was incorrect.  There will be some missing weeks with this blog in the weeks to come.  We are making a very large transition in our lives and have been overstretched.  I enjoy writing this, and for the few people who have read it I hope you enjoyed what I wrote and I hope it touched your lives.  As of right now I do not know when I will begin again but if you subscribe you will be the first to know.  To everyone else I will post of facebook when the next blog is coming.  Thank you all for sticking with me through these uncertain time.

God Bless,
John

Control

I realized a couple of days ago no matter how much I want to I can not control everything.  I don't really want to but I feel that sometimes I need to.  This is a failure of understanding on my part.  In all reality I don't control anything.  I may try to influence things to an outcome that I would like however this goes against what the Bible teaches us.  We are told that we should follow Gods plan and pray for his guidance.  Our main drive should be to build a relationship with God and not control things to meet our own wants and desires. 

I try to control things because I feel that I know what should happen.  I am wrong again.  I feel that I have been failing a lot at the things I am suppose to do.  Then I realized we are designed to fail.  Ever since Adam and Eve we have been born into failure.

Genesis 2:-19
 ⁸ Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”
 ¹⁰ He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”
 ¹¹ And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”
 ¹² The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
 ¹³ Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
   The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
 ¹⁴ So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this,

   “Cursed are you above all livestock
   and all wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
   and you will eat dust
   all the days of your life.
¹⁵ And I will put enmity
   between you and the woman,
   and between your offspring^[a] and hers;
he will crush^[b] your head,
   and you will strike his heel.”

 ¹⁶ To the woman he said,
   “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
   with painful labor you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
   and he will rule over you.”
 ¹⁷ To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’
   “Cursed is the ground because of you;
   through painful toil you will eat food from it
   all the days of your life.
¹⁸ It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
   and you will eat the plants of the field.
¹⁹ By the sweat of your brow
   you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
   since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
   and to dust you will return.”

Because of this original sin we are all born of Adam and Eve and therefore sinners in birth. 

Romans 3:22-24 (New International Version)

²² This righteousness is given through faith in^[a] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

In today's society failure is a bad thing.  What you want on this earth is to be a success.  We need to be at the top of the chain, Numero Uno, wrong again.  That is a person trying to control their own life.  Things of this earth do not matter so don't fall into the ways of this world.  It is God who matters and him we should be focused on.

Matthew 6:19-21 (New International Version)

Treasures in Heaven

    ¹⁹ “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I have heard it said that sin is a man or woman not living to their full potential.  There has only been one person who has lived to that potential and that was Jesus Christ who was man and God.  We will never be able to reach that but we can try.  Even Jesus was tempted:

Matthew 4

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

 ¹ Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted^[a] by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

 ⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’^[b]”

 ⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

   “‘He will command his angels concerning you,
   and they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’^[c]”

 ⁷ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^[d]”

 ⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. ⁹ “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

 ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’^[e]”

 ¹¹ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Failure in today's culture is frowned upon, however if we accept it and stop trying to control it then maybe we can trust God in his plan for us and stop trying to control our own lives.

Ephesians 1:17-21
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come
Ephesians 3:14-19
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 6:10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Overall I learned that with all the knowledge I have I still fall into sin and even as simple as trying to control the outcome of a class I find that God has a different plan and for me to become frustrated is just me not giving it to God when it was already his.  If you find yourself having trouble letting go of things the best thing you can do is pray.

Also I would like to thank Rachel for her comment on last weeks blog it is great to see how things apply to others lives.

Being Treated Unfairly

First I would like to apologize for not getting my post up last week.  I realize now that if I would have properly planned I could have set one up prior to leaving the area and supplied you all with an on time blog.  I will be sure to pre set all future posts so that this does not happen again.  Also I would like to thank all who have stuck with this blog and have found it useful in daily life. 

We had our first comment two posts ago and I am thankful for that.  I would like to see what you have to say and use your comments for future posts.  Which is exactly what I am doing with this post, I will write what I think will answer the comment from Rami Swords who asked “how do you stay positive and treat everyone like a brother and sister when they refuse to treat you the same?”

This is a very good question is easy to answer in thought but hard to do in action.  First remember that you are not the one who judges others, God will judge them for their actions just as he will judge you for yours. 

Romans 14:9-12 (New International Version)

⁹ For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

 ¹⁰ You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister^[a]? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. ¹¹ It is written:

   “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
   every tongue will acknowledge God.’”^[b]

 ¹² So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

With that in mind remember that how you react is up to you, if you react poorly to someone who treats you poorly then that was your decision.  The main point of this is that no matter how someone treats you it is how you treat them that really matters.

Matthew 18:25-36 (New International Version)

²⁵ Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

   ²⁶ “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

   ²⁸ “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.^[a] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

   ²⁹ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

   ³⁰ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

   ³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

   ³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

This passage shows that we have been forgiven for all that we have done.   Just as the original debtor we have been forgiven our debt.  Also just like the original debtor we have others wrong us and treat them with no compassion or love that we have been shown.  We will be judged for the actions we chose to follow when our time comes.

John 15:20-22 (New International Version)

²⁰ Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’^[a] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹ They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.

This passage shows that we should not expect others to treat us well.  We are going to be persecuted and treated wrongfully.  It is how we act that shows who we are.  Jesus was beaten and murdered yet he proclaimed the word of God and did not bring hate or violence on those who persecuted him but showed them love and spoke to them plainly and honestly.  We are to follow him.

I feel that in this world the actions of a Christ follower are so much more pronounced than the words they speak.  We must act as Christ would in all manners, not just the ones we think are important.  This should be seen most in how we treat others, and our true colors will show when we are treated with anything other than kindness.  Just as God teaches and stretches us we will learn and be stretched by others who will be harsh on us.  How you act will show where you are and what you need to work on with your relationship with God.

Hebrews 12:6-8 (New International Version)

⁶ because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
   and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”^[a]

 ⁷ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? ⁸ If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.

If you take anything from this remember the reason we are to show love, respect, and kindness to all is because that is what Christ did.  It is what the Bible tells us to do.  It is hard to act this way towards those who do not treat you well, however you are judged for how you act not how they act.  Now I understand that we have been given grace and we are judged through the blood of Christ.  That does not mean that we can act any other way then what we are asked to act.  We glorify God in our actions and we strengthen our relationship with him when we obey him. 

I hope this has helped you out Rami and I encourage all who read this blog to comment and ask questions.

Out of reporting

I would like to apologize for this late post but due to my current occupation I am in an area with limited Internet capabilities.  I will have a wonderful and engaging blog for you next week.  God Bless you in this coming week and remember Him in all you do.

Judgment

I hope this week has been a good one for you all.  I have learned a lot since my last post.  My grandfather taught me that as long as you learn one new thing a day, even if you don’t complete any work, you have still accomplished something.  I have noticed a need for this post especially after my last post. 

I chose to be real and sincere with every reader of this blog.  I feel that you can’t understand what I am writing if you do not know where I am coming from.  This does not only include my mindset but my history.  The reason I am saying this is because there have been two distinct people who have read and reported on my blog.  One see’s how God has worked in my life and is thankful that I found and followed him.  The others are judgmental and at times cruel in their view of my actions. 

For this reason I am writing about judgment today.  As with everything I will give you a basic meaning of judgment from Merriam Webster: 1b. An opinion so pronounced.  You will find there are multiple meanings for this word however I feel this is the one that best describes it.  An opinion so pronounced, so a personal view (opinion) spoken to whoever will listen (pronounced).  Now these opinions can have positive connotations or negative it is all in the way they are spoken or written. 

It is important for all of us to remember that we all view things differently and that none of us can be ‘always right’.  We are human and if you look back at the beginning of this blog you will see that as humans we all sin and make bad decisions.  Because we are usually wrong in our assumptions then this thought process will usually bring us to wrong opinions. 

How can we check ourselves in this process so that we don’t fall into the regular mistake making process?  We go to the Bible, a written word beyond human understanding touched by the hand of God through the Holy Spirit.  Here you will find multiple points on judgment.

John 8:4-9 (New International Version, ©2011)

⁴ and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵ In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” ⁶ They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

   But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷ When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

   ⁹ At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.

The leaders of that time placed judgment on a woman who had broken the law they lived by.  The old law given to Moses by God.  They were going to kill her by throwing different size rocks at her until she was dead.  Jesus made a profound remark when he told them that they should first be sinless rather then judge her sin.  This was not what they knew.  It was not from their teaching.  However, they knew he was right that is why they walked away.  Not one of us is sinless and all sin is the same to God.  It is the repentance of sin and acceptance of Jesus Christ that matters. 

Paul killed and persecuted Christians.  He chased them down tried them under the law and had them stoned.  He was high on the food chain when it came to the religious knowledge of that day.  God changed his heart and accepted his repentance and he became one of the most vocal disciples of the Bible.  I am not comparing myself to Paul.  I am pointing out that even what we think of as the greatest sin is forgiven and we (humans) shouldn’t judge those sins for it isn’t our place.  God will judge us.  Until then we have no right to judge others, as we ourselves are sinners. 

Luke 6:37 (New International Version, ©2011)

Judging Others

    ³⁷ “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

It seems so simple yet our nature will not allow it.   We need to fight against what we feel we should do and remember the words so that we will not judge but forgive.

Luke 6:41-42 (New International Version, ©2011)

   ⁴¹ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴² How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Again the point is made.  Instead of judging others first look at yourself.  Put yourself in check and then you may instruct others on how they can help themselves.  I am not saying that I don’t judge, again I am human I will sin.  I do know that I shouldn’t judge and at most costs will catch myself and ask God through prayer for guidance.  I have lead a different life than anyone out there because it is mine.  I have not lived your life and you have not lived your neighbors.  We will never know what the trials and struggles are for each one.  We can either judge their actions and persecute them for their sin or we can forgive them as we have been forgiven.  We can give them an ear for their issues and a heart for their trouble.  In all things remember we are to LOVE one another.  If we do truly treat each person with the love of a brother or sister in Christ we will help and hold them instead of standing at a distance and judge them. 

My Biography and Salvation Story

Many of you who read this know who I am.  However few of you know the story of my life.  I have applied to Southern California Seminary and part of their application is to write an essay about your life and how you found salvation.  Even though parts of my life are still very tender I feel it is important for all who read my words to understand who I am and where I come from.  This post will be lengthy, as I did not cut anything out of the essay.  I hope you gain something from reading this.

                                                        Biography and Story of Salvation

Through out my life I have not always known God.  I was introduced to Christ as a child but I did not understand him.  I battled through addiction to alcohol and a sin soaked life when I was re-introduced to the saving grace of God.  I learned more but was still held back by my addiction to the world.  It wasn’t until I quit drinking that I could follow and serve God as it was meant to be and is taught in the Bible.

I was born on a Naval base in Great Lakes Illinois.  I was the son to a 17-year-old delinquent boy, John Woolums Sr, and a sorrowful 15-year-old girl, Robin Leipfert.  My grandfather stepped in at my birth to take custody of me but allowed my father to be a part of my life.  My family were never followers, they had the view that there was a God but as long as they were good people they would be fine.  I moved many times through my life due to the illness of my grandmother.  She had multiple cancer sites in her body.  We moved to Florida when I was in first grade because they thought she wouldn’t last a year and my grandfather wanted to make her happy.  God had a different plan.  He healed her and we moved back to Illinois a year later when the cancer went into remission.   She fought this cancer for the rest of here life, I remember most of my high school weekends included driving her to dialysis after the removal of her kidneys.  My entire senior year I lived alone as my grandfather stayed with her in the hospital in Indianapolis and I would stay over the weekends.    

I started drinking when I was 12 years old.  I was working full time at a lumberyard with my dad that summer and he told me that if I can work like a man I could relax like a man.  To him his idea of a man was to drink, smoke, fight, and chase women.  This was my view of a man long into my 20’s.   The friend/father view started a relationship of fear and awkward mentorship between my father and I.

When I was moving into 8^th grade my family moved again to Fort Wayne Indiana.  This would be the formative years of my life that I remember the most.  I got to reinvent myself as a cool guy instead of an unknown.  The need of acceptance by my piers that started here would also follow my through my addiction ridden life unbeknown to me.  I had been drinking almost daily even as a freshman stealing it from my grandfathers liquor cabinet and drinking it on the bus to school.  The evenings were full of late nights and loud music 

Due to good grades I was accepted to Purdue University.  I think my whole family took a big sigh of relief, however this was the first stumbling block that would begin my fall to the proverbial bottom.  I did well for the summer semester, but drinking and partying was still much of my life.  As the classes got harder my interest became less until the point when I was put on academic probation because I didn’t even show up to classes.  As sad as my life was at this time I never even thought of God, I felt that I was to far away to ever know him or that he would ever want to know me. 

After I dropped out of Purdue I returned to Fort Wayne and lived with my grandparents.  Well, as unhappy as I was I just kept drinking.  I did finally break down and realize that something new had to happen.  God wasn’t ready for me to serve him he had other plans for me to get to know him.  That time of re introduction happened in a chapel in Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.  I think many young men are re-introduced to God at that chapel.  When everything is harder then they have ever known and no one cares but God.

I graduated boot camp and went to school in New River North Carolina.  I learned a new way to work and drink.  I worked hard and I played hard, the trusty Marine Corps ethos.  I was at my first duty station when I got my first DUI.  I had been in a fistfight over a girl when I drove away and was pulled over.  Looking back at this now I realize how ridiculous this sounds.  I was charged and convicted of DUI.  I lost my license and did my alcohol awareness classes.  The punishment in the Marine Corps was physically harder.  I was put in a hard labor squad call Correctional Custody Unit.  It was the most physical work of my life.  These 30 days changed my work ethic for the rest of my life.  At no time in my life since have I had a job as hard or as terrible.  Of course during this time when I was hurting and needed help I went to God and as always he was there.

I went home for New Years right after that in 2003 and I met a wonderful woman who is now my wife.    For the last 7 years she has been a rock in my faith and a guide for a wondering soul.  I have learned through her what love really is and I have learned what a spiritual leader should look like in a father and a husband.  I battled with alcoholism and another DUI through five years of our marriage.   She was strong and faithful through out.

During the five years she prayed and stayed faithful even though I was less than a good husband in my behavior.  I was baptized before our marriage and I proclaimed and understood my faith at that time, maybe for the first time.  This all took place in March of 2003.  I have sinned and caused drama in many lives but I understood fully who God was and who Jesus was, I also started to learn how the Holy Spirit was working in our lives. 

When we were stationed in California for the first time we found a church that was just down the street from us.  Lighthouse church was a great church for us to start in.  We saw the need for youth workers and I wanted to do more in the church so I volunteered.  This was the first time I got to meet Chris Martinez.  I walked in my first night and told him, “I don’t know the bible very well and I have tattoo’s can I still help out?”  He told me that it wasn’t all about what I know or how I look but if I really wanted to help the kids.  This was the beginning of my service in youth ministry.

I served with Chris for almost 3 years until I was re-stationed in Indiana where I received my 2^nd DUI.  It seemed the only time I cared about being sober is when I was at church.  I would plan to drink every other night but the nights before church.  While I was in Indiana I served as a youth volunteer at Grace church.  Here I learned that even through my issues, Christ and his people loved me.

After the DUI I was sure I wouldn’t be accepted at the church anymore or be able to work with the youth.  Instead I was accepted with love, mentorship, and accountability.  I received 30 days in house counseling for alcoholism and have been sober for over 2 and half years.  It is because of AA, the love of Christ, and the support of my family and church that I could make it even this far.

I returned to California as God was doing awesome things with Chris and moving him to new places.  He was going to plant a church in North Oceanside for the Generation Church family.  I prayed with Amanda and we found that we wanted more than anything to be a part of reaching out to the community and serving God.  We were a part of a 30-person core team.  I was able to be a part of the plant all the way until the grand opening, and then I went on deployment.

On my return I found a great opportunity to serve on the set up team.  I have since taken over as the team lead and am learning the enjoyment of watching the growth of my team members.  I am also taking a step back into the youth, as I have volunteered to teach the middle school classes on Sunday.  To be a part of a fledgling church that is constantly growing and bringing in the hurt, needy, and new in faith has been the greatest part of my service.  I have found more favor and consistent praise with this than any other part of my life.

I have been through the trials and tribulations of bad decisions and the wrong teachings of life.  I have run full sprint away from God and his plan.  I have been accepted back and served in his most awesome callings.  I am ready to take the next step in my walk to follow him in his great commission and bring him to others like or unlike me across this world.

Be Patient with me

The title of this blog can be found many times in the Bible.  It is found many times where we are commanded to be patient in waiting or wanting.

Psalm 37:7 (New International Version, ©2011)
⁷ Be still before the LORD    and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways,    when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Romans 12:12 (New International Version, ©2011) 
¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 


However patience itself can be called a virtue.  It is something that many people want more of.  It is also something that many people have little of.  I found that out when I had children.  I was a lot more short tempered than I believed myself to be.  I would quip and get at them for every small infraction.  This I knew was not how I should act as it is written:

Proverbs 14:29
Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.

  I would pray that God would build patience inside of me.  I found later that God already knew I needed patience that is why he blessed me with my children.  For any one who has children knows that they help you build patience in you as you forgive them.  You give them much more leeway then you would anyone else because of your love for them.  That also slightly parallels how God loves us, however God's love is on a whole other playing field than anything we can imagine.  As of now my children and I are learning this virtue together. 

You can see in these verses from Nehemiah that God is referred to as patient:


Nehemiah 9:29-31 (New International Version, ©2011) 
²⁹ “You warned them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, ‘The person who obeys them will live by them.’ Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen. ³⁰ For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. ³¹
But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

The verse I think and pray about many times over when I find myself beyond my current limitations of patience is from Ephesians.  This verse is one of those great memory verses to have in your arsenal for hard moments and situations to meditate on.

Ephesians 4:2 (New International Version, ©2011)
² Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Which this all comes back to the golden rule.  Treat others as you would want to be treated, or as Christ told us:

Matthew 7:12 (New International Version, ©2011)
¹² So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

So when you want others to be patient with you, remember you should be patient with them, but I realize it doesn't always work out like that.  We are still human and even though we know what we are suppose to do, we can't always do it.  So please leave a comment about any issue that you are struggling with right now where I can pray for your growth and patience.

God, Where's My Car?

As we bustle from place to place in a hurry to make it to our next scheduled meeting, we use the comforts of life to accomplish our tasks.  Today we can call around the world while texting and surfing the Internet on our phones.

Our cars have become way more advanced then before.  We can drive with electricity and listen to mp3's while talking on the phone with cameras in our rear bumper.  A lot of these advances are for safety, but most are for our comfort.

Today in a world of consumerism we want the best and newest thing right NOW and it will make our lives better and more efficient.  At least that is what we think they will do.  In many homes this same thought is being applied to God.

"God please help me to be rich, help me to be smarter, faster, more handsome."  Here is exactly what your are doing.  You are saying, in no less words, God serves me.  So now you have put God into the same status as your phone or your care.  Something to help you to get to another place in your life.
The Bible tells us we are to serve God and others and not expect anything for ourselves.

Matthew 4:10 (New International Version, ©2011)
¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'”

1 Peter 4:10 (New International Version, ©2011) 
¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

What we need to do here is change our thought process.  This will not be easy since it is our culture that we have been raised in.  We need to quit the stinking thinking and start following the owners manual (Bible).

Every day pray instead of asking God to grant your every wish, like a genie.  Ask God to help you serve him.  Ask God to clarify his path for your life in his plan.  You can ask for strength and wisdom to fulfill his plan for your life.  Do these sound like the same prayers as were mentioned earlier.
You can not be superficial in prayer.  You have to mean it with your heart and soul.  You must think of the fulfillment and progression of God's kingdom and your relationship with him. 

Matthew 21:21-23 (New International Version, ©2011)
²¹ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. ²² If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Every day think of others first.  Put your neighbors and community members first.  Put strangers and even your enemy's first.  Find ways to serve and help them.  This is what we are instructed to do.
In this passage Jesus the son of God the teacher and Rabbi washed his disciples feet.  That was far beyond serving them.  It is a King washing the feet of his followers.

John 13:5 (New International Version, ©2011) 
⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

You do not just wake up and start thinking this way.  Like I said before it is a huge shift in your thought process.  How can you start to think this way?  You can start by catching yourself when you start using God as your instrument to get somewhere.  Then ask the opposite. A perfect example yet again is Jesus as he was about to be crucified he prayed.

Luke 22:41-43 (New International Version, ©2011) 
⁴¹ He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ⁴² “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” ⁴³ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.

If we pray as we are instructed to and mean it with our whole heart and soul, if we ask for the things that bring glory to God and his creations then you will start to see how your life and the motives behind your actions will change.

Please leave comments about how you have changed the way you pray and how it has affected your life.

GRACE

As with all of my blogs when I am defining or explaining a word I like to start with the educational reference from Merriam Webster, which states that GRACE: 1 a: unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification.

 

I would also like to state what the life manual, I mean the Bible says about grace. 

John 1:17
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Acts 20:32 

 ³² “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

So with just these few examples can you understand what grace is?  I can only best explain it as the gift that we don’t deserve.  Let me put it into a picture for you.  Have you ever done something that seemed normal to you?  Some task that didn’t seem any different than your regular tasks, but some one else thought it was outstanding and rewarded you for it.  The reward may have just been a thank you or a gift card or some candy.  You would think to yourself, wow I didn’t really do anything to deserve this, but it is nice to receive it. 

That is a small idea of what grace is.  It is a gift to you from God.  One of the greatest gifts you could ever receive.  It is grace that brings sinners out of sin into a place where they can communicate with God. 

So how do we receive this grace?  In the Old Testament people had to give offerings to receive forgiveness and did not communicate directly with God but had to speak to a priest and give offerings through them.  However when God sent his only son to become a man and die for our sins he changed everything.  Now because of Jesus Christ grace is given to us.  It is not earned through works or bought with money.  It is GIVEN freely to us. 

What does this mean?  It means that no matter if we are never holy and never perfect we can be sanctified through God’s grace. 

The best example of this is the video on GodTube.com when people are getting on a scale that tells them if they have been ‘GOOD’ enough to get into heaven.  They hand the men at a scale their folders and they talk to them about how well they have lived their life.  Most of the people where as perfect as a human could be. Some were not, but every one who got on the scale failed to be ‘GOOD ENOUGH’.  Then the last one-steps up and his folder is packed with bad stuff.  The men at the scale laugh about how there is no way that he will be ‘GOOD ENOUGH’.  Then another man walks up and says he is mine and hands him a folder that says “Under Gods Grace.”  They say ok then you stand on the scale.  Of course this man is Jesus and the scale reads ‘GOOD ENOUGH’.  So they sit alone on the other side of the scale.

How much better can you put it?  On the Day of Judgment when all people of the world are called to answer for there lives.  How will you answer?  Will it be that you have led a ‘GOOD’ life?  Or will it be that your are covered by the grace of God and are ‘GOOD ENOUGH’?

SIN

Sin is a subject that may be covered at many churches and is definitely covered in the bible yet many people do not understand the true meaning of sin.  Dictionary.com has the meaning of sin as "Transgression of Divine Law: the sin of Adam."  Well that is helpful but it really doesn't break it down much for us.  Basically sin is anything we do or think about doing that is against Gods will. 

Here are a few questions for you to answer so you can figure out if you are a sinner: 
Have you ever envied someones possessions? 
Have you ever lied to some one, no matter what the size of the lie is? 
Have you ever stolen something, no matter the cost of the item? 
Have you ever caused harm to someone physically or emotionally without reason?

It seems almost as there is no way to get away from it.  We have all sinned, and the level of sin doesn't matter it is all seen as the same to God.  The Bible tells us about this in Romans 3:23  

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

We now know that we will all sin, and have all sinned but lets look a little deeper at the basic laws we break as we sin.

First you have in the Old Testament the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20:3-17

 ³ “You shall have no other gods before^[a] me.
 ⁴ “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
 ⁷ “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
 ⁸ “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. ¹¹ For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
 ¹² “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
 ¹³ “You shall not murder.
 ¹⁴ “You shall not commit adultery.
 ¹⁵ “You shall not steal.
 ¹⁶ “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
 ¹⁷ “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

We break these commandments on a daily basis because that is the way we were made.  We were built to carry on the sins of Adam.  We are not Holy and until the day that we sing in heaven we will not be.  God knows this and he tests our love and reliance on him with these Commandments that we can not hold.

Now in the New Testament the Bible gives Jesus' interpretation of the Commandments in Matthew 22:36-40


³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
 ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^{[a] 38} This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^{[b] 40} All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

If you read into this you will see that the greatest commandment actually includes the first 4 Commandments in Exodus and the second covers the last 6 commandments.

So if we are born sinners what can we do about it?  
If it is the way we are built how can get away from it? 
You will never get away from sin it will always be a part of your life on this earth as a human, however there are some ways to deal with sin as God has instructed us.
First, repent from you sin.  
Figure out what it is you are doing and do 180 degree turn away from it.  
Second, confess to God your sins.
God already knows your sins, but when we confess our sins to him we strengthen our relationship and trust in him.
Third, ask God for forgiveness.
Only God can forgive you of your sins and he will not do it unless you ask him.  This is where we put everything on God and trust him fully that he can and will forgive us, this builds our reliance and faith in God.

Some questions you may have are: 
What if I sin again? 
If I repent how can I stay away from sin if it is what I am built for?  
 If you repent and want to change your habits of sin then you must go to God in prayer and ask him to strengthen you so that you do not sin again.  Whenever you are tempted go to God and ask for strength he will always give you a way out of sinning.
If you do sin again don't give up on yourself, no human is perfect, no person is without sin but if you go before God with a truthful and repentant heart and ask for his forgiveness he will bless you.  

So why can I be so optimistic if I am doomed to a life of sin while trying to reach a pinnacle of Holiness that is only reserved for those in God's presence, because I have God's grace.  Next weeks blog will cover what God's Grace is.  Until then if you would leave some comments about how you have overcome sin in your life that would be awesome.