Perhaps the greatest misunderstanding of the Christian faith is that God expects perfection.
God doesn't expect you to be perfect, he just expects you to persistently try. Try- to make an attempt. See, the age old saying " it's not about when you fall but it's about when you pick yourself up" could never be more true. I believe that if you want to get closer to God you'd be doing yourself a huge favor by eliminating "perfection" from your vocabulary when speaking of your personal walk with God and replacing it with "improvement". Keep moving forward, don't look back, don't dwell on what's lost count it all as worthless. You have to keep going towards Christ. If you fall, pick yourself up, dust off the ashes. There are more important things to dwell on than what you just did.
There's a great thing that us Christians have: a personal God. A God that not only CAN walk with us, but a God that WANTS to walk with us. We have a God that has given us everything that we need and will continually give as we ask and as he sees fit. We have a God that does not change his mind about how he loves us. He is always here to help us. We are so incredibly lucky and 90% of the time we take it all for granted.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Turning from the Truth
This is from our lights guy. We try to get everyone who works with us to be focused in the same direction as we are and I think that as you read this you'll see that Mitch has a great calling and the band is incredibly blessed to work with someone like him. So without further delay,here is...
"Turning from the Truth"
God calls all those who are "Christians" to live according to the truth and the truth is Jesus Christ. The goal of every Christian's morals are to be reflections of how Jesus lived and commanded us to live when he was on earth. So how can someone be a Christian and not show the truth in them? The answer is, they cannot be. A Christian today is someone who has pronounced their faith in Jesus dying on the cross for his or her sins, but not someone who necessarily follows God as he calls his people to do, and that is NOT how things should be. I am not saying that all Christians should be perfect and if they are not, then they are not Christians, because everyone will make mistakes and God will and has forgiven them, but Christians today still continue to ignore the truth. However, although Christians in the past did the same, I feel it is grabbing and pulling the church of the present harder than before. God calls us to live according to the truth and does not like it when we do not!
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known to God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his internal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans (1:18-20)
The wrath of God is being revealed against those who know the truth and suppress it. That is a scary thought to be given! Paul tells exactly what that wrath is later, but I only want God's favor definitely not his wrath after reading some of the old testament. This explains that God really does want Christians to follow the truth, because if he did not, then there would be no wrath against his people. Paul also tells that he has been clearly seen, and therefore we have no excuse to not live according to the truth. However, he says "that men are without excuse." Paul does not specify believer vs. non-believer because even those who have not become Christians have no excuse either, which means Christians especially have no excuses.
"Therefore, God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised. Amen." Romans (1:24 - 25)
"Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what naught to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." Romans (1: 28 -32)
Wow, so God's wrath was allowing the people to crumple under their sinful desires and lusts! What a punishment for those who reject God! If we do not stand up under God, then why should God standup under us to support us? The verse says they " worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator", most people today do not create idols or things of that nature, but they do serve created things. Sports, video games, and money are just some of those things people today worship over God. When these people, the Romans in this case, denied God, God turned from them and did not hold them up under temptation and fleshly desires, for they knew that what they did were things that are told by God that deserve death and continued to do them. Many present Christians know what they do is wrong and ignore God anyways, which will result in God's wrath upon them.
"To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile, but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile " Romans (2:7-10)
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." 1 John (1:9-10)
There is forgiveness even if Christians turn from God and that is the glory of our father in heaven. That forgiveness does not come and will not come until we admit we have sinned and repent from the sins, which means turn from them completely. Repentance is to turn completely away from the sin, not stop briefly and come back to it. There is no favor in someone who says they are a Christian and does not follow the truth. Hypocrisy, wrath, self-destruction, and failure will only surround those who know the truth and ignore it. My point here, Christians need to bring honor back to the title they once held. God will do that in the end regardless, but how about we as his people just do something for our God that he does not have to! This truth is not about perfection, but about the will to follow the almighty and glorious GOD! So for those who know the truth, let us not turn from it and share it with the world!
Mitch
"Turning from the Truth"
God calls all those who are "Christians" to live according to the truth and the truth is Jesus Christ. The goal of every Christian's morals are to be reflections of how Jesus lived and commanded us to live when he was on earth. So how can someone be a Christian and not show the truth in them? The answer is, they cannot be. A Christian today is someone who has pronounced their faith in Jesus dying on the cross for his or her sins, but not someone who necessarily follows God as he calls his people to do, and that is NOT how things should be. I am not saying that all Christians should be perfect and if they are not, then they are not Christians, because everyone will make mistakes and God will and has forgiven them, but Christians today still continue to ignore the truth. However, although Christians in the past did the same, I feel it is grabbing and pulling the church of the present harder than before. God calls us to live according to the truth and does not like it when we do not!
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known to God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his internal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans (1:18-20)
The wrath of God is being revealed against those who know the truth and suppress it. That is a scary thought to be given! Paul tells exactly what that wrath is later, but I only want God's favor definitely not his wrath after reading some of the old testament. This explains that God really does want Christians to follow the truth, because if he did not, then there would be no wrath against his people. Paul also tells that he has been clearly seen, and therefore we have no excuse to not live according to the truth. However, he says "that men are without excuse." Paul does not specify believer vs. non-believer because even those who have not become Christians have no excuse either, which means Christians especially have no excuses.
"Therefore, God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised. Amen." Romans (1:24 - 25)
"Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what naught to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." Romans (1: 28 -32)
Wow, so God's wrath was allowing the people to crumple under their sinful desires and lusts! What a punishment for those who reject God! If we do not stand up under God, then why should God standup under us to support us? The verse says they " worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator", most people today do not create idols or things of that nature, but they do serve created things. Sports, video games, and money are just some of those things people today worship over God. When these people, the Romans in this case, denied God, God turned from them and did not hold them up under temptation and fleshly desires, for they knew that what they did were things that are told by God that deserve death and continued to do them. Many present Christians know what they do is wrong and ignore God anyways, which will result in God's wrath upon them.
"To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile, but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile " Romans (2:7-10)
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." 1 John (1:9-10)
There is forgiveness even if Christians turn from God and that is the glory of our father in heaven. That forgiveness does not come and will not come until we admit we have sinned and repent from the sins, which means turn from them completely. Repentance is to turn completely away from the sin, not stop briefly and come back to it. There is no favor in someone who says they are a Christian and does not follow the truth. Hypocrisy, wrath, self-destruction, and failure will only surround those who know the truth and ignore it. My point here, Christians need to bring honor back to the title they once held. God will do that in the end regardless, but how about we as his people just do something for our God that he does not have to! This truth is not about perfection, but about the will to follow the almighty and glorious GOD! So for those who know the truth, let us not turn from it and share it with the world!
Mitch
Monday, October 19, 2009
Worship
Isn’t it so awesome that God really doesn’t care how we worship him, just as long as we are? It doesn’t have to be southern gospel or traditional hymns, you can worship his name with any genre of music; if you want to scream his name, go for it, if you just want to sit back and lift up his praise to some ambient instrument stuff, you can. We can glorify and worship him in so many other ways, it doesn’t always have to be music, we can dance, we can draw, we can write, but ultimately we need to glorify and praise him through the ways we live our lives.
Jeremy
Jeremy
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell." - C.S. Lewis
I think this quote is amazing and just thought I'd share it.:)
Hunter
PS. Get ready for a new blog soon...there's somethin' brewin' in the kitchen called my brain.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is one of the aspects in life that basically everyone I know, certainly including myself, fail miserably at. We have made up our own rules about forgiveness and set our own terms, without even thinking about what the Bible has to say about it. For a quick glimpse at what the Bible has to say about forgiveness, check out the verses Luke 17: 3-4.
(NIV) - “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times he comes back to you and says ‘I repent’, forgive him.”
This is a verse that can simply be summed up as, if someone wrongs you, and asks you to forgive him, your job as a Christ-follower is to forgive him for that.
However, with these verses have specifics that need to be taken into consideration. One word you see popping up in these two verses a few times is “if”. This word is not to be discarded, but to be noticed and studied.
“IF your brother sins...IF he repents...IF he sins against you seven times...”
When I study the meaning behind these “ifs” it leads me to the conclusion that forgiveness does not come to those who do not ask for it, and do not long for it. But forgiveness does come to those who ask for it and long for it. Easy enough right?
The easiest way that we can understand this is by examining our relationship with God.
Bottom line, we all sin.
(NIV) Romans 3:23 - “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,”
That’s a verse most of us have always heard, and all of us have fulfilled. Notice that the verse ends with a comma, leading into the next verse, which isn’t nearly heard as often as the latter.
(NIV) Romans 3:24 - “and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Awesome right? Yes, but sometimes we don’t see it like it really is. Going back to the Bible, we see exactly how God works.
(NIV) 1 John 1:9 - “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
There is that word again, “if”. IF we confess our sins...” There is definitely a purpose to this word. So we realize that we all sin, and are redeemed through Christ Jesus, but the Bible clearly states that without this confession, or this sense of wrongdoing, there isn’t purification.
This is where I think most of us fail, and where we take advantage of these rules. Sometimes we sin, and say those three little words, “I’m sorry God.” IF the words are there but the heart behind them isn’t, this is not confession. Confession is knowing what you did wrong and feeling regret and remorse for that sin. This is where true forgiveness lies.
God works that way every single time, no matter how many times we mess up, He forgives. But there is more to learn about God’s forgiveness.
Let’s look at one more set of verses.
(NIV) Matthew 6: 14-15 - “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Those “if’s” just keep popping up everywhere. Once again, because they’re very important.
“IF you forgive men...IF you do not forgive men...”
There isn’t a choice there. IF someone asks for forgiveness from you, it’s your responsibility to forgive them. This is complete forgiveness too, not just a “I have to forgive you because I’m supposed to. My personal belief behind forgiveness and the importance of understanding it is this...
#1 - People are guaranteed to fail you. You cannot go through life expecting to have perfect friends that never upset you or make you angry.
#2 - An act of forgiveness is like the golden rule. IF you want others to forgive you when you do wrong, you must also forgive them when they ask.
I always try to put myself in the other person’s shoes. I imagine “What if I was that person right now?” I know that when I do something wrong to someone else, I would give anything to erase it. I try to use this mindset whenever someone does wrong to me and I know that they are sorry.
Some of the best examples of forgiveness come at the most unexpected times in the Bible. Two instances of this would be...
(NIV) Luke 23:34 - “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing’."
As Christ was being crucified and tortured on the cross, he calls out to his Father and asks for them to be forgiven. This is Jesus saying “I forgive you” to the people who are doing wrong to him.
(NIV) Acts 7:60 - “Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them’.”
This was Stephen’s prayer to God as he was about to be stoned for calling Jesus the Son of God. This is Stephen saying “I forgive you” to the people who are doing wrong to him.
As Christians, our main goal in life is to be like our Father. So how many of us forgive like this? How many of us don’t hold grudges? How many of us say “I forgive you,” and keep hatred in our hearts towards the person who did you wrong?
My encouragement to all who are trying to lead better lives and even encouragement for myself is to let go of the things that people have done wrong to you. Talk it out and work it out with those people, especially if they are brothers and sisters in Christ.
(NIV) Ephesians 4:26 “...do not let the sun go down while you are still angry...”
You may find out that they are truly sorry for whatever they did but are too scared to approach you and ask for forgiveness because of the reaction that they might receive from you. You may even find out that they weren’t aware of the pain they have caused you, which in that case you can work it out now that they know. Always keep an open mind and open heart, listen before you speak, and let Christ be the true example of how you live every single day.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Ice Breaker/The Lord's Prayer
Sitting in bed listening to a worship song I have found a new appreciation for the Lord's Prayer. I've always seen it as something washed up that every person who wants to seem like a Christian or a good Catholic boy or girl recites. I can see now that Jesus hit everything that we need in our lives right in this short prayer.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours.
Now and for ever.
Amen
Matthew 6:9-13
The first sentence is a given for now. We should always recognize the holiness of our God and recognize his divine power.
The next sentence's meaning has changed in my eyes from how it has been for many years. This is because of a speaker at a Hillsong United Concert I went to. The way he explained it made me
feel as if I finally had someone reveal to me the most incredible treasure I had ever seen. He talked about the part that says, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven." Now I won't explain it exactly how he did because I don't remember but I know what he was trying to say through that thick Australian accent. You see most people interpret this as "I will do your will until you come back." Which is great, but I agree with the idea this guy had. No, it's not blasphemous it just seems simple but so poetic. You see, we can take "thy will be done" and see it as a nonessential clause (I suck at grammar so I'm probably wrong about the nonessential clause stuff). Anyways when you take that out you get "Thy kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heaven." MAN! Maybe I'm the only one who saw this as so powerful. It is OUR job as followers of Christ to bring Heaven to Earth, to shine light into such a dark place. What a beautiful gift we have as Christians to get to brighten people's lives by showing the love of Christ through everything we do.
Next, we have "Give us today our daily bread."
Daily Bread refers to the way that God gave manna to the Israelites every day while in the wilderness. No matter what, God gave them exactly the amount he knew that they needed to be sustained. Now, this doesn't mean that the Israelites wanted the same food everyday, it also doesn't mean that they got exactly how much they thought they needed; however, rain or shine they always got exactly what they needed.
So, Jesus is saying that we should never pray to God to give us more than what we need but to ask Him to give exactly what He knows we need. Whether we like it or not, it is what we need and it is a part of growth. You see, the Israelites had to have this manna everyday (whether they liked it or not) in order for their physical bodies to remain healthy for the tasks that would await them. In this same way we must ask God to give us exactly what we need in order for us to be prepared spiritually for the jobs we were created to accomplish.
"Forgive us our sins,as we forgive those who sin against us."
My pastor explained it best in asking the question, "Would you really want God to forgive you in the same way you forgive others?" Many of us hold grudges and can't let go. We must take time to transform into vessels that pour out mercy and grace just like our Father.
"Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil"
May we not be led into temptation any longer, but completely delivered from all evil and may our innocence be restored. Easier said than done right? It takes YOU and God to overcome temptation. Often times it also takes our brothers and sisters in Christ to hold us up. (I will probably write something on this very thing soon)
"For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours.
Now and for ever. "
We can't expect God to work in us if we can't humble ourselves and let God really take all of us. Letting God take all of you is a gradual process from what I have learned. Small (and sometimes HUGE) steps out of your comfort zone lead up to more and more freedom for you to do things in the power of the Holy Spirit. Letting God take all of you takes discipline and it takes persistent seeking after God and his will for you.
I know this was long and I don't think I ever want to write something this long again, but I feel as if God wanted me too share exactly this. If not for any of you atleast it helps me :)
I love you guys and I hope that you let God work in your life like never before. Often times the hardest thing for a human to do is take the first step, but once that is done your life will never be the same.
Hunter
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours.
Now and for ever.
Amen
Matthew 6:9-13
The first sentence is a given for now. We should always recognize the holiness of our God and recognize his divine power.
The next sentence's meaning has changed in my eyes from how it has been for many years. This is because of a speaker at a Hillsong United Concert I went to. The way he explained it made me
feel as if I finally had someone reveal to me the most incredible treasure I had ever seen. He talked about the part that says, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven." Now I won't explain it exactly how he did because I don't remember but I know what he was trying to say through that thick Australian accent. You see most people interpret this as "I will do your will until you come back." Which is great, but I agree with the idea this guy had. No, it's not blasphemous it just seems simple but so poetic. You see, we can take "thy will be done" and see it as a nonessential clause (I suck at grammar so I'm probably wrong about the nonessential clause stuff). Anyways when you take that out you get "Thy kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heaven." MAN! Maybe I'm the only one who saw this as so powerful. It is OUR job as followers of Christ to bring Heaven to Earth, to shine light into such a dark place. What a beautiful gift we have as Christians to get to brighten people's lives by showing the love of Christ through everything we do.
Next, we have "Give us today our daily bread."
Daily Bread refers to the way that God gave manna to the Israelites every day while in the wilderness. No matter what, God gave them exactly the amount he knew that they needed to be sustained. Now, this doesn't mean that the Israelites wanted the same food everyday, it also doesn't mean that they got exactly how much they thought they needed; however, rain or shine they always got exactly what they needed.
So, Jesus is saying that we should never pray to God to give us more than what we need but to ask Him to give exactly what He knows we need. Whether we like it or not, it is what we need and it is a part of growth. You see, the Israelites had to have this manna everyday (whether they liked it or not) in order for their physical bodies to remain healthy for the tasks that would await them. In this same way we must ask God to give us exactly what we need in order for us to be prepared spiritually for the jobs we were created to accomplish.
"Forgive us our sins,as we forgive those who sin against us."
My pastor explained it best in asking the question, "Would you really want God to forgive you in the same way you forgive others?" Many of us hold grudges and can't let go. We must take time to transform into vessels that pour out mercy and grace just like our Father.
"Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil"
May we not be led into temptation any longer, but completely delivered from all evil and may our innocence be restored. Easier said than done right? It takes YOU and God to overcome temptation. Often times it also takes our brothers and sisters in Christ to hold us up. (I will probably write something on this very thing soon)
"For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours.
Now and for ever. "
We can't expect God to work in us if we can't humble ourselves and let God really take all of us. Letting God take all of you is a gradual process from what I have learned. Small (and sometimes HUGE) steps out of your comfort zone lead up to more and more freedom for you to do things in the power of the Holy Spirit. Letting God take all of you takes discipline and it takes persistent seeking after God and his will for you.
I know this was long and I don't think I ever want to write something this long again, but I feel as if God wanted me too share exactly this. If not for any of you atleast it helps me :)
I love you guys and I hope that you let God work in your life like never before. Often times the hardest thing for a human to do is take the first step, but once that is done your life will never be the same.
Hunter
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