People that know me know I’m generally pretty reserved except with certain friends or family members. In general, you could say I’m a goody-two-shoes poster girl to most people, which used to frustrate me in the past. Like I’d tell people to go ahead and cuss in front of me, I didn’t care, and yet they wouldn’t because I didn’t cuss or swear. Now I’m glad that they chose not to. Appearances can be deceiving and really, if you knew me then, I had a lot of my own sins I was blind to even if cussing wasn’t one of them. Though that’s not exactly true since in my teen years I did type a few choice words even if I never said them out loud (with at least one exception…). In general though, I’ve generally been a people-pleaser and go with the flow. Unless something clearly violated my beliefs, morals, or ethics, in which case I could remove myself from the situation or just not participate or whatever, I still never really stood up and shared why I didn’t do the same things. Now is not any different other than now I know what a lot of my past sins were because God’s word has shown and convicted me. I keep studying Scripture and there’s probably still things that I need correcting in. Nobody knows everything and we are ALL able to use Scripture to correct each other.
Nobody is good but God. I think that’s why this particular entry is a bit tough to write. Though I shouldn’t fear what man thinks, I can’t help but wonder if perhaps this will tarnish my image in other people’s eyes? Both in the eyes of fellow believers and in the eyes of the world. Isn’t a Christian supposed to be “good”? We are supposed to strive to be holy because God is holy, but until Jesus returns we still live in a broken, sinful world and are still imperfect. Just because we’re not committing the same sins as each other doesn’t mean each person isn’t sinning in their own ways. If you thought I was good, you were wrong. If you had me up on a pedestal, then knock that down because I’m not! By the world’s definition, in many ways I could be, but by God’s standards? Heck no. I’ve got a long way to go! We all do, but that’s why we can confess our sins to each other and strive to build each other up. Don’t put stumbling blocks in front of your brother. If you see something wrong, use the Word to correct him. Maybe he’s sinning in ignorance or maybe he’s plugging his ears and you can share the words God wants him to hear? While it used to bother me a little that people would assume I was innocent, now it kind of bothers me that I know I’m not. I don’t want to burst anyone’s bubble so to speak if they have that image of me, but even Paul talked about the Spirit being willing but the flesh is weak. I think I can blame television among other things for corrupting my mind. Even if I wasn’t outwardly committing a lot of the sins the world does, God knows our hearts and minds as well and like I said, we all sin in our own ways. I’m not saying it’s the television’s fault, by no means! I’m saying that I made some poor choices and that the entertainment industry often shows you a different worldly perspective that calls good evil and calls evil good. While I thought at the time it had no such effect on me, I wasn’t reading my Bible enough to know that it actually did. I was surprised by things I read which, with fresh eyes, I was now seeing portrayed in the shows I used to love. So apparent that I can’t believe I never noticed. That is how powerful God’s Word can be. Read your Bible and ask yourself how many things are wrong with what you’re putting in front of your eyes when the Bible says to think about good and edifying things? If it’s not edifying you or the church, maybe it’s not something you should be looking at or watching? Well, to confess to you one of my current fears… I guess while it doesn’t bother me now that the world would assume that I’m a “goody-two-shoes,” it bothers me that they would think this to such an extent that they would think well she said it and so we can trust her. No! Don’t trust me! That is waaay too much responsibility and I’m NOT who you should be putting your trust into. I fail God a lot, but I am trying. Trust in God, not in man. Not your teachers or your pastors, but in GOD. He is who we should be following. Good thing I don’t have a Twitter account, so you can’t follow me there! But I’m trying to point people to the One they should follow, and that’s God. I’m afraid I might mess up and say something that would cause someone else to stumble or fall, but that is a small fear compared to the excitement and joy I feel when I think that if this site helps even one person it will be worth it. That’s all I want. That’s why I started it. Because I want to share the love of God with a world that doesn’t know Him. You can know Him too if you seek Him with all your heart. So messing up, making mistakes, that’s human and normal. But it’s better and less daunting if it only affects you versus tons of other lives. Sometimes I’m a bit of a perfectionist and want to get something “right” before I share it with anyone. However, God sometimes wants us to share the whole process. We can bring him glory despite our weaknesses. God should get the glory He deserves through the work He’s begun in me. That brings me to my next fear, the fear of man. Fear of bullying, discrimination, hate… God said the world will hate you because it hated me first. If it doesn’t, then maybe you’ve been a people-pleaser like I have. Never sharing the joy and peace you’ve found in the Lord because people would get offended and mad at you. I had a Pinterest account that I had been so excited about until people started making rude comments on it. It’s hard to respond with kindness when someone is hatefully insulting your intellect or character instead of responding to the points you made. Then why bother replying? I didn’t insult them back but it was emotionally draining when you keep putting out positive things for other people to just trash and mock. I ended up pretty much abandoning it, though I could still go back and revisit it as I never actually closed it. Anyway, fear of failure, ridicule, judgment, leading people astray, discrimination from future employers, church members, co-workers, the government etcetera. All valid concerns, but we should fear God not man. If I wait until God has finished His work in me, I’ll be dead. I won’t be complete until I die. I’m still a work in progress and I’m not here to share my own progress or faults but how God has worked in my life so far and what He’s going to keep doing in my life until I die. I am here to share that God is alive, God is real, and God wants you to be a part of his family. If you’ve never been to church or have strayed, try to find a local one to go to. If you already go, then let’s keep building each other up. We can all agree to disagree on small issues that are not relevant to our salvation, but we are still all one body with different parts and different functions and we need to reach out to those outside the body. They are worth all the risks I named above and more. Am I waiting on a car accident or cancer to embolden me for Christ? By then it could be too late. If I die tomorrow, what was it all for? I was made by God and for God. To love God above everything and to love my neighbor, not the world. Not myself. I get anxious even thinking of sharing the gospel with people, but I know I need God to help me in that department. For me, this is like a baby step in that direction. How about you? Do you find it easy to share the gospel? Got any tips for an inexperienced newbie? What are you doing to reach out to your neighbor? Are we actually following God’s will? Or are we just doing what we want? Do you ask God to complete His will through you? Or do you ask God to help you fulfill your will? God can certainly help us get what we want, but sometimes I think it’s to show us that what we want isn’t as good as what He will give us if we follow Him. The Bible does say His ways are better and higher than our ways. He has the whole perspective, not just on the situation, but on every single person involved. He knows where we’ve all been and where we’re all going. It’s about time we die to ourselves and put our trust in Him. Easier said than done.
One of the 2 pastors at my church (who is retiring soon) brought the topic up one Sunday, which again, right place and right time. God always knows what He’s doing. I’m definitely not the only one that benefited from hearing it. He said that back in the 80’s when he’d been living in another state, he was requested as a pastor waaay over here in my state. Well, he already knew what house he wanted to buy, what ministry he wanted to serve in, and what school he wanted to take his kids to. They knew everybody, he didn’t want to leave, and he basically was like “Sorry, you’ve got the wrong guy.” He got another request and to humor the people, he did come to check it out but was going to tell the congregation on Sunday “Sorry, I’m not the pastor you’re looking for.” Well, they were staying in a crummy motel and he was miserable when his wife said, “Maybe the reason you’re miserable is because you know what God wants, but you’re not willing.” Ouch! Well, besides saying he closed the door a little louder than usual, he went out to pray. He said that though He’s never heard God audibly, that night God gave him a clear message. He said, “You can do what you want, but don’t call me Lord anymore.” Wow… Many will say to him Lord Lord, but on that day He will say depart from me you workers of iniquity, I do not know you (Matthew 7:21-23). You can’t claim to follow God and then not do what He commands. You can say I want this house, this ministry, these people and God may let you have them, but at what cost? You could gain the whole world, but lose your soul. Ask yourself, how important is God and His will in my life? Are we living for God with Jesus truly as Lord of our lives? Are we part of His Christian army? Or are we selfishly living for ourselves? A couple of months ago, I was at a women’s event at my church where this same issue came up. I wouldn’t have even known about it if a co-worker friend of mine hadn’t mentioned it (if you ever read this, thank you!) because I was so busy I had missed that Sunday’s service and therefore missed the announcements and bulletin. God wanted me there though. It’s hard thinking back to a few months ago, but I still clearly remember one thing especially that the speaker said which really connected with me. She was talking about the part in Genesis where God asks “Adam, where are you?” She said that God is all knowing, and has no need to ask this. So why would He ask? So Adam could reflect, not only on his physical location, but where he was spiritually after sinning. I had never thought of it like that. It made me think of a song I have heard by Don Francisco called “Adam, Where Are You?” It was like I had HEARD the song but hadn’t LISTENED to it. Now, I got it. I got it, and I cried. What have I been putting first? It hasn’t been God. I can’t serve two masters and that message was for me. It inspired me to write a poem which I’m including under my poem tab called, “Where Are You?” Personally, I don’t care about having a lot of money, but the security of a steady income from a noble profession isn’t something I’d be adverse to. But God sometimes wants us to step outside our comfort zone in order to fulfill the plans He has for us. That’s the hard part. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Have I been doing God’s will or mine? How might the 2 intertwine or collide? Does He have other completely different plans from mine? Or has everything been building up towards His master plan and I just can’t see it yet? All I know for sure is that I trust Him now more than I ever have. How? Because every step of the way God has shown me that He’s in control and He can do anything. It’s not me. Whenever I’ve had even an inkling that it might be me, something happens that shows me just how much He’s doing and I am left in awe. I’ve been anxious, afraid, and have shed countless tears along the way and He’s always right there. Trust grows over time with experience. We get scared and sink in the water like Peter, but Jesus is there asking where is your faith? The storms of life hit and we panic, but then Jesus wakes up and stops the storm. God is faithful. He’s shown me to put my faith and trust in Him. He’s shown me that I can’t do it alone. He’s shown me that I have NOTHING to worry about! That is why right now I’m not upset or scared. I’m not anxious or worried… I’m excited! That is CRAZY! I don’t think I’d be able to say that if it was the me in the past that I’m thinking of as I write this. The me that, though she believed, struggled with trusting God. I was SCARED. I almost let fear stop me before I decided to push through it and trust God. He knows what He’s doing. God is AMAZING. And I STILL don’t know what He’s doing! It’s an adventure and God’s the one driving. Temptation… Ahh!!! We’ve all struggled with it and we’re not done with it. We’re human and there are certain things that come up in our lives every now and then that tempt us in some way or another. Often, we overcome it and great! It ends there. Good job. Other times we fall into whatever sin it is and then feel guilty or suffer other consequences because of it and then ask ourselves whether it was really worth it. It isn’t and if you don’t think that then ask God to help you repent! However, what I’d like to discuss is what happens when you rationalize your sin into almost believing it’s not a sin. That I think is one of the most dangerously deceptive sins there is because then you think you’re entitled to do it and it’s not an issue. If you don’t see it as a problem, you won’t repent which is EXACTLY what the devil wants.
Just like in the garden when the serpent said you will surely not die, God just doesn’t want you to be like Him and know everything. Satan’s still up to his same sneaky trickery today. Well, it’s not really a sin because of X, Y, Z. They did this to you so now you can do this to them, it’s only a natural consequence. Nobody will care if you do it. Nobody will know. It’s not fair that that happened, but if you do this then it will even things out. If people knew the whole story, they would side with you. Maybe the world would, but God wouldn’t. The Lord says vengeance is His. We’re not to take it into our own hands. If you try, then what are you valuing more than God and His word? What do you gain by disobeying God? Is that worth losing your salvation over? If you commit that sin and you get into an accident and die, would it have been worth it? Would God actually approve? Sometimes you might want God to approve. God, you know what’s happened. It’s not fair. Can I please just do this? It’s something small. It won’t matter in the long run. I don’t want to leave things as they are. Can you let me do this? No. Maybe you want to seek advice or approval from other people to help justify what you want to do? If it’s the world, they might cheer you on and tell you to do it because it’s what they would do. If it’s a believer, they should steer you the right way and therefore you might not be inclined to ask them. Darkness hates the light. Ask yourself who you’re asking, people that would approve of the sin you want to commit or people that would Biblically correct you and guide you away from it? Ask yourself whether you’re actually opening your Bible to look for the guidance you know you need or avoiding it so you can continue to justify your sin. Ever heard of ignorance is bliss? Well, we often know what we have to do or should do but resist it anyway. God sees everything though and there’s no fooling him. He knows our hearts and will judge every thought and action accordingly. What are the top 2 commandments? Love God and love your neighbor. Think about the consequences of that sin. If you commit that sin, who does it hurt? If you don’t commit that sin, what good could come from that? How can you use this to help be a light in the world instead of adding to the darkness that’s already in it? How is what you’re planning on doing actually selfish and how can you be selfless by turning that around and doing the opposite of what the world would expect? A lot of this is hypothetical and may be hard to wrap your brain around, but I’ll try to give an example to illustrate my points. Let’s say a small child is playing on the beach and it took them an hour to build a sand castle with their father before some older kid comes over and knocks it all down. That’s not fair. They spent all this time making it for someone to destroy it within seconds. That child might be inclined to retaliate. They may feel sad and cry, or they might want to go over there and punch his lights out. Whatever his reaction, the world would want to get riled up and do something to that big bully. How dare he! He’s bigger and older and should know better. What right did he have to do that? Some teen should come over and steal his skateboard or pants the kid or SOMETHING right? Wrong! If we genuinely love our neighbor, we’re supposed to forgive them and pray for them for they know not what they do. Imagine if rather than get upset, the child looked the older kid in the eye and calmly said, “I made that castle with my dad. I don’t see you here with your dad. Maybe you destroyed my castle because you wish your dad was here making one with you. Do you want to make one with me and my dad?” Wouldn’t that just blow you away? What kid would respond like this? We don’t see that and the world doesn’t encourage that. How often do we hear parents tell their kids that if somebody picks on them, then it’s okay to do something back? No. How do you know that the kid doesn’t have a bad home life? Those kids especially need love, not more hate. They’re used to hate. They provoke hate because that’s all they know. Full of anger in a wicked and unjust world. Who is going to love those kids? Who is going to reach out to them and give them the friendship and love that they so desperately need? Who is going to extend mercy to them? God’s wisdom is foolishness to the world and confounds it. However, it is cherished wisdom to those that are being saved. Again, none of us is perfect. While this blog is meant to edify others and is sometimes based on what I see in the world, often some of the things I end up writing either were inspired by or can also apply to myself. I was reading a book that for different reasons I had bought years ago and am only now really reading called, “If I Plug My Ears, God Can’t Tell Me What to Do” by Jessie Clemence. Let me just say that the Holy Spirit does speak through people and wow, when God told her to write a book He knew what he was doing. The last book I read I thought was a bunch of fluff that didn’t apply to me (I won’t mention it because it may help someone else, God’s will is always accomplished in the end and I’m not about to criticize another author when they probably put their heart and soul into those pages!). This book however is FULL of good things that could apply to MANY and I definitely recommend it! It’s also not a dull read and really personable with real-life examples and testimonies. Anyway, I was reading this book, not even thinking about sin or temptation but about God’s will for my life in general. However, listen to this. “Anytime we choose ourselves over God, we’re sinning. If we have clear directions from the Word of God and we ignore them, we’re sinning… The big consequences of big sins are hard to ignore, but the quieter sins we can rationalize and pretend away. That doesn’t make them any less of a sin. We’re still choosing our own way, opinion, or perspective over God’s, which will stop us from being able to follow God to wherever He is leading us.” Wow. Common sense like duh, right? Wrong. I was reading that exactly at the right time when I was rationalizing and justifying something I shouldn’t consider doing. We all face temptations in our lives, and even after reading that, I STILL pleaded with God to let me. The nerve. I can’t. It’s His will, not mine. That was when I considered the consequences of what would happen either way, and guess what? It was a selfish sin and if I turned it around, it’s an opportunity to bless others. Okay God, I’m ready to listen! Please use me to be a light in the world and keep being patient and correcting me when I make mistakes. Sometimes I hear people that say something to the effect of “well, Jesus forgives me, so it’s all good.” What? No. Jesus does forgive us and cleanse us of all sin… But God is also just and unchanging and there is always a consequence for sin. In the Old Testament, people had to make both sacrifice offerings AND atonement offerings. If somebody stole from their neighbor, they were to make reparation and give back sometimes even twofold. There were rules based on what kind of thing was stolen and how to make up for it. When David sinned to the point of having Bathsheba’s husband killed, even though he fully repented, he still had to lose his firstborn son. Maybe you’re thinking “well, that’s the Old Testament so it doesn’t apply now.” However, Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. In the New Testament it says to leave your offering if you remember your brother has something against you, go settle it with them, and then come back and make your offering to God. Otherwise be prepared to spend your time in jail. A natural consequence in a law-driven world.
God also has standards and our works will be tried as if through fire. Not in Purgatory, but here while we’re alive. It also says that it is better for you to go to heaven without your hand than to enter into “Gehenna” intact. That part doesn’t literally mean chop your hand off and pluck your eye out, but it is showing the seriousness of sin and its consequences. If Jesus took care of the consequence of sin as well, then why do we need to apologize to each other? Return what was stolen? Say excuse me if we bump into someone? With that attitude, we are not loving our neighbor which is the second major commandment we were given and from which all the others follow. Jesus died for us and opened the way to salvation with his final sacrifice for all. The wages of sin is death and He conquered it for us. It is finished. We can be saved if we believe in Him and our faith is a gift from God. However, that doesn’t give us a license to sin. If we do sin, though we have an Advocate, we also must still love our neighbor and make up for it in some way or our just God will try us and our works as if through fire. We can get burnt, but we won’t perish. If we say we love God but don’t love our neighbor, how can we say we love what we can’t see but not what we can? We are to love everyone, even people that have put it on their hearts to be our “enemies.” God is calling some of them to Himself too. Just look at Paul before his Jesus encounter. Don’t confuse the consequences of sin as having to do works to get saved. Our works are as dirty rags to God. None of us can add anything to what Jesus did on the cross. If we believe, we can be saved. But even the demons believe in Jesus. We must follow God’s commandments. Jesus said if you love me, keep my commandments. And God’s commandments are not burdensome. We are to love God above everything else and then love our neighbor. Someone who loves their neighbor doesn’t seek their harm and thinks about others besides themselves. If we believe, then we obey. Works are the fruit and evidence of our repentance and salvation. They are not the CAUSE of it, but the effect. Nobody should think they have to stop sinning and be perfect before they can come to Christ. He came to save sinners. If you believe, come to Him now and the Holy Spirit will help get rid of the sin in your life if you ask God to help you. Nobody is perfect. Anybody who says they don’t sin is lying, whether intentionally or ignorantly. All have fallen short and we ALL need a savior. But when we do sin, if we love God and our neighbor we won’t just sit back and do nothing. We show we love God through loving our neighbor because God loved us and expects us to share it. You knocked somebody down? Help them up. You robbed a bank before you found Christ in prison? Go and share him with the world and other inmates and I’m sure your testimony will reach countless others to bring them to Christ. That is way more valuable and priceless than a bunch of missing bills that you don’t have anymore. If you embezzled money and are still rich, then yes by all means go ahead and pay those people back! But the way that people make up for sins isn’t always exactly the way they sinned. All things work together for the good of them that love God. While the devil may have rejoiced when you fell into sin, don’t give him the satisfaction of holding it over you. He can accuse us all he wants, but not if you use it for God’s glory! Yes, even Christians fall. Yes, we sin. But don’t let that stop you from having that relationship with God and your neighbor. Repent and DO something about it. The devil would like to separate us and close us off in either anger, anxiety, depression, or what have you. But don’t listen! Share the hope we have in Jesus with others. Love covers a multitude of sins. Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand! Jesus and John taught us to call people to repentance in this way because God knows us humans need it! We tend to get complacent and settled into routines and God wants us to be the servants that are awake and ready. The day will come upon us like a thief in the night and we can’t be found asleep. Nobody knows the day or the hour, but it’s coming. The Bible says there will be scoffers who think “well they’ve been saying from the beginning it’s coming and nothing has happened, so we’ll continue carrying on like always.” They don’t think He’s returning, but they’re wrong. If we knew when Jesus was coming, people would be like oh it’s not in my lifetime so I don’t have to prepare. No! God wants everyone to be saved! That is why He’s waited so long! To him a thousand years is like a day, and vice versa. He has all the time in the world and is very patient in calling us to Him, but when He comes it’ll be sudden and with judgment. Especially today, we have tons of resources available to us if we genuinely want to seek Him. The problem is that many don’t want to. They’re comfortable living their lives, just like in the times of Noah, and don’t believe in God. There are a lot of crazy things going on in the world today, and they’re just the beginning of the labor pains. God tries to get our attention, but we’re often oblivious. Not worried about His return? Well, our lives are but a vapor and you could be dying tomorrow. You don’t know. We all make plans, but things happen. Heart attack, car accident, a trip down some stairs… Anything could take your life and then it’ll be too late. Find God before it’s too late! Or, if you’ve already found Him but strayed, then get right with Him before it’s too late. Are you ready?
My dad has had some divergent ideas from before I was born, from other religious faiths he tried to combine with a Catholic understanding of Christianity (syncretism) and new age ideas from secular books. Despite the Catholic background and this faith’s particular emphasis on suffering, he’s definitely had an issue with God and “punishment.” We’ve had plenty of good discussions (never heated, always lively on both sides) on the topic, and I can’t say I’ve managed to convince him God does discipline his children even to this day. Individual Christians (or Catholics or people claiming to be of ANY faith) having beliefs different from what their faith teachers is not surprising. What is surprising is when it is a major doctrine within the faith. How did that person come to make those conclusions? I always find it interesting how we all come to believe what we do or the rationale people have. One of the most surprising conclusions I’ve heard is from those that, even though they come from a Christian background, don’t believe in Hell. Some even go as far as to say it’s not in the Bible. What? It’s referred to all over the Bible! The lake of fire, Gehenna, where there is weeping and a gnashing of teeth, where the fire is not quenched and the worm does not die, etcetera. It’s not a man-made doctrine to scare people into submission, but an actual place made for the devil and his angels. Anyone who’s not with God is against Him.
Please read to the end. I know this can be an especially touchy subject for many people and people can feel passionately about it on both sides. Just hear me out. I can understand why the idea of Hell is so unpalatable to some. Unless you’re sadistic, nobody truly wants anybody to go there. We all know lots of great people that are not believers, some of them are family members and friends, and it’s unfathomable to think of any of them headed there. It’s too sad and terrible a thought. That I can understand. I don’t want them to go there either. That’s precisely why we need to warn people. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! What I really don’t understand is how a Christian can doubt the existence of Hell when it’s literally found throughout the Bible. Jesus talks about it and the term “Christian” means you follow Christ and his teachings. All of his teachings. Either you believe the Bible or you don’t. If we claim to, we can’t pick and choose only the parts we like and leave out the parts we don’t. Some people are speaking out of ignorance. They don’t read their Bibles and think God is just love. While true, He is also good and just. He made us all with free will, including Satan and the angels. He didn’t want robots, He wanted us to love Him back like He loves us. Satan wanted more, and Hell was made for the rebellious Satan and his angels. If anyone outright rejects God, they are choosing to go there because if you’re not with God you’re against Him. For those that don’t know of God, that is why we are called to preach the gospel to all nations. If someone dies without knowing God, I think it depends on the person and the circumstances. Some people even in this day and age have no access to the internet and the culture around them does not know God. Others, even if they did, I can’t presume to know. For all I know, God in his mercy might give them a chance to accept him right before they pass away? None of us are judges and we can’t know where their final resting place will be, all we can do is pray and try to do what we can while they are alive. Then, we all sin. Some commit crimes and they do community service, pay a fine, or go to jail to pay for them. If someone does something wrong, they have to make up for it. Repent, make retribution, and in the past they made atonement sacrifices. If they haven’t repented, God disciplines his children and believers can use the Word to correct one another. We ask forgiveness and Jesus cleanses us from our sins. We’re all sinners, so we can’t be in God’s presence as we are. Nothing unclean will enter heaven. Humans fell into sin and haven’t stopped since Adam. God loved humanity so much that he sent his Son Jesus to die for us. Without blood there is no remission of sins. People used to sacrifice animals, but now there is no more need for sacrifice. Jesus has ransomed all of us. If there was no Hell, there would be no reason for Jesus to come and die for us. What would he come save us from? Some people are not ignorant of what the Bible says, but choose not to accept it. Or they doubt its credibility or inerrancy. Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but I honestly can’t say I’m 100% sure myself whether every last thing in it is accurate, but I believe most if not all of it is. By “most,” I mean most major things, not the so-called little errors people claim it has. It may or may not have small errors, but I don’t think if it does have any of those that it affects the accuracy or veracity of the rest. That’d be like claiming my textbook has a typo, so the rest of it is wrong. Or the newspaper article this morning got a fact or name wrong, so the rest of it must be unreliable. Humans can make mistakes, so it’s not out of the question. But major things? So far, I’ve taken it all to be inerrant. I’m taking it mostly on faith because so far nothing has proven it otherwise false. Innocent until proven guilty. Every so-called contradiction I’ve come across so far has good explanations that atheists and others reject or are ignorant of. Often, they are basing their judgments on manmade wisdom and knowledge. I’d rather trust in God. I know God is real and He’s shown himself to me through his Holy Spirit and in many other ways. My experience only confirms the Bible as I keep growing in faith and knowledge. It’s the Holy Spirit which guides us into all truth, not our own understanding. We shouldn’t be wise in our own eyes, but trust in God. The Bible says that every word is God-breathed and useful for correction and teaching. Every word. That implies there are no errors or if there were a few that they’re not important enough to argue over. The wisdom of God is foolishness unto them that are perishing, but life to us. God makes the wise foolish, and that makes sense when I consider all that I’ve learned the past few years with a little personal research. It only made me trust God more and man less. And like the Bible says, God’s ways are higher than our ways and there are some things that are difficult to understand in the Bible, which some twist to their own destruction. Be very careful regarding Scripture. Don’t add to or take from it. If you are currently struggling with this issue, then I urge you to read your Bible and pray the Holy Spirit guides you to understanding the truth. The truth can be a hard pill to swallow sometimes, but God’s the one in charge, not us. He’s not the one sending people to perdition, it’s their own choices. God wishes every last person to be saved, which is why He’s delayed his second coming so long. Jesus wept for Jerusalem. Paul sometimes wrote his letters even in tears. True believers care about others. Be careful that caring doesn’t override the love you have for God. Love God above all else and pray for your friends, family, and neighbors. Share the gospel with others. I think there’s a reason all of these people are waking up to the truth now. In this day and age, the internet has made many sources of truth available to us if we just look for it. Nobody has any excuse anymore. While Satan deceives the whole world, believers should stay strong in God’s word and only then can we be prepared to see through his deceptions. We’re believers warning the world and equipping other believers to do the same. God is calling His people NOW. Do you have ears to hear? Peter denied Jesus three times, was full of shame and remorse after, and was forgiven. Moses told God to pick someone else to lead His people out of Egypt because he feared he wasn’t eloquent enough. Jonah didn’t want to go to preach to the people in Nineveh until he was swallowed by the big fish. Paul went from zealous Jew persecuting Christians to being one of the most beloved, prolific, and passionate Christians. He went from being a cold murderer who the disciples didn’t trust at first to being a loving follower of Christ. Only God can do that. You never can tell just who exactly God will use for His purposes. Sometimes they were enemies of God or Christ, average people with flaws and fears (think the apostles in hiding before Pentecost), or stubborn in some way where God wanted something and the person resisted at first. While all of this is true, there are also many wolves in sheep’s clothing, seeking to make merchandise of people. God knows people’s hearts, so nobody can hide anything from Him. People make mistakes they later regret all the time. The tongue is a fire, so we don’t want to gossip monger. Would you want your own faults exposed to the world? Go to the person in private first, only in front of witnesses if they don’t listen.
That being said, we are called to expose works of darkness and we shall know them by their fruits. While I have spoken on Rick Warren, he has condemned himself and shown his true colors with his two-faced lies. He’s most definitely a wolf. Lauren Daigle however is not necessarily a “wolf” because unlike him, she doesn’t seem to be hiding who she is. At this point in her life, she seems more like a “new age” believer that doesn’t exactly have the right ideas of what the Christian God of the Bible is actually like. She has promoted the new age film The Shack, and said she “loved” that God was portrayed as a woman in it. For King and Country also commented about that and “not putting God in a box.” We’re not putting God in a box. We’re simply going by what God’s revealed in the Bible as He told us to pray to Him as our Father. He never said mother and no human can impose a modern-day viewpoint on God’s word. It was not mere people that wrote the Bible, but every word was inspired and breathed out by God. Now, there are singers who have given up their riches and fame to pursue careers that truly just glorify God. Then, there are those who started on a good path, but then compromised themselves for fame and fortune. Katy Perry once mentioned in an interview she wanted to be like Amy Grant and put out a gospel album, but it wasn’t successful so she went the opposite direction. You can’t serve both God and money. She chose wealth and fame over God. She like others can still repent, but they often don’t want to or think they can’t because of what they’ve done. Satan’s an excellent accuser, but until we die, it’s never too late. Everybody makes their own choices in life, but all of our actions have consequences and we will have to answer to God for every word and action. If anybody claims to be a follower of Christ, we are to lovingly correct them. If they choose not to listen, then it becomes their responsibility. We did our part by warning them. We’re not judging, we’re trying to warn them before they have to face the final judge. That’s done in love and concern for their soul, not in hate or with finger pointing. Nor self-rightously, because we’ve all fallen short. If you claim to love people, love them enough to teach them. Don’t mock, yell, or slander in anger. God knows their hearts and will judge them; we are just to correct them with the Word. If they have influence over others, then by all means we are called to expose works of darkness and that is to edify the church not to slander that person. Speak truth in love and pray for them, but if they are teaching things that are false, we can and should look to Scripture for the good of all. They may yet change and come to God. One never knows. We have to pray for them, even if you think it’d take a miracle. God is the only one that can change people’s hearts and draw them to Himself. Pray. Constructive criticism is good and can improve your craft. We should listen to feedback, when it’s good and actually tells you specific things you can improve. However, blanket “good/bad” judgments are not helpful. Some are downright harmful. If you are creating something, be it a painting, a song, or a film, not everyone is going to like it. Some people, especially on the internet, are just plain rude. They don’t think of the time, effort, and heart you put into something and can easily tear it down in seconds. But did that person take the time to make their own creative contribution? No. If they are taking the time to tear somebody else down, that really says more about what’s in that person’s heart than it does your own work.
Maybe the anonymous comments are easy to ignore for some, but what about the comments from someone in the field who’s experienced? They’re already “somebody” and it’s presumed that they know what they’re talking about. The big name hasn’t responded, so maybe they didn’t like it? Or they have responded, but basically said you’re not good enough. Multiple famous artists have been told they were not good enough by somebody along the way. Michael J. Fox was told early on that nobody would want to see his face except on a lunch box. Well, once he became famous, he had a lunchbox made with his face on it and sent to this person and the guy keeps it in his office! He was wrong! Before they became famous, even The Beatles were rejected! Words can hurt, especially from someone you admire and/or respect. You may be inclined to listen to the person with more authority, because they have so many more years of experience than you do. They must know what they’re talking about, right? Wrong. We ALL make mistakes, including them. If you listen to those people, you might as well give up now because you’ll find them everywhere. But what do YOU think? Do you like what you do? Do others in general seem to respond well to it? Show them they’ve misjudged you. Psychology says we tend to listen to the one negative comment over the 100 positive ones. But knowing about that phenomenon, we can consciously choose not to, and make an effort to change our thinking. That is easier said than done. As if we didn’t get enough criticism from the outside world, there’s also yourself to worry about. Maybe you’re waiting for a response and you second-guess yourself. Or you make something and maybe everyone around you tells you it’s good, but you think they’re just being nice. You know you didn’t get something quite right. That part is terrible. They think you did something on purpose when it came about by accident. They think you’re amazing when you think what you put out is amateur or could be better. People will criticize anything you do, but sometimes your harshest critic is yourself. Comedian John B. Crist talks about negative self-talk and insecurities in the following clip. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM5hHAPyKsQ No matter what you do in life, you’re always going to have supporters and detractors. Some people will encourage you and tell you keep going. Others will bring you down and say you can’t do it. Whatever the “it” may be, you won’t get anywhere if you listen to people. You have to know what you want and whether it’s worth the effort. Have fun on the journey of trying and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. We all make them, but we should learn from them. If one person REALLY loves what you made/did, when everyone else hardly seems to take notice, enjoy that person’s enthusiasm and keep going. You can’t please everyone. Are you looking for applause and attention? Or do you genuinely enjoy what you do? Don’t let fear or self-doubt stop you. Everybody gets better with time and practice no matter what the skill or field. We can’t all excel in every area, but some things are worth pursuing if you are passionate about them. What’s your passion? And if you’re a believer, more importantly, would God approve? Ever find yourself in a pessimistic, gloomy-Gus mood? Where you’re just tired and things seem hopeless and you’d like nothing better than to just give up because that’d be easier than what you’re doing now? Sometimes it helps to get a different perspective. Sometimes you just need a break. Sometimes it helps to take a “personal” day or moment and treat yourself to a milkshake, go to the mall for a pretzel, or search for a hidden treasure at your local thrift shop. If you’re creative, it helps to be able to express your feelings in writing or art. These are not always possible after a long work day when you’re low on energy and high on stress, so sometimes all you can do is kick back and watch something to get your mind off things. I don’t know if this will help you, but here are some things that have helped me.
The number one thing is God. Come to me all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). That is my FAVORITE Bible verse. It’s on my computer’s wallpaper so I read and think about it pretty much daily. If I ever start to forget what’s truly important, that helps remind me and I come to Him in prayer. God gives me the strength and energy to continue when I need to, and He also lets me enjoy periods of rest when the world does everything it can to stop that. I’m sometimes amazed at what He lets me accomplish (without coffee because I don’t like it) when other days it seems I can’t even keep my eyes open. He knows I can afford to rest even though at the moment I feel I can’t or shouldn’t. God’s like nope, that to-do list can wait for tomorrow. And even sleep-deprived and exhausted, I’ve been like I don’t know how I’m going to stay up but God gives me the energy and I’m not even tired anymore! God is good. The next thing isn’t profound, but just simply to take some time to relax and listen to some music (you can see what I think is real music on my music post haha) or watch either an inspirational or a funny video or movie. Drama is fine if you want something to suit your mood and get some of your emotions out. However, I suggest you end on a good note with humor. Studio C members branched off into JK Studios that came out with a new video series called Freelancers. The first episode had one of the best pep talks I have ever heard in my life. It’s even better in the video, as the acting is so awesome and hilarious that merely reading it cannot do it justice. It must be seen/heard to be fully appreciated. But I just had to document it because these are truly words to live by ;) “Don’t worry Zona, things always go wrong for us. Then somehow, people keep paying us. Not enough. I don’t have enough money for my heart medication, but I do have hope. Except when I’m afraid. Which is always. So I never have hope. Why would I? Things are bad. It is a hopeless netherscape out there. And we, but weary travelers. And here’s the thing, it’s okay! Because we all die one day.” (Ryan, Freelancers) Freelancers episode 1 JK Studios https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmCbs1Zrogg Ever have great emotional highs? Where you’re like yes! I can do it! Everything’s going to be amazing! Only to then have such negative lows it’s almost like you had a bipolar personality switch. Like what was I thinking? This is terrible. I’m a failure. Why bother trying? And then you’re back to being hopeful before you sink down again just trying to remind yourself you can’t just sit there and take it all lying down. No, you must get up and try, right? But I’m so tired, do I have to? Can’t I just give up? And you pray, open Scripture, and look for signs on what you should do. Well, God doesn’t always answer in the moment and we’re left to figure out things for ourselves. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could call Him up and He’d tell us, “Oh yes, take that job, but it won’t work out a year from now. No worries though because if you wait about 5 months through unemployment, you’ll find your dream job after you meet the owner in a coffee shop.” Great, thanks God! Phew, now I know I don’t have to worry because you’ve got it all covered. Awesome right? Well, real life isn’t like that.
Three applicable Bible verses come to mind here. One is that God causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). Good and bad things can happen to anyone, but sometimes this truth can be hard to endure. Naturally, we want to see the good triumph and our hearts don’t always want to love those who have wronged us. Maybe you’ve never wished harm on someone, but have you genuinely prayed for that tough person in your life? Have you gone out of your way to be nice to them when you’d rather avoid them? The world cannot experience God’s love and mercy if we don’t show them by extending His grace to them. Forgive seventy times seven. Again, easier said than done, but completely necessary if we truly want to be followers of Christ. Anyway, sometimes bad things happen to good people or good things happen to bad people. We don’t always have all the answers or the ones that we’d like. But we can know that God is still sovereign and will use all things for the good of them that love God. That much we do know, even if in the moment we can’t see it. The book of Ruth gives a prime example of this, when Naomi and Ruth are left desolate widows only for Ruth to end up marrying well-off, God-fearing, honest Boaz. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). In our instant-gratification society, it is harder to wait than ever! You get immediate feedback on social media when people like your post (if you’re on social media…), you get coffee (if you like that sort of thing) or (better yet) ice-cream in hundreds of different flavors, you can watch movies instantly on Netflix, and if you order from Amazon you can choose fast 2-day shipping. We’re used to getting things now and if we can’t, we go elsewhere. If we can. You can’t go anywhere when you’re stuck in traffic! However, I know that unless I have someone to talk to or a good book with me, I hate waiting in lines. I avoid them if possible. There’s a line? Forget it, I’ll just go elsewhere or come back later (with a book!). If I have to, I endure. Sometimes we have no choice. A lot of times we want answers or results now, but that’s not how life or God work. We have to wait. This is especially true of single people trying to find “the one.” You can’t rush into marriage just because you don’t want to be lonely! You need to make sure you’re compatible and dedicated to the Lord if you don’t want to end up divorced, which is all too common nowadays. If you are meant for marriage, it’ll happen. God knows what He’s doing. Blessed are those who believe without seeing (John 20:29). We like and want to know and see, not just trust and remain blind to what’s ahead. It’s like we have blindfolds on and instead of letting God lead us, we keep stopping and asking Him questions like “Are you sure this is the right way? Are you still there? Why are we going this way? Can I take the blindfold off and see where we’re going?” And God is there the whole time, guiding us in the way we should go, even if we stray and wander off the path. He’s waiting. He’s good. And yes, He wants us to TRUST Him! Again, easier said than done, but I’m learning! He’s shown me time and again He’s there, so I trust Him now more than ever. An atheist might think that with years and experience, people would give up the God “fairy-tale” and “crutch,” but time has only shown me just how much the devil and God have influence over and guess what? My faith is stronger than ever. My trust could still use some work, but God is most definitely real and in control. He knows what He’s doing, even when we don’t. Just because you feel He doesn’t answer your game of Marco Polo, God’s still in the pool and we’ve got to learn how to follow Him. While we’re still dog paddling, He wants us to walk on water. Scary, but keep going and keep trusting. He didn’t let Peter drown and He won’t let you go under either. Some people are scared to die. I never was; I was just scared of being left alone. Have you ever wondered how pain and grief work after you are “born again?” I did. At first. You see, I have not known major loss because most of my relatives are so far away. A few relatives have passed, but for me my strongest loss was my first dog. I wasn’t expecting it and was not prepared. It happened all of a sudden, within the course of 24 hours. Happy and playful one day, sick and then gone from my life the next. And that coincided with another loss in my life that I talk about in my testimony, but that’s another story. Anyway, I went as far as to tell one of my aunts that if my dog wasn’t in heaven then I didn’t want to go there! Now, I think the opposite. That even if nobody I know and love is there, God is enough and I want to be where HE is because I love Him more. So much so that I at first wondered if that would affect how I feel about death. What would happen now?
We live in a broken world, full of pain and suffering because of sin. Often, like Paul, we find our hearts willing but our flesh weak and we too fall into sin. We too must pick up our cross daily and die to ourselves more and more each day so that Christ can live through us. Nobody is perfect though. And nobody is invincible. We’re all human and still vulnerable to this life’s ups and downs. However, Christians experience grief differently. In death, we still have a hope of eternal life and a trust in God that all things will work out for the best. When life strikes us down, we know that one day there will be no more pain and no more tears. While we live though, there will still be pain, trials, and tears. None of that false prosperity gospel or “name-it-and-claim-it” mumbo jumbo. Stuff happens and we deal with it as best we can. God is not our personal genie. Well, they say be careful what you wish for and maybe that’s applicable here. Not that I wished for anything, but they also say God works in mysterious ways. In double in case I doubted it? Within days or even a week or 2 of each other (I don’t remember exactly…), I got an answer to my question. The first was when I found and held a sick baby blue jay as it died in my hands. Don’t worry, I had gloves on. And maybe you’re not an animal-lover, but I am. Since childhood and I’d venture maybe even from within my mother’s womb! It was sad and I definitely cried. Then my sweet guinea pig got sick and passed some time during the night. A deeper loss than the bird I’d only known for maybe less than an hour or 2. I loved my guinea pig like I loved my first dog. Your pet is like your child. Or maybe I just say that because I don’t have children and I would hope you would value your children more than your pets! But really, I’m just saying they’re like family. However, the major difference I found was that this grief was not lingering like it had been with my dog. I enjoyed the time I had with them, and trust God knows why things happen. I know they sometimes just happen without reasonable explanations or logic and we don’t always understand why. In life maybe we never will. I can’t tell you why, though I can guess a few things. What I will say is that while I was sad, it was not the same. Now I can turn to God and pray even in the midst of my sadness. I can also be sad temporarily without getting bogged down in hopelessness and grief. It’s okay to be sad. Jesus wept for Jerusalem and when Lazarus died, even though he resurrected him right after! Sometimes in life, we are going to cry whether we are believers or not. God is truly close to the broken-hearted and He has my heart above all else. He helps us get through it all and gives us a hope for the future. If you’re depressed, your mind is usually stuck in the past. If you’re anxious, you’re usually worried about the future. Though sometimes it’s hard to just live and be in the present, try. Also, if you’re focused on yourself, that sometimes does not allow you to see or help others around you. You stay stuck in whatever negative cycle of thinking you’re in and it’s hard to get out of that mindset. If you focus on doing something positive for at least one or more people around you, it’s something you can feel good about. Something that can lead to more positive changes and getting out of that mire and boldly into the world again. The answer isn’t simple psychology though. It’s God. Who knows where I would be without Him. I thank God every day for what He’s given me and allowed me to experience. He can help you use “mistakes” as learning opportunities. He sometimes orchestrates things in which you don’t always see His hand until after. He is the one that changes our hearts, gives us hope, renews our strength, and comforts us in times of sorrow. If you don’t have that, I hope you seek and find Him one day. God is patient, but we don’t have forever. Things would’ve been a lot easier if I’d found Him sooner, but then I wouldn’t be me and maybe wouldn’t have appreciated it as much. Our experiences shape us. All we can do now is keep learning and becoming better versions of ourselves. That can be a difficult task on your own, but with the grace of God, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Whatever you’ve been through, whatever your struggle may be, keep on keeping on and my hope is that one day you encounter God if you haven’t already. He’s not a miracle band-aid that instantly cures all your ails and worries, but He’ll help you through it and give you a peace, not as the world gives, but one that helps you find joy in the midst of your suffering. Nothing and no one can take that away. Don’t let the devil rob you of that joy with his lies. He came to steal, kill, and destroy. Do you listen to him or to God? Do you listen to God or to man? Don’t worry about what people think, but about what God thinks. Is your heart right with Him? If not, what will it take to make things right? We can’t do it on our own, so repent and ask Him for help. He knows what we need. If you want to try it alone, be my guest. However, that’s doing it the hard way and like the Bible says, what good is it to gain the whole world if you lose your soul? We have free will, but God is the best choice anybody alive can make. If nothing else, that I can guarantee! If you’re not convinced, all I can do is pray and hope you change your mind someday. Sometimes we put all our eggs into one basket, and when they don’t hatch or dreams break, we find we’d misplaced our hope. We all have talents and work to get where we are if we want to “be somebody.” Having a career is important to many people, but in the end on our death beds it will not be what is most important. It is not what God cares about. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul? Did we help share with others around us what God has done for us? Or did we just live for ourselves and our own private ambitions? Did we just want to make a name for ourselves? Make our families proud? Be called a fancy title like “doctor?” If we wanted to help people, what kind of help did we give and will it matter in the long run?
My whole career (if you can call it that) has been a miracle by itself. I am more on the reserved/shy/introvert side and I had a hard time from the beginning. While there has been plenty of joy, there have also been MANY tears. What comes easy to some is harder for others. For me, I’ve struggled through various obstacles and I definitely would not have made it by myself without God’s help. Because of shame and fear, I’ve hidden my struggles. However, I now see everything is really a testament to the glory of God, without whom I really could not have done anything. While I’ve had supportive people to help me each step of the way, I’ve also had naysayers on my path. I was told by more than one person, one pretty high up in the rank at my college, that I wasn’t very good at what I did and maybe I should pick a different career. That hurt. I cried the whole rest of that day. I was almost at the end of my program and to hear that was a harsh blow and completely shook any confidence I had gained. Well, I decided to take a year off and work to gain more experience. I even took some classes and got an internship. I met an amazing and encouraging lady there who automatically dubbed me her new best friend (mine is God now but if you’re reading this, I love you!). Anyway, when I was afraid of going back she told me to go for it and trust in the Lord. Well, the first job I got was not a good fit at all. Completely opposite personalities and work styles, not a good mix. I didn’t even hear it directly from them, but I got called to their boss’ office one day and they said they were letting me go and again said something similar to re-thinking my career. Thankfully, because this was only a part-time job with very little hours, I had already gotten another part-time job elsewhere about a week before that. With more time now, I worked more hours there and closer to home and everything (even that first job) helped teach me things that I carried with me. Once the year was up, then came decision time. I had an anxiety-filled 3 full days of wondering what I should do, pour more time, effort, and money into going back to finish what I had started or settle with the job I had and go from there? In the end, I decided to go back because if I didn’t I’d always wonder whether I could have made it, and if I failed then at least I could say that I tried. I prayed to God to help me. Well, God put some wonderful people to work with me that year and I made it. I had a wonderful experience and everything previously had helped prepare me for it. I got my credential with God’s help. Then, still not feeling completely ready and deciding I needed more experience before trying to go at it on my own, I decided to take a different but related job. A step up from my first job in terms of what I could do, and I did this for the next six months. I was planning on applying for a job on my own when in that second to last month, I got hit with 2 negative reports within a week of each other. I was sad. I thought things had been going pretty well and yet almost toward the end and this happens? Should I then apply for jobs after all or wait yet another year and gain more experience? How did I feel about it all? Going out on my own? Scared. This was another blow to my confidence and I decided maybe it was a sign from God to wait. However, with the 3 strikes and you’re out rule, I was also taking a risk. I’d only been doing this for 6 months. Could I last another year at this job? I put my trust in God and said if He wanted me to, I could do it, but I knew that at any moment I could get that third strike and it would be over. So I prayed every day to please let things go relatively well. Relatively being the key term because if they went well, would I truly be learning anything? If it was relatively well, then it would be problems I could handle with His help. I leaned on God that year like I never had before, and guess what? He carried me through for a whole year on that tightrope and didn’t let me fall. He even put a new mentor in my life that helped guide me with her experience and knowledge. There were good days and no so good days and I made plenty of mistakes, but thankfully kept learning from them. And by the end of that year, when I was applying, a specific type of job popped up that wasn’t there the year before. One that I had specialized in and there was a demand for, but not enough people that had the credentials for it. I applied to one, only to hear back from somewhere else that that position had been filled but would I like to work for them? I was surprised, as this was one of the places I had not had a good experience at and I told them as much. Yet, they were still interested and after an interview and job offer, I didn’t look a gift horse in the mouth and accepted. I put in two years here before God decided I was needed elsewhere. So much time, effort, and dedication… I love what I do and while I know I’m not “the best,” I put my heart into my work and I try. My enemy is time. There’s never enough of it to do everything I would like. Extra hours are not enough and I am drained after work, but I have learned so much already and I’ll keep learning and trying and working hard. Sometimes things don’t come easily, but God is good to those who wait. And even if He chose not to help me make it this far, I would be happy to follow Him regardless. I put my faith and trust in Him and trust that everything will work out for the best. It already has. What more should I expect when He has shown me time and again that I need to learn to lean on Him? His ways are higher than ours, so he might not have the same plans for me as I do or even as the world would. Even Paul knew he had everything he needed when he and Silas were in jail and singing praises to the Lord. The world thinking them accursed, but they knew God was with them. I may not always know what the future holds, but I know that I can trust my God who knows what He’s doing and works everything according to His purposes. In the trials, we must endure. Abraham was not granted a child until his old age, the Israelites wandered in the desert 40 years before reaching the Promised Land, and the widowed Ruth lost it all only to finally marry Boaz. Need I mention the book of Job? We can lose it all, maybe it’s a test like in the book of Job, but our treasure should be God above all else. Only then will we know true joy in spite of all types of circumstances. Without Him, we can do nothing. God, show me where you want me to go and I’ll try my best to follow. Maybe He wants me to focus more of my time on Him, and like He says, everything else will follow. We can’t serve both God and money. Only one can be our master. So what do we love more? Him or our career? God must be glorified in all things and if He is not, then maybe that’s not His will for us. Where can we truly live out our faith in ways that benefit others? How can we make the best use of our talents without burying them? My hope is that we all find our true calling (whether it is a ministry that doesn’t pay or a job that does) and if some of us need a little more guidance in this area then that God will lead us where He wants us and can serve Him and others best. Amen. In my life, God has shown me and keeps showing me how I need to rely more on Him and stop trusting in myself. He is the one that gives it all, and I am grateful. Sometimes things don’t come easily, but God is good to those who wait. Put your faith and trust in Him and trust that everything will work out for the best, for the good of them that love God. Even Paul knew he had everything he needed when he and Silas were in jail and singing praises to the Lord. The world thought them accursed, but they knew God was with them.
The following is a 10 minute testimony by Christian artist David Meece. He wrote a song that was translated into over 200 different languages, but he didn’t do it by himself. If he hadn’t become a singer, he could’ve become a stand-up comedian because he tells the whole story peppered with humor and it leaves you wanting more. Unless you’re super exhausted, you definitely won’t fall asleep here! Anyway, things are always better when we do things WITH God instead of trying to rely on ourselves. We Were the Reason Testimony https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCOTxMnnqEc Here is the song: We Are the Reason by David Meece https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaUzSa3eYCA This originally started as an email to someone and then I thought hey, some these words could not only encourage this one person but maybe others as well. Believers should be helping to build up the body of Christ. Hence, this newly-edited post. And if we make mistakes, then like the Bible says, we can encourage and correct each other using the Word. Anyway, sometimes it's hard to live in a world that promotes things that are contrary to the gospel. As a "babe" in Christ, it can be especially hard not to look back when you've set your hand to the plow, so to speak. People might call you radical and blow you off, but you're not alone. Know that many people out there have been touched by God's love and the fact that it radically changes so many people and connects us all is one of the beautiful things about being followers of Christ. Once you've felt it, there's just no going back. You can't help but want to know more about this God that loves you and saved you and you want to share that love with others. People just don't understand because they don’t know Him. I wish the world were ready to hear, but the gate is still narrow. Even so, out of the 99, that lost sheep is worth looking for. Even if you help just one person, it's worth it. Keep being you, even as you keep growing in Christ. We all are still growing, and it's by the grace of God we've gotten this far in our journeys.
Think you’re too unworthy and God can’t possibly use you? Sometimes God uses people the world wouldn’t have thought possible. Keith Green for example started off as a regular musician (and apparently used psychedelic drugs) before he found Christ and became so zealous for the Lord. How can the world see the amazing transformations Jesus brings about in people and not believe? I think Paul has one of the best testimonies in the Bible. A hateful Pharisee dutifully following Judaic law, choosing to persecute and murder followers of "the Way," only to meet Jesus and become one of the most zealous Christians that ever lived? That doesn't happen for no reason! And then people sometimes think Christians have to be perfect, but even Peter made mistakes. He told Jesus he shouldn't suffer/die (where Jesus afterward said "get behind me Satan”), Paul rebuked him when he stopped eating with the Gentiles when other Jews came around, he cut off the soldier's ear that Jesus then healed, and he even denied Jesus 3 times and was still forgiven. We're all flawed, we all fall (sometimes unfortunately into the same sins...), but like Paul said, we all should be striving for holiness as if we were in a race and heaven is the finish line. The flesh may be weak, but the Holy Spirit can help strengthen and guide us. Now here’s a topic that can be very uncomfortable for Christians, especially when we put ourselves under the microscope and examine whether we are actually following Christ or are focused on our own desires and wanting to “be liked” by the people around us. Sometimes we compromise, thinking maybe just a little will not do any harm, but a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Give the devil an inch, and he’ll take a mile. No matter how small or insignificant, a little compromise here can lead to things you wouldn’t have thought possible before. It’s even taught in psychology as the “foot in the door effect” where a salesperson gets you to agree to something small like letting him talk to you for a few minutes and then you’re inviting him in and he’s showing you samples until you bought something you never had any intent of purchasing and didn’t really need. Sin a little now and you’ll only want more. You may regret it later, yet you keep coming back. I saw a comment online that is appropriate here, “Sin keeps you longer than you’d like to stay, and takes you further than you’d like to go.” Wise words that definitely have application in my own life, as I imagine they do in the lives of many.
Humans don’t always like to examine themselves, and many find it easier to point the finger at others. The ones that do point out the sins of others (hopefully lovingly, with gentleness) are often told not to judge others. It is not judging when you are not condemning someone, but pointing out their error according to Scripture which we can use to correct one another. The Word is a two-edged sword that convicts us. You can correct me just as I can correct you when we look to what God says about it rather than believing a way that seems right to man but leads to death. Some Christians like to think that “Jesus is love” and so he approves of everything and nobody goes to Hell. Well, sad to say, but that’s not how it works. People that think this probably are either not reading their Bible at all, or if they are then not in its entirety because they are cherry-picking verses they like. Taking Scripture verses out of context to support what they believe, imposing their own beliefs onto it, rather than letting Scripture speak for itself and teach us what to believe because God said it and His ways are better than ours. God is holy and tells us we should be holy just as He is. That is the goal. We are far from it and will only obtain it in death as His gift, not because of anything we do. We are not supposed to be friends with the world, but instead expose darkness and preach the gospel so that all may be brought to repentance and saved. He does not want anyone to perish. It is us that lose sight of Him and deviate from His narrow road. God doesn’t change. Just because Jesus “hung out with sinners and prostitutes” doesn’t mean he condoned their behavior. He was there to save them and always told them to “go and sin no more.” A Christian blog stated, “The Christ that told the woman at the well all about her sin and forgave her is the same Christ who appeared to Moses and said take off your shoes because you are standing on holy ground.” We too are still sinners and were lost in sin before He rescued us. He expects believers to repent and be born again. It’s not easy, but we are to take up our cross daily and follow him. The world will hate us because it hated him first, and no one is greater than his master. Don’t start plowing only to look back. The world offers many enticements, lust of the eyes and flesh, but it will all be gone one day. Stay away from sin and seek friendship with Christ, not the world. Seek God’s approval, not the world’s. Do not make idols for yourselves by loving the world or things in the world when we are to love God above all things. And when God said to love your neighbor as yourself, that means just as you would save yourself from falling in a pit, you are to warn your neighbor so they don’t fall in too. It is not love if we let everybody fall in without warning them. We must also be careful lest we fall. “In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares, but he who guards his soul stays far from them” (Proverbs 22:5). So avoid situations that would tempt you or put snares in your walk with the Lord and keep proclaiming the salvation through Christ that the world so desperately needs. The judgment day keeps approaching and none of us wants to be found a lukewarm friend of the world bearing no fruit. So let us “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). If you are interested, here’s a link to the short blog article I got the Christ quote above from: https://pulpitandpen.org/2015/07/14/living-in-laodicea-evangelicals-and-friendship-with-the-world/ Okay, big elephant in the room. I have to talk about it because it is so heavily portrayed in the media and often times is heavily biased and critical. So many people stereotype and have such strong hatred towards each other and I have to ask, why? Can I try to play mediator and have both sides hear me out? Please refrain from jumping to conclusions and read through what I have to say, then you can think about whether or not you agree and go from there.
I have to start by addressing the side that’s been the most hurt by this issue. If you are gay (or lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, whatever you identify as), whatever you may have been told, God loves you. If you have had a negative experience with anyone claiming to follow Christ hating on you, then I’m sorry you experienced that. No one deserves that. As Keith Green said once, “going to church doesn’t make you any more Christian than going to McDonald’s makes you a hamburger.” Now to the people, Christian or not, that are inclined to be prejudiced. Why? I honestly do not understand how anyone can hate an entire group of people over something like race or sexual orientation. That’s like hating someone because you think their nose is too big. It’s ridiculous. I know someone who had those hateful inclinations and we’d always have long conversations about why it was not good to stereotype. I went so far standing up against prejudice as to suggest that someone close to them would turn out to be what they claimed to hate just to teach them a lesson. Then I would challenge them to think about how they would feel if it happened to be me that fit into that category. Would they then hate me even though nothing else about me would change? That doesn’t make any sense! More complicated when it’s someone close to you right? Then why judge other people based on that criteria? How do people generalize things and discard everyone like that rather than judge the individual based on their actions? If a man is black or white, he can be either a good citizen or a criminal, but that doesn’t automatically make all people of the same skin color the same thing. A person, gay or straight, can be a nice person or a jerk. Homosexuality is no different from any other sin. Why do so many people like to single homosexuality out as if it is the worst thing in the world? Have you ever lied? Argued with your parents? Taken the Lord’s name in vain (saying “OMG” counts)? Loved ANYTHING more than God? These are just a few common sins. God hates all sins. He loves the people as we are to love them, not their sins. And we’ve ALL sinned. Anyone who says the Bible is discriminating and not inclusive against the LGBT community is not counting the parts that speak against all other sins. For example, that all sexual immorality is wrong, such as fornication. Someone might say it’s okay if the two people love each other. However, would you say the same thing if it was your husband or wife that was cheating on you with another? Do you have a friend or family member that smokes? You love them, but they’re harming their bodies and blackening their lungs, inching closer to death, just for the momentary pleasure that the nicotine gives them. It’s sad, but you don’t hate them do you? That is what it is like to sin. You get momentary pleasure to the detriment of your soul while God looks on in sadness, willing you to quit but knowing you have to be the one to do it. He won’t force you. Nobody can help an alcoholic that doesn’t want to quit. You have to want it. He wants you to want Him. If He didn’t, God would’ve made a bunch of robots to worship him. That’s no fun. He gave us free will, not to do whatever we want and end up in the pit, but to love and choose Him. Now, Christians, can you really expect the world to follow after a God they don’t believe in? Why would anyone think, “Hmm, you know I don’t think God is real but I love his rules and I’m going to live by them.” I’ve never met anyone like that, have you? Do you think they’re going to want to follow a God who they see as hateful based on our behavior? We are to be the light and salt of the world. Like salt on wounds, the truth can make people uncomfortable and even hurt in that moment, but we are to do it in a loving and gentle way. Only then might people go, “What a nice group of people. Maybe this Jesus is worth looking into.” Personally, I never got how a person who claims to follow Christ could tell someone they are going to Hell. We’re not God. Only God knows their hearts and futures, and whether He will lead them to the truth. Condemning people for things you may have even once done yourself is NOT helpful. God is the judge, not us. The only thing we are called to do is to speak the truth by sharing the gospel of hope we have in Jesus, use the Word to correct each other, and plant that seeds that only God can make grow. Back to the gay community, I agree that being gay is not a choice. You can’t help how you feel. Some people like chocolate, I like vanilla. Either way, all our behavior involves choices (how we act, what we watch or listen to, etc) and choosing to follow that lifestyle is not what God wants for you. Jesus hung out with prostitutes, as the Pharisees accused, because God came to save sinners. He forgave them and said go and sin no more. You cannot change what you like, but you can change what you do about it. No, I don’t recommend “conversion therapy.” The only one who can change your orientation is God if He chooses, but maybe He wants you in that orientation to help others? Some people claim to have been liberated of those desires, praise God. Others either find a unique partner of the opposite sex that finally attracts them while nobody else does or ever has, or some choose to live chaste lives for God. Pray about it and if God doesn’t take it away, you can still show you love Him more. He’s worth more than your fleshly desires. You may not be familiar with the Bible passages, but if you are interested in learning more, while there are clear-cut passages against homosexuality (among other sins listed), I think Romans 1:18-34 is interesting because it gives a short explanation of why God might leave people to their sins and the consequences of choosing to live a life apart from God. Perhaps it is one of those things that carries on through various generations? A few may have been raped or molested as children, or not had a father or mother figure (nor had the best role model if they did) and they might subconsciously identify more with whoever raised them and have a distaste and distrust of those that hurt them by either not being a part of their lives or by doing something damaging while they were supposed to be taking care of them. In these cases, it makes sense that someone would choose to go for the safe, comfortable route as we are all shaped by our past experiences. For those that had otherwise “average-joe” up-bringings and can think of no other reason these feelings surfaced, again, maybe the generational thing applies here? I don’t know. I know I’ve always loved the color blue, but I can’t tell you why. I got the blue piggy bank when we were little and made my dad get the pink one for my brother. When my dad tried to tell me pink was for girls, I said I liked blue, but not to worry because “pigs are pink” and my brother wouldn’t mind right? He didn’t care at the time and I still have that blue piggy bank to this day. Sometimes, you can’t help what you like or explain it, but that doesn’t always mean it’s good. A daredevil might be an adrenaline-junkie and entertain crowds, but they risk their lives and get injured or can die in the middle of a stunt, which I would not call a good thing. Don’t risk your life for passing pleasure. I don’t want to see you get hurt and neither does God. Am I your enemy because I choose to share the truth with you? I hope not. If I see you about to fall into a hole, I think it’s more loving to warn you about the hole than to let you fall in. What more can I say? Everyone makes their choices and yes, God will respect your choice even if you reject Him. I just hope you’ll consider what I’ve said and maybe learn more about what God actually says rather than trust what biased people may have said about Him. I may be biased, but it’s out of love, not hate. I’m not “homophobic,” what is there to be afraid of? I have friends that are LGBT. And if any are reading this, I hope you still consider me your friend that cares about you despite our differences in worldviews. Orientation doesn’t change my feelings of love and friendship towards anyone. I used to support “gay rights” on a social justice level, but I was ignorant of what the Bible actually said on homosexuality. I want everyone to be saved. I don’t support hate speech or bullying, and sympathize with your struggles. If anyone would like to talk with me about their experiences, either to clue me in on how your experiences match or differ from what you’ve found in Scripture or from others, feel free. I’m listening. I can’t guarantee I’ll have answers, but I won’t reject you as a person for feelings you can’t control. It is the Holy Spirit which convicts, cleanses, and renews us. We can’t do it on our own. It will never be the same on our own and we won’t do it as well as when we are with God. None of us can continue to live in sin when we follow Christ, and if you have not come to the Lord yet, then I do not expect people to leave their chosen lifestyles for no reason. If you want secular reasons to stop, they won’t be as good as God’s, but one reason is to prevent Aids so you won’t die like Freddie Mercury of the band Queen. Maybe you think it’s worth the risk, but don’t live an afterlife of regret when you could’ve done something about it. While there’s plenty more I could say, I will leave it at that. Since lately the subject of being transgender has come to the forefront of public discourse due to media influence and such, if you’re interested, the following is an article specifically about transgenderism from a loving Christian perspective. 5 Things Every Christian Must Know About the Transgender Debate https://www.thegoodbook.com/blog/news/2017/07/28/transgender-debate/ Scripture is one reason I stayed away from Rick Warren’s book, “The Purpose Driven Life.” I started to read it, only to find when I looked up the passages supposedly quoted in the footnotes, he had used multiple Bible versions including paraphrase versions that should not say what they claim. It was changing Scripture to promote “positive” messages. No wonder the world loves his book! We are not to twist Scripture and add or take away from it as these versions do. I only later found out he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing when I saw him lie on 3 different topics. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, he boldly said 2-faced lies and outright denied he had said anything to the contrary. When speaking to the Christians, he said he did not believe in gay marriage and called Christians to support prop 8, but when he was being interviewed by Larry King he lied and said he never said or endorsed such a thing. He’s in it for the money people. If you didn’t know that already, I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news L Please don’t shoot the messenger as we do have to expose these things. Sure, we correct believers, but he outright lied 3 times on major issues that involve the salvation of the millions of people who may be following or watching him. While we should pray for him, I cannot help but think he’s not really a believer. If you don’t believe me, just watch him purposefully contradict himself based on his audience and let his words and actions speak for themselves. The moral here is to be careful who you put your trust in and test everything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWidYLWx_js Apart from the title, I won’t say much here, but let Scripture speak for itself.
“In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will. We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:26-28). “and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you” (Matthew 10:18-20) (see also parallel verses in Mark 13:11 and Luke 12:11-12). “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26). “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil” (Matthew 6:25-34). “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). I am not a “King James Only” advocate. I believe God’s Word is preserved and translated for all nations and that means it cannot only be inspired in English. That would mean only the Anglo-Saxons are saved and that is NOT correct. God calls and saves people from every tongue, tribe, nation, and people group (Revelation 7:9). That being said, when I study Scripture, the main 3 I like to compare are the King James Version, New American Bible Revised Edition (Catholic), and English Standard Version. At home, I use the NAB and I’ve been taking it to church where one pastor uses the KJV and the other the ESV. So far, while there are slightly different words or sentence structures, the overall meaning is the same. However, we must also be careful as not all Bible translations are the same or good to use if you want what is closest to the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures. The Spanish Latin American Bible, for example, is another story. I read multiple passages in there that do NOT match and would stay away from that one if you happen to have one. Even the Spanish Pauline version was better. Don’t always go for the “easy to understand” ones that paraphrase things wrongly (like “The Message”).
Music can connect us to each other in ways that other mediums sometimes cannot. So many people can relate to song lyrics because we each go through our own struggles and someone else puts it into words that we can’t always express ourselves. Sometimes it helps knowing someone else out there in this crazy world went through the same thing or just gets it when the others around you don’t. Music can keep you productive when played in the background while you study, cook, clean, work… Sometimes it’s not even the lyrics but just the catchy beat that uplifts you after an exhausting or hectic day. Whatever your reason for listening, music is wonderful and definitely appreciated around the world.
Even so, some years ago I did the unthinkable to the world and gave up secular music. I was called radical, crazy, extremist, a fanatic, and some people just gave me strange, incredulous, or worried looks or comments. No, I didn’t join a cult and I wasn’t brainwashed. No need to be concerned. I just started really listening to what I had been only hearing before. Not just the catchy tunes or beats, but what were the lyrics actually saying and promoting? Were these artists being good role models or were they dancing and dressing inappropriately in their videos and concerts? Whether it was true or not, some artists were claiming to have literally sold their souls, be possessed by “spirits” on stage, or outright worship and follow Satan. True or not, not something a Christian should align themselves with in any way. Light can have no fellowship with darkness. Did I then think okay, I’ll just sort through all the music, lyrics, videos, artists and weed out the bad ones? Sure, I considered that before going cold-turkey. However, I asked myself why I wanted to listen to any of it? Just because it sounded good? Songs often can and do get stuck in your head even when you’re not currently listening to them. What kinds of things was I putting into my head? Am I saying all secular music is bad? No. In fact, some “old-school” music generally seems nicer than what’s out there today and certain songs can bring about some nostalgia when they come on the speakers at my local Goodwill or somebody happens to be playing one. As for the rest however, why listen to songs that, if they don’t promote promiscuity or getting drunk, they make you focus on negative things? Even many love songs are about break-ups. I wanted my focus to be on God, not the world. I wanted to praise God more and focus on good things, not bad ones. Secular movies and TV shows are another story, but God’s working on it. He really had me cut a lot of that out of my life as well and my life is better for it. Now I’m more selective, but still have a ways to go. Generally, even if the world doesn’t get it, at least Christians who still listen to secular music can usually respect that choice. Now, here’s where it can get controversial amongst Christians. Some take it even further and reject certain types of music, such as rock or rap altogether. Here is where I think it is up to each believer to read their Bible and go with their conscience. The Bible says to test all things and hold onto the good while avoiding evil. If you believe it is wrong, then don’t listen. I don’t think it is something to divide over when we are to avoid petty quarrels. However, I do take it seriously enough that I believe it is like eating meat sacrifice to idols. It was important enough for Paul to discuss in Acts chapters 8 through 11. Go through and read it if you haven’t already. And while it is permissible to do certain things, that doesn’t mean we should as we should always be thinking of others. Don’t put stumbling blocks down for others. That being said, the following is for people that are looking for more than just K-Love. Even with the songs on this radio-station, be careful as not all are doctrinally sound and some are just from more wolves in sheep’s clothing looking to make money with generic lyrics that the world loves. Many have itching ears for “positive” and “encouraging” things, such as the false prosperity gospel, but will not listen to things that call them sinners in need of repentance. Love is good, but it’s not all about love. Especially when there is no mention of God and just the generic term “love” that could be defined any which way by all sorts of listeners. Where is the message calling us all to repentance? Songs that convict us with Scripture, calling out our sin or hypocrisy, and keeping our mind and focus on the Lord’s work? Provoking us to good deeds (as fruit of our faith, not as prerequisites for salvation) and not just paying lip service with our hearts far from him. Songs asking us and reminding us, what are we currently doing for God? Where is the fruit of our faith and repentance? The world shall know us by our fruits, but if we produce no fruit, they will not know we are Jesus’ disciples. That’s what’s missing in a lot of contemporary “Christian” music, and it is no wonder because the companies are now owned by secular recording studios that produce the music of the world. The believers have become yoked with unbelievers, and that has produced some bad fruit. Any good fruit is purely the work of God, who allows His message to flourish from human lips in spite of our sinful world. The psalms are full of poetry praising God and they say sing to the Lord a new song (even though there is nothing new under the sun). God just doesn’t like hypocrisy. Anyway, I happen to love rock. From the moment I discovered it and on, old-school classic rock to modern day alternative rock. I couldn’t get enough of it. Well, when I first gave up secular music I thought all that was out there was church music and K-Love. Not much variety there and definitely no rock. However, I was pleasantly surprised and grateful that I found a bunch of songs from older artists online that had even more powerful lyrics and music than what’s out there today. These songs actually talked about sin (sometimes specifically naming the sin), not being a friend to the ways of the world, judgment and the end times, being the salt and lights in the world. Truly Scripturally-based, and yet stuff you don’t hear on the radio today! All we hear today is about love, and some don’t even name who they are talking about so it could be a romantic partner people can substitute in there instead of God or Jesus. They could be singing to an “unknown” New Age, even female god for all you know if they don’t call Him Father and name Jesus. But what about the past? Back then, they had some fluff in there as well, but in general many of their songs seemed more meaningful. The musical styles also varied whereas a lot of today’s sound musically similar and repetitive. Not that I don’t like a few of the modern songs too. I do. Originals sometimes, but other times while I find the originals to be “meh,” I feel like they sing them better at my church than they sound on the radio. Like they sound more sincere and heartfelt. However, don’t trust me as sometimes there is a way that seems right to man but that leads to death. I don’t wish to lead anyone onto a path that seems right but isn’t. I just can’t help but think that if a Christian rock or rap song leads a soul to God then it cannot concretely be “of the devil” because a house divided would fall. While I don’t personally like most rap, I think it speaks to a lot of people out there and can lead them to Christ. I think I’ve heard a few sincere-sounding ones. However, I personally love rock and when I found Christian rock that was passionate and meaningful, I thanked God He let me find it. Whether it is like a nicotine patch for smokers who quit, or actually a “good” thing, it has helped me in my journey with Christ. Is it something I think I’ll need or be into forever? Who knows. All I know is that at this point, I listen to many of these songs because I want to be constantly praising and thinking of God, the body of Christ, and how I can better love and serve my neighbor. I will caution that even in the past, not all songs were or are doctrinally sound. Again, read your Bible and test all things. I don’t like every single song from every group, sometimes only a couple. The first ones maybe almost all. Don’t trust me, trust The Word that speaks truth and always pay attention to the lyrics and whether they speak actual truth or not. Stick with what you know and have if you like. However, if you are either currently only into secular music, are curious as to what this “crazy chick” is now listening to, or are looking for more than K-Love, then the following are some artists you might consider looking into. My favorites are in bold and runners-up in italics. I’ve also made things easier by featuring them in various playlists on my YouTube channel so you don’t actually have to look up anything but SeekJesus15 X on YouTube. If you’re into punk rock, definitely the Altar Boys and The Lifesavors (with an “o” not an “e”). Mike Stand from the Altar Boys also did some solo projects which were pretty nice. Undercover is pretty good too. If you want some softer rock but good messages, try David Meece, Steve Camp, or Joe English. If you want things you can dance to, try Kenny Marks or Larry Norman (not the best Christian example, but at least a few noteworthy songs). Want some good messages and more piano in your rock? Keith Green (he was passionate and seemed like a good Christian example when he was alive). If you’re into the harder rock, maybe try Daniel Band (I like many of their songs but not all), Petra (I only like maybe a dozen or so of their songs), or Jerusalem (I only like a few of their songs…). I don’t really like the super heavy metal types so if you want that look elsewhere. They exist, but I don’t find them “good” or even nice to listen to (jarring). You may disagree, but that’s my opinion. Classic rock? You could try Scott Springer, Forerunner, Allies, Halo, or White Heart. Softer rock? Maybe try Stephen Curtis Chapman’s first 3 albums (First Hand, More to This Life, and Real Life Conversations – For the Sake of the Call is pretty nice too but it’s 90s, not the same as the 80s stuff), Randy Stonehill, or Crossfire. Somewhere in the middle? There’s Rick Cua, Scott Wesley Brown, or Russ Taff. Miss the 80s? There’s also David Martin, Morgan Cryar, Randy Matthews, Rick Crawford, David Edwards, and Larry Bryant. If you like the blues, there’s Darrell Mansfield. If you like southern, country style rock try Brent Lamb. If you’re into 80s pop, try Farrell & Farrell or Mickey & Becki. Other mostly 80s you might be interested in: David & the Giants, Servant, Mylon LeFevre & Broken Heart, Connie Scott (her Hold On CD), Don Francisco, Michael Card, Denny Correll, Michael James Murphy, Geoff Moore & The Distance, DeGarmo & Key, Barry McGuire, Roby Duke, Dion DiMucci, Crossfire, Benny Hester, Steve Fry, Chris Christian, Tim Sheppard, Paul Smith, Michael O’Brien, Phillip Sandifer (Constant CD & Keeping the Dream Alive), Sacred Fire, Sweet Comfort Band, Lenny LeBlanc, Wayne Watson, Gary Chapman, and so on. Miss the 50s? Like the blues or swing? Try The Lifters. Miss the 60s? Try Out of Darkness (psychedelic type), Sons of Thunder, The Crossbeats, The Envoys, The Pilgrims (early Beatles-type), The Joystrings. Miss the 70s? Try Chuck Girard, Dan Peek, The Imperials, The Archers, Steve Archer, Tim Sheppard, or Brush Arbor. If you’re looking for satire and don’t mind controversial lyrics: Steve Taylor. Be VERY careful with his lyrics though. I had to ask myself whether I liked a song based on the beat or what it was saying, and whether or not it would be beneficial to have a particular lyric in my head or not (satire states the opposite of what would be said in a more straight-forward song, like sarcasm, so again, be careful, test it, and only hold onto what is good). Speak Spanish and like older styles of music too? Try: Pueblo de Dios, Eduardo Santoro, Charlie Bustos, Marcelo Patrono, La Tierra Prometida, Vox Dei (a bit harder-rock), Libertad Divina (more modern cumbias), La Roca (there’s 2, one from Argentina and the other from El Salvador, both with some nice songs), Mexico 80, Generacion de Jesus, and El Rapto. For even more Spanish old-school styles try: Grupo Jaspe, Los Freddys de Cristo, Los Ex Pasteles Verdes, Enrique Gomez, Javier Morin Rodriguez, Josmar Flores, Eusebio Ramirez y su Grupo Fortaleza, Pedro Parvina, Oscar Ruiz, Oscar Medina, Gustavo Lima, Adrian Juniors, Pablo Patricio Rojo, and Polo Negrete. If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two
If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you'd do, Oh, I know you'd give your nicest room to such an honored Guest, And all the food you'd serve to Him would be the very best. And you would keep assuring Him you're glad to have Him there; That serving Him in your home is joy beyond compare. But when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door, With arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly Visitor? Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in, Or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they'd been? Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn't heard- And wish you hadn't uttered that last, loud, hasty word? Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymn books out? Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about? And I wonder- If the Savior spent a day or two with you, Would you go right on doing the things you always do? Would you keep right on saying the things you always say? Would life for you continue as it does from day to day? Would your family conversation keep up it's usual pace? And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace? Would you sing the songs you always sing and read the books you read, And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed? Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you'd planned to go, Or would you, maybe change your plans for just a day or so? Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends, Or would you hope they'd stay away until His visit ends? Would you be glad for Him to stay forever on and on, Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone? It would be interesting to know the things that you would do, If Jesus came in person to spend a day or two with you. - Author unknown A lady went to a pastor and said... I won't be attending church anymore...
He said, may I ask why?? She said, I see people on their cell phones during the service, some are gossiping, some just ain't living right, they are all just hypocrites... The pastor got silent, and he said, OK... But can I ask you to do something for me before you make your final decision? She said, what's that? He said, take a glass of water and walk around the church 2 times and don't let any water fall out the glass. She said, yes I can do that! She came back and said it's done. He asked her 3 questions: 1. Did you see anybody on their phone? 2. Did you see anybody gossiping? 3. Was anybody living wrong? She said, I didn't see anything because I was so focused on this glass, so the water wouldn't fall. He told her, when you come to church, you should be just that focused on God , so that YOU don't fall. THAT'S WHY JESUS SAID "FOLLOW ME,"!!! He did not say follow Christians. Don't let your relationship with God be determined by how others relate with God. Let it be determined by how focused you are with God. |
DisclaimerWhile I love open discussions, not all internet users are kind. I'd like to build people up, not have others cut people down. Therefore, no comments, but feel free to email me if there's something you'd like to share with me. Archives
July 2020
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