12.23.2008

new perspective

Last time I was in DC I picked up the newest copy of Relevant Magazine, http://www.relevantmagazine.com/. The article which really stuck out to me was the "7 Burning Issues." Which spoke about how the church should respond to such issues as war, social issues, politics, homosexuality etc.... The last one, homosexuality really stood out to me.
For a long time this issue in and of itself has been on my heart and how the church (typically) approaches it.

So, please, indulge me for a moment.

I used to have a quite negative and biased look on the homosexual community/lifestyle. Thinking that in no way shape or form they could be Christian or have any idea as to who God is, I now feel that I was very wrong. I know believe that a man or woman who is tempted in this can be a Christian. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 lays it out clearly. The trick is to not indulge (Romans 13:14) in these things that we struggle with or that we are tempted by. Temptation is not sin, its when we entertain these temptations with our thoughts or actions. Now I want to make it very clear that I don't condone homosexuality. I believe that it is wrong and not natural. Just like I believe that getting drunk, looking at pornography and having sex before marriage is wrong and not natural. It's all sin, simple as that. So for the duration of this we will call "homosexuality" what it really is, sin.

I firmly believe that people who are sinners should be able to freely enter into a church. My Bible tells me that Christ died for ALL sinners to be saved. We read all throughout the book of Romans where the Apostle Paul tells us that the grace of God is in no way a license to sin. (Ref. Romans chapters 6, 7, 8) Once someone steps into a relationship with God they ought to abstain from a sinful lifestyle. I believe that we have to approach all sinners with love and with the knowledge that all have sinned (Romans 3:9-20) and fallen very short of the Glory of God.

There is no "sin scale" in Heaven that God is using to compare our sins amongst each other. Sin is sin. We are born into this. Just as God is love we are sin. So its when we grasp this concept that we can look at anyone, regardless of the severity of there sin, and realize that we are all in the same boat.

12.21.2008

prior...

...to the sin coming into man did man have a consciousness? was it needed if sin did not exist?

12.13.2008

i don't have enough faith to be an atheist

thats it! i simply don't have the faith to believe in nothing (how can you believe in nothing? the word belief denotes the fact that there must be ''something'' to believe in). to believe that all of this (universe, earth that we live on, the family i have, the home i am living in, etc....) is just random selection! what sense, if any, does all of this make? take apart a wind up clock, place the contents in a bag, now shake. do not stop shaking until the clock comes back together in a full working manner. what are the odds of that happening? thats how insane all of this evolution jargen is to me.

no staring into the endless void, not for this guy. i will keep praising my God and living this life as i was created to live it. i will never stop seeking the God of all creation, the Star Breather, the galaxy maker. He who holds the universe in His hand. for He is my source of life.

amen and good night.

California......


...how i miss thee. its hard to put my finger on it, is it California that i miss or is it "California as i remember it" that i miss? don't get me wrong, i love Richmond but it does pale in comparison to the western cities, LA, San Diego, Seattle or Portland.

the last time that i went back to California it was nice but it left a bitter sweet taste in my mouth.

i believe that i miss it as i recollect it. 6 years have passed since i lived there and a lot has changed with the state as well as with me. i have grown away from it. (GAST! listen to me, you would think we (myself and cali?) were separated at birth).


and the weather, oh how i miss the weather! ALWAYS nice! the surf, the culture, the everything, its great. still there is something off about it for me. i know that Richmond, Virginia is where i belong. there is no doubt of this in my mind and i am at peace about it. but still my heart breaks for California. so, i am resolved to pray. to pray for my fellow laborers in the church and keep them held up in my thoughts. and i am resolved to stay right where God has me.

12.11.2008

us and......soda???

step 1. take a bottle of soda, now shake hard.

step 2. let said bottle of soda sit on the counter.

step 3. either A, take the lid off and let it explode or B. let it sit and go flat.

exercise complete.

so often this is how we are in life, we either explode or go flat.

if we bottle up and repress our emotions we tend to explode. the ironic thing is that the issue we are loosing our self over started out as a small thing. or, after bottling up the issue at hand, we ignore and tell ourselves, "its not a big deal, i can handle it." we then proceed to ignore it and we become flat or empathetic.

both scenarios are dangerous and i believe that we get this way because we have no stability in life. we see all of the things that we have placed our trust in and they're failing all around us. be it the economy, marriage, family and friends, or yourself. all of these things are temporary, they are going to go away. (now understand this, i am not in any way down playing the importance and significance of the things. they are all beautiful attributes to life.) someday they do come to a close. sweet! now that i have painted a dismal forecast, now what? have you thought of God. the same God that has created all that we see knows us and loves us dearly and has a plan for our lives that prevents us from loosing it or getting empathetic.

step into the peace and love of God. step into that life which YOU were created to live.

12.10.2008

4 Anchors that Hold

Acts 27:23-29

23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, 24 and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ 25 So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. 26 But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”27 About midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm, as we were being driven across the Sea of Adria,[a] the sailors sensed land was near. 28 They dropped a weighted line and found that the water was 120 feet deep. But a little later they measured again and found it was only 90 feet deep.[b] 29 At this rate they were afraid we would soon be driven against the rocks along the shore, so they threw out four anchors from the back of the ship and prayed for daylight. 30 Then the sailors tried to abandon the ship; they lowered the lifeboat as though they were going to put out anchors from the front of the ship. 31 But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, “You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard.” 32 So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and let it drift away.
33 Just as day was dawning, Paul urged everyone to eat. “You have been so worried that you haven’t touched food for two weeks,” he said. 34 “Please eat something now for your own good. For not a hair of your heads will perish.”

Four Anchors that Hold

1. God - Vs. 23 "I am God's" In this passage Paul knows that he is God's. There is such peace and overwhelming comfort that comes with this. And its not JUST that you are God's but that you are in His will for your life. We live best when we acknowledge and live for that which created us. Also reference Psalm 139.

2. Faith - Vs. 25 Paul states, "....I believe God." Without faith we have nothing. Hebrews 11:1 - 1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

3. The Ship - Vs. 31 "Stay on board." So often we get upset, frustrated or "derailed" in our lives because we feel that God is not around. When, in all reality, God is always there but we must stay with Him and continue on the course set out for us. Another translation says, "Abide in the ship." Stay in God, Abide in God.

4. Meat - Vs. 34 "Eat something." A word, or a scripture sometimes will stay on my palate for the longest of time. These are the things that must be taken with us to encourage and push us on through life.

12.08.2008

boundries

i find it interesting that we desire so badly to be free from boundaries in our lives yet we cannot even park our cars without some inanimate line on the road telling us where to park it. but we have to be free from rules! from authority and government! (read Romans 13) "you can't/won't hold me back!" we shout as we drive down the road being guided by lines, that keep you held into a certain area....that keeps you from harming yourself or others. interesting.

boundaries are in place for our protection. to the ones how have the hope of things yet to come (ref. Hebrews 11:1, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=hebrews+11:1) we see these boundaries in our lives as being the Hand of God, lovingly directing and guiding us. to the ones that have YET to obtain their hope they sum these things up to random selection, evolution, and "oops it just happened that way!"

its nice to know that God has me and that the Creator of all has a vested interest in my life and every life (ref. Psalm 139, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%20139;&version=31) and cares about my future.

so is it....

....that we have the free will to choose God or is it that we are pre-destined to choose God?

12.02.2008

it is not often....

.....that i cannot muster the courage to talk to someone face to face, this is that rare occasion. so, i have retreated and am hiding behind the safety of my keyboard.

about 2 years ago now i became highly active with Generation Now http://www.gen-now.org/ and in doing that i came under the authority, instruction and teaching of Pastor Craig Dyson. he has become a great mentor in my life as well as a trusted friend and dare i say a brother. these are words that i never toss around lightly, friend, mentor, brother and the like. rather these are words that i hold in high esteem. i liken him to a brother because that is what he has become. God has used this man in my life to encourage me, stretch, dash my lofty thoughts of self proclamation and at the same time i have stood on his back so i could see what he was trying to show me all along. i have learned sacrifice, discipline and how to love others in a deeper way. Craig, i truly don't have all the words to tell you what your friendship has meant to me.

Cara, i think that we were separated at birth. i mean think about; were both from the NW......well that's really all i have to support my argument. really what i'm trying to say is that you have become a sister to me. i thank you for your prayers and your friendship. you are a great woman of God and i'll never forget what you have taught and very often you have taught me without words. thank you for your dedication to myself and Christa, it will never be forgotten.

you guys are leaving for Montana on Saturday (in case you forgot!). if i had my way i would stop you.....wait, no i wouldn't. here is why, because this is what God has for your lives and if you were to stay and strive you would be miserable. the one thing that i have been told by you guys is to walk out what God has for my life.

i (we) expect to hear mighty things coming out of Montana and i (we) expect it soon!

i'm out of words, so i'll use Craig's instead.

"Don't despise the journey."