A man who was on the US diving team walked through the dark pool room, it had large windows and the full moon outside streamed moonlight into the big room. He could see pretty good and he knew the room well and did not turn on the lights on purpose; wanting to hide in the darkness. He had just come from a friends church service and needed to think, he was comfortable here, he needed to clear his head. What the preacher had said about him being a sinner and because of that he had to go to hell made the man uncomfortable, but the knot is his throat told him it was true; and for the first time in his life he truly felt the weight of all that sin on his shoulders, pushing his heart into his stomach.
The man walked over to the ladder that lead to the high diving board and began to climb. He reached the top, then walked out till he felt the tips of his toes just reach the edge of the board. The moon cast his shadow on the opposing wall, as he stood tall and spread his arms out, then began to cry. Seeing his arms outstretched made him think of what the preacher had said next, that Jesus Christ had paid the price for his sins and wanted to save him from them so he could go to heaven. Right then and there the man told God that he wanted Him to run his life and save him from his sins. Just then a maintenance man walked into the pool room and turned on the lights.
The pool was empty.
It had been drained the night before for cleaning.
The man stood in shock, in the dim light he could not tell that there was no water in the pool and had he not stopped when he saw his shadow in the shape of the cross, he would have dived to his death.
The cross saved his life twice that night.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Cast all your care upon Him
Cast all your care upon Him
ME: God, I have so much to do, but I don’t know if I can. And the bills are due this month, but I don’t think I have enough money to pay them all, and I need to go to the store and get some things, but I can’t because the bills are due, and the car need some repairs, the refrigerator is going out, the roof leaks and my husband just lost his job. What am I going to do? Can you help me?
GOD: Yes my daughter I can, don’t be afraid, I will help you. (Isaiah 41:10&13)
ME: So what should I do?
GOD: Trust in Me with all your heart, I will get you through this. (Proverbs 3:5&6)
ME: No offence God, but every time I give you my burdens and problems, they never go away or miraculously work themselves out for me.
GOD: None taken, but my child, you have never given my your burdens and problems.
ME: What? I have too! I prayed and I cast all my cares upon you just like in the song.
GOD: Daughter, to give me your burdens and problems, you have to give me your worry as well. You see what makes your burdens “burdens“, is that you worry about them. You need to give me your worry and your burdens. (Matthew 6:34)
ME: You mean you want me to not worry? How is that possible?
GOD: I admit it is not easy my child, but with my help you can overcome your worry. (1 John 5:3)
ME: How? How in the world can I do such a thing? Worrying about things is second nature to people, when its cold outside you out put on a coat, and when things get rough people start to worry.
GOD: Let me tell you about my creators my daughter. When a young horse is being trained to pull a plow, and other noisy equipment, he is first haltered and tied to an older horse who them plows the field while leading the young horse beside him. The young horse learns not to be afraid of the noise coming from whatever the older horse is pulling because the older horse is not scared. Then when the young horse has learned not to be afraid he is harnessed with the older horse and they go out and plow the field together. Then those two horses become best friends, they never leave each other’s side, they will stand together out in the field, and come running up to the barn to get their grain just as if they were still in harness together, they eat together, sleep together and work together.
ME: But I am not a horse, and plowing will not help me.
GOD: Oh my beloved child, when I look at you, I see someone who is pulling a wagon full of rocks, and every couple of feet or so, you pick up another one and throw it on the pile. You are tired, worn, and depressed. My child you are the one throwing the rocks on the wagon, and you are pulling it, let me pull with you. (Matthew 11:28-30)
ME: How do I let you pull with me God?
GOD: Do you believe that I am completely sovereign? And that I truly do have the whole world in my hand? (Isaiah 40:12)
ME: Yes.
GOD: Then trust me to take care of you, and to pull your wagon. (Matthew 6:25-34)
ME: Just trust you? That’s it?
GOD: Yes my child, that is it. (Proverbs 3:5&6)
ME: But that is harder then it sounds.
GOD: That is why the young horse is just tied to the older horse at first, and just like him you need to learn to not be afraid. So spend time with me, read My Word, and just like those two horses we will become best friends, and do not worry, you are being taken care of. (Matthew 6:32)
ME: Ok, but it is not going to be easy.
GOD: I never said it was.
ME: Ok, its all yours, everything, pull my wagon.
GOD: Good choice my child, now, why don’t you hop on back there.
ME: What?
GOD: I said hop on the wagon, I am going to pull you, you need a rest. (Matthew 11:28)
ME: Really? Wow, thanks God.
GOD: You are most welcome, now do you know where we are going?
ME: No.
GOD: The dump, we have a lot of rocks to get rid of.
ME: God, I have so much to do, but I don’t know if I can. And the bills are due this month, but I don’t think I have enough money to pay them all, and I need to go to the store and get some things, but I can’t because the bills are due, and the car need some repairs, the refrigerator is going out, the roof leaks and my husband just lost his job. What am I going to do? Can you help me?
GOD: Yes my daughter I can, don’t be afraid, I will help you. (Isaiah 41:10&13)
ME: So what should I do?
GOD: Trust in Me with all your heart, I will get you through this. (Proverbs 3:5&6)
ME: No offence God, but every time I give you my burdens and problems, they never go away or miraculously work themselves out for me.
GOD: None taken, but my child, you have never given my your burdens and problems.
ME: What? I have too! I prayed and I cast all my cares upon you just like in the song.
GOD: Daughter, to give me your burdens and problems, you have to give me your worry as well. You see what makes your burdens “burdens“, is that you worry about them. You need to give me your worry and your burdens. (Matthew 6:34)
ME: You mean you want me to not worry? How is that possible?
GOD: I admit it is not easy my child, but with my help you can overcome your worry. (1 John 5:3)
ME: How? How in the world can I do such a thing? Worrying about things is second nature to people, when its cold outside you out put on a coat, and when things get rough people start to worry.
GOD: Let me tell you about my creators my daughter. When a young horse is being trained to pull a plow, and other noisy equipment, he is first haltered and tied to an older horse who them plows the field while leading the young horse beside him. The young horse learns not to be afraid of the noise coming from whatever the older horse is pulling because the older horse is not scared. Then when the young horse has learned not to be afraid he is harnessed with the older horse and they go out and plow the field together. Then those two horses become best friends, they never leave each other’s side, they will stand together out in the field, and come running up to the barn to get their grain just as if they were still in harness together, they eat together, sleep together and work together.
ME: But I am not a horse, and plowing will not help me.
GOD: Oh my beloved child, when I look at you, I see someone who is pulling a wagon full of rocks, and every couple of feet or so, you pick up another one and throw it on the pile. You are tired, worn, and depressed. My child you are the one throwing the rocks on the wagon, and you are pulling it, let me pull with you. (Matthew 11:28-30)
ME: How do I let you pull with me God?
GOD: Do you believe that I am completely sovereign? And that I truly do have the whole world in my hand? (Isaiah 40:12)
ME: Yes.
GOD: Then trust me to take care of you, and to pull your wagon. (Matthew 6:25-34)
ME: Just trust you? That’s it?
GOD: Yes my child, that is it. (Proverbs 3:5&6)
ME: But that is harder then it sounds.
GOD: That is why the young horse is just tied to the older horse at first, and just like him you need to learn to not be afraid. So spend time with me, read My Word, and just like those two horses we will become best friends, and do not worry, you are being taken care of. (Matthew 6:32)
ME: Ok, but it is not going to be easy.
GOD: I never said it was.
ME: Ok, its all yours, everything, pull my wagon.
GOD: Good choice my child, now, why don’t you hop on back there.
ME: What?
GOD: I said hop on the wagon, I am going to pull you, you need a rest. (Matthew 11:28)
ME: Really? Wow, thanks God.
GOD: You are most welcome, now do you know where we are going?
ME: No.
GOD: The dump, we have a lot of rocks to get rid of.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Alone
Why does this state of being scare people so? Now you may say, “Being alone does not seam so scary, in fact I like my “me” time where I am all by myself.” Ok then, let me prove my point. Why is solitary confinement considered a punishment? Why do we find it necessary to write comforting songs and poetry about not being along? Death often scares us because you will make the transition to the after life alone, no one comes with you as a traveling buddy. Why do we when someone close to us dies find it comforting to surround ourselves with loves ones, we become afraid of losing more people we care about, now we are afraid of being left alone in life; and during this time a hug is one of the most comforting things anyone can do for you. Why do we when we are home alone turn on the radio, TV, or talk to the cat? Why do we get home sick when on a trip or vacation? Why do you use the word “alone” to describe ourselves when we are going through hard times in our lives? For that matter why to animals get “separation anxiety” when they are left alone, they chew on the couch, scratch the walls, pace and call nervously for hours at a time, they shake and tremble as they franticly search for “someone else” to keep them company? Why does being “alone” scare us and every other living thing on this earth so much?
The word even leaves an echoing sound in our head when we say it, “Alone.” After something dies and we are left alone the words, “This just feels wrong.“ seam to surface, and it does, their absence does not seam right, it just feels “wrong”. Could this feeling be telling us that we were designed not to be alone, but to be together with someone, forever?
It is.
When God created man, He designed man to be with God, He walked with man, talked with man just like we do with each other today. But then something terrible happened, man sinned. Because of God's holiness He can not look at sin, this separated man from God for the rest of history; leaving us, alone. But God does not like being alone either, that is why He made us in the first place, for His pleasure. Have you ever noticed these phrases like this in well known verses? Psalm 23 “He restores my soul: He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake.” (emphases added) Why does He lead us in the paths of righteousness? So we can have fun? No! For His own names sake, not ours. And because God knows we don’t want to be alone either, he has made it possible for neither Him nor you to ever be alone again, salvation. We can now invite the God of the universe to come and live inside you, forever, and you will never ever again be alone. Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin, taking it away forever, all you have to do is except his payment, its that easy.
Now take a look at what God has planned for the future.
Revelations 21:3&4 “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all the tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former thins are passed away”
Today, the hunting feeling of being “alone” is an effect of the fall of man, every time we feel stranded we are reminded of our separated state; but God intends to set things straight after his return, back to the way it was meant to be, NOT alone.
Why does this state of being scare people so? Now you may say, “Being alone does not seam so scary, in fact I like my “me” time where I am all by myself.” Ok then, let me prove my point. Why is solitary confinement considered a punishment? Why do we find it necessary to write comforting songs and poetry about not being along? Death often scares us because you will make the transition to the after life alone, no one comes with you as a traveling buddy. Why do we when someone close to us dies find it comforting to surround ourselves with loves ones, we become afraid of losing more people we care about, now we are afraid of being left alone in life; and during this time a hug is one of the most comforting things anyone can do for you. Why do we when we are home alone turn on the radio, TV, or talk to the cat? Why do we get home sick when on a trip or vacation? Why do you use the word “alone” to describe ourselves when we are going through hard times in our lives? For that matter why to animals get “separation anxiety” when they are left alone, they chew on the couch, scratch the walls, pace and call nervously for hours at a time, they shake and tremble as they franticly search for “someone else” to keep them company? Why does being “alone” scare us and every other living thing on this earth so much?
The word even leaves an echoing sound in our head when we say it, “Alone.” After something dies and we are left alone the words, “This just feels wrong.“ seam to surface, and it does, their absence does not seam right, it just feels “wrong”. Could this feeling be telling us that we were designed not to be alone, but to be together with someone, forever?
It is.
When God created man, He designed man to be with God, He walked with man, talked with man just like we do with each other today. But then something terrible happened, man sinned. Because of God's holiness He can not look at sin, this separated man from God for the rest of history; leaving us, alone. But God does not like being alone either, that is why He made us in the first place, for His pleasure. Have you ever noticed these phrases like this in well known verses? Psalm 23 “He restores my soul: He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake.” (emphases added) Why does He lead us in the paths of righteousness? So we can have fun? No! For His own names sake, not ours. And because God knows we don’t want to be alone either, he has made it possible for neither Him nor you to ever be alone again, salvation. We can now invite the God of the universe to come and live inside you, forever, and you will never ever again be alone. Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin, taking it away forever, all you have to do is except his payment, its that easy.
Now take a look at what God has planned for the future.
Revelations 21:3&4 “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all the tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former thins are passed away”
Today, the hunting feeling of being “alone” is an effect of the fall of man, every time we feel stranded we are reminded of our separated state; but God intends to set things straight after his return, back to the way it was meant to be, NOT alone.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
What's wrong with liking Wizards?
Being a Christian teen, this question has entered quite a few conversations I have had. With all of the fuss over the new Harry Potter movie, it revives the question, what’s the problem with being a Christian and liking wizards? Or is there even a problem with liking wizards?
I have struggled back and forth on this issue, the one side of me says its fine, after all Harry Potter and like books are listed as “Fiction” books because they are just that, fiction, a make believe story that never happened and never will. And if you keep in mind that it is just a story, its fine to read books about wizards and stuff. By keeping this thought in your mind you are keeping yourself from becoming obsessed with wizards, so there should not be a problem with it, right? The other side says that we should not be reading anything that makes wizards/witches look good. Even though it is just a story, it will now be logged in my memory bank and I can’t help but think of it. The Bible never speaks good of them, so I shouldn’t either.
After several years of undecided debate, and being the co-author of a fantasy book myself (Seven Candles: The Reclaiming of Haven), I knew that there must be a clear answer to this question that all Christian teens will ask or be asked at some time. Then one day while I was in church listening to the pastor preach, he read a verse that answered this question.
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murders, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” -Revelations 21:8
Sorcerers will have their part in the lake of fire. Notice the things wizards are listed with, murders, sexually immoral people, idol worshipers, liars, apparently being a wizard is NOT a good thing, it’s a sin; in fact this verse in Revelations is giving special mention to the kinds of wicked people who will NOT be in on eternal life, but are condemned to eternal death, indicating God really hates these forms of sin. So here is a question for you, should we be reading books that make sin a good thing? How about a book that makes murders out to be heroes? How about idolaters? Sexually immoral? Wizards? Murdering is a sin, and so is being a wizard, if you should not read a book that makes a murderer out to be a hero, why should wizards be any different? So then comes the “But its just a story, I am not taking it seriously.” To that a wise old preacher responded with two verses, that I will leave you with, then you make your own decision on weather or not you should be reading books, watching movies, or wishing you could do stuff like wizards.
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever thing are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of a good report, if there be any virtue and if there be anything praiseworthy - think on these things.” Philippians 4:8
“Do not be envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them; for their hearts devises violence and their lips talk of troublemaking” Proverbs 24:1-2
Being a Christian teen, this question has entered quite a few conversations I have had. With all of the fuss over the new Harry Potter movie, it revives the question, what’s the problem with being a Christian and liking wizards? Or is there even a problem with liking wizards?
I have struggled back and forth on this issue, the one side of me says its fine, after all Harry Potter and like books are listed as “Fiction” books because they are just that, fiction, a make believe story that never happened and never will. And if you keep in mind that it is just a story, its fine to read books about wizards and stuff. By keeping this thought in your mind you are keeping yourself from becoming obsessed with wizards, so there should not be a problem with it, right? The other side says that we should not be reading anything that makes wizards/witches look good. Even though it is just a story, it will now be logged in my memory bank and I can’t help but think of it. The Bible never speaks good of them, so I shouldn’t either.
After several years of undecided debate, and being the co-author of a fantasy book myself (Seven Candles: The Reclaiming of Haven), I knew that there must be a clear answer to this question that all Christian teens will ask or be asked at some time. Then one day while I was in church listening to the pastor preach, he read a verse that answered this question.
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murders, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” -Revelations 21:8
Sorcerers will have their part in the lake of fire. Notice the things wizards are listed with, murders, sexually immoral people, idol worshipers, liars, apparently being a wizard is NOT a good thing, it’s a sin; in fact this verse in Revelations is giving special mention to the kinds of wicked people who will NOT be in on eternal life, but are condemned to eternal death, indicating God really hates these forms of sin. So here is a question for you, should we be reading books that make sin a good thing? How about a book that makes murders out to be heroes? How about idolaters? Sexually immoral? Wizards? Murdering is a sin, and so is being a wizard, if you should not read a book that makes a murderer out to be a hero, why should wizards be any different? So then comes the “But its just a story, I am not taking it seriously.” To that a wise old preacher responded with two verses, that I will leave you with, then you make your own decision on weather or not you should be reading books, watching movies, or wishing you could do stuff like wizards.
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever thing are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of a good report, if there be any virtue and if there be anything praiseworthy - think on these things.” Philippians 4:8
“Do not be envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them; for their hearts devises violence and their lips talk of troublemaking” Proverbs 24:1-2
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Getting closer to God, or just realizing how close he really is?
In the last few years or so, the phrase “Getting closer to God” was coined, and it has only gained popularity since. Christians use it to describe what they are going to try to accomplish, or what has happened. Somehow they are going to “Get closer the God” at an event, on a trip, or through Bible study and prayer. While these people may mean well, there is a serious problem with this phrase. Now you may be saying, “Whoa, where do you come off saying there is something wrong with getting closer to God?” Hold your horses, and just hear me out on this one, trust me its not what you think.
Problem #1
The phrase says that we are away from God, so the way to fix that is to get closer. But nothing could be farther from the truth, as a born again Christian, the Holy Spirit (God) indwells you. You can’t get much closer then that, and unless you believe you can lose your salvation (which the scriptures clearly say you can not VS. ), than there is no way you can get away from God, so then there is no way you can get any closer while on this earth. I think rather the right phrase to be used here would be “Realizing how close God is and what he is like.” The relationship you have with God has to be maintained the same way any relationship must be, with time. And what happened if say you spend two hours a day with your best friend, then for one reason or another you stop seeing each other for a few years, what has happened to the relationship? It kind of disappears, or at the very least becomes weaker. That is exactly what happens with us and God, if we stop spending time with him, or have never really spent time with him, He seams far away, when really all that has happened is the line of communication has been cut. If we don’t spend time with Him, then how can we know him? Or know how close his is to us and how much he cares for us.
Problem #2
The Phrase makes it sound like we can fix our problem, it sounds as though we are the ones doing the moving, getting “closer” to God, its something we can do. When in truth, we couldn’t get any closer or farther away from God even if we wanted to, for one thing, we don’t even know where he is or what direction to go. God is infinite, we are not, the only reason we even know he exists is because he wants us to know. Point being, its not us who has to make the move, its God.
Instead of saying that we want to get closer to God, we should be asking God to reveal himself to us, because he is already close, really close, we just can’t see him.
I have used this phrase in the past and will most defiantly use it is the future, all I ask is that every time you use this phrase that you keep in mind what you are saying, what it means and what you really mean. You are just using this phrase for lack of a better one; maybe its time we invent one.
Problem #1
The phrase says that we are away from God, so the way to fix that is to get closer. But nothing could be farther from the truth, as a born again Christian, the Holy Spirit (God) indwells you. You can’t get much closer then that, and unless you believe you can lose your salvation (which the scriptures clearly say you can not VS. ), than there is no way you can get away from God, so then there is no way you can get any closer while on this earth. I think rather the right phrase to be used here would be “Realizing how close God is and what he is like.” The relationship you have with God has to be maintained the same way any relationship must be, with time. And what happened if say you spend two hours a day with your best friend, then for one reason or another you stop seeing each other for a few years, what has happened to the relationship? It kind of disappears, or at the very least becomes weaker. That is exactly what happens with us and God, if we stop spending time with him, or have never really spent time with him, He seams far away, when really all that has happened is the line of communication has been cut. If we don’t spend time with Him, then how can we know him? Or know how close his is to us and how much he cares for us.
Problem #2
The Phrase makes it sound like we can fix our problem, it sounds as though we are the ones doing the moving, getting “closer” to God, its something we can do. When in truth, we couldn’t get any closer or farther away from God even if we wanted to, for one thing, we don’t even know where he is or what direction to go. God is infinite, we are not, the only reason we even know he exists is because he wants us to know. Point being, its not us who has to make the move, its God.
Instead of saying that we want to get closer to God, we should be asking God to reveal himself to us, because he is already close, really close, we just can’t see him.
I have used this phrase in the past and will most defiantly use it is the future, all I ask is that every time you use this phrase that you keep in mind what you are saying, what it means and what you really mean. You are just using this phrase for lack of a better one; maybe its time we invent one.
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