The Man I Want To Become 11-12-11

I want to become a good father

I want to become a good husband

I want to become a good teacher

I want to become a good man

I want to become a good worker

I want to become a good Christian

I want to become a good son

I want to become a good friend

I want to become a good “big brother”

I want to become a good student

I want to become a good citizen

I want to become a good soldier

I want to become a good brother

I want to become a good mentor

I want to become a good slave

I want to become a good encourager

I want to become an example

I want to become a light

I want to become a warrior for God

I want to be holy

I want to be become perfect

I don’t want the angels to look at me with shame

I don’t want to live a life were I go before God I am
ashamed

I want to become a good steward

I want to make my father God proud

I want to serve the King forever

I want to be with him in the new earth

I want to be on the Lord’s team

I want to watch Satan and his minion’s destruction

I want to live for my faith

I want to die for my faith

I want to be able to trust God in the mist of adversity

I want to be able to trust in God through tragedy

I want to sacrifice for the Lord

I want to trust the Lord in my “family planning”

I want to trust the Lord despite of my situation

I want to give God my tithe

I want to give God my self

I want to be a living sacrifice

I want to encourage my wife to serve the Lord

I want to encourage my father to serve the Lord

I want to encourage my mother to serve the Lord

I want to encourage everyone to serve the Lord

I want my life to bring glory to God

I want to be meek in spirit

I want to be poor in spirit

I want to be full of love

I want to be full of compassion

I want to live my faith

I want to be on fire for the Lord

I want to do the Lord’s will

I want to die to self

Take this wretched man, Lord, and nail him to the cross,
Lord. Kill this wretched man–me.

Why are Muslims more God Fearing than Christians II

I would like to clarify that the title of this should truly be why do Muslims have more reverence and fear for their idol than the Christian culture has for the one and only True God. The sad reality is because Christianity today has become so widespread that most people who claim the cross refuse to hang themselves on it – they are not truly saved and they will not find themselves in Revelation 21 in the new earth and new heaven but in Matthew 7 when the Lord says depart from me you workers of iniquity for I have never known you. Paul prophesied for wolves coming in the sheep clothing destroying the church from the inside. I do not blame the wolves for the destruction of main stream Christianity, but the shepherds, for the shepherds did not strict these imposters and allowed them to remain and kill the flock.

Shame and Dishonor be on the heads of these limp noodle shepherds who have allowed this apostasy to grow and remain in the church, but thus is the condition of the church. We are true believers of God should, therefore, be as the bereans were and read the word of God for ourselves and accept what the Lord has to say about fearing him. We should then apply this to our lives and the words of our mouths. Shepherds should feed their flock with the milk of this truth, and we should prepare our selves for Satan to attack us from both inside of the church by sending wolves and outside of the church by using the apostasy church to condemn us.

What the muslims do to worship their idol is what the muslims do, but what we Christians do is of utmost concern. For we claim to know and serve the true almighty God. He demands/desires for us to serve him in spirit and in truth. We need to fear God. This is fundamental part of our relationship with God. We need to reverence God. We should loath ourselves in comparison to the love we have for Christ. It is absolutely sickening that those who worship in idol, that is nothing, can show more respect and fear than we Christians who serve the true and almighty God.

Wake up church and arise from your slumber. Fear the Lord, who is a great an awesome God full of wrath to his enemies and loving kindness to his slave.

Abide in God’s love but continually fearing the Lord.

Judgement

Why does the concept of judgement have such a bad connotation? I understand not “enjoying” God’s judgement on us; it isn’t a day that many will pass. I hear some even say things like, “God in the old testament was ‘do or die.’” Well, yes, He was “do or die” because we didn’t ‘do’ after being told to 1000×10 times. God doesn’t change. We cannot avoid the facts: God judges and we as Christians are supposed to judge, too.

But what about: “Judge not, that you be not judged,” (Matthew 7:1 NKJV). No one wants to be that judgmental, pious Christian. So, we avoid judgement altogether. We allow some disturbing things go on in our churches, all because we don’t want to be judgmental.

“Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren?” (1 Corinthians 6:2-5 NKJV)

Ouch… Is Paul talking to Corinth or to us? Can we judge without being judgmental? A few chapters back, it seems Paul says something different…

“But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God,” (1 Corinthians 4:3-5 NKJV).

James MacDonald cleared this up for me one day… Of course, he was merely saying this in passing, “We aren’t judging your motives; we’re judging your actions.” One form of judgement belongs to the Lord only and that is the judgement of the heart. We need to judge our actions as well as the actions of others. How else could we ever discern right from wrong? We must keep away from judging the heart of others (and as Paul said, even our own hearts) because there is only One who knows the depths of the heart.

“The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart; I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah 17:9, 10 NKJV)

Why are Muslims More God Fearing than Christians?!

I was reading an article about Islamic theology and was disappointed to find myself almost (I say almost with the utmost emphasis) wishing that we (Christians) saw God in the same way. They say that God (in their case: Allah) cannot be known; we are slaves and can only ever be slaves to him and it is blasphemy to call ourselves anything higher. Now, of course this understanding of their god is expounded upon in the sense that Allah does not reveal himself, but only reveals his will.

*Side note: I say this in ignorance of the Islam religion: but this is an apparent contradiction. God revealing His will to us is a good chunk of the pie (the pie being His revelation of Himself to us). God cannot reveal His will without revealing bits (or chunks) of Himself. You can find out a lot about a person just by knowing their dreams, likes, dislikes…. actually, that is a great portion of what there is to know about another person: their will. That is just my philosophical counter to the Muslim doctrine that God cannot be known… Of course for the Biblical standpoint you can just check out Romans 1:20.

To continue on… The reason I almost wish Christians believed this is not necessarily because God should be mysterious to us, but rather that we elevate Him and humble ourselves. Why is the fear of God not discussed more? I WANT TO KNOW HOW TO FEAR GOD CORRECTLY! Why isn’t my role as His slave a popular sermon subject? How else am I going to properly humble myself and carry out the will of God? More importantly, how is the church going to properly carry out the will of God? Why do I hear that I am God’s friend when He has not called me friend? Why is it that when I sin, I no longer hurt God? I guess the plain and simple answer is that we are in denial, and let’s face it: we are hypersensitive to slavery. The lowest we go is servant because at least a servant is paid for his work. That’s just selfish.

Why is it that I always hear, “God desires your acceptance; He yearns for you.” While this may be true, I won’t deny it… But shouldn’t we be focusing a little less on how irresistible we are to God and a little (I use the word little meaning a LOT) more on how our love for God is lacking? Can we at least find a nice fulcrum? How could we ever please God if we aren’t loving him through and through to the absolute best of our ability with the guidance of His Holy Spirit? “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength,” (Deuteronomy 6:5 NKJV). Correct me if I am wrong, but this isn’t the ‘emotion-love’ but the action. “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends,” (John 15:13 NKJV). That’s definitely an action.

“He who does not love does not know God, for God is love,” (1 John 4:8 NKJV).

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”(Galatians 5:19-25 NKJV)

The Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to love God. “We love Him because He first loved us,” (1 John 4:19 NKJV). Put away fleshly desires and follow spiritual convictions…

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30 NKJV)

And again….

“But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them.” (Isaiah 63:10 NKJV)

Aaand again….

“Do not quench the Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19 NKJV)

If that isn’t your problem, then it may be….

“These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.” (Jude 1:19 NKJV)

If I don’t get a hold of myself, I’ll have copied and pasted a Psalm’s worth of verses. My rant is done. As the Roman Catholics say: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Amen.