I’ve got these 2 dogs, KoKo is a hundred pound chocolate lab and Glock is a 75 pound black lab. They are extremely cute, but they are HUGE pains! They are extremely spoiled rotten, (it’s my wife’s fault I assure you). These 2 dogs are full of energy, in true lab fashion. There are certain things that really send them over the top, though. Playing fetch, wrestling/fighting with each other or me, going on walks, and even watching T.V. just to name a few. If the dogs even catch a glimpse of a swimming pool, pond, or lake, forget about it. We could have them tied to the bumper of our car, and they would drag the whole thing in just to get wet. Then, it takes almost an act of Congress to get them out of the water!
But, there are a few things that get them fired up just by saying a word. You can ask them, “You wanna eat?”, or “You wanna go for a walk?” and they will LOSE THEIR MINDS!!!! Especially KoKo. She will start spinning around in circles, barking, jumping up and down. She even does this little jump and wiggle move where she looks like a salmon swimming up stream. You know the video, the fish jumping out of the water trying to make it over little falls and rapids. They jump and wiggle trying to make it up stream to where they were born. Then they jump up right into the mouth of a expecting grizzly bear. Yeah, so picture a hundred pound lab, doing that jump about 2 and half feet off the ground, over and over again. All I have done is ask if they want to eat and start walking towards the food bin.
What causes them to go bananas like this? It is anticipation and expectation. They know that when I ask that question they are going to get fed. You would think they hadn’t eaten in about a year and half, but it’s only been a few hours. But the anticipation of the meal, and the expectation that I am not going to disappoint, has got them fired up. They can not contain themselves.
After seeing this for the last couple of years, something dawned on me the other day. In John chapter 14 Jesus told us,
1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."
Remember what I said about KoKo and Glock and the lake? Well it is the same thing with the front door. If the doorbell rings or we open the door for someone, we have to hold the dogs back to keep them from running out front to go play. They get so excited about the thought of swimming or playing out front that they can’t contain their excitement. It should be the same way for us. We know that Jesus is in Heaven right now preparing a place for us at the table. He told us that it had to be true in verse 2 above. We know the way there, we know they are expecting us there, and we know it is going to be greater than we can ever imagine. Yet, nobody has to hold us back to keep from running out into the front yard of eternity.
This past weekend my wife and I went to the Love and Respect Marriage Conference at our church. It was amazing! If you get the chance to go, I suggest you do so. It will bless your marriage beyond your wildest imagination, but I digress. At the conference, the speaker, Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, talked about the ‘unending 1st moment’. You know the moment a child walks into the living room on Christmas morning, and he sees not only the bike he has been asking for all year, but also every toy and gift he could imagine? He or she might let out a gasp of excitement. That “HA” moment is something that we are going to experience over and over in heaven as we are amazed by the many awesome things about God’s nature we will discover for all of eternity. That is the ‘unending 1st moment’ that is waiting for us. We should be so stinking excited that even though our leashes are tied to the bumper of this world, we should be dragging it as we try to dive into the cool, deep, refreshing water of God’s glorious presence. Jesus should have to hold his hand up and tell us, “Not yet. Now get back and sit on the carpet. I’ll come and get you when it’s time.” Instead, for some of us we have become so comfortable that we almost dread getting to heaven.
As I have written before, and as Ted Dekker wrote in ‘The Slumber of Christianity’. The church of today has lost focus of the prize that awaits us at the end of this life. Look folks, in 2 Corinthians the 12th chapter, Paul tells us that he got to see paradise. He then goes on to talk about a messenger of Satan that God allowed to torment him when he started become proud of this revelation. He asked God 3 times to remove this “thorn in the flesh”, but God told him “My grace is sufficient. My power works best in weakness.” That’s all Paul had to hear. After seeing paradise, he was glad to endure his torment for the rest of his life knowing what was waiting on him on the other side.
Jesus told us that HE is preparing us a place in God’s house. I don’t know, but I bet Jesus is a pretty good carpenter. I can’t wait to see what is in store. I am pretty stinking excited. In fact I can hardly contain myself. I am at the front door of this life spinning in circles and making my, ahem… 175 pound self…..o.k. fine 200+ pound self, do the salmon jump, in anticipation to get out and into His beautiful swimming pool.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Please R.S.V.P
Hello there. It’s been awhile, AGAIN! I am not very good at this being consistent thing. I have wanted to write for a while, but I am pretty busy with doing absolutely nothing. Of course, I have the wife and kids, and the whole saving lives thing, but other than that I don’t do much. I digress.
Originally, I have been planning on writing about something I was reading the other day in the book of Revelation. Now, I know that I am not an ‘expert’ in end-time prophesy, but something jumped out at me when reading about the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse (Revelation 6). Those of you that know me, or have spent about 30 minutes with me, know that I love to talk about politics and religion. People will say that you’re not supposed to talk about either one of those at work or in general, but like a radio program called “Politics & Religion” says, ‘Politics determine how we live here on Earth, religion determines how we will live for eternity.’ So I tend to talk about these two issues quite a bit, and I get quite passionate about both. So, naturally, I was going to write about what I read. Before you jump the gun, I was not going to write that I think Obama is the ‘Anti-Christ’ that is prophesied about in the Bible. It was about things that are going on in the world and how I think they kind of possibly may come close to resembling some things in the sixth chapter of Revelation, but then I feel God laid something else on my heart.
No, this morning I felt like God spoke to me. This is what He said, “It doesn’t matter.”
That’s right, it doesn’t matter. It does not freaking matter one iota. God does not care about politics. He does not care who is President of the United States. He does not care who really won the election in Iran, or that North Korea may try to blow up Hawaii soon. He just doesn’t care, and don’t think He wants us to care either. Let me explain.
See, I just finished a book called “The Slumber of Christianity”. It was written by Ted Dekker, who is my favorite author. I recommend any of his books. He is mostly a fiction writer, but this is his only non-fiction so far. It is very good. In ‘Slumber’ he talks about how Christianity as a whole and the ‘church’ has fallen into a slumber. He thinks we have lost focus.
We as the church have started to focus on the here and now. We are focused on making life better for us and those around us now. Many churches are preaching about ‘health and wealth’. They are teaching that Jesus wants us as believers to be healthy and wealthy. They are telling non-believers that when you give your life to Christ, things get better. They may not say that when you become a Christian that you will automatically become this super blessed person and you will basically be moving to Sesame Street, but they are close to saying it. Some will go as far to preach the ‘health and wealth’ or ‘name it, claim it’ ideologies. Again, I am not saying that every single church in the galaxy, every preacher under the sun, and every single Christian has strayed off of the path to salvation, but we are looking at life a little differently.
Like I said before, God does not care about politics. He does not get caught up in the things that we do. He has one thing on His mind, and that is Heaven. What I mean by that is He is only concerned about us living with Him in Heaven for eternity. He does not want us to get our hope from our lives or our world in the now. He wants us to get our hope from Him and our lives everlasting after this world.
Dekker talks in the book about the earliest Christians in the Bible. They talked about the kingdom of God and all of His glory. They got their hope and joy from knowing what was waiting for them on the other side. They still got joy out of the lives that they lived, but because they knew what they were doing was for the prize ahead. Paul was a man who got a glimpse of God’s glory. He walked through life with the end in mind. He suffered more than we can imagine, yet because of the hope that was rooted in heaven he considered it all good. Several of the writers used the comparison of a runner running a race. They said that the runners ran for the prize at the end of the race. It wasn’t about the race, or the road, scenery, crowd, none of that. It was about the prize at the end of the race.
That is what God wants us to worry about. He is planning this party that is going to last forever at His house when it is all said and done. He is putting out billions and billions of invitations for us humans to come to the party. We just have to accept that invitation.
This was supposed to be a short writing, but we all know I tend to ramble. I apologize for that. I just get fired up and like to talk about this stuff. If you get the chance, check out ‘The Slumber of Christianity’ by Ted Dekker. Also, you read Blessed Child by Ted as well. It does a great job of painting a picture of God’s glory. I tend to need a visual of that glory to keep me rooted. Ted’s books do a great job of doing that. I can give a list of books to read if anyone is interested. Here is an invitation for the party God has planned, for those of you that also need something visual. Enjoy. Take care, and I hope to see you there!!!!
You are invited to the party of a lifetime. It is being held at God’s mansion in Heaven. The party will begin right after your life. There will be plenty of the best food that Heaven has to offer. All you can drink from God’s spirit. There will be live music from the ‘Hosts of Heaven’. Dancing, laughing, fellowship, and an all round good time is guaranteed. The cover charge has already been paid. Come as you are. Please R.S.V.P sometime before you die; the sooner the better. There is plenty of room and board available to please bring all of your friends and family as well. You will NOT be disappointed.
To R.S.V.P simply say this: Jesus I want to come to your party. I want you to be the Lord of my life. Please come into my heart and make me whole. Thank you for dying for me and forgiving me. Take control of my mind and draw me close to you. Thank you.
Life may not be easy all the time. Just keep this invitation in mind. See you at the party!!!
I know it’s cheesy, but it’s true. If you prayed that prayer for the first time or to recommit again, Congrats!!!! There is already a party going on just for you accepting the invitation. I would like to know who all has. IF and again I say IF you feel comfortable, please let me know that you have answered the call. I want to celebrate with you and I want to pray for you. That is all. Send me a message or comment on here. I won’t broadcast your name or send you anything, I am just curious. You might want to get yourself a Bible so you can start reading and getting familiar with this new life of yours and the life that waits. Please feel free to comment, complain, ask questions, or ask for prayer requests. I am always looking to talk. Take care and God Bless!!!
Jason
Originally, I have been planning on writing about something I was reading the other day in the book of Revelation. Now, I know that I am not an ‘expert’ in end-time prophesy, but something jumped out at me when reading about the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse (Revelation 6). Those of you that know me, or have spent about 30 minutes with me, know that I love to talk about politics and religion. People will say that you’re not supposed to talk about either one of those at work or in general, but like a radio program called “Politics & Religion” says, ‘Politics determine how we live here on Earth, religion determines how we will live for eternity.’ So I tend to talk about these two issues quite a bit, and I get quite passionate about both. So, naturally, I was going to write about what I read. Before you jump the gun, I was not going to write that I think Obama is the ‘Anti-Christ’ that is prophesied about in the Bible. It was about things that are going on in the world and how I think they kind of possibly may come close to resembling some things in the sixth chapter of Revelation, but then I feel God laid something else on my heart.
No, this morning I felt like God spoke to me. This is what He said, “It doesn’t matter.”
That’s right, it doesn’t matter. It does not freaking matter one iota. God does not care about politics. He does not care who is President of the United States. He does not care who really won the election in Iran, or that North Korea may try to blow up Hawaii soon. He just doesn’t care, and don’t think He wants us to care either. Let me explain.
See, I just finished a book called “The Slumber of Christianity”. It was written by Ted Dekker, who is my favorite author. I recommend any of his books. He is mostly a fiction writer, but this is his only non-fiction so far. It is very good. In ‘Slumber’ he talks about how Christianity as a whole and the ‘church’ has fallen into a slumber. He thinks we have lost focus.
We as the church have started to focus on the here and now. We are focused on making life better for us and those around us now. Many churches are preaching about ‘health and wealth’. They are teaching that Jesus wants us as believers to be healthy and wealthy. They are telling non-believers that when you give your life to Christ, things get better. They may not say that when you become a Christian that you will automatically become this super blessed person and you will basically be moving to Sesame Street, but they are close to saying it. Some will go as far to preach the ‘health and wealth’ or ‘name it, claim it’ ideologies. Again, I am not saying that every single church in the galaxy, every preacher under the sun, and every single Christian has strayed off of the path to salvation, but we are looking at life a little differently.
Like I said before, God does not care about politics. He does not get caught up in the things that we do. He has one thing on His mind, and that is Heaven. What I mean by that is He is only concerned about us living with Him in Heaven for eternity. He does not want us to get our hope from our lives or our world in the now. He wants us to get our hope from Him and our lives everlasting after this world.
Dekker talks in the book about the earliest Christians in the Bible. They talked about the kingdom of God and all of His glory. They got their hope and joy from knowing what was waiting for them on the other side. They still got joy out of the lives that they lived, but because they knew what they were doing was for the prize ahead. Paul was a man who got a glimpse of God’s glory. He walked through life with the end in mind. He suffered more than we can imagine, yet because of the hope that was rooted in heaven he considered it all good. Several of the writers used the comparison of a runner running a race. They said that the runners ran for the prize at the end of the race. It wasn’t about the race, or the road, scenery, crowd, none of that. It was about the prize at the end of the race.
That is what God wants us to worry about. He is planning this party that is going to last forever at His house when it is all said and done. He is putting out billions and billions of invitations for us humans to come to the party. We just have to accept that invitation.
This was supposed to be a short writing, but we all know I tend to ramble. I apologize for that. I just get fired up and like to talk about this stuff. If you get the chance, check out ‘The Slumber of Christianity’ by Ted Dekker. Also, you read Blessed Child by Ted as well. It does a great job of painting a picture of God’s glory. I tend to need a visual of that glory to keep me rooted. Ted’s books do a great job of doing that. I can give a list of books to read if anyone is interested. Here is an invitation for the party God has planned, for those of you that also need something visual. Enjoy. Take care, and I hope to see you there!!!!
You are invited to the party of a lifetime. It is being held at God’s mansion in Heaven. The party will begin right after your life. There will be plenty of the best food that Heaven has to offer. All you can drink from God’s spirit. There will be live music from the ‘Hosts of Heaven’. Dancing, laughing, fellowship, and an all round good time is guaranteed. The cover charge has already been paid. Come as you are. Please R.S.V.P sometime before you die; the sooner the better. There is plenty of room and board available to please bring all of your friends and family as well. You will NOT be disappointed.
To R.S.V.P simply say this: Jesus I want to come to your party. I want you to be the Lord of my life. Please come into my heart and make me whole. Thank you for dying for me and forgiving me. Take control of my mind and draw me close to you. Thank you.
Life may not be easy all the time. Just keep this invitation in mind. See you at the party!!!
I know it’s cheesy, but it’s true. If you prayed that prayer for the first time or to recommit again, Congrats!!!! There is already a party going on just for you accepting the invitation. I would like to know who all has. IF and again I say IF you feel comfortable, please let me know that you have answered the call. I want to celebrate with you and I want to pray for you. That is all. Send me a message or comment on here. I won’t broadcast your name or send you anything, I am just curious. You might want to get yourself a Bible so you can start reading and getting familiar with this new life of yours and the life that waits. Please feel free to comment, complain, ask questions, or ask for prayer requests. I am always looking to talk. Take care and God Bless!!!
Jason
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Light
Today I wanted to talk a little about light. Particularly living or walking in the light. Now, of course, I just wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t put some kind of song lyric or poem in here, so here you go….this is from dc Talk’s ‘Jesus Freak’ album the song is In The Light.
I keep trying to find a life On my own, apart from youI am the king of excusesI've got one for every selfish thing I do
Chorus:
What's going on inside of me?I despise my own behaviorThis only serves to confirm my suspicions That I'm still a man in need of a saviorI wanna be in the Light As You are in the Light I wanna shine like the stars in the heavensOh, Lord be my Light and be my salvation'Cause all I want is to be in the Light All I want is to be in the LightThe disease of self runs through my bloodIt's a cancer fatal to my soulEvery attempt on my behalf has failed To bring this sickness under control
(Repeat Chorus)
Honesty becomes me (There's nothing left to lose)
The secrets that did run me (In Your Presence are defused)
Pride has no position (And riches have no worth)
The fame that once did cover me (Has been sentenced to this earth)
Has been sentenced to this earth
(Repeat Chorus)
In the light, in the light
In the light, in the light
In the light, in the light
There’s no other place I want to be
No other place that I can see
A place to be that’s just right for me
Someday, someday in the light
You are in the light
That’s where I need to be
That’s right where I need to be
This is one of my favorite songs by dc Talk. I like the arrangement, and the message is perfect! (I got the word arrangement from watching American Idol, hopefully I used it right). Anyways, continuing right along. When they talk about ‘the light’ and when I talk about the light, we are referring to the light of God’s presence. The Bible talks about light and darkness many times. The word light appears in the Bible over 200 times and darkness appears almost 150 times. Now some of these are referring to actual light and dark in regards to day and night, but the others refer to the light of His presence, or the darkness of the absence of His presence.
I will be using quite a few scriptural references, so this might be kind of long. If you need to get up and stretch your legs or rest your eyes, I understand and won’t be offended. I just hope you will come back and finish. John 1:5 says: The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. Some translations say the darkness can not understand it, or over take it. This just talks about the power that is in the light and that is the light.
I find it interesting that the first thing that God said was, “Let there be light.” And it came to be. Genesis 1:4 goes on to say, “And God saw that the light was good. Then He separated the light from the darkness.” Now what is even more interesting is that God did not create the sun and moon until the fourth day! You may be like, “Hold up, Jason. I thought you said that God created light on the first day.” I didn’t say that, the Bible said that. It is true! God created light on the first day. That was His first order of business. I think that the light that He was working by on days 2 and 3 was the light of His presence. Revelation 21 talks about the New Jerusalem that we will live in after the end of the Earth. Verse 23 says: And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. See, God is so powerful and so magnificent, that He just exudes light. He IS light, (John 1:9 says The one who is true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world), but God has the ability to turn that light on and off. I don’t think that when God separated the light from darkness He completely left the Earth like a construction worker leaves a job site at the end of the day. I think He just allowed His presence light to shine away from it. We see in scripture several times that God ‘allowed’ His presence to be removed from certain people. I think that is what happened here. He is always everywhere, He is omnipresent. But, I think that he can remove His holy presence from wherever He wants. It’s kind of like He turns on His cloaking device when and where He wants, but He is still there. We just can’t sense Him.
After He got the heavens and the Earth prepared the way He wanted them, He created the sun for the daytime and the moon for the night time. Now the Earth didn’t have to be illuminated by His presence. His presence, certainly, shines brighter than the sun ever has or will ever shine, but He allowed the light of His presence not be the ruling light of the day time.
Here are several more passages from the New Testament about this light. You can read over them, and I am going to touch on each of them throughout the rest of this blog.
Matthew 5:16 - In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
John 3:19-21 - And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants
John 8:12 - Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
John 9:5 - But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”
John 11:9-10 - Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.”
John 12:44-46 - Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.
2 Corinthians 4:6 - For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 6:14 - Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?
Ephesians 5:8-14a - For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible.
1 John 1:5-10 - This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
Have you ever been out in the country away from all of the lights? One, it’s absolutely beautiful, seeing all of the stars and planets. Two, you get to experience what it is like to be in darkness. If you ever find yourself driving down a country road at night without any street lights, turn your headlights off. It will FREAK you out!!! I do this all of the time, and it still scares me. Even if it is only for a second or two, it is VERY disorienting. Have you ever noticed that it is always darkest just beyond the light? The next time you are out on that country road, or walking with a flashlight, see how far you can see just beyond your light beams. It is very dark. Just like when you are driving with your headlights on and you shut them off, it is probably one of the darkest darks you can experience.
What do we do when we walk from a bright room or a sunny day into a dark room or house? We normally stand there for a few minutes until our eyes adjust to the darkness so we can walk around and function. Unfortunately, we tend to do this in our spiritual lives as well. If we are not careful, we can stumble into a sin and start to get ‘comfortable’ with it. We may stand there at first, but once we become accustomed to the ‘darkness’ that is our sin, we then can just walk around in that life. Eventually, we either realize that we are in a dark place and run back to the light with repentance, or we walk deeper and deeper into the dark and further and further away from the presence of God. Some people never even bother with coming back to the light because they are too deep into their sin, and don’t want to get back. (John 3:19-21)
When we find ourselves walking out of the bright, glorious light of God’s presence, and into the dark, emptiness of the sin of this world, we need to immediately do a one-eighty and get back in the light. And please, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, if you do ever turn your headlights off in the country, PLEASE turn them back on immediately!!! (Reread John 11:9-10 above.) I do not want anyone to get in a wreck and say, “Jason told me to drive with my headlights off in the dark. That’s why I ran off the road and killed that cow.” One, I don’t think the police and the farmer with the dead cow will find the humor in it, or think that you are intelligent enough to be driving. But also, people will start to think of me as some crazy cult leader telling his followers to drive with their headlights off in the dark in order to reach the heavenly comet that will take us to our paradise planet where Kool-Aid flows from the Candy mountains.
I also want to encourage all of you to be watchful in these times. Things that are going on in the world can seem like darkness is winning. We may even live in areas that are dark, or work in places that are very dark, spiritually speaking. Just make sure that you are filled with the light. The Bible tells us that we are to be in the world, but not of the world. That means, we may live in a dark world because Satan has control of the Earth and is the ‘Prince of Darkness’, but we do not have to live like the world. (John 8:12, John 12:44-46, 2 Corinthians 4:6, 2 Corinthians 6:14)
I will close with this. We need to let the light of God infiltrate every fiber of our beings. We need to let it completely consume us. We then need to surround ourselves with others that walk in the light, and we all need to walk together. When God’s light is that prevalent in our lives, it can’t help but to shine on those in the darkness. Like Matthew 5:16 says: “…let your light shine before all men so they can see your good works and praise your Father in heaven.” (NIV) Live in a way so that those who don’t know God, will see a difference in you and want to get in on the action.
I hope that this has been a blessing to you that are reading it, as much as it has been to me just writing it. Like always, if you have any prayer requests, comments, complaints, questions, or anything, PLEASE, let me know. If you have something confidential, give me a way to contact you, and I will. Take care and God bless!!
Jason
I keep trying to find a life On my own, apart from youI am the king of excusesI've got one for every selfish thing I do
Chorus:
What's going on inside of me?I despise my own behaviorThis only serves to confirm my suspicions That I'm still a man in need of a saviorI wanna be in the Light As You are in the Light I wanna shine like the stars in the heavensOh, Lord be my Light and be my salvation'Cause all I want is to be in the Light All I want is to be in the LightThe disease of self runs through my bloodIt's a cancer fatal to my soulEvery attempt on my behalf has failed To bring this sickness under control
(Repeat Chorus)
Honesty becomes me (There's nothing left to lose)
The secrets that did run me (In Your Presence are defused)
Pride has no position (And riches have no worth)
The fame that once did cover me (Has been sentenced to this earth)
Has been sentenced to this earth
(Repeat Chorus)
In the light, in the light
In the light, in the light
In the light, in the light
There’s no other place I want to be
No other place that I can see
A place to be that’s just right for me
Someday, someday in the light
You are in the light
That’s where I need to be
That’s right where I need to be
This is one of my favorite songs by dc Talk. I like the arrangement, and the message is perfect! (I got the word arrangement from watching American Idol, hopefully I used it right). Anyways, continuing right along. When they talk about ‘the light’ and when I talk about the light, we are referring to the light of God’s presence. The Bible talks about light and darkness many times. The word light appears in the Bible over 200 times and darkness appears almost 150 times. Now some of these are referring to actual light and dark in regards to day and night, but the others refer to the light of His presence, or the darkness of the absence of His presence.
I will be using quite a few scriptural references, so this might be kind of long. If you need to get up and stretch your legs or rest your eyes, I understand and won’t be offended. I just hope you will come back and finish. John 1:5 says: The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. Some translations say the darkness can not understand it, or over take it. This just talks about the power that is in the light and that is the light.
I find it interesting that the first thing that God said was, “Let there be light.” And it came to be. Genesis 1:4 goes on to say, “And God saw that the light was good. Then He separated the light from the darkness.” Now what is even more interesting is that God did not create the sun and moon until the fourth day! You may be like, “Hold up, Jason. I thought you said that God created light on the first day.” I didn’t say that, the Bible said that. It is true! God created light on the first day. That was His first order of business. I think that the light that He was working by on days 2 and 3 was the light of His presence. Revelation 21 talks about the New Jerusalem that we will live in after the end of the Earth. Verse 23 says: And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. See, God is so powerful and so magnificent, that He just exudes light. He IS light, (John 1:9 says The one who is true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world), but God has the ability to turn that light on and off. I don’t think that when God separated the light from darkness He completely left the Earth like a construction worker leaves a job site at the end of the day. I think He just allowed His presence light to shine away from it. We see in scripture several times that God ‘allowed’ His presence to be removed from certain people. I think that is what happened here. He is always everywhere, He is omnipresent. But, I think that he can remove His holy presence from wherever He wants. It’s kind of like He turns on His cloaking device when and where He wants, but He is still there. We just can’t sense Him.
After He got the heavens and the Earth prepared the way He wanted them, He created the sun for the daytime and the moon for the night time. Now the Earth didn’t have to be illuminated by His presence. His presence, certainly, shines brighter than the sun ever has or will ever shine, but He allowed the light of His presence not be the ruling light of the day time.
Here are several more passages from the New Testament about this light. You can read over them, and I am going to touch on each of them throughout the rest of this blog.
Matthew 5:16 - In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
John 3:19-21 - And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants
John 8:12 - Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”
John 9:5 - But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”
John 11:9-10 - Jesus replied, “There are twelve hours of daylight every day. During the day people can walk safely. They can see because they have the light of this world. But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light.”
John 12:44-46 - Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark.
2 Corinthians 4:6 - For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 6:14 - Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?
Ephesians 5:8-14a - For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible.
1 John 1:5-10 - This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
Have you ever been out in the country away from all of the lights? One, it’s absolutely beautiful, seeing all of the stars and planets. Two, you get to experience what it is like to be in darkness. If you ever find yourself driving down a country road at night without any street lights, turn your headlights off. It will FREAK you out!!! I do this all of the time, and it still scares me. Even if it is only for a second or two, it is VERY disorienting. Have you ever noticed that it is always darkest just beyond the light? The next time you are out on that country road, or walking with a flashlight, see how far you can see just beyond your light beams. It is very dark. Just like when you are driving with your headlights on and you shut them off, it is probably one of the darkest darks you can experience.
What do we do when we walk from a bright room or a sunny day into a dark room or house? We normally stand there for a few minutes until our eyes adjust to the darkness so we can walk around and function. Unfortunately, we tend to do this in our spiritual lives as well. If we are not careful, we can stumble into a sin and start to get ‘comfortable’ with it. We may stand there at first, but once we become accustomed to the ‘darkness’ that is our sin, we then can just walk around in that life. Eventually, we either realize that we are in a dark place and run back to the light with repentance, or we walk deeper and deeper into the dark and further and further away from the presence of God. Some people never even bother with coming back to the light because they are too deep into their sin, and don’t want to get back. (John 3:19-21)
When we find ourselves walking out of the bright, glorious light of God’s presence, and into the dark, emptiness of the sin of this world, we need to immediately do a one-eighty and get back in the light. And please, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, if you do ever turn your headlights off in the country, PLEASE turn them back on immediately!!! (Reread John 11:9-10 above.) I do not want anyone to get in a wreck and say, “Jason told me to drive with my headlights off in the dark. That’s why I ran off the road and killed that cow.” One, I don’t think the police and the farmer with the dead cow will find the humor in it, or think that you are intelligent enough to be driving. But also, people will start to think of me as some crazy cult leader telling his followers to drive with their headlights off in the dark in order to reach the heavenly comet that will take us to our paradise planet where Kool-Aid flows from the Candy mountains.
I also want to encourage all of you to be watchful in these times. Things that are going on in the world can seem like darkness is winning. We may even live in areas that are dark, or work in places that are very dark, spiritually speaking. Just make sure that you are filled with the light. The Bible tells us that we are to be in the world, but not of the world. That means, we may live in a dark world because Satan has control of the Earth and is the ‘Prince of Darkness’, but we do not have to live like the world. (John 8:12, John 12:44-46, 2 Corinthians 4:6, 2 Corinthians 6:14)
I will close with this. We need to let the light of God infiltrate every fiber of our beings. We need to let it completely consume us. We then need to surround ourselves with others that walk in the light, and we all need to walk together. When God’s light is that prevalent in our lives, it can’t help but to shine on those in the darkness. Like Matthew 5:16 says: “…let your light shine before all men so they can see your good works and praise your Father in heaven.” (NIV) Live in a way so that those who don’t know God, will see a difference in you and want to get in on the action.
I hope that this has been a blessing to you that are reading it, as much as it has been to me just writing it. Like always, if you have any prayer requests, comments, complaints, questions, or anything, PLEASE, let me know. If you have something confidential, give me a way to contact you, and I will. Take care and God bless!!
Jason
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
St. Patrick's Day
Since yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day, I thought I would post something with that backdrop. St. Patty’s Day is a fun day. It is not a national holiday, but it is celebrated all across this country by people from every sex, religion, nationality, color, and orientation. It is a day for people to get off from work, put on their green garb, and head down to the local pub for some green beer. It is a time for people to let their hair down and unwind. Some people, by some miracle, even develop an Irish accent when they talk. This may have something to do with the green beer, but I don’t know.
It is also a day for school-aged children to put on green and run around looking for classmates and adults alike not wearing green, and give them a little pinch. Everybody holds on to that little hope of finding a leprechaun and getting his pot of gold.
I even celebrate St. Patrick’s Day because it is a fun day, but also because of my Irish heritage, even if it is watered down over the generations. I still admire the Irish, and I am a little proud to say, “Yeah, I’m Irish.”
But, I wanted to take a little time to share something that was written by the Catholic Church’s Patron Saint of Ireland, St. Patrick himself. It is called ‘St. Patrick’s Breastplate’ or “The Deer’s Cry’. The language may be a little outdated and weird, but keep in mind that it is from the 5th century A.D. I hope you enjoy:
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. If not, sorry. I hope that you had a fun St. Patty’s Day. I did, and it did not involve any green beverages. Instead I was around THOUSANDS of people at the zoo. Wow. But the kids had fun. Take care and be blessed. I love all of you, and I am here for you.
*When I first heard the words of this I went home and started looking for those words until I came across this. I immediately loved it and wanted to know more about the man St. Patrick. I thought I might share with you just a little. Did you know that St. Patrick wasn’t actually Irish? Say what?! I know it’s crazy. He was actually English. He was kidnapped at the age of 16 and sent to Ireland as a slave. He also worked as a shepherd in the mountains. He continued to pray and cry out to God. One day he felt that he was told by God to return to England. So, he escaped, and went home. He then studied in several monasteries. He then began doing missionary work in several places, when he felt he needed to return to the place that was like a prison to him for so long. He returned to Ireland and started sharing the love and story of Christ. He is credited with converting all of Ireland. Now keep in mind that there are stories that he drove out all of the snakes from Ireland. That is why he is also the Patron Saint of people with a fear of snakes. Now, I don’t know if he rid the entire country of snakes, or if he converted every non-believer, but I do know that it had to take a whole lot of love and forgiveness to want to return to the place that probably didn’t hold a lot of fond memories for him, just to minister to the people.
He felt they deserved the same grace and mercy that he did. I probably would have felt like Jonah from the Bible did towards the people of Nineveh. He did not feel they deserved anything but judgment and wrath, God felt otherwise. Eventually Jonah saw the light, it took a lot of convincing, but he saw it. Old Patrick went right in spreading love. We should all have that mentality. Anyways, sorry to keep on, but there is a lot of good stuff around this guy. Take care!
Jason
It is also a day for school-aged children to put on green and run around looking for classmates and adults alike not wearing green, and give them a little pinch. Everybody holds on to that little hope of finding a leprechaun and getting his pot of gold.
I even celebrate St. Patrick’s Day because it is a fun day, but also because of my Irish heritage, even if it is watered down over the generations. I still admire the Irish, and I am a little proud to say, “Yeah, I’m Irish.”
But, I wanted to take a little time to share something that was written by the Catholic Church’s Patron Saint of Ireland, St. Patrick himself. It is called ‘St. Patrick’s Breastplate’ or “The Deer’s Cry’. The language may be a little outdated and weird, but keep in mind that it is from the 5th century A.D. I hope you enjoy:
I arise todayThrough a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,Through the belief in the threeness,Through the confession of the onenessOf the Creator of Creation.
I arise todayThrough the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,Through the strength of his descent for the Judgment Day.
I arise todayThrough the strength of the love of Cherubim,In obedience of angels,In the service of archangels,In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,In prayers of patriarchs,In predictions of prophets,In preaching of apostles,In faith of confessors,In innocence of holy virgins,In deeds of righteous men.
I arise todayThrough the strength of heaven:Light of sun,Radiance of moon,Splendor of fire,Speed of lightning,Swiftness of wind,Depth of sea,Stability of earth,Firmness of rock.
I arise todayThrough God's strength to pilot me:God's might to uphold me,God's wisdom to guide me,God's eye to look before me,God's ear to hear me,God's word to speak for me,God's hand to guard me,God's way to lie before me,God's shield to protect me,God's host to save meFrom snares of demons,From temptations of vices,From everyone who shall wish me ill,Afar and anear,Alone and in multitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,Against incantations of false prophets,Against black laws of pagandomAgainst false laws of heretics,Against craft of idolatry,Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ to shield me todayAgainst poison, against burning,Against drowning, against wounding,So that there may come to me abundance of reward.Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,Christ on my right, Christ on my left,Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,Christ in every eye that sees me,Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise todayThrough a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,Through belief in the threeness,Through confession of the oneness,Of the Creator of Creation.
I came across found this prayer a few years ago after we sang a song in church that contained part of this prayer. It is the next to last stanza of the writing that starts with ‘Christ to shield me today’. A few lines down it talks about what should be our goal as Christians. To be so consumed with Christ that He is before, below, in front, and behind us, on our right and left. To have Him with us when we sit down, lie down, go to sleep, get up, and walk around. When people look at us, hear us, talk of us, and think of us, it is Christ that they see, hear, talk about, and think of. THAT is the relationship we need to strive for. It is when we have that much Jesus in our lives that we can face any kind of trial and tribulation. It may not necessarily always be easy, but we can rest knowing that He is with us always. I arise todayThrough the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,Through the strength of his descent for the Judgment Day.
I arise todayThrough the strength of the love of Cherubim,In obedience of angels,In the service of archangels,In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,In prayers of patriarchs,In predictions of prophets,In preaching of apostles,In faith of confessors,In innocence of holy virgins,In deeds of righteous men.
I arise todayThrough the strength of heaven:Light of sun,Radiance of moon,Splendor of fire,Speed of lightning,Swiftness of wind,Depth of sea,Stability of earth,Firmness of rock.
I arise todayThrough God's strength to pilot me:God's might to uphold me,God's wisdom to guide me,God's eye to look before me,God's ear to hear me,God's word to speak for me,God's hand to guard me,God's way to lie before me,God's shield to protect me,God's host to save meFrom snares of demons,From temptations of vices,From everyone who shall wish me ill,Afar and anear,Alone and in multitude.
I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,Against incantations of false prophets,Against black laws of pagandomAgainst false laws of heretics,Against craft of idolatry,Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.
Christ to shield me todayAgainst poison, against burning,Against drowning, against wounding,So that there may come to me abundance of reward.Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,Christ on my right, Christ on my left,Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,Christ in every eye that sees me,Christ in every ear that hears me.
I arise todayThrough a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,Through belief in the threeness,Through confession of the oneness,Of the Creator of Creation.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. If not, sorry. I hope that you had a fun St. Patty’s Day. I did, and it did not involve any green beverages. Instead I was around THOUSANDS of people at the zoo. Wow. But the kids had fun. Take care and be blessed. I love all of you, and I am here for you.
*When I first heard the words of this I went home and started looking for those words until I came across this. I immediately loved it and wanted to know more about the man St. Patrick. I thought I might share with you just a little. Did you know that St. Patrick wasn’t actually Irish? Say what?! I know it’s crazy. He was actually English. He was kidnapped at the age of 16 and sent to Ireland as a slave. He also worked as a shepherd in the mountains. He continued to pray and cry out to God. One day he felt that he was told by God to return to England. So, he escaped, and went home. He then studied in several monasteries. He then began doing missionary work in several places, when he felt he needed to return to the place that was like a prison to him for so long. He returned to Ireland and started sharing the love and story of Christ. He is credited with converting all of Ireland. Now keep in mind that there are stories that he drove out all of the snakes from Ireland. That is why he is also the Patron Saint of people with a fear of snakes. Now, I don’t know if he rid the entire country of snakes, or if he converted every non-believer, but I do know that it had to take a whole lot of love and forgiveness to want to return to the place that probably didn’t hold a lot of fond memories for him, just to minister to the people.
He felt they deserved the same grace and mercy that he did. I probably would have felt like Jonah from the Bible did towards the people of Nineveh. He did not feel they deserved anything but judgment and wrath, God felt otherwise. Eventually Jonah saw the light, it took a lot of convincing, but he saw it. Old Patrick went right in spreading love. We should all have that mentality. Anyways, sorry to keep on, but there is a lot of good stuff around this guy. Take care!
Jason
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
The Flag and the Bible
*This is a post that I made on MySpace in October of 2007. I hope you enjoy it.*
I used to get a daily Bible study on my e-mail called "Two Minutes with the Bible" by the Berean Bible Society. Sometimes they have some things that make me scratch my head in confusion, but sometimes they have things that hit me like a ton of bricks and make me shout "WOW!!!" Tonight as I was reading this one it really struck a chord in me. I posted it on here for you to read, and then I will add some things at the end. Enjoy and I will talk to you in a second or should I say 'Two Minutes'....get it it's called 'Two minutes with the Bible' never mind...Read on:
"...Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name" (Psa. 138:2).
As I passed by my study the other night, I noticed that I had left a Bible lying on the floor next to a chair. In studying I had put it down momentarily to consult a reference book and had neglected to pick it up again.
I used to get a daily Bible study on my e-mail called "Two Minutes with the Bible" by the Berean Bible Society. Sometimes they have some things that make me scratch my head in confusion, but sometimes they have things that hit me like a ton of bricks and make me shout "WOW!!!" Tonight as I was reading this one it really struck a chord in me. I posted it on here for you to read, and then I will add some things at the end. Enjoy and I will talk to you in a second or should I say 'Two Minutes'....get it it's called 'Two minutes with the Bible' never mind...Read on:
THE BIBLE ON THE FLOOR
by Cornelius R. Stam
"...Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name" (Psa. 138:2).
As I passed by my study the other night, I noticed that I had left a Bible lying on the floor next to a chair. In studying I had put it down momentarily to consult a reference book and had neglected to pick it up again.
Now, as I caught a fleeting glimpse of that blessed Book lying there, it bothered me; in fact it bothered me enough to make me go back and pick it up and put it where it belonged.
Then I began wondering why so trivial a matter had troubled me. Was it because I remembered how dad would never allow anything to lie on top of the Bible? Had mere sentiment confused my thinking?
Then I began wondering why so trivial a matter had troubled me. Was it because I remembered how dad would never allow anything to lie on top of the Bible? Had mere sentiment confused my thinking?
Surely the Word of God is forever settled in heaven and that book lying on the floor was only paper, ink and a leather cover. Or was it? Was it not also the Word of God as given to us? And as such, was it not representative of God Himself? If our country's flag must be treated with honor and respect; if it is sacrilege to treat it as mere cloth, how much more is this so where the Holy Bible is concerned!
No, it was not merely dad's example that came to mind as I saw the Bible lying there: certainly it was not only that. Rather it was a Scripture passage of which he often reminded us; the inspired words of David quoted above:
"Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name."
To be sure God would have us use His Word as a textbook from which to learn His will. It is no sign of reverence for this great Book to leave it lying untouched on the shelf. He would have us use it and study it, perhaps underlining important passages and marking significant connections. But with all this we must never forget to treat it with the reverence and honor due the written Word of God.
Welcome back. See I have had some issue with the way that some people seem to worship the American flag. Now don't get me wrong, I do think that the flag is something to be respected; more what it stands for. It represents the men and women out there who have so bravely put their lives on the line for our freedom. The freedom to wear what we want in public, to write or talk about things we are passionate about, and to worship which ever god we want.
That definitely needs to be respected. But, think about what the Bible represents. Everyone knows what it says: For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16. Yes, those men and women gave their lives so we could live because it was their call of duty. God left the comforts of heaven to come to earth as a man. He walked, sweat, bled, and died for us. Not because it was His call of duty, or He had nothing better to do. He did it because He loves us; because He could not stand the gap that sin had put between us and Him. So He came and died so that we could get back to Him. That is a MUCH better story.
That definitely needs to be respected. But, think about what the Bible represents. Everyone knows what it says: For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16. Yes, those men and women gave their lives so we could live because it was their call of duty. God left the comforts of heaven to come to earth as a man. He walked, sweat, bled, and died for us. Not because it was His call of duty, or He had nothing better to do. He did it because He loves us; because He could not stand the gap that sin had put between us and Him. So He came and died so that we could get back to Him. That is a MUCH better story.
Now don't take this as anti-American or that I am trying to take away from our military. Because I am not!!! Continue to respect the flag and what it is a symbol of. But think about what is between the covers of that Bible, thank God for His word. I hope that you got as much out of this as I did. If you didn't I apologize. If you did then thank God. Again if any of you have questions, concerns, or complaints let me know. If you have any kind of prayer requests or praise reports, PLEASE let me know. Have a great day, and I hope to write again soon. Until then....
Jason
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Conformity
If someone were to ask me what I felt was the most powerful song, or the one that speaks the most to people, I would have to say 'Camouflage Soul' by All Together Separate. I know this is kind of a weird way to start out a blog, but hopefully you will see the reason why. If you would like to hear the song you can do a search on the net, or go to MySpace and find them on my own page or on All Together Separate's . If you don't care to listen, here are the lyrics:
Camouflage Soul
Another chance has come and gone
And I allowed my faith to fade into the background
How can I claim to be like your Son
And keep hanging on to what I knowHe died to free me from?
I'm tired of blending in
I'm tired of being one of the crowd
While everyone knows my name
Nobody knows my God
I don't want to be another camouflage soul
'Cuz I've been that way too long
I don't want to be another camouflage soul
I finally realize the danger in sitting on the sidelines
Conformity is failure
I have the disguise to look the part
But I don't want to wear Your cross around my neck
And not have Your peace in my heart
I'm tired of blending in
I'm tired of being one of the crowd
While everyone knows my name
Nobody knows my God
I don't want to be another camouflage soul
'Cuz I've been that way too long
I don't want to be another camouflage soul
I've got a change of heart
And I won't change my mind
I'm ready for a brand new start
Now I've got to change my life
I don't want to be another camouflage soul
'Cuz I've been that way too long
I don't want to be another camouflage soul
Isn't that a good song? Now, you may be asking, "Jason, that was a great song, you DO have an ear for good music, but what does that have to do with anything?"
Well, if you have a Bible handy, (if you don't, no big deal), turn over to Romans chapter 12. Go to verse 2. I have the New Living Translation, so if yours reads differently, don't freak out!
Well, if you have a Bible handy, (if you don't, no big deal), turn over to Romans chapter 12. Go to verse 2. I have the New Living Translation, so if yours reads differently, don't freak out!
Romans 12:2 says:
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
The New International Version says:
2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
And finally, The Message has the passage like this:
Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
I gave 3 different translations because I like to read how passages can be put into different perspectives. Each person might take something different from each of the different translations. I digress. I think this song and this passage go together like peanut butter and jelly.
Dictionary.com shows the meaning of conformity as:
action in accord with prevailing social standards, attitudes, practices, etc.
action in accord with prevailing social standards, attitudes, practices, etc.
You see, when Paul was writing to the Romans, he was telling them not to be like the rest of the world. Paul himself was guilty of this early in his life. He spent his time persecuting the early christians. He was very caught up in the legalistic religion that the Jews were a part of. It took Jesus meeting him on the road to Damascus and renewing his mind for him to break away from the pattern of the time. After that meeting with Christ, he was no longer a slave to the world* and it's laws.
He became conformed to the mind of Christ. He was then in one accord with God. This set him apart from the rest of the world, and he paid for it. He was arrested and beaten because he did not allign with the thoughts of the religious leaders. Despite him spending so much time in prison, he never went back to his old way of thinking. He never took his eyes off of Christ, and the price He paid for him.
I think we as christians need to take this passage and this song and apply it to our lives.The first verse of the song talks about the frustration of knowing that you had the opportunity to stand out, to let God's light shine through you by standing strong in your faith. Instead you let your situation get the best of you, and God is pushed to the back of the room. Like a hunter in the woods with all of his Camo gear on, your faith just becomes part of the scenery. I am 100% guilty of this!!! I work in and have worked in several jobs where it was uncool or not 'manly' enough or something to be a christian. I allowed myself to get caught up in the gossiping (yes firemen do gossip), or the negative talk, crude jokes, or just plain being mean and hateful to people. Even though I don't cuss alot or do alot of the things that people I have worked with in the past do, i don't think I have let my faith stand out. Instead of being the hunter with the BRIGHT orange clothes on, I was a bush in the woods.
When the second verse says "I have the disguise to the look the part, but I don't want to wear your cross around my neck and not have Your peace in my heart." How many of us have, or seen someone, who is wearing a cross necklace or have a christian fish/bumpersticker on their car, and act in a way that would make God shake his head in disgust or flip you the bird because you cut them off in traffic, only to cut the next person off. I think the crosses and the 'WWJD' bracelets, and the bumpersticker/fishes, (I have a fish on my car) are cool. Some of them are even fashionable. Some people who wear the crosses, wear them because they are fashionable. But when we as christians are wearing them as a badge of our faith, we need to make sure that we are showing the true meaning of that cross, or doing exactly what Jesus would do.
Please know that I am not writing this as I look down my nose at everyone around me. I am writing this as I look in the mirror. That is why this blog is called 'Face in the Mirror'. It is a reflection of myself. I hope that others can see themselves in it. It is not my place to see this in others, only myself. My goal is to get to the point where when I look in the mirror, I see the face of Christ.
Do not worry about being different or labeled as weird. Christ and his followers were thought to be crazy or demon possessed. The bible tells us to be in the world not of the world. So if we are different because of our faith, then thank God. I hope this helped someone, it is certainly something I need to hear daily. If there is anything I can do for any of you please let me know. Have a great day and may God bless you more than you can imagine.
Jason
*God paid a high price for you, so don't be enslaved by the world 1 Corinthians 7:23
He became conformed to the mind of Christ. He was then in one accord with God. This set him apart from the rest of the world, and he paid for it. He was arrested and beaten because he did not allign with the thoughts of the religious leaders. Despite him spending so much time in prison, he never went back to his old way of thinking. He never took his eyes off of Christ, and the price He paid for him.
I think we as christians need to take this passage and this song and apply it to our lives.The first verse of the song talks about the frustration of knowing that you had the opportunity to stand out, to let God's light shine through you by standing strong in your faith. Instead you let your situation get the best of you, and God is pushed to the back of the room. Like a hunter in the woods with all of his Camo gear on, your faith just becomes part of the scenery. I am 100% guilty of this!!! I work in and have worked in several jobs where it was uncool or not 'manly' enough or something to be a christian. I allowed myself to get caught up in the gossiping (yes firemen do gossip), or the negative talk, crude jokes, or just plain being mean and hateful to people. Even though I don't cuss alot or do alot of the things that people I have worked with in the past do, i don't think I have let my faith stand out. Instead of being the hunter with the BRIGHT orange clothes on, I was a bush in the woods.
When the second verse says "I have the disguise to the look the part, but I don't want to wear your cross around my neck and not have Your peace in my heart." How many of us have, or seen someone, who is wearing a cross necklace or have a christian fish/bumpersticker on their car, and act in a way that would make God shake his head in disgust or flip you the bird because you cut them off in traffic, only to cut the next person off. I think the crosses and the 'WWJD' bracelets, and the bumpersticker/fishes, (I have a fish on my car) are cool. Some of them are even fashionable. Some people who wear the crosses, wear them because they are fashionable. But when we as christians are wearing them as a badge of our faith, we need to make sure that we are showing the true meaning of that cross, or doing exactly what Jesus would do.
Please know that I am not writing this as I look down my nose at everyone around me. I am writing this as I look in the mirror. That is why this blog is called 'Face in the Mirror'. It is a reflection of myself. I hope that others can see themselves in it. It is not my place to see this in others, only myself. My goal is to get to the point where when I look in the mirror, I see the face of Christ.
Do not worry about being different or labeled as weird. Christ and his followers were thought to be crazy or demon possessed. The bible tells us to be in the world not of the world. So if we are different because of our faith, then thank God. I hope this helped someone, it is certainly something I need to hear daily. If there is anything I can do for any of you please let me know. Have a great day and may God bless you more than you can imagine.
Jason
*God paid a high price for you, so don't be enslaved by the world 1 Corinthians 7:23
Friday, February 27, 2009
Was Jesus a Socialist?
This is the first real post on here. You might be thinking, "What kind of title is that?!" Before you get the stones, pitchforks, and torches, read on. Then if you want to string me up at the end, then you will have to catch me. ;)
Let’s begin:
This is something that has been weighing on my mind for the last couple of years or so. Those who know me pretty well know that I tend to go on these rants about society, government, religion, etc. This post is going to touch on all three, if not more. Bear with me if I start to ramble or sound soap boxy, I don’t mean to. If any of you have any complaints, corrections, or comments, please feel free to let them fly; that is the point of this blog, to air out any concerns, thoughts, and ideas, and then learn from them or grow from them both spiritually and intellectually. So, I hope you enjoy.
Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines socialism:
1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
2 a: a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b: a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state
3: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done
Under this system, the state (government), takes it upon themselves to take all of the products, goods, and revenue of the nation and divide among the citizens. It’s goal is to take from the industrious and wealthy, (the have’s), and redistribute the wealth among everyone, including the less productive and less wealthy (the have not’s). The idea is to do away with class warfare, and give everyone an opportunity to live, albeit not as richly.
In a nation that has only known this type of government, this can work or looks good on paper anyway. But, let’s consider the United States. This country is essentially made up of 3 classes. The upper class is made up of people who have mastered their trade or skill, invented something that has improved the way we live, or has been just plain lucky. The middle class is made up of people who work long hard hours at their jobs; some of them even work multiple jobs. These people work hard to basically ‘survive’ or ‘get by’. The lower class is made up of people who may not work as much, for whatever reason. There are people who may not be able to work at all due to injury/illness. Then there are the people who choose not to work. There are varying degrees in all three of these classes; these are just some quick broad descriptions.
If the government were to come in and decide that they wanted to come in and ‘redistribute’ the wealth of the people, there would be some pretty unhappy people. There would be some serious class warfare going on; at least an increase of class warfare. We have been a capitalistic nation or a free market for so long, for the government to say that the income your hard work, intelligence, or good fortune has brought you needs to be ‘spread around’ would be a kick in the pants.
Karl Heinrich Marx (May 5, 1818 – March 14, 1883) was a German[1] philosopher, political economist, historian, sociologist, humanist, political theorist and revolutionary credited as the founder of communism. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Marx) He is also credited with coining the phrase “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” in his 1875 Critique of the Gotha Program. This basically means that every person should give to society from there own earnings depending on their abilities. It also says that each person should be able to take from society according to what they need, regardless of how much they contribute.
Like I said a moment ago, this looks good on paper. This might work in a nation that was founded with this principle up front, but to jump ship from a free market society mid stream and switch over to this, would cause some serious problems.
To quote the words of the great philosopher, Coolio, in one of his works “Fantastic Voyage’, “If you don’t work then you don’t eat…”
Now, let’s look at what the Bible says. I have 2 main scriptures I want to focus on. The first is Acts 4:32-35; this is out of the NIV translation:
32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
The second is the story about the wealthy young man that comes to Jesus asking about eternal life. He explains that he has kept all of the commandments that Jesus said one must follow in order to have eternal life. He was feeling pretty good about himself until Jesus dropped the bomb on him. We pick up the story in the 19th chapter of Matthew verses 21 and 22:
21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Right now, someone might be saying, “Aha! See, Jesus is talking about the redistribution of wealth, and the passage out of Acts supports it. Socialism must be biblical!”
I might almost agree, but there are just a few differences. When Jesus is talking to this man he says, “Go…” This word in the Greek is Hupago. It means to depart or go away. This is a verb. It requires an action. Jesus did not tell the man to wait for a tax increase, pay his taxes accordingly, and then the ever so trustworthy government will give to the poor. He told him to ‘hupago’ and sell his possessions, and then give that money to the needy people in the area. Then, he was to follow Jesus, and then he would have eternal life.
It is the same with the early believers in the book of Acts. From time to time they would sell some of their possessions and give that money to the Apostles, and they would give where the needs were. This is close to a state run program, except that the church gave to the needy on behalf of the givers. I can pretty much guarantee 99% of the time the church has a better idea as to what is needed in it’s community as opposed to the government.
See, we as Christians need to do a better job of following Christ. We need to look at the world through His eyes. We need to have the love and compassion that he has.
There is a song by Brandon Heath called “Give Me Your Eyes”. In the chorus he says,
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
See, if we will just stop and look out beyond ourselves, we will see the world. We will see people that are hungry, hurting, and alone. We will see the people who just can’t seem to get by. If we ask God to give his love for these people we might actually ‘Go’ and do something about the problems of the world.
If we sit back and wait for the corrupt government of our nation to do something for the needy of the world on our behalf, we then have to accept the consequences of that decision. By that, I mean, we get stuck with the class warfare that both Capitalism and Socialism create.
Let me unpack this for a moment. With Capitalism you have a free market society. Within this you have the choice to work as much or as little as you want. With this you have the opportunity to make as much money as you can. You then have the option to do what you want with that money. You can either save it for a rainy day or retirement, or you can buy all of the stuff you want. You can do your best to keep up with that pesky Jones family, who seems to have everything. Or you can give to the less fortunate. One bad thing with Capitalism is that it breeds greed. In an attempt to obtain as much as possible, we tend to lose focus on those around us and focus more on ourselves. Society today tells us that you have to drive a certain type of car, wear a certain brand of clothes, live in a certain size of house, or have the latest gadget in order to be successful. Unfortunately, there are people who just get left behind. This can cause resentment on the have not’s behalf towards the have’s, and the have’s can look down on the have not’s because they don’t have what they do. This leads to class warfare.
With socialism the government decides that everyone needs to be equal. They impose taxes and other laws that take from the have’s, and then ‘share the wealth’ with the have not’s. Even if a person does not do their fair share of the work, they still get an equal piece of the proverbial pie. Some of them do not do anything to better society. They certainly are not required to do something on the behalf of the haves. If I can quote the great poet and modern day prophet, Coolio, again, he says, “You can’t help me if you can’t help yourself.” This type of environment causes class warfare for other reasons. The have’s will resent the have not’s for getting a part of something they did not put into. They will also resent them and the government for taking what they had worked so hard to gain. The have not’s will develop a sense of entitlement because the government says they are entitled to everyone else’s prosperity.
We as Christians need to do what the Bible says, and give with a cheerful heart. Jesus told us as believers several times to give to the widows, homeless, less fortunate, and sick and injured. If the church as a whole was more focused on doing what Jesus told us on a daily basis and on a global level, we would not need the government trying to force benevolence on us.
So in closing, I do not believe that Jesus was a socialist by definition. He does want us to pay our taxes and he wants us to help the needy, but he wants us to help out of the abundance of our hearts. This is just something that we all need to think about, especially me.
Relevant Magazine is a very good source to keep up to speed with things that are going on in the world, and organizations that are working to spread the love and message of Christ. They have a new project called Reject Apathy that is a place for people who want to change the world the right way to get involved. It is very new, so new that their website rejectapathy.org is not up and running as of today. You can read about it in Relevant Magazine, or online at relevantmagazine.com. I highly recommend this magazine to anyone who likes to keep up on things related to our culture and God. Hope you have enjoyed this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Please give me any feedback good, bad, or indifferent. Take care and God bless!!!!
Jason
*It has been brought to my attention that I need to clarify some things that might be a bit confusing. Someone asked me when I was talking about "corrupt goverment", if I was referring to our current administration or a paticular party. They felt that I was broadcasting that I am a Republican or that I hate the Democrats. Neither of these could be more false. I do not consider myself a Republican or Democrat. I personally don't trust either party as they are run today.
I could fill a completely different blog on my political views, but I will spare you today.
Just know that when I talk about corrupt goverment, I am talking about politicians who promise to help the people with our tax dollars then turn around and help the special interest groups. I think both parties are guilty of this. Maybe someday I will elaborate more, but until then, be blessed and look for ways to be a blessing to others. I truly love all of you, and hope to hear from you.
Jason
Let’s begin:
This is something that has been weighing on my mind for the last couple of years or so. Those who know me pretty well know that I tend to go on these rants about society, government, religion, etc. This post is going to touch on all three, if not more. Bear with me if I start to ramble or sound soap boxy, I don’t mean to. If any of you have any complaints, corrections, or comments, please feel free to let them fly; that is the point of this blog, to air out any concerns, thoughts, and ideas, and then learn from them or grow from them both spiritually and intellectually. So, I hope you enjoy.
Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines socialism:
1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
2 a: a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b: a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state
3: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done
Under this system, the state (government), takes it upon themselves to take all of the products, goods, and revenue of the nation and divide among the citizens. It’s goal is to take from the industrious and wealthy, (the have’s), and redistribute the wealth among everyone, including the less productive and less wealthy (the have not’s). The idea is to do away with class warfare, and give everyone an opportunity to live, albeit not as richly.
In a nation that has only known this type of government, this can work or looks good on paper anyway. But, let’s consider the United States. This country is essentially made up of 3 classes. The upper class is made up of people who have mastered their trade or skill, invented something that has improved the way we live, or has been just plain lucky. The middle class is made up of people who work long hard hours at their jobs; some of them even work multiple jobs. These people work hard to basically ‘survive’ or ‘get by’. The lower class is made up of people who may not work as much, for whatever reason. There are people who may not be able to work at all due to injury/illness. Then there are the people who choose not to work. There are varying degrees in all three of these classes; these are just some quick broad descriptions.
If the government were to come in and decide that they wanted to come in and ‘redistribute’ the wealth of the people, there would be some pretty unhappy people. There would be some serious class warfare going on; at least an increase of class warfare. We have been a capitalistic nation or a free market for so long, for the government to say that the income your hard work, intelligence, or good fortune has brought you needs to be ‘spread around’ would be a kick in the pants.
Karl Heinrich Marx (May 5, 1818 – March 14, 1883) was a German[1] philosopher, political economist, historian, sociologist, humanist, political theorist and revolutionary credited as the founder of communism. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Marx) He is also credited with coining the phrase “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” in his 1875 Critique of the Gotha Program. This basically means that every person should give to society from there own earnings depending on their abilities. It also says that each person should be able to take from society according to what they need, regardless of how much they contribute.
Like I said a moment ago, this looks good on paper. This might work in a nation that was founded with this principle up front, but to jump ship from a free market society mid stream and switch over to this, would cause some serious problems.
To quote the words of the great philosopher, Coolio, in one of his works “Fantastic Voyage’, “If you don’t work then you don’t eat…”
Now, let’s look at what the Bible says. I have 2 main scriptures I want to focus on. The first is Acts 4:32-35; this is out of the NIV translation:
32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.
The second is the story about the wealthy young man that comes to Jesus asking about eternal life. He explains that he has kept all of the commandments that Jesus said one must follow in order to have eternal life. He was feeling pretty good about himself until Jesus dropped the bomb on him. We pick up the story in the 19th chapter of Matthew verses 21 and 22:
21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.
Right now, someone might be saying, “Aha! See, Jesus is talking about the redistribution of wealth, and the passage out of Acts supports it. Socialism must be biblical!”
I might almost agree, but there are just a few differences. When Jesus is talking to this man he says, “Go…” This word in the Greek is Hupago. It means to depart or go away. This is a verb. It requires an action. Jesus did not tell the man to wait for a tax increase, pay his taxes accordingly, and then the ever so trustworthy government will give to the poor. He told him to ‘hupago’ and sell his possessions, and then give that money to the needy people in the area. Then, he was to follow Jesus, and then he would have eternal life.
It is the same with the early believers in the book of Acts. From time to time they would sell some of their possessions and give that money to the Apostles, and they would give where the needs were. This is close to a state run program, except that the church gave to the needy on behalf of the givers. I can pretty much guarantee 99% of the time the church has a better idea as to what is needed in it’s community as opposed to the government.
See, we as Christians need to do a better job of following Christ. We need to look at the world through His eyes. We need to have the love and compassion that he has.
There is a song by Brandon Heath called “Give Me Your Eyes”. In the chorus he says,
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
Ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see
See, if we will just stop and look out beyond ourselves, we will see the world. We will see people that are hungry, hurting, and alone. We will see the people who just can’t seem to get by. If we ask God to give his love for these people we might actually ‘Go’ and do something about the problems of the world.
If we sit back and wait for the corrupt government of our nation to do something for the needy of the world on our behalf, we then have to accept the consequences of that decision. By that, I mean, we get stuck with the class warfare that both Capitalism and Socialism create.
Let me unpack this for a moment. With Capitalism you have a free market society. Within this you have the choice to work as much or as little as you want. With this you have the opportunity to make as much money as you can. You then have the option to do what you want with that money. You can either save it for a rainy day or retirement, or you can buy all of the stuff you want. You can do your best to keep up with that pesky Jones family, who seems to have everything. Or you can give to the less fortunate. One bad thing with Capitalism is that it breeds greed. In an attempt to obtain as much as possible, we tend to lose focus on those around us and focus more on ourselves. Society today tells us that you have to drive a certain type of car, wear a certain brand of clothes, live in a certain size of house, or have the latest gadget in order to be successful. Unfortunately, there are people who just get left behind. This can cause resentment on the have not’s behalf towards the have’s, and the have’s can look down on the have not’s because they don’t have what they do. This leads to class warfare.
With socialism the government decides that everyone needs to be equal. They impose taxes and other laws that take from the have’s, and then ‘share the wealth’ with the have not’s. Even if a person does not do their fair share of the work, they still get an equal piece of the proverbial pie. Some of them do not do anything to better society. They certainly are not required to do something on the behalf of the haves. If I can quote the great poet and modern day prophet, Coolio, again, he says, “You can’t help me if you can’t help yourself.” This type of environment causes class warfare for other reasons. The have’s will resent the have not’s for getting a part of something they did not put into. They will also resent them and the government for taking what they had worked so hard to gain. The have not’s will develop a sense of entitlement because the government says they are entitled to everyone else’s prosperity.
We as Christians need to do what the Bible says, and give with a cheerful heart. Jesus told us as believers several times to give to the widows, homeless, less fortunate, and sick and injured. If the church as a whole was more focused on doing what Jesus told us on a daily basis and on a global level, we would not need the government trying to force benevolence on us.
So in closing, I do not believe that Jesus was a socialist by definition. He does want us to pay our taxes and he wants us to help the needy, but he wants us to help out of the abundance of our hearts. This is just something that we all need to think about, especially me.
Relevant Magazine is a very good source to keep up to speed with things that are going on in the world, and organizations that are working to spread the love and message of Christ. They have a new project called Reject Apathy that is a place for people who want to change the world the right way to get involved. It is very new, so new that their website rejectapathy.org is not up and running as of today. You can read about it in Relevant Magazine, or online at relevantmagazine.com. I highly recommend this magazine to anyone who likes to keep up on things related to our culture and God. Hope you have enjoyed this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. Please give me any feedback good, bad, or indifferent. Take care and God bless!!!!
Jason
*It has been brought to my attention that I need to clarify some things that might be a bit confusing. Someone asked me when I was talking about "corrupt goverment", if I was referring to our current administration or a paticular party. They felt that I was broadcasting that I am a Republican or that I hate the Democrats. Neither of these could be more false. I do not consider myself a Republican or Democrat. I personally don't trust either party as they are run today.
I could fill a completely different blog on my political views, but I will spare you today.
Just know that when I talk about corrupt goverment, I am talking about politicians who promise to help the people with our tax dollars then turn around and help the special interest groups. I think both parties are guilty of this. Maybe someday I will elaborate more, but until then, be blessed and look for ways to be a blessing to others. I truly love all of you, and hope to hear from you.
Jason
New Blog
Hey there! I'm Jason, (if you didn't already know that). I started this blog originally on MySpace, but since not everyone has a MySpace, I decided to put it on here as well. The purpose of this blog is for me to put into writing the things that God places on my heart. Also just random thoughts about life that might come up. My passion is my faith and my ministry, so usually posts will have to do with those. Please feel free to comment on each post. I am open to good comments and negative comments. This is something I hope to help people, including myself, to grow in our walk with Christ. If someone doesn't know Him, then I hope that I can illustrate Him so maybe someone will want to get to know Him. So like I said, write back. It might help me. The things that I write in here are not me pointing my finger at the world. That is why it is called 'Face in the Mirror'. When I look in the mirror I hope to see Christ in me. Also, when people look at me, I hope they see Him and not me. This is for everyone. I hope you enjoy it, and I hope it helps. Take care and God bless!!!
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