Scripture and Twizlers

My pastor has been teaching from the book of Galatians and going through the book in an expository manner. (Verse by verse) One of the main themes is that Paul is shocked that they have been deceived away from the gospel to another. (First chapter) Over and over again arises the concept that if you ADD anything to the gospel, then it is no longer the gospel. Jesus paid it all, so I'll add just a little flavor. Doesn't really sound the same I guess. 

Anyway.

I have been reading exodus for the last month or so and finished last week. I then began a word study on the word 'Sacrifice'. The word is used 120 time in the Word of God and 96 of those times would be found in the Old Testament. In just a few short hours I had answered so many questions I had before, and ended with about 1700 more questions (young man syndrome I suppose). However, a verse that I underlined in Exodus kept coming to my memory 30:38. For a little context just read the whole Bible. It will make more sense that way. The verse reads, "Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people." Yeah so like I said, maybe go read the whole bible first, otherwise this maketh none sense at all. The point that is being made, is that God does not get more impressed by our worship if we dress it up and make it all flashy (or in that days case, smelly). In my own life that translates very directly. I don't have to be the worshiper that everyone else tells me I should be, but rather the intentions and directions of my worship is what matters to God. Matthew 12:34b says," Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”. This leads me to my next point. You WILL talk about what you love most, and because you do this, the people around you can testify to what you love. "By their fruit ye shall know them" never rang truer. 

So. (My mother is cringing at my grammar) Let us wrap this whole thing up. Three times this week I heard someone say, or saw someone write this statement. "They can't judge me because they don't know my heart. The bible says that man looks on the outward, but God looks on the inward."

While it is true that the Scriptures teach that God is the only one who knows your heart, the first part of that verse is equally important. Man’s conception of your heart can be what someone uses to decide to follow Jesus or not. Therefore I conclude that we as Christians should apply BOTH PARTS OF THE VERSE AND NOT JUST WHAT WE WANT IT TO SAY. Have you ever eaten a Twizzler? You know how if you are careful enough you can pull each individual strand apart? Sometimes we have a tendency to try to do the same thing with scripture so that we get the part that we want. Remember, the rest of the Twizzler is still there. Likewise, when we are not rightly dividing the word of truth, we forget the rest of the Twizzler.  Don't try to twist the scriptures, saints. It only makes you look foolish.

I have no idea how to title this . . .

This morning, before a very fun hike with my girlfriend, I asked God something very dangerous. I asked first for safety while we were hiking, but then I asked Him to break my heart for what breaks His.

Be careful Christians.

He was faithful and did it. Though I cannot imagine it is to the extent that it would break Him, I felt hurt all day for people that have no concept of saving grace, the love of the savior, peace with God almighty or even hope. What could that even feel like? What does it make you think about the world to know that you have no purpose? Even more what hurt me the most was the people that I personally know, that run, even sprint away from God in the hopes of finding their 'Jonah treasure'. What does it feel like to send the one most precious to you, to a horrible place and die for a bunch of scum bags?

Here's my stellar analogy.

I adore my dog. I love him more than (most) humans. Now if I sent him to die for all the monsters that have beheaded others, knowing that those same monsters would spit on him, tear him apart and torture him. Well, I would kill every last one of them. So it's pretty obvious I'm not super godly in my attitude. But in my finite mind I cannot even fathom why God sent Jesus, knowing millions would reject him. 

This thought went through my head all morning while I was hiking. On the way home (girlfriend was knocked out in the passenger seat) I was simply broken at my lack of witness for Jesus. I have the greatest treasure of any, yet I hold it to myself. I have the cure that billions need, yet I've said, "yeah but I don't want to be awkward"

BE AWKWARD.

You just might be part of the reason someone doesn't burn in Hell forever. Hell is real. Every bit as real as heaven.

My goal in saying all of this is that 1) God will open your eyes, if you're willing to look. 2) LOOK at the disease that plagues Christians. Being unwilling to share the Gospel. 3) Act. Make a move. Leave tracts. Share the gospel with that co-worker. 

Perspective

Every once in a while I have a thought that triggers questions from the scriptures, they are usually about the end times and so on. This morning I got up and was making my 1700cal breakfast (just for fun to see if I could[I did]) and I heard what sounded like a warning siren going off in the living room. so I quickly went to check it out. I was expecting a weather alert like usual, severe thunderstorms or something like that. I figured out that the sound was coming from an Ipad that sends a warning signal every time a missile is shot at Israel. I didn't think much of it because that is only one missile which I was sure they had already shot down. the next three hours will probably stay in my memory for the rest of my life. rocket after rocket was shot at Israel. I still can't even--another one just went off. It really is appalling to me. I know how the end times play out, the Bible says it clearly, but I never had any sort of grasp on it until now--and another rocket. You see in America we don't have to worry about these kinds of things. Well, at least not yet that is. We wake up and drink our normal morning coffee, put on our normal work clothes (not necessarily in that order.) and get in our perfect little gas conserving cars and go to our jobs that we will proceed to hate and complain about later. I have even found myself complaining because the roads aren't smooth enough. Pathetic. in the last three hours or so there have been 37 rockets reported to have been shot at Israel. Still think your job is rough? I sat in this quiet house not even thinkin--and another. 38. thinking about whether or not I was in danger. I was thinking about how many calories I was taking in. I complain because I have to go take a Practical exam later on muscles. How selfish am I?! I would love to say that I just drop to my knees and ask God for their protection, and thank Him for my own, but I haven't more than once today. Again, Pathetic.
            I would love to tell you that this is just a phase, that it will all be over soon, but it is merely the beginning of a tribulation you cannot even imagine. For the unsaved, they will stay for it, experience it, see it, feel it, smell it and probably Die in it.
            SO! aren't you so glad you read this now?! so uplifting right?! well, not exactly. I hate it as much as the next person, but it is reality and I personally like to live realistically. Christians have a hope that is completely unmatched. We have the Lord, who will never leave us, or forsake us.

As my mother has always said: "be thankful"

Your sin, our adversary and God's agape love.

"So . . . you sinned again huh(Guilt)? pft, loser. you always have struggled with this, you always will. I can't believe how stupid you are! you did it again!"

            Ever heard that before? yeah, me too. His name is hatred, proud, father of lies. Satan, and he will give ANYTHING to watch you crash and burn. One of the ways he does this is by making you believe you aren't worth God's forgiveness, and ever that He won't forgive you.

            You see, satan hates God, so in turn he hates you and the more people he can drag down to Hell with him the better. If you are beaten down and don't think that God will forgive you, then you also assume that you aren't worthy of telling someone else the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so satans plan worked. So what do you do about that guilt? What about the whole, I'm not worth God's forgiveness, thing?

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

            " If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

            We ought to seek out mercy from the God of mercy and ask forgiveness from the God who promised it to all who ask.

            Don't 'play God' and judge yourself, you don't have that authority.

            Don't act like your sin is more potent than the love of God.

God is good, and I am not.

Here are the conclusions I have come to in the last few days.

God is good, and I am not.

I know that a lot of time this can sound really cliché, but the concept of right and wrong will dictate the entire way we live our lives. Think about it. If I were to just up and decide that I can go and get drunk on every night, then the next morning sing oh how I love Jesus . . . there is something wrong with my mindset. The problem is my view on what is right and wrong, is far, far from the truth that is found in God's Word which we know to be truth. Now how do we know when we are off from the straight and narrow. Well, it's actually very simple. If it goes against the Word of God, or if it offends your conscience, don't do it. God's word is never going to lead us astray if we read AND believe it.

Second, God is faithful.

Again, sounds cliché. Deal with it.

I found myself two weeks into the semester, so far from God I hardly knew even where I was, so I asked the Lord to show me something that I had to change in my life. (be careful when you ask for that, He will do it.) Pride. It was and will continue to be my biggest struggle. God absolutely crushed my pride on Sunday with the message from the church that I go to. Being friends with the world is to be the enemy of God, and that's just what the Word of God says, whether you like it or not.

Overall, I am so thankful for the Lord and all that He has done in my heart this last week. How awesome is His love for me that every time I mess something up again he just says, "pft, told you. now come back over here where you belong."

God is good, I am not. God is faithful. Praise Him for it.

thought for food . . . or something like that.

Everybody wants to be the greatest at something,

yet nobody wants to be dedicated to that one thing.

Everybody wants to be a super star,

yet nobody wants to go outside of their comfort zone too far.

we want to be the best preacher, teacher or evangelist,

but we have this long list of prerequisites.

How about this, just some food for thought,

how 'bout you sell out to something like a car being bought.

one-hundred percent of your life, love and thought processes,

with every ounce of passion that your body possesses.

because life without dedication is not worth living,

like your marriage without the other person being forgiving.

You really think you are worth someone constantly serving you?

then tell me why is it that the Son of God had to come and die for you.

you see if I could be honest, I deserve the Hell that Jesus Suffered,

Yet He hung there on the cross saying, it's done, it's finished. No more to be buffered.

There is an interesting thing about that word Suffered.

something that wasn't clear from the boats bow,

yes it means to endure, but it also means to allow.

Jesus was willing to endure that pain from all angles,

yet He could have called ten-thousand Angels.

Now think about it, think really hard,

the one who died, is the one we bombard.

with antagonistic questions like how, why, when and why so far.

we should be saying, Lord use me in every way,

the problem is, we keep walking away.

God blessed me

Elijah Sargent

Outstanding Parents

            From birth to present day, my parents have continually shown me the way of Christ, His love and grace while on earth. My father lead me to the Lord at five years of age and ever since he has disciple me in every way that he has been able to, and although we have not always met eye to eye, and fought a time or two, he always has been right there to pick me up and encourage me. My mother has been nothing but grace for the duration of my life, showing mercy when needed but also the loving truth. The two people that God blessed me with as parents are in fact the only two people on earth that I believe could have raised me with any semblance of character and dignity. They have warned me when there are dangers in my life, but paid for things that they knew wouldn't bring me happiness, and when those things broke, or hurt me, they would show me the love and peace that only comes from Jesus Christ. Just this last summer, my mother went to work out of the home, after homeschooling every one of the five children all the way through high school, and did so willingly. She does not like being out of the home and away from what she knows and loves, being a home keeper, but she went to work, so that I could serve at a camp for the whole summer. She knew that it would change my life is so many ways and she is willing to be uncomfortable so that I can have my life changed and still go to the school that both of my parents let me choose. Words could never describe how much I owe to my parents, for all that they have done in my life. They have always shown me what a godly parent should be, loving, caring, hard working, joyful and so much more. God truly blessed me beyond what I deserve with the amazing parents that I have. This is just my story, there are four more of their kids with very similar stories.