Understanding... er?

"I don't understand a thing. I think that is all I understand." - words of a great man, also known as my buddy Jonah.

In so many ways we all need to realise this. Humble ourselves before the very idea of an all powerful God. The only thing that we are to be afraid of is a God who created us with so much love. Created for relationship with him. "So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." (Gen.1:27) Even though we were created in his image, we are so messed up, the world is fallen, and so broken. Mankind has fallen away from God, their ways of thinking are often no where near God's. Isaiah.55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, not are you ways my ways, says the LORD." We think we know best, we think we know what others need to change, we think we know what we are doing... but what we think is not what God thinks, most of the time.

We, as humans spend so much time judging people, even when we do our best to not. subconsiously we size people up before we even talk with them. God is amazingly different than us. 1.Samuel.16:7 "'Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.'" We even judge ourselves, and not even in the places which we should be examining ourselves. We question the creator "Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, 'Why have you made me like this?'" (Romans 9:20) We spend so much time comparing ourselves to others, that we forget what God looks at, our heart. He created us mightily with a purpose, we should be learning that purpose by delving into who he is, and then living out that purpose. But when we go and think we know exactly that God has for us for our life, we often are wrong. God puts people, places, and things in our lives for seasons. Things change.

James.4:13-15 "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.' Yet you do not even know whst tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.'" I actually believe that when we have the gall to have all of our life planned out, and are looking to the future, God just changes the plans, just to remind us that he is the one who is in charge. Often, the way he takes us, ends up many times better than our original plan. God has life covered. No matter what decisions we make he will meet us there. He will meet us on what ever path we decide to take through life, and what ever twists and turns that come our way. When we center our lives on God, and search to grow deeper with him, and grow in the gifts he has given us he does amazing things. "But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way." (1.Corinthians.12:31) We get comfortable in how life is going, thinking we are so blessed, and so continue on life, looking for new ways to glorify God, and build up the body, and God rocks our worlds. Depending on what he is doing, could be in a bad way, to build endurance of the faith, or in a good way, to move us onto a new season of life.  His ways are not our ways.

Romans.9:20 "But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God??" Even when things do not go as we plan, God has got it covered, he has some greater good going on. He is GOD, Christ! He has the power to take any of us out at any moment, but he loves us and is pursuing each and everyone of his creation. That love, mercy, and compassion he shows us, does not give us any right to argue with God in what he is doing. Not saying God can't take your questions, can't take you arguing with him. But really is there any point? His ways are not your ways, and you do not have the big picture to look at. "For the ways of the LORD are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them." (Hosea.14:9)

I pray that the Almighty God will somehow use this blog to touch the people who read this in some way, that he will be able to bring people to his heart through the words he puts in my head. That this would plant seeds, water others, and grow people closer to God. He is a mighty mighty God, and he can use ANYTHING to do his will.

This is a response to hearing a friend of mine questioning his faith, but not just questioning his faith (that means your faith is alive) but rather feeling that it is all fake, because the “Christians” in his life were judgmental and hateful. I am utterly disgusted by those who show hate towards any person, who judge a person by what they do. My God is a god of love, my God is love. “For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, provided it is received with thanksgiving” 1.Timothy.4:4. To quote the apostle Saul/Paul when he was speaking to the people of Corinth, “What would you prefer? Am I to come to you with a stick, or with love in a spirit of gentleness.” What is going to be changed by hate? Commanding/forcing change, may possibly change the behavior for a bit, but the inner soul which was causing the behavior found no pleasure, so no true change occurred. But love can change all things, and not on the shallow end, maybe at first, but it seeps into the cricks and crevices and causes real change.

L - is for the way you look at me... People spend so much time looking at other people and judging. I have heard so many times from people how they define a person my their faults, the things they have done wrong in life. Even to define a person by the good things they do in life, should not be so. People are not what they do, what they do is a reflection of what they believe. Which sadly, everyone believes lies to varied extents. So by believing lies, they end up presenting themselves in ways, but that does not make them who they are. If they were to change their view and look at the truths, and start living in truths, their actions would change. For this reason one can see that what one does is not who a person is at their innermost self. Romans.10:13 “For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” One change of view and a person is a new creation. So I suppose people can take Romans.12:9-10 “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.” And just take the “Hate what is evil” bit and use it as a rationalization of their hatred towards people. But I do not read it as “hate those who do evil” Actually quite the contrary, it seems that you are suppose to be showing honor to all. You cannot show honor through hating someone. “Let no evil talk come out of your moths, but only what is useful for the building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.” Ephesians.4:29. If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all. If what you say is not going to build the other person up (even feedback can build a person up, if it is done in love) what you say should be words of grace, glorifying God and his love for them, and how he has so much grace which will be given to them if only they ask for it.

O - is for the only one I see… One should always look at themselves before going off and judging people. Romans.3:22-23 “For there is no distinction since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;” Jesus did not come and die for the ‘perfect people’ Luke.5:32 “I have come to call not the righteous but the sinners to repentance.” 1.John.4:7-8 “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.” Now wait, does this say that if you are not showing love you do not truly know God? So, people who are off doing things “in the name of God” which are not showing love, actually are only causing people to hate God, which they to not actually serve. Hebrews.4:13 “And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account” Guess what. God knows everything people do; God knows their hearts, if they are going to hell God gets to decide that, not you. You have no say; you do not know their deepest parts. So stop trying to judge people, you are not the Judge. So go all out and love people.

V- is very, very extraordinary… Love is so very, very important. It is an amazing thing which causes this broken world to still exist. It is what makes the world go round. Love is what heals, love is what brings hope. God is love. 1.Corinthians.13:13 “And now faith, hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” Now love is amazing because in Romans.13:20 it says, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.” If one is doing everything in love, they cannot sin, therefore they cannot go against the law. I know it is very cliché but “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It beats all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” 1.Corinthians.13:4-8. But it is so true. When you are acting out of love, there are no problems

E - is even more than anyone that you adore can... 1.Peter.4:8 “Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.” Love is what covers sins, love is what has gotten us to be able to be forgiven. 1.Corinthians.16:14 “Let all that you do be done in love” [period] Everything you do should be in love, EVERYTHING. No excuses. Shame and guilt are not from God, and a lack of love leads to such emotions. Christians are supposed to be the body of Christ, we are representing God to the world, so when people do not love they cause people to see God in a negative light. 1.John.4:12 “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.” Now when we love people, truly love people, they are able to see God shining through us. I would suggest, I would challenge you to living a life of more love, loving more, and shining God onto those around you.

Ending this with 1.Thessalonians.3:12 “And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as [I] abound in love for you.” I want people to understand the importance of love, I want people to change and go about life loving others.

Currently Forever and a Day By Anthony Skinner see related

God centered relationships.

With God as the common denominator, fractions can be joined. Sir!

So, think about your relationships, who are your friends. Who is the person you would say you are closest to. Who knows the most about you, who do you know the most about. Who is the person you can go to with issues, and will come to you with issues. What do you have in common with that person.

I would suggest that IF you are a follower of Jesus, that the friends who you are truly close to, you may have nothing in common with besides a love for Jesus, and Whoa those relationships can sprout blossom and bloom in amazingly quick time. I realised that my close relationships, the ones which I really treasure, which just happened, no long years spent bonding, no commonalities to bond us, but rather God is what is at the center of the relationship. I know them because of God, I have learned about them because of God, life relative to God. All actions, reasoned because of God. The fact that the deepest part of us is in passionate love with God, and because of that we bond at a deeper place than those who bond because of something shallow. I am not saying you cannot build up a relationship on other things, but I am finding that God centered relationships are quick moving, quick bonding, like resin quick to stiffen up, and then hard to pull apart. They are strong relationships which appear quickly. Having such a deep bond makes conversing so nice, because you can talk about anything from the shallow to the crazy deep, because God is in that crazy deep, and the other person understands that.

God's ways...

Isaiah.55:8
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD

Plans do not often go as one plans. God uses all things for his good. Last night I planned to go swing dancing, I invited people and all. Two lovely men decided they would be meeting me there. I showed up, they had just witnessed a hit and run, so were waiting for the police officer to show up. We were intimidated by the new dance, this was West coast swing rather than the East coast we had been doing. One of the guys mentioned going over to IHOP (international house of prayer) which has a meeting going on until ten. So after the cop showed up, the guys told her what they had seen, we drove over to a little church. On the way, one of the guys talked to a man on the side of the road, informing him of how loved he was. IHOP was wonderful, tongues of fire, dancing, singing, praying and praying and more tongues. They did a fire tunnel (this is basically where people take turns going through the group of people who are praying for them, getting words for them, and asking God to pour his fire into them. That was wonderful. They got praying for me, telling me how I was going to be a flame to start my college campus on fire, they knew what college I went to. Another was telling me how all of the things I did in my past will be used for good, that God is going to continue to use it in more amazing ways. It is not good that I went through what I did, but it will be one way God is going to use me. Another was informing me of how powerful she sees me, that God has put “clay people” into my hands to mould through me for his glory. Some crazy stuff, had some amazing prayer time, prayed for some people and that was wonderful! We went over to Dennys and ended up sitting with a homeless man who said he was Jesus, so we talked with him, ate talked to the waitress, and waved and talked to numbers of people. It was a great experience. I am so glad I went to swing dance, and then we skipped out on it. Without the swing dance, I would have never been down there, it is quite a drive. God used an email this time to do some amazing things! I went expecting a fun night of swing dance, but ended up having an even more enjoyable evening, and was able to spend some long past due time with God, and with some people who are so on fire for God.

Romans.8:28
We know that all things word together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

Even when one is not open to going off and doing what they know they should be doing, God does use it for good. Maybe at the moment it seems like the end of the world, and there is no way anything good can come from it, but God twists it around to teach lessons, give experience to help people in the future, to cause growth, sometimes to get the attention of another person's heart.

God is willing to go after one single person's heart. He cherishes all of his children enough to pursue each and every one of them. He can use some situations which we, as humans, would never think could do anything to change a person's view of life. But God's ways are different than man's. Yes, sometimes the things God does to people does not get them to turn to him, but it does help soften them up. Later in life when they have accepted Christ, they look back and give glory to God realizing how hard God was after them. In Acts.16 (paraphrased by me), Saul-Paul and Silas go off and get put in jail, they could have easily thrown the "Roman citizen" card, and avoided the time spent in jail. Locked up in stocks the two men worshipped God all the night, while the other prisoners listened. Something came and shook the earth, the foundations of the prison and all the prisoners were able to get free. The Jailer came to the area, found all of the cells open and the prisoners all gone, and was ready to kill himself rather than face the wrath of the Roman leaders above him. Right at that time Paul popped up and informed the Jailer that they were all still there, and this whole event caused the Jailer to question what he would have to be to be saved, as Paul and Silas were; they shared the Gospel with the Jailer "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved" and he did (paraphrase end) and God got exactly what he was pursuing. God wanted the Jailer's heart, and he put Silas and Paul through what would be seen as a negative event, well actually it was a negative event, they were beaten and thrown into jail, all to just get that one man, the Jailer, to turn to God and believe. But God did not do it through himself alone, he used Paul and Silas who has hearts on fire for their Father, so much so that they would be sure to share the Word of God with the Jailer after the event happened. If Saul and Silas would have not answered the Jailer as they did, God might have had to wait for another day to get that man.

People have got to be willing to step out of their boxes, and let God out of his box which he has been put into. God is an enormous god! His thoughts are not our thoughts. Our thoughts are tainted by the world we live in, and all of the lies we have heard and been amerced in our entire lives. We have been drowning in those lies so much so that we are so insecure with ourselves. This insecurity keeps people from going out and doing all of the things which God puts on their hearts to do. Yes, God can use every person with their insecurities, but I believe that stepping out in faith that God will use all things for good will give God even more chances to make good. If we never do anything, there are not too many things for God to use for good. I am not saying that because you did not smile at the grocer the other day, that there is no hope for that person, but to that person, that smile could have been just the thing to brighten their day. “The differences that you make that are the ones of lasting importance. They are the little differences that you make in the life of another person.” But “ALL things work together for good” God uses ALL things for good. Which this should be one way to bring confidence to people, even if at the moment you are terrified to look like an idiot, or whatever, just go for it and see what happens; maybe nothing that you can see, or maybe amazing! So step out! Say that “hello!” flash that smile of yours, tell that person they have beautiful eyes, a lovely smile, a contagious laugh, go out in life making sure to share love with people. “But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves” James.1:22. And for all of those who do not know how to do the word, guess what L-O-V-E.

1.John.4:7-12
“Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way; God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.”

AMEN! Be blessed and go out there and love on people in the name of God which is synonomous with Love.

This is not a job I want to be coming home at the end of my shift to an empty house. I really would love to talk, and hey I have not even got into my normal shifts yet, but with all of the tention that goes on in that place,  my stress level slowly goes up, very slowly, but still I would like to be able to vent about it at the end of the day. But no one to do that to. I cannot do it here, because then there would be electronically written proof for all of eternity of everything I say. So spoken word, is about all I can do to vent with it. But to who? no one is home..... empty house..... bah!