Over the years that the Bible was written God had given out many special one time gifts or promises to people. For instance when God said to Abraham that he would make his descendants as many as the stars in the sky or when God gave Salomon the choice of anything he wanted and he chose wisdom.
Fast forward a few years to the time when Jesus was on earth. Jesus is there on the cross in between two criminals and these events and conversation occurred.
Luke 23:35-43
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” 38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews. 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
One of the things I took from this section of verse was that Jesus gave a promise just like he did to Abraham and to Salomon. However, this promise isn't just given to the criminal that was stated, this promise is offered to everyone.
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
We can all live with God in paradise! To me thats a better promise than any other promise here on earth. Life with God forever is something that I would say is one of the most profound things, ever.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Friday, January 11, 2013
From Writer's block to the glue of the Church
So considering how I sorta have writers block right now, I thought it would be a good idea to write about writers block. For starters there are many ways that people try to cope with writers block. Some look at inspirational pictures or videos, others just wait it out. Even though I haven't had to deal with writers block much, just recently I realized that when I listen to violin based orchestra music I can write and think better.
This gets me thinking about how we all react differently to different things, such as writers block. I guess this just goes to show that everybody is different with different personalities, and different things that inspire them to write.
It is really an odd thing how we are made with such diversity, but we all have the same few relations.
We are all created by God in His image, we are all descendants of Adam and Eve, and we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. However, despite all these similar beginnings we all are uniquely and largely different. We are either Asian, European, African, Latino, or some other race/race-mix. However, that is only the beginning of our differences.
This scale of different and similar things can fall back towards similar again though. This is because almost all of us have two eyes, ears, legs, arms, a head, nose, chin, and main body section.
Lets look back over what I said. When I looked at how we are similar, at first I only looked at complete deffinites and the same was true when I switched to our differences. However, when I switched back to similarities I looked at things that should be definite, but are not always because of sin.
I think what this difference in thinking or perception of similarities shows that perspective on something greatly affects your opinion. When you get different perspectives in a church (and your bound to find many) arguing and eventually separation and loss of church members can easily happen. So what is that "glue" that somehow keeps the Church together? Some might say its love and compromise, but I think there is a greater glue that keeps the church together. I think God is the one who holds the church together in unison. If we are all the children of God doesn't that make us brothers and sisters? And if we are family with a Holy and perfect Father, that's a genetic "glue" like no other. How can a city with a corrupt leader ever survive?
Each person's perception of something is different, but being children of God relates us together in harmony despite our profound differing perceptions.
This gets me thinking about how we all react differently to different things, such as writers block. I guess this just goes to show that everybody is different with different personalities, and different things that inspire them to write.
It is really an odd thing how we are made with such diversity, but we all have the same few relations.
We are all created by God in His image, we are all descendants of Adam and Eve, and we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. However, despite all these similar beginnings we all are uniquely and largely different. We are either Asian, European, African, Latino, or some other race/race-mix. However, that is only the beginning of our differences.
This scale of different and similar things can fall back towards similar again though. This is because almost all of us have two eyes, ears, legs, arms, a head, nose, chin, and main body section.
Lets look back over what I said. When I looked at how we are similar, at first I only looked at complete deffinites and the same was true when I switched to our differences. However, when I switched back to similarities I looked at things that should be definite, but are not always because of sin.
I think what this difference in thinking or perception of similarities shows that perspective on something greatly affects your opinion. When you get different perspectives in a church (and your bound to find many) arguing and eventually separation and loss of church members can easily happen. So what is that "glue" that somehow keeps the Church together? Some might say its love and compromise, but I think there is a greater glue that keeps the church together. I think God is the one who holds the church together in unison. If we are all the children of God doesn't that make us brothers and sisters? And if we are family with a Holy and perfect Father, that's a genetic "glue" like no other. How can a city with a corrupt leader ever survive?
Each person's perception of something is different, but being children of God relates us together in harmony despite our profound differing perceptions.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Commitment
As I was snowboarding one day I was working on a pretty hard trick combo. Each time the first trick
I would land, but I would fail to look for my landing to be able to start the next trick. Each time I kept on saying to myself to commit to it and I will land the trick. Every time I didn't commit I would miss spotting my landing and then the next feature.
Now switch that over to my life with God. Each time I don't fully commit to following God with all I have I fail. I know that if I commit fully all will be good. Just like when snowboarding I know that if I focus and commit to the subject I will land the trick and be alright. Every time I get scared by the speed and danger of the trick and don't commit. Why is it so hard to commit to God and my snowboarding trick? I get scared, I don't trust God or myself. When snowboarding it is so hard for me to forget that my mind is saying that there is danger and let my body do what it knows it can do. I know that my body can do it and that I will be ok, however my mind gets in the way and says; Wait, there is a chance you could hurt yourself. Its the same with God. I know that God will take care of me and that if I commit to follow him completely I will be alright. However, again my mind gets in the way and says; how can you trust this guy? something bad could happen. Now of course I know thats not the truth, but its a whole mind over matter thing. Its the war between ourselves. We just can't let the wrong side win.
It was the last shot of the day because of the fading light, the camera was rolling, I was in pain, and I was tired. However, the desire inside of me put into place by God that pushed me to keep snowboarding stayed around just until the end. It basically was all on the line. I dropped in telling myself to commit, just commit that was all I needed to do. At the lip of the ramp my mind was telling me to not commit, to not do it, and that I could hurt myself.
Its all about the commitment, I had to push past the dumb fear in my mind, and do what I knew I could and should do. I popped off the lip with my mind telling me to not commit, but my body telling me to commit. My body won and I nailed the trick.
All of this shows how if I just commit to God fully all of the time I will get the best ride of my life. I will nail things right and left. I will be happy, content, and have a great life.
So what is the goal? To step across that line, jump in, and commit fully to life with God. Take the new profound life waiting for you to commit to. Commit to God and all will right itself.
I would land, but I would fail to look for my landing to be able to start the next trick. Each time I kept on saying to myself to commit to it and I will land the trick. Every time I didn't commit I would miss spotting my landing and then the next feature.
Now switch that over to my life with God. Each time I don't fully commit to following God with all I have I fail. I know that if I commit fully all will be good. Just like when snowboarding I know that if I focus and commit to the subject I will land the trick and be alright. Every time I get scared by the speed and danger of the trick and don't commit. Why is it so hard to commit to God and my snowboarding trick? I get scared, I don't trust God or myself. When snowboarding it is so hard for me to forget that my mind is saying that there is danger and let my body do what it knows it can do. I know that my body can do it and that I will be ok, however my mind gets in the way and says; Wait, there is a chance you could hurt yourself. Its the same with God. I know that God will take care of me and that if I commit to follow him completely I will be alright. However, again my mind gets in the way and says; how can you trust this guy? something bad could happen. Now of course I know thats not the truth, but its a whole mind over matter thing. Its the war between ourselves. We just can't let the wrong side win.
It was the last shot of the day because of the fading light, the camera was rolling, I was in pain, and I was tired. However, the desire inside of me put into place by God that pushed me to keep snowboarding stayed around just until the end. It basically was all on the line. I dropped in telling myself to commit, just commit that was all I needed to do. At the lip of the ramp my mind was telling me to not commit, to not do it, and that I could hurt myself.
Its all about the commitment, I had to push past the dumb fear in my mind, and do what I knew I could and should do. I popped off the lip with my mind telling me to not commit, but my body telling me to commit. My body won and I nailed the trick.
All of this shows how if I just commit to God fully all of the time I will get the best ride of my life. I will nail things right and left. I will be happy, content, and have a great life.
So what is the goal? To step across that line, jump in, and commit fully to life with God. Take the new profound life waiting for you to commit to. Commit to God and all will right itself.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Jesus On Earth
Being that Christmas happened to fall on Tuesday I thought I would make a post relating to Christmas. I'm sure most of you have heard the Christmas story and how its not about the gifts or songs, but about Thee Gift given to us by God Himself.
The interesting thing about Jesus coming to earth is the fact that He was God. God chose to send Himself to earth in Human form. Jesus could have just showed up in a mist or He could have just fixed the world without ever showing up. However, God had a better purpose and plan. God made us able to make our own choices, so the only way for us to still have the choice to follow Him is for us to choose God over evil. Not having perfectness forced upon us, but Jesus giving us the ability to choose life by His death.
God put Himself, Jesus, under restrictions that we as humans are under here on earth. Jesus could have just not followed the rules of earth and fly, walk on water, and go through walls. However, Jesus did do some of these actions because we humans are stubborn and need to see to believe. Sometimes words are just not enough.
Another thing is Jesus had to come to earth and save us. If God just told us to believe in Him to be saved we wouldn't know the extent of his love. Jesus had to die. The Death of Jesus is so powerful. Without that power we would not know how much God loves us and we would be less willing to become His children.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave is one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
The Birth of Jesus was an interesting happening from start to finish from the virgin marry, to the shepherds, to the wise men. Then the purpose and reasons behind the things that happened like they did are so profound and show the great plan by God.
The interesting thing about Jesus coming to earth is the fact that He was God. God chose to send Himself to earth in Human form. Jesus could have just showed up in a mist or He could have just fixed the world without ever showing up. However, God had a better purpose and plan. God made us able to make our own choices, so the only way for us to still have the choice to follow Him is for us to choose God over evil. Not having perfectness forced upon us, but Jesus giving us the ability to choose life by His death.
God put Himself, Jesus, under restrictions that we as humans are under here on earth. Jesus could have just not followed the rules of earth and fly, walk on water, and go through walls. However, Jesus did do some of these actions because we humans are stubborn and need to see to believe. Sometimes words are just not enough.
Another thing is Jesus had to come to earth and save us. If God just told us to believe in Him to be saved we wouldn't know the extent of his love. Jesus had to die. The Death of Jesus is so powerful. Without that power we would not know how much God loves us and we would be less willing to become His children.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave is one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
The Birth of Jesus was an interesting happening from start to finish from the virgin marry, to the shepherds, to the wise men. Then the purpose and reasons behind the things that happened like they did are so profound and show the great plan by God.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Ballance
Lately I have been finding that ballance is needed in just about everything. However to show what I'm getting at let me start with my own definition: Ballance is equal amounts on both sides resulting in stableness. Typically when I think I ballance I think of staying in control and upright when doing my stunts. However, I want to relate it to life. As important ballance is to keep yourself from falling down and hurting yourself, so is ballance needed to keep yourself from going to an extreme and maybe hurting yourself.
Ballance isn't a new thing for me to write about though, there are my posts Monkinisom and Un-Monkinisom. In Monkinisom I explained how it was a great experience but I felt like God was telling me I shouldn't seclude myself from the world so much. Then in Un-Monkinisom I was shown by God that I was being too immersed in the things of the world. What I needed was ballance to set that straight.
This keeps coming up in my life where I find I need to find a ballance between two things. For example I like to wear different clothes in a different style and try to make it look good. However, if I step across that delicate line of ballance I will end up looking like those people that have too much stuff too weirdly worn.
In my relationship with God I find that I can't just focus to asking for the Holy Spirit, I need to focus on developing a love for God, more focus when praying, more focus on worship not the sound quality, and many other things. If I only focus on only one of those things I will end up lopsided and off ballance.
How do you know what the ballance scale is? Where do you find that ballance or that scale to make sure your in ballance? God is that ballance scale. God will show you somehow where your at on the ballance scale and which way you need to move to right it.
One exception in your life where ballance isn't needed is how much you live for God. The ultimate thing is to have the scale heavily fallen towards God. Don't be teetering on that scale wondering which way you will go, towards God or towards evil.
Each area of your life has its own profound God given ballance scale.
(For all of you wondering or concerned with how I spelled ballance with two ll's, well that was all in purpose of giving ballance to the word ballance.)
Ballance isn't a new thing for me to write about though, there are my posts Monkinisom and Un-Monkinisom. In Monkinisom I explained how it was a great experience but I felt like God was telling me I shouldn't seclude myself from the world so much. Then in Un-Monkinisom I was shown by God that I was being too immersed in the things of the world. What I needed was ballance to set that straight.
This keeps coming up in my life where I find I need to find a ballance between two things. For example I like to wear different clothes in a different style and try to make it look good. However, if I step across that delicate line of ballance I will end up looking like those people that have too much stuff too weirdly worn.
In my relationship with God I find that I can't just focus to asking for the Holy Spirit, I need to focus on developing a love for God, more focus when praying, more focus on worship not the sound quality, and many other things. If I only focus on only one of those things I will end up lopsided and off ballance.
How do you know what the ballance scale is? Where do you find that ballance or that scale to make sure your in ballance? God is that ballance scale. God will show you somehow where your at on the ballance scale and which way you need to move to right it.
One exception in your life where ballance isn't needed is how much you live for God. The ultimate thing is to have the scale heavily fallen towards God. Don't be teetering on that scale wondering which way you will go, towards God or towards evil.
Each area of your life has its own profound God given ballance scale.
(For all of you wondering or concerned with how I spelled ballance with two ll's, well that was all in purpose of giving ballance to the word ballance.)
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Non-fictionable
Everybody has their own dreams. I don't care how big they are. It doesn't matter how hard it is to get there, it doesn't matter how impossible it may seem, it doesn't matter what others say. Dreams are something to hold on to as a door into the future, they are something to live for. It doesn't even matter if you accomplish this dream, what matters is your passion. Without a passion for your dream it isn't an accomplishable dream. Without passion you won't push through the pain, the hard times, and the things that bring you down to be able to rise up and live it.
The funny with with dreams is that sometimes the best part is going through the hard times. Its about the end result, but a lot of the time the journey there is better. In your mind its about the end destination, but the adventure is the real dream.
I dream all the time. Sometimes my dreams are things I want to accomplish and sometimes just pure fantasy. Why dream about something that you know could only be fantasy? I guess the way to explain it is, you know when your really into a good movie about some great hero on a quest? Even though your not in the movie or its not your dream, you still get really into it. Your thinking about that great ultimate goal that you want the person on the screen to reach. If its about the exceitment it doesn't matter if its fantasy. Normally the dream is about that jurney to the goal, or the excitement for the end goal.
However, don't forget that your dream may be non-fictionable. That means your dream may seem that it is unreachable to the people around you or maybe even to yourself, but that doesn't mean it can't become reality.
My dream is to get a job I will love everyday. At this point I think that will be being a professional snowboarder or something related to snowboarding. I can have faith in my dream and my abilities, but my faith should really be in God.
Matthew 19:26 - Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
The truth is that you can't accomplish your dream on your own. With God even the hardest, unreachable, and profound dream is non-fictionable.
The funny with with dreams is that sometimes the best part is going through the hard times. Its about the end result, but a lot of the time the journey there is better. In your mind its about the end destination, but the adventure is the real dream.
I dream all the time. Sometimes my dreams are things I want to accomplish and sometimes just pure fantasy. Why dream about something that you know could only be fantasy? I guess the way to explain it is, you know when your really into a good movie about some great hero on a quest? Even though your not in the movie or its not your dream, you still get really into it. Your thinking about that great ultimate goal that you want the person on the screen to reach. If its about the exceitment it doesn't matter if its fantasy. Normally the dream is about that jurney to the goal, or the excitement for the end goal.
However, don't forget that your dream may be non-fictionable. That means your dream may seem that it is unreachable to the people around you or maybe even to yourself, but that doesn't mean it can't become reality.
My dream is to get a job I will love everyday. At this point I think that will be being a professional snowboarder or something related to snowboarding. I can have faith in my dream and my abilities, but my faith should really be in God.
Matthew 19:26 - Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
The truth is that you can't accomplish your dream on your own. With God even the hardest, unreachable, and profound dream is non-fictionable.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
What happend to the present?
The one day I looked up at our new clock on the wall that had the words - cherish yesterday, live today, and dream tomorrow on it. Now this is like most of those special meaningful things you put on your wall in the bathroom to ponder on. These sayings don't typically seem to make much of a difference. However, when I thought about this one I found out that I either replay the past in my mind or think about what the future could be. Rarely do I "live today" and make the most of the time I have. I don't know if this is a dissatisfaction with how I am living my life or what. However, if it is the case that I don't like how my life is, umm I should change it.
Switchfoot's song - This is Your Life -
Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead
Yesterday is a promise that you've broken
Don't close your eyes, don't close your eyes
This is your life and today is all you've got now
Yeah, and today is all you'll ever have
Don't close your eyes
Don't close your eyes
This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be?
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose
We shouldn't relive the past so much that we never now where we are now and we should never look to the future so much that you forget what you need to face now. You are living in the present. You can learn from the past and see what might be good to go for in the future, but don't forget to apply it to your life now.
The past is the past you can't change it, only remember and learn from it. The future is to come, why worry about it or plan it? Your future is God's plan for you, it will be much better if you live that plan. I don't know about you, but I want God's will to be my path and my goal. And because of that my life will have the greatest profound experience than my own way.
Switchfoot's song - This is Your Life -
Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead
Yesterday is a promise that you've broken
Don't close your eyes, don't close your eyes
This is your life and today is all you've got now
Yeah, and today is all you'll ever have
Don't close your eyes
Don't close your eyes
This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, are you who you want to be?
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be?
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose
We shouldn't relive the past so much that we never now where we are now and we should never look to the future so much that you forget what you need to face now. You are living in the present. You can learn from the past and see what might be good to go for in the future, but don't forget to apply it to your life now.
The past is the past you can't change it, only remember and learn from it. The future is to come, why worry about it or plan it? Your future is God's plan for you, it will be much better if you live that plan. I don't know about you, but I want God's will to be my path and my goal. And because of that my life will have the greatest profound experience than my own way.
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