My views

I have been discovering lately that I am not as conservative as I may have once thought. I still in may peoples views am very conservative. But with in the circle of Christian thought I believe that I may be more liberal than I had once thought. I can to see this when a fellow "liberal" believer and I had a conversation on prayer in schools. FYI - prayer is allowed in school just not school lead prayer. With that said. We were discussing this issue and both agreed that we did not feel that school lead prayer was a good thing. What if the school decided to have school lead Islamic prayer. I would not want my child to be forced to pray those prayers. We then progressed to the message in general. I feel that some believe that the message should be forced upon people. That we should force people into prayer in the schools. But the message is not about force we are to influence people by our lives not our politics. Peter tells us to live a life that causes other to ask questions about the faith that is with in us. I guess I am tired of believers wanting other people and other things to do their jobs. We are so busy trying to reform the government, the movie industry, the music industry, what about ourselves. Maybe if we stopped and looked inward just a little we would see how much we need to fix our selves as a church. Maybe if we stopped trying to change the world and changed ourselves we would have that world changing impact. Changing the world starts by changing ourselves. Where in your life do you need some reform. What changes can you make that will help you to leave a lasting impact for the kingdom?

Homosexuality

Hello readers, Sorry for the long delay I have been on Christmas break and have been away from the computer. Over this break I have enjoyed my family and friends and some good times with God. I have been having a recurrent theme of late when I have been thinking on God and the issues of this world. My thoughts continue to go back to homosexuality. I have been thinking about this a great deal lately wondering if God is telling me that I may have a calling to this ministry. I have been very angered lately by what I have seen in the Christian culture. A hatred toward all things homosexual. I just want to state now my stance before I continue. I do not agree with homosexuality, but I do believe in the homosexual. I belief that the homosexual is a child of God and as any other sinners needs to be shown the love and changing power of Christ. Homosexuality is not according to Gods law. It is a sin just the same as other sins. But the homosexual is not be hated along with the sin. We are not to hate the sinner but to hate the sin. To many Christians (sadly including myself for a time) just have nothing but hatred and disdain for not only the sin but the sinner when it comes to homosexuality, and I can not agree with the hatred of any sinner. God sent his only son, though we were still sinners to save us. Paul says that we were such things as adulterers and homosexual offenders. Were these things. If I as a believer in Christ Jesus can not open my heart to the sinner then I am of no service to God. Because if someone did not open their heart to me in my sin I would still be lost. The fact that there is a web site god hates fags. Sickens me. God hates homosexuality not the person. God hates sin. At what point did we as Christians give up on homosexuals, at what point did we decide they are not worthy of Gods love. Who are we to make that decision. All sinners and all humanity needs to know the love of God and the saving Grace of Christ Jesus. Maybe if we as followers of Christ actually followed Christ we would stop condemning the sinner and get down in the trenches with them. Jesus sat and ate with sinner. Maybe we should get off our high horses and have a bite as well.

Last minute

Well it is 10 days before Christmas and I have just bought my first gifts. I am normally a last minute shopper, but I have a feeling this year maybe extreme. I found the coolest gift for my brother and then best buy ruined it because they are currently sold out. But I am hopeful they will get some in soon and I will be able to purchase one. I see so many cool things I would like to get my family and friends but of course like most of us money is always an issue. So I guess I will have to go old fashion and give them the gift of my time. That really is what the season is really about is it not. To celebrate the birth of the savior and to spend time with loved ones. I miss my family and I think a lot has to do with me moving and getting married this year. Just makes you want to soak it all in. I cant wait to start my family with Tara but things will never be like they will be this year. Well all things progress for the better in this situation. I look forward to this Christmas and many more with my family, my fiance(wife), and all the others who have and will touch my life in some way.

Prayer

Prayer has really been coming up in my life lately. It has been appearing in the scripture I read, the messages I hear, in so many aspects of my walk right now. Admittedly I am poor at prayer. I need to continue to work and continue praying to get better. How do you become a better ball player you play ball, how do you become a better prayer you pray. I just have been evaluating my prayer life. Do I pray as Jesus gave us the example. I sometimes forget that the Lord's prayer is a diagram of how we are to pray. Our Father who art in heaven. Hallow be thy name. Telling us to remember the Glory of God to praise Him in our prayers. Next, Thy kingdom come, thy will be done. On earth as it is in heaven Telling us to remember to be humble and that it is all in His hands and our prayers should be in accordance to His will not our selfish needs or desires. Give us this day our daily bread. ask Him for blessings. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Repenting from our ways and sins and forgiving those who have sinned against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Ask Him to guide our way and our steps to strengthen us in our lives to avoid our sinful desires. I find that when I follow this diagram. My prayers are much more complete. I do not stick to the selfish help me God prayers I normally do where its about me and not about others. When I pray in this manner I pray as Jesus taught me to pray. I pray this helps you my faithful readers as it has truly helped me. Praise God and God bless

Decisions

Well its time for me to start making decisions on where i want to place myself after graduation. I have recieved offers in two great places to live. Both North Carolina and Knoxville TN. Both are very good possiblities they are both great areas. My fiance and i plan on visiting both areas to see what will be best for us. I know no matter what we will be guided by God. I am just excited to have the opportunity to pick where i may go. I dont have to just go where i get a job. So praise God. Well more to come on this matter as the story unfolds.

Charles Shultz and sunbeam

I was pleasantly surprised to day when I went to get some bread. My friend Ryan bought me a loaf to pay me back for all the bread he has eaten at my house this year. Not necessary but very thoughtful. The bread was the Sunbeam bread and on the label it has this little girl with folded hands in prayer and beside it the bible quote "Not by bread alone". How cool is that just making a sandwich the word of God is glorified. Because if you don't know what the rest of that quote is "not by bread alone but by every word from the mouth of God". And how true it is not by bread alone we survive, at least not spiritually. We are only fed by the word of God, it feeds our souls and how starving many of them are. On the same note, yesterday was the 40th anniversary of " A Charlie Brown Christmas" Charles Shultz in 1964 made this little animated film for television, but would only allow it to be aired if there was no altering with the real message of Christmas within. In the movie Charlie gets upset and asks cant anyone tell me the real meaning of Christmas then Linus proceeds to quote Luke 2 about the birth of a Savor Jesus Christ. How AWESOME. Especially in a time when the word Christmas is being removed from everything. Holiday tree how ridiculous. I pray that as this season of love and hope approaches you as Charlie Brown do not loose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. But remember in the Words of God and the words of Linus "Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." Merry Christmas and Glory to God in the Highest.

Cults

Cults man what a racket they are. Seriously if you want to make a great living, control people, and get to do it tax free what a great job. Assuming you don't mind going to hell. The bible does say that anyone that preaches a message that distorts the gospel is accursed. I have just been made aware of a cult thanks to finding out the background of the person I have been blogging with about salvation. He appears to be a member of the Restored Chruch of God an off shot of the World Wide Church of God or if you will Armstrongism. Named after the founder Herbert W. Armstrong. The Restored Church of God is an off shot of this as I said, which was founded by David Pack. Some of the beliefs of it include such things as the gospel stopped being preached at 69 AD and was not preached again until the World Wide Church of God started preaching the true message of Jesus again in 1934. They also believe in a pluristic Godhead meaning that there are multiple personal gods; it is similar to the Mormon belief. All of this based on a misinterpretation of the Hebrew word Elohim which means God. There is also no Trinity in the theology of the World Wide Church of God. It also teaches that man is destine go become a god himself and that it is not through salvation but through works one is saved. A common denominator in non-Christian cult groups is the works not grace salvation theory. The Restored Church of God is similar, but has some difference such as only virgins are accepted into heaven 144,000 virgins based of Rev. 14. Even sex within marriage is punishable by eternal damnation. But all these thing do not take into account the countless parts of the bible that teach otherwise. We can get ourselves into much trouble when we eliminate the context of the Word of God. Remember even the devil can use scripture when it suits him. I guess the purpose of this blog is to tell you to check out the Word of God before you believe something blindly. We in America are so blessed and fortuitous to have the gospel at our finger tips. Use it. Know it. The best way to defend and defeat lies is with the truth. Praise God Know God.

Truth

It is so sad and even more than that when the word of God is misrepresented and miss used. My friend Ryan and I have been in a discussion with a Pastor but we are not sure if he is or not because this conversation has been occurring through blogs. Our salvation has been questioned and we have been condemned for our sins. Which, yeah I have been condemned for my sins, but Praise Jesus for his death and resurrection. I have been made clean by the blood of the Lamb. I praise God also for the fact that we have the word of God so accessible in the US. So when things like this come up I can go to the word of God and allow it to dictate to me the truth not some pastor, friend or anyone but the Word of God. Don't get me wrong a word of truth from the lips of a believer is very awesome, but taking a statement that is controversial or thought false to the word of God that is to be praise. As the Bereans did in Acts. I guess through this conversation I have been again shown the love and grace of Christ. Though while he knew no sin he became sin for our sake and died on a cross. Praise God and Praise the Son. Thank you Lord Jesus for your sacrifice and your love that has repaired the relationship between God and his people. Thank you for being love. Thank you for grace and thank you for allowing me to do your will. Thank you for everything. I really love Jesus and that is all I have to say about that.

December

It is December. Hooray. But I just wanted to post about my new rotation at the vet clinic. It is pretty boring actually but I get to play with a lot of cool dogs. I hate when my internet on my very very old lap top does not work it really cuts into my ability to blog and all that good stuff but on the other hand it gives me time to read and to just chill which I need to do sometimes. I have been steeling billy's computer to blog when he has it around and not using it himself. I have been thinking a lot about obedience and the consequences of not be obedient. I rally relate to the part of the bible that says the God will discipline his children. It even scares me when I feel as if God has not disciplined me in a while. I feel as if maybe im not his child. Then I realize it is the devil saying that and I get back to my senses. But I truly appreciate all and every trial God lays before me. It helps me to focus and to clearly see where my life is dedicated and in what direction it is going. I have also been thinking about prayer lately . I have been trying to be more like Jesus in that aspect following the diagram he left for us. I am not doing as well as I would have liked at this point, but im a work in progress and sooner than later God will work this out in me. Praise him for that. But I guess I have been mainly wrestling with whom do I pray too. I have been focusing on the fact that Jesus tells us to pray to the father and I may have been neglecting that. So my question to you my reader is who are you praying to and what are you praying for. Are you expectant that God will answer you or are you expectant that he will give you want you want. Because they are not always the same thing. I guess in sometimes need to realize that God is not a vending machine and I do not have the power to at my whim place in the money and get what I want. So bottom line I am being convicted to work on my prayer life and to focus on the prayer relationship not the prayer answers.