James 1:12-18 "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created."
When I read this the first thing that comes to mind is a movie called Bruce Almighty. The comedy where Bruce Nolan(played by Jim Carrey) feels like God tempts him, irks him, and even says 'God is like a mean kid on an anthill, burning ants with a magnifying glass. And I'm the ant.' God (played by Morgan Freeman) confronts him and allows Bruce to have 'god-like' powers to see if he could do better. Bruce soon found himself benefiting only himself. Later when he sat down being overwhelmed by prayers of the world or so he thought for he was only receiving ones in his city, eventually Bruce figures that if he answered everyones prayer the way they want that everything would be good but eventually finds the reverse. The city comes to the destructive forces and riots in the city. Eventually Bruce finds that things are better left in God's hands and life he had might of not been that bad. I rather enjoy this film actually.
The same story talks about different trials that we might face, even Bruce having the worst day of his life tried to shoo people away from a helpless man and ends up getting beat up and his car vandalized. I like to see it as us having that bad day, but sometimes its continual and everyday in our walk. Even if we stand up for the right thing we might be punished. No matter the consequences now though we just see a small frame of God's work, not God's big picture. "Having stood the test, that person will recieve the crown of life that the Lord promised to those who love him." It is sort of like a vaccine. In the short run, Needles hurt when they prick you, but in the long term we will not have to suffer various diseases.
This comes to a reassurance yet again of who God is. God is not a "wishy-washy" or like the wavering shadow but that God is a good gift giver. Giving us truth that we may be the first fruits of all that he created.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Afterlife is not something to Worship
Revelations 21:3-5 "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new.'"
Here I open with an few verse from Revelations which talks about heaven and serves us good point to study revelations to know about the coming heaven, but even then knowing all the stuff in the bible will not serve a purpose unless we know the heart of it. There might be a reason why the bible usually refers to a Savior, and not to heaven. Without Christ the bible would be nothing but a waste of paper as Bob Kilpatrick said in service. The bible is not about getting to heaven, but knowing Christ.
I was riding in a car and we got to start talking about our views on religion, faith, and God. It was interesting to hear other peoples views so varied. I am aware of heaven being God's dwelling place, but the way people see heaven kind of worried me. It goes back I was probably the only Christian paying attention in the car, and I got to listen in on many things. Here are some sound bites of what I heard:
"What are your beliefs about God?"
"Well, I take an Agnostic view, there could possibly be a God, but can't really be proven."
"Oh I think there is not a God, I am atheist. When you die, you don't go anywhere, you just die"
"Don't you feel bad that you can't die and see your loved ones again?"
"Why do you have to believe in a God for there to be a heaven? I believe when we die their is a heaven waiting for us."
"All Christians do is good deeds to get to heaven, why can't they do Good to just do good?"
The whole time I was just trying to think of something witty to say to amaze them, to let them know God is not a heaven and is so much more than just an afterlife. Nothing came to mind, but now I wish I could of said this, "God is not meant to be a means to an end. God is our creator meant to bring meaning to our lives." An afterlife in heaven sounds swell but not the big picture. God gave us his only son so that we may build relationship with God again, and relationship with God is a transforming thing. We become a new creation, we learn to love properly, and do things out of love, not do good to attain heaven, or "pad our stats" like my friend said.
Hosea 13:14 “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave;
I will redeem them from death.
Where, O death, are your plagues?
Where, O grave, is your destruction?
Death in this life becomes something else, not a loss of consciousness, it becomes something fulfilling. We have the victory in Christ! We triumph over death! God is something more than just a person we need to know to get to heaven. God wants us to know him, and love him.
PostScript:
At this point I have to admit a fear that I petition with God a lot about death. Death is not suppose to scare a Christian, for I know the power that death holds because of our savior and the redemption that comes from it. This is a fear I think most have but do not want to admit, especially when even Christian peers might ask why I fear that. I try to not let it consume me, I usually keep my mind busy. You can give me your prayers that God will help give me the ease of mind and wisdom to not fear this anymore. I know that I should not, but knowing is sometimes not enough.
Here I open with an few verse from Revelations which talks about heaven and serves us good point to study revelations to know about the coming heaven, but even then knowing all the stuff in the bible will not serve a purpose unless we know the heart of it. There might be a reason why the bible usually refers to a Savior, and not to heaven. Without Christ the bible would be nothing but a waste of paper as Bob Kilpatrick said in service. The bible is not about getting to heaven, but knowing Christ.
I was riding in a car and we got to start talking about our views on religion, faith, and God. It was interesting to hear other peoples views so varied. I am aware of heaven being God's dwelling place, but the way people see heaven kind of worried me. It goes back I was probably the only Christian paying attention in the car, and I got to listen in on many things. Here are some sound bites of what I heard:
"What are your beliefs about God?"
"Well, I take an Agnostic view, there could possibly be a God, but can't really be proven."
"Oh I think there is not a God, I am atheist. When you die, you don't go anywhere, you just die"
"Don't you feel bad that you can't die and see your loved ones again?"
"Why do you have to believe in a God for there to be a heaven? I believe when we die their is a heaven waiting for us."
"All Christians do is good deeds to get to heaven, why can't they do Good to just do good?"
The whole time I was just trying to think of something witty to say to amaze them, to let them know God is not a heaven and is so much more than just an afterlife. Nothing came to mind, but now I wish I could of said this, "God is not meant to be a means to an end. God is our creator meant to bring meaning to our lives." An afterlife in heaven sounds swell but not the big picture. God gave us his only son so that we may build relationship with God again, and relationship with God is a transforming thing. We become a new creation, we learn to love properly, and do things out of love, not do good to attain heaven, or "pad our stats" like my friend said.
Hosea 13:14 “I will deliver this people from the power of the grave;
I will redeem them from death.
Where, O death, are your plagues?
Where, O grave, is your destruction?
Death in this life becomes something else, not a loss of consciousness, it becomes something fulfilling. We have the victory in Christ! We triumph over death! God is something more than just a person we need to know to get to heaven. God wants us to know him, and love him.
PostScript:
At this point I have to admit a fear that I petition with God a lot about death. Death is not suppose to scare a Christian, for I know the power that death holds because of our savior and the redemption that comes from it. This is a fear I think most have but do not want to admit, especially when even Christian peers might ask why I fear that. I try to not let it consume me, I usually keep my mind busy. You can give me your prayers that God will help give me the ease of mind and wisdom to not fear this anymore. I know that I should not, but knowing is sometimes not enough.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
We're all just Grass in God's Breath
James 1:9-11 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
Our mortality is something that is to remind us here, that even the believers in humble circumstances "will pass like a wild flower." While I dislike to say this myself, because I do not like to overgeneralize people but people of poverty or the "poor" will come to easier terms of leaving everything behind than the "rich". Thus they should take "pride in their high position" for they can accept God for where they are at in any earthy circumstances they are in.
"Rich" people are not to be treated like they are beyond any possible salvation because they might have a harder time realizing leave our possessions behind, which is why I think we fashion verses like Matthew 19:24, to put us apart from them that we could go to a "different heaven" than them. We think of the billionaires or millionaires, or those with a little more money than us. This view is horrible since the image of poor in America has turned to "we live paycheck to paycheck sliding by" and not "Do I get to eat today?"
The question I think lots of Christians are to ask themselves with verses like these is not quickly associate with the "good" one but see yourself as the one open for correction and improving upon faith. This makes me feel like I don't do enough, my financial security that I have might seems unstable at times, but what is a greater way to be humble in my own situation? SACRIFICE! James talks about taking pride in our humiliation, a rich man that gives away his "riches" of the world would be a significant change, anyone would have to agree to that. Its hard for any of us to just give something away, whether its money or help. The biggest changes of our lives are the biggest times to mature in Christ and serving others. When someone comes to this verse thinking themselves as the "rich" that could become "poorer" with Christ I think its a more humbling experience than claiming, "Yeah, I am poor so I'll have to ignore the rest of the verse"
Isiah 40:6-8
A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever.”
James mirrors Isiah closely here so I felt it ideal to also post Isiah. One thing I have to say is I have troubles talking about verses pertaining to money, and such so I am totally looking for help upon any of these verses as I go through James. I do have a book with a commentary over this which Pastor Nate borrowed to me and might update it even with notes from it.
Plugging in a Cool site to visit, www.facelessinternational.com, aims to fight some of the social injustices in the world. Giving you both small and huge things to thing about, and how some small change today would equal the big change tomorrow.
Our mortality is something that is to remind us here, that even the believers in humble circumstances "will pass like a wild flower." While I dislike to say this myself, because I do not like to overgeneralize people but people of poverty or the "poor" will come to easier terms of leaving everything behind than the "rich". Thus they should take "pride in their high position" for they can accept God for where they are at in any earthy circumstances they are in.
"Rich" people are not to be treated like they are beyond any possible salvation because they might have a harder time realizing leave our possessions behind, which is why I think we fashion verses like Matthew 19:24, to put us apart from them that we could go to a "different heaven" than them. We think of the billionaires or millionaires, or those with a little more money than us. This view is horrible since the image of poor in America has turned to "we live paycheck to paycheck sliding by" and not "Do I get to eat today?"
The question I think lots of Christians are to ask themselves with verses like these is not quickly associate with the "good" one but see yourself as the one open for correction and improving upon faith. This makes me feel like I don't do enough, my financial security that I have might seems unstable at times, but what is a greater way to be humble in my own situation? SACRIFICE! James talks about taking pride in our humiliation, a rich man that gives away his "riches" of the world would be a significant change, anyone would have to agree to that. Its hard for any of us to just give something away, whether its money or help. The biggest changes of our lives are the biggest times to mature in Christ and serving others. When someone comes to this verse thinking themselves as the "rich" that could become "poorer" with Christ I think its a more humbling experience than claiming, "Yeah, I am poor so I'll have to ignore the rest of the verse"
Isiah 40:6-8
A voice says, “Cry out.”
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever.”
James mirrors Isiah closely here so I felt it ideal to also post Isiah. One thing I have to say is I have troubles talking about verses pertaining to money, and such so I am totally looking for help upon any of these verses as I go through James. I do have a book with a commentary over this which Pastor Nate borrowed to me and might update it even with notes from it.
Plugging in a Cool site to visit, www.facelessinternational.com, aims to fight some of the social injustices in the world. Giving you both small and huge things to thing about, and how some small change today would equal the big change tomorrow.
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