There are so many people that talk about things. We argue about things. We have meetings about things. We talk about movies. We talk about music. We argue about what is ‘good’ music or ‘bad’ music, or movies, or books…blah, blah, blah. We talk about what motivates us, or what inspires us.
But, what does motivate us? Money? Power? Hate? Revenge? Or are you motivated by the desire to make yourself acceptable? Acceptable to whom? Man? God?
Maybe you’re motivated by the desire to control others. They aren’t acting the way I think they should act so I’ll use guilt, condemnation, threats, or religion to control their behavior. We make statements like, “This is what you should be doing,” or “You shouldn’t be doing that.”
We say that if you do this or that, “You will be good.” But we forget, “There is none good, no not one.” Jesus told the rich young ruler, “You lack one thing, sell all you have and come follow me.” Our personal righteousness is our idol. We trust more in our behavior than in what Jesus did, once, for all, on the cross of Calvary. Then we turn around and treat people based on our personal ‘holiness’ or ‘righteousness.’
Maybe we seek recognition or acclaim. We want people to think we’re great. We want to be famous. We strive and sacrifice for that hint of glory. But Jesus told His servants, “So likewise you, when you shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”
Yet there will be those that stand before God and say, “Hey, did we not do many wonderful things in Your name?” What were they doing, and why were they doing it? Did they trust in Christ or in their ‘wonderful things?’ God sees the motives of the heart.
Who are the ‘good’ or ‘great’ people of God? They are the people who are living their lives not seeking recognition. They are the sheep that Jesus said, “Come into my kingdom faithful servant…” Who answer back, “When did we do these things?” They lived their lives of love. They were led by the Spirit, but have been unaware. Who knows, maybe they were “angels unaware” that are spoken of. These are people who know that God has accepted them because of what Jesus has done on the cross and now love from a free heart. They go the extra mile, not because it’s ‘commanded,’ but because it is a part of who they are in Christ.
What is our duty? What is required of us? “This is the first and greatest commandment. Love God with all your heart, mind, body and soul. The second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Love should be the motivator – love for God and love for your neighbors. ‘Therefore abide these three, faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
Faith saves us and makes us acceptable to God. For by grace we are saved through faith, and not of works, lest any man should boast.
Hope sustains us. In the trials of life, knowing that this is not all there is and that God loves us so much He opened the door for us, He made the Way for us. He gave His life for us. It strengthens and sustains us.
But it is love that is the greatest. For this is how we share Christ with the world, by the love we have one for another.
May the Grace of Christ fill your life,
DJ GlenMC
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
RIP Larry Norman
Larry Norman
4/8/1947 - 2/24/2008
You will be missed.
For those who don't know who Larry Norman is, he wrote one of the best Christian Rock Songs.
"Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?"
Friday, February 15, 2008
Some Good Websites
Have you ever heard the lie that "All credible scientists believe in evolution?" It's a slap at creation scientists and those that don't fully accept evolution. Here are a couple of good websites.
http://www.icr.org/
http://www.answersingenesis.org/
http://www.discovery.org/
http://www.allaboutthejourney.org/
http://emporium.turnpike.net/C/cs/
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-scientists.html
http://www.christiananswers.net/creation/people/home.html
Of course everything depends on Who your faith is in.
Be blessed,
DJ GlenMC
http://www.icr.org/
http://www.answersingenesis.org/
http://www.discovery.org/
http://www.allaboutthejourney.org/
http://emporium.turnpike.net/C/cs/
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-scientists.html
http://www.christiananswers.net/creation/people/home.html
Of course everything depends on Who your faith is in.
Be blessed,
DJ GlenMC
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
I am a Creationist
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=56243
The above link is to an article concerning standards for teaching the theory of evolution in Florida schools. After reading the article I decided to blog. I also recommend Vox Day's book "The Irrational Atheist." You can download it for whatever you feel like paying at Vox Day's website. http://irrationalatheist.com/downloads.html
In the interest of disclosure, before I talk about what I’m going to talk about, let me say unequivocally that I am a Biblical Creationist. I believe in the Biblical account as it is written. I believe the Bible as truth. I believe that there are differences between allegory, stories and history written in the Bible. I believe Jonah and the large fish is history. I believe David and the giant was history. I believe creation was history. Was I there to witness it? No. Do I accept it? Yes.
I also believe that evolution is a theory, not a fact, a theory. I believe it is a theory being used to undermine the faith of millions. I know that evolutionist will claim that creation is a theory. So be it. Funny thing is about this word ‘theory.’ I saw someone write an article complaining that someone wanted the teaching of evolution to include the word ‘theory.’ They had a problem with that. It is a theory. That’s all it is. Contrary to what is pushed upon us, evolution is a theory not a proven fact, a theory.
What should be taught in schools? Neither. What? You may say.
In his book “The Irrational Atheist,” Vox Day talks about the definition of science. “But if Oxford’s most famous professor never quite gets around to answering the question, the Oxford English Dictionary does not shirk from the task. It defines science as “the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. (—ORIGIN Latin scientia, from scire “know.”)There, was that so hard? Science is systematic study done through observation and experiment. Therefore, if the study is not systematic, or if observation and experiment are not involved, it is obviously not science by this definition.”[1]
Using the Oxford English Dictionary view of science, neither evolutionary theory nor creation theory should be taught in school. Maybe both should be taught in philosophy.
What the schools should teach is how things work, not how we think it came in to being. Math isn’t taught by teaching how it came into being. English isn’t taught by teaching how it came to be. Why should biology and science be taught that way? Biology especially shouldn’t be taught that way. Teach how something that we must deal with works now, not the theory of how we think it worked before it came to be now. I don’t care how you think it came to be. How does it work now?
First day of class the teacher should say, “There are many who believe that God created the heavens and the earth. Others believe that it just happened by chance. Others just don’t know. In this class we will learn what we do know – how things work.” Teach how the eye works. Teach how the body works. Teach about the healing process and how thing work together. Neither creation nor evolution is fundamentally necessary to teach how something that is in existence works. Teach how things work, not how you think it came into being. How it works will be more of a benefit that how you think it came about.
The only reason I can see for the pushing of evolutionary theory on anyone is to undermine their faith. Just teach how things work and function. I believe God created us. Man sinned. Jesus died and rose for us to make us acceptable to God. I will do what is in my power to love you.
Now explain to me how the body is designed to heal itself. Explain to me how the eye works. Explain how the ear works. Don’t tell me how you think it came to be, I’m not interested in how you think it came to be. I know what I believe. My faith is in Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. There is no other. He has no brother, except his adopted brothers and sisters of grace through faith. I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist.
To me the body functions too well together to be an accident.
[1] The Irrational Atheist by Vox Day, Page 30, BenBella Books, Inc, Dallas, TX
The above link is to an article concerning standards for teaching the theory of evolution in Florida schools. After reading the article I decided to blog. I also recommend Vox Day's book "The Irrational Atheist." You can download it for whatever you feel like paying at Vox Day's website. http://irrationalatheist.com/downloads.html
In the interest of disclosure, before I talk about what I’m going to talk about, let me say unequivocally that I am a Biblical Creationist. I believe in the Biblical account as it is written. I believe the Bible as truth. I believe that there are differences between allegory, stories and history written in the Bible. I believe Jonah and the large fish is history. I believe David and the giant was history. I believe creation was history. Was I there to witness it? No. Do I accept it? Yes.
I also believe that evolution is a theory, not a fact, a theory. I believe it is a theory being used to undermine the faith of millions. I know that evolutionist will claim that creation is a theory. So be it. Funny thing is about this word ‘theory.’ I saw someone write an article complaining that someone wanted the teaching of evolution to include the word ‘theory.’ They had a problem with that. It is a theory. That’s all it is. Contrary to what is pushed upon us, evolution is a theory not a proven fact, a theory.
What should be taught in schools? Neither. What? You may say.
In his book “The Irrational Atheist,” Vox Day talks about the definition of science. “But if Oxford’s most famous professor never quite gets around to answering the question, the Oxford English Dictionary does not shirk from the task. It defines science as “the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. (—ORIGIN Latin scientia, from scire “know.”)There, was that so hard? Science is systematic study done through observation and experiment. Therefore, if the study is not systematic, or if observation and experiment are not involved, it is obviously not science by this definition.”[1]
Using the Oxford English Dictionary view of science, neither evolutionary theory nor creation theory should be taught in school. Maybe both should be taught in philosophy.
What the schools should teach is how things work, not how we think it came in to being. Math isn’t taught by teaching how it came into being. English isn’t taught by teaching how it came to be. Why should biology and science be taught that way? Biology especially shouldn’t be taught that way. Teach how something that we must deal with works now, not the theory of how we think it worked before it came to be now. I don’t care how you think it came to be. How does it work now?
First day of class the teacher should say, “There are many who believe that God created the heavens and the earth. Others believe that it just happened by chance. Others just don’t know. In this class we will learn what we do know – how things work.” Teach how the eye works. Teach how the body works. Teach about the healing process and how thing work together. Neither creation nor evolution is fundamentally necessary to teach how something that is in existence works. Teach how things work, not how you think it came into being. How it works will be more of a benefit that how you think it came about.
The only reason I can see for the pushing of evolutionary theory on anyone is to undermine their faith. Just teach how things work and function. I believe God created us. Man sinned. Jesus died and rose for us to make us acceptable to God. I will do what is in my power to love you.
Now explain to me how the body is designed to heal itself. Explain to me how the eye works. Explain how the ear works. Don’t tell me how you think it came to be, I’m not interested in how you think it came to be. I know what I believe. My faith is in Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. There is no other. He has no brother, except his adopted brothers and sisters of grace through faith. I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist.
To me the body functions too well together to be an accident.
[1] The Irrational Atheist by Vox Day, Page 30, BenBella Books, Inc, Dallas, TX
Saturday, January 26, 2008
None Righteous, No Not One
I started reading Romans again. I just sat down and read Romans chapters 1-3 without focusing on 1 verse here or there to justify any attitude that my human self may want to take about a particular set of people. After laying out his indictments against mankind in chapter 1 Paul starts off chapter 2 with an interesting statement to the believers in Rome. He says to them, “Therefore, you are inexcusable, oh man, whoever you are that judges: for wherein you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you that judge do the same things.”
Why doesn’t anyone ever get that far when they use Romans to condemn others? We are all guilty in the eyes of God, that’s why Jesus had to die on the cross. If acceptance to God is based on our behavior, everyone needs to forget access to heaven. Paul then starts to lay out the ground work for the reason for the cross. There is not a single person that can say they are worthy of heaven because of what they have done.
We need to focus on the whole council of God, not just our pet verses to justify our theology. If you need to pick just one verse to base your theology on then, it should be John 3:16. But I like 1 Corinthians 1:18. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that are perishing foolish, but for those of us who are saved it is the power of God.” God made the Way. God made the Sacrifice.
As I’ve been praying, thinking and writing this blog, I found myself thinking about all of the history of the people of Israel and people in general. The whole history of Israel could be generalized to people in general - a people who are obedient to God over time stray from God. God has to bring them back to himself. Even the New Testament saints weren’t perfect. What we see over the history of man is that man will always make a mess of things. Only God can clean up the mess.
“If my people, who are called by My name, would humble themselves and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways…” There are so many things that are considered wicked in the eyes of God – pride being number 1 on God’s list. Yet, so many ‘religious’ people are proud, knowing not as they ought. They look down on those they feel aren’t living up to the ‘standard’ that has been set before them. They aren’t living ‘the Christian life’ – whatever that means.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I cannot judge people with piecemeal theology – use a verse here and a verse there to point the finger at those I disagree with. Under the ‘whole council of God’ we are all sinners in need of a Savior. Jesus is that Savior. Jesus is the only Son. Jesus is the only answer. Jesus is the only Way. Jesus is IT. Jesus is God. If God is Love, then Jesus is Love in the flesh. Love died on the cross and rose from the dead to give me new life in God. Not the old life in the Law, but new life in the Spirit. It’s not about winning arguments. It’s not about gaining adherents to our ‘religious’ way. It’s not about being better than others. It’s about Jesus.
Why doesn’t anyone ever get that far when they use Romans to condemn others? We are all guilty in the eyes of God, that’s why Jesus had to die on the cross. If acceptance to God is based on our behavior, everyone needs to forget access to heaven. Paul then starts to lay out the ground work for the reason for the cross. There is not a single person that can say they are worthy of heaven because of what they have done.
We need to focus on the whole council of God, not just our pet verses to justify our theology. If you need to pick just one verse to base your theology on then, it should be John 3:16. But I like 1 Corinthians 1:18. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that are perishing foolish, but for those of us who are saved it is the power of God.” God made the Way. God made the Sacrifice.
As I’ve been praying, thinking and writing this blog, I found myself thinking about all of the history of the people of Israel and people in general. The whole history of Israel could be generalized to people in general - a people who are obedient to God over time stray from God. God has to bring them back to himself. Even the New Testament saints weren’t perfect. What we see over the history of man is that man will always make a mess of things. Only God can clean up the mess.
“If my people, who are called by My name, would humble themselves and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways…” There are so many things that are considered wicked in the eyes of God – pride being number 1 on God’s list. Yet, so many ‘religious’ people are proud, knowing not as they ought. They look down on those they feel aren’t living up to the ‘standard’ that has been set before them. They aren’t living ‘the Christian life’ – whatever that means.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I cannot judge people with piecemeal theology – use a verse here and a verse there to point the finger at those I disagree with. Under the ‘whole council of God’ we are all sinners in need of a Savior. Jesus is that Savior. Jesus is the only Son. Jesus is the only answer. Jesus is the only Way. Jesus is IT. Jesus is God. If God is Love, then Jesus is Love in the flesh. Love died on the cross and rose from the dead to give me new life in God. Not the old life in the Law, but new life in the Spirit. It’s not about winning arguments. It’s not about gaining adherents to our ‘religious’ way. It’s not about being better than others. It’s about Jesus.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Thoughts on Sitting on Our Butts
John 21:21-23
Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?"
Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me."
Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?"
So many misunderstandings are based on a misused word, a wrong quote, or just plain ‘jumping to conclusions.’
Take the text used above. Peter was concerned about what someone else was going to be doing, Jesus said, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me." The disciples jumped to the conclusion “that this disciple would not die.” Jesus didn’t say that. Jesus was just pointing out ‘whatever I tell him to do, it is none of your business. You do what I ask of you.”
We can never and should never assume that we know what God wants someone else to do. Hosea is a good example. God told Hosea to marry ‘the wrong kind of woman’ as some people would call her. It became a prophet’s lesson to God’s people. We act like the wrong kind of woman but God loves us anyway and keeps bringing us back to Himself.
I started writing this the other day and yesterday (1-12-08) I had a thought (rare for me, to be having a ‘thought’ such a painful endeavor, I try not to do to much of it) and I asked myself this simple question, “Do I do good things because I’m good or because I’m good I do good things?” Religious people would have me believe that if I do good things I must be a good person. But, there are bad people that do good things. Jesus points that out when He said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"(Matt 7:11 and Luke 11:13)
Anyone can do good things but it doesn’t mean they are good.
So maybe because I’m good, I do good things? Oh heck no. Apart from Christ, in me dwells no good thing. Paul reminds us that, “As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;” Romans 3:10.
All I can do is fall on God’s grace and mercy found at the foot of the cross and boldly rise a new creation and “Love God and love my neighbors.” Funny though, my neighbors aren’t just those that treat me well, but those that don’t too. It’s God’s kindness that leads people to repentance. Love is what we show to those who love us and those that don’t.
Am I good, because I do good things? No. Do I do good things because I am good? No. I do good things because God is good and God is alive in me and God’s spirit leads me to do good things. Apart from Jesus what I do is nothing.
Back to my original thoughts on “If I have him tarry til I come…” Do I think God would have someone just sitting around on their butts doing nothing? No. Is it my business to meddle in what God is having someone else do? No, but I can pray that they are seeking God’s guidance and their focus is on Jesus. I believe that if you are spending time doing what God has called each of us to do, “Love God and love your neighbor,” we won’t have time to meddle in other people’s affairs.
Blessings and Grace,
DJ GlenMC
Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?"
Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me."
Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?"
So many misunderstandings are based on a misused word, a wrong quote, or just plain ‘jumping to conclusions.’
Take the text used above. Peter was concerned about what someone else was going to be doing, Jesus said, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me." The disciples jumped to the conclusion “that this disciple would not die.” Jesus didn’t say that. Jesus was just pointing out ‘whatever I tell him to do, it is none of your business. You do what I ask of you.”
We can never and should never assume that we know what God wants someone else to do. Hosea is a good example. God told Hosea to marry ‘the wrong kind of woman’ as some people would call her. It became a prophet’s lesson to God’s people. We act like the wrong kind of woman but God loves us anyway and keeps bringing us back to Himself.
I started writing this the other day and yesterday (1-12-08) I had a thought (rare for me, to be having a ‘thought’ such a painful endeavor, I try not to do to much of it) and I asked myself this simple question, “Do I do good things because I’m good or because I’m good I do good things?” Religious people would have me believe that if I do good things I must be a good person. But, there are bad people that do good things. Jesus points that out when He said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"(Matt 7:11 and Luke 11:13)
Anyone can do good things but it doesn’t mean they are good.
So maybe because I’m good, I do good things? Oh heck no. Apart from Christ, in me dwells no good thing. Paul reminds us that, “As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;” Romans 3:10.
All I can do is fall on God’s grace and mercy found at the foot of the cross and boldly rise a new creation and “Love God and love my neighbors.” Funny though, my neighbors aren’t just those that treat me well, but those that don’t too. It’s God’s kindness that leads people to repentance. Love is what we show to those who love us and those that don’t.
Am I good, because I do good things? No. Do I do good things because I am good? No. I do good things because God is good and God is alive in me and God’s spirit leads me to do good things. Apart from Jesus what I do is nothing.
Back to my original thoughts on “If I have him tarry til I come…” Do I think God would have someone just sitting around on their butts doing nothing? No. Is it my business to meddle in what God is having someone else do? No, but I can pray that they are seeking God’s guidance and their focus is on Jesus. I believe that if you are spending time doing what God has called each of us to do, “Love God and love your neighbor,” we won’t have time to meddle in other people’s affairs.
Blessings and Grace,
DJ GlenMC
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Ramblings
September 11th, 2001 changed the world for a lot of people.
We have since entered into a war that a lot of people object to. I think some people live with their heads in the sand. They believe if we just make nice then all will be okay. I don't believe that. We can't compromise with evil. I don't believe we can allow evil people to kill innocent people because it just emboldens them to kill more innocent people.
I've seen advertisements for "How to Survive a Nuclear Holocaust." My question is "Why would I want to?" I have an eternity before me in Christ Jesus.
Although we have an eternity before us, we are only given so many days here on earth. We have been given the great gift of salvation through Christ Jesus, so we can stop worrying about trying to 'do the right things in order to please God.' I can't touch the whole world but I can touch the world around me. Thing is there are those that don't want to be touched.
Jesus let the rich, young ruler walk away. He didn't chase him down and try to convince him of coming to His way of thinking. He knew his heart. We are only given so much time to love those around us. I do way too lousy a job at it.
James gave a short sermon today (1.6.08) about 'becoming as a little child.' Tanya ended the first service about hearing it for the 3rd time and still finding a little nugget from God. She mentioned something about getting something from "The Lion King." I was talking to Steve and Mark after the service and said the I've seen some really bad movies that God spoke to me and said, 'You've just wasted 2 hours of your life.'
I feel a lot of times I'm wasting my life. Who do I connect with? Who connects with me? Do the people closest to me even know who I am? Does anyone care about who I am? I know people care about me. I know God loves me. I know Jesus died for me and lives in me. But I still struggle with wondering about people caring. If I throw a party, will anyone show up? Yes, I know people will, but I still wonder. Do they show up out of love for me, or a sense of obligation? Do I think they should show up? People have lives. People have commitments.People have their own world to deal with.
Why all these wasted thoughts? I finished reading a book by Nelson DeMille called Wild Fire. No, it's not a Christian novel. A paragraph in it stuck in my thought processes and I was originally just going to write the paragraph and leave it at that, then I just started typing. Here is the paragraph:
"It was easy to pretend that all was right with the world. It never is, of course, and never was, but you have to steal a few hours now and then, and pretend that the rest of the world isn't going to hell."
We play our video games, we watch our TVs, we rent our DVDs, we go hunting, fishing, we go to work, we go to sleep, we go shopping, we go in debt, we go broke. We gather stuff around us as the people who are near to us wander away or we push them away so we don't get hurt or so we don't have to face the unloving part of ourselves. Or we buy things thinking that it will make those around us love us, but all it does is put us deeper in debt, and the people around still don't love us.
Problem is we don't "steal a few hours." We give them away to movies or games or hunting or fishing. Soon you find that you have no hours left to steal. Your life is nearing the end and the vapor called your existence is gone.
I'm sorry...I'm just rambling. I'm not sure if anyone is going to read this anyway. LOL.
Somebody write me something happy and upbeat...LOL.
JESUS LOVES ME, even in the midst of my stupidity. I cling to that with my very being.
Grace and peace. Love and blessings. May you find something in these ramblings.
DJ GlenMC
We have since entered into a war that a lot of people object to. I think some people live with their heads in the sand. They believe if we just make nice then all will be okay. I don't believe that. We can't compromise with evil. I don't believe we can allow evil people to kill innocent people because it just emboldens them to kill more innocent people.
I've seen advertisements for "How to Survive a Nuclear Holocaust." My question is "Why would I want to?" I have an eternity before me in Christ Jesus.
Although we have an eternity before us, we are only given so many days here on earth. We have been given the great gift of salvation through Christ Jesus, so we can stop worrying about trying to 'do the right things in order to please God.' I can't touch the whole world but I can touch the world around me. Thing is there are those that don't want to be touched.
Jesus let the rich, young ruler walk away. He didn't chase him down and try to convince him of coming to His way of thinking. He knew his heart. We are only given so much time to love those around us. I do way too lousy a job at it.
James gave a short sermon today (1.6.08) about 'becoming as a little child.' Tanya ended the first service about hearing it for the 3rd time and still finding a little nugget from God. She mentioned something about getting something from "The Lion King." I was talking to Steve and Mark after the service and said the I've seen some really bad movies that God spoke to me and said, 'You've just wasted 2 hours of your life.'
I feel a lot of times I'm wasting my life. Who do I connect with? Who connects with me? Do the people closest to me even know who I am? Does anyone care about who I am? I know people care about me. I know God loves me. I know Jesus died for me and lives in me. But I still struggle with wondering about people caring. If I throw a party, will anyone show up? Yes, I know people will, but I still wonder. Do they show up out of love for me, or a sense of obligation? Do I think they should show up? People have lives. People have commitments.People have their own world to deal with.
Why all these wasted thoughts? I finished reading a book by Nelson DeMille called Wild Fire. No, it's not a Christian novel. A paragraph in it stuck in my thought processes and I was originally just going to write the paragraph and leave it at that, then I just started typing. Here is the paragraph:
"It was easy to pretend that all was right with the world. It never is, of course, and never was, but you have to steal a few hours now and then, and pretend that the rest of the world isn't going to hell."
We play our video games, we watch our TVs, we rent our DVDs, we go hunting, fishing, we go to work, we go to sleep, we go shopping, we go in debt, we go broke. We gather stuff around us as the people who are near to us wander away or we push them away so we don't get hurt or so we don't have to face the unloving part of ourselves. Or we buy things thinking that it will make those around us love us, but all it does is put us deeper in debt, and the people around still don't love us.
Problem is we don't "steal a few hours." We give them away to movies or games or hunting or fishing. Soon you find that you have no hours left to steal. Your life is nearing the end and the vapor called your existence is gone.
I'm sorry...I'm just rambling. I'm not sure if anyone is going to read this anyway. LOL.
Somebody write me something happy and upbeat...LOL.
JESUS LOVES ME, even in the midst of my stupidity. I cling to that with my very being.
Grace and peace. Love and blessings. May you find something in these ramblings.
DJ GlenMC
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Fulfilling the Law
Rom 13:8-10
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to all!!!
May you come to know the true Reason for the Season!
May Christ fill you with His love and presence!
May you know forgiveness and Grace!
May you be blessed in the coming New Year!
Blessings and Grace,
DJ GlenMC
May you come to know the true Reason for the Season!
May Christ fill you with His love and presence!
May you know forgiveness and Grace!
May you be blessed in the coming New Year!
Blessings and Grace,
DJ GlenMC
Thursday, December 20, 2007
The Tree of Life or the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil
And the serpent was more subtile…Gen 3:1
Subtlety is a characteristic of satan. He likes to undermine faith with craftiness and innuendo. Such that I find is the subtile nature of religion. So many people defend their religion or ‘faith.’ The presidential race has been pushing it to the forefront. Radio talk show hosts are defending it. Most of them have the attitude that ‘practicing your religion, no matter what it is,’ is the “be all to end all.” To them, you’re a good person if you ‘practice’ your religion.
People call the Boy Scouts a “Christian” organization. I would characterize it as a ‘religious’ organization. The scouts don’t care what ‘religion’ you practice, just so long as you practice some form of belief in a god. Hindu, Vishnu, Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism, Mormonism, or pick whatever religion you want, the scouts don’t care which one.
I believe satan is perfectly happy if we argue ‘religious’ beliefs and not focus on Jesus. Religious beliefs have way of making one feel superior to others. Religious beliefs give one a sense of ‘righteousness.’ Religious beliefs are like the subtile deception in the garden when satan, the serpent, said to Eve, “…you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Gen 3:5.
How many religions claim “godliness” because its members are in good standing? How many times have we heard that someone is a ‘godly’ man because of the way he acts or follows the tenets of his ‘faith’?
The subtlety of religion is that it can lure one away from the “simplicity that’s in Christ Jesus” into an attitude of being “as gods, knowing good and evil.” One can end up thinking that “I’m not like ‘those’ people,” or “I don’t do those things” and because someone talks a good game and looks successful and invokes that ‘name of the Lord,’ we think they are ‘godly.’
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone that says to me, Lord Lord…but he that does the will of my Father. Many will come in that day and say, ‘Did we not prophesy and do many wonderful works in Your name?’ I will say depart from me, ‘I never knew you.’
But there is a difference between ‘knowing about Jesus’ and ‘knowing Jesus.’ I want to know Jesus more deeply every day, but I struggle with being faithful as opposed to being ‘religious,’ or doing the ‘right thing’ because it is ‘the Christian thing.’ I seek to love as Jesus loves.
But is it really what we do that is important? Matthew 25 talks about the sheep and the goats. The sheep did, while the goats didn’t do…but what the sheep did was an out pour of love, it wasn’t rules and regulations that they were following. James said it well when he said, “If you love, you do well.”
John 6:29 “Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
What is the purpose of religion? It modifies people’s behavior. It is a means of control. Religion tells its adherence that if they don’t fall in line, then you are out of ‘the will of God,” and you could face the vengeance of the Lord.
Galatians 3:24
Therefore the law was our tutor [to bring us] to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
It’s a tutor to remind us that we need Christ. It is NOT what saves us. For if the law saves us Christ died in vain. Once Christ enters into your life by when you call upon His name in faith you are saved. Christ makes you acceptable to the Father. Christ makes you righteous. Christ makes you an adopted son or daughter of God. We are all created by God, but we are not all God’s children. (That is another subject completely. Read John Chapter 1 for a word about The Word.)
Now consider what Paul told Timothy.
1 Timothy 1:8-11
But we know that the law [is] good, if a man uses it lawfully;
Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
I think this is where most people get confused. The law or religion will modify your behavior, but IT WILL NOT SAVE YOU. It may make you a ‘better’ person in the eyes of religious people and the world, but it won’t save you. It may keep you alive for a few more years because you, “don’t smoke, don’t chew, don’t date those that do,” but it doesn’t make you acceptable to God. Just because you can behave yourself in the sight of man doesn’t mean that you are righteous in the eyes of God. Jesus condemned the Pharisees because they knew the letter of the law but they didn’t know the spirit behind the law. They knew what the law said, but they didn’t know what love required.
Another thought I had was that it was the religious leaders that were the most adamant about having Jesus sacrificed, and it was the religious leaders who were being ‘righteous’ that were bearing false witness or encouraging the false witnesses against Jesus.
Romans 8:1-4
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Galatians 5:18
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
We are saved by grace through faith, not by works, lest any man should boast. All religions fight with each other because they think they have the better ‘temporary’ solutions to man problems. Religion can try to modify your behavior to make this a better world, but it doesn’t make us acceptable to God. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. Only Jesus death on the cross makes us acceptable to the Father. When we place our faith, hope and love on the Only Begotten Son of the Father, the eternal Word - the Word who is God (see John Chapter 1) - then we are saved.
But if you think because you get someone to behave the way you think they should behave and convince them that is what God wants, you may have just created a well behaved person still destined for an eternity separated from God. Doing good works doesn’t equate to knowing God. Jesus wants to know us because He loves us. Satan convinced Adam and Eve that eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would make them like gods. They ignored the tree of Life which would give them eternal life. The tree of Life is Jesus.
Introduce someone to Jesus, the tree of Life, and help them to know Him and the wonderful Grace of God that’s found in Jesus Christ and watch how Jesus will transform them into the person He thinks they should be, and they will inherit the Kingdom on God through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.
Be blessed,
DJ GlenMC
Subtlety is a characteristic of satan. He likes to undermine faith with craftiness and innuendo. Such that I find is the subtile nature of religion. So many people defend their religion or ‘faith.’ The presidential race has been pushing it to the forefront. Radio talk show hosts are defending it. Most of them have the attitude that ‘practicing your religion, no matter what it is,’ is the “be all to end all.” To them, you’re a good person if you ‘practice’ your religion.
People call the Boy Scouts a “Christian” organization. I would characterize it as a ‘religious’ organization. The scouts don’t care what ‘religion’ you practice, just so long as you practice some form of belief in a god. Hindu, Vishnu, Buddhism, Islam, Catholicism, Mormonism, or pick whatever religion you want, the scouts don’t care which one.
I believe satan is perfectly happy if we argue ‘religious’ beliefs and not focus on Jesus. Religious beliefs have way of making one feel superior to others. Religious beliefs give one a sense of ‘righteousness.’ Religious beliefs are like the subtile deception in the garden when satan, the serpent, said to Eve, “…you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Gen 3:5.
How many religions claim “godliness” because its members are in good standing? How many times have we heard that someone is a ‘godly’ man because of the way he acts or follows the tenets of his ‘faith’?
The subtlety of religion is that it can lure one away from the “simplicity that’s in Christ Jesus” into an attitude of being “as gods, knowing good and evil.” One can end up thinking that “I’m not like ‘those’ people,” or “I don’t do those things” and because someone talks a good game and looks successful and invokes that ‘name of the Lord,’ we think they are ‘godly.’
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone that says to me, Lord Lord…but he that does the will of my Father. Many will come in that day and say, ‘Did we not prophesy and do many wonderful works in Your name?’ I will say depart from me, ‘I never knew you.’
But there is a difference between ‘knowing about Jesus’ and ‘knowing Jesus.’ I want to know Jesus more deeply every day, but I struggle with being faithful as opposed to being ‘religious,’ or doing the ‘right thing’ because it is ‘the Christian thing.’ I seek to love as Jesus loves.
But is it really what we do that is important? Matthew 25 talks about the sheep and the goats. The sheep did, while the goats didn’t do…but what the sheep did was an out pour of love, it wasn’t rules and regulations that they were following. James said it well when he said, “If you love, you do well.”
John 6:29 “Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
What is the purpose of religion? It modifies people’s behavior. It is a means of control. Religion tells its adherence that if they don’t fall in line, then you are out of ‘the will of God,” and you could face the vengeance of the Lord.
Galatians 3:24
Therefore the law was our tutor [to bring us] to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
It’s a tutor to remind us that we need Christ. It is NOT what saves us. For if the law saves us Christ died in vain. Once Christ enters into your life by when you call upon His name in faith you are saved. Christ makes you acceptable to the Father. Christ makes you righteous. Christ makes you an adopted son or daughter of God. We are all created by God, but we are not all God’s children. (That is another subject completely. Read John Chapter 1 for a word about The Word.)
Now consider what Paul told Timothy.
1 Timothy 1:8-11
But we know that the law [is] good, if a man uses it lawfully;
Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
I think this is where most people get confused. The law or religion will modify your behavior, but IT WILL NOT SAVE YOU. It may make you a ‘better’ person in the eyes of religious people and the world, but it won’t save you. It may keep you alive for a few more years because you, “don’t smoke, don’t chew, don’t date those that do,” but it doesn’t make you acceptable to God. Just because you can behave yourself in the sight of man doesn’t mean that you are righteous in the eyes of God. Jesus condemned the Pharisees because they knew the letter of the law but they didn’t know the spirit behind the law. They knew what the law said, but they didn’t know what love required.
Another thought I had was that it was the religious leaders that were the most adamant about having Jesus sacrificed, and it was the religious leaders who were being ‘righteous’ that were bearing false witness or encouraging the false witnesses against Jesus.
Romans 8:1-4
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Galatians 5:18
But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
We are saved by grace through faith, not by works, lest any man should boast. All religions fight with each other because they think they have the better ‘temporary’ solutions to man problems. Religion can try to modify your behavior to make this a better world, but it doesn’t make us acceptable to God. Our righteousness is as filthy rags. Only Jesus death on the cross makes us acceptable to the Father. When we place our faith, hope and love on the Only Begotten Son of the Father, the eternal Word - the Word who is God (see John Chapter 1) - then we are saved.
But if you think because you get someone to behave the way you think they should behave and convince them that is what God wants, you may have just created a well behaved person still destined for an eternity separated from God. Doing good works doesn’t equate to knowing God. Jesus wants to know us because He loves us. Satan convinced Adam and Eve that eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would make them like gods. They ignored the tree of Life which would give them eternal life. The tree of Life is Jesus.
Introduce someone to Jesus, the tree of Life, and help them to know Him and the wonderful Grace of God that’s found in Jesus Christ and watch how Jesus will transform them into the person He thinks they should be, and they will inherit the Kingdom on God through Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.
Be blessed,
DJ GlenMC
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
