I'm writing this in the hope that someone will put their trust in Jesus Christ.
In late August of 2007 I was driving home from a weekly charity meal (irony #1), and a minivan pulled out in front of me. He was going slow with the blinkers on, and I started beeping and getting full of myself. He eventually pulled into a store parking lot, and he waved with his arm as to say "come and fight". My ego kicked in over-drive, and I actually did a u-turn in traffic so I could catch up and be a tough guy. After getting out of my car, trading a lot of filthy and weak talk, I gave the guy a back hand slap. He handled it well. I had more than a couple opportunities to walk away, and I did, until he said some more filth that made me walk back from my car. It's pathetic how we let our egos take control of us like that. I wasn't exercising one fraction of real manhood there, just weakness. After more bantering, he quickly gave me a punch right in the center of my face, breaking my nose. I'm not much of a fighter in the physical sense of the word, and it was obvious. I retaliated a little bit, and the guy started flailing so violently that he ripped my shirt in half and left a tiny scar above my lip. Man, I'm a little angry just typing this.
One of the things I've been self-conscious about for years up to that point was my nose, and since it got broken I'm even more conscious about it. Isn't that sad? We have all dealt with vanity to some degree, and we have obsessions about things we can't really change. I continue to deal with those things, and it can bring me down if I let it. Praise God that we are wonderfully made by Him, and that these bodies can be vessels for a spirit stronger than flesh.
So, after that was over I called the police to tell them that I was assaulted. Go figure-- I'm the one that started the whole thing, and now I'm playing the victim. I did get my face jacked pretty good though, and I was bleeding pretty bad. Cops and an ambulance show up, and I'm eventually cuffed to the stretcher I'm laying on inside the truck and arrested for assault. The cop said there was a witness of the whole thing, which isn't exactly true. Before the cops showed up, the guy was talking to a couple of people who didn't actually see everything. In any case, I asked for it. This is irony #2.
Around a week after that incident, I was feeling more bitter and regretful about what happened, and my conscience was talking to me. I already hired a lawyer and paid him $1,500 at that point, and I lied to him by telling him I was hit first. I was sleeping one night, and I had this dream of a head in a box, floating in front of me in a cold, blurred darkness. There was another one in back and to the side of it. The face in front of me was disfigured and contorting in the dark light, and I couldn't distinguish it. It was terrifying, and I thought that it must be my head in that box. I woke up in tears and gave my life to Jesus Christ. I asked the Lord to forgive me and take my life. I declared that I believe in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and I asked for guidance in my situation. That was the last nitemare I ever had.
I was standing in a hallway, outside of the courtroom I was assigned to for my hearing. My case was already called, but the other guy didn't show up yet. I was very conflicted as to whether I should lie or tell the truth and keep some dignity. I was even thinking about mentioning my new found faith during any questioning. Craziness! Standing there waiting, I started to think, 'hey, he might not even show up'. I was struggling with myself so much that it didn't even cross my mind until that day.
God's unconditional grace was working in my life, even though I was teetering between revenge and doing the right thing. He saved me from making that desicion. God is love. Our Holy Father knows our needs, and he gives us our daily bread even though we never deserve it. Don't fall victim to sin. Put your trust in Jesus Christ, and be victorious in your life. I am so blessed by our Lord, and it took a punch in the nose to see that.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
God's Will and Man's Will, In Regards To Salvation
Do we choose faith? Don't we have to choose to believe in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins, in order to be saved? It's biblical fact that faith in Jesus is a gift, something our finite intellects can't fully explain, aside from attributing it to Grace. But, through conversation, reading The Bible, and yes, sinning- through those things do we not arrive at a point in our lives where we feel in our hearts and minds that we are wretched and in need of a saviour? The actual scope of God's Will is beyond comprehension, but rationalizing it is part of our nature.
Charles Spurgeon (1834-92) was a highly influential English preacher, quoted by many of today's brightest Christian theologians. I am going to conclude this brief entry with an excerpt from one of his sermons entitled "God's Will and Man's Will" . Please take the time if you can to read the whole sermon.
"According to their theory—that salvation depends upon our own will— you have first of all this difficulty to meet, that you have made the purpose of God in the great plan of salvation entirely contingent. You have the put an "if" upon everything. Christ may die, but it is not certain according to that theory that he will redeem a great multitude; nay, not certain that he will redeem any, since the efficacy of the redemption according to that plan, rests not in its own intrinsic power, but in the will of man accepting that redemption. Hence if man be, as we aver he always is, if he be a bond-slave as to his will, and will not yield to the invitation of God's grace, then in such a case the atonement of Christ would be valueless, useless, and altogether in vain, for not a soul would be saved by it; and even when souls are saved by it, according to that theory, the efficacy, I say, lies not in the blood itself, but in the will of man which gives it efficacy. Redemption is therefore made contingent; the cross shakes, the blood falls powerless on the ground, and atonement is a matter of perhaps. There is a heaven provided, but there may no souls who will ever come there if their coming is to be of themselves. There is a fountain filled with blood, but there may be none who will ever wash in it unless divine purpose and power shall constrain them to come. You may look at any one promise of grace, but you cannot say over it, "This is the sure mercy of David;" for there is an "if," and a "but;" a "perhaps," and a "peradventure." In fact, the reigns are gone out of God's hands; the linch-pin is taken away from the wheels of the creation; you have left the whole economy of grace and mercy to be the gathering together of fortuitous atoms impelled by man's own will, and what may become of it at the end nobody can know."
Charles Spurgeon (1834-92) was a highly influential English preacher, quoted by many of today's brightest Christian theologians. I am going to conclude this brief entry with an excerpt from one of his sermons entitled "God's Will and Man's Will" . Please take the time if you can to read the whole sermon.
"According to their theory—that salvation depends upon our own will— you have first of all this difficulty to meet, that you have made the purpose of God in the great plan of salvation entirely contingent. You have the put an "if" upon everything. Christ may die, but it is not certain according to that theory that he will redeem a great multitude; nay, not certain that he will redeem any, since the efficacy of the redemption according to that plan, rests not in its own intrinsic power, but in the will of man accepting that redemption. Hence if man be, as we aver he always is, if he be a bond-slave as to his will, and will not yield to the invitation of God's grace, then in such a case the atonement of Christ would be valueless, useless, and altogether in vain, for not a soul would be saved by it; and even when souls are saved by it, according to that theory, the efficacy, I say, lies not in the blood itself, but in the will of man which gives it efficacy. Redemption is therefore made contingent; the cross shakes, the blood falls powerless on the ground, and atonement is a matter of perhaps. There is a heaven provided, but there may no souls who will ever come there if their coming is to be of themselves. There is a fountain filled with blood, but there may be none who will ever wash in it unless divine purpose and power shall constrain them to come. You may look at any one promise of grace, but you cannot say over it, "This is the sure mercy of David;" for there is an "if," and a "but;" a "perhaps," and a "peradventure." In fact, the reigns are gone out of God's hands; the linch-pin is taken away from the wheels of the creation; you have left the whole economy of grace and mercy to be the gathering together of fortuitous atoms impelled by man's own will, and what may become of it at the end nobody can know."
Monday, June 15, 2009
Suffering Is The Gateway To Growth
It is not a sin to suffer, but in a lot of cases suffering is the consequence of sin. It's not always fair, but we go through it anyway. Whether we suffer by our own hands or someone else's, we still have to deal with it. It is inevitable.
From my viewpoint, suffering is an opportunity to seek Gods' strength. It is a valley we all must go through, and there's a clear choice put before us each time we enter it. We can make a choice to become embittered, or to humble ourselves and see that we are dependent upon something greater. Suffering is the gateway to growth. It magnifies our vulnerability, so that we can to turn to God and believe in His sovereignty.
Jesus Christ suffered. He took all the sins of the world when he was crucified, so that we could conquer death through Him. He died so that we don't have to. Through faith in His sacrifice and resurrection, life is ours. He is the peak at the end of the valley. Through faith we begin to see our sufferings in a different light, and we cultivate the wisdom of a victor, not a victim.
When you are suffering, think of what Jesus went through, and receive His hope. He did it out of unconditional love for you.
From my viewpoint, suffering is an opportunity to seek Gods' strength. It is a valley we all must go through, and there's a clear choice put before us each time we enter it. We can make a choice to become embittered, or to humble ourselves and see that we are dependent upon something greater. Suffering is the gateway to growth. It magnifies our vulnerability, so that we can to turn to God and believe in His sovereignty.
Jesus Christ suffered. He took all the sins of the world when he was crucified, so that we could conquer death through Him. He died so that we don't have to. Through faith in His sacrifice and resurrection, life is ours. He is the peak at the end of the valley. Through faith we begin to see our sufferings in a different light, and we cultivate the wisdom of a victor, not a victim.
When you are suffering, think of what Jesus went through, and receive His hope. He did it out of unconditional love for you.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Nothing to Fear
We can look at every negative thing in the world with dread and anxiety, and make ourselves out to be victims. We can feel hopeless and lost in a world that doesn't seem to get any better.
It's true that every day is a battlefield, but we have nothing to fear through faith in the one who can strengthen us. Jesus Christ.
We can be saved through faith in Jesus, because He died and paid the price for all the sins of the world. Past, present and future. He then rose again to prove that He is our Lord. If we confess our sins to Him and repent (change our minds about the sinful lives we lead), a beautiful life is ours forever, and we can start growing in a way we've never known.
Through faith we can truly look at our troubled world with a confidence that we've already conquered it. This kind of faith is real, and there is nothing more powerful. I wouldn't be typing this unless I thought so.
I'm not a preacher, but I know that my faith has changed me. It began to free me from thoughts and behavior, things that clouded my life and truly kept me from Gods' blessings. Faith takes effort and a strong will, and the world makes it tough. But, there is nothing better than the feeling that you're doing Gods' Will by fighting the good fight in faith.
This is a blog, though it is still from the heart. I pray that you think about this message and receive Jesus into your life.
~
It's true that every day is a battlefield, but we have nothing to fear through faith in the one who can strengthen us. Jesus Christ.
We can be saved through faith in Jesus, because He died and paid the price for all the sins of the world. Past, present and future. He then rose again to prove that He is our Lord. If we confess our sins to Him and repent (change our minds about the sinful lives we lead), a beautiful life is ours forever, and we can start growing in a way we've never known.
Through faith we can truly look at our troubled world with a confidence that we've already conquered it. This kind of faith is real, and there is nothing more powerful. I wouldn't be typing this unless I thought so.
I'm not a preacher, but I know that my faith has changed me. It began to free me from thoughts and behavior, things that clouded my life and truly kept me from Gods' blessings. Faith takes effort and a strong will, and the world makes it tough. But, there is nothing better than the feeling that you're doing Gods' Will by fighting the good fight in faith.
This is a blog, though it is still from the heart. I pray that you think about this message and receive Jesus into your life.
~
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