Weak and helpless I tried to stand
Unable to lift up my sun-scorched hand
Hopelessness fills me in this lifeless land
Surrounded by ghosts in a desert of sand
This life has become too much to bear
No one to help me, no pain to share
Sadness has passed, no more hurt, nor a care
My eyes have run dry, no not even a tear
I was tired of this life that had become an eternal hell
May the devil take my soul that I wanted to sell
In my anguish and shame, I heard a sound I tried to quell
A voice from heaven, clear and soft from what I could tell
Speaking of a love so great with a caring tone
It would not relent or leave me alone
The message of a savior slain broke my heart of stone
How God would step down from His heavenly throne
I finally let go of my sin and shame
No longer caring about any pointless fame
Everything I had sought before became boring and lame
Replaced by a new life, filled with an eternal flame
Monday, November 30, 2015
Sunday, October 18, 2015
How Ashamed We Should Be!
How ashamed we should be!
When we can set people free!
To see the truth for what it is,
And live life in a joyful bliss.
The Truth we are too slow to speak
Leaving death be what others seek
We do not rejoice in what we love
By showing others the God above
Being quiet in their time of need
Instead of planting a Godly seed
We rejoice in their Earthly treasures
As they seek all kinds of useless pleasures
Trying to fill their empty Godless holes
With things that brings death to their souls
We would rather not speak about our eternal hope
Letting those around us fall without a way to cope
Shameless, powerless, and weak
Too cowardly to stand up and speak
“Be ashamed, you slow servant of God, that they are found more ready for the works of death than you are for works of life, and that they rejoice more in vanity than you in truth.” –Thomas Kempis
Monday, June 29, 2015
God is all about Love?
I believe many in today's society have confused two very vital and important
points. The first is the question of love and the second is the
understanding of right and wrong.
God is love...that's what I keep hearing over and over again. God loves us no matter what we do and who we are. Yes, this is true. God loves us. Like a father loves his own son or daughter. It was so great of a love, in fact, that God sent his own son to die for our sins. And we were enemies of God (Romans 5:10), we did not even love him in return. It is the ultimate story of love overcoming hate. So as imitators of God and disciples of Jesus, having been forgiven of our sins, we should love our neighbors more than ourselves, which includes everyone around us, even our enemies.
This is where most people stop. The image of God looking down on us with a smile on His face telling us to do whatever we so wish to do. Enjoy life, do whatever, but in the end, you're saved by grace! So live on, live without rules, worries or concerns! Jesus covered it all and he accepts all no matter who they are or what they do. There are no laws to follow because Jesus wiped them all out when He died on the cross.
As my pastor recently said, that would make for one horrible father. Would you love everything that your son or daughter does and not speak up about if it is wrong? Lying, cheating, stealing, cussing, or even something as horrible as rape? Would you not speak against this? Or would you just love them and say that your love for them would never end and they can do whatever they please. Does that sound ridiculous? I hope so, but that's exactly how many are stating that God is like.
The author of Hebrews makes things very clear about how God views us, as Christians. He mentions in chapter 12, "In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood." So first of all, there is a struggle against sin. Even for Christians? I would argue that it is even tougher for Christians because now Satan wants to destroy your character and witness to others. In Ephesians we are told to put on the armor of God. Why is that? Because struggling against sin is what we are called to do. It is part of our fight for sanctification, our struggle to glorify God on Earth.
Hebrews 12 goes on by quoting Proverbs by saying, "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son." And he also mentions, "If you are not disciplined--and everyone undergoes discipline--then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all." So God does care to make sure we do the right thing? I guess he does because why else would he discipline us? So the Christian life is a struggle and includes discipline from God constantly. Do we still have the freedom to do what we want? We do...but Paul warns us about this in Galatians. Chapter 5:15-18 speaks on this. "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."
We are not under the law, but we are led by the Spirit. We are told not to do whatever we want, but to do what is right, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This is key. So there is a right or wrong that Christians should follow because we are either subject to the law of Man or the law of God. We are either slaves to one or slaves to the other. Do not let sin be your master(Romans 6).
We cannot let society define right and wrong. It will fail us every time (Romans 1). Our stance as Christians is based on God's word, The Bible, because we have been called to fight a battle against sin and against Satan, not against people. And the toughest battle is not against others, it is against ourselves (Romans 7). We are to seek God in everything we do and read His word daily. Trust that He will guide you and direct you to the right answers. We are to love, but with compassion and truth. Jesus spent most of his time with sinners, but he never once justified their actions. Let us live like this as well. Knowing that we cannot be okay with sin, but nor can we expect others to understand how we live if they do not know God yet. We have to remember that the mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God, it does not want to nor is it able to submit to God’s law (Romans 8:7).
So let us not speak of God's love without also holding firm to what is right and wrong. If there is no need of repentance from sin, there is no need of a Savior.
God is love...that's what I keep hearing over and over again. God loves us no matter what we do and who we are. Yes, this is true. God loves us. Like a father loves his own son or daughter. It was so great of a love, in fact, that God sent his own son to die for our sins. And we were enemies of God (Romans 5:10), we did not even love him in return. It is the ultimate story of love overcoming hate. So as imitators of God and disciples of Jesus, having been forgiven of our sins, we should love our neighbors more than ourselves, which includes everyone around us, even our enemies.
This is where most people stop. The image of God looking down on us with a smile on His face telling us to do whatever we so wish to do. Enjoy life, do whatever, but in the end, you're saved by grace! So live on, live without rules, worries or concerns! Jesus covered it all and he accepts all no matter who they are or what they do. There are no laws to follow because Jesus wiped them all out when He died on the cross.
As my pastor recently said, that would make for one horrible father. Would you love everything that your son or daughter does and not speak up about if it is wrong? Lying, cheating, stealing, cussing, or even something as horrible as rape? Would you not speak against this? Or would you just love them and say that your love for them would never end and they can do whatever they please. Does that sound ridiculous? I hope so, but that's exactly how many are stating that God is like.
The author of Hebrews makes things very clear about how God views us, as Christians. He mentions in chapter 12, "In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood." So first of all, there is a struggle against sin. Even for Christians? I would argue that it is even tougher for Christians because now Satan wants to destroy your character and witness to others. In Ephesians we are told to put on the armor of God. Why is that? Because struggling against sin is what we are called to do. It is part of our fight for sanctification, our struggle to glorify God on Earth.
Hebrews 12 goes on by quoting Proverbs by saying, "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son." And he also mentions, "If you are not disciplined--and everyone undergoes discipline--then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all." So God does care to make sure we do the right thing? I guess he does because why else would he discipline us? So the Christian life is a struggle and includes discipline from God constantly. Do we still have the freedom to do what we want? We do...but Paul warns us about this in Galatians. Chapter 5:15-18 speaks on this. "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law."
We are not under the law, but we are led by the Spirit. We are told not to do whatever we want, but to do what is right, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This is key. So there is a right or wrong that Christians should follow because we are either subject to the law of Man or the law of God. We are either slaves to one or slaves to the other. Do not let sin be your master(Romans 6).
We cannot let society define right and wrong. It will fail us every time (Romans 1). Our stance as Christians is based on God's word, The Bible, because we have been called to fight a battle against sin and against Satan, not against people. And the toughest battle is not against others, it is against ourselves (Romans 7). We are to seek God in everything we do and read His word daily. Trust that He will guide you and direct you to the right answers. We are to love, but with compassion and truth. Jesus spent most of his time with sinners, but he never once justified their actions. Let us live like this as well. Knowing that we cannot be okay with sin, but nor can we expect others to understand how we live if they do not know God yet. We have to remember that the mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God, it does not want to nor is it able to submit to God’s law (Romans 8:7).
So let us not speak of God's love without also holding firm to what is right and wrong. If there is no need of repentance from sin, there is no need of a Savior.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
The Joy Found in Sadness (Ecclesiastes 7)
It is worse to find yourself in the place of feasting
Feeding the heart with noise, laughter, and everything pleasing
The beauty does not grow and fades within, leaving only dust
Reflections on the hurt caused to others are lost in playful lust
Time does not stop to let sadness in and the desperate cry of healing
Creating a constant busyness where sorrow has no meaning
It is the wisdom of fools that is heeded and friends are neglected, left out of sight
Fading becomes life as in the coming of dusk, engulfing the power of the light
It is better to find yourself in the place of sorrow
Feeding the heart with humbleness and reflection for tomorrow
The broken heart speaks of the need for forgiveness and dependence
In the quietness of solitude the words echo in the halls of repentance
The chisel can be heard, removing the rough edges of the living heart
The ugliness left by a past full of pride and anger are torn apart
It is what the soul needs, rising through the ashes of death and despair
And joy fills life as in the coming of dawn, where darkness does not ensnare
Feeding the heart with noise, laughter, and everything pleasing
The beauty does not grow and fades within, leaving only dust
Reflections on the hurt caused to others are lost in playful lust
Time does not stop to let sadness in and the desperate cry of healing
Creating a constant busyness where sorrow has no meaning
It is the wisdom of fools that is heeded and friends are neglected, left out of sight
Fading becomes life as in the coming of dusk, engulfing the power of the light
It is better to find yourself in the place of sorrow
Feeding the heart with humbleness and reflection for tomorrow
The broken heart speaks of the need for forgiveness and dependence
In the quietness of solitude the words echo in the halls of repentance
The chisel can be heard, removing the rough edges of the living heart
The ugliness left by a past full of pride and anger are torn apart
It is what the soul needs, rising through the ashes of death and despair
And joy fills life as in the coming of dawn, where darkness does not ensnare
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Psalm 25:16-18 -Why ask for forgiveness of sins in suffering?
Psalm 25:16-18 (ESV)
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
These verses have become very close to my heart. It is asking God to meet us in our suffering and pain because of the rift in our soul. Begging and pleading with God to understand the heartache and distresses that we have all had at some point in our lives. Though, I never quite understood what the last part had to do with it...'and forgive all my sins'. What does forgiveness of sins have to do with a hurting heart? What means of affliction and trouble that comes to us all have anything to do with asking God to forgive our sins as well? I am the one that is hurting, not anyone else. I need the comfort and peace, not anyone else. What did I do to someone that caused me to have this pain?
Most of the time in our suffering, it is our choices and sins that ultimately led us to this hurt or the hurt we end up causing others. After struggling through recent heartache, i was able to reflect on the decisions that led up to this. I had made choices that were contrary to what God wanted for me. Those choices led me down a path that caused me much pain. It was because i had listened to my own thoughts and not God's. In this process i rebelled against God and sinned. I needed to ask for the mercy and grace from God to heal the wounds I caused to myself and others. It made me understand that in heartache, in afflictions, suffering, and pain, we not only have to come to God and find peace within his arms, but to also ask Him to forgive us for the sin we have caused and to mend those wounds and to restore what was broken. Yes, our sins have already been forgiven on the cross, but we should always come to God in repentance and humbleness, a heart that is opened and not closed. God wants us to come to Him, for his yoke is easy and his burden is light(Matt. 11:30).
In the moment of pain and hurt, it is easy to focus on ourselves. It is hard to see our own sin through this. Only when we get clarity, when we see the sin we have caused and ask for forgiveness, can God start restoring us. The pain will not disappear right away, but we will have allowed sanctification to take place. We realize that God is doing work in our lives through the pain and this is what will help us become more like Him.
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
These verses have become very close to my heart. It is asking God to meet us in our suffering and pain because of the rift in our soul. Begging and pleading with God to understand the heartache and distresses that we have all had at some point in our lives. Though, I never quite understood what the last part had to do with it...'and forgive all my sins'. What does forgiveness of sins have to do with a hurting heart? What means of affliction and trouble that comes to us all have anything to do with asking God to forgive our sins as well? I am the one that is hurting, not anyone else. I need the comfort and peace, not anyone else. What did I do to someone that caused me to have this pain?
Most of the time in our suffering, it is our choices and sins that ultimately led us to this hurt or the hurt we end up causing others. After struggling through recent heartache, i was able to reflect on the decisions that led up to this. I had made choices that were contrary to what God wanted for me. Those choices led me down a path that caused me much pain. It was because i had listened to my own thoughts and not God's. In this process i rebelled against God and sinned. I needed to ask for the mercy and grace from God to heal the wounds I caused to myself and others. It made me understand that in heartache, in afflictions, suffering, and pain, we not only have to come to God and find peace within his arms, but to also ask Him to forgive us for the sin we have caused and to mend those wounds and to restore what was broken. Yes, our sins have already been forgiven on the cross, but we should always come to God in repentance and humbleness, a heart that is opened and not closed. God wants us to come to Him, for his yoke is easy and his burden is light(Matt. 11:30).
In the moment of pain and hurt, it is easy to focus on ourselves. It is hard to see our own sin through this. Only when we get clarity, when we see the sin we have caused and ask for forgiveness, can God start restoring us. The pain will not disappear right away, but we will have allowed sanctification to take place. We realize that God is doing work in our lives through the pain and this is what will help us become more like Him.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
The Anxious Heart
My shadow ripples through the current of the water, casting an image that reflects my soul, unstable, wavering and anxious. My steps are slow and thoughtless in the setting sun and feel heavier with each movement that follows. The wind does not speak and its voice remains quiet as I long for its sound. I am caught in my own thoughts and imagination, wrapped in a blanket of emotions.
My heart has no rest, as it is afflicted by the burdens of the mind. But yet, i have not been crushed underneath it. My thoughts are full of worry and sorrow of things i cannot change. But yet, i have not felt complete despair. I feel alone in my pain that no medicine can heal, that cuts to the core of my being. But yet, I do not feel any mortal wound.
I do not understand why I am alive or how to end the ache in my heart. I yearn for a voice from God, but the silence is deafening as the wind around me. I cannot know how I am able to go on as the burden is too heavy to carry alone. I hold on to the promises of God as I cry out for help, but my tears ran dry a long time ago. I pray for the pain to go, but all i have received are sleepless nights. I carry this affliction with me, not knowing or understanding its purpose. It will not end, it will not leave, and it will not let go. An answer to this burden is what I want because it is comfort that I seek and I cannot have. Only my faith has remained and it is my faith that will grow, this I believe and this is what will bring me through.
My heart has no rest, as it is afflicted by the burdens of the mind. But yet, i have not been crushed underneath it. My thoughts are full of worry and sorrow of things i cannot change. But yet, i have not felt complete despair. I feel alone in my pain that no medicine can heal, that cuts to the core of my being. But yet, I do not feel any mortal wound.
I do not understand why I am alive or how to end the ache in my heart. I yearn for a voice from God, but the silence is deafening as the wind around me. I cannot know how I am able to go on as the burden is too heavy to carry alone. I hold on to the promises of God as I cry out for help, but my tears ran dry a long time ago. I pray for the pain to go, but all i have received are sleepless nights. I carry this affliction with me, not knowing or understanding its purpose. It will not end, it will not leave, and it will not let go. An answer to this burden is what I want because it is comfort that I seek and I cannot have. Only my faith has remained and it is my faith that will grow, this I believe and this is what will bring me through.
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