The light of God shines better through a cracked pot.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

     We appear in this life as a mist. Here one moment, then gone the next.
  Have you ever really stopped and thought about that? This life is just a brief stop on the way home. We're hear hardly no time at all, then suddenly, we're gone.
  Death. It's a morbid subject to many. But ultimately, it's just reality. There has never been a human being on this earth as long as it's been around that has lived forever(despite what Twilight says). In the end, we all die.
  We live each day as if tomorrow we can fix our problems. Procrastination is a day to day occurrence in millions of people's lives. "I'll start my diet tomorrow". "I'll get right with God tomorrow". "I'll go sit by the person who always sits alone some day this week". "I'll do................. on MY time".  I'm sure many of you reading this have done/said things like that yourselves. But, what if we didn't have tomorrow? What if we died without having got right with God? Or the person you were going to befriend killed themself when they got home because they were so lonely?
  This is reality. We live like the end is in a land far far away, when it can actually be at your door step. The problems we're procrastinating to face in our lives/spiritual lives can go unfixed, then there's no time for "backsies". Then what?
  Nobody knows the exact time when we'll depart from this life. But we all know it will happen. Do you live like you're ready? Of course, I don't think anyone can actually be ready for something like that. But would you be ready to leave without any regrets or missed opportunities? Would you be ready to face your creator? Your new eternal life?
  I say, starting now, we should live like tomorrow is a maybe rather than an expectation. No holding back, no regrets. Are you with me? No convictions of not witnessing to lost/broken souls because you say you'll do it on your time, instead of God's time. Not waiting until your wounds have healed to forgive someone, because they might not be there to forgive. Saying "I love you" at every departure because maybe they won't be back.
  Approximately 108 people die per minute. 156 thousand daily. Time here is short. Are you ready?

   On that happy note(haha), thanks for reading!

 

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Jesus, God, and all that good stuff!

This is my first post, so bare with me.
  As I am reading Crazy Love, I find myself completely awestruck as to what Francis Chan has to say in just the preface. What he's saying is so true, but I've never really thought about it. These posts are made for you to go with me through this journey of reading Crazy Love. *This isn't just for people who have read crazy love, this can be for anyone and everyone*
     The American Churches are missing out.
        You've most likely heard this saying a million times, "Going to church doesn't make you more of a Christian than sitting in a garage makes you a car." But have you thought about it? I can sit in Church for hours on end, and that's never going to make me have a relationship my savior. I can nod my head and yell, "AMEN!" a hundred times, but that doesn't make what I'm agreeing with my life style. God desires SO much more than an Amen or Hallelujah, he wants that relationship with you throughout the rest of the week. He wants that time & love that your investing in money, relationships, school, jobs, etc etc, to be invested in growth in you and His relationship. Rather than punching in at Church once a week, then going through the rest of the week trying to live as a "good" Christian.
  Another thing that I think the Churches are missing out on, is what Jesus says is the second greatest command: Love. I can see many churches who care more about making their church bigger and better, rather than caring for the people who are already in it. That's right, they lack love. Love for the lost, the broken, the homeless, the orphans, the widows...etc etc, all the people who are going to church to find the love of God through Christians, instead of a pretty sand glass window behind the preacher and a large church attendance.
  That's just some of the things I see in the American churches today and how they're missing out.
   "God is Holy". Ponder upon that, think about it. Holy? You hear that word all the time, mostly as "Holy crap" or other blasphemous ways. But what does it mean to you? To me, I think of it as "whole"y, God is whole. He is whole and complete in every aspect. We're broken in ways we don't even think about. As we get closer to God, his "whole"y-ness takes over the broken places in our lives, and makes us holy just as He is.
  In the book, Chan says that holy means set apart. Distant from us. I strongly disagree with that. God WAS set apart from us, then Jesus died for us to mend that separation. That's just my opinion.
  "God is all-knowing" That one is an amazing and yet scary statement. It's comforting in the sense of when we're in trouble or in tuff times, God sees us. He knows our circumstances. He knows when He should intervene to help you with your troubles. Then he also knows what happens after everything goes back to how they should be.
  God is all knowing. While you're reading something you shouldn't, or listening to something you shouldn't, He sees you doing it. He knows your heart and the double life your living between Christianity and Worldliness. He knows the motives behind your actions, the lies behind the truth, and the cries you're trying to hide behind the smiles. God is ALL knowing.
  Just as I'm writing this, I'm thinking about how outstanding of a God I have. He knows everything about everyone in the whole world (approximately 6,775,223,700), and yet, he still takes time to nudge at my spirit whenever I listen to "no-no" music. And at the same time, He's speaking to someone contemplating suicide, or healing someone of a life threatening disease. Yep, an absolutely astounding and loving God indeed!
  Hebrews 4:13, "Nothing in all of creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account."
  One of the questions in Crazy Love is, "Why are we here?" The answer? Quick and simple: Through Him and for Him.
  But if that wasn't enough of an explanation, here's a more in depth answer. God is the creator of everything around you. The computer I'm writing on right now, God made the inventor of computers and gave them a mind amazing/smart enough to figure out such a complex(to me anyways) invention. The plants around me, God made that. Not only the ones around me, but the very first one also. We were made to glorify this amazing God, and to spread the good news about His love. Oh, yeah, I left that part out. Not only did God make every plant around me and create every genius mind around, He also loves us ALL! We can't even fathom how much He loves us! Wow. Just, wow!
  We're made to glorify Him in everything we do. Whether it's stopping and taking a second to recognize his greatness, give a Christianly hug to someone who's hurting, or giving Him your all out praise.
  Did that answer the question? :)
  1 Corinthians 2:9, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what has been prepared for those who love Him."
  Well, I hope you have benefited from this blog. I know I have from just writing it. Have you ever just stopped and wrote down and thought about all the marvelous things God is doing on a daily basis? I gotta say, it put an ear to ear smile to think I worship this amazing(amazing doesn't even explain 1/4 of how great he is) God.
  Have a blessed day! :)