Lately...
I've been trying to be more attentive to God's voice in my life.
Sure, He isn't always speaking per say, but He is always trying to let me know something. A little bit of what He's feeling, whether it's through the things I see, or the people that come talk to me.
That's the first part: listening.
The second part, the harder part in my opinion: doing.
It doesn't matter if I hear Him, but not listen to what He says. He tugs at my heart for various things, either for me to do something or say something. So far, every time I have stood up and stepped out in faith, it's worked out every time. In spite of all my fears, and anxiety before I would go do whatever was asked of me, everything worked out. Pret-ty amazing.
There have been moments when I felt like I wanted to be jumping off a cliff without a bungee cord rather than doing what was asked of me. However, in the end, I felt like I conquered the world, and me and God were able to sit back and laugh at those moments.
I've felt Him laugh, that joy that permeates through your entire body. It's a crazy feeling, and I couldn't help myself be caught up in it.
Our God is a crazy God. Funny. Witty. Incomprehensible.
Simply, He just is.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Spontaneous Miracles
What are some spontaneous miracles in your lives?
Mine would have to be friends.
I meet some random people, through some people that know some people, and many times than not, I befriend them. Sure, I meet some weird people, lost people, different people, but a lot of times, I have the blessing of meeting genuinely good people - fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
These people that enter my life are my spontaneous miracles that God sent to me.
I observe the growth of so many family members, and it never fails to brighten up my day. Their growth and believe it or not, their struggles, are always a constant reminder that God is always moving. ALWAYS. In both my life, and other's. I find a lot of peace and comfort in knowing that God is calling out to all of His children, and that something is getting through to them.
I am however, hopeful, yet also afraid for my generation and the coming generation. I see a lot of personal battles being overcome, and I see growth, but I'm afraid I fail to see a sturdy foundation a lot of the times. Maybe, I can't completely see God in their lives, and He may very well be their foundation without me knowing/seeing it.
Still, God is working and I know that as long as there are children devoted to serving Him, His will will be done. I may not be wholly confident in me, or my generation, or the generation to come, but I am more than wholly confident in my Father. I believe if God is moving in people's lives, some amazing things will be done through them.
Mine would have to be friends.
I meet some random people, through some people that know some people, and many times than not, I befriend them. Sure, I meet some weird people, lost people, different people, but a lot of times, I have the blessing of meeting genuinely good people - fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
These people that enter my life are my spontaneous miracles that God sent to me.
I observe the growth of so many family members, and it never fails to brighten up my day. Their growth and believe it or not, their struggles, are always a constant reminder that God is always moving. ALWAYS. In both my life, and other's. I find a lot of peace and comfort in knowing that God is calling out to all of His children, and that something is getting through to them.
I am however, hopeful, yet also afraid for my generation and the coming generation. I see a lot of personal battles being overcome, and I see growth, but I'm afraid I fail to see a sturdy foundation a lot of the times. Maybe, I can't completely see God in their lives, and He may very well be their foundation without me knowing/seeing it.
Still, God is working and I know that as long as there are children devoted to serving Him, His will will be done. I may not be wholly confident in me, or my generation, or the generation to come, but I am more than wholly confident in my Father. I believe if God is moving in people's lives, some amazing things will be done through them.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Cynicism
Currently, I have a pretty cynical view on this world, and Christianity. How unfortunate. Well, some might say I'm more of a realist than a cynic. But anywho, I am disappointed in what Christianity is now, or rather what we made Christianity to be. I'm not saying it's all bad, because there are some good things left, some good people. However, I'm not going to deny that I feel like we've come a long way from what it's supposed to be.
I feel like we have a very subjective take on Christianity. I'm not saying seeking a personal relationship with God is bad, quite the opposite, that's what we should be doing. I'm saying that we pick and choose, and interpret things the way it isn't supposed to be too much. We put ourselves in God's shoes a lot. When we pray, it seems like we're almost leading the witness in some of our prayers. We, the subjects of faith are imperfect people, but still, I think there's a certain range of imperfectness where we should not decided to cross over, and I feel like there are many who have. Also, just because us subjects of faith are imperfect, does not mean we have any right to tarnish the pure and awesomely holy object of faith: God. Objectively, His Word (singular) is the ultimate object of faith. All else, church doctrines, dogmas, what God revealed to us in the Bible, all fall under "proximate objects of faith."
proximate: (adj.) close to; near; fairly accurate
We've twisted Christianity so far that people think it is no longer reasonable to be a believer. Objectively, faith and reason do not contradict each other. Subjectively, most definitely. And it is because we take God and put Him in our own little box of subjectivity, that we inhibit Christianity's ability to be defended.
Technically, I'm religious, but personally, I'm in a relationship. Religion is man trying to reach for God, but Christianity is God trying to reach out to man. He was able to transform the world's most hideous, immoral, appalling symbol into the most beautiful symbol of love that can ever be found: the Cross. God, though unseen in my life, His works are everywhere. My life is His works. That is enough corroborative evidence I need to have my faith in Him.
Regardless of what I think about this world and what Christianity has diluted into, I will still hold on to the one unchanging thing in my life, God. He is perfect, and He is all that I need and all that this world needs. I don't believe that we were meant to leave this world right now, because we're going to leave this world whether we like it or not in the future, but I think it's our calling to stay in this world for now and introduce God to those who don't know. Here's the cynic, I don't think that everyone is going to be saved though. Realist, everyone is made to be saved, and everyone is loved, but not everyone loves or will choose to accept God.
"Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying."
- Martin Luther
I feel like we have a very subjective take on Christianity. I'm not saying seeking a personal relationship with God is bad, quite the opposite, that's what we should be doing. I'm saying that we pick and choose, and interpret things the way it isn't supposed to be too much. We put ourselves in God's shoes a lot. When we pray, it seems like we're almost leading the witness in some of our prayers. We, the subjects of faith are imperfect people, but still, I think there's a certain range of imperfectness where we should not decided to cross over, and I feel like there are many who have. Also, just because us subjects of faith are imperfect, does not mean we have any right to tarnish the pure and awesomely holy object of faith: God. Objectively, His Word (singular) is the ultimate object of faith. All else, church doctrines, dogmas, what God revealed to us in the Bible, all fall under "proximate objects of faith."
proximate: (adj.) close to; near; fairly accurate
We've twisted Christianity so far that people think it is no longer reasonable to be a believer. Objectively, faith and reason do not contradict each other. Subjectively, most definitely. And it is because we take God and put Him in our own little box of subjectivity, that we inhibit Christianity's ability to be defended.
Technically, I'm religious, but personally, I'm in a relationship. Religion is man trying to reach for God, but Christianity is God trying to reach out to man. He was able to transform the world's most hideous, immoral, appalling symbol into the most beautiful symbol of love that can ever be found: the Cross. God, though unseen in my life, His works are everywhere. My life is His works. That is enough corroborative evidence I need to have my faith in Him.
Regardless of what I think about this world and what Christianity has diluted into, I will still hold on to the one unchanging thing in my life, God. He is perfect, and He is all that I need and all that this world needs. I don't believe that we were meant to leave this world right now, because we're going to leave this world whether we like it or not in the future, but I think it's our calling to stay in this world for now and introduce God to those who don't know. Here's the cynic, I don't think that everyone is going to be saved though. Realist, everyone is made to be saved, and everyone is loved, but not everyone loves or will choose to accept God.
"Every man must do two things alone; he must do his own believing and his own dying."
- Martin Luther
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
To Help You (Me) Stand
This is something I jotted down a while back (July 28, 2007)
Is there a God?
I know there's a God. No if's, and's, or buts about it. How can I be so sure? Nothing else would have me writing this at 4:30 in the morning. I KNOW.
Sure, some may say I'm being unreasonable. It's illogical to put my faith in something I can't see, touch, or even prove to exist. Everyone that has been, is, or is to be a Christian will ask this question and have doubts. "Why in the world should I be living for this holy, all-knowing, all-powerful being that nobody can prove to exist?"
My answer's quite simple. God's love for me is unreasonable. Why would Jesus die for a bunch of people who didn't even like him? It is His unreasonable, illogical, and incomprehensible love for me that gets me to set aside my reasoning, the world's reasoning and grasp "the truth, the way, and the life" that was meant for me. I am willing to walk the path of life blindly, while being led by God Himself. All the while, people may think I have blind faith, but it is actually the world that has been shrouded in darkness.
But Christianity is so dull, boring, structured, demanding, everything else a teenager might complain about...
NO it's not. If you truly get to know God, He will show you how wrong you can be. One thing you can be right about is that it isn't easy.
God isn't dull - far from it. He is a God of joy. The angels sing and worship Him for all eternity. He created us with so much imagination and an ability to entertain, have fun, be happy. A dull God doesn't create happy stuff. Would an emotionally depressed painter paint with bright happy colors?
I mean, I understand church can get boring. Unfortunately, there are churches out there that don't seem to focus on youth at all. I understand. So, I encourage those who do go to a wonderful, spiritually overflowing, fellowship building church to go invite your brothers and sisters who are yearning for God to have a taste of God's true joy and love. From there, those once deprived brothers and sisters can go share what they've experienced and influence those around them. God isn't just found at a set location. It's up to us as God's children to encourage the Holy Spirit within all of us and to share God's love everywhere. Think of it this way, God is everywhere like sun light on a bright sunny day. However, if you're church has its shades drawn, no sunlight can get in and it'll be dark inside. It's up to us to open the shades and let God in.
Now seriously, is Christianity so demanding? He just wants us to love Him, worship Him, and spread what we've experienced with Him to others who haven't yet. Out of the 7 days in a week, is it that bad to spend 2 hours with God? Christ died for us. Is it that hard to live for Him?
Sure, to some people it may seem like that people who go to church are either goody-two-shoes, or just plain fakes. Christianity is not a boring, dull, demanding, unattractive gathering. It's more than that. It's a relationship with the One who has, and always ill love you. It's also about time we as Christians dont' put on a mask and "play" church. Try truly standing up for what you believe in. Stand against waht this world has said is "cool" or "in." Christ will give you strength, people who truly care, and His love that satisfies all.
**Interesting - to look back into my mind a year ago, and see how much it's changed.
Is there a God?
I know there's a God. No if's, and's, or buts about it. How can I be so sure? Nothing else would have me writing this at 4:30 in the morning. I KNOW.
Sure, some may say I'm being unreasonable. It's illogical to put my faith in something I can't see, touch, or even prove to exist. Everyone that has been, is, or is to be a Christian will ask this question and have doubts. "Why in the world should I be living for this holy, all-knowing, all-powerful being that nobody can prove to exist?"
My answer's quite simple. God's love for me is unreasonable. Why would Jesus die for a bunch of people who didn't even like him? It is His unreasonable, illogical, and incomprehensible love for me that gets me to set aside my reasoning, the world's reasoning and grasp "the truth, the way, and the life" that was meant for me. I am willing to walk the path of life blindly, while being led by God Himself. All the while, people may think I have blind faith, but it is actually the world that has been shrouded in darkness.
But Christianity is so dull, boring, structured, demanding, everything else a teenager might complain about...
NO it's not. If you truly get to know God, He will show you how wrong you can be. One thing you can be right about is that it isn't easy.
God isn't dull - far from it. He is a God of joy. The angels sing and worship Him for all eternity. He created us with so much imagination and an ability to entertain, have fun, be happy. A dull God doesn't create happy stuff. Would an emotionally depressed painter paint with bright happy colors?
I mean, I understand church can get boring. Unfortunately, there are churches out there that don't seem to focus on youth at all. I understand. So, I encourage those who do go to a wonderful, spiritually overflowing, fellowship building church to go invite your brothers and sisters who are yearning for God to have a taste of God's true joy and love. From there, those once deprived brothers and sisters can go share what they've experienced and influence those around them. God isn't just found at a set location. It's up to us as God's children to encourage the Holy Spirit within all of us and to share God's love everywhere. Think of it this way, God is everywhere like sun light on a bright sunny day. However, if you're church has its shades drawn, no sunlight can get in and it'll be dark inside. It's up to us to open the shades and let God in.
Now seriously, is Christianity so demanding? He just wants us to love Him, worship Him, and spread what we've experienced with Him to others who haven't yet. Out of the 7 days in a week, is it that bad to spend 2 hours with God? Christ died for us. Is it that hard to live for Him?
Sure, to some people it may seem like that people who go to church are either goody-two-shoes, or just plain fakes. Christianity is not a boring, dull, demanding, unattractive gathering. It's more than that. It's a relationship with the One who has, and always ill love you. It's also about time we as Christians dont' put on a mask and "play" church. Try truly standing up for what you believe in. Stand against waht this world has said is "cool" or "in." Christ will give you strength, people who truly care, and His love that satisfies all.
**Interesting - to look back into my mind a year ago, and see how much it's changed.
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