Ramblings of a Smoldering Believer: Jesus Wins!

I had a moment recently where I had to remind myself that Satan does not win. God triumphs. We have the end to read and when you read it, Jesus wins. It has been as though I've been fighting a battle for the last few weeks, one that I don't feel I have been winning. However, as a child of God; as a born again believer; as a person who is looking forward to an eternity in Heaven, I shouldn't have the concerns I do. Most believers shouldn't.

I'm not saying I'm perfect and that having this revelation means that I'll automatically be able to control the concerns I have and be able to just throw everything to God and press on. I'd love it if it was that easy, but it is something I'll have to work on and that believers everywhere have to work on. We have an amazing Father in Heaven who loves us so very dearly. So much so that He didn't want us to perish in the pits of Hell. He wants us to be able to come home to Heaven one day, so He defeated Satan through His Son. What greater way to show the love He has for us? Do we truly grasp that love? I don't believe we do . I know I don't. Writing this makes me have an awe of that love. I'm known as a loving person and I still don't grasp that love.

Knowing this, I really want to be able to walk in that love. To know the depth of that love and be able to express that love to other people. What a great feat that would be! To show the love of God to other people. People who don't know that love! It blows my mind.

It also blows my mind that people who go to church and are "Christians" can be so unexcited, so 'blah' about this! So unexcited about Christ in general! The believers are sleeping! Now this doesn't apply to EVERY believer. It isn't a catch all. I know there are people who are madly in love with Christ and who are on fire and see and have the passion for Christ, but where are they all hiding? Where are they scattered? They exist and they fight to be able to hold on to that fire in the company of so many lukewarm believers.

The ramblings of a smoldering believer.

Pressed Faith

I started out writing this, "How do you bounce back when your faith has been pushed past its limits?" I didn't even get to finish this sentence when I remembered the verse people quote about God not giving us more than we can handle, which I had to look up because I can't always quote chapter and verse in scripture. I couldn't find it, and it doesn't seem to be in the Bible. The closest thing I have found is I Corinthians 10:13. But this verse only speaks about temptations, and in that, living righteously. How many things are said in church circles or in religious circles that can't really be backed up by scripture?

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we'll find something in life that GOD can't get us through. Hebrews 13:5 states that ... "He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."" God is always there. I could pull many more scriptures where God makes it plain He wants us to lean on Him in times of despair and doubt and when we just don't think we can go on. He wants to give us His strength, His wisdom, and His love when things go so wrong that we question His very existence and question the point of what we are doing. I'm fighting these very questions lately and have even found it difficult to want to open my Bible or listen to praise music. I fight the urge to give in and give up. No my life isn't exceptionally hard compared to just about every other person walking this planet, but it doesn't mean it's exceptionally easy either.

Leaning on God in the hard times is one of the biggest tests that we have. He wants me. All of me. In the good and the bad. In many ways, our relationship with God is like a marriage, but one that is held together by a covenant made by one party, instead of two. God made the covenant. We just have to walk in it. He cries after us when we turn away from Him, but He never leaves. I'm learning this time and again. When we feel that we are utterly alone and God is nowhere in sight, we have to remember that God won't leave us. He never leaves. We do.

Food for Thought

Sometimes we have such a strong desire not to do something or not to go somewhere and once we give in and go or do that very thing, we can find it was exactly what we needed all along. I came so close to not going to Ichthus, a Christian music festival, last week. I had myself convinced that it would be too stressful, that too many things had happened and I wouldn't enjoy myself but would dwell on all that had happened to hurt me. Less than an hour before I needed to leave I was packing my bag and walking to my car, not really sure if I would actually go or just stay with a friend for a few days. As soon as I pulled onto the grounds I felt such a peace and could truly feel God's presence.

There were Jesus freaks everywhere and throughout the four days I would catch people's conversations around me and they were all talking about God! It was a refreshing experience, to see and hear all of these people who love God. Seeing so many people come together as believers and put aside our differences of denomination or what church we go to or who our pastor is; it was awe inspiring.

We have a tendency to get so caught up in the religious aspect of being a believer and caring so much about where we go or who is preaching the gospel. As long as we are receiving the true gospel and seeking God with our whole hearts, what does it matter who we hear it from? Yes some people find it harder to see God in a Baptist church or a Methodist church or a Pentecostal church, but I believe we should be able to see God everywhere. Even if its when you're driving around in your car without any music on.

In different parts of the Bible, it refers to the church and each member as a part of the church. If we could come together as believers in Christ as THE church, nothing could stop us. I had a thought the other day about denominations. That very word, denominations. It's pretty close to the word denominator. Which, in a math sense, is what divides another number. Denominations are what divide us as believers.

Food for thought.

Bedazzling the Temple

A recent debate has got me researching. In our culture, it is a common practice to get piercings or tattoos. It is more and more socially acceptable, and if you go to a public pool, more often than not most people who seem to be over the age of 16 have some ink or a piercing that isn't just their ears whether it be lips, nose, or belly button. For believers this presents an issue: is it biblically acceptable to get a piercing or tattoo?

Leviticus 19:28 says "You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord". Pretty straightforward. However, this is in the laws that were given to the Jews, which also including sacrificing animals, something no longer practiced today. In Matthew 5:17, Christ speaks about fulfilling the Law. We no longer have to follow all of these standards to reach righteousness. We have righteousness through the blood of Christ. I haven't found a verse in the New Testament that speaks purely against either piercings or tattoos. Some people choose to interpret the verses about our bodies being the temple of God means we shouldn't get them. This is an interpretation which is one of the beautiful things about the Bible. It is open to interpretation. I can look at a verse today and see one thing and go back a year from now and see something entirely different. Revelation 19:16 states that "He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KING AND LORD OF LORDS." Sounds to me like when Christ comes back, He'll have a tattoo Himself.

As I can see, there is no harm in getting a tattoo or a piercing. Other than the obvious possible future dislike and desire to lose a tattoo. This is my interpretation and I'm open to discussion.

Mortgage Advice

It's been awhile. How to start? I suppose at the start of this change. God has a canny way of bringing the best people and placing them in my path. He rescued me from myself and set me on a whole new path. Once I was established on that path, I closed my eyes and walked; easily without thought or hesitation. God finally placed someone in my path that opened my eyes to a whole new light; shook my whole world upside down. It's not an easy thing to face. Change is always met with resistance. And, as the old saying goes, You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink; so it is with people. You can lead a person to truth, but it doesn't make that pill any easier to swallow. It lodges in the throat and has to be coaxed down. Here I stand.

You wouldn't take mortgage advice from a homeless person. So God puts people in our path who have wisdom and experiences to share with us and help guide us. However, every person is different. Sharing the knowledge and wisdom and then being supportive are our roles as the 'mortgage consultants'. Cling to the wisdom and the knowledge given by others. When it is a divine appointment, those words are rarely given lightly. They are meant to be eye openers and directors to what is and what should or shouldn't be. Which is also not something that is easy to swallow when you are so comfortable with how everything is. Comfort can lead to contempt.

Love

Love. Such a small word with some big things behind it. Something that has been on my mind here lately. We guard our hearts so well, but want nothing more than for someone to love them the way they deserve to be loved. Why is loving so hard? Not just from one gender to another, but from one person to another. Whether it be family, friends, or more. Showing that love is something I don't see done very often or very well. I see so much deceit, so many lies, and so much hurt. If this is letting our hearts do the talking, maybe guarding them is better. In the last two years, I've become a much more loving person, and strive to make all that I love know just how much I love them. It is something I yearn for. Something I know every person desires. And something we are all supposed to do. Its not easy. Loving. Instead of critiquing, and hating, and hurting, and caring about ourselves above all else. But what a satisfying feeling, when you get through and touch someone's heart. That, is exactly what I aim for.

Names

Every day, someone says your name. Whether they are speaking to you, calling you, or speaking about you. The power of what we say is so much greater than we realize. We can change the world with a sound. A word. A phrase. In the beginning, God spoke, and something became. Well, names have meanings. They can either be a curse spoken over you daily, or a blessing that is wished upon you by anyone who speaks it. I used to know the meaning of my name, but had forgotten, so I did some research. My first name means lovely, beautiful, victorious, and crown of laurel. I wasn't sure what that last one meant, and after some digging found out that it is something that is placed upon the heads of victorious people in sports and war. My middle name means light, or shining light. Put together, I am a beautiful, victorious, shining light. Every time my name is on someone's lips, I am being blessed. Its a wonderful feeling knowing that my mom gave me such a meaningful name.