I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Rom 12:1-2

My pastor used the text from Romans quoted above for his sermon this morning.  He focused on how a lot of us have not had our minds transformed.  Then I watched a video on Shannon’s site and read the comments there concerning homosexuality and how we react to this sin in ways that are very different from the ways we react to other sins.  (Another free plug, Shannon)

I agree with my pastor’s sermon this morning and I also agree with much of what was said on Shannon’s blog but I still have problems with all of this.

God did not make any of us the way we are.  We all come into the world through the act of procreation and not creation.  God stopped creating after He finished up the sixth day and then He has placed the rest mostly in our hands.  He still, I believe, steps in and works in this realm at times but it is mostly up to us.  We choose to be, do, say, and act out of who we are; which is a reflection of many things such as environment, how we were raised, the attitudes of our parents, culture, education, and lots of other things.  We live in a fallen creation and start out as slaves to sin.  This cannot be denied.

We need to learn to love.  We need to practice love.  We need to embrace each other as Christ embraced us.  And that includes homosexuals.  We have way too many fundamentalists in the Kingdom that are hypocritical and judgmental.  The sins that offend them the most are the sins that they believe offend God the most.  This is just not true.  So I would say that I agree with most of what I have read today.

But the problem I have is that most all of those trying to find another answer seem to want to just overlook sin in its entirety.  I am not saying this about those whose comments I have read today but I have been thinking this way myself a lot lately.  But is that going to do those in sinful lifestyles any better than the fundamentalist viewpoint?

Let’s say the fundamentalist is wrong and God loves everyone enough that no matter what they do He will not turn them away.  Then we really have to introduce these people to Christ so they can have a chance.  It is not up to us who is in and who is out.  It is up to God.

But look at what happens if those who want to say sin is alright and all things are forgiven and covered by the blood of Christ are wrong.  We may share some warm and loving moments while we reach out to those living in sin while we are on this planet, before eternity, and then have them turn to us at judgment and ask why we did not warn them.

I just don’t know.

This whole issue is tough.  I am of the opinion that neither side is right but I admit that I do not know where to draw any lines.  I do know that we must all, me, you, adulterers, homosexuals, liars, thieves, etc., present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.  We must also not be conformed to this world, but instead be transformed by the renewal of our minds.  And this is the only way that we can even begin to try to discern what the will of God is and what is good and acceptable and perfect.

One thing I do know is that we better get serious about finding out what God wants us to do about all this.  Just feeling good about our own beliefs is not the answer and there is more at stake than causing anyone to feel ostracized or unloved here.  There are eternal consequences to our answers to these dilemmas.

This is serious and I believe must be concluded but as I said, I just don’t know.

Love you all

Tags: attitudes, Belief, Culture, eternal consequences, Eternity, fundamentalists, Good, homosexuals, Judgment, living sacrifice, Perfect, procreation, Self, Sin

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Php 3:12

I am not perfect, you are not perfect.  Paul told us here that he was not yet perfect either.  We all have a ways to go before we get to the point where we are who God wants us to be.

Today’s question is not only a simple one but one of the hardest for most of us to answer.  I am interested in how many responses I will get on this one.

The simple but very hard question is…

What is wrong with you?

If you want to, be bold and transparent and let us know where you recognize the areas where you fall short.

Love you all

Tags: Christ, Fall, Love, Perfect, town hall, Tuesday

There was once a group of people that were led by a loving, just ruler.  He had their best interests at heart and He provided for them in all ways.  Materially, physically and spiritually.  He was stern at times but always quick to dispense mercy and grace. 

But the people were not happy.  Their ruler was not like the rulers that surrounded them in other kingdoms.  Their ruler was never seen and chose to give out His instruction through other men and sometimes directly to individuals.  And His main goal for His people was to spread the knowledge of who He was, all of His love, mercy, grace, provision and instruction, to all people. 

This ruler was the perfect ruler but He was not good enough.  The people He tried to lead wanted something else.  They wanted a king that was a man from among themselves.  This ruler, who by now you know was God, warned them that it would not work out the way they wanted.  But He gave them what they wanted.  He gave them Saul.

From that very first earthly king, things never went the way they should have.  There were a couple of good kings to the Israelites, but none of them ever came close to keeping them in proper relationship with God.   

This post is my response to the questions I put forth on Tuesday.  And for all who responded I seriously thank you and value your input.  I am not being pretentious in saying what I am about to say.  These are new thoughts for me, after spending lots of time in prayer over these issues of voting and the choices laid out before us. 

We are ambassadors of our own King if we have chosen to be a part of the Kingdom of God.  We are supposed to serve Him and His Kingdom.  But instead we seem to think it is the Government of the United States job to uphold our ways and laws.  We seem to think that it is actually the reverse of the way it is.  That this country and its rulers are the ambassadors.  Jesus told us that we are of another Kingdom.  And He told us, while we are here to give to this kingdom what belongs to it but to give to our Kingdom what belongs to Him. 

As Shelly said, even the rulers we think are the right ones turn out to be something other than what we perceived. 

We happen to be in a country where we have been given the “right” to vote.  This “right” has been given by the Constitution, not God.  There is simply no justification that I can find for anyone saying that we are obliged to vote.  God allows it but would not require it. 

And this is the most important part of this post.  If we are going to exercise our “right” to vote, then we better vote for that person that lines up mostly with the heart of God.  If we do not, then we will be held accountable for that vote. 

But as for the question I proposed, I do not believe a person of another faith, even if that person might not make it to eternity with us, cannot have a heart closer to God than someone who declares themselves Christian.  And surely they might be better able to run this country.  

And if you haven’t seen what I am implying yet, I am not sure we should even be concerned with voting.  And know that I expect to get some flak from this.

We have a King.  And instead of listening to Him and doing as He says we waste, yes waste, our time in all the intricacies of the political process. 

Just answer this.  Have you spent as much time talking about Jesus as you have talking about McCain or Obama?  Have you spent as much time reading the bible as you have reading the reports on either of the candidates?  Have you spent as much time seeking Truth as you have the latest sound bite or lie about any politician?

When God calls someone to do something, He knows they can get it done.  Not necessarily that they will.  There is no way in the corrupt system we have now in the US of A, that a politician can be Holy and be an effective leader of this nation at the same time.    Therefore I do not believe God is trying to put any of them in the position.  And He really does not have to. 

God anointed Saul as king.  He anointed David as king.  Then He anointed Jesus as King.  We do not need another. 

I wish these facts were not so.  I wish we could vote the right candidate in and all of the terrible things going on in this nation, which grieve and anger our Lord, would be made right.  But even more, I wish that we would try to start doing what He wants us to do.  Then we could change this nation.  It is never going to be up to the elected officials to bring about the Godly change we need.  It is going to be up to us. 

2Ch 7:14  if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

The people of God must do these things.  Not the House, or the Senate, or the Judiciary, or the President, but only the people of God.  We want to blame everybody but ourselves.  And like when God called all the people to clean themselves up and come up the mountain to meet Him, we want someone, maybe another Moses, to do it for us. 

God help us and have mercy on those we have failed to reach.

I love you all so very much

Tags: Believe, Bible, Eternity, God, Government, Grace, King, Kingdom, Knowledge, Love, Mercy, Perfect, Prayer, Value, Vote, Work

I believe at the fall, when Adam turned everything over to the enemy, it somehow affected all of creation.  How that could possibly be so, I haven’t got a clue.  But in Romans 8:22  we are told that creation groans and is either working strenuously or as if in the pain of childbirth.  And according to what the ladies say, there might not be much worse pain than that. 

What is creation waiting for?  It is waiting and groaning and screaming out in pain to be released from the bondage of corruption.  (Romans 8:21)  So our sin corrupted all of God’s perfect creation. 

That last statement has a problem though.  Was creation perfect?  I know I have thrown that statement out in a lot of different applications.  I have even thought about saying to cabinet customers that complained about knots and mineral stains in wood doors that it was Adam’s fault.  When creation was perfect, there weren’t any knots.  I must ask for forgiveness about that. 

There is only one perfect.  He is the creator.  And could He create Himself?  Note the title. 

God never claimed a perfect creation.  He did say it was good.  He even proclaimed it to be very good when He was done.  But it was not perfect.    We probably even know this.  But we do not express it in our thoughts or words very well. 

The point I am trying to make is simple.  A lot of the time, in thoughts and words, we believe there is nothing that God cannot do.  We throw around the word omnipotence like it means that there is nothing outside of Gods capabilities.  I believe that is wrong.  And I do not see this view as belittling God either. 

Take this spiritual battle that I believe God to be in.  To say that it causes God no strain or stress is to actually make it out to be nothing.  If God is not genuinely fighting, then the battle is not real. 

When my boys were little, in a few of my less self focused moments, we would wrestle around.  It was not a real battle between my five year old and me.  But today, with their ages ranging from 20 to 30, it would be a real battle.  There is nothing wrong with the implications that God is in a serious struggle.  He limits Himself from using the power He does have at His disposal because of his love. 

I also believe God has to work at maintaining creation.  I think it is probably a little like running machinery for us.  For any of you that make your living this way, think about how it seems to get harder and harder the older a machine gets.  Well, creation is getting a little age on it. 

Everything wears out.  Our cars wear out.  Our clothes wear out.  Our toothbrush wears out.  Our body wears out.    Creation seems to be wearing out. 

At the end of the book of Job, God asks Job a series of questions.  These questions are rhetorical, with the intent of letting Job know exactly how much bigger God is than any of us could imagine.  But we can also ascertain that God is actively on the job also.  He is not just lounging around in the throne room.  

There is nothing perfect about creation.  And it is not even very good anymore, thanks to us.  But we can thank God that He is still at work.  Managing and maintaining and fighting to keep creation going for us all. 

Next time your job seems to be too much, thank Him that you do not have His.

Love you all

***Your comments are welcome.***

Tags: Childbirth, Creation, Creator, Fall, God, Good, Perfect, Spiritual Warfare, War