Reposted from my facebook page
3rd quarter at work today a coworker, who incidentally is a practicing Christian, started talking to me. Mind you, I don't talk much at all at work. the first four hours I said maybe 5 words. I could tell he had something heavy on his heart. He and his family went to visit extended family over the weekend and he told me about how his sister-in-law's husband verbally and emotionally abused her 17 year old (from a previous marriage/relationship). My coworker said he and his wife briefly spoke about having the boy come live with them for his senior year to get him out of that environment, but they were afraid of the family tension it would cause. But they are also afraid he may be a little suicidal. After a quick, silent prayer, my words to him were,
"Yes it might cause a little tension, but this is a young man's life we are talking about here. I think that is worth some tension. Honestly, if I were in your position, I would pray about it. Ask God for an answer."
He looked at me and said, " Yeah, that's a good idea." And I watched as his shoulders straightened up a little and a smile appeared on his face.
God is wonderful.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sabbath, what's the deal?
A friend asked me last night, "So whats the deal with Sabbath?"
Well the Sabbath is the day God told us to rest and reflect on all He has done. It is a time for us to commune with Him and time for us to spend with our families, both blood and church.
"Why Saturday?"
Saturday is the seventh day of the week.
"How do you know that?"
The easiest reference is Matthew 28:1 (See also Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20)
"In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre." -King James Version
"After the day of worship, as the sun rose Sunday morning, Mary from Magdala and the other Mary went to look at the tomb" -God's Word Translation
"After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb." -New International Version
"After the Sabbath, as Sunday morning was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb." -Good News Translation
Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday. The two Marys had brought spices to prepare Jesus' body, but they had to wait a day because it was the Sabbath. Arriving at the tomb near dawn on Sunday morning (or the first day of the week) Mary found that Jesus' body was gone because he was already risen. Friday, Saturday, Sunday....on the third day He rose. I find it rather interesting that even in death Jesus observed the Sabbath and rested on Saturday.
That is the deal with Saturday Sabbath. Truth.
If a billion people believe a lie, it is still a lie.
From the Catholic Encyclopedia (newadvent.org):
The seventh day of the week among the Hebrews, the day being counted from sunset to sunset, that is, from Friday evening to Saturday evening.
Sunday
"..... St. Ignatius (Ep. ad Magnes. ix) speaks of Christians as "no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord's Day, on which also Our Life rose again". In the Epistle of Barnabas (xv) we read: "Wherefore, also, we keep the eight day (i.e. the first of the week) with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead"."
And from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (vatican.va):
The day of the Resurrection: the new creation
2174 Jesus rose from the dead "on the first day of the week."104 Because it is the "first day," the day of Christ's Resurrection recalls the first creation. Because it is the "eighth day" following the sabbath,105 it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ's Resurrection. For Christians it has become the first of all days, the first of all feasts, the Lord's Day (he kuriake hemera, dies dominica) Sunday:
2175 Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ:107
The day of worship was changed by the Catholic Church. Now explain this to me....if God wanted us to worship on the eighth day after Creation instead of the seventh, don't you think He would have said so? Genesis does say on the seventh day he rested, right? And He does say, " Remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy", right?
I'll repeat:
If a billion people believe a lie, it is still a lie. Believe in the truth.
Well the Sabbath is the day God told us to rest and reflect on all He has done. It is a time for us to commune with Him and time for us to spend with our families, both blood and church.
"Why Saturday?"
Saturday is the seventh day of the week.
"How do you know that?"
The easiest reference is Matthew 28:1 (See also Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20)
"In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre." -King James Version
"After the day of worship, as the sun rose Sunday morning, Mary from Magdala and the other Mary went to look at the tomb" -God's Word Translation
"After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb." -New International Version
"After the Sabbath, as Sunday morning was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb." -Good News Translation
Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday. The two Marys had brought spices to prepare Jesus' body, but they had to wait a day because it was the Sabbath. Arriving at the tomb near dawn on Sunday morning (or the first day of the week) Mary found that Jesus' body was gone because he was already risen. Friday, Saturday, Sunday....on the third day He rose. I find it rather interesting that even in death Jesus observed the Sabbath and rested on Saturday.
That is the deal with Saturday Sabbath. Truth.
If a billion people believe a lie, it is still a lie.
From the Catholic Encyclopedia (newadvent.org):
Sabbath
(Hebrew shabbath, cessation, rest; Greek Sabbaton; Latin Sabbatum).The seventh day of the week among the Hebrews, the day being counted from sunset to sunset, that is, from Friday evening to Saturday evening.
Sunday
"..... St. Ignatius (Ep. ad Magnes. ix) speaks of Christians as "no longer observing the Sabbath, but living in the observance of the Lord's Day, on which also Our Life rose again". In the Epistle of Barnabas (xv) we read: "Wherefore, also, we keep the eight day (i.e. the first of the week) with joyfulness, the day also on which Jesus rose again from the dead"."
And from the Catechism of the Catholic Church (vatican.va):
The day of the Resurrection: the new creation
2174 Jesus rose from the dead "on the first day of the week."104 Because it is the "first day," the day of Christ's Resurrection recalls the first creation. Because it is the "eighth day" following the sabbath,105 it symbolizes the new creation ushered in by Christ's Resurrection. For Christians it has become the first of all days, the first of all feasts, the Lord's Day (he kuriake hemera, dies dominica) Sunday:
- We all gather on the day of the sun, for it is the first day [after the Jewish sabbath, but also the first day] when God, separating matter from darkness, made the world; and on this same day Jesus Christ our Savior rose from the dead.106
2175 Sunday is expressly distinguished from the sabbath which it follows chronologically every week; for Christians its ceremonial observance replaces that of the sabbath. In Christ's Passover, Sunday fulfills the spiritual truth of the Jewish sabbath and announces man's eternal rest in God. For worship under the Law prepared for the mystery of Christ, and what was done there prefigured some aspects of Christ:107
- Those who lived according to the old order of things have come to a new hope, no longer keeping the sabbath, but the Lord's Day, in which our life is blessed by him and by his death.108
The day of worship was changed by the Catholic Church. Now explain this to me....if God wanted us to worship on the eighth day after Creation instead of the seventh, don't you think He would have said so? Genesis does say on the seventh day he rested, right? And He does say, " Remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy", right?
I'll repeat:
If a billion people believe a lie, it is still a lie. Believe in the truth.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Sabbath - 25 June 2011
Today's sermon was by a guest Pastor. Title: Questions from God. The reference scripture was Job 38, Genesis 3:8-10, 1 Kings 19:9, and Jonah 4:9
The quick summary of the sermon is: When humans ask questions we are looking for an answer. When we ask why, who, what, etc we are looking for an explanation of an unknown. God, however, is omnipotent, omni-present, and all-knowing. Why would He need to ask a question? He doesn't need an answer. When God asks a question, it is an invitation for self evaluation.
Genesis: God asks Adam, "Where are you?" I have to smirk at this point, thinking of God not knowing where Adam is, or what he has done, but God already knows. He's not searching for an answer and Adam knows this as shown by his response: And he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." Adam had to evaluate himself and reported that back to God. " I am here in Sin with knowledge of Good and Evil"
1 Kings: God asks Elijah after he fled from Jezebel: "There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" God obviously knows what Elijah is doing there. He asks to invite Elijah to evaluate what he is doing and if what he is doing glorifies God. Beforehand, God burnt the offering drenched in water as a sign to the people of Israel that He is the one and only true God and then Elijah killed the Prophets of Baal. Jezebel swore vengeance on Elijah as retaliation and even after the miracle that God provided, Elijah still remained angry and afraid of her and ran He responds to God saying, "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." Elijah was sent to glorify God and to show the people of Israel that God is Lord. Instead he denies God's will. What are you doing here? Are you running from the Path because it is hard, uncomfortable, or simply because it may seem undesirable?
Jonah: I'm honestly not sure about this reference yet. I will go over it with my Pastor so that I may understand it better. From what i understand, Jonah was angry because he had to go to Niniveh to preach when the people there didn't care. He left afterwards and sat out in the blistering sun and overnight a plant grew to give him shade and then it withered after being consumed by a worm. so God asks him "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" yeah I'll have to come back to this one later.
Job: I'm not exactly sure about this one either, but the gist is that Job was afflicted by Satan to test his devotion to God. After all of the suffering Satan caused him, he remained steadfast loyal to God, but after it was over, Job asked God, "Why?" and instead of answering, God poses 60 questions to Job that basically reminds him of all that God is and has done....yeah I'm not sure I understand this one either. I'll have to revisit it again with proper guidance.
Basically we need to ask ourselves these questions, Where are we, what have we done, what are we doing here? Are we glorifying God? are we submitting to His plan? More on this later. I need to study more.
The quick summary of the sermon is: When humans ask questions we are looking for an answer. When we ask why, who, what, etc we are looking for an explanation of an unknown. God, however, is omnipotent, omni-present, and all-knowing. Why would He need to ask a question? He doesn't need an answer. When God asks a question, it is an invitation for self evaluation.
Genesis: God asks Adam, "Where are you?" I have to smirk at this point, thinking of God not knowing where Adam is, or what he has done, but God already knows. He's not searching for an answer and Adam knows this as shown by his response: And he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself." Adam had to evaluate himself and reported that back to God. " I am here in Sin with knowledge of Good and Evil"
1 Kings: God asks Elijah after he fled from Jezebel: "There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" God obviously knows what Elijah is doing there. He asks to invite Elijah to evaluate what he is doing and if what he is doing glorifies God. Beforehand, God burnt the offering drenched in water as a sign to the people of Israel that He is the one and only true God and then Elijah killed the Prophets of Baal. Jezebel swore vengeance on Elijah as retaliation and even after the miracle that God provided, Elijah still remained angry and afraid of her and ran He responds to God saying, "I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away." Elijah was sent to glorify God and to show the people of Israel that God is Lord. Instead he denies God's will. What are you doing here? Are you running from the Path because it is hard, uncomfortable, or simply because it may seem undesirable?
Jonah: I'm honestly not sure about this reference yet. I will go over it with my Pastor so that I may understand it better. From what i understand, Jonah was angry because he had to go to Niniveh to preach when the people there didn't care. He left afterwards and sat out in the blistering sun and overnight a plant grew to give him shade and then it withered after being consumed by a worm. so God asks him "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" yeah I'll have to come back to this one later.
Job: I'm not exactly sure about this one either, but the gist is that Job was afflicted by Satan to test his devotion to God. After all of the suffering Satan caused him, he remained steadfast loyal to God, but after it was over, Job asked God, "Why?" and instead of answering, God poses 60 questions to Job that basically reminds him of all that God is and has done....yeah I'm not sure I understand this one either. I'll have to revisit it again with proper guidance.
Basically we need to ask ourselves these questions, Where are we, what have we done, what are we doing here? Are we glorifying God? are we submitting to His plan? More on this later. I need to study more.
When it has to do with my life, my life, I wanna be the one in control - Part 1
Control, pride, fear. The degradation of the Path. Sure I have free will, I was born that way. Let's see what happened when I took that free will and used it improperly.
I ran from home when I was 13. While it wasn't a literal running away, I did indeed run full steam ahead to my high school. Culver was a blessing and a bane to me. It was a blessing because it took me from a home where abuse was the norm. Today I understand the abuse was not intentional and that my parents were doing only what they knew how to do in raising children. Try telling that to a repressed 13 year old. I felt betrayed every day. I prayed to God that I was adopted that my real parents would come to claim me some day. Truth. This is what I used to think.
The good
Being admitted to Culver was such a joyous occasion to me that I was afraid to show it outwardly for fear that it would be taken away. I could not bear to hide in the closet with my little sister and try to soothe her as our parents drew blood from each other any longer. I shudder to think what my teenage years would have been like if I had not gone.
The bad
Culver opened up a new world to me. I never ever thought I would meet so many varied people from all over the world. I, a country bumpkin from North Carolina, was a part of this grand institution. This grand tradition. Horses, sail boats, airplanes, marching, the uniforms (NO MORE HAND ME DOWNS), it was all so very overwhelming. So much so that it went to my head in a very bad way. I became haughty, arrogant, and condescending. To make matters worse I was good at hiding it. I made myself look the part of a kind a nd caring person, but inside I looked at the world with disdain, envy, and contempt. I wanted the riches that my new friends had, I wanted the limos, the designer clothes they wore on civvies days or on their way to break. I started hating breaks because it served as a reminder of who I wasn't and what I didn't have. I opted to stay at Culver on the short breaks rather than suffer the humiliation of returning to my real life.
The ugly (as if the bad wasn't enough)
one particular break, I don't remember which, I remember going home and my father asking me to ride with him to the parts store to get a part for the car. I made him wait as I took a shower, combed my hair, and put on what I considered, my 'nice' clothes. After we got back I begrudgingly helped to repair the vehicle and immediately went inside to wash the filth off of my hands when we were finished. I had never seen so much pain and shame in my parents eyes than that break. I was ugly. But I didn't care at the time.
-to be continued-
I ran from home when I was 13. While it wasn't a literal running away, I did indeed run full steam ahead to my high school. Culver was a blessing and a bane to me. It was a blessing because it took me from a home where abuse was the norm. Today I understand the abuse was not intentional and that my parents were doing only what they knew how to do in raising children. Try telling that to a repressed 13 year old. I felt betrayed every day. I prayed to God that I was adopted that my real parents would come to claim me some day. Truth. This is what I used to think.
The good
Being admitted to Culver was such a joyous occasion to me that I was afraid to show it outwardly for fear that it would be taken away. I could not bear to hide in the closet with my little sister and try to soothe her as our parents drew blood from each other any longer. I shudder to think what my teenage years would have been like if I had not gone.
The bad
Culver opened up a new world to me. I never ever thought I would meet so many varied people from all over the world. I, a country bumpkin from North Carolina, was a part of this grand institution. This grand tradition. Horses, sail boats, airplanes, marching, the uniforms (NO MORE HAND ME DOWNS), it was all so very overwhelming. So much so that it went to my head in a very bad way. I became haughty, arrogant, and condescending. To make matters worse I was good at hiding it. I made myself look the part of a kind a nd caring person, but inside I looked at the world with disdain, envy, and contempt. I wanted the riches that my new friends had, I wanted the limos, the designer clothes they wore on civvies days or on their way to break. I started hating breaks because it served as a reminder of who I wasn't and what I didn't have. I opted to stay at Culver on the short breaks rather than suffer the humiliation of returning to my real life.
The ugly (as if the bad wasn't enough)
one particular break, I don't remember which, I remember going home and my father asking me to ride with him to the parts store to get a part for the car. I made him wait as I took a shower, combed my hair, and put on what I considered, my 'nice' clothes. After we got back I begrudgingly helped to repair the vehicle and immediately went inside to wash the filth off of my hands when we were finished. I had never seen so much pain and shame in my parents eyes than that break. I was ugly. But I didn't care at the time.
-to be continued-
Come as you are, as you were...
Something I've been very guilty of in the past and still struggle with occasionally is coming to god as I am. Its so easy to delay seeking his guidance because I'm not good enough. I honestly do not believe I deserve anything good. I've made so many mistakes, hurt and mislead so many people, and taken god's name in vain so much that its hard to believe that anyone, much less god could ever forgive me.
A dear friend recently told me, "You are way too hard on yourself." Am I? At first I thought, maybe I am. I even spoke to my pastor about this.
Short aside: This "dear friend" is someone I have recently re-connected with by what I believe to be God's will. She is a wonderful person and someone I do not deserve to have in my life, which is how she came to say this to me. I'll speak on this more later, but I pray every morning and every night that I have not ruined what could possibly be the most incredible romantic relationship I have ever or will ever experience.
When I spoke to my pastor I mentioned Ms. Smiles ( I change her name simply because I do not have permission to use her name) comment kinda offhandedly, but something about it caught my pastor's attention. He asked me what I meant by i could not forgive myself and that I do not deserve her in my life. It seemed simple, I am a walking mistake. Sin walking on earth. God has given me so many blessings that surely this one was one too many and one too great.
Here's what I learned that day: God forgave us all when Jesus died on the cross. His forgiveness is a gift. It is ours (humanity), we own it. Each and every one of us has been forgiven. We have all been justified to enter into heaven and everlasting life. Only by repeatedly rejecting this gift can we fall short of God's mercy. Being forgiven by God Himself requires that we forgive others and just as importantly forgive ourselves. What right do I have to not forgive myself when God already has forgiven me? Is my judgement more important than His?
I have salvation. Jesus died for me and for you. He died for my Pastor, he died for Ms. Smiles. He forgave us all. It is my imperative to do the same.
If I have ever hurt you, please forgive me.
If you have ever hurt me, I forgive you.
Prayer: My Father in heaven, thank you for your ultimate sacrifice. Thank you for the forgiveness you gained for us on the cross. Lord help me to see forgiveness in all things, in all people including myself. I have made many mistakes, i have stumbled and fallen more than I have walked in your light, but with your strength and with your Love I can walk on your path and forgive myself and those who have sinned against me. For it is written in Matthew 6:14, "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Lord keep in me the humility and remind me of my need for forgiveness lest I forget and become bold in my sin, but also remind me of your Love for me and the forgiveness you have given with your blood. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.
A dear friend recently told me, "You are way too hard on yourself." Am I? At first I thought, maybe I am. I even spoke to my pastor about this.
Short aside: This "dear friend" is someone I have recently re-connected with by what I believe to be God's will. She is a wonderful person and someone I do not deserve to have in my life, which is how she came to say this to me. I'll speak on this more later, but I pray every morning and every night that I have not ruined what could possibly be the most incredible romantic relationship I have ever or will ever experience.
When I spoke to my pastor I mentioned Ms. Smiles ( I change her name simply because I do not have permission to use her name) comment kinda offhandedly, but something about it caught my pastor's attention. He asked me what I meant by i could not forgive myself and that I do not deserve her in my life. It seemed simple, I am a walking mistake. Sin walking on earth. God has given me so many blessings that surely this one was one too many and one too great.
Here's what I learned that day: God forgave us all when Jesus died on the cross. His forgiveness is a gift. It is ours (humanity), we own it. Each and every one of us has been forgiven. We have all been justified to enter into heaven and everlasting life. Only by repeatedly rejecting this gift can we fall short of God's mercy. Being forgiven by God Himself requires that we forgive others and just as importantly forgive ourselves. What right do I have to not forgive myself when God already has forgiven me? Is my judgement more important than His?
I have salvation. Jesus died for me and for you. He died for my Pastor, he died for Ms. Smiles. He forgave us all. It is my imperative to do the same.
If I have ever hurt you, please forgive me.
If you have ever hurt me, I forgive you.
Prayer: My Father in heaven, thank you for your ultimate sacrifice. Thank you for the forgiveness you gained for us on the cross. Lord help me to see forgiveness in all things, in all people including myself. I have made many mistakes, i have stumbled and fallen more than I have walked in your light, but with your strength and with your Love I can walk on your path and forgive myself and those who have sinned against me. For it is written in Matthew 6:14, "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Lord keep in me the humility and remind me of my need for forgiveness lest I forget and become bold in my sin, but also remind me of your Love for me and the forgiveness you have given with your blood. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ, I pray, Amen.
A journey starts with a single step...
Yes this is an old cliche, but you have to understand that I think in cliches and in quotes (movie, music and books). Ninety percent of all conversations I have are all in my head.
I started my journey to Christ when I was a child. Way back when my grandmother would take me to the local baptist church. Since then I have forgotten God, remembered Him, hated Him, denounced Him, asked Him for forgiveness, and now I learn about Him and His Love and commit my life and devote my very breath to Him. I'd like to tell you the story of all that has transpired in my life as it pertains to this particular journey. Maybe you can gain some glimpse or appreciation to who I am and why I am as I am. Even while I delve into the past I will also share with you my present experiences; the revelations, the trials, the joy, and the pain. I pray this somehow touches you, maybe even resonate some chord in your own life and, God willing, be a witness to encourage you to approach God just as you are right now.
I will try to not come off as preachy, but I make no promises. My convictions are just that, convictions and as such I believe very strongly in them and I hope that I can convey them properly in words.
Trust. I will trust that the things I will write here won't be used against me and I hope that you can trust that the things I write here are not meant to offend, defame, inflame, or otherwise hurt others. Remember this: I believe that God is Love. He is the Originator, the Creator, and the all encompassing embodiment of Pure Love. I simply want to be a reflection of that Love and want to never make you, the reader, feel uncomfortable or hurt. Give me the benefit of the doubt at all times and please ask if there is doubt. I am an open book.
One last thing. I am an awful typist. Bear with me :)
I started my journey to Christ when I was a child. Way back when my grandmother would take me to the local baptist church. Since then I have forgotten God, remembered Him, hated Him, denounced Him, asked Him for forgiveness, and now I learn about Him and His Love and commit my life and devote my very breath to Him. I'd like to tell you the story of all that has transpired in my life as it pertains to this particular journey. Maybe you can gain some glimpse or appreciation to who I am and why I am as I am. Even while I delve into the past I will also share with you my present experiences; the revelations, the trials, the joy, and the pain. I pray this somehow touches you, maybe even resonate some chord in your own life and, God willing, be a witness to encourage you to approach God just as you are right now.
I will try to not come off as preachy, but I make no promises. My convictions are just that, convictions and as such I believe very strongly in them and I hope that I can convey them properly in words.
Trust. I will trust that the things I will write here won't be used against me and I hope that you can trust that the things I write here are not meant to offend, defame, inflame, or otherwise hurt others. Remember this: I believe that God is Love. He is the Originator, the Creator, and the all encompassing embodiment of Pure Love. I simply want to be a reflection of that Love and want to never make you, the reader, feel uncomfortable or hurt. Give me the benefit of the doubt at all times and please ask if there is doubt. I am an open book.
One last thing. I am an awful typist. Bear with me :)
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