This One's For the People

You know how there are different levels of lessons you learn? Like, there are lessons you can learn from one experience. You can learn a lesson from a series of events. You can learn a lesson from a class or a service. You can learn a lesson from someone's actions.

I've been learning a lesson for years now that I didn't realize I was learning until about a year ago. I suppose it's a lesson that I've been learning all my life, but at the same time, it's a lesson that I've really only mentally attended for about two years now.

This lesson hasn't come easily or without many smaller lessons contributing to this greater lesson. This lesson has been taught through many points of laughter… through being a part of and/or witnessing countless debates, arguments, fights!.. Through many misunderstandings.. Through many miscommunications.. many opportunities to forgive.

This lesson has had many teachers: My parents, my friends, my co-workers… that guy at Wal-Mart who apparently thought sentences are incomplete without the use of profanities.. the lady at the Cheesecake Factory who waited on my friend and me, who went on to basically tell us her life story and explain how she's barely holding on and pretty much expectant of the worst case scenario……. Basically anyone and everyone who I've encountered, witnessed or taken mental note of has been a teacher in this lesson. Then there is the author of the curriculum: Jesus.

One day I was very frustrated with a situation, a particular estrangement I was experiencing with a very close friend of mine. I was talking with the author (praying) about this when He just decided to give me a 3 word synopsis of this lesson:

"People+Are+People."

Uh… Yeah….

Those three words would put a context for many of the dealings I had experienced (including that present estrangement.) Those three words, as simple as they were (that rhymed), would give me an understanding that would help with every challenge with man I would face from then on. Every stupid misunderstanding, every personality conflict, every offense… could be explained, not answered or solved, but explained in "People are People."

THREE words! Only three words, yet so many angles from which those words could be viewed.

Every person I had ever seen, talked to, dealt with…etc.. all of them were people. All of US are people. Moreover, people are an imperfect people. Now before you start yelling at me "That's bad doctrine! I've been made perfect by the Blood of Jesus!" You are right in a sense. I don't know that I'd say we're "perfect." I believe the accurate Biblical term is "righteous." Because of the Blood of Jesus, we've been washed clean, redeemed, restored and placed back in right standing (righteousness) with God. But I like the way the Apostle Paul said it to the Philippians, - "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil 3:12-14)

If there was someone after Jesus who could've said, "Ya know.. I've pretty much got this down" it would've been the Apostle Paul. Yet, he knew that he was not yet perfected. If you jump back to the beginning of the same letter to the Philippians, you can see where he said, "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil 1:6) Paul new that God still had more work to do in him and more work to do in others. He was writing to believers, born again christians, and to them he said, "He will complete it in you UNTIL the day of Jesus Christ (A.K.A. the second coming of Jesus.) In other words, until Jesus comes back or we go to be with him via bodily death, He's still gonna be working on us.. ALL of us!

Sometimes we get all bent out of shape when someone does something we don't agree with. "Why would they do that?!?.. HOW could they do that?.." - "That's not how I was raised!" There are also all the times in which people become upset with us (yay my favorite!) "WHAT?!?!… I NEVER said that!" - "Are you serious?.. that's not what I meant!" - "I was just joking!" - "Why would that bother them so much? Anyone else would've laughed at that!" - "Surely they would know that THAT was never my intention…."

We must realize that everyone we ever encounter or witness in any manner whatsoever, is a human being. Jesus was the only human that was fully God and fully man at the same time. The rest of us are still being perfected, having to constantly put our flesh in its place, renew our mind and feed our spirits.

Sometimes we expect of people what we should only expect from God. We expect people to handle situations flawlessly and if they don't, we see them differently or do really what is called "judging." Before you get to mad at me, I'm not saying that we think they're no longer righteous or not saved… and I'm not saying that we put ourselves in God's place as "THE Judge." I'm saying that we perceive them differently. The word "judge" in verb form means: to form an opinion or conclusion about. With that definition in mind it seems like we do judge quite a bit more than we think we do. Oh I mean we'll "walk in love"…. "I'll love em, but I'm gonna keep my eye on them." A conclusion is made based on their actions. We put them in a class or category that is treated differently.

When I'm faced with thoughts of "They messed up!?.." or "they messed up AGAIN?!".. the most sobering and probably the most healthy question I can ask myself is, "How many times have you been forgiven and trusted with things AFTER you've failed?.. How many times has God forgiven you Stephen? And for the same thing!?.." I'm thankful that the Jesus who said, "forgive seventy times seven" is the same Jesus whom I've had to ask for such forgiveness. He is also the same Jesus who said, "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.." (Matt 6:15)

But the real factor here is just that we must forgive, but really the manner of forgiveness. Col 3:12-13 says, "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do." Notice the wording "even AS Christ forgave you, so you also must do." So it's not just that we must, it's that we must forgive AS Christ forgave us, or the same way He forgave us.

I conclude two things about the way Jesus forgives: 1- He forgives and he forgets. Once you've been cleansed by the Blood of Jesus, you have been justified (just as if it never happened.) He doesn't hold things over our heads and treat us differently. Remember, the blood of bulls and goats in the old testament provided ATONEMENT (the covering of sins), Jesus' blood provides REMISSION (the removal) of sins. They're gone! So when He forgives us and doesn't bring out faults, shortcomings and mistakes back up, that is the same WAY we are to forgive. 2- He forgives BEFORE we ever sin against him. He gave His life for sins that we would commit 2,000 years later. His forgiveness is there, waiting for any and all who would confess their sins and receive his forgiveness. So my new position when someone wrongs me is this, "I forgive." They don't even have to ask. Even if they never ask, I want to be like Jesus and He provided forgiveness before I ever came to Him asking for it.

We must realize that the rest of our lives we will be dealing with people who are imperfect. These people, (ourselves included) that have personalities different than ours, backgrounds different than ours, weaknesses different than ours, strengths different than ours, tempers different than ours, views different than ours……. Therefore, there is no formula for our dealings with others. Each person must be treated as the unique individual that they are. I've found every time I pray "Lord change them" or "Fix them Lord" I'm usually the one that He ends up working on. When I try to show Him their laziness, He'll show me my impatience. I had to realize it's His job to work on people not mine. What is my job is to Love them.

1 Cor 13 tells us what I believe are two of the most powerful traits of Love. Love keeps no record of wrongs and Love believes all things. We are called to walk in love with EVERYONE and the in which we are called to operate is the love which keeps no record of wrongs. Just remember how much you've been forgiven and that'll really help you get over someone else's error. Consider the woman in John chapter 8. All the people wanted to stone her because she'd been caught red handed in the act of adultery (Que Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me.") When Jesus said, "Let him who has no sin cast the first stone." Funny how no one could bring themselves to stone her. Jesus told her, "I don't condemn you either. Go and sin no more."
That second trait was "Love believes all things." The Amplified Bible says, "Love is every ready to believe the best of every person." WOW!.. Love not only forgets when someone wrongs them, but it also goes on to believe and expect the best from them.
I know a young man who has made his fair share of bad choices. Mess up after mess up after mess up with no sign of change in sight. One day he did what everyone was expecting him to do. He messed up. I went to talk with him. 30 minutes of listening to him vent showed me that he felt nobody liked him, everybody thought he was a bad person…etc. I gave him some counsel, ministered to him and at the end of the talk, when I had no logical reason to do so I said, "I believe in you! I know you're going to do great! I see greatness inside of you waiting to come out. You're a mighty man of God!" I kinda almost wanted to question myself as I was saying these things, but I know it was the Love of God speaking through me. When I said those things something happened. He looked at me like he had never heard anything like that in his LIFE! He smiled from ear to ear. He teared up. He hugged me like I was his "B-F-F." That was in January, it's now April and he is a completely different person now. Other people have noticed the change in Him. He's always happy. The things that he used to do in rebellion he doesn't do anymore. He has a genuine love for God. All this, because one person believed the best in them even when there was no reason to outside of love. (This isn't to pat me on the back or say it was because of me. It could've been any donkey speaking.) When one person released God's love by believing in him and not holding his past against him, it opened him up to receive the love that God had for him. As long as he thought everyone else was mad at him and hated him, he thought the same about God. But when loved and believed in by someone, he was ready to be loved and believed in by God. Love believes the best in everyone. You believe the best and if someone fails.. you forgive and go right back to believing the best! Isn't that what Jesus has done for us? :)

I love you and believe in you! And even more importantly than that, Jesus loves you and believes in you!

-Stephen

This One's For the People

You know how there are different levels of lessons you learn? Like, there are lessons you can learn from one experience. You can learn a lesson from a series of events. You can learn a lesson from a class or a service. You can learn a lesson from someone's actions.

I've been learning a lesson for years now that I didn't realize I was learning until about a year ago. I suppose it's a lesson that I've been learning all my life, but at the same time, it's a lesson that I've really only mentally attended for about two years now.

This lesson hasn't come easily or without many smaller lessons contributing to this greater lesson. This lesson has been taught through many points of laughter… through being a part of and/or witnessing countless debates, arguments, fights!.. Through many misunderstandings.. Through many miscommunications.. many opportunities to forgive.

This lesson has had many teachers: My parents, my friends, my co-workers… that guy at Wal-Mart who apparently thought sentences are incomplete without the use of profanities.. the lady at the Cheesecake Factory who waited on my friend and me, who went on to basically tell us her life story and explain how she's barely holding on and pretty much expectant of the worst case scenario……. Basically anyone and everyone who I've encountered, witnessed or taken mental note of has been a teacher in this lesson. Then there is the author of the curriculum: Jesus.

One day I was very frustrated with a situation, a particular estrangement I was experiencing with a very close friend of mine. I was talking with the author (praying) about this when He just decided to give me a 3 word synopsis of this lesson:

"People+Are+People."

Uh… Yeah….

Those three words would put a context for many of the dealings I had experienced (including that present estrangement.) Those three words, as simple as they were (that rhymed), would give me an understanding that would help with every challenge with man I would face from then on. Every stupid misunderstanding, every personality conflict, every offense… could be explained, not answered or solved, but explained in "People are People."

THREE words! Only three words, yet so many angles from which those words could be viewed.

Every person I had ever seen, talked to, dealt with…etc.. all of them were people. All of US are people. Moreover, people are an imperfect people. Now before you start yelling at me "That's bad doctrine! I've been made perfect by the Blood of Jesus!" You are right in a sense. I don't know that I'd say we're "perfect." I believe the accurate Biblical term is "righteous." Because of the Blood of Jesus, we've been washed clean, redeemed, restored and placed back in right standing (righteousness) with God. But I like the way the Apostle Paul said it to the Philippians, - "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil 3:12-14)

If there was someone after Jesus who could've said, "Ya know.. I've pretty much got this down" it would've been the Apostle Paul. Yet, he knew that he was not yet perfected. If you jump back to the beginning of the same letter to the Philippians, you can see where he said, "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil 1:6) Paul new that God still had more work to do in him and more work to do in others. He was writing to believers, born again christians, and to them he said, "He will complete it in you UNTIL the day of Jesus Christ (A.K.A. the second coming of Jesus.) In other words, until Jesus comes back or we go to be with him via bodily death, He's still gonna be working on us.. ALL of us!

Sometimes we get all bent out of shape when someone does something we don't agree with. "Why would they do that?!?.. HOW could they do that?.." - "That's not how I was raised!" There are also all the times in which people become upset with us (yay my favorite!) "WHAT?!?!… I NEVER said that!" - "Are you serious?.. that's not what I meant!" - "I was just joking!" - "Why would that bother them so much? Anyone else would've laughed at that!" - "Surely they would know that THAT was never my intention…."

We must realize that everyone we ever encounter or witness in any manner whatsoever, is a human being. Jesus was the only human that was fully God and fully man at the same time. The rest of us are still being perfected, having to constantly put our flesh in its place, renew our mind and feed our spirits.

Sometimes we expect of people what we should only expect from God. We expect people to handle situations flawlessly and if they don't, we see them differently or do really what is called "judging." Before you get to mad at me, I'm not saying that we think they're no longer righteous or not saved… and I'm not saying that we put ourselves in God's place as "THE Judge." I'm saying that we perceive them differently. The word "judge" in verb form means: to form an opinion or conclusion about. With that definition in mind it seems like we do judge quite a bit more than we think we do. Oh I mean we'll "walk in love"…. "I'll love em, but I'm gonna keep my eye on them." A conclusion is made based on their actions. We put them in a class or category that is treated differently.

When I'm faced with thoughts of "They messed up!?.." or "they messed up AGAIN?!".. the most sobering and probably the most healthy question I can ask myself is, "How many times have you been forgiven and trusted with things AFTER you've failed?.. How many times has God forgiven you Stephen? And for the same thing!?.." I'm thankful that the Jesus who said, "forgive seventy times seven" is the same Jesus whom I've had to ask for such forgiveness. He is also the same Jesus who said, "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.." (Matt 6:15)

But the real factor here is just that we must forgive, but really the manner of forgiveness. Col 3:12-13 says, "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do." Notice the wording "even AS Christ forgave you, so you also must do." So it's not just that we must, it's that we must forgive AS Christ forgave us, or the same way He forgave us.

I conclude two things about the way Jesus forgives: 1- He forgives and he forgets. Once you've been cleansed by the Blood of Jesus, you have been justified (just as if it never happened.) He doesn't hold things over our heads and treat us differently. Remember, the blood of bulls and goats in the old testament provided ATONEMENT (the covering of sins), Jesus' blood provides REMISSION (the removal) of sins. They're gone! So when He forgives us and doesn't bring out faults, shortcomings and mistakes back up, that is the same WAY we are to forgive. 2- He forgives BEFORE we ever sin against him. He gave His life for sins that we would commit 2,000 years later. His forgiveness is there, waiting for any and all who would confess their sins and receive his forgiveness. So my new position when someone wrongs me is this, "I forgive." They don't even have to ask. Even if they never ask, I want to be like Jesus and He provided forgiveness before I ever came to Him asking for it.

We must realize that the rest of our lives we will be dealing with people who are imperfect. These people, (ourselves included) that have personalities different than ours, backgrounds different than ours, weaknesses different than ours, strengths different than ours, tempers different than ours, views different than ours……. Therefore, there is no formula for our dealings with others. Each person must be treated as the unique individual that they are. I've found every time I pray "Lord change them" or "Fix them Lord" I'm usually the one that He ends up working on. When I try to show Him their laziness, He'll show me my impatience. I had to realize it's His job to work on people not mine. What is my job is to Love them.

1 Cor 13 tells us what I believe are two of the most powerful traits of Love. Love keeps no record of wrongs and Love believes all things. We are called to walk in love with EVERYONE and the in which we are called to operate is the love which keeps no record of wrongs. Just remember how much you've been forgiven and that'll really help you get over someone else's error. Consider the woman in John chapter 8. All the people wanted to stone her because she'd been caught red handed in the act of adultery (Que Shaggy's "It Wasn't Me.") When Jesus said, "Let him who has no sin cast the first stone." Funny how no one could bring themselves to stone her. Jesus told her, "I don't condemn you either. Go and sin no more."
That second trait was "Love believes all things." The Amplified Bible says, "Love is every ready to believe the best of every person." WOW!.. Love not only forgets when someone wrongs them, but it also goes on to believe and expect the best from them.
I know a young man who has made his fair share of bad choices. Mess up after mess up after mess up with no sign of change in sight. One day he did what everyone was expecting him to do. He messed up. I went to talk with him. 30 minutes of listening to him vent showed me that he felt nobody liked him, everybody thought he was a bad person…etc. I gave him some counsel, ministered to him and at the end of the talk, when I had no logical reason to do so I said, "I believe in you! I know you're going to do great! I see greatness inside of you waiting to come out. You're a mighty man of God!" I kinda almost wanted to question myself as I was saying these things, but I know it was the Love of God speaking through me. When I said those things something happened. He looked at me like he had never heard anything like that in his LIFE! He smiled from ear to ear. He teared up. He hugged me like I was his "B-F-F." That was in January, it's now April and he is a completely different person now. Other people have noticed the change in Him. He's always happy. The things that he used to do in rebellion he doesn't do anymore. He has a genuine love for God. All this, because one person believed the best in them even when there was no reason to outside of love. (This isn't to pat me on the back or say it was because of me. It could've been any donkey speaking.) When one person released God's love by believing in him and not holding his past against him, it opened him up to receive the love that God had for him. As long as he thought everyone else was mad at him and hated him, he thought the same about God. But when loved and believed in by someone, he was ready to be loved and believed in by God. Love believes the best in everyone. You believe the best and if someone fails.. you forgive and go right back to believing the best! Isn't that what Jesus has done for us? :)

I love you and believe in you! And even more importantly than that, Jesus loves you and believes in you!

-Stephen

Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt

I recently had a friend message me about some doubts that they were facing and battling. They had asked "How do you know God is real beyond the shadow of a doubt?" and stated how they were struggling with not feeling God in their life.

I prayed about what to say, asked the Holy Spirit to lead me, then began typing. 3o minutes later what you are about to read was done. I have removed their name of course and anything that would allude to them. But I do believe the Lord wants me to post this to help anyone else who is struggling with the same things. Sure, possibly more or less could've been said, but I believe the Lord said what He wanted to be said. I hope and pray that this ministers to you as well.

BEYOND THE SHADOW OF A DOUBT:

I've wondered before, "God, why don't you just show yourself to us? Why don't you just reveal yourself to the world? I know you're capable. You could show yourself to the whole world in 2 seconds and EVERYONE would know that you are real and that you are God! It would put to end any and all religious debates and wars. And your Word says that you desire that all would come to repentance and to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. That would happen if you would show yourself to people."

It seems so easy.. so simple right? If he would just do that, all the problems in the world would just end right? No more questions.. no more doubts…

But then I think about this, as we are told in the account of Genesis, God created everything that exists, including Adam and Eve. It goes on to say that He walked and talked with them in the cool of the day. Adam and Eve saw and knew God in a way that we cannot until our time on this earth is over. They knew God very well in the way that you are asking about (beyond the shadow of a doubt) and in the way that I was referring to in my previous wonderings.

Yet, even though they knew Him in such a way, satan still deceived them and caused the greatest tragedy that ever happened in history, "The Fall of Man." How could he do such a thing? He deceived them. Yet, it's difficult for me to understand how he could've been successful in doing so when they walked with God, knowing Him beyond the shadow of a doubt. God had told Adam and Eve a very small list of "to do's": Be fruitful and multiply..replenish and subdue the earth, watch and keep the garden, exercise dominion and authority in the earth, and DO NOT EAT OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. That's it. Very clear. Yet the serpent came and what did he do when deceiving Eve? He got her to question God's Word; "Did God REALLY say that?… no no no.. He doesn't want you to be like Him knowing both good and evil." Now Eve knew better. She knew what God's Word was because she said, "He has told us that we should not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for the day we eat of it, we shall surely die." Even though she knew what God said, she was still deceived because she did not exercise the dominion she was given and say, "NO YOU STUPID SNAKE! I told you GOD said, you shall not eat of that tree! Now you are a liar and I have dominion so you get the heck out of here and don't ever come back!"…. Oh what life would be like right now had that happened.. haha! But we know what did happen.

What am I trying to say?.. What am I getting at? Deception and questioning God's Word is satan's first and most common weapon. He is a liar, always has been since his fall and always will be. The Bible tells us he is the author of all lies. Now, when Adam and Eve believed the lie they empowered the liar. (You believe a lie you empower the liar - Bill Johnson.) They HAD authority and dominion because it was given to them by God. But when they believed the lie and neglected God's Word, they then empowered the liar. They were born of God. They were God's children. When they ate of the fruit, exactly what God said was gonna happen, happened. Did they fall over dead? No. Their spirits died and the downward spiral of death began in their bodies. At that point, they were no longer God's children. They became the devils children. Sounds kind of harsh and drastic right? But it's the truth. Think about it, why did Jesus tell the pharisees in the new testament (who were not saved and hated Jesus) "If you were of my Father you would love me… you are of your father the devil and the desires of your father you want to do!" Every person born from Adam and Eve inherited the new family genes, being the sin nature instead of God's divine nature as was originally planned. Everyone from then on out was a child of the devil. Stinks for us.

Enter the need for the miracle that has become a spiritual cliche to many: being "born again!" Why is it that this was the wording that Jesus chose to describe salvation in John chapter 3? Because that was what was necessary. Because of sin, man was separated from God because sin cannot exist in God's presence and neither can death. When they disobeyed God, their spirits died. Now someone had to pay the bill. As it tells us in Romans, the wages (or cost) of sin is death. It also tells us that sin entered the world and death by sin, or death entered the world through sin. All that to say, that's what Jesus was talking about when He told Nicodemus, "You must be born again." In essence He was saying, "You're dead and unless you are born, you can't live, especially not in God's Kingdom."

Forgive me if you're sitting here scratching you're head saying… "Uh.. DUH! Elementary Stephen…"

But here is the catch. Millions of people in the world today, don't understand christianity or receive it because they perceive it as a religious system in which you must be good and if you are then you can receive Jesus and He'll accept you. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Jesus came to pay the bill. Man racked up the bill with sin and the payment was death. God being good and merciful and loving beyond mental comprehension, sent Jesus to pay what man could never pay in his best efforts. The wages of sin: death. The (free) gift of God: eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 6:23). The greatest tragedy: man being separated from God. The greatest triumph: Jesus paying the price so that broken, hopeless and dying man could once again, have access to God and have the God kind of life; abundant life.

What made Jesus different from everyone else? Is it that He was God/man? Yes and no.. the real difference is found in the virgin birth. Why was that so important? Because as stated earlier, everyone was born from Adam, therefore receiving the sin nature from their father the devil. Jesus, on the contrary, was not conceived by a man, but by the Holy Spirit as it tells us in Matthew chapter 1. Therefore, Jesus was born of God. And here is the beautiful part, the very same Holy Spirit that conceived Jesus in Mary's womb, is the very same Jesus who conceives life inside of us, birthing God's spirit inside of us once again. Also the very same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus up from the dead. Also the very same Holy Spirit that dwells in us. (Rom 8:11) Romans chapter 8 tells us that NOW, when we've been born again, we have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry "Abba Father" or "Daddy God!" The essence of our new life in Christ is that we are children of God! What a miracle. It's not just a bunch of stupid spiritual cliche's. It is an absolute spiritual truth. When you receive the payment of Jesus and His perfect blood and then allow the Holy Spirit to begin His good work in you, you are at that moment a child of God. 1 John 3:1 tells us that this is really the ultimate understanding of God's love; "Behold, what manner of love is this, that we should be called sons of God!" I can hear him saying that in just utter awe, "Do you see this?! What kind of love is this? That we are children of God?!"

(Once again this is all potentially stuff we've been hearing since childhood Sunday school classes.)

Then going back to Rom 8, it tells us that as we've received the spirit of adoption (God adopting us out of our terrible tragic state) it goes on to say that the Holy Spirit now bears witness with us IN OUR SPIRITS that we are sons (or daughters) of God. There is an inner witness in your spirit that you are a child of God. Is it in your head? NO! None of this makes sense to your head. It never will. That is why the Bible says that He has set eternity in our hearts (Ecc 3:11). Because our heart is capable of receiving what our mind is incapable of understanding. It doesn't make sense… IT MAKES FAITH! Faith is everything to God! Why? Why is He so big on faith? Because it was a lack of believing what He said in Genesis, that caused the original fall. Adam and Eve didn't believe what God said above the liars words. THAT is why God chooses to operate in faith and without "beyond the shadow of a doubt" proofs. He takes pleasure in the lives of those who will simply believe His Word. Think about it, if you told someone something and they didn't believe you but you were telling them the truth and you knew also that it was for their well-being, you would be very upset and frustrated. God wants us to have faith in Him and in His word without having to see it. Hebrews 11:6 tells us "without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God because he who comes to Him must first believe that He is (that He exists) and that He is a rewarder of those who DILIGENTLY seek Him. Jesus told the Pharisees "it is a wicked and adulterous generation that seeks a sign." Why is that? Because that is a generation that does not put it's faith in God's Word.

So many people get "saved" with this idea that "I have to be good and God will save me." Even if they know that Jesus paid the price, they still have that in the back of their mind. It's like cleaning yourself before taking a shower. The purpose of a shower is to get clean. Jesus came to change us from the inside out. Even the concept of salvation being available because you're more qualified than any other is the law and cannot save anyone. You receive Jesus and then you are a child of God, whether you feel like it or not. I'm not married, but I do know that a husband and a wife do not always FEEL in love. There are MANY times where love is a choice within a marriage. Feeling has nothing to do with it. Whether they feel like it or not, they are husband and wife. Those are the days, when love is tested. The days they don't feel like loving each other. It's the same with God. The days we don't FEEL christian, the days we don't FEEL like God is anywhere close… it's those days that we have to tell ourselves, "I am in covenant with God! I am a child of God! Whether or not I feel like it… I AM! Why? Because God's Word says so!" Faith has NOTHING to do with feeling and EVERYTHING to do with what God's Word says.

2 Corinthians chapter 5:10 says, "Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God; bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." We have the same authority and dominion that Adam and Eve had, since we are now children of God, just like they were before the fall. According to that verse in Corinthians, we have the right to cast down thoughts and arguments and ideas that enter our head that do not line up with God's Word. You don't feel God or feel close to God? Cast those thoughts down! And then replace them with what the Word of God says about you! If you've received Jesus and are born again, then YOU ARE a child of God! You ARE righteous, no matter how many mistakes you've made. There is nothing you can do wrong that Jesus can't make right! He's more of a restorer than we are broken. He's more of a healer than we are sick. He's more of a pursuer than we are lost. He is better than we are bad!

This all comes easier with the more of God's Word that you know. Jesus said, you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. The more truth you know the less likely you are to be deceived. The more time you spend meditating on the Word of God, when a thought comes that doesn't line up with the truth, you'll know the truth and you can say, "NOPE… that's not what God's Word says. I believe God's Word!"

I hope that helps some! I'll be praying for you. I guess the ultimatum is, You can only know by faith. And that faith pleases God. And when you step out in faith to believe Him and IN Him, then His spirit bears witness with your spirit. I know NOW beyond all shadow of a doubt because I KNOW Him. I have a relationship with Him. I talk with Him and He talks with me. I know His voice. It's not an audible booming voice. It's once again, a inner voice I hear by faith in my spirit. The same way no one can ever convince me that you don't exist, because I know you… No one can convince me that God doesn't exist.. because I know Him.

Romeo oh Romeo! What kind of Love are you oh Romeo?!

Well.... I guess it's time again for another blog... Actually it was time probably about 3 months ago.. but HEY!.. I've got something for you RIGHT NOW! Check it:

RECENT PONDERING-NESS:

Every human is CREATED with a desire to know God. Or maybe more so a "draw" to know Him. We all have a void that only God can fill and/or satisfy.

Why is it that so many (if not all) commit the highest level of pursuit, focus and achievement to finding love? Because God is Love (1 John 4:8) and we are created with a draw, longing, purpose... for and of love. This is why people are always searching for love. This is why people want to be loved. This is why people (even wicked people) want to give love, because we were created in the image of Love. {Gen 1:27+1 John 4:8=previous statement.}

Now people who have not met Jesus and thus encountered the perfect, unconditional Love of God, only know earthly love and therefore seek it as the pinnacle of life. To love and to be loved is ultimate... Although this is very true, it is not true within earthly relationships. To love God and to be loved by God is the reason we were created.. and honestly that should be flipped because we love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19.) God created us to be loved by Him and to love Him. There lies our single primary purpose in life. The heart will NEVER be satisfied until it's purpose is fulfilled.

Most people not knowing God's Agape Love, seek for His void to be filled or satisfied with Eros (Romantic Love), which is SO exciting and pleasing that, when first found, can distract from that void and longing for the eternal love we were designed to know. When "Honeymoon Phase" is over, the void resurfaces driving one back to the pursuit of Love.

This is why "Game Night" with the guys and "Girls Night Out" often become more anticipated events than the Eros of a non-Christ-centered marriage. Being inevitably let down by the love that was thought to be ultimate, people who don't know Agape then move on to seek fulfillment in Phileo (Brotherly Love) and Storge (Familial Love.) Camaraderie, friendship, fame, social acceptance and gatherings.... are plenty in their opportunities to pose as "void-fillers." And they do their part in yet again distracting from the void of Love that remains unmatched and untouched because it is not understood.

No matter how captivating the Eros, the connection created there was one that God designed to strengthen the Love between a husband and wife, NOT to replace the Love of the Heavenly Father. If this Eros is not established on the firm foundation of Christ, the house will fall causing detrimental amounts of damage. This Love does answer one of the 2 primary purposes in marriage. The first purpose in marriage is to help each other (Gen 2:18) and the second , which is the one I'm referring to, is to advance the Kingdom of God by being fruitful and multiplying (Gen 1:22.) Marriage, a Kingdom purpose? Yes.. Marriage, the meaning of life? No! (Well unless you're referring to the Bride of Christ and the Marriage Feast of the Lamb.. but that's not what we're talking about here.) If Eros and marriage were the meaning of life, Paul would not have said in 1 Cor chapter 7 that it is good for man not to marry if he can control himself. With Eros not being the meaning of life or the pinnacle as so many perceive it to be, it will fail to ultimately fulfill and satisfy.

No matter how enjoyable the Phileo and/or Storge, the time will come when friends, family, comrades, colleagues... will fail you. When all other relationships are absent, what sustains him who's purpose is found inside these relationships? Although these relationships are very important for edification, encouragement, strengthening, comforting, exhorting, sharpening.. really any and all social purposes as well.. they do not answer the meaning of life or that void that screams at you when lying in bed at night, silent and solitary apart from all others.

People are searching for Love. Only the ignorant (perhaps that's too harsh of a word).. the untold or uniformed search for fulfillment in the natural relatives of who God is. God is Love. Not Eros, Phileo or Storge, God is defined in Agape. His unconditional Love which is made available to us by His Grace (proof of His love) by faith in Him. When one finds purpose in His love AND ONLY IN HIS LOVE, that.. is when you are completely satisfied and fulfilled. No matter the circumstances or what your 5 natural senses dictate you, no matter your feelings or emotions, no matter what you could gain or loose... (time for the plug of my favorite verse):

Phil 3:8-"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ."

How could Paul talk this way? I mean SERIOUSLY?!... EVERYTHING?!... GARBAGE?!.. It sounds to me like He had experienced the Agape Love of God. He found the Love His heart was searching for even though he denied it in his mind. He found the Love His heart was searching for even when he was persecuting that Love. Paul (formerly known as Saul) was WELL aware of all he had done against Jesus... and to think.. This Jesus still loved him.. still wanted to be with him.. still wanted to know him.. still wanted to use him.. still forgave him.. still pursued him.. Agape... Paul found his meaning in Agape and it changed his life.

Let the Agape Love of God be found in you today. No void.

Rom 5:8-"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

The Channel or the Source?

Today's posting might take a little maturity to read. If you find yourself giggling and chuckling at the mention of human anatomy, then you might need to graduate from the Jr. High mentality before reading this one. Having said that... Let's get to it! :)

The Channel or The Source:

What's the ugliest word in western civilization right now?... Are you ready?.. Brace yourself! I mean it's hideous! Repulsive! Obnoxious! Just outright disgusting.... Here it goes:

"ECONOMY"

Woo!... See? Told you. That word has the same nasty aftertaste as brushing your teeth and drinking a cold glass of OJ shortly thereafter. You want to just wash it down with some water ASAP and forget what it ever tasted like. But unfortunately that taste doesn't go away quickly or easily. That word seems to demand a large majority of new media's attention and discussion. That word seems to send the hearts and minds of many on a long, bumpy, miserable road trip of depression.

Many hear the word "economy" then look at their current financial status and are bombarded with fear. Many "Believers".. sadly.. live in this constant anxiety.

I stumbled across a verse yesterday that could potentially be awkward (talking to the Jr. High mindset.) But as I read it again, the Lord showed me something I didn't see at first.

Psalm 22:9 (NLT)- "Yet you brought me safely from my mother's womb and led me to trust YOU at my mother's breast.

Now what is  the mother's breast to a newborn baby? It is the place of nourishment that the baby comes to continually to receive the milk that gives life. The baby is incapable of providing for itself and therefor returns over and over to it's mothers breast for that food, for that provision.

Now having established that, going back to the verse, the Psalmist David said, "and led me to trust YOU at my mother's breast." Notice that he wasn't led to trust his mother's breast or his mother. He was led to trust GOD... AT his mother's breast. He realized that his mother was not the SOURCE but merely a CHANNEL for the Source to send provision through. It's often easy for us to put our trust in our "Mother's Breast" A.K.A- Job, Stock Market, Economy.. our NATURAL means of financial provision or income. We tend to see the natural things that our provision comes THROUGH instead of the source that actually sends the provision through which is only a channel. Your job, stocks, partners.... etc, are only channels that God uses to get his provision to you. It's when you begin to trust in those Channels instead of The SOURCE that everything falls apart. That's when you lose peace. That's when you let fear enter. That's when you battle anxiety and depression.

We are not led to trust our Job, our boss, our stocks... We are led to trust GOD.. AT our jobs. Our means of income is only a Channel through which the Source sends provision. WE ARE LED TO TRUST GOD!

I was talking to my Dad on the phone the other day and he said some pretty profound things (which happens almost every time I talk to him. I'm blessed.) I'm about to do some MAD paraphrasing of what my Dad said. Here goes:

When an Ambassador is sent to a foreign country on behalf of his government with the purpose of representing his government, that Ambassador's provision is not determined by the economy of the nation TO which he was sent. He receives his provision from HIS homeland economy. It doesn't matter if he is sent into the most poverty stricken nation in the world. His provision is from those who sent him.

2 Cor 5:20 says, "So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” So if we are Christ's Ambassadors, then our provision is not determined by the economy of where He sent us to. As long as we continue to accurately represent Him and speak on His behalf and trust in Him, then HE will continue to fund our cause.

We need to release the fear that comes from trusting in our "Mother's Breast" and embrace the peace that comes from trusting our Source, the one True, Living God Almighty! The God who owns the gold and the silver and the cattle on a thousand hills. He will get His provision to you through whatever channel He needs to. He is not limited by our Jobs or lack thereof. He is not limited by the economy. Better news, He is not limited by ANYTHING! Trust Him.

Much Love!

Stephen

TBI Class of 09' Commencement

Well... this is it.. The BIG day! Today we will graduate the Texas Bible institute class of 2009! WOW! I'm continually amazed at God's goodness, especially within the student body. To be able to watch a group of hundreds of young people come and consecrate 9 months of their life unto God. A season to prepare them for all other seasons. A stage in their life that trains them for any stage they may stand ON in their life. I've watched them grow, learn, praise, worship, serve, minister, lead, love, forgive, endure trials, stretch their faith, experience miracles... I've watched them become the Men and Women of God that HE created them to be. I MARVEL at what God has done in, for and through them. Many people go through their lives just wishing and hoping they could see or experience a miracle. I have had the privilege of witnessing the MANY miracles of what is a TBI student. I am eternally grateful.

  Not only have I witnessed, but I have also had the honor of being a part of their lives. To have been able to sow, impact, affect, minister to, encourage them in anyway has been by the Grace of God. I am humbled to have been used by Him in their lives. All glory and honor is HIS! I can't help but feel like a proud Pop in this situation. And yet another one of the greatest things about it all is that not only have I had the opportunity to impart what I have into them, but their lives have blessed me more than they will probably ever know! I have learned from THEM!

What AMAZING caliber of Men and Women of God are the Texas Bible Institute students!

So now I have the bitter/sweet.... celebration/challenge of releasing them into their next season. Some will stay and serve along side us (which I am more excited about than a years supply of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.) I look forward to being able to continue a cultivation of what has been taking place in their lives over the past 9 months. Some will move on to college, trade school, ministry, the workplace. But I KNOW that God will continue to do AMAZING things with ALL of them!

Philippians 1:6- being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (NLT)

I'm confident in God and His ability to continue to grow the EVER-LIVING seeds of His Word in their lives. His Word NEVER returns void. It ALWAYS accomplishes what it was sent out to do! God is not a man that He should lie nor the son of man that He should repent. Hath he said it and will he not do it? Or hath he spoke it and will he not make it good?

 

-To all TBI students (and truly to any born again believer)-

The seed of the Word of God has been sown into your lives. It is now your choice to be the fertile soil that Jesus spoke of in Matthew chapter 13. Be the soil that brings forth a harvest of all that was sown and invested into your lives. I believe you will! I look forward to hearing MANY testimonies down the road of how God used you in RIDICULOUS, HAD TO BE GOD, OUTRAGEOUS ways! So do tell.

Philippians 1:3-6

³ Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. ⁴ Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, ⁵ for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. ⁶ And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

I'm proud of you, I believe in you and I love you!

Your partner in spreading the Good News-

Stephen

The Kick Off!

Ok... So this is actually a blog I posted last year. BUUUUUT... it's the only blog I've ever posted.. AAAAND.. it was my first blog.. AAAND since I'm kicking off my new blog site (which will be updated on a regular basis) I thought why not just repost this one to get the ball rollin?!.. plus it's full of Biblical truths.. which don't change.. so the date it was originally created is irrelevant. As it says in 2 Tim 3:16- "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR CHECKING OUT MY BLOG!.. happy readings!

Here goes nothin! My first attempt at a blog... kinda nervous... kinda excited!... kinda wonderin what I'm gonna eat for dinner...

A sandwich probably... Ham, cheese (American at that), miracle whip (mayo's way cooler cousin) and finally spicy nacho doritos to give it some of that kick!...but Like a good friendly kick, ya know... non-offensive and what not!

Believe it or not, there is a purpose to this blog!

So lately I've been studying (I know it's hard to believe but it's true) and observing (who?.. you?... me?... Peter Frampton?) and thinking (it's dangerous!) I was having a very intriguing conversation with my two Y-named friends, Youngblood and Yoshi, and we were just coversing about whatever topic developed from the last. Very fun, interesting,...and INCREDIBLY sharpening! But there was a point where something was said along the lines of "...you come to TBI (texas bible institute for those who might not know) to learn more about God and to prepare for your future. At that moment a thought crossed my mind that would ammend such a purpose of attending Bible school. Although one might come to learn more about God and prepare for their purposed future, I believe we come and learn more about God, more about, people, and more about ourselves....maybe not as much of a "BAM" to you as it was to me. We learn more about God and the way he acts and reacts with people. We learn more about people and how they act and react with God. But I think mostly we learn more about ourselves and how we act and react with God and People.

I realized somthing the other day... WE.. ARE.. HUMANS! Deep I know! Which creates and immediate challenge to all Christians. Because what is a Christian?... without getting in to all sorts of deep theological debates about what makes one truly a Christian or not... Last time I checked I believe the term "christian" simply meant something like "Christ like."

So here we are christians... Ones who are llke Christ... 2 Cor. 5:20 tells us that we are God's ambassador's, that God is making his appeal through us, and that we actually speak for Christ. We carry representation on the present earth for Jesus Christ, the HUMAN presentation of God's heart.

Galatians 5:17 says,
"For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want."

So we Christians are humans who have a "sin nature" AND have the spirit of Christ Jesus within us. They are constantly at war! We as christian human beings are not entirely Godly nor entirely flesh.

So we have this not so "petite" assignment of REPRESENTING Almighty God and his heart on the earth, yet we are flawed humans. Emphasis on the word "representing" b/c this is the catch that helps us humans out!

John 1:1 in the NLT says, "In the beginning the Word already existed. He was with God, and He was God. The "He" referred to in this verse is Jesus. Then verse 14 says, "So the Word became HUMAN and lived here on EARTH among us." SOOOO... Jesus came to earth as a PRESENTATION of God in human form. Notice Jesus came as the ultimate PREsentation of God. We are to be the REpresentation of God. As flawed humans with a sin nature we are incapable of flawlessly representing God to the world. That is why God came to the earth in Human form as Jesus to PREsent himself to us. Now we know that Jesus, the human form of God was on the earth for 33 years and then he ascended into heaven which it talks about in the last chapters of Mark and Luke. After Jesus presented God's heart in the ULTIMATE display of love, he then went to heaven and left us with the assignment of REpresntation.

Jesus presented.... we represent or re-present.

The more I study Jesus, the more I realize I only need to be completely selfless!...ONLY.. :) I believe in every story and every account of Jesus' life, he only did what was the least selfish thing to do. He was selfless. Now in John chapter 11 we read about Jesus weaping and mourning the loss of Lazerous. In Mark chapter 11 we can read about Jesus cursing the fig tree because he was hungry and it had no fruit for him...(another whole can of worms). So we see in John chapter 11 that jesus dealt with emotions just like we do and in Mark chapter 11 we see that he dealt with physical human harships just like we do...yet he never sinned.

Why do humans sin?... because we're doing what pleases us. We're doing what WE want... Selfishness!... Think about it.. would any sin take place if there were no such thing as selfishness and every person only did things with others in mind and we were allll completely selfless?
*in a british accent*
I think not!
*back to American*
You see when Adam sinned he stepped into the sin nature that we've all known. He then passed it on to his children...then their children...and their children... ALL THE WAY TO US! Yet if Jesus was born a human through labor why is it that he was not born with the sin nature?... I believe it's because he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and not a man (Matt. 2:18.) As it says in John 3:6- Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. He was the Son of God not of Adam, therefore having God's devine nature not Adam's sinful nature. 

So that is why we must be born again!!! Wooo-hooo for christian cliche's that can lose the depth of their meaning when said so much and not explained! =D Romans 8:9 says, "You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ." When we become born again we are then born of God and receive his nature! Pretty amazing when you just sit there and think about that alone for any amount of time lastiing more than 10 seconds.

So it's the spirit of God within us that should be leading our desires... not our fleshly selfishness. 

I have found a new question to ask myself continually throughout the day that has helped me in so many ways.... it goes like this... *clears throat*.... "Stephen (that's me) what is the LEAST selfish way to handle this situation?"... I've found that asking myself that and then following it up with the actions of "least selfishness" is always the best and the right thing to do.

I'm hungry... So I'm going to go have a meeting with that sandwich now!

So the war wages on....

I love you, Stephen