"O foolish Gentiles! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?"
Galatians 3:1
In this passage Paul is writing a letter to the churches of Galatia where he asks why they are twisting what Paul just told them about the truth and making it into their own type of religion reflecting much of the modern-day "Word of Faith" movement. Paul showed the law of Christ before them and as trials started to arise their faith was only partially rooted to good soil, thus, making their own presupposition of what God should be doing for them, instead of them asking what can we do for Christ.
I find myself doing a lot of the same things and having the same ideas of much of the Gentiles had. It is so easy to see things going wrong and find the first person to blame, the catch, there is no one to blame but ourselves. God is not the reason for our want to live in the sinful desires of our flesh. If we are so well planted in the word then sin would disgust us. The temptation of sin will always be there but it is what we do with that urge is where we make our stand either in Christ or ourselves. We've seen that we can't do it on our own, yes, sometimes you see drug addict comes to realization of how the drugs are affecting them. But where does that conviction come from? Certainly not the devil, then who? Jesus Christ! Without His grace and mercy we would still be doing the same things we were doing before we accepted Christ into our hearts.
Without Christ being the reason for changing (not His blessings or the "good things" He is offering) then what good would it be to even change? For ourselves? This life will pass away and our souls to the Father will be what counts. Are we truly giving up everything that the world perverted us to believe was "fun" for Christ and His salvation, or for the "good things" that he promised?
If you died and went to heaven and everything was great, no death, no sickness, no arguing, perfect in a sense,would you be content to be there if God was not there?
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
"Black Magic?"
Recently I attended a youth group with my friend Brian who was living at my house because of family issues and he wanted to go with his friend Matt. So I decided to go along with them to see what this youth group was about.
When we arrived at the church we came early because of a miscommunication of when the youth group started. The youth pastor at the church asked us to wait outside in the back with the other kids until the night began. Upon walking into the back there were kids making out in the corner clinging on each other and all that jazz... So played basketball and football to pass time until the eent started. At 6:30p.m. the youth group started, the played music tht had the same repeated chorus pattern and hung on to one phrase or one word for a good 5 to 10 minutes, I didn't think much of it because the church that I attended used to do the same thing. After playing and singing 3 songs the youth pastor asked us to sit down because we are going play a game. He then explained how the co-youth pastor and himself were at "Rock the Universe" and had a chance to really get to know each other nd the obtained a form of telepathic communication. So I went along with it because it was evident he ws trying to capture the attention of the other kids in the group. Later on after his explanation, he gave the game a name..."Black Magic". Instantly my first reaction was to yell "witchcraft!"...so Idid. Instantly I had about 50 eyes looking back at with me with a "how dare you say that" look. I looked over at my friend Dan and he asked again "what was the name of this game again?", again the youth pastor replied "Black Magic", so Dan took it upon himslf to yell out "witchcraft". I was in shock for awhile so I sat back prayed and went on with the evening.
The lesson was on a music video..."Reign Over Me" by "Mercy Me". After listening and watching the music video they handed out a worksheet with some questions like...
When we arrived at the church we came early because of a miscommunication of when the youth group started. The youth pastor at the church asked us to wait outside in the back with the other kids until the night began. Upon walking into the back there were kids making out in the corner clinging on each other and all that jazz... So played basketball and football to pass time until the eent started. At 6:30p.m. the youth group started, the played music tht had the same repeated chorus pattern and hung on to one phrase or one word for a good 5 to 10 minutes, I didn't think much of it because the church that I attended used to do the same thing. After playing and singing 3 songs the youth pastor asked us to sit down because we are going play a game. He then explained how the co-youth pastor and himself were at "Rock the Universe" and had a chance to really get to know each other nd the obtained a form of telepathic communication. So I went along with it because it was evident he ws trying to capture the attention of the other kids in the group. Later on after his explanation, he gave the game a name..."Black Magic". Instantly my first reaction was to yell "witchcraft!"...so Idid. Instantly I had about 50 eyes looking back at with me with a "how dare you say that" look. I looked over at my friend Dan and he asked again "what was the name of this game again?", again the youth pastor replied "Black Magic", so Dan took it upon himslf to yell out "witchcraft". I was in shock for awhile so I sat back prayed and went on with the evening.
The lesson was on a music video..."Reign Over Me" by "Mercy Me". After listening and watching the music video they handed out a worksheet with some questions like...
- How did the song make you feel?
- What are 10 things you like about God the most?
- Wat is the "coolest" thing about God tha intrigues you?
I couldn't covince myself to write anything down. I was in so much shock about what all was going on I couldn't think straight. I sat praying that there would be some scripture read... nothing was read. I walked out while they were handing out the next worksheet.
The event brought tears to my eyes and anger in my heart. I was so upset about all the wasted potential that was in that room.
Psalms 119:136 My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law.
Those "feelings" you can get anywhere. You can have a humonguous church and have all these people there but if God isn't there than it is a dead church. There is no life in it. J.D. Hatfield uses a grea analogy, " If your in heaven and God isn't there do you still want to be there?"... I'll answer that one for you, No! Because then what are we basing our lives upon the blessing and riches that God promises? or God and the other stuff is just extra?
You can watch music videos and read devotions but if that is all your reading to get your"fix" then there i no meat or solid ground in which your faith is being planted in.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Redemption
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live..." This means more than just submitting to God and sacrificing things in your life that would compromise your walk with God. Fully giving your life to God and letting Him have complete control over every action and ever thought that goes on. The word "crucified" means to put to death, to subdue. Putting to death the childish and immature things you used to do in your old life "...I no longer live" and putting on the new man created in and with Christ "...Christ lives in me." Your walk with God is a moment by moment process. Constantly praying, reading and studying your bible, and repentance.
The literal definition of faith is the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved. Fully trusting in God and His word even though trials and hardships arise we still have that reassurance that God is still with us. "...I will never leave you, nor forsake you."Hebrews 13:5 God gave His Son for us. As J.D. Hatfield says, " If you were the only sinner on Earth, Jesus Christ would of still died for you." Do not fall away from God, He still has you in His hands, not letting go. Though times seem hard and the days short God has everything worked out in accordance with His will.
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live..." This means more than just submitting to God and sacrificing things in your life that would compromise your walk with God. Fully giving your life to God and letting Him have complete control over every action and ever thought that goes on. The word "crucified" means to put to death, to subdue. Putting to death the childish and immature things you used to do in your old life "...I no longer live" and putting on the new man created in and with Christ "...Christ lives in me." Your walk with God is a moment by moment process. Constantly praying, reading and studying your bible, and repentance.
The literal definition of faith is the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved. Fully trusting in God and His word even though trials and hardships arise we still have that reassurance that God is still with us. "...I will never leave you, nor forsake you."Hebrews 13:5 God gave His Son for us. As J.D. Hatfield says, " If you were the only sinner on Earth, Jesus Christ would of still died for you." Do not fall away from God, He still has you in His hands, not letting go. Though times seem hard and the days short God has everything worked out in accordance with His will.
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