Where are you currently in life and what DROVE you there? For every place we have been in life, something DROVE us to it. Even for where we are going now, something is DRIVING us there? We must take time and find out what's pushing us. Is it money that DRIVES our life? Is it fame? Is it family? We must be careful as to what DRIVES us. We all do it! Whenever there's a famine, lack, or scarcity of something in our lives, it DRIVES us from where we are to a place that we think will provide pleasure only to take us to our doom.
What enemy of yours are you allowing to DRIVE your life? What mistake did you make in your past that you are allowing to DRIVE your life? Is whats Driving you Driving yourself and those you love to death?
Is there a absence of love in your life? This absence of love can DRIVE you to give yourself in empty to another just to feel wanted and/or needed. Ultimately this will leave lead to downfall by putting yourself into dangerous situations to do things that you said you would never do. Like giving yourself over to STD's, abuse, homosexuality, and orgy's. You will continually be in and out of meaningless relationships.
Is there a lack of peace? This lack of peace can DRIVE you to use drugs in order to gain a 'high' or an 'escape' from the cares of life. Once the high is over though, the problem or issue is still staring you in the face and has to be dealt with. This road causes drug addictions because the drug has been given a false sense of resolve.
Is there a lack of security? You will then spread gossip and lies about your so called friends in order to be the 'favorite' friend. You will say one thing to one friend, and another thing to the other all in the name of securing a friend. You will eventually always be involved in drama, fights, and lonely because no one will trust you. Letting insecurity DRIVE you, will leave you busted, disgusted, and alone. Do you want to be that person that everyone hates because you are messy with your friendships?
And just like Elimelech, we will die in our sickened state because we let famine or a lack of something drive us. In Ruth 1:1-5, there was a family lead by a man named Elimelech. This family lived in Bethlehem-Judah (the future birthplace of Christ). The family had a great life there until a famine came. Once the famine came Elimelech searched for answers on how to care for his family during this time. His search caused him to leave his settled homeland and move to Moab. Moab itself was quite a destitute and godless place. Elimelech had no idea this move would cost the ruin of his family. Both he and his sons died their leaving his wife behind widowed. The famine, a scarcity of food, DROVE Elimelech to a godless and destitute land that caused the death of his family. Why move and settle for such a land? Why leave what's working and settled for death?
If you let GOD DRIVE you, HE will never lead you to a place of total loss. Even if HE lead you to an unfamiliar place, it is not a loss because you are in the will of GOD. Even if HE leads to give up all your possessions, it is not loss because you are in the will of GOD. Even if HE leads you to a place of isolation, you will not be alone because you are in the will of GOD and GOD is DRIVING you to the destiny HE has for you. If GOD is not DRIVING your life, change vehicles and let HIM DRIVE your every move!
WHATS DRIVING YOU?
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Lethal Kool-Aid (What Most People Die From)
Which of these options do you think most people die from? Drugs? War? Cancer? Heart Attack? Water? Street Violence? Well, if you picked drugs you are wrong! If you picked cancer you are wrong! Heart attack and street violence...both wrong! We are down to water and war. That's right...war is also a loser. Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of diseases and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war!!! Isn't it crazy! In developing nations, their drinking water is a deadly mix of lethal kool-aid. This lethal mix is full of E. Coli, Hepatitis, Salmonella, and Cholera. Check out this Baby bottle. Would you give your baby this interesting looking "tropical punch"
90% of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and unhygienic living conditions are to children under five years old. WE CAN PREVENT DISEASE!!! The UN predicts that one tenth of the global disease burden can be prevented simply by improving water supply and sanitation. I am begging all my friends and family to check out this website and make a contribution to open a fresh water well that produces good clean water and eliminates lots of diseases. Your money can go a long way. This company is legit! Arlene and I really want to spread the word. Everybody, let's help get rid of the mix of "lethal kool-Aid" Those who have already partnered or who support this, leave a comment to help others see the need of fresh water.
http://www.charitywater.org/whywater/
http://www.charitywater.org/whywater/
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Enough is Enough
One day Marcus and J.R., two brothers, were watching a football game. They were at Marcus' house which was the eldest brother. Marcus had a wonderfully large plasma screen television bestowing upon him the duty of sharing all of its glory with all his die hard sports comrades. As they were watching the game, they began having a conversation about J.R.'s trouble in school. See J.R. had a hot head, easily angered at the slightest things. Marcus tells J.R. that he is too hot headed to develop good relationships with people. Marcus continues to say, "You should be more like me. It takes someone repeatedly and intentionally doing enough stupid stuff to me before I pop off at someone." Hearing this J.R. sits quietly planning the adequate amount of repeatedly and intentionally stupid stuff he could do to make Marcus upset.
J.R. began doing little things such as changing the channel at random in the middle of the game causing Marcus to miss big plays. J.R. began purposefully dropping large crumbs of potato chips all over the house and stepping on them as if he didn't see them making sure they were nice a smashed into the carpet. He then began to get cups of soda and tip them over enough so that they would spill. Marcus begins to get annoyed at the clumsiness of his little brother. Then, there was the straw that finally broke the camels back. J.R. filled a cup of soda and placed it on the coffee table in front of the TV. J.R. then, picks up his legs as if he is going to cross them and knocks the entire cup of soda off the coffee table as soda spills onto Marcus' plasma screen TV. Marcus jumps off the couch in a rage and finally confronts his brother. "Enough is enough! What is wrong with you? You are so clumsy! You have to be more careful!" J.R. looks at Marcus with an apathetic look, takes out a pad, and begins to write. This sends Marcus over the top. "What are you doing?" Marcus screams taking the pad out of J.R.'s hands. J.R. replies ever so gently, "I was just assessing the adequate amount of repeatedly, intentional, stupid stuff it would take to meet your standard of measure for enough repeatedly, intentional, stupid stuff. 35 crunched up chips in the carpet, 20 soda spills, and knocking over one cup of soda onto your plasma screen is sufficient enough to satisfy your need to be angry."
While J.R.'s methods may not be totally orthodox for his experiment, his quest to find what "enough" was for his brother brings out some points worth noticing. As J.R. discovered, "enough" is a sufficient and adequate amount of something to satisfy something else. In the Marcus' case, we found 35 crunched up chips in the carpet, 20 soda spills, and knocking over one cup of soda onto your plasma screen is sufficient enough to satisfy his need to be angry. Now, forget the entire story. The only thing I really want you to extract from this is the principle of "enough."
Do you know what is "enough" a sufficient and adequate amount of something to satisfy something in your life? It is important that we look at this principle of "enough" in reference to our lives. All human beings, everyday all day, do things to satisfy some kind a craving. Whether it's a burger to satisfy their hunger, or money to have bills paid, everyone has a craving for something and enact strategies and plans to satisfy their craving. What about the indefinable craving though? What about that craving in life that you can't pin point? You know that if you could satisfy this unexplainable craving that it would fulfill you and bring you to a place of contentment. So you began to try "enough" of any and everything to fill the craving. For the drug addict, they try drugs. And it actually seemed that it was the drugs that satisfied their craving until they went to use them again and found the satisfaction was fleeting. So they figured they didn't have "enough" drugs to satisfy the need. So what do they do? Of course, consume more drugs. What about the person who though they satisfied their craving by eating until the next time they had to consume more and more food to fill that they consumed "enough" to get them back to their happy place.
There are many more examples: How much more make-up will you put on your face for it to be "enough" to make you feel beautiful? How many more people will you need to bully to be "enough" to compensate for your self-esteem issues? How many more guys will you have to sleep with to be "enough" to make you feel wanted? Catch my drift. The answer is neither original nor shocking. Nothing on this earth will be "enough" to satisfy the unexplainable craving, neither will it even help you define your unexplained craving, but "ENOUGH is enough." "ENOUGH" is, has been, and always will be a limitless GOD whose powered is exercised without boundary. Until we really step out on faith and believe that GOD is enough to sustain life, we will blindly give ourselves to destruction of attempts to satisfy our craving for "enough." No matter where you are in life, anything you come up with will never match up, live up to, or be "enough" to satisfy your need for GOD. Paul experienced this when the LORD gave him a thorn in his flesh to keep him from becoming proud. About this thorn Paul sought GOD three separate times to do something to satisfy his need for peace and contentment. Paul says, "Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Cor 12:8-10 (NLT) The next time your unexplainable craving for "enough" of something captivates you, see it as a hunger pain for GOD. It like your souls way of reminding you it's time to fill up on GOD.
PEOPLE, WE MUST DROP MATERIALSIM AND OTHER ATTEMPTED REPLACEMENTS FOR GOD! REALIZE THAT HE IS THE ONLY REMEDY FOR "ENOUGH!" AS A MATTER OF FACT, HE HAS TO BE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO CONTINUE TO SUPPLY US WITH ENOUGH AND BE ENOUGH TO US! "ENOUGH (GOD)" is enough!
Chris Cross
J.R. began doing little things such as changing the channel at random in the middle of the game causing Marcus to miss big plays. J.R. began purposefully dropping large crumbs of potato chips all over the house and stepping on them as if he didn't see them making sure they were nice a smashed into the carpet. He then began to get cups of soda and tip them over enough so that they would spill. Marcus begins to get annoyed at the clumsiness of his little brother. Then, there was the straw that finally broke the camels back. J.R. filled a cup of soda and placed it on the coffee table in front of the TV. J.R. then, picks up his legs as if he is going to cross them and knocks the entire cup of soda off the coffee table as soda spills onto Marcus' plasma screen TV. Marcus jumps off the couch in a rage and finally confronts his brother. "Enough is enough! What is wrong with you? You are so clumsy! You have to be more careful!" J.R. looks at Marcus with an apathetic look, takes out a pad, and begins to write. This sends Marcus over the top. "What are you doing?" Marcus screams taking the pad out of J.R.'s hands. J.R. replies ever so gently, "I was just assessing the adequate amount of repeatedly, intentional, stupid stuff it would take to meet your standard of measure for enough repeatedly, intentional, stupid stuff. 35 crunched up chips in the carpet, 20 soda spills, and knocking over one cup of soda onto your plasma screen is sufficient enough to satisfy your need to be angry."
While J.R.'s methods may not be totally orthodox for his experiment, his quest to find what "enough" was for his brother brings out some points worth noticing. As J.R. discovered, "enough" is a sufficient and adequate amount of something to satisfy something else. In the Marcus' case, we found 35 crunched up chips in the carpet, 20 soda spills, and knocking over one cup of soda onto your plasma screen is sufficient enough to satisfy his need to be angry. Now, forget the entire story. The only thing I really want you to extract from this is the principle of "enough."
Do you know what is "enough" a sufficient and adequate amount of something to satisfy something in your life? It is important that we look at this principle of "enough" in reference to our lives. All human beings, everyday all day, do things to satisfy some kind a craving. Whether it's a burger to satisfy their hunger, or money to have bills paid, everyone has a craving for something and enact strategies and plans to satisfy their craving. What about the indefinable craving though? What about that craving in life that you can't pin point? You know that if you could satisfy this unexplainable craving that it would fulfill you and bring you to a place of contentment. So you began to try "enough" of any and everything to fill the craving. For the drug addict, they try drugs. And it actually seemed that it was the drugs that satisfied their craving until they went to use them again and found the satisfaction was fleeting. So they figured they didn't have "enough" drugs to satisfy the need. So what do they do? Of course, consume more drugs. What about the person who though they satisfied their craving by eating until the next time they had to consume more and more food to fill that they consumed "enough" to get them back to their happy place.
There are many more examples: How much more make-up will you put on your face for it to be "enough" to make you feel beautiful? How many more people will you need to bully to be "enough" to compensate for your self-esteem issues? How many more guys will you have to sleep with to be "enough" to make you feel wanted? Catch my drift. The answer is neither original nor shocking. Nothing on this earth will be "enough" to satisfy the unexplainable craving, neither will it even help you define your unexplained craving, but "ENOUGH is enough." "ENOUGH" is, has been, and always will be a limitless GOD whose powered is exercised without boundary. Until we really step out on faith and believe that GOD is enough to sustain life, we will blindly give ourselves to destruction of attempts to satisfy our craving for "enough." No matter where you are in life, anything you come up with will never match up, live up to, or be "enough" to satisfy your need for GOD. Paul experienced this when the LORD gave him a thorn in his flesh to keep him from becoming proud. About this thorn Paul sought GOD three separate times to do something to satisfy his need for peace and contentment. Paul says, "Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Cor 12:8-10 (NLT) The next time your unexplainable craving for "enough" of something captivates you, see it as a hunger pain for GOD. It like your souls way of reminding you it's time to fill up on GOD.
PEOPLE, WE MUST DROP MATERIALSIM AND OTHER ATTEMPTED REPLACEMENTS FOR GOD! REALIZE THAT HE IS THE ONLY REMEDY FOR "ENOUGH!" AS A MATTER OF FACT, HE HAS TO BE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO CONTINUE TO SUPPLY US WITH ENOUGH AND BE ENOUGH TO US! "ENOUGH (GOD)" is enough!
Chris Cross
Sunday, September 5, 2010
The Opponents Gameplan
The first rule of war is know thine enemy. We all recognize satan as the one who tempts us to do things that are contrary to GOD's command. The tempter does not come to us with random attempts to get us to fall. He has a plan and a process that he has been using since the creation of the world. The enemy is like a very crafty and successful coach. He studies tapes of all of out lives and finds our weak spots. Once he finds those weak spots he strategically puts the right people in place to open you open for his offensive attack. We talk about the Original Sin all the time, but let's look at the original temptation. Let's study the past game highlights on the tempters game tape. Let's learn his tactics so that when he attacks we can identify how he plans to attack our lives. We need to look at no more than satans first crafty attack on man kind, in the garden of Eden. Genesis chapter 3 is the game film we will study.
1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”
12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
13 Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”
“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”
Gen 3:1-13 (NLT)
1. Disbelief in GOD-The enemy tempts you to disbelieve GOD is more than enough. satan wants us to deny that GOD is all we need. satan got Eve to believe his plan was not the best path for her life. Once he gets us to invest into what could be a brief moment of disbelief, satan then offers an alternative plan.
2. The Alternative Plan-Anything alternative to the way GOD designed it is a work of satan and ungodly no matter how awesome it sounds. No matter how cunning and wise the alternative plan may sound, it will not lead you to where GOD has destined you nor will it align with his will. Therefore engaging in any alternative to GOD and His will (which is the only perfect and pure will by the way) is sin. The wages of sin bring death. When Adam & Eve accepted satans alternative to GOD original plan, they committed an act of sin and the ensuing result was death. Since the death is something we always talk about and know, let's talk about the shame Adam & Even endured for following satans alternative to GOD perfect will.
3. Guilt in Our Shame-Once we have followed the tempters alternative plan and come to the end we find ourselves in complete disgust. We find ourselves isolated, embarrassed, and ashamed for being so foolish. In the process we have hurt ourselves and others. We then begin to find coping mechanisms to cover our shame. We turn and run to cover ourselves from the world as to hide the a gun shot wound with a band-aid. People turn to drugs, sex, bullying, gossip, and some many other things to cover the shame. The blood of Christ, the Son of GOD, is the only thing sufficient enough to not only cover but cleanse our shame. It is at this truth that the tempter tries to blind us. He is one step away from his ultimate end goal. If we don't turn to the blood of Christ to cleanse our shame, we then hide ourselves from GOD, which is where satan wants to ultimately keep all people.
4. Guilt enough to hide from GOD-This was where the Creator finds Adam and Eve after they got to the enemy's step 3. They were hiding from the very GOD who had the best plan for their lives. This is satans overall goal. He wants to break the relationship between GOD and man and we aid him when we allow ourselves to get to step 4.
So what do we do after we identify these...
1. NEVER DOUBT GOD. RECOGNIZE HIS WILL IS THE ONLY PERFECT WILL. NEVER WAVER IN GOD
2. DONT ACCEPT THE ALTERNATIVE PLAN. IF IT IS NOT IN GODS WORD IT IS NOT HIS PLAN. DONT FOLLOW WHATS SOCIALLY ACCEPTED, FOLLOW THE WILL OF GOD
3. WHEN WE FIND OURSELVES IN GUILT, RUN TO GOD AND THE ARMS OF OUR SAVIOR AS FAST AS YOU CAN. REMEMBER NO MATTER HOW FAR YOU THINK YOU'VE STUNK THINGS UP, IT'S NEVER TO MUCH FOR GOD TO CLEANSE
4. WE DONT HAVE TO HIDE FROM GOD. FIRST OF ALL HE'S EVERYWHERE AT ALL TIME, HE'S ALL SEEING, AND ALL KNOWING. AND REMEMBER HE HAS YOUR BEST INTEREST IN MIND. "FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU, DECLARES THE LORD. PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT HARM YOU. PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE.
Be blessed. let always watch, fight, and pray.
Chris Cross
1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”
2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”
4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”
6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.
8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees.9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”
10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”
12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
13 Then the Lord God asked the woman, “What have you done?”
“The serpent deceived me,” she replied. “That’s why I ate it.”
Gen 3:1-13 (NLT)
1. Disbelief in GOD-The enemy tempts you to disbelieve GOD is more than enough. satan wants us to deny that GOD is all we need. satan got Eve to believe his plan was not the best path for her life. Once he gets us to invest into what could be a brief moment of disbelief, satan then offers an alternative plan.
2. The Alternative Plan-Anything alternative to the way GOD designed it is a work of satan and ungodly no matter how awesome it sounds. No matter how cunning and wise the alternative plan may sound, it will not lead you to where GOD has destined you nor will it align with his will. Therefore engaging in any alternative to GOD and His will (which is the only perfect and pure will by the way) is sin. The wages of sin bring death. When Adam & Eve accepted satans alternative to GOD original plan, they committed an act of sin and the ensuing result was death. Since the death is something we always talk about and know, let's talk about the shame Adam & Even endured for following satans alternative to GOD perfect will.
3. Guilt in Our Shame-Once we have followed the tempters alternative plan and come to the end we find ourselves in complete disgust. We find ourselves isolated, embarrassed, and ashamed for being so foolish. In the process we have hurt ourselves and others. We then begin to find coping mechanisms to cover our shame. We turn and run to cover ourselves from the world as to hide the a gun shot wound with a band-aid. People turn to drugs, sex, bullying, gossip, and some many other things to cover the shame. The blood of Christ, the Son of GOD, is the only thing sufficient enough to not only cover but cleanse our shame. It is at this truth that the tempter tries to blind us. He is one step away from his ultimate end goal. If we don't turn to the blood of Christ to cleanse our shame, we then hide ourselves from GOD, which is where satan wants to ultimately keep all people.
4. Guilt enough to hide from GOD-This was where the Creator finds Adam and Eve after they got to the enemy's step 3. They were hiding from the very GOD who had the best plan for their lives. This is satans overall goal. He wants to break the relationship between GOD and man and we aid him when we allow ourselves to get to step 4.
So what do we do after we identify these...
1. NEVER DOUBT GOD. RECOGNIZE HIS WILL IS THE ONLY PERFECT WILL. NEVER WAVER IN GOD
2. DONT ACCEPT THE ALTERNATIVE PLAN. IF IT IS NOT IN GODS WORD IT IS NOT HIS PLAN. DONT FOLLOW WHATS SOCIALLY ACCEPTED, FOLLOW THE WILL OF GOD
3. WHEN WE FIND OURSELVES IN GUILT, RUN TO GOD AND THE ARMS OF OUR SAVIOR AS FAST AS YOU CAN. REMEMBER NO MATTER HOW FAR YOU THINK YOU'VE STUNK THINGS UP, IT'S NEVER TO MUCH FOR GOD TO CLEANSE
4. WE DONT HAVE TO HIDE FROM GOD. FIRST OF ALL HE'S EVERYWHERE AT ALL TIME, HE'S ALL SEEING, AND ALL KNOWING. AND REMEMBER HE HAS YOUR BEST INTEREST IN MIND. "FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU, DECLARES THE LORD. PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT HARM YOU. PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE.
Be blessed. let always watch, fight, and pray.
Chris Cross
Monday, August 16, 2010
Living L.I.F.E. (Living Intentionally Focused Eternally) Prologue: Please Begin at The Beginning
Prologue: Please Begin at The Beginning
Congratulations! So, you have finally made the choice! On Sunday you stepped out on faith and proclaimed to GOD that, “you want to live for Him!” You want to be sold out. You want to change the way you live. You have even told the kids, “Things are going to change around here.” You’ve also told your dog, gold fish, the love seat, the daffodils, the mailman, and old man pushing the cart down the street that, “I’m living life in a new way! I discovered how horrible I was and how awesome GOD made me and I want to live for Him!” You took a leap of faith. You are deleting numbers of friends who bring negative energy around. You are waking up at 5:30 am to walk the dog, cook breakfast, read the paper, and then head to work at your cubicle from 9 to 5. You greet every coworker with a warm smile, including the boss you know hates your guts. Then, around 3:30 pm it begins to happen like it always does. You stub your toe while carrying hot coffee and spill it on your nice white shirt that you just bought to impress the people at work of your new life change. Your co-workers giggle and a grim smirk runs across the face of the boss who hates your guts. You forget to turn in some key documents before closing so now you have to plan to work at home after you pick the kids up from school, sit through their soccer practice, and prepare dinner. As you begin to prepare dinner you realize you need a trip to the grocery store but you have no money. Your kid brings you their report card full of c’s and f’s and a disciplinary report saying that they can’t return to school for 3 days. You know what that means…yep, a babysitter!!! Just as you go to call you remember that you don’t have the money to pay a sitter. It is now 10:30 and you have put the kids to bed and you are calculating income and expenses. As you do, you realize you forgot to pay the Entergy bill and you were already at the final “we are going to hunt you down if you don’t pay this bill” notice. You head back for the liquor cabinet to buzz yourself enough to feel numb of the pains of life. As you pour, you remember Pastor Comfort and his sermon about stepping out on faith. You remember running down the isle and falling at the altar yielding up all your desires before GOD. You have a choice to make. Do I go for the kill shot with the liquor buzz that I know will at least numb me? Do I try this Jesus stuff out and “trust in the Lord”
You choose the first and quite honestly I don’t blame you. You did everything the preacher said to do and there still wasn’t any extra wave of money pouring through and the kids are worst. The bills are still unpaid and shut off is inevitable. When this happened in the past they preacher said, “hold on and keep the faith.” You are still trying to figure out what he means by that. Once again, you take the shot of whiskey. I don’t blame you. Someone has just sent you on a magical rabbit hole chase in the middle of improbability land. With the liquor, you at least know that you are chasing it with mountain dew or sprite. That shot is not going to harm you bad as taking lofty advice that is unbiblical, impractical, ungodly, worldly, and irrelevant. I do, however, have to be honest. I do not encourage you to drown yourself in drunkenness under any circumstances. The scenario we saw in the beginning works for anyone trying to begin healthy habits, promote family time, and create a dynamic work ethic. You need certainty in life. You need understanding. You need a blue print! And probably unlike the rabbit hole teaching preacher would tell you, there is a definite blueprint. GOD’s intelligent and fascinating blue print for life is the only way, truth, and life. It’s not trying to live your life as the model perfect citizen in this world, but in understanding you were made by a divinely intelligent GOD, why he made you in the first place. That’s where you really need to begin, the foundations of existence as we know it. “So, where do you begin?” one ask. You always begin with the beginning!
For me, it is easier to learn a new process and function when I understand why the said event or object was established or made. Here is an example. In learning what it takes to make a delicious cake, I need to know the ingredients, right? Yes! True, I need to know the ingredients, but knowing ingredients only can be dangerous. I may decide to be liberal with the number of eggs I use, or the amount a vanilla that goes in the cake, or the amount of shortening I use. So, how do we keep a person from making an imbalanced cake? I propose that we explain not only the ingredients but what the function of each ingredient is. Once the explanation of function, make it practical and put it in perspective by telling them why too much or to little can sabotage your cake.
I want to help you stop living an imbalanced life? Sometimes “pie in the sky” spiritual teaching can make one super spiritual but no earthly good. Major danger facing this crew are things like emotionalism, legalism, traditionalism, that ultimately feeds into vain superstitions, and emotional manipulation. Paul teaches us to become all things to all people. Jesus told us in the great commission that our ultimate end is to learn of Him so we can go and make disciples and teach others of Him. I can tell you what was not in the great commission. He did not say go and build a multi-million dollar facility where a select group of people come and indulge themselves in overly ritualistic mysticism. He tells us “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matt 28:18-20 (NLT) Those who lock into “pie in the sky” are living imbalanced lives because the get so focused on prayer meetings, revivals, 30 hour praise services, that don’t share the burden of baring the gospel to those who are lost. In other words, the go directly against the command Jesus gives for all true disciples.
On the other end of the spectrum, teaching so earthly focused that one may idol worship in carnality and never grasp anything of GOD’s heavenly design. The major pot holes for the view is materialism, quid pro quo religion, selfishness, ungodly social caste systems…cliques, santa claus worship, false sense of salvation, and riotous living. The battle cry for this mindset is, “I’m only in it for what I can get out of it!” Somehow, the enemy of GOD (satan) has plagued this view as though their ultimate achievement in GOD is by living a blessed life…a.k.a. fancy house, stylish clothing, the most lavish vehicle, a crystal stair, and a Jacuzzi with a bowl of strawberries. Jesus tells a story about an instance as such as sums it up with this sentence. “Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants.” Matt 13:7 (NLT) This is the explanation Jesus gave about this saying. “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds:19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Matt 13:18-23 (NLT) In other words, they are living imbalanced lives and are to consumed with nice hair, money, planes, trains, and automobiles to live out faith in GOD for lack of nutrition that we draw from His Word.
Congratulations! So, you have finally made the choice! On Sunday you stepped out on faith and proclaimed to GOD that, “you want to live for Him!” You want to be sold out. You want to change the way you live. You have even told the kids, “Things are going to change around here.” You’ve also told your dog, gold fish, the love seat, the daffodils, the mailman, and old man pushing the cart down the street that, “I’m living life in a new way! I discovered how horrible I was and how awesome GOD made me and I want to live for Him!” You took a leap of faith. You are deleting numbers of friends who bring negative energy around. You are waking up at 5:30 am to walk the dog, cook breakfast, read the paper, and then head to work at your cubicle from 9 to 5. You greet every coworker with a warm smile, including the boss you know hates your guts. Then, around 3:30 pm it begins to happen like it always does. You stub your toe while carrying hot coffee and spill it on your nice white shirt that you just bought to impress the people at work of your new life change. Your co-workers giggle and a grim smirk runs across the face of the boss who hates your guts. You forget to turn in some key documents before closing so now you have to plan to work at home after you pick the kids up from school, sit through their soccer practice, and prepare dinner. As you begin to prepare dinner you realize you need a trip to the grocery store but you have no money. Your kid brings you their report card full of c’s and f’s and a disciplinary report saying that they can’t return to school for 3 days. You know what that means…yep, a babysitter!!! Just as you go to call you remember that you don’t have the money to pay a sitter. It is now 10:30 and you have put the kids to bed and you are calculating income and expenses. As you do, you realize you forgot to pay the Entergy bill and you were already at the final “we are going to hunt you down if you don’t pay this bill” notice. You head back for the liquor cabinet to buzz yourself enough to feel numb of the pains of life. As you pour, you remember Pastor Comfort and his sermon about stepping out on faith. You remember running down the isle and falling at the altar yielding up all your desires before GOD. You have a choice to make. Do I go for the kill shot with the liquor buzz that I know will at least numb me? Do I try this Jesus stuff out and “trust in the Lord”
You choose the first and quite honestly I don’t blame you. You did everything the preacher said to do and there still wasn’t any extra wave of money pouring through and the kids are worst. The bills are still unpaid and shut off is inevitable. When this happened in the past they preacher said, “hold on and keep the faith.” You are still trying to figure out what he means by that. Once again, you take the shot of whiskey. I don’t blame you. Someone has just sent you on a magical rabbit hole chase in the middle of improbability land. With the liquor, you at least know that you are chasing it with mountain dew or sprite. That shot is not going to harm you bad as taking lofty advice that is unbiblical, impractical, ungodly, worldly, and irrelevant. I do, however, have to be honest. I do not encourage you to drown yourself in drunkenness under any circumstances. The scenario we saw in the beginning works for anyone trying to begin healthy habits, promote family time, and create a dynamic work ethic. You need certainty in life. You need understanding. You need a blue print! And probably unlike the rabbit hole teaching preacher would tell you, there is a definite blueprint. GOD’s intelligent and fascinating blue print for life is the only way, truth, and life. It’s not trying to live your life as the model perfect citizen in this world, but in understanding you were made by a divinely intelligent GOD, why he made you in the first place. That’s where you really need to begin, the foundations of existence as we know it. “So, where do you begin?” one ask. You always begin with the beginning!
For me, it is easier to learn a new process and function when I understand why the said event or object was established or made. Here is an example. In learning what it takes to make a delicious cake, I need to know the ingredients, right? Yes! True, I need to know the ingredients, but knowing ingredients only can be dangerous. I may decide to be liberal with the number of eggs I use, or the amount a vanilla that goes in the cake, or the amount of shortening I use. So, how do we keep a person from making an imbalanced cake? I propose that we explain not only the ingredients but what the function of each ingredient is. Once the explanation of function, make it practical and put it in perspective by telling them why too much or to little can sabotage your cake.
I want to help you stop living an imbalanced life? Sometimes “pie in the sky” spiritual teaching can make one super spiritual but no earthly good. Major danger facing this crew are things like emotionalism, legalism, traditionalism, that ultimately feeds into vain superstitions, and emotional manipulation. Paul teaches us to become all things to all people. Jesus told us in the great commission that our ultimate end is to learn of Him so we can go and make disciples and teach others of Him. I can tell you what was not in the great commission. He did not say go and build a multi-million dollar facility where a select group of people come and indulge themselves in overly ritualistic mysticism. He tells us “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matt 28:18-20 (NLT) Those who lock into “pie in the sky” are living imbalanced lives because the get so focused on prayer meetings, revivals, 30 hour praise services, that don’t share the burden of baring the gospel to those who are lost. In other words, the go directly against the command Jesus gives for all true disciples.
On the other end of the spectrum, teaching so earthly focused that one may idol worship in carnality and never grasp anything of GOD’s heavenly design. The major pot holes for the view is materialism, quid pro quo religion, selfishness, ungodly social caste systems…cliques, santa claus worship, false sense of salvation, and riotous living. The battle cry for this mindset is, “I’m only in it for what I can get out of it!” Somehow, the enemy of GOD (satan) has plagued this view as though their ultimate achievement in GOD is by living a blessed life…a.k.a. fancy house, stylish clothing, the most lavish vehicle, a crystal stair, and a Jacuzzi with a bowl of strawberries. Jesus tells a story about an instance as such as sums it up with this sentence. “Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants.” Matt 13:7 (NLT) This is the explanation Jesus gave about this saying. “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds:19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Matt 13:18-23 (NLT) In other words, they are living imbalanced lives and are to consumed with nice hair, money, planes, trains, and automobiles to live out faith in GOD for lack of nutrition that we draw from His Word.
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